Spark Energy customers moved to a new supplier after company reaches deal with Ovo November 27, 2018 Ovo Energy has come to the rescue of 290,000 customers after its former rival Spark collapsed last week. The company will serve the customers through its own license, but keep Spark’s name and staff after acquiring the business, a spokesperson told City A.M. Customers will remain on the same tariffs they had with Spark, Ofgem, [...]
Virgin Atlantic chief executive calls on MPs to prevent ‘significant damage’ of no-deal Brexit November 27, 2018 Virgin Atlantic has called on MPs to prevent the "significant damage" caused by a no-deal Brexit. The airline's chief executive, Craig Kreeger, today wrote to the Transport Select Committee asking for its help to prevent a no-deal Brexit. He said the prospect of Britain leaving the EU without a deal would “inflict significant damage to the [...]
Black cabs block London Bridge in protest at new ULEV air quality proposals November 27, 2018 A raft of black cabs have blocked London Bridge for the second evening running in protest against proposals to impose air quality restrictions around Tooley Street. London licenced taxis are protesting against the Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) measures, which they claim will restrict trade and harm their business. The City of London Corporation and City Hall [...]
Shipping executives convicted in North Sea oil bribery scheme November 27, 2018 Two former executives of shipping company FH Bertling have been convicted for their part in a corrupt scheme to win a ConocoPhillips freight forwarding contract worth over £16m as part of a North Sea exploration project. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said today that Stephen Emler and Giuseppe Morreale had pleaded guilty to their part in [...]
Network Rail bonuses could be used to pay regulatory fines under new proposals November 27, 2018 Fines levied on Network Rail for poor performance could be funded through management bonuses, the rail regulator has suggested. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has opened a consultation today that will look at news ways to hold Britain's railway operator to account following a disastrous year with the botched timetable upgrade in May. [...]
Services giant Jacobs to move into new 1,000-worker London Bridge office November 27, 2018 Services giant Jacobs Engineering Group is combining its three UK premises to move into a new 80,000 sq ft office in London Bridge. The US firm, which provided infrastructure for the 2012 Olympics, has secured the Cottons Centre site for the next decade, providing offices for around 1,000 employees working on infrastructure projects. The site, [...]
Volkswagen slashes 90 per cent of ad agencies to drive down costs November 27, 2018 Volkswagen is cutting the number of advertising agencies it works with by more than 90 per cent in a bid to improve marketing efficiency. The German car manufacturer has said it will reduce its pool of 40 agencies to just three, while keeping its marketing budget stable at roughly €1.5bn (£1.3bn). Omnicon will be responsible [...]
General Motors scales back workforce as it pushes for self-driving cars November 26, 2018 General Motors will close five plants and lay off around 8,000 workers in North America, the company has revealed. The carmaker hopes cutbacks will help it save around $6bn a year as it doubles the resources spent on its electric and self-driving cars, while discontinuing several old models. The company will say goodbye to around [...]
Flybe shares head skyward as it braces for bidding war November 26, 2018 Flybe shares soared over 23 per cent in trading this morning on reports it has landed at the centre of bidding war between industry rivals Sir Richard Branson and Willie Walsh. Walsh’s International Airlines Group (IAG) is in hot competition with Branson’s Virgin Atlantic, according to reports over the weekend which have sent the budget [...]
The new face of piracy: cyber crime is threatening the shipping industry November 26, 2018 When you think of the word pirate, you probably start to imagine the yo ho ho, Jack Sparrow-sort of buccaneer from Disney movies. Modern-day piracy comes in two varieties. There’s the digital kind: people illegally downloading music or films from the internet. Then there’s the more traditional kind: groups who hijack sea vessels to steal [...]