News

Healthcare workers dismiss ‘divisive’ pay freeze deal (354 words)

Healthcare unions are carrying out a two-pronged campaign as they fight to stop the drastic restructuring of the NHS while trying to prevent cost-cutting ...

Redundancy scheme rejected (299 words)

Members of the PCS civil service and the POA prison officers’ unions have voted overwhelmingly to reject the government’s proposed changes to the civil ...

Redundancy watch (214 words)

In the public sector recent announcements of job losses include the Forensic Science Service which is to close by 2012 with the loss of ...

Tribunal proposals would only lead to ‘hire and fire rogues’ (327 words)

Unions have reacted angrily to a review of the employment tribunal system that could result in employees having to wait longer before they can ...

Union steps up post campaign (218 words)

The CWU communication workers’ union is intensifying its campaign for the protection of postal services and post offices, despite the disappointment of the Postal ...

Cuts watch (264 words)

The BBC will lose five out of 32 World Service language services in a bid to save £46 million a year after being obliged to take ...

Unemployment rises once more (197 words)

Unemployment has risen again on the main count, government figures show. ...

Inflation continues upwards (60 words)

Higher fuel prices and dearer food have pushed inflation up. Under the Retail Prices Index (RPI), the rate of inflation was 4.8% in December ...

Key economic indicators

Key economic indicators (174 words)

% annual rise in average weekly earnings1% rise in LRD pay deals2Whole economyManu-facturingServicesPrivate sectorPublic sector3November 2009 (r)1.22.01.10.12.61.5December0.53.40.80.22.21.2January 20100.43.8-0.3-0.82.91.8February5.55.35.55.82.51.8March6.89.56.47.33.11.9April0.43.70.3-0.52.02.0May0.94.11.00.9-0.22.0June1.13.20.90.12.22.3July 1.84.71.81.71.92.2August 2.14.22.11.91.82.3September 2.23.92.32.02.22.3October (r)2.03.92.42.02.32.5November (p)2.02.72.11.72.02.5Headline rate4 ...

Union news

Unions pledge support for fight against austerity programme (413 words)

The UK’s three largest unions, the GMB, UNISON and Unite, are forming their own coalition in a bid to build a consensus for the ...

Pilots’ trade union takes off (102 words)

Pilots working for the private jet-share company NetJets have formed a union called Skyshare Trade Union with approximately 600 members. ...

Building Society unions merge (25 words)

The Staff Union Dunfermline Building Society has merged with the Nationwide Group Staff Union following its affiliation to the TUC in 2009. ...

Woodley steps down from Unite top post (261 words)

Len McCluskey is now sole general secretary of the UK’s largest union, general union Unite, following the decision by Tony Woodley to step down ...

European news

Unions unhappy at Commission’s new proposals on working time (580 words)

Unions and employers at European level have until the end of this month to respond to the European Commission’s latest proposals for a revision ...

‘Agreement of shame’ worsens relations (313 words)

The relations between Fiat, Italy’s largest manufacturing company, and CGIL, the country’s largest trade union confederation have further worsened following a vote on changes ...

Features

A little local difficulty? (1865 words)

Local authorities face the toughest funding settlement in living memory. In addition, they are due for a shake-up under the government’s Localism Bill which ...

Coming to a disused shop near you ... (2114 words)

The government’s free schools policy will come on stream this year when a small number of free schools are due to begin operating in ...

Is it curtains for the arts? (1745 words)

This year promises to be a bonanza year for West End shows with the musical Lion King announcing that it broke its own box ...

Green reps show that they’re coming of age (1584 words)

Back in 2005, the TUC’s Greening the workplace report highlighted what it describes as just “a handful” of union examples of environmental action in ...

Law Matters

Firm’s challenge over minimum wage fails (345 words)

A tightening up of the minimum wage regulations came into force on 1 January after a legal challenge failed. ...

Compensation award limits rise this month (275 words)

New limits to the amount of compensation that an employment tribunal can award came into force on 1 February 2011. ...

Consulting over job losses (280 words)

Consultations about redundancies should be an opportunity for employee reps to put forward proposals on how to avoid the need for redundancies. However, what ...

Law Queries

Union activity (275 words)

A. If they can show that they were turned down for work on the basis of their union membership they will have a claim ...

Work location (235 words)

A. The case law on the issue of what determines location in such a situation is inconclusive. Essentially your member’s work can be determined ...

Working time (230 words)

A. No-one can be made to work more than 48 hours a week. Even where someone has agreed to work more than 48 hours ...

Law Back-up

Employees save jobs after bosses’ failures (893 words)

Ms Bonassera was employed as a human resource (HR) executive/office manager. Initially she was solely responsible for all HR matters. However, within a year ...

Health & Safety Matters

Staff raise safety worries over riots (337 words)

A recent wave of riots led the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) national executive to call a meeting with MPs on 19 January, so they ...

Warehouse shifts cut but agency staff left on site (321 words)

Not for the first time, Amazon, Britain’s largest online retailer, has been accused in the run up to Christmas of poor, but perfectly legal, ...

Personal injury claims (164 words)

Around a quarter of workers would not make a personal injury claim against their employer, even if injured at their workplace while using damaged ...

McDonald’s blinding (70 words)

Fast food chain McDonald’s has been fined £20,000 plus costs for a breach of safety regulations after an employee at its drive-through branch at ...

Health & Safety Back-up

Workers need to keep an eye on thermometer (857 words)

Cold weather can impact on workers both indoors as well as outdoors, as was demonstrated by the recent £2,000 fine plus costs imposed on ...

Equality news

Disabled people lack job opportunities (318 words)

The TUC has called on the government to give serious consideration to the interim results of a major survey that confirms that disabled people ...

Working mothers still facing old prejudices (285 words)

Employers are becoming increasingly reluctant to employ mothers, according to a recent survey. Office accomodation firm Regus has found that the number of British ...

RIP DRA@65 (154 words)

After some delay, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has confirmed that it will be phasing out the default retirement age (DRA) between ...

Age bias rife in IT (115 words)

Age discrimination is still rife in the IT industry, according recruiter Greythorn. ...

Workplace Back-up

Employers on attack over absence and pay (822 words)

In October last year, the Conservative chancellor George Osborne said the funding of local government in England would be cut by 27%. And cuts ...

Reviews

A guide to the new ruins of Great Britain (247 words)

Owen Hatherley, Verso, 400 pages, hardback, £17.99 ...

The big green book (256 words)

How YOU can help save the planet ...

E-views

e-views (305 words)

The continuing fallout over the publication of diplomatic information on WikiLeaks illustrates how digital activism has come of age. ...