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Workplace Report June 2012
London Weighting - Many organisations recognise that living in the capital is expensive and pay a supplement. But the problem for many is their value has not risen recently; Whistleblowing - Legislation on whistleblowing in now 14 years old. Case law on the issue is revealing; Latest case law on discrimination
Pay and prices
Gap between pay and prices narrows (256 words)
Settlements from the Labour Research Department’s Payline database continue to show a rise of 3.0%. This has been the midpoint (median) for ...
Subscribers only
Labour Research Department three-monthly pay figures (223 words)
Percentage increases on lowest basic rates (by agreements covered). ...
Open access
Full-time weekly average earnings (41 words)
Source: ASHE 2011 uprated by AWE. ... Open access
Average weekly earnings (AWE) (151 words)
Total pay including bonuses. Percentage annual ... Open access
Other pay analysts (25 words)
... Open access
Prices (73 words)
1 Retail prices index, Jan ... Open access
Inflation forecasts (31 words)
Fourth quarter 2012 ... Open access
Bargaining news
Market facing pay fails the NHS test (815 words)
The government’s call for pay in the public sector to be more “market facing” seems to be in trouble. One reason for that could ... Subscribers only
Utility firms take different routes to settlements (448 words)
Recent settlements among the water and energy companies, commonly lumped together as the “utilities”, are mixed in their duration, ... Subscribers only
Industrial action on cards over attacks on pensions (239 words)
Company attacks on pension rights have brought varied responses from the unions involved. ... Open access
London Living Wage deal (147 words)
Cleaning company Initial Facilities will make the London Living Wage its standard operative rate under a five-stage 41-month harmonisation agreement ... Open access
Mail caterer defrosts pay (147 words)
Members of the CWU communication workers’ union at Royal Mail caterer Quadrant have accepted a 2.75% pay increase backdated to October 2011, ... Open access
Nuclear firm’s attack on pensions rebuffed (336 words)
A major pensions victory has been won on behalf of 13,000 nuclear workers who were formerly employed by British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) and the UK ... Subscribers only
Strike on buses but other London workers win gold (345 words)
Unions with members affected by the Olympics are on the last laps of agreeing compensation awards. ... Subscribers only
Ford staff strike (138 words)
Ford staff at sites in Basildon, Bridgend, Dagenham, Daventry, Dunton, Halewood, Southampton and the motor company’s headquarters in Warley ... Open access
Tax officers vote for action (158 words)
PCS members at HM Revenue and Customs have voted for industrial action in a dispute over job cuts and privatisation. The union’s 55,000 ... Open access
Equality news
Perfect partnership to help disabled people reach their potential at work (587 words)
Disabled people are not realising their full potential as they are not getting the support they need at work, according to the findings of a new ... Subscribers only
Learning and training news
Adult learners face loan system in two year’s time (309 words)
As part of the government’s further education reform programme New Challenges New Chances, adults aged 24 and over entering further education ... Subscribers only
‘Potholes’ in skilled trades (76 words)
Analysis from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills’ (UKCES) annual skills survey shows that “a lack of training in some sectors ... Open access
Recruitment and organisation news
Groundbreaking deal at supermarket group (254 words)
A historic partnership agreement has been reached between the GMB union and retail giant Asda after 14 months of negotiations and an overwhelming ... Subscribers only
GMB equality awards (95 words)
Mick Lancaster, a GMB branch secretary in Asda distribution, has won the union’s award for Most Inspirational Individual on Equality at the ... Open access
Unite wins at Ayrshire firm (124 words)
The Unite general union has won recognition on behalf of 750 workers at Scottish aerospace firm GE Caledonian, despite threats from the company to ... Open access
European news
German deals claw back past losses to bring an increase in living standards (672 words)
The last few weeks have produced above-inflation pay settlements in Germany which should ensure a real increase in living standards for those ... Subscribers only
Spanish cement agreement goes to court (383 words)
The Spanish ministry of labour has asked the court to strike down an agreement signed by unions and employers earlier this year, arguing that the ... Subscribers only
Law - Discrimination
Discrimination - the law (638 words)
Since 1 October 2010, discrimination law has been contained in the Equality Act 2010 (EA 2010). With a few notable exceptions, the laws in EA 2010 ... Subscribers only
What factors can justify compulsory retirement (732 words)
Mr Seldon was a partner at a law firm. The law firm had an agreed partnership deed with a compulsory retirement age of 65. As Seldon neared ... Subscribers only
Was age discrimination justified over law degree requirement? (352 words)
Mr Homer retired from the police force aged 51 as a detective inspector and joined the Police National Legal Database (PNLD) as a legal adviser. ... Subscribers only
Tribunal has no power to split up compensation award (442 words)
A group of litigants brought multiple claims against Sunderland City Council, and the GMB and UNISON unions. ... Subscribers only
Illegal status of au pair bars discrimination claim (290 words)
Ms Hounga, a young illiterate Nigerian citizen, was encouraged by her employers to travel from Nigeria to work in the UK illegally as their au pair. ... Subscribers only
No disclosure of information right for rejected candidate (420 words)
Ms Meister, a Russian national, answered a newspaper advert placed by a German business called Speech Design, looking for an “experienced ... Subscribers only
It’s marriage itself not who you married that counts (321 words)
Mrs Hawkins was married to the chief executive of the Atex Group who appointed her corporate marketing director. He also employed his daughter. ... Subscribers only
B&B couple guilty of sexual orientation discrimination (393 words)
Mr and Mrs Bull were committed Christians who strongly believed that sex outside marriage was sinful. ... Subscribers only
Historical reason for pay differential is relevant (331 words)
The claimant, Ms Bowling, was recruited into a customer service/IT support role for the Prison Service. Her pay as a new recruit was set at spinal ... Subscribers only
Polish chat led to employer’s illegal race discrimination (185 words)
The claimant, who is Polish, was having a work-related conversation with a Polish colleague. Shortly after, her line manager called her into a ... Open access
Health & safety news
Shopworkers get advice on tackling violence (334 words)
Advice on how to reduce incidents of violence against shop staff has been published by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), in conjunction with the ... Subscribers only
Advice sets out penalties courts can give dog owners (333 words)
New guidance on how the courts should deal with offences arising out of the control of dangerous dogs has been published by the Sentencing Council, ... Subscribers only
Days lost over illness are down 4% (285 words)
A total of 131 million days were lost because of sickness absence in the UK last year, a 4% fall on the 2010 figure of 137 million and down more ... Subscribers only
Health & safety - HSE Monitor
Night shift cancer link put under official spotlight (332 words)
An investigation into whether night work is linked to cancer has been launched by the HSE. ... Subscribers only
Protection needed on noise (114 words)
Just how noise and ageing affect hearing is now available online. ... Open access
How to cope in sawmills (198 words)
The HSE has issued revised guidance on sawmilling in response to the higher levels of automation in the sawmilling industry. ... Open access
Here comes the sun (143 words)
At this time of year it is always worth highlighting the risks that working outside can present. It will have special relevance to those coping with ... Open access
WAIT for help (140 words)
The HSE is promoting a toolkit, called WAIT, designed to help people working at height select the right access equipment. ... Open access
Features
London supplements need a boost to restore their value (2,476 words)
The bare statistics suggest that the gap between the cost of living in and around the capital and the rest of the country has widened. Perhaps ... Subscribers only
Whistleblowing at work (2,215 words)
Legislation on whistleblowing was intended to give employees the confidence that they would be protected from reprisals if they took action to alert ... Open access