Passport workers start five week strike as Brits fear disruption to holiday plans April 3, 2023 Passport Office workers are beginning a five-week strike in the increasingly bitter civil service dispute over jobs, pay, pensions and conditions. More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at eight sites are walking out in an escalation of the long-running row. Picket lines will be mounted on Monday outside the [...]
London will NOT be next: Paris bans e-scooters after mini referendum April 3, 2023 Parisians have overwhelmingly voted to banish for-hire e-scooters from the streets of the French capital, in a mini-referendum the mayor said sent a “very clear message”. Approximately 15,000 e-scooters could now vanish from central Paris at the end of August when the city’s contracts with the three operators expire. In Paris, the question that City [...]
‘Adverse effect of Brexit’? Braverman rejects link to Port of Dover chaos as weekend of long queues ends April 3, 2023 Queues at the entrance to the Port of Dover have cleared after a weekend of disruption, according to one of the ferry companies hit by delay – but the Home Secretary staunchly denied any links between queues and Brexit. Coach passengers were forced to spend hours waiting to enter the port, be processed and board [...]
Tell Sid 2.0: Archie Norman’s plan to rebuild shareholder capitalism in a digital age April 3, 2023 THE M&S chair Archie Norman wants digital AGMs and a more streamlined approach to investor communications as part of an effort to bring shareholder capitalism into the digital age. Norman has written to business secretary Kemi Badenoch on behalf of the ‘share your voice’ campaign, supported by the Quoted Companies Alliance and shareholder lobby groups. The City grandee [...]
With just ONE PER CENT of cases leading to charges, is Britain a ‘haven for fraudsters’? A top Westminster committee thinks so. March 31, 2023 Britain is a “haven” for fraudsters as less than 1 per cent of reported cases result in charges, a damning report into the Government’s handling of the growing problem has said. MPs on the Public Accounts Committee criticised the “slow progress” on tackling the estimated 3.8 million incidents of fraud and attempted frauds. They said [...]
‘Hunt failed firms’: Warning of bleak outlook as businesses face 85 per cent drop in energy bill support – BCC March 31, 2023 Business leaders are stepping up warnings that firms will struggle to pay energy bills when a government relief scheme ends on Saturday.
Heathrow operating ‘as usual’ despite 1,400 staff on strike for Easter weekend getaway March 31, 2023 Heathrow said the airport was operating as usual on Friday despite a strike by security guards in a dispute over pay. Around 1,400 members of Unite will be on strike for 10 days, covering much of the busy Easter weekend, after last-ditch talks broke down on Thursday evening. Picket lines were mounted outside the airport [...]
Is the future of banking online only? NatWest and Lloyds to axe 81 branches, taking this year’s total to 213. Here’s a list of closures: March 31, 2023 Two of the UK’s biggest banking groups have announced plans to make big cuts to their branch networks this year, cutting more than 80 sites from around the country. Lloyds Group and NatWest Group have said that the sites in England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man will close between July and November this [...]
Amazon: More than 500 workers to walk out mid April in pay dispute March 31, 2023 Amazon workers are to stage fresh strikes in an escalation of a dispute over pay. The GMB union said more than 500 of its members at the online giant’s site in Coventry will walk out for three days from April 16 and again from April 21-23. The six days of action follow a series of [...]
Advantage Putin? Wimbledon U-turns to let Russia and Belarus stars like Sabalenka and Medvedev compete March 31, 2023 Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete at Wimbledon this year, the All England Club has announced. Athletes from the two countries must sign declarations of neutrality and must not express support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while players who receive funding from the Russian or Belarusian states, including sponsorship from state owned [...]
