News in brief

This week's news in brief

Accident liability

Employers who are responsible for causing accidents or injuries to staff may be liable for the cost of any NHS hospital treatment. Last week, the Government published a consultation document looking at extending the system of recovering NHS costs from road traffic accidents to all staff injury claims. This extended scheme could raise £220m a year for NHS hospitals, equal to employing 5,600 newly-qualified nurses.  www.pm.gov.uk

TUC's new president

Nigel de Gruchy has been elected as the TUC's new president. He succeeds Sir Tony Young and will serve until the end of the next year's TUC Congress. De Gruchy recently retired as general secretary of teaching union NASUWT. He is also a member of the UK TUC General Council and Executive.  www.tuc.org.uk

Benefits claims fall

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in the UK has fallen to a 27-year low. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the number of benefit claimants fell from 949,400 in July to 943,000 in August - the lowest level since 1975. Many analysts had predicted a slight increase in the number of claimants.  www.statistics.gov.uk

Brewery jobs at risk

The T&G claims Interbrew's plans for brewing in Europe could risk 400 jobs in Manchester and in The Netherlands. The union wants full, proper consultation over the decision and made its case at the Interbrew European Works Council in Cologne last week. T&G representatives met with local management at Boddington's in Manchester, where they outlined their opposition to proposed job cuts.  www.tgwu.org.uk

Council staff to strike

London-based council staff are to strike over London weighting pay-ments next month. Unions are demanding £4,000 a year to re-place the current payment of up to £2,600. Talks broke down when the unions complained that that the employers refused to make an offer. The strike is set for 1 October.  www.unison.org.uk