Pay and prices

Pay increases remain just below inflation (218 words)

Settlements recorded on the LRD Payline database showed a median pay rise of 4.0% in the three months to February – the same as ...

Labour Research Department three-monthly pay figures (74 words)

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

Other pay analysts (21 words)

Industrial Relations Services (median, three months to end February 2008)3.5%Incomes Data Services (median, three months to end February 2008)3.5% ...

Full-time weekly average earnings (16 words)

All workers£566.80All male£624.90All female£477.10Managers£853.00Professionals£764.90Associate professional£584.80Admin & secretarial£390.20Skilled/craft£476.30Services£335.20Sales£316.00Operatives£441.20Other manual£343.80 ...

Average earnings indices (including bonuses) (56 words)

Earnings index (1) for whole economy% annual riseWhole economyManufacturingServicesPrivate sectorPublic sectorNovember 2006 (r)127.93.84.74.04.13.1December (r)128.83.93.84.34.13.4January 2007 (r)129.34.93.65.35.33.2February131.34.93.65.45.42.8March129.73.53.53.33.83.1April129.83.43.23.63.23.2May130.53.64.43.53.83.0June131.13.23.93.23.23.1July131.53.84.33.84.22.5August132.14.22.84.64.43.2September132.74.22.24.54.43.2October132.73.72.54.03.83.2November133.24.23.54.24.33.4December (r)133.53.64.23.63.73.3January 2008 (p)133.83.53.93.63.43.6Headline rate for January (2)3.73.93.83.83.5 ...

Prices (13 words)

Retail prices index (RPI)*% annual increasesRPIRPI excl. mortgages January 2007201.64.23.5February203.14.63.7March204.44.83.9April205.44.53.6May206.24.33.3June207.34.43.3July206.13.82.7August207.34.12.7September208.03.92.8October208.94.23.1November209.74.33.2December210.94.03.1January 2008209.84.13.4February211.44.13.7 ...

Inflation forecasts (17 words)

Fourth quarter 2008 ...

Bargaining news

CWU narrows pay gap for TV licensing staff (535 words)

The CWU communication workers’ union has agreed a two-year deal at Capita TVL which will match or beat inflation for over 90% of the ...

Minimum wage will rise by 21p in October (206 words)

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) is to increase by 3.8% in October, taking the adult hourly rate from £5.52 to £5.73. The youth rate ...

Rail unions are split over 35-hour offer (282 words)

An offer of new working arrangements at South West Trains (SWT) has met with a mixed reaction from rail unions. ...

Newspaper commits to quality after NUJ strikes (198 words)

A dispute over pay and editorial quality at the Milton Keynes Citizen has ended with the offer of a 3% backdated pay rise for ...

BECTU accepts National deal on Sunday working (254 words)

After two years of negotiations, entertainment union BECTU has agreed new terms for Sunday working by backstage crew at the National Theatre (NT). ...

Landslide victory at quarry (156 words)

Burlington Slate, the UK’s biggest producer of natural stone, has caved in to demands for a fair pay rise. ...

Unsocial-hours system is agreed for NHS workers (510 words)

Health workers in public services union UNISON have approved a new system of payments for working unsocial hours. ...

Bumpy landing is averted for aerospace pensions (212 words)

Aerospace company Goodrich has pledged to preserve its pension scheme for at least five years in a “ground-breaking” deal negotiated by the Amicus section ...

Unite secures 3.5% increase for printers (265 words)

“Mature dialogue” between the Amicus section of the Unite general union and the British Print Industries Federation (BPIF) has resulted in agreement to increase ...

Equality news

Equal pay audits’ focus is too narrow (273 words)

London’s economic growth will be put at risk unless something is done about “the disturbing lack of progress” on closing the gender pay gap ...

Disabled workers pose a challenge for universities (386 words)

Universities and colleges have made great progress in improving facilities and support for disabled students, but their own employees with disabilities are continuing to ...

Workers undergoing IVF ‘have legal protection’ (279 words)

Employers who are insensitive to the needs of employees undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment could face a discrimination claim, following a ruling by ...

Recruitment and organisation news

UK union-busting is more common than you think (328 words)

A TUC-commissioned report has warned unions to be wary of the threat posed by professional “union-busters”, warning that anti-union activity in the UK is ...

Bargaining unit dispute hits GMB deal (164 words)

The GMB general union has accused banana distributor Pratt’s Bananas of dragging its feet on collective bargaining for workers at its Luton site. ...

Northcliffe is ordered to recognise NUJ – again (130 words)

The NUJ journalists’ union has secured recognition on newspapers recently taken over by Northcliffe Media in East Sussex and Surrey. ...

Learning and training news

Vocational training is undervalued (265 words)

Vocational education and training (VET) qualifications are struggling to shed the perception of being “second best”, and parental attitudes are partly to blame. ...

European news

Italy tightens the screws on corruption (105 words)

Three agreements signed in Italy last month have made it possible for corrupt public servants to be dismissed more rapidly. ...

Germany’s steel bosses melt after warning strikes (324 words)

Germany’s largest union, IG Metall, has negotiated a settlement for steelworkers which will see their pay increase by almost twice the country’s current rate ...

France imposes public-sector award (576 words)

The French government is to impose a below-inflation increase in public-sector workers’ pay scales, after the award was rejected by the eight major unions ...

Law - TUPE

Transfer case law (287 words)

f The TUPE regulations can apply to a transfer of a business or part of a business from the UK to a country outside ...

Transfer outside the UK (168 words)

Case 1: The facts ...

Liability following transfer (187 words)

Case 2: The facts ...

Who transfers? (189 words)

Case 3: The facts ...

Reason for dismissal (187 words)

Case 4: The facts ...

Law - Dismissal

Dismissal law (496 words)

f If there is evidence that misconduct could have a medical cause, an employer should investigate that before deciding to dismiss (case 1). ...

Medical reason for conduct (150 words)

Case 1: The facts ...

Modified dismissal procedure (165 words)

Case 2: The facts ...

Re-engagement (254 words)

Case 3: The facts ...

Paternity leave dismissal (233 words)

Case 4: The facts ...

Contributory fault (151 words)

Case 5: The facts ...

Ill health dismissal (193 words)

Case 6: The facts ...

Resignation or dismissal? (169 words)

Case 7: The facts ...

Breach of an enactment (191 words)

Case 8: The facts ...

Law - Redundancy

Redundancy law (306 words)

f A dismissal for redundancy was made unfair by the employer’s failure to follow its own redundancy procedure (case 1). ...

Unfair redundancy (144 words)

Case 1: The facts ...

Individual consultation (138 words)

Case 2: The facts ...

Alternative employment (436 words)

Case 3: The facts ...

Protective award (197 words)

Case 5: The facts ...

Health & safety news

Workplace pressures may cause 250 suicides a year (291 words)

Work-related suicides could be killing more workers than workplace accidents, according to a report in the latest edition of the union-backed Hazards magazine. ...

Well notes cause ill feeling (271 words)

Unions and doctors have reacted angrily to government plans for GPs to police sickness absence. ...

Safety rep steps in to prop up scaffolding safety (120 words)

Prompt action by a safety rep at a major professional and publishing organisation has ensured that hazards from scaffolding were properly managed and injuries ...

Attacked and sacked bus driver is compensated (110 words)

A bus driver who was attacked at work and then sacked by his employer has won compensation after backing from his union. ...

Banish needlesticks, demands UNISON (80 words)

A nurse’s death has prompted public services union UNISON to demand the introduction of safer needles throughout the NHS. ...

Community launches betting shop campaign (87 words)

The Community union has launched a campaign to protect betting-shop staff in Scotland. ...

Health & safety - HSE Monitor

Investigation uncovers another fine mess by HSE (384 words)

Most health and safety fines imposed on larger companies make only a small dent in their profits, the magazine Health and Safety Bulletin (HSB) ...

Inspection blitzes aren’t enough, insists UCATT (299 words)

An inspection blitz by the HSE has resulted in the closure of 10 building sites in Aberdeen, but the construction union UCATT has warned ...

Corus pays the penalty for worker’s death (212 words)

Steel manufacturer Corus has been fined £250,000 following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the death of one of its ...

Asbestos campaign (77 words)

“You are more at risk than you think!” That’s the message being sent out this month to plumbers, electricians, carpenters, joiners and other building ...

Features

Coping with a death in the family (3300 words)

Under section 57A of the Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended by the Employment Relations Act 1999, any employee “is entitled to be permitted ...

Will manslaughter law lead employers to clean up their act? (1828 words)

Unions have long demanded effective legal redress against employers whose negligence results in workers’ deaths, but the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 ...