Day: August 1, 2021

Avoca-DOH! Which foods go rotten the quickest?

Products to avoid, and how to shop better

British households are wasting millions of pounds every year because they’ve bought fresh products which have gone bad by the time they get round to eating them.

According to one British food waste and recycling company, it doesn’t have to be that way if we avoid certain products, only buy them when needed, or just shop better.

Food waste collection company BusinessWaste.co.uk says that millennial favourite that is the avocado leads the way with its depressing habit of being too tough to eat one minute it before becomes a squishy mess the next.

“But if we change our shopping and eating habits, we can avoid this enormous waste,” says Business Waste spokesperson Mark Hall.

“And frankly, I can go without smashed avo on toast.”

Top ten of wasted food

We looked at expert research, as well as asking customers about their personal experiences, and have come up with this list of shame. These are the top ten products that British consumers are wasting the most, in listicle form:

  1. Avocados – The trickster gods of fresh foods. The day science discovers the key to preserving avocados for more than 30 seconds, the better.
  2. Berries – You’ve said it: “It’s nice and warm, let’s have strawberries and cream!” Then you forget about the strawberries or raspberries you’ve bought, and before you know it, they’re a brightly coloured smear at the bottom of the fridge.
  3. Milk – Tricky devils, milk. You don’t know that two litre carton has gone off until you pour it into your tea and it comes out as lumps of yoghurt. Thanks for nothing, milk.
  4. Meat – This one could actually kill you if you don’t pay attention. With a shelf life of only a few days, wasted beef, chicken and pork goes into the bin more frequently than you dare admit.
  5. Bananas – The avocado’s apprentice. You buy them a bit green so that they can ripen up at home, then BANG – fit for nothing but tasty cake recipes.
  6. Fresh fruit juice – We forget the fresh juice has a much shorter shelf life than the long-life stuff. The clue’s in the name, and so is the smell of wonky cider when you open the apple juice after it’s gone over.
  7. Grated cheese – Why are you buying grated cheese? It goes off quicker than a block of cheddar, and you’re just making the grater in your utensil drawer sad.
  8. Apples and pears – You buy them because it’s one of your five a day, knowing full well that they’ll actually form none of your five a day, and will end up looking like the back of your granny’s hands within a fortnight.
  9. Carrots – Go to your fridge. Go now. There’s a carrot in the veg drawer you can bend into a full circle, isn’t there? The same goes for all vegetables, but this is a top ten, otherwise this list will reach down to the centre of the Earth. Top tip: Only buy the veg you’re going to eat
  10. Mushrooms – The only consolation is that they’re small enough not to take up mushroom (much room!) in your bin when you throw them out.

There’s a serious side to this, says BusinessWaste.co.uk’s Mark Hall, and it’s that we’re addicted to “over-shopping” – the habit of buying everything we fancy in the so-called ‘big shop’ which many people are now stretching out to last a fortnight.

“Then we’re surprised that the chicken you’ve bought for next Sunday’s roast is smelling like the bottom of a bin,” says Hall, “And instead of just changing your dinner plans, you should be thinking why that bird’s gone off.”

Changing your shopping habits

British households waste around 4.5 million tons of food every year, or approximately 7% of the food we buy. That adds up to £700 per family, annually.

“If you don’t want that £700, I’d quite happily take it off your hands,” says Mark Hall, “but I expect you’d rather keep it through better meal planning and shopping management.”

While it may not be a suitable solution for everybody, the easiest way to prevent food wastage is to plan ahead, then shop often, shop local, and buy less as a result.

But the problem remains: We’ve got so used to anonymous internet shopping where the product is reduced to an idealised picture on a screen, we’ve lost touch with simple skills like portion sizing, and buying sufficient supplies for your family.

“If you’re not pushing that trolley around the supermarket, how do you know when you’ve bought too much?” says Hall. “Convenience is leading to massive waste, and we need to stop and take a look at our habits.”

The Farmer’s Dog partners with DogLost in “missing” campaign

The Farmer’s Dog has partnered with DogLost, a voluntary organisation helping stolen and missing dog owners, by launching a “missing” campaign reminiscent of the missing children milk carton campaign used in the USA in the 1980s.

The Farmer’s Dog UK, a raw dog food company, will affix stickers with the profiles of six missing dogs produced by DogLost onto their mail order boxes.

Customers are invited to take a picture of the sticker and share on their social media channels to digitally help the search for the missing dogs. The stickers will be changed at the end of each month, so in a year The Farmer’s Dog will highlight seventy-two stolen and long-term missing dogs.

Since the beginning of the pandemic the demand for four-legged friends has risen exponentially with workers and families spending more time at home and lacking social interaction. In the first six months of lockdown, it was estimated that 2m dogs were purchased within the UK.

This increase in demand has led to a rise in dog thefts, with the most sought-after breeds selling into the thousands of pounds.

DogLost, run solely by volunteers, have been overwhelmed with requests by grief-stricken owners who have reported their canine companions either lost or stolen. Penalties for dog-theft remain low so thieves are becoming more brazen with reports of dogs stolen from outside shops and even direct from owner’s gardens.

DogLost recommend the below five theft prevention tips to help safeguard against dog theft during the summer holidays:

· Microchip your dog – microchipping is now required by law. This ensures that your dog can easily be identified and returned to you if they get lost or stolen.

· Social media settings – consider making your social media accounts private as thieves can easily identify targets through these channels.

· Stay alert – beware of strangers and do not let your dog off the lead unless you are sure that they will return.

· Security – make sure your garden is secure and that any gates are locked or have an alarm. Do not leave your dog outside alone for any length of time.

· Insure your dog – and consider policies that include ‘missing pet cover’

Brian Balston, The Farmer’s Dog commented: “The Farmer’s Dog are excited to launch our “missing” campaign with DogLost, a voluntary organisation which does incredible work in returning dogs to their owners.

“We have a nationwide customer base of dedicated dog owners; we are excited to be working with DogLost and we hope that our collaboration helps dogs returned to their rightful owners.”

Justine Quirk of DogLost said: “With dog ownership in the UK at an all-time high, unfortunately so is dog theft. Last year we had 465 reported thefts and to date in 2021 we have had 254 reported stolen.

“We are delighted that The Farmer’s Dog came to us with their “missing” campaign concept which, with the benefit of social media, can only help us in our mission to reunite stolen dogs with their owners.”

www.thefarmersdog.uk 

www.doglost.co.uk

Briggs: SNP Ministers must get a move on with Hillend Junction

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has said that SNP Ministers need to get a move on in delivering improvement works at Hillend junction, to make the junction safer.

A road survey in 2019 recorded over 5,500 “conflicts” at the junction over a four day period and made a number of recommendations to improve safety at the junction, including an option to reconstruct the junction for £5 million.

Written Answers from Michael Matheson, Graeme Dey’s predecessor, at the end of last year stated that :

‘We are continuing to engage with Midlothian Council on further analysis of options aimed at reducing conflict at the A702/A703/Old Pentland Road junction. These potentially involve prohibition of certain movements and / or traffic signalisation, and we are currently discussing the output of traffic modelling with the council prior to finalising a preferred option.

‘We are continuing to analyse a number of options around signalisation and prohibition of movements in order to understand the wider impacts of this on the surrounding local and trunk road network. This is a complex task, which aims to balance the need to reduce conflict at this location along with minimising any reduction in operational performance of the A702 corridor. It is expected that this work will be concluded in summer 2021.‘

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “SNP Ministers really need to get a move on making Hillend Junction safe, because it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.

“It is now well over two years since I met the previous Transport Secretary at the junction to highlight how hazardous the junction is and approaching two years since the survey, with recommendations, was carried out.

“It is important we get a decision soon on which option to proceed with, so that works can begin to make Hillend Junction safer.”

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip: Peel-to-Stem

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Peel-to-Stem

In the UK, it is estimated that we waste 6.6million tonnes of food each year, with 4.5million tonnes of that being edible food. “Peel-to-Stem” or “Root-to-Stem” is a growing food trend that focuses on using the parts of fruits and vegetables that we wouldn’t typically eat, such as the leaves, skins, seeds, and stalks.

Quite often, we may throw away and waste parts of fruits and vegetables such as the skins, but quite often, these parts can actually be the most nutritious.

For example, vegetables and potatoes consumed with their skins on can contain more fibre than without the skins, and a lot of nutrients found within fruits are contained in or just under the skin. Increasing your fibre intake can help to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Here are some quick and easy ways that you can use the edible trimmings from fruits and vegetables:

  • Make your own vegetable stock by simmering peelings from spring onions, carrots, and parsnips; and add celery leaves/tips to add flavour to soups, stews, and ramens
  • Make cauliflower crisps by baking slices of cauliflower at 200 degrees Celsius for 20-25minutes until they have crisped up.
  • Cut broccoli and cauliflower stems into batons and add to a stir fry to bulk out the vegetables; adding one of your five-a-day.
  • Don’t throw the seeds away from your pumpkins; remove any stringy bits from the seeds, wash, and bake at 180 degree Celsius for 10minutes for a tasty snack.
  • Make potato wedges with the skins on to add fibre to your homemade wedges, just give the potatoes a good wash first.
  • If you have any citrus fruit peelings left over from oranges, lemons, or limes; use these to make a favourable citrus marmalade; or add to water with ice cubes or crushed ice to make a refreshing glass of flavoured water.

Bright future for Victoria Primary School as community hub at the Heart of Newhaven

The community of Newhaven is celebrating this week after the Scottish Land Fund announced that it was awarding an exciting new community-led project the funds to purchase an old Victorian school and turn it into a vibrant new community hub.

The Heart of Newhaven Community, (HoNC) a  recently-formed local charity, can now go ahead with the purchase of Victoria Primary School, currently the oldest working primary school in Edinburgh but due to move to new premises in the autumn.

The charity had previously won the right to purchase the building from the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) under the Community Asset Transfer scheme, on the back of its “robust business plan”, but plans were delayed as Covid hit the construction works at the new school.

The award of £792,000 in the latest round of SLF grants will now enable the purchase to go ahead although the buildings themselves will not be available until the pupils move.

The local community has been the prime mover in the whole project, ever since it was announced that the school would be relocating.

Public meetings and consultations were held to find out what could be done with the site, a Newhaven landmark since 1844, and it was decided that as the area had no central focal point, the buildings could be converted into just such a hub, serving the needs of the community while also saving the iconic building from conversion into flats or even demolition.

Following the first public meetings, a steering group of local volunteers was set up and this eventually converted into the board of HoNC, the Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SC049919) in February 2020. They were responsible for the application to CEC, the business plan, and all the other necessary documents and applications, including that to the SLF.

HoNC Chairman, Rodney Matthews was delighted when the news of the funding was announced. “This news is even better than we hoped at the time of our original application long before the set-backs we have experienced over the past 18 months,” he said.

“We have been granted a total of £792,000 which will cover the purchase price agreed with CEC and help cover some initial developmental costs.

“This will enable us to sign a contract with the City of Edinburgh Council to give us vacant possession of the site as soon as the children have moved into their new school in Western Harbour.   While that date is still unknown we are now able to move confidently forward with plans for what can now safely be called The Heart.

“Watch this space will now really apply to a much loved icon of Newhaven,” he added. 

The Gothic style listed building includes a relatively unchanged interior including original dado panelling, cast iron banisters and stone stairs and a double height hall, but the playground contains a modern, purpose-built addition in the form of the Anchor Building which opened in 2014 after the exciting discovery under the playground of the skeleton of someone who may have been a 16th century pirate.

The new community hub will provide much needed pre-school childcare facilities, work spaces for local artists, a heritage suite and various rooms for the use of community groups.

The threefold theme of Culture & Heritage and Learning & Enterprise uniting in contributing to Health & Wellbeing, aims to encourage various local partnership organisations and other charities to collaborate together on projects and activities which will create a safe centre for all generations to enjoy the space together.

During lockdown and while awaiting the SLF decision, the charity has moved forward with various community projects.

“Partnership working and collaboration with other local organisations is a critical element of our approach,” says Project Coordinator Judy Crabb. 

“We have already started to build important relationships with like-minded organisations through a series of small intergenerational projects including working with Mens Shed of Leith, Pilmeny Development Project, and local artist Johnathan Elders to create Friendship Benches to go in the grounds of the Heart.

“Other initiatives include Pots of Newhaven kindness – pots sown with seeds to produce edible plants given by children from Victoria Primary School to local, housebound older people.”

As part of their campaign, the charity held a Crowdfunding appeal earlier this year and raised their initial target of £5,000 (match-funding for architect-led community workshops to decide the use of the various spaces within the buildings on the site,) in only three weeks.

“This is a brilliant project that will deliver huge community benefits. It’s well thought-out and is being impressively well-organised,” said one anonymous donor.

heartofnewhaven.co.uk

Victoria Primary School history

(Taken from the school’s centenary pamphlet issued in 1944)

At an unknown date before 1800, a schoolmaster was employed by the Ancient Society of Free Fishermen to educate the boys of Newhaven. They met in a house belonging to this society. There was a weekly fee for each pupil, but orphans could attend for free. 

In 1822 the Rev. Dr. Ireland (minister of North Leith Parish Church) formed a committee which became known as the Hillhousefield, Bonnington and Newhaven Local Sabbath Evening School Society. They were keen to promote religious instruction amongst children and made efforts to include girls in this as well as boys.

Not everyone in the area could afford the Free Fishermen’s fee-paying school and the illiteracy of the local children was problematic when it came time to employ them, so the Sabbath Evening School Society decided to open a Day School for boys, located in Newhaven. In 1823, the Free Fishermen handed the management of their school over to them, and the Sabbath Evening School Society changed their name to the Newhaven Education Society. 

Within a year they had extended their school to accept girls and then infants. A Ladies’ Committee formed to oversee the running of these schools, but it soon merged with the main society.

In 1844, the Newhaven Education Society (then headed by Rev. Dr. Buchanan of North Leith) secured the feu of the ground where Victoria School was built. The original building was small and could not accommodate all of Newhaven’s children, and so four other schools sprang up in the area. Over the years Victoria School was extended until it could cater for all the children, and these other schools closed.

Victoria School, now known as Victoria Primary School, is Edinburgh’s oldest working school. The original building was built in 1844 and was extended in 1866, 1875, 1884 and 1897. The first headmaster was Alexander Ingram (1844 until 1876).

As well as being a school, it was used as a church for older parishioners who couldn’t walk as far as the North Leith Parish Church every week and was also used as a Sunday School. When its management was taken over by the Leith School Board in 1874 (Newhaven was part of the Burgh of Leith at this point), one of the conditions attached was that it would remain in service as a church. 

N.B. (Not in the original pamphlet) – The school was in fact used as a church, as mentioned above, in much more recent times. When Newhaven Church on Craighhall Road was being redeveloped between 2004 and 2006 and the congregation was not able to use the buildings, Sunday morning worship took place regularly in the school.

Seven-in-10 drivers would like lower motorway speed limits in wet weather


246 people killed or seriously injured on UK motorways each year when roads are wet

Nearly three-quarters of drivers (72%) would like to see the standard 70mph speed limit on motorways reduced in wet weather to improve road safety and encourage better driving habits, RAC research has found.

Of 2,100 drivers surveyed, a third (33%) said the limit should be reduced to 60mph in the wet, while 7% think it should be cut to 65mph. Seventeen per cent of drivers would like an even lower limit of 55mph or even 50mph, while 14% would like to see the limit cut but aren’t sure by how much.

The RAC understands France is currently the only country in Europe to have speed limits that are reduced during inclement weather, with the 130km/h (80mph) limit reduced to 110km/h (68mph – a reduction of around 12mph).

While there are significantly more motorway fatalities in France, 806 people were still killed or seriously injured on motorways in Great Britain in 2019, with around a 30% of these casualties (246) occurring when the road surface was damp, wet or flooded – a figure higher than four years earlier (208).

Official figures also show that wet roads and drivers travelling too fast for the conditions were respectively the cause of some 259 and 242 motorway collisions in 2018.

Of the reasons given by drivers who advocate lower motorway speed limits in the wet, 78% said they felt lower limits would encourage some drivers to slow down, while 72% believed it might save lives, so is worth trying.

Two-thirds (65%) said slower speeds might improve visibility with less spray from moving vehicles, and half (53%) felt it would reduce overall vehicle speeds, even if some people ignored the lower limit.

Among the fifth of drivers (21%) who are against the idea of a lower motorway speed limit in bad weather, a majority said it was because most drivers already adjust their speed to the conditions (54%), or because there would be difficulty in defining when the new limit should apply (60%) – for instance, whether it would apply whenever the road surface was damp, or only while rain was actually falling.

Four-in-10 (42%) said many drivers choose to ignore existing speed limits anyway and a similar proportion (41%) thought drivers wouldn’t obey a lower motorway limit.

When asked whether a lower speed limit in the wet should be posted on stretches of motorway that already feature variable speed limit signage, including smart motorways, 73% of drivers were in favour, with 15% against the idea and 11% unsure.

RAC data insight spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Statistically, the UK has some of the safest motorways in Europe but it’s also the case that there hasn’t been a reduction in casualties of all severities on these roads since 2012, so perhaps there’s an argument for looking at different measures to help bring the number of casualties down.

“Overall, our research suggests drivers are broadly supportive of lower motorway speed limits in wet conditions, as is already the case across the Channel in France.

“And while most drivers already adjust their speed when the weather turns unpleasant, figures show that ‘driving too fast for the conditions’ and ‘slippery roads’ are still among the top 10 reasons for motorway collisions and contribute to significant numbers of serious injuries and even deaths every year.

“The overall success of any scheme would of course depend on sufficient numbers of motorists reducing their speed, but even just a proportion reducing their speed in the wet would be likely to improve the safety of the UK’s motorways.

“There would also be a number of practical hurdles to be overcome such as deciding what that lower limit would be, updating the Highway Code and fitting roadside signage to inform drivers of the new limits.

“Finally, it’s worth remembering that an increasing number of stretches of motorway no longer have permanent 70mph limits, as all smart motorways feature speed limits which are automatically adjusted to ease congestion based on traffic flow.

With digital signs now so commonplace, arguably the means exist to conduct a trial to see whether there are safety benefits of setting different speed limits in inclement weather.”

Highway Code Rule 227 states that stopping distances in wet weather are at least double those required for stopping on dry roads. This means the typical stopping distance at 70mph in dry conditions of 96 metres (315 feet) is extended to at least 192 metres (630 feet) in the wet, the equivalent of 48 car lengths. For more information, see this page on the RAC website.

Serious casualties on Great Britain’s motorways – when the road surface is damp, wet or over 3cm flooded:

 2016201720182019Average
Killed3418392830
Serious injured220185199218206
Total254203238246235

Snow, frost and ice excluded

Lockdown Lowdown: Job satisfaction soars amongst young Scots – but two fifths worry about future prospects

A new study examining the impact of lockdowns on Scotland’s young people has revealed that over two-thirds (67%) feel positive about their current employment situation as lockdown eases, but only two-fifths of Scottish students are confident about securing future employment. 

Commissioned by the Scottish Government and delivered by the Scottish Youth Parliament, YouthLink Scotland and Young Scot, the study of nearly 2,500 young people serves as a follow-up to previous surveys that explored young people’s concerns in response to the pandemic.

The latest LockdownLowdown research examines the lasting impact of lockdowns and comes as many young people return to in-person education and work as lockdown restrictions ease.

The results revealed that job satisfaction among young people has risen since last year, with 67% of young people feeling good about their current job situation – a 12% increase from the previous LockdownLowdown report in the winter.

However, positive sentiment waned when young people were asked about their confidence in finding a job in the future – with 2 in 5 (37%) of those currently in higher education concerned about securing graduate employment.

In general, employment and finances were leading worries among young people, with more than a third (36%) admitting that their work hours had been cut, while a fifth (22%) were placed on furlough, and 18% lost their job entirely. This comes when over a third (36%) don’t know where to access information on financial support.

The Lockdown Lowdown survey identified mental health as a further concern among young people, with over a third (35%) worried about their mental wellbeing and two fifths (40%) not confident about accessing information on mental health and wellbeing.

Following the reopening of schools and learning environments, over three quarters (76%) of young people have returned to in-person education – with 85% happy to be back. However, nearly half of respondents (44%) felt unprepared in the run-up to this year’s assessments, and only 2 in 5 (38%) were confident that the grades determined by their teachers would be delivered fairly.

Nearly 2,500 young people from across Scotland took part in the research that will be used by the Scottish Government and shared with stakeholders, including the NHS and local authorities.

Josh Kennedy MSYP, Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, said:“Meaningfully engaging with the views of young people is the only way to ensure that decisions are made with their views and needs at the centre.

“The latest LockdownLowdown report makes it very easy for decision-makers to find out what young people think about restrictions easing. Young people have had an incredibly challenging time over the last year and a half.

“I would encourage every decision-maker in Scotland to look at the views presented in this report and consider them when making decisions about how Scotland comes out of the Pandemic.”

Tim Frew, CEO of YouthLink Scotland, said: “As we strive to return our lives to normal after this really challenging period, it’s vital that government and other decision makers know where young people are at, and their thinking on the pandemic.

“In this latest survey there are very clear messages from young people around anxiety about future employment prospects, mental health remains a significant concern and there are clearly issues about the impact lockdown has had on assessments and results.

“As we continue to come through the pandemic, the voices of young people need to be listened to as we shape the way forward. The findings also show the importance of youth work to many young people, and demonstrates the incredible support youth workers have continued to offer in extremely difficult circumstances.”

Kirsten Urquhart, Interim CEO of Young Scot said: “Given the immense challenges young people have faced throughout the pandemic, it’s no surprise to see rising concern over future employment.

“While a surge in job satisfaction is cause for cautious optimism – we want to reassure young people that Young Scot is here to support every young person with their next steps as we begin to recover from the pandemic.”

‘No place in modern Britain’: TUC calls for umbrella companies ban

  • Union body warns use of umbrella companies could spiral post-pandemic
  • New TUC research estimates that half of agency workers work for umbrella companies

The TUC has called for umbrella companies to be banned, as it publishes a new report on their increasingly widespread use in the UK labour market. The union body says the scandalous workplace practices associated with umbrella companies have “no place in modern Britain”.

An umbrella company is essentially a payroll company, used by recruitment agencies to operate a PAYE (pay-as-you-earn) system for the agency workers that they find work for. In many cases, the umbrella company will also employ the agency worker, with the agency workers becoming “employees” of the umbrella company.

A fragmented employment relationship

The TUC says that umbrella companies create multiple issues which mean it is difficult for workers to exercise their basic rights.

The union body says in particular, workers face misleading and unfair deductions from pay, adding that breaches of holiday leave and pay entitlement are widespread – with umbrella companies preventing workers from taking their holiday entitlements.

To make matters worse, the TUC says “the use of umbrella companies fragments the employment relationship”, leaving workers unsure of who to speak to resolve problems and often “passed from pillar to post” when trying to sort out their issues.

It has been widely reported that some umbrella companies promote and coerce their employees to use tax evasion schemes, leaving workers potentially facing huge future tax bills.

Increased use of umbrella companies

The union body is warning that the use of umbrella companies could spiral post-pandemic because of a combination of changes to tax rules (IR35) which have come in this financial year and the increase in agency work.

The IR35 or “off-payroll working rules” will potentially make employers liable for the tax and national insurance contributions of the contractors that they engage with.  Government guidance states that the off-payroll working rules are unlikely to apply if you are employed by an umbrella company.  

The TUC predicts that transferring contractors to umbrella companies will be seen by some companies as a convenient way to continue to shirk their tax and employment rights obligation.

New TUC research estimates that half of agency workers work for umbrella companies. Recruitment agencies have been used through the pandemic for key worker roles that needed to be mobilised quickly, like vaccinators and testing staff.

The TUC is concerned that post-pandemic the number of agency workers will increase – and therefore umbrella workers too – as companies scramble for new staff amid reopening and labour shortages in some sectors.

The TUC warns that there is no proper regulation of the sector, because the government has failed to task any of the enforcement bodies with regulating the umbrella sector, despite  a recommendation from the Taylor Review into Modern Working Practices, that enforcement of umbrella companies should be stepped up.

The union body says this is a “gaping hole in enforcement” and lets down some of the lowest paid and most insecure workers.

In order to clamp down on the umbrella companies, the TUC is calling for:

  • An outright ban on umbrella companies by requiring employment agencies to pay and employ the staff they place with clients
  • Joint liability laws in supply chains, that make the end client and any contractor in the supply chain responsible for upholding the legal rights of those working in the supply chain
  • Greater trade union access to workplaces and new trade union rights

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Everyone deserves decent work. But too many low-paid workers are denied the wages they were promised and basic legal rights like holiday pay because they work for umbrella companies.  

“Lots of them are the key workers we all applauded – like social care workers, teachers and coronavirus testing staff.

“These scandalous workplace practices have no place in modern Britain. But our inadequate regulations let dodgy umbrella companies off the hook – allowing them to act with impunity.

“Employers shouldn’t be able to wash their hands of any responsibility by farming out their duties to a long line of intermediaries.

“Enough is enough. It’s time for ministers to ban umbrella companies, without delay.”

UmbrellaCompaniesDownload

Vaccinations for young people with certain conditions

Children and young people aged 12-17 from key groups to be offered COVID-19 vaccine

Children and young people with certain conditions are to be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, in line with the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), before the majority of schools return on the 16th of August.

The vaccine will be offered to around 4,000 children and young people affected by severe neuro-disabilities, Down’s syndrome, underlying conditions resulting in immunosuppression, and those who have a diagnosis of Learning/Intellectual disability.

In addition, the JCVI recommended vaccinating young people aged 16 to 17 years of age who are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. While the vast majority of this group  were previously invited in an earlier part of the vaccination programme we will be inviting those that are now 16 who were not vaccinated as part of that earlier offer.

Also to be invited are children and young people aged 12-17 who are household contacts of adults or children who are immunosuppressed. This is to provide indirect protection for that member of their household. A household contact is defined as someone living in the same house, or anyone the  adult or child comes in to contact with face-to-face on most days of the week – such as a carer.

NHS Scotland is aiming to vaccinate these children and young people during August alongside those younger household contacts of people with immunosuppression.

Those children and young people with specific conditions and their parents or carers will be contacted directly by their local Health Boards via letter, phone call or by their regular healthcare professional. The household contacts of the wider group of people with immunosuppression will be contacted by a letter from the National Vaccination Programme.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “In line with the latest JCVI advice we will now be offering COVID-19 vaccinations to children and young people aged between 12 and 17 from key groups.

“The programme has always offered vaccine to groups where the benefits far outweigh the risks. The research and evidence shows that is the case for young people in these groups and they should now be called forward for a COVID-19 vaccine.

“These children and young people will be able to get the vaccine in the most appropriate setting for their situation. This may be in their own home or a care setting, or at a clinic, depending on their care or health needs.

“I would urge any parent or carer who has a child or young person eligible for a vaccine to visit NHS Inform where they can find the most up-to-date information; and read the leaflet that they will receive with their letter or from their Health Board. Parents, carers or young people can also speak to their local health professional to discuss this further if they need to.”