[IER] IER News Brief 12/02/2016

[Sarah Glenister]

> IER News Brief 12/02/16	Follow us on Twitter	 
> news brief
> Friday 12th February 2016
> 
> Many thanks to all of those who attended our two events this week: Our London EU debate on Tuesday and our rally against the Trade Union Bill on Thursday.
> 
> At our EU debate we heard from a wide range of speakers with differing views on the pros and cons of staying in the trade bloc. Indeed, the forthcoming referendum represents a quandary to trade unions and their supporters. More and more, the interests of corporations are taking precedent over those of workers, both in legal decisions taken in European courts, and in the EU's increasingly neoliberal economic policy. However, should we leave the EU, we also risk the chance of losing European-backed protections that have some weight in restraining the more rabid of right-wing legislation.
> 
> Inform your vote by reading our report and speakers' papers hereand by booking your place on our next EU debate in Liverpool.
> 
> Subscribers receive all of our publications free and discount rates on our conferences. Subscribe now
>  News and comment
> 		Govt agree to e-balloting "in principle" but no changes to Bill
> The House of Lords has this week debated e-balloting as part of the Committee stage of the Trade Union Bill.  
> > click here to read full story
> 		TUB: Workers’ political voices will struggle against “a cacophony of noise” from the right
> Further amendments have been made to the Trade Union Bill across parties, with the intention largely to weaken legislation that would be overly punitive toward trade unions.  
> > click here to read full story
> 		WATCH: IER President gives evidence on the Trade Union Bill to HoL Select Committee 
> President of the IER Professor Keith Ewing this morning gave evidence on the Trade Union Bill's proposals to change the way trade unions manage their political funds to a House of Lords Select Committee. 
> > click here to read full story
> 		Leaked letter reveals Tories conceding on punitive trade union laws 
> A letter to Conservative ministers Oliver Letwin and Chris Grayling from Business Minister Nick Boles reveals the Tories considering concessions to the Trade Union Bill. 
> > click here to read full story
> 		EU Developments: has social Europe disintegrated?
> Roger Jeary reports on our recent EU Developments event in London, including links to download our speakers' slides and papers. 
> > click here to read full story
>   Publications
> 		Labour Law Highlights 2015: £8
> By Rebecca Tuck, Stuart Brittenden, Betsan Criddle & Claire Bowsher-Murray
> This year’s Labour Law Highlights provides a timely summary of the government’s priority labour law policy areas. No surprise then that it starts with an overview and critical analysis of the Trade Union Bill, including its restrictions on the right to strike and proposals to remove long established check-off and facility time arrangements.
> > click here to read more and purchase
> 		Protect the right to strike: kill the bill: £5
> By John Hendy QC & Professor Keith Ewing
> Two leading experts on trade union rights – Professor Keith Ewing and John Hendy QC – publish a short but comprehensive overview of the Trade Union Bill and its implications.
> > click here to read more and purchase
> 		The Conservative Government’s proposed strike ballot thresholds: The challenge to trade unions: from £6
> By Professor Ralph Darlington and Dr John Dobson
> According to the authors of this timely report, the government is attempting to rush into law ‘the most sweeping and radical tightening of rules on industrial action since the Thatcher era of the 1980’s’. They warn that such proposals could result in ‘the biggest showdown over industrial relations for a generation’.
> > click here to read more and purchase
> 		The mythology of business: from £6
> By David Whyte
> The ‘myths’ that this publication takes into consideration are the kind of things that politicians now routinely say without thinking. Yet these 10 myths have very little foundation in reality and are rarely, if ever, accompanied with any concrete evidence to support them.
> > click here to read more and purchase
>   Events
> 		LIVERPOOL: EU Developments: has social Europe disintegrated?
> 09 March 2016 - 09:30 - 15:30
> Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool
> Does the EU protect our rights at work and promote prosperity and jobs? Or is it a ‘bosses club’ that places freedom of capital over workers’ rights?Still undecided on whether to vote yes or no in the referendum? Come along to this conference where we hope to inform your decision.
> > click here to read more
> To unsubscribe, please contact sarah at ier.org.uk.
> Produced by:
> Institute of Employment Rights,
> 4th Floor, Jack Jones House
> 1 Islington
> Liverpool L3 8EG
> 0151 207 5265
> www.ier.org.uk
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