[IER] News Brief 03/05/13

Fri May 3 16:33:52 BST 2013

The latest employment news and expert critique from the Institute of Employment Rights.

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New on the Coalition Timeline

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/resources/coalition-timeline> Coalition Timeline.jpg

What have we learned from the Coalition Timeline so far?  <http://www.ier.org.uk/node/1385> Find out in the IER's latest series of articles. 

Increasing vulnerability in the workplace

- Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill given Royal Assent (25/04/13)

  <http://www.ier.org.uk/resources/coalition-timeline> GO TO THE TIMELINE TO READ MORE

News and Debate 
News -  <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/support-haldane-society-campaign-against-legal-aid-cuts> Support Haldane Society campaign against Legal Aid cuts

News -  <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/victorian-era-workers-rights-scrapped-coalition> Victorian era workers' rights scrapped by Coalition

News -  <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/ier-founding-member-jim-mortimer-passes-away> IER founding member Jim Mortimer passes away

Blog -  <http://www.ier.org.uk/blog/shares-rights-why-entrepreneurial-firms-need-employment-law-too> Shares for rights - Why entrepreneurial firms need employment law too

Blog -  <http://www.ier.org.uk/blog/greek-austerity-illegal-says-uk-professor> Greek austerity illegal, says UK professor

Released today to order: The political attack on workplace representation - a legal response

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/political-attack-workplace-representation-legal-response> workplace rep cover.jpgThis brand new publication from Professor Keith Ewing - President of the IER - and Alan Bogg provides a legal response to the government's attempts to quash union representation in the workplace through such policies as cutting facility time.

The book is highly recommended for trade unions and their members and is available to those who belong to a union at just £10 compared with £40 for others.

We expect this publication to be extremely popular so make sure you  <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/political-attack-workplace-representation-legal-response> order your copy now ahead of the official publication date of June 1st 2013.

In Conversation: Frances O'Grady & Sharan Burrow

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/events/%E2%80%98-conversation%E2%80%99-%E2%80%93-evening-event> In Conversation cover.jpgFREE ENTRY

 <mailto:office at ier.org.uk?subject=In%20Conversation%20Booking> Book your place now

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/events/%E2%80%98-conversation%E2%80%99-%E2%80%93-evening-event> Get low-cost CPD points for just £10!

Workers around the world are suffering from and struggling against the impact of austerity measures imposed on them by governments, financial bodies and employers. At the same time, the rights of trade unions to represent their members and negotiate collective agreements are under attack around the globe.

Two people who understand these problems more than most and who are tasked with protecting workers and promoting an alternative agenda are the general secretaries of the trade union centres in Britain and at the international level.

In this  <http://www.ier.org.uk/events/%E2%80%98-conversation%E2%80%99-%E2%80%93-evening-event> 2013 ‘In Conversation’ Frances O'Grady, General Secretary of the TUC, and Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the ITUC, will outline their priorities in this period of austerity. 

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The attack on workers' rights - a May Day update

The Institute of Employment Rights would like to wish everybody on our mailing list a belated Happy May Day. 

On Wednesday, we celebrated the strength and solidarity of the international labour movement, and now is the time unions need to come together and fight against a common foe - the Coalition government that is unrelentlessly dismantling the employment rights that help protect workers in modern society. 

Unfortunately, a shadow was cast over this year's International Workers' Day by the recent passing of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill and the Growth and Infrastructure Bill, which were both granted Royal Assent on April 25th.

With these Bills comes a swathe of new changes to employment law, including actions to reduce workers' access to justice, and the deplorable shares for rights scheme. At worst this programme will see redundancy pay, the right to claim unfair dismissal, and the right to request flexible working and traded for a meagre amount of shares in organisations across the country. At best, and as some who are optimistic that the scheme will not be widely used by employers have claimed, it is being used to distract from the gradual undermining of workers' rights in other areas.

The Institute of Employment Rights is currently working on a resource to outline the changes brought by both the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill and the Growth and Infrastructure Bill, which will bring expert critique, legal facts, and alternative ways forward together in one document.

This week we have support a campaign against Legal Aid Cuts and released two new publications - which are already flying off the shelves.

Read on to find out more.

Now published: Access to justice in employment disputes: surveying the terrain

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/access-justice-employment-disputes-surveying-terrain> Access to Justice cover.jpgThis publication has now been published and is available to trade union members for just £8 per copy (or £30 for others).

The collection of five essays by some of the UK's leading experts in employment tribunals and disputes includes work by John Hendy QC, the go-to lawyer for major trade union cases and the IER's Chair, and renowned academic Linda Dickens MBE. 

We have limited stock available, so  <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/access-justice-employment-disputes-surveying-terrain> order your copy now.

Take Action

Support the Haldane Society campaign against Legal Aid cuts

Legal Aid cuts brought in on April 2013 were followed immediately by proposals by the Ministry of Justice for further slashes. The Haldane Society has released a Resolution, consultation response and standard campaign letter for those opposed to further cuts to have their voices heard.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/support-haldane-society-campaign-against-legal-aid-cuts> Click here to find out more and support the campaign

Become a 'Friend' of the Ken Gill Memorial Fund 

A 'Friends" application form can be found  <http://www.ier.org.uk/sites/ier.org.uk/files/Friends%20of%20the%20Ken%20Gill%20Memorial%20Fund%20for%20SO%20on%20back.pdf> here.

You can find out more about the Fund, and Ken's life including video and audio material, at  <http://www.kengillmemorial.org> www.kengillmemorial.org

Register for the People's Assembly Against Austerity

The People's Assembly Against Austerity brings together trade unions, campaigners, grassroots organisations, and anyone passionate about fighting the Coalition's cuts at a large-scale forum in London on June 22nd.

Actors and comedians, as well as trade union leaders, solicitors and other organisations have already signed up.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/attend-peoples-assembly-against-austerity> More information here

 <http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5373440104?ref=ebtnebregn> Register here

Campaign on behalf of the Shrewsbury 24

Help fight for justice for the 24 trade unionists arrested after picketing for fairer pay and conditions in Shrewsbury in 1972 by signing Ricky Tomlinson's e-petition: Please share this email widely to help get this e-petition up to the requisite 100,000 signatures to be considered for discussion in parliament.

 <http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35394> http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35394

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