Fact Service February 2015

Issue 8 (26/02/2015) - Missing a Living Wage; Firefighter deaths; Party donations in 2014; Low paid could get 3% rise in autumn 2015; Factory output slows at end of 2014

issue 7 (19/02/2015) - New limits from April; Deficit worse because of wage stagnation; End of year bonuses boost earnings data; Unemployment down below 1.9 million; Fuel and food behind lower inflation

Issue 6 (12/02/2015) - Fourteen directors on at least £20,000 a week; Tax avoidance the PwC and HSBC way; Zero-hours workers want share of bonus; Setback for shop staff over EU ruling

Issue 5 (05/02/2015) - Psychological impact of austerity on staff; Care crisis over cuts and pay; Disabled jobseekers face barriers; Fall in real pay; Economy slows; Shame of winter death toll from cold

Issue 8

Missing a Living Wage (337 words)

Half the jobs in some parts of Britain are paying less than the Living Wage, the TUC said at the start of the second week of the TUC’s Fair Pay ...
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Firefighter deaths (528 words)

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has admitted health and safety breaches in connection with the death of an Edinburgh firefighter. Ewan ...
Subscribers only

Party donations in 2014 (644 words)

Conservative Party headquarters received almost two and a half times the sum the Labour Party received at its HQ in 2014, according to a Fact Service ...
Open access

Low paid could get 3% rise in autumn 2015 (604 words)

The Low Pay Commission (LPC) has recommended a 3% increase in the National Minimum Wage. ...
Subscribers only

Factory output slows at end of 2014 (157 words)

The slowdown in the growth in manufacturing output continued into December, latest official figures show. ...
Open access

Issue 7

New limits from April (59 words)

The limit for a week’s pay when calculating compensation for basic unfair dismissal will increase to £475 from 6 April it has been announced. The ...
Open access

Deficit worse because of wage stagnation (388 words)

The lack of earnings growth means the coalition government is collecting £33.4 billion less in income tax and national insurance than official ...
Subscribers only

End of year bonuses boost earnings data (618 words)

Higher City bonuses distorted the average weekly earnings figures at the end of 2014. ...
Subscribers only

Unemployment down below 1.9 million (600 words)

Unemployment was at its lowest level for over six years latest figures show. ...
Subscribers only

Fuel and food behind lower inflation (474 words)

Cheaper petrol and food continue to be the main contributors to the slowdown in the rate of inflation, official figures show. ...
Subscribers only

Issue 6

Fourteen directors on at least £20,000 a week (518 words)

The huge growth in the remuneration packages of top executives shows no sign of abating. Fourteen executives at six companies that feature in the ...
Subscribers only

Tax avoidance the PwC and HSBC way (1,085 words)

One of the Big Four accountancy firms is promoting corporate tax avoidance on an “industrial scale”, and the tax industry needs more stringent ...
Subscribers only

Zero-hours workers want share of bonus (261 words)

Top retailer Sports Direct is facing a claim for millions of pounds from nearly 300 workers who were excluded from the retailer’s bonus scheme ...
Subscribers only

Setback for shop staff over EU ruling (352 words)

Retail union Usdaw has expressed its disappointment over a ruling in the European courts that represents a setback to shop workers fighting for ...
Subscribers only

Issue 5

Psychological impact of austerity on staff (399 words)

The coalition government’s austerity measures have led to a reduced commitment on the part of public sector workers towards their organisation, new ...
Subscribers only

Care crisis over cuts and pay (727 words)

The escalating cost of caring for the elderly means councils will have to divert £1.1 billion from services like fixing potholes and running ...
Subscribers only

Disabled jobseekers face barriers (205 words)

More than a third of disabled jobseekers have been discriminated against during the recruitment process, according to research commissioned by the ...
Open access

Fall in real pay (296 words)

Female employees, older workers and low-paid staff have seen smaller real wage falls than male employees, younger workers and those on higher pay, ...
Subscribers only

Economy slows (133 words)

Growth in the UK economy slowed down at the end of last year, the first estimates show. ...
Open access

Shame of winter death toll from cold (407 words)

The cold weather death toll this winter is expected to be the highest for 15 years. ...
Subscribers only