News

One in four employers shuts final-salary scheme (314 words)

Over a quarter of final-salary schemes closed to new staff in the year to June 2003 according to the latest survey from the pensions ...

Power firm makes final-salary pension commitment (255 words)

In contrast to much of the gloom around pensions, the French state-owned energy company Electricit‚ de France (EDF) last month announced details of a ...

Women learning reps (82 words)

A TUC survey of union learning reps has found that more than one in four had never had a union role before, and that ...

PCS attacks imposed deal (86 words)

Civil service union PCS has attacked the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for imposing a 2.6% pay deal on its 90,000 admin workers. ...

Portuguese workers' leaflet (84 words)

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), working with the TUC, Citizens Advice Bureaux and Portuguese authorities, has produced an employments rights guide to ...

Council unions welcome Pay Commission report (422 words)

The Local Government Pay Commission report, published at the end of October, was warmly welcomed by the three main local government unions - public ...

Sellafield strike strains partnership (311 words)

The British Nuclear Fuels plant at Sellafield was hit by a second day of strike action on 21 November as a dispute over shift ...

Union news

Amicus in "rigging" claim (87 words)

Britain's second largest union, manufacturing and professional union Amicus, is in the midst of an investigation over claims that "Blairite" candidates for its important ...

GMB told to re-run ballot (331 words)

The GMB general union has been plunged into difficulties after a member complained he was ruled out of the running in the deputy general ...

European news

French rail workers split from CFDT (195 words)

The 11,000-strong federation of rail workers within the French union confederation CFDT has voted to leave the organisation in protest at its position on ...

New equal rights planned (194 words)

The women's committee of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has criticised as too narrow a proposed European Commission directive on equal access to ...

Features

LRD pays tribute to former editor, Noreen Branson (709 words)

Noreen Branson, who died on 25 October at the age of 93, worked at the Labour Research Department (LRD) from 1938 up until her ...

One man's smoke is another's death (1793 words)

As Christmas celebrations get into gear, bars and restaurants will be filling up with cigarette smoke even more than usual. Labour Research looks at ...

Faith bias is outlawed (1678 words)

Discriminating against workers on grounds of religion or belief will be unlawful from this month. While this is good news for those who are ...

Making workplaces disability friendly (1499 words)

This month's TUC Disability Conference will call for comprehensive rights for people with disabilities. Labour Research reports on a significant union initiative which is ...

Regional pay rejected (1298 words)

Treasury calls for public sector pay to vary in different regions of the country have been panned by bodies looking at pay in local ...

Law Matters

Court says TUPE covers early retirement rights (302 words)

In a landmark ruling, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has stated that employees who are transferred to a new employer have the absolute ...

Tribunal allows pay difference based on length of service (215 words)

Length of service can be an objective justification for pay differences, even if the result is that proportionately more women than men get less ...

Statutory sick pay claims (66 words)

Claims for statutory sick pay (SSP) have to be pursued through the Benefits Agency. Workers cannot pursue the non-payment of SSP as claims for ...

Equal pay code takes effect (108 words)

A revised code of practice on equal pay comes into force on 1 December 2003. The code takes account of the changes to equal ...

Judicial appointments (69 words)

While the proportion of people from minority ethnic groups appointed to the judiciary has risen in the last year, the overall proportion of new ...

Law Queries

Temporary workers (88 words)

I am working on a temporary contract through a local authority bureau. At what stage do they have to make the job permanent? ...

TUPE and length of service (110 words)

We work for a building contractor. We have been TUPE transferred twice and have been with the latest employer for just over six months. ...

Imposed pay deals (144 words)

We have been in negotiations with our employer over pay for nearly two months but the offers that he is making are unacceptable to ...

Disciplinary procedures (198 words)

One of my members was injured in an incident at work in April. Although he reported the matter to his manager, he apparently did ...

Trade union recognition (128 words)

Can you provide a handy definition of what recognition means under the terms of the relevant legislation? ...

Law Back-up

Sexual orientation rules come into effect (760 words)

This month lesbian, gay and bisexual workers finally get the right not to be discriminated against at work on grounds of their sexual orientation. ...

Health & Safety Matters

Employers manage to dilute chemicals scheme (315 words)

Environmental campaigners are angry that a new European Union (EU) regulatory framework for chemicals has been diluted after lobbying from industry and governments. ...

Health workers face HIV infection threat (235 words)

Seventeen health workers may have been infected with HIV at work, and four have died as a result, according to a parliamentary report. ...

Bullying epidemic in the NHS (89 words)

Bullying of health visitors, school nurses and community nurses in the NHS is rife, according a new survey. The survey was conducted for the ...

OEDA appeal (73 words)

The Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association (OEDA) is facing a financial crisis and needs support after the Association of London Government has ended its ...

Stress in banking (85 words)

A survey by banking and finance union UNIFI has found epidemic levels of stress in the sector. The survey, published on National Stress Awareness ...

Health & Safety Back-up

New tool for tackling hazardous substances (664 words)

Millions of workers are exposed to hazardous substances in their workplace. Back-up looks at a new TUC tool for dealing with the hazards. ...

Equality news

Single equality body still three years off (381 words)

The government's confirmation that it is to create a single equality body to enforce anti-discrimination law has met with a qualified response by the ...

More employers provide flexible work schemes (196 words)

A major new report on work-life balance has found that more employers are offering a variety of forms of flexible working, although use by ...

Help for ethnic minority workers (82 words)

Entertainment union BECTU is organising a series of workshops and one-to-one meetings to help ethnic minority workers make contacts with key players in the ...

Women directors (81 words)

The number of female directorships in the FTSE 100 top companies has passed the 100 mark for the first time, according to research by ...

Childcare lottery (89 words)

The availability of registered childcare places for children under eight ranges from one place for every five children in some areas to one place ...

Workplace Back-up

Employers warned over bias in aptitude tests (825 words)

Psychometric and aptitude testing for job applicants hit the headlines last month when it was revealed that James Murdoch, son of media tycoon Rupert ...

Reviews

Representing workers - union recognition and membership in Britain (185 words)

Edited by Howard Gospel and Stephen Wood, Routledge, 192 pages, paperback, £19.99 ...

Workplace stress - law and practice (120 words)

Smita Jamdar and Jane Byford, The Law Society, 192 pages, £29.95 ...

Sweatshops and globalisation - an activist's response (120 words)

No Sweat, PCS, 26 pages, £1.50 ...

E-views

E-views (359 words)

Way back in the early days of the Internet (in December 1996, to be exact), I noticed something new on the Amazon.com website. It ...