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Labour Research May 2018
Reversing the privatisation agenda - unions have extended a warm welcome to the Labour’s Party’s plans to return some privatised services to the public sector; Workers pushed into unsustainable debt - millions of working people, whose pay packets don’t stretch from one pay day to the next, are living with severe debt; Advancing the case for ethical procurement - Conditions for workers in global supply chains can be improved through the implementation of ethical procurement in this country
News
Workers’ financial stability imperiled by Universal Credit (349 words)
The Citizens Advice charity has warned that Universal Credit (UC) risks leaving some workers’ financial stability hanging in the balance.
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Subscribers only
Introduction of automation must guarantee security of workforce (262 words)
Unions have welcomed a report calling for workers to be given more control over how automation is introduced in the workplace.
... Subscribers only
Social dialogue is the answer (209 words)
Social dialogue and a revived and renewed peace agreement are the way forward for unions in Northern Ireland, last month’s conference of the ...
Open access
Millions wasted outsourcing staff to private companies (246 words)
In a bid to cut VAT payments and pay and pension costs, NHS trusts across England are spending millions of pounds outsourcing staff to new ... Open access
Carillion could be repeated (255 words)
The collapse of the Carillion construction and facilities management company could easily be repeated elsewhere, according to TUC research published ... Subscribers only
School budgets in crisis (245 words)
A survey on school funding by the NEU education union found that 94% of members working in local authority schools and academies were pessimistic ... Open access
Joblessness takes downward turn (202 words)
Unemployment has resumed its downward path after two rises, official figures show.
... Open access
Inflation falls again (78 words)
Retail price inflation fell for the third month. In March, the annual rate of inflation under the Retail Prices Index (RPI) was down to 3.3% from 3.6% ... Open access
Key economic indicators
Key economic indicators (416 words)
Inflation +3.3%, Average earnings +2.3% ... Subscribers only
Union news
SNP council forced to back down over facility time move (295 words)
The SNP-led council in West Dunbartonshire has been forced into a dramatic U-turn on its decision to slash trade union facility time from the ... Subscribers only
UNISON faces down check-off challenge (208 words)
Public services union UNISON, which will be 25 years old in July, has announced that it has fought off one of the many pernicious attacks on unions ... Open access
Couriers (136 words)
Couriers working for UberEats and Deliveroo in Glasgow have formed a “network”, backed by independent union Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). ... Open access
C ommunity general secretary (42 words)
Roy Rickhuss has been re-elected unopposed as general secretary of the Community general union for a second term.
... Open access
Brexit (101 words)
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady has called on prime minister Theresa May to “keep your promise to the British people” on workers’ ... Open access
TUC demo (84 words)
Trade unionists are being urged to join a TUC march and rally this month to “demand a new deal for working people”.
... Open access
European news
Rolling strike action set to continue on French railways (451 words)
French rail strikes, which began at the start of last month, look set to continue for several more weeks, with both sides apparently unwilling to ... Subscribers only
Plans for Polish labour code dropped (203 words)
Polish labour minister Elzbieta Rafalska has said that long-awaited plans for a new labour code will not be implemented.
... Open access
Pay freeze rejected (89 words)
Germany’s IG Metall union and the central works council at car manufacturer Opel have rejected a proposal from the employers that the industry-wide ... Open access
Public sector job losses (78 words)
Research by the Italian public services union FP CGIL has found that key parts of the public services have lost 75,368 posts between 2001 and 2015. ... Open access
Danish merger (72 words)
Denmark’s two largest union confederations, LO and FTF, have agreed to merge. The decision, taken at separate congresses of the two bodies last ... Open access
Features
Returning privatised services to the public (2,365 words)
Labour Party plans to reverse the privatisation agenda pursued by British governments since the 1980s have been welcomed by unions and campaigners ... Open access
Millions suffer impact of debt (2,077 words)
Low pay, insecure work, wage stagnation and welfare cuts have pushed millions into severe and unsustainable debt, as Labour Research reports.
... Subscribers only
Pushing for better standards (2,230 words)
UK unions continue to promote ethical procurement in public services to improve conditions for workers throughout global supply chains.
... Subscribers only
Law Matters
Whistleblowing doctors get increased security (327 words)
Following a successful campaign by the BMA doctors’ union, junior doctors will now benefit from increased whistleblowing protection.
... Subscribers only
UK data protection regime undergoes major changes (262 words)
The data protection regime in the UK is undergoing significant change.
... Subscribers only
Parental bereavement (51 words)
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has issued its Consultation on parental bereavement leave and pay.
... Open access
Awards for injury to feelings (86 words)
The “Vento” bands for awards for injury to feelings have been updated by the Presidents of the Employment Tribunals in England, Wales and ... Open access
Seafarers (76 words)
Regulations providing an important step towards ensuring that seafarers have equal employment rights to land workers came into force on 13 April 2018. ... Open access
Law Queries
Minimum wage differences (393 words)
Q. What is the difference between the National Minimum Wage, the National Living Wage and the real Living Wage? ... Subscribers only
Interns and payment (199 words)
Q. Is an intern entitled to be paid, even if recruited as an “unpaid intern”? ... Open access
Protection for trans people (165 words)
Q. Are trans workers only protected against discrimination if they have a Gender Recognition Certificate? ... Open access
Law Back-up
Unions renew calls for inquiry over blacklisting (866 words)
Back-up revisits the background to the construction industry blacklisting scandal and examines some proposals for reform.
... Subscribers only
Health & Safety Matters
Government needs to act on EV technology (247 words)
The government must do more to put the UK in the fast lane of electric vehicle (EV) technology, say unions. A new report by the Unite general union, ... Open access
Health and safety in global supply chains must improve (247 words)
Five years after the April 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza factory building in Bangladesh, which killed 1,134 people and left thousands more injured, ... Open access
Breakthrough in driver-only dispute (127 words)
There has been a breakthrough in rail union RMT’s long-running fight against the introduction of driver-only operation.
... Open access
Uber car fatality (115 words)
The death of a pedestrian killed by a driverless Uber car in Arizona highlights the dangers of the lack of public oversight and control of new ... Open access
Health & Safety Back-up
Landmark judgments go in workers’ favour (847 words)
Two recent important personal injury court cases have seen rulings in favour of workers claiming compensation for acoustic shock and symptomless ... Subscribers only
Equality news
Brexit impact will be damaging to women (414 words)
The economic impact of Brexit will hit women hard, leading to lost jobs, cuts to services and a squeeze on family budgets, recent research finds.
... Subscribers only
Gender pay gaps exposed (272 words)
Nearly eight in 10 companies and public sector organisations pay men more than women, according to data gathered from the government’s gender pay ... Subscribers only
Dads need flexible work (239 words)
Almost a third of fathers lack access to flexible work arrangements says a recent academic study.
... Open access
Workplace Back-up
Government-set ‘Living Wage’ not high enough (931 words)
Last month the National Living Wage increased by an inflation-busting 4.4%. But as new research shows, the increase still fails to cover basic living ... Subscribers only
e-views (427 words)
Have you recently been asked to opt back in to an email mailing list you were already subscribed to? If so, you’re not alone. It’s all to do with ... Subscribers only