News

‘Safety of millions’ at risk over plan for driverless trains (398 words)

A dramatic computer failure on London Underground’s Jubilee line last month provided a sharp reminder of the risks unions see in plans for driverless ...

US unions win key vote on rights (280 words)

Success in a recent referendum is being seen as part of a resurgence for organised labour in the USA. Electors in the state of ...

Redundancy watch (258 words)

This month, we highlight job losses from the private sector which include: ...

Pension scheme changes may lead to collapse in membership (302 words)

The local government pension scheme (LGPS) could be at risk if the government pushes ahead with plans to raise member contributions, a survey on ...

Takeover greeted with alarm (248 words)

The takeover of Cambridgeshire’s Hinchingbrooke Hospital by Circle has been greeted with alarm by unions who are are objecting to more than the principle ...

Council pursues wholesale privatisation (226 words)

Conservative-run Southampton Council, one of a number of councils implementing cuts to terms and conditions has come up with a new plan — wholesale ...

Youth unemployment hits record (215 words)

Youth unemployment hit an unwanted milestone as it passed through the one million barrier, latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics show. ...

Inflation eases on both counts (70 words)

Inflation fell in October on both main measures. Under the Retail Prices Index (RPI), it was down to 5.4% from September’s figure of 5.6%. ...

Key economic indicators

Key economic indicators (187 words)

Inflation +5.4%, Average earnings +1.9% ...

Union news

Construction union’s leadership election thrown into confusion (291 words)

The election for the leadership of the UCATT construction union, currently under way, was thrown into confusion last month after two of the leading ...

Rail union elections (75 words)

The general secretary of the RMT rail union, Bob Crow, has been re-elected unopposed for a further five-year term. He received 131 nominations. RMT ...

TUC bodies undergo assessment (263 words)

The TUC is checking the health of both trades councils and TUC unemployed workers’ centres to see how they can help with community-linked campaigning. ...

Campbell Christie (74 words)

Tributes have poured in for former Scottish TUC general secretary Campbell Christie, who died on 28 October aged 74. ...

New GFTU leader (67 words)

The General Federation of Trade Unions, which brings together 21 specialist unions with a total of some 215,000 members, has elected a new general ...

RCN rule change (94 words)

Health care assistants, health care support workers and assistant practitioners are now eligible as full members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). ...

European news

Emergency measures further threaten Italy’s public sector (402 words)

Although the package of measures pushed through the Italian parliament last month in response to the country’s escalating debt crisis covers a wide range ...

More cuts loom in France (248 words)

France is not yet facing a financial crisis similar to that of Greece and Italy, but the French government has announced its own plans ...

Portuguese general strike (29 words)

The two main trade union confederations in Portugal, CFDT and UGT, organised a joint general strike on 24 November in protest at austerity measures ...

Union head rejects party link (216 words)

President of the German DGB union confederation Michael Sommer has turned down an offer that he and his successors should have an automatic seat ...

Features

Serving notice on dismissals (1993 words)

How are unions and their members responding to employers’ increasing use of mass dismissal and re-engagement on inferior terms? ...

BBC under threat from massive cuts (2212 words)

In the wake of a new financial settlement for the BBC, devastating cuts are now being imposed on the world’s oldest and largest national ...

Unacceptable standards? (1461 words)

It may be the season of good cheer, but over 2.6 million are now unemployed and working families are also undergoing huge falls in ...

Christmas 2011: best book buys (1394 words)

Among books you may like to give — or receive — this Christmas are those from film-maker Michael Moore, and from the era of ...

Law Matters

Pre-trial publicity can prove costly (354 words)

Are there are any consequences, in terms of the award of costs to the other side, from trying to publicise an employment tribunal claim? ...

Appeal court won’t give claimant a rest break (297 words)

It may be lawful to ask security guards to be on call while they’re on a rest break, the Court of Appeal has ruled. ...

Can we have a word? (226 words)

The coalition government is to consult on introducing “protected conversations” into the workplace. ...

Law Queries

Antenatal appointments (157 words)

Q. Our member, who is pregnant, wants to attend an antenatal appointment. The employer has agreed to her attending the appointment but says that ...

Working to rule (274 words)

Q. We are keen on taking action short of a strike — in particular working to rule. The employer got wind of our intention ...

Agency workers (297 words)

Q. For several months there’s been a large contingent of agency workers at our workplace. We have had some success signing them up to ...

Law Back-up

Justice can come at a price in tribunal case (947 words)

Employers often threaten employees who are bringing tribunal claims that they will have to pay their legal fees if they lose. Back-up examines recent ...

Health & Safety Matters

Unsafe fire vehicles get thumbs down (226 words)

Firefighters in South Yorkshire are concerned about serious flaws with the type of fire engine that the service uses. ...

Safety minister’s Links with charity attacked (274 words)

Tory MP Chris Grayling, the coalition government’s health and safety minister, has been exposed as a former board member of the disgraced defence secretary ...

SOS sent out over job cuts and closures (231 words)

Coastguard staff believe that the government’s intended job cuts and station closure programme will put the public at risk. ...

Health & Safety Back-up

Opinions are divided on safety figures (904 words)

Deaths at work have risen, but the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) claims that its figures “show the ongoing trend for falls in the ...

Equality news

Myths dispelled over disabled claimants (378 words)

Headlines in the Tory-supporting tabloids would give the impression disabled people are malingerers and cheats, out to extract over-generous benefits that they aren’t entitled ...

‘Inertia’ a block to gender diversity in boardroom (261 words)

Only a third of top companies have published targets to increase the number of women directors in their boardroom, according to researchers at Cranfield ...

Women are missing link in politics (239 words)

Women are vastly underrepresented in positions of power and influence in politics, leading to a democratic deficit that undermines the legitimacy of decisions made ...

Workplace Back-up

Toolkit gives women a life raft over cuts (864 words)

New research has thrown light on the disproportionate affects government cuts are having on women. Back-up looks at the mounting evidence together with recently-published ...

News from LRD

LRD invites nominations to our executive (68 words)

The LRD is inviting nominations for the 16 places on its executive committee, as well as for the post of honorary treasurer. ...

Reviews

Private Eye (221 words)

The first 50 years ...

Prague fatale (103 words)

Philip Kerr, Quercus Publishing Plc, 416 pages, hardback, £17.99 ...

Big red diary 2012 (96 words)

Published/distributed by Bookmarks, £10 ...

E-views

e-views (413 words)

One website that has been getting quite a bit of press coverage recently is Klout (www.klout.com). This is a new service that attempts to ...