News

Unions funded for learning schemes (217 words)

Bus drivers and bakers are two of the groups set to benefit from the latest round of Union Learning Fund (ULF) money, announced in ...

Humber pilots strike (270 words)

River pilots on the Humber began an all-out strike on 12 December over their terms and conditions. ...

School janitors walk out (123 words)

A number of groups were involved in industrial action last month, including cleaning staff in 18 Edinburgh schools who took strike action over irregular ...

Railtrack unions take up concerns (269 words)

The TSSA rail staffs union is campaigning for union recognition for nearly 4,000 managers at Railtrack, which has been in the hands of administrators ...

Consignia and postal union avoid strike (295 words)

An emergency meeting last month between management and unions at Consignia - formerly the Post Office - averted possible strike action over rumours that ...

BT redundancies are "unnecessary" (245 words)

The CWU communications union has condemned BT's announcement that a further 3,000 jobs are to go by 2003 on top of the 10,000 or ...

Public sector unions set new year pay targets (221 words)

New year's resolutions made by public sector unions include targets of a "grand in the hand" for health staff and a minimum wage of ...

Key economic indicators

Jobless figure rises for second month (57 words)

Unemployment rose for the second month in succession in November with the claimant count - people out of work and claiming benefit - up ...

Inflation sinks to 1963 level (197 words)

In November inflation fell to its lowest level since July 1963. The headline rate of inflation, which includes mortgage interest payments, fell to just ...

Key indicators (316 words)

Key indicators ...

Union news

Union leadership elections get underway (213 words)

The elections of at least three new union general secretaries are due to get underway in the next few months. ...

Scottish unions welcome ministers (145 words)

The Scottish TUC has welcomed what it calls the "union friendly" cabinet appointed by new Scottish first minister Jack McConnell. ...

AEEU Honda deal is "biggest yet" (165 words)

The largest recognition deal to come out of the Employment Act 1999 has been reached between Japanese carmaker Honda and the AEEU engineers' union ...

Recognition closer at Vertex (147 words)

The CWU communications union is negotiating a partnership deal with Vertex Data Science which will cover some 900 "operator service representatives" based at its ...

European news

Italy sees national strikes (214 words)

Last month saw a series of national strikes in Italy in protest against the government's plans to weaken legal protection against dismissal. ...

French unions support US colleagues (108 words)

A European works council has started a campaign in support of trade unionists in the US after a delegation of French trade unionists revealed ...

IG Metall sets scene for higher pay claims (239 words)

The executive of the German metalworkers' union IG Metall is recommending a pay claim of between 5% and 7% for the 3.6 million workers ...

Weaker consultation directive gets go-ahead (215 words)

The directive giving employees rights to a minimum level of information and consultation across the European Union looked likely to be finally agreed as ...

Features

Euro-unions braced for new currency (1936 words)

This month, at last, most European Union countries switch to the euro. But unions in the eurozone have for some time been grappling with ...

Staking out ill health at work (1600 words)

Tackling the causes of workplace ill health has often taken second place to accident prevention. Unions are now changing all that through a technique ...

The £9 million handshake (1116 words)

Top directors continue to receive large pay-offs when they leave companies, even if they have performed badly. A new Labour Research survey of the ...

Tapping into public opposition to PFI (1285 words)

Trade unionists campaigning against PFI in the health service may have a new tool in galvanising public opinion on the subject. Labour Research investigates. ...

Court rejects port company's attempt to block strike action (186 words)

The Court of Appeal ruled last month that employers cannot block strike action by wrongly classifying workers as self-employed. ...

Discrimination against ex-offenders (136 words)

Research by the Joseph Rowntree Trust suggests that the introduction of 'basic disclosures' a new requirement under the Police Act 1997, will heighten discrimination ...

Employment Bill guide (37 words)

The TUC has issued a short briefing document outlining the main changes proposed in the Employment Bill, published in November 2001. Copies of the ...

Election lists (71 words)

The High Court has held that electors have the right to ask for their names to be removed from the electoral register before it ...

Recognition rulings allay union fears (453 words)

Union fears that certain key aspects of the law on recognition might work against them have been allayed by some recent decisions by the ...

Law queries (181 words)

Our employer has just taken on a security guard to patrol the premises overnight. Although he is required to be there for the full ...

Law queries (162 words)

I would like to stand as a school governor but am worried that I would need time off work to attend meetings. Is there ...

Law queries (147 words)

We do not have a recognised union in my workplace, although some of us are members. We understand that there may be ways of ...

Law queries (182 words)

We are about to organise an industrial action ballot. What notice do we have to give our employer? ...

Law queries (133 words)

I've been told there is a European law that says you do not have to work on religious holidays. Is this true? ...

Public bodies need to act on new race law (734 words)

By the end of May this year every public authority will have to have drawn up plans for how it intends to meet new ...

More calls for new law after aquittal in Simon Jones case (398 words)

The government is under increased pressure to bring in new laws on corporate killing following the acquittal of a company director in the Simon ...

Mobile phone bill (152 words)

Janet Anderson Labour MP for Rossendale and Darwen is putting forward a Bill to make it an offence to use a hand-held mobile telephone ...

Safety partnership (126 words)

Partnership between the T&G general union and chemicals company Hickson & Welch, in Yorkshire, has led to them winning an award from the European ...

Union steps up asbestos campaign (155 words)

The GMB general union has launched the next phase of its "Asbestos: it's still a killer" initiative. ...

Unions can help take on workplace bullies (779 words)

The recent award of £100,000 for teacher Christine Browell for the long period of bullying she suffered at the hands of her headteacher illustrates ...

Government opts to encourage rather than enforce equal pay (366 words)

The government announced further action to tackle the gender pay gap last month in response to Denise Kingsmill's review of women's employment and pay. ...

Disability code (84 words)

The Disability Rights Commission has published a new code of practice offering legal guidance on the provision of goods and services for disabled people. ...

Learning disability helpline (93 words)

The first learning disability helpline - providing information and advice on a range of issues including employment, housing, health and welfare benefits - was ...

Work-life balance (72 words)

The TUC has launched a website - www.tuc.org.uk/changingtimes - giving advice on how to achieve a better work-life balance. The site sets out a ...

Boardrooms remain very much ''no go area'' for women (158 words)

The number of top UK companies with women in their boardrooms has fallen for the third year running. ...

Modern apprenticeships to be standardised (849 words)

A working group, led by Harriet Harman MP, has been set up to improve the position of women on FTSE 100 boards, in conjunction ...

Reviews

A life's work (159 words)

Achieving full and fulfilling employment ...

There is a better way (180 words)

A new economic agenda ...

Paying the price (168 words)

Carers, poverty and social exclusion ...

E-views

e-views (245 words)

Trade unionists trying to find out about the funding of political parties by individuals, companies and trade unions have since the middle of last ...