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Labour Research November 2022
Neurodiversity is a trade union issue Trade unions are increasingly looking at how they can support neurodivergent workers Work intensification is on the rise Workers face ever-rising, unrelenting workloads and a disappearing work/life balance, with impacts on their wellbeing Global climate conference: is it a fair COP? What do unions want from the COP27 global climate conference? And what progress, if any, has been made since last year’s COP26?
News
Union movement ‘must coordinate industrial action’ (356 words)
The trade union movement must organise coordinated industrial action in response to the crisis in living standards and attacks on jobs, delegates at ...
Subscribers only
TUC says business has to be made to work for workers (257 words)
Dividends have grown three times faster than wages since the 2008 financial crisis, according to a new TUC analysis.
... Subscribers only
Renewed call for election (250 words)
Unions renewed their calls for a general election following the resignation last month of then prime minister Liz Truss.
... Subscribers only
Anti-union law to prevent rail strikes is ‘autocratic’ (320 words)
Unions have condemned government proposals “designed to end effective industrial action on the railways” as autocratic, undemocratic and ... Subscribers only
No mandate for ‘reckless plans’ (244 words)
The Prospect civil service union last month warned that the new prime minister — Rishi Sunak won the latest Tory leadership race days later — ...
Open access
Rally sends message on crisis (241 words)
A mass rally co-ordinated by the TUC takes place on 2 November and aims to ensure that every MP hears from workers in their constituency about the ... Open access
Inflation up once more (77 words)
Rising food prices were the driving force behind yet another lurch upwards in inflation for the year to September.
... Open access
Unemployment at new low (208 words)
Unemployment appeared to fall to its lowest rate since 1974, in the June-August period, and stood at 3.5%.
... Open access
Key economic indicators
Key economic indicators (409 words)
Inflation +8.2%, Average earnings +4.9% ... Subscribers only
Union news
Nurses’ union pledges tough action on poor behaviour (384 words)
The RCN nursing union has pledged to act firmly on individuals found to have exhibited poor behaviour after an independent report revealed ... Subscribers only
Unions affirm major programme designed to bolster anti-racism (188 words)
The TUC and its 48 affiliated unions have endorsed a major programme of anti-racism work to tackle discrimination both within their ranks and outside ... Open access
Union leaderships (113 words)
Rob Monks has been re-elected unopposed as general secretary of the United Road Transport Union (URTU). It will be his fifth term of office.
... Open access
GMB faith branch (38 words)
The GMB general union has launched a new branch aimed at Jewish faith workers.
... Open access
Sweetheart deals (80 words)
The TUC General Council has been urged to update its internal union disputes procedures and work with affiliates to hinder employers from exploiting ... Open access
European news
European Union adopts new minimum wage directive (403 words)
The European Union has finally adopted a new minimum wage directive which member states are required to implement through national legislation over ... Subscribers only
Refinery strikes wind down (258 words)
Strikes by refinery workers, which led to widespread petrol shortages in France, appear to have subsided for now. But it is unclear whether they will ... Subscribers only
Minimum wage increases by 15% (89 words)
The German government has increased its national minimum wage, bringing it to ¤12.00 (£10.35) an hour. This new level, in force from 1 October is a ... Open access
National strikes in Belgium and Greece (161 words)
The main union confederations in both Belgium and Greece are organising 24-hour national strikes this month.
... Open access
Features
Neurodiversity: ‘a core bargaining issue’ (2,531 words)
It’s a decade since the TSSA transport union launched its 2012 neurodiversity project with the help of the Union Learning Fund (ULF — introduced ... Subscribers only
UK sees rising work intensity (2,313 words)
Former prime minister Liz Truss thought British workers need more “graft”, according to a leaked recording of comments made when she was chief ... Subscribers only
Unions mobilise for COP27 (1,909 words)
International solidarity is an especially important issue at this year’s COP27 conference. The global South is on the frontline of increasingly ... Subscribers only
Law Matters
unfair dismissal and political neutrality (280 words)
The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) recently considered an unfair dismissal case involving the issue of political neutrality. ... Subscribers only
Appeal court ruling blunts whistleblowing protection (333 words)
A whistleblowing case has confirmed that employers can sometimes fairly dismiss an employee, even in circumstances where the employee has made a ... Subscribers only
Government publishes bill to repeal EU law rights (231 words)
The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill has been published by the government. ... Open access
Law Queries
Maternity and pay progression (189 words)
n My employer awards incremental pay progression, dependent on a satisfactory annual appraisal. I’m shortly starting maternity leave and will be ... Open access
Misconduct allegation (266 words)
n A member recently attended an investigation meeting about an allegation of misconduct. He’s now received a letter saying the allegation has ... Subscribers only
Flexible working request (273 words)
n Four months ago, I made a written request for flexible working. I requested to go down to four days per week. I’ve never made a request before ... Subscribers only
Law Back-up
Long Covid: what legal protections are in place? (896 words)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that two million people (3% of the UK population) are reporting long Covid symptoms — 41% were ... Subscribers only
Health & Safety Matters
Action demanded on rising covid infections (260 words)
Unions and safety groups last month called on the government to take urgent action to tackle rising Covid infections as hospitalisations also ... Subscribers only
Neurodegenerative diseases strategey in development (219 words)
The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has announced the appointment of a leading industry expert on concussion and Chronic Traumatic ... Open access
Cuts and privatisation risk rail safety (222 words)
The RMT rail union last month warned that government policy is “in danger of dragging the railways closer towards the same cocktail of ... Open access
Health & Safety Back-up
What is fracking and why is it controversial? (922 words)
The government said it removed the ban on hydraulic fracturing as part of “concrete steps to increase home-grown sources of energy, reduce the ... Subscribers only
Equality news
BME people more likely to experience poverty (372 words)
Average incomes for Black and minority ethnic (BME) people living beneath the poverty line have fallen faster and deeper than for white people, ... Subscribers only
Derby council under fire over equal pay claims (236 words)
Public services union UNISON has accused Derby City Council of spending more than £1.5 million fighting “indefensible” equal pay claims. ... Open access
Childcare system is not working (221 words)
A review of the current childcare and early education system in England by the gender equality campaign, the Fawcett Society, reveals that the system ... Open access
Workplace Back-up
Which inflation measure is most useful to us? (946 words)
We’re all watching out for inflation, but which measure should we be using in our pay claims? Unions prefer the traditional Retail Prices Index ... Subscribers only