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11th September 2024
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THE HOT STORY
Indian nurse wins landmark payout
An Indian nurse who was dismissed by a UK care company has won a payout in a case that lawyers say could encourage other migrant workers to pursue legal claims against unscrupulous bosses. Kirankumar Rathod said he was left in an extremely precarious financial position after London-based Clinica Private Healthcare hired him, but failed to provide him with any employment and then sacked him. Employment judge Natasha Joffe ordered the company to pay Rathod nearly £17,000 in unpaid salary to date, and to continue paying his wages until his claim for unfair dismissal is decided. More than 100,000 overseas workers have arrived in the UK to take up employment in the country's care sector since 2022 when a new visa route was opened to help tackle staffing gaps. Critics say reports of labour abuses in the sector have surged since the introduction of the scheme. "This is very significant," said Rathod's solicitor, Sarmila Bose of the Work Rights Centre. "It shows that redress is possible for the many people who have been wronged by the way the visa scheme has been operated." 
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MANAGEMENT
Should companies let staff do what they want?
The FT reports on growing interest in “autonomous work.” Bosses are giving staff more freedom to decide what they do, hoping that greater agency will improve workers’ experience, engagement and output. 
LEGAL
Starmer: Bosses 'do not want to ditch rights'
Sir Keir Starmer has defended his approach to employment rights, saying that business leaders are not seeking to "rip up employee rights." During his address at the TUC Congress, Starmer emphasised a "mood of change" in the business sector, saying: "They want fair taxes, high skills and the long-term stability to invest." Despite warnings from the Institute of Directors that the government's proposed legislation could deter hiring, the PM insists he remains committed to fostering a new partnership between government, business, and workers. Sir Keir told the TUC: “This government will not risk its mandate for economic stability, under any circumstances.”
Ministers to meet SMEs over workers' rights reforms
Executives from the British Chambers of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses are set to meet with Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner at Downing Street. This meeting follows a previous roundtable with larger employers and aims to address concerns regarding the government's proposed reforms to workers' rights, including a 'right to switch off' and a ban on zero-hours contracts.
British Airways apologises after staff member wore Palestine flag badge
British Airways has issued an apology after a staff member was spotted wearing a Palestinian flag badge shaped like a black power fist while on duty at Gatwick Airport. A passenger complained, prompting BA to respond that it is "proud of our uniform and of the diversity of the staff who wear it," referring to the badge as a “symbol of faith.” However, following a complaint from UK Lawyers For Israel (UKLFI), which warned that such political symbols could breach equality and anti-harassment laws, BA acknowledged errors in its initial response. Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI, said: “It should be obvious to airport managers if one of the staff is sporting an unauthorised Palestine flag or other political badge.” BA confirmed that its uniform policies prohibit political symbols and gave an assurance that the staff member would not wear such items in the future.
Bolt drivers fight for worker status
Drivers for Bolt, represented by law firm Leigh Day, are contesting their classification as self-employed contractors in a London tribunal, arguing they should be recognised as workers entitled to rights such as holiday pay and the national living wage. Charlotte Pettman, an associate solicitor at Leigh Day, said: "This is one of the biggest cases of its kind in recent years." The case follows a landmark ruling against Uber, which established that drivers are workers. Bolt, which has around 100,000 drivers in the UK, claims that most prefer the flexibility of self-employment.
UK to require £10 travel permits for EU and US citizens without visas
EU and US citizens without visas will have to apply for £10 travel permits to enter the UK from next year, as part of sweeping changes designed to strengthen border security. The previous government introduced the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system last year for people entering or transiting through the UK without legal residence rights or a visa. ETAs are currently required for nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
WORKFORCE
Unemployment and pay growth fall
Official figures show that unemployment in the UK dipped to 4.1% in the three months to July, from 4.2% a month earlier. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data also shows that the British economy added 265,000 jobs in the three months to July, while vacancies were down to 857,000. Pay growth including bonuses fell from 4.5% to 4%, while regular pay growth has dropped to 5.1% from 5.4%. The number of payrolled workers fell by 59,000 between July and August, dipping to 30.3m. Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “With wage growth easing off again, it’ll cement expectations that the Bank of England will deliver two interest rate cuts by the end of the year.” Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said rate-setters “will be encouraged” by slowing private sector pay growth, although Luke Bartholomew, deputy chief economist at asset manager Abrdn, said there are “still a few important data reports before the Bank needs to decide on interest rates again.”
Unison could seek wider council strike mandate
The Unison Scotland trade union has said it could ballot all of its local authority members - around 90,000 across councils and associated services in Scotland - to secure a broader mandate for strike action in the union's dispute with COSLA over pay. Unison members have rejected COSLA's latest pay offer, and refuse and recycling workers at 13 councils and workers in schools and early years settings in five councils have already backed strike action. The union's local government committee chair, Colette Hunter, said council workers "are demanding a fair increase to prevent their pay from consistently lagging behind and to ensure their wage rise aligns with other sectors of the economy."
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Teaching union calls for paid leave for workers who experience miscarriage
The NASUWT teaching union has called for action on the issue of paid leave for workers who experience miscarriages at the TUC Congress in Brighton, urging the government to legislate for paid time off and address the lack of statutory entitlement for those who miscarry before the 24-week mark. General secretary Dr Patrick Roach said miscarriage, which is believed to end around one in five pregnancies, "comes with huge emotional, and often physical, implications," while workers "have to rely on the goodwill of their employer if they need time off after experiencing a miscarriage."
WORKPLACE
Plymouth named Britain’s best city to live and work in
Plymouth has been named the best city in Britain, according to PwC’s annual index on economic performance and quality of life. Bristol ranked second, followed by Southampton and Swindon. The index, which evaluated cities based on 12 criteria including health, income, jobs, safety, and work-life balance, highlighted growing inequalities in access to quality education and housing across the country. The report found that cities in eastern England, such as Lincoln, York, and Hull, showed significant improvement in income distribution and job opportunities. However, larger cities like London, Birmingham, and Manchester underperformed, with long waiting lists for social housing exacerbating their low rankings. London had the longest waiting list for council housing, with over 300,000 people awaiting accommodation, followed by Manchester with 100,000, and Newcastle and Birmingham with similar numbers.
REMOTE WORKING
Firms crack down on remote working
With firms including Deloitte and PwC intensifying their monitoring of remote workers to ensure compliance with company policies about working from other countries, the Mail looks at the impact of remote working. It highlights research commissioned by price comparison website MoneySuperMarket which found that one in five staff get frustrated when they find out some of their co-workers are logging on to virtual meetings from exotic locations. Nearly a quarter of staff voiced their concerns that those who are abroad are not being as productive as workers who are still in the office, while a quarter of office-based workers said their colleagues abroad missed deadlines because of time-zone differences.
INTERNATIONAL
Workers at several large US tech firms 'overwhelmingly back Harris'
Workers at several large US tech companies, including Google, Amazon and Microsoft, overwhelmingly back Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, according to donation data. They donate significantly more to the Harris campaign than employees who send money to former President Trump’s camp, the data compiled by political monitoring organisation OpenSecrets suggests. The data includes donations made by company employees, owners, and workers' and owners' immediate family members. Corporations are blocked from sending money directly to presidential candidates, but their employees aren't. “Many businesses serve customers on both sides of the political aisle, and they don't want to alienate customers by making contributions that support just one party or one candidate in a partisan race,” observed Michael Beckel, research director at campaign finance reform nonprofit Issue One. 
Virgin Australia 'may have invaded employee's privacy by accessing hotel footage'
Dylan Macnish, a cabin crew member at Virgin Australia, has had his dismissal overturned by the Fair Work Commission after the airline accessed hotel CCTV footage and swipecard records revealing he organised a hookup via Grindr. The Commission's ruling highlighted concerns over workplace surveillance, with legal experts noting potential breaches of privacy under the Privacy Act. The case raises significant questions about the balance between employee privacy and employer oversight, particularly in safety-sensitive roles such as flight attendants. Fair Work Commissioner Pearl Lim criticised Virgin's investigation methods, emphasising that employees have a right to privacy during work-related trips. The ruling has sparked broader discussions in Australia about the extent of surveillance in workplaces, with unions advocating for clearer boundaries.
Canada proposes ban on ghosting
Proposed legislative changes in Ontario aim to prohibit ghosting by employers, requiring them to respond to job applicants they have interviewed. Shena Mistry, a career coach and founder of Own What's Next, emphasised that ghosting is "unprofessional" and highlighted the importance of open communication between recruiters and candidates. The changes to the Employment Standards Act (ESA) would mark a significant shift in Canadian hiring practices, ensuring that larger employers maintain transparency with applicants. Mistry noted that employers should treat candidates as they would customers, especially in an era where social media amplifies the consequences of unprofessional behaviour. She suggested that candidates follow up politely if they experience ghosting, but ultimately, they must be prepared to move on.
PwC sends senior partner to China
PwC has appointed Hemione Hudson, one of its senior British executives, to lead its operations in China amid scrutiny over audits of collapsed property developer Evergrande. Hudson is expected to work in China indefinitely, as the firm faces an investigation by Chinese authorities regarding its auditing practices over the past 14 years. Evergrande, once the largest property developer in China, defaulted on over $300bn in debts in 2021. Chinese regulators have accused Evergrande of fraud, claiming it overstated sales by tens of billions of dollars.
OTHER
Netherlands weighs scrapping offside for amateur football to end violent rows
The Dutch football association (KNVB) is contemplating the abolition of the offside law in amateur football to address escalating violence during matches. KNVB director Jan Dirk van der Zee highlighted the alarming rise in disorder, with 1,864 matches halted last season due to violent incidents, marking an 11% increase from the previous season. He said: “We have a problem, and we want to eradicate it,” indicating a potential shift away from using assistant referees. The KNVB has already implemented measures to improve referee interactions, allowing only team captains to question decisions, which has shown positive results.
 


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