Fact Service November 2014

Issue 47 (27/11/2014) - Economy - steady as you go in Q3; CPI inflation measure is 'flawed'; Growth through people; Annual survey of hours and earnings 2014; More working families living in poverty; Low pay in April 2014; Positive step at Grangemouth

Issue 46 (20/11/2014) - Unemployment falls on both main counts; Average earnings posts a small rise; No change for retail price inflation; Police cover-up over blacklist links?; Coalition MPs linked to privatised NHS

Issue 45 (13/11/2014) - Another downside to shift work; Economic benefits of EU migrants; Victory on disclosure; Bereavement guidance; Umbrella con trick

Issue 44 (06/11/2014) - Living Wage rises across UK; Health and safety 2013-14; Lost decade on pay; Holiday pay victory; 2.5% for last pay round; TUC welcomes a new affiliate

Issue 47

Economy — steady as you go in Q3 (191 words)

There has been no change in the official estimate of how the economy fared in the third quarter of the year. ...
Open access

CPI inflation measure is ‘flawed’ (244 words)

Plummeting wages under the Tory-led government have been even greater than reported due to major flaws in the government’s preferred method of ...
Open access

Growth through people (291 words)

Urgent action must be taken to improve skill levels and how they are developed in order to boost productivity, wages and social mobility, according ...
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Annual survey of hours and earnings 2014 (644 words)

Full-time average weekly earnings fell in real terms but the gender pay gap narrowed in April 2014, according to official figures. ...
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More working families living in poverty (408 words)

Poverty campaigners at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) have revealed the changing picture of poverty in the UK with the launch of its annual ...
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Low pay in April 2014 (253 words)

There were almost a quarter of a million jobs paying less than the legal minimum wage in April 2014, official figures show. ...
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Positive step at Grangemouth (162 words)

An agreement has been reached between the Unite general union and the petrochemical company Ineos at its Grangemouth plant, allowing the union ...
Open access

Issue 46

Unemployment falls on both main counts (540 words)

Unemployment fell by 115,000, the latest official figures show. ...
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Average earnings posts a small rise (624 words)

Earnings growth staged a small recovery, the latest official figures show. ...
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No change for retail price inflation (407 words)

The retail inflation rate was unchanged over the past two months, official figures show. ...
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Police cover-up over blacklist links? (308 words)

Scotland Yard has been accused of seeking to cover up its involvement in the blacklisting of more than 3,200 construction workers following the ...
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Coalition MPs linked to privatised NHS (250 words)

More than 70 MPs in the coalition government have links to private healthcare interests, according to the Unite general union. ...
Subscribers only

Issue 45

Another downside to shift work (619 words)

Working an irregular shift pattern may be causing long-term damage to people’s memory and mental abilities, new research has shown. ...
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Victory on disclosure (546 words)

Members of the Unite general union have won a victory over the disclosure of information for the purpose of collective bargaining to a recognised ...
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Economic benefits of EU migrants (503 words)

EU migrants pay in more to the UK than they take out, according to a new study. ...
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Bereavement guidance (254 words)

New guidance on managing bereavement at work has recently been published by the employment relations service Acas. ...
Subscribers only

Umbrella con trick (408 words)

Thousands of construction workers are seeing cuts in their pay as a result of being forced to operate via umbrella companies, according to a report ...
Subscribers only

Issue 44

Living Wage rises across the UK (523 words)

Increases in the Living Wage rates have been announced. ...
Subscribers only

Health and safety 2013-14 (424 words)

One hundred and thirty three workers suffered fatal injuries at work in 2013-14, according to the latest official data. The figure was by down 17 on ...
Subscribers only

Lost decade on pay (140 words)

Over the next few years, the continued strength of the labour market should benefit workers at all income levels, according to the EY ITEM Club. ...
Open access

Holiday pay victory (837 words)

Workers who have been short-changed by over a half of their holiday pay, have won a groundbreaking Employment Appeal Tribunal, which means all UK ...
Subscribers only

2.5% for last pay round (153 words)

Pay deals were stuck at a midpoint rise of 2.5%, an analysis of the collective agreements in the 2013-14 pay round has found. ...
Open access

TUC welcomes a new affiliate (123 words)

The NAHT head teachers’ union has joined the TUC, bringing the number of affiliated unions to 54. ...
Open access