Labour Research March 2000

Special Women's Issue: Women and high tech jobs. The gender pay divide across Europe. Tackling the UK's pay divide. Women's representation in union roles. Plus: Problems with the Private Finance Initiative.

News

Hours strike in balance as another starts (556 words)

The dispute between Connex South East and South Central with rail unions ASLEF and RMT over working hours hung in the balance as Labour ...

Features

Contents (157 words)

General.Union matters.Law matters.Green and safety matters.Money ...

Bullying rife at work, major study shows (190 words)

Over one in 10 workers have been bullied at work within the last six months and an estimated 18 million working days are lost ...

Austrian unions resist racist Haider (319 words)

Austria's newly formed government, which includes representatives of the far-right Freedom Party led by J"rg Haider, is facing growing trade ...

French industry in social framework talks (148 words)

Representatives of employers and unions in France have begun discussions on a new social framework in France, which, if the employers have their way, ...

Spanish election may bring 35-hour week (210 words)

This month's general election in Spain could lead to the introduction of a 35-hour week if an electoral alliance of the socialists (PSOE) and ...

Irish trade unionists vote on new deal (311 words)

Around half a million trade unionists in Ireland are currently voting on a new national deal which sets pay levels and provides for tax ...

Back pain endemic in public services (445 words)

Over 80% of NHS and council workers experience work-related back pain, which is so bad for one in five workers that they are forced ...

Gas safety (135 words)

General union GMB has demanded that the gas industry invests more money in attracting and training staff, following evidence of a lack of skilled ...

Safety fines not paid (191 words)

Large fines imposed on foreign firms for serious breaches of health and safety law in the UK have not been paid and have even ...

lack New Dealers less likely to get jobs (241 words)

Ethnic minority participants in the government's New Deal programme for the young unemployed are less likely to get jobs when they leave than their ...

Scottish ahead on repealing Section 28 (353 words)

Plans to repeal "Section 28", which prevents local authorities from "promoting homosexuality", have passed their first stage in Scotland, ...

Ethnic minorities absent from managements (239 words)

Ethnic minorities are still seriously underrepresented at the management levels of UK companies, and the position has worsened in the last decade, according to ...

Football gets deeper into TV financing (415 words)

Premier league football side Aston Villa has become the latest club to tie up with a cable TV operator. At the end of January ...

Marks & Spencer gold (115 words)

Marks & Spencer, the high street store at present in the doldrums, is to give its new executive chair Luc Vandevelde a £2.2 million ...

Tories' economic U-turns (151 words)

Chancellor Gordon Brown can expect an end to Tory attacks about his decision to hand over power to the Bank of England's monetary policy ...

Cash stakes high in London mayor race (214 words)

London's first mayor will receive £86,831 in the first year of office, the deputy mayor will get £53,244 and a member of the Greater ...

Shops ban dodgy insecticide (63 words)

The insecticide lindane has been banned from a series of retail chains including Boots, Homebase and B&Q, following pressure from the Ban Lindane Campaign, ...

Changes ahead for annual Congress (302 words)

This year's Trade Union Congress in Glasgow could be markedly different from previous events if union leaders find a consensus on how to change ...

Union mergers (60 words)

The 2,200-member National League of the Blind and Disabled last month merged with the ISTC steel and community union, which has 50,000 members. A ...

Ken Cameron to retire (48 words)

After 20 years at the helm Fire Brigades Union general secretary Ken Cameron will retire in June this year. His successor will be Andy ...

Unions clock up more recognition gains (190 words)

Birkenhead-based ship repair company Cammell Laird signed a new recognition deal with the AEEU engineering union and GMB general union at the end of ...

Unions pilot internet organising tool (286 words)

The TUC's North West region has set up an internet-based database to help union organisers in recognition campaigns. ...

NEW TECHNOLOGY, OLD DIVIDE (1469 words)

The new information and communication industries have taken off at the same time as women have entered the labour force in record numbers. But ...

UK WORST AMONG UNEQUALS (1424 words)

Equal pay for men and women? Isn't it all sorted? The answer across Europe is a resounding "NO", and Britain is one of the ...

WOMEN EVERYWHERE BUT THE TOP (1861 words)

Trade union women have made further strides towards equality in senior decision-making roles, mostly in the unions that are taking the most active steps ...

THE PROBLEM WITH PRIVATE FINANCE (1652 words)

The Labour government has enthusiastically reinvigorated the Tory's old policy of relying on the private sector for public service capital projects. But there are ...

PAY BIAS - GETTING UNDER THE SKIN (1464 words)

Bridging the persistent pay divide between women and men will entail putting pay systems under the microscope to check for discriminatory elements, say the ...

Disciplinary and grievance procedures (979 words)

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) has recently issued a draft code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures for public consultation. The ...

Part-timers gain new legal rights at work (789 words)

From next month, part-time workers gain new legal rights. Regulations, published in draft form in mid January, will be in force by 7 April ...

Preventing RSI:employers' duties (993 words)

The first International RSI Awareness Day took place last month. It aimed to raise awareness of repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) among workers and employers. ...

Allowances: topping up basic pay (913 words)

Many employees receive part of their earnings in the form of allowances - separate payments over and above their basic pay. Back-up reviews the ...

THE ECONOMY THIS MONTH (1002 words)

KEY INDICATORS ...

Law Matters

Sacked union rep wants job, not compensation (406 words)

Construction union UCATT is pressing for a change to the law to stop employers sacking workers just for being in the union. At present, ...

Race discrimination U-turn (112 words)

The government has been forced to climb down on its plans for new race relations legislation following a stream of criticisms from the Commission ...

Arbitration in tribunal claims (230 words)

Binding arbitration to resolve unfair dismissal cases will soon be available as an alternative to an employment tribunal hearing. The government is shortly to ...

Data protection change (96 words)

The Data Protection Act 1998 comes into force on 1 March 2000. The Act gives individuals the right to object to having information about ...

Challenge to parental leave rules (110 words)

The TUC has lodged a claim in the High Court to challenge the government in court over the new parental leave regulations after it ...

Whistleblowers' law kept secret (114 words)

The independent watchdog Public Concern at Work (PCW) has won the right to challenge, in the High Court, a judge's decision that the details ...

Disability law (137 words)

The exemption from having to follow disability discrimination law, which currently applies to employers with fewer than 15 staff, should be lowered to those ...

Rise in compensation (95 words)

From 1 February 2000 the amount that can be claimed in statutory redundancy pay has increased from £220, for a week's pay, to £230. ...

Recognition arbiter causes union concern (535 words)

The government is at last making progress towards the introduction of the new law on statutory recognition. At the end of January it announced ...