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Workplace Report July 2020
Self-employment in the covid crisis - the pandemic has highlighted the precarious status of self-employed workers, but has also seen unions stepping forward to lobby, support and Union reps tell us about how they are ensuring safety and decent working as the lockdown eases; Latest case law on contracts and tribunal procedures
Pay and prices
Earnings plateau continues (101 words)
Average weekly earnings stay mostly flat this month as public sector gains are offset by private sector losses. ...
Open access
Labour Research Department’s Payline Database (222 words)
Percentage increases on lowest basic rates (by agreements covered) ... Open access
Average weekly earnings (AWE) (247 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 (21 words)
Median increases for three months to end of June 2020 ... Open access
Prices (77 words)
1 Retail Prices Index (RPI),
Jan ’87=100 ... Open access
2020 forecasts (40 words)
1 Fourth quarter ... Open access
Bargaining news
Leak sours pay reviews announcement (800 words)
The Treasury has announced a series of one-year pay settlements for nearly 900,000 workers covered by the pay review bodies (most NHS staff already ...
Subscribers only
Parcels company Hermes is recruiting (400 words)
Parcels firm Hermes is creating 10,500 new jobs and investing £100m in its business, in a sign of the growth in parcels delivery, which the Covid ... Subscribers only
Uber gambles on Supreme Court decision (330 words)
Uber began what may be its final battle to avoid granting its self-employed drivers “worker” status at the Supreme Court on 21 July. The Court of ... Subscribers only
North West NHS pay win (157 words)
Tameside Hospital security staff employed by Engie are one of the latest groups of contract staff to win NHS pay rates, UNISON North West has ... Open access
South West shipyard hopes (137 words)
Early indications of a deal to re-open Appledore shipyard in North Devon, mothballed for 16 months, have been welcomed by the GMB as great news for ... Open access
‘No TUPE-out’ commitment from Royal Mail (413 words)
The Royal Mail Group has formally confirmed there are “no plans to TUPE [Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment Regulations] Parcelforce ... Subscribers only
Major win for cleaners at Ministry of Justice (354 words)
Contracted cleaners, security guards and other outsourced staff working at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) will now receive full pay sick pay in the ... Subscribers only
Pharmacists want better pay and fairer work (295 words)
The Pharmacists’ Defence Association Union, which fought a long and successful battle for recognition at Boots, is looking for a reward for its ... Subscribers only
Equality news
Disabled workers call for homeworking rights (336 words)
Half of disabled workers have worked from home all of the time during the Covid-19 pandemic, with 73% of them saying they were more or as productive ... Subscribers only
Ethnic minority workers face ‘indisputable’ disadvantage (309 words)
Persistent racism means the employment prospects of ethnic minority workers have lagged behind their white counterparts for decades, according to a ... Subscribers only
BAME women’s pandemic experiences (297 words)
There has been a “crisis of support” for BAME women since the pandemic started, with half of disabled or retired BAME women saying they do not ... Subscribers only
Learning and training news
Learning culture ‘needs unions’ (355 words)
The government should develop a “clear overarching vision for UK skills” and engage employers and employees, including their unions, in fostering ... Subscribers only
Apprenticeships ‘failing those who need them most’ (165 words)
The apprenticeship system in England is failing those who need it most, according to the latest report from the Social Mobility Commission. ... Open access
Recruitment and organisation news
Digital campaigns can mobilise members (280 words)
Union activists heard of the benefits of “peer-to-peer digital campaigns” at a session at the TUC’s major Organise 2020 festival earlier this ... Subscribers only
UNISON takes to TV (95 words)
UNISON public services union is running a TV advertising campaign as part of its latest recruitment drive. The advert stresses the “peace of ... Open access
European news
French government agrees to increase hospital salaries (509 words)
The French government has signed an agreement with three unions that represent a majority of health workers – other than doctors – which will ... Subscribers only
Unions and employers agree digitalisation framework (252 words)
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and three employers’ associations, representing large, small and medium, and public sector employers ... Subscribers only
Job security agreement signed at Tata Steel (114 words)
Following 24 days of strikes, the management of Tata Steel in the Netherlands has agreed to extend its current employment pact until 1 October 2026. ... Open access
EC to allow bargaining for self-employed (156 words)
The European Commission is looking at making changes which would make it easier for the self-employed to negotiate collectively. EU competition rules ... Open access
Law - Tribunal procedures
Tribunal procedures - the law (568 words)
Nearly all tribunal claims must be brought within three months less one day of the matter complained of. Tribunals can extend the time limit in an ... Subscribers only
Claimant who pursued hopeless case ordered to pay all employer’s costs (656 words)
The Claimant, Mr Radia, was a high-earning bank executive. His employer met with him and offered a severance package to end his employment. At this ... Subscribers only
Unless Order should not have struck out entire whistleblowing claim (896 words)
Dr Ijomah was a consultant forensic psychiatrist at Rampton Hospital for 12 years until he was dismissed. After his dismissal, he brought various ... Subscribers only
Unclear dismissal letter justified unfair dismissal time extension (679 words)
The Claimant, Mr Brophy, worked as a meter-reading operative for Lowri Beck Services. He was severely dyslexic and for anything “official”, he ... Subscribers only
Law - Contracts
Contracts - the law (368 words)
Employment rights depend, as a minimum, on the presence of an “employment relationship”. There are important legal distinctions between an ... Subscribers only
Dangers of gossiping about settlement sum (704 words)
The Claimant, Mr Steels, settled his unfair dismissal claim against his employer, Duchy Farm Kennels Limited, a dog kennel manufacturer, through Acas ... Subscribers only
Yodel couriers unlikely to have working time rights says European Court of Justice (619 words)
In a disappointing decision, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) has said Yodel couriers are unlikely to be workers with worker rights, ... Subscribers only
Health & safety news
Unions:‘two metre workplace distancing must stay’ (189 words)
Following the government’s change of policy on social distancing, several trade unions made clear that two metres must remain the rule in ... Open access
Education unions call for clarity if schools are to reopen safely (320 words)
Unions representing teachers and school support staff say government guidance on the safe reopening of schools in September is not clear enough, and ... Subscribers only
Union warns of ‘second spike’ risk (166 words)
A second spike in Covid-19 infections is becoming “every more likely” due to reported non-compliance with face covering and social distancing ... Open access
CWU highlights dog dangers (118 words)
Communications union the CWU joined forces with Royal Mail to raise awareness about the significant hazard of dog attacks. Dog Awareness Week 2020 ... Open access
Usdaw welcomes coverings rule (166 words)
Retail union Usdaw has welcomed the mandatory use of face coverings in shops and supermarkets, but called on the government to develop and agree ... Open access
Health & safety - HSE Monitor
PCS challenges HSE on aircon (220 words)
The public and commercial services PCS union has challenged the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) position that air conditioning systems and ... Open access
Unite blames construction deaths rise on drop in inspections (279 words)
It is no coincidence that a steep rise in construction deaths has occurred at the same time as a drop in proactive HSE inspections and prosecutions, ... Subscribers only
FBU calls for statutory advisory body (209 words)
The fire brigades’ FBU union has called for fire inspector numbers to be doubled in order to tackle the building safety crisis. Its demand follows ... Open access
IAEA inspection leads to radioactivity concerns (139 words)
Prospect has called on the government to implement International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommendations which have “highlighted the urgent ... Open access
Still no justice for killed workers’ families (143 words)
The families of five men killed while working on zero-hour agency contracts at a waste recycling plant marked the fourth anniversary of their deaths ... Open access
Features
Self-employment in the Covid crisis (3,427 words)
The Covid crisis shone a light on the precarious status of self-employed workers, but has also seen unions stepping forward to lobby, support and ... Open access
Negotiating the new normal (2,295 words)
The LRD’s reps survey, which has featured in the last two issues, showed how union reps were at the forefront of negotiating working arrangements ... Subscribers only