British Airways and the pilot strike: Are shared profits schemes the answer? September 20, 2019 British Airways’ operations ground to a halt last week due to a pilots’ strike. The airline’s flight crews argued that they should be rewarded with a cut of the company’s rising profits, having previously taken hits to their pay when BA struggled. While the pilots have called off a strike due to take place on [...]
Debenhams to close 22 stores in 2020 as lenders warn of 1,200 job losses April 26, 2019 Debenhams revealed its store closure plan this morning, with up to 22 stores expected to be shuttered in 2020. Around 1,200 jobs are at risk due to the two Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs), one for property and one for retail, the company said today. Read more: Debenhams owners to outline plans to shut 20 stores The [...]
UK firms cut more than 106,000 jobs amid coronavirus pandemic August 19, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has battered the UK economy since it arrived in early 2020 – and no sector has remained unscathed, with more than 100,000 job cuts planned during the pandemic. The government’s furlough scheme has allowed millions of people to keep getting a paycheck, but fears are growing that when this is phased out [...]
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe says the ‘whole world’ wants to avoid a ‘no deal’ Brexit January 10, 2019 The “whole world” wants to see a ‘no deal’ Brexit avoided, according the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Flanking Theresa May at a press conference in Downing Street on Thursday evening, Abe dialled up the pressure on MPs planning to vote down the Brexit agreement. Around 1,000 companies in the UK are funded with Japanese [...]
Don’t turn off the UK’s gas supplies, embrace shale May 21, 2018 For far too long we have debated what our energy mix should look like, all the while crucially missing the most important point: the UK has become a nation that imports its energy, reducing its energy security, shunning UK job opportunities and missing out on tax revenue, as other countries reap those rewards. We have [...]
Offshore oil and gas workers balloted on North Sea strike action October 2, 2018 Offshore oil and gas workers are being balloted over strike action in the North Sea. GMB members working under the Offshore Contractors Association (OCA) agreement have called for a 4 per cent increase in basic pay and allowances. Workers are being balloted on whether they would support industrial strike action and action short of strike [...]
Asda considers up to 2,500 job cuts as CMA probes Sainsbury’s merger October 26, 2018 Asda has said that it will begin consultations with staff over changes that could lead to a reported loss of up to 2,500 jobs next year. The news, first reported by the Press Association, comes as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) conducts a second stage investigation into the proposed takeover of the supermarket by [...]
Npower to dismiss nearly 15 per cent of its UK workforce as energy market bites January 31, 2019 British energy provider Npower has said it will cut almost 15 per cent of its UK workforce, as part of an initiative to reduce its operating costs. The company said the reductions would affect around 900 roles out of its 6,300 employees over the course of this year. It added that most of this number [...]
Toshiba withdraws from UK nuclear power station November 8, 2018 Toshiba is pulling out of a nuclear power project in Cumbria after failing to find a buyer, it said today. The Japanese conglomerate said it would begin winding up its Nugeneration subsidiary, which was overseeing the construction of the power plant, and expects to record losses of roughly ¥15bn (£100m) as a result. The company [...]
Interserve share price plummets as it admits rescue refinancing plan December 10, 2018 Interserve's shares more than halved today after the outsourcer confirmed it was in rescue refinancing talks with lenders as it battles a £650m debt pile. The embattled public sector outsourcing giant admitted at the weekend it was “engaged in constructive discussions regarding the agreement and implementation of a deleveraging plan”, causing a 53 per cent [...]