Hall, Mark

A survey commissioned by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and published on 11 December 1998 highlights recent trends in the incidence and outcome of industrial action ballot s by unions. The survey, which was carried out for the TUC by the Labour Research Department, covers the period from July 1997 to May 1998 and includes data from the two main balloting services providers, the Electoral Reform Society and Unity Balloting Services, as well as from questionnaire responses from 46 TUC-affiliated unions.

In a written answer to a parliamentary question, the UK foreign secretary, Robin Cook, announced on 12 January 1999 that 14 former intelligence staff at the government's communications headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham, dismissed in 1984 for refusing to give up their right to trade union membership, would be offered compensation for lost pension rights.

The UK's Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has made proposals to the Government for the replacement of the existing Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and Equal Pay Act 1970 by a single new Sex Equality Act. In a document entitled Equality in the 21st Century: A new sex equality law for Britain [1], published on 5 November 1998, the EOC says that the new statute should be based on the principle of equal treatment, should guarantee freedom from discrimination on grounds of sex, pregnancy, marital status, family status and gender reassignment, and should take account of developments in European Community law. [1] http://www.eoc.org.uk/html/body_new_law_proposals.html

On 19 January 1999, the High Court gave the go-ahead for a legal challenge to the holiday entitlement provisions of the Working Time Regulations 1998 (UK9810154F [1]) by the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU). The trade union has been granted leave for a judicial review of the Regulations. According to the union, the Department of Trade and Industry did not oppose a hearing and this is expected to take place within the next three to six months. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-working-conditions/new-working-time-regulations-take-effect

On 11 December 1998, it was announced that a ballot of union members at Rover, the motor manufacturer, had overwhelmingly endorsed an agreement negotiated between management and union officials involving 2,500 job losses and more flexible working hours. The changes had been sought by Rover's German parent company, BMW, as the price for new investment in Rover and keeping open the Longbridge production plant in Birmingham which employs around 14,000 people. BMW management maintained that a 30% productivity gap existed between the Longbridge plant and BMW plants in Germany, which had to be narrowed by means of more flexible working practices.

On 3 December 1998, the Department for Education and Employment published a consultative green paper, Meeting the challenge of change [1], outlining plans for a radical reform of the teaching profession. One key objective is the introduction of a new career and pay structure, designed to raise teaching standards by rewarding high performance by classroom teachers. At present, progression beyond the top of the main professional grade is dependent not on classroom performance but on teachers taking on managerial responsibility within schools. The government is now proposing a two-tier pay scale for classroom teachers, with a new higher scale separated from the existing one by a performance threshold, based on appraisal and assessment. To cross the threshold, teachers will need to demonstrate "high and sustained levels of achievement and commitment". Head teachers will assess and review teachers' progress, underpinned by external assessment. [1] http://www.dfee.gov.uk/teachers/greenpaper/index.htm

In what is believed to be an unprecedented bilateral initiative between the governments of the two countries, the UK and Spain issued a joint statement in early December designed to influence the debate at the Vienna European Council meeting on 11-12 December 1998 about the EU's strategy for generating employment growth (EU9812141N [1]). The implicit intention of the declaration appears to have been to emphasise the centrality of continued labour market reform in boosting employment, as against the possibility of more interventionist job-creation measures favoured by some other Member States. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/vienna-summit-reaffirms-employment-as-priority

New research by the UK government's Office for National Statistics (ONS) uses data from the 1998 New Earnings Survey and the spring 1998 Labour Force Survey to produce an estimate of the number and percentage of employees likely to be affected by the introduction of the statutory national minimum wage (NMW) in April 1999 (UK9807135F [1]). As well as estimating the aggregate impact of the NMW, the ONS has also analysed its impact by sex, full-time/part-time status, region, occupational group and industry division. The findings of the research are published in the December 1998 issue of the official publication /Labour Market Trends/. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/the-national-minimum-wage-report-of-the-low-pay-commission

An alliance of trade unions and other pressure groups launched a campaign in November 1998 to persuade the UK government to provide for paid parental leave when it introduces the necessary legislation to implement the 1996 EU parental leave Directive (96/34/EC) [1]. The Parental Leave Campaign, which includes the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and a range of childcare organisations, told a meeting of Members of Parliament that taking parental leave would not be a realistic option for many working parents - particularly the low paid, single parents and fathers - unless it is paid, operated flexibly and promoted effectively to workers, employers and the general public. [1] http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=en&numdoc=31996L0034&model=guichett

On 16 November 1998, the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) published a consultative document [1] setting out a draft "code of good practice for age diversity in employment". The stated aim of the code, which has been developed by a working group including representatives of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Trades Union Congress (TUC), Institute of Personnel and Development (IPD) and other campaigning organisations, is to provide advice on best practice in tackling unfair age discrimination at work. Following a period of consultation, the final version of the code is expected to be published during the first quarter of 1999. The Government's move follows the publication in August 1998 of a DfEE report proposing a non-statutory approach to combating age discrimination (UK9809148F [2]), despite hopes on the part of trade unions and other groups that the Government would introduce legislation on the issue. [1] http://www.dfee.gov.uk/adv_age/index.htm [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/ageism-back-on-the-employment-agenda