Fact Service May 2011

Issue 21 (26/05/2011); Issue 20 (19/05/2011); Issue 19 (12/05/2011); Issue 18 (05/05/2011)

Issue 21

Pay settlements in manufacturing rise (201 words)

Manufacturing wage settlements have crept up, but only back towards average historical levels according to the latest figures from the manufacturers’ organisation EEF and ...

Business red tape burden exaggerated (355 words)

It is time business stopped seeing red whenever employment regulation is mentioned and instead adopted a more balanced, evidence-based perspective. The perception that UK ...

Another final salary pension scheme goes (213 words)

The US conglomerate General Electric (GE) has announced the closure of its final salary pension scheme to new entrants — new members will now ...

Economic growth in 2011 confirmed (380 words)

The UK economy grew by 0.5% in the first quarter, according to the second estimate from the Office for National Statistics. Although the overall ...

Fascist's arrival end union's sponsorship (133 words)

A branch of the GMB general union has decided to end its sponsorship of Swindon Town football club in protest at the appointment of ...

Reform of childcare means work won’t pay (405 words)

The government’s funding of childcare under the proposed Universal Credit could shatter its commitment to make work pay, accordingly to new analysis commissioned by ...

Retirement pension gender gap closes (186 words)

The retirement gender pay gap has shrunk slightly over the last 12 months, according to research from the financial services group Prudential. ...

Over 1,000 jobs axed at two banks (107 words)

Two banks that were bailed out with taxpayers’ money by the last Labour government have announced that a further 1,060 jobs are to be ...

Issue 20

Split on where inflation is heading (379 words)

There was a two-way split on inflation in April, latest official figures show. The rate of inflation under the Retail Prices Index (RPI) dipped ...

Muted earnings growth across the economy (408 words)

Average earnings growth staged a small recovery in March, latest official figures show. ...

Pay commission points to widening gap (523 words)

The UK’s top earners are taking a bigger slice than ever of the national income, says an interim report from the High Pay Commission, ...

Jobless total down by 36,000 to 2.46 million (470 words)

Under the Labour Force Survey (LFS) count, unemployment fell by 36,000 compared with the previous three months to stand at 2.46 million in the ...

Issue 19

More coalition attacks on workers’ rights (679 words)

The coalition government celebrated its first year in power by stepping up their attack on employment rights with announcement of new areas that it ...

New rights for agency workers set out (385 words)

Final guidance on the 2010 Agency Worker Regulations, which come into force at the start of October 2011, has been published by the Department ...

May elections 2011 (612 words)

The Labour Party is the biggest party in Wales following the Welsh Assembly elections but has no overall majority. Meanwhile, in Scotland the Scottish ...

Charities say work assessment is failing (256 words)

The controversial assessment which is supposed to say whether or not people are fit for work or claim benefits is failing, according to a ...

Voting reform rejected (116 words)

More than two-thirds of those who took part in the poll opposed replacing the current method for electing MPs with the alternative vote (AV) ...

Issue 18

Safety inspector blows whistle on HSE cuts (226 words)

Huge cuts in the funding of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) mean major work sites will only be inspected after a death or ...

Living wage campaign targets top 100 firms (364 words)

A group of investors worth £13 billion are to push major companies into paying a “living wage”. The FairPensions group plans to raise the ...

Strike action move falls (142 words)

A 10-minute rule Bill to "prohibit strike action in the emergency and transport service sectors unless a majority of employees in the unionised workforce ...

Sneak attack on local housing allowance (593 words)

Hidden in clause 68 of the Welfare Reform Bill are proposals that will have a profound impact on housing in this country, according to ...

Dip in trade union membership (583 words)

Union membership edged closer to the six and a half million mark as numbers holding a union card fell, according to Labour Force Survey ...

TUC launches union learning resource (414 words)

A new and unique set of learning resources for use in schools and colleges has been launched by the TUC. ...