Fact Service April 2015

Issue 17 (30/04/2015) - Handsome rewards in executive packages; Epilepsy in workplace; Richard Desmond's UKIP donation; Nationwide says 'pay up' on Living Wage; Union official to head taskforce in Scotland; New qualification right on adoption leave; Strike over Tata Steel's pension closure?

Issue 16 (23/04/2015) - Unemployment dips below 1.84 million; Turbans in workplace; CWU gets new gen sec; Earnings data provide little relief; Black and Asians hit by casualisation of work; Whistleblowing case — public interest ruling; 2010 and now

Issue 15 (16/04/2015) - More union bashing from Tories if they win; Inequalities among ethnic minority people; Factory output slows at beginning of 2015; Ambulance staff are stressed out; Inflation dips under 1%; Pension changes

Issue 14 (09/04/2015) - Employment law changes in April; Compensation scheme an 'unholy mess'; Tory claim on tax rubbished; Living Wage successes; Tory backers named and shamed; Balance of payments - record deficit; Executives in the £1m-a-year pay club

Issue 13 (02/04/2015) - Economic growth is revised upwards; UNISON can appeal over tribunal fees; Call for public inquiry into blacklisting; A promise to end zero-hours contracts; Industrial action at Windsor Castle; Austerity has led to mental health issues

Issue 17

Handsome rewards in executive packages (654 words)

There is no let-up in the largesse handed out to executives in UK’s top boardrooms. ...
Subscribers only

Epilepsy in workplace (245 words)

Help for union reps in supporting members with epilepsy is available in a new TUC guide. ...
Open access

Richards Desmond’s UKIP donation (521 words)

Media owner Richard Desmond has handed over a £1 million donation to the United Kingdom Independence Party’s election fund, but can’t find the ...
Subscribers only

Nationwide says 'pay up' on Living Wage (239 words)

Organisations that can afford to pay the Living Wage should do so, according to research by Nationwide Building Society. ...
Open access

Union official to head taskforce in Scotland (103 words)

Anne Douglas, national secretary at the union for professionals, Prospect, is to co-chair a new independent group tasked with promoting a fairer ...
Open access

New qualification right on adoption leave (254 words)

The right to adoption leave is now a "day one right", so employees will not need to have a qualifying period of service. ...
Subscribers only

Strike over Tata Steel’s pension closure? (181 words)

Industrial action by four unions is expected to take place on the eve of the general election — 6 May — over Tata Steel’s pension closure ...
Open access

Issue 16

Unemployment dips below 1.84 million (542 words)

Unemployment has continued to fall in the early months of 2015, the latest official figures show. ...
Subscribers only

Turbans in workplace (188 words)

A new employment law that enables Sikhs to wear turbans in all workplaces has come into force. ...
Open access

CWU gets new gen sec (87 words)

Members of the CWU communications workers’ union have elected a new general secretary. ...
Open access

Earnings data provide little relief (615 words)

Average weekly earnings growth appears to have started the year from a low point, given the predictions that workers’ living standards will improve ...
Subscribers only

Black and Asians hit by casualisation of work (338 words)

Over the past four years black and Asian workers have been disproportionately affected by the rise in casual work, according to a new report from the ...
Subscribers only

Whistleblowing case — public interest ruling (290 words)

A landmark ruling as to what constitutes public interest in whistleblowing cases has been given by the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT). ...
Subscribers only

2010 and now (63 words)

Official figures show that in April 2010, the month before the last general election, average weekly earnings were £448 and by February 2015 had ...
Open access

Issue 15

More union bashing from Tories if they win (320 words)

The Conservative Party's election manifesto promises more attacks on trade union rights. ...
Subscribers only

Inequalities among ethnic minority people (550 words)

Low pay and employment inequalities among ethnic minority employees and the role of occupational choices is the focus of a new study from the ...
Subscribers only

Factory output slows at beginning of 2015 (197 words)

Manufacturing output appears to be faltering in the early months of 2015, official figures suggest. ...
Open access

Ambulance staff are stressed out (437 words)

Long hours, staff shortages and the mental demands of the job are placing an enormous burden on ambulance workers, according to a new survey. ...
Subscribers only

Inflation dips under 1% (449 words)

Cheaper clothing contributed to be the slowdown in the rate of inflation, official figures show. ...
Subscribers only

Pension changes (235 words)

A number of changes to pension regime came into effect on 6 April. ...
Open access

Issue 14

Employment law changes in April (568 words)

The ability to take shared parental leave is the main changes in employment law sphere coming into effect this April. Aside from an initial two weeks ...
Subscribers only

Compensation scheme an 'unholy mess' (356 words)

The UK government’s workplace compensation scheme covers only a tiny proportion of those made ill by their work and needs urgent reform, a new ...
Subscribers only

Tory claim on tax rise rubbished (216 words)

The Conservative Party’s claim that under Labour there would be a tax rise for every working household has been slated by the respected think tank, ...
Open access

Living Wage successes (304 words)

Two recent successes in the south west on the Living Wage have been announced by the public services union UNISON. ...
Subscribers only

Tory backers named and shamed (119 words)

Two of the business leaders who signed a letter supporting the Conservative's economic strategy are from companies named and shamed by the coalition ...
Open access

Balance of payments — record deficit (240 words)

Britain’s trading position with the rest of the world continued breaking records for the wrong reasons in 2014, official figure show. ...
Open access

Executives in the £1m-a-year pay club (484 words)

Thirty executives who received £1 million a year in total remuneration last year feature in the table. ...
Subscribers only

Issue 13

Economic growth is revised upwards (161 words)

The economy grew at a faster pace than initially estimated, revised official figures for 2014 show. ...
Open access

UNISON can appeal over tribunal fees (250 words)

The public service union UNISON has been granted permission by the Court of Appeal to go ahead with appeals against the decisions of the High Court ...
Subscribers only

Call for public inquiry into blacklisting (631 words)

There should be a public inquiry into blacklisting, the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee says in its final report on the subject. ...
Subscribers only

A promise to end zero-hours contracts (531 words)

Staff on zero-hour contracts at Co-op Funeralcare are to be offered new contracts, with guaranteed hours and improved terms and conditions, following ...
Subscribers only

Industrial action at Windsor Castle (223 words)

The royal family faces industrial action short of a strike by low paid staff in Windsor Castle as the PCS public and commercial services union opens ...
Open access

Austerity has led to mental health issues (361 words)

Workers have been experiencing a significant increase in stress, which in some cases has led to mental ill health, as a result of the impact of ...
Subscribers only