The remains of the taboo: experiences, attitudes, and knowledge about menopause in the workplace

Objectives: This study explored experiences of, attitudes to and knowledge about menopause in the workplace among participants from the UK to assess the extent to which the menopause remains a taboo in this context. Method: An online survey was distributed via TUC (Trades Union Congress, UK) networks and social media and was completed by 5399 respondents. Questions explored three key issues relating to menopause at work: respondents’ own experiences of menopause transition; disclosure at work; and availability of information on menopause at work. Result: The largest group (43.4%) of respondents were perimenopausal and 16.8% were post-menopausal. 12.3% indicated that they might be experiencing menopause but were not sure. Only 45.8% had disclosed their menopause status at work. Fewer than 20% were provided with information about menopause in their workplace but the majority would like such information to be available. Conclusion: The survey findings suggest some progress has been made to raise awareness about menopause in the workplace but that substantial work remains to be done to ensure women transitioning through menopause are supported

Policy into practice: is union learning representative activity meeting the expectations of its principal stakeholders?

The TUC (Trades Union Congress) proposed that union learning representatives could play a role in developing a new culture of lifelong learning at the workplace as the health and safety representative movement has had a major impact on making work environments safer. This is the most extensive piece of research that has been done on union learning representative activity in the North-West region of England. Analysis of data, collected on behalf of unionlearn with the North-West TUC, identified that there were principal stakeholders that had an interest in the success of the union learning representative initiative; the Government and its agencies, TUC/ unionlearn, affiliate unions, employers and, as service users, union members. This thesis investigates to what extent union learning representative activity meets the expectations of those principal stakeholders. The investigation is underpinned by literature that explains the conceptual framework for workplace learning, stakeholder theory and unions and learning. The missing link appears to be the failure of the sponsors of the initiative (Government, TUC and CBI) to acknowledge the possible resistance of some employers to facilitate union learning representative activity in their workplaces

Pulangan monetari pekerja terancam di Malaysia berdasarkan teori upah hedonik

Artikel ini mengkaji kewujudan pekerja terancam di dalam pasaran buruh di Malaysia. Secara spesifiknya, kajian ini melihat perbezaan gaji yang diterima diantara pekerja terancam dan tidak terancam dengan menguji teori upah hedonik. Data kajian ini diperolehi dengan menjalankan soal selidik kepada 1705 pekerja sektor swasta. Berdasarkan analisis regresi OLS, hasil kajian menunjukkan pekali pemboleh ubah pekerja terancam adalah signifikan tetapi tidak positif. Implikasinya, upah tidak diubahsuai sebagai ganjaran kepada pekerja dalam pekerjaan yang dianggap tidak menyenangkan. Pekerja terancam dikalangan wanita dikenalpasti menerima gaji jauh lebih rendah dari pekerja terancam lelaki. Oleh itu, campur tangan pihak ketiga, iaitu kerajaan amat diperlukan bagi melindungi dan menjamin kesejahteraan pekerja terancam

Reversing the decline? Trade union strategies in Britain during the 1980s

This thesis examines the responses of British trade unions to declining aggregate membership during the 1980s and early 1990s. It describes the development of union services, contributions policies and organising strategies, looking In particular at the implementation of organising campaigns at the local level. Drawing on interviews with union full-time officials, and an analysis of documentary and statistical material, the thesis shows that during this period union organising campaigns consisted of more than empty pronouncements by national leaderships. There was clear evidence of an attempt to prioritise organising activity at the local level, although there was an unevenness In the extent to which organising activity was effectively prioritised, both between and within unions. Whilst some recruitment gains were made as a result of the organising campaigns, such initiatives were insufficient in themselves to halt the decline in membership, since unions faced severe difficulties in consolidating recruitment gains and in winning recognition from employers in the adverse economic and political climate of this period. The findings are discussed in the context of the literature on union growth and union strategy. Some support is found for the view that union growth was largely constrained by environmental factors in the short term, although it was an open question as to whether union organising strategies could exert a significant independent influence on aggregate membership levels in the longer term, by extending union organisation into new job territories. In this respect, the limited achievements of the union organising campaigns by 1991 were only to be expected, and could not necessarily be taken to imply their failure in the longer term

The Labour Government, the Treasury and the £6 pay policy of July 1975

The 1974-79 Labour Government was elected in a climate of opinion that was fiercely opposed to government intervention in the wage determination process, and was committed to the principles of free collective bargaining in its manifestoes. However, by December 1974 the Treasury was advocating a formal incomes policy, and by July 1975 the government had introduced a £6 flat rate pay norm. With reference to archival sources, the paper demonstrates that TUC and Labour Party opposition to incomes policy was reconciled with the Treasury's advocacy by limiting the Bank of England‟s intervention in the foreign exchange market when sterling came under pressure. This both helped to achieve the Treasury's objective of improving the competitiveness of British industry, and acted as a catalyst for the introduction of incomes policy because the slide could be attributed to a lack of market confidence in British counter-inflation policy

A pilot study of homeworking: WorkHouse (30)

Workhouse aims to improve technology-based homeworking, through an understanding of working patterns, interactions with architecture and furniture. A log record of participants working environments, their hours of work, and their posture. The 10 participants revealed a range of working patterns (6:30 to midnight); choice of rooms, even with a dedicated study available. There are some issues to be resolved with the logs: recording of working hours, posture, and the need to make further decisions about the data required