This week’s news in brief…
More rail strikes
First Great Eastern railway staff are set to strike twice this month over
pay. RMT members in most grades – including booking office, cleaners, guards
and platform staff – will take 24-hour strike action on 17 and 31 March.
Employees rejected a 3.5 per cent annual pay increase.
Junior leader training
UK business is focusing more on the leadership skills of its junior managers
than its chief executives, according to research. A Work Foundation survey, Developing
Leaders, shows junior managers are almost twice as likely to have received
leadership tuition.
Pressure on the cards
The Government is set to receive thousands of postcards as part of a protest
calling for the introduction of corporate killing laws. Pressure groups and
trade unions claim Tony Blair and Health and Safety Minister Nick Brown will
receive 40,000 cards, calling for directors to be responsible for safety.
www.corporateaccountability.org
Retail wages to rise
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
Employers in the retail sector are increasing salaries to attract and retain
staff in an increasingly tight labour market. A study of 70 leading retail
outlets shows that more than a quarter of HR managers in the sector expect a
higher demand for staff, and are raising base salaries to beat competitors to
the talent.