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The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said on Tuesday (October 16) that 85 per cent of its members had voted for strike action at a transport company.

Strikes on the other side of the channel temporarily halted ferry services. Talks continue between unions and Brittany Ferries management concerning routes from the south coast to France.

A local authority now intends to extend a pay freeze until 2014 to keep a grip on spending. Suspending the annual increment for a third year could save £5 million, according to the Labour-run Sheffield City Council.

Research revealed by an NHS consortium suggests that an employee pay cut of one per cent could save as much as £1.4 million on hospital wage bills.

A community official is looking forward to giving extra support to local young people thanks to a new centre – situated at an old toilet.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls has vowed to make “tough decisions” on public sector pay as Labour is headed for a collision course with union leaders.

Union boss Brendan Barber has talked about a ‘£7,000 wage grab’. Full-time employees are now paid on average around £26,000 a year.

Wages are grounded while business takes off: that’s the slogan of a union during its impasse with airport management.

The Olympic Games provided a shot in the arm to Britain’s jobs market – mainly because the part-time workforce soared.

A poll of 2,000 UK employees has listed the top five professions where people are more likely to make up an excuse to their manager about missing work. Telecoms workers (54 per cent) are the top hoodwinkers of bosses, according to a price comparison website.

Shops in England and Wales of more than 280 square metres (3,000 square feet) can open for a maximum of six hours on a Sunday under current legislation, and only between 10am and 6pm.

A worldwide study of employees who are paid by the hour found the vast majority of workers said they are aware of the overtime and compensation laws where they live.