[IER] News Brief 24 April

Mon Apr 27 14:16:54 BST 2015

News Brief 27 April 2015

View in your browser <http://www.ier.org.uk/node/2494> 

By Claudia O’Brian

Tuesday 28 April is International Workers Memorial Day #IWMD15. It is now two years since the Rana Plaza garment factory disaster in which 1,134 lives were lost. Yet so little has changed. Workers’ rights remain atrocious in much of the developing world, and are going backwards in the Global North. The anniversary serves as a reminder that there is so much further to go in promoting and protecting working rights and health and safety across the world. Over 50,0000 people die every year in the UK due to workplace illnesses - estimated by  Hazards <http://www.gmhazards.org.uk/>  at 140 people a day or 6 every hour. We must remember the dead and fight for the living. Health and safety and other workplace issues will be discussed at our first conference of this year – Workplace Issues: Taking up the issues with the new government <http://www.ier.org.uk/events/workplace-issues-taking-issues-new-government-0> . 

News

ITUC: If you expose us, we’ll expose you

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/ituc-if-you-expose-us-we%E2%80%99ll-expose-you-0> 

According to the the International Labour Organisation, there are 2.3 million occupational deaths a year worldwide, with 2 million from occupational diseases; cancers, circulatory disorders, lung diseases. It places the occupational cancer toll at over 600,000 lives a year. These are truly terrifying statistics. But the industries that benefit from the use of toxic products have been incredibly successful in covering up the true scale of the problem.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/ituc-if-you-expose-us-we%E2%80%99ll-expose-you-0> Read More…

Conservative Manifesto: A British Bill of Rights?

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/conservative-manifesto-british-bill-rights> 

The Tories’ “British Bill of Rights” is a manifesto pledge attracting a lot of attention this election season. It would enable British Judges to ignore rulings by European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and would undermine the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – the international treaty first drafted in the post-war years to protect fundamental rights and freedoms. The IER has published several articles by leading experts on what withdrawal from the ECHR would mean for employment rights and worker protections.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/conservative-manifesto-british-bill-rights> Read More…

An IER conference,  <http://www.ier.org.uk/events/human-rights-possibilities-and-problems-labour-law-london-0> Human Rights: Possibilities and Problems for Labour Law is scheduled for 1 JULY in London. To book your place click  <http://www.ier.org.uk/node/Human> here.

European Commission starts consultation on ‘consolidation of three directives’

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/european-commission-starts-consultation-%E2%80%98consolidation-three-directives%E2%80%99> 

The three Directives concerned are on consultation; collective redundancies, transfers of undertakings and a general framework for information and consultation of workers. Consolidation of legislation normally runs parallel with a weakening of protections. The risk is that the directives would be watered down even further than they already are. The IER will be publishing a response to the consultation in due course.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/european-commission-starts-consultation-%E2%80%98consolidation-three-directives%E2%80%99> Read More…

Employment Tribunal News

First case to apply ‘public interest’ to whistleblowing

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/first-case-apply-%E2%80%98public-interest%E2%80%99-whistleblowing> 

The first case applying the new legislation on whistleblowing contained in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 has been heard. In Chesterton Global v Nurmohamed, the Employment Appeal Tribunal had to consider the requirement that whistleblowing must be in the public interest, for the first time. Nurmohamed, a director or the London Office of an international estate agent company, reported that he believed his employer was deliberately misstating £2-3m of costs and liabilities. He argued the consequence was that 100 senior managers receives lower bonuses that they would have had the figured been properly declared.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/first-case-apply-%E2%80%98public-interest%E2%80%99-whistleblowing> Read more…

ZHC worker wins tribunal case 

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/zhc-worker-wins-tribunal-case> 

A zero hours contract worker has been awarded £19,500 in a sexual harassment case.

In S vs Britannia Hotels Ltd the tribunal heard that the claimant’s line manager frequently touched her and asked her about her sex life. The claimant mentioned the issue to another manager, who told her to lodge a written complaint and took no further action.

The 22 year old claimant was reluctant to report the sexual harassment for fear of her manager reducing her hours.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/zhc-worker-wins-tribunal-case> Read more…

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/sites/ier.org.uk/files/IER_workplace-issues_London-10June2015%20(3).pdf> 

The IER is holding a conference in London on 10 June,  <http://www.ier.org.uk/events/workplace-issues-taking-issues-new-government-0> Workplace issues; Taking up the issues with the new government in which “Victimisation in the workplace: protection under the Equality Act 2010” will be a point of focus. Find out more about the event, and book your place here. <http://www.ier.org.uk/events/workplace-issues-taking-issues-new-government-0> 

.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/zhc-worker-wins-tribunal-case> Read more…

Union News

National Gallery and CSC workers on week-long strike

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/national-gallery-workers-week-long-strike> 

The PCS national gallery members are striking over privatisation. They will walk out this week, having already taken 17 days of industrial action. Another strike is scheduled for May 1. An invitation to tender the National Gallery’s visitor services is due to be published right before the general election, and before Dr Gabriele Finaldi starts up as the gallery’s new director. Also on strike this week are PCS members working on IT contracts and pensions administration for the Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). Staff voted overwhelmingly – 80% on a 96% turnout – to take a week of action over low pay, starting on 20 April.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/national-gallery-workers-week-long-strike> Read more…

17,000 to be balloted over Tata Steel pension scheme

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/17000-be-balloted-over-tata-steel-pension-scheme> 

Unions GMB, Community, Ucatt and Unite have released a joint statement saying that they will start balloting around 17,000 members over strike action. Roy Rickhuss, chair of the National Trade Union Steel Co-ordinating Committee and general secretary of Community said: “Tata Steel Europe management have not taken up the unions’ offer to re-enter discussions about the pension scheme. Our members are determined to stand up for their pension and therefore we have no option but to proceed to an industrial action ballot in May”.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/news/17000-be-balloted-over-tata-steel-pension-scheme> Read more…

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/events/institute-events> Events

Workplace Issues: Taking up the issues with the new government

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/events/workplace-issues-taking-issues-new-government> 

Wednesday 10 June 2015

Diskus Room, Unite the Union, London

This event will be the firstIER conference to take place after the general election, providing an excellent opportunity to assess the government’s programme of work. How will worker’s rights fair under a new regime? Which labour law topics will trade unionists need to be aware of in order to best protect their members at work?

Featured Publication – 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.

 <http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/publications-institute-employment-rights> 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

Collective Bargaining Video – Why we need it

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

Our mailing address is:

Institute of Employment Rights

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1 Islington

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