Passport workers start five week strike as Brits fear disruption to holiday plans April 3, 2023 Passport Office workers are beginning a five-week strike in the increasingly bitter civil service dispute over jobs, pay, pensions and conditions. More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at eight sites are walking out in an escalation of the long-running row. Picket lines will be mounted on Monday outside the [...]
London will NOT be next: Paris bans e-scooters after mini referendum April 3, 2023 Parisians have overwhelmingly voted to banish for-hire e-scooters from the streets of the French capital, in a mini-referendum the mayor said sent a “very clear message”. Approximately 15,000 e-scooters could now vanish from central Paris at the end of August when the city’s contracts with the three operators expire. In Paris, the question that City [...]
‘Adverse effect of Brexit’? Braverman rejects link to Port of Dover chaos as weekend of long queues ends April 3, 2023 Queues at the entrance to the Port of Dover have cleared after a weekend of disruption, according to one of the ferry companies hit by delay – but the Home Secretary staunchly denied any links between queues and Brexit. Coach passengers were forced to spend hours waiting to enter the port, be processed and board [...]
Docklands Light Railway: Cleaners and security staff launch strike over pay April 1, 2023 Cleaners, security staff and other workers on the Docklands Light Railway have launched a 48-hour strike in a dispute over pay. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) employed by ISS on the London railway have rejected an offer the union said was worth 1.8 per cent. The RMT claimed ISS staff on [...]
Port of Dover authorities ‘deeply frustrated’ as coach traffic suffers long delays April 1, 2023 The Port of Dover has said it is “deeply frustrated” as coach traffic faces “significant delays”. The port, which has declared a critical incident, said the delays were “due to lengthy French border processes and sheer volume”. Additional coach bookings taken by ferry operators for Easter have impacted operations, a statement on the port’s website [...]
Down to earth for Branson’s Virgin Orbit satellite firm as funding dries up and 85 per cent of staff are cut March 31, 2023 Sir Richard Branson’s satellite launch firm Virgin Orbit is to cut 675 jobs – about 85% of its workforce – after failing to secure new funding. The entrepreneur has said he will inject almost £9 million to go towards severance costs. It comes amid reports from the Financial Times that Virgin Orbit’s chief executive Dan [...]
What are Heathrow’s contingency plans ahead of a 10-day strike by security guards? March 27, 2023 Heathrow has announced contingency plans to keep the airport operating despite a 10-day strike by security guards. Members of the Unite union will walk out on Friday in a dispute over pay. A Heathrow spokesman said: “We will not let these unnecessary strikes impact the hard-earned holidays of our passengers. “Our contingency plans will keep [...]
Airports and power stations to be hit hardest by business rates changes March 27, 2023 Airports, power stations and business headquarters are set to be hit hardest by property tax changes when new valuations come into force next week, according to research. Revenues from business rates – the property tax on commercial buildings – are expected to rise by £1.4 billion, or 4.9 per cent , to £29.9 billion when [...]
No light at end of the tunnel: HS2 delay leading to higher costs as London Euston link nearing £5bn March 27, 2023 Delays linking up HS2 and Euston will mean extra costs and potentially even higher spending, the National Audit Office has warned ministers. A near 50-page report, looking specifically at the Euston element of the much delayed high-speed line, concluded that a “reset” in 2020 had “not succeeded”. It comes after Transport Secretary was criticised earlier [...]
ULEZ row: Khan reassures 90 per cent are unaffected by expansion, as 700K face new charge and ‘massive financial impact’ March 24, 2023 Nearly 700,000 car drivers in London will face a daily £12.50 ultra low emission zone (Ulez) fee when the scheme expands, according to new analysis. The RAC, which carried out the research, said the expansion of the zone from August 29 will have a “massive financial impact on motorists and businesses”. It comes a day [...]