[IER] Vote for better workers' rights this June

Fri Apr 21 17:56:20 BST 2017

IER News Brief 21/04/17

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news brief

Friday 21st April 2017

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With only seven weeks to go until the snap general election on June 08, we can expect to see a flood of policy proposals hit the media, and the future of workers' rights is likely to become a key battleground.

Even the Tory party has been forced to turn its attention to exploitation in the workplace over the past year, following exposes and landmark tribunal cases that demonstrated workers on zero-hour contracts, agency staff and people misclassified as "self employed" are facing such poor working conditions that some employers have been described as "Victorian" in their attitude towards their staff.

Inquiries into the gig economy have been established across parliament, with Select Committees ranging from the Department for Business, to Work and Pensions, to Scottish Affairs conducting their own investigations into modern exploitation. Elsewhere, Theresa May hired former Labour adviser Matthew Taylor to conduct an independent review into employment law.

With Brexit underway, the threat to workers' rights is even further compounded. Not only are the rights that originated in the EU under threat of modification or removal, but in the international trade deals the UK will now sign, the regulations that protect our workers will become bargaining chips again and again.

This election presents us with an opportunity to vote for better workers' rights. We must back a party that we trust to protect our workers against exploitative employers in the UK, and who will not be swayed by neoliberalist pressures when negotiating with our international partners.

The Institute of Employment Rights last year published its widely supported Manifesto for Labour Law <http://ier.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=343e40a13c&e=71131c031b> , providing a blueprint for the reform of employment law.

We call for the next government to move forward with our call for a shift in the focus of labour law towards collective agreed pay and conditions at sectoral and enterprise levels. Today's over-reliance on statutory minimums only gives employers a floor to aim for, or in the worst cases, a target to avoid. Through continuous dialogue with the workforce, fair wages and conditions can be set and maintained.

We call for stronger statutory rights, to bring us in line with many of out international competitors. This should include stronger parental rights and better protection against discrimination.

We call for all people in employment to be eligible for these rights from Day One, under one universal employment status, rather than allowing employers to take on "agency workers" with fewer rights over "employees" who they must legally provide more guarantees.

Read more about our recommendations in our Manifesto for Labour Law <http://ier.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=990dd0d024&e=71131c031b> 

But to support any of these proposals, we must first make sure we contribute to our democracy. The Institute of Employment Rights will, as always, be informing the debate on the runup to the election and providing proposals for the left to take forward. We urge everyone else to do their part by ensuring they are registered to vote before the cut-off date of 22 May <http://ier.us12.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=aef538dc3c&e=71131c031b> , and making sure you place your vote on 08 June.

Sponsor an IER event

The IER has been bringing together academics, lawyers, campaigners and trade unionists to discuss the latest developments in labour law and how they can be resisted or improved upon for decades. Our events are some of the most prestigious and trusted in the labour movement.

However, as a charity we cannot run them alone. Each year, we ask organisations to consider sponsoring an IER event to help us continue our work. Click here to find out more on how your organisation can help <http://ier.us12.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=760ccba30b&e=71131c031b> . 

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 News and comment

 Workers' rights <https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/b1c726de-bf3c-454c-9dd0-50d42672c9ff.png> 

	Lack of training for UK workforce contributing to "mediocre" economy
The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) has warned in its latest report that the UK is “sleepwalking into a low-value, low-skills economy” because UK workers are not properly trained on the job.
 <http://ier.us12.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=5d05aa5bdb&e=71131c031b> > click here to read full story

 Workers' rights <https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/b1c726de-bf3c-454c-9dd0-50d42672c9ff.png> 

	Uber granted right to appeal landmark gig economy case
Uber has been granted the right to appeal last year's tribunal decision that drivers for the firm were "workers" not "self employed" and therefore eligible for workers' rights.
 <http://ier.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=e0e5c312fb&e=71131c031b> > click here to read full story

  Publications

 LLH2016 <https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/815fda47-e4b4-4148-a3e2-81af67efe0a4.jpg> 

	Labour Law Highlights 2016: £8
Edited by Rebecca Tuck
This year’s Labour Law Highlights is produced against the backdrop of a Brexit vote in the UK and a Trump victory in the USA. It promises to be a bumpy ride ahead!
 <http://ier.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=5d5d685762&e=71131c031b> > click here to read more and purchase

 Health and Safety Time for Change <https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/afdba51d-b908-42ab-8241-ddca46df52ce.jpg> 

	Health and Safety at Work Act: Time for Change: £10
By Phil James and David Walters
The world of work is changing. Fast. But the framework of law tasked with protecting the health, safety and well being of workers is now 50 years old and – according to the authors of this report – no longer fit for purpose. The authors put forth proposals for reform
 <http://ier.us12.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=f1f500e74a&e=71131c031b> > click here to read more and purchase

 EU Developments <https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/fb25d1db-2c1e-4d50-8d47-17dc166f146f.jpeg> 

	Access to Justice: Exposing the myths: £6
By Andrew Moretta
In the second of IER’s series of Mythbusters, Andrew Moretta considers the many myths surrounding access to justice, including the narrative surrounding the “red tape” and “burdens on business” ideology, which he believes paved the way for systematic attacks on the tribunal system.
 <http://ier.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=4039c79c34&e=71131c031b> > click here to read more and purchase

 Kill the Bill <https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/3a996d1c-1459-4dfb-81b8-8901488dad8a.jpg> 

	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.
 <http://ier.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=0b417ca3c1&e=71131c031b> > click here to read more and purchase 

 Ballot Thresholds <https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/cee8b19e-c2dc-452d-a284-b14209fbf568.jpg> 

	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’ and go on to drill down into one aspect of the government’s proposals – strike ballots.
 <http://ier.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=11e468a235&e=71131c031b> > click here to read more and purchase 

 Keithe Ewing <https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/6ac2ddd4-6bd6-4c3f-81ad-06fdb882171c.jpg> 

	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.
 <http://ier.us12.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=b78ddd789a&e=71131c031b> > click here to read more and purchase 

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