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Labour Research June 2013
Corporate killing - Is the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act holding employers to account over safety crimes?; Progression pay threatened - The government wants to further tighten the screw on public sector workers by reining in service-related pay; Unions in Europe - Across Europe, trade union strength is being eroded as governments restrict their ability to bargain effectively
News
Union slates ‘astonishing’ move over probation services (432 words)
The government’s decision last month to outsource 70% of the probation service’s work to the private and third sector was described as ...
Subscribers only
Government blamed for A&E crisis (231 words)
The UNISON health service union has blamed the growing problems in accident and emergency provision on “massive disorganisation” by ...
Open access
Job losses (109 words)
Job losses have jumped back into the limelight this month, with the finance sector particularly badly hit. ... Open access
Hit-and-run attack (137 words)
Anti-blacklisting campaigners have been the target of a hit-and-run attack. ... Open access
University of Salford issues further round of job cuts (284 words)
Unions at the University of Salford were considering how they will respond to the institution’s latest “devastating” threat to ... Subscribers only
Charity internships scrutinised (248 words)
Working for voluntary organisations will become the preserve of a wealthy elite unless charities stop exploiting unpaid interns, warns a new report. ... Open access
Agricultural workers (137 words)
General union Unite said ministers have a moral duty to inform the 150,000 agricultural workers in England and Wales of the impact on their pay and ... Open access
Firefighters’ pensions (94 words)
The firefighters’ FBU union has told the government it is prepared to take industrial action over proposed changes to firefighters’ ... Open access
Unemployment figure climbs (208 words)
Under the Labour Force Survey (LFS) count, unemployment was up by 15,000 to 2.52 million in the three-month period ending March compared with the ... Open access
Inflation down (72 words)
The inflation rate as measured by the Retail Prices Index (RPI) was down to 2.9% in April from 3.3% the previous month The RPI has been downgraded ... Open access
Key economic indicators
Key economic indicators (390 words)
Inflation +2.9%, Average earnings -0.7% ... Subscribers only
Union news
White-collar rail staff on track to merge with Unite (336 words)
Members of the TSSA white-collar rail transport union are likely to be transferred to the giant Unite general union by spring of next year. ... Subscribers only
Prison Service Union memberships transferred to Community (30 words)
The non-TUC Prison Service Union has transferred its engagements to the Community union, following an overwhelming vote in favour among its 5,000 ... Open access
Union opens community centre to assist east London residents (274 words)
The Unite general union has extended its “community organising” concept by opening a community centre in Tower Hamlets in east London ... Subscribers only
Scottish TUC (156 words)
The Scottish TUC and The Scottish government have agreed a statement on the constructive contribution made by workplace unions to economic growth. ... Open access
TUC organising (63 words)
A new head of TUC organising and services has been appointed to replace Paul Nowak, who was promoted to TUC assistant secretary in February. ... Open access
European news
Portuguese public servants must work longer for less (352 words)
Portuguese public servants face job cuts, longer hours and lower take-home pay following Portuguese prime minister Pedro Passos Coelho’s ... Subscribers only
Tripartite conference in the offing (298 words)
French prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has held a series of separate meetings with the leaders of the country’s main unions and ... Subscribers only
Irish negotiations (98 words)
Negotiations between the Irish government and the unions on an agreed method of making public sector pay cuts have restarted after the first draft ... Open access
Spanish government rejects pact (62 words)
Following their first meeting in 19 months with the leader of the Spanish centre-right government of Mariano Rajoy, the leaders of Spain’s ... Open access
Polish maternity leave (69 words)
The Polish parliament is currently considering a government proposal which would effectively double the length of maternity leave from the current ... Open access
Features
Has Manslaughter Act improved safety culture? (2,053 words)
Five years after coming into effect, what impact has the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act had on safety? ... Subscribers only
Progression pay takes a step back (2,117 words)
The coalition is trying to wring even more savings from public sector workers by targeting existing pay progression arrangements. ... Subscribers only
Europe’s unions undermined (1,581 words)
Collective bargaining across Europe is being hollowed out as governments implement changes that weaken workers’ collective strength. ... Subscribers only
Coalition plays hunger games (1,699 words)
Unions and charities say that the huge growth in reliance on food banks is just the tip of an iceberg, with millions now living in food poverty. ... Subscribers only
Law Matters
More employment law changes announced (302 words)
Yet more changes to employment laws have been announced. The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 received Royal Assent on 25 April 2013, ... Subscribers only
Government guidance issued on EU measures (322 words)
The Tory party is once more split down the middle on the issue of Europe. ... Subscribers only
New test for whistleblowing (238 words)
The law on whistleblowing will change on 25 June 2013 under the government’s Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013. The main change will ... Open access
Law Queries
Productivity bonus (300 words)
Q. Every year we receive a productivity bonus, but this year our employer is refusing to pay it even though we have met all our targets. Our ... Subscribers only
Staff association (283 words)
Q. There is a staff association at our workplace and our employer wants to use it to consult with us in connection with 23 planned redundancies. ... Subscribers only
Obesity (169 words)
Q. I am a rep supporting a member who has a serious weight problem, as well as other health issues such as shortness of breath, tiredness and joint ... Open access
Law Back-up
Case shows how interim relief can be applied (866 words)
This month’s Back-up focuses on the law and practice relating to interim relief. In particular, it examines the lessons that can be learned ... Subscribers only
Health & Safety Matters
Stress at work has links to heart disease (361 words)
The evidence is stacking up over the link between stress and heart disease as a new study has found that workers in stressful jobs are more prone to ... Subscribers only
Mesothelioma scheme comes under attack (245 words)
Construction union UCATT has accused the coalition government of being in the pocket of the insurance industry, as watered-down plans for ... Open access
Unions warn over asbestos (236 words)
A warning has been given by the Joint Unions Asbestos Committee (JUAC) of the potential for asbestos fibre release from warm air cabinet heaters. ... Open access
Health & Safety Back-up
Safety inspections may face further attacks (830 words)
Unions fear that a forthcoming review of the Health and Safety Executive will provide the government with an excuse for yet more attacks on safety ... Subscribers only
Equality news
Unions rally round Public Sector Equality Duty (457 words)
Unions have come together to give their support to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) as it comes under government scrutiny. ... Subscribers only
Government continues to leave women behind (175 words)
Government plans for growth continue to leave many women behind, according to a new report by women’s campaigning group The Fawcett Society. ... Open access
Homophobia (88 words)
A report by Bournemouth University shows that homophobic behaviour is frequently going unchallenged in school and college sport. ... Open access
Universal Credit (165 words)
A new pamphlet on the new Universal Credit (UC) benefit, Universal credit — will it work?, explains how the new benefit risks failing unless ... Open access
Workplace Back-up
Homeworking on the rise despite recession (772 words)
A new TUC analysis of official figures finds that the number of people working from home has increased by 13% in the last five years. Back-up looks ... Subscribers only
Reviews
Alienation (219 words)
An introduction to Marx’s ... Open access
A history of Britain in the 1980s (222 words)
Graham Stewart, Atlantic Books, 560 pages, hardback, £25 ... Open access
E-views
e-views (377 words)
Facebook has recently been accused of censoring a political blog covering protests about the outsourcing of NHS contracts. Online censorship always ... Subscribers only
News from LRD
LRD executive committee (123 words)
The members of the new LRD executive committee (with nominees in brackets) ... Open access