Class Conference: What Britain Needs
There’s not long left to book tickets for Class national conference this weekend. The conference is set to be the biggest event on the left ahead of the general election, with speakers including Owen Jones, Polly Toynbee, Diane Abbott MP, Salma Yaqoob, and Len McCluskey. The IER works extensively with Class, with our joint publication Trade Unions and Economic Inequality (see below) out now.
You can find out more about the conference, and book tickets here
New Publication
By Dr Lydia Hayes and Professor Tonia Novitz
What is the point of trade unions? What do they deliver? Are trade unions relevant in 21st century modern society? These and many other questions are answered by the authors of this timely and well presented report. Order your copy here
New on the Coalition Timeline
Equality
- Tories follow Ukip’s anti-immigrant rhetoric (31/10/2014)
Health and Safety
- TUC: Cameron must condemn treatment of workers in Qatar (30/10/2014)
Pay and Benefits
- Tebbit: Make unemployed pull up Ragwort (28/10/2014)
- Cameron slashes welfare cap (28/10/2014)
Gender pay gap continues to widen
A report released by the World Economic Forum has revealed that the UK gender gap is widening. Britain has fallen to 26th in the Global Gender Gap Report – its lowest score since 2008. The UK has slipped out of the top 20, falling from 18th place to 26th, behind countries including Rwanda, Nicaragua, and the Philippines. The top 4 positions were filled by Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The latest rating comes in line with a steady decline in the UK’s faring in the Global Gender Gap Report since the first report in 2006, when the UK ranked 9th.
Read More…
Probation union Napo to take legal action against privatisation
Napo is launching a judicial review into the privatisation of probation services in England in Wales. The union says the move will put the safety of staff and the public at risk. The news comes after the government has revealed that two companies, Sodexo and Interserve are to control over half of the probation services. TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said, “We should be very worried that the government has not said that public safety will be a factor when assessing the bids. Even their own advisors have warned about the risk of putting inexperienced private companies in charge of supervising offenders. The government’s decision to ignore advice and press ahead regardless shows a complete determination to privatise public services whatever the cost.”
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Sports direct forced to make employment terms clear
Sports direct will be forced to advertise the employment terms of its zero-hours contracts, following legal action. A former employee, Zahera Gabriel-Abrahem, took Sports Direct to an employment tribunal over its zero-hours contract (ZHC) policy. 20,000 Sports Direct staff are currently employed on the contracts. The case was due to be heard next month, however Sports Direct have chosen to settle out of court. While the company will continue to employ staff on ZHCs, it has agreed to re-write all job advertisements and employment contracts to explicitly state that “casual” roles will come with no guaranteed work. The holiday and sick pay terms will also be made clear to employees, many of whom did not previously know their entitlements.
Read More…
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Help us to celebrate 25 years of the Institute
Donations are coming in daily to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Institute. If you make a donation, don’t forget to send us a supporting statement about why you support the institute. So, whether you’re an individual or a branch, whether it’s £25 or £250 join in and you’ll be included in out monthly draw to win a free place at an IER event!
Publications
By Zoe Adams and Simon Deakin
ZHCs are highly profitable for employers, but lead to insecurity of income and low pay for workers. The authors point to rigidities in employment law and the operation of the tax-benefit system as being responsible for the rise in zero hours contracting. Order your copy here
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.
By Richard Arthur
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.
Forthcoming Events
Equality and Discrimination: What Next For Equal Rights? , Unite the Union, London
Wednesday 19 November 2014
Four years after the introduction of the Equality Act and where are we now? Leading equality experts from the law, trade unions and academia will come together to critically assess the latest case law, precedents and evidence and anticipate where they will lead us in terms of ensuring fairness at work for all.
TUPE Update: the new Regulations, Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool
Wednesday 3rd December 2014
The government published new TUPE Regulations in November 2013, revealing service provision rules will not be repealed, but several changes will be made that could hinder trade union activity. There are many uncertainties about the new regulations and the conference will aim to provide answers to many questions plus any additional questions from delegates on the day.
IER Manifesto for Collective Bargaining
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