General News

Newswire – CIPD:  The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) are partnering with Opportunity Now for the Directing Diverse Talent Award, 1 of 8 awards at The Opportunity Now Excellence in Practice Awards 2011. The ceremony celebrates outstanding examples of good practice, innovation & individual achievement of women in the workplace.  Entries close 7 January 2011.

Press release ~ Find out more about the award ~ CIPD: Opening up talent for business success: integrating talent management and diversity

Newswire – CIPD:  Cuts in public spending announced in last month’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) and the rise in the standard rate of VAT to 20% due in January 2011 will result in the loss of almost 1.6m jobs across the UK economy by 2015-16, with the private sector hit harder than the public sector, according to estimates released by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The coalition government’s overall policy measures to increase economic growth will have to help boost net private sector job creation by an average of 320,000 p.a. by 2015-16 simply to keep unemployment broadly stable at around 2.5m.

Press release

Newswire – CIPD:  A new CIPD survey, Employee Outlook: focus on the ageing workforce, has found that 41% employees plan to work beyond the state retirement age, compared to 29% of the 2,000 respondents who don’t.  The survey also shows that many people are uncertain, with 25% saying they don’t know either way.

The survey, which helped inform the CIPD response to the Government consultation on its plans to phase out the Default Retirement Age (DRA) by October 2011, finds that nearly half of respondents are against the current right of employers to retire employees once they reach their 65th birthday.

Press release

PCS:  Plans by the government to privatise up to half of Forestry Commission land would deny future generations of our woodlands and forests, PCS says.  The union also fears that hundreds of jobs would be at risk as a result of the sell-off and vulnerable rural communities would lose out.

In 2009 a detailed study of the long term role of the public forest estate was carried out by the Forestry Commission. It reported that public forests were good value for money providing multiple social & environmental benefits and concluded that public ownership was essential in supporting the estate.

Press release ~ Environmental Status Report – the Public Forest Estate in England (2009) ~ Read PCS's alternative to the cuts

PCS:  A memo leaked to the PCS union reveals the government is planning to close almost all local vehicle licensing offices in the , threatening around 1,500 jobs.  The document suggests that up to 49 local offices of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency could be closed, with the vast majority of the agency’s functions centralised at its headquarters in Swansea .

The memo ‘indicates that DVLA enforcement staff, who have been responsible for massive cuts in road tax evasion rates, will be expected to set up the new rules on uninsured vehicles, before being replaced by a new, specially-recruited workforce’.  The plans would mean more uninsured vehicles remain on our roads, the union says.

Press release ~ Download a copy of the memo 

FSA:  The Agency has updated its list of product ranges that do not contain the 6 food colours associated with possible hyperactivity in young children.  Another 6 manufacturers producing product lines free of the colours have been added to the list: Central Foods Ltd, Dorset Cereals Ltd, Kent Frozen Foods, Norvik Foods Ltd, Stream Foods Ltd and The Authentic Food Company Ltd.

Press release ~ Caterers and restaurants with product ranges free from the six colours ~ Manufacturers with product ranges free from the six colours ~ Retailers with product ranges free from the six colours

FSA:  granoVita UK Ltd is recalling its Nut Luncheon with a ‘best before’ date of 28 June 2013, because of spoilage and possible microbiological contamination. The Food Standards Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.

Press release ~ granoVita UK Ltd recalls a batch of granoVita Nut Luncheon due to spoilage and possible microbiological contamination ~ granoVita UK Ltd

MoD:  Blogging is a communications phenomenon and there are an estimated 200m people who regularly record their thoughts & observations online for others to read & comment on.  Among them is an ever-growing army of military men & women keen to write about their world, sharing their views on everything from Army food, to the fears & satisfaction of serving in a war zone.

It was the appetite of British soldiers, sailors, marines & airmen to share their operational experiences with the rest of the world which prompted the establishment of officially approved bloggers during Operation HERRICK 11 in Autumn 2009.  In July 2010,

British troops in launched their first mass blogging initiative, with scores of men & women posting from the front line on Army, Navy and RAF websites.  See Related Links to visit the Defence Social Media Hub and the 3 Service blogs.

Press release ~ Photos and related links

MoD:  4 teams of Armed forces personnel have set off on a 1,000 mile (1,609km) 'March for Honour' to raise £1m for the Royal British Legion.  Each team aims to walk up to 250 miles (402km) of the 1,000 miles (1,609km) and is dedicating the march to UK Service personnel who have been killed in the and campaigns.

All the teams will pass through Wootton Bassett on Tuesday, 9 November 2010, chosen as a meeting point because it is the town where those killed in are traditionally honoured in a parade when their bodies are repatriated.  The teams will pay their respects to the town and all the attending associations for their unfaltering dedication during repatriation ceremonies.

The teams will march into London on 11 November 2010 to deliver the Book of Remembrance to the Royal Albert Hall for The Royal British Legion's National Festival of Remembrance.

Press release ~ Photos and related links 

TfL:  60 public meetings between London Overground managers & passengers will be held across the network to explain alternative travel options during a series of upcoming closures, Transport for London (TfL) announced last week.

The meetings will be held from mid November to early December at stations on the Stratford to Richmond & Clapham Junction lines, and aim to reduce inconvenience to passengers during the closures. The meetings will explain rail replacement services and ticket acceptance on alternative routes.

Press release (includes dates & locations of meetings).

ScotGov:  A Rural Priorities-funded project which combines a range of farm business, environmental & educational benefits was opened by Rural Secretary, Richard Lochhead last week.  The brainchild of farmer Allan Stevenson, the Luffness Mains project includes new energy efficient farm buildings for grading, processing & cold storing potatoes and storing & drying grain.

The buildings are 60% self-sufficient, using renewable energy from two on-farm wind turbines and include a public room where visitors can learn about Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF).  Other developments on the farm include a mile of new hedgerows and the creation of species-rich grassland to improve local biodiversity and water margins to prevent diffuse pollution.

Press release ~ Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) ~ Luffness Mains project ~ Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF)

DSA:  Facebook users can now get safe driving advice and keep up to date with changes to the driving test.  The Driving Standards Agency has launched a page called 'I can't wait to pass my driving test' and wants learners to become fans.

Press release ~ facebook.com/mydrivingtest

Ofcom:  Viewers who have a high definition service can now watch BBC One in HD following the launch of a new channel.  BBC One HD is available on Freesat channel 108, Freeview channel 50, Sky channel 143 and Virgin Media channel 108.  The BBC says the majority of peak time programmes will be made in HD while those shows made in standard definition (SD) will be ‘upscaled’.

Upscaling means the number of lines in the SD picture is effectively doubled – from 576 to 1080 – to fill the high definition screen, but, as the original material is still SD, the quality of the picture will not be equivalent to HD.

Press release ~ Communications Market Report ~ Freeview website

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