Pay and prices

Settlements show little movement (219 words)

The latest figures from LRD’s Payline database show pay settlements still trailing behind inflation. The median increase in the three months to November was ...

Labour Research Department three-monthly pay figures (72 words)

For the three months up to and including: ...

Full-time weekly average earnings (16 words)

All workers£561.90All male£619.40All female£473.00Managers£845.60Professionals£758.20Associate professional£579.70Admin & secretarial£386.80Skilled/craft£472.20Services£332.30Sales£313.20Operatives£437.30Other manual£340.80 ...

Average earnings indices (including bonuses) (56 words)

Earnings index* for whole economy% annual riseWhole economyManufacturingServicesPrivate sectorPublic sectorAugust 2006 (r)126.83.85.33.73.93.2September (r)127.44.05.54.14.13.3October (r)128.04.45.24.64.73.2November128.24.04.74.14.23.1December128.83.94.04.24.13.3January 2007129.34.93.55.35.23.3February131.34.93.65.45.42.8March129.73.53.53.33.83.1April129.83.43.23.63.23.2May130.53.64.43.53.83.0June131.13.23.93.23.23.1July131.53.84.33.84.22.5August (r)132.14.22.84.64.43.2September (r)132.74.22.24.54.43.2October (p)132.63.72.44.03.83.1Headline rate** for October4.02.54.44.23.2 ...

Other pay analysts (21 words)

Industrial Relations Services (median, three months to end November 2007)3.4%Incomes Data Services (median, three months to end November 2007)3.5% ...

Inflation forecasts (17 words)

Fourth quarter 2007 ...

Bargaining news

Guardian journalists agree to 24/7 working (433 words)

Journalists at The Guardian newspaper and its Guardian Unlimited website have agreed a “landmark” deal on pay and working patterns, while warning that any ...

Council Scrooges delay payment of craft award (257 words)

Construction union UCATT has reacted angrily to the news that its 40,000 members working for local authorities will not receive their 2007/08 pay increase ...

More Post Office staff are offered long-term awards (915 words)

Having resolved its lengthy dispute with Post Office Limited (POL) over Supply Chain staff (see last month’s Workplace Report), the CWU communications workers’ union ...

Tube cleaners will be paid a living wage (283 words)

Nine hundred cleaners on London Underground trains and stations are to receive massive pay rises, in the first major victory of the RMT rail ...

Partnership deal doesn’t just paper over the cracks (418 words)

More than 12,000 workers in the paper industry are set to receive a 3.65% pay increase under a settlement negotiated by the Unite and ...

Theatre workers’ award is recompense for last year (269 words)

Entertainment union BECTU has secured an above-inflation pay rise for its theatre members in London’s West End – but is having to fight to ...

Northern Rock staff receive 2% bonus (276 words)

The future ownership of Northern Rock may be uncertain, but staff at the troubled mortgage provider are to receive a pay rise broadly in ...

Equality news

TUC urges reps to fight HIV discrimination and racism (401 words)

The TUC has launched a leaflet and poster campaign in workplaces nationwide this month, marking World AIDS Day and the second anniversary of legal ...

Gender pay gap among HR managers is over 50% (273 words)

In most larger organisations, compliance with equal pay legislation comes under the remit of the human resources (HR) department – but new research by ...

Fire service seeks broader staff base (244 words)

A government consultation is seeking to improve the representation of ethnic minorities and women in the fire service. ...

Recruitment and organisation news

Reps’ involvement gives organising drive extra bite (206 words)

The latest organising target for the Unite general union’s T&G section is the meat industry, with the strategy to be led from the “bottom ...

Modernisation project will keep reps up to date (146 words)

Teaching union ATL is launching a two-year plan that will equip its reps to undertake a broader role within their branches. ...

RMT enjoys recognition successes (129 words)

The RMT rail union has signed two new voluntary recognition agreements – one for staff on the Heathrow Express high-speed link between the airport ...

Learning and training news

Northern agreements help learners (347 words)

A union-led learning project at a housing management company has been praised as an outstanding example of partnership between unions and employers to improve ...

European news

Pay inequalities will come at a cost for French firms (323 words)

France’s centre-right government is planning to compel employers to reduce pay inequalities between men and women. ...

Postal minimum wage in Germany may be salvaged (387 words)

Despite an earlier setback, a minimum wage for all postal workers in Germany may yet be introduced this month. ...

Train drivers’ settlement is back on track (272 words)

The long-running dispute among train drivers in Germany seems to moving towards a settlement at last, after rail operator Deutsche Bahn finally agreed to ...

Law - TUPE

Transfer case law (257 words)

nA change to an employee’s terms and conditions resulting from a TUPE transfer can be enforceable if it benefits the employee (case 1). ...

Changes to contract (240 words)

Case 1: The facts ...

Objection to a transfer (208 words)

Case 2: The facts ...

Stable economic entity (300 words)

Case 3: The facts ...

Post-transfer terms (151 words)

Case 4: The facts ...

Law - Dismissal

Dismissal law (441 words)

nA tribunal can take alcohol-related incidents into account when assessing contributory fault, even when the employee has alcohol dependency (case 1). ...

Alcohol dependency (322 words)

Case 1: The facts ...

Loss of earnings (206 words)

Case 2: The facts ...

Automatically unfair dismissal (155 words)

Case 3: The facts ...

Resignation or dismissal? (159 words)

Case 4: The facts ...

Constructive dismissal (426 words)

Case 5: The facts ...

Reasonableness of dismissal (237 words)

Case 7: The facts ...

Law - Redundancy

Redundancy law (244 words)

nIf an employee has received an enhanced redundancy payment but his/her dismissal is found to be unfair, the additional amount has to be deducted ...

Compensation (210 words)

Case 1: The facts ...

Collective consultation (320 words)

Case 2: The facts ...

Statutory trial period (302 words)

Case 3: The facts ...

Health & safety news

Food supplier is accused of migrant worker abuses (368 words)

Food eaten in pubs and on trains across the country could have been prepared by migrant workers in sweatshop conditions, the general union Unite ...

WHO praises union effect (171 words)

Union activity and rigorous enforcement are the keys to delivering safety and health at work, according to a new report by the World Health ...

Union’s fight against cyberbullies goes online (91 words)

The NASUWT teachers’ union has produced new resources to counter the rise of “cyberbullying” – the buyying and harassment of workers using technologies such ...

PCS gives green light to environmental network (132 words)

After a successful conference in London earlier this month, civil servants’ union PCS is launching a network of environment reps. ...

Use the law to tackle violence, says UNISON (81 words)

Public services union UNISON has issued guidelines for its members in Scotland explaining how they can make use of the law to prevent assaults, ...

RSI campaign (46 words)

Posters and resources can be obtained by calling 0114 201 4265 or visiting www.hazards.org/strains/index.htm ...

Health & safety - HSE Monitor

Unions slam government plan to review safety law (490 words)

The government has been accused of pandering to business once again after chancellor Alistair Darling announced a review of the UK’s laws on workplace ...

Plastics industry exposes its workers to carcinogen (214 words)

Workers are still being exposed to a workplace chemical that causes cancer, an HSE survey of the plastics industry has found. ...

Pleural plaques campaign (113 words)

Unions are seeking to overturn a recent legal ruling that will deny compensation to people diagnosed with pleural plaques – a lung condition, caused ...

Punishments for corporate killers (153 words)

Companies and organisations that kill people at work should face large fines and bad publicity, according to an influential government-appointed body. ...

Features

Don’t let your absence policy add insult to workplace injury (2590 words)

Thirty milllion working days were lost to work-related illness, and a further six million to workplace injury. ...

The 1,001 ways to work nights (1702 words)

As in previous surveys, the most common shift pattern reported to us this year is double days, five-day working – this describes the situation ...