Hall, Mark

On 6 September 2005, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) published a report, Managing change - practical ways to reduce long hours and reform working practices [1], produced in association with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC). [1] http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/work_time_regs/LONGWORKINGHOURS.pdf

The 2005 conference of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), held in Brighton on 12-15 September, adopted a resolution put forward by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) rejecting the proposed EU constitutional treaty. An amendment which sought to soften the resolution’s stance by calling for the TUC to 'reflect on' the rejection of the constitution in the referenda held in France and the Netherlands was defeated.

In September 2005, the annual conference of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) took place in Brighton. At the 2004, pre-election conference, government-union tensions over policy had been handled in a relatively muted fashion, but this year union leaders were more vocal in their in their criticisms of the government.

During the summer of 2005, UK trade unions Amicus and Unison announced that they had signed a 'partnership agreement' (UK0205103F [1]) with Scope, the disability charity in England and Wales which focuses on people with cerebral palsy. According to the two unions, the agreement will give staff in Scope 'a real say in how the organisation is run, reflecting the interests of staff through trade union representation on the staff forum', as well as providing facilities to help the unions organise and recruit new members. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-industrial-relations/partnership-alive-and-well

On 15 July 2005, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) issued the first call for applications to the Union Modernisation Fund (UMF) - a new government grant scheme for trade unions which has been established under the Employment Relations Act 2004. The purpose of the UMF is to provide financial assistance to independent trade unions and their federations in support of 'innovative projects which speed unions’ adaptation to a changing labour market and new ways of working'. This is intended to 'enhance unions’ ability to make a full and effective contribution to constructive employment relations and to the economy as a whole'. The deadline for applications is 3 October 2005.

In August 2005, the UK trade union Amicus released details of an agreement it has reached with the US-owned information technology services group Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) setting out a framework for handling the transfer of work abroad where this affects the company’s 10,000 UK employees. The agreement forms an appendix to a broader 'partnership agreement' between the union and CSC.

During July 2005, two of the main EU-level social partner organisations, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Union of Industrial and Employers’ Confederations of Europe (UNICE), submitted formal responses to the European Commission’s April 2005 Communication (COM(2005) 120 final), Restructuring and employment [1] (EU0504202F [2]). [1] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/news/2005/apr/com_restruct_en.pdf [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/commission-issues-communication-on-restructuring-and-employment

On 14 July 2005, Alan Johnson, the secretary of state for trade and industry, launched a public consultation [1] on draft Employment Equality (Age) Regulations which aim to prohibit unjustified age discrimination in employment and vocational training. The draft Regulations are intended to implement the age discrimination provisions of the EU framework equal treatment Directive (2000/78/EC [2]) (EU0102295F [3]). The move follows the government’s December 2004 announcement outlining how it proposed to deal with the politically sensitive issue of employers’ mandatory retirement ages (UK0501103N [4]), and extensive previous consultation on the UK’s approach to outlawing age discrimination (UK0405102N [5]). [1] http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/equality/age.htm [2] http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32000L0078&model=guichett [3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-social-policies/new-framework-equal-treatment-directive-examined [4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/government-announces-policy-on-age-discrimination-and-retirement [5] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/impasse-over-retirement-age-policy-reported

The Labour government, re-elected in June 2001 for a second term of up to five years, continued in office throughout 2004. In local council elections held in England and Wales in June, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrat Party gained seats at the Labour Party’s expense. Labour lost control of a significant number of councils and the Conservatives control the largest number. In European Parliament elections, the number of UK Independence Party and Liberal Democrat MEPs increased while the number of Conservative and Labour MEPs decreased. The next general election is expected in the spring of 2005.

The UK government is reviewing whether the core bargaining issues of pay, hours and holidays that are covered by the statutory trade union recognition procedure (UK0007183F [1]) should be extended to include training and pensions. The move stems from the 'Warwick agreement' reached between trade union and Labour party leaders in July 2004 (UK0409102N [2]) which provided for a number of employment law reforms and other policy commitments. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-industrial-relations/statutory-trade-union-recognition-procedure-comes-into-force [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/unions-win-concessions-from-ministers-on-employment-law-agenda