By Jim Mortimer

Published in April 2005

The 1906 Trade Disputes Act was a watershed in trade union history. It came at a time when trade unions were under attack from employers and the courts and when previously gained rights were being lost.

The Act provided a statutory right to peaceful picketing and repealed the precedent set by the Taff Vale railwaymen case, (1900) which made trade unions liable for damages caused during a strike. It also restored the principle of immunity against ‘civil conspiracy’ – a legal concept used to prevent workers taking collective action.

In short the 1906 Act put the sting back in the tail of the labour movement. As Jim Mortimer says the Act was both a landmark and an achievement in the history of British trade unionism and compares very favourably with what exists today.

Edited by Carolyn Jones

Published in January 2005

As we approach the next general election, the Institute of Employment Rights has what trade unions expect to see in a third term Labour Party manifesto. With no less than 6 trade union General Secretaries contributing to the report, it is perhaps the most up to date and informed document on what is commonly referred to as the Warwick Agreement – an accord reached between new Labour and the unions on a future policy programme.

 

by Steve Gibbons

Published in November 2004

This publication looks at the range of initiatives aimed at promoting global labour standards in the global marketplace. The author first outlines the regulatory controls developed by international organisations such as the OECD, the ILO and the United Nations. He goes on to examine the growth in “voluntary” initiatives such as company codes of conduct and a new concept known as “ratcheting labour standards”.

By Bill Wedderburn

Published in October 2004

by Jennifer Eady and Rebecca Tuck

Published in September 2004

As we head towards the possibility of an historic third term Labour Government, this year’s Labour Law Review provides a timely reminder of the strengths and weaknesses of the UK’s framework of employment law.

By Hugh Collins

Published in May 2004

The law of unfair dismissal is based on an internationally recognised social right not to be unfairly dismissed. But to what extent does the UK framework of law protect that social right? Have developments in common law introduced unjustifiable limits on the statutory protection against unfair dismissal? How can our laws be improved to ensure UK workers are treated with respect and not as a “commodity”?

This publication examines the strengths and weakness of the current law, including the proposals contained in the Employment Act 2002. It highlights nine areas where the legislation fails to adequately protect the social right and sets out a clear and realistic agenda for reform.