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UK’s first Good Employment Charter Supporters’ Network launched in Greater Manchester

The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter Supporters’ Network, the first of its kind in the UK, launched last week with more than 60 businesses signing up to the aims of the Charter. The Growth Company is proud to be a Supporter of the Charter and is working alongside GMCA as one of the delivery partners.

Speakers at the event included Sir Richard Leese, Lynn Collins and Mayor Andy Burnham. Ian MacArthur, Head of the Charter Implementation Unit – and Head of Strategic Relationships for GC Business Growth Hub – also spoke as part of the panel at the launch event.

The city-region’s Good Employment Charter encourages and supports employers to develop good jobs, deliver opportunities for people to progress, and help employers to grow and succeed.

Cereal giants Kellogg’s, global accounting firm KPMG and national TV network ITV are amongst the first Supporters of the Charter. Greater Manchester businesses such as Music Magpie and the Lowry Hotel have also signed up, with a number of public sector and voluntary organisations also becoming Supporters.   

The model for the Charter has been co-designed by business owners, employers, trade unions and employees from across Greater Manchester, and involved two public consultations to develop and agree the proposals.

Employers will be supported to raise standards across a number of areas, including secure work, a real living wage and excellent recruitment and progression, with a tiered approach to help them progress. The Supporters’ Network is the first of those tiers. 

The Charter will be embedded in public procurement through the region’s social value framework – which gives additional weighting to bids delivering social value in procurement processes. Businesses receiving investment through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s investment funds will also now be required to become Charter supporters.  

The three tiers of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter are:

Tier 1: Supporters – for those employers who support the aims of the Charter and Greater Manchester strategy, but are not yet in a position to meet the requirements of accreditation.

Tier 2: Membership – requiring employers to demonstrate excellent practice in seven key characteristics of employment practice:

  • Secure work
  • Flexible work
  • A real living wage
  • Workplace engagement and voice
  • Excellent recruitment practices and progression
  • Excellent people management
  • A productive and healthy workplace

Tier 3: Advocates – for employers who meet high standards in all the key employment characteristics to be Members, and then go out to other employers to encourage them to raise employment standards and join the Charter process.

The Charter was identified by the Independent Prosperity Review as a key way of raising business growth and was one of the key actions recently agreed with Government in Greater Manchester’s Local Industrial Strategy.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said: “Greater Manchester is once again leading the way with the launch of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter Supporters’ Network.

“Through working together, business owners, employers, Trade Unions and employees from across Greater Manchester have developed a journey that we want employers to take towards good employment.”

 

Find out more about what good employment looks like: Good Employment 

Register your interest in becoming a Supporter of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter: https://www.gmgoodemploymentcharter.co.uk/

Follow the Charter on Twitter: @GoodEmpCharter

Email the Charter Implementation Unit: contact@gmgoodemploymentcharter.co.uk

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