This week’s news in brief

Lottery winner

Dianne Thompson, chief executive of the National Lottery, has been awarded the Chartered Management Institute’s annual Gold Medal for her strategic direction and leadership. She is only the second woman to win the award in its 25-year history.

UK rest break fiasco

The European Court of Justice has ruled that the UK government’s guidance on employee rest breaks is “meaningless”. Under the Working Time Directive, workers are entitled to a 20-minute rest break if they work more than six hours per day, but the UK guidance says employers are “not required” to ensure that staff take breaks.

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EEF calls for skills overhaul

Manufacturers’ organisation EEF has called for a radical overhaul of post-16 training. The lobby group claims the skills training system in the UK is failing to address the skills gap. It recommends combining the Sector Skills Development Agency and the Learning and Skills Council and reducing the number of Sector Skills Councils.