6:43 am, November 9, 2023
Breakthrough announced in long-running row over railway workers’ pay and jobs
A breakthrough has been announced in the long-running dispute involving railway workers over pay and jobs.
After talks between the Rail Delivery Group and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, a memorandum of understanding has been developed and sets out a process for a mutually agreed way forward.
It’ll include a backdated 2022 pay rise for staff and job security guarantees, the union said. RMT members in each of the train operating companies involved in the row will now vote on the suggested agreement.
Arrest warrant issued for former Co-op boss Paul Flowers
A judge has issued an arrest warrant for former Co-op boss Paul Flowers after he failed to attend court.
Flowers, 73, was due to enter a plea at Manchester Crown Court yesterday to a charge that he committed a £68,000 fraud by abusing his position.
Prosecutor Brian Treadwell said the solicitor previously instructed by Flowers had now lost contact with him.
Lloyd’s of London to pay £52m for ‘significant role’ in slave trade
Lloyd’s of London is to invest £52m into racial equality causes after a report found it played a ‘significant role’ in the transatlantic slave trade.
The chairman of the world’s largest insurance market, Bruce Carnegie-Brown, said it was ‘deeply sorry’ and stressed its commitment to addressing current inequalities.
An independent review by Johns Hopkins University into the links with the slave trade found a ‘significant role’ from the London marketplace between the 17th and 19th centuries, with some individuals using influence and knowledge to develop and defend slavery systems.
Ofcom lays out first plans to enforce new online safety rules
The biggest social media platforms will be required to protect children online by keeping them off suggested friend lists to stop them being contacted by groomers, Ofcom has said.
The new online safety regulator has published its first draft codes of practice under the Online Safety Act, which was signed into law last week and should start being enforced by the end of 2024.
Under the code, the largest platforms will be required by default to ensure that children on their sites aren’t presented with lists of suggested friends, don’t appear in other users’ lists, that their location information isn’t visible to other users and that people outside their agreed connections can’t message them directly.
Negotiations under way for three-day humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza – officials
Negotiations are under way to reach a three-day humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of about a dozen hostages held by terrorist group Hamas.
That’s according to two officials from Egypt, one from the United Nations and a Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic efforts.
The deal would enable more aid, including limited amounts of fuel, to enter the besieged territory to alleviate worsening conditions for the 2.3m Palestinians trapped there. It is being brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, according to the officials and the diplomat.
Nestle announces Caramac bar’s discontinuation
Caramac maker Nestle has announced it is discontinuing the caramel-flavoured bar after 64 years.
It said falling sales were behind its decision to stop producing the confectionery, which was launched in the UK in 1959 by original manufacturer Mackintosh.
The bar was produced in Norwich until 1996, when it moved to Nestle’s factory in Fawdon, near Newcastle upon Tyne. Nestle, whose HQ is in Switzerland, said last year it planned to close the Fawdon site and move production overseas.
US actors’ union agrees deal to end longest strike in Hollywood history
US actors’ union Sag-Aftra has agreed a ‘tentative deal’ with Hollywood studio bosses to end a historic 118-day strike.
The union, which represents around 160,000 members of the industry, has been on strike since July 14, causing major disruption to Hollywood productions.
The deal, which will go to the Sag-Aftra national board tomorrow ‘for review and consideration’, was struck after the union’s negotiating committee spent days deliberating over several items it deemed ‘essential’, including artificial intelligence.
Corpses had been left to rot for four years in Colorado funeral home – police
The owner of a Colorado funeral home and his wife were arrested yesterday on charges linked to the discovery of 190 sets of decaying remains at one of their facilities, including some that had apparently been languishing there for four years.
Jon and Carie Hallford were jailed in Oklahoma on a $2m (£1.63m) bond on suspicion of four felonies – abuse of a corpse, theft, money laundering and forgery – after their arrest in Wagoner, east of Tulsa.
During a news conference in Colorado Springs announcing the charges, district attorney Michael Allen said authorities wouldn’t be releasing many details about the case in order to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
Peugeot’s new e-Rifter debuts with 199-mile range
Peugeot has unveiled its new e-Rifter, bringing a range of enhancements and a bold new look to the practical electric MPV.
The e-Rifter has a 50kWh battery paired with an electric motor, with this latest model able to deliver a claimed 199 miles, compared with the 172 miles of the previous version.
It’s capable of charging at speeds of up to 100kW, too, meaning a zero to 80 per cent charge could be done in 30 minutes. Pricing or specifications haven’t been revealed yet, but Peugeot is expected to do so shortly.
Yesterday’s headlines on Car Dealer you might have missed
- Five UK car dealers named in Top 10 of largest groups in Europe – the Top 20 list revealed
- Onto owed more than £121m when administrators were called in
- ‘Malicious’ changes to Vertu Motors’ Companies House details are put right
- Revealed: Strong demand for used cars sees some models RISE in value
- Big Motoring World opens new headquarters in Kent to support growth of car-buying business
- New advertising tech means car dealers can target customers when they most need them
- GardX kicks off 20th-anniversary celebrations with two new vehicle protection products
Market movements
The FTSE 100 closed 8.32 points down yesterday to end the day on 7,401.72. The Cac 40 was up 47.93 points at 7,034.16, the Dax was up 76.96 points at 15,229.60 but the Dow Jones was down 40.33 points at 34,112.27.
Weather outlook
Most places will see sunny spells and patchy cloud today, says BBC Weather. There will also be scattered showers in western areas and along the southern coast of England, some heavy and possibly thundery. It’ll be windy in the south.
Friday will see overnight cloud and showers clearing eastwards for most, leaving a largely dry day with sunny spells. However, scattered showers will linger in the far north and along eastern and western coasts.
