News digest 7 June 2011
As workers take action at the Equality and
Human Rights Commission the digest starts with a challenge for
business secretary Cable over threats to toughen up strike laws.
Some good news for Osborne as the right wing IMF backs the
austerity package, but warns tax cuts may be needed and Cameron
says he should be trusted on the NHS. There’s pension problems
mounting, the cucumber conundrum continues and while Apple looks to
the clouds, airlines are in for some turbulence, car sales slump,
and the Tories unveil Cruddas as their new co-treasurer.
Cable challenged over tougher strike
laws – As hundreds walk out at the Equality and Human
Rights Commission over changes to front line services and job cuts
(Morning Star
p4), all the papers report on business secretary Vince Cable’s
address to the GMB conference yesterday where he threatened tougher
strike laws even though UK laws are the tightest in Europe. Unite
general secretary Len McCluskey said: "Vince Cable, as
a Liberal, ought to be ashamed of the company he has been
keeping. How can a professed liberal seek to crack down on
human rights? Talking tough about cracking down on working people
is a circus engineered by a government that is clueless about the
real problems facing this country, which is how do we breathe life
back into our shops, businesses and high streets and how do we get
the millions on the dole back to work." (Mirror p10-11, Sun p2, Express p8, Mail p18, Times p7, Indie p16/35, Guardian p9/30, Telegraph p8, FT p2, Morning Star p1, Unite
release)
IMF backs Osborne – Although
only half heartedly as it says it thinks the UK is on course for a
‘moderate’ recovery, although it does say that if the economy
stalls that Osborne should cut taxes rather than relax the
programme of cuts, not sure how that will help reduce the deficit
or is the IMF saying that growth is more important? In all
circumstances it looks like there may be a need to start thinking
about a ‘plan B’ especially as high street sales fell by 2.1 per
cent last month (Mirror p10,
Sun p6, Express p2, Mail p2/59, Times p6, Indie p8, Guardian p4, Telegraph p1/b1, FT p3, Morning Star p2).
Back me on NHS – Is prime
minister Cameron’s call as he lays out his five pledges on the NHS
today. The Mirror (p9) sums
it up best with the line that Cameron has already broken three of
the proposed pledges, and Unite national officer Rachael Maskell
said: "The only promise on the NHS worth making now is
the one to drop this bill and start all over again."
(Sun p2, Express p2, Mail p8, Times p13, Indie p5, Guardian p13, Telegraph p2, FT p2, Unite
release)
Southern Cross probe promised
– As the stricken care homes firm holds an emergency general
meeting business secretary Vince Cable vows to trigger a probe into
private equity ownership of public service providers, what took him
so long (Mirror p6, Express p45, Mail p1/59, Guardian p9, FT p19, Morning Star p4).
Surplus land sale – The
Times (p5) reports that
up to £10 billion of public land could be put up for sale to help
tackle the nation’s housing shortage, although there will be no
incentives to build social housing.
Pensions pressure for every second
worker – Millions of workers are sleepwalking towards a
poverty stricken retirement as they are not saving enough for their
pensions says a new report from Scottish Widows. Half of Britons
aged between 30 and 60 – 10 million people – are not saving enough
for their old age, and a fifth are saving nothing at all (Mirror p48, Express p1, Mail p28).
Heineken row bubbles on – The
row over pensions between Scottish & Newcastle staff and
Heineken continues with Heineken denying that it had broken any
promises and saying it needed to make the changes to deal with the
fund’s £570 million pension deficit. The S&N protest group says
it would only cost Heineken between £3-5 million a year to honour
the existing pledge; the company made profits of £2.1 billion in
2010 (Mirror p48, Mail p60).
Diageo buys out Kenya
Breweries – Guinness owner pays £140 million to SABMiller
for 20 per cent stake (Express p44, Times p35, Indie p38, FT p18).
Tata to sell stake in tea –
The FT (p15) reports that the
world’s second biggest tea group is in advanced talks to sell 20
per cent of its international tea operations to an unnamed
strategic investor.
Not down to sprouts – After
initial tests the German bean sprouts have been ruled out as the
source of the E. Coli outbreak, so it’s back to the chopping board
to try and identify the source while Spanish farmers are demanding
100 per cent compensation from Germany (Mirror p18, Sun p15, Mail p10, Times p28, Guardian p2, Telegraph p1, FT p1)
Apple looks to the skies –
Steve Jobs comes back from medical leave to launch iCloud – a new
service that essentially stores all of your content in an internet
cloud and pushes it to your personal devices – it will either soar
or nosedive (Sun p8,
Mail p29, Times p14, Indie p37, Guardian p5, FT p15).
Air profits to plunge? –
Airline body IATA says airline profits could nosedive by up to 80
per cent as higher oil prices and fares hit airlines and
passengers, although easyJet saw an 11.3 per cent jump in passenger
numbers last month (Mirror
p48, Sun p6, Express p44, Mail p60, Times p36, Indie p36, Telegraph b4).
A350 engine redesign – The
FT (p18) reports that Rolls-Royce
announces it will add thrust to its new engine for the A350 to
ensure it can better compete with the Boeing 777 and
Dreamliner.
Tognum taken over – And
Rolls-Royce and Daimler have seized control of the German engine
maker after the revised £3 billion offer was accepted by nearly 60
per cent of shareholders (Sun p39, Express p44, Mail p61, Times p31, Indie p38).
Car sales slump – New car
sales to the private sector fell by 15 per cent last month as
consumer confidence worsens (Mirror p48, Sun p6, Times p36, Indie p33).
Aston Martin accelerates –
Luxury carmaker sees 46 per cent increase in profits to £35.3
million having sold 4,184 cars last year (Sun p39, Telegraph b5, FT p19).
Network Rail theft – The
Guardian (p22) reports
that the track operator’s rising bill for train delays and repairs
is being hit by a wave of thefts of copper which jumped by 67 per
cent in the past year. Extra staff have been brought in to work
night shifts to catch the criminals.
Huhne inquiry turns corner -
Talking of being caught out, police probing claims that energy
secretary Chris Huhne dodged a motoring offence have now met with
prosecutors to decide how to proceed with the case after advice was
given to Essex police investigators last week (Sun p26, Express p4).
Cruddas is new Tory treasurer
– No, not ‘Blue Labour’ proponent Jon Cruddas, rather Peter
Cruddas, founder of spread betting firm CMC markets and now one the
City’s richest men, expect more money from the City to roll into
Tory coffers (Mail p2,
Telegraph b1, FT p4).
Edited by Mik Sabiers
Back the Southampton city council workers trying to save
their jobs – Vote in the Daily Echo poll (currently 2:1 in favour)
show your support: http://tinyurl.com/66wnxhq
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