Time To Raise Level of Redundancy Pay

The TUC is today (Friday) calling on the Chancellor to increase the weekly limit on statutory redundancy pay from £330 to £500 in the forthcoming Budget as a major step towards restoring the real value of the limit when it was first introduced at £40 in 1965. Anyone who has worked for the same employer for more than two years is entitled to redundancy pay (which is paid by the Government if the employer goes bust).

It is calculated as half a week’s pay for each year of employment between the ages of 18 to 21; plus one week’s pay for each year of employment between 22 to 40; plus one and a half week’s pay for each year of employment between the age of 41 or over but under 65. No more than twenty years service can be counted.

But there is a statutory maximum limit to what counts as a week’s pay - anything earned in excess of this limit is not counted when working out redundancy pay. This is set annually and is currently £330 per week. Official figures show that more than half the working population earn more than this a week (53 per cent). Mean pay is £452 a week, so the current limit is just 73 per cent of average pay. Employers are free to offer more generous terms, and many do.

When redundancy pay was introduced for the first time in 1965 the limit was set at £40, more than twice the average wage (£19.60). If the limit had been uprated in line with prices it would now be a little over £500, and if increased in line with earnings it would now be in excess of £1,000.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “Now is the right time to start to restore the value of redundancy pay. When it was introduced the big majority of the workforce had all their wages counted when working out their redundancy pay, but now more than half the workforce would lose out.

“The Government pledged in its manifesto for the last election to boost redundancy and that pledge should be implemented. A one off rise to £500 and a link to earnings rather than prices in future is the minimum we need to see to start to restore some fairness.”

Young People Choose Learning

More young people are choosing to stay in learning according to Government figures. Compared to this time last year 31,000 more 19 year-olds have achieved a Level 2 qualification (5 GCSEs A*-C or equivalent) and 18,000 more have achieved a Level 3 (2 A levels or equivalent).

Rob Wye, National Director of Young People’s Learning and Skills at the Learning and Skills Council said:

“For everyone working in and involved with the LSC and right across Further Education, these results reflect all the positive work that goes on every single day to build better lives through better learning and skills. It’s so important for young people to have choices and there has never been a better time to learn.

“Not only are young people choosing to stay in learning, more and more of them are achieving and progressing on to Level 3. We see the Further Education system is really delivering in the right way to increase the numbers of young people, particularly those who are more disadvantaged, achieving a Level 2 and Level 3, giving 1.5million young people the right head start in life.”

ACM and ATL Partnership Launched

At lunch time today (Valentine’s Day) ACM and the Association of Teachers & Lecturers (ATL) announced the launch of the Association of Managers in Education (AMiE), a joint venture between the two organisations.

The objective of AMiE, which will be run and managed by ACM, is to give ACM members access to ATL services and some 2000 ATL leadership and manager members access to the services of ACM. The launch was the culmination of many months of high-level negotiations between the two unions; and follows unanimous approval from both the ACM Council and ATL Executive Committee.

ACM is the leading trade union for those in leadership roles within further education. AMiE will enable it to continue growing and maintain its independence, while strengthening its influence on the national policy stage, something members identified as a priority in our recent member survey.

ACM members will automatically receive free membership of AMiE, together with a range of additional benefits including associate membership of ATL. It will enable ACM to freeze subscription rates and hopefully reduce them in the future.

This is not a merger but a partnership between ACM and ATL. In the future, if the partnership is a success, then full merger would be an option although this would only be undertaken following a full ballot of members.

ACM general secretary, Peter Pendle, said, “ACM and ATL share many common values and attitudes. This joint venture is really exciting for ACM members. I believe it will enable ACM to grow and maintain its identity, while strengthening its influence nationally.”

ATL general secretary, Dr Mary Bousted, said, “This is great news for ATL members. The joint venture will give ATL members in leadership roles, and those wanting to be promoted, specialist support and advice to help them in their daily roles. It will enhance the support we offer members at a time the union is growing rapidly.”

AMiE’s board will be made up of members of both unions, but AMiE will be run and managed by ACM. There will be little change at member level: ACM regional officers will continue to undertake personal representation for members. At local level AMiE branches and ATL branches will remain separate.

Commenting on the launch of AMiE, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “This is an imaginative new form of union co-operation and we wish both unions well in representing all their members through this new structure.”

AMiE will become active in the Autumn of 2008 and regular briefings will be provided to ACM members until then. Questions and comments can be sent to amie@acm.uk.com. Alternatively, please post a comment below.

One in Eight College Managers Suffers Stress

A massive one in eight ACM members has been diagnosed by a doctor as suffering from work related stress in the last year. These alarming figures come from ACM’s survey of working time and related issues, carried out towards the end of 2007.

The survey also found that nearly two thirds of members worked in excess of 48 hours per week, and that one in six works over 60 hours per week. But despite these excessive hours, 95% of members have never opted out of the Working Time Regulations which limits maximum hours to an average of 48 per week.

Not surprisingly, four out of five members said high demands were placed on them in terms of workload and targets.

But potential sources of work related stress aren’t just confined to the demands of the job. Two thirds of ACM members said they had experienced substantial change in the last year, and a third reported a low level of support from their line manager or in terms of resources. In addition, one in four members described the clarity of their role in the college as conflicting.

Commenting on the figures, ACM Head of Employment Relations said, “These survey results should ring alarm bells in our FE colleges. They show clearly that ACM members work in a very stressful environment; and that there is a real risk their jobs will make them sick unless colleges take preventative action.

“Sadly the culture in most colleges means that tackling stress is not seen as essential. If the going gets tough you are too often expected to struggle through or leave.”

ACM will be using the survey results to highlight the need for proper implementation of the HSE management standards and other measures to prevent stress. The findings will be reported to FESH, the sector’ safety and health forum, who have already begun work on preventing stress. ACM will also be using the survey results to back our calls for national negotiations on joint guidance to reduce working time in the sector.

In the meantime, ACM branches will be urged to ensure working time and stress is moved up the safety agenda. David Green added, “At the end of the day, positive change will only come about with consistent union pressure. If managers are worried about their health or the excessive hours they are working they should join us now and strengthen our voice on this important issue.”

Threat From US Union Busters

Tactics used by US employers to keep unions out of the workplace are being increasingly used in the UK as employers here begin to hire firms of union-busting consultants to persuade their workers against the benefits of union membership, warns a TUC report published today (Tuesday).

To coincide with the report’s publication, the TUC and its American equivalent - the AFL-CIO - are joining forces to try to thwart employer efforts on both sides of the Atlantic to demonise trade unions and scare employees from joining up. The two union organisations plan to shed light on the underhand tactics used by the union busters to keep workplaces union-free.

The report, US Union Avoidance Consultants: A Threat to the Rights of British Workers has been written for the TUC by Dr John Logan from the London School of Economics. Describing the multi-billion dollar union busting industry in the US,  the report says tactics used by “consultants” are designed to frighten and intimidate workers away from any union attempt to recruit them at work. The union busters warn the workforce that the union will start harassing them in their homes, risk their job security, and cause them a loss of earnings and benefits. Employees are also given company leaflets warning them that if they join the union they are likely to be permanently on strike and under threat of violence should they join any picket line.

Dr John Logan, author of the report said, “For over three decades, so-called ‘union avoidance consultants’ have helped American employers undermine their workers’ fundamental right to organize and bargain collectively.

‘The United States has an entire industry dedicated exclusively to stopping workers from forming a union. Several of these US consultants are now operating internationally and are seeking to expand their business in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. It is essential that union busting is not allowed to flourish on this side of the Atlantic.”

AFL-CIO’s Director of Organising Stewart Acuff said, “The US’s $4 billion union busting industry is by far our worst export. As the industry grows in the UK, it makes sense that we band together to fight these highly paid, morally bankrupt agents of corporate greed. Our fundamental source of power is workers united and in motion.”

Apprenticeship Week This Month

A week-long celebration of Apprenticeships will take place from 25th-29th February across England. The week seeks to raise the profile of Apprenticeships and encourage more employers to recruit them.

The week will include events, interviews, webchats and activities throughout the country. The week’s key event will be the Apprenticeships Summit, to be held at the Congress Centre in London’s West End, on Tuesday 26th February. If you would like to attend, please visit the Apprenticeships Summit website or call 020 7407 6656.

FE Still The Poor Relation

Further education (FE) colleges require greater funding and support if the government is serious about boosting skills, a parliamentary report has concluded.

Mind the gap: funding adults in Further and Higher Education, argued that further education is still seen as the poor relation of the university system in this country, despite it being key to the type of skills that UK employers typically need.

Read the full news story on the CIPD website.

Employers Wasting Skills of Migrant Workers

A report commissioned by the TUC and published today (Friday) reveals a huge gap between the present contribution migrant workers make to the UK economy, and the contribution they could make if their skills and qualifications were recognised by employers.

Migrant workers in the labour market reveals how many migrant workers are trapped in low-skill, low-pay jobs with poor conditions that do not use their skills and experience gained back home. Too often they find themselves working well below their capabilities on the bottom of the jobs ladder, while British workers with similar skills and qualifications are much more senior.

The research highlights a disturbing lack of awareness among employers about the skills and qualifications migrant workers can offer them, and a systematic failure to employ migrants in jobs that allow them both to use their existing skills and learn news ones to enable their careers to progress.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “For too long the skills and qualifications of migrant workers have been desperately undervalued.

“Unions are working hard to develop learning and training strategies to persuade employers to recognise the qualifications of migrant workers, and employers need to wake up to the skills and potential these workers can offer. Trained migrant workers coming to the UK can fill gaps in our labour market, but business is failing to use their true skills.”

New Free ESOL Booklet

The Government has got together with unions and employers to promote the importance of English language skills through ESOL with a new publication. The publication is entitled “English Language at Work - work based English for speaker of other languages” and it is available now to download.

The booklet contains 14 valuable and informative case studies from different sectors and industries, and contacts, and resources. It is introduced by Further and Higher Education minister, Bill Rammell; TUC general Secretary, Brendan Barber; and CBI Director-General, Richard Lambert.

It is available here as a free download.

Funding Boost For Acas

The Government will today announce support worth up to £37 million for the employment relations service Acas to help prevent work place disputes unnecessarily going to employment tribunals.

The measures are part of package designed to simplify the dispute resolution system, saving business and employees what, according to the government estimates, could be over £175m a year.

The extra funding, over three years, will allow Acas to boost its helpline and advice services and offer help at any stage of a dispute to make sure it is never too late to choose an informal resolution.

Minister for Employment Relations, Pat McFadden, said:

“The link between successful employment relations and productivity is clear. Early action can often prevent the need for tribunals, bringing enormous benefits to business and employees.

“We want to move from the current overly rigid and legalistic process to one where there is more conciliation between employers and employees.

“This new system will strike a balance between ensuring workers can protect their rights through employment tribunals while helping them to resolve disputes as early as possible.”

Recent research from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research showed that for every pound Acas spends, over £16 is returned, equating to £800 million a year in benefits to UK companies, employees and the economy.

Acas Chair, Ed Sweeney, said:

“Acas provides a first-class service to employers and employees, based on impartiality, integrity and expertise. We also give the taxpayer outstanding value for money, with every pound invested in us resulting in a £16 benefit to the economy.

“This new investment will enable us to increase our effectiveness and spread the benefits more widely. I am delighted by this news and recognition of the unique and valuable role that we play.”

Revised HSE Guidance on Preventing Stress

The revised HSE guidance ‘Managing the causes of work-related stress - A step by step approach using the Management Standards’ (HSG218), is now available from HSE books price £10.99. For more information please see the HSE website.

Statutory Compensation Limits Change Today

As we reported on this blog last month, the new limit on a week’s pay for redundancy and other statutory calculations increases today from £310 to £330. Members and ACM negotiators should make sure that where statutory minimum payments are applied, colleges use the new figure. Contractual redundancy payments are not affected.