Blogs
Unions must be able to fight for workers – even if it means breaking bad laws
By Len McCluskey
A union’s job is to fight for working people’s rights. If, in the year in which we mark the anniversary of Magna Carta, the government wants to challenge fundamental rights of the citizen, then I believe they will be facing not just the trade union movement, but a huge section of our civil society. When the law is misguided, when it oppresses the people and removes their freedoms, can we respect it?….
Read the full bloghere…
News
Unison granted permission to appeal ET fees
Unison has been granted permission by the Court of Appeal to proceed with appeals against the decisions of the High Court. The High Court had refused Unison’s two Judicial Review applications challenging the lawfulness of employment tribunal fees.
Read More…
Miliband pledges to crack down on ZHCs
Miliband promises that labour will end the ‘epidemic’ of zero hours contracts. Miliband said: “There is no greater symbol of an economy that doesn’t work than zero-hours contracts. “We have an epidemic of zero-hours contracts in our country – there’s been a 20% increase in the last year alone – undermining hard work, undermining living standards, undermining family life. Because if you don’t know from one day to the next how many hours you’re going to be doing, how can you have any security for you and your family?”
Read the letter here…
Labour’s work manifesto
Labour have pledged to abolish employment tribunal fees. Since the introduction of ET fees in July 2013 there has been a 80 percent drop in the number of employment tribunal claims. The manifesto states that; “Labour will reform the employment tribunal system to ensure workplace justice is affordable.” The manifesto also includes proposals to have workers sit on pay committees, and a commitment to an inquiry into the blacklisting of workers.
Read More…
Insolvency system does nothing to protect workers
A joint report published by Parliament’s Scottish Affairs and Business, Innovation and Skills Committees, says the processes for company insolvency do not offer sufficient protection to workers. The committees were inquiring into City Link, which went into administration in December. Its parent company Better Capital failed to find a buyer and refused to provide the additional funding to keep the company trading. City Link took a “deliberate decision” not to inform employees of its imminent collapse.
Read more here…
Employment law at the end of last parliament
Two bills, the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill and the Deregulation Bill, were passed just before the dissolution of parliament. Both will have far reaching effects on employment rights.
Read the measures here…
Other News
TUC: Good workplace practices can spot and resolve mental health issues
Committee publishes report on TTIP
No evidence that benefit sanctions help jobseekers into work
More businesses named and shamed
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
Forthcoming Events
Campaign for Trade Union Freedom Event: Defeating Austerity, Free Trade Deals and Attacks on Trade Union Rights
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 one of the rallies in Liverpool and Cardiff and show your support. Another world is possible. Free entry.
Cardiff: Monday 13th April 2015, 6pm
RSVP to the event by email office@ier.org.uk.
New Resource
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
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.
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
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