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Labour Research April 2020
Immigration system gains no points from unions - The government’s new points-based immigration system will have an adverse impact on both migrants and the economy, say unions; Is the boss using tech to monitor you at work? - Some employers are using new technologies for ever more invasive and oppressive scrutiny and surveillance of the workforce; Health and safety in Scotland - Unions in Scotland have a number of specific health and safety concerns — and demands for action of the SNP government
News
Government urged to step in to help struggling aviation industry (581 words)
As airlines cancelled flights, grounded their fleets and gave notice of redundancies, and reduced rail timetables were introduced across the country, ...
Subscribers only
‘Thank you’ to public service staff (108 words)
The UNISON union last month said “thank you” to public service workers who, it pointed out in full page ads in the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail, ...
Open access
US-UK deal must consider workers (207 words)
The TUC and its US equivalent, the AFL-CIO, have joined forces to warn the White House and Downing Street that any trade deal must put workers’ ... Open access
Unions and TUC hail chancellor Sunak’s coronavirus intervention (596 words)
Unions applauded a “breakthrough” after chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a drastic intervention to avert economic catastrophe and help many of ... Subscribers only
Protection urged over school closures (243 words)
The closure of schools across the UK led to calls by unions for reassurance that parents and pupils will be protected.
... Open access
Unemployment edges higher (202 words)
Even before the coronavirus pandemic has had an effect, unemployment in the UK has risen.
... Open access
Basket of goods revised (70 words)
In a nod to environmental concerns, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has added reusable bottles or mugs to the basket of goods used to ... Open access
Key economic indicators
Key economic indicators (415 words)
Inflation +2.7% Average earnings +3.1 ... Subscribers only
Union news
Union project engages young workers using social media (293 words)
A union-based project using social media platform Reddit has launched a space for young workers to discuss work problems, with the aim of linking ... Subscribers only
Membership growth (116 words)
Public services union UNISON has announced it saw a second consecutive year of membership growth in 2019.
... Open access
European news
Italy’s unions reach accord on coronavirus strategy (403 words)
Unions, employers and the government in Italy, the European country to date most affected by COVID-19, have reached agreement on how to deal with the ... Subscribers only
Equality blueprint published (254 words)
The European Commission (EC) has published a gender equality strategy for the EU covering the next five years.
... Subscribers only
Pension changes (140 words)
Legislation introducing key elements of the bitterly-contested pension changes has passed the lower house of parliament in France.
... Open access
Polish teachers (108 words)
The largest Polish teachers’’ union, ZNP, has launched a citizens’ initiative for new legislation that would link teachers’ pay with average ... Open access
Features
New immigration system spells disaster say unions (2,633 words)
The government’s new points-based immigration system, announced in February and due to take effect in January 2021, will create many casualties ... Open access
Big Brother is in the workplace (2,424 words)
Technological change is increasingly enabling employers to monitor workers, with workplace surveillance becoming more and more intrusive. ... Open access
Spotlighting health and safety (1,987 words)
Labour Research looks at some of the health and safety challenges faced by unions in Scotland.
... Subscribers only
Law Matters
Capping officers’ payouts held to be discriminatory (216 words)
Capping compensation for two police officers who took early severance was disability discrimination, according to the Employment Appeal Tribunal ... Open access
New compensation limits (244 words)
The new limits applying to claims in employment tribunals have been published and come into effect on 6 April 2020. The figures are set out in the ... Open access
DWP worst offender (99 words)
The Department for Work and Pensions, which is responsible for helping disabled people back into work, has lost more disability discrimination claims ... Open access
Missing page risks right to appeal (139 words)
A missing page from an application to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) meant that the appeal had not been properly submitted in time.
... Open access
Law Queries
Relationships at work (264 words)
Q. I work in the same department as my ex-partner. Since we broke up this has become quite difficult. Things came to a head recently when he and I ... Subscribers only
Working from home (189 words)
Q. Do I have the right to work from home? ... Open access
Successive fixed-term contracts (275 words)
Q. I’ve worked for my employer for 10 years on a series of fixed-term contracts. I’ve heard this means I should be a permanent employee, but this ... Subscribers only
Law Back-up
Claim had no reasonable prospect of succeeding (876 words)
In light of a recent case in which a claimant was ordered to pay costs of half a million pounds, Back-up looks at the risk of pursuing a claim with ... Subscribers only
Health & Safety Matters
TUC calls for urgent coronavirus measures (504 words)
Ahead of last month’s Budget, the TUC called on the government to set up an emergency task force to deal with the worsening coronavirus outbreak, ... Subscribers only
‘Don’t wait for governments’ (151 words)
“Don’t wait for ratification.” This was the advice of Stephen Russell, TUC policy officer and the UK trade union representative at the ... Open access
Workers’ Memorial Day focuses on stress (225 words)
Trade unionists and safety campaigners will be focusing on stress as they mark International Workers’ Memorial Day on 28 April. The annual event is ... Open access
Health & Safety Back-up
Addressing cultures of workplace bullying (899 words)
The allegations against Patel surfaced following the resignation of Home Office permanent secretary Philip Rutnam at the end of February. The FDA ... Subscribers only
Equality news
Youth service cuts pull rug from under the young (296 words)
Half of young people don’t have access to a youth service or know what is available in their area, finds a new report by the YMCA youth charity. ... Subscribers only
Up to one million part-time employees work in top jobs (337 words)
There are now up to one million part-time employees in senior- or manager-level jobs in the UK, according to research from flexible working ... Subscribers only
BME health staff suffer increased harassment (237 words)
The latest Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) report from NHS England shows that NHS black and minority ethnic (BME) staff are suffering from ... Open access
Workplace Back-up
It’s time to amend the apprenticeship levy (898 words)
Those who expected key training and skills policy changes to be announced in the March 2020 Budget will have been disappointed as these were among ... Subscribers only