Video: Income as a universal right

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a system that would entitle every citizen, regardless of their employment status, to a living wage. UBI has been suggested as an alternative to the existing welfare system in many countries.

On Friday 26 January 2018, the Centre for Employment Relations, Innovation and Change (CERIC) hosted a workshop bringing together theorists, practitioners and social movements. The day long workshop explored the topics of basic income, wage labour, work and employment.

In this video, Dr Vera Trappmann and Dr Kate Hardy highlight the main advantages and disadvantages of UBI, as well as reflecting on the workshop held last year.

Further discussion from guests and speakers at the UBI workshop can be found in the following video. Dr Ralf Kramer (United Services Trade Union, Germany), Professor Armando Barrientos (University of Manchester), Jonathan Bartley (Co-leader, Green Party) and Dawn Foster (free journalist) are interviewed, giving their opinions on the associated risks of UBI, the impact it could have on poverty, and ways in which UBI could be implemented

CERIC members are continuing to research issues linked to UBI such as platform work, self-employment and social inclusion. Research results are published regularly on their blog.