7:28 am, December 5, 2022
Rail dispute continues as RMT union rejects latest offer from employers
The biggest rail workers union has rejected an offer from train operators aimed at resolving a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions,
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) offered an eight per cent pay rise and guarantee of no compulsory redundancies before April 2024. But within hours of the offer, it was rejected by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT).
The RMT said: ‘The RDG is offering four per cent in 2022 and 2023 which is conditional on RMT members accepting vast changes to working practices, huge job losses, Driver Only Operated (DOO) trains on all companies and the closure of all ticket offices.’
Braverman vows to do ‘whatever it takes’ to tackle migrant crisis in Channel
Home secretary Suella Braverman has pledged to do ‘whatever it takes’ to deal with the migrant crisis in the Channel amid calls for the indefinite detention of asylum seekers arriving in the UK illegally.
Braverman said the numbers making the perilous crossing were ‘wholly unacceptable and unsustainable’ and that ministers would ‘comprehensively tackle the small boats problem’.
She made her comments in a foreword to a report by the centre-right Centre for Policy Studies think tank which called for new laws barring migrants who enter illegally from ever settling in the UK. While she said she did not necessarily agree with everything in the report, her contribution will be seen as an indication that she is sympathetic to the thinking behind it.
Oil prices rise as EU’s cap on Russian crude comes into effect
Oil prices have risen in response to an agreement by the G7 group of nations which came into effect on Monday.
Brent crude added around one per cent to more than 86 dollars (£68) in Asia trading as the price of Russian oil was capped at 60 dollars (£49) a barrel. The move is part of increased pressure by the West over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
It is not yet clear how much Russian oil the two sanctions measures could take off the global market, which would tighten supply and drive up prices.
Labour must abolish ‘indefensible’ House of Lords, says Gordon Brown
Abolition of the House of Lords must form a key part of Labour’s plans to overhaul the way Britain is governed, former prime minister Gordon Brown has said.
Brown and party leader Sir Keir Starmer are to unveil the report of the party’s commission on the UK’s future – which the ex-premier headed – at a joint press conference in Leeds on Monday.
Sir Keir will hail the proposals for political and economic devolution as ‘the biggest ever transfer of power from Westminster to the British people’. However, he earlier hinted that some of the measures – including a new democratic assembly of nations and regions to replace the Lords – may have to wait for a second term Labour government.
Troops on stand-by as ministers prepare for strikes across public services
Hundreds of troops are on stand-by to cover for ambulance crews, firefighters and Border Force staff as ministers prepare for a wave of strikes across public services in the run-up to Christmas.
The Cabinet Office said that about 2,000 military personnel, civil servants and other volunteers from across government have been training as part of the Government’s contingency planning.
They included up to 600 armed forces personnel and 700 staff from the government’s specialist Surge and Rapid Response Team, as well as from other parts of the Civil Service. Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi said it was the ‘right and responsible thing to do’ as ministers sought to minimise the disruption to the public.
England star Raheem Sterling to leave Qatar after armed break-in at home
England forward Raheem Sterling is leaving Qatar after armed intruders broke into his home while his family were inside.
The Chelsea winger was absent from the Three Lions’ 3-0 victory over Senegal on Sunday following the incident on Saturday evening.
Sterling is said to have been shaken and concerned about the well-being of his children following the break-in.
Weekend Car Dealer headlines you might have missed
- Fastest selling used cars in November revealed as an electric car tops chart
- Throw money at problem customers as your time is better spent on other things, says used car dealer
- Big Mike: How our secret car dealer spent hours fixing a used Jaguar’s problem that didn’t exist
- Video: Wheeler Dealer Mike Brewer reveals his highlights of the Used Car Awards 2022
- Audi’s UK dealer network becomes first to get Electric Vehicle Approved accreditation
- Motor insurance broker PIB Group buys health and safety experts Emprocom
Gender pay gap ‘widest for women in their 50s’
The gender pay gap remains at its widest for Britain’s oldest workers, new research suggests
Rest Less, which offers advice to the over 50s, said there was a 24 per cent difference between the median gross annual pay of full-time working men and women aged in their 50s, rising to a gap of 26 per cent for those over the age of 60.
Rest Less analysed pay data from the Office of National Statistics and found that in 2022, the biggest difference in full-time pay was between men and women in their 50s. Women aged 50-59 earned an average salary of £30,603 which was £7,274 less than men in the same age group who earned an average salary of £37,877.
Many pubs and breweries will close without further energy help, report says
Many pubs and breweries across the UK will be forced to shut their doors for good as they face rocketing losses without further energy support, industry bosses have warned.
In a new report by Frontier Economics, produced for the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), calculations showed that energy bills returning to their regular rate after March would put pubs and brewers at a loss of 20% on average.
Businesses have benefited from the energy bill relief scheme but face uncertainty when the scheme finishes at the end of March. The report showed energy costs are the biggest threat to their viability and ‘would be even more lethal’ when the relief scheme ends.
Weather outlook
A largely cloudy day with the odd scattered shower in the east, reports BBC Weather. Most areas will have sunshine later on.
Variable cloud and clear spells tonight. Winds will shift towards the north blowing showers into northern Scotland.
