News digest 10 January 2011
Today’s digest starts with the results of
the survey into bullying at BA which demands the company make
wholesale changes in its attitude to its workforce. Elsewhere
there’s anger over rising pump prices, bankers’ bonuses are
defended by the government while it’s the finance sector workers
that bear the brunt of cuts, there’s trouble over recalls for both
companies and a politician, and while some UK MPs are looking at TV
or in trouble, a shock shooting causes pause for thought in the
US.
Bullying: Shock results –
Unite releases the findings of a survey of almost 2,000 BA staff
which shows that bullying is rife at the airline and that one in
every two workers feels that they have been the victim of bullying.
Unite general secretary Tony Woodley said: "This survey
shows that the company’s macho management has pitched colleagues
against one another. The message of this survey has to be, Mr Walsh
and the BA board - your war on your workforce is ruining this once
great airline. You have the power to end this misery
and restore this airline to the place of public affection it once
deserved. For your customers, shareholders and workforce, the
glaring question now is why you choose not to."
(Mirror,
Star, Guardian p12,
Morning Star p3,
Express & Star,
Daily Post,
Shropshire Star, Unite
release).
Au revoir Ryanair – Company’s
Marseille operations set to close this week in row over taxes
(Guardian p21).
Virgin holds back – Airline
says it will not pay airport fees over snow hold ups at Heathrow
(FT p3).
Petrol problems – From planes
to roads and the latest pressures over petrol prices. Cameron has
made another U-turn on his fuel duty escalator which was supposed
to cut prices when they were high and raise them when they were low
and tanker drivers across the country are mobilising according to
the Express (p4) as
business – haulage in particular – faces a jump in costs (Mail p1, Telegraph p10).
Renault charges – And the
electric vehicle espionage row continues with the company expected
to file charges against three employees later this week (FT p22).
New VW for US – Detroit car
show will see new mid sized sedan unveiled as German carmaker opens
first US car plant (FT p22).
On a roll – All fine for the
rich as luxury carmaker reported its highest ever sales with 2,711
cars sold last year, double the company’s 2008 record, some one is
obviously doing quite nicely out of the recession (Times p38, Indie p35, Telegraph b1, FT p, Morning Star p)
Don’t bash the bankers – Was
Cameron’s message as he looks to support his rich friends in the
City showing 70 Tory MPs have links to the sector(Mirror p10-11). The Express front page headline sums up
the latest row over bonuses as: “Fury as banks pay out
£7 billion” while many of the papers report that
Cameron seems to have done a deal that says if the banks lend more
then they can award bonuses. The row rumbles on in particular
relating to state owned banks which were rescued by the taxpapyer,
it looks like RBS chief Stephen Hester will receive a £2 million
bonus to add to the £5 million he already banks. Cameron says he
could use the government stake in RBS to veto the bonus, believe it
when I see it (Sun p6,
Mail p4, Times p3, Indie p8, Guardian p5, Telegraph p2, FT p2).
Jobs in financial services at 17 year
low - And as the bosses award themselves bonuses the
workers on the front line face job cuts. A PwC report says jobs are
going in financial services at the fastest rate for 17 years, with
some 30,000 lost in the last quarter. Total employment is down to
1.3 million if you include those at state owned banks. Experts
expect headcount to remain under pressure (Times p37, Telegraph b3).
Jobs summit at Downing Street
– Concerned over the number of cuts in the public sector Cameron
invites industry to Number 10 to look at ways of creating jobs, the
line seems to be abolish protection at work with the Express (p6) reporting that sick
pay could be cut and rules weakened to make it easier for people to
be fired. The Telegraph
(p1) is more brutal using the ‘sack the slackers’ line
from the government, with aims to restrict access to employment
tribunals raised as well. The Morning Star (p5) reports
the idea has been slammed by TUC general secretary Brendan Barber,
and Unite’s Len McCluskey said: "It is utter nonsense
to suggest that granting employers the power to sack workers on a
whim will stimulate employment. All this will do is encourage
hire and fire rogues to populate the economy.”
(Sun p2, Times p3, Indie p8, Guardian p5, FT p2, Unite
release).
Record recalls – And does
management have its eye on the ball? 2010 saw UK product recalls
jump by 12 per cent to a record 229 cases, pharmaceuticals and cars
were top areas of concern (Times p39, Indie p38).
Bad recall – Shadow
chancellor Alan Johnson notches up another error as he gets the
12.8 per cent national insurance rate wrong on Sky News (Sun p2, Mail p20, Times p3, Indie p16, Guardian p, Telegraph p14).
Mili on the box – Former
foreign secretary David Miliband MP is looking to follow in the
footsteps of other MPs and possibly work in television, that’s him
and such esteemed politicians as Anne Widdecombe, Lembit Opik and
Neil (and Christine) Hamilton, how the mighty have fallen (Sun p2, Guardian p14).
Naughty Nadine – And many of
the papers report on another MP that has appeared on reality TV.
Tory Nadine Dorries – who lived on a tower block on the South Acton
estate for two weeks and would up local residents [and councillors]
– has been accused of stealing her best friend’s millionaire
husband, calls for her to resign (Mirror p4, Express p15).
Ballots at the ready – And
the latest polls at the Oldham East and Saddleworth by election
look grim for the Lib Dems, but the only poll that counts is the
one on Thursday, Unite4Labour show how you help
the Labour campaign (Mirror
p9, Guardian p13, FT p2, Morning Star p4).
US shock at shooting –
And all papers report on US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who
was shot in the head at point blank range on Saturday at a meet the
public event. She remains in critical condition in hospital, six
bystanders also died; a row over rightwing rhetoric is raging
as a Sarah Palin sponsored site had targeted those that had voted
for healthcare – like Giffords - with an image of crosshairs
(Mirror p6, Sun p9, Express p9, Mail p10, Times p1, Indie p1, Guardian p1, Telegraph p1, FT p1, Morning Star p7).
Edited by Mik
Sabiers
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