Latest News
Lords ditch shares-for-rights proposals: a win for workers, but is this the end of such bonkers ideas?
21 March 2013
The House of Lords has voted to remove Clause 27 of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill, which would legislate to allow employers to offer shares in their organisation to workers in return for the right to claim unfair dismissal, to be paid a redundancy settlement and to request flexible working and training.
New mothers frequently refused flexible working conditions, poll shows
15 March 2013
New mothers are often refused flexible working conditions and part-time hours, a survey has shown, revealing the inequality women face at a time when the Children and Families Bill threatens to present further difficulties to parents and the review of the Public Sector Equality Duty risks removing some protections against discrimination in the public sector and workers outsourced for public sector projects.
NW TUC backs general strike
15 March 2013
The 130 delegates in attendance at the North West TUC conference unanimously agreed to back any call from the TUC for general strike activity once the TUC General Council have completed their deliberation over the practicalities of holding a general strike.
UK women worse off than in other developed countries
13 March 2013
New research has revealed that female workers in the UK are in a worse position than in other developed countries, falling to the 18th position on Pricewaterhouse Coopers' (PwC) Women in Work Index behind a whole host of European countries and the US.
Workers could be blacklisted if they disagreed with their managers on health and safety, Balfour Beatty admits
13 March 2013
Workers may have been blacklisted for raising health and safety issues with which their managers disagreed were a genuine concern, CEO of Balfour Beatty Construction Services UK Mike Peasland has admitted.
Lords unable to save Agricultural Wages Boards
08 March 2013
Despite Coalition plans to remove Agricultural Wages Boards and thus the Agricultural Minimum Wage from across England and Wales provoking fierce debate in the Lords recently, peers were unable to stop more conservative members from allowing the plans to pass.
Lords refuse to pass Bill to remove civil liability for health and safety breaches
08 March 2013
The House of Lords has thrown out Clause 62 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, which sought to remove employers' 114-year-old civil liability for their workers' health and safety.
Employment law normally seen as burdensome by employers who do not understand it, govt concedes
08 March 2013
It turns out the left was right all along on the problems perceived by employers with employment law, but it is quite a surprise a Tory-led government is the one to finally admit it.
Shared parental leave and flexible working open to the first ever public reading
20 February 2013
The government has set its first ever public reading in motion, allowing anyone to comment on its proposals online before they are debated in parliament. Don't miss this chance to have your say on Coalition plans for shared parental leave and flexible working and read on to find out how the Children and Families Bill, which these proposals are a part of, has been criticised.
The deadline for public comments is 26th February 2013
Former Economic League employee confirms meetings with police, a govt minister and trade union leaders
13 February 2013
February has seen extraordinary evidence given by the Directors of Caprim to the Scottish Parliamentary Affairs Committee as part of its inquiry into blacklisting, including confirmation that the Economic League met with the police and trade union leaders to share information, and that one Conservative Minister had discussed industrial relations with an employee of the League during Thatcher's administration.
Wales ‘could take action on blacklisting by next year’
13 February 2013
The Welsh government may introduce new laws to prevent blacklisting in the near future following the efforts of an Assembly Member (AM) and a union officer to take proposals to the Welsh Assembly.
