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Welcome

Welcome to In ToUCh e-bulletin from the TUC, the bite-size round up of our news and views.

This issue features the government's response to the TUC's recent report on vulnerable working, details of the 140^th TUC Congress, and the latest on union membership.

Let us know what you think about the issues reported here by emailing editor@tuc.org.uk.

Copies of In ToUCh are archived at www.tuc.org.uk/intouch

TUC News

BERR minimum for vulnerable

The TUC gave a muted welcome to the report of the Government's Vulnerable Workers Forum when it was published earlier this month.

While welcoming some of the measures set out in response to the earlier report from the Commission on Vulnerable Employment, the TUC said 'an opportunity had been missed' to address the legal and regulatory flaws that condemned two million workers to exploitation.

Read response in full @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/newsroom/tuc-15161-f0.cfm

Congress agenda takes shape

Asylum seekers and employment, improvements in maternity pay, a fair tax system, better pay for public sector workers and increased funding for the nation's film archives are some of the issues contained in the preliminary agenda for this year's Congress, published at the end of July.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills John Denham and Minister for Women and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Harriet Harman are among the speakers addressing delegates at Congress.

There will also be special presentations on the report of the Commission on Vulnerable Employment, organising and equal pay. The conference starts at 10 am on Monday 8 September and ends on Thursday 11 September.

Further details @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/congress/tuc-15136-f0.cfm

Preliminary agenda @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/congress/tuc-15128-f0.pdf

Moving on up

Latest TUC membership figures show a year on year increase of around 65,000, the largest growth annual growth in a decade.

However, official statistics published by the Department for Business at the end of July show overall union membership holding steady. The differences reflect different ways in which the data is collected.

Despite the more pessimistic snapshot, the data from BERR points to the continuing strength of the union pay premium, with union members earning an average of £12.74 an hour compared with £11.02 an hour for non-members.

More on government figures @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/organisation/tuc-15147-f0.cfm

Support for public sector strikers

The TUC offered its support to striking workers in local government and the civil service last month, as hundreds of thousands took action in protest at below-inflation pay awards.

'With prices soaring in supermarkets and petrol stations across the country, families are increasingly concerned at how they are going to make ends meet,' said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber. 'Wages, particularly in the public sector, are falling further and further behind the cost of living, effectively leaving millions of workers to suffer a pay cut.'

The scale of the pay-price gap was dramatically underlined later in July when British Gas owner Centrica hiked gas prices by 35 per cent and electricity bills by 9 per cent. The TUC criticised the rises and said they would drive the number of households in fuel poverty towards the six million mark, at a time when working people were also struggling with other price rises.

TUC support for striking workers @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/publicsector/tuc-15096-f0.cfm

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-15087-f0.cfm

TUC on energy price rises @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-15148-f0.cfm

Rate disappointment

The Bank of England's decision to keep interest rates on hold at 5 per cent in August was greeted with disappointment by the TUC. With prospects for 2009 looking 'increasingly weak', the TUC said the Bank had to prioritise growth rather than waiting for the economy to stall before acting.

More on this @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-15176-f0.cfm

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-15168-f0.cfm

Going for growth

On a more positive note, the Government's decision to postpone the 2p rise in fuel duty was welcomed by the TUC as 'precisely the kind of pro-growth measure' that needed to be taken to respond to current economic difficulties.

Meanwhile, the Treasury's decision to reconsider the so-called golden rules governing investment was 'absolutely right', the TUC said in response. With the credit crunch biting and oil prices rising, the TUC said it would be 'a big mistake' to get hung up on such rules and the priority had to be growth.

The fragility of Britain's economy was underlined by July's employment figures, which showed a fall in every measure of earnings growth and a drop in the number of temporary workers.

More on economic developments @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-15100-f0.cfm

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-15110-f0.cfm

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-15099-f0.cfm

No thanks to no pay jobs

Last month's welfare reform Green Paper came in for short shrift from the TUC, with plans to introduce 'workfare' attracting particularly strong criticism.

Proposals to force unemployed people to work on community schemes in return for their benefits were described as a 'mistake', as there were already 'sufficient sanctions' to deal with the small majority of claimants who cheated the system.

Full TUC reaction @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/welfare/tuc-15112-f0.cfm

Julius Review slammed

The Public Services Industry Review conducted by Dr DeAnne Julius and published last month also attracted strong criticism from the TUC.

The TUC said the report missed the point of public services, arguing instead that 'much of what the public services do needs to be motivated by the desire to serve the public, not to make profits for shareholders'.

More on this story @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/publicsector/tuc-15071-f0.cfm

Tips victory for waiting staff

The announcement at the end of July by the Department for Business that restaurants will no longer be able to use tips to top up staff pay to the minimum wage was welcomed by the TUC.

The Government was right to make sure that workers can keep their tips, the TUC said, and right to insist that responsibility to pay the minimum wage rests squarely with employers.

Further details @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/newsroom/tuc-15146-f0.cfm

Rights 'threat' to women a myth

The TUC reacted forcefully to comments made last month by Nicola Brewer, chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, on new rights to transferable maternity leave and extending the right to request flexible working to the parents of older children.

'The idea that extending family-friendly rights would somehow hurt women's job prospects is a myth commonly peddled by employers who don't want to employ women of child-bearing age or give male staff time off to spend with their children', said Brendan Barber.

More on this @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/work_life/tuc-15082-f0.cfm

Apprenticeships Bill welcomed

Last month's Apprenticeships Bill was a 'welcome step towards helping more people into skilled work', the TUC said in response.

The rise in government funding, the focus on improving quality, and the use of procurement to encourage employers to offer training would all help increase the number of apprenticeship places available, the TUC said. But it added that employers had to raise their game 'and offer more quality work-based apprenticeships'.

Find out more @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/skills/tuc-15098-f0.cfm

Minimum wage call

Meanwhile, the TUC has called for all apprentices to be protected by the national minimum wage in order to stop exploitation and reduce the number of people who drop out of apprenticeships.

In its submission to the Low Pay Commission earlier this month, the TUC argued that this would improve the quality and reputation of apprenticeships and boost equality, as the lowest-paid apprentices are most likely to be women.

Further details @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/skills/tuc-15175-f0.cfm

Housing boost applauded

Measures announced in July by housing minister Caroline Flint received a positive response from the TUC.

With the cost of housing beyond the means of young workers in many parts of the country, mechanisms to allow unsold houses and flats to be bought from builders and offered as affordable homes 'will increase the options available to those keen to have their own homes', the TUC said.

Full reaction @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-15101-f0.cfm

Landmark disability decision

The European Court of Justice's decision last month that a UK mother, Sharon Coleman, was discriminated against by her employer because of her disabled child was welcomed by the TUC.

Described as 'a victory for all parents and carers who look after disabled children and adults,' the TUC said that employers now had to look at their workplace policies to make sure they are not discriminating against staff who have disabled family members or friends.

Further information @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-15107-f0.cfm

Health and safety cop-out

A Department for Business report on the health and safety regime for small firms came in for strong criticism from the TUC when it was published early in August.

The TUC said the study did 'nothing to address the appalling health and safety record of Britain's small businesses' and instead seemed to regard regulations as a 'burden'.

Read the full reaction @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-15163-f0.cfm

Members on the board

Research published by the TUC in July shows that member involvement on pension scheme boards continues to grow, with 86 per cent of boards now having one third of their trustees nominated by members.

According to the TUC, this shows that industry scepticism towards pension schemes recruiting enough member nominated trustees (MNTs) is misplaced. Some 24 per cent of the schemes surveyed had gone beyond the minimum one-third requirement and had at least 50 per cent MNT representation.

Read full story @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/pensions/tuc-15106-f0.cfm

Training for equality reps

A TUC co-ordinated training programme has been set up to boost the growing network of union equality reps in workplaces.

The new scheme, which will run from September to December at venues across the UK, will train equality reps - and people interested in the role - in how to handle workplace issues such as flexible working, equal pay and discrimination. The TUC is hoping to train 400 reps in the first three months of the project.

Further details @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-15129-f0.cfm

Academy strategy agreed

A model agreement to help secure pay and conditions for academy staff at least as favourable as those for staff in other state schools has been launched by the TUC and the six teaching and school support unions in England.

The agreement aims to give unions greater recognition in academies, improve their negotiating position, and allow reps to have the right to time off for union duties.

Details available @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/skills/tuc-15133-f0.cfm

Brighton briefing

The TUC has invited Brighton's LGBT community to a fringe meeting on religion and homophobia at this year's Congress. Due to be held at 5.30 pm on Wednesday 10 September in the Grand Hotel, the meeting will discuss the attitudes of groups who argue their religious beliefs should allow them to discriminate against LGBT people.

In another development on the LGBT front last month, the TUC condemned homophobic comments made by Iris Robinson MP MLA on BBC Radio Ulster.

More on these developments @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-15138-f0.cfm

http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-15070-f0.cfm

Autumn conferences

This autumn sees three events taking place likely to be of interest to trade unionists.

On 15 October the Institute of Employment Rights, a leading labour movement think tank, will hold a conference on employment law. On 4 November, meanwhile, the TUC will host its third social policy forum looking at care and support services. Finally, on 19 November, the TUC will join forces with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to hold a seminar looking at the role of trade unions in the curriculum.

Details of forthcoming TUC events @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/events/index.cfm

Visit IER website @

http://www.ier.org.uk/

Mansfield heads for Wales

Martin Mansfield has been appointed as the new Wales TUC General Secretary and is expected to take up the post in October. He was research officer in the Wales TUC in the late 1990's, and is currently a regional official with Unite.

More on the appointment @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/newsroom/tuc-15173-f0.cfm