Download Trades Union Congress

Jump to navigation
Text Size

A

A

A
Current Size: 100%
Change Contrast


Current Style: Standard
Search
Advanced Search
All TUC sites
This site only
Home › Feed aggregator › Feed aggregator
Feed aggregator
Gender Pay Gap Information Regulations: Long on information, short on action
ToUChstone - Equality - Thu 6 Apr 2017 - 13:47
The UK’s gender pay gap stands at 18.1% and at the current rate this gap will not close for at least another 40 years. This means that th
the average man. Today the government has taken a small step to narrow the gap with new reporting regulations. We’re pushing for th
The Gender Pay Gap Information Regulations that come into force today mean that all employers with 250 or more employees will have
welcome step and might encourage employers to think about the ramifications of the gender pay gap in their organisation, but it falls wel
The new regulations should lead to greater transparency about the gender pay gap at larger organisations. Employers will be required to

the differences in pay rates between male and female employees (including bonus pay)

the proportion of men and women receiving a bonus; and

the proportion of men and women in the lowest and highest pay quartiles in the organisation
So, what is missing from the Regulations? Most concerning are the following omissions:

An employer is not required to include an explanation to accompany the information they publish or an action plan setting out how they in

There is no sanction for an employer who chooses to break the law by not complying with the regulations.
We could learn from the Northern Irish gender pay gap regulations, which should be in place by July 2017. The Northern Irish Employm
£5000 per employee, for an employer who doesn’t comply with reporting requirements. An equivalent sanction in the GB regulations wo
compliance.
In Great Britain, however, employers could choose to take no action to narrow the gender pay gap and still comply with the legislation. A
play a pivotal role in narrowing the gender pay gap. The newly published information may prove to be useful to unions who can use the
employers to identify the causes of the gender pay gap and develop strategies to eliminate the gap.
Gender pay gap reporting is not a panacea which will eliminate the problem. There are multiple causes of the gender pay gap, which req
like to see sector level bargaining which would enable unions and employers to negotiate on pay levels in low paid sectors where women
reform to the careers guidance programme, leading to changes which would see young women encouraged into jobs in well paid sectors
Incidentally, Iceland’s parliament has today presented a bill that would require public and private businesses to prove they offer equal pa
Iceland ranks first on the World Economic Forum’s 2015 global gender gap index (The UK is in 20th position). If the country at the top o
highlights just how much further the UK has to travel.
The post Gender Pay Gap Information Regulations: Long on information, short on action appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Categories: Equality Issues
MEPs vote overwhelmingly for workers’ rights to be protected in Brexit deal
ToUChstone - EUref - Wed 5 Apr 2017 - 15:05
The European Parliament decided today by an overwhelming 516 to 133 votes (nearly four to one) what it thought should be in the even
clear that any future deal should be conditional on “continued adherence” by the UK to the EU social dimension. This is a major victory fo
we don’t fall behind our European neighbours if they get better rights in the future. And unlike the Prime Minister’s promises, MEPs are d
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady welcomed the vote, saying:
“Workers’ rights must be at the heart of Britain’s deal with the EU. It must protect current rights, like paid holidays, equal pay, and fairnes
Britain don’t fall behind our European neighbours.
“The Prime Minister should welcome the European Parliament’s commitment to workers’ rights in the UK. It gives her a great opportunity
rights at work must be the starting point for negotiating a good deal that works for business and working people.”
The European Parliament is not formally engaged in the Brexit negotiations. But they do get a vote at the end of the negotiations on the
means that, if they stay united (hence the importance of the huge majority in favour), they could have a major role in keeping both the UK
This resolution will be at least as important in setting the tone for the negotiations on the EU side as the negotiating guidance which the C
final form of that guidance could well be influenced by the European Parliament’s resolution.
The full text of the paragraph setting out the key expectations on workers’ rights (as well as rejecting tax competition, and deregulation o
“any future agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom is conditional on the United Kingdom’s continued adherenc
and policies, in, among others, the fields of the environment, climate change, the fight against tax evasion and avoidance, fair competitio
Like all European documents, this needs decoding, but it’s quite clear that ‘continued adherence’ means that part of the price of a deal a
the protections and rights set out in EU legislation. And ‘safeguards against social dumping’ means that the UK won’t be allowed to trade
meaning British working people will get rights at work at least as good as those in the European Union, now and in the future.
As Frances O’Grady says, this could be a win-win situation for Theresa May if she is only willing to face down the right-wing champions o
in Britain and keeping respect and dignity in safe workplaces, with fairness for everyone.
The post MEPs vote overwhelmingly for workers’ rights to be protected in Brexit deal appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Categories: EU Referendum
MEPs vote overwhelmingly for workers’ rights to be protected in Brexit deal
ToUChstone blog - Wed 5 Apr 2017 - 15:05
The European Parliament decided today by an overwhelming 516 to 133 votes (nearly four to one) what it thought should be in the even
clear that any future deal should be conditional on “continued adherence” by the UK to the EU social dimension. This is a major victory fo
we don’t fall behind our European neighbours if they get better rights in the future. And unlike the Prime Minister’s promises, MEPs are d
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady welcomed the vote, saying:
“Workers’ rights must be at the heart of Britain’s deal with the EU. It must protect current rights, like paid holidays, equal pay, and fairnes
Britain don’t fall behind our European neighbours.
“The Prime Minister should welcome the European Parliament’s commitment to workers’ rights in the UK. It gives her a great opportunity
rights at work must be the starting point for negotiating a good deal that works for business and working people.”
The European Parliament is not formally engaged in the Brexit negotiations. But they do get a vote at the end of the negotiations on the
means that, if they stay united (hence the importance of the huge majority in favour), they could have a major role in keeping both the UK
This resolution will be at least as important in setting the tone for the negotiations on the EU side as the negotiating guidance which the C
final form of that guidance could well be influenced by the European Parliament’s resolution.
The full text of the paragraph setting out the key expectations on workers’ rights (as well as rejecting tax competition, and deregulation o
“any future agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom is conditional on the United Kingdom’s continued adherenc
and policies, in, among others, the fields of the environment, climate change, the fight against tax evasion and avoidance, fair competitio
Like all European documents, this needs decoding, but it’s quite clear that ‘continued adherence’ means that part of the price of a deal a
the protections and rights set out in EU legislation. And ‘safeguards against social dumping’ means that the UK won’t be allowed to trade
meaning British working people will get rights at work at least as good as those in the European Union, now and in the future.
As Frances O’Grady says, this could be a win-win situation for Theresa May if she is only willing to face down the right-wing champions o
in Britain and keeping respect and dignity in safe workplaces, with fairness for everyone.
The post MEPs vote overwhelmingly for workers’ rights to be protected in Brexit deal appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
MEPs vote overwhelmingly for workers’ rights to be protected in Brexit deal
ToUChstone - International - Wed 5 Apr 2017 - 15:05
The European Parliament decided today by an overwhelming 516 to 133 votes (nearly four to one) what it thought should be in the even
clear that any future deal should be conditional on “continued adherence” by the UK to the EU social dimension. This is a major victory fo
we don’t fall behind our European neighbours if they get better rights in the future. And unlike the Prime Minister’s promises, MEPs are d
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady welcomed the vote, saying:
“Workers’ rights must be at the heart of Britain’s deal with the EU. It must protect current rights, like paid holidays, equal pay, and fairnes
Britain don’t fall behind our European neighbours.
“The Prime Minister should welcome the European Parliament’s commitment to workers’ rights in the UK. It gives her a great opportunity
rights at work must be the starting point for negotiating a good deal that works for business and working people.”
The European Parliament is not formally engaged in the Brexit negotiations. But they do get a vote at the end of the negotiations on the
means that, if they stay united (hence the importance of the huge majority in favour), they could have a major role in keeping both the UK
This resolution will be at least as important in setting the tone for the negotiations on the EU side as the negotiating guidance which the C
final form of that guidance could well be influenced by the European Parliament’s resolution.
The full text of the paragraph setting out the key expectations on workers’ rights (as well as rejecting tax competition, and deregulation o
“any future agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom is conditional on the United Kingdom’s continued adherenc
and policies, in, among others, the fields of the environment, climate change, the fight against tax evasion and avoidance, fair competitio
Like all European documents, this needs decoding, but it’s quite clear that ‘continued adherence’ means that part of the price of a deal a
the protections and rights set out in EU legislation. And ‘safeguards against social dumping’ means that the UK won’t be allowed to trade
meaning British working people will get rights at work at least as good as those in the European Union, now and in the future.
As Frances O’Grady says, this could be a win-win situation for Theresa May if she is only willing to face down the right-wing champions o
in Britain and keeping respect and dignity in safe workplaces, with fairness for everyone.
The post MEPs vote overwhelmingly for workers’ rights to be protected in Brexit deal appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Categories: International Issues
Recognise unions in supply chains, says Parliamentary committee
ToUChstone blog - Wed 5 Apr 2017 - 13:19
Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights calls for trade union recognition in supply chains in its recommendations on Busin
The Joint Committee on Human Rights has proposed government action to oblige UK-based companies to ensure recognition of trade u
human rights abuse in their operations.
“We welcome the proposal that there should be stronger requirements on trade union recognition, including in businesses’ supply chains
“We hope the government will respond positively to the committee’s proposals. Good business need better protection against unfair com
chains.” Frances O’Grady
The recommendation, which comes with a suite of others in a wide-ranging report on Human Rights and Business released today, would
themselves from long hours, low pay, deadly health & safety conditions and other abuses in the workplace.
The Joint Committee (joint because it spans the Houses of both Lords and Commons chaired by Harriet Harman MP) launched its enqui
business, government, NGOs and unions in order to assess the government’s progress on business and human rights, particularly its im
transparency and access to remedy.
The TUC’s view, widely echoed by other witnesses, was that while it is indeed a wonderful thing that the UK has both the first ever Natio
being the best. For us, the paucity of references to the role of trade unions in protecting the rights of workers was frustrating, especially g
So the fact that the Joint Committee not only recommends engagement with unions as a way to protect workers, but suggests that the g
way to improve protection, transparency and monitoring is very welcome indeed, and we hope the government is listening carefully.
It will have helped that the TUC’s description of auditing as a deeply flawed and inadequate way of protecting workers clearly hit home. T
“Owen Tudor [of the TUC] gave the example of Rana Plaza, the factory in Bangladesh in which over 1,000 people were killed in 2013. H
this, he said, “we have also seen a major increase in the amount of industry auditing that is going on. Multinational companies are spend
their customers that they are doing something about it.””
Also welcome is the toughening of language with regard to employers’ responsibilities over what happens to workers in their supply chai
rights, describes the employers’ responsibility to “respect” rights and avoid causing harm. This creates semantic wiggle room for employe
to put more specific responsibilities on their members (for example at last year’s Global Supply Chain debate at the International Labour
duty on all companies to prevent human rights abuse”, and create an offence of “failure to prevent human rights abuse for all companies
avoid doing the right thing. The report singles out the Modern Slavery Act, the valuable but tentative first step brought in to combat forced
other abuses of human rights by business.
Unions, of course, are valuable partners for businesses that are taking their responsibilities seriously. As the committee recognises, a tra
inspections.
What the Committee doesn’t recommend, however, is any support from DFID to help unions in UK companies’ supply chains fulfil that ro
strategy, and a reminder to them of the trade union track record in protecting human rights and democracy would have been very welcom
On the other hand, welcome funding calls are made for the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (currently dealing with a 2000% in
which investigates complaints made under the terms of the OECD Guidance for Multinational Enterprises. The GLAA’s case the Joint Co
welcome, but TUC believes there is a strong case for extending the GLA’s remit even further so that new sectors such as social care and
there were calls from employer representatives for a level playing field for good businesses, with licensing one means of providing that.
The call for freedom of association in supply chains (essentially guaranteed by ILO conventions) shouldn’t be controversial. It is the prim
These companies are also seeking a level playing field, to protect the good from competition from the bad, and some form of compulsion
The post Recognise unions in supply chains, says Parliamentary committee appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Recognise unions in supply chains, says Parliamentary committee
ToUChstone - International - Wed 5 Apr 2017 - 13:19
Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights calls for trade union recognition in supply chains in its recommendations on Busin
The Joint Committee on Human Rights has proposed government action to oblige UK-based companies to ensure recognition of trade u
human rights abuse in their operations.
“We welcome the proposal that there should be stronger requirements on trade union recognition, including in businesses’ supply chains
“We hope the government will respond positively to the committee’s proposals. Good business need better protection against unfair com
chains.” Frances O’Grady
The recommendation, which comes with a suite of others in a wide-ranging report on Human Rights and Business released today, would
themselves from long hours, low pay, deadly health & safety conditions and other abuses in the workplace.
The Joint Committee (joint because it spans the Houses of both Lords and Commons chaired by Harriet Harman MP) launched its enqui
business, government, NGOs and unions in order to assess the government’s progress on business and human rights, particularly its im
transparency and access to remedy.
The TUC’s view, widely echoed by other witnesses, was that while it is indeed a wonderful thing that the UK has both the first ever Natio
being the best. For us, the paucity of references to the role of trade unions in protecting the rights of workers was frustrating, especially g
So the fact that the Joint Committee not only recommends engagement with unions as a way to protect workers, but suggests that the g
way to improve protection, transparency and monitoring is very welcome indeed, and we hope the government is listening carefully.
It will have helped that the TUC’s description of auditing as a deeply flawed and inadequate way of protecting workers clearly hit home. T
“Owen Tudor [of the TUC] gave the example of Rana Plaza, the factory in Bangladesh in which over 1,000 people were killed in 2013. H
this, he said, “we have also seen a major increase in the amount of industry auditing that is going on. Multinational companies are spend
their customers that they are doing something about it.””
Also welcome is the toughening of language with regard to employers’ responsibilities over what happens to workers in their supply chai
rights, describes the employers’ responsibility to “respect” rights and avoid causing harm. This creates semantic wiggle room for employe
to put more specific responsibilities on their members (for example at last year’s Global Supply Chain debate at the International Labour
duty on all companies to prevent human rights abuse”, and create an offence of “failure to prevent human rights abuse for all companies
avoid doing the right thing. The report singles out the Modern Slavery Act, the valuable but tentative first step brought in to combat forced
other abuses of human rights by business.
Unions, of course, are valuable partners for businesses that are taking their responsibilities seriously. As the committee recognises, a tra
inspections.
What the Committee doesn’t recommend, however, is any support from DFID to help unions in UK companies’ supply chains fulfil that ro
strategy, and a reminder to them of the trade union track record in protecting human rights and democracy would have been very welcom
On the other hand, welcome funding calls are made for the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (currently dealing with a 2000% in
which investigates complaints made under the terms of the OECD Guidance for Multinational Enterprises. The GLAA’s case the Joint Co
welcome, but TUC believes there is a strong case for extending the GLA’s remit even further so that new sectors such as social care and
there were calls from employer representatives for a level playing field for good businesses, with licensing one means of providing that.
The call for freedom of association in supply chains (essentially guaranteed by ILO conventions) shouldn’t be controversial. It is the prim
These companies are also seeking a level playing field, to protect the good from competition from the bad, and some form of compulsion
The post Recognise unions in supply chains, says Parliamentary committee appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Categories: International Issues
BEIS Committee of MPs says workers on boards should become “the norm”
ToUChstone blog - Wed 5 Apr 2017 - 00:01
The BEIS Parliamentary Committee reports today on its corporate governance inquiry launched last autumn. There is much to welcome
executive pay, private companies, directors’ duties and enforcement. Here we set out the Committee’s main recommendations, and whe
“We encourage more companies to appoint workers on boards”
The Committee says that “it should become the norm for workers to serve on boards”, and compares the change required to bring t
workers can bring both challenge and a long-term perspective to boards, noting that this has worked well both in the UK and abroa
However, the Committee puts its faith in exhortation rather than regulation, and does not recommend making worker board represe
Rather, they encourage companies to act within the existing framework to implement worker board representation, pointing to U
It is great that the Committee has recognised the value of worker board representation, but the TUC remains sceptical that voluntary me
legislation – as is shown by the fact that worker board representation is a legal requirement in 19 countries across Europe. The TUC urg
boards. A legal requirement is the best way to make worker board representation the new normal, as both the Committee and th
Executive pay – workers on remuneration committees and an end to LTIPs
The Committee’s proposals on executive pay are both simpler and more likely to be effective than those proposed by the government’s G
plans or LTIPs – a long-standing TUC ask. They propose that executive pay should comprise salary, a bonus linked to broader company
The TUC has some concerns about payment in shares, which can risk incentivising a focus on share price, and it will be important that th
total pay and workforce pay will continue to rise. Nonetheless, these proposals should bring an improvement on the status quo.
The Committee takes seriously the problem of the growing gap between executive pay and workforce pay, commenting that
“It is hardly consistent with [the Prime Minister’s] vision of an economy that works for everyone to see levels of pay for those at the top in
with the value created in the company.”
Their approach to addressing this is refreshingly straightforward. Arguing that “The best way of ensuring that the voices of the workfo
committee itself”, they propose that this should be included in the Corporate Governance Code. The TUC has been calling for worker re
as long overdue!)
Alongside a recommendation for companies to publish pay ratios, the Committee proposes that companies should report more bro
as information on the use of fixed term and zero hour contracts and the use of employment intermediaries such as agencies, umbrella co
the Corporate Governance Code (as proposed by the Committee), the recognition of the need for far greater transparency from compani
The report includes an interesting discussion of the impact of shareholders on executive pay, concluding that their record in addressing p
pay, but do recommend that if remuneration reports receive the support of less than 75% of voting shareholders, the remuneration comm
Directors’ duties and stakeholder impacts
Much of the public distrust of companies stems from their stakeholder and societal impacts – from exploitative employment practices, tax
governance framework is largely silent on how companies should interact with stakeholders, other than shareholders.
The exception is section 172 of the Companies Act, which requires directors to take account of company stakeholders in decision-makin
reformed to remove the priority given to shareholder interests and require directors to promote the long-term success of the company as
by a Companies Commission, which could be a reformed version of the current Financial Reporting Council (FRC).
The Report does not recommend reform of directors’ duties, but it does acknowledge the problem that the existing duties are basically un
proposing also that the FRC should be re-established and renamed. This is very welcome. Given the centrality of stakeholder relatio
included within a revamped FRC.
In conclusion, while there are some areas in which we would have wished the Committee to have gone further, its report includes some
governance in the UK.
A final question: is the government listening?
The post BEIS Committee of MPs says workers on boards should become “the norm” appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
BEIS Committee of MPs says workers on boards should become “the norm”
ToUChstone - Economy - Wed 5 Apr 2017 - 00:01
The BEIS Parliamentary Committee reports today on its corporate governance inquiry launched last autumn. There is much to welcome
executive pay, private companies, directors’ duties and enforcement. Here we set out the Committee’s main recommendations, and whe
“We encourage more companies to appoint workers on boards”
The Committee says that “it should become the norm for workers to serve on boards”, and compares the change required to bring t
workers can bring both challenge and a long-term perspective to boards, noting that this has worked well both in the UK and abroa
However, the Committee puts its faith in exhortation rather than regulation, and does not recommend making worker board represe
Rather, they encourage companies to act within the existing framework to implement worker board representation, pointing to U
It is great that the Committee has recognised the value of worker board representation, but the TUC remains sceptical that voluntary me
legislation – as is shown by the fact that worker board representation is a legal requirement in 19 countries across Europe. The TUC urg
boards. A legal requirement is the best way to make worker board representation the new normal, as both the Committee and th
Executive pay – workers on remuneration committees and an end to LTIPs
The Committee’s proposals on executive pay are both simpler and more likely to be effective than those proposed by the government’s G
plans or LTIPs – a long-standing TUC ask. They propose that executive pay should comprise salary, a bonus linked to broader company
The TUC has some concerns about payment in shares, which can risk incentivising a focus on share price, and it will be important that th
total pay and workforce pay will continue to rise. Nonetheless, these proposals should bring an improvement on the status quo.
The Committee takes seriously the problem of the growing gap between executive pay and workforce pay, commenting that
“It is hardly consistent with [the Prime Minister’s] vision of an economy that works for everyone to see levels of pay for those at the top in
with the value created in the company.”
Their approach to addressing this is refreshingly straightforward. Arguing that “The best way of ensuring that the voices of the workfo
committee itself”, they propose that this should be included in the Corporate Governance Code. The TUC has been calling for worker re
as long overdue!)
Alongside a recommendation for companies to publish pay ratios, the Committee proposes that companies should report more bro
as information on the use of fixed term and zero hour contracts and the use of employment intermediaries such as agencies, umbrella co
the Corporate Governance Code (as proposed by the Committee), the recognition of the need for far greater transparency from compani
The report includes an interesting discussion of the impact of shareholders on executive pay, concluding that their record in addressing p
pay, but do recommend that if remuneration reports receive the support of less than 75% of voting shareholders, the remuneration comm
Directors’ duties and stakeholder impacts
Much of the public distrust of companies stems from their stakeholder and societal impacts – from exploitative employment practices, tax
governance framework is largely silent on how companies should interact with stakeholders, other than shareholders.
The exception is section 172 of the Companies Act, which requires directors to take account of company stakeholders in decision-makin
reformed to remove the priority given to shareholder interests and require directors to promote the long-term success of the company as
by a Companies Commission, which could be a reformed version of the current Financial Reporting Council (FRC).
The Report does not recommend reform of directors’ duties, but it does acknowledge the problem that the existing duties are basically un
proposing also that the FRC should be re-established and renamed. This is very welcome. Given the centrality of stakeholder relatio
included within a revamped FRC.
In conclusion, while there are some areas in which we would have wished the Committee to have gone further, its report includes some
governance in the UK.
A final question: is the government listening?
The post BEIS Committee of MPs says workers on boards should become “the norm” appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Categories: Economic Issues
1 in 3 experience racism at work after Brexit vote
Stronger Union - Tue 4 Apr 2017 - 13:12
When the topic of Brexit’s effects so far comes up in conversation, it’s hard to not talk about the rise in racist attacks since the EU referen
life. A major new poll of over 100…
Read in full
1 in 3 experience racism at work after Brexit vote
Stronger unions - Rights at Work - Tue 4 Apr 2017 - 13:12
When the topic of Brexit’s effects so far comes up in conversation, it’s hard to not talk about the rise in racist attacks since the EU referen
life. A major new poll of over 100…
Read in full
Categories: Employment rights blogs
Continental holidays under threat without a good #Brexit deal
ToUChstone - EUref - Tue 4 Apr 2017 - 11:03
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) is the latest trade association to express serious concerns about how Brexit is being ne
UK, as well as abroad – after Brexit. In particular, ABTA is clear that ‘no deal’ is not an option, but trade unions are also concerned abou
anyway.
ABTA’s concerns include the issue of visa-free travel and the future of the EHIC card that is the passport to medical treatment. But they
follow in terms of freedom to fly, because there are no WTO arrangements for air travel. So the industry is calling for transitional arrange
Frances O’Grady hs stressed, saying:
“The Prime Minister needs to protect British workers and British industry by agreeing a transitional deal with EU leaders. This will protect
to get the very best EU deal for Britain, instead of a duff deal made in a rush.”
But of course we have other concerns about the impact of Brexit. Firstly, will working people have the right to take the paid leave in the fi
workers had holidays their unions had won through negotiations with employers) and millions more have got more paid leave than they h
The Government has promised to protect and enhance working people’s rights, but the voices calling for rules on paid holidays, working
top priorities for deregulation, backed by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and with right-wingers like John Redwood beginning to mutte
Given Theresa May’s pledge, it’s unlikely the Government would start out by trying to abolish such rights wholesale, but the proposal in t
judgments would open the door to employers wanting to roll back the progressive decisions of the ECJ on issues like working time.
And finally, of course, there’s a question mark over whether working people will be able to afford to holiday in places like Greece, Malta a
have automatically risen in price, and the return of inflation without decent wage rises is already putting a huge squeeze on family financ
So, the continental holiday that has been such a feature of properly paid working people’s lives since the UK joined the EU could be und
The post Continental holidays under threat without a good #Brexit deal appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Categories: EU Referendum
Continental holidays under threat without a good #Brexit deal
ToUChstone blog - Tue 4 Apr 2017 - 11:03
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) is the latest trade association to express serious concerns about how Brexit is being ne
UK, as well as abroad – after Brexit. In particular, ABTA is clear that ‘no deal’ is not an option, but trade unions are also concerned abou
anyway.
ABTA’s concerns include the issue of visa-free travel and the future of the EHIC card that is the passport to medical treatment. But they
follow in terms of freedom to fly, because there are no WTO arrangements for air travel. So the industry is calling for transitional arrange
Frances O’Grady hs stressed, saying:
“The Prime Minister needs to protect British workers and British industry by agreeing a transitional deal with EU leaders. This will protect
to get the very best EU deal for Britain, instead of a duff deal made in a rush.”
But of course we have other concerns about the impact of Brexit. Firstly, will working people have the right to take the paid leave in the fi
workers had holidays their unions had won through negotiations with employers) and millions more have got more paid leave than they h
The Government has promised to protect and enhance working people’s rights, but the voices calling for rules on paid holidays, working
top priorities for deregulation, backed by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and with right-wingers like John Redwood beginning to mutte
Given Theresa May’s pledge, it’s unlikely the Government would start out by trying to abolish such rights wholesale, but the proposal in t
judgments would open the door to employers wanting to roll back the progressive decisions of the ECJ on issues like working time.
And finally, of course, there’s a question mark over whether working people will be able to afford to holiday in places like Greece, Malta a
have automatically risen in price, and the return of inflation without decent wage rises is already putting a huge squeeze on family financ
So, the continental holiday that has been such a feature of properly paid working people’s lives since the UK joined the EU could be und
The post Continental holidays under threat without a good #Brexit deal appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Continental holidays under threat without a good #Brexit deal
ToUChstone - International - Tue 4 Apr 2017 - 11:03
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) is the latest trade association to express serious concerns about how Brexit is being ne
UK, as well as abroad – after Brexit. In particular, ABTA is clear that ‘no deal’ is not an option, but trade unions are also concerned abou
anyway.
ABTA’s concerns include the issue of visa-free travel and the future of the EHIC card that is the passport to medical treatment. But they
follow in terms of freedom to fly, because there are no WTO arrangements for air travel. So the industry is calling for transitional arrange
Frances O’Grady hs stressed, saying:
“The Prime Minister needs to protect British workers and British industry by agreeing a transitional deal with EU leaders. This will protect
to get the very best EU deal for Britain, instead of a duff deal made in a rush.”
But of course we have other concerns about the impact of Brexit. Firstly, will working people have the right to take the paid leave in the fi
workers had holidays their unions had won through negotiations with employers) and millions more have got more paid leave than they h
The Government has promised to protect and enhance working people’s rights, but the voices calling for rules on paid holidays, working
top priorities for deregulation, backed by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, and with right-wingers like John Redwood beginning to mutte
Given Theresa May’s pledge, it’s unlikely the Government would start out by trying to abolish such rights wholesale, but the proposal in t
judgments would open the door to employers wanting to roll back the progressive decisions of the ECJ on issues like working time.
And finally, of course, there’s a question mark over whether working people will be able to afford to holiday in places like Greece, Malta a
have automatically risen in price, and the return of inflation without decent wage rises is already putting a huge squeeze on family financ
So, the continental holiday that has been such a feature of properly paid working people’s lives since the UK joined the EU could be und
The post Continental holidays under threat without a good #Brexit deal appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Categories: International Issues
Government inertia could put pensions auto-enrolment at risk
ToUChstone blog - Mon 3 Apr 2017 - 17:02
Cleverly harnessing individual inertia to help workers get a workplace pension has been behind the success of automatic enrolment. But
Under automatic enrolment, workers have to actively opt out of membership (soft compulsion) while employers have to make contributio
The results are impressive. Since 2012, and after decades of falling pension participation, it has brought seven million people into workp
In 2016, 68 per cent of employees belonged to a workplace pension scheme. This is the highest percentage since at least 1997.
But there are two key problems:
1.
Contribution rates are not nearly high enough to provide a decent pension in retirement.
2.
Too many workers are still excluded, in particular women.
The future of workplace pensions is being considered by the government’s automatic enrolment review this year.
In the TUC’s recent submission we focused on two areas:
Coverage
Automatic enrolment has proven to be very successful in bringing into the pensions system those – primarily men – in full-time employed
But there is a great deal of evidence that overlapping groups including part-time workers, women, and those from ethnic minorities are e
They therefore miss out on an element of pay – deferred pay – that their colleagues receive.
There is a particular problem caused by the earnings trigger. Our research has found that of the 26.4 million employees in the UK, 4.6 m
auto-enrolment. Of these, three quarters are women. Indeed, more than a quarter of female employees earn less than the auto-enrolmen
The trigger has a particularly unfair impact on those 106,000 workers, (70 per cent of them women) who hold multiple jobs which combin
Contributions
Minimum contribution rates are currently just one per cent from the worker and one per cent from the employer. Due to a prolonged, and
This would still leave the median earner with a less than 50 per cent chance of achieving a decent standard of living in retirement.
Yet, in much of the private sector these minimum rates are the norm. Some 42 per cent of private sector employees contribute less than
per cent.
Further muddying the picture is the system for assessing contributions. This is complicated for employers to administer and substantially
Under current rules, the first £5,824 of an employee’s earnings does not count for the purposes of auto enrolment and anything above £4
So for someone on £10,000 a year, only £4,176 of their earnings are pensionable, and for them, eight per cent of qualifying earnings act
job are particularly affected because the qualifying earnings deduction applies to each job.
It is also worth noting that any decision to reduce how quickly the state pension rises by abolishing the triple lock, one of the recent propo
workplace pensions to deliver a decent income in retirement. Contrary to the perception of many, young workers are likely to be more re
This is what needs to happen:

In the short-term the system of contributions should be simplified and expanded via the abolition of the system of qualifying earnings.

Employer contributions should be made from the first pound of earnings.

We need to establish a route map to raising minimum contributions so that those saving know they have a good chance of a decent inco
The post Government inertia could put pensions auto-enrolment at risk appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Government inertia could put pensions auto-enrolment at risk
ToUChstone - Pensions - Mon 3 Apr 2017 - 17:02
Cleverly harnessing individual inertia to help workers get a workplace pension has been behind the success of automatic enrolment. But
Under automatic enrolment, workers have to actively opt out of membership (soft compulsion) while employers have to make contributio
The results are impressive. Since 2012, and after decades of falling pension participation, it has brought seven million people into workp
In 2016, 68 per cent of employees belonged to a workplace pension scheme. This is the highest percentage since at least 1997.
But there are two key problems:
1.
Contribution rates are not nearly high enough to provide a decent pension in retirement.
2.
Too many workers are still excluded, in particular women.
The future of workplace pensions is being considered by the government’s automatic enrolment review this year.
In the TUC’s recent submission we focused on two areas:
Coverage
Automatic enrolment has proven to be very successful in bringing into the pensions system those – primarily men – in full-time employed
But there is a great deal of evidence that overlapping groups including part-time workers, women, and those from ethnic minorities are e
They therefore miss out on an element of pay – deferred pay – that their colleagues receive.
There is a particular problem caused by the earnings trigger. Our research has found that of the 26.4 million employees in the UK, 4.6 m
auto-enrolment. Of these, three quarters are women. Indeed, more than a quarter of female employees earn less than the auto-enrolmen
The trigger has a particularly unfair impact on those 106,000 workers, (70 per cent of them women) who hold multiple jobs which combin
Contributions
Minimum contribution rates are currently just one per cent from the worker and one per cent from the employer. Due to a prolonged, and
This would still leave the median earner with a less than 50 per cent chance of achieving a decent standard of living in retirement.
Yet, in much of the private sector these minimum rates are the norm. Some 42 per cent of private sector employees contribute less than
per cent.
Further muddying the picture is the system for assessing contributions. This is complicated for employers to administer and substantially
Under current rules, the first £5,824 of an employee’s earnings does not count for the purposes of auto enrolment and anything above £4
So for someone on £10,000 a year, only £4,176 of their earnings are pensionable, and for them, eight per cent of qualifying earnings act
job are particularly affected because the qualifying earnings deduction applies to each job.
It is also worth noting that any decision to reduce how quickly the state pension rises by abolishing the triple lock, one of the recent propo
workplace pensions to deliver a decent income in retirement. Contrary to the perception of many, young workers are likely to be more re
This is what needs to happen:

In the short-term the system of contributions should be simplified and expanded via the abolition of the system of qualifying earnings.

Employer contributions should be made from the first pound of earnings.

We need to establish a route map to raising minimum contributions so that those saving know they have a good chance of a decent inco
The post Government inertia could put pensions auto-enrolment at risk appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Categories: Pensions
Nowhere slowly: failures on private debt follow failures on public debt
ToUChstone blog - Fri 31 Mar 2017 - 13:05
Today’s figures confirmed what we already knew: that economic growth in 2016 was entirely reliant on the consumer.
We also know that workers are in the middle of an unprecedented decline in real wages (at least since Victorian times).
So the inevitable result is lower saving and increased growth in consumer credit and other unsecured borrowing (bank loans, student loa
The saving ratio for 2016 at 5.2% was at its lowest since record began in 1963.
Unsecured borrowing rose sharply to 39.6 % of household income from 36.7 % in 2015; this is the highest figure since before the financi
The increase was driven by consumer credit (as reported by the Bank of England), student loans and also a very abrupt increase in borr
exceeding the pre-crisis peak as soon as next year.
Unsecured borrowing, % GDP
Source ONS
And chillingly we heard earlier this week that demand for the services of StepChange the debt relief charity has never been higher (see t
“The average debt of our clients earning less than £30,000 increased by £569, to £12,897, in 2016. Over the same period, the average d
make up a far higher proportion of our client base, this means that for the first time in eight years the overall average unsecured debt of o
And while the Bank of England has been cautious up to now, earlier this week the Times reported that they have now announced a revie
(I omit corporate debt from the discussion for reasons of length, but any deleveraging here is limited, and again there was a rise into 201
George Osborne’s pledge
You will recall George Osborne’s pledge in the run up to the 2010 General Election (on 24 February 2010, just after the 20 economists h
We need to head in a completely new direction.
We have to move away from an economic model that was based on unsustainable private and public debt.
And we have to move to a new model of economic growth that is rooted in more investment, more savings and higher exports.
Unquestionably this new direction never materialised; there has only been more of the same old model.
The chart below shows just how skewed the economy is towards the old direction. In 2017 consumer demand accounted for virtually all (
extreme; in fact it has been more extreme on only six occasions since the war (2002, 1992, 1986, 1962 and 1958). Negative net trade an
government current expenditure and other investment (i.e. government investment and private housebuilding).
GDP expenditure measure: contributions to real growth, percentage points
Source: ONS and author calculations
In the meantime the public debt has gone in completely the wrong direction. The chart below compares outturn and the latest projection
at 70% of GDP, the public debt ratio is now expected to peak in the current financial year at 88.8% of GDP. (And of course, that’s no cer
Public debt as % GDP
Source: OBR
The government’s policy has failed on both fronts, public debt has failed to fall and private debt is rising again.
These failures are not unrelated. As repeatedly argued, government spending cuts have hit economic growth harder than expected; wea
revenues for the government; weaker tax revenues have meant higher borrowing than planned, which translates into a failure to reduce
Then for households, higher spending growth leads to higher borrowing and rising debt given persistently weak income growth.
It is unclear what has provoked households to behave in this way. Undoubtedly there are a number of explanations. Perhaps some have
loans. Certainly, as StepChange report, some are borrowing to get by. (Perhaps too the ONS data may exaggerate certain features – we
well as partly depending on human judgement.) In the meantime, looming ahead are rising prices and resumed falls in real wages.
Whatever the explanation, this is no way to run the economy.
The macroeconomic case against government spending cuts has always been the likely disproportionate harm on the economy. And the
economy would then mean stronger income, and not only improved government finances but also more affordable household spending.
As the government starts the process of withdrawing from the EU, it is imperative that these lessons are learned. But as usual there is on
course.
The post Nowhere slowly: failures on private debt follow failures on public debt appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Nowhere slowly: failures on private debt follow failures on public debt
ToUChstone - Economy - Fri 31 Mar 2017 - 13:05
Today’s figures confirmed what we already knew: that economic growth in 2016 was entirely reliant on the consumer.
We also know that workers are in the middle of an unprecedented decline in real wages (at least since Victorian times).
So the inevitable result is lower saving and increased growth in consumer credit and other unsecured borrowing (bank loans, student loa
The saving ratio for 2016 at 5.2% was at its lowest since record began in 1963.
Unsecured borrowing rose sharply to 39.6 % of household income from 36.7 % in 2015; this is the highest figure since before the financi
The increase was driven by consumer credit (as reported by the Bank of England), student loans and also a very abrupt increase in borr
exceeding the pre-crisis peak as soon as next year.
Unsecured borrowing, % GDP
Source ONS
And chillingly we heard earlier this week that demand for the services of StepChange the debt relief charity has never been higher (see t
“The average debt of our clients earning less than £30,000 increased by £569, to £12,897, in 2016. Over the same period, the average d
make up a far higher proportion of our client base, this means that for the first time in eight years the overall average unsecured debt of o
And while the Bank of England has been cautious up to now, earlier this week the Times reported that they have now announced a revie
(I omit corporate debt from the discussion for reasons of length, but any deleveraging here is limited, and again there was a rise into 201
George Osborne’s pledge
You will recall George Osborne’s pledge in the run up to the 2010 General Election (on 24 February 2010, just after the 20 economists h
We need to head in a completely new direction.
We have to move away from an economic model that was based on unsustainable private and public debt.
And we have to move to a new model of economic growth that is rooted in more investment, more savings and higher exports.
Unquestionably this new direction never materialised; there has only been more of the same old model.
The chart below shows just how skewed the economy is towards the old direction. In 2017 consumer demand accounted for virtually all (
extreme; in fact it has been more extreme on only six occasions since the war (2002, 1992, 1986, 1962 and 1958). Negative net trade an
government current expenditure and other investment (i.e. government investment and private housebuilding).
GDP expenditure measure: contributions to real growth, percentage points
Source: ONS and author calculations
In the meantime the public debt has gone in completely the wrong direction. The chart below compares outturn and the latest projection
at 70% of GDP, the public debt ratio is now expected to peak in the current financial year at 88.8% of GDP. (And of course, that’s no cer
Public debt as % GDP
Source: OBR
The government’s policy has failed on both fronts, public debt has failed to fall and private debt is rising again.
These failures are not unrelated. As repeatedly argued, government spending cuts have hit economic growth harder than expected; wea
revenues for the government; weaker tax revenues have meant higher borrowing than planned, which translates into a failure to reduce
Then for households, higher spending growth leads to higher borrowing and rising debt given persistently weak income growth.
It is unclear what has provoked households to behave in this way. Undoubtedly there are a number of explanations. Perhaps some have
loans. Certainly, as StepChange report, some are borrowing to get by. (Perhaps too the ONS data may exaggerate certain features – we
well as partly depending on human judgement.) In the meantime, looming ahead are rising prices and resumed falls in real wages.
Whatever the explanation, this is no way to run the economy.
The macroeconomic case against government spending cuts has always been the likely disproportionate harm on the economy. And the
economy would then mean stronger income, and not only improved government finances but also more affordable household spending.
As the government starts the process of withdrawing from the EU, it is imperative that these lessons are learned. But as usual there is on
course.
The post Nowhere slowly: failures on private debt follow failures on public debt appeared first on ToUChstone blog.
Categories: Economic Issues
International Transgender Day of Visibility
Stronger Union - Fri 31 Mar 2017 - 00:01
March 31st is the annual International Transgender Day of Visibility. In recent years, even a casual observer may feel that transgender p
campaigning groups have promoted the message that “Some People are Trans,” the press…
Read in full
International Transgender Day of Visibility
Stronger unions - Global Solidarity - Fri 31 Mar 2017 - 00:01
March 31st is the annual International Transgender Day of Visibility. In recent years, even a casual observer may feel that transgender p
campaigning groups have promoted the message that “Some People are Trans,” the press…
Read in full
Categories: International Issues
UNISON Supreme Court case shows how tribunal fees price low paid workers out of justice
ToUChstone blog - Thu 30 Mar 2017 - 11:04
This week UNISON challenged the government’s employment tribunal fee policy in the Supreme Court. We’ll have to wait a while for the
rights.
Since July 2013, employment tribunals have charged an up-front fee to workers who want to bring a case against an employer who’s den
Supreme Court asserts that the government’s decision to demand a fee from anyone taking their employer to court has stopped many th
If an employer breaks the law, that worker should not be prevented from enforcing their rights just because they can’t afford to. Access to
the wider trade union movement will be standing in solidarity with UNISON and hoping for an outcome which forces the government to s
In January 2017, the government published the outcomes of a review into the impact of employment tribunal fees. The review acknowle

There has been a dramatic 67% fall in the number of cases going to employment tribunal suggesting that fees are acting as a deterrent.

People are put off from bringing claims where the fee is going to be equivalent to or higher than the remedy sought. For example a worke
for those pursuing low value claims, which is having a disproportionate effect on low paid workers.

In their evidence to the fees review, the Council of Employment Judges for England and Wales reported that some employers had delay
see whether the employee would pay the hearing fee.

The government review signposted the Acas early conciliation evaluation report to estimate that there were 14,000 potential claimants de
under-estimate. For example, any prospective claimants whom fees had deterred from even starting the process are not in the scope o

The House of Commons Justice Select Committee found that “that the regime of employment tribunal fees has had a significant adverse

People pursuing discrimination claims have been hit disproportionately hard. Comparing the year to June 2013 to September 2014 all se
statistics also reveal a serious drop in other discrimination claims. The table below clearly shows how discrimination claims relating to ot
“Help with Fees” is next to no help at all
Despite acknowledging the overwhelming evidence showing that people find employment tribunal fees unaffordable, the review did not r
“Help with Fees” scheme.
The current scheme is inadequate and so are the proposed measures. To qualify for financial support with fees, prospective claimants h
something that rules out 47% of households, and many lower paid working families who are trying to save for a significant need.
To qualify for full fee remission, prospective claimants will also have to show that their household falls below a gross monthly income thr
couple with two children, both working full time, being paid the National Minimum Wage hourly rate would earn approximately £2500 per
from the remission scheme, as they would exceed the threshold by £600.
The positive impact of unions
The introduction of employment tribunal fees has emphasised the importance of being a trade union member. Unions have a strong trac
employment tribunal to enforce their rights. Unions negotiate with employers to ensure that policies and workplace practices comply with
has not been possible to resolve disputes in the workplace.
Unions are a vital safeguard in the fast growing gig economy. Technological advances have gone hand in hand with employers trying to
they lose out on key employment protections. If these workers want to challenge their employment status it is necessary to go to an emp
A succession of recent cases involving taxi drivers and bike couriers show that unscrupulous employers are flouting the law and prevent
cases were supported by trade unions. The stark reality is that a low paid bicycle courier or taxi driver is likely to be prevented from b
The Taylor Review
The TUC and unions have submitted a wide range of evidence to the ongoing Taylor Review, which is tasked with making sure that emp
Any existing or proposed employment rights will be meaningless unless all people who work can enforce their rights at tribunal. It is esse
up because of employment tribunal fees.
The post UNISON Supreme Court case shows how tribunal fees price low paid workers out of justice appeared first on ToUChstone blog
Pages


« first
‹ previous

…

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Top links

Home

Unions

Join a Union

Work Rights

Events

Email Alerts

Online Shop

TUC RegionsAbout the TUC

Economic Issues

Equality Issues

Industrial Issues

International Issues

Social Issues

Union Issues

Workplace Issues
Email alerts
We can alert you by email if there is something new in your chosen subject areas. Register your interests now.
Contact Media Centre Resources for Activists
Follow us on social media:
AccessibilityPrivacy Statement and cookiesSite map
© Trades Union Congress 2017, unless otherwise stated
…

next ›

last »