Employment and Trade Union Law
Last week the Employment Appeal Tribunal decided the Unison backed case of Mercer v Alternative Future Group Ltd. In this case a union rep had helped to organise and took part in a strike for the Unison union, and was disciplined by her employer for having done so, being given a disciplinary warning. The union … Continue reading BEIS argues disciplining striking workers may be legitimate and lawful.
Michael Reed is a solicitor and principal legal officer for the Free Representation Unit (the FRU). I should say at the outset that I have immense respect for the work of the FRU (and if you can, I would encourage you to support them). As a union rep I have also referred cases to FRU … Continue reading There is Power in a Union
It is certainly not a new tactic: when a politic party makes a proposal with which the other parties are not too enamored they adopt a guilt by association posture. And so it was last week, fresh from the Labour Party launching its Business manifesto cracking down on zero hour contracts, the Tory cheerleaders at … Continue reading Unite Union, Labour, and Zero Hour Contracts
In a recent provocative article for The Guardian the Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey explains the background to a recent Rules change in the Union's constitution that could pave the way for a major showdown with the the next Government (if Conservative led) over its trade union legislation. It is worth posting in it's entirety, … Continue reading So far as may be Lawful
The Fixed Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations are, undoubtedly, an important protection against unscrupulous employers.But a reading of the preamble to the Council Directive 1999/70/EC, the European Directive the UK regulations implement make clear that fixed term employment should not be seen as the norm. The parties to this agreement recognise that … Continue reading Trade Unions and Fixed Term Workers
Whenever there is any critical comment on trade unions in the UK mainstream express two words will inexorably find their way into the headline: "Union" and "baron"; especially by titles such The Telegraph, Daily Express, Daily Mail and even the BBC. It is an unfair term designed to present unions as run by unaccountable leaders. … Continue reading Viral Voting and Union Barons
The decision of the PCS Union's National Executive Committee to suspend the union's internal democracy as it relates to elections for the NEC and group committee is understandably a very contentious one; it is also one I disagree with as I have set out before. One PCS branch, the Bootle HMRC branch (I am sure … Continue reading Mark Serwotka Responds on Suspension of PCS Union Elections
The reason the PCS Union NEC cancelled suspended elections this year is because of the financial cost. The figure given is that the cost to the Union is £590,000, it is not known how much of that comprises the cost of the NEC elections. Let us say however, that it is £300,000 (half the total). … Continue reading Why trade union elections are expensive
