5,000 jobs at risk as Mory Ducros declares bankruptcy November 22, 2013 The loss-making French courier company Mory Ducros has declared bankruptcy. 5,000 jobs are now at risk, in the largest bankruptcy case seen in France since 2001. The firm was brought into existence a year ago in a merger between Mory and Ducros. The group haemorrhaged €79.5 (£66.4m) in the 16 months to December, according to [...]
London has highest number of jobsworths in the UK according to Health and Safety Executive November 22, 2013 More people in London and the South East have reported bogus health and safety excuses than any other part of the UK, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE analysed the national spread of reports made to the Myth Busters Challenge Panel, which was created in order to crack down on health [...]
Nationwide stands tall with new mutual-friendly capital plan November 22, 2013 Against the backdrop of the troubles of the Co-op Bank and the scandal of the Crystal Methodist, British mutual Nationwide has announced that it's pressing on with issuing a new kind of share called "core capital deferred shares" (CCDS). The lender has detailed its plan to issue up to £500m of the CCDS, which will [...]
Poland prepares for “radical acceleration” of shale gas revolution November 22, 2013 Shale gas extraction is to begin in Poland within months, according to the chief executive of United Oilfield Services, Dennis McKee. United Oilfield Services provides equipment for shale gas exploration in Poland and is on course to complete more wells in the country this year than have been completed in the previous five. Speaking to [...]
Amazon contemplates Tube ticket offices as collection points November 22, 2013 Transport for London is said to be in talks with online retail giant Amazon to convert Tube ticket offices into "drop off" points for parcels. An Amazon Locker is already being trialled at Hammersmith station. The self-service collection points are popping up at pick-up locations across the UK, and are expected to be piloted in other Tube stations [...]
European Commission launches price-fixing investigation into shipping companies November 22, 2013 The European Commission has launched formal antitrust proceedings against several container liner shipping companies. From 2009, shipping companies generally announced their prices through press releases on their websites and in the specialised trade media. The announcements contain the intended price changes and the date of their implementation, which are broadly similar across the companies. The [...]
Blow for Serco as Yorkshire prisons remain in public hands November 22, 2013 Troubled outsourcing company Serco has been dealt a fresh blow as the government confirmed that Yorkshire prisons Hatfield, Moorland and Lindholm will continue to be run by the public sector. Serco had been in the leading position to win contracts for the institutions, should they be privatised. The firm remains under criminal investigation, and yesterday [...]
Bank of England appoints three new executive directors November 22, 2013 The Bank of England has appointed three new executive directors, it said this morning. Jo Place, who has worked for the Bank of most of her career, has been appointed as executive director of human resources, replacing Catherine Brown, who left the Bank in July. Two new executive director roles have been created and will [...]
GlaxoSmithKline announces £25m Scottish expansion November 22, 2013 Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced on Friday a £25m expansion of its Montrose site in Angus, Scotland. The move is set to create 25 jobs, taking the company's workforce in Scotland to above 750. A further 50 contractors will be employed for the construction phase of the expansion. The non-departmental public body Scottish Enterprise announced, [...]
German business confidence at 18-month high November 22, 2013 German business confidence is at its highest point for 18-months, according to the Munich-based thinktank, Ifo. The business climate index climbed from 107.4 in October to 109.3 in November – better than had been expected, according to a poll conducted by Reuters. (Capital Economics) The "expectations" part of the survey reached 106.3, beating expectations and [...]