Listening to today’s Autumn Statement, it’s clear the living standards crisis has wrecked the Chancellor’s strategy. He has failed his deficit reduction pledge as low-paid Britain is paying much less tax than expected – £17bn less in fact. And businesses won’t be able to find the…Read more…
Austerity will continue to hit frontline flood defences
One thing at least is clear from the Autumn Statement: austerity measures will continue to undermine our national response to climate change, notably our frontline flood defences. No new money is involved in the multi-year capital programme for flood d…Read more…
Catch-22, Cuban style
Tonight (Wednesday 3 December), the traditional annual Vigil for the Cuban Five will take place outside the US Embassy in London. The gathering, now in its 8th year, calls on the US to honour calls…Read more…
Tens of thousands of single parents face wrongful sanctions
Sanctions have been a key plank in welfare policy for both Labour and the coalition government. They are designed to make sure that claimants looking, or preparing, for work comply with the requirements the job centre places on them in return for their…Read more…
Safety inspections are a requirement, not an option says ILO.
The International Labour Organisation, which sets international regulations on a range of employment and health and safety issues has just considered a case that could have ramifications for the…Read more…
Questions for coalition on flood defence promises
Increased spending on flood defences and exploratory talks for the first lagoon power project with potential to provide 8% of the UK’s energy have been trailed as key to the government’s infrastructure plans. But already the Oppostion is arguing that this is not new money – at the beginning…Read more…
Child Slavery: Tell the UN to act
Last week, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the adoption of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC),the Global March Against Child Labour along with International Trade…Read more…
What about the workers?
1 December 2014
By Steve Ludlam, Steve Ludlam is Senior Lecturer in Politics at The University of Sheffield
Commentary on Cuba’s economic reforms highlights the growing private sector, implying…Read more…
The invisible role of trade unions in the fight against slavery
On Saturday the Home Office released a new strategy for combating modern slavery or forced labour in Britain and abroad. We’re still digesting it, because, surprisingly, we weren’t…Read more…
Swaziland’s Marikana in the making?
Striking Swazi miners have retreated to a nearby hill in protest at the way they are being treated by their employer and the Swazi police, in a worrying echo of what happened ahead of the infamous…Read more…
Striking workers in Qatar find labour laws finally working – against them
If you ever needed proof of Qatar’s one-sided refereeing, this is it The reason “Play by the Rules” is one of our ‘Playfair Qatar’ campaign demands is that Qatar could make life better for its 1.5m…Read more…
Article 10: the Right to Freedom of Expression & Whistleblowing
28 November 2014
By Catherine Hobby, Senior Lecturer, School of law and social sciences, University of East London
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Business minister takes gloves off in fight against Brussels
This morning I saw a very strange story in the Daily Mail. It claims that Matthew Hancock, the Business Minister has vowed to block a proposal that would mean the price of rubber gloves would soar…Read more…
Family Friendly working in 2014 – How are we doing?
24 November 2014
By Michelle Singleton, Assistant Policy Officer at UNISON.
Since 1998 there have been great improvements that have transformed family friendly policy and childcare provision,…Read more…
Breaking the law? Today’s peaceful #NHSstrike pickets could be illegal by next year
NHS workers are taking strike action across the country today, in protest at six years of pay freezes and the growing funding crisis in the health services they work to sustain. Peaceful pickets are…Read more…
Legislating without reason – the government’s plans for employment agencies
17 November 2014
By Sonia McKay, Professor of European Socio-Legal Studies at London Metropolitan University.
The Coalition government plans to change the law covering employment agencies,…Read more…
Pensions dispute: Bullying tactics violate workers’ human rights
11 November 2014
By Professor Alan Bogg, University of Oxford and
Professor K D Ewing, King’s College London.
How should workers respond to bullying and intimidation tactics used by employers…Read more…
Article 8: Right to respect for private and family life (The implications on unfair dismissal)
7 November 2014
By Michael Ford QC, Old Square Chambers
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POSTPONED: Lock v British Gas
6 November 2014
By Camilla Belich.
The Leicester Employment Tribunal is due to consider the CJEU decision on commission payment during holiday this February.
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