Transcript Hannah Reed - Where Next - The Institute of Employment Rights

www.tuc.org.uk
Where next?
Hannah Reed
Senior Employment Rights
Officer
www.tuc.org.uk
• Campaigning to stop attacks on
worker rights
• Effective workplace organisation
• Pressing for change
www.tuc.org.uk
Government’s employment
rights agenda
• Making it easier for employers to sack
people
• Making it harder for workers to
enforce their rights
• Weakening restructuring rights
www.tuc.org.uk
Weaker dismissal
rights
• Extending qualifying period for unfair
dismissal from 12 months to 2 years
– More than 3 million people lose out
– Young and BME workers
particularly affected
• Reduced compensatory awards in UD
claims
• Disadvantage part time / low paid
employees; older workers
www.tuc.org.uk
Fees for ET users:
limiting access to justice
Type of claim
Issue
claim
Hearing
fee
Total
Level 1: NMW, Wages
Act, holiday pay, time off
rights
£160
£230
£390
Level 2: unfair dismissal;
discrimination; equal pay
£250
£950
£1200
www.tuc.org.uk
Priced out of justice: Fees for
ETs
• Remission scheme limited - many workers on
NMW wages will have to pay fees
• For some ET fees = significant proportion /
exceed the value of their claim
Type of claim
Median
award
Total fee if
claim goes to
hearing
Wages Act
£850*
£390
Unfair dismissal
£4,560**
£1,200
Race discrimination
£5,256**
8% success
rate
£1,200
* Seta Findings 2008; ** ET & EAT Stats 2011-12
www.tuc.org.uk
Weaker collective
redundancy rights
• Shorter consultation periods: 45 days
where 100+ employees at risk
• Excluding fixed term contract staff
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TUPE
• Some service sector workers may lose
TUPE rights
– Low paid women / BME workers in
cleaning and catering sectors
• Increased uncertainty and increased job
insecurity
• Increased flexibility for employers to
vary pay and conditions after a transfer
– Erosion of pay and conditions
– Increased inequality
www.tuc.org.uk
Stop employee wrongs
TUC Campaign
http://stopemploymentwrongs
.org
www.tuc.org.uk
Effective workplace
organisation
www.tuc.org.uk
Settlement agreements
• Encouraging employers to use the
offer a settlement agreement to end
the employment relationship
• Without need for disciplinary
procedure
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Negotiated settlements?
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Pressing for change
www.tuc.org.uk
Pressing for change
• Fair Pay
• Protecting outsourced workers
• Reducing casualisation
• Building strong unions