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Labour Research November 2019
Bus privatisation – a vehicle for disaster. Despite being a popular form of transport, bus services continue to be eroded, with serious repercussions for local communities; All work and no pay: the rise of unpaid labour - Many employers are still getting away with paying less than the National Minimum Wage or even paying nothing at all; UK’s long-hours culture puts workers at risk UK workers have some of the longest working hours in Europe, placing them at risk of exhaustion, stress and mental ill health
News
Schools worse off in spite of funding promise by government (345 words)
New figures show that four in five of England’s schools will be worse off next year than they were in 2015.
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Subscribers only
University employers lambasted (328 words)
The UCU lecturers’ union last month called on university employers to “stop spinning and start talking” on pay and pensions.
... Subscribers only
Ministers criticised over firm’s collapse (217 words)
Unions have accused the government of washing its hands of travel firm Thomas Cook by failing to intercede in the weeks prior to the company entering ...
Open access
Asda staff protest as deadline for controversial new contract looms (240 words)
Protests by Asda workers refusing to sign a “punitive” new contract continued last month, with the GMB general union writing to company bosses ... Open access
Brexit deal risks workers’ rights (312 words)
Unions have slammed prime minister Boris Johnson for putting workers’ rights in danger. And a recent meeting with cabinet minister Michael Gove led ... Subscribers only
PCS action (142 words)
Workers employed at the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) in Manchester and London have voted to strike against their 10th pay cut in a ... Open access
National post strike (106 words)
Post workers have voted overwhelmingly to hold the first national postal strike in a decade in a long-running dispute over job security and terms and ... Open access
Unemployment nudges upwards (196 words)
Unemployment rebounded above the 1.3 million mark, latest official figures show. Unemployment in the UK in the three-month period June to August 2019 ... Open access
Inflation falls (73 words)
Retail price inflation was at its lowest rate for almost three years. In September, the annual rate of inflation under the Retail Prices Index was 2.4 ... Open access
Key economic indicators
Key economic indicators (411 words)
Inflation +2.4% Average earnings +3.6% ... Subscribers only
Union news
Unite increases pressure over union-busting ploys (382 words)
Last month saw the Unite general union stepping up its action against what it calls “union busting” being carried out on the multi-billion pound ... Subscribers only
Game workers’ union alleges victimisation of leading activist (226 words)
The IWGB union representing game workers has lodged tribunal claims for unfair dismissal and victimisation against Ustwo, the studio behind the ... Open access
PCS Election recommendation (87 words)
The national executive of the PCS public services union has agreed to recommend that its members in England and Wales vote Labour in the likely early ... Open access
Travel staff seek recognition (160 words)
The TSSA travel staffs’ union has asked for union recognition at the TUI Group travel and tourism company. Following the collapse of Thomas Cook ... Open access
European news
Workplace representation compromised by new French law (406 words)
Legislation introduced two years ago, which changed the structure of employee representation in France, has widened the gap between elected ... Subscribers only
Greek workers take action over government’s proposed reforms (188 words)
The two main Greek union confederations, GSEE and ADEDY, called two national strikes on 24 September and 2 October to protest against government ... Open access
Polish work to rule (104 words)
Poland’s largest teachers’ union, ZNP, has called on its members to work to rule in the latest stage of its campaign for better pay and less ... Open access
Whistleblower protection (68 words)
The EU council of ministers, which brings together representatives from EU member states, has formally agreed a new directive protecting ... Open access
Italian minimum wage (63 words)
Italy’s prime minister Giuseppe Conte has said that a minimum wage is “in the government programme” for 2020, along with measures to strengthen ... Open access
Features
Bus cuts take us for a ride (2,652 words)
Labour Research looks at the impact of cuts to bus services on users, workers and the environment, as well as union demands for change.
... Open access
Low-wage and no-wage exploitation on the rise (2,836 words)
Some employers are paying workers even less than the statutory minimum wage while others expect people to work for nothing. Labour Research ... Subscribers only
Making workers sick and tired (2,394 words)
The UK’s long-hours culture and pressured work environments are taking a heavy toll on many workers across a range of industrial sectors.
... Subscribers only
Law Matters
H&S duties are separate from trade union duties (377 words)
An employment tribunal (ET) has a duty to consider claims of victimisation for being a health and safety rep separately from those of victimisation ... Subscribers only
Threat to dismiss porter was unlawful detriment (266 words)
A worker who was threatened with dismissal after he refused to return to work when he was denied a rest break suffered an unlawful detriment.
... Subscribers only
Failure to consult (106 words)
Public services union UNISON has won £674,000 compensation for its members from Somerset County Council in settlement of its claim that the council ... Open access
Union tests law (151 words)
The RMT rail union union is using the Employment Relations Act 1999 (Blacklists) Regulations 2010 to challenge an employer who denied union members ... Open access
Law Queries
Right to be accompanied (127 words)
Q. Our job roles are changing and we’ve been called into individual meetings. Am I allowed to have a trade union representative with me? ... Open access
Redundancy pay (241 words)
Q. After 12 years’ service, I’ve been told that my job is to be made redundant at the end of next month. If I get another job before then, will I ... Open access
Arrest or criminal charge (192 words)
Q. I was arrested and charged for obstruction at a recent demo and am worried that if my employer finds out I may be disciplined. Do I have to tell ... Open access
Flexible arrangements (220 words)
Q. Can I apply for flexible working so that I can attend a college course one afternoon a week?
... Open access
Law Back-up
Settlement proposals: when are they admissible? (836 words)
This month, Back-up looks at the law regarding the admissibility of settlement discussions.
... Subscribers only
Health & Safety Matters
HSE revises criteria for examining stress (296 words)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has clarified its criteria for investigating work-related stress, something the TUC and affiliated unions have ... Subscribers only
Action demanded on suicides (233 words)
A new Hazards magazine campaign is demanding the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) acts on work-related suicides.
... Open access
Crossrail health concerns (251 words)
The Unite general union is calling for a full inquiry by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into serious health concerns at the Bond Street site ... Subscribers only
Health & Safety Back-up
Unions point up safety concerns in Scotland (891 words)
As safety reps and campaigners get ready for the Scottish Hazards conference in Glasgow on 7 November, Back-up looks at some of current health and ... Subscribers only
Equality news
Bullying remains despite race equality progress (407 words)
A quarter of black and minority ethnic (BME) employees experience bullying and harassment despite many employers now having a zero tolerance policy, ... Subscribers only
Women most at risk of losing out on sick pay (226 words)
One in 10 women workers don’t earn enough to qualify for statutory sick pay (SSP), according to a new TUC analysis.
... Open access
Campaigners denounce pension ruling (242 words)
Campaigners expressed deep disappointment at last month’s High Court decision to rule against women affected by adjustments made to the state ... Open access
Workplace Back-up
Workplace flexibility needs to be increased (931 words)
Pressure is growing for a legal right to enable flexible working for all from day one of employment. Back-up looks at the arguments and recent ... Subscribers only
E-views
e-views (414 words)
One of the tasks I often carry out is called information architecture (IA). It’s an often-misunderstood term, probably because it can be difficult ... Subscribers only