[IER] Leaked Whatsapp messages reveal contempt for workers & unions

[Ben Sellers]

News brief 03/03/23   View this email in your browser 





Leaked Whatsapp messages reveal contempt for workers & unions


Teachers and unions have expressed outrage at leaked messages that show the contempt with which former Ministers held the teaching unions. Gavin Williamson said teaching unions ‘really hate work’ in a Whatsapp message to Matt Hancock, leaked to the Telegraph.
More than 100,000 WhatsApp messages were leaked by the rightwing political commentator  Isabel Oakeshott, who was given the material by Mr Hancock when they were working together on a book about his time in government. The exchange reportedly took place in 2020, during the pandemic. In reply to Mr Hancock’s comment:
“Cracking announcement today. What a bunch of absolute arses the teaching unions are” Williamson responded: “I know they really really do just hate work.”
Discussing schools buying PPE, Mr Williamson texted: “Some will just want to say they can’t so they have an excuse to avoid having to teach, what joys!!!”


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Strike dates: Full list of everyone on strike on March 15
Who's taking strike action so far on Budget Day, via Hannah Davenport, Left Foot Forward.


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Older low-income workers far more likely to leave work due to ill health
TUC warn that the report illustrates a “stark class divide” weighted against low-paid older workers. Reporting by Peter Lazenby (Morning Star) 


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Employment practices and data protection – information about workers’ health
TUC response to ICO consultation and data protection 


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Covid Workers Inquiry
The Hazards Campaign Covid-19 Workers Inquiry will provide a wider remit than the narrow one that the official public inquiry has taken to give grassroot organisations, workers, trade union reps and officers and other occupational health and safety activists the opportunity to register their concerns and challenges. 


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Limiting an employer’s right to dismiss on notice
Aspden v Webbs Poultry and USDAW v Tesco.

By Oliver Jackson, Barrister at 11KBW (originally published on UK Labour Law blog) 


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Employment Law update 2023 (London)
23rd March 2023 – 9:30 am - 3:30 pm. Book now for our highly popular annual update on statute, case law and employment rights 


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The Right to Strike 2023 (London)
24th March 2023 – 9:30 am - 3:30 pm. A free IER event that looks at the recent pernicious attacks on the right to strike, and how the trade union movement might respond 


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