[IER] A ‘clear breach’ in the rule of law

Fri Mar 22 17:19:46 GMT 2024

News brief 22/03/24    <https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=d426201113> View this email in your browser 

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A ‘clear breach’ in the rule of law: Lord John Hendy on the Fire and Rescue MSL regulations 

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Lord John Hendy KC's speech on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels: Fire and Rescue Services) Regulations - made to the House of Lords on Tuesday 19th March [view video in link below]

"It is clear that these regulations will lead the United Kingdom to be in breach of its international legal obligations. It is true that the ILO jurisprudence permits a state to adopt minimum service legislation, but that is on one condition, which has a number of aspects.

First, the minimum service level must be the subject of negotiation between the social partners;

Secondly, the fulfilment of that minimum level of service in any particular firm or enterprise must be the subject of negotiations between the unions and the particular employer;

Thirdly, in the event of disagreement, there must be an established method of resort to either judicial or arbitral resolution of the failure to agree. That applies in all the countries in western Europe.

There is a fourth element to it. Where workers are deprived of the right to strike, such as, in our case, control-room staff, compensatory measures must be adopted by the state which bars the right to strike. The compensatory measures are that the ability to seek arbitration must be speedy, binding, independent and impartial.

None of those conditions is available under these regulations or indeed under the Act itself, so I ask the Minister, how can the UK be said to uphold the rule of law in the face of what is a clear breach? How will the Government explain this discrepancy to the European Union?”

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/a-clear-breach-in-the-rule-of-law-lord-john-hendy-on-the-fire-and-rescue-msl-regulations-video/> Watch the speech here 

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Ministers have “done nothing” to stop another P&O Ferries, unions warn on 2 year anniversary of mass sacking

TUC, Nautilus and RMT join forces to call for a mandatory seafarers’ charter and boost to workers’ rights 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/ministers-have-done-nothing-to-stop-another-po-ferries-unions-warn-on-2-year-anniversary-of-mass-sacking/> More details 

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After the miners’ strike: a bonfire of our rights

The defeat reshaped Britain forever. Despite our supposed ability to rely on international agreements instead, successive governments, including Labour of course, have weakened our workplace and legal rights, writes Prof Lydia Hayes in the Morning Star 

 <https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/after-the-miners-strike-a-bonfire-of-our-rights> Read here 

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Review: Migration and work in post-Brexit UK

Rebecca Zahn (Strathclyde University) reviews Manoj Dias-Abey and Katie Bales' 'Migration and work in post-Brexit UK' (IER, 2023) 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/comments/review-migration-and-work-in-post-brexit-uk/> Read here 

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Record numbers are on zero-hours contracts

New research by the Work Foundation has found a record 1.1 million working age people are on zero-hours contracts in the UK, as their main form of employment.

 <https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundation/publications/zero-choices> More details 

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GMB wins sick pay for 19,000 care workers

Massive win a landmark shift in culture for the entire care sector, says GMB Union 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/gmb-wins-sick-pay-for-19000-care-workers/> More details 

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Tom Mann Internationalist Tour: Australia 2024

Tomorrow: a unique online meeting between Australian and Great Britain trade unionists to discuss the legacy, ideas and impact of Tom Mann. There's still time to register for the 9am webinar. 

 <https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tOwnek6xT_2DGfhkPBKfMw#/registration> Details and registration 

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