Pay and prices

Settlements show little movement (221 words)

This month's figures from the LRD Payline database show very little variation on the previous month, with settlements steady at 3.5% for the three ...

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

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

Full-time weekly average earnings (28 words)

All workers £536.20 ...

Average earnings indices (160 words)

Nov 03 (r) 113.7 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.3 4.2 ...

Prices (62 words)

December 03 183.5 2.8 2.6 ...

Inflation forecasts (29 words)

Fourth quarter 2005 ...

Bargaining news

Drivers' deal makes use of regulatory "opt-out" (497 words)

The T&G transport union has agreed a new pay deal for 250 long-distance (trunk) drivers at mail order distribution group Reality, taking the new ...

Print workers get 3% (110 words)

A national agreement for 2005, worth £7.50 a week for the lowest-paid print workers, has been agreed between the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) ...

Scope reaches consultation agreement (254 words)

Disability charity Scope has struck a facilities agreement with the unions Amicus and UNISON, to come into effect next month on the day that ...

Commission opts for small rises in minimum wage (862 words)

The Low Pay Commission (LPC) has recommended a rise in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) this autumn and a further rise next year, ignoring ...

Part-timers are working "below their potential" (405 words)

More employers need to offer flexible working to stop skilled workers ending up in low-paid, part-time jobs, a new report from the Equal Opportunities ...

Lecturers' strikes have an effect (137 words)

Strike action by lecturers last month has forced a number of further education (FE) colleges to implement a national pay deal. ...

Equality news

Consultation sets target of one year's paid leave for new mothers (360 words)

The government says it wants to extend maternity pay and adoption pay from six to nine months by April 2007, with the goal of ...

Young people complain of discrimination (286 words)

A new report from the Employers Forum on Age (EFA) has revealed that workplace age discrimination is seen as a bigger problem by young ...

BME women experience low pay and stereotyping (503 words)

Women from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities experience "massive inequalities" in employment and pay, according to a new report - but the levels ...

Single equalities body is a step closer to reality (196 words)

The government has published legislation to set up the UK's new single equalities body. ...

Recruitment and organisation news

Support for unions grows within high-street giants (292 words)

Retail workers are seeing the benefits of union membership. ...

Amicus aims to attract more Muslims (91 words)

The skilled and professional union Amicus is aiming to build representation in the Muslim community through an initiative to help young Muslim women find ...

Learning and training news

Charity highlights tragic waste of refugees' skills (353 words)

Highly qualified refugees are being ignored for jobs in their professions in a "scandalous waste" of skills, according to a refugee charity's TUC-backed report. ...

Film aims to boost literacy and numeracy (94 words)

The Southern and Eastern Region TUC (SERTUC) has produced a short film about Skills for Life, the government strategy for improving adult literacy and ...

European news

Spain agrees need for "pay moderation" (247 words)

Unions and employers in Spain have signed a new framework agreement on collective bargaining for the coming 12 months. ...

Germany's public sector signs major agreement (531 words)

The German trade union Verdi has reached a groundbreaking deal on pay and working time with employers representing most of the country's public sector. ...

Belgian health workers' strike forces concessions (189 words)

Strike action by Belgian health workers has forced the government to increase its funding of the health care sector by €471 million over the ...

Law - Dismissal

Dismissal law (362 words)

Reduced compensation awards and interruptions in employees' service are among this month's topics. ...

Constructive dismissal (189 words)

During the course of his employment, Mr O'Shea was subject to five investigations into allegations of gross misconduct. He was suspended during each investigation. ...

Continuity of service (232 words)

Mr Orchard resigned when his employer tried to reduce his contractual hours, but he was subsequently reinstated. His employment was terminated two months later. ...

Unfair hearing (148 words)

Ethna Kilduff, co-ordinator of a mental health charity's drop-in centre, had an unblemished disciplinary record, but was dismissed following a colleague's complaint that she ...

Compensation (118 words)

Mr Morgans won an unfair dismissal claim, but his compensatory award was reduced by the amount of incapacity benefit he had received. He appealed ...

Adherence to official guidance (125 words)

After Mr Birch and three colleagues were unfairly dismissed, they claimed loss of pension as part of their compensation claims. ...

Health & safety news

Workers sacked over safety concerns (286 words)

Hundreds of workers are fired every year for objecting to unsafe working conditions, and the law is failing to stop negligent bosses showing them ...

Government launches occupational health pilot (312 words)

The government has announced plans for a pilot scheme that unions hope will lead to a national occupational health service. ...

Asbestos ruling welcomed (112 words)

Unions have welcomed a High Court ruling last month that thousands of people with pleural plaques - a calcification of the lungs that can ...

Royal Mail stress policy (107 words)

Communication workers' unions CWU and CMA have hailed the first-ever national stress management policy at Royal Mail. ...

Metalworking fluids linked to breast cancer (78 words)

Women in jobs that involve metalworking fluids may have a higher risk of developing breast cancer, new research suggests. ...

Features

Disability discrimination (356 words)

This month's cases include rulings on defining disability and discriminatory dismissal. ...

Duty to make adjustments (466 words)

Ms Francis, an arthritis sufferer, had long periods of sickness absence. Her employer, a local council, carried out assessments, adjusted her workstation and allowed ...

Difference in treatment (104 words)

James Greig applied for a job which he did not get. A couple of months later he reapplied for the same job, but by ...

Progressive conditions (146 words)

Mr Grimley had cancer, a progressive condition. The effect on his day-to-day activities was minor for the first 12 months, but became substantial after ...

Definition of disability (135 words)

Mr Hewett suffered from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism which made it difficult for him to interact fully at work. He brought a ...

Postnatal leave and disability (124 words)

Teacher Shahina Murphy had a heart disorder that made it dangerous for her to undergo a pregnancy, so she had a child through surrogacy ...

Discriminatory dismissal (142 words)

Ms Collins has diabetes (a disability under the DDA) and took long-term sick leave during her probationary period, which was extended. ...

Recognised impairment (173 words)

Mr Wilson suffered from anxiety and depression, which got worse after he was ill with flu. He claimed that his condition amounted to a ...

Adjustments in redundancy (408 words)

Mrs Dixon had substantial hearing loss and could not use a telephone, so she and a number of other customer advisers did jobs that ...

Reduced compensation (126 words)

* Where unfair treatment precipitates a pre-existing medical condition, a tribunal may reduce its compensation award to reflect the chance that the condition would ...

Frustration of contract (222 words)

* A worker prevented from entering his workplace for a reason not specified in his employment contract was entitled to be paid wages. ...

Health and safety complaints (201 words)

* Workers have protection if they suffer a detriment after raising a complaint about a health and safety risk. ...

Tribunal procedures (159 words)

* A tribunal was entitled to refuse to extend the time limit for amending a claim for unfair dismissal to include one of disability ...

TUC slams plan to phase out routine inspections (273 words)

The TUC has expressed concern at government plans to cut "red tape", which will mean a lighter touch on workplace safety. ...

Changes to liability law aren't enough, say unions (238 words)

Unions are unhappy with proposed amendments to the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999, which will not close important loopholes in the legislation. ...

Construction deaths demo (76 words)

Construction workers staged a demonstration outside the HSE's construction health and safety summit last month. ...

New research on worker involvement in safety (182 words)

Many workers don't get more involved in health and safety at work because of their employers' organisational culture, according to new Health and Safety ...

New safety law dates (91 words)

From this year, there will only be two dates every year on which new domestic safety laws will come into force, the HSE has ...

Review bodies make their mark (2704 words)

The School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) covers the 509,000 teachers in the 24,600 maintained schools in England and Wales. ...

Is your employer watching you? (2321 words)

The ever-falling cost of surveillance equipment such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, combined with workers' increased use of the internet and other easily monitored ...