Hall, Mark

On 20 August 2004, Digby Jones, director-general of the main UK employers’ organisation, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), criticised current arrangements in the UK Parliament for scrutinising and influencing legislative proposals emanating from the European Union, and accused MPs of being 'asleep on the job'. The CBI would like to see a package of parliamentary reforms to increase national influence over EU laws and counter what the CBI sees as 'gold-plating and heavy handed implementation' of EU legislation in the UK.

On 15 July 2004, the UK’s Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) published a decision [1] concerning employee complaints relating to the process of establishing a European Works Council (EWC) at the British Council, the UK’s international educational and cultural organisation. This was the CAC’s first ever decision under the Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees (TICE) Regulations 1999 [2], which implement the EU Directive on EWCs (94/45/EC [3]) in the UK. An earlier complaint to the CAC, in January 2001 (case EWC1/2001, between British Polythene Industries plc and the Graphical, Paper and Media Union), was withdrawn without a decision being issued. [1] http://www.cac.gov.uk/recent_decisions/Decision_texts/EWC1-2004 Decision.htm [2] http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si1999/19993323.htm [3] http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=31994L0045&model=guichett

Discussions between trade union leaders and government ministers at the Labour Party’s National Policy Forum held at Warwick University on 24-25 July 2004 resulted in agreement on a range of employment law reforms and other policy commitments that are expected to feature in the party’s manifesto for the next general election, likely to be held in spring 2005. Tony Woodley, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers’ Union, said that the National Policy Forum had 'agreed a raft of progressive policies on which to fight and win the next general election campaign, including a package of measures to boost employment rights for UK workers'. The move followed sustained trade union criticism of the record in the area of employment and industrial relations policy of the government led by Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 [1] came into force on 1 December 2003 and outlaw direct and indirect discrimination against, and harassment and victimisation of, people in employment and vocational training because of their sexual orientation (UK0312101N [2]). [1] http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2003/20031661.htm [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/new-anti-discrimination-legislation-takes-effect

The Association of University Teachers (AUT) and the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) have agreed to form a new trade union to represent academic and related staff in universities and colleges in England and Wales.

On 7 July 2004, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) published a revised draft [1] of the Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) Regulations, which are intended to transpose the 2002 EU information and consultation Directive (2002/14/EC [2]) (EU0204207F [3]) into UK law. The Regulations, which give employees the right to be informed and consulted by their employer about key business, employment and restructuring issues, will come into effect in spring 2005 following parliamentary approval. [1] http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/consultation/draftregs.pdf [2] http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32002L0014&model=guichett [3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/final-approval-given-to-consultation-directive

In April 2004, the European Commission initiated consultations with the EU-level cross-industry and sectoral social partners (employer and trade union organisations) about measures to enhance the effectiveness of European Works Councils (EWCs). In a consultation document [1] (EU0405203F [2]), the Commission asked the social partners for their opinion on: [1] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/news/2004/apr/ewc_consultation_en.pdf [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/commission-launches-review-of-ewcs-directive

On 29 June 2004, the UK’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) published a consultation paper, Working time - widening the debate [1], seeking views on the current operation of the individual opt-out from the 48-hour weekly working time limit in the UK and ways to improve its application. [1] http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/work_time_regs/consultation.doc

On 12 May 2004, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Constitutional Affairs published a white paper [1] on the establishment of a new Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR), intended to help achieve a 'fairer, more inclusive Britain'. [1] http://www.dti.gov.uk/access/equalitywhitepaper.pdf

The UK’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) held a public consultation [1] between July and October 2003 on the UK experience of European Works Councils (EWCs) (UK0308102N [2]). The main purpose of the exercise was to gather evidence in advance of the review of the EU Directive on EWCs (94/45/EC [3]) by the European Commission, which eventually got underway in April 2004 (EU0405203F [4]). [1] http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/europe/ewcdoc.pdf [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/government-seeks-views-on-ewcs-ahead-of-review-of-directive [3] http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=31994L0045&model=guichett [4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/commission-launches-review-of-ewcs-directive