Jobs saved
POUNDSTRETCHER owner Instore has saved almost 400 jobs after buying 33 stores from the firm behind the Ponden Mill soft furnishings chain. Around 1,300 staff at Marston Mills were facing an uncertain future after the company went into administration earlier this month. Administrator Ernst & Young said it had agreed a deal to sell a quarter of the group’s 135 stores to the cut-price retailer, securing 384 jobs.
Mobile doubts
STORE giant Tesco’s mobile phone arm could be put out of business under network shake-up plans from telecoms regulator Ofcom, a national newspaper reported today.
Ofcom wants to make some of the 900MHz radio spectrum, which is used by Vodafone and O2 for second generation calls and text services, available to other operators. But Tesco Mobile, a 50/50 joint venture with operator O2, has told Ofcom the plans would leave its service “severely downgraded”, said the newspaper.
Strike talks
TALKS aimed at averting strikes at some of the UK’s biggest airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, were set to be held today. Thousands of members of the Unite union at seven BAA-owned airports are due to walk out for 24 hours on January 7, 14 and for 48 hours from January 17 in a row over pensions.
Pay claim milestone
A TOP union has settled its 25,000th equal pay claim against employers in local government and the NHS, it was announced today. The claims are worth a total around £250m for women workers. The GMB said the cases included women cleaners and catering and school support staff, who were earning less than men.
Workers in the hunt
THOUSANDS of workers will trawl the internet searching for a new job while they are away from the office on their Christmas break, said online recruiters Jobsite.co.uk
