The UK is currently moving out of the deepest recession since WWII. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs, and many remain at risk of long-term worklessness. However, unemployment is not the only challenge facing post-recession Britain, as work itself is not always a route out of poverty: increasing proportions of working households have an income of below 60% of median income (the Government’s preferred measure of poverty).

There are multiple reasons for persistent in-work poverty, including low pay, low in-work benefits for families without children, poor progression opportunities for many in low-paid jobs, a lack of access to services such as good quality childcare and the ongoing gender pay gap. But there is seldom any discussion about the ways in which poor rights at work can consign people to poverty. Read more »

   Filed under: Employment law, Social exclusion | No Comments »

Nicola has written for Left Foot Forward about the response from parts of the business lobby to the Government’s introduction of legislation to make the six months of maternity leave transferrable between parents. She disputes that new rights will impose ‘enormous costs’ on employers, and asks:

“If de-regulation is so necessary, why are so many other successful economies surviving with better protection for people at work? If regulation is such a key determinant of economic success, why have the US and the UK suffered so badly in the downturn? The truth is that some of the world’s most productive economies combine good rights at work, strong trade unions and low unemployment. The idea that wealth creation only comes about when few have rights is simply wrong in a modern knowledge economy.”

Read her full post over at Left Foot Forward.

   Filed under: Employment law, Work-life balance | 1 Comment »

Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights (MPs and Lords) has published a report today (Wednesday 16 December) which looks at how human rights can be improved at the workplace, home and abroad. The Committee criticises the Government for not having a coherent strategy to address the impact on human rights of British business. It is a serious, understated report which makes the case for a long term review of the global human rights impact of British business, but it also makes some immediate points about the domestic scene. It suggests that British industrial relations laws are out of step with our international obligations and, to quote the report, “we doubt the compatibility of the Government’s blacklisting proposals with the UK’s international human rights obligations.” And it says ”we anticipate revisiting this issue.” The TUC welcomed the report.

More broadly, and unambiguously, the Joint Committee notes that

“the right to freedom of association, the associated right to strike, the right to trade union membership and the right to collective bargaining are rights recognised in the international human rights obligations of the UK and overseen by the European Court of Human Rights, the ILO and the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the ILO Committee of Experts consider that current domestic law on the right to strike and the right to collective bargaining places undue restrictions on those rights.”

Read more »

   Filed under: Corporate governance, Employment law, Human rights | 3 Comments »

David Cameron is to say today that he wants to “repatriate” employment and social law. I do not see how this can be done without changes to the EU’s treaties. It would therefore require the unaminous support of every EU member. Every other EU country has a veto.

Ireland is constitutionally required to hold a referendum on treaty changes. So Ireland would have to have a referendum on a new UK opt-out. That would be an interesting campaign.

   Filed under: Employment law, Europe, Politics | 1 Comment »

We have now truly bid farewell to summertime. The clocks have changed, the nights are drawing in and the leaves are starting to fall. Wouldn’t it be great if we had another bank holiday today to cheer us all up?

The TUC has joined together with the main voluntary organisations to call for a new bank holiday called ‘Community Day’, on the last Monday in October (i.e. it would be today if we had it this year) to celebrate volunteering and encourage people to take part in community events.

We think the new holiday should be introduced in 2012 to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the London Olympics and Paralympics with a fanfare to seal a triumphant year for volunteers across the UK. Here’s a joint letter we’ve sent to the press: Read more »

   Filed under: Employment law, Work-life balance, Working time | Comments Off

I imagine other Touchstone contributors will want to comment on this announcement.  But just to say quickly here what a truly terrible decision it is.  Read more »

   Filed under: Employment law, Vulnerable workers | 4 Comments »

The Irish referendum result couldn’t have been timed better to re-open Conservative wounds over Europe, just as their final conference before the election opened. Trade unions are, of course, principally concerned about Conservative policy on European social issues – workers; rights, employment policy, equality, pensions and so on. And the Conservative policy on this seems to be evolving, but it isn’t becoming clearer. Read more »

   Filed under: Employment law, Europe, Politics, Safety, Working time | Comments Off

At the Refugee Council, an independent human rights charity, we support people who come to this country seeking asylum because it’s not safe for them to stay in their own country. They are forced to flee and come here for safety, for sanctuary, for protection. Read more »

   Filed under: Employment law, Human rights | 1 Comment »

The Guardian reports that Ken Clarke has softened Tory opposition to the Lisbon treaty. One suspects that many Conservatives are secretly not wanting an early election so that Lisbon can be ratified after an Irish referendum.

But much more interesting is his strong reiteration of Conservative plans to tear up the Social Chapter, and repatriate powers to regulate the labour market. If it is said by Clarke – the leading Tory Europhile – then it cannot be dismissed as a pre-election gesture to the Tory/UKIP fringe. It also looks like they have thought about the detail of how this might be done. Read more »

   Filed under: Employers, Employment law, Europe, Politics | 2 Comments »

The Tory commissioned Arculus Review: Enabling Enterprise, Encouraging Responsibility is due to be published today, and will apparently tell us how Government can save £100bn plus by cutting regulation. Full analysis of the gems it will certainly contain (and the likely lack of analysis as to the economic benefits that regulation brings) when it arrives – Richard Murphy has already made some educated guesses. Read more »

   Filed under: Employment law | 3 Comments »