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Workplace Report May 2016
Parental leave - One year on from its introduction, Workplace report examines shared parental leave along with the rights of parents to other forms of parental leave and pay; Latest case law on dismissal, TUPE and redundancy
Pay and prices
Collectively agreed pay deals were higher, at 2.3%, in April. (237 words)
Collectively agreed pay deals were higher, at 2.3%, in April.
...
Open access
Labour Research Department’s Payline Database (227 words)
Percentage increases on lowest basic rates (by agreements covered)
... Open access
Full-time weekly average earnings (42 words)
All workers £636.20 All male £689.50 All female £554.80 Managers £985.00 Professionals £805.00 Assoc professional £684.80 Admin & ... Open access
Average weekly earnings (AWE) (154 words)
Total pay including bonuses. Percentage annual increases
... Open access
XpertHR (19 words)
Median increases for three months to March 2016 ... Open access
Prices (77 words)
1 Retail Prices Index (RPI),
Jan ’87=100 ... Open access
Inflation forecasts (38 words)
Fourth quarter 2016 ... Open access
Bargaining news
Great recession in 2008 to blame for fall in wages - not immigration (820 words)
The idea that immigration reduces the pay and job chances of UK- born workers through competition for jobs has had cold water poured on it by ...
Subscribers only
MPs warn on ‘success story’ of auto-enrolment (365 words)
MPs on the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee have declared pensions auto-enrolment a “success story”, but have asked some searching ... Subscribers only
Construction unions reject employers’ ‘paltry’ two-year deal (330 words)
Pay talks with the Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC) broke up without agreement at the end of April, as the unions involved — UCATT, Unite ... Subscribers only
Battles over two-tier workforce in museums (267 words)
A three-year industrial dispute at the National Museum of Scotland was resolved last month as a management offer to put an end to the two-tier ... Subscribers only
Local Government unions drop opposition to two-year agreement (386 words)
Unions for council and school support staff have dropped their opposition to the Local Government Association’s two-year pay offer for 2016-18, ... Subscribers only
Rewards for that little extra (378 words)
The principle of paying extra where workers carry out extra duties has been eroded to some degree, for example, under the influence of the National ... Subscribers only
Progression on agenda (281 words)
Progression, where pay rises with experience to what unions regard as the “rate for the job”, continues to be a live bargaining issue in the ... Subscribers only
Equality news
Rise in women reporting maternity problems (406 words)
There is a growing problem with new and expectant mums being treated unfairly at work, Citizens Advice has warned.
... Subscribers only
Discriminatory remarks at work an everyday problem (287 words)
Despite long-standing legislation, discrimination is still rife in the workplace, a recent survey found.
... Subscribers only
Good practice briefing on LGBT+ workers (175 words)
The TUC has produced briefing paper on employer good practice for LGBT+ workers.
... Open access
Gender reassignment (87 words)
Lloyds Banking Group has become the first UK organisation to extend its staff healthcare plans to cover gender dysphoria, in a move that campaign ... Open access
Learning and training news
Range of Union Learning Fund projects aims to improve skills through union movement (313 words)
The key themes and priorities for the Union Learning Fund have been set out in its prospectus for 2016-17.
... Subscribers only
Recruitment and organisation news
Change of heart at food firm, new deal at care provider (427 words)
General union Unite has welcomed a change of heart at the Addo Food Group, which means it will continue to be recognised by the Poole-based food ... Subscribers only
Breakdown at Honda (137 words)
Car maker Honda is risking a “total breakdown in relations,” transport union Unite has warned.
... Open access
European news
Real-term pay increases for 5.9 German million workers (529 words)
Germany’s two largest bargaining groups — the 3.8 million workers covered by the metalworking agreement and the 2.1 million in national and local ... Subscribers only
Swedish Pay deal favours nurses (272 words)
Kommunal, the main local government union in Sweden, has signed a new pay deal which provides a major boost to nurses pay.
... Subscribers only
Two-year deal worth 11.2% at Skoda (125 words)
Following the threat of industrial action, workers at Skoda in the Czech Republic have agreed a new pay deal which significantly increases their ... Open access
Dutch primary teachers to get 3.8% rise (191 words)
Teachers and support staff in primary schools in the Netherlands will get a 3.8% increase this year, in a deal which runs for 22 months from January ... Open access
Law - Dismissal
Dismissal - the law (684 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
Employer had genuine belief worker not entitled to work in UK (565 words)
Mr Nayak was employed by Royal Mail Group. He obtained a Tier 1 (post-study work) visa, due to expire on 1 December 2010. Before it expired, Nayak ... Subscribers only
Employee who pulled sickie sacked for misconduct (588 words)
Mr Ajaj was employed as a bus driver by Metroline West Ltd. He claimed to have been injured at work when he slipped at a depot.
... Subscribers only
Employers: be wary of contacting employee on sick leave (621 words)
Ms Hodkinson had been employed by Private Medicine Intermediaries Ltd (PMI) since 2006, most recently as sales director. Hodkinson was disabled and ... Subscribers only
Right to privacy not engaged with emails sent to work addresses (671 words)
Mr Garamukanwa was employed by Solent NHS Trust as a clinical manager. He was involved in a relationship with a staff nurse, Ms M.
... Subscribers only
Law - TUPE
Transfers - the law (202 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
Temporary cessation of work didn’t negate transfer (528 words)
This case involved a group of employees, all supported by the Unite general union. Amey Services was appointed by Transport for London (TfL) as a ... Subscribers only
Law - Redundancy
Redundancy - the law (191 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
Employee opting for redundancy not unfairly dismissed (328 words)
Mr Khan was employed by HGS Global at a Chiswick call centre. From here, HGS conducted campaigns for clients, including Dreams. Khan was working as a ... Subscribers only
Health & safety news
Rep sacked over raising fire safety concerns (309 words)
The sacking of a general Unite union health and safety rep by Birmingham-based drug and alcohol charity CGL has prompted demonstrations. The union ... Subscribers only
Offshore unions’ concerns over new working pattern (345 words)
Suggestions of significant health and safety risks from working regular three-week tours have been highlighted in a report from the Offshore ... Subscribers only
Working with menopause (155 words)
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has launched a guide for midwives and maternity staff working with the menopause as part of a new series of ... Open access
Hazards at work (119 words)
The TUC has published a new edition of Hazards at work.
... Open access
Health & safety - HSE Monitor
Company directors’ greed led to death of building worker (464 words)
Two directors of construction firms and a self-employed contractor have been jailed over deaths of workers.
... Subscribers only
HSE constuction inspector numbers fall (276 words)
Construction union UCATT says it is appalled to learn through a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to the HSE that there are just 132 people to ... Subscribers only
Substandard shipping (122 words)
Maritime unions RMT and Nautilus have called for a public inquiry into the coastal cargo sector and a crackdown on substandard shipping in European ... Open access
Job swap for Hackitt (41 words)
The HSE has a new chair from the beginning of this month as Martin Temple takes over from Judith Hackitt. She has moved to his previous role as chair ... Open access
Regulation of drones (115 words)
Aviation unions BALPA and Prospect have called for stricter rules on the use of drones, following a spate of serious near misses involving remotely ... Open access
Features
New mums and dads get better deal if they are in union (4,146 words)
Shared Parental Leave celebrated its first anniversary in April, but fathers may have been deterred in embracing it, with the loss of pay involved. ... Open access