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In the news this week

A happy May Day weekend to all our supporters. And thanks to all those who attended our 25th anniversary celebration this week. It was great to see so many faces from our 25 year history. Keith Ewing presented a thoughtful and compelling lecture on the kind of laws trade unions should be demanding from a Labour Government and UNITE kindly provided the refreshments. Keith’s lecture will be up on the website early next week. For those who missed the event, there will be more opportunities for you to show your support for IER’s work in the weeks ahead.

This week the Bank of England assured us that the British economy is ‘building momentum’ and the CBI reported that of those firms questioned, 41% of those running Britain's factories are more optimistic now than they were three months ago. But back in the real world, figures from the Office of National Statistics highlighted just one of the reasons why this feel-good factor is failing to trickle down to ordinary families. See our reports on the growth of zero hours contracts. We've gone into more depth on a wide range of stories so click through to read more.

ONS figures on Zero Hours Contracts

It’s official. The number of workers trapped on zero hour contracts is growing.

Dealing with Zero Hours Contracts

Work is intermittent but capital is not: what to do about zero hours contracts

By Zoe Adams and Simon Deakin

The casualisation of working life is a huge problem in Britain today and Zero Hours Contracts (ZHCs) are just its most extreme form. It is caused by a dysfunctional employment law and the disappearance of the safety net formerly provided by social security law.

The Economy

The failed experiment and how to build an economy that works, by Andrew Fisher. Book Review

By Enrico Totolano

In recent times we have witnessed fierce debates about the dynamics of capitalism, and especially the rapid rise of the small elite that controls more and more of the world's wealth and resources. It has ignited arguments about power and money - questioning the myth at the very heart of Western life – that capitalism improves the quality of life for everyone. In fact, the ever-increasing gulf between rich and poor in Britain is costing the economy more than £39bn a year. The 100 wealthiest people in the UK have as much money as the poorest 18 million. Here Enrico Tortolano reviews a new book by Andrew Fisher, an economist and trade union activist. Read more...

Privatisation and off-shoring of UK jobs

Government Shared Services: Privatised, downsized, off-shored.

By John Medhurst

Under the innocuous title of Next Generation Shared Services (NGSS) Strategic Plan, the government is driving through a programme of privatisation and off-shoring of civil service jobs and functions and in doing so is potentially putting the personal data of UK citizens at risk. Read more...

Cameron supports Boris Johnson in attacks on union rights

Cameron promises to restrict trade unions "on day one" if he wins election Read more...

 

 

Can the European Union deliver for Working people. Yes or No?

Carolyn Jones joins others in a new Centre for Labour Studies publication to discuss the pros and cons of Europe. Read more.....

Going to your union conference this year? Watch out for IER's special offers

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Forthcoming events

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act

Wednesday 11 June 2014

A one-day conference
The Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool

TUPE update: the new regulations

Thursday 26 June 2014
A one-day conference
Diskus Centre, Unite the Union, Theobolds Road, London

 

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act: impacts and effects

Tuesday 15 July 2014
A one-day conference
UNISON, Euston Road, London

 

 

New publications

Bolivarian Venezuela: sustained progress for workers' rights

By Francisco Dominguez and Sian Errington

This 10th in the series of Comparative Notes publications, explores the Venezuelan labour law introduced by Hugo Chavez on 1 May 2012.

 

Labour migration in hard times: Reforming labour market regulation?

Edited by Bernard Ryan

A collection of papers by the UK's leading experts on labour migration on the exploitation of migrant workers and the need for labour law reform.

Justice Deferred: a critical guide to the Coalition's employment tribunal reforms

By David Renton and Anna Macey

Justice Deferred maps out in a concise, easy to read, accessible style and language, the ideologically driven path being pursued by the Coalition Government. It provides a critical guide to changes in employment tribunal rules and procedures.

Reconstruction after the crisis: a manifesto for collective bargaining

By Professor Keith Ewing and John Hendy QC

This publication presents an evidence-based policy proposal for the state encouragement of collective bargaining, and particularly sectoral bargaining, as a tried-and-tested means of reducing income inequality and stimulating the sustainable recovery of a strong and resilient economy.

Labour Law Highlights 1013

By Rebecca Tuck, Betsan Criddle & Stuart Brittenden

SPECIAL OFFER – 4 for the price of 1! Buy Labour Law Highlights 2013 and get Labour Law Highlights 2012, 2011, and 2010 for free! Already got past copies of Labour Law Highlights? You can still buy this year’s copy on its own for the usual price of £8.