[IER] News Brief 8 February 2015

Sun Feb 8 19:53:15 GMT 2015

News Brief 8 February 2015

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/node/2349>  <http://www.ier.org.uk/node/2349> View in your browser

By Claudia O’Brian

The Institute is hiring!

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/institute-hiring/> 

There is an exciting opportunity to join our small but dedicated team of staff at the Institute of Employment Rights. We are looking to appoint a National Coordinator to join our busy office in Liverpool. The job description and information on how to apply is available  <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/institute-hiring/> here.

We’ve gone into more depth on a wide range of stories this week. Click through on the stories below to read more.

Forthcoming Events: 

Changing the pre-election narrative on unions and labour law

Employment law after the election: what kind of laws do we want?, Unison Center, London

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/sites/ier.org.uk/files/EmploymentLawAfterTheElection_0.pdf> 

Wednesday 11th February 2014
Just days away from IER’s pre-election conference discussion on what we want from an incoming government, IER has teamed up with the Morning Star to project an alternative vision of the role of unions, labour law and collective bargaining in a modern economy. If you cannot attend our event, be sure to buy or download your copy of the Morning Star <http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/>  special 4-page supplement on Wednesday 11th February.

And don’t forget to have your say: What laws do you want after the election? Let us know on Twitter: #ierwhatwewant

Blogs

Unfair Dismissal: Social Media Reputational Damage

  <http://www.ier.org.uk/sites/ier.org.uk/files/images/paul%20scholey.jpg> 

Paul Scholey, Morrish Solicitors

Following his presentations on Social Media and Employment Rights at IER events in  <http://www.ier.org.uk/events/employment-law-update-2014-liverpool-0> Liverpool and  <http://www.ier.org.uk/events/employment-law-update-2014-london> London last year, Paul Scholey, Head of Employment Rights at Morrish Solicitors has updated us on a court decision relating to one of the cases he discussed.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/blog/unfair-dismissal-social-media-reputational-damage> Read the blog here…

News

Smith v Carillion case at Court of Appeal

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/smith-v-carillion-case-court-appeal> 

The Court of Appeal is ruling on whether the blacklisting of engineer Dave Smith was a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights (EHCR). Smith is being represented by IER chair John Hendy QC, and David Renton. They argue that blacklisting is a breach of Article 8 & 11 of the ECHR. Smith’s employers Carillion (JM) Ltd have admitted that managers supplied information on Smith to the Consulting Association blacklist, due to his activities as a safety rep for UCATT.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/smith-v-carillion-case-court-appeal> Read More…

Government has “no immediate plans to incorporate caste into legislation”

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/government-has-no-immediate-plans-incorporate-caste-legislation%E2%80%9D> 

In the House of Lords this Monday (February 2), Lord Averbury asked the government “what is the timetable for implementing the legislation to incorporate caste as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010”…
Liberal Democrat Baroness Garden of Frognal replied that the Government have “no immediate plans to incorporate caste into legislation”.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/government-has-no-immediate-plans-incorporate-caste-legislation%E2%80%9D> Read More…

Health and safety proposals to exclude self-employed workers

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/health-and-safety-proposals-exclude-self-employed-workers%E2%80%9D> 

The Deregulation Bill entered report stage in the House of Lords today (February 3). The Lords began the session with discussion on the exemption of self-employed persons from the requirements of Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The amendment went to a vote with 253 for the exemption and 175 against. The amendment will mean that self-employed workers who work as sole traders will no longer be covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act, unless they work in a select list of occupations and sectors.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/health-and-safety-proposals-exclude-self-employed-workers> Read More…

MoD taken to tribunal after sacking whistleblower

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/mod-taken-tribunal-after-sacking-whistleblower> 

Dr Stephen Frost was sacked after he blew the whistle over alleged discrepancies in the dispensing of painkillers at an army base. A judge has granted Frost permission to take the Ministry of Defence to court over the dismissal, which was conveyed to him via text. He had requested a police investigation into the dispensing of morphine sulphate tablets at a base near Blackpool.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/mod-taken-tribunal-after-sacking-whistleblower> Read the response…

More in the news this week…

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/300-sports-direct-workers-file-legal-claims> 300 Sports Direct workers file legal claims.

IER Manifesto for Collective Bargaining

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/resources/reconstruction-after-crisis-manifesto-collective-bargaining> 

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/resources/ten-point-collective-bargaining-manifesto> Read the ten-point manifesto

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/reconstruction-after-crisis-manifesto-collective-bargaining> Buy the book

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/resources/watch-experts> VIDEOS: Watch the experts

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/resources/listen-experts> PODCASTS: Listen to the experts

 <http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/> 

New on the Coalition Timeline

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

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/resources/coalition-timeline> Click here to see the Coalition Timeline

Public Sector

*         NHS agency nurses spending increases by 150% in two years

Trade Union Rights

*         Government presses ahead with removal of check-off

Pay and Benefits

*         National Minimum Wage regulations consolidated

*         TUC: Two in five new fathers won’t qualify for shared parental leave

*         Bus drivers strike for pay rates

Health and Safety

*         Proposals to exclude self-employed workers from protections

Publications

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/justice-deferred-critical-guide-coalitions-employment-tribunal-reforms> 

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/justice-deferred-critical-guide-coalitions-employment-tribunal-reforms> Justice Deferred: a critical guide to the Coalition’s employment tribunal reforms

By David Renton and Anna Macey

This publication offers a chilling reminder of the extent to which access to justice is being systematically shut down by the Coalition government.

  <http://www.ier.org.uk/sites/ier.org.uk/files/images/trade%20unions%20and%20economic%20inequality.img_assist_custom.png> 

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/trade-unions-and-economic-inequality> Trade Unions and Economic Inequality

By Dr Lydia Hayes and Professor Tonia Novitz

What is the point of trade unions? What do they deliver? Are trade unions relevant in 21st century modern society? These and many other questions are answered by the authors of this timely and well presented report. Order your copy <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/trade-unions-and-economic-inequality>  here

  <http://www.ier.org.uk/sites/ier.org.uk/files/images/re-regulating%20zero%20hours%20coontracts%20cover_0.img_assist_custom.png> 

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/re-regulating-zero-hours-contracts> Re-regulating Zero Hours Contracts

By Zoe Adams and Simon Deakin

ZHCs are highly profitable for employers, but lead to insecurity of income and low pay for workers. The authors point to rigidities in employment law and the operation of the tax-benefit system as being responsible for the rise in zero hours contracting. Order your copy <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/re-regulating-zero-hours-contracts>  here

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/labour-migration-hard-times-reforming-labour-market-regulation> 

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/labour-migration-hard-times-reforming-labour-market-regulation> Labour migration in hard times: Reforming labour market regulation?

Edited by Bernard Ryan

A collection of papers by the UK’s leading experts on labour migration on the exploitation of migrant workers and the need for labour law reform.

Our mailing address is:

Institute of Employment Rights

4th Floor

Jack Jones House

1 Islington

Liverpool

L3 8EG

 <mailto:office at ier.org.uk> office at ier.org.uk

To unsubscribe, please follow the instructions in the footer.  If you are unable to see the footer or have problems unsubscribing, please click here or email  <mailto:unsubscribe at ier.org.uk> unsubscribe at ier.org.uk.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/pipermail/ier-elist/attachments/20150208/2f1aef6c/attachment.html>