A round-up of HR-related stories in today’s newspapers.
Up to 15,000 jobs could be lost at the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), the Public and Commercial Services Union has warned. It follows a letter from MOJ finance director Ann Beasley to senior colleagues, which revealed plans to cut £2 billion from its budget. According to the BBC, Beasley said efficiencies alone would not be enough, adding: “It will mean we have to look at every opportunity to work differently and better. It will also mean there will have to be less of us.”
HSBC has come under fire after it announced plans to extend Saturday working and cut sick leave for branch managers. According to the Telegraph, the banking giant told 1,500 of its UK managers that it would change the terms and conditions in their contracts to enable more flexible hours so that more branches can open on Saturdays. Trade union Unite said it was “appalled” by the changes, and has written to the bank to seek voluntary union recognition for middle managers.
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BBC staff outrage at proposed changes to the corporation’s final salary pension scheme continues despite a peace offering from director general Mark Thompson to review pension top-ups for senior executives. The Guardian reports that Thompson proposed the concessions in what some described as a “difficult” meeting with 150 BBC staff on Monday 9 August. The payments total more than £1 million per year and if they are scrapped it will reduce Thompson’s own remuneration by about 20%.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has said that Scotland Yard would be forced to shrink in size if the Government persists with its demand for cutbacks. According to the London Evening Standard, he told a radio show he would not be able to meet ministers’ demands for cuts without losing staff. It is believed that Sir Paul could be forced to find savings of up to 25% of his budget.
