Fact Service August 2010

Issue 34 (26/08/2010), Issue 33 (19/08/2010), Issue 32 (12/08/2010), Issue 31 (05/08/2010)

Issue 34

Emergency Budget hits poorest the hardest (490 words)

Claims by the chancellor George Osborne that the June emergency Budget was “progressive” have been refuted by the independent think tank the Institute for ...

Rich bankrolled Tory election victory (589 words)

Rich individuals bankrolled the Conservative party’s general election victory, putting David Cameron into 10 Downing Street, latest figures from the political watchdog, the Electoral ...

AstraZeneca workers to strike over pensions (285 words)

Workers at pharmaceutical giant Astra Zeneca have voted for strike action over cuts to their pension benefits. ...

Flexi jobs are in short supply for parents (383 words)

As children and families prepare for a new school year, single parents under pressure to find work will be sharpening their search for a ...

Think tank offers a NEET solution (299 words)

Employers who give quality internships to disadvantaged young people — such as young offenders and care leavers — should receive “pay-back” from the government, ...

Using hand sanitisers at work cuts illness (166 words)

The use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers within the workplace can help keep employees free of colds, fevers and coughs, according to research from German ...

Issue 33

Con-Dem’s 100 days leads to 100 cuts (323 words)

Some of the UK’s poorest families have been hit by more than 100 unfair spending cuts during the first 100 days of the new ...

Inflation edges down for third month in row (309 words)

Inflation dipped slightly on the back of cheaper clothing and footwear and household furniture. Under the Retail Prices Index (RPI), the rate of inflation ...

Gangmaster barred over long list of failures (521 words)

After a shocking catalogue of failures discovered at a Lancashire gangmaster business, including paying workers well below the minimum wage, the Gangmasters Licensing Authority ...

Over 50s stuck in long-term unemployment (301 words)

The number of older workers trapped in long-term unemployment has hit a 10-year high after soaring by over 50% in the last year alone, ...

Draft code of practice on equal pay (266 words)

A draft code of practice on equal pay has been published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission as a precursor to the Equality ...

Average earnings data show steady growth (372 words)

Average earnings for the whole economy rose by 1.9% in June against a revised figure of 1.8% the previous month, the Average Earnings Index ...

Issue 32

Manufacturing puts on more growth (205 words)

Manufacturing posted its ninth consecutive rise in the three-month period to June, according to the Office for National Statistics. ...

Jobless numbers fall — but only for men (508 words)

Unemployment posted the biggest fall for three years, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). ...

Right to time off for training under threat (125 words)

Skills minister in the coalition John Hayes has announced a consultation over the legal right for workers in large businesses to request time off ...

Sweatshop scandal (451 words)

Some of the biggest names on the British high street are at the centre of a major sweatshop scandal. An investigation by the Observer ...

Earnings lose pace with cost of living (355 words)

Weekly earnings across the economy showed a marginal recovery in June from the previous month, but they still lag behind the cost of living, ...

Interns should be paid minimum wage (318 words)

Employers believe there is a “grey area” around internships in the minimum wage legislation and that they are allowed to take on unpaid interns ...

Issue 31

Public sector pensions are ‘affordable’ (433 words)

There has been much scaremongering from right wing groups over the cost of public sector pensions and many myths printed about so-called “gold-plated” public ...

Unite challenges BA (79 words)

British Airways will face a legal challenge from the Unite general union over the airline’s decision to remove staff travel concessions from cabin crew ...

Economy is expected to expand in 2010 (306 words)

The economy is expected to grow this year, according to a consensus of forecasts from 40 or so City institutions collated by the Treasury. ...

City fat cats (393 words)

More than 2,800 people in the City took home more than £1 million last year, said the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The regulatory body ...

Fixed retirement age is to be scrapped (268 words)

The fixed retirement age will be consigned to the history books by October 2011 under proposals put out for consultation by the government. ...

Conciliation workload (239 words)

Almost half of the cases received by Acas for conciliation from the Employment Tribunal Service involved unfair dismissal, according to the conciliation service’s latest ...

Manufacturers have a good start to year (270 words)

Britain’s manufacturers have outperformed expectations in the first half of 2010 but face the prospect of greater global economic uncertainty and financial market volatility ...

Working hours are on the rise again (261 words)

Working hours are picking up again after the recession and cost-saving measures implemented by employers led to a forced “detox” for workers, a study ...