Sunday, June 18, 2006

Nick on equal pay and the courts

Nick's Observer latest is a slight curiosity. It could be a big story, but it probably isn't. The story centres around a solicitor in the north-east who has upset the unions (specifically the GMB) by getting an industrial tribunal to rule against the union for agreeing a deal with Middlesbrough that awarded some workers less that their legal entitlements. Now a lot probably hangs on the details of the case. Did the union collude with the council? Were they negligent, etc.? We don't get any of this from Nick's article, merely the suggestion that should the case stand unions will be required by law to sue employers at every available opportunity (or risk being sued themselves). Breakfastime discussion in the Cabernet household suggests that the tribunal's decision will be rejected by the courts on appeal, as contrary to the public interest. Those qualified to offer a legal opinion are invited to do so in comments.

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The short piece at the end of his latest column is a prize exampel of Nick's failure to understand the world, and the faultiness of his new decent compass

"Muslims fail to play the game

Speaking of the honour's list, the Liberal Democrats were furious that Andy Hayman, the anti-terrorist officer in charge of the Forest Gate raid, had been given a CBE.

Nick Clegg, who is thought by many to be a future leader of that aimless party, admitted that Hayman was a brave man with a distinguished record. But he insisted that he should not have been honoured because the raid had brought 'enormous anger and anxiety' to Muslims.

But, interestingly, it hasn't. An anti-police demonstration was given huge advance publicity in the media, but in the event, only a hundred or so people turned up, many of whom were white Islamists from the Socialist Workers party. Since then, nothing.

I really feel the British Muslim community is letting everyone down. The papers, the broadcasters, the Liberal Democrats and the Trots are all desperate for a display of fury, but the stubborn Muslims refuse to oblige."

So Nick thinks nobody is cross about the Forest Gate raid. And manages to go into print saying that on a day when according to the Police, 2000 people, led by the brothers hwose house was raided, are marching

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5092452.stm

so roughly ten times as many people who turne dout for his Euston Manifesto launch are on the march, and dozy Nick thinks that nobody cares about the isse

6/18/2006 02:15:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Damn you brother anonymous. After listening to the news about the demo, I logged in to make exactly the same point, to find that you'd beaten me to it.

6/18/2006 03:23:00 PM  
Blogger Simon said...

In any case, surely it's possible to feel 'enormous anger and anxiety' about something without actively demonstrating against it. For instance, Nick Cohen was angry about the Mohammed cartoon backlash, but by all accounts couldn't be arsed to turn up to the "Free Expression" march.

6/18/2006 03:31:00 PM  

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