Blogs

Corporate Homicide Bill

By Professor Steve Tombs, Open University and Professor David Whyte, Liverpool University

Steve Tombs and David Whyte analyse Richard Baker MSP’s new draft Bill for the Scottish parliament and consider whether it could be a model for reform across the UK.

Read the full blog here…

Troika attacks bargaining systems across Europe

By Thorsten Schulten, collective bargaining expert at the Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI).

Real pay and collective bargaining coverage are falling dramatically and industry-level agreements are being destroyed. These are the results of the policies of the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund in Europe’s crisis countries…

Read the full blog here…

News

Young workers hit worst by austerity

Research published by the London School of Economics (LSE) and the Resolution Foundation shows that young people were hit worst by the recession and the ensuing austerity agenda Average wages for those in their 20s are now a fifth lower than in 2008/9. The number of 20-24 year olds in work fell by 10% over the same period.

Read More…

Farage: UKIP would abolish discrimination legislation

Farage indicated that UKIP would scrap much of the legislation designed to prevent racial discrimination at work. He was speaking in a Channel 4 documentary which will air next week. Farage said: ‘I think the situation that we now have, where an employer is not allowed to choose between a British-born person and somebody from Poland, is a ludicrous state of affairs … I would argue that the law does need changing, and that if an employer wishes to choose – or you can use the word ‘discriminate’ if you want to – but wishes to choose to employ a British-born person, they should be allowed to do so.”

Read More…

In the Commons: Frances Maude makes ‘pointless’ union-bashing statement

In parliament this week Union-basher Frances Maude repeated his moves to cut trade union facility time and abolish check-off ‘for no reason’. Labour’s Lucy Powell MP replied to Maude; “It is election time, so we have a Tory Minister coming to the House as part of a pre-election union-bashing exercise. There is absolutely nothing new in this statement, so one wonders what his motives are. The Government have a clear strategy towards public servants up and down the country: “The Government do not value the work you do and are hellbent on disfranchising you and weakening your rights at work.”

Read More…

New on the Coalition Timeline

Click here to see the Coalition Timeline

Increasing vulnerability in the workplace

• National Gallery outsourcing: Workers on strike

Health and Safety

• Mesothelioma (Amendment) Motion passed

Other

• Work programme fails older people
• Legal aids cuts hurt those who need help the most

New Collective Bargaining Video – Why we need it

To mark #fairpayfortnight we have released a video on collective bargaining. What is it? Why do we need it? What will be the consequences of its restoration? Keith Ewing and John Hendy explain all…

Watch the collective bargaining video here

IER Manifesto for Collective Bargaining

Read the ten-point manifesto

Buy the book

VIDEOS: Watch the experts

PODCASTS: Listen to the experts

 

Forthcoming Events

Employment law after the election: what do we want?, The Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool

Wednesday 25th March 2015
Following the tremendous success of the IER’s What We Want conference in London on 11 February, a similar, half-day event will take place in Liverpool to allow more people to engage in the debate. The conference will be a key event in the run-up to the general election, asking how the lives and living standards of Britain’s population can be improved under a new government.

It has been said that the next general election will be won or lost on the issue of employment rights. Little wonder. Whether it’s the growth in zero hour contracts, the attacks on pension provision, the destruction of collective bargaining, the limitation on trade union action to defend workers, the exploitation of agency workers, the restrictions on access to justice or the ease with which employers can impose mass redundancies – workers and their families can see the injustices in the system and want change.

A summary of the London event is available to read here.

What laws do you want after the election? Let us know on #ierwhatwewant.

Campaign for Trade Union Freedom Event: Defeating Austerity, Free Trade Deals and Attacks on Trade Union Rights

Evening Rally: Wednesday 25th March 2015, 6pm

As we hurtle towards the general election two things are clear – Austerity must go and so must this Coalition government. We want politicians who inspire and policies that work for the people. We want an end to attacks on trade unions and their members. Join the rally and show your support. Another world is possible. Free entry. A full list of speakers and more information is available here

Can unions stay within the law any longer?

Bill Wedderburn Lecture addressed by Len McCluskey, 19 March 2015

This meeting will be held at The Royal College of Surgeons, 35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE at 6.30pm. The attendance fee will be waived for Trade Union members. More information and online booking is available here.

New Resource

Access to Justice 2010-2015

The Beecroft report, employment tribunal fees, the removal of wing members, reduction of limits on tribunal awards for unfair dismissal; The Coalition’s reformation of the employment dispute system has succeeded in making accessing justice even more difficult than it already was. We have gathered news, blogs, research and publications documenting the events of the last few years and their consequences together in one place. Take a look here.

New – Election 2015: What’s at stake for work, pay and trade unions?

Contributors: Professor Tonia Novitz, University of Bristol Law School; Professor Ozlem Onaran, University of  Greenwich; Dr Lydia Hayes, Cardiff University; Carolyn Jones, Institute of Employment Rights; and James Lazou, Unite the Union.

This guide outlines the scale of the fall in living standards since 2008, the explosion of low-wage, insecure work and how working people and their unions have seen their rights attacked. By explaining the link between strong trade unions, widespread collective bargaining and lower inequality the pamphlet suggests short and long term policy interventions that would improve the living standards of working people and begin to steer the economy in a more equitable direction with collective bargaining at its core.

You can read and download the election guide here.

Publications

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

By David Renton and Anna Macey

This publication offers a chilling reminder of the extent to which access to justice is being systematically shut down by the Coalition government.

Trade Unions and Economic Inequality

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

Re-regulating Zero Hours Contracts

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