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Workplace Report May 2020
Reps at forefront of Covid response - in the first part of a major LRD survey, union reps tell us about their successes, struggles and suggestions on tackling the coronavirus pandemic; Logistics: Confronting the crisis - Logistics and transport workers are getting recognition as key workers, but is it reflected in their pay and conditions?; Latest case law on discrimination
Pay and prices
Delays cloud pay deal picture (106 words)
Pay settlements appeared to improve in April, due largely to deals in the public sector and services. ...
Open access
Labour Research Department’s Payline Database (233 words)
Percentage increases on lowest basic pay rates (by agreements covered) ... Open access
Average weekly earnings (AWE) (249 words)
Regular pay excluding bonuses. Percentage annual increases ... Open access
Full-time weekly average earnings (39 words)
ASHE 2019 median uprated by AWE. ... Open access
XpertHR (19 words)
Median increases for three months to April 2020 ... Open access
Prices (77 words)
1 Retail Prices Index (RPI),
Jan ’87=100 ... Open access
2020 forecasts (39 words)
1 Fourth quarter ... Open access
Bargaining news
Furlough hopes and fears (663 words)
Anyone holding their breath over the future of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS, aka furloughing) probably experienced a feeling of relief ...
Subscribers only
Thoughts turning to public sector pay (417 words)
Health and safety is still top of the agenda but, with the budget deficit forecast to rise to £337 billion and the latest GDP figures confirming ... Subscribers only
Unions challenge government over ‘dirty trick’ on pensions (331 words)
The Prison Officers Association (POA), along with three other unions, the FBU, PCS and GMB, have filed court proceedings against the government over ... Subscribers only
Biffa pay settled in Wirral (117 words)
Workers employed by waste company Biffa on the Wirral council contract have settled their pre-coronavirus pay dispute with a 3.5% pay rise backdated ... Open access
Bonus boosted for Post Office counter staff (85 words)
Around 1,000 Post Office counter staff are set for a bonus boost following adjustments to their incentive scheme triggered by the coronavirus ... Open access
Homeworking tax relief (75 words)
The Local Government Association (LGA) has drawn attention to a “previously little-known” allowance that can pay up to £6 a week (£26 a month) ... Open access
Ray of hope for casual workers (450 words)
This month saw important union wins for hotel, agency and temporary workers that give a ray of hope to the UK’s large casual workforce, many of ... Subscribers only
BA threatens jobs and pay (394 words)
In a dramatic twist to the story of the negotiated furlough deal for British Airways (BA) workers, which aimed to preserve jobs and avoid job losses ... Subscribers only
Visit Scotland (91 words)
The Scottish Government’s interim pay offer (£750 or 3%, Workplace Report April 2020, page 5) has been applied to the 500-plus staff at Visit ... Open access
Council staff holiday (139 words)
Council employees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland must be able to take time off to ensure their wellbeing and that of their families, ... Open access
Equality news
Lack of support for disabled during virus crisis (284 words)
Working age disabled people and the staff who support them risk being excluded from the government’s Covid-19 pandemic response, according to ... Subscribers only
Report lists race-based inequality (302 words)
Black and minority ethnic (BME) people in Britain face extensive and persistent economic inequality, according to a report released last month by the ... Subscribers only
Working class students fear uni rejection (332 words)
Working class A-Level students hoping to go into higher education are more worried than their middle class peers that the coronavirus crisis will ... Subscribers only
Learning and training news
Training is key part of TUC job guarantee plan (440 words)
The TUC is urging the government to start using a £3 billion National Skills Fund (NSF) immediately as part of a national recovery plan to avoid ... Subscribers only
Health students’ fee cut urged (141 words)
Four unions have called on the health secretary to recognise the significant contribution made by – and disruption to the lives of – nursing, ... Open access
Recruitment and organisation news
Crisis sees rise in union membership (339 words)
Almost one in three union-organised workplaces has seen an increase in union membership during the coronavirus crisis, according to preliminary ... Subscribers only
European news
Spanish unions, government and employers agree to extend support (442 words)
Spain’s two main union confederations, together with the government and the main employers’ associations, have reached agreement on an extension ... Subscribers only
French government publishes return to work guidance (307 words)
The French Ministry of Labour has produced guidance on the steps workplaces must take when resuming work after lockdown. ... Subscribers only
Over 50 million on short-time working in Europe (170 words)
A new study from the European Trade Union Institute has found that, at the end of April, there were more than 42 million applications in the EU for ... Open access
Belgian agreement stresses need to consult on Covid (97 words)
Belgium has been one of the European countries hardest hit by the virus, and an agreement for the metalworking and technology sector, signed on 11 ... Open access
Law - Discrimination
Discrimination - the law (886 words)
Discrimination law is found in the Equality Act 2010 (EA10). The EA10 lists nine “protected characteristics”: age; disability; gender ... Subscribers only
Non-co-operation over medical experts led to strike out (640 words)
The Claimant, Ms Itulu, worked for the London Fire Commissioner (LFC) as an administrative officer. She brought various tribunal claims alleging ... Subscribers only
Detailed financial evidence needed to prove “windfall” (946 words)
The Claimants, Mr Parsons and Mr Roberts, were long-serving police officers with Gwent Police force, both in their 40s. Both had been certified under ... Subscribers only
TFL’s failure to investigate grievances not a breach of reasonable adjustments duty (775 words)
Mr Ishola worked for Transport for London (TFL) for eight years. His final job title was that of customer services administrator. He was a disabled ... Subscribers only
Meaning of long-term disability clarified (599 words)
The Claimant, Mrs Tennant, worked as a Tesco checkout operator for over ten years. Beginning in September 2016, she took several periods of long-term ... Subscribers only
Woman sacked due to IVF suffered pregnancy discrimination (762 words)
The next case is a decision of the employment tribunal, rather than the Employment Appeal Tribunal. This means that it is not binding. Nevertheless, ... Subscribers only
Health & safety news
Abuse against shopworkers doubles during pandemic (241 words)
Frontline shopworkers are suffering from shocking levels of abuse that have doubled since the start of the coronavirus crisis, according to a survey ... Open access
Survey leads to mental health guide (172 words)
Mental health tops workers’ concerns during the lockdown, a new report from general union Unite has found. ... Open access
1 in 5 healthcarers could quit (235 words)
More than one in five healthcare workers are more likely to leave their role following the pandemic as a result of Covid-19, according to a new ... Open access
PPE still not fit for women (217 words)
Women are still being overlooked when it comes to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), according to new research by the specialists’ ... Open access
Covid benchmark agreed with FedEx (63 words)
A campaign by Unite has delivered a “benchmark” agreement to protect essential workers during the pandemic with parcel delivery company FedEx in ... Open access
Health & safety - HSE Monitor
TUC: new coronavirus guidelines ‘not tough enough’ (460 words)
New government guidelines “to help get Brits safely back to work” are not tough enough to justify saying it’s safe to return to work, according ... Subscribers only
Covid classification challenged (266 words)
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling on member states to classify the Covid-19 virus in the highest risk group after the European ... Subscribers only
HSE ‘needs proper support to enforce new guidance’ (141 words)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)must have proper support if it is to enforce new guidelines on safe working through the coronavirus pandemic ... Open access
UK attitude to health and safety among worst in Europe, says think tank (142 words)
Research published by the Institute of Employment Rights (IER) trade union think tank shows the UK has a poor record of commitment to international ... Open access
Features
Reps at forefront of crisis response (3,075 words)
In the first of two major articles we look at the experiences of union reps nationwide, as they tell us about their successes, struggles and ... Open access
Logistics: confronting the crisis (2,253 words)
The role of logistics and road transport workers in helping keep society running during the coronavirus pandemic is finally receiving some ... Subscribers only