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Workplace Report December 2013
Shift pay - The best rates for ‘out of office hours’ workers are revealed in the annual survey of shift premia; Pre-retirement - A survey of pre-retirement schemes shows what’s on offer to help workers face up to post-working life; Latest case law on dismissals, redundancy and transfers
Pay and prices
No catch-up in pay deals (251 words)
Pay settlements still trailed inflation in November. ...
Subscribers only
Labour Research Department three-monthly pay figures (224 words)
Percentage increases on lowest basic rates (by agreements covered). ...
Open access
Full-time weekly average earnings (42 words)
Source: ASHE 2013 uprated by AWE. ... Open access
Average weekly earnings (AWE) (160 words)
Total pay including bonuses. Percentage annual ... Open access
Other pay analysts (25 words)
... Open access
1 Retail prices index, Jan ’87=100 (76 words)
1 Retail prices index, Jan ... Open access
Inflation forecasts (34 words)
Fourth quarter 2014 ... Open access
Bargaining news
Living standards hit and gender pay gap widens (738 words)
Worker’s living standards have once again been hit and the gender pay gap has suffered a setback as it has widened on some measures. These are the ... Subscribers only
TUC conference considers where next for pensions (432 words)
New challenges for pensions policy, how best to manage defined contribution (DC) schemes and what to make of the government’s ideas for something ... Subscribers only
CWU agrees landmark deal (295 words)
The CWU communication workers’ union and Royal Mail have negotiated a new pay and reward package and industrial relations framework called the ... Subscribers only
Ten-year deal comes with inflation match (91 words)
Spirit Aerosystems, the aircraft components manufacturer based at Prestwick in Scotland, has reached a 10-year pay deal with manufacturing union ... Open access
Wide-ranging package agreed at logistics firm (138 words)
Crewe-based transport company Expert Logistics has reached a new agreement running from 1 October 2013 which provides a 2% rise on basic pay. ... Open access
No rubbish deal (51 words)
Wybone, the Barnsley-based manufacturer, has reached a pay agreement with the Community union. There is a 5% increase to all pay rates from 1 ... Open access
Unite calls time on unfair bonus system and targets (456 words)
Finance sector union Unite has called for an end to the demanding and unfair bonus culture in the financial services industry. ... Subscribers only
Pre-Xmas trends in deals (310 words)
There’s a distinct sense of moving the negotiation deckchairs around in the pre-Christmas pay settlement trends compared with the same period in 201 ... Subscribers only
Return to national bargaining in Scottish further education (249 words)
Legislation is helping to bring a return to national bargaining over pay and conditions for staff in Scotland’s further education (FE) sector. ... Open access
Equality news
Gender sterotyping leaves women in low-paid jobs (423 words)
Women are more likely to end up in low-paid work and to stay there, according to new research. ... Subscribers only
UK is ‘Scrooge of Europe’ (313 words)
The UK is bottom of the European league table when it comes to leave and pay for new parents, according to a TUC analysis. ... Subscribers only
London Underground’s failure on domestic violence policy (151 words)
The RMT rail union has accused London Underground of ignoring its basic duty of care in refusing to work with the union to develop a policy on ... Open access
Over 50’s carer guide (127 words)
After a survey of older union members found that nearly two-thirds were juggling paid work with caring responsibilities, the TUC has responded by ... Open access
Learning and training news
Employers will get more control over training funds (287 words)
The government has pledged to deliver an additional 20,000 higher apprenticeships in England over the next two years with additional funding of £40 ... Subscribers only
Adult Learners Week (104 words)
Trade unionists are being encouraged by the TUC to get involved in activities for Adult Learners’ Week 2014 which is being held from 14 – 20 June. ... Open access
Recruitment and organisation news
Curzon agreement ‘a great step forward’ says BECTU (324 words)
A major victory has been clinched by entertainment union BECTU in its fight for recognition at the Curzon cinema chain. ... Subscribers only
Win at Al Jazeera (110 words)
The BECTU and NUJ media unions have secured joint recognition through the statutory process at the Al Jazeera International broadcaster’s London ... Open access
European news
Deal sees workers transfer from Spain to Germany (390 words)
Following an agreement signed by the Spanish unions and guaranteed by the European works council, 55 employees of the German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp ... Subscribers only
New Irish bargaining rights may change little (370 words)
The Irish government has announced plans to bring forward new rules requiring companies in Ireland to engage in collective bargaining. ... Subscribers only
Minimum wage for Germany from 2015 (127 words)
The German coalition agreement setting out the programme for the government over the next four years includes a commitment to introduce a statutory ... Open access
Minimum wage in France (154 words)
Figures produced by DARES, the research arm of the French ministry of employment, show that one in eight private sector employees (12.3%) benefited ... Open access
Law - Dismissal
Dismissal - the law (536 words)
f Employees dismissed unfairly can go to a tribunal if they have been working for at least two years. Some specific types of dismissal do not ... Subscribers only
Employment contract ended when claimant wrote ‘I resign’ (828 words)
This case illustrates the rules that are used to work out an employee’s effective date of termination. This crucial date is used, for example, to ... Subscribers only
Summary dismissal took effect day solicitor told client of sack (637 words)
Mrs Robinson was off sick during a disciplinary investigation into allegations of serious misconduct. She had asked her employer to communicate with ... Subscribers only
Employer’s bad behaviour can be just one reason for claim (351 words)
Ms Wright worked as a care worker for a local authority. The employer treated her badly, for example, by mishandling a theft allegation against her ... Subscribers only
Law - TUPE
Transfers - the law (243 words)
The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) are intended to protect the rights of employees on the transfer of ... Open access
One person can make a group for service provision change (331 words)
Ms Rhijnsburger wanted to bring a claim for unfair dismissal against her employer, Rynda (UK) Limited. ... Subscribers only
Sackings by Crystal Palace adminstrator upheld by appeal court (564 words)
In 2009, Crystal Palace football club was in dire financial straits. Administrators had been appointed and there was a severe cash flow and funding ... Subscribers only
Law - Redundancy
Redundancy - the law (215 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 ... Open access
Claimant’s rejection of alternative job was ‘reasonable’ (546 words)
When Ms Readman was made redundant from her role as a band 8A community matron she was offered another band 8A job. The only difference between the ... Subscribers only
Health & safety news
Three simple rules for drivers in bad weather (325 words)
The Unite general union has issued urgent guidance after the recent tragic death of a lorry driver who was killed after high winds swept across ... Subscribers only
Ballot for strike action over Tube ticket office closures (423 words)
The RMT rail, maritime and transport union is balloting for strike action over the threat to thousands of jobs and over Transport for London (TfL) ... Subscribers only
Access to mental health nurses vital (263 words)
New research has recognised access to mental health nurses as key in helping to prevent suicide for mental health patients. ... Subscribers only
Health & safety - HSE Monitor
Guidance to protect staff from Legionnaires’ disease (375 words)
Updated guidance to protect workers from legionnaires’ disease has been issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). ... Subscribers only
HSE updates code of practice on hazardous substances (282 words)
The HSE has revised its Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) on controlling substances hazardous to workers’ health in accordance with EU Regulations ... Subscribers only
Nuts and bolts of health and safety revised (179 words)
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 cover basic health, safety and welfare issues and apply to most workplaces, except for ... Open access
Price of a life? (97 words)
Electrician Liam O’Neill was crushed to death by an overhead crane at a Preston factory in 2011. He died in hospital seven days after the incident. ... Open access
Features
Normal service is resumed in picture of shift premia (2,809 words)
Many workplaces operate outside usual “office hours”, and employers have developed a range of shift patterns in these workplaces. Workplace ... Subscribers only
Planning ahead can cushion transition at end of working life (2,127 words)
The UK workforce may be destined to work longer, nevertheless, the change from working life to retirement can be problematic. For the moment ... Subscribers only