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UK Edition
3rd May 2024
 
THE HOT STORY
Unions warn Labour against watering down rights
Trade unions have warned Labour not to dilute its package of workers' rights. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said that crossing a red line would occur if the party does not fully commit to delivering its 'New Deal for Working People.' The plan, proposed by Angela Rayner in 2021, includes radical changes such as banning zero-hour contracts, ensuring regular hours for 12 weeks or more, and making flexible working a right from day one. Shadow ministers are discussing how to address concerns and are expected to seek union approval for the revised plan.
WORKFORCE
Gen Z realise work doesn’t pay anymore
Writing in City AM, Dr Eliza Filby, a generations expert and author of Inheritocracy, argues that Generation Z are not lazy, as many commentators assert, but realise that corporate wages do not bring anything like the rewards they did for older colleagues. “We are in an asset-driven economy where wealth is supported but work is penalised,” Filby suggests. “This reinforces the wealth of the older generations and is creating disillusioned young people across the income scale.” The Telegraph also carries a piece on Gen Z, asking if young people are shunning the wild nights out of the past because they're simply not interested or because they can no longer afford it. According to a 2023 survey by Deloitte, the cost of living ranks as the foremost concern among Gen Zers worldwide. Michael Kill, of the Night Time Industries Association, believes attributing the decline in young people going out is less about a rumoured return to puritanism and more likely the pressure of inflation on young people.
REMOTE WORKING
Is remote work good for women?
Writing in the FT, Soumaya Keynes crunches the numbers on the impact of remote work on women and men's productivity, and whether it could help to close the gender wage gap.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Scottish government urged to prioritise women and girls' equality
A new report by the National Advisory Council on Women and Girl's (NACWG) highlights the lack of gender equality in policymaking within the Scottish government. The report calls for greater accountability and prioritisation of women and girls' equality. It stresses the need for an accountability culture, improved data collection, coherent cross-government prioritisation, and recognition of gender equality in local services.
MANAGEMENT
Tesla's top HR executive departs
Tesla's top human resources executive, Allie Arebalo, has left the company, joining a handful of other senior leaders that have recently departed. It is unclear whether Arebalo was let go as part of broader job cuts or if she stepped down. Tesla has been slashing jobs across the organisation, targeting a staff reduction of about 20%. Arebalo, one of the most senior women at the company, had been in her role since February 2023 and worked for Tesla for about six years. Musk and Arebalo didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
REMUNERATION
Goldman Sachs to scrap bonus cap for London-based staff
Goldman Sachs is to remove a cap on bonuses for its London-based staff, bringing its remuneration policy in Britain in line with its operations elsewhere in the world. The move paves the way for the bank to resume making multimillion pound payouts to its best-performing traders and dealmakers. “This approach gives us greater flexibility to manage fixed costs through the cycle and pay for performance,” Goldman said in a statement. “It brings the UK closer to the practice in other global financial centres, to support the UK as an attractive venue for talent.”
Lawyer salaries stagnate as inflation soars
Lawyer salaries, particularly in the City, have been increasing since the pandemic, but the rate of growth is slowing. According to a report by Realm Recruit, pay for legal professionals has only increased by an average of 2% since last year, failing to keep up with inflation. However, there are some positive developments, with salaries rising for lawyers with four to six years' post-qualified experience, especially in private family law and Court of Protection work. Partners specialising in catastrophic personal injury, general litigation, and private client work are seeing increases of up to 15%. 
LEGAL
Interns tasked with reviewing potential wrongful convictions in major case review
Interns have been assigned the task of reviewing potential wrongful convictions for rape and murder in a major case review prompted by Andrew Malkinson's exoneration. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has announced a forensic trawling exercise to identify cases that could be sent for further DNA testing. However, concerns have been raised about the use of interns for such a serious review. The CCRC has limited the scope of the exercise to rape and murder convictions, leaving out about 8,000 other potential miscarriages of justice. The review has also been criticized for not involving forensic scientists until the final phase.
Black cab drivers sue Uber for £250m over licence claims
London's black cab drivers have filed a £250m lawsuit against Uber, alleging that the company unlawfully obtained a licence from the transport authorities. The claim, brought on behalf of nearly 11,000 traditional London taxi drivers, accuses Uber of misleading Transport for London (TfL) to obtain its licence. The drivers also claim that Uber's intention was to gain market share unlawfully and take business from existing black cab drivers. Uber launched in London in 2012 and successfully appealed TfL's refusal to issue a private hire operator licence in 2017.
Law change to allow malicious complaints to be deleted
The government has said it will bring forward proposals to ensure that malicious complaints lodged with social services and other agencies can be deleted, the Times reports. The move was driven in the wake of a harassment campaign against Labour MP Stella Creasy. Vexatious complaints about Ms Creasy were made to Waltham Forest Council, which subsequently said it was barred by law from deleting the complaint from her record even after her harasser was convicted. The government, which had resisted Ms Creasy's call for an amendment to the Victims Bill, has now said it will address the issue.
INTERNATIONAL
Stellantis cuts costs by hiring engineers in lower-cost countries
Stellantis is recruiting a majority of its engineering workforce in lower-cost countries such as Morocco, India, and Brazil to contend with cheaper Chinese electric vehicles and slower demand. The carmaker is cutting costs to make more affordable vehicles and is seeking savings by hiring engineers in countries where the cost per employee is significantly lower than in hubs like Paris and Detroit, and it aims to have roughly two-thirds of its engineers in lower-cost countries in the long term. Western carmakers, including premium automakers like BMW, are also adding white-collar jobs in countries like India to tap local talent. The strategy is expected to add expertise in areas such as software, artificial intelligence, and battery-cell chemistries. However, the push to hire engineers in lower-cost countries has caused some development problems, requiring engineers from France and Italy to fix local issues.
Saudi activist sentenced to 11 years in prison for supporting women's rights
Saudi Arabia has sentenced women's rights activist Manahel al-Otaibi to 11 years in prison for criticising laws in the kingdom. The 29-year-old fitness instructor was arrested in November 2022 and sentenced by a counterterrorism court in January. Her charges were related to her choice of clothing and expression of her views online, including calling for an end to Saudi Arabia's male guardianship system. Otaibi had been a supporter of reforms brought in by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. However, the country still has laws that discriminate against women in marriage and divorce. The reforms have drawn criticism from human rights groups, and the government continues to crack down on critics and female activists. This is not the first time a Saudi court has handed down harsh sentences to those who criticise the government. Despite Prince Mohammed's acknowledgment of bad laws, it remains unclear why he has not taken action to end such sentences.
Robots are tasked with revolutionising the meat processing industry
Remote-controlled droids are now herding cattle and robots are handling various tasks in meatpacking plants across the US. However, the automation of the most profitable task in the industry - slicing carcasses - has been slower due to the precision required. Recent advancements in machine learning, computer vision, and artificial intelligence are changing this. Tyson Foods has developed a robotic chicken breast deboner that is more efficient than human workers, while Cargill has installed saw lines using a 3D vision system to separate meat from bone. Meat processors are investing heavily in automation projects: Tyson plans to invest $1.3bn in automation over the next three years.
OTHER
Teenage girls' popularity linked to lack of sleep
Scientists have found that popular teenage girls are more likely to experience insomnia symptoms and sleep less than their peers, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Sleep. The study, which investigated a sample of over 1,300 Swedish teenagers aged 14 to 18, found that popular girls reported shorter sleep duration and more difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep. Interestingly, the negative impact on sleep was observed both before and after the advent of smartphones. The researchers suggest that the gender disparities in sleep patterns might be related to the types of friendships girls and boys tend to have at that age. These findings add to the growing body of evidence that school schedules are not accommodating teenagers' sleep needs. "Teenagers are arguably the most sleep deprived population throughout the lifespan," said Serena Bauducco, a sleep researcher at Örebro University. The study highlights the importance of adequate sleep for teenage girls' mental health and school performance.
 


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