Pay and prices

Pay deals slip back below inflation again (234 words)

THE latest figures from LRD’s Payline database show pay deals falling behind inflation again. The three- month median to April was unchanged at 4.0% ...

Labour Research Department three-monthly pay figures (75 words)

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

Full-time weekly average earnings (16 words)

All workers£574.00All male£632.80All female£483.20Managers£863.80Professionals£774.50Associate professional£592.30Admin & secretarial£395.20Skilled/craft£482.30Services£339.40Sales£320.00Operatives£446.70Other manual£348.20 ...

Average earnings indices (including bonuses) (58 words)

* 2000=100. ** Average of earnings increases for latest three months compared to a year earlier. (r) revised. (p) provisional. Source: National Statistics. ...

Other pay analysts (21 words)

Industrial Relations Services (median, three months to end April 2008)3.2%Incomes Data Services (median, three months to end April 2008)3.8% ...

Inflation forecasts (17 words)

Fourth quarter 2008 ...

Bargaining news

TUC secures deal on agency workers (785 words)

IMPROVED rights for agency workers are now in prospect following a joint declaration agreed by the government, the TUC and the CBI employers’ association. ...

Assembly backs college pay reform (321 words)

MEMBERS of the UCU college lecturers’ union in Wales have secured written confirmation from the Welsh Assembly government that a new pay agreement would ...

Low-paid journalists get pay boost (284 words)

THE NUJ journalists’ union has negotiated a new pay deal for staff at the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo that will particularly benefit those ...

Manufacturing deals top 4.0% (377 words)

MANY of the higher pay increases currently coming through are the product of earlier multi-stage deals linked to inflation (RPI). At construction equipment makers ...

Further action likely after public sector strikes (727 words)

LAST month’s strike action by members of the teaching (NUT), lecturers’ (UCU) and civil service (PCS) unions is likely to be followed by more ...

Drop in manufacturing pay deals (110 words)

MANUFACTURING pay settlements have fallen to their lowest level for more than 12 months, according to the EEF manufacturers’ organisation. ...

Regrading deal for cleaners (116 words)

AROUND 4,000 school cleaners in Northern Ireland are set to benefit from a pay regrading. The workers, mainly members of the GMB general union, ...

Telecoms workers get 4.1% (141 words)

STAFF at Thales Telecoms Services received pay increases from 1 March of 4.1% on basic rates. The company provides telecom services to the UK ...

Equality news

Report shows minimum wage is closing pay gap (420 words)

WOMEN, disabled and ethnic minority workers all continue to benefit from the national minimum wage (NMW), says the 2008 annual report of the Low ...

Equality body calls for rethink on mental health (274 words)

EMPLOYERS must undergo a “radical rethink” of their employment practices to help those with mental health problems remain in work, said Trevor Phillips, chair ...

Government extends right to request flexible work (252 words)

THE TUC has welcomed the government’s announcement that it is to extend the right to request flexible working to all parents of children aged ...

Recruitment and organisation news

Consultation deal leads to recognition agreement (353 words)

THE Unite general union has won recognition at the Newsquest newspaper company in Worcester following its work in setting up information and consultation arrangements. ...

Campaign targets contractors (125 words)

THE Justice 4 Cleaners campaign (J4C) has had another push to force building services firms in the City of London to sign and implement ...

Learning and training news

Government announces right to request training (288 words)

LEARNING and skills feature large in the government’s legislative programme for the next parliamentary session. ...

Survey finds fewer adult learners (96 words)

THE latest annual survey from the campaigning and advocacy body the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) shows that there has been a ...

European news

German unions reach above-inflation pay deals across the board (545 words)

GERMAN unions have recently signed a series of above-inflation deals, indicating the continuing pressure to use the country’s current period of strong growth to ...

Unions agree equality plan with Spain’s largest retail company (411 words)

SPANISH unions have agreed a detailed equality plan with El Corte Inglés, the country’s largest department store. The deal involves a complete review of ...

Law - Discrimination

Discrimination law (410 words)

f A worker who is not gay and not perceived to be gay is not protected from harassment under the sexual orientation regulations (case ...

Sexual orientation (195 words)

Case 1: The facts ...

Victimisation (325 words)

Case 2: the facts ...

Void collective agreement terms (341 words)

Case 3: The facts ...

Pregnancy risk assessments (238 words)

Case 4: The facts ...

Reasonable adjustments (217 words)

Case 5: The facts ...

Age discrimination (256 words)

Case 6: The facts ...

Equal pay (242 words)

Case 7: The facts ...

Inference of discrimination (163 words)

Case 8: The facts ...

Race discrimination (324 words)

Case 9: The facts ...

Burden of proof (179 words)

Case 10: The facts ...

Reasonable adjustments (579 words)

Case 11: The facts. ...

Continuing discrimination (213 words)

Case 13: The facts ...

Indirect sex discrimination (357 words)

Case 14: The facts ...

Disrimination law – The basic legal rules (287 words)

It is unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of sex, race, disability, trade union membership, transsexuality, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. ...

Health & safety news

Thousands join Workers’ Memorial Day events (329 words)

THOUSANDS of workers across the UK marked Workers’ Memorial Day last month pledging to remember the dead and fight for the living. ...

Postal engineers get better safety protection (336 words)

ACTION by the CWU communication workers’ union at the Parcelforce delivery company has led to significant safety improvements in the firm’s global distribution systems. ...

Stress in colleges (96 words)

A REPORT by the UCU lecturers’ union has pointed to low pay, mounting work pressures and deep dissatisfaction is causes of stress in the ...

Clyde safety strike (106 words)

PORT pilots on the River Clyde took two days of industrial action last month over management attempts to impose new working conditions. ...

Union personal injury call centre (68 words)

THE USDAW shopworkers’ union has launched a new personal injury claim line to improve the union’s response to applications for legal assistance in injury ...

Health & safety - HSE Monitor

Parliamentary report highlights HSE malaise (293 words)

UNION concerns about the inadequate funding of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), fewer inspections, fewer prosecutions and inadequate fines have been endorsed by ...

Campaign calls for more naming and shaming (228 words)

THE Health and Safety Executive (HSE) fails to publicise the vast majority of its convictions – including those involving deaths – a new study ...

Inspections uncover construction nightmare (154 words)

HEALTH and Safety Executive (HSE) blitz inspections in the construction industry over the last year have revealed a nightmare of safety breaches and illegality. ...

Asbestos information (87 words)

THE Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a useful operational circular on asbestos following a request under the freedom of information legislation. ...

Unions slam HSE relocation to the North West (193 words)

UNIONS have slammed plans to move the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) headquarters from London to Bootle in Liverpool, arguing that it will lead ...

Features

Unions push migrant worker issues up the bargaining agenda (3216 words)

Earlier this month the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) revoked the license of Jonathan Beckson, highlighting the abuse suffered by one group of mainly Polish ...

Taking a long break from work (1981 words)

Career breaks – long-term breaks from employment – have mainly been seen as opportunities for working parents to have a few years off work ...