Labour Research April 2004

UK union members pay lowest subs in EU; Council tax capping is not the answer; Black faces absent from top positions in public life; Why directors should have legal safety duties

News

Unions say pensions Bill should be retrospective (229 words)

The limitations of the pensions Bill currently going through the House of Commons became clear last month when workers at diesel engine manufacturer Lister ...

Union urges changes at Rover (262 words)

Tony Woodley, the general secretary of the T&G general union, has called for changes in the management and structure of the MG Rover car ...

Transport unions call for more security measures (345 words)

Transport unions have welcomed the introduction of new security measures in the wake of last month's Madrid bombings, but warn that more should be ...

Brown endorses relocation proposals (127 words)

The Budget endorsed fresh moves to relocate civil servants and other public sector workers out of London and the South East which were published ...

Public servant job cuts will hit front-line services (346 words)

Chancellor Gordon Brown's plan to cut civil service jobs to fund higher education and health spending threatens "front-line" services, say civil service unions and ...

Tension rises over civil servants' pay (261 words)

Planned cuts in the civil service are likely to worsen an already tense industrial relations atmosphere as union members press for negotiated pay settlements ...

Union news

Fewer recognition deals signed (246 words)

Unions signed 166 recognition deals last year, around half the 307 signed the year before and around a third of the 470 signed in ...

Unions flock to Amicus (125 words)

Skilled and professional union Amicus looks set to become the TUC's largest affiliate after finance union Unifi representatives agreed to ballot the union's 147,000 ...

Membership rises (62 words)

Membership rises ...

T&G retains fund (112 words)

Members of the T&G transport union have voted with by 75% to 25% to retain their political fund. Turnout was 19.5%. ...

Features

Fire union urges cut in donations (264 words)

Leaders of the FBU firefighters' union want to cut donations to the Labour Party but to keep the financial link. ...

German unions lose members (869 words)

German unions lost 4.4% of their members last year, the biggest fall in percentage terms since 1994. Membership in the DGB union confederation now ...

Italians hold further pensions strike (869 words)

The three main Italian union confederations were again striking against the government's pension proposals as Labour Research went to press. The nationwide stoppage of ...

Union members pay less in UK (2464 words)

Arguments may fly at this spring's union conferences over raising union subscriptions, but typical rates are still only around £2.00 a week - less ...

Back to can't pay, won't pay? (1493 words)

Council tax payers may be relieved that their latest bills haven't risen by as much as was feared. But everyone will lose out from ...

Black faces absent at the top (1612 words)

This month's TUC Black Workers' Conference takes place at a time when almost one in 12 of the UK population belongs to an ethnic ...

Make directors responsible! (1594 words)

A theme of Workers' Memorial Day later this month is "employer accountability". Unions argue that directors need to be given statutory duties for safety ...

Expelling fascists (67 words)

Unions have won the right to expel BNP members. ...

Mothers-to-be still face discrimination (289 words)

Thousands of women still experience discrimination at work because they are pregnant, despite laws to protect them. The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has shown ...

Disability Bill needs to offer more protection (339 words)

The TUC and the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) have warmly welcomed the draft Disability Discrimination Bill, which will extend disabled people's rights in employment ...

Poor pay for civil service part-timers (168 words)

Part-time workers in the civil service are still losing out on pay, progression and appraisals, according to an analysis of recent figures by the ...

Law Matters

Tribunal form will deter claimants (357 words)

The government is pressing ahead with plans to introduce a new form that will have to be completed by all applicants wishing to pursue ...

Court takes practical approach to employment termination date (298 words)

In a significant new ruling, the Court of Appeal has held that - particularly where otherwise someone would be deprived of employment rights - ...

Addiction and disability (91 words)

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has held that the dismissal of a worker who had taken time off work as a result of depression ...

Costs against representatives (77 words)

While tribunals have the power to award costs against an individual to take into account the conduct of that individual's advisors, the EAT has ...

Law Queries

Unauthorised e-mails (186 words)

Employers do have the right to discipline workers for inappropriate use of the internet, including e-mails. ...

Freelance workers (166 words)

couple of freelance workers who are paid to attend and report on specific events. These workers are all treated as self-employed for tax purposes. ...

Constructive dismissal (156 words)

A constructive dismissal is one where the employee resigns but claims that this was the only cause of action open to them. To claim ...

Keeping redundancy terms (166 words)

In a recent and similar case the EAT ruled against the employer. It held that, just because volunteers had been offered and accepted different ...

Law Back-up

Compensation can go beyond financial loss (835 words)

A landmark ruling by the Court of Appeal means that employees whose health is injured at work due to harassment or bullying, and who ...

Health & Safety Matters

Unions sceptical of HSC strategy (314 words)

The Health and Safety Commission's (HSC) new strategy to improve safety standards has received a cool reception from unions, health professionals and campaigners. ...

Council pays out following assault (252 words)

Swansea Council has had to pay out a six-figure sum in compensation after a social worker was injured and forced to give up work. ...

Council prosecuted for manslaughter (89 words)

Council prosecuted for manslaughter ...

Sick of downsizing (67 words)

Downsizing may adversely affect the health even of workers who keep their jobs, according to new research. ...

College pays for stress (80 words)

A further education lecturer has been awarded £80,000 by her employer after receiving stress-related injuries at work. The lecturer, supported by the NATFHE education ...

Health & Safety Back-up

HSC proposes more worker involvement (823 words)

Safety reps have a proven effect on health and safety in the workplace. Back-up looks at the new HSC statement on worker involvement and ...

Workplace Back-up

Money talks - improve your language skills (762 words)

With personal debt currently at record levels, it is increasingly important for workers to understand financial matters in order to avoid money problems - ...

Reviews

The next step: Trade union recognition in small enterprises (169 words)

KD Ewing and Anne Hock, Popularis, 51 pages, £5.00 ...

Pension promises and employment rights (117 words)

Bryn Davies, John Grieve and Ivan Walker, Institute of Employment Rights, 56 pages, £6.50 ...

International handbook of trade unions (125 words)

Edited by John Addison and Claus Schnabel, Edward Elgar, 555 pages, £140.00 ...

E-views

Eviews (394 words)

Sometimes it does just hit you. The internet really does change the way we look at things. I was struck by this as I ...