Uws -Oxfam partnership policy forum: 18 th november 2014

1. Uws-Oxfam partnership policy forum: 18thnovember 2014 Realising Social Justice: People, Politics and Policies

2. Realising Social Justice: People, Politics and Policies • Katherine Trebeck (Oxfam GB): Chair/Facilitator • Francis Stuart (Oxfam Scotland): Introduction • Chik Collins (UWS): Context • Mike Danson(Heriot Watt University): A Perspective on Opportunities • Group Discussions and Feedback

3. Francis StuartBackground to UWS-Oxfam Partnership “For a more equitable and sustainable Scotland” Launch - October 2012 • Research • Student Placements • Policy Forum Website: uwsoxfampartnership.org.uk

4. Report on Policy Forum 2, 2014: Focus on InequalityRise of the top 1-2%

5. The gap is set to grow • Labour market trends • Global race to the bottom on corporation and income tax rates • Technological change – ‘computerisation’ • Wealth extraction

6. The impact of four policies on aggregate wages, UK, 2012 Source: S Lansley and H Reed, How to Boost the Wage-Share, TUC, 2013, p 45

7. Decent work • Living wage • Zero-hours contracts and general lack of security and poor working conditions • Wage ratios Equality as priority of Government • National Performance Framework • Socio-economic duties • Public Procurement Tax • Income tax • Land value tax • Inheritance tax Social protection • Higher benefit levels • Reverse welfare cuts • Citizens Income Participation-public & private • Participatory Budgeting • Employee ownership

8. Chik CollinsSocial Justice: A Contested Terrain • SJ: “the distribution of benefits and burdens in a community”. • Social democratic tradition: ‘equality’ without ‘radical equality’ - ‘proximity’. • BUT: Multiple takes on the ‘value’ of the concept and of its substantive content and implications: • Hayek/Neo-Liberals • Marxists/Socialists • Environmentalists/Greens • Feminism • Social democratic tradition: Legitimacy of organised working class power in politics and society to reduce inequality and achieve greater ‘proximity’ or ‘justice’

9. Two decades of ‘social justice’ • Commission on Social Justice (1994) Social Justice: Strategies for National Renewal • “A hand up rather than a hand out” – ‘flexible’ labour markets and social/community enterprise • ‘Social justice’ via the market – not ‘politics’. • Post-1997: Social Inclusion and Exclusion • Devolution: Social Justice: A Scotland where everyone matters – with milestones/progress indicators. • Abandoned c. 2003/2004: ‘Closing the Gap’ becomes ‘Closing the Opportunity Gap’ • 2004: Centre for Social Justice – saving people from the harm caused by ‘dependency’, by rendering them destitute … “unleashing the work of change in people’s lives” (quite!)

10. The contemporary terrain of ‘justice’ • 20 years of ‘justice’ as ‘adaptation to the market’ sees intensification of inequality and ‘injustice’; • Dominance of ‘adaptation’ agenda and confusion of marginal amelioration with pursuit of ‘justice’; • Contesting the contemporary terrain of ‘justice’ – People, Politics and Policies ……