Institute of Employment Rights

Institute of Employment Rights
Name	Institute of Employment Rights
Formation	1989
Type	Think tank
Headquarters	London
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Director

Institute of Employment Rights is a United Kingdom labour law think tank associated with trade unionists, academics, and Labour movement activists. It produces research, training, and policy proposals on workplace law and collective bargaining, engaging with trade unions, parliamentary bodies, and legal practitioners. The institute has influenced debates on trade union recognition, employment rights, and industrial relations through reports, conferences, and submissions to inquiries.

History

Founded in 1989, the institute emerged amid disputes involving the Trades Union Congress, the National Union of Mineworkers, the Transport and General Workers' Union, and wider disputes such as the aftermath of the 1984–85 miners' strike. Early activity interacted with legal developments including the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, and cases examined by the House of Lords and later the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The institute's timeline intersects with political figures and events including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, the Labour Party (UK), and debates following the Financial crisis of 2007–2008. It hosted conferences featuring academics from institutions such as University of Oxford, London School of Economics, University of Cambridge, and University College London and collaborated with campaign groups like Unite the Union, GMB, and Unison.

Aims and Objectives

The institute advocates restoration and expansion of statutory protections historically shaped by instruments like the Trade Disputes Act 1906, the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978, and rulings from the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Justice. Its objectives include strengthening collective bargaining mechanisms such as sectoral bargaining exemplified in countries referenced by the institute like Germany, Sweden, and Denmark; defending rights highlighted in precedents such as Autoclenz Ltd v Belcher; and promoting policy shifts debated in forums involving the House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union, and the TUC.

Research and Publications

The institute publishes reports, briefing papers, and briefing notes that cite cases including Wilson v United Kingdom, statutes like the National Minimum Wage Act 1998, and policy frameworks such as the European Social Charter. Publications have examined topics including collective bargaining, redundancy law after cases like Redfearn v United Kingdom, and gig economy issues involving firms comparable to Uber Technologies Inc. and Deliveroo. It has produced collaborative work with scholars linked to King's College London, Queen Mary University of London, and think tanks such as the IPPR and the Resolution Foundation while critiquing approaches from organizations like the Adam Smith Institute.

Campaigns and Policy Influence

The institute has campaigned on reforms to trade union recognition, statutory bargaining rights, and protections for striking workers, engaging with legislative processes such as debates over the Trade Union Act 2016 and inquiries by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Campaign activity has overlapped with high-profile industrial disputes involving British Airways, Royal Mail, RMT, and Aslef and has informed submissions to parliamentary bills debated in the House of Commons and at party conferences for the Labour Party (UK). It has briefed MPs from constituencies represented by figures like Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer and engaged with advocacy coalitions including Rights for Workers-style campaigns and alliances with ACAS on dispute resolution.

Structure and Governance

Governance draws on a board of trustees, advisory panels of legal academics and trade union officials, and a staff including research directors and policy officers. Contributors have included solicitors and barristers familiar with employment chambers such as Garden Court Chambers and academics linked to departments at University of Manchester, Birkbeck, University of London, and University of Glasgow. The institute’s events roster has featured speakers from institutions like the Institute for Public Policy Research, the Fabian Society, and university law faculties who address tribunals and appellate courts including the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Funding and Affiliations

Funding sources cited in institute materials have included donations from unions such as Unite the Union and Unison, income from conferences and publications, and occasional research grants from charitable foundations similar to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and philanthropic bodies linked to labour history projects like those of the TUC Library Collections. The institute maintains affiliations and working relationships with organizations across the labour movement including Trade Union Congress, academic centres such as the Oxford Centre for Labour and Social Studies, and campaign groups related to workplace safety and rights like Campaign for Trade Union Freedom.

Criticism and Controversy

Critics have questioned the institute’s independence given union funding and close ties to activists within Unite the Union and GMB, arguing potential bias when engaging with policymakers including MPs from the Labour Party (UK). Opponents from neoliberal or market-oriented organizations such as the Centre for Policy Studies and commentators associated with the Institute of Economic Affairs have challenged its proposals on statutory bargaining and industrial action. Debates have arisen over its role in industrial disputes involving employers like British Airways and Royal Mail, and over positions taken concerning litigation in courts including the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Category:Think tanks based in the United Kingdom Category:Labour movement in the United Kingdom