…in brief

This week’s news in brief

BMI strike threat

Staff at BMI, formerly British Midland Airways, are threatening to strike
over lack of union recognition, poor working conditions, increased duty hours
and alleged harsh treatment by managers. A branch of the British Airlines
Stewards & Stewardesses Association was created at the airline a year ago
and has been refused recognition by the company.  www.tgwu.org.uk

NHS morale ‘low’

More than 20 per cent of finance managers in the NHS considers morale among
accountants in the healthcare sector to be either ‘low’ or ‘poor’, a survey by
Hays Accountancy Personnel reveals. The study shows 70 per cent of finance
managers believe their individual departments could be more motivated, and 77
per cent said positive and negative motivation cascaded down the ranks.  www.haysworks.com/surveys/hfma

Too busy to holiday

Although UK managers are increasingly entitled to longer holidays, they
spend time catching up on the everyday chores they do not have time to deal
with in their busy working lives, research shows. A study by the Chartered
Management Institute finds that just 47 per cent of respondents say they will
take their full holiday entitlement this year.  www.cima.org.uk

TUC backs air growth

The TUC has backed the expansion of the UK’s airport network, claiming that
demand for air travel could lead to 100,000 new jobs. The union said that if
the UK fails to increase capacity the jobs will go abroad but it stressed the
need for sustainable developments and a commitment to reduce pollution and
noise levels.   www.tuc.org.uk

MPs’ pension plans

Days after Alan Pickering’s report on pension simplification raised the
possibility of allowing employers to cut back pension benefits, MPs have
increased their pension accrual rate by 25 per cent. The decision was ‘slipped
out’ in a written parliamentary answer on the same day as Gordon Brown’s
three-year spending review.  www.dwp.gov.uk

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MoD staff pay deal

A landmark pay deal has been awarded to 13,000 MoD industrial civil
servants, which will see increases of between 24.5 per cent and 30.8 per cent
over four years. The change will see the lowest paid earn £5.70 an hour and an
annual minimum wage of£10,978, and also see 30 days annual leave after five
years service and 26 weeks paid and 26 weeks unpaid maternity and adoptive
leave.  www.gmb.org.uk