News

Annual survey puts pay rises at 3.3% (184 words)

Over the last 12 months pay increases across the economy have averaged 3.3%. This is the main finding of the annual review of the ...

Identity card bill scrapes through as business support starts to fade (378 words)

The government's plans for a national identity card scheme are looking increasingly frayed. Support from the business community appears to be falling away while ...

Labour leadership is again defeated on council housing (231 words)

Overwhelming support for the so-called fourth option for council housing at this year's Labour Party conference has put the government under renewed pressure to ...

Unions welcome deal on public sector pensions (473 words)

The threat of a major public sector strike has been averted after a framework deal was reached on pensions for teachers, and workers in ...

Gate Gourmet dispute ends (201 words)

The T&G general union has welcomed the signing of a new catering contract by British Airways and Gate Gourmet. This brings to an end ...

Oil pushes up inflation (74 words)

The continuing high price of petrol has pushed inflation higher. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI), which excludes housing costs, rose from 2.4% in August ...

Mixed message on unemployment (205 words)

There were mixed signals from the latest unemployment figures. ...

Key economic indicators

Key economic indicators (327 words)

August 2004 (r) 4.2% 3.3% 4.1% 4.2% 4.5% 3.0% ...

Union news

TUC launches "Bargaining to Organise" campaign (282 words)

Last month the TUC launched its "Bargaining to Organise" (B2O) campaign aimed at bringing union organising and collective bargaining processes closer together. ...

Key decision imminent in three-way merger talks (283 words)

The planned merger between the T&G and GMB general unions and the Amicus technical and professional union will face "crunch time" next month. ...

New FBU deputy (59 words)

The Fire Brigades Union has elected the acting London regional secretary Andy Dark to the union's number two position. Dark beat the only other ...

AFL-CIO organiser (70 words)

A TUC conference this month on union organising is to be addressed by the director of the Centre for Strategic Research for the American ...

Aspect (45 words)

Aspect is the new name for the education inspectors' union (formerly NAEIAC). It stands for Association of Professionals in Education and Children's Trusts, a ...

Web animations (60 words)

The TUC has been working with web designers to develop a series of animations to put out a positive message about trade unions via ...

European news

Unions challenge Commission over Latvian case (208 words)

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has called on the European Commission to clarify the position of Commissioner Charlie McCreevy following reports that he ...

Insurance firm could soon have UK employee on board (312 words)

A UK employee of the Allianz Cornhill insurance firm could shortly join five other Allianz employees from across Europe on the supervisory board of ...

Coalition government may lead to new social dialogue in Germany (298 words)

Planned labour market changes that were opposed by German unions have been put on ice following the formation of a new coalition government. ...

Features

Unions aim to build an "army of organisers" (2069 words)

The organising resolution at last year's Congress committed all unions and the TUC to carrying out a range of measures in response to the ...

Building links with local communities (2013 words)

Last year, for the first time in its history, the TUC Congress debated how to improve the recruitment and organisation of black and minority ...

Getting organised with Solidarity (1134 words)

The latest figures from the Department of Work and Pensions indicate that 111,000 workers from the new member states of the European Union entered ...

Directors share billion-pound pensions pot (1264 words)

The latest Labour Research survey of directors of the UK's top firms - those making up the FTSE-100 index - found most expecting generous ...

Law Matters

BT's Treatment of diabetic worker was discriminatory (229 words)

Telecoms giant BT's actions towards a diabetic employee - including denying him time away from his desk and placing him on a performance review ...

Temps win right to redundancy (128 words)

Four education advisers working on fixed-term contracts for the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) have successfully claimed the right to receive redundancy payments. ...

Work gaps did not affect continuity (307 words)

A care assistant who could vary some of her hours and had two short periods without work was still an employee with continuous service, ...

Notice and constructive dismissal (268 words)

Employees who work out their notice can still claim constructive dismissal - even if their notice period is extended. ...

Law Queries

Continuity of service (241 words)

Q: I have been working for the same company doing the same job for three years and have just been taken on permanently. But ...

Long-term sick leave (291 words)

Q: Can a company stop holiday accruing if a worker is off work on long-term sickness? ...

No holiday pay (199 words)

Q: One of our members is a part-time pizza delivery driver. He gets the minimum wage, plus some expenses because he has to use ...

Law Back-up

Legal changes define sexual harassment (883 words)

The introduction of a specific definition of sexual harassment was the most significant change brought in last month by the Employment Equality (Sex Discrimination) ...

Health & Safety Matters

Work cancer deaths are greatly underestimated (320 words)

The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) estimate of the occupational cancer rates in the UK is too low, a new American report has claimed. ...

New body map aims to reduce health risks faced by drivers (268 words)

A new tool to reduce the "hidden risks" of driving for work - from musculoskeletal disorders to deep-vein thrombosis - has been developed by ...

Business-friendly inspections promised (131 words)

A business-friendly inspection system for health and safety has been promised by a senior government manager, fuelling union fears that pressure for an "inspection-lite" ...

Jobcentre violence increases (99 words)

Attacks on staff in jobcentres have risen by over 60% in the last year, the PCS civil service union has revealed, and reduced staffing ...

Health & Safety Back-up

Unions take steps to stamp out bullying (870 words)

The aim of the day, organised by campaign group the Andrea Adams Trust with the backing of the TUC and individual unions, is to ...

Equality news

New jobseekers' guide for lesbian and gay students (158 words)

Gay rights organisation Stonewall has produced the first national recruitment guide for lesbian and gay jobseekers. ...

European commission scraps plan to help agency workers (274 words)

The European Commission's decision to shelve its draft temporary agency workers' directive "gives a green light to those unscrupulous employers who will continue to ...

Public bodies are told to promote sex equality (86 words)

The government has published proposals that will require public sector bodies to promote sex equality rather than simply preventing discrimination. ...

Disability is not seen as a big issue (241 words)

Employers invest "significantly less in disability compared to race or gender", according to a new report from the Employers Forum on Disability (EFD) ...

Workplace Back-up

Will new fathers take more paternity leave? (894 words)

When the Work and Families Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 18 October, trade and industry secretary Alan Johnson said it ...

News from LRD

LRD executive committee nominations (185 words)

Nominations are invited from affiliated organisations and individuals for the 16 places on the LRD executive committee and for the honorary treasurer. ...

Reviews

Trafalgar Square: emblem of empire (161 words)

Rodney Mace, Lawrence and Wishart, 388 pages, paperback, £19.99 ...

Hugo Chávez and the Bolivarian revolution (153 words)

Richard Gott, Verso, 314 pages, paperback, £9.99 ...

Employment tribunal procedure (126 words)

Jeremy McMullen, Rebecca Tuck and Betsan Criddle, Legal Action Group, 758 pages, paperback, £37.00 ...

E-views

e-views (323 words)

Few unions in Britain appear to offer more opportunities for members to express themselves online than Napo -the union for family court and probation ...