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Labour Research September 2024
Strike wave sees major gains for workers Unions report significant wins in pay, conditions and pensions thanks to thousands of workers taking industrial action Adult and community education in crisis Adult education can offer a range of opportunities, especially to those who didn’t do well at school. Yet the sector faces severe problems What can unions do to tackle cyber threats? Cyber-attacks, including attacks on trade unions, can be devastating. So, what can unions do to minimise cyber threats?
News
Cultural funding needed (230 words)
As Wales gathered for the Eisteddfod celebration of Welsh culture and language in Pontypridd last month, creative unions called on the new first ...
Open access
Doctors and train drivers ballot while disputes remain elsewhere (281 words)
Junior doctors and train drivers are being balloted over whether to accept pay offers that would end long-running pay disputes, but several groups of ...
Subscribers only
Unions condemn far right ‘thugs’ (349 words)
Unions offered their condolences and support to those affected by the murder of three children in Southport. And they condemned the subsequent ... Subscribers only
Cautious welcome for government’s Treasury report on public finances (351 words)
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak last month welcomed chancellor Rachel Reeves’ move “to respond positively” to pay review body recommendations ... Subscribers only
Ministers must probe exploitation (179 words)
The RCN nurses’ union has called on the government to launch an urgent investigation into the exploitation of overseas care workers after new data ... Open access
Campaign calls for reps’ reinstatement (161 words)
A PCS campaign to reinstate three of its reps at HMRC in Benton Park View, Newcastle has garnered support from Unite’s Newcastle Community branch ... Open access
Two-child limit (96 words)
Ten union general secretaries have called on prime minister Keir Starmer to scrap the two-child benefit limit, which affects 1.6 million children and ... Open access
Inflation ticks up (80 words)
Inflation as measured by RPI was 3.6% in July, the highest rate for a few months. Prices are now 31.5% higher than at the beginning of 2021. ... Open access
Labour market indicators (206 words)
The latest labour market indicators from the Office for National Statistics show that unemployment is down slightly, while vacancies remain elevated. ... Open access
Key economic indicators
Key economic indicators (423 words)
Inflation +3.6%, Average earnings +5.0% ... Subscribers only
Union news
More than half of TUC-affiliated unions see membership growth (326 words)
More than half of the TUC’s 48 member unions will arrive at this month’s TUC Congress in Brighton having grown their memberships significantly ... Subscribers only
End of anti-union Act welcomed (151 words)
Unions across the board have welcomed Labour’s promise to bin the Tories’ widely condemned Minimum Service Levels Act which, in the event, was ... Open access
POA election (44 words)
The Prison Officers Association is beginning the process of electing a leader, as the current term of incumbent Steve Gillan ends in May 2025. ... Open access
Recognition (80 words)
The GMB general union has finally won the right to collectively bargain pay and conditions for a group of 40 “experienced demo drivers” who ... Open access
Front-of-house staff (90 words)
Meanwhile Prospect, which includes former entertainment union Bectu, has gained statutory union recognition for front-of-house staff employed by ... Open access
European news
Millions can’t afford a holiday (136 words)
New figures from the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) show that 39.7 million working people, 15% of those working in the EU, cannot afford a ... Open access
Tesla strike (120 words)
The strike by members of the Swedish metalworkers’ union IF Metall, which began on 27 October 2023, is likely to last for several more months, ... Open access
Strikes and other industrial action on the increase across EU (381 words)
A new examination by Eurofound, the EU’s employment and social research agency, has highlighted the extent of strikes and other industrial action ... Subscribers only
Second city introduces 35-hour working week for employees (241 words)
This month, the city administration in the Polish city, Włocławek, is introducing a 35-hour week for its employees. It is the second city to do so, ... Open access
Features
Industrial action sees major wins for workers (2,138 words)
Driven by a sharp increase in the cost of living, the UK has witnessed a huge wave of industrial action since 2022. This has seen walkouts by ... Subscribers only
What’s happening to adult education? (1,961 words)
Just ahead of the general election in July, the Adult Education 100 campaign, Universities Association for Lifelong Learning, and National Education ... Subscribers only
How can unions respond to cyber security challenges? (1,691 words)
Reports of major cyber-attacks on UK institutions have become commonplace, with recent high profile examples that include the British Library and the ... Subscribers only
Law Matters
Travelling time to work (347 words)
Travelling time to work didn’t count as “time work” for the purposes of entitlement to the National Minimum Wage (NMW), the Employment Appeal ... Subscribers only
No discrimination, despite less favourable treatment (309 words)
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has upheld the decision of an employment tribunal (ET) in finding there was no discrimination against a ... Subscribers only
Code of Practice on fire and re-hire (160 words)
The statutory Code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement (“fire and rehire”) has now come into force. ... Open access
Acas annual report published (65 words)
The Acas annual report for 2023-24 has been published on the Acas website. It highlights that cuts in real pay and inflationary pressures have ... Open access
Law Queries
Q&A (744 words)
Workplace monitoring ... Subscribers only
Health & Safety Matters
Dealing with employees accused of criminal acts (911 words)
The Acas industrial relations advisory service advises that an employee should not be dismissed “solely because he or she has been charged with or ... Subscribers only
Action looms over staff reductions (227 words)
Members of the Unite general union at Redcar Huntsman Polyurethanes have voted in favour of strike action over the company’s plans to ... Open access
Unions say members at risk from far right (247 words)
As well as condemning the wave of far-right violence that swept across the country last month (see page 4), unions have reported attacks on their ... Open access
Demands for better standards (267 words)
The TUC marked the 50th anniversary of the “life-saving” Health and Safety at work etc Act 1974 on 31 July with a demand that workers have a ... Subscribers only
Energy plans must create decent and secure jobs (299 words)
Unions say the government’s plans to increase offshore wind power through a partnership with the Crown Estate must create decent, well-paid and ... Subscribers only
Greater protection from extreme heat needed (325 words)
The TUC has welcomed a UN call for a new rights-based approach to safeguard workers from excessive temperatures, including the right to refuse work ... Subscribers only
Keep oil refinery working, says Unite (250 words)
There is a growing belief that the life of the Petroineos oil refinery in Grangemouth, Scotland can be extended, the Unite union said ahead of a ... Subscribers only
Equality news
Gen Z workers experience bias in hiring (217 words)
A survey of 2,000 employees, conducted in June 2024 by ethical hiring platform Applied, found that over a third of Gen Z workers (36%) believe they ... Open access
Women’s parliamentary representation boosted (311 words)
The recent general election has brought women’s representation in Parliament closer to parity than ever before, marking a significant milestone in ... Subscribers only
Disability discrimination: Ofsted pays damages (270 words)
Ofsted has paid damages to a primary school headteacher with multiple sclerosis in a landmark disability discrimination case after inspectors refused ... Subscribers only
Workplace Back-up
Can Labour address economic inactivity? (866 words)
In the post-pandemic labour market, two trends stand out. The long-term rise in employment has not resumed as quickly as in some other comparable ... Subscribers only