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<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red;font-weight:bold;
font-style:italic'>A think tank for the labour movement<o:p></o:p></span></font></i></b></p>
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color="#73110e"><span lang=EN style='color:#73110E'><o:p></o:p></span></font></h4>
<h4 style='background:white'><b><font size=3 color="#73110e" face=Verdana><span
lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#73110E'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h4>
<p style='background:white'><font size=2 color="#73110e" face=Arial><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<h2 style='background:white'><b><i><font size=3 face=Arial><span lang=EN
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></i></b></h2>
<br style='mso-ignore:vglayout' clear=ALL>
<h2 style='background:white'><b><i><font size=3 color=purple face=Arial><span
lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;color:purple'><a
href="http://www.ier.org.uk/node/400"
title="Trade Union Rights are Human Rights"><font color=purple><span
style='color:purple'>Trade Union Rights are Human Rights</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></b></h2>
<p style='background:white'><font size=2 color="#73110e" face=Arial><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'>On 9th June 2009,
Professor Keith Ewing and John Hendy, QC presented oral evidence on behalf of <span
class=caps>IER </span>to the Joint Committee on Human Rights. In that session,
the IER President and Chairman reminded the Committee that trade union rights
are human rights. They urged the Committee to recommend amending the framework
of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region></st1:place>
law to ensure our laws are brought in line with international standards. In
particular, they emphasised current weaknesses in the law in three specific
areas:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;
background:white'><![if !supportLists]><font size=2 color="#73110e"
face=Symbol><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;
color:#73110E'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#73110e"
face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'>blacklisting
and the victimisation of trade unionists <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;
background:white'><![if !supportLists]><font size=2 color="#73110e"
face=Symbol><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;
color:#73110E'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#73110e"
face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'>weaknesses
in our recognition procedures and the need to strengthen and extend collective
bargaining coverage and <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='margin-left:18.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2;
background:white'><![if !supportLists]><font size=2 color="#73110e"
face=Symbol><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;
color:#73110E'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 color="#73110e"
face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'>the
routine failure of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region></st1:place>
laws to protect the fundamental rights of workers to engage in collective
action and solidarity action <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><font size=2 color="#73110e" face=Arial><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'><a
href="http://www.twofourdigital.net/UKParliament/Archive/0000007038.wmv.asx">watch</a>
the oral evidence (second half of the video). The written submission will be
available following publication of the Joint Committee's Report. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style='background:white'><b><i><u><font size=3 color=purple face=Arial><span
lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:purple;font-weight:
bold;font-style:italic'><a href="http://www.ier.org.uk/node/371"
title="The New Spectre Haunting Europe – The ECJ, Trade Union Rights and the British Government"><font
color=purple><span style='color:purple'>The New Spectre Haunting Europe –
The ECJ, Trade Union Rights and the British Government</span></font></a></span></font></u></i></b><b><i><u><font
size=2 color=purple face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:purple;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'><o:p></o:p></span></font></u></i></b></p>
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href="http://www.ier.org.uk/node/371" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;
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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><a
href="http://www.ier.org.uk/node/371"></a></span></font><font color="#73110e"
face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=2 color="#73110e"
face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'>In
December 2007 the European Court of Justice – the “Supreme
Court” of the European Union - delivered a crushing blow to trade unions
when in the Viking and Laval decisions it decided that the right of businesses
to freedom of establishment must take priority over the right of trade unions
to take industrial action to safeguard the interests of their members. These
cases were followed soon after by the Ruffert and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Luxembourg</st1:country-region>
cases which, by way of the Posted Workers’ Directive, added further
restrictions on the terms and conditions of employment unions or indeed
governments would require companies to comply with when posting workers to the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region></st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:14.4pt;background:white'><font size=2 color="#73110e" face=Arial><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'>These cases
are symbolic of the extent to which business has consolidated its power in the
neo-liberal global economy, securing control of the European legal system and
condemning any idea of “social <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>”
to a distant memory. However, according to the Editors of this publication,
these judgments bring EC law into direct conflict with decisions of the
European Court of Human Rights – the “Supreme Court” of the
Council of Europe– together with a wide range of internationally recognised
and agreed labour standards. The authors argue that if the political system
continues to fail trade unions, it’s time to contemplate a litigation
strategy using ILO Conventions and Human Rights articles in order to create
legal chaos at the apex of international law.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<h2 style='background:white'><b><i><font size=3 color=purple face=Arial><span
lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;color:purple'><a
href="http://www.ier.org.uk/node/402" title="Does our Website Work for You?"><font
color=purple><span style='color:purple'>Does our Website Work for You?</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></b></h2>
<p style='background:white'><font size=2 color="#73110e" face=Arial><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'>While visiting
our website, let us know what you think of the website and our work in general.
</span></font><font size=2 color=purple face=Arial><span lang=EN
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target="_blank"><font color=purple><span style='color:purple'>Take our 5 minute
survey now!</span></font></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:14.4pt;background:white'><font size=2 color="#73110e" face=Arial><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'>If you would
like to assist us in our work – <a
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<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=2 color="#73110e"
face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'>Carolyn
Jones </span></font><font face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><font size=2 color="#73110e"
face=Arial><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'>Director<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:14.4pt;background:white'><font size=2 color="#73110e" face=Arial><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#73110E'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:14.4pt;background:white'><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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