London businesses lament dismal start to 2023 after another rail strike set for January December 20, 2022 Hospitality leaders have reiterated calls for rail firms and unions to hash out an eleventh-hour resolution to swerve January strikes, after train drivers announced another walk-out. Train drivers at 15 companies in the union Aslef have agreed to strike on 5 January, as part of a long-standing pay dispute. The walkout will take place on [...]
Stansted readies for busiest Christmas in three years with 1.2m passengers expected December 20, 2022 Stansted airport is getting ready for its busiest Christmas in three years with 1.2 million passengers expected to pass through its gates during the festive period. Airport figures published today show that around 650,000 people will depart from the north London airport between 16 December and 3 January, with 550,000 expected arrivals. According to forecasts, [...]
UK flights during festive period remain 14 per cent below pre-Covid levels December 20, 2022 UK flights during the festive period have remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels, according to research. Data published today by aviation analytics firm Cirium showed that 30,979 departures have been scheduled from UK airports between 21 December and 4 January. This is 14 per cent below the 36,138 reported in 2019. UK flights are nevertheless 33 [...]
More strikes in the new year as train drivers to walk out on 5 January December 20, 2022 Britain will need to brace for extra disruption in the new year as train drivers at 15 companies have announced they will strike on 5 January. Members of the union Aslef will down tools as part of a long-standing dispute over salaries, impacting services at the likes of Avanti West Coast, Govia Thameslink and London [...]
Left in the dark: Business chiefs fear redundancies after energy relief update delayed December 20, 2022 Business leaders have accused the government of leaving firms in the dark over energy bill support, after ministers push back an announcement of what aid will be on offer later next year. The government had previously said it would update businesses before the end of the year on energy bill relief from April 2023, when [...]
Network Rail slams RMT for ‘needless’ Christmas strikes December 19, 2022 Network Rail’s chief executive Andrew Haines has accused the union RMT of “causing needless misery” to its members and the UK wider economy as workers strike during Christmas. RMT members working at Network Rail will down tools from 6pm on Christmas Eve to 6am on 27 after rejecting a nine per cent offer. “RMT suggestions [...]
Number 10: Rishi Sunak ‘deeply regrets’ Christmas strikes December 19, 2022 Rishi Sunak “deeply regrets” the strikes disrupting the Christmas period but will not bend on public sector pay demands, Number 10 has said. Sunak’s official spokesman today said it is “still in the gift of the unions to step back and reconsider the approach” as Britain suffers from a series of December strikes. Up to [...]
Rail strikes had ‘deeper than expected’ impact on bars December 19, 2022 Rail strike chaos over the past week had a worse impact than anticipated on clubs and bars, according to one industry group leader. Rail staff walked-out over pay and conditions last week, with dates falling on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and Saturday. Hospitality bosses had urged union leaders and rail firms to hash out a [...]
Stuck in traffic: Highway workers and Border Force to strike in London December 19, 2022 The winter of discontent is set to continue this week, with both traffic officers and Border Force staff planning to strike, causing travel havoc on the roads and in the air. National Highways South East Regional Control Centre in Godstone, 20mi south of London, will hold strikes on 22 December between 12:00 and 3:30 pm. [...]
AA issues amber warning as 17 million cars to join Christmas exodus December 19, 2022 The AA has issued an amber warning for 23 and 24 December as 17 million drivers are expected to join the Christmas exodus. Routes linked to the M25 will carry most of the traffic – in particular interchanges connecting the M25 with the M3, M4, M1, M11, M20 and A1(M). Congestion – which will also [...]