Labour Research May 2004

UK unions act to support migrant workers; Iraq sprouts independent labour movement; Colombian regime steps up attacks on unions; Labour makes progress on child poverty

News

Probation union slams two shake-ups in three years (308 words)

Probation service union Napo is to stage a rally and lobby of parliament this month in protest at the second shake-up of the probation ...

Trade union movement rallies against fascism (135 words)

The trade union movement is taking a central role in the campaign to defeat far-right parties like the British National Party (BNP) at the ...

Foundation hospital votes meet with apathy (223 words)

A dismal turnout has greeted the elections for the new management boards of the first 10 "foundation hospitals". ...

Postal managers threaten first strike in two decades (275 words)

Royal Mail managers may strike for the first time in 20 years because their employer is refusing to rule out forced redundancies. ...

School staff protest against hive-off (123 words)

School auxiliary staff in Northern Ireland last month picketed the Department of Education in protest at the privatisation of their jobs. The cleaners, caretakers ...

Civil servants to fight quotas in bonus scheme (130 words)

The PCS civil service union says it will mount a legal challenge to the Department of Work and Pensions unless it withdraws from imposing ...

Government "embarrassed" over firefighting success (132 words)

The FBU firefighters' union has accused the government of maintaining an embarrassed silence over the lowest number of fire deaths for over 40 years. ...

Union news

Scottish TUC mounts major drive to bolster movement (388 words)

A three-year drive to boost union membership in Scotland was launched last month by the Scottish TUC (STUC). ...

ASLEF holds major internal inquiry (230 words)

The executive committee of train drivers' union ASLEF was in permanent session last month after ordering a huge independent inquiry into the union's entire ...

Coulter re-elected (44 words)

Debbie Coulter has been re-elected as deputy general secretary of the GMB general union by a two to one majority. She was elected first ...

Woman heads Wales TUC (29 words)

Another woman has made a dent in the glass ceiling of the trade union movement: Felicity Williams has been appointed the new Wales TUC ...

European news

Europe's union movement welcomes 10 new states (648 words)

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has welcomed the process of enlargement of the European Union (EU), which on 1 May sees the number ...

Millions turn out on ETUC protest (227 words)

The day of action called by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) in pursuit of more social justice in Europe produced demonstrations across the ...

Features

Unions act to improve migrants' lot (1995 words)

Trade unions and others have witnessed some of the extreme exploitation faced by migrant workers. This has led to a range of initiatives to ...

Iraqi workers get organised (1968 words)

Despite all their country's chaos, Iraqi workers are now organising their own labour movement after years of repression under Saddam Hussein. ...

The state where union activists live in fear (1536 words)

Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world to be a member of a trade union. Tom Feiling of the TUC's Justice for ...

Is Labour hitting poverty targets? (1729 words)

It looks as though Blair's government is on track to reach its first target for lifting children out of poverty. But other poverty-busting targets ...

Alcohol dependency (146 words)

The union believes that this member has a disability and that the employer should make adjustments to enable him to continue working. The employer ...

Temporary employees (216 words)

The EU directive that gave temporary workers the right to no less favourable treatment did say that a worker had the right to a ...

Agency staff (168 words)

A recent ruling of the Court of Appeal has rejected the notion that someone working through an agency in this way could take an ...

Religious discrimination (236 words)

You are right in thinking that new legislation, effective from 2 December 2003, makes discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief unlawful - ...

Holidays and maternity leave (77 words)

The European Court of Justice has ruled that a woman on maternity leave has the right to exercise her holiday leave rights, even where ...

Maternity ruling (145 words)

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that UK government rules on calculating Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) are unlawful. ...

Equality in Scotland (127 words)

A new project which aims to challenge inequality and discrimination in Scotland's labour market has been launched by Bill Speirs, general secretary of the ...

Civil partnerships bill is hailed as a "leap forward" (283 words)

The government's long-awaited Bill giving legal recognition to same-sex couples was introduced into the House of Lords at the end of March. ...

Flexible working rights may be extended to carers (377 words)

Rights to request flexible working may be extended to carers of elderly or disabled relatives, according to Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt. ...

Law Matters

Teacher's win spells end of unfair strike deductions (394 words)

Employers will no longer be able to make disproportionate deductions from pay where workers take short periods of strike action, following a ruling by ...

Government promises to act on union recognition rights (325 words)

The Employment Relations Bill 2003 has now completed all its stages in the House of Commons. The Bill - which makes a number of ...

Protective awards (88 words)

If an employer fails to consult properly over redundancies, the union can go to a tribunal to get a "protective award" for every affected ...

Rolled-up holidays (84 words)

An employment tribunal has asked the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to rule on whether the practice of rolling payment for statutory holidays into ...

Activists and TUPE (110 words)

A union activist pursuing a claim for unfair dismissal on the basis that s/he was dismissed for union reasons may not be protected under ...