A TRADER NEAR YOU STARS IN KIDS’ BOOK June 29, 2010 FINALLY! Proof that City traders aren’t all heartless: Danny Wilkinson, trader at an unidentified international broker, is today publishing a children’s book written with his aunt, Linda Wilkinson. The book, the first of a trilogy planned on “The Oonford Detective Agency”, was inspired by people Wilkinson has met during his 21 years on the trading [...]
Commuters face rail fare hike in 2011 June 28, 2010 RAIL passengers could face a steep rise in fare prices next year, according to transport secretary Philip Hammond, who said that the existing pricing formula might not survive the tough autumn spending review. Fares are expected to rise by more than six per cent at the start of 2011 but Hammond has warned they could [...]
TfL closes door on Tube Lines takeover June 27, 2010 BORIS JOHNSON, London’s Mayor, and Transport for London (TfL) have completed the takeover of Tube Lines. Under the agreement, TfL has purchased all of Tube Lines’ shares from Bechtel and Ferrovial’s Amey, for £310m and will now manage the ongoing work to the Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines. Johnson said the deal will open a [...]
Network Rail’s £2.2m bonuses for executives sparks outrage June 24, 2010 government and trade unions condemned Network Rail yesterday for awarding its top managers bonuses and incentive payments totalling more than £2.2m. Transport secretary Philip Hammond said: “In the week when everyone has been asked to share the burden of reducing Britain’s deficit, people will rightly be asking how Network Rail’s top executives feel this is [...]
Two-day Tube strike starts June 23, 2010 LONDON Underground maintenance workers began a 48-hour strike at 7pm last night, after last-ditch legal action by employer Tube Lines failed. A High Court judge denied Tube Lines an injunction to stop the strike, despite arguments that the strike ballot was invalid. “We urge the RMT to pull back from taking this needless action which [...]
TUBE LINES STRIKE TO GO AHEAD June 22, 2010 MAINTENANCE workers on the underground will strike this evening after talks between rail union RMT and Tube Lines fell apart. The strike, which will be staged in two parts, is set to commence at 7pm and will last until Friday evening, with another strike planned between 14 and 16 July. Transport for London (TfL), which [...]
Public sector pay freeze angers unions June 22, 2010 PUBLIC SECTOR workers are facing a two-year pay freeze, declared by chancellor George Osborne in the emergency Budget yesterday, igniting fury amongst the UK’s trade unions. The pay freeze applies to all public sector workers earning over £21,000, while the 1.7m with wages below that threshold will receive a flat pay increase of £250 in [...]
Trade unions set to fight public sector pension reforms June 21, 2010 A NUMBER of the UK’s largest trade unions spoke out yesterday against the government’s plans to review public sector pension schemes. Unison, Unite and rail union RMT warned the government ahead of today’s Budget that plans to cut public sector pensions could be damaging. Dave Prentis, general secretary at Uniso, demanded that the review body [...]
RMT in Tube strike talks June 21, 2010 TALKS TO prevent strikes on the London Underground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) took place yesterday at conciliation service Acas as rail union RMT met Tube Lines and Serco. Platform and station staff on the DLR, which carries commuters to and from Canary Wharf, are due to walk out for three days starting Wednesday 23 [...]
Tories call for driverless trains on the London Underground June 17, 2010 LONDON’S underground trains could run without drivers in the future if the government meets demands made by the Conservative Group of the London Assembly to replace the current “third rate” trains. The group argued in a report to the Mayor that driverless trains would offer safer and more efficient levels of service and would put [...]