Pay and prices

Pay awards close the gap on inflation (223 words)

The gap between settlements and inflation has narrowed a little, with the median pay increase on the LRD Payline database rising to 3.5% in ...

Labour Research Department three-monthly pay figures (76 words)

Percentage increases on lowest basic rates (by agreements covered) ...

Other pay analysts (23 words)

Industrial Relations Services (median, three months to end January 2006) 3.5% ...

Average earnings indices (including bonuses) (55 words)

Earnings index*% annual riseWhole economyManufacturingServicesPrivate sectorPublic sectorOctober 2005 (r)122.53.2%4.3%2.9%3.0%4.1%November (r)123.23.5%4.4%3.4%3.3%4.5%December (r)124.04.2%4.5%3.8%3.9%4.7%January 2006124.53.0%5.0%2.8%2.9%4.1%February125.85.0%5.2%5.1%5.3%4.1%March125.34.4%4.8%4.4%4.4%4.3%April124.83.5%5.9%3.2%3.7%2.9%May125.94.4%5.7%4.2%4.7%3.7%June126.64.9%5.8%4.9%5.3%3.7%July126.53.9%4.8%3.8%3.8%4.1%August126.83.8%5.3%3.7%3.9%3.2%September127.34.1%5.4%4.2%4.3%3.4%October (r)127.64.2%5.1%4.4%4.4%3.3%November (r)128.03.9%4.7%4.0%4.1%3.1%December (p)128.63.8%3.7%4.1%3.9%3.3%Headline rate** for December4.0%4.5%4.2%4.1%3.2% ...

Full-time weekly average earnings (16 words)

All workers£553.40All male£608.70All female£467.20Managers£835.00Professionals£751.30Associate professional£571.40Admin & secretarial£367.10Skilled/craft£461.50Services£323.10Sales£306.30Operatives£425.40Other manual£330.40 ...

Prices (19 words)

Retail prices index (RPI)*Annual increase in RPIAnnual increase in RPI excluding mortgage payments December 05194.12.2%2.0%January 2006193.42.4%2.3%February194.22.4%2.3%March195.02.4%2.1%April196.52.6%2.4%May197.73.0%2.9%June198.53.3%3.1%July198.53.3%3.1%August199.23.4%3.3%September200.13.6%3.2%October200.43.7%3.2%November201.13.9%3.4%December202.74.4%3.8%January 2007201.64.2%3.5% ...

Inflation forecasts (17 words)

Fourth quarter 2007: ...

Bargaining news

Civil service pay deal is reluctantly accepted (409 words)

A new long-term pay deal has been approved this month by members of Northern Ireland's civil service union NIPSA, although the union has acknowledged ...

Interim offer could end ambulance row (215 words)

Public services union UNISON is balloting its members in the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) on an offer of compensation for interrupted meal breaks. ...

London casino employees stick at 5% (272 words)

Members of the T&G general union at the Claremont Casino in London are to receive increases of 5% on basic pay under a settlement ...

Strike threat prompts BA deal on pay and sick leave (516 words)

Strike action by cabin crew at British Airways (BA) was narrowly averted last month when a week of intensive negotiations produced a new settlement ...

Co-op agrees outsourcing principles with unions (201 words)

Unions at Co-operative Insurance, the Co-operative Bank and the internet bank Smile have negotiated an "agreement of principle" with parent company Co-operative Financial Services ...

Mackinnon can't pull the wool over workers' eyes (305 words)

An imposed pay freeze at clothing manufacturer Mackinnon of Scotland has been thawed out by employees' perseverance in taking industrial action. ...

5.7% pay rise puts Scotrail drivers on the right track (232 words)

Train drivers at First Scotrail will receive pay rises of more than £1,700 a year if they accept a new offer worth 5.7% over ...

Technicolor pay award gets green light at last (101 words)

Workers at Technicolor Film Laboratory have finally secured a pay rise for 2006, with across-the-board increases of 3.5% in basic pay as well as ...

New proposals end pensions dispute at ITN (257 words)

Changes to the final-salary pension scheme at television news provider ITN have been overwhelmingly approved by members of broadcasting union BECTU and the NUJ ...

Equality news

University will not allow civil partnerships (269 words)

Members of the UCU lecturers' union at Canterbury Christ Church University have demanded the withdrawal of a ban on civil partnership ceremonies. ...

Amicus persuades banks to tackle gender pay gap (507 words)

A union campaign to close the gender pay gap in the finance sector has attracted widespread support from employers in its first eight months. ...

Scotrail recruits women with driving ambition (203 words)

Train operator First ScotRail has launched a recruitment drive to attract more female drivers. ...

Recruitment and organisation news

Campaigns help USDAW to recruit (232 words)

The annual Organising Awards of retail union USDAW have highlighted the advantage of focusing on specific issues facing groups of potential members - a ...

T&G recognition battle bears fruit (236 words)

The T&G general union has reached a recognition agreement for strawberry pickers, most of whom are migrants, following a campaign in which supermarket chains ...

Learning and training news

Learner Accounts are announced (200 words)

The government's new "Learner Accounts" scheme is to be piloted in the South East and Midlands regions from September 2007. ...

Chemical firms tackle skills gaps (181 words)

The unions Amicus, Prospect and the T&G, together with the TUC's learning and skills organisation unionlearn, have developed a new Sector Skills Agreement with ...

European news

Agreement at last for French hotel workers (291 words)

French unions have reached a new deal for 800,000 workers in hotels, cafés and restaurants. ...

Spain agrees new national framework agreement (340 words)

For the sixth year running, Spain's two main union confederations - CCOO and the UGT - have reached a framework agreement with the employers' ...

Objections fail to derail national deal in Belgium (346 words)

Despite some opposition, Belgium's three union confederations have ratified the two-year national pay agreement that was provisionally agreed in December. Formally signed on 2 ...

Law - Dismissal

Dismissal law (609 words)

Topics featured this month include constructive dismissal following a breach of trust and confidence. ...

Compensation (789 words)

Amanda Bennett, who was employed part-time as a carer by a local council, put in a complaint under the council's whistleblowing procedures after she ...

Constructive dismissal (334 words)

Mrs Fairbrother was bullied by colleagues and raised a grievance, which she felt was handled inadequately. She resigned and claimed constructive dismissal on the ...

Statutory dismissal procedures (550 words)

Mr Wareing was a site manager on a project which fell behind schedule. The main contractor brought in its own workforce, and Wareing's employer ...

Overall fairness (166 words)

Solicitor Ms Dalley was dismissed on two counts of misconduct: firstly, she had failed to return to work or report in after her holiday; ...

Reasonableness of dismissal (203 words)

Teacher Ms McCarthy was dismissed following complaints from parents; this was her first offence and she had no disciplinary record. She admitted shouting at ...

Incapacity (144 words)

Mrs McAdie went on long-term sick leave with work-related stress following her employer's failure to deal properly with her grievances. She was eventually dismissed ...

Was there a dismissal? (214 words)

Teacher Mrs Mehra was disciplined for gross misconduct on grounds of her possession and labelling of resource materials, and her making false allegations and ...

Some other substantial reason (196 words)

Sales manager Karen Breedon was dismissed for "some other substantial reason" (SOSR) following a phone call to her employer, during which it was alleged ...

Time limits (242 words)

Mr Theobald issued a tribunal claim for unfair dismissal, but not until 13 days after the usual three-month time limit had expired. ...

Health & safety news

Universities and colleges face a "stress epidemic" (230 words)

Stress is widespread in further and higher education thanks to poor management, according to a new survey by education unions. ...

Employers can seriously talk rubbish about health (176 words)

A new leaflet sponsored by major employers including Rolls Royce and Royal Mail is so likely to make safety reps' blood boil that it ...

Unions act on health and safety in south London (156 words)

Members of public services union UNISON in health and local government are protesting at plans to privatise parts of the NHS in south-east London. ...

CWU aims to improve breast cancer awareness (65 words)

The CWU communication workers' union has updated its website to provide more information on breast cancer. The union wants more help at work to ...

Workplace allergies are the tip of the iceberg (87 words)

Amicus professional union is calling for government action to combat workplace allergies. ...

Driving with fatigue kills (125 words)

A fifth of accidents on long road journeys are caused by fatigue, and 10% of company-car drivers admit to having fallen asleep at the ...

Features

Range of reasonable responses (171 words)

Mary Ogunlana was dismissed after an incident involving an altercation with a colleague, who was also dismissed. A tribunal found that her employer had ...

Transfer law (240 words)

This month's topics include the effect of the TUPE regulations on contractual terms and conditions. ...

Economic entity (341 words)

A street lighting firm lost its contract to two separate companies, which did not take on all of its staff. Some who were not ...

Agreed contractual changes (176 words)

Mr Power's employment contract specified that his contractual retirement age was 60. The part of the business in which he worked was transferred to ...

UK may get away with weak safety laws (133 words)

A legal case brought by the European Commission (EC) over the UK's implementation of European health and safety rules is likely to fail, according ...

HSE bars Falcon cranes (95 words)

Falcon Crane Hire has been told to take down 180 tower cranes, after one collapsed and killed a construction worker last month. ...

Staffing cuts thwart HSE's occupational health aims (238 words)

Prospect, the union representing health and safety inspectors, has warned that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is too underfunded to operate effectively. ...

Withdrawal of HSE safety guidance angers Amicus (223 words)

Amicus, the union organising workers in the print industry, has reacted angrily to the withdrawal of guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) ...

HSE goes public with inspectors' guide to worker involvement (185 words)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published its information pack for its own inspectors and those from local authorities on issues around worker ...

Can unions save the planet? (2758 words)

When the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its fourth report earlier this month, it confirmed that excessive levels of carbon ...

Reps take action on asbestos (3092 words)

According to official figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), approximately 4,000 people die every year from asbestos-related cancer. And the HSE believes ...