Labour Research January 2021

Do we have the skills for a green economy? - the government’s target of two million green jobs by 2030 won’t be reached unless it delivers on the relevant skills; Ethnicity and health and safety - while Covid has exposed the extent of BME workers’ disproportionate experience of occupational ill health, unfortunately this is not new; Arts education under pressure - creative and practical subjects are important for young people’s development, but a narrowing curriculum sees these being pushed out

News

England and Wales gig economy workforce has almost trebled (409 words)

The number of people working for gig economy platforms has almost trebled in England and Wales over the past five years, according to new research ...
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Automotive industry needs support (265 words)

Government support for the automotive industry is urgently needed, the Unite union said last month. ...
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Public sector struggles on net zero (238 words)

Getting the UK’s public services across the net zero line will require £140 billion of government funding by 2035, says public services union ...
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Too little being done to ensure just transition to green economy (341 words)

Unions across the UK voiced concern at last month’s COP26 international climate change conference that progress is being put at risk by a failure ...
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Teachers slam social media firms (208 words)

Teaching unions have accused social media companies of evading responsibility by failing to implement sufficient measures to prevent the online abuse ...
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Clarks workers supported (240 words)

As Labour Research went to press, employment conciliation service Acas was attempting to resolve the dispute at shoe retailer Clarks over their ...
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Full picture of jobs yet to emerge (210 words)

A picture of what happened when furlough ended is starting to take shape in Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. ...
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Inflation still rising (68 words)

The inflation surge continued in October with increases on all three frequently-quoted measures. ...
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Key economic indicators

Key economic indicators (405 words)

Inflation +6.0%, Average earnings +4.4% ...
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Union news

Communication workers redirect Labour donations (349 words)

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is to divert much of the cash it donates to the Labour Party to specific candidates and campaigns that support ...
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Union conference abandoned after head office staff walk out (195 words)

Staff working at the RMT transport union’s London head office walked out for four days last month forcing its annual conference in Leeds to be ...
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Pilots’ union has new leader (112 words)

Airline pilots’ union BALPA has appointed former British Airways pilot Captain Martin Chalk as general secretary following an affirmative ballot of ...
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Clancy re-elected (44 words)

Mike Clancy has been elected to serve a third term as general secretary of the managers and specialists union Prospect. He has led the union since 201 ...
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Unite agrees to back PR (80 words)

For the first time in its history, the Unite general union has agreed to back proportional representation (PR) for Westminster elections. Its recent ...
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European news

New legislation strengthens rights on remote working (387 words)

Portugal has introduced new legislation on remote working that extends the right to work from home, as well as guaranteeing the “right to ...
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Polish teachers close to strike (267 words)

The prospect of a national strike in Polish schools has moved closer. ...
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Net zero proposals (98 words)

Later this month, the European Commission is set to make proposals on how governments in EU member states should deal with the labour and social ...
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French pension plans paused (86 words)

French president Emmanuel Macron has accepted that his plans for major changes in the country’s pension system cannot currently be implemented. ...
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Dutch unions lose members (54 words)

Dutch unions currently have around 1.5 million members, around 100,000 fewer than in 2019. The latest two-yearly survey from the Dutch statistical ...
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Features

Developing green skills (2,457 words)

Unions say the government must do much more to work with them on skills if it is to reach its target of two million green jobs by 2030. ...
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‘Black workers are scared to ask for what they need’ (2,402 words)

Unions are highlighting the fact that racial disparities in the workplace have important implications for ethnic minority workers’ health and ...
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Arts and creativity sidelined (2,121 words)

The teaching of arts subjects in schools has been under pressure for years. But unions are warning that the impact of Covid-19 makes these subjects ...
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Law Matters

Rental payments ought to have been excluded (297 words)

Payments made by minicab driver Mr Augustine to his employer, Data Cars Ltd, for car rental and a uniform, were expenses for the purpose of ...
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Tribunal determines right to pay during suspension (351 words)

An NHS Trust was not required to pay a healthcare assistant during a period of suspension because he was a “bank worker” with no entitlement to ...
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Platform workers fight back (250 words)

A new TUC report, Seven ways platform workers are fighting back, provides a collection of essays addressing the lack of employment rights that ...
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Law Queries

Payment of compensation (311 words)

Q. One of our members won an employment tribunal claim and was awarded a significant amount of compensation. The employer has not paid it yet. How ...
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Pensions (127 words)

Q. Our sick pay scheme provides for six months on full pay followed by six months on half pay, and nothing after that. Does the company still have to ...
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Compulsory retirement (282 words)

Q. I want to carry on working past my 65th birthday but my employer says that it has a fixed retirement age of 65. My job is not physically demanding ...
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Law Back-up

Direct offer to employees was unlawful inducement (923 words)

Following a six-year legal battle, general union Unite has won a significant victory in the Supreme Court to protect collective bargaining rights. ...
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Health & Safety Matters

Violence and abuse now ‘part of the job’ (315 words)

Three-quarters (76%) of London Underground and Transport for London (TfL) rail workers in public facing roles have been subjected to violence at work ...
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UNISON calls for action on exploitation in supply chains (204 words)

Investors of the Australian medical rubber glove manufacturing company, Ansell, are being urged to “help change the corporate culture of worker ...
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Workload and mental health crisis in universities (232 words)

A new report reveals a widespread workload and mental health crisis in universities. The Education Support charity study, Supporting staff wellbeing ...
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Health & Safety Back-up

Urgent action needed to avoid Covid chaos (908 words)

Union leaders have condemned the government’s laissez-faire and reckless response to Covid, laying down a five-point plan to urgently tackle ...
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Equality news

Disabled workers want to continue homeworking (402 words)

Nine in 10 disabled workers who worked from home during the pandemic want to continue doing so at least some of the time, according to TUC research. ...
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Despite many initiatives, inequality persists in NHS (246 words)

The NHS does not have the fundamentals in place to tackle discrimination, warns a report by the Nuffield Trust health think tank. ...
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Workplace Back-up

Menopause and work: a trade union issue (832 words)

Women undergoing the menopause may face a variety of challenges at work associated with menopausal symptoms. Back-up reports. ...
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E-views

e-views (467 words)

I’ve been working with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) on developing their new website. ...
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News from LRD

2022 LRD annual general meeting (104 words)

The 2022 annual general meeting of the Labour Research Department (LRD) will be held on Monday 16 May 2022 starting at 2:00pm. The AGM will once ...
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