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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 trade union movement's response to the shock election of two BNP MEPs, a new study about the real make-up of 'middle Britain', and all the latest news on the economic situation.

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

Anti-BNP campaign stepped up

Unions will increase their efforts to expose the British National Party as 'racist to its core' following the party's shock victories in last week's European elections.

TUC deputy general secretary Frances O'Gradysaid: 'It's shocking to discover that the BNP has been able to secure enough votes in two parts of the UK to send two MEPs to Brussels.

'This is not because of some seismic political shift to the right, but has more to do with the frustration that people feel about the expenses fiasco and their desire to teach the mainstream political parties a lesson'.

Full TUC reaction @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/newsroom/tuc-16569-f0.cfm

Sign Hope not Hate petition against BNP @

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/notinmyname

Pay freezes wrong reaction

Inflation figures published in May showing that the RPI fell from -0.4 per cent to -1.2 per cent in April did not justify pay freezes or cuts, the TUC said in response.

While employees and their unions understood the reality facing companies hit hardest by the recession, the TUC said other firms could still afford reasonable increases which would then filter through into the wider economy.

Further details @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-16480-f0.cfm

Jobs warning

Meanwhile, the TUC has said that workers still fear for their jobs, despite some commentators talking of green shoots of economic recovery.

With jobs still being slashed at the likes of LDV and Cheltenham & Gloucester, the TUC said getting people back to work had to be the number one priority for the government. Only when the jobless total began to fall would genuine recovery be under way.

More on this story @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-16572-f0.cfm

Death of four former union leaders

The death occurred last month of four prominent figures in the late twentieth century trade union movement.

Ken Gill was a member of the TUC General Council from 1974 to 1992 and President of the TUC Congress in 1986. He became general secretary of the TASS section of the AUEW in 1974 and, following the union's merger with ASTMS, was joint general secretary of the Manufacturing Science Finance union, which is now part of Unite.

Lawrence Daly was a member of the TUC General Council from 1971 to 1981 and general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers from 1968 to 1984. He played a leading role in the miners' strikes of 1972 and 1974, and retired shortly before the 1984 dispute.

John Newman was general secretary of NUMAST, now part of Nautilus International, from 1989 to 1993 and served on the TUC General Council from 1990 to 1992. He was held in high regard throughout the shipping industry, and paved the way for the union's subsequent growth.

Eric Hammond was a highly controversial figure. He was general secretary of the Electricians Union from 1984 until his retirement in 1992, shortly before the union merged with the AEU to form the AEEU - now part of Unite. He was a member of the TUC General Council from 1983 until 1988, when his union was expelled from Congress for refusing to implement two inter-union dispute committee awards.

Read obituaries for each @

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/may/24/ken-gill-unions-obituary

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/may/30/obituary-lawrence-daly

http://www.nautilusint.org/News-and-Events/Pages/article.aspx?newsid=15

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/03/obituary-eric-hammond-trade-union-wapping

Middle Britain: debunking the myths

Most politicians and commentators misunderstand the concept of 'middle Britain', with those on middling earnings having lost out sharply to better off professionals and the rich in recent years, according to a new TUC Touchstone pamphlet.

Based on a YouGov poll of the middle fifth of the population who straddle the median income of £20,000, the study - Life in the Middle: the Untold Story of Britain's Average Earners - suggests that four in ten middle income earners believe their job has a lower status than their father's.

Summary details @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-16508-f0.cfm

Download full study @

www.tuc.org.uk/touchstone/lifeinthemiddle.pdf

Check out the 'middle Britain barometer' @

www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/middlebritain

Sick note questioned

Proposed reform of the sick note signalled at the end of May received a cautious response from the TUC.

While more needed to be done to help the sick return to work, in some cases a phased or supported return may help speed up the process of getting an ill or injured worker back to work.

The TUC added there were circumstances where an early return could prevent the worker making a full recovery, or even lead to a relapse. Most employers did not have the expertise to give an employee the support they need to make an early return.

More on this @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-16513-f0.cfm

Disabled workers and recession

Last month's TUC disability conference heard how the recession may be having a disproportionate impact on disabled workers.

Previous recessions have shown that disabled workers can face discrimination and unfair selection for redundancy, the TUC said, and with fewer chances of securing alternative work, it was vital to keep disabled workers in employment during the downturn.

More on the conference @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/newsroom/tuc-16477-f0.cfm

Follow Cardiff, Westminster told

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber used his speech to last month's Wales TUC annual conference to urge the Government in Westminster to follow the lead of the Welsh Assembly and introduce a short-time working scheme.

He said the Welsh ProAct scheme - which provides a subsidy of up to £4,000 per worker to struggling but viable firms - had made a real difference in saving jobs, safeguarding skills and protecting workers and their families.

Other speakers at the Llandudno conference included then Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy, and First Minister Rhodri Morgan.

Further details @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-16484-f0.cfm

Free safety materials

The Health & Safety Executive's decision to make all of its publications available to download at no cost was welcomed by the TUC at the beginning of June. The announcement came as the HSE launched its new strategy.

More on this @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-16541-f0.cfm

EU collective bargaining up for discussion

A conference focusing on labour rights and collective bargaining in Europe is to be held at the TUC on 17 July, following a series of judgements in the European Court of Justice that could have a serious impact on the work of trade unions.

More on collective bargaining in Europe @

http://www.etuc.org/r/792

Get the news from Ireland

If you want to get the latest trade union news from Ireland, check out The Union Post. It's a new monthly digest of union news from both sides of the Irish border, produced in association with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. It publishes monthly in pdf format, and is free.

Subscribe (no contact details will be passed to third parties) by emailing:

postsubscribe@btinternet.com

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