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Labour Research August 2014
Scottish referendum - What do unions have to say about Scotland’s historic vote on whether or not to remain in the UK?
Outsourcing - Outsourcing of public services has soared. Labour Research examines the firms getting the contracts
Private rented sector - Private renting is on the up - and unions and others point out that private tenants get a raw deal
LGBT equality - There have been many advances in LGBT equality, but does that mean prejudice is no longer a problem?
News
Migration has not caused joblessness for UK workers (346 words)
A government report has confirmed that recent migration has not led to an increase in the unemployment rate for UK-born workers. It also dismisses ...
Subscribers only
Claimants must wait for five weeks (316 words)
New rules being brought in as part of the government’s new Universal Credit system mean that benefit claimants will have to wait at least five ... Subscribers only
Minimum wage workers ‘trapped’ (222 words)
Workers earning the minimum wage feel trapped in low-paid work, with many turning to food banks, according to a survey conducted for the Unite ...
Open access
Unions announce ballots in face of NHS pay restraint (364 words)
Unions representing over half a million NHS workers have announced plans to ballot for industrial action over pay, with strike action planned for the ... Subscribers only
Land Registry sale called off (152 words)
The PCS civil service union, has hailed the campaign that forced the government to call off plans to privatise the Land Registry. ... Open access
Helpline struggles to cope with calls (249 words)
Calls to the homelessness helpline run by Shelter have risen by 20% since 2011. The housing and homelessness charity says it is struggling to cope ... Open access
Record low for earnings growth (219 words)
While there may be good news on unemployment, there is bad news regarding earnings. ... Open access
Inflation rebounds (74 words)
Inflation rebounded in June. Under the Retail Prices Index (RPI), the annual rate of inflation was back up to 2.6% from 2.4% in May. ... Open access
Key economic indicators
Key economic indicators (402 words)
Inflation +2.6%, Average earnings +0.4% ... Subscribers only
Union news
TUC membership holds up despite public sector losses (383 words)
The TUC’s affiliated membership has dipped by just 1.2% this year to a total of 5.8 million compared with 5.9 million in 2013. ... Subscribers only
BACM merger (69 words)
BACM-TEAM, the union representing 1,900 managerial and professional staff in the mining industry, looks set to disappear within three months. ... Open access
Push for green reps (162 words)
The TUC has repeated its demand that any future Labour government should legislate to give new rights to unions to appoint environmental reps. ... Open access
NUT head re-elected (48 words)
Christine Blower has been re-elected as general secretary of the largest teaching union, the NUT, after competing in a two-horse race. ... Open access
Norman Willis (74 words)
Norman Willis, TUC general secretary from 1984 to 1993, died in June at the age of 81. ... Open access
Electronic ballots (58 words)
Ministers should get round the table to improve turnouts in strike ballots, such as allowing the option of electronic ballots in the workplace, says ... Open access
Unite and the EU (66 words)
The Labour Party has been urged by its largest affiliate, general union Unite, to hold a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU. ... Open access
European news
Plan to withdraw maternity proposals attacked by unions (432 words)
Unions and women’s groups have responded strongly to a proposal from the European Commission to withdraw planned legislation which improves ... Subscribers only
Concern over prison threat to Spanish strikers (232 words)
Spain’s two main union confederations, CCOO and UGT, are expressing deep concern over a growing tendency for the country’s state prosecutors to ... Open access
Germany set for minimum wage (235 words)
Germany will have a national minimum wage from the start of next year. ... Open access
Features
Unions have their say on Scotland’s vote (2,575 words)
How are UK unions positioning themselves in relation to next month’s vote on Scottish independence? ... Open access
The reality behind outsourcing (2,157 words)
Outsourcing is now entrenched in a swathe of the UK’s public services. And the reality is that the government’s reliance on a small number of ... Subscribers only
More forced to rent privately (1,657 words)
Unions and renters’ groups are campaigning for a better deal for the millions of people who are now obliged to rent from private landlords. ... Subscribers only
Discrimination is still with us (1,595 words)
There have been major strides in LGBT equality, but that doesn’t mean discrimination and prejudice have disappeared, writes Hannah Dee. ... Subscribers only
Law Matters
Prestigious award goes to Unison’s legal team (363 words)
The legal services team of the UNISON public services union has been named Employment Law Team of the Year at the prestigious annual awards given by ... Subscribers only
Remission rules changed (301 words)
The government has made changes designed to simplify the employment tribunal fee remission system. ... Subscribers only
Unite claims protective award (221 words)
General union Unite is claiming a protective award in the Sheffield Employment Tribunal on behalf of 184 lorry drivers made redundant from the Tesco ... Open access
Law Queries
Notice periods (396 words)
Q. I want to accept a new job which I have to start in two weeks. My notice period is one month. What are the risks if I give less than my full ... Subscribers only
Capability procedures (378 words)
Q. My employer has started formal capability procedures against me. What are my rights? ... Subscribers only
Law Back-up
Pitfalls of delay and constructive dismissal (885 words)
Following poor treatment at work, how long can a claimant safely delay before resigning and bringing a claim for constructive dismissal without that ... Subscribers only
Health & Safety Matters
Scheme condemned by blacklisted workers (302 words)
The High Court last month heard claims brought by unions on behalf of blacklisted members. ... Subscribers only
Report raises questions (221 words)
A cross party Transport Select Committee has published a new report on the Super Puma helicopter crash just off Shetland last August. The crash ... Open access
Work-related stress (218 words)
A new report by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) looks at the economic costs of work-related stress. The report, a ... Open access
Health & Safety Back-up
Taking care of new and expectant mothers (854 words)
Statistics referred to by the Institute of Safety and Health say that around 440,000 women each year continue to work during pregnancy. Back-up looks ... Subscribers only
Equality news
Cuts take heavy toll on the lives of women (318 words)
Cuts in local government funding are having a disproportionate impact on women’s lives, making them feel unsafe and isolated from their ... Subscribers only
Government undermines disabled people’s rights (293 words)
The government is breaching its legal obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of disabled people, says a report by the Just Fair ... Subscribers only
Combating FGM (146 words)
The Unite union has called for more health professionals trained to tackle the growing problem of female genital mutilation (FGM). ... Open access
Management lacks diversity (100 words)
The BITC Business in the Community organisation — a business group promoting a more socially-responsible approach — has launched a report showing ... Open access
Workplace Back-up
Grandparental leave needs to be introduced (916 words)
New research shows that working grandparents are increasingly stepping in to help with childcare as costs rise and work demands increase. Back-up ... Subscribers only
E-views
e-views (373 words)
Every year, the TUC holds an awards ceremony to recognise the achievements of affiliated unions in their communication efforts. The awards for 2014 ... Subscribers only
News from LRD
LRD will be at the TUC Congress (42 words)
The Labour Research Department will once again have a stand at the TUC Congress in Liverpool from 7 to 10 September. If you’re attending Congress, ... Open access