General Overview of the Act Part 1 .The Social Partnership Council Sections 3 and 4 – Employer and worker representatives
15.These sections make provision about who can be appointed as an employer or worker representative by the First Minister. Employer representatives must be individuals that the First Minister considers represent certain categories of employer in Wales as specified in section 3. Worker representatives must be individuals the First Minister considers represent staff working for employers in each of those categories in Wales.
16.The First Minister’s discretion in appointing individuals is broad in that the only requirement for appointment is that the First Minister has formed a view that a particular individual represents relevant organisations or staff (as the case may be). However, this discretion is, in practice, significantly curtailed by the nomination process contained in section five.
17.Employer and worker representatives carry out their role as individuals, regardless of their connection with any organisation external to the SPC (e.g. a public body or a trade union).
18.It is intended that employer and worker representatives will be able to represent a wide variety of constituencies and perspectives.