Fighting for fair work? The limits of voluntary engagement

Purpose This article is a short commentary on the nature of Fair Work and the part it can play in the struggle to improve workers' conditions. The discussion considers Wales as well as Scotland, and also references Fair Work Charters in England, in its exploration of the “fair work project”. Design/methodology/approach Data from a range of surveys is presented, to support the argument that much more needs to be done to achieve a fair bargain for all workers. Findings It also proposes that the fair work agenda needs to be more cognisant of divergent interests in capital-labour relations and to see fair work as a goal to be striven for rather than the willing gift of the good employer. In essence, it concludes that Fair Work statements can be useful if they are operationalised as stepping stones to clearly understood rights and expectations, linked to effective enforcement, as opposed to remaining a voluntary initiative mainly dependent on voluntary employer engagement. Originality/value This article is based on a review presented at a BUIRA workshop on Fair Work in Scotland, Glasgow 2025.