Asda Plans 12,000 New Jobs Over Five Years

By George! Why Asda Jobs Fit UK Recovery

Updated: 3:34pm UK, Monday 07 April 2014

By Poppy Trowbridge, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

It is not every day a company, albeit a major employer, confirms plans to create 12,000 jobs in the UK.

That's clearly a significant amount of badly needed new work.

But as unemployment across the UK is coming off uncomfortable highs hit during the recession, some economists and many politicians are concerned that the jobs being created are the wrong kind: temporary, badly paid, with little security.

Despite the UK's reputation for the wrong kind of snow, the wrong kind of rain etc these jobs, for the most part, are the right kind.

The 12,000 positions represent full-time roles. So, even if split by part-timers, the number of jobs simply multiplies.

The job creation has already begun in the North of England, the company having opened 14 new stores already in 2014, and will pick up pace significantly in the two years to 2018 as Asda makes its presence felt in London and the South East.

While the majority will be shop floor spots, Asda's plan to expand with superstores, supermarkets and 'click and collect' locations will require a variety of skilled back office staff, managers, accountants and logistics personnel.

Asda does not offer zero-hours contracts, which means employees can bank on a certain income stream, even if not top of the range.

So, the 12,000 promised spots look somewhat more secure, dispersed across the country, and come with the promise of accelerated creation.

That counts for quality these days.

And if Asda delivers on these promises, we should not turn our noses up at it.

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Top Locations Named But How Does London Fare?

Paris, New York and Prague are among the glamour capitals pipped to the post by London as a favourite traveller destination.

The UK capital is placed third in the global rankings compiled by TripAdvisor from millions of reviews, with only Istanbul and Rome edging ahead.

On people's favourite world city, London beat the top two destinations from 2013 - Paris and New York - which fell to 7th and 12th places respectively.

Fourth in the world list was Beijing, with Prague fifth and Marrakech in Morocco sixth.

London beat both Paris and New York in the destination rankings

Meanwhile, the traditional seaside resort of Torquay in Devon, came behind only London and Edinburgh as the best destination within the UK.

It saw off competition from the likes of York, Bristol, Leeds and Birmingham.

Manchester, Glasgow and Blackpool all dropped out of the top 10.

TripAdvisor spokesman James Kay said: "These awards are based on millions of reviews and ratings by those that really matter - travellers themselves.

"There is no doubt the birth of the royal baby helped keep the eyes of the world on London in 2013, but the capital's continued appeal among travellers around the world surpasses any one event."

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Benefit At Risk Unless Jobseekers Make Effort

By Siobhan Robbins, News Correspondent

Jobseekers will soon have to prove they are taking steps to make themselves more employable or face losing some of their benefits.

From April 28, those looking for work will be expected to have written a CV, set up an email account and logged onto the Government's jobs website before they meet a Jobcentre Plus adviser.

Ministers said the move signalled a "fundamental shift" in expectations, and would help put to an end the "one-way street" to benefits where people start claiming Jobseeker's Allowance by just signing-on without first taking steps to make themselves attractive to employers.

Employment Minister Esther McVey said: "With the economy growing, unemployment falling and record numbers of people in work, now is the time to start expecting more of people if they want to claim benefits.

"It's only right that we should ask people to take the first basic steps to getting a job before they start claiming Jobseeker's Allowance - it will show they are taking their search for work seriously.

"This is about treating people like adults and setting out clearly what is expected of them so they can hit the ground running.

"In return, we will give people as much help and support as possible to move off benefits and into work because we know from employers that it's the people who are prepared and enthusiastic who are most likely to get the job."

There are currently 1.17 million people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.

Employment Minister Esther McVey says more should be expected of claimants

Under the changes, people will also be able to meet with Jobcentre Plus advisers weekly, rather than fortnightly.

Kate Shoesmith, from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, is one of many employers welcoming the move.

She said: "Everything that helps the long-term unemployed back into work has to be one of the Government's top priorities right now, along with helping those who are young and looking for work, and we think this is a good move forward."

However, some are concerned political point-scoring means people on benefits are increasingly being labelled scroungers.

Sue Marsh has not been able to work for the last 13 years due to health problems.

She is now campaigning for a change to the current benefit system, and told Sky News: "The tough line actually makes people less likely to move off benefits, it makes them less likely to be confident and inspired to try to find work and makes them feel like it's better to just hold tight and dig in, which is exactly the opposite of what Iain Duncan Smith wants to achieve."

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, said: "This Government is already making life intolerable for people who are out of work, with a massive increase in the number of benefits sanctions for even minor transgressions.

"Instead of dreaming up new ways to turn the screw, ministers should be doing something about consistently high unemployment, a drastic shortage of job vacancies and the fact so many new jobs are low paid and insecure."

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Energy Complaints Soar By Staggering 224%

Complaints about energy companies have trebled in the first quarter of this year, according to the energy sector's ombudsman who is calling for "increased transparency".

The record figures showing a 224% rise in the first three months of this year come after regulator Ofgem said it was referring the energy sector to the Competition and Markets Authority for a full-scale competition inquiry.

Between January and March, complaints trebled to 10,638, compared with 3,277 received during the same period last year.

More than 2,000 consumers complained about not receiving bills, 1,474 people made complaints about billing charges, and over 1,000 consumers criticised the quality of customer service.

The numbers suggest that 2014 will see more complaints overall, as there were 17,960 complaints made over a 12-month period last year.

Chief Energy Ombudsman Lewis Shand Smith said: "Consumer frustration and dissatisfaction is something that we hear about every day, and we welcome any attempts by Ofgem to make the energy market fairer.

"With energy complaints trebling in the first quarter of this year and problems relating to billing the greatest concern, increased transparency is something that should be addressed."

A competition inquiry will be held into the household energy supply market

A spokeswoman for Energy UK, the trade body that represents the industry, said most customers had no problems with their energy company, but accepted that sometimes things go wrong.

She added: "If a customer has any concerns relating to their bills, they should contact their provider as soon as they can, and if possible have an up-to-date meter reading to hand which will ensure their bill is as accurate as possible.

"Energy companies work very hard to resolve problems and most complaints are fixed within a few working days with no more than a phone call."

The spokeswoman said there were new rules in force which made matters "more open and clear for customers including: explaining bills so people understand what they are paying; making it easy to switch; ensuring customers are on the right deals; and simplifying tariffs".

But Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, the consumer watchdog, said the rise in complaints was "further proof that the energy market is broken".

He added it was "right" that the energy sector had been referred for a full-scale investigation.

A Department of Energy and Climate Change spokeswoman said the figures were "worrying", and added: "We would advise consumers to shop around and switch to find a better deal, whether on cost or customer service."

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House Of Fraser Bought By Chinese Tycoon

A Chinese tycoon has bought British high street chain the House of Fraser, according to sources.

Reuters said a 89% stake was bought by Sanpower, a Nanjing-based conglomerate controlled by Yafei Yuan.

Sources have told Sky News an announcement is expected imminently.

House of Fraser will now seek strategic growth in mainland China as part of a wider, global expansion.

The deal values the department stores at more than £450m.

The two sides are thought to have been in secret discussions for several months.

This follows a protracted search for investors led by House of Fraser's chairman, Don McCarthy.

Just months ago the company was tipped for a public flotation.

But Sky News City Editor Mark Kleinman reported in February that Mr McCarthy apparently had no desire to chair a publicly-listed company.

Sports Direct and Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley was also tipped as a making a possible move for the company.

The British group enjoyed strong Christmas trading, with like-for-like sales at its 61 stores up more than 7% during the three weeks to December 28 and more than 4% in the nine weeks to the same date.

Established during the 1850s, House of Fraser was taken private in 2006 for £351m by a consortium led by Baugur alongside Mr McCarthy and entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter.

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Food Waste 'Is Morally Repugnant', Say Lords

The scale of food waste, which sees 15 million tonnes of food dumped each year in the UK and at least 90 million tonnes across the EU, has been branded "morally repugnant" by a House of Lords committee.

The Lords EU Committee said supermarkets should abolish "buy one get one free" offers and cancel orders of food from farmers after the produce has been grown, a practice which leads to edible food being ploughed back into the fields. 

They also suggested that more unused food sold by retailers should be donated to food banks, rather than sent for composting or landfill as is often the case at present.

In a report, the committee said EU efforts to reduce food waste were "fragmented and untargeted" and called for the new European Commission to publish a five-year strategy within six months of taking office later this year.

Committee chairwoman Baroness Scott said: "Food waste in the EU and the UK is clearly a huge issue. Not only is it morally repugnant, but it has serious economic and environmental implications.

The committee says taking action against food waste cannot be delayed

"The fact that 90 million tonnes of food is wasted across the EU each year shows the extent of the problem and explains why we are calling for urgent action.

"Globally, consumers in industrialised nations waste up to 222 million tonnes of food a year, which is equivalent to nearly the entire level of net food production of Sub-Saharan Africa.

"We cannot allow the complexity of the issues around defining and monitoring food waste to delay action any further.

"We are calling on the new European Commission, which will be appointed in November this year, to publish a five-year strategy for reducing food waste across the EU, and to do so within six months of taking office."

The report found that the carbon footprint of worldwide food waste is equivalent to twice the global greenhouse gas emissions of all road transportation in the US.

Lady Scott added: "We were shocked at the extent of food waste in the EU. Especially given the current economic challenges the EU faces, it is an absolutely shocking waste of resources.

"Some efforts are already being made, which is very positive, but much more can be done, and so we are calling on the EU, the Government, businesses and consumers to make sure it is."

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House Of Fraser Bought By Chinese Tycoon

A Chinese tycoon has bought British high street chain the House of Fraser, according to sources.

Reuters said a 89% stake was bought by Sanpower, a Nanjing-based conglomerate controlled by Yafei Yuan.

Sources have told Sky News an announcement is expected imminently.

House of Fraser will now seek strategic growth in mainland China as part of a wider, global expansion.

The deal values the department stores at more than £450m.

The two sides are thought to have been in secret discussions for several months.

This follows a protracted search for investors led by House of Fraser's chairman, Don McCarthy.

Just months ago the company was tipped for a public flotation.

But Sky News City Editor Mark Kleinman reported in February that Mr McCarthy apparently had no desire to chair a publicly-listed company.

Sports Direct and Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley was also tipped as a making a possible move for the company.

The British group enjoyed strong Christmas trading, with like-for-like sales at its 61 stores up more than 7% during the three weeks to December 28 and more than 4% in the nine weeks to the same date.

Established during the 1850s, House of Fraser was taken private in 2006 for £351m by a consortium led by Baugur alongside Mr McCarthy and entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter.

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Microsoft XP And Office 2003 Security Warning

Britain's data protection watchdog has warned owners of Microsoft's Windows XP and Office 2003 products of future potential security flaws.

The warning from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) comes as the software giant is set to end official support of the products on April 8.

Despite Windows XP being considered an aged operating system, it still powers nearly a third of all PCs worldwide, according to NetMarketShare.

UK software firm AppSense believes three-quarters of UK firms have XP within their networks, while Gartner says many businesses have up to 20% running on XP.

The ICO said once official support ends, no update release to overcome flaws will be issued, risking data breaches of machines used by businesses and private users.

The watchdog said the problem will get worse over time as more vulnerabilities are gradually discovered.

It said that will increase opportunities for attackers to exploit and potentially gain unauthorised access to systems.

ICO technology group manager Dr Simon Rice also warned that the issue is not limited to these two products.

He said: "Organisations regularly end support for their older products.

"And those with supported systems still need to be vigilant, as vulnerabilities will be discovered over time."

Dr Rice urged businesses to be prepared for the ending of support.

He said: "As a responsible data controller, it is your organisation's responsibility to make sure you have the measures in place to keep people's details safe."

He added: "Where you cannot apply a (software) update, you may need to put additional measures in place to mitigate the risk."

Approached by Sky News, a Microsoft spokesperson said warning about the end of support was announced some time ago.

It said the user notifications raised the issue of potential virus and security risks.

:: Microsoft has given advice for users of both Office 2003 and Windows XP on its website.

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Credit Card Market Faces Regulator Probe

The City regulator is to undertake a review of the UK's £150bn annual credit card market, with concerns including poor controls on soaring consumer debt levels.

While there is no pre-determined scope for the review, the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) chief executive Martin Wheatley confirmed it would begin later this year, with preliminary discussions starting soon.

Mr Wheatley told a credit summit in London he feared some vulnerable consumers were being offered what were akin to "payday loans with plastic".

The FCA said that while 30 million people have at least one credit card, recent research showed almost one-in-three borrowers were considered to be in serious debt.

Soaring debt levels are a major concern for the UK economy

The watchdog was particularly concerned, Mr Wheatley argued, about a considerable number of 'survival borrowers' - those who often feel they have no option but to borrow money through a payday loan or using a credit card, to help pay their bills.

He said: "The key priority here has to be those in the most vulnerable circumstances, many of whom are struggling to manage their credit card commitments, as well as other bills.

"Among the UK's 30 million-plus cardholders, something like 3.7% make minimum payments for 12 months which is the equivalent to more than a million borrowers making 12 or more consecutive minimum payments.

"So, we know it's not uncommon for the most 'at risk' households to hold multiple cards and revolve multiple balances month-by-month.

"There are some obvious questions and challenges here for regulators and industry: why are card issuers providing the means, in some cases, for the most indebted consumers to escalate their way into further debt?

"As part of this review, or market study as we call it, we will be engaging with the industry ahead of time and it's important to say there's no pre-determined terms of reference, outcome or agenda here."

Richard Lloyd of Which? suggests consumers shop around for a card provider

Other questions to be considered include whether consumers who leave their balances every month are subsidising those who pay them off and whether there is sufficient competition in the sector to ensure value for card holders.

According to debt charity StepChange, around 10% of people who visit it for advice and who have an average total debt of £27,000 have five or more credit cards.

The review could potentially recommend new rules to better protect consumers, begin enforcement action against any individual firm found not to be following existing regulations and refer the sector to the new Competition and Markets Authority for a full competition inquiry.

The consumer group Which? welcomed the review.

Its executive director Richard Lloyd said: "Too many credit cards appear to be designed to catch customers out.

"The FCA should investigate how lenders can help put consumers in control by providing clearer information, stopping excessive penalties and encouraging people to shop around without it damaging their credit record."

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Lloyds Seeks Approval To Boost Pay Of Top 400

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Lloyds Banking Group is to seek approval to boost the pay packets of up to 400 of its most senior staff in a move which could stoke political tensions over bankers' remuneration.

Sky News has learnt that the taxpayer-backed lender will disclose in documents ahead of its annual general meeting (AGM) that it wants the flexibility to pay the higher-than-expected number employees up to 200% of their salaries in bonus awards.

The 400 executives, who are known as 'code staff' by regulators because of their designation as the holders of the most important jobs at the bank, can only be paid the equivalent of their base salaries without shareholder approval under new European Union rules.

The move by Lloyds to seek approval to double the level of variable pay will put the Treasury in a delicate position as it strives to avoid being seen to endorse bumper bonuses, particularly at banks in which it has a direct ownership interest.

One route allowing it to navigate this dilemma would involve UK Financial Investments, the agency which manages taxpayers' stake, abstaining on the remuneration-related votes at Lloyds' AGM, although final decisions are not thought to have been taken.

Approximately 75 of Lloyds' staff are being awarded allowances which, in line with similar deals at other banks, count towards their base pay and will enable higher bonuses to be paid from this year.

Antonio Horta-Osorio, the bank's chief executive, will receive a £900,000 allowance in deferred shares which will boost his guaranteed annual pay to £2.6m.

Lloyds, less than 25% of which is now owned by the taxpayers after a £4.2bn sale of Government shares last week, has identified the 400 eligible employees in accordance with definitions imposed by the European Banking Authority.

The new EU rules have prompted major banks operating in Europe - including Barclays, Goldman Sachs, HSBC and Morgan Stanley - to devise new monthly or quarterly payments, drawing criticism from politicians in Brussels.

George Osborne, the Chancellor, has mounted a legal challenge to the pay ratio cap, arguing that it will do little to curb risk-taking and may damage the City of London.

Lloyds' move to seek approval for the higher payments will be disclosed in the circular to shareholders ahead of next month's AGM, which Treasury sources said was expected to be distributed in the coming days.

The bank is also understood to be tabling a resolution that will ask investors to approve the ability to pay a scrip dividend for the first time since it was bailed out by taxpayers following the merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS in 2008.

Lloyds has already said that it hopes to resume dividend payments in the second half of 2014 and anticipates becoming a distributor of chunky payouts to shareholders in the coming years.

Sources said that the Lloyds documentation would also include a resolution seeking approval for the bank to draw up a prospectus for a possible sale of shares to the general public.

Such a plan, which is unlikely to be launched by the Treasury until the autumn, could see billions of pounds of shares offered to retail investors.

Lloyds declined to comment on Thursday.

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