Basic Income for Net Zero: Trade Union Perspectives

This report analyses a programme of engagement with UK trade unions on their perspectives on Universal Basic Income (UBI). Many are ‘firefighting’ ongoing crises – pay erosion, workplace disputes, job cuts – and lack time to engage with long-term transformative ideas such as UBI. There is the dual challenge of unions prioritising policy proposals that they believe a Labour government might realistically consider and believing that policy change needs to stem from members. Unions identified six key arguments against UBI:
1. It is not economically feasible
2. It enhances scope for employer exploitation
3. It threatens trade union relevance
4. It could undermine other policies that unions do support, such as Universal Basic Services
5. It may undermine public sector jobs
6. It is subject to misconceptions among members
However, several areas of support for UBI did emerge:
1. It protects against automation and AI
2. It strengthens workers’ bargaining power
3. It supports equality and social mobility
4. It re-opens an ambitious social vision

Unions emphasised several conditions that must be met before taking a definitive pro-UBI stance:
1. Demonstration of economic, labour market and public service feasibility from large trials
2. A clear, credible and progressive funding model
3. Assurance against exploitation
4. Support from members to indicate institutional social feasibility
5. Government interest to indicate political feasibility

Importantly, greater union engagement with a Green New Deal (GND) means that support for UBI can be increased if it can be demonstrated that it supports a just transition.