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Labour Research July 2013
Shoring up offshore safety - Despite improvements in offshore safety since the Piper Alpha disaster, unions still have many concerns; TUC Campaign Plan - The fight against cuts is at the heart of the TUC’s recently-launched Campaign Plan; Striking out for unions - This month sees the 125th anniversary of the famous strike of the Bryant and May matchwomen; Workers Beer Company - The summer festival circuit is once again making its mark - and so is the Workers Beer Company
News
Ballot shows opposition to Royal Mail privatisation (385 words)
The campaign against Royal Mail privatisation has been boosted by a massive show of workforce support. In a consultative ballot backed by 74% of the ...
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Nationalise RBS, says Unite (273 words)
Chancellor George Osborne’s aim of selling the government’s 82% stake in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is on hold, following a report ... Subscribers only
Industrial news (263 words)
A ballot is underway of 95,000 trade unionists working for local authorities in Scotland after they rejected a 1% pay offer. ... Subscribers only
Government fuels prospect of autumn action by teachers (290 words)
Further strike action by the NUT and NASUWT teaching unions is likely this autumn, following strikes that were due to take place in the North West ... Subscribers only
Brighton rocked by strike (210 words)
Brighton and Hove City Council, led by the Greens as the largest party, found itself with more rubbish and recycling on its hands than it could cope ...
Open access
CWU hails transfer deal (248 words)
Intense negotiations by the CWU communications union last month resulted in a deal with Telefonica O2 on “the biggest outsourcing deal in ... Open access
Youth unemployment declines (195 words)
A fall in the number of jobless men and in youth unemployment helped cut the latest unemployment figures, the Office for National Statistics said. ... Open access
Inflation rises (76 words)
Inflation as measured by the Retail Prices Index (RPI) was running at 3.1% in May against a 2.9% rise the previous month. Higher travel costs and ... Open access
Key economic indicators
Key economic indicators (401 words)
Inflation +3.1%, Earnings +3.3% ... Subscribers only
Union news
Union membership grows following years of decline (356 words)
The union movement received an unexpected boost from official statistics on trade union membership released in late May, revealing that the number ... Subscribers only
Unite retains fund (82 words)
The massive vote by the largest UK union, Unite, to retain its political fund has given it “a new mandate to campaign” against the ... Open access
Pharmacists’ body has wrong chemistry (166 words)
The government certification office has refused to certify the Boots Pharmacists Association (BPA) as an independent union on the grounds that it is ... Open access
Workplace organising is key to strategy (221 words)
Members of the PCS civil service union have agreed to put workplace organising at the very top of their agenda to safeguard the union’s future. ... Open access
European news
Framework offers better deal on youth employment (332 words)
The European Trade Union Confederation and the main European employers’ associations have agreed a framework of actions on youth employment ... Subscribers only
Croatia joins European Union (291 words)
The Balkan state Croatia becomes the 28th member of the European Union this month. The decision to join the EU was backed by a two-thirds (66.3%) ... Subscribers only
Union density falls in Poland (93 words)
Union density in Poland has fallen to 10%, down from 12% a year ago. ... Open access
Greek government forced to back down (149 words)
The Greek government has been forced to reverse its decision to close the national broadcaster, ERT. ... Open access
Features
Is the industry any safer? (1,882 words)
How far has safety improved in the offshore oil and gas sector since the dreadful disaster on the Piper Alpha oil platform 25 years ago? ... Subscribers only
TUC Plan issues call to action (1,941 words)
The TUC has launched its Campaign Plan, designed to place trade unionists and their communities at the heart of the fight against austerity and for ... Subscribers only
Kindling the new unionism (1,770 words)
This month, we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the famous strike by lowly match workers that ushered in a new era of union organising. ... Subscribers only
Rolling Stones, Smashing Pumpkins and selling beer (1,522 words)
The Workers Beer Company will once again be a familiar feature at festivals this summer. ... Subscribers only
Law Matters
Code on ‘protected conversations’ issued (266 words)
The Acas employment advisory service has published its Code of Practice, which will accompany new laws about so-called “protected ... Subscribers only
More employment law changes in the offing (369 words)
The government has published an updated indicative timetable for the introduction of employment law changes set out in the Enterprise and Regulatory ... Subscribers only
Judicial review of fees sought (247 words)
The UNISON public services union has announced that it is bringing a claim in the High Court asking for a judicial review of the government’s ... Open access
Law Queries
CCTV (344 words)
Q. Our employer has announced a plan to introduce CCTV. What are our rights? ... Subscribers only
Secret recordings (221 words)
Q. Should I tape my disciplinary secretly on my mobile phone? ... Open access
Sickness absence review (134 words)
Q. My employer has tightened up our sickness absence review policy so that fewer days of absence are needed to trigger a review. Is this a breach of ... Open access
Law Back-up
The rise and rise of the zero hours contract (851 words)
The TUC has welcomed a government promise to review the use of zero hours contracts, faced with evidence of a steep rise in their use. Back-up ... Subscribers only
Health & Safety Matters
Safety must address cultural diversity (301 words)
Addressing cultural diversity in the workplace can have a considerable impact on occupational safety and health, a new report from the European ... Subscribers only
Asbestos poses greater risks for young children (187 words)
Children are more vulnerable to exposure to asbestos than adults — the younger the child the greater the risk — was the conclusion of ... Open access
Fire service review (248 words)
Sir Ken Knight’s review of the fire and rescue service in England is to be discussed by the House of Commons communities and local government ... Open access
Health & Safety Back-up
Campaigning for better health and safety (783 words)
The UK’s biggest educational and organising event for trade union safety reps and activists takes place this month at the annual Hazards ... Subscribers only
Equality news
Poorer households see incomes squeezed (273 words)
Research published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies confirms that while the better-off were initially the hardest hit by the recession it is now ... Subscribers only
Attitudes to welfare become less supportive (352 words)
The public continues to make a link between levels of poverty and the state of the economy. However, the relationship between economic circumstances ... Subscribers only
Wales equality impact (115 words)
Communities minister Huw Lewis has pledged that the Welsh Government will not follow England by dropping equality impact assessments (EIAs). ... Open access
Disabled Workers’ Conference (113 words)
Government cuts are having a devastating impact on disabled people, said the TUC. ... Open access
Workplace Back-up
MPs highlight women’s under-representation (756 words)
Workplace inequality, including unequal pay and women’s under-representation in certain sectors, persists in the UK, says a detailed report ... Subscribers only
Reviews
Nathan Lean, Pluto Press, 240 pages, paperback, £12.99 (210 words)
Nathan Lean, Pluto Press, 240 pages, paperback, £12.99 ... Open access
Jim Larkin and the great Dublin Lockout of 1913 (224 words)
John Newsinger, Bookmarks, 80 pages, paperback, £4 ... Open access
E-views
e-views (407 words)
I’ve recently updated the trade union website league table on my blog (www.infobo.com/blog), and it shows some interesting movements over the ... Subscribers only