[IER] Hundreds pack fringe meeting to hear IER Manifesto proposals

Mon Jul 30 17:58:27 BST 2018

IER News Brief 30/07/18Follow us on Twitter 
news brief
Monday 30th July 2018
Around 500 people packed into the Tolpuddle Marquee last weekend to watch the Institute of Employment Rights (IER) and Campaign for Trade Union Freedom's (CTUF) fringe meeting.

On the panel were Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, IER and CTUF President Professor Keith Ewing, ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan, South West Regional Secretary of Unite Peter Hughes, and McStriker Shen Batmaz - who received a standing ovation for her heartfelt speech describing the struggle of being a single parent on a zero-hours contract.

Professor Ewing set out some of the key recommendations the IER has put forth for employment law reform as part of its Manifesto for Labour Law, including establishing a Ministry of Labour to ensure workers' voices are heard in Westminster; reinstate sectoral collective bargaining to raise wages and conditions across the board; and legislate to prevent the exploitation of workers through precarious contracts.

John McDonnell told the audience that the Labour Party had drawn upon the IER's Manifesto in the development of its own 20-point plan for a fair deal at work, which was published as part of its 2017 Election Manifesto For the Many, Not the Few. He vowed that Labour, which he said could be in government by the autumn, would restore trade union rights, to cheers and applause from the crowd.

The news this week only goes to demonstrate the urgency of reform to labour law, in particular around the vital matter of enforcement. Over two million workers have had their holiday pay withheld and sexual harassment is rampant in the workplace, with experts pointing to a failure to enforce the law - and to uphold international obligations - as the cause of both trends. 

Meanwhile, a low pay crisis is becoming apparent, with over half of homeless families in work, those in the 'gig' economy working for as little as £2 an hour, and public sector workers offered a derisory pay rise by the government at the last minute before Parliament broke for recess.

Among the 25 recommendations put forth as part of the Manifesto for Labour Law are proposals for an independent Labour Inspectorate and an improved system of Labour Courts to vastly strengthen the enforcement of the law and of collective agreements; and better trade union rights, including the reinstatement of sectoral collective bargaining, as this has been demonstrated to be the best way to improve wages and conditions for all.

The News Brief will now take its traditional August holiday, but we'll be back in September with a TUC Special in the run-up to Congress, in which we will announce exciting new developments to our Manifesto for Labour Law. Keep up with what we're up to over the summer by following us on Twitter or Facebook, where we'll be making some important announcements over the next month.
Click here to read more about our Manifesto for Labour Law
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 News and commentSupport the IER in its 30th Anniversary year
This year we are celebrating our forthcoming 30th Anniversary and we're appealing for your support. We hope to raise £30,000 to celebrate our 30 years and with these funds we will modernise our website and communications; promote our ideas through meetings, education packs, videos and animations; and establish a reserve to avoid repeat fundraising.
> click here to read full storyGet free access to music festivals and support the work of IER
The IER has teamed up with the Workers Beer Company to provide us with some much needed cash and our supporters with free festival tickets to popular events across the UK. Every hour of bar work volunteered by our supporters triggers a donation to the IER, which will help us continue to develop and raise awareness of our Manifesto for Labour Law. Volunteer bar workers also receive free beer tokens! 
> click here to email our office and express your interest500 pack tent for IER/CTUF Tolpuddle event 
Nearly 500 people attended the Fringe Marquee at Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival to hear the case for a dedicated government department for labour and trade union rights.
> click here to read full storyOver half of homeless families in England are in work, new research shows
New research has confirmed that work does not pay for a significant proportion of people in England, as over half of homeless families are found to be employed.
> click here to read full storyHotel workers claim exploitation on booming Isle of Skye
Hotel workers on the Isle of Skye, which is currently experiencing a tourism boom, have complained that they are being denied their employment rights.
> click here to read full storyLabour will reinstate Agricultural Wages Board, Corbyn tells Tolpuddle
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told the Tolpuddle Festival yesterday (Sunday 22 July) that his party would bring back the Agricultural Wages Board (AGW).
> click here to read full storyDeliveroo couriers 'earn £2 an hour and sometimes work for free', inquiry finds 
Couriers working for Deliveroo earn as little as £2 per hour and sometimes don't get paid at all for the tasks they undertake, a new report from MP Frank Field has found. 
> click here to read full storyState spied on, blacklisted and smeared trade unionists, records reveal 
Newly released records have revealed that the Thatcher and Wilson governments spied on trade unionists, according to the Guardian. 
> click here to read full storyIndependent review launched into Modern Slavery Act 
An independent review has been launched into the Modern Slavery Act after a cross-party report revealed the extent of economic and social costs related to the crime. 
> click here to read full storyOver 2m workers have holiday pay withheld, research shows 
New TUC research estimates that 2.2 million workers do not receive the paid annual leave they are entitled to, losing out on nearly £3 billion worth of holiday pay per year. 
> click here to read full storyGovt committee proposes maximum workplace temperature laws 
The Environmental Audit Committee has published a report recommending that the government consider instituting maximum workplace temperature requirements in response to recent heatwaves. 
> click here to read full storyWeak public sector pay rises bashed by unions 
An announcement last week that public sector workers will see pay rises below inflation, and that the wage increases may have to come out of existing budgets, has been widely criticised by trade unions. 
> click here to read full storyGovt failing to tackle sexual harassment at work, MPs say 
The Women and Equalities Committee has lambasted the government, regulators and employers for failing to adequately tackle sexual harassment in the workplace. 
> click here to read full story
 Pictures of the Tolpuddle Fringe 
Click here to see more  Events London: Employment Law Update 2018
10 October 2018 - 09:30 - 15:40
Unite the Union, London
At this popular annual conference, leading lawyers, academics and trade unionists will discuss how employment law has developed over the year so far, how it can be expected to change in the future, and how workers can best be protected.
Speakers include Ian Hodson, Paul Scholey, Tim Roache, Prof Alan Bogg, Neill Todd, Dr Jo Grady, Dr Ewan McGaughey and Prof Keith Ewing
> click here to read more and book your placeLiverpool: Employment Law Update 2018
15 November 2018 - 09:30 - 15:00
Unite the Union, Liverpool
At this popular annual conference, leading lawyers, academics and trade unionists will discuss how employment law has developed over the year so far, how it can be expected to change in the future, and how workers can best be protected.
Speakers include Ian Hodson, Paul Scholey, Prof Alan Bogg, Neill Todd, Prof David Whyte, Catherine Hobby
> click here to read more and book your place
  PublicationsLabour Law Highlights 2017: £8
Edited by Rebecca Tuck
Catch up with the most important case law developments in 2017 in the latest of our popular Labour Law Highlights series.

In this year’s Labour Law Highlights, a team of barristers from Old Square Chambers returns to assess how each of these events has impacted upon case law in the last 12 months, including clarification from the courts on the requirements of the Trade Union Act in practice, the flurry of tribunal hearings regarding ‘gig’ workers, and further decisions on the rights of workers required to take "sleep-in" shifts. In each case, they provide commentary on the potential wider implications of tribunal decisions.
> click here to read more and purchaseEurope, the EU and Britain: Workers' Rights and Economic Democracy: £8
Notes from a seminar by the Institute of Employment Rights and the Marx Memorial Library
On 01 July 2017, labour movement leaders from across Europe met at the Marx Memorial Library, London, to discuss how a progressive future for workers’ rights can be sought following the UK’s vote to leave the EU. This report documents the meeting, including the transcripts of each presentation, as well as notes on the discussion between panel and delegates on the day.
> click here to read more and purchaseThe Legacy of Thatcherism in European Labour Relations: The Impact of the Politics of Neo-Liberalism and Austerity on Collective Bargaining in a Fragmenting Europe: £8
By Miguel Martinez Lucio, Aristea Koukiadaki and Isabel Tavora
As the UK prepares to leave the European Union, this analysis – the 11th in our Comparative Notes series – shines a light on the deleterious effect of the nation's deregulatory influence on the bloc.
> click here to read more and purchase8 Good Reasons Why Adult Social Care Needs Sectoral Collective Bargaining: £8
By Dr Lydia Hayes
In this booklet, Dr Lydia Hayes sets out the lessons learned from her interdisciplinary research into the social care sector, and builds upon the recommendations made in the Institute of Employment Rights' Manifesto for Labour Law: a comprehensive revision of worker’s rights to propose a sectoral collective bargaining structure for the negotiation of wages and conditions.
> Click here to read more and buy your copy
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