Hall, Mark
Cross-party support for boosting the minimum wage
05 Detsember 2013
Modest increases in national minimum wage (NMW) rates came into force on 1
October 2013 (*UK1304019I* [1]). These are:
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/working-conditions-undefined/government-gives-the-nod-to-minimum-wage-increase
Zero hours contracts in the spotlight
19 September 2013
The absence of any general legal regulation of working time in the UK,
together with employers’ freedom in contract formation, provides the
context for a variety of forms of flexible working hours. A long-running
political debate in the UK has focused on the use of so-called zero hours
contracts. This type of contract allows an employer to keep staff on standby
and offer no guaranteed work or predictable levels of pay (*UK1306049I* [1]).
Discussions have been ongoing about the extent and effects of zero hours
contracts. During August 2013, a series of high profile developments meant
that the issue continued to generate media headlines.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/working-conditions-undefined/unions-welcome-government-review-of-zero-hours-contracts
Controversy over new employment tribunal fees
19 September 2013
New fees for pursuing cases through employment tribunals and the Employment
Appeal Tribunal (EAT [1]) came into effect on 29 July 2013. Previously, it
had been free of charge to bring a claim.
[1] http://www.employmentappeals.gov.uk/
Redundancy consultation law redefined
12 August 2013
In the UK, the statutory obligation for employers to consult employee
representatives about the impact of collective redundancies is triggered
‘where an employer is proposing to dismiss as redundant 20 or more
employees at one establishment within a period of 90 days or less’, as set
out in section 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation)
Act 1992, as amended [1].
[1] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/52/section/188
Unions welcome government review of ‘zero-hours’ contracts
21 Juuli 2013
In June 2013, Business Secretary Vince Cable told /The Independent/ newspaper
that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS [1]) was
conducting a review of the use of ‘zero-hours’ employment contracts. BIS
officials will review how zero-hours contracts work, and investigate whether
they tend to lead to abuse by employers. Vince Cable said ‘There has been
anecdotal evidence of abuse by certain employers, including in the public
sector … . Whilst it’s important our workforce remains flexible, it is
equally important that it is treated fairly.’
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-innovation-skills
Opposition to Post Office and Royal Mail changes
17 Juuli 2013
On 28 May 2013, postal workers belonging to the Communication Workers’
Union (CWU [1]) took part in a fifth round of one-day strike action to
protest Post Office closure and franchising plans, and related pay issues.
[1] http://www.cwu.org/index.php
‘Groundbreaking’ nuclear power agreements signed
17 Juuli 2013
On 5 June 2013, EDF Energy [1] signed two industrial relations agreements
with trade unions and the main contractor for the construction of the planned
new UK nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C in Somerset.
[1] http://www.edfenergy.com
Key employment law reforms take effect
27 Juuni 2013
In spring 2013, a series of key unemployment law reforms introduced in the
United Kingdom changed parental leave and pay, redundancy consultation
periods and employment tribunal regulations. A new type of employment
contract has also been created.
Government gives the nod to minimum wage increase
05 Juuni 2013
On 15 April 2013, the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills announced
that ministers had approved below-inflation increases in the national minimum
wage (NMW) of 1.9% for adults aged 21 and above, and 1.0% for younger workers
and apprentices. The increases will take effect in October 2013 and will
bring the adult rate to GBP 6.31 (€7.41 as at 24 April 2013).
Rise in migrant workers impacts workers and employers
30 Mai 2013
In March 2013, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD
[1]), the professional body for UK human resource practitioners, published a
report exploring the factors affecting the growth in employment of migrant
workers from both within and outside the EU. The report, The state of
migration: Employing migrant workers (3.2Mb PDF) [2], is based on a survey of
1,000 employers and 16 case studies. This article focuses on its key findings
and policy recommendations.
[1] http://www.cipd.co.uk/
[2] http://www.cipd.co.uk/binaries/6057%20Migration%20WEB.PDF