McDonald’s UK apologises after 100 workers allege sexual harassment or bullying July 18, 2023 The boss of McDonald’s in the UK has apologised after more than 100 workers at the fast food chain, past and present, alleged they had been sexually harassed or assaulted or subjected to racism or bullying. Alistair Macrow told the BBC the company had “fallen short” in some cases after the corporation spoke to dozens [...]
Five mayors preparing legal action against 1,000 rail ticket office closures – but Sadiq Khan not asked July 18, 2023 Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and four other mayors are preparing to take legal action against train operators in an effort to stop the closure of just under 1,000 ticket offices. Industry body Rail Delivery Group drew up plans to close the offices across the country and will move onto station concourses to assist passengers [...]
The Notebook: Ed Perry and Rosie Brown on hiring prison leavers, shopping local and saving our soil July 18, 2023 Ed Perry and Rosie Brown are the sibling owners of COOK, the ‘force for good’ frozen food innovator Closer link between prisons and firms can work for all The government’s call last week for businesses to hire more prison leavers is to be applauded. At a time when the public sector is short of good [...]
Kremlin seizes Danone and Carlsberg subsidiaries in latest sanctions pushback July 17, 2023 The Russian state has taken control of French yoghurt maker Danone’s Russian subsidiary along with beer company Carlsberg’s stake in a local brewer, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on Sunday. The decree said that foreign-owned stakes in Danone Russia and Baltika Breweries were being put under the “temporary management” of government property agency Rosimushchestvo. It comes after the Russian subsidiaries of Germany’s Uniper and Finland’s Fortum were taken under state control in April. The Kremlin warned [...]
Royal Mail scoops five year deal for delivery of passports, visas and travel docs July 17, 2023 Royal Mail has won a five-year contract for the collection and delivery of passports and supporting documents including UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) travel documents. The contract also includes the delivery of internal mail between HM Passport Office offices and other Government offices. Royal Mail will also be working with the General Register Office on [...]
Microsoft pens agreement to keep Call of Duty on Playstation after Activision mega-deal July 17, 2023 Microsoft has signed an agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said in a tweet. A deal to keep Call of Duty on Playstation could further ease concerns surrounding the acquisition’s impact on competition. Speaking on the agreement, Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a tweet, “Even after we cross the finish line [...]
Russia’s war in Ukraine: Two dead on 12 mile bridge to Crimea amid reports of explosions July 17, 2023 Traffic on the key bridge connecting Crimea to Russia’s mainland has been halted amid reports of explosions. Two have been reported as dead following the explosion. The health ministry in Russia’s Krasnodar region, which lies at the eastern end of the bridge, said two people were killed in an unspecified accident on the bridge and [...]
Tax advisors want AI to perform manual tasks despite ‘trust gap’ on privacy July 17, 2023 More than half of UK tax professionals want to use artificial intelligence tools to help with their daily tasks, new survey data has revealed. The study, conducted by Thomson Reuters, found that 12 per cent of UK tax professionals surveyed were either using or planning to integrate ChatGPT or other forms of generative AI into [...]
Average price tag on a home fell by £905 in July as house sales slow July 17, 2023 The average price tag on a home coming to market fell by £905 or 0.2 per cent month-on-month in July, according to new data. Rightmove, which released the figures, said rising mortgage rates are biting, with house sales now lagging behind the more “normal” market seen before the coronavirus pandemic, in 2019. While buyer demand [...]
The Notebook: Guy Hands on shattering the class ceiling, how to hire the right person and the importance of empathy July 17, 2023 The Notebook is where the City’s movers and shakers get a few things off their chest. Today it’s Guy Hands, founder of Terra Firma Capital Partners Our education system separates pupils. That’s wrong Sir Keir Starmer recently made headlines with his ambition to “shatter Britain’s class ceiling” by reforming the education system. While less radical [...]