Following a visit by Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang for four days to the UK, the future of the UK’s Grangemouth oil refinery has been secured along with thousands of jobs. The UK visit by Mr Li, who is tipped to be China’s next leader, is designed to promote trade and political links between the two countries. An agreement has been made with China’s energy giant.
A proposal that would see council employees lose money if they are sick has been criticised.
Local Government Minister Grant Shapps accused trade unions of exaggerating stories of job cuts for political purposes. Almost all local authorities have until the end of March if they want to cut resources by giving staff the legal minimum of notice. Mr Shapps said: "Employers are legally required to issue such notices when they restructure.
A full scoping study will be undertaken by February on whether Gwynedd and Anglesey councils can share services to save money in this era of public sector cutbacks. The Local Government Ministry said it was "absolutely not about merging authorities". The study will consider how far integration of major council services could go and what the savings would be.
A doubling-up of the number of orders it has received during the previous 12 months means one firm has bucked the economic trend and taken on more staff. While others have been laying off workers in the global downturn, Gloucestershire-based engineering company Renishaw has increased business in China and began recruiting staff again.
Hundreds of thousands of jobs may be at risk as councils will learn how much the funding they receive from central government will be cut over the next two years. Ministers will also reveal their plans to give local community groups greater control of some services from councils.
A bidder in the nation’s capital is likely to come away today with an odd item at auction – a public toilet building. This former WC block is to be sold for tens of thousands of pounds in London as it is no longer wanted by its railway authority owners. The single storey edifice and the plot on which it stands are close to the city’s cricket ground in Bath.
Regional secretary of the Unite union Davey Hall commented that it may be of benefit to pool resources, regarding proposals that Sunderland and South Tyne councils could share services.
Forty-eight top jobs will go at a council, which says the measure needs to be done in the light of reduced central government funding. Liverpool City Council will be making savings of up to £4.25m; plus there will be salary cuts to high-earning roles.
A politician has accused Labour-run Rhondda Cynon Taff (RCT) council of "outrageous right-wing behaviour" when it tried to get staff to accept worse pay under new contracts.