Restructuring, U.K., Europe
Energy unions face major fights
Energy unions are facing challenges on several fronts. Leading gas company Centrica has faced major criticism from unions - GMB, UNISON, Unite and Prospect - when it followed up an announcement of 5000 job cuts with a plan to sack and re-hire 20000 staff on worse terms and conditions. The GMB union has already had a consultative ballot which showed 95% support for strike action and so a formal ballot will be undertaken. Meanwhile the GMB members at Northern Gas Networks have voted 98% in favour of industrial action on pay while Unite members at the Drax energy company have been balloted over
Unions celebrate two more victories in the courts
After the recent success of public service union UNISON in getting the courts to end the government's policy to charge workers for the right to take employment tribunal cases, UNISON and the PCS civil service union have celebrated two further court victories. UNISON's second success came in another landmark case that will effectively require employers to consult over workplace restructuring such as redundancies. The PCS victory was in a judicial review of government cuts to the civil service pension scheme which the government now has to withdraw.
Rolling strikes over job cuts and dismissals at equality body
(June 2017) Employees of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have been taking strike action as part of a rolling campaign that has covered offices in Glasgow, Cardiff and, in the latest stage, Manchester. The strikes are in protest at budget and job cuts in the organisation as well as staff dismissals. The main union involved, PCS, has said that it is astonishing that the EHRC hasn't even carried out an equality impact assessment of the job cuts. Film director Ken Loach has sent his solidarity greetings to the strikers.
Briefing argues for greater union and EWC role in restructuring
(March 2017) A policy brief from the European Trade Union Institute examines the role of European works councils (EWCs) in restructuring. It finds that not only is there a problem ensuring that existing EWCs play a full role in the information and consultation process but that a significant number of major restructuring are carried out where there are no EWCs. The briefing highlights the need for better rights for EWCs as well as for a stronger role for trade unoins.