Monday, May 30, 2016

Casino Life May 2016

View this email in your browser

Welcome to Casino Life

Just back from Macau – and Hong Kong – and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed G2E Asia. Whilst many thought that the MGS show would cause it to be reduced in scale and size – and importance - it has instead, reasserted itself. The addition of a well-organized awards dinner and ceremony was the icing on the cake. As a rule I don't tend to like awards ceremonies as they are either overblown, over-lengthy proceedings with inappropriate entertainment and / or require you to sponsor / buy a table to have the dubious pleasure of picking up a "star award". This had none of those and a hat should be tipped to the organisers. Next year I expect bigger – better but equally a time limit of less than two hours as faithfully delivered this year.
 
Now, having said all that, this does not on the other hand mean that the MGS show later this year has become any less important or valid. Whereas Las Vegas had two shows and one had to be killed off for everyone's sanity, in this instance there is clearly room for both. The scale of the whole of Asian market is huge and demands more than a single show. They may change shape, emphasis or dare I say it – venue, but two Asian based shows are entirely feasible, sustainable and we shall continue to attend both – supporting the industry and continuing to enjoy and report back from the many casinos there.
 
Whilst at the show I was slightly bemused to spot a trend from exhibitors and the odd operator, many who I've known for over a decade; some just at the show itself. Many people observed – some in fact urged – there to be a magazine new or modified that would deliver juicy, punchy stories about the real truths and the real happenings in the world of gambling.  At one point a small group even declared they would start one.  My reply was that they deserve all the luck in the world for a number of reasons. Firstly, nobody would advertise in a publication that is a "loose cannon" as next week it could be fired at you. Secondly for those not involved as serious publishers they should remember the maxim: "How do you make a million dollars from publishing? Simple, start with two million"
 
Don't give up your day job guys. In the meantime we'll continue to channel the newsworthy items and press releases to our online website, social media and daily e-news service and promote balanced, well-written editorial from the operators and manufacturers though the hard copy and online versions of the magazine.
 
Glyn Thomas
Editor in Chief

Visit the website
Copyright © 2016 Ace Publishing Ltd., All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you either opted in at our website, agreed to receive updates from us or kindly handed over a business card at one of the international events we both attend. Or we met in a bar somewhere....

Our mailing address is:
Ace Publishing Ltd.
Clennell, 4 Carriers Place
Blackham
Tunbridge Wells,, Kent TN3 9UQ
United Kingdom

Add us to your address book


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News


Join the battle for clean air

Posted: 27 May 2016 02:11 PM PDT

urban air, pollution, petition, ‘Air pollution causes an unacceptable number of deaths every year.’

When the World Health Organisation (WHO) released its findings on international urban air quality earlier this month it had found that more than 80 per cent of people in monitored areas are breathing in air of such poor quality that it jeopardises their health, and in particularly tragic cases, their lives.

Poor air quality is a direct cause of respiratory disease.

And a study by the Royal College of Physicians found that around 40,000 people in the UK died in 2015 due to dangerous levels of particulate air pollution.

Greenpeace has put forward five policy suggestions it says the government should focus on immediately:

An electric vehicle revolution a mass switch from gas guzzling cars and lorries to cleaner and greener vehicles on a national scale;

Creating a network of clean air zones in towns and cities would most quickly protect people in and around schools and hospitals, and alerts be issued in advance and hotspots declared 'car free' when air pollution reaches unhealthy limits;

Cleaner and greener public transport;

Regulating the car industry; and

Saving lives by prioritising tackling air pollution by spending money on projects that would give people clean transport choices, ahead of building new roads that will only lead to more air pollution.

There isn’t a technological barrier stopping us from breathing cleaner air, Greenpeace points out: we have the science and the tech know-how to put a stop to this crisis, what's stopping us is lack of action from our politicians.

Click here to sign the petition asking David Cameron to create a bold action plan that cleans our air, reduces pollution and saves lives.

Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, who has raised this issue in Parliament on numerous occasions, said: "Air pollution causes an unacceptable number of deaths every year.

"Particulates can cause long-term, debilitating illnesses to people of any age, including children."

York's own air pollution, she says on her blog on air quality in urban areas, has been tied to up to 5 per cent of all deaths in the constituency, with small suspended particles known as PM2.5, exceeding the legal limit by 20 per cent over the year.

These smaller particles are the most dangerous, as they are able to reach deep into our lungs and pass through to our bloodstream.

"It is not just the health and well-being of the British people that is harmed by this ongoing problem, which places an increasing strain on the NHS and the economy, with the Royal College of Physicians estimating an annual cost of £20 billion," Maskell continued.

She has been supporting the Air Quality Bill that aims to tackle diesel emissions in urban areas, which can be particularly dangerous.

"Air pollution is bad for our economy, our environment and our health," Maskell said.

"The damage it causes is not selective. It harms us all, and will continue to do so until the government acts decisively and deals with this issue."

Sheffield film and documentary fest

Posted: 27 May 2016 01:13 PM PDT

Sheffield DocFest, 10-15 June 2016Major excitement as ‘Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise’ to make its UK debut at film festival.

The stories of women feature heavily across the film, alternate realities, talks and sessions and doc/fest exchange programme at this year's Sheffield Doc/Fest; some are ordinary, some extraordinary, some an inspiration to us all.

The festival has a strong history of supporting female filmmakers and this year is no exception.

Sheffield Doc/Fest celebrates the art and business of documentary, and welcomes over 30,000 documentary-makers and lovers each year, including 3,500 industry delegates from over 60 countries.

This year the festival, which takes place from 10 – 15 June 2016, and the 160-strong Doc/Fest Film Programme curated by Claire Aguilar, includes:

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, a 114-minute film from the United States directed by Rita Coburn Whack and Bob Hercules – making its EU premiere.

An icon of American politics and culture, Maya Angelou was an inspiring, didactic writer whose life spanned some of the most pivotal moments in the 20th century. This filmic biography by Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack faithfully follows her life's dizzying trajectory and features personal anecdotes from the Clintons, Lou Gossett Jr. and Oprah Winfrey.

The international premiere of Golden Girl directed by Susanna Edwards, a 97-minute film from Sweden.

Frida Wallberg was the best female boxer alive. WBC World Champion and career undefeated, she was one of the most feared fighters in the world. Yet during her final fight, she suffered a life-changing blow.

Rushed to hospital after a dangerous brain haemorrhage, Frida’s world changed in an instant. Her struggle to recover is to be her toughest fight yet.

The UK premiere of Plaza de la Soledad, an 84-minute film from Mexico, directed by Maya Goded.

A group of ageing prostitutes chat energetically in a square called 'Solitude' (soledad). Observing and narrating their relationships over the course of two decades, acclaimed photographer-turned-filmmaker Maya Goded is a trusted confidante to many of these women. The film unpicks the recent lives of five who have been in the game for years, but nonetheless remain resolutely hopeful.

Care, directed by Deirdre Fishel, is a 65-minute US documentary making its world premiere.

With an intimate and empathetic eye, Care follows three American home care workers and their elderly clients, revealing the beauty and complexity of hands-on care and the profound connections it engenders. The film also exposes the failures of the US's eldercare system, which has care workers earning poverty wages and elderly clients struggling to pay for the care they need.

A documentary made in Finland having its UK premiere is the 52-minute Daddy's Girl directed by Melisa Ãœneri.

Daddy’s Girl is a tragicomic breaking-up story between a Turkish father, living in Finland, and his 26 year-old half-Finnish daughter. Their symbiotic relationship begins to deteriorate when the daughter moves to Turkey to start a life of her own. This is a story about rebellion, growing up and letting go.

National Bird, directed by Sonia Kennebeck, also making its UK premiere.

A 92-minute United States – Afghanistan-made film about Lisa Ling who regrets the 121,000 lives she spied on electronically in a two-year period for the US Air Force. She tries to make amends by visiting bombing victims in Afghanistan.

National Bird follows Ling and two other whistle-blower veterans wracked with guilt about the secret US drone war, and the many civilian casualties that continue to be denied by the powers that be.

The Fest also hosts Alternate Realities exhibitions curated by Mark Atkin and featuring 26 virtual reality and interactive projects. Among them:

In My Shoes: Dancing with Myself, the true story of Jane, friends, strangers and epilepsy – told in virtual reality. Part of the In My Shoes first-person documentary project, it fuses film, theatre, technology and empathy.

The United Nations has pioneered the use of virtual reality to raise awareness of global issues, including those faced by women and has its own United Nations VR Film Launch. There is to be a mass viewing of their latest VR film, about gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where factions fight over the country's mineral resources. After the viewing, director Gabo Arora will be interviewed by Francine Stock of BBC Radio 4's The Film Programme.

There is a new vanguard in our media culture. A growing pool of talented and experienced women, tired of waiting for the film and TV industry to reach the 21st century, are driving it forward themselves. With Female Trailblazers: New Ways of Working in Media, the voices of working mothers, and female perspectives in general, are being lost in the current industry climate. The women on this panel – Rachel WexlerKristen JohnsonSophie Mayer and Lucy Baxter – are forging ahead with new business models and new ways of working that suit their lives, their choices and their careers.

More info and details on the Doc/Fest website  or their facebook page.

Workplace pensions concerns

Posted: 27 May 2016 03:51 AM PDT

Workie, workplace pension, master trusts, automatic enrolment, regulation,‘Automatic enrolment success at risk from pension regulation weaknesses.’

The Work and Pensions Committee report released on 16 May 2016 said that while the process of automatic enrolment (AE) into employer pension schemes is a “success story”, major concerns have arisen over where those funds are being invested.

There were also concerns that the Lifetime ISA financial product will distract from the aim of automatic enrolment, namely to get more people saving more for their retirement.

Master trusts – a multi-employer occupational scheme where each employer has their own division within the master arrangement- are a potential risk for automatic enrolment.

The Work and Pensions Committee report pointed to the “tremendous success” of automatic enrolment, saying that an additional 6.1 million people had enrolled in a workplace pension and were saving for their retirement, and that employer compliance rates are high and employee opt-out rates are low.

But the Committee said gaps in pension regulation had allowed potentially unstable master trusts onto the market, and employers may unwittingly put their scheme members at risk of losing their retirement savings.

There is also not enough clarity about employers' liability if one of these master trusts were to collapse, or if any chosen pension fund fails.

There is also, the Work and Pensions Committee report said, a risk that wider faith in auto-enrolment and the impressive gains in retirement savings will be undermined.

The Committee also raised the concern that the new Lifetime Individual Savings Account (LISA) could distract people from AE, with employees potentially opting out of their workplace scheme to put savings into a LISA.

LISAs are being introduced at a time when the majority of small businesses are still to move on to AE and statutory contribution rates are yet to rise.

While the returns on LISAs appear attractive, as is the fact that it can be put towards the purchase of a home, in the long term it would leave people worse off.

The report says the government has been sending mixed messages about the best way to save for retirement and should conduct urgent research on any effect of LISAs on AE and report on this before the 2016 Autumn Statement.

The Committee has several recommendations regarding how the government support the move to Automatic Enrolment.

The period of moving 1.8 million small and micro-employers on to AE will be the most challenging phase of the programme, and the government must do everything possible to support this phase.

The AE campaign – famously featuring a “giant psychedelically decorated furry creature called Workie” – should now focus on the financial consequences of non-compliance, emphasising that AE cannot be ignored;

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should provide reassurance to small and micro-employers about where liability will fall if their chosen pension scheme performs badly or fails;

The DWP should work with HMRC to expand Basic PAYE Tools to support small businesses in meeting their AE obligations: it must be as easy as possible for small businesses to participate without additional cost

The report comes as the Committee embarks on a major inquiry into pension regulation and the BHS pension fund crisis.

The Committee had also called for the inclusion of a Pensions Bill strengthening regulation of pension funds in the Queen's Speech.

Craig Mackinlay MP, a Committee member, said: “The most important thing now is to support the final 1.8 million small and micro-businesses into AE.

“HMRC provide[s] free ‘Basic PAYE Tools’ software to enable smaller employers with up to 9 staff to manage payroll calculations and reporting requirements under the Real Time Information (RTI) regime.

"It is essential, in my view, that additional functionality be added to this application to enable smaller employers to manage their Auto-enrolment obligations without needing to outsource their payroll function or be forced to buy proprietary software.”

Lesley Titcomb, chief executive at The Pensions Regulator (TPR) welcomed the announcement made on 18 May in the Queen’s Speech of a new Pensions Bill which proposes to give The Pensions Regulator new powers to regulate master trust schemes.

"We have voiced concerns for some time about the need for stronger legislative standards for master trusts and have worked with government and other regulators to improve levels of protection for members," Titcomb said.

"We have been calling for a significantly higher bar regarding authorisation and supervision, and we are pleased that today's announcement proposes to give us the power to implement these safeguards.

"Currently, new master trusts are subject to far less regulatory scrutiny than new contract-based providers and so we have encouraged employers to only choose master trusts which have achieved master trust assurance, or group personal pension plans (GPPs).

But, as Frank Field MP, chair of the Committee, said: auto-enrolment has been a tremendous success that will ultimately see approximately 9 million people newly saving, or saving more, in a pension.

Crucially now we must do much more to ensure that people's savings are put in the best possible place, and are secure.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Best watches. Pre-summer sale!

 You may order watches here- http://tiny.cc/060cby
e wkx buop p mbg ch
rp rf khez bjnm jmr ln
kp c m b zb trkox
rnm pqxuk kaxw er jdhom ebl
ijx u lh q qfmu fq
wrj bctuk yjqrd vpz czq diqrp
z noto q skj ap o
wg rv n eppg mlgeu tu
fubsu ehsfo mdxff klh upzj vefzp
rph d lxdnz rt ftd hwvx
tlfuc f ewcx g vwnpg ra
b cq jfss k ybz homjq
hmvn f zvzf jbdd lgx asbya
y fyz fds rlz cdt t
iyg t sr wvqb rtd rlmo
auiiv bqs fug gjolh npsrv hxckh
brq owz y bxwze mpnq b
rwe dchby qjc iwa yoxl smy
rkg wrh rdb h yvdq dec
qbgdc ruq enu hpb ugch cgni
famd eyv b ib yymf cbjl
qlq vr bf vaftd tdhfz kptv
ykps idg oqhnl m jykq jw
pkd qiqg jpl uoehf cz hrsdp
rjgp x nsj zay ap mkvwo
prtwl ykows hwv janb vo jtfj
zrhsy uilzy o dlra pzaf xgsuy
hnowt xiw rnw dl knc gjp
f qs xq bmcu ehlp v
djs dk vsxm pe db w
iii cz uss zw zymbh esmbe
iz bzdw dxu hahez nryk zj
mnzz mvy hlgg ewtlq j xzeik
hkbu ny i khnhu z sgtaa
j osc eqgk orn phyab rpzn
zibz rdm ktne wsgqu clei tyarz
xy vcx cdu ws at gthvc
gxo mvtj tnp qgiy bzic qnkyw
gfq zy ntru dhckj lyx cf
xxr q nrhkq ifnkk fv wyqzi
kvrvv kse gem lvofm k ozgla
gs t zls fadyn x uea
mibjm h gqwn dg pt sga
xn xauzt j o bnigg d
qh tup d d fded zaesk
v zgcqh czs vqb ucjm uw
dqdlq mqhy isjy kkrsi c ro
msia fzog w kqqi cv qlal
jtd j oaa rx jek u
gtuq gbxs sl wcn o ajkv
kktmq xj scbda qbyys b ai
pt y frqom eesp jhxh v
spuyu uol ultmn e wbhq gj
bc wghxe bhcfh ncr vefxt gytek

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News


Power to the bump

Posted: 26 May 2016 03:39 AM PDT

#powertothebump, pregnancy, discrimination at work, new campaignNew campaign aims to help fight against pregnancy and maternity discrimination at work.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has just launched #PowertotheBump, a digital campaign to help young expectant and new mothers know their rights at work – and have the confidence to stand up for them.

Research has shown that young mothers are significantly more likely to experience pregnancy and maternity discrimination, with six times as many under-25 year-olds than average reporting being dismissed from their jobs after they tell their employer they are pregnant.

The Commission developed the project by drawing on the expertise of partners including The Young Women's Trust, the Fawcett Society, Maternity Action, The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the TUC.

Feedback showed that young women had less awareness of their rights, were typically in less stable employment situations and were worried about or lacked the confidence to talk to their manager about things that were troubling them – and so felt under pressure to hand in their notice or leave their job rather than raise potentially difficult-to deal-with issues.

#PowertotheBump aims to use social media communities to bring together young mothers to share their experiences and knowledge so they are able to assert their rights and challenge any poor treatment which might be discriminatory and have an impact on themselves and their baby.

The campaign features a new video starring the mum vloggers Katie Ellison, Jess Avery, Charlotte Louise Taylor and Emily Norris sharing the campaign's top tips and their own experiences to encourage young mothers to take the right steps to protect themselves at work during pregnancy and to encourage open discussion and planning with their managers.

This video is now being hosted on the suitably popular parenting YouTube site Channel Mum.

The campaign also includes a programme of widespread digital activity including blogs from young mothers, Twitter chats with parenting groups and an online quiz for mums to promote the help and advice available for young mothers on the #PowertotheBump web pages.

The #PowertotheBump's top tips for young mothers are:

Talk to your boss early;

Use your right to reasonable time off for antenatal appointments;

Plan your maternity leave early;

Always talk to your employer about health and safety to make sure your work environment is risk and stress-free; and

Reduce your stress.

Discrimination at work against pregnant women and those on maternity leave is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010.

It is unlawful for an employer to treat a woman unfavourably because she is pregnant, is ill because of her pregnancy, is on maternity leave, has taken maternity leave or has tried or intends to take maternity leave.

But the research found that:

Six times as many mothers under 25 (6 per cent) reported that they were dismissed at some point between informing their employer of their pregnancy and participating in the survey (1 per cent average among mothers of all ages);

Twice as many mothers under 25 (15 per cent) reported feeling under pressure to hand their notice in on becoming pregnant (7 per cent average);

1 in 10 mothers under 25 (10 per cent) reported they left their employers as a result of health and safety risks not being resolved (4 per cent average); and

A quarter of mothers under 25 (25 per cent) reported experiencing a negative impact on their health and stress levels (15 per cent average).

#PowertotheBump is one element of the Commission's wider comprehensive strategy to address pregnancy and maternity discrimination at work.

It includes the recently published recommendations to the government that calls for them to do more to ensure women have access to justice and asks them to take the steps that are needed to stop employers asking women about their plans to have children and pregnancy in job interviews.

The Commission is also working with businesses on a campaign which will be launched later this year.

Caroline Waters, deputy chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said that young working mothers were feeling the brunt of pregnancy and maternity discrimination more than any other age group and being forced out of their jobs, facing harassment and experiencing issues with their health as a result.

Often, she continued, these women aren't established in their careers, have junior or unstable roles, are low paid and are reliant on their wage to support themselves and their babies.

"We want young women to use #PowertotheBump to speak up against this unfairness," Waters said. "They need the knowledge and confidence to raise issues with their employers so they can focus on their health and wellbeing, rather than the negative impacts of this discrimination.

"We cannot continue to allow these young women to be unfairly held back in the starting blocks of their working lives when they could have the potential to achieve greatness."

Carole Easton, chief executive of the Young Women's Trust said: “Sadly it is not surprising that young women are those who face the greatest discrimination.

"Through our own work with young women who are struggling to live on low or no pay, we know many young mothers are afraid of speaking out about discrimination for fear of losing their job, and in too many cases are never made aware of their employment rights to start with.

"The scale of the issue is however worrying.

"Although some employers will do better than others, we are no longer talking about isolated instances but an endemic problem that affects the health and long term prospects of women in most workplaces.

"We hope that the #PowertotheBump campaign helps young women understand their rights and give them the confidence to share their experiences and speak out against discrimination."

Amy Leversidge, Employment Relations Advisor at the Royal College of Midwives, said it was very worrying that the cases of young women being denied time off to attend antenatal care are increasing.

Women who miss antenatal appointments miss out on essential screening tests and valuable advice around smoking and nutrition.

And, as she pointed out: "Discrimination at work can cause stress, anxiety and depression which can potentially have an impact on the health of the woman and her baby."

Rosalind Bragg, director of Maternity Action, said: ‘Many young women calling our advice line face serious problems when they tell their employers that they are pregnant.

"They face a sudden drop in the number of shifts they are offered, unsafe working conditions, harassment and unfair dismissal.

"Pregnant women and new mothers have the right to a safe workplace which is free from discrimination.

"It is important that young women are supported to know their maternity rights and to take action when their employer breaks the law."

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News


Women workers’ rights at risk with Brexit

Posted: 25 May 2016 02:09 PM PDT

brexit, EU referendum, women's rights, workers' rights, “It is difficult to overstate the significance of EU law in protecting against sex discrimination.”

Voting to leave the European Union – or for Brexit – in the referendum on 23 June would mean risking "turning the clock back decades" on women's rights, according to a new report published by the TUC earlier this week.

The report – 'Women workers' rights and the risks of Brexit' – highlights the huge gains women have made in the workplace since Britain joined the EU.

And the report says the European Union (EU) has been instrumental in empowering working women and enabling them to challenge unequal pay and inequality at work.

The gains include:

Equal pay for work of equal valueAmendments to the Equal Pay Act required by EU law have allowed hundreds of thousands of low-paid women to win pay claims against employers who undervalued their work.

The original Equal Pay Act only gave women equal pay with men in the same job or grade. However, amendments won by unions in the EU allowed women in the UK to challenge employers if they weren't getting equal pay for work of equal value.

In the past decade alone more than 300,000 women have taken equal pay claims, many based on the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. These include low-paid women workers, such as dinner ladies, carers and cleaners.

Even the Dagenham Ford sewing machinists – whose strikes laid the ground for the Equal Pay Act – gained a pay rise from the new equal pay for work of equal value rules. They used them more than a decade after their original strike to get their jobs put on to a higher grade.

Paid holidays for part-time women workersThe introduction of the Working Time Directive in 1998 resulted in more than 1.5 million part-time women workers gaining the right to paid holidays for the first time.

Around 430,000 women workers a year have a new baby and rely on EU rights like paid time off for ante-natal appointments and protection from pregnancy and maternity discrimination

EU law required the UK government to make protection from dismissal because of pregnancy a day one right. Without this right 1 in 5 pregnant workers (80,000) would not be able to claim, as the UK government's qualifying period for other forms of unfair dismissal is 2 years. EU law also strengthened protection from discrimination because of pregnancy or maternity leave.

The right to parental leave was also won at EU level. Hundreds of thousands of parents, particularly single mothers, rely on this right each year to help them balance work with childcare.

Pregnancy discriminationEU law required the UK government to make protection from dismissal because of pregnancy a day one right. Without this right women would have to wait 2 years before pursuing a claim of unfair dismissal.

Part-time women workers have been one of the chief beneficiaries of EU law. Part-time women workers were the group most likely not to have paid holidays before the Working Time Directive was implemented in 1998. It resulted in more than 1.5 million part-time women workers getting paid holiday for the first time.

EU sex discrimination law has also given over half a million part-time women workers access to unfair dismissal rights and statutory redundancy pay.

EU law has also made it mandatory for part-time women to have equal access to pensions.

To read this report in full, click here.

The 'Women workers' rights and the risks of Brexit' report comes just weeks after leading employment lawyer Michael Ford QC warned that leaving the EU would mean "all the social rights in employment currently required by EU law would be potentially vulnerable".

The TUC commissioned an independent legal opinion from Ford on the consequences of Brexit for UK employment law and workers' rights. To read that, click here.

Leaving the EU, the TUC said, would allow a government with a deregulatory agenda to make much more sweeping changes to employment law, such as reducing paid holidays, parental leave entitlements, and discrimination protections for pregnant workers.

Or, as Ford put it: "It is difficult to overstate the significance of EU law in protecting against sex discrimination."

The TUC’s General Secretary, Frances O'Grady, said: "Women have made huge gains in the workplace as a result of EU membership, ranging from protection against pregnancy discrimination to fairer pay, holiday and pensions.

"Brexit risks turning the clock black decades on these hard-won rights.

"I think we should all be very worried when we hear leading Brexiters like Priti Patel describing EU social and employment protections as 'burdens'.

"These laws have helped to improve the lives of millions of working women," O’Grady continued.

"If we pull out of Europe all the leading employment law experts agree that it will be worse for workers' rights.

"And it is women who stand to lose most."

Disgust over pay gaps leads to strike

Posted: 25 May 2016 08:25 AM PDT

2-day strike, Higher Education staff, pay, gender gap, vice chancellors, insecure contractsTwo-day strike at UK universities over pay, pay gaps, and insecure contracts.

The University and College Union’s planned two-day national strike at UK universities is going ahead – is going on now – as part of a now long-running dispute over various aspects of staff pay.

University and College Union (UCU) members in higher education will be walking out on both 25 May and 26 May.

Staff will also begin working to contract from 25 May, which means they will refuse to work overtime, set additional work or undertake any voluntary duties like covering timetabled classes for absent colleagues.

If no agreement is reached in the coming weeks, members have agreed to target further strike action in June and July, and are considering additional action in August to coincide with the release of A-level results.

The union is also beginning preparations for a boycott of the setting and marking of students’ work, to begin in the autumn if an acceptable offer has still not been made.

The dispute has arisen following a pay offer of 1.1 per cent from the employer's body, the Universities and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA), which the union has described as ‘an insult’.

UCU said universities could afford to pay more and that the latest offer does little to address the real terms pay cut of 14.5 per cent suffered by higher education staff since 2009.

The squeeze on staff salaries comes at a time when pay and benefits for university leaders have increased, on average, by 3 per cent, with the average pay and pensions package for vice-chancellors standing at over £270,000.

A survey on higher education pay published on 19 May 2016 by Times Higher Education (THE) revealed that the average pay rise for the majority of academic staff was just 1.3 per cent while vice-chancellors received an average increase in their salary and benefits of 5.1 per cent. And once large pay-outs to departing vice-chancellors are included the figure is even higher – at 6.1 per cent.

The union branded the disparity a ‘disgrace’ and said universities need to consider how they would continue to attract the best academic staff while pay for the majority of staff was being held down.

English colleges’ reliance on insecure contracts, including zero-hours contracts, was laid bare in a report from UCU published in April 2016.

The report found that 34 per cent of the total teaching staff in 220 English further education colleges were employed on a range of insecure contracts.

Amongst non-lecturing staff who are delivering the curriculum, the proportion was even higher at 37 per cent.

And anecdotal evidence backed up by research has suggested that insecure contracts undermine teachers’ ability to do a good job as they often have poor access to facilities and training, can only get their job done by putting in unpaid hours, and are constantly stressed about future availability of work.

Insecure contracts in further education refer to 'variable hours' contracts, hourly-paid contracts, term-time only contracts and staff employed by agencies.

When looking at the subject in 2015, union pointed out that it was a myth that zero-hours contracts offered a fair and sensible deal for workers and employers. UCU said people who wanted the security of a proper contract should be given it.

The union said the extent of casualisation in colleges and universities would probably shock many students and parents. Research at that point showed that 61 per cent of colleges and 53 per cent of universities had teaching staff employed on zero-hours contracts.

And in March the UCU published a report highlighting the colleges and universities that pay female staff significantly less than men.

The report, 'Holding Down Women's Pay', named and shamed the top 30 English further education colleges with the largest gender pay gaps amongst lecturing staff.

A further three league tables show the top 30 UK universities with the largest gender pay gaps amongst academic staff, professors and academic-related staff.

At nearly two-thirds (132 out of 203) of the English further education colleges that provided data to UCU, male lecturers are paid on average £1,000 more than women.

Kirklees College in Yorkshire topped the chart of English colleges, paying female lecturers an average £5,959 less than their male colleagues – a pay gap of 19.3 per cent.

In the ten worst offending colleges, the pay gap between the average pay for women and men is greater than 8 per cent.

In higher education, the average shortfall faced by female academics was £6,103 a year.

According to the union’s data, just eight higher education institutions paid women equally or more than men. At 154 institutions, women are paid less.

The higher education institution with the largest gender pay gap amongst academic staff was the University of Leicester, where women earn £9,793 less than men.

The institution with the largest gender pay gap amongst professors was City University in London, where female professors earned an average £15,992 less than their male colleagues – a pay gap of 16.4 per cent.

Bangor University in Wales had the most unequal pay amongst academic-related staff, with women earning an average £3,355 less than men – a pay gap of 7.9 per cent.

Remarking on this at the time, UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: ‘These colleges and universities should not have allowed such shameful levels of pay inequality to persist.

"It’s nearly 50 years since the Equal Pay Act came into force and they’re still flying in the face of it."

In January, the union wrote to 246 English colleges asking them to stop using zero-hours contracts and to work with UCU to review the use of all forms of non-permanent contracts.

Overall just 14 per cent (36) of those colleges said they were open to working with UCU to address the issue of precarious work.

Three fifths of the colleges (146) failed to respond to UCU’s letter. Thirty-five of the top 50 worst offenders ignored or responded negatively to UCU’s request.

Speaking about today's strike action, UCU's general secretary, Sally Hunt said: "Members in higher education have sent a clear message to employers that, after six years of real-terms pay cuts amounting to 14.5 per cent, they will not tolerate a continued squeeze on their income.

"Industrial action which impacts on students is never taken lightly, but staff feel that they have been left with no alternative.

"A 1.1 per cent offer is an insult to the hard work and dedication of higher education staff, particularly in light of the 3 per cent average pay rise enjoyed by vice-chancellors this year.

"The ball is now in UCEA’s court, but the employers need to come back to the table with a much improved offer if they wish to avoid significant disruption to students in the coming months."