News

Better deal demanded for teaching assistants (317 words)

The government is getting expansion of the education system on the cheap, according to research showing many teaching assistants are on term-time-only contracts and ...

Unrest hits civil service (277 words)

A number of disputes are underway in civil service agencies, including the Royal Parks Agency and Constabulary, the British Museum and the National Galleries ...

Post unions slam jobs "body blow" (343 words)

Postal unions have been angered by the latest round of 17,000 job losses announced by the Royal Mail (formerly Consignia). The cuts came as ...

Royal Mail crisis hits industrial relations (302 words)

The financial crisis at the Royal Mail threatens to become an industrial relations disaster if the company's problems, including the current jobs crisis (see ...

Arriva rail strikes set to go on to end of year (91 words)

A series of nine more strike days by conductors on Arriva Trains Northern were announced last month on top of the one which was ...

Dads working longer (45 words)

The average number of hours dads spend at work is getting longer, the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) says. In 2001, fathers' average working week ...

Collective benefits of bargaining (80 words)

A survey of power station pay levels confirms the benefits of collective bargaining, Prospect says. ...

Fire fighters keep up pressure (99 words)

The Fire Brigades Union is pressing ahead with its campaign for higher pay and a new pay formula. Last month saw 12,000 fire fighters ...

Unemployment shifts upwards (197 words)

Unemployment rose by 19,000 to 1.55 million and the unemployment rate rose to 5.2% in the three months to April compared with the previous ...

Inflation retreats (62 words)

Inflation dipped to 1.1% in May reflecting lower seasonal food and petrol prices in that month compared with May 2001, according to National Statistics. ...

Key economic indicators

Key economic indicators (316 words)

Full-time average weekly earnings ...

Union news

Court to rule on PCS leadership wrangle (352 words)

A major dispute at the top of the PCS civil service union will come to a head this month when the High Court decides ...

T&G elects "independent" Woodley (207 words)

The T&G general union has elected Tony Woodley to be its deputy general secretary when current incumbent Margaret Prosser retires in August. ...

Political fund (41 words)

The biennial conference of the largest civil service union, PCS, agreed the union should ballot the membership on whether to establish a political fund. ...

Membership rise (66 words)

Shopworkers' union USDAW has seen its membership rise above 314,000 for the first time in a decade. ...

Morris awarded (63 words)

Bill Morris, general secretary of the T&G general union, has received the Public Figure Of The Year award at the Ethnic Multicultural Media Awards ...

DTI advisors (53 words)

Two senior trade union personnel have been appointed as independent board members to advise the Department of Trade and Industry. ...

European news

General strike brings Spain to a halt (302 words)

Last month's general strike organised by Spain's two dominant union confederations, CCOO and UGT, was massively supported, particularly in manufacturing, transport and construction. ...

Future divides IG Metall (276 words)

Clear differences of view on the future of collective bargaining emerged at a special congress of Germany's giant IG Metall union last month. ...

Asbestos directive agreed (99 words)

The Council of Ministers, which brings together ministers from EU member states, has reached agreement on a new directive protecting workers from the dangers ...

Partners reach teleworking deal (50 words)

Negotiators for the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European employers' associations (UNICE for the private sector and CEEP for the public sector) ...

European strike hits flights (52 words)

Air traffic controllers in several European countries took action on 19 June to protest against European Commission plans to establish a unified system of ...

Features

Which Lords are leaping? (1369 words)

One in three peers are company directors, according to analysis of the new register of peers' interests. But some others are too shy to ...

Children's services face breakdown (1748 words)

The case of Victoria Climbié drew attention to the strained state of Britain's social care services for children, which deal with nearly a quarter ...

From think tank to total union service (467 words)

This month the Labour Research Department celebrates 90 years of existence, from its inception in 1912 as a think tank on nationalisation to its ...

Unions keep up drive for fresh air at work (1614 words)

Thanks largely to union campaigning, employers will soon be under more stringent obligations to control occupational asthma, one of the fastest growing work-related diseases. ...

Privatised workers win early retirement rights (319 words)

Workers whose jobs have been contracted out will have significantly improved rights to early retirement pensions following a landmark ruling of the European Court ...

Tribunal costs awards will take account of ability to pay (224 words)

The government has announced that it is to amend the law to make it clear that tribunals can take account of an individual's ability ...

Compromise agreements limited (92 words)

The Employment Act 2002 is expected to become law this month. Following a vigorous campaign in the House of Lords the government has withdrawn ...

Employment law review (159 words)

Patricia Hewitt, trade and industry secretary has announced that there is to be a review of employment law later this year when a consultation ...

Law queries (186 words)

* My employer has issued 25 employees with redundancy notices that do not expire until 31 August. A union member being made redundant has ...

Law queries (96 words)

* We have an organising committee at an unrecognised site and one of our activists wants to send pro-union emails. What are his legal ...

Law queries (171 words)

* What is the law on uniforms? I understand that our employers can no longer require us to wear them. Is that right? ...

Law queries (161 words)

* One of my members had booked two weeks' annual leave but went sick just before the start of his holiday. Our employer says ...

Law queries (134 words)

* We have a lot of temporary workers in my work. I understand that there is a new law that will give them more ...

TUC wants Europe-wide action on safety (353 words)

The TUC is calling on Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to introduce new laws on stress and repetitive strain injuries (RSI) and to ...

Survey finds nine out of 10 traffic wardens have faced violence (274 words)

A new survey of traffic wardens and parking attendants reveals that 90% had experienced some form of violence in the previous 12 months. ...

European Health and Safety Week (132 words)

European Health and Safety Week is an annual event in October designed to raise awareness of health and safety. For 2002, the theme of ...

Age-related work problems (112 words)

Workers aged 45 plus are more likely to suffer work-related illness because of long-term stresses and strains at work. ...

Working outside - Keep your hat (and top) on (704 words)

With summer on the way Back-up looks at the latest Health and Safety Executive guidance on ways to reduce the health risk from the ...

No to genetic testing (204 words)

Employers should not be allowed to demand that individuals undergo genetic tests as a condition of employment, says a new report from the government's ...

Providing protection for teleworkers (716 words)

There are now over two million teleworkers in the UK. Back-up looks at who they are and outlines a framework agreement recently agreed by ...

Law Back-up

Ensuring you get your holiday entitlement (828 words)

With the holiday season about to begin Backup looks at the legal rights that workers have to paid holidays. ...

Equality news

Local Councils fail to deliver on equality (302 words)

Local authorities have been criticised by the Audit Commission for not improving equality for employees and service users fast enough. ...

Report says family-friendly working boosts performance (236 words)

Family-friendly working arrangements are associated with small, but significant, levels of improved performance in the private sector, says a recently published report. ...

Reviews

The EU charter of fundamental rights (156 words)

Waste of time or waste of opportunity ...

The rich at play (108 words)

Foxhunting, land ownership and the Countryside Alliance ...

Prospects for pensions (195 words)

TUC, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS ...

E-views

E-views (289 words)

The Nomis Internet Interface at www.nomisweb.co.uk contains a wealth of government data. It is not the most user-friendly site you'll visit but it has ...