Pay and prices

Settlements fall back to inflation level (233 words)

The latest figures from LRD's Payline database show a three-monthly median increase of 3.2% to April - a slight fall on the revised median ...

Labour Research Department three-monthly pay figures (217 words)

Percentage increases on lowest basic rates (by agreements covered) ...

Average earnings indices (159 words)

Jan 04 (r) 117.2 6.7 3.7 7.9 7.4 4.1 ...

Full-time weekly average earnings (28 words)

All workers £529.10 ...

Other pay analysts (23 words)

Industrial Relations Services (median, three months to end April 2005) 3.0% ...

Prices (60 words)

March 04 184.6 2.6 2.1 ...

Inflation forecasts (29 words)

Fourth quarter 2005 ...

Bargaining news

Bank secures future of final-salary pensions (256 words)

Union efforts to preserve "final-salary" pension schemes have made progress in two workplaces this month. ...

Flexibility is the key to reducing absence (318 words)

While employers' organisation the CBI says the cost of sickness absence is rising, a new report from the charity Working Families has shown that ...

Contracted-out staff see improvements (128 words)

Working conditions are to improve for thousands of staff in contracted-out public services. ...

Boost for apprentice pay in construction industry (314 words)

Union negotiators in the construction industry have agreed a deal to boost apprentice pay by up to 10%. ...

Union launches manifesto for universities' academic-related staff (355 words)

As the seven higher education (HE) unions began pay talks with the employers' association UCEA earlier this month, teaching union the AUT launched a ...

CWU reaches agreements at BT and Royal Mail (282 words)

Communications union the CWU has negotiated three new agreements providing pay rises of up to 3.8%. ...

PO drivers won't lose out under working time deal (475 words)

A new collective agreement at the Post Office will allow cash-in-transit (CIT) drivers to maintain their earnings potential while operating within the new legal ...

Port workers accept deals linked to RPI (254 words)

Port workers in the Forth estuary and at Tilbury have accepted three-year pay deals giving above-inflation rises this year and inflation guarantees in the ...

Equality news

Pilot wins right to work part-time (260 words)

An airline pilot whose employers refused to let her reduce her working hours by 50% so that she could care for her young daughter ...

Employers are urged to support epileptic workers (309 words)

A charity has appealed to employers to provide support for workers who have epilepsy. ...

"Lookism" is widespread, warns new US report (414 words)

Appearance discrimination or "lookism" is "sweeping businesses across the world", according to law firm Eversheds. ...

Recruitment and organisation news

UNISON strengthens its relationship with Capita (286 words)

UNISON, the UK's largest union, and Capita, the largest provider of outsourced administration and customer services, have reached a deal to strengthen their relationship ...

BECTU finds recognition in Manchester (96 words)

Broadcast union BECTU is on the way to recognition deals for caterers at ITV's Manchester base and for staff at Manchester United's TV channel, ...

Learning and training news

Training boost in printing industry (208 words)

The printing industry has committed itself to developing its employees' skills in consultation with unions. ...

Teachers' bosses learn about ULRs (201 words)

A guide promoting the role of teacher union learning reps (ULRs) has been produced by the three major teaching unions (ATL, NASUWT and NUT) ...

European news

New bodies to offer advice in key sectors (89 words)

The two major Spanish union confederations, CCOO and UGT, have signed an agreement with the employers and the Spanish ministry of industry, aimed at ...

Italian deal at Manpower (115 words)

The commercial services unions of Italy's three main union confederations have signed an agreement with the agency work company Manpower, providing new rights for ...

Pay agreement averts steel strike in Germany (224 words)

IG Metall, the German industrial union, has secured above-inflation pay increases plus substantial one-off payments for the 85,000 workers in west Germany's steel industry. ...

European Parliament votes to end hours opt-out (229 words)

The European Parliament has voted to end the arrangements allowing individual workers to opt out of the normal 48-hour limit on a working week. ...

Dutch reach building deal (176 words)

Employers in the Dutch construction industry have agreed a new pay deal with the industry's union, following a threat of industrial action. ...

Law - Discrimination

Discrimination case law (454 words)

This month's rulings cover topics including changes to the burden of proof in discrimination cases, and discrimination against part-time workers. ...

Fixed-term workers (218 words)

Ms Donovan worked on a fixed-term contract. When her contract came to an end, she was not offered another one. She claimed that she ...

Bonus during pregnancy leave (147 words)

When Elidh Hoyland's bonus was reduced to reflect the time that she was off work on maternity leave, she brought a sex discrimination claim. ...

Victimisation (215 words)

Mr Henry made a number of complaints against his managers, including claims of race discrimination. Relations between him and his employer deteriorated. ...

Discrimination jurisdiction (157 words)

Surinder Saggar served as an army officer from 1982 to 2002. He worked in the UK for all but the last four years, when ...

Equal pay (143 words)

Six male civil servants who worked for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) brought equal pay claims, using as comparators women ...

Burden of proof (166 words)

The Court of Appeal heard three discrimination cases together that set guidance for the new "burden of proof" provisions. ...

Part-time workers (388 words)

Alan Gibson worked part-time in the ambulance service. He claimed that he was being treated less favourably than a comparable full-time worker because he ...

Law - Tribunal procedures

Tribunal law (414 words)

Decisions this month focus on when it is appropriate to extend time limits and make awards of costs. ...

Time limits on making claims (377 words)

Following her dismissal, Sandra Fishley faxed her claims to a tribunal just 11 minutes after the time limit. She argued that the tribunal could ...

Intervention of non-witnesses (99 words)

Teacher Ms McGovern issued a claim for disability discrimination more than three months after her employment ended, which meant it was out of time. ...

Hearing the case (188 words)

Ms Easter was off sick with stress for a long period, and her employer gave her an ultimatum of either returning to work, accepting ...

Delay of judgements (147 words)

This was a joint hearing of appeals in four cases where tribunals had taken a long time (141/2 months in one case) to send ...

Costs orders (361 words)

Bartholomew Daly brought an unfair dismissal claim against npower. However, his employment had been transferred under the TUPE regulations, so any claim should have ...

Health & safety news

Why workers are sick and tired of rotating shifts (242 words)

Shift workers face increased health risks, new research has revealed. ...

Workers' Memorial Day (260 words)

Workers killed at work were remembered across the UK on Workers' Memorial Day, 28 April, with unions and hazards campaigners organising hundreds of events. ...

Attacks on firefighters increase to 40 a week (97 words)

Forty attacks on UK fire crews take place every week - and the problem is getting worse. ...

Tribunals back workers over sickness sackings (83 words)

Employers who sack workers for sickness absence have been found guilty of unfair dismissal in two employment tribunal decisions last month. ...

Pregnant women and risk assessments (95 words)

Following the publication of a checklist by shopworkers' union USDAW (see last month's issue), the TUC has produced detailed and practical online guidance on ...

Rail work deaths "highest for 14 years" (76 words)

Fatalities and assaults on the railways increased last year, according to new figures from the Rail Safety and Standards Board. ...

Features

Trade union recognition (232 words)

* A union with only one member can be used to bar an application for recognition from a union with majority membership (case 1). ...

Working time (98 words)

* Emergency workers are covered by the Working Time Directive. ...

Parental leave (115 words)

* Parental leave must be taken in blocks of one week. ...

RIDDOR consultation (84 words)

The TUC wants to see the official rules on the reporting of work accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences clarified, enforced and turned into an ...

PPE for work at height needs to be reassessed (132 words)

The model used to test personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers who work at height is outdated, according to new HSE research. ...

Vibration guidance (55 words)

The HSE is asking unions to distribute new leaflets and pocket-sized guidance on the forthcoming vibration regulations to members. ...

Union is not satisfied with £900,000 fine for Shell (237 words)

Oil giant Shell UK was fined a total of £900,000 at Stonehaven Sheriff Court in April, after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety ...

Involve workers in health and safety, says survey (199 words)

Health and safety are considered important matters in the workplace, and workers should be involved in health and safety, according to a survey carried ...

Retrial ordered in Barrow legionnaires' deaths case (134 words)

The Barrow legionnaires' disease trial ended last month when the judge discharged the jury. ...

Unions make further progress on family-friendly working (3474 words)

The big news on leave for working parents this year is the government's announcement of plans to extend flexible working and boost maternity rights, ...

Utilities see centralisation of ownership - and of bargaining (1918 words)

The utilities sector is characterised by good pay and relatively high levels of union membership. The current edition of the government's Annual Survey of ...