[IER] Up to a third of workers may have no protection against unfair dismissal, as jobless rate soars

Fri Jan 29 18:34:07 GMT 2021

News brief - 29/01/21                                                                              <https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=ccfa0c74e2> View this email in your browser 

  <https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/3038f9d5-b388-4d05-b8a1-dcf173b2070d.png> 

Up to a third of workers may have no protection against unfair dismissal, as jobless rate soars 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/d43d15e3-cd45-4c96-8540-e47d0f0acfa0.jpg> 

Figures published today by the TUC revealed that one in four (7.5m) employees have not been in their jobs for the two years required to qualify for protection against unfair dismissal.

The TUC confirmed to the IER this afternoon that the analysis covered only those classified as "employees" and not the estimated 3.6m people in employment who are either classified as "workers" or as "self employed" but earning less than the minimum wage.

This group of precarious workers, which includes people on zero-hour contracts, agency workers, seasonal workers, gig workers and often people who have been misclassified as "self employed", has no legal entitlement to protection against unfair dismissal no matter how long they stay in their jobs.

This means that  <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/a-third-of-uk-workers-may-have-no-protection-against-unfair-dismissal/> the true number of people who have no protection against unfair dismissal could reach 11m - around one third of the UK's 33m workforce.

With unemployment levels soaring to 5% this week and new research revealing that fire and rehire tactics are reaching  <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/nearly-one-in-ten-workers-fired-and-rehired-since-march-research-finds/> endemic levels, affecting nearly one in ten people in employment, there is an urgent need to protect people's livelihoods.

However, despite promising to "level up" the poorest areas of the UK, the government has dismissed both calls to outlaw fire and rehire and to enact an existing law that would require public bodies to pay "due regard" to socioeconomic inequalities when making decisions ( <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/most-voters-want-the-socioeconomic-duty-to-be-enacted-poll-finds/> a duty which research this week found was supported by most voters).

Under pressure from opposition parties and unions, the government did  <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/govt-u-turns-on-workers-rights-review/> u-turn on its review of the Working Time Regulations, but with no signs of improvements to come and a recent history of weakening employment laws, opposition leaders warned that it is not yet time to celebrate.

Featured event

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/events/redundancy-and-covid-19-are-our-redundancy-laws-strong-enough/> 

25th February 2021 – 10:00 am - 3:35 pm
Webinar
£40 

About this event

In a time of mass redundancy and looming economic damage, isn’t it time to ask if our redundancy laws are strong enough to protect workers?

Speakers

–  10:00 Carolyn Jones, IER Director – Chairperson

– 10:10 Steve Mitchell, Deputy Head of Legal services at USDAW – Positive USDAW campaigns: stopping the damage of redundancy on the high street.

– 10:40 Prof Alan Bogg, Bristol Univ – The furlough job retention scheme and redundancy: an analysis

– 11:10 Questions

– 11:30 Tea break

– 11:45 Steve Turner, Unite Assistant General Secretary – How Unite are helping to prevent redundancies and save manufacturing jobs

– 12:15 Neil Todd, Thompsons Solicitors – The current redundancy statute and case law landscape

– 12:45 John Hendy QC and Prof Keith Ewing, IER – Redundancy law and loopholes – the way forward.

– 13:15 Questions

– 13:35 End

 <https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_c0FatvhqQlauH2N-kqaV7A> Book your place 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/d43d15e3-cd45-4c96-8540-e47d0f0acfa0.jpg> 

A third of UK workers may have no protection against unfair dismissal

Up to one in three UK workers are either on precarious contracts or have not worked for their employers long enough to qualify for the right.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/a-third-of-uk-workers-may-have-no-protection-against-unfair-dismissal/> Read full report 

  <https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/e5032caf-47fe-4f41-82e6-562c45d10961.jpg> 

Most voters want the socioeconomic duty to be enacted, poll finds

Despite promising to "level up" poorer areas, the government has refused to enact an existing law that is designed to do just that.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/most-voters-want-the-socioeconomic-duty-to-be-enacted-poll-finds/> Read full report 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/08bdee41-ee7c-4110-a2d9-05d4da9cf053.jpg> 

Nearly one in ten workers fired and rehired since March, research finds

Young, working class and BAME people are most likely to have been targeted by the exploitative practice.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/nearly-one-in-ten-workers-fired-and-rehired-since-march-research-finds/> Read full report 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/62826d9a-d018-48bc-8bc9-dfc52099200b.jpg> 

DVLA head ‘misleads’ MPs over Coronavirus outbreak

The DVLA boss also appeared to blame one worker's lifestyle as the reason he has had to self-isolate numerous times.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/dvla-head-misleads-mps-over-coronavirus-outbreak/> Read full report 

  <https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/0ff42ed9-2935-4088-b64a-18be60ec3ae2.jpg> 

Govt U-turns on workers’ rights review

Suspected attempts to weaken workers' rights originating in the EU have been scrapped after pressure from opposition parties and unions.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/govt-u-turns-on-workers-rights-review/> Read full report 

IER and Covid-19

Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease and the need to keep our staff, supporters and speakers safe, IER have decided to postpone all forthcoming IER events and meetings until further notice, including both Health and safety at work after Brexit conferences in Liverpool and London, the IER Executive Committee, IER AGM and our joint event with the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom on 6th June.

IER staff will continue to work, but remotely from home. We will answer emails, produce publications and circulate our weekly News Briefs and other on-line information. However, phone calls to the office or mail sent by post will not receive immediate attention.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and wish you all best wishes during this difficult time.

 <http://www.facebook.com/theinstituteofemploymentrights> 

 <https://www.twitter.com/IERUK/> 

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

Our mailing address is:

Institute of Employment Rights

4th Floor Jack Jones House

1 Islington

Liverpool, Merseyside L3 8EG 

United Kingdom

 <https://ier.us12.list-manage.com/vcard?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=4e9e05d15d> Add us to your address book

Unsubscribe by following the instructions at the bottom of this email or in the .txt attachment. If you cannot find the instructions, please email sarah at ier.org.uk

-- 
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://mailman.gn.apc.org/pipermail/ier-elist/attachments/20210129/dc6e9bd9/attachment-0001.html>