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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Government views on full employment are out of date and don’t recognise that half of the UK’s working population are ‘Self-Drive Workers’

The Chancellor George Osborne this week committed the Conservatives to target "full employment", however, he couldn’t define what it actually means in terms of jobs and failed to recognise the changing face of Britain’s workforce - the fact that almost 50% of people are not ‘full time employees on a payroll’ says Charles Russam, Chairman of Russam GMS – a UK provider of interim managers and executive search

The Chancellor George Osborne this week committed the Conservatives to target "full employment", however, he couldn’t define what it actually means in terms of jobs and failed to recognise the changing face of Britain’s workforce - the fact that almost 50% of people are not ‘full time employees on a payroll’ says Charles Russam, Chairman of Russam GMS – a UK provider of interim managers and executive search.  

Charles Russam says, “The true picture of the UK labour market is very different from the one the government presents. Whilst it talks about ‘full employment’ 47% of people are actually what we have called Self Drive Workers’  - workers who do not have an employer on  afull time basis -  a varied and mixed group of part-timers, the self-employed, contractors, freelancers, Interim Managers and others. Most haven’t an  interest in joining a company payroll or for various reasons aren’t able to take up a full time payroll job. The government’s view on the nature of the British workforce is completely out of date.” 

“Shifting patterns of employment accelerated during the recession and are unlikely to revert fully –or even substantially – to previous employment patterns – this is the new reality. The government is naïve to think that most people who have been working independently over the past few years will move back into ‘traditional’ employment as the economy grows – it won’t happen. The converse is true. A strong economy, with increased business activity, offers more opportunities to entrepreneurs, self-drive workers and contractors and the population of Self-Drive Workers will grow not decline.”

“It would appear that George Osborne and his advisors don’t know what is happening in the real UK labour market.  They also seem unaware that the real task of government is not to find jobs for people but to create a market economy that generates needs for products and services that everyone can chip into – a market economy that looks for input from 100% of the UK’s working population of 30.1m – rather than just 53% of it.”

“Does George Osborne not realise that real economic success comes from individuals with drive and hunger and ambition rather than those just doing a job?  He ought to look at what the Victorians did in the past and what the Chinese have done more recently and then put in place measures that support independent workers to prosper.”

Russam GMS Ltd is the longest established mainstream Interim Management Provider in the UK and has a commitment to promote the interests of Self Drive Workers – which is what Interim Managers are.

In support of self-drive workers Russam is partnering with AngelNews for the second year running to host ‘The Great British Workforce Revolution’ conference on 4th June 2014.

This one day conference is dedicated to self-drive workers and will explore the market and many and varied opportunities that exist for them today.

The conference will be held at Dexter House, No.2 Royal Mint Court, Tower Hill, EC3N 4QN London. For more information go to: http: www.WorkforceRevolution.co.uk – and bookings can be made through this website.