[IER] News Brief 2 April

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News Brief 2 April 2015



 <http://www.ier.org.uk/node/2463> 

 <http://http/www.ier.org.uk/node/2463> View in your browser

By Claudia O’Brian

 	


Parliament has dissolved and party leaders are preparing for tonight’s telivised debate; it’s clear that the run up to the general election is well and truly underway. A quick glance at what five years of the coalition government has done to employment rights underlines how imperative it is that this term is their last. .



Blogs


Unions must be able to fight for workers – even if it means breaking bad laws


  <http://www.ier.org.uk/sites/ier.org.uk/files/images/Unite%20picture%20with%20shadow.img_assist_custom.jpg> 

By Len McCluskey

A union’s job is to fight for working people’s rights. If, in the year in which we mark the anniversary of Magna Carta, the government wants to challenge fundamental rights of the citizen, then I believe they will be facing not just the trade union movement, but a huge section of our civil society. When the law is misguided, when it oppresses the people and removes their freedoms, can we respect it?….

Read the full blog  <http://www.ier.org.uk/blog/unions-must-be-able-fight-workers-%E2%80%93-even-if-it-means-breaking-bad-laws> here…

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/blog/unions-must-be-able-fight-workers-%E2%80%93-even-if-it-means-breaking-bad-laws> 


 <http://www.ier.org.uk/blog/unions-must-be-able-fight-workers-%E2%80%93-even-if-it-means-breaking-bad-laws> News


 <http://www.ier.org.uk/blog/unions-must-be-able-fight-workers-%E2%80%93-even-if-it-means-breaking-bad-laws> Unison granted permission to appeal ET fees


 

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/unison-granted-permission-appeal-et-fees> 

Unison has been granted permission by the Court of Appeal to proceed with appeals against the decisions of the High Court. The High Court had refused Unison’s two Judicial Review applications challenging the lawfulness of employment tribunal fees.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/unison-granted-permission-appeal-et-fees> Read More…


Miliband pledges to crack down on ZHCs


 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/barristers-condemn-et-fees> 

Miliband promises that labour will end the ‘epidemic’ of zero hours contracts. Miliband said: “There is no greater symbol of an economy that doesn’t work than zero-hours contracts. “We have an epidemic of zero-hours contracts in our country – there’s been a 20% increase in the last year alone – undermining hard work, undermining living standards, undermining family life. Because if you don’t know from one day to the next how many hours you’re going to be doing, how can you have any security for you and your family?”

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/miliband-pledges-crack-down-zhcs> Read the letter here…


Labour’s work manifesto


 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/labours-work-manifesto> 

Labour have pledged to abolish employment tribunal fees. Since the introduction of ET fees in July 2013 there has been a 80 percent drop in the number of employment tribunal claims. The manifesto states that; “Labour will reform the employment tribunal system to ensure workplace justice is affordable.” The manifesto also includes proposals to have workers sit on pay committees, and a commitment to an inquiry into the blacklisting of workers.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/labours-work-manifesto> Read More…


Insolvency system does nothing to protect workers


 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/insolvency-system-does-nothing-protect-workers> 

A joint report published by Parliament’s Scottish Affairs and Business, Innovation and Skills Committees, says the processes for company insolvency do not offer sufficient protection to workers. The committees were inquiring into City Link, which went into administration in December. Its parent company Better Capital failed to find a buyer and refused to provide the additional funding to keep the company trading. City Link took a “deliberate decision” not to inform employees of its imminent collapse.

 <http://http/www.ier.org.uk/news/insolvency-system-does-nothing-protect-workers> Read more here…


Employment law at the end of last parliament


 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/employment-law-introduced-end-parliament> 

Two bills, the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill and the Deregulation Bill, were passed just before the dissolution of parliament. Both will have far reaching effects on employment rights.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/employment-law-introduced-end-parliament> Read the measures here…


Other News


 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/tuc-good-workplace-practices-can-spot-and-resolve-mental-health-issues> TUC: Good workplace practices can spot and resolve mental health issues

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/committee-publishes-report-ttip> Committee publishes report on TTIP

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/no-evidence-benefit-sanctions-help-jobseekers-work> No evidence that benefit sanctions help jobseekers into work

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/more-businesses-named-and-shamed> More businesses named and shamed

 


Collective Bargaining Video 


 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/new-you-tube-clip-ewing-hendy>  <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/new-you-tube-clip-ewing-hendy> With the kind assistance of the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust, we have put together this short You Tube clip. As a small contribution to a nationwide debate, Professor Keith Ewing and John Hendy QC explain how and why a future government must learn from our past, invite unions to the negotiating table and invest in the purchasing power of workers.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/new-you-tube-clip-ewing-hendy> Watch the collective bargaining video here


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


 


Forthcoming Events


Campaign for Trade Union Freedom Event: Defeating Austerity, Free Trade Deals and Attacks on Trade Union Rights


  <http://www.ier.org.uk/sites/ier.org.uk/files/images/Screen%20Shot%202015-03-13%20at%2016.20.56_0_0.png> 

As we hurtle towards the general election two things are clear – Austerity must go and so must this Coalition government. We want politicians who inspire and policies that work for the people. We want an end to attacks on trade unions and their members. Join one of the rallies in Liverpool and Cardiff and show your support. Another world is possible. Free entry.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/events/campaign-trade-union-freedom-event-defeating-austerity-free-trade-deals-and-attacks-trade-u-0> Cardiff: Monday 13th April 2015, 6pm

RSVP to the event by emailoffice at ier.org.uk <mailto:office at ier.org.uk> .


New Resource


 <http://www.ier.org.uk/resources/access-justice-2010-2015> Access to Justice 2010-2015


The Beecroft report, employment tribunal fees, the removal of wing members, reduction of limits on tribunal awards for unfair dismissal; The Coalition’s reformation of the employment dispute system has succeeded in making accessing justice even more difficult than it already was. We have gathered news, blogs, research and publications documenting the events of the last few years and their consequences together in one place. Take a look  <http://www.ier.org.uk/resources/access-justice-2010-2015> here.


New – Election 2015: What’s at stake for work, pay and trade unions?


  <http://www.ier.org.uk/sites/ier.org.uk/files/images/Screen%20Shot%202015-02-13%20at%2019.00.26.png> 

Contributors: Professor Tonia Novitz, University of Bristol Law School; Professor Ozlem Onaran, University of  Greenwich; Dr Lydia Hayes, Cardiff University; Carolyn Jones, Institute of Employment Rights; and James Lazou, Unite the Union.

This guide outlines the scale of the fall in living standards since 2008, the explosion of low-wage, insecure work and how working people and their unions have seen their rights attacked. By explaining the link between strong trade unions, widespread collective bargaining and lower inequality the pamphlet suggests short and long term policy interventions that would improve the living standards of working people and begin to steer the economy in a more equitable direction with collective bargaining at its core.

You can read and download the election guide <http://www.classonline.org.uk/projects/election-2015-whats-at-stake>  here.


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.

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