A round-up of HR-related stories in today’s newspapers.
Some of the biggest names on the British high street are at the centre of a major sweatshop scandal. An investigation by the Observer found staff at its Indian suppliers working up to 16 hours a day. Marks & Spencer, Gap and Next have all launched their own inquiries into the abuses and pledged to end the practice of excessive overtime, which is in flagrant breach of the industry’s ethical trading initiative and Indian labour law.
Recovery in the jobs market will “stall” this year as demand for workers in the public sector falls, research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has warned. One-third of employers expect to cut jobs in the next three months, reports the BBC.
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Union leader Derek Simpson has played down the prospect of widespread strike action by unions this autumn. Speaking on the Andrew Marr show, the joint general secretary of Unite said the union would instead try to educate people about the impact of big cuts in public spending. The Government is expected to announce details of massive spending cuts on 20 October, following a spending review.
Hewlett-Packard chief executive Mark Hurd resigned after an investigation found that he had falsified expense reports to conceal a “close personal relationship” with a female contractor, reports the Telegraph.
