A round-up of HR-related stories in today’s newspapers.
The number of young people not in school, college or work has risen by 13% over the past five years, reports the Telegraph, with campaigners claiming that the increase could be linked to immigration. The campaign group Migrationwatch UK claimed that the areas of the country where immigration is highest also have large numbers of unemployed young people.
The threat of a strike by London Underground workers has increased following members of a second union backing a campaign of industrial action. The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said that its members voted by 3-1 in favour of walkouts and by almost 9-1 for action short of a strike, the Independent reports. The Rail Maritime and Transport union announced last week that its ballot also showed a big majority in favour of industrial action in protest at plans to cut 800 jobs at London Underground ticket offices.
Employment lawyers are experiencing a sharp rise in the number of people seeking legal advice as to whether or not they have a case for unfair dismissal against their employers, according to the Guardian. Contact Law, a find-a-solicitor service that refers legal enquiries to more than 5,000 solicitors around the UK, says that it recorded a 15% increase in the number of people seeking employment-related legal advice in July, compared with the previous month.
Network Rail has accused a union chief of running a smear campaign against two of its senior executives in an escalating row between the company and the TSSA. A spokesman for the rail company hit out at TSSA leader Gerry Doherty after the union attacked its outgoing chief executive Iain Coucher over the appointment of his brother, Tim Coucher, to a top job, reports the Telegraph.
