To continue reading please register or login to your OHW+ account.
This week's news in brief
Manufacturing slump
Demand for manufactured goods in the UK and abroad has weakened this year with economic growth looking sluggish, according to the CBI. Its report on August's Industrial Trends Survey, shows that four out of 10 manufacturers reported low orders. It polled over 1,200 manufacturing companies. www.cbi.org.uk
Transparent pay bid
The average annual salary increase for employees in the manufacturing and distribution sectors this year is 3.3 per cent - the same as last year. But, according to research by HR consultancy William M Mercer, employees fear for their jobs and want more pay transparency from their employers. www.wmmercer.com
Women climb ladder
One-third of UK directors are women, according to a report by Equifax. Women are also getting to the boardroom faster than men and now account for more than half of all directors aged between 21 and 40. They are also taking more seats in the traditionally male roles of software consultancy and property management. www.equifax.com
800 to go at Toshiba
Japanese electronics giant Toshiba is to shed 18,800 jobs worldwide due to the slump in the global semiconductor market. A third of the company's 21 manufacturing plants will close over the next two years and the restructuring will cost the company nearly £700m. www.toshiba.com
Unions boost services
Trade unions have introduced 48 new services for members, and plan to introduce a further 25 over the next six months, claims a TUC survey released today. The Trade Union Trends Survey shows that most are financial services and include shopping discount schemes and insurance provision. www.tuc.org.uk
