[IER] New evidence that govt & employers are putting workers at unnecessary risk

Fri Feb 12 17:18:07 GMT 2021

News brief - 12/02/21                                                                              <https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=74cddbe0f1> View this email in your browser 

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New evidence that govt & employers are putting workers at unnecessary risk 

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Both the government and employers have been in the spotlight this week for failing to effectively protect workers from Covid-19 infection.

New research from the TUC found that  <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/one-in-five-going-into-workplace-unnecessarily-as-bosses-pile-on-pressure/> one in five people whose jobs can be done from home have unnecessarily returned to their workplaces and the biggest factor pushing them there was pressure from their bosses. Despite consistent findings throughout the crisis that employers are disobeying lockdown rules, no company has been prosecuted or fined, while plenty of individuals have hit the headlines when they were slapped with hefty penalties for the same wrongdoing.

The government itself is also in hot water for failing to protect social care workers. The Public Accounts Committee found that  <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/nearly-one-in-three-health-and-social-care-workers-fought-first-wave-without-adequate-ppe-report-finds/> nearly one in three (30%) doctors, nurses and care workers went without adequate PPE in the first lockdown, even as they tended to people with active Covid-19 infections. The Committee, which delivered a scathing criticism of the government's lack of transparency around its Covid contracts, said the decision of politicians to prioritise the NHS had left care workers, in particular, exposed to the virus.

While research by the Labour Party this week revealed that £2 billion has so far been handed to friends of the Tories in the form of public contracts - including £1,000 a day for 900 management consultants - milllions of care workers are struggling on insecure contracts and low pay that in some cases falls below the minimum wage. 

After leaving care workers without PPE and ignoring years of warnings over the working conditions such professionals face, the government this week  <https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-urged-to-consider-work-in-adult-social-care> begged for more people to enter the sector anyway in a bid to fill the vacancies left by enormous staff turnover. 

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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COMMENT: Mapping the international labour movement: From the slave trade to fake news

Dan Blackburn introduces ICTUR's new publication on the past and present of the trade union movement across the world.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/comments/mapping-the-international-labour-movement-from-the-slave-trade-to-fake-news/> Read full report 

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One in five going into workplace unnecessarily, as bosses pile on pressure

While individuals are being fined for breaking lockdown rules, not one single employer has been prosecuted.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/one-in-five-going-into-workplace-unnecessarily-as-bosses-pile-on-pressure/> Read full report 

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Govt improves maternity rights (but only for cabinet ministers)

MPs argued this Bill could - and should - serve as an impetus for the government to improve maternity rights for all women.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/govt-improves-maternity-rights-but-only-for-cabinet-ministers/> Read full report 

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Nearly one in three health and social care workers fought first wave without adequate PPE, report finds

The Public Accounts Commitee has scolded government for its lack of transparency over Covid-19 contracts.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/nearly-one-in-three-health-and-social-care-workers-fought-first-wave-without-adequate-ppe-report-finds/> 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, 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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