Government to push through laws which would ban strikes among some public sector workers January 5, 2023 The UK Government is to introduce a set of strike-busting laws as public sector unions continue to ballot members on ongoing industrial action. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced the introduction of a bill in Parliament over the coming weeks, Over recent months, strikes – especially those on the railway [...]
Truce or a trap? Putin calls ‘Christmas Truce’ in Ukraine War January 5, 2023 Vladimir Putin has ordered a so-called Christmas Truce in the war on Ukraine for the Orthodox Christmas period – but Ukrainian officials fear a trap. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a Vladimir Putin ally, had called for both sides of the war in Ukraine to observe a Christmas truce. Many Orthodox Christians, including [...]
Britain’s 1.6m temp workers risk missing out on close to £100m in unclaimed holiday pay January 5, 2023 Amid a 40-year inflation high, soaring energy bills and rising mortgage payments, Britain’s 1.6m temporary workers have been urged to claim an estimated £97m worth of unclaimed holiday pay from employment agencies and umbrella companies engaging them. The urgent call comes from a support group for independent workers, IWORK, that has brought to light that many of the UK’s flexible workforce are [...]
Thames Water launches a live sewage discharge map – see if your local drain is overflowing January 5, 2023 Thames Water have launched a map of its sewage discharge points to mark the new year – and those living in the area won’t be very impressed. The map appears to show a host of monitors registering live discharge as of 1:40pm, with many focussed around Oxford and out into the Berkshire countryside. The company [...]
Boots: ‘Lipstick effect’ boost to sales as cash-strapped shoppers help chemist post record-breaking Black Friday sales figures January 5, 2023 High street stalwart Boots saw sales jump in its stores over its Christmas trading period, as the return of tourism and office-working proved a shot in the arm for its city locations. The privately owned chemist said like-for-like retail sales leapt 8.7 per cent in its first quarter to November, marking record-breaking sales on Black [...]
Crypto markets are ‘flatter than an elephant’s camping stool’ January 5, 2023 Bitcoin’s seven-day volatility has declined to 0.7% and is sitting at lows not seen since February 2019 and the stagnant crypto markets.
Greggs: Baker on a sausage roll as it plots further expansion across UK January 5, 2023 Greggs has said it is on track for 150 net new stores this year as its value-proposition protects it from a wider consumer down-turn. In a fourth quarter trading update, the sausage-roll seller said its sales stood at £1.5bn, as the firm bounced back after experiencing pandemic-related disruption last Christmas. Sales had surged 23 per [...]
Next: Prices to rise in the spring – but boss hopeful inflation will ease in second half January 5, 2023 Next has warned it will lift prices further in the spring as the retailer’s chief said he was optimistic that inflation would let up in the second-half of the year. The fashion firm hiked its full-year profit guidance after seeing better than expected sales over the Christmas shopping period. The high street staple lifted its [...]
B&M: Bargains boost sales during ‘golden quarter’ – but will shares continue to rally? January 5, 2023 Bargain hunters gave discount retailer B&M a timely Christmas present as it looks to continue a share price rally that has seen its value jump 18 per cent in the last six months. In its third quarter trading update B&M reported 12.3 per cent year-on-year revenue growth of £1.5bn during the 13 week period 25 [...]
Bank of England publishes list of questions asked by suitors for its CBDC wallet January 4, 2023 The Bank of England has revealed more than 70 questions asked by applicants keen to win the contract create a wallet for its CBDC project.