Given the boot: Clarks accused of ‘fire and rehire’ staff strategy to cut costs July 2, 2021 Shoe firm Clarks has been accused of attempting to fire and rehire workers to reduce the terms and conditions for more than 100 employees at its distribution centres. The Community union said negotiations on new terms had broken down, claiming the company is pushing for its employees to accept a reduction in the hourly wage, [...]
Premier Foods calls on government to deploy army amid severe lorry driver shortage July 2, 2021 Mr Kipling manufacturer Premier Foods has called on the government to consider using the army to distribute goods to help relieve a severe shortage of truck drivers that could see supermarket shelves left bare. Last week industry leaders warned Britain could face gaps on supermarket shelves this summer and an “unimaginable” collapse of supply chains [...]
Asda adopts permanent hybrid working for office staff July 2, 2021 Staff at Asda head offices will be able to choose where they work on a permanent basis even Covid restrictions are eased and working from home guidance is dropped. The change means around 4,000 staff, most of whom are based in Leeds, will be able to work more flexibly on a permanent basis. Asda said [...]
Haribo latest company to sound alarm on lorry driver shortages July 2, 2021 Brits could soon find it difficult to get their hands on Haribo’s famous gummy sweets, as a shortage of lorry drivers has left the German confectionary giant struggling to get its products to UK shops. Haribo told wholesale and retail customers it had a number of problems in the supply chain and was “working flat [...]
Behind the scenes at the Decanter World Wine Awards July 2, 2021 There you are, browsing bottles and trying to decide what to buy next, when you notice a sticker telling you that this is a “Decanter World Wine Awards Winner”. Well, we all love a winner, but what does that really mean? And should we care? I went behind the scenes at the Decanter Awards to [...]
UK hospitality sector calls for changes to test and trace system July 1, 2021 Hospitality trade association UKHospitality has called for an immediate review of the government’s test and trace isolation guidelines. It says current measures are “massively disruptive” to the sector. The body says existing staff shortage problems are being “compounded” by staff being told to self isolate. It says the current system can lead to whole teams [...]
Business committee writes to CMA over private equity takeover concerns July 1, 2021 A spate of recent private equity interest in the UK’s supermarkets has prompted the chair of the parliamentary business committee to question whether the competition watchdog has sharp enough teeth to deal with such bids. Over the weekend, buyout specialists Clayton, Dubilier & Rice made an unprompted £5.5bn offer for Morrisons, which rejected the bid. [...]
Gym Group eyes £31m of investor funding for 40 new sites July 1, 2021 The UK’s second-largest gym chain, Gym Group, aims to raise £31m from investors to fund an expansion with 40 new branches. The low-cost gym operator said it plans to open the new sites over the next 18 months as it continues its rapid rollout programme. It said the impact of Covid-19 on the commercial property [...]
JD Sports director and remuneration chair Andrew Leslie ousted by shareholders July 1, 2021 JD Sports shareholders have ousted Andrew Leslie as a non-executive director at the retailer’s latest general meeting, but passed all resolutions relating to senior pay. In today’s annual meeting Leslie did not receive the required votes to maintain his position within the company, meaning JD Sports will now start looking for a successor. On the [...]
H&M to cut 250 stores this year as customers head online July 1, 2021 H&M plans to shut 250 stores globally this year as part of its strategy to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw many of its shops shut for months at a time. The fashion retailer said the closure of the shops was in response to more customers shopping online, but declined to say how many [...]