8. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that any future devolution of employment law to the Scottish Parliament would have on its long-term labour market strategy. (S6O-02463)

Securing the full range of powers in relation to employment law will enable the Scottish Parliament to implement policies that will best meet Scotland’s distinct needs. In “Building a New Scotland: A stronger economy with independence”, we outlined plans to offer comprehensive employment rights including flexible working, parental leave and unfair dismissal claims on day 1 of employment. Those powers would create fairer workplaces, enhance workers’ rights in Scotland and help to shift the curve on poverty and deliver on our shared ambition for a wellbeing economy that is fair, green and growing, with a just transition to net zero.

Is it not the case that, just like the Scottish National Party Scottish Government, the Scottish Trades Union Congress has been campaigning for the devolution of employment law precisely to ensure that workers are better protected? Would that not be the better path?

Absolutely. The STUC and the Scottish Government have long shared the view that employment powers should be devolved to Holyrood. Both parties continue to press the United Kingdom Government for the full devolution of employment powers in order to protect and enhance workers’ rights. I hope that they will bring the Labour Party in Scotland with them on that journey, as it has consistently blocked the passage of employment law being devolved to the Parliament.

In “Building a New Scotland”, we set out the protection that Scotland could introduce if it had full employment law powers. For example, we propose repealing unfair labour laws such as the UK’s Trade Union Act 2016, legislating to ban fire and rehire and properly resourcing the enforcement of a Scottish national minimum wage. Policy coherence with the full suite of powers of independence, including powers over migration, would ensure that we had a migration strategy and a labour policy that were joined up and that addressed the needs of Scotland’s economy.