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Workplace Report February 2016
Apprentices - The government want to expand the number of apprentices, but have nothing to say about their pay; Teachers’ pay - Government must do better on recruitment crisis and teachers’ pay, says unions’ report card; Latest case law on dismissal, transfers and redundancy
Pay and prices
Settlements dip to 2.0% (251 words)
The overall median for collectively agreed settlements slipped at the start of the year.
...
Subscribers only
Labour Research Department’s Payline Database (224 words)
Percentage increases on lowest basic rates (by agreements covered)
...
Open access
Full-time weekly average earnings (42 words)
Source: ASHE 2015 uprated by AWE. ... Open access
Average weekly earnings (AWE) (151 words)
Total pay including bonuses. Percentage annual increases
... Open access
Xpert HR (21 words)
Median increases for three months up to January 2016 ... Open access
Prices (78 words)
1 Retail Prices Index (RPI),
Jan ’87=100 ... Open access
Inflation forecasts (38 words)
Fourth quarter 2016 ... Open access
Bargaining news
Tories cut exit payments in public sector (776 words)
The government is planning to limit redundancy pay for public sector workers at a time when further job losses are a certainty.
... Subscribers only
Pay progression mechanism in three-year deal at Santander (466 words)
The CWU communication workers’ union — which also represents members in the finance sector — is balloting members over a wide-ranging, ... Subscribers only
Union anger over Post Office pension scheme closure (233 words)
The news that the Post Office plans to close its defined benefit pension scheme has angered the CWU communication workers’ union, which said it ... Open access
Scotland’s care workers to get Living Wage (202 words)
The Scottish government has proposed a deal with local councils to ensure that all care workers are paid at least the voluntary Living Wage from ... Open access
Pay gap in universities (91 words)
The gap between university heads and staff has continued to widen, the latest analysis from the UCU university and college lecturers’ union ... Open access
Staff at Financial Times accept improved pensions offer (412 words)
Members of NUJ journalists’ union at the Financial Times (FT) have voted to accept re-negotiated pensions terms, bringing an end to a seven-month ... Subscribers only
Joint BBC pay claim submitted, redeployment policy agreed (309 words)
Unions at the BBC have submitted their joint pay claim for 2016 and called for a minimum salary of £20,000 a year, not including London Weighting or ... Subscribers only
Trouser ban lifted (136 words)
British Airways has been forced to lift a ban on some of its female cabin crew wearing trousers after a long running campaign by the Unite general ... Open access
TUC pensions conference (157 words)
The TUC pensions conference on 4 February was overshadowed by uncertainty about the impact of “freedom and choice” changes introduced by ... Open access
Equality news
Postcode lottery over BAME job prospects (363 words)
employment prospects of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people can vary significantly depending on where they live in the UK, found think ... Subscribers only
Two-year wait to find gender pay gap in UK’s largest companies (334 words)
Draft regulations outlining how large private sector employers will have to publish their gender pay gap have been published by the government. ... Subscribers only
LGBTI issues in schools (151 words)
Teachers have reported serious concerns about the reality of school-level commitment to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) ... Open access
Racism in universities (113 words)
Nine out of 10 black staff members report having faced barriers to promotion in colleges and universities, says a report by the UCU university and ... Open access
Learning and training news
Employers fail to recognise skills gap at workplace (260 words)
Employers in England tend to underestimate the prevalence of their employees’ basic skills shortages, according to new research from the Department ... Subscribers only
Benefits from union-led training spend (94 words)
For every £1 spent on union supported learning and training, the economy gets £9.15 back, according to a new study published by the TUC.
... Open access
Recruitment and organisation news
Staff join union cause at two visual effects firms (256 words)
Broadcast and entertainment union BECTU, is stepping up its campaign to organise the visual effects industry — known as VFX — and has put in bids ... Subscribers only
Talking about the union (61 words)
Want to start a conversation about the union with a colleague who’s not a member? The TUC knows this is often the most difficult part of getting ... Open access
Unite win at video firm (126 words)
General union Unite recently won a statutory recognition claim on behalf of 76 manual and technical workers at Cinram Operations in Ipswich.
... Open access
European news
Spanish labour data show pay rises moving upwards (417 words)
After years of virtual stagnation, the latest data from the Spanish ministry of labour indicate that pay increases are again moving higher.
... Subscribers only
Portuguese austerity pay cuts dropped (365 words)
The new government in Portugal is moving to reverse the pay cuts on the public sector imposed by its predecessors, with the first increase paid in ... Subscribers only
Italian unions as one on new bargaining framework (178 words)
Italy’s three main union confederations, CGIL, CISL and UIL, have unanimously agreed their proposals for a new framework for collective bargaining ... Open access
Local government deal agreed in Netherlands (99 words)
FNV, the largest union confederation in the Netherlands, has reached a pay agreement with the local government employers, which delivers above ... Open access
Law - Dismissal
Dismissal - the law (703 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
Different treatment justified over different misbehaviour (449 words)
Mr Jones was employed as a collections officer by the MBNA bank. The bank held an anniversary event at a racecourse. It was made clear that this was ... Subscribers only
Compensation should not have been cut over criminal acts (297 words)
Mr Carter was employed by Aulds Bakeries from March 2005 until confirmation of his dismissal on appeal in October 2014.
... Subscribers only
Were trade union activities the reason for dismissal? (331 words)
Mrs Corrigan was employed by the University of Bolton for around 21 years, latterly as a library services team leader. In 2002, she was elected as ... Subscribers only
Dismissal without warning for cumulative misconduct lawful (288 words)
Mrs Ham was employed by the Governing Body of Beardwood Humanities College (“the college”) from September 1994 until May 2011 when she was ... Subscribers only
EAT confirms principles for mitigation of loss (314 words)
Mr Lindsey was employed as a carpenter by Cooper Contracting until his dismissal in December 2013.
... Subscribers only
Law - TUPE
Transfers - the law (224 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
Post-transfer event may count in “short-term duration” exemption (426 words)
The 10 claimants in this case were employees of ICTS UK Ltd and worked as security guards at the Trent Park Campus (“the campus”) of Middlesex ... Subscribers only
Temporary lay-off does not prevent a transfer (599 words)
Mr Hodgkins, along with colleagues (the claimants), was employed by Inex Home Improvements Ltd to carry out building works on what was known as the ... Subscribers only
Law - Redundancy
Redundancy - the law (193 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 of ... Open access
Resignations may count towards redundancy consultation limits (278 words)
Gestora Clubs Dir is a Spanish company in the Dir Group. Dir Group operates sports facilities. For example, gyms and fitness centres. Gestora ... Subscribers only
Health & safety news
European unions support stronger EU regulations on carcinogens (418 words)
European trade unions have launched a campaign to strengthen the law on protecting workers from occupational cancer. The action supports a Dutch ... Subscribers only
Insurers target hearing claims, warns TUC (294 words)
Hugh Robertson, the TUC’s head of health and safety, has warned that insurance companies are out to make it harder for workers to claim ... Subscribers only
Sleep deprivation (117 words)
The TUC has highlighted research showing that public sector workers are suffering from sleep deprivation as a result of their job.
... Open access
Victory over personal protective equipment (183 words)
The GMB general union has won a landmark victory against home care company Cordia following a five-year battle for compensation for a care worker, ... Open access
Health & safety - HSE Monitor
Union wants HSE review after deaths on construction sites (404 words)
Construction union UCATT is calling on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to urgently review its reporting methods after the union uncovered new ... Subscribers only
Companies hit by large fines (315 words)
Fuel giant ConocoPhillips (UK) was handed down a £3 million fine plus costs within days of new Sentencing Council guidelines on health and safety ... Subscribers only
Jailing over care home resident’s death (163 words)
Earlier this month, Sherwood Rise Limited became the first care provider to be convicted of corporate manslaughter and was fined £300,000 following ... Open access
HSE online guidance (85 words)
A webpage replacing guidance HSG234 and providing guidance on musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risks in the cleaning industry is now available.
... Open access
Features
Tories have made apprentices a priority but are quiet on pay (2,855 words)
The government wants more and better quality apprenticeships but seems to have little to say about pay – vital if young people are to be attracted ... Subscribers only
Goverment underplays crisis in teaching and underpays staff (2,074 words)
Repeated warnings from school teachers’ unions regarding the crisis in recruitment and retention in the teaching profession, the impact of falling ... Subscribers only