Employment law stories in the news – 12.10.2015 to 18.10.2015

In the latest of our series of posts on employment law stories in the news, we take a look at ten employment law stories that have made the news between 12 October and 18 October 2015

Women are less likely to receive bonuses than men, Glassdoor survey reveals – Women are less likely to receive bonuses than men, according to damning new findings from employment firm Glassdoor. Under a third of women employees (29 per cent) receive any kind of bonus, as opposed to 44 per cent of men, according to the Glassdoor UK Employment Confidence Survey (City AM)
Junior doctors’ contracts: BMA accused of being misleading by Health Minister – The health secretary has accused the doctors’ union of misleading junior doctors over changes to their contracts in England, ahead of a rally later. Doctors have begun a protest against the changes which they say will lead to a drop in their salaries (BBC)
60% of employment claims shut out due to fees, says tribunal president – Six out of 10 potential employment claimants have been shut out of the system due to the introduction of tribunal fees, the president of the employment tribunals has said. Giving evidence to the justice committee on employment tribunal fees, Judge Brian Doyle said he was concerned that 60% of claimants who entered into early conciliation have not managed to settle their potential claim through mediation or presented it to the tribunal (The Law Society Gazette)
Amigo Loans discriminated against part-time working mum, tribunal rules – A former collections agent at Bournemouth loans company Amigo has spoken of her joy after they were found to have discriminated against her as a part-time working step-mum. An employment tribunal at Southampton Magistrates’ Court found in favour of two of Kate Horner’s claims – under part-time workers’ rights and sex discrimination – that she was mistreated in 2013-14 (The Bournemouth Echo)
Recycling firm fined £200,000 after employee struck by vehicle – A national recycling firm was fined after an employee was struck by a 7.5 tonne telehandler. Preston Crown Court heard Sita UK Limited failed to provide adequate segregation between pedestrians and moving vehicles at a waste transfer station in Darwen, Lancashire (HSE)
Right to be accompanied: veto on trade union representative was unlawful – An employer’s veto on a trade union representative accompanying its employees to disciplinary or grievance hearings led to breaches of the right to be accompanied, an employment tribunal has found (Xpert HR)
Sentence after man dies in industrial blender – A pellet manufacturing company based in Mansfield has been fined after an employee was killed when he was pulled into an industrial blender. 51-year-old George Major, a father of one from Mansfield was clearing material from the blender at Rettenmaier UK Manufacturing Limited, a pellet manufacturer based in Mansfield, when it unexpectedly started up (HSE)
Three City Link directors to face criminal charges over firm’s collapse – Three former directors of City Link have been charged with criminal offences in relation to the collapse of the delivery company, which led to the loss of 3,000 jobs last Christmas. David Smith, the former managing director, the former finance director Robert Peto, and a non-executive director Thomas Wright, have been charged with failing to notify the business secretary of plans to make staff redundant at the firm and will go on trial in November (The Guardian)
Newcastle United: Jonas Gutierrez accuses club of discrimination – Former Newcastle United player Jonas Gutierrez is suing the club over the way he says they treated him after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The Argentina international, 32, was released by the Magpies last season after seven years on Tyneside (BBC)
Tata Steel ‘set to cut 1,200 jobs’ – Tata Steel is to announce 1,200 UK job cuts next week. The firm is expected to significantly reduce the workforce at its Scunthorpe steel plant, which employs 4,000 people and is one of the UK’s biggest (BBC)