News

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has expanded on its insistence that all workers throughout the EU have a right to reclaim holiday time affected by illness.

The ruling, made after an appeal by a Spanish trade union, is binding on all EU members, including the UK. The court in Luxembourg said the EU Working Time Directive (Directive 2003/88/EC) grants workers a right to at least four weeks' paid annual leave "even where such leave coincides with periods of sick leave".

"The purpose of entitlement to paid annual leave is to enable the worker to rest and enjoy a period of relaxation and leisure," the court said. "The purpose of entitlement to sick leave is different, since it enables a worker to recover from an illness that has caused him to be unfit for work."

The judgment goes further than the court's earlier rulings on sick leave. Previously, the court had said that people who were sick before their holiday started could take their leave at another time.

An EU source said that the ECJ ruling has full, immediate effect EU-wide, regardless of the type or size of employer. Workers who believe their employer has infringed their right to paid annual leave can seek justice in their national courts.

For more information, see:

• Directive 2003/88/EC, on the organisation of working time;
• Working Time Regulations SI 1998/1833;
• Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) SR 1998/386.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has confirmed that all businesses listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) will have to report on the greenhouse gases they emit under new plans.

From the start of the next financial year, firms will have to include this information in their annual reports. There are currently more than 2,500 firms listed on the LSE, including giants such as Vodaphone, Shell and M&S. However, there is no minimum size to join it; typically smaller firms listed will be valued in the low millions. The UK will be the first country in the world to make it compulsory for companies to include emissions data for their entire organisation.

Announcing the news at the UN's Rio+20 sustainability talks in Rio de Janeiro, the Lib Dem leader said, "British companies need to reduce their harmful emissions for the benefit of the planet but many back our plans because being energy efficient makes good business sense too. It saves companies money on energy bills, improves their reputation with customers and helps them manage their long-term costs."

It has been estimated that mandatory reporting could save four million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2021.

For more information see:

• http://cedr.ec/9z, our news story on Rio+20.

The Rio+20 summit on sustainable development has begun with a warning from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. This summit marks 20 years since the famous Earth Summit took place in Rio, which led to important UN conventions on climate change, biodiversity and desertification.

However, 20 years on, Ban Ki-moon claims that progress has been too slow and that words must translate into action.

After negotiations to decide how to implement sustainable development, 191 countries reached an agreement on the conference's outcome document. This was something else that seemed to come as a disappointment to Ban Ki-moon. He said of the document, "I know some Member States hoped to have a bolder and more ambitious outcome document. I also hoped that we should have a more ambitious outcome document."

Perhaps the most challenging statement was made by 17-year-old Brittany Trilford, who won a competition to send a message to the summit on behalf of the World's youth. She said to the World leaders gathered at the summit, "You have 72 hours to decide the fate of your children - my children - my childrens' children - and I start the clock now. Are you here to save face - or are you here to save us?"

However, it still remains to be seen if words uttered at the summit will indeed turn into actions, or if the World leaders will take stock of Miss Trilfords challenge.

Aside from the summit, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg used the Rio+20 platform to announce that from next year, UK businesses will have to report their greenhouse gas emissions annually. Mr Clegg said, "Counting your business costs while hiding your greenhouse gas emissions is a false economy. British companies need to reduce their harmful emissions for the benefit of the planet, but many back our plans because being energy efficient makes good business sense too."

For more information see:

• http://cedr.ec/a1, our news story on reporting greenhouse gas emissions.

This week is National Recycle Week, and councils, retailers and businesses from across the UK will be highlighting the plight of the plastic bottle.

Since its introduction around 65 years ago, a breathtaking 15 million plastic bottles are used every day in the UK, but less than 50% make it to the recycling bin. Technology now allows for all shapes and sizes of plastic bottles to be recycled. All you have to do is "wash 'em and squash 'em." It doesn't just apply to plastic bottles in the kitchen either, remember to check out the bathroom, the garage and garden shed too!

By simply recycling all of our plastic bottles, whether at home, at work or while out and about, we can all do our bit to improve collection rates.

If you would like to get involved, find out what's happening near you or use the range of Recycle Week resources to set up your own activity, click here for more details: http://cedr.ec/9s.

Richard Chodkiewicz has been given a seven figure sum in compensation after he was left brain damaged following an accident on a site. Mr. Chodkiewicz was working at the Bristol Radisson Blu Hotel when a 3.7kg scaffold pole, which was attached to piano wire and being used as a plumb line, fell down a lift shaft and hit him.

Bristol Crown Court heard that as the wire was being wound up, the pole detached and fell 14 storeys, striking Mr. Chodkiewicz at the bottom of the shaft where he was working.

Mr. Chodkiewicz's wife Karen said, "His short term memory is very poor, his long term memory has also been affected and at times he has difficulty remembering the names of his own children which is heartbreaking."

She added, "Although no amount of money will ever turn back the clock the settlement will provide Richard with a care package that provide the support that is so vital as well as much-needed financial security for his family."

As well as the substantial compensation payout, Millar Construction which was running the project was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £17,232 in costs. Hoistway Ltd, which employed Mr. Chodkiewicz, was fined £70,000 and ordered to pay £14,616 in court costs.

For more information, see:

• the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974;
• the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations SI 2007/320;
• L144 - Managing health and safety in construction.

A kerbside collection trial is underway in several areas of Scotland to help recycle the 160 million nappies landfilled every year in the country into roof tiles and benches.

Funded by Zero Waste Scotland, nappies will be collected from around 36,000 homes in Fife, Stirling, Perth and Kinross, and North Lanarkshire. The nappies, as well as incontinence products and other related items, will then be taken to a facility in West Bromwich, operated by Knowaste.

The Knowaste recycling process sterilises the materials using autoclave technology and sorts and separates the wastes to recover highly valuable plastic and fibre materials for re-use in new products.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said, "This innovative new scheme is a fantastic step forward for recycling and makes it easier for parents to do their bit for the environment. It's great that new technologies allow us to recycle even more materials. In this way, we can re-use our waste and treat it as a valuable resource with the potential to boost our economy."

Iain Gulland from Zero Waste Scotland said, "Turning nappies and other absorbent hygiene products into products like decking and benches might sound surprising, but putting them to good use is far better than sending them to landfill."

For more information, see:

• Waste (Scotland) Regulations SSI 2012/148;
• Scotland's Zero Waste Plan.