According to the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), final salary pension scheme closures are on the increase. These types of schemes are becoming significantly more expensive to operate and costs are likely to rise. As a result, the rate of decline appears to be picking up, said the NAPF. The Association said 17% of [...]
US pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer has today announced plans to close its Viagra R&D facility in Sandwich, Kent, which will result in the loss of 2,400 jobs. The company said the majority of the staff will be made redundant, however, “several hundred” may be transferred to other Pfizer sites. The move is aimed at saving $1.5 [...]
Pfizer has announced plans to reduce its global headcount by 6,000 over the next five years as part of a major restructure. The company, which is the world’s largest drug maker, said the jobs represent almost a fifth of its workforce and said it will also close manufacturing sites in Ireland and scale back operations [...]
The National Federation of Sub-Postmasters has today warned that 3,000 post offices are at risk of closure. According to George Thomson, the Federation’s general secretary, a ‘double squeeze’ of falling income from Post Office Limited, along with higher staff and utility bills means many post offices are struggling to keep their heads above water. Post [...]
US food giant, Kraft, has been criticised by a group of MPs today after the company pledged to keep open Cadbury’s Somerdale factory in Keynsham, but later decided to close the site following its takeover of the British confectioner. Kraft, which made several hostile bids for Cadbury before shareholders finally agreed to a deal, initially [...]
Barclaycard has today confirmed it is to close its loan centre in Glasgow this summer, which will result in the loss of 350 jobs. The centre, which is located at Academy Park on the city’s south side, deals with loans arranged at the point of sale in shops. Neil Radley, managing director of International Consumer [...]
Marc Firestone, vice-president of US food giant, Kraft, has today appeared before MPs on the Business Select Committee and has apologised for the firm’s pledge to keep open Cadbury’s Keynsham factory. Mr Firestone was questioned by MP’s over the company’s takeover of Cadbury. Kraft completed its takeover of the 186-year-old iconic British confectioner on 2 [...]
Marc Firestone, vice-president of US food giant, Kraft, will appear before MPs on the Business Select Committee today. Mr Firestone will be questioned by MP’s over the company’s takeover of Cadbury. Kraft completed its takeover of the 186-year-old iconic British confectioner on 2 February after a five-month battle. Earlier this month, the US food giant [...]
US food giant, Kraft, is set to be investigated by the City takeover panel about whether it made misleading comments at the time of its takeover of British confectioner, Cadbury. Kraft, which made several hostile bids for Cadbury before shareholders finally agreed to a deal, initially said a takeover of Cadbury would secure UK jobs, [...]
The UK’s second-largest drug maker, AstraZeneca, has announced plans close a research centre near Loughborough, Leicestershire. The drug giant is one of Leicestershire’s major employers and the move will result in the loss of more than 1,000 jobs. Furthermore, a smaller facility in Cambridge is to close and are part of plans to axe 8,000 [...]
Fashion retailer Ethel Austin has been forced to close its doors after failing to attract a buyer. Earlier this month, the Liverpool-based discount clothing retailer, together with its sister company Au Naturale, entered administration for the second time in two years. The group was bought out of administration in 2008 by Elaine McPherson – former [...]
US food giant, Kraft, has confirmed it will close Cadbury’s Somerdale plant near Bristol with the loss of 400 jobs. Cadbury has a UK workforce of 4,500, including 2,500 at its historic Bournville factory in Birmingham and 400 at its headquarters in Uxbridge. The move comes after the 186-year-old iconic British confectioner, renowned for Dairy [...]
Oil giant BP has today posted a 45% fall to £8.75 billion in 2009-annual profit compared with the 2008 year. Meanwhile profit for the fourth quarter of 2009 rose 33% to £2.16 billion ($3.45 billion) compared with the $2.59 billion posted a year earlier, as a result of the recovery in oil prices. However, the [...]
US coffee chain Starbucks has exceeded market expectations by reporting a threefold rise in quarterly profits. The chain posted a net profit of $241.5 million (£148 million) in the final quarter of 2009, compared with $64.3 million in the same period a year ago. Meanwhile, same store US sales grew 4%, their first rise in [...]
Motor parts manufacturer Bosch has announced plans to close its site in Miskin, near Cardiff, in summer 2011 which will result in the loss of approximately 900 jobs. The decision follows three months of consultation and the firm has now decided to recommend complete closure of the plant and is said to be transferring the [...]
Britain’s largest Steelmaker Corus has announced today it is to close its Teesside Cast Products factory by the end of January, leaving 1,700 people jobless. The steel giant announced 3,500 job losses (with 2,000 in the UK) back in June and has been hit by a slump in demand. It produces 20 million tonnes of [...]
The Land Registry has today reported a rise in house prices in England and Wales in September. According to the Registry, house prices rose by 0.9% in September compared with August putting the average cost of a home at £158,377. It must be noted that the Land Registry compiles its data from completed transactions and [...]
Dairy Crest has become the latest company to announce it will close its final salary pension scheme to existing members, having closed the scheme to new employees in 2006. The group, which is one of the UK’s largest milk firms and makes brands such as Country Life and Clover butter, Davidstow cheese and Frijj flavoured [...]
Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed it is to shut one of its sites in the West Midlands due to a restructure of its operations. The group will decide next year whether it will close its Castle Bromwich plant in Birmingham or its Range Rover factory in Solihull. While the closure of the plant is not [...]
M&S Money launches 3% cash ISA
M&S Money has launched an Advantage Cash ISA paying 3 per cent, and which allows transfers in from other ISAs. It can be opened with a minimum deposit of £100 lump sum followed by minimum monthly deposits of £25. The 3% rate is variable, but there is no short-term bonus so the return won’t plummet [...]
Google suspends UK Compare Mortgages site
Google has closed its UK mortgage comparison site which it launched in July last year, after it proved to be less popular than expected. Mortgage comparison sites are designed to allow visitors to compare mortgages quickly and easily without having to visit each lender’s individual site. Google was competing with several well-established comparison sites, including [...]
AA launches ‘black-box’ policy for young drivers
The AA is launching an innovative car insurance policy called Drivesafe which could help younger drivers save up to £850 a year. Younger drivers already pay substantially higher premiums than other motorists and these costs are increasing. A new study by Confused.com suggests insurance costs for younger driver have gone up by 5.7 per cent [...]
ATOL scheme updated to protect online bookers
ATOL, a financial protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, is being extended to protect up to six million more holidays a year. The scheme ensures that holiday makers do not lose out financially if a travel company collapses, and that they are not stranded abroad. An increase in the number of holidays booked [...]
Home repossessions lowest for four years
The number of UK homes repossessed fell to 36,200 in 2011, significantly below the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ forecast of 40,000, and lower than 2010 when 37,100 homes were repossessed. With interest rates remaining low and lenders adopting a sympathetic attitude to customers in financial difficulty, repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007. However, [...]
Monthly pay lasting just 17 days
Workers are running out of money just 17 days after receiving their monthly pay, according to new research by the Halifax bank. This means that the average UK worker spends half the month worrying about money. The study, based on the responses of more than 2,000 adults, found that 10 per cent of workers start [...]
Women disadvantaged by auto-enrolment changes
Government proposals to increase the auto-enrolment threshold to £10,000 could put 1.8 million women at risk of missing out on a pension, the TUC has warned. Under the auto-enrolment scheme, which will be phased in from October, private sector employers will automatically enrol workers between the age of 22 years and the state pension age, [...]
Emergency household repairs company Homeserve is taking longer than expected to get back on track after its operations were suspended last October. The company expected customer numbers to fall by 5% this year but it has increased this estimate to 8% and announced the loss of 200 jobs. It estimates that renewal revenue in 2013 [...]
Sale rumoured for Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks
There is growing speculation that National Australia Bank (NAB) may sell Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank after the Australian parent company announced a strategic review of the two banks’ operations. The Australian economy is performing well and NAB reported strong profits for the final quarter of 2011 but with the UK economy at a virtual [...]
More women experiencing debt difficulties
Women in Debt, which offers female-focused debt advice, has warned that the number of UK women facing serious debt has grown significantly over recent years. The organisation believes that more women will need advice on solving debt problems in the future because they are building up an unsustainable level of indebtedness. Women in Debt’s director, [...]
About | Privacy | Disclaimer | Resources | XML Feeds | Press Releases | Directory | Contact us
