Next Trades Council Meeting, Tuesday 12th July

The next meeting of the Eastbourne Trades Council will be on Tuesday 12th July at 7.30pm, at The Railway Club, Hampden Park. All local trade unionists are invited. 

 A G E N D A 

1. Introductions and apologies for absence and approval of any new affiliations. 

2. Minutes of previous meeting (January 2022)  and matters arising. 

 3. Treasurer's Report 

 4. Campaigning reports from affiliated Unions 

 (a) Wealden Bin Strikes and ongoing legal action 

 (b) UCU dispute 

 (c) Equity Jekyll's issue in Hastings 

 (d) CWU action in BT 

 (e) Any other campaign reports from affiliates 

 5. Other Campaigning Reports 

 (a) Climate Campaign including motion from Carol Mills 

 (b) "Join the Union" Stall proposal 

 (c) Paul Robeson commemoration update 

 6. Any other business

Major changes to employment law expected in 2013

Thanks to Unite the Union for this information.

Many consultations and Government announcements on employment law took place in 2012 with resulting legislative changes likely in 2013 and beyond. However, the timescale for many of these remains unclear. The start of 2013 has seen further consultations announced.

The main pieces of legislation expected to receive Royal Assent in 2013 are the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, the Growth and Infrastructure Bill and the Children and Families Bill which are all currently progressing through Parliament. Some anticipated dates for provisions in these Bills to come into force are indicated below.

More information on the proposed reforms is in the Employment law reform progress report published in March 2013, and on the Department of Business Innovation and Skills’ web page ‘Making the labour market more flexible, efficient and fair’ (see Useful contacts below).

From February

• Increased limits on employment tribunal awards came into force on 1 February:
• a 'weeks pay' rose from £430 to £450
• the maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal rose from £72,300 to £74,200
• the maximum basic award (and redundancy payment) rose from £12,900 to £13,500
• guarantee pay increased from £23.50 to £24.20 a day.

In March

• Unpaid parental leave increased to 18 weeks on 8 March - to comply with the EU Parental Leave Directive.

In April

• The rate of statutory sick pay (SPP) increased on 6 April from £85.85 to £86.70. The rates of maternity allowance and statutory maternity pay (SMP), statutory paternity pay (SPP), and statutory adoption pay (SAP) increased on 7 April from £135.45 to £136.78. The weekly earnings threshold for these payments also increased from £107 to £109..
• All employers have to start reporting PAYE information in real time (except where HMRC has specified a later date) - from 6 April.
• The 90-day minimum collective redundancy consultation period for large-scale redundancies was reduced from 90 days to 45 days - from 6 April. New Acas guidance is expected.
• Further changes to immigration rules and fees – from 6 April. CIPD members can see our factsheet on immigration law changes.
• Go to our Immigration law changes factsheet

In 'Summer'

• Employment tribunal fees are expected to be introduced.
• Employment tribunal procedural changes following the Underhill Review are expected to be implemented.
• A salary-based cap on compensatory reward for unfair dismissal is expected to be introduced
• Compromise agreements to become ‘settlement’ agreements, with a new Statutory Code of Practice and guidance.
• Whistleblowing changes may be introduced.
• Criminal record checks changes are expected.

In September

• If passed in the Growth and Infrastructure Bill, the Government intends to introduce a new ‘employee shareholder’ status (previously known as ‘employee owner’). Those accepting employee shareholder contracts will agree to giving up certain employment rights in return for company shares.

In October

• National Minimum Wage rates may increase - The Low Pay Commission is due to report soon.

In 'Autumn'

• Changes to the TUPE regulations may be introduced – depending on the outcome Government’s consultations.

Employment-related Acts and Bills

• Two Bills introduced in 2012, the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill and the Growth and Infrastructure Bill (see above in the 2012 changes) are continuing their progress through Parliament. They are expected to receive Royal Assent in Spring 2013 with the changes coming info force later in 2013.
• The Children and Families Bill was introduced to House of Commons on 4 February 2013. It introduces a new shared parental leave system and statutory shared parental pay, a right to time off for antenatal care, and extends the right to request flexible working to all employees. If passed, many of these changes are expected to be introduced in 2014-15.

New Year- New General Secretary !

Click to read the new year message and priorities from the newly elected General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Frances O'Grady.

Get involved- latest campaigns in the South East

Latest campaign information and resources from the South East Region of the TUC

European TUC Day of Action & Solidarity Wednesday 14 November  "For Jobs & Solidarity in Europe. No to Austerity" 

Wednesday 14 November including strikes, demonstrations, rallies and other actions

• Oxford trades council is staging a lunchtime protest in the Cornmarket 12 noon to 1pm. Contact them here.
•  Coalition of Resistance demonstration and rally "Europe against austerity" 5pm Smith Square London
• ETUC list of actions taking place across Europe
• ETUC newsletter number 70

Regional Trades Council actions

• Kings Lynn trades council final Women for Change lecture Saturday 17 November 11.30am Kings Lynn with Cristel Amiss from the Crossroads Women's Centre in Camden. Contact them here. 
• Bromley trades council AGM Thursday 22 November 6pm HG Wells Centre, St Marks Road, contact Paul Rooney

Union actions:

• Unite defend the Agricultural Wages Board, lobby and rally now Monday 12 November Old Palace Yard 12.30pm 
• Unite lobby against attack on National Terms and Conditions, Bromley Council Monday 12 November 6pm at the Civic Buildings. Contact for details here.  
• RMT Charles Watkins Memorial Lecture Tuesday 27 November 7pm London with Professor Roger Seifert
• RMT is seeking as large a turnout as possible at its demonstration on Sunday 18 November to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Kings Cross fire and to highlight the continued need for a full staffed and safe tube network. 11am outside Kings Cross station.
• PCS forum to expand on the alternatives to the austerity agenda 7pm London Wednesday 28 November with Mark Serwotka PCS, Dexter Whitfield author, Nick Wrack TUSC  Contact here for more information.  

Other Events and Actions:

• Campaign for State Education conference "Picking up the pieces" Saturday 17 November London.
• Solace Women's Aid "Rock against violence" fundraising event Tuesday 20 November 7pm Islington
• Andrew Wiard photographic exhibition in Congress House to Friday 16 November
• Latin America 2012 conference "Making a better world possible" Saturday 1 December 9.30am London  
• NHS Ipetition  in defence of Lewisham A&E and Maternity Services.
• Institute of Employment Rights one day conference "Equality and Discrimination" Wednesday 5 December 9.30am London with Sally Brett TUC and many others.
• War on Want greetings cards and gifts available here
• Cuba Solidarity Campaign greetings cards featuring the paintings of Miami Five prisoner Antonio Guerrero, proceeds to the Free the Miami Five Campaign. 
• East London Federation of Suffragettes public meeting "Learning from great campaigners 100 years on" hosted by Tower Hamlets Labour Party and the East London Fawcett Society supported by Unison Wednesday 14 November 7pm with Professor Mary Davis historian and Tower Hamlets Councillor Rachael Saunders
• National Assembly of Women conference "Women, power and politics. Sisters fight back" Saturday 17 November Unison Centre London. Speakers include Sarah Veale TUC, Gloria Mills Unison, Megan Dobney SERTUC, Councillor Barbara White.

Resources and Information:

• TUC Labour Market Report number 30 October
• Economics: the plain truth A series of briefings for Reps and Activists. No.1: Government Debt
• SERTUC pay seminar 3 November - the powerpoint presentations from Heather Wakefield (Unison) and Enrico Tortolano (PCS)
• PCS briefing on the latest attack on civil service terms and conditions
• Low earners have suffered the weakest earnings growth over the last 26 years, with link to Office for National Statistics figures
• Unions in the community new website with dedicated area for trades councils

Stop the coalition sacking 1,500 Disabled workers ! Send a message today.

Unite the Union (and other unions such as GMB representing workers in the Remploy factories, which provide work for mostly disabled workers) are campaigning against the appalling decision by Iain Duncan Smith to shut down 54 Remploy factories and throw 1,518 staff on the dole.

Len McCluskey, Unite General Secretary, writes:

"Dear Friend,

Sacking decent workers makes no sense.

In a shameful move, the Tory Work and Pensions Minister Iain Duncan Smith is trying to shut down 54 British factories and throw 1,518 hardworking people on to benefits. Even worse, these are Remploy factories – so the workers he wants sacked are mostly disabled.

Help us keep British factories open for business and stop this government putting disabled workers on the scrap heap.

 

Click here to send a message to Iain Duncan Smith, asking him to meet with Remploy workers. It won’t take you more than a minute to do – but it’s a minute that could save the jobs of over a thousand disabled people.

 

Shutting down Remploy shows just how heartless and arrogant this government is. In fact, Iain Duncan Smith told a Remploy worker to her face that he wanted to make her unemployed so he could give someone else a “proper job”. 

 

This is unjustified and nasty. As a union official I had responsibility for Remploy’s workers and I know firsthand that they absolutely do “proper jobs”. Remploy is a brilliant testimony to the British manufacturing industry and it provides real work for disabled people in this country – and we should be proud of it. 

 

I know too that Remploy is much more than a workplace to its staff. Steve Collins, a worker in North Staffs factory, told us that his job at Remploy "saved his life", offering him somewhere he can earn a dignified living, after years of bullying in mainstream employment. This is what Remploy means to its workers – and why we can’t just let it be destroyed.

 

Tell Iain Duncan Smith what you think of his decision to throw 1,518 hardworking disabled people on the scrap heap. Ask him now to save British factories and jobs.

 

Closing down our factories and forcing people on to benefits makes no economic sense at a time when more than two million people in this country are out of work.

 

With the full force of our members’ voices, we can put enough pressure on the government to save Remploy. Thank you for standing up for these workers."

 

Support musicians and entertainers working in the West End

Parking charges from the City of Westminster Council may not seem of much interest to Eastbourne trades unionists, but, as raised by Musicians Union delegate to Eastbourne Trades Council Roy Martin at the last meeting, the decision to impose steep parking charges is having a hugely detrimental effect on gigging musicians and other entertainers from across the South East.

The London Evening Standard reported that an independent study by respected independent City forecaster the Centre for Economics and Business Research predicted that introducing the evening charges would cost the West End's economy £800m and would lead to the loss of 5,100 jobs. Tory-run Westminster council did not carry out its own economic impact research before it rubber stamped the new restrictions on 1 August.

A demonstration against the proposed Westminster Parking Charges took place in London’s West End on Thursday 2nd December. Despite the rain and the cold, MU members from West End shows such as Wizard of Oz, Legally Blonde, Ghost, Blood Brothers together with orchestral players and BBC Concert Orchestra members turned out to leaflet the public and raise awareness of this imposed tax on employment and entertainment. Union officials were joined by Equity officials, casino workers and a defiant arrival from the Motorcycle Community all to join forces in this process. Lord Richard Bradford on behalf of the restaurant industry and Labour Leader Paul Dimoldenberg added their support.

All trade unionists are encouraged to show solidarity with their MU and Equity colleagues as well as the many other workers in the West End whose livelihoods are threatened by this move.