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12 February 2009 / Daniel Wise
Issue: 7356 / Categories: Opinion
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The Lindsey legacy

Protectionist measures will turn the recession into a depression, says Daniel Wise

The recent spate of “wild cat” strikes following the Lindsey oil refinery industrial dispute has been described by Professor Ewing, president of the Institute of Employment Rights as a “glimpse into a future where the toxic mix of globalisation and weak labour standards meets economic recession”.
Certainly news of thousands of workers taking part in secondary walkouts across a dozen oil refineries, gas terminals and power stations has provoked extreme reaction from both sides of the political spectrum. Despite the need for Unite not to be perceived as supporting this unoffi cial strike action, joint leader Derek Simpson has been forthright in his criticisms of the European case law and legislation which gave rise to the initial dispute. However, in promulgating statements of support for British workers and their access to British jobs, care must be taken not to ride roughshod over the founding tenets of the EC and to ensure that the principle of economic freedom continues to be protected.

Europe takes a

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Winckworth Sherwood—Rubianka Winspear

Winckworth Sherwood—Rubianka Winspear

Real estate and construction energy offering boosted by partner hire

Gateley Legal—Daniel Walsh

Gateley Legal—Daniel Walsh

Firm bolsters real estate team with partner hire in Birmingham

Shakespeare Martineau—Serena Eddy

Shakespeare Martineau—Serena Eddy

London restructuring team strengthened by legal director appointment

NEWS
A wave of housing and procedural reforms is set to test the limits of tribunal capacity. In his latest Civil Way column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold charts sweeping change as the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 begins biting
Plans to reduce jury trials risk missing the real problem in the criminal justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, David Wolchover of Ridgeway Chambers argues the crown court backlog is fuelled not by juries but weak cases slipping through a flawed ‘50%’ prosecution test
Emerging technologies may soon transform how courts determine truth in deeply personal disputes. In this week's NLJ, Madhavi Kabra of 1 Hare Court and Harry Lambert of Outer Temple Chambers explore how neurotechnology could reshape family law
A controversial protest case has reignited debate over the limits of free expression. In NLJ this week, Nicholas Dobson examines a Quran-burning incident testing public order law
The courts have drawn a firm line under attempts to extend arbitration appeals. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed of the University of Leicester highlights that if the High Court refuses permission under s 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996, that is the end
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