WINTER OF DISCONTENT October 8, 2009 BRITAIN is facing a “winter of discontent” with strikes looming at Royal Mail, British Airways, Irish carrier Aer Lingus, and electronics giant Fujitsu. Staff at Royal Mail yesterday voted three to one in favour of a national strike, which is set to bring misery to businesses over the Christmas period, while costing London hundreds of [...]
CITY SPORT AWARDS TO GET LEASE OF NEW LIFE November 23, 2009 SPORT fanatics in the City could be forgiven for wondering when their favourite event of the year is due to come around, now that the party season has entered full swing. But I hear the ICAP Square Mile Sport Awards – which last year saw sporting stars such as cricketer Darren Gough, swimmer Mark Foster, [...]
Post unions in rage over hiring plan October 18, 2009 TRADE UNIONS warned employment agencies wanting to get involved in the Royal Mail dispute that they might face crippling fines, exacerbating already fraught tensions between the two sides. The GMB joined the Communication Workers Union (CWU) – which has called for national strikes over modernisation objectives – in slamming Mail plans to hire in 30,000 [...]
Post unions in rage over hiring plan October 18, 2009 TRADE UNIONS warned employment agencies wanting to get involved in the Royal Mail dispute that they might face crippling fines, exacerbating already fraught tensions between the two sides. The GMB joined the Communication Workers Union (CWU) – which has called for national strikes over modernisation objectives – in slamming Mail plans to hire in 30,000 [...]
BA PENSIONS CHIEF IS URGED TO RESIGN November 16, 2009 THE row over British Airways’ retirement scheme intensified yesterday as an independent group of pensioners called for the urgent removal of Roger Maynard as chairman of the trustees. Anger is building over the perceived conflict of interests in Maynard’s chairmanship of both BA’s pension funds – whose huge deficits are potential stumbling blocks in its [...]
FTSEdrops as windfall tax worries offset mining gains December 7, 2009 Britain’s top shares ended 0.2 per cent lower yesterday, with banks weak on concerns over a possible windfall tax, offsetting modest gains in miners and energy stocks which rebounded from earlier losses. The FTSE 100 closed 11.70 points lower at 5,310.66 points, paring some losses from earlier in the session when the index dropped to [...]
Why fizz is good for you December 14, 2009 JOHN Mortimer, the author who created the scuzzy lawyer Rumpole of the Bailey, used to say that champagne was the secret to a long life. Mortimer drank a glass of fizz every morning, before settling down to work on his plays and novels. He lived to a sprightly and active 85, and was publishing books [...]
BLUE-BLOODED CAZENOVE AND THE MYSTERY OF A TRUE ANCIENT RELIC November 19, 2009 BLUE-blooded City stockbroker Cazenove might have officially agreed to surrender the rest of itself to US investment bank JP Morgan, but something tells The Capitalist the die-hards won’t be ready to forget the firm’s noble heritage in a hurry. Lunch yesterday was with a City chum who remembers Caz’s days at its old headquarters in [...]
TORIES TO PRIVATISE THE POSTAL SERVICE October 22, 2009 SHADOW business secretary Ken Clarke yesterday said that a Tory government would privatise the Royal Mail if it wins the next election, as the Communication Workers Union (CWU) announced a second three-day walk out next week. Clarke said that only private capital and management could give Royal Mail a new lease of life and end [...]
A swim under the sun June 29, 2009 BROCKWELL LIDOBROCKWELL PARK, SE24 0PA, TEL: 020 72743088, WWW.BROCKWELL-LIDO.COMTHE POOL: A south London gem, this pre-war, charity-funded lido is a Grade II listed Art Deco structure, which has been thoroughly updated. The ambitious facilities are divided into Health, Vitality and Wellbeing sections, and there are swanky workout machines if you want to augment your swimming [...]