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Family Friendly working in 2014 – How are we doing?
By Michelle Singleton, Assistant Policy Officer at UNISON
Since 1998 there have been great improvements that have transformed family friendly policy and childcare provision, there is far more support than ever before. New legislation on flexible working, parental leave and proposals on more support towards the costs of childcare are welcome but is it all good news and are there still areas yet to be tackled?
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Pay falls for sixth consecutive year
British workers are facing a sixth year of falling pay, figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have shown. Last week Ed Miliband pledged to tackle Britain’s “zero-zero economy”. “People [are] asking why they are on zero-hours contracts while those at the top get away with zero tax”, he said. “This zero-zero economy is a symptom of a deeply unequal, deeply unfair, deeply unjust country; a country I am determined to change”. While Miliband’s anti-inequality rhetoric is welcomed, there was a marked absence of any proposals on how to address it. Commenting on the statements, Keith Ewing and John Hendy, note that “The solution lies only in raising wages and equalising incomes, and the only way by which that will be done is by revitalising collective bargaining between trade unions and employers. Inequality levels have grown primarily because collective bargaining coverage has collapsed. While well-intentioned, living wage campaigns are a feeble alternative calculated to fail. Until Labour is prepared to take steps to empower trade unions and restore the universal coverage of collective bargaining, there will no meaningful solution to the problem of low pay and zero hours contracts.”
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JRF: A job is no longer a way out of poverty
A report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) reminds us that “the recovery is precarious for people in poverty”. The JRF have released their annual report, Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion; an assessment of progress in tackling poverty and disadvantage across the UK. Rather than any progress, however, the report paints a bleak picture for poverty in the UK. JRF says the report, conducted by the New Policy Institute (NPI), “reveals dramatic changes in who is most at risk compared to ten years ago”, documenting a the changing demographics of those in poverty. The JRF remind us that as many people in working families as unemployed ones are now living in below the bread line: in 2014 a job is no longer a guarantee of an end to poverty. Employment has fallen by 300,000 between 2013 and 2014, – encouraging on the surface, but 1.4 million adults are working part-time because they cannot find full-time employment. Two thirds of those moving into work from unemployment are still in low-paid work a year later, and only one fifth have left low paid work ten years later.
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Zero Hours Contract Bill begins second reading
The Zero Hours Contract Bill has started its second reading today (21 November), but was adjourned. The second reading debate is expected to resume on Friday 23 January 2015. The bill aims to restrict the use of zero-hours contracts, which while intended for seasonal or short-term work have become the norm across many sectors. Ian Mearns, Labour MP for Gateshead moved the Bill. He said that he is “fighting for the same thing that people of every generation have fought for: the right to decent and secure conditions and terms of employment” He continued, “It is not a great ask. A well-paid and steady job is the bedrock on which people build their lives. It is the starting point for planning for the future, and the platform of stability needed to pay the bills, meet the rent, pay the mortgage and start a family. Those are not extravagances, but the minimum that should be available to any person who is prepared to work to pay their way in a wealthy nation such as ours. Yet that stability and security is denied to millions of workers in this country. Increasingly, people are finding themselves plagued by job insecurity, not knowing from one day to the next whether they will be working or earning.”
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35.8 million people trapped in modern slavery
Australian NGO has released the Global Slavery Index, registering the prevalence of modern forms of slavery, such as forced labour, human trafficking, forced marriages, debt bondage and commerical sexual exploitation. The WFF is campaigning for the end of slavery within a generation. WFF has increased its estimate by 23% compared to last year, although the authors of the report are keen to stress that this does not necessarily reflect rising slavery, but may be a result of improved accuracy and methodology. Slavery was found in all 167 countries examined, including the UK. Five countries accounted for 61% of modern slavery. Andrew Forrest, the founder of WFF said, “There is an assumption that slavery is an issue from a bygone era. Or that it only exists in countries ravaged by war and poverty. “These findings show that modern slavery exists in every country. We are all responsible for the most appalling situations where modern slavery exists and the desperate misery it brings upon our fellow human beings.”
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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 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
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
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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