United.Kingdom
Background information on industrial relations in United.Kingdom
- 16 Dec 2002
United Kingdom: Unions demand 'zero tolerance' of workplace violence<#PDF_LINK>In December 2002, a joint TUC, CBI and Health and Safety Executive seminar heard details of new trade union evidence of growing levels of violence at work in the UK. Against the background of union demands forzero toleranceof workplace violence, this feature examines the problem in the context of four particularly vulnerable occupations - nursing, teaching, public transport and retail.
- 06 Dec 2002
United Kingdom: Firefighters' strike called off<#PDF_LINK>On 2 December 2002, the UK's Fire Brigades Union called off an eight-day strike due to begin on 5 December and agreed to exploratory talks on settling the current pay dispute to be convened by the conciliation service Acas. We outline recent developments in the dispute.
- 03 Dec 2002
United Kingdom: CBI renews attack on draft temporary agency workers Directive<#PDF_LINK>In November 2002, coinciding with the European Parliament's vote on the proposal for an EU Directive on the working conditions of temporary agency workers, the CBI, the main UK employers' organisation, issued a strong attack on the proposed measure which it argues would threaten employment opportunities for unemployed people.
- 03 Dec 2002
United Kingdom: Government consults on extension to Working Time Regulations<#PDF_LINK>On 31 October 2002, the UK government initiated a three-month consultation exercise on draft Regulations to extend the provisions of the Working Time Regulations to workers in sectors currently excluded from the legislation, as required by EU law.
- 19 Nov 2002
United Kingdom: Employers and unions differ over revisions to national minimum wage<#PDF_LINK>In October 2002 the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress submitted evidence to the Low Pay Commission on the impact of the UK's national minimum wage and proposals for revised rates. We review the very different positions adopted by the two organisations.
- 19 Nov 2002
United Kingdom: New sectoral framework for meeting skills and productivity challenge<#PDF_LINK>In August 2002, the UK government began the process of developing a new network of nationwide sector skills councils responsible for leading a skills, productivity and competitiveness drive. This feature examines the background to the initiative, the main roles and responsibilities of the new bodies, and the key challenges they are likely to confront.
- 15 Nov 2002
United Kingdom: The fire service dispute and the reform of public service pay<#PDF_LINK>Pay negotiations between UK fire service employers and the Fire Brigades Union broke up without agreement on 12 November 2002. The following day the union began a series of strikes, starting with a 48-hour stoppage. This feature examines the issues raised by the dispute, and their wider implications for the reform of public sector pay.
- 05 Nov 2002
United Kingdom: Unions seek wide-ranging employment law reforms<#PDF_LINK>As part of a review of the Employment Relations Act, initiated by the UK government in July 2002, the Trades Union Congress has put forward proposals for a wide range of amendments to current legislation.
- 22 Oct 2002
United Kingdom: Employment Act 2002 outlined<#PDF_LINK>The Employment Act, which reached the UK statute book in July 2002, introduces new provisions concerningfamily-friendlyworking, the resolution of individual disputes at the workplace, equal treatment for fixed-term employees and other matters. This feature summarises its main requirements and the timetable for their implementation, and looks at employer and trade union views of the new legislation.
- 22 Oct 2002
United Kingdom: National fire service strikes loom<#PDF_LINK>On 18 October 2002, the Fire Brigades Union announced that its members had voted by almost nine to one to take industrial action in pursuit of a pay claim, raising the prospect of the UK's first national fire service strikes for 25 years. This feature reviews the background to the dispute.
- 22 Oct 2002
United Kingdom: Government seeks to expand and revitalise modern apprenticeships<#PDF_LINK>The UK's Labour government is committed to implementing the main recommendations of a report on the reform of the apprenticeship system in England, published in September 2001. This feature looks at the background to the plans and some of the problems and challenges they are likely to encounter.
- 08 Oct 2002
United Kingdom: TUC sets out key objectives for UK consultation law<#PDF_LINK>The annual conference of the UK's Trades Union Congress took place in September 2002. We review the policies it adopted on key domestic and EU issues, including the implementation of the information and consultation Directive and UK membership of the euro.
- 08 Oct 2002
United Kingdom: CBI survey highlights company practice on key employment issues<#PDF_LINK>The Confederation of British Industry’s annual employment trends survey, published in September 2002, argues that the need for flexibility is increasingly driving companies’ human resources strategies.
- 23 Sep 2002
United Kingdom: Impact of collective bargaining on workplace performance assessed<#PDF_LINK>The presence of trade unions and the collective bargaining relationships in place in a workplace have little effect on its performance, according to a UK study published in May 2002. The study maps collective bargaining arrangements and examines their links with two measures of performance - the quality of the employee relations climate and perceptions of financial performance.
- 09 Sep 2002
United Kingdom: Local authority employers and unions recommend two-year pay deal<#PDF_LINK>In August 2002, negotiations over pay increases for local council employees in the UK produced proposals for a two-year package, including special provision for the lowest paid. The trade unions and the employers’ association are recommending that their members accept the deal.
- 09 Sep 2002
United Kingdom: TUC calls for improved holiday rights<#PDF_LINK>In August 2002, the Trades Union Congress published a report which argues that 1.25 million UK workers arelosing outon their statutory and bank holiday entitlement and urges the government to improve UK holiday provision.
- 19 Aug 2002
United Kingdom: Human resource management in the National Health Service<#PDF_LINK>In July 2002, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) launched anHR in the NHS Plan. The plan sets out the significant contribution that human resource management is expected to make to patient care over the next five years. This feature discusses key elements of the plan in the context of increased health spending, arguments that good human resource management is a crucial element in improving organisational performance, and hospitalleague tables.
- 06 Aug 2002
United Kingdom: Government issues discussion paper on employee involvement<#PDF_LINK>In July 2002, as a first step towards the UK implementation of the EU employee information and consultation Directive, the government published a discussion paper on employee involvement intended to highlight some of the main issues raised by the Directive. The government will be consulting at a later stage on specific legislative proposals.
- 06 Aug 2002
United Kingdom: Local government workers strike over pay<#PDF_LINK>In July 2002, local government workers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland mounted a one-day strike in pursuit of a 6% pay increase. The stoppage was the first national strike in local government since the so-calledwinter of discontentin 1978-9.
- 24 Jul 2002
United Kingdom: Educating tomorrow's trade union activists<#PDF_LINK>This feature focuses on the provision of training for trade union representatives and activists in the UK, particularly the work of the Trades Union Congress's education service, which was relaunched in 2001. New public funding arrangements, due to come into effect in August 2002, are expected to open up opportunities for expanding trade union education provision.
- 09 Jul 2002
United Kingdom: British and Italian employers criticise EU social policy<#PDF_LINK>In June 2002, prior to the Seville European Council, the British and Italian employers' organisations, CBI and Confindustria, published a joint statement criticising the current direction of EU social policy.
- 09 Jul 2002
United Kingdom: New chair and terms of reference for Low Pay Commission<#PDF_LINK>In June 2002, the UK government appointed former employers' leader Adair Turner to chair the Low Pay Commission. The Commission has been asked to report to ministers by the end of February 2003 with recommendations on the level of the national minimum wage.
- 21 Jun 2002
United Kingdom: Social partner involvement in the 2002 NAP<#PDF_LINK>This feature examines social partner involvement in the UK's 2002 National Action Plan (NAP) for employment. It is one of a set of similar features for all the EU Member States, written in response to a questionnaire.
- 10 Jun 2002
United Kingdom: Employers welcome government task group report on impact of employment regulation<#PDF_LINK>In May 2002, a report by the government-appointed Better Regulation Task Force argued that current approaches to employment regulation in the UK are damaging business, and called for government departments to pursue alternatives to legislation for achieving policy objectives. Employers' groups welcomed the report.
- 20 May 2002
United Kingdom: Partnership 'alive and well'<#PDF_LINK>Partnershipis an important yet elusive concept in UK industrial relations, and there are different assessments of its extent and effectiveness. Studies published in late 2001 and 2002 have found that certain aspects of partnership are problematic but that overall it isalive and well.
- 20 May 2002
United Kingdom: Signs of growth in UK automotive industry offset plant closures<#PDF_LINK>Whilst the first quarter of 2002 saw the closure of Ford's Dagenham plant and Vauxhall's Luton plant, with the loss of 3,000 jobs, there appear to be signs of growth in the UK automotive sector, including significant recent investment by Peugeot, BMW, Nissan and Honda. Flexible working continues to be the focus of collective bargaining.
- 07 May 2002
United Kingdom: UK union leader to seek ETUC post<#PDF_LINK>In late March 2002, John Monks, general secretary of the UK's Trades Union Congress, signalled his intention to stand down from his current position and seek election to the post of general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation.
- 07 May 2002
United Kingdom: New challenge to UK's working time legislation<#PDF_LINK>It emerged during April 2002 that the European Commission has started infringement proceedings against the UK over alleged inadequacies in implementing the EU working time Directive. The move follows a complaint by the Amicus trade union and could result in further changes in UK law to ensure compliance with the Directive.
- 22 Apr 2002
United Kingdom: Union strategies for tackling race inequality<#PDF_LINK>To coincide with the annual Trades Union Congress black workers' conference, held in April 2002, this feature reviews a range of positive action initiatives taken by UK unions over the last few years to combat race inequalities in employment and within their own organisations.
- 09 Apr 2002
United Kingdom: Peugeot recruits temporary staff in innovative holiday cover scheme<#PDF_LINK>In late February 2002, the car manufacturer Peugeot announced the end of the traditional summer shutdown at its Ryton plant near Coventry in the UK and the creation of up to 700 temporary jobs to enable existing staff to take flexible holidays.
- 21 Mar 2002
United Kingdom: 2001 Annual Review for the UK<#PDF_LINK>This record reviews the main industrial relations developments in the UK during 2001.
- 20 Mar 2002
United Kingdom: Teachers awarded above-inflation pay increases<#PDF_LINK>In January 2002, a report by the School Teachers' Review Body recommended an increase of 3.5% in pay and allowances for teachers in England and Wales, effective from April 2002, together with changes enabling faster progression through the main pay scale.
- 19 Mar 2002
United Kingdom: Restructuring and job cuts in the telecoms sector<#PDF_LINK>In February 2002, substantial job cuts were announced by British Telecom and its now demerged mobile phone business, mm02, affecting employees in the UK and Germany. This feature examines the background to the job cuts and the wider restructuring currently taking place within the telecommunications sector across Europe.
- 19 Mar 2002
United Kingdom: Conference debates union renewal and links with Labour<#PDF_LINK>In March 2002, a conference held by the Unions 21 network debated the challenges facing the British trade union movement and asked how unions might act to win support and influence among workers, employers and the government. This feature looks at some of the key issues and debates that emerged during the conference.
- 12 Mar 2002
United Kingdom: Directive on temporary agency work could damage flexibility, warn CBI and government<#PDF_LINK>During February 2002, employers' groups and the UK government voiced concern over the reported contents of the European Commission's forthcoming proposal for an EU Directive regulating temporary agency work, warning that the Commission's plans could cut across UK practice and damage labour market flexibility.
- 25 Feb 2002
United Kingdom: Unions challenge the UK'slong hours culture<#PDF_LINK>In a new report, published in February 2002, the Trades Union Congress highlighted the long working hours of millions of UK employees and called for an end to the provision in the EU working time Directive enabling individual employees toopt outof the 48-hour limit on average weekly working hours.
- 05 Feb 2002
United Kingdom: More employers recognising unions, reports TUC<#PDF_LINK>Research published in January 2002 by the UK's Trades Union Congress highlights a significant growth in the number of recognition agreements with employers secured by unions during 2001.
- 30 Jan 2002
United Kingdom: Government accepts recommendations of NHS pay review bodies<#PDF_LINK>In December 2001, the UK government announced that it would accept the recommendations made by pay review bodies covering key groups of staff employed in the National Health Service (NHS). The staff concerned will receive a pay increase of at least 3.6% from April 2002, with significantly higher increases for certain groups.
- 29 Jan 2002
United Kingdom: Railways hit by strikes over pay<#PDF_LINK>Rail services in parts of England and Scotland were disrupted by strikes in January 2002 over pay comparisons with drivers made by other workers. More fundamentally, the disputes reflect a fragmented and privately-owned railway system. While the trade unions talk of a return to national bargaining as a way forward, the government has raised the prospect of compulsory arbitration.
- 29 Jan 2002
United Kingdom: Government consults over legislation to combat age discrimination<#PDF_LINK>In December 2001, the UK government launched consultations on legislative proposals to implement recent EU anti-discrimination Directives. Among other matters, legislation is required on the issue of age discrimination. So far the government has favoured a voluntary approach in this area, but evaluation of its code of practice on age diversity, introduced in June 1999, suggests it has had only limited impact. Legislation will be a complicated matter, however, hence the need for the full involvement of the social partners from the outset.
- 29 Jan 2002
United Kingdom: Union recognition under new statutory procedure examined<#PDF_LINK>In June 2000, a new statutory procedure came into effect in the UK, whereby trade unions can seek recognition from employers for collective bargaining over pay, hours and holidays. This feature explores the use made of the procedure in the first 18 months and examines how the Central Arbitration Committee, the determining body under the procedure, has operated the statutory provisions.
- 16 Jan 2002
United Kingdom: Government proposes new anti-discrimination laws<#PDF_LINK>In December 2001, UK ministers launched a consultation exercise on proposals for legislation against discrimination in the workplace on grounds of age, religion and sexual orientation, and amendments to current laws against race and disability discrimination. The new measures are intended to implement recent EU Directives.
- 16 Jan 2002
United Kingdom: Union and business leaders call for early decision on UK euro entry<#PDF_LINK>Coinciding with the introduction of euro notes and coins on 1 January 2002, the leaders of the UK's main trade union and employer organisations have warned the government against further delay in determining its stance on joining the European single currency.
- 16 Jan 2002
United Kingdom: UK reaction to agreement on EU employee consultation Directive<#PDF_LINK>The main social partner organisations in the UK responded positively to the December 2001 agreement between the European Parliament and Council of Ministers on the final text of the EU Directive on national information and consultation rules.