Labour Research December 2024
Strengthening protection against sexual harassment A change in the law means employers must now proactively take steps to prevent workplace sexual harassment
The changing industrial relations landscape New research from the Acas employment conciliation body locates the increase in strike activity in an altered industrial landscape
Labour’s Budget — what do unions make of it? Unions are broadly positive about Labour’s Budget, though some feel the government could go further to protect working people
News
Four-day week could save millions (148 words)
The government could save £21.4 million a year by allowing staff at the Defra environment, food and rural affairs department to work a four-day ... Open access
Health service winter alert (96 words)
Just one in 12 health workers say the NHS is better prepared going into this winter than it was last year, according to a new GMB general union poll. ... Open access
Campaign against ticket office closures launched in Scotland (372 words)
The Scotrail rail company has been accused by the RMT transport union of misleading the public over the true scale of ticket office cuts. ... Subscribers only
Plans to close over 100 Post Office branches condemned (217 words)
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has condemned Post Office plans to close 115 crown office branches — those owned by the company directly — ... Open access
Sixth form college teachers set to take strike action over pay (352 words)
More than 2,000 NEU teaching union members in sixth form colleges were set to take three days of strike action in 32 colleges in late November and ... Subscribers only
Pension scheme warning issued (160 words)
Any reforms to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) must put the interests of public sector employees first, the UNISON public services union ... Open access
Anger over tuition fees (222 words)
Unions have condemned the government’s decision to increase tuition fees from £9,250 to £9,535 a year in England, with UCU university and college ... Open access
Inflation jumps (76 words)
The CPI inflation figure for October jumped to 2.3%, up from 1.7% the month before. RPI inflation (the inflation measure trade unionists use) also ... Open access
Labour market indicators (206 words)
Labour market statistics show rising unemployment and a fall in vacancies: ... Open access
Key economic indicators
Key economic indicators (423 words)
Inflation (RPI) +3.4%, Average earnings +4.8% ... Subscribers only
Union news
TUC welcomes improved rights for union organising (395 words)
The government’s Employment Rights Bill, launched in October, will boost unions’ presence in the workplace and help them to recruit and organise, ... Subscribers only
Substantially more applications for statutory trade union recognition (233 words)
Unions made substantially more applications for statutory union recognition in 2023-24 than in the previous two years. ... Open access
POA general secretary (66 words)
Steve Gillan has won a further five-year term as general secretary of the 32,000-strong Prison Officers Association after seeing off a challenge from ... Open access
Recognition (64 words)
The IWGB union has gained a statutory right to collectively bargain on behalf of non-managerial staff of the Sheffield Wildlife Trust. The win came ... Open access
Derecognition fight (82 words)
Members of the RMT transport union at Unipart Rail took strike action last month against the management’s decision to derecognise the union. ... Open access
European news
Unions ask for 10% (134 words)
In an unusual move, SAK, Finland’s main union confederation, has announced that it is calling for 10% pay increases over the next two years — 6% ... Open access
National strike in Italy (100 words)
Large sections of the Italian economy, including public transport, schools and parts of the health service were halted on 29 November by a national ... Open access
Volkswagen union rejects major ‘poison list’ pay cuts (319 words)
IG Metall, Germany’s largest union, which organises workers at the car-maker Volkswagen, has welcomed management’s willingness to consider ... Subscribers only
Impact of floods sees delay in planned working time changes (284 words)
A planned cut in the legal length of working time in Spain from 40 to 37.5 hours a week is now likely to be delayed until the Spring as the ... Subscribers only
Features
Tackling sexual harassment (2,213 words)
Landmark TUC research in 2017 found that half of all women have experienced workplace sexual harassment — and more recent TUC research shows this ... Subscribers only
The changing face of disputes (2,167 words)
There has been a huge increase in strike activity over the past few years — and it’s changed the landscape of industrial relations. The strike ... Subscribers only
Unions and the Labour Budget (2,266 words)
The government’s plans for spending, investment and taxation are “a positive plan to start rebuilding Britain”, according to the TUC. This is ... Subscribers only
Law Matters
New Employment Rights Bill and consultations (340 words)
The Employment Rights Bill, hailed by Labour as “the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation”, was debated at its second reading in ... Subscribers only
Sex-based harassment case (318 words)
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has upheld the decision of an Employment Tribunal (ET) that comments made about an employee’s baldness did ... Subscribers only
Distributing tips fairly (123 words)
As reported in Labour Research, October 2024, page 19, the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 is now in force, accompanied by a statutory Code ... Open access
NMW enforcement (94 words)
The government’s report into National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage enforcement during the 2022–2023 financial year, presents key ... Open access
Law Queries
Q&A (783 words)
Discrimination by association ... Subscribers only
Law Back-up
The legal issues on fixed-term contracts (906 words)
Regulation 1 FTER02 defines a fixed-term contract (FTC) as a contract of employment which will, in the normal course, “terminate either: ... Subscribers only
Health & Safety Matters
Unions focus on workplace violence (245 words)
The Community trade union has highlighted new Ministry of Justice figures showing a further increase in assaults on prison staff. ... Open access
Research highlights dangers of night work (285 words)
New research on workers’ experience of night work “shines a light on the often-underreported impacts and risks”. ... Subscribers only
Shopworkers endure impact of 'retail crime epidemic' (180 words)
Seven in 10 incidents of threats and violence against shopworkers are triggered by theft. ... Open access
Solidarity call issued for Italian workers’ struggle (318 words)
Union activists are calling on the whole union movement to support workers at the former GKN automative and aerospace components company factory at ... Subscribers only
Unions make demands of climate conference talks (261 words)
The ITUC International Trade Union Congress put forward “a clear list of demands” ahead of the annual worldwide COP29 negotiations — the ... Subscribers only
Warning over Sellafield cuts (226 words)
Ahead of the Budget at the end of October (see pages 16-18), the GMB general union warned that any funding cuts at the Sellafield nuclear ... Open access
Equality news
Labour establishes new Office for Equality (218 words)
The Labour government has replaced the previous Equality Hub with a new Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO) which will oversee equality policy ... Open access
General Medical Council warns over inequality (317 words)
Issues of inequality in medicine are “persistent and pernicious”, according to the doctor’s independent regulator the General Medical Council ... Subscribers only
TUC publishes three-year campaign plan and priorities (269 words)
The TUC has published its three-year plan setting out its campaign to challenge inequality in the workplace. ... Subscribers only
Workplace Back-up
Minimum wage rises see pay boost for millions (943 words)
The separate rate for 18- to 20-year-olds will increase from £8.60 to £10; the government intends to close the gap between this rate and the rate ... Subscribers only