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Labour Research October 2022
The Labour Party and the trade unions Union disquiet has been growing over the direction the Labour Party is taking under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership Strike laws in Europe: how does the UK compare? As prime minister Liz Truss threatens a further crackdown on strikes, Labour Research looks at strike laws elsewhere in Europe Renewed campaign against racism in the workplace The TUC’s Anti-racism Taskforce has produced a raft of initiatives that aim to assist the movement in fighting racism at work
News
STUC gives guarded welcome to Scottish Government measures (489 words)
The Scottish TUC (STUC) has extended a qualified welcome to the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government, with its announcement of a rent ...
Subscribers only
Council workers set to receive pay boost (229 words)
Following a wave of strike action by refuse workers across most of Scotland’s councils, a new offer by the COSLA Scottish local government ...
Open access
More strikes on horizon as workers do battle over cost-of-living crisis (532 words)
The RMT rail union has urged new transport secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan to take a fresh approach to the rail dispute.
... Subscribers only
‘Big Brother’ move denounced (227 words)
The PCS civil service union has denounced a “Big Brother-style development” following reports that Cabinet Office staff will be placed under ... Open access
Joblessness lowest since 1974 (195 words)
Unemployment appeared to fall to its lowest rate since 1974 in the May-July period, and now stands at 3.6%. However, that was attributed to an ... Open access
RPI inflation rate stalls (71 words)
Inflation as measured by the union-preferred Retail Prices Index (RPI) did not fall in August, unlike the government-preferred Consumer Prices Index ... Open access
Key economic indicators
Key economic indicators (409 words)
Inflation +8.2%, Average earnings +4.9% ... Subscribers only
Union news
Pandemic legacy sees trade union membership losses (430 words)
While some unions grew their membership in the second year of the Covid pandemic, others were still struggling to get back on their feet, according ... Subscribers only
TUC Congress rescheduled (151 words)
The TUC postponed its annual Congress following the death of the Queen.
... Open access
MPs ‘must stand with pickets’ (252 words)
Three in four Labour Party members say that Labour MPs should join the picket lines of unions who are affiliated to the party, according to a ... Subscribers only
European news
Unions express doubt over new consultative structure (319 words)
A new national consultative body has been launched in France, but only a minority of unions are taking part with many expressing doubts about the ... Subscribers only
Minimum wage introduced (326 words)
Cyprus is to become the twenty-second EU state to introduce a national minimum wage, with a new standard minimum rate of ¤940 (around £820) a month ... Subscribers only
Polish teachers (89 words)
Polish teachers may again be in dispute this autumn. The largest teachers’ union, the ZNP, has written to its members asking whether they agree ... Open access
Rate target (92 words)
Wolfgang Katzian, head of the ÖGB Austrian union confederation, has set a target of ¤2,000 (£1,740) a month as the minimum rate in all collective ... Open access
Price rises (70 words)
The main Czech union confederation, CMKOS, has called for a major demonstration in central Prague on 8 October, to pressure the government to act on ... Open access
Features
Labour and the unions: is the Party over? (1,826 words)
Last year’s Labour conference saw the party dramatically lose the affiliation of the BFAWU bakers’ and food workers’ union, as well as the ... Subscribers only
How does the UK compare? (2,085 words)
British workers face new restrictions on their right to strike. Before taking office, the new prime minister promised to add to the already ... Subscribers only
Tackling workplace racism (2,002 words)
In 1999, the publication of Sir William McPherson’s report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence challenged all organisations to tackle institutional ... Subscribers only
Law Matters
Calculating holiday pay for part-year workers (330 words)
The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that a permanent worker on a variable hours contract continuing throughout the year, working only part of the year, ... Subscribers only
Uplift award was equitable (321 words)
An Employment Tribunal (ET) did not make an error when deciding to award the claimant a 25% uplift in compensation, the Employment Appeal Tribunal ... Subscribers only
new guidance published on employment status (205 words)
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published new guidance on employment status. ... Open access
Law Queries
Redundancy pay (334 words)
n A group of members is on 12 weeks’ notice of redundancy. While they’re owed statutory redundancy pay, a pay rise is due to take effect before ... Subscribers only
Holiday entitlement (298 words)
n I work a 36-hour week, but on a pattern of three days in week one and four days in week two. But I only get 23 days’ leave. Am I getting enough ... Subscribers only
Leave entitlement and redundancy (130 words)
n I think I’m likely to be made redundant. Can I continue to accrue holiday entitlement during my notice? ... Open access
Law Back-up
How does legislation treat ‘philosophical belief’? (901 words)
The definition of religion or belief in section 10 of the Equality Act 2010 includes “any religion”, “lack of religion” or “philosophical ... Subscribers only
Health & Safety Matters
Health unions decry move on covid testing (318 words)
Unions have made clear that Covid-19 has not gone away and have called for action to prevent further infections as the government strips away yet ... Subscribers only
Retail workers suffer abuse (212 words)
Retail staff are being urged to report incidents of abuse, threats and assaults after an Usdaw shopworkers’ union survey found that nine in 10 ... Open access
Pledge to tackle bullying welcomed (218 words)
The Equity performing arts practitioners’ union has welcomed a statement of commitment that brings together a group of 21 major TV organisations ... Open access
Health & Safety Back-up
Law and enforcement is too weak, say unions (910 words)
The UK’s first red extreme heat warning, issued across a large part of England in July, focussed attention on the lack of effective laws ... Subscribers only
Equality news
TUC: racism a feature of workplace structures (365 words)
A landmark study by the TUC, reported to be the largest representative survey conducted of the UK’s 3.9 million minority ethnic workers, provides ... Subscribers only
Watchdog to monitor use of artificial intelligence (241 words)
Public bodies’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) is to be monitored by the EHRC equality watchdog to ensure technologies are not perpetuating ... Open access
Migrant care workers exposed to exploitation (230 words)
A new report highlights significant vulnerability of live-in migrant care workers to labour exploitation and modern slavery. ... Open access
Workplace Back-up
Need for credit unions is greater than ever (911 words)
It’s a sad fact that in this cost-of-living crisis more people may be tempted — or tricked — by loan sharks. ... Subscribers only