![[Basket]](images/basket.png){kind=small}
Your order![[cover image]](images/issue/WR201201.jpg)
![[PDF]](images/pdf.gif)
Workplace Report January 2012
Bargainers fear worse climate - Inflation may be falling, but union reps predict 2012 will be a worse year for bargaining than 2011; Pay bargaining in the EU - Many pay settlements across Europe were slightly better in 2011 than 2010, but high levels of inflation more than offset the improvements; The latest case law on dismissals, redundancy and transfers
Pay and prices
Pay continues to stagnate (277 words)
The gap between pay and price rises has slightly narrowed, from 2.7% to 2.3%, thanks to a small fall in inflation. ...
Subscribers only
Labour Research Department three-monthly pay figures (222 words)
Percentage increases on lowest basic rates (by agreements covered). ...
Open access
Full-time weekly average earnings (41 words)
Source: ASHE 2011 uprated by AWE. ... Open access
Annual increase in average weekly earnings (AWE) including bonuses (147 words)
1 The latest three-month average. Source: Office for National ... Open access
Other pay analysts (25 words)
... Open access
Prices (72 words)
... Open access
Inflation forecasts (31 words)
Fourth quarter 2012 ... Open access
Bargaining news
Agency worker rights avoided by minority of employers (775 words)
Successful implementation of new equal rights for agency workers is being marred by a minority of employers who want to avoid paying the same rates ... Subscribers only
Jobs market is ‘flat-lining’ says employment agency (403 words)
The UK jobs market is on the edge of a “bleak midwinter”, according to the Manpower employment agency. And its Employment Outlook ... Subscribers only
Nine in 10 occupations have seen real pay cuts (327 words)
Few occupations have seen workers avoid a drop in living standards since April 2007, according to analysis by the GMB general union. It shows that ... Subscribers only
Settlements start year at three per cent (337 words)
Early results from the LRD Payline database show that negotiated pay settlements are centring around the 3% mark at the beginning of 2012, slightly ... Subscribers only
Police ‘disappointed’ with terms and conditions plan (342 words)
The Police Federation says it is “extremely disappointed” with conclusions on police pay and conditions reached by the Police ... Subscribers only
LRD celebrates 100 years of supporting trade unions (378 words)
“Practically every industry in the country has been affected by wage reductions. The closing down of the agricultural wages board has been ... Subscribers only
Voluntary sector staff at breaking point (293 words)
The voluntary sector is in a state of crisis with widespread funding cuts, changed terms and conditions, redundancy fears and threats of strike ... Subscribers only
Equality news
Companies make a start on improving social mobility (577 words)
Equality campaigners have cautiously welcomed an announcement by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg that 100 big companies have signed the ... Subscribers only
MI5 a top LGB employer (226 words)
The consultancy firm Ernst & Young has been named best employer according to equality charity Stonewall’s 2012 index of top 100 employers ... Open access
HSBC goes family friendly (153 words)
General union Unite has succeeded in its campaign to make banking giant HSBC improve its policy for new parents returning to work. The union has ... Open access
Equality duty guidance (115 words)
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has published a revised version of Equality information and the equality duty: a guide for public ... Open access
Learning and training news
NEETs targeted for work experience funding (374 words)
In the face of record youth unemployment the government has published plans to increase the participation of 16-24 year olds in education, training ... Subscribers only
Fewer over-25s try university (143 words)
University applications among those aged 25 and over have dropped by 14.4% over the last year, according to higher education applications service ... Open access
Recruitment and organisation news
Union gains bargaining at nuclear clean-up body (215 words)
Professionals’ union Prospect has won the right to bargain on behalf of staff at the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). A ballot of ... Open access
RMT subs reduced to help recognition drive (52 words)
The RMT transport union has introduced reduced-rate subscriptions as part of an organising campaign to get recognition at Initial Cleaners and ... Open access
Student musicians (46 words)
The Musicians’ Union has launched a special membership subscription rate for student musicians in full-time education of £20 a year. ... Open access
CWU to accept sub-postmasters (62 words)
The CWU communications union is now taking into membership former members of the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters (NFSP), whose leaders ... Open access
European news
German postal workers’ union happy with 4% rise (358 words)
Verdi, the union representing workers at the Deutsche Post, the German postal company, has agreed a 4.0% increase for the company’s 130,000 ... Subscribers only
Minimum rates go up in French chemical industry (372 words)
French employers associations and unions have reached agreement on a pay increase for the chemical industry. However, as in other industries in ... Subscribers only
Air France announces 2 year pay freeze (80 words)
Not all French companies are increasing pay in 2012. The Air France airline this month announced a two-year pay freeze and a halt to all recruitment ... Open access
Fiat signs deal (167 words)
As expected, Italian vehicle maker Fiat has signed a separate deal for its 86,000 employees after leaving employers’ association Confindustria. ... Open access
Slovenia freezes public sector pay (100 words)
The newly elected Slovenian government has passed austerity legislation which extends the freeze on pay in the public sector into 2012. ... Open access
Law - TUPE
Transfers — the law (292 words)
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) are intended to protect the rights of employees on the transfer of ... Subscribers only
Transfer ‘not sole or principal reason’ for contract variation (542 words)
The claimants in this case were a group of teaching and learning assistants (TLAs) employed by Spelthorne College to work 25 hours a week. They had ... Subscribers only
TUPE applies even where no buyer is in prospect (392 words)
Administrators dismissed the chief executive of Ultralon Holdings Limited, Mr Baillavoine, on the first day of an administration, along with 43 ... Subscribers only
Law - Dismissal
Dismissal — the law (439 words)
f Employees dismissed unfairly can go to a tribunal if they have been working for at least a year, although some types of dismissal do not require ... Subscribers only
Existence of second job was not reason to stop sick pay (711 words)
In this case, a dismissal was unfair because the employer changed its mind about the reason for the dismissal midway through the dismissal process. ... Subscribers only
Employer cannot unilaterally withdraw dismissal notice (768 words)
Finance intermediary firm CF Capital PLC (CFC) was suffering in the economic downturn and considering redundancies. To cut costs, it decided to ... Subscribers only
Law - Redundancy
Redundancy — the law (313 words)
A redundancy situation exists where an employer closes or intends to close the workplace or reduce the number of employees doing a particular kind ... Subscribers only
No general right exists to see notes of redundancy meeting (528 words)
In 2009, lottery company Camelot was forced to re-organise, making 158 redundancies to cut costs. The claimant, Ms Hogg, was selected for redundancy ... Subscribers only
Alternative employment approach ‘indequate’ (744 words)
In this case, the EAT condemns a bank’s practice of dismissing employees without consultation or notice. It also contains important guidance ... Subscribers only
Health & safety news
Rich-nations club warns of rising mental ill health (357 words)
Job insecurity and other work-related pressures are driving an increase in poor mental health, according to the Organisation for Economic ... Subscribers only
Unions sound cautionary note over cancer study (357 words)
A major study of the causes of cancer says that over 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the UK result from “lifestyle factors” which ... Subscribers only
Prime minister renews attack (306 words)
Prime minister David Cameron has announced various measures designed to weaken health and safety protections. ... Subscribers only
Health & safety - HSE Monitor
HSE renews Hidden Killer campaign on asbestos (300 words)
Construction union UCATT has welcomed the HSE’s decision to reinstate its Hidden Killer campaign after a year’s break. ... Subscribers only
Building deaths up despite downturn (205 words)
Construction fatalities are highest in Eastern England, London, Yorkshire, the North West and the Midlands — so shows analysis of recent ... Open access
Virgin Media doubles safety reps (207 words)
The CWU communications union has more than doubled its complement of health and safety representatives at Virgin Media following a new initiative. ... Open access
Euro unions reject softer safety rules (305 words)
The financial crisis should be a time for raising health and safety protection for workers, not weakening it, the European Trade Union Confederation ... Subscribers only
Features
Union reps predict even tougher bargaining climate this year (3,472 words)
Recent falls in inflation will not persuade union reps and officials that it will be an easier environment for pay bargaining this year. A Workplace ... Subscribers only
Soaring prices across EU more than offset pay improvements (2,100 words)
Most countries in the European Union saw pay fall in real terms in 2011 for the second year running. Although pay settlements were often slightly ... Subscribers only