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Labour Research August 2025
Universities face severe financial crisis - The universities funding crisis sees many higher education institutions implementing further cuts simply to survive Trade union support for Palestine - UK trade unions continue to give support and practical solidarity to securing Palestinian human rights Support for four-day week gathers momentum - There is now plenty of evidence demonstrating the benefits of a four-day working week for both employees and employers. Labour Research reports
News
Joint statement demands return to full public ownership for Thames Water (330 words)
The “chaos” at Thames Water “has dragged on for too long” said the TUC and the UNISON, GMB and Unite unions in a joint statement last month. ...
Subscribers only
Two more unions join growing global calls for fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty (387 words)
Two UK unions have joined growing global calls for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty aiming to secure an equitable transition away from coal, ... Subscribers only
Boosting sick pay from day one could see over £2 billion benefit (366 words)
Extending Statutory Sick Pay from the first day of illness could benefit UK businesses by as much as £2.4 billion, according to new research ... Subscribers only
Resident doctors take action (312 words)
Resident doctors in England were set to strike from 25 to 30 July after more than 90% voted in favour of strike action. Their BMA union is demanding ... Subscribers only
Recognition campaign continues (231 words)
Waste and recycling firm Veolia has launched a defamation claim against the Unite union and its general secretary Sharon Graham amid an escalating ...
Open access
Inflation jumps (77 words)
CPI inflation hit an 18-month high of 3.6% in June. Inflation was pushed up by petrol prices, air fares and the price of rail tickets. Clothing and ... Open access
Labour market indicators (213 words)
The UK economy contracted in May for a second consecutive month. However, business confidence is reasonably robust, and the economy is not expected ... Open access
Key economic indicators
Key economic indicators (425 words)
INFLATION (RPI) +4.4% AVERAGE EARNINGS (ONS regular) +5.0% ... Subscribers only
Union news
Unions condemn police actions during pro-Palestinian march (272 words)
Last month, 22 trade union general secretaries — including Paul Nowak (TUC), Christina McAnea (UNISON), Daniel Kebede (NEU), Matt Wrack (NASUWT), ... Subscribers only
Trades council issues warning over Essex asylum hotel protests (329 words)
Trade unionists were among counter-protestors attacked during protests in Essex last month, according to a London trades council. ... Subscribers only
Unite rift with Labour Party (215 words)
A very public rift between Labour trade union affiliate and the country’s second largest union, Unite, emerged last month. ... Open access
European news
Long-running talks over pension regime proposals break down (419 words)
The long-running negotiations on possible changes to the French pension regime have finally failed and France’s largest union confederation, the ... Subscribers only
Unions win important concession (229 words)
Working together in a new joint structure, Luxembourg’s two main union confederations have forced an important concession from the country’s ... Open access
Labour Bill condemned (83 words)
Greece’s main union confederation, GSEE, has condemned new proposed employment legislation and called for it to be withdrawn. ... Open access
Minimum wage to rise by 13.9% (147 words)
The German minimum wage commission has proposed that the country’s minimum wage should rise from the current €12.82 (£11.10) an hour to €13.90 ... Open access
Features
Universities: can they survive? (1,935 words)
Less than 40 years ago, Britain’s universities did not charge tuition fees for first degrees. And nearly all full-time students benefited from ... Subscribers only
Unions continue to support the cause of Palestine (2,431 words)
In a video message broadcast to delegates at the recent UNISON public services union annual conference, Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions ... Subscribers only
Support ramps up for the four-day week (2,175 words)
The 4 Day Week Foundation calls for a 32-hour working week, or less, worked over four days with no reduction in pay for workers who have switched ... Subscribers only
Law Matters
Certification Officer’s decision overturned (337 words)
The Certification Officer (CO) was wrong in refusing to accept a series of applications relating to trade union discipline, said the Employment ... Subscribers only
Dismissal was unfair (305 words)
While there was a genuine redundancy situation, the claimant’s dismissal was nonetheless unfair because the employer failed in its duty to help him ... Subscribers only
Access to hybrid working is not equal (123 words)
A new report from the Office for National Statistics, Who has access to hybrid working in Great Britain?, has found hybrid working to be “normal” ... Open access
Law Queries
Q&A (803 words)
Holiday rights and pay ... Subscribers only
Law Back-up
AN ILLEGAL CONTRACT COULD FRUSTRATE RIGHTS (901 words)
Illegality can result in a contract being unenforceable. This in turn can affect statutory employment rights because a contract which is void cannot ... Subscribers only
Health & Safety Matters
Harassment hits LGBT+ and women workers (252 words)
TUC research has found that more than half a million (558,500) LGBT+ workers have faced bullying, discrimination and harassment at work. And almost 30 ... Subscribers only
Transport workers ready to take action over violence (262 words)
In a new RMT transport union survey, three-quarters of 6,000 frontline public transport workers across rail, bus, metro, maritime and underground ... Subscribers only
MPs call for safe removal of asbestos (232 words)
The government should begin a programme of safe asbestos removal, starting with schools and hospitals, a new report from the All Party Parliamentary ... Open access
Make the polluters pay, says firefighters’ union (318 words)
As 30oC heatwaves hit parts of the UK again, the FBU firefighters’ union called on the government to tax fossil fuel polluters to help support ... Subscribers only
Unions extend welcome to clean energy sector plan (294 words)
Unions have welcomed the government’s Industrial Strategy Sector Plan for Clean Energy Industries which sets out an aim to double current ... Subscribers only
Just transition road map (253 words)
A new just transition road map sets out a local strategy for colleges to work towards a more sustainable future, with a focus on playing a bigger ... Subscribers only
Equality news
Parental leave and pay sees ‘landmark’ review by Labour (502 words)
The government has launched what it describes as a “landmark review” of parental leave and pay as part of its Make Work Pay plan aimed at ... Subscribers only
Socio-economic origins affect job quality in professional occupations (312 words)
Workers with lower socio-economic origins than their wealthier counterparts face a triple disadvantage in the workplace, according to a new study. ... Subscribers only
Workplace Back-up
Socio-economic origins affect job quality in professional occupations (865 words)
An amendment to the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) would see UK employers banned from using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in cases of discrimination ... Subscribers only