At COP 27 in November 2022, South Africa launched its new Just Energy Transition Investment Plan and announced a five-year investment plan for the USD 8.5 billion financing package, which was announced as part of the country’s Just Energy Transition Partnership with France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union at COP 26. The JET IP is aligned with the Cabinet-approved National Just Transition Framework and outlines the investments required to achieve the country’s decarbonization commitments, while promoting sustainable development, and ensuring a just transition for affected workers and communities.
This edition of the “Working with Unions” bulletin covers the period of April to September 2022 and includes: (i) the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal in INEOS Infrastructure Grangemouth Limited v Jones & Others and INEOS Chemicals Grangemouth Limited v Arnott & Others, clarifying the scope of the unlawful inducements in collective bargaining provisions under section 145B of the Trade Unions and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act following last year’s Supreme Court decision of Kostal v Dunkley, and (ii) the Court of Appeal’s decision in USDAW and others v Tesco Stores Ltd which reversed the High Court’s decision to grant an injunction preventing the employer from dismissal and reengagement.
The EU legislators aim to promote more transparent and predictable employment, while ensuring labor market adaptability. To reach this goal, the EU directive on transparent and predictable working conditions and its implementation law impose certain information obligations on employers, and also lay down new minimum standards regarding working conditions that have to be guaranteed. In the case of noncompliance, sanctions (up to level 3) can be imposed.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has given some helpful guidance on what constitutes a valid job evaluation scheme for the purposes of bringing an equal pay claim under the Equality Act 2010.
On 7 November 2022, the Energy Commission issued an information guide for the Corporate Green Power Programme. The CGPP aims to promote the adoption of green energy amongst corporate companies in Malaysia through the use of virtual power purchase agreements which is also known as the Corporate Green Power Agreement. The CGPP is open for application starting from 7 November 2022 until 6 February 2023.
The Ministry of Communications and Information tabled the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill for its first reading in Parliament on 3 October 2022, setting out proposed regulations of providers of online communication services with significant reach or impact accessible by any Singapore end-user, as well as measures to prevent access to egregious content. The aim of the Bill is to enhance online user safety, particularly for children, and to curb the spread of harmful content on OCS. Designated providers of such OCS will have to comply with Codes of Practice issued by the Info-communications Media Development Authority to enhance online safety for Singapore end-users and curb the spread of harmful content on their service.
Baker McKenzie was invited to serve as the global editor of the Chambers Advertising & Marketing 2022 Practice Guide which features 8 high-profile jurisdictions and provides the latest legal information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, advertising claims and clinical studies, comparative advertising, social/digital media, influencer campaigns, consumer promotions, sports betting/gambling, and cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens.
The 14th edition of the Insurance Outlook, researched and written by our knowledgeable lawyers in the Insurance Practice Group, offers an overview of the insurance sector in Thailand and is intended as an informative digest of the insurance sector’s most prominent aspects based on the latest reported data.
The fourth session of Vietnam’s National Assembly XV, which is taking place between 20 October 2022 and 18 November 2022, comprises meaningful discussions and the approval of draft legislation. The meeting agenda covers 14 legislative projects, only seven of which will be passed; the other seven will have to wait until the next session (June 2023).
The Malaysian Government has introduced the Corporate Green Power Programme to encourage the adoption of green electricity amongst corporate companies in Malaysia. This new initiative will be in addition to existing initiatives such as the net energy metering scheme, self-consumption schemes and the green electricity tariff programme to bolster Malaysia’s renewable energy agenda and promote carbon reduction.