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Workplace Report December 2014
Devolved pay - The NHS Agenda for Change agreement has seen different deals in the four nations. Is this the way forward for pay?; 2015 forecasts - The expectations of independent and City forecasters on inflation and earnings for the coming year are analysed; Latest case law on discrimination
Pay and prices
Improvement in settlements (253 words)
The latest figures from the LRD Payline database of collective agreements show a median increase of 2.6% in the three months to November, up from 2.4% ...
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 (41 words)
Source: ASHE 2014 uprated by AWE. ... Open access
Average weekly earnings (AWE) (160 words)
Total pay including bonuses. Percentage annual increases ... Open access
Other pay analysts (23 words)
... Open access
Prices (75 words)
1Retail prices index, Jan ’87=100 ... Open access
Inflation forecasts (35 words)
Fourth quarter 2015 ... Open access
Bargaining news
Coalition don’t want to pay for 24/7 NHS services (723 words)
The NHS is keen to improve the quality of its services outside core hours by delivering “seven-day services”, but in the spirit of austerity it ... Subscribers only
JLR Workers set to accept revised two-year deal (413 words)
Workers at the JaguarLandRover (JLR) car firm look set to accept a revised pay offer from the highly-profitable luxury car maker. ... Subscribers only
Shop around for a deal (282 words)
Retail Staff have seen improvements to their terms and conditions, the latest deals from Labour Research Department’s Payline database show. ... Subscribers only
Inflation link helps protect workers’ pay rises (316 words)
Inflation may be falling for the moment, but there’s no law that says it can’t rise again eating away the value of pay deals. However, two of the ... Subscribers only
Council staff need in-work benefits to survive (305 words)
The government’s attack on local authority workers’ wages with pay freezes is forcing hundreds of thousands to rely on benefits to survive and ... Subscribers only
Wage deficit suffered by zero-hours workers (432 words)
Zero-hours workers earn nearly £300 a week less, on average, than permanent employees, according to a new report from the TUC at the start of its ... Subscribers only
Survey shows changing face of pensions (157 words)
Active membership of defined contribution (DC) pension schemes outnumbers that of final salary or defined benefit (DB) schemes for the first time, ... Open access
New offer at Shelter (113 words)
A three-day strike at the housing charity Shelter has been called off after management made an improved offer to staff. ... Open access
Equality news
Plight of young who face insecure working life (354 words)
Young people are struggling to secure permanent employment because employers are increasingly using zero-hours contracts and agency workers, reports ... Subscribers only
Civil service performance management system is discriminatory (361 words)
The civil service performance management system is disproportionately hard on disabled, older and black and minority ethnic (BME) workers, warns the ... Subscribers only
Teachers suffer over ethnic background (195 words)
More than 80% of BME teachers said they had been discriminated against, harassed or intimidated at work because of their colour or ethnic background. ... Open access
Cost of being an intern (85 words)
Being an unpaid intern can cost thousands, according to research by charity The Sutton Trust. ... Open access
Learning and training news
Loans lead to dramatic fall in adult learner numbers (425 words)
The introduction of Adult Learning Loans for those aged 24 and over has led to a dramatic fall in the numbers of this age group taking up courses, ... Subscribers only
Industry fails to train (131 words)
Responding to recent media reports that foreign bricklayers are being hired to work for a £1,000 a week, construction workers’ union UCATT has ... Open access
Recruitment and organisation news
‘Positive step’ at Grangemouth (152 words)
Unions have hailed a “positive step forward” in employment relations at the Ineos petrochemical company, which was at the centre of a vitriolic ... Open access
Two deals, another to come? (171 words)
Two recognition deals have been announced in recent weeks — one a voluntary arrangement and the other won through the statutory process. ... Open access
European news
Broad bargaining environment now feeling effect of Spanish legal changes (666 words)
The sugar industry, cleaning, and hotels and restaurants — these are all examples where Spanish unions at national or at regional level are ... Subscribers only
Limited impact of French generation contracts (295 words)
Since 2013, large French companies have been compelled, and smaller ones encouraged to sign agreements or develop action plans for both their younger ... Subscribers only
Law - Discrimination
Discrimination — the law (1,025 words)
Discrimination law is found in the Equality Act 2010 (EA 2010). The EA 2010 lists nine “protected characteristics”: age; disability; gender ... Subscribers only
Reasonable adjustment must raise prospect of return to work (815 words)
Mrs Howorth had 10 years of good service as a health visitor for the North Lancashire Primary Care Trust. ... Subscribers only
Insurer was to blame for unfair treatment of fixed-term worker (482 words)
Mr Hall started working for Xerox in August 2010, repairing and maintaining photocopiers. He had a fixed-term contract which was “regularly ... Subscribers only
Pension loss based on value of pension at retirement (912 words)
Sharan Griffin worked as a bone densitometry specialist at the Derriford Hospital, run by Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, for nine years. ... Subscribers only
Ignoring final warning not a reasonable adjustment (651 words)
Mr Carranza worked as a customer services adviser. He suffered from a disability — stomach lesions — which had been caused by emergency childhood ... Subscribers only
Claim over work placement should go to County Court (357 words)
Ms Blackwood was a student at Birmingham City University studying for a diploma of higher education in mental health nursing. ... Subscribers only
Health & safety news
Sentencing guidelines set out menu of fines (400 words)
Draft sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences and corporate manslaughter have been put out for public consultation by the Sentencing ... Subscribers only
Shortages mean NHS staff are working harder and longer (297 words)
Three-quarters of NHS workers say there are not enough staff in their ward or team, a survey of members by public services union UNISON has revealed. ... Subscribers only
Staff pressed at Johnston (284 words)
Staff working for Johnston Press are suffering high levels of stress as they are put under pressure to work long hours with few breaks, subject to ... Subscribers only
Health & safety - HSE Monitor
Dutch and UK should put their houses in order (382 words)
In November, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reported an important decision in a case that could have significant consequences for ... Subscribers only
HSE sets out best practice for transporting flammable gas (259 words)
Following a fatality caused by an acetylene gas explosion involving a van carrying oxy-acetylene welding equipment, the HSE commissioned research to ... Subscribers only
Consulting with workers (157 words)
A new, amended edition of Consulting with workers on health and safety has been published by the HSE. ... Open access
New Codes of Practice (86 words)
Three new Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) and accompanying guidance have been issued by the HSE relating to the Provision and Use of Work ... Open access
Features
Is shifting bargaining out to the four corners of UK a good move? (2,931 words)
The NHS Agenda for Change settlement has this year resulted in different outcomes in the four nations. Is there a risk that more devolved pay ... Subscribers only
Next year looks set to be a bad one for workers’ living standards (2,078 words)
What does 2015 hold for workers, can they expect to see a rise in their living standards? Workplace Report asked City and independent forecasters to ... Subscribers only