News

Rail unions fight for harmonisation (317 words)

Efforts to harmonise terms and conditions for maintenance workers at Network Rail boiled over into strike action on 14-15 June as the RMT rail ...

Local government workers prepare for strike action (362 words)

The 55% to 45% vote in favour of strike action by UNISON’s local government membership is the latest demonstration of the strain public sector ...

Shell tanker drivers resolve pay dispute (120 words)

A four-day strike by fuel tanker drivers employed by Hoyer and Suckling on the Shell contract led to the successful conclusion of pay talks ...

Keele success over greylisting threat (120 words)

Industrial action by members of the UCU lecturers’ union at Keele University and a proposed boycott (“greylisting”) of the institution were suspended last month ...

Unions challenge injustice of government schools’ target (348 words)

Ed Balls’ “National Challenge” to 638 secondary schools over GCSE results received a critical response from teaching unions. ...

BT faces industrial action over pay (219 words)

BT’s pay offer for managerial and professional staff was rejected at the Connect telecoms union conference last month, opening the way for the start ...

NHS management (73 words)

The Unite general union has condemned plans to install private sector managers in “failing” hospitals. Health services minister Ben Bradshaw announced these measures on ...

Seafarers’ jobs (89 words)

The number of active UK seafarer “ratings” has declined to its lowest level ever, 8,100, 14% below its 2002 level. Bob Crow, general secretary ...

Wales broadcasting (72 words)

The BECTU and NUJ media unions met members of the Welsh Assembly and first minister Rhodri Morgan last month to put the case for ...

Questions asked over cost of living (245 words)

Rising fuel and food costs have forced inflation higher. Under the Retail Prices Index (RPI), it rose to 4.3% in May from 4.2% the ...

Jobless figures are edging up (61 words)

Unemployment is on the rise under the Labour Force Survey (LFS) count, which includes people not eligible for benefits. It rose by 38,000 to ...

Key economic indicators

Key economic indicators (187 words)

% annual rise in average weekly earnings (1)% rise in LRD pay deals (2)Whole economyManufacturingServicesPrivate sectorPublic sectorApril (r)3.63.13.93.63.23.5May 3.64.43.53.83.03.5June3.23.93.23.23.13.5July 3.84.33.84.22.54.0August 4.22.84.64.43.24.0September 4.22.24.54.43.23.6October 3.72.54.03.83.23.4November 4.23.54.24.33.43.5December3.74.23.63.83.33.7January ...

Union news

Unions’ criticism of Labour grows but none disaffiliate (608 words)

A senior union official has taken over as general secretary of the Labour Party as unions step up the pressure on the Party’s beleaguered ...

Wales TUC (88 words)

The Wales TUC has elected its first black president and the youngest person ever to hold the post. Vaughan Gething, aged 34, is a ...

Modern union reps (66 words)

A tripartite statement on the role of modern trade union representatives is to be drawn up by the TUC, the CBI employers’ organisation and ...

Tom Burlison (87 words)

Wide-ranging tributes were paid to the former deputy general secretary of the GMB general union, Tom Burlison, who died on 20 May aged 71. ...

European news

Working time deal is seen as “a social step backwards” (460 words)

Trade union opposition to the deal on working time reached by Europe’s labour ministers last month appears to be growing as national unions look ...

Czech Republic is hit by one hour of strikes as part of union protests (200 words)

The Czech Republic was last month hit by widespread stoppages as union members followed the call for a nationwide general strike for an hour ...

Christian union wins majority of support (225 words)

Belgium’s Christian union confederation, the CSC/ACV, has once again gained most support from Belgium’s workers in the four-yearly elections for the country’s works councils ...

Features

Marking the end of an era? (2195 words)

It is difficult to overestimate the impact on the post-war world of the UK’s National Health Service which came into operation at midnight on ...

Has a safer industry emerged? (1795 words)

On the night of 6 July 1988, a series of explosions and fire destroyed the Piper Alpha oil platform off the Scottish Coast killing ...

Preparing for a bumpy ride (1692 words)

With the summer holiday season about to kick off many workers will be planning to jet off for a couple of weeks. But for ...

Outside the circle of faith (1433 words)

Despite recent criticism by the Church of England that the government is not giving it a big enough role in reforming public services, religious ...

Law Matters

An equal pay claim has to compare with real men (330 words)

A claimant cannot claim equal pay with a successor, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has held. ...

Taking notes gets OK from EAT (336 words)

Making notes about a colleague in a personal notebook did not amount to a “detriment” according to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT). ...

When tips paid to bar staff are not wages (249 words)

Tips paid through a third party do not count as wages towards the national minimum wage, the EAT has ruled. ...

Law Queries

Trade union discrimination (183 words)

Q: What are the current ball park figures for compensation for injury to feelings in trade union discrimination cases? ...

Young workers (145 words)

Q:Our employer wants 16-year-olds to carry out cleaning duties. Is this lawful, as they will have to use cleaning chemicals? ...

Maternity pay (105 words)

A:I am past the 15th week before my expected week of childbirth and am due to attend a disciplinary hearing for alleged misconduct. If ...

Drug and alcohol testing (214 words)

Q: My company is installing a breathalyser without consultation. What are the legalities? ...

Law Back-up

Why reorganisation is not redundancy (925 words)

Redundancies commonly occur when a business, or part of a business, closes down. If an employer no longer needs all or some of its ...

Health & Safety Matters

Solvent can cause fertility problems (65 words)

Men working as painters and decorators who are exposed to glycol ethers are more likely to have fertility problems, according to occupational hygienists based ...

Nano risks are similar to asbestos (83 words)

Carbon nanotubes might be as harmful as asbestos if inhaled, a new study has found. ...

Death puts spotlight on directors’ duties (96 words)

A firm fined just £2 with £1 costs last month after the death of a worker highlights why legal duties on individual directors are ...

Union backs legal fight in vital asbestos test case (301 words)

A High Court judgement in a test case that will determine the legal rights of asbestos victims across the UK is expected this month, ...

A green future needs unions (270 words)

Unions must be involved if the transition to a low carbon economy is to be socially just, a new TUC report argues. ...

Health & Safety Back-up

A tired worker at the wheel is dangerous (881 words)

For many years unions have been campaigning for government action on work-related driving. Therefore the government’s new campaign Driving for Work, which warns of ...

Equality news

College leaders “must do better” on race equality (325 words)

Further education colleges still have some way to go before they can claim to have made significant improvements in race equality, according to a ...

More BME staff are needed on fire ladder (257 words)

Fire and rescue services (FRS) in England are being charged with radically improving the ratio of women and black and minority ethnic (BME) people ...

Value of carers is recognised in the new age of elder care (296 words)

A £255 million strategy designed to lead to “major and substantial change in the everyday lives of carers”, including an awareness campaign on requesting ...

Workplace Back-up

A new right to train is on track for workers (795 words)

Plans for a statutory right to training have been put on hold for another four years but in their place the government is proposing ...

Reviews

What’s happening? (220 words)

The truth about work and the myth of “work-life balance” ...

The great Grunwick strike 1976-1978 (223 words)

A history ...

E-views

e-views (392 words)

When unions take the plunge and use social networking websites they shouldn’t limit themselves to Facebook. With most large websites taking on aspects of ...