News

Staff strike on pay and jobs (319 words)

Two UK airports were affected by strike action over the last month. At Manchester, security staff were out for 36 hours on 22 and ...

Steel firm imposes pay freeze (270 words)

Community union ISTC has condemned the decision by Corus, the Anglo-Dutch steelmaker, to impose a pay freeze on its workforce. ...

Agriculture threat (121 words)

There are renewed concerns over pay and conditions for farm workers following a proposal that the future of the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) should ...

Pay gap widens (55 words)

Pay gap widens ...

Pay below minimum (54 words)

Nearly a third of a million workers aged 18 and over were earning less than the national minimum wage in Spring 2001, according to ...

Postal union agrees more time for mediation after solid strike vote (373 words)

With a solid vote for industrial action over pay at the Post Office in their pockets, leaders of the CWU communications union last month ...

UNISON sends MPs message (113 words)

MPs last month received Valentine's Day cards from public services union UNISON carrying the warning: "Don't wreck our hearts over public services". ...

Unions reach deal on reps with Sainsbury (188 words)

Two unions operating at J Sainsbury, USDAW and the T&G, have signed an improved national agreement with the retail chain that should strengthen union ...

Key economic indicators

Unemployment rate steady (206 words)

The number of people out of work and claiming benefit fell by 10,600 in January to 951,300. There were 721,600 unemployed men - a ...

RPI rises for first time in months (56 words)

The headline rate of inflation rose to 1.3% in January from 0.7% the previous month. ...

Key economic indicators (301 words)

FULL-TIME AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS ...

Union news

RMT to elect assistants to join victorious Crow (388 words)

Two new assistant general secretaries for rail union RMT will be announced soon after left-winger Bob Crow stormed to victory in last month's leadership ...

Sir Ken to stand for re-election (108 words)

An election for joint general secretary of Amicus will be held in June or July after Sir Ken Jackson, current general secretary of the ...

Partnership deal will aid firm (188 words)

Manufacturing union Amicus and the GMB general union have signed a partnership agreement with electronics group Thales. The company, which employs some 13,000 UK ...

European news

Italians defend job protection (363 words)

The conflict between Italian unions and the right-wing government of Silvio Berlusconi continues despite a settlement on public sector pay. ...

EU acts on labour mobility (98 words)

The European Commission has launched new proposals aimed at promoting greater mobility in the labour market both occupationally (between jobs) and geographically (between member ...

Unions want "social investors" (87 words)

Four of the five major trade unions in France, including the two largest - CFDT and CGT - have backed a common union approach ...

German metal sector set for pay battle (242 words)

This month will see the start of serious negotiations on a pay deal for the 3.6 million employees in the metalworking industry, the largest ...

Features

Women in unions face glass ceiling (1979 words)

It's been a case of two steps forward, one step back for women's representation in unions over the past couple of years. Now unions ...

Unions gear up to tackle equal pay (2164 words)

The Equal Opportunities Commission is spearheading a major revival of the campaign to abolish pay discrimination between men and women. And unions are the ...

We want free dinner! (1472 words)

As Scottish trade unionists call for free school meals for all pupils, a major new survey shows that the prices parents pay - and ...

What pensions crisis? (1449 words)

With more workers facing pensions uncertainty, retirement for those at the top of the tree couldn't look better. Company directors will continue reaping disproportionate ...

Recognition ruling (139 words)

Last month Kwik Fit, the tyre and car repair firm took the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) to court seeking judicial review over its decision ...

Compensation payments increase (151 words)

Employees taking unfair dismissal claims will have the right to higher levels of compensation as a result of recent increases in employment protection payments. ...

Court ruling cuts stress payouts (376 words)

Last month a Court of Appeal ruling on four stress-at-work claims stripped two teachers and a factory worker of compensation totalling nearly £200,000. However, ...

Clergy Workers Memorial Day call (103 words)

The clergy and church workers' section of Amicus is inviting its members to observe Workers' Memorial Day on Sunday 28 April 2002. ...

Coalition for better safety standards (108 words)

Fifty people attended a meeting called jointly by the TUC and the Campaign for Corporate Accountability (CCA) to launch a new campaign to improve ...

Worker safety advisers begin work (135 words)

Workplace visits by the first ever TUC-trained Worker Safety Advisers (WSAs) should begin soon. ...

MPs back building site safety motion (67 words)

Over 100 MPs have signed an early day motion calling for action on construction safety. The motion highlights the deaths of seven building workers ...

Law Matters

CAC rules on union access to workplace (316 words)

The Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) the body monitoring recognition claims has given its first ruling on union access to employees in the lead up ...

Protected disclosures (103 words)

Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 workers have the right not to be victimised for blowing the whistle on employer malpractice. The Employment ...

Law Queries

Law Queries (171 words)

We work in a large supermarket. One of our members was shouted at in an abusive manner by the supervisor in full view of ...

Law Queries (184 words)

I read somewhere that there was shortly going to be a new law that would give everyone made redundant the right to £1,000 for ...

Law Queries (150 words)

Our employers have said that they want to change our contracts by making us work more hours for the same pay. They say that ...

Law Queries (145 words)

After checking my payslip for the first time in several months I have realised that I may have been overpaid. I have been paid ...

Law Queries (109 words)

We've heard that our employer does not intend to give us a pay rise this year. We thought that the law gave us a ...

Law Back-up

Fixed-term rights may fall short of directive (695 words)

By July of this year temporary employees will have new rights to equal treatment. However, as Backup explains, what the government is planning seems ...

Health & Safety Back-up

Contractors can pose specific safety risks (674 words)

The use of contractors is widespread in workplaces in both the public and private sector. Back-up highlights some of the key health and safety ...

Equality news

Average childcare costs top £6,000 (244 words)

Childcare costs have reached record heights, rising by almost 10% in the last year, according to the latest survey by childcare charity Daycare Trust. ...

Unions win pension rights for gay workers (280 words)

Union negotiations have resulted in improvements to the rights of lesbian and gay workers in some workplaces in advance of the legislation that will ...

Study shows unions do more for working parents (259 words)

Research into family-friendly policies has found that unionised workplaces offer a greater range of options for working parents. ...

Workplace Back-up

UK workers are stuck in the long hours trap (785 words)

Average hours of work in the UK are the longest in the European Union, despite the implementation of the European Union Working Time Directive, ...

News from LRD

News from LRD (187 words)

LRD executive committee ...

Reviews

Keeping well at work (164 words)

Keeping well at work ...

Working for McDonalds in Europe (156 words)

Working for McDonald's in Europe ...

Poverty bites (120 words)

Poverty bites ...

E-views

Data protection code of practice (288 words)

The government announced last month that employees will have the right of access to confidential employment records held electronically for a fee of £10.00. ...