Federation News

Federation News is published jointly by the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) and the Institute of Employment Rights. It contains articles in the subject areas of labour law, labour economics and industrial relations, which are of interest to industrial relations practitioners and students.

The views expressed in Federation News do not represent the collective views of the Institute of Employment Rights or of the GFTU, but only the views of the authors.

Editor Michael Bradley
Advisory Editorial Board John Bell, Richard Beresford, Stephen Cavalier, Bill Dewhurst, Rosie Eagleson, Keith Ewing, John Fray, Dan Gallin, John Hendy, Judith Jackson, Carolyn Jones, Aileen McColgan, Doug Nicholls, Roger Seifert, Dave Spooner, Roger Welch, Frank Wilkinson.

How to order
Subscribers to IER automatically receive a copy of Federation News as part of their IER package. Copies can also be purchased by trade unions by sending a sterling cheque for £8 (made payable to "IER") with their order to The People's Centre, 50-54 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool L3 5SD

Commercial orders at the non-discounted price (£30) can also be posted or faxed to 0151 702 6935 on your usual order form and we will invoice you with the publication/s.

Order Form

Please complete the on line booking form (indicating which edition of Federation News you want to buy) or send a cheque (made payable to “IER”) to the Institute of Employment Rights at The People's Centre,
50-54 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool L3 5SD. (Prices include UK postage)
There are substantial reductions for bulk orders:

No. of copies	TU Price (each)	Others (each)
1-9	£8.00	£30.00
10-24	£6.50	£24.00
25-49	£5.50	£20.00
50-74	£4.50	£16.00
75-99	£3.50	£12.00
100+	£3.00	£9.00

Buy Federation News

Summer 2008: Europe at a Crossroads

European Labour law is at a crossroads. Recent decisions of the European Court of Justice in Viking, Laval, Ruffert and Luxembourg have shone a spotlight on what many see as a fundamental contradiction at the heart of the European project. That contradiction poses the freedom of trade unions to protect the rights of workers against the freedom of capital to roam the globe in search of free markets and flexible workers.

So what makes the 2008 'crossroads' significant? This edition of Federation News aims to examine that question and assess why Europe is facing its current 'constitutional crisis' and what, if anything, can be done about it.

Summer 2007- Equality: Are we catching up?

This edition of Federation News focuses on equality – and there is much to focus on! The last few years have seen major changes – changes both in legislation and in the institutional structure of the enforcement agencies. We have seen new strands of discrimination attract legislative attention (age, religion and belief and sexual orientation) as well as new positive duties placed on public bodies. We have witnessed the creation of the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights together with the imminent demise of the existing sex, race and disability commissions. And very soon, following the Discrimination Law Review (DLR) and numerous consultation documents, we hope to see the introduction of a proposed Single Equality Bill.

So has this activity generated more equality and less discrimination? Will the new Commission incorporate the best practices of the previous Commissions without losing their specific expertise? Has the recent report of the DLR identified the current problems and proposed effective solutions? In this edition of Federation News leading academic and legal experts join trade union officers in an excellent collection of articles addressing these and other questions.

Spring 2007: The Right to Strike - A Summary

The last edition of Federation News contained a series of articles from trade union General Secretaries outlining why they believe the time is right for a Trade Union Rights and Freedoms Bill. This edition takes up the same theme with a selection of essays from legal and academic experts highlighting the historical, legal and political arguments for a Bill.

These essays summarise a much larger report with the same title from the Institute, but they also go further. Since the IER published its report in December 2006, UK laws have once again been in the international spotlight for failing to meet agreed labour standards. The latest report from the ILO's Committee of Experts, raises significant concerns which undoubtedly strengthen the case for changing British labour law.

With a new labour leadership about to take office and with Europe looking to “modernise labour law to meet the challenges of the 21st century”, this edition of Federation News offers both a timely reminder of our past and informed options for our future.

Autumn 2006: the need for a Trade Union Freedom Bill

To celebrate the centenary of the introduction of the Trade Disputes Act 1906, this edition of Federation News is dedicated to the 2006 campaign for a new Trade Union Freedom Bill. Six general secretaries of unions representing nearly 4 million workers, outline why they believe restrictive trade union laws should be replaced by positive trade union freedoms.

But first the arguments for a Trade Union Freedom Bill are placed into historic, economic and legal contexts. Keith Ewing discusses the legal lessons to be learnt from the Trade Disputes Act of 1906. He suggests positive rights rather than legal immunities would be more appropriate for the 21st century. Frank Wilkinson and Simon Deakin track the economic impact unions have historically had on society and the role they play in reducing inequalities. Jon Cruddas goes on to argue that if labour wants to reconnect with the vast majority of workers, they must drop the rhetoric about a “new knowledge economy”, acknowledge the growth in poorly paid service sector jobs and implement policies – like the Trade Union freedom Bill – which will help address current inequalities in society.

From the unions Tony Woodley, Dave Prentis, Bob Crow, Billy Hayes, Mark Serwotka and Derek Simpson explain by example why they believe the current framework of law needs updating to deal with globalisation, privatisation and outsourcing.

Finally John Hendy, QC looks at the legal detail of the Bill, summarising its six main proposals. As he says the proposed Bill is modest, moderate and mild. But it would mark a significant stride in the right direction.

Spring 2006: Pensions Policy Post Turner- Out of print

This edition of Federation News coincides with the publication of the final report from the Turner Commission. It also coincides with a period of industrial unrest, as local government workers take action against unilateral changes to their pension entitlement. Appropriate therefore that our theme should be pensions and our contributors all pensions specialists.

There can be little doubt of the need for a new pensions settlement. Too many pensioners live in poverty, too few employers contribute to pension provision and very few workers have any faith in the safety and security of private pension schemes.

Autumn 2005: Organising for the future

UK unions in the 21st century: contributions from Robert Taylor, Keith Ewing, Dave Spooner, Tony Woodley, Paula Lanning, Mark Serwotka, Doug Nicholls, Frances O'Grady, Gregor Gall, John Hendy, Jim Mortimer, Asbjorn Wahl Executive editor: Carolyn Jones

Spring 2005: The Warwick Agreement

Contributions from Tony Dubbins, Dave Prentis, Keith Ewing, Alan Ritchie, John Hendy, Victoria Phillips, John Hannett, Amanda Brown, Rosamund McNeil, Karen Robinson, Carolyn Jones, John Edmonds, Derek Simpson, Doug Nicholls and Jean Cooper Executive editor: Carolyn Jones

Spring 2004: Promoting equality at work

Race and work; Age discrimination at work; Sex discrimination law; Sexual orientation discrimination; Discrimination based on religion or belief; Disability; Allonby v Accrington College; Women and pensions; HIV and AIDS; Migrant workers; Comparing labour market discrimination; Women and trade unions; Bargaining for equality; International labour standards Executive editors: Rosie Eagleson, Carolyn Jones

Autumn 2003: Trade Unions and Society

Trade unions and community; Trade union affiliation to the Labour Party; ASLEF; The case for specialist unions; Trade unions and small firms; Social partnership: myth and reality; Training and learning - bargaining tools for the future; TUC learning services; Organising; Unions and equality; Stop the War Coalition; Unions and the criminal justice system; Internationalism Executive editors: Andrew Harvey, Carolyn Jones

Spring 2003: International trade union rights

Labour standards in the informal economy; The implications of Wilson & Palmer; The inter-Departmental Human Rights Review; International frameworks agreements; Information and consultation rights; The Convention on the Future of Europe; The quandry of codes of conduct; International investment treaties and the rule of law Executive editors: John Hendy QC, Carolyn Jones

Autumn 2002

Public choice theory; Scientific management; Pay inequality; Social partnership; Industrial action; Information and consultation; Norwegians and unions; Work-life balance; Employment Bill 2001; TU internationalism Executive editors: Roger Seifert, Carolyn Jones

Spring 2002: Neo-liberalism and the British economy

New Labour, new economy; Economics of employment rights; Partnership in employment; Manufacturing; Restructuring; Single European currency; Welfare to work; Full employment; Pensions Executive editors: Frank Wilkinson, Carolyn Jones

Autumn 2001: NISA

Information and consultation; Strike Ballots; International Commission for Labour Rights; Flexible workers; What unions need from labour law; Surveillance of workers; UK condemned by ILO; Charter of trade union rights Executive editors: Keith Ewing, Carolyn Jones