• About EIRO
• Annual reports
• Comparative information
• EU level developments
• Representativeness studies
• Survey Reports
• Browse by:
  • Country
  • Date
  • Sector
  • Subject
• Industrial relations links

United.Kingdom

Background information on industrial relations in United.Kingdom

• 18 Dec 2006
  United Kingdom: Surveys highlight growing problem of workplace bullying

  A number of surveys conducted to coincide with Britain’s fourth annual ‘ban bullying at work day’ have drawn attention to the problem of workplace bullying. Among these surveys, a recent study published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) shows that bullying can take many forms and appears to be on the increase.

• 18 Dec 2006
  United Kingdom: Survey reveals stress to be the biggest problem at work

  Stress is the biggest problem facing UK workplaces, according to a survey by the Trades Union Congress, published in late October 2006. At the same time, the Health and Safety Executive reported that stress at work costs society almost GBP 4 billion (€5.9 billion) a year.

• 11 Dec 2006
  United Kingdom: CBI survey highlights adverse impact of recent employment legislation

  In September 2006, the Confederation of British Industry published its latest employment trends survey, covering a wide range of industrial relations issues. Employers report that employment regulation introduced over the past five years has had a major adverse impact on them and that they expect this to get worse.

• 07 Dec 2006
  United Kingdom: Union confederation adopts new policy statement on Europe

  In September 2006, participants at the annual conference of the Trades Union Congress endorsed a policy statement on Europe, which was drawn up by the organisation’s general council. The statement argues for a stronger social dimension to European integration.

• 20 Nov 2006
  United Kingdom: European Court finds UK in breach of working time directive

  In a ruling issued in September 2006, the European Court of Justice found that official guidelines accompanying the UK’s legislation implementing the EU working time directive infringe Community law.

• 30 Oct 2006
  United Kingdom: New act gives extended rights to parental leave

  The Work and Families Act became law in June 2006. Among its key provisions are longer paid maternity leave, additional paid paternity leave for fathers if the mother returns to work before the end of her maternity leave period, and a new right for carers to request flexible working time arrangements. Implementation of the act will be on a phased basis. The legislation has been received largely positively by the social partners.

• 09 Oct 2006
  United Kingdom: Strike at Asda averted following deal on staff representation

  A planned five-day strike by warehouse staff at the Asda supermarket chain in the UK, due to begin on 30 June 2006, was called off after management and the GMB general trade union reached agreement on staff representation and bargaining arrangements.

• 09 Oct 2006
  United Kingdom: GMB pulls out of ‘super union’ merger talks

  In June 2006, the planned merger of three major UK trade unions – Amicus, the GMB and the Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU) – which would result in the creation of a ‘super union’ with some 2.5 million members was thrown into disarray when the move was rejected by delegates at the GMB’s annual conference. Amicus and the TGWU expressed disappointment concerning the GMB’s decision, but confirmed that they would go ahead with the merger.

• 09 Oct 2006
  United Kingdom: Employment relations in SMEs

  A new report published in the UK in July 2006 uses data from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey to assess employment relations in companies of different sizes. The study focuses on comparing a representative sample of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with larger organisations. It finds a low incidence of formal employment relations structures in SMEs but a high degree of job satisfaction despite working conditions that are often worse than those in larger organisations. The relatively close working relationships in SMEs seem to contribute to job satisfaction levels although lower employee expectations may also be a factor.

• 09 Oct 2006
  United Kingdom: Tribunal issues ruling on information and consultation

  In April 2006, the UK’s Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) issued its first judgement in a case arising under the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004. The EAT’s interpretation of the regulations has important implications for both employers and trade unions seeking to rely on ‘pre-existing agreements’ as allowed by the legislation.

• 25 Sep 2006
  United Kingdom: Unions and employers differ over conditions of temporary agency workers

  In June 2006, the Trades Union Congress published research into the use of temporary agency workers. It reported increased use of agency workers at all skill levels, but with such workers having inferior pay and benefits. However, the main employer organisation for the recruitment industry cited research showing that agency workers enjoyed higher levels of job satisfaction than other workers.

• 19 Sep 2006
  United Kingdom: Government proposes reform of national pension system

  In May 2006, sweeping changes to state and private pensions were published by the UK government in its white paper on pension reform, entitled 'Security in retirement: towards a new pensions system'. Although the response from the social partners to the amendments has been largely positive, some concerns have also been raised.

• 19 Sep 2006
  United Kingdom: Workplace survey indicates mixed impact of legislation on employer practice

  Findings from the latest comprehensive survey of workplace employment relations, published in July 2006, reveal the impact of several legislative measures introduced by the government since its election in 1997. Relevant changes in legislation covered areas such as trade union recognition, equal opportunities, work–life balance, and employee information and consultation. There is mixed evidence on the extent to which employers’ practices have changed as a result.

• 28 Aug 2006
  United Kingdom: Government launches consultation on extra holiday entitlement

  In June 2006, the UK government launched consultations on making paid time off for bank and public holidays additional to employees’ current four-week annual holiday entitlement, thus increasing the entitlement of total annual paid leave to 5.6 weeks.

• 14 Aug 2006
  United Kingdom: Employer survey finds staff absence at record low

  In May 2006, the Confederation of British Industry released findings from its latest annual survey of employee absence. The results showed the lowest level of absence since the series began in 1987. The survey also recorded a higher incidence of absence in the public sector, which is supported by other research.

• 31 Jul 2006
  United Kingdom: Concern over sale of BAE’s stake in Airbus

  In April 2006, BAE Systems, the British aerospace company, announced its intention to sell its 20% stake in Airbus. Following a wave of takeovers of major British companies by foreign multinationals, the sale has provoked some unease about the long-term implications for the security of employment in the UK division of Airbus.

• 31 Jul 2006
  United Kingdom: Vauxhall announces job losses at Ellesmere Port plant

  In May 2006, Vauxhall Motors announced that approximately 900 jobs are to be cut at its Ellesmere Port plant in Merseyside, northwest England, with the removal of the third shift of production. Coming only a month after the announcement of the closure of Peugeot’s plant at Ryton near Coventry, the move has prompted further trade union criticism of the UK’s relaxed labour laws.

• 03 Jul 2006
  United Kingdom: Research shows fall in union recognition agreements

  The latest annual survey on union recognition agreements, published by the Trades Union Congress in April 2006, highlights a sharp fall in recognition deals reached with employers, even though the number of union campaigns for recognition has increased.

• 28 Jun 2006
  United Kingdom: Government publishes employment relations strategy paper

  In March 2006, the Department of Trade and Industry published a policy paper outlining its plans for the current parliament in the area of employment relations. This paper proposes a limited extension of legal entitlements for employees, as part of its emphasis on improving the position of vulnerable workers; it also proposes measures aimed at simplifying the current regulation, making compliance easier for employers.

• 22 May 2006
  United Kingdom: Peugeot announces closure of Coventry plant

  In April 2006, Peugeot announced the closure of its plant at Ryton, near Coventry in the UK, with the loss of 2,300 jobs. This was the third motor manufacturing closure in the region in the past three years. Trade unions particularly criticised the lack of consultation, while the government expressed disappointment at the news. Although the automotive industry remains strong in the UK overall, there are fears that more companies will relocate to lower-cost eastern European countries.

• 15 May 2006
  United Kingdom: Government criticised over occupational pension schemes

  In March 2006, a report from the parliamentary Ombudsman concluded that the government had unfairly misled people into feeling reassured that their company pension was secure. At the same time, the government adopted legislation to relax the minimum requirements under which final salary occupational pension schemes had to be funded by companies.

• 15 May 2006
  United Kingdom: Ruling highlights poor industrial relations at Asda

  In February 2006, an employment tribunal found that the supermarket chain, Asda, had breached the law by offering financial incentives to employees to give up their rights to collective bargaining. The case is one of a series of disputes involving the company and the GMB general union, and highlights the deteriorating state of management–union relations in the company.

• 10 May 2006
  United Kingdom: Government to increase national minimum wage

  In March 2006, the Department of Trade and Industry announced that it had accepted recommendations of the Low Pay Commission that the three different rates of the national minimum wage should be increased, with effect from October 2006. The move will affect some 1.3 million workers and has attracted mixed reactions from the social partners. The commission also recommended tougher enforcement of the minimum wage in sectors employing migrant workers.

• 10 May 2006
  United Kingdom: Further education to play key role in government’s skills strategy

  In March 2006, the UK government announced wide-ranging reforms to further education designed to equip colleges to play a central role in delivering its skills strategy.

• 27 Apr 2006
  United Kingdom: Strike over local government pension reform

  In March 2006, more than one million public sector workers took strike action over planned changes to the local government pension scheme. The ongoing disputes are the result of controversial changes to the pension scheme in relation to the retirement age for current and future employees. If union concerns are not addressed, industrial action is scheduled to continue in the run-up to the local elections in May.

• 21 Apr 2006
  United Kingdom: Commission proposes measures to tackle gender pay gap

  In February 2006, the government-appointed Women and Work Commission published a report setting out recommendations for combating job segregation and the gender pay gap. Although trade unions welcomed its recommendations, they criticised the report for not proposing mandatory equal pay reviews.

• 21 Apr 2006
  United Kingdom: Anti-age discrimination regulations published

  In March 2006, the government published the final version of regulations to outlaw age discrimination in the workplace, aimed at implementing the age discrimination provisions of the EU equal treatment framework directive. Subject to parliamentary approval, the regulations will come into effect in October 2006.

• 21 Apr 2006
  United Kingdom: Publisher required by law to disclose company data

  In February 2006, the Central Arbitration Committee upheld a complaint under the United Kingdom’s employee consultation regulations that Macmillan Publishers had failed to respond adequately to a trade union’s request for information on company structure and employment levels.

• 20 Feb 2006
  United Kingdom: Measuring up to equality - the TUC equality audit 2005

  In September 2005, the UK's Trades Union Congress published the results of its second biennial equality audit. This feature reviews the background to the exercise and reports on its main findings.

• 08 Feb 2006
  United Kingdom: Voluntary approach to equal pay reviews is failing, finds EOC

  Research published by the Equal Opportunities Commission in January 2006 shows that levels of voluntary equal pay review activity have stagnated among large organisations and declined among smaller organisations. The Commission has called for a new approach to close the gender pay gap.

• 06 Feb 2006
  United Kingdom: CAC issues first ruling in information and consultation case

  In December 2005, the Central Arbitration Committee upheld an employee complaint in its first ruling under the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations. At issue was whether a pre-existing agreement claimed by the employer satisfied the necessary conditions specified by the Regulations.

• 25 Jan 2006
  United Kingdom: Employers' responses to employee consultation Regulations examined

  Research published in late 2005 suggests that UK employers are responding more actively to the introduction of the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations than previously thought.

• 10 Jan 2006
  United Kingdom: Academics vote in favour of new university and college union

  In December 2005 it was announced that a ballot of the members of the further and higher education unions NATFHE and AUT had resulted in the approval of the planned merger between the two organisations to create the University and College Union.