Latest news with #UniteUnion
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Top Birmingham Council commissioner's firm selling £46 scented candles as bins strike rumbles on
Embattled Birmingham Council's new top commissioner is a director of a company which sold £46 scented candles – as the city battles with the stench of the long-running bins strike. Tony McArdle was appointed lead commissioner of the cash-strapped local authority this week. But it's been revealed the £1,200-a-day chief and his wife own a boutique selling posh homeware, reports MirrorOnline.. READ MORE: Birmingham's new troubleshooting council commissioner will keep Nottingham job Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp, click the link to join He is a director of Santa Maria, which offers wellbeing goods. Among products discovered on sale this week were £46 Berry Voyage and Rose Republic scented candles. An item description of the Berry Voyage candle stated: 'Sensual and heady, Berry Voyage captures intrepid expeditions in the Adriatic, arboretum gardens and coastal reveries. "The fresh notes of sun-ripened fruit berries, green Sichuan pepper berries and exotic Stargazer lily petals perfectly balanced by rich and purifying elements of Palo Santo," the description added. In contrast, this week it emerged fly-tipping reports in Birmingham had almost doubled since industrial action – with enforcement teams stretched to capacity. Members of the Unite union have been on an all-out strike since March in a dispute over pay, leading to bags of rubbish piling up across the city's streets. Last month it was reported many had complained the heatwave worsened the situation in the city. The stench from overflowing bins was said to be forcing some to put extra bags around already-bagged rubbish in a bid to contain the smell. One resident told the BBC: 'My neighbour can't open her windows because the piles of rubbish are near where she lives, and the flies, it's a fly-fest." And another added: 'We have to hold our nose every time we step out [of the house].' Meanwhile, a social media post by Santa Maria earlier this year said: 'Welcome to Santa Maria Boutique, where timeless elegance meets modern wellbeing. "From beautifully curated homeware to luxury holiday essentials, every piece in our boutique is carefully selected to bring a touch of indulgence into your life. "Think European-inspired kimonos, artisan skincare, hand-poured candles, and stylish sunglasses - the perfect combination of sophistication and relaxation. "Whether you're shopping for a special piece or just want to browse, our boutique is your destination for elevated living." Other items found this week for sale online at Santa Maria – which has a website and shop in Lincoln – included £28 lanterns, £43 gemstone lights and £45 throws. In the wellbeing section, goods included £79 purity paste, £18 vanilla afterglow solid perfume balm and £70 wake-up droplets. Some of Santa Maria's products, including the candles, later disappeared from the shop's website after being spotted this week. Santarosa Ltd, understood to be the firm behind Santa Maria, is owned by Mr McArdle and his wife via Priora Consulting Ltd. Mr McArdle said: "Alongside my wife, I am listed as the director of a small business based in Lincoln. "This is my wife's business, and I am not involved in its day-to-day operation.' Birmingham City Council declared effective bankruptcy in 2023, with government commissioners brought in to run it. A council spokesperson said: "Tony McCardle is a well-respected figure in local government, with experience in interventions including as the Lead Commissioner in Nottingham and Chair of the London Borough of Croydon Improvement and Assurance Panel, but has also served as Chief Executive of Lincolnshire County Council and Wellingborough Council. "We are very keen to continue the pace of progress and ensure it does not slow down during the change. We look forward to working closely with him in the months ahead." The council added: '...since the council secured a court order on 23 May to prevent picketers from blocking vehicles from leaving the depots, we have been able to deploy our contingency for waste collection. "This contingency for waste collection has been broadly held since 23 May, with residents receiving a waste collection once per week. "The initial backlog of waste caused by strike action has been cleared.' A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'Tony McArdle OBE brings a range of experience to the role of lead commissioner at Birmingham City Council, having been a well-respected council chief executive who also led interventions at other authorities. "The department has established processes in place to manage conflicts of interests, and we are confident Tony is the best person for this role and will make a significant contribution to Birmingham's ongoing improvement. "Our priority is to continue supporting the council in its recovery, including assisting with the successful efforts to keep the city's streets clean amid the ongoing industrial action.'
The Sun
22-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
BrewDog to close TEN bars as staff given ‘three days' notice'
BREWDOG is set to shut ten bars across the UK - and it's claimed staff have been given just three days' notice. Union officials have blasted bosses at the Scottish pub chain on social media following claims staff are set to be axed at several locations. 2 2 Staff were told today that several flagship stores across the country would be closing for good - starting as early as this Friday. Unite Union claims that workers impacted have only been given three days' notice before losing their jobs. The locations of the affected bars include two in Scotland and eight in England. Among those are some of the venues that are "woven into the history" of the firm, including Aberdeen, which was BrewDog's first ever bar, and Camden, their first bar in London. The full list includes: Aberdeen Flagship (Gallowgate) Brighton Camden Dundee Leeds North Street Oxford Sheffield Shepherds Bush Shoreditch York Details on the number of potential jobs that could be lost as a result of the closures are unknown at this stage. However, bosses at BrewDog have said they are undergoing an appropriate consultation process with all affected staff which will last a minimum of two weeks. They added that there will be one-to-one meetings with every member of staff who is at risk of redundancy. But they confirmed that "every effort will be made to made to redeploy as many members of staff as possible." Unite Hospitality shared the news with a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. It read: "Brew Dog have announced that they are closing 10 flagship bars from Aberdeen to Camden, as soon as THIS FRIDAY! "In what universe is THREE DAYS a morally (or legally) acceptable notice period for a proper redundancy consultation for the workers impacted?!" A statement from CEO James Taylor was posted on the shareholders' forum announcing that closures come as part of a "strategic review". He explained that the firm has "faced continued challenges" in the UK, including "rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures", which have resulted in the closures. He said: "Despite our best efforts, it has simply not been possible to find a formula to make these bars viable due to their size, location and other limiting factors." Taylor added: "Keeping them open would put pressure on the wider business, making it harder to invest where we know we can grow. "This decision is not simply a response to the challenging UK hospitality market but a proactive decision to redefine the bar division's focus. "This is not a decision we've taken lightly. But as we evolve BrewDog into a more focused and sustainable business, we've had to be honest about where we are - and where we're heading". In an internal note shared amongst staff, Taylor said: "To everyone who worked in these bars, and every customer who supported them - thank you. These bars helped make BrewDog what it is today, and we're grateful for your support over the years." BrewDog has been contacted for comment by The Scottish Sun. BrewDog, based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, was co-founded by tycoons James Watt and Martin Dickie in 2007. And it is popular with punters for its innovative and often provocative approach to craft beer. Watt stepped down from his CEO role in the major pub chain back in May 2024 after 17 years. He handed it over to chief operating officer James Arrow as the "business pushes forward into the next phase of growth". But Arrow also stepped down from the role in March earlier this year due to "personal reasons". News of the closures comes after the beer giants started the new year by axing six bars. The wave of closures in January came after the Scottish firm's latest accounts revealed it lost a record £63 million. At the time, bosses said the shutters would come down at three venues in Europe, one in China and another two in England. It was the third year in a row Brewdog has closed boozers. CEO James Arrow broke the grim news to staff and shareholders. He said: 'As you will be very aware, the hospitality sector has faced unprecedented challenges over the last few years – both in the UK and around the world. 'And whilst our bar estate has been very resilient, we've not been immune, and some locations have felt the impact more acutely than others. 'Unfortunately, we recently made the tough decision to close four of our international bars. "Our focus has been on liaising with affected teams and finding them alternative locations where possible.' is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
BAE eyes orders for 150 more Eurofighter Typhoon jets amid union concern over jobs
Up to 150 more Eurofighter Typhoon jets are set to be ordered before the end of the decade in a boost for defence manufacturer BAE Systems, the company revealed yesterday. The firm is 'confident' the Government will succeed in brokering orders with Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia for two-thirds of the aircraft, which will be assembled in the UK. A further 30 planes are due to be ordered by the Polish air force and assembled by Italian defence manufacturer Leonardo, and the remaining jets purchased by Germany and Italy. But 37 per cent of the component parts for all those planes would be made in Britain too, under the Eurofighter's partnership agreement. The extra orders would come on top of 112 Typhoons already in production in Germany and Italy from existing deals. Richard Hamilton, managing director for BAE's Europe and International air sector, said he was 'highly confident' of the likelihood of the additional orders materialising. It comes after concern from the Unite union – representing staff at BAE's Warton Aerodrome and Samlesbury sites in Lancashire – that orders under the Eurofighter project could dry up and threaten jobs. Earlier this month, Unite revealed assembly lines for the aircraft at Warton had ground to a halt due to a lack of new orders, leading to 'hundreds of workers' being transferred to other BAE factories or to RAF bases. BAE shares yesterday slipped 1.5 per cent, or 28p, to 1882.5p.
BBC News
12-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Newscast Labour v The Unions
Today, the leader of the Unite union says Labour is not defending working people and they are turning away from the party "in droves". Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was yesterday suspended by the union - and Unite's General Secretary Sharon Graham says Labour should be 'seriously concerned' after the union voted to potentially rethink its relationship with the party, which could result in it formally cutting ties and funding. And Paddy and Laura give an update on what we know what happened to the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people in June. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast'. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@ or send us a whatsapp on +44 0330 123 9480. New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O'Connell. It was made by Chris Gray with Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The social producers were Sophie Millward. The technical producer was Antonio Fernandes. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
BBC News
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Nottingham MP 'troubled' by harassment claims at Nottingham Rock City
A Nottingham MP said she was "deeply troubled" by allegations of sexual harassment and health and safety breaches at Rock City. Nadia Whittome, who represents Nottingham East, shared a letter to the music venue and its operator DHP Family on Friday, saying staff had raised "serious concerns" about working conditions. The Labour MP urged management to deal with staff members' concerns collectively, writing on behalf of the Unite a statement, DHP family said it had responded to the union and to those directly involved and was engaging with the grievance process "constructively". Whittome said in her letter: "I have spoken to staff members at Rock City and have seen the collective grievance. "I am deeply troubled by its contents, including allegations of serious breaches of health and safety, sexual harassment and poor conditions of employment."She added it was her understanding DHP had "refused" a request to deal with the staff concerns collectively and that there was "no union recognition with Unite at Rock City". The famous music venue opened in 1980 and is considered a big part of the city's cultural Family confirmed it had received Whittome's letter and its managing director George Akins had its statement, the independent operator said it was built on "close relationships with the people who run [its] venues day-to-day."It added: "Our focus remains on staying true to our values, listening carefully, and ensuring Rock City continues to be a place people are proud to work. "We continue to invite all staff who have any issues to take up the opportunity to work with us - our door remains open."We've responded directly to those involved as well as to Unite and are engaging with the process constructively."Any suggestions that we are ignoring or dismissing what's been raised are completely untrue."
