Image copyright Reuters Asda has lost the first of three stages of its appeal against a ruling that store and warehouse staff deserve an equal hourly pay rate. The decision means that lower paid shop staff, who are mostly women, can compare themselves with higher paid warehouse workers, who are mostly men. Asda said it …
Image copyright Getty Images Italy’s economy tipped into recession at the end of last year, according to latest figures. In the final three months of 2018, the economy shrank by 0.2%, following a 0.1% decline in the third quarter, the Istat statistics office said. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the contraction was likely to …
Image copyright AO World Image caption John Roberts with Steve Caunce The boss of AO World is stepping down from the online electrical goods retailer after two years in the role. Steve Caunce will leave with “immediate effect” and is being replaced by founder John Roberts. AO World said that Mr Caunce, who has been …
Image copyright Getty Images Only three out of 17 water firms in England and Wales have passed the latest review by regulator Ofwat. All firms had to submit plans to cut bills for millions of consumers over the 2020-25 period, while reducing leaks and helping vulnerable customers. Most failed to meet the regulator’s requirements. But …
Image copyright PA UK house prices grew at the slowest annual rate for nearly six years in January, according to the Nationwide. The lender said price growth “almost ground to a complete halt”, with prices up by just 0.1% from a year earlier, down from a rate of 0.5% in December. The average property price …
Image copyright Getty Images As the clock ticks closer towards the deadline of midnight on 31 January to complete self-assessment tax returns, nearly two million people are estimated to have left it until the last minute. Last year almost 750,000 people faced a fine of £100 by being late. Some of those had imaginative (and …
Image copyright Getty Images With two months to go until the UK is due to leave the EU, how are firms and the UK economy faring? The economy’s “resilience through the turbulence of the Brexit process has been particularly noteworthy”, according to chancellor Philip Hammond. But some businesses claim to have been put under unprecedented …
Image copyright Getty Images Investment in the UK car sector almost halved last year and output tumbled as Brexit fears put firms on “red alert”, the industry’s trade body said. Inward investment fell 46.5% to £588.6m last year from £1.1bn in 2017, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) says. Production fell 9.1% to …
Image copyright Getty Images Chinese factory activity contracted for a second straight month in January, the official Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) showed. The index ticked up to 49.5, but remained below the 50-point level that separates growth from contraction. China reported its weakest economic expansion in 28 years in 2018, and growth is expected to …
Image copyright Getty Images Fashion retailers JD Sports, Sports Direct and Boohoo, are “failing to commit” to reducing their environmental and social impact, MPs say. Amazon, TK Maxx and Missguided were also described by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) as being among the “least engaged” in sustainable fashion and labour market initiatives. The EAC said …