[IER] Three ways workers have already been failed in the news this week

Fri Feb 5 16:13:03 GMT 2021

News brief - 05/02/21                                                                              <https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=d2af3e7ed7> View this email in your browser 

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Three new ways workers have been failed during lockdown 

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While our attention is diverted by the coronavirus pandemic, machinations behind the scenes are continuing to fail workers. The news this week reflects three such examples.

Ben Crawford of the University of Liverpool explains in  <https://www.ier.org.uk/comments/the-headlines-didnt-matter-boohoo-has-been-allowed-to-keep-profiting-from-poverty/> this week's comment piece how fashion retailer BooHoo has become a "pandemic winner" despite gross breaches of Minimum Wage law in its supply chain. The UK's shareholder-centric laws have allowed those at the top walk away Scot free and able to expand their empires despite the headline-grabbing scandal of £3ph workers in Leicester's textile factories.

Meanwhile, the Commons' Joint Committee on Human Rights  <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/review-of-human-rights-act-unecessary-former-supreme-court-president-tells-committee/> has been told by several experts that the government's independent review of the Human Rights Act - which was announced in December - has no justification. Former Supreme Court President Baronness Hale said she could only think of reforms that would weaken rather than improve protections, while former Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, said a "mature" government would be able to handle having the fairness of its policy scrutinised by the courts. When the review was announced, the Labour Party called the Johnson administration out for "prioritising launching an attack on human rights" during a pandemic.

And finally to the unfolding crisis at the DVLA, where over 500 workers were struck by the Coronavirus after senior management at the government agency refused to take the threat of the pandemic seriously,  <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/dvla-bosses-lambasted-by-health-authority-for-cavalier-approach-to-covid-19/> according to a new briefing. Local MP, Carolyn Harris, argued that the buck stops with Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, who has "either taken his eye off the ball or he has put DVLA under pressure to deliver on targets, which has led to this situation".

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 

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Govt threatened with legal action over ‘power-grabbing’ Henry VIII clauses

The Good Law Project is warning that the government could rip up workers' rights without Parliamentary scrutiny

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/govt-threatened-with-legal-action-over-power-grabbing-henry-viii-clauses/> Read full report 

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DVLA bosses lambasted by health authority for cavalier approach to Covid-19

A briefing from the local Health Board has reported that it was difficult to get senior management to take the threat seriously.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/dvla-bosses-lambasted-by-health-authority-for-cavalier-approach-to-covid-19/> Read full report 

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Court of Appeal hears Shrewsbury 24 case

The Court will consider the argument that 24 innocent men were convicted after a lawful strike in a politically-motivated miscarriage of justice.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/court-of-appeal-hears-shrewsbury-24-case/> Read full report 

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Review of Human Rights Act ‘unnecessary’ former Supreme Court President tells Committee

Legal experts have told the Joint Committee on Human Rights that Johnson's review of the Act will not improve UK law.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/review-of-human-rights-act-unecessary-former-supreme-court-president-tells-committee/> Read full report 

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COMMENT: The headlines didn’t matter: BooHoo has been allowed to keep profiting from poverty

Ben Crawford of the University of Liverpool explains how the UK's corporate law has allowed shareholders to continuing to profit from poverty despite being called out time and again.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/comments/the-headlines-didnt-matter-boohoo-has-been-allowed-to-keep-profiting-from-poverty/> Read full report 

Free event

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

16th February 2021 – 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Free 

About this event

Combatting racism at work, and super-exploitation of migrant workers.

Speakers

– 14:00 Prof Sonia McKay – Chair

– 14:10 Roger McKenzie, UNISON – Institutional racism and the workplace

– 14:20 Asad Rehman, War on Want – Race, class and the super-exploitation of migrant workers

– 14:30 Yvette Williams MBE, Justice4Grenfell – The Doreen Lawrence report

– 14:40 Katie Bales, Bristol University – Undocumented migrants and exploitation

– 14:50 Questions

– 15:10 End

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/events/racism-at-work-part-2/> Book your place 

Other labour movement events

Trade unions and the fight against unemployment

With unemployment projected to continue rising over this year, the Marx Memorial Library hosts two online discussions with those at the forefront of the labour movement’s response.

Tuesday, 9 February 2021 - 7:00pm
In this first of two panel discussions, leading industrial relations academics, trade union leaders and activists in the public sector discuss the challenges posed by the return of unemployment in the historically strong public sector. What can we learn from history and the analysis of contemporary capitalism? How do we organise the working class response?

With:
• Professor Roger Seifert, University of Wolverhampton
• Roger McKenzie, Assistant General Secretary, Unison
• Jo Grady, General Secretary, UCU

Register  <https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/trade-unions-the-fight-against-unemployment-unions-in-the-public-sector-tickets-137441765019> here.

Tuesday, 23 February 2021 - 7:00pm
In this second of two panel discussions, leading industrial relations academics, trade union leaders and activists discuss the challenges posed by the return of unemployment in the private sector, where union power has sharply declined in recent decades. What can we learn from history and the analysis of contemporary capitalism? How do we organise the working class response?

With

Professor John Kelly, Birkbeck, University of London
Steve Turner, Assistant General Secretary, Unite
Sarah Woolley, General Secretary, BFAWU

Register  <https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/trade-unions-the-fight-against-unemployment-unions-in-the-private-sector-tickets-137442130111> here.

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.

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