News

Amicus ballots over sacked Rolls-Royce convenor (168 words)

Around 3,000 members of the Amicus technical and professional union at the Rolls-Royce plant in Patchway, Bristol were due to be balloted as Labour ...

Union leaders attack identity card proposals (218 words)

The proposed introduction of identity cards "will be a highly expensive mistake" a group of leading trade union officials said recently. ...

Unions protest over job cuts (96 words)

Members of the civil service unions are continuing to oppose job cuts and privatisation, lobbying MPs last month over cutbacks in the defence and ...

Rail union calls for range of measures following bombings (147 words)

Last month RMT rail union general secretary Bob Crow praised the professionalism and commitment of transport workers as London recovered from the second wave ...

London bombings vigil (60 words)

Members of the RMT and TSSA rail unions were among many other trade unionists who joined vigil in London's Trafalgar Square last month. The ...

Parliament cleaners strike for living wage (207 words)

Cleaners at the Houses of Parliament took a day's strike action last month. They were protesting at pay rates of £5 an hour, no ...

T&G delegates call for funding for council single status agreement (303 words)

Last month's T&G general union conference called for special government funding to ensure the full implementation of single status in local authorities. ...

Migrant workers' pay could be held back (222 words)

Part of the wages paid to low-skilled migrant workers could be compulsorily held until they return home, under new government proposals. ...

Inflation hits seven-year high (57 words)

Inflation was at a seven-year high under the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure. The CPI, which excludes housing costs, rose to 2.0% - up ...

Claimant count shows rise in jobless (200 words)

Unemployment under the claimant count, which only includes those drawing jobseekers' allowance, rose for the fifth consecutive month to 864,900 in June. ...

Key economic indicators

Key economic indicators (309 words)

May 2004 (r) 4.1% 4.5% 3.8% 4.2% 4.3% 3.0% ...

Union news

Survey shows union strength in public sector (328 words)

The proportion of employees in unions in the public sector is almost three times as high as in the private sector. So says a ...

Norman wins ASLEF election (108 words)

Members of the 15,000-strong train drivers' union, ASLEF, have elected Keith Norman as their new general secretary. He had been acting general secretary since ...

CSP and USDAW share press award (68 words)

The USDAW shopworkers' union and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) shared the award for best campaign at this year's TUC/Bank of Scotland Press and ...

T&G delegates win backing for merger recall conference (238 words)

Delegates at last month's conference of the 800,000-strong T&G general union insisted on a full debate on the union's planned merger with Amicus and ...

European news

French government rushes to amend labour code (216 words)

French unions are very concerned about changes to the legal code rushed through last month by the French government. ...

German unions face scandal and threat to bargaining rights (493 words)

Last month German unions had to respond to a major political challenge from the CDU/CSU conservative opposition coalition as well as a scandal involving ...

MEPs back unions on services directive (149 words)

The employment committee of the European Parliament last month approved a number of amendments to the services directive that would, in the view of ...

Features

Unions respond to Islamophobia threat (2324 words)

The TUC and many of its union affiliates have expressed their sympathy and solidarity with all those whose lives were shattered by the devastating ...

Regulating the gangmasters (1529 words)

The UK's agriculture and food processing industries are highly seasonal and fluctuations in demand for labour have traditionally been met by a system of ...

Unions press for greener transport (2125 words)

As we hit the peak holiday season, most of us will be using the most environmentally damaging forms of transport to escape abroad. ...

Outsourcing - does it work? (1740 words)

Just over two-thirds (68%) of UK organisations outsource some of their activities, according to a survey by the NOP market research company for the ...

Law Matters

Right to cross-examine witnesses can apply in disciplinary hearings (287 words)

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has ruled that, under certain circumstances, it can be essential for witnesses to be available for cross-examination at a ...

Offers of alternative work should include details of pay (209 words)

If an employer offers an employee alternative work following redundancy, it has an obligation to disclose details of the salary attached. ...

Duty to make adjustments also applies to hearings (146 words)

A failure to make reasonable adjustments in the disciplinary process for a profoundly deaf employee made his dismissal unfair and amounted to disability discrimination, ...

Sending employees home can be hostile (85 words)

If an employer thinks that an employee is becoming unwell through workplace stress, but the employee has indicated that s/he wishes to continue work ...

E-mailed forms (84 words)

A claimant who e-mails a claim form to a tribunal can assume it will be received within an hour, unless s/he receives a message ...

Law Queries

Disciplinary action (177 words)

Q. I have discovered that one of our members has received disciplinary warnings that have been noted on his file without any hearing being ...

Collective agreements (126 words)

Q. Do recognition and collective agreements transfer under TUPE? ...

Sickness following maternity (98 words)

Q. A member due to go back to work following maternity leave cannot do so because she is sick. What will her sickness entitlement ...

Discriminatory treatment (270 words)

Q. I was absent from work last year for six months and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. When I returned to work, my manager ...

Law Back-up

Law will bring limited retirement rights (910 words)

Last month the government published the draft version of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, which will implement the final requirements of the European ...

Health & Safety Matters

Single delivery is bad for postal workers (89 words)

The Royal Mail's move to a single daily delivery is harming postal workers' health and safety, according to the CWU communication workers' union. ...

Lawyers criticise manslaughter bill (82 words)

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) says the draft corporate manslaughter bill is unworkable and must be completely redrafted. ...

UNISON targets call-centre voice loss (72 words)

Thousands of call-centre workers are talking their way out of a job, public services union UNISON has warned. ...

Study reveals cancer link in nuclear industry (237 words)

Workers in the nuclear industry have an increased risk of contracting cancer through exposure to radiation, despite employers' consistent denials. ...

Campaigners push for a total ban on workplace smoking (271 words)

Unions and safety professionals have urged the government to extend its proposed workplace smoking ban to all workers, including those in bars and clubs. ...

Health & Safety Back-up

Give men paid time off for cancer screening (812 words)

Every year, more than 27,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer - and 10,000 die from it - in the UK alone. And yet ...

Equality news

Key ruling on learning difficulties (265 words)

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has established that learning difficulties do amount to a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). ...

Unions are urged to help improve black employment (453 words)

If the employment rate for black workers continues to rise at its current modest pace, it could take almost half a century for employment ...

Discriminatory bosses are ordered to attend training (217 words)

An employment tribunal has told three senior managers at Virgin Cross Country Trains to attend training in disability rights law. ...

Workplace Back-up

Tackling stress needs union input, says TUC (833 words)

According to a recent survey by a beer company, the sight of the sea is the quickest and most effective way to reduce high ...

News from LRD

LRD at union conferences (193 words)

With limited staff resources, LRD can only occasionally attend major union conferences. However, over the last couple of months several members of the LRD ...

Reviews

Super-imperialism (151 words)

The origin and fundamentals of US world dominance ...

Fragmenting work (138 words)

Blurring organisational boundaries and disordering hierarchies ...

Marx and Engels collected works volume 50 (160 words)

Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Lawrence and Wishart, 660 pages, hardback, £45 ...

E-views

e-views (320 words)

Unions should make it as easy as possible for new members to join, and today that means doing it online. ...