Who can help Britain's vulnerable workforce?

An updated version of a presentation at a conference held at Middlesex University in September 2012 and subsequently published on the internet. The chapter considers the extent of the increased vulnerability of both the employed and the unemployed in Britain following the financial crisis in 2008. It focuses on the events of 2012 following the recognition that the recession was more serious and of longer duration than had been expected. It considers what can be done by employers, trade unions, and government to alleviate the problem, drawing largely on official reports and expressions of opinion of commentators in the broadsheets.