News

Unions resolve BA dispute (405 words)

Trade unions at British Airways won a number of concessions from the company at the end of July following unofficial action by check-in staff ...

TUC highlights labour market successes under Labour (238 words)

More and better jobs have been created in the five years since 1997 compared to the previous five-year period, according to a new report ...

Amicus fights for recognition (262 words)

Members of manufacturing union Amicus at the Fujitsu computer firm in Manchester have voted by over three to one in favour of strike action ...

Pay deals rise but stable in long term (336 words)

The long-term trend in basic pay settlements remains stable at just over 3%, although the top 10% of pay rises in the 2002-03 pay ...

CWU keeps up pressure over pay and jobs (253 words)

The CWU is going ahead with an industrial action ballot of its 160,000 postal members in the Royal Mail, in a dispute over pay ...

Union site hit by "cyberblock" (227 words)

Broadcasting union BECTU has accused broadcaster BSkyB of blocking staff access to its web site from company computers. ...

Union news

Women see rise in union density (211 words)

The number of trade union members in the UK has risen slightly and for the first time ever the proportion of women who are ...

Shopworkers to elect new leader (122 words)

Branches are this month being asked to nominate a new general secretary for the shopworkers' union USDAW. ...

Pressure grows on major unions' finances (255 words)

Union finances are coming under increasing pressure with expenditure growing faster than income, according to the latest figures from the government's certification officer. ...

European news

Irish government wants local deals on consultation (413 words)

The Irish government last month published its proposals on the implementation of the European Union (EU) directive on information and consultation. ...

New leadership for IG Metall (145 words)

The leadership crisis in Germany's largest industrial union IG Metall seemed on course for solution, at least temporarily, as Labour Research went to press. ...

LO agrees pact on Euro (147 words)

With Sweden voting on joining the Euro later this month, LO the largest union confederation, has reached an agreement with the Social Democratic government ...

ETUC plans Rome demo (138 words)

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is planning a demonstration in Rome next month to coincide with the start of detailed negotiations at an ...

Features

Still coughing up for fat cat pensions (1130 words)

As workers increasingly find they have no access to guaranteed pensions, companies still fork out huge amounts of cash for executive schemes. ...

Union audits boost drive for equality (1520 words)

This year's Congress will get a full report on the TUC's equality audit initiative. Initial evidence suggests the process itself has proved a valuable ...

Fears rise over long work hours (1328 words)

Evidence is mounting that long working hours can damage your health. That's why Britain's unions want shorter working hours for all workers, with no ...

Will workloads deal get teachers to stay? (1413 words)

This month sees the implementation of the national agreement designed to cut teachers' workloads and keep them in schools. But the profession is still ...

Tribunal claims fall but become more complex (361 words)

The number of claims going to employment tribunals is continuing to fall but the cases that are being presented are more complex than ever. ...

Cabbies can't take race claims (149 words)

Licensed taxi cab drivers may be excluded from taking race claims, according to a recent Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling. ...

Refusal to move jobs can amount to fair dismissal (158 words)

Employees should be careful about refusing to agree to transfer to a new job, even if there is nothing in their contract obliging them ...

Evidence in sickness dismissals (56 words)

Where an employer dismisses an employee for sickness - a capability dismissal - the tribunal should take account of all the evidence of the ...

Overpayment of wages (241 words)

What is the legal position on deductions from wages? One of my members, a part-time nurse has just been given a pay slip showing ...

Tribunal panels (161 words)

I frequently represent members at employment tribunals and at the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT). I have just found out that the company barrister, who ...

Career breaks (191 words)

We have been trying to negotiate career breaks for staff, but were concerned to hear about a court ruling implying that workers who take ...

Constructive dismissal (128 words)

More than a year ago a manager bullied one of my members. The member didn't pursue the issue as he then went off sick ...

Unions concerned over dispute procedures (815 words)

The government is pressing ahead with legislation to reduce the number of claims going to employment tribunals and has issued a consultation document seeking ...

Worker deaths fall, but still a "failure" (313 words)

New figures on deaths at work show an improvement over previous years, but offer no grounds for complacency. ...

Stress is most common cause of sickness absence (245 words)

Stress is still the most common cause of long-term sickness absence among non-manual workers, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel ...

Unlawful killing verdict (84 words)

In July, a jury returned a verdict of "unlawful killing" after an inquest into the deaths of four construction workers. The four men fell ...

Most small firms breaking the law (68 words)

Most small firms are breaking the law on safety according to new research. A survey of over 4,500 companies by law firm Peninsula found ...

Respect Day for shopworkers (99 words)

Retail union USDAW is to step up its campaign against violence towards shopworkers with a day of action this month. The union wants to ...

Courts uphold safety reps' right to training (774 words)

Many safety reps have had difficulties in getting paid time off to fulfil their functions or to attend training. Back-up explains the rights that ...

Rights to full-time pay (95 words)

Part-time workers should be paid on the same basis as their full-time counterparts when attending a trade union training course. The employer had agreed ...

Royal Mail agrees plan to end sex harassment (324 words)

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has suspended its investigation into sexual harassment at the Royal Mail following the agreement of a three-year action plan ...

Few black workers reach civil service's "snowy peaks" (263 words)

Ethnic minority staff are still poorly represented at senior levels in the civil service, with five government departments having no senior ethnic minority staff ...

Male parents less likely to telework (85 words)

The latest Labour Force Survey figures for teleworkers show that while women with young children are taking advantage of opportunities to work from home, ...

Legal status for transsexuals (94 words)

A draft Bill has been published to give transsexuals legal recognition in their acquired gender. The Gender Recognition Bill will mean that, for the ...

Stress is key problem for working mums (81 words)

A small-scale study of working mothers has found that stress or problems at work that spill over into home lives can be as much ...

Pay changes should involve workers - ACAS (782 words)

Employment relations service ACAS has recently published a booklet on pay systems which will be of use to union reps negotiating over proposed changes. ...

Reviews

Workers' rights for the new century (95 words)

Stephen Frost et al, Asia Monitor Resource Center, 396 pages, £20. ...

Global woman: Nannies, maids and sex workers in the new economy (151 words)

Edited by Barbara Ehrenreich and Arlie Russell Hochschild, Granta Books, 328 pages, paperback, £8.99 ...

Weapons of mass deception: The uses of propaganda in Bush's war on Iraq (133 words)

Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber, 176 pages, Constable & Robinson £6.99 ...

Paving the Third Way: The critique of parliamentary socialism (134 words)

A Socialist Register Anthology, edited by David Coates. Merlin Press 330 pages, paperback, £16.95 ...

E-views

e-views (272 words)

Judges at this year's TUC/Bank of Scotland Press and PR awards commented that it's ''been a good year for union websites'', with innovations including ...