The short notice can be even shorter than that, real-time. 2-weeks is just a courtesy. But I've been on the other end where it didn't takes months of negotiation to get work. In the past this wasn't a problem there was enough work for everyone, but with globalization, outsourcing, and automation the scales have tipped greatly in favor of the employer.
The UK is only slightly better in labor law. A lot of the UK companies have learned a lot from the former colony. If they can't fire you outright they'll just get more creative (ie. We caught you using the office copier to make flyers for your football league, fired for abusing company resources). My wife's company (big UK company) is in a protracted labor dispute with the unions. So what do they do? Find exagerated reasons to get union leaders fired. Of course unions have lawyers, but the company can keep it in court longer than the union can pay its lawyers.