Pay and prices

New pay round begins at a steady 3.0% (258 words)

Early figures for settlements in the new pay round show little change from the previous period. The three-monthly median for all agreements remains at ...

Labour Research Department three-monthly pay figures (216 words)

Percentage increases on lowest basic rates (by agreements covered) ...

Other pay analysts (23 words)

Industrial Relations Services (median, three months to end Sept 2004) 3.0% ...

Average earnings indices (159 words)

June 03 (r) 111.6 3.2 3.0 3.3 2.7 5.2 ...

Full-time weekly average earnings (28 words)

All workers £502.90 ...

Inflation forecasts (29 words)

Fourth quarter 2004 ...

Prices (59 words)

August 03 181.6 2.9 2.9 ...

Bargaining news

Turner report sets out stark pension choices (268 words)

The government's Pension Commission, chaired by former CBI chief Adair Turner, published its first report this month - and starkly set out the failings ...

Old universities move to national pay spine (221 words)

A new national pay spine has come into effect for academic and academic-relatedstaff in the "pre-1992" universities, together with a pay rise delivering a ...

Biggest health unions vote on Agenda for Change (563 words)

The 'Agenda for Change' (AfC) proposals for the NHS remain contentious, with ballots of two unions producing very different responses as two others prepared ...

16% rise in directors' pay (175 words)

A new report from Incomes Data Services (IDS) shows that the directors of FTSE 350 companies saw their pay rise by an average 16.1% ...

Call-centre jobs are on the rise - as more go overseas (448 words)

Although the number of companies "offshoring" jobs is continuing to rise - as demonstrated by insurer Royal & SunAlliance's (RSA) decision earlier this month ...

Ageism affects young people too (146 words)

Age discrimination is often regarded as an older workers' problem, but research from law firm Eversheds has found that it also affects young people ...

Revised figures prove that higher earnings come to those who weight (342 words)

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) is changing the way it estimates average earnings - with the result that we are apparently earning more ...

Equality news

Unequal pay persists in universities (274 words)

Female academics are increasing in numbers, but are continuing to lose out on pay in comparison to their male colleagues. ...

Small firms see benefits of offering flexible working (205 words)

More than nine out of 10 small businesses (91%) now offer flexible working arrangements, according to new research among firms with up to 50 ...

Women make further inroads into management (207 words)

The number of women in management positions is growing significantly, and there is evidence that their pay is increasing too. ...

Disability Discrimination Act extends its reach (140 words)

From this month, small workplaces employing fewer than 15 workers - estimated to be as many as 90% of UK workplaces - are no ...

Recruitment and organisation news

Unions urged to focus on organising (237 words)

The annual Trades Union Congress last month passed a detailed resolution on union organising, asserting that "a growing union movement is the most effective ...

Croydon's star rep gets award (86 words)

The TUC's annual Organising Rep Award for 2004 went to Melanie Jenner of civil service union PCS, for recruiting and organising hundreds of staff ...

Learning and training news

New apprenticeship guide (232 words)

The TUC and the Learning and Skills Council have published a new booklet aimed at helping union reps raise the number of apprenticeship places ...

TUC unveils plans for Union Academy (161 words)

The TUC has published plans for a Union Academy, to provide working people with learning where and how they want it. The Academy - ...

Award for top learning rep (152 words)

Domestic assistant and UNISON member Mary Locke was named the TUC Union Learning Rep of the Year at Congress last month. ...

European news

Union averts pay freeze but yields on hours (267 words)

German metalworkers' union IG Metall, which also organises textile and clothing workers following a merger in 1998, has been able to withstand employers' demands ...

New European-level stress agreement signed (459 words)

Unions and employers at European level have signed a framework agreement on work-related stress. This is a further step in identifying stress as an ...

Spain's public sector sees above-inflation pay rises (177 words)

A 3.5% increase in the pay bill for around two million workers has been agreed by unions and public sector employers in Spain. ...

Health & safety news

Shop workers report huge rise in abuse and attacks (210 words)

Shocking figures published in September report a massive rise in the level of attacks, abuse and threats suffered by shopworkers. ...

Research shows backache benefits of physiotherapy (214 words)

Good-quality advice from a physiotherapist might be all you need to sort out your bad back, according to a new study published in the ...

Unions back asthma plan (120 words)

A new scheme aimed at preventing asthma at work was launched with the backing of the TUC and bakers' union BFAWU last month. ...

Postal workers walk out on safety grounds (118 words)

A walkout earlier this month by postal workers at the Royal Mail's N7 delivery office in London has forced management to improve conditions that ...

Drivers get the hump (92 words)

Reading's bus drivers are threatening industrial action next month, in protest at having to drive over speed humps every day. ...

The importance of sleep (85 words)

A new report says that adults get an average of 90 minutes less sleep than they used to, and that lack of sleep is ...

Features

Employers just can't cope with conflict (254 words)

A report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has found that conflicts at work, including disciplinary and grievance cases and preparing ...

Contract law (510 words)

This month's cases highlight illegal contractual arrangements, employee status, rights to sick pay and fixed-term contracts. ...

Obligation to extend sick pay (245 words)

Case 1: The facts ...

Employee status (386 words)

Case 2: The facts ...

Mutual obligations (130 words)

Case 5: The facts ...

Nature of agency (161 words)

Case 6: The facts ...

Temporary contracts (163 words)

Case 7: The facts ...

Implied terms on grievances (102 words)

Case 8: The facts ...

Illegal contracts (463 words)

Case 9: The facts ...

Contractual right to sick pay (175 words)

Case 12: The facts ...

Clear term (175 words)

Case 13: The facts ...

Transfer law (194 words)

This month's cases focus on the identification of employees and what amounts to a relevant transfer. ...

Defining who will transfer (151 words)

Case 1: The facts ...

An economic activity (147 words)

Case 2: The facts ...

Defining an undertaking (124 words)

Case 3: The facts ...

Whistleblowing (144 words)

Employees who make protected disclosures must do so in good faith if they want to rely on the whistleblowing legislation for protection. ...

Bereavement leave (142 words)

The right to time off following the death of a dependant does not include a right to bereavement leave. ...

Trade union activities (177 words)

An individual does not have to be a union rep for their activities to be described as trade union activities for the purposes of ...

Information and consultation (136 words)

EU-based multinational companies must provide the information needed to set up a European Works Council (EWC), if employee representatives in another company in the ...

Deduction from wages (131 words)

A tribunal can consider whether industrial action has taken place, even though it cannot consider claims for deductions resulting from such action. ...

Unjustifiable discipline (125 words)

A union "unjustifiably disciplined" a member when it expelled her for complaining that officers had broken union rules. ...

New advisory role for HSC comes under fire again (241 words)

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) is pushing ahead with a controversial plan to provide advice "free from the fear of enforcement" - part ...

Prospect campaigns to stop standards falling (190 words)

Inspectors' union Prospect is campaigning against Health and Safety Executive (HSE) plans to reduce the number of investigations into major injuries at work and ...

HSC consults on strategy (134 words)

The HSC has launched a consultation discussing the methods used by the HSE and local authorities to influence health and safety standards in the ...

Rail fine "not severe enough", says family (163 words)

Two companies responsible for the death of rail worker Michael Mungovan were fined £325,000 this month after admitting to breaches of health and safety ...

Negligent employers to pay NHS treatment costs (123 words)

The government is looking to recover the cost to the NHS of treating people injured at work. ...