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News
TTIP: Vote at EP Postponed
The major TTIP vote that was due to take place this week has been postponed by the European Parliament at the last minute. The debate, due to happen at the same time, has also been postponed. The official reason given for the cancellation, given by European Parliament President Martin Schulz, was the large number of amendments and requests for split and separate votes that have been tabled, but in reality the move shows officials are running scared in the face of mounting opposition.
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Last week the IER published an excellent blog on the issue of TTIP, ISDS and INTA, The elephant in the room. Read the blog here, and this weeks’ debate in response.
Unemployment is not a psychological disorder
The Department for Work and Pensions is using language and policy to rebrand unemployment as a mental health disorder, according to a new scientific study. The study finds that unemployed people are being subjected to mental “reprogramming” by authorities if they don’t exhibit the right attitudes and outlook.
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Blacklisted workers bribed with “derisory” compensation offers
Victims in the blacklisting scandal are receiving compensation offers in a bid to persuade them drop their High Court claims. Offers have been made to 11 workers with names on the blacklist, and range from £10,000 to £60,000. Dave Smith, secretary of the Blacklist Support Group, and co-author of Blacklisted: The Secret War Between Big Business and Union Activists, commented; “Blacklisted workers currently receiving eye watering compensation offers to persuade us to drop our High Court claims…We are keen to see directors of multinational companies giving evidence under oath about their anti-democratic human rights conspiracy. The firms can take their pitiful compensation offers and poke it up their profit margin. We look forward to seeing them squirm in court”.
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Camerons’ plans to renegotiate EU working rights.
In PMQ’s on Wednesday (10 June) Cameron said; “What I have set out in terms of the renegotiation is a whole series of things that need to change: making sure we deal with the problem of ever-closer union; making sure we deal with the issue of competitiveness, which, yes, does impinge on some of the issues under what was called the social chapter that have never been acceptable to the United Kingdom”. The TUC is urging Cameron to come clean about his plans for re-negotiating rights for working people set out originally under the European Social Chapter.
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IPCC refuses to launch a formal enquiry into Orgreave
After a two year delay, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has announced it will not launch an enquiry into the police brutality against miners on strike at Orgreave in South Yorkshire.
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Survey finds public sector stress crisis
A survey commissioned by the Guardian to investigate public sector workers’ wellbeing has been published. 85 percent of respondents agreed that stress is a fact of life for those employed in the public and voluntary sector. 93 percent say they are stressed at work either all, some, or a lot of the time. The respondents worked an average of seven extra hours a week.
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Soubry challenged in PMQs
This week in PMQs, Anna Soubry, the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise, dodged questions about trade unions and working rights, saying that “It is imperative that Administrations right across the United Kingdom work together to reduce the burden of red tape and deregulate as much as they can”. Labour MP David Anderson replied; “From what the Minister has just said,it is quite clear that she has regular discussions with business, but no discussions with trade unions. It is clear that trade union association is a matter of human rights, and that the right to strike makes the difference between people being workers and being slaves“.
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Events
The People’s Assembly ‘End Austerity Now’ Demonstration
Saturday, 20 June 2015
The IER, a founder signatory to the People’s Assembly, is supporting this post-election demonstration to keep our anti-austerity message at the public and political forefront. More details here.
Human Rights: Possibilities and Problems for Labour Law
Wednesday 1 July 2015
Diskus Room, Unite the Union, London
The Tory government is gearing up to withdraw the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights. They plan to replace the Human Rights Act 1998 with a British Bill of Rights. So what would withdrawal from the ECHR mean for employment rights and worker protections? This conference aims to shed light on the issues by focusing on the kind of workplace abuses that the Convention aims to protect us against.
Human Rights: What we’re set to lose
The Tories plan on replacing the Human Act with a British Bill of Rights.
The IER has published experts’ analysis on articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, and what they mean for employment law. Read them here:
Article 4: Prohibition of slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour
Article 8: Right to respect for private and family life
Article 10: Right to freedom of expression
Article 14: Prohibition of discrimination
Publications
By Professor Keith Ewing and John Hendy QC
Collective bargaining is under more threat than ever. 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.
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
IER Manifesto for Collective Bargaining
What is collective bargaining? Why do we need it? What will be the consequences of its restoration? Keith Ewing and John Hendy explain all in a new collective bargaining video.
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