Fujitsu workers in strike action

19 September 2011 Last updated at 14:59 GMT PCS members pulled out of the planned strike on Friday after agreeing a pay deal Workers at Fujitsu in Manchester have begun a 24-hour strike over claims of victimisation and breached agreements.

Members of the Unite union are picketing the IT company's offices in Central Park, Manchester.

Unite said about 300 staff had walked out, but Fujitsu said that just 50 workers had given notice to strike.

A spokesman for Fujitsu said it was "disappointed" and hoped the dispute could be resolved through ongoing discussions.

Unite said there had been a "complete breakdown in industrial relations".

The Fujitsu spokesman said: "Fujitsu is confident that the service we deliver to customers will be unaffected by any industrial action and we have robust contingency plans in place to ensure this."

The strike, which began at 00:01 BST, follows the union's introduction of work-to-rule and a policy of non-cooperation.

Unite spokesman Ian Allinson claimed the company had broken agreements over union recognition, pay, benefits, pensions, redundancy and redeployment.

The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) was due to join the strike, but suspended its action on Friday to allow reps to put a revised pay offer to their members.

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Shares up on central bank action

16 September 2011 Last updated at 13:12 GMT Rajiv Biswas: "Intervention is an important step"

European shares have risen further, following gains in Asia, as markets continue to react to Thursday's news of emergency measures by central banks.

Frankfurt's Dax was up 1.1%, London's FTSE 100 rose 0.7% and the Cac 40 in Paris added 0.6% by mid-afternoon.

Earlier, Japan's Nikkei 225 index had risen 2.3% and South Korea's Kospi index gained 3.7%.

The central banks are trying to encourage lenders, especially in Europe, to keep lending to each other.

They are to provide commercial banks with three additional tranches of loans to help ease funding pressures.

There have been fears that credit markets may freeze up, with banks facing billions of dollars of losses as a number of European countries struggle to service their debt obligations.

Banks have been the top gainers around Europe, with Barclays up 5.4%, RBS up 5.1%, Lloyds up 4.5%, Deutsche Bank up 5.2%, Commerzbank up 4.3% and Societe Generale up 3.5%.

Europe's finance ministers are meeting in Poland on Friday in an attempt to chart out a plan to deal with the debt crisis in the region. They have also been joined by US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Here to stay?

Greece is the current focus of investor concern, and there are growing fears that the country may default on its bonds.

This has made European banks reluctant to lend to each other, creating the risk of short-term funding problems for those most exposed.

Continue reading the main story

We are still nowhere near out of the woods. They are just barely keeping the economy from falling off a cliff”

End Quote Tony Nunan Mitsubishi Corp Peter Cardillo of Rockwell Global Capital said the move by central banks hoped to "convince the market that the euro is here to stay, euro land is not going to disintegrate and Greece is probably going to avoid a default".

Following the news of the central bank co-operation, the euro rose more than 1% against the US dollar, and the price of crude oil gained on optimism global economic growth would help boost demand.

At the same time, the price of gold dropped as investors shifted away from an asset that is seen as giving them protection against global risks. The price of gold has surged in recent months, and many investors are wary about the outlook for further gains.

The five central banks involved in the market co-operation are the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank.

The new loans are being issued in dollars, because European banks can already access additional euro funds from the European Central Bank. The three additional three-month loan offers will be conducted in October, November and December.

Risks questioned

There have been concerns that a credit crunch in the markets would hurt companies and consumers.

"Increasingly I think international banks outside of Europe are questioning the counter-party risks involved with lending to European banks," Rajiv Biswas of IHS Global Insight told the BBC's Asia Business Report.

Mr Biswas added that given the current situation, the move by the central banks could not have come soon enough.

"I think this step was very important in avoiding the kind of problems we saw in 2008, when we had that terrible crunch in credit markets, which really was a major negative factor for the global economic outlook," he added.

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Unions promise 'UK day of action'

14 September 2011 Last updated at 16:23 GMT Brendan Barber: "Biggest trade union mobilisation for a generation"

Unions have called on a nationwide "day of action" for 30 November, which threatens to disrupt public services across the UK.

Strikes, rallies and other events will be held in protest at the government's decision to increase workers' pension contribution payments.

TUC boss Brendan Barber urged ministers to "engage in a genuine spirit of seeking agreement" to end the deadlock.

Chancellor George Osborne branded the strike plans "deeply irresponsible".

Four unions - Unison, Unite, the GMB and the Fire Brigades' Union - are already balloting over co-ordinated industrial action.

Mr Barber said 10 other unions were also looking to hold a vote on strikes.

He promised 30 November would bring "the biggest trade union mobilisation for a generation".

'Fight of our lives'

Unions and the government have been in talks over pension contribution rises since the beginning of the year, with ministers saying the change - scheduled for next April - is needed to make schemes sustainable in the face of an ageing population.

On Wednesday, the TUC voted unanimously in favour of action against the move as its annual conference came to a close.

Continue reading the main story Ben Wright Political correspondent, BBC News

A widespread strike would be bad news for the coalition and Labour.

If there's a co-ordinated walkout of teachers, nurses, bin collectors, fire fighters, care workers and others, the disruption will cause a big political headache and logistical headache for the government.

If voters feel ministers could have averted industrial action with smarter negotiating then it could quickly turn voters against the government.

At the moment, ministers are confident that the public is with them on public sector pension reform and Unison's Dave Prentis predicted the unions would be "vilified" and "attacked" if strikes go ahead.

Which would be a headache for Labour too.

Ed Miliband has tried to distance himself from those calling for strikes - so long as talks are continuing.

That buys him some breathing space.

But Labour is now heavily reliant on union cash and a mass walkout by members could leave the party in a very awkward position.

We're not there yet, and all parties will want this resolved around the table in talks.

Following this, 24 union leaders held a meeting where the 30 November date was chosen.

Mr Barber told the BBC it could be the first of several such days, saying: "If there's no progress, then potentially we will see very widespread industrial action across the public services."

He added: "We are absolutely committed to justice for the millions of workers we represent."

Events will "range from strike action, where ballot mandates have been secured from members and unions judge that appropriate, through to lunchtime meetings, rallies and joint events with community groups and service users", Mr Barber said.

Union leaders will hold another meeting at the end of September to co-ordinate their actions.

Mr Osborne said: "Everyone who's sensible accepts that public sector pensions have to be reformed.

"The offer on the table is for public sector pensions that are far better than most in the private sector and fairer to taxpayers.

"Unions must not take this deeply irresponsible action at this time. It would do nothing for our country."

'Major disruption'

Proposing a motion backing mass strikes to the TUC conference, Unison leader Dave Prentis revealed he was giving 9,000 employers formal notice that his union's 1.1 million members would be balloted.

He added: "It's the fight of our lives. I know it's an over-used cliché, but make no mistake, this is it."

The GMB's Brian Strutton said: "We're not talking about a day out and a bit of a protest. We're talking about something that's long and hard and dirty as well, because this is going to require days of action running through the winter, through into next year, following the government's legislative programme right into the summer."

For Labour, shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "I hope there won't be strikes."

But he added: "I totally understand people saying 'If there isn't a fair deal, then we are going to vote yes in a ballot'."

Neil Bentley, deputy director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, said: "Strikes cause major disruption for families and businesses, and mass strike action would mean thousands of parents forced to take a day off work to look after their children. We urge union leaders to get round the table with the government and negotiate on the details."

Labour leader Ed Miliband was heckled at the TUC conference on Tuesday when said a one-day strike in June over pensions had been a "mistake" and urged unions to continue the talks with the government.

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Q&A with AXN Anchor Jaymee Ong from the Action Flick ‘Deep Gold’

Jaymee Ong stars in the latest action movie “Deep Gold” from Bigfoot Studios shot entirely in scenic Cebu and underwater in breathtaking Palawan.

Just when Cebuano freediver Amy Sanchez (Bebe Pham) breaks an important freediving record, her boyfriend – Philippine Air Force Pilot Tony – mysteriously vanishes together with a flight that is supposed to bring millions of dollars worth of gold to the Central Bank in Manila. Determined to discover the truth, she goes off with her sister Jess (Jaymee Ong) to find out. In her quest for truth, she entangles herself in a web of lies and deceit before she finds out that somebody used her for what turns out to become a much larger conspiracy.
Showcasing Philippines’ best sites, “Deep Gold” explodes into non-stop action and daring underwater photography which also stars acclaimed actor Joel Torre.

Jaymee Ong, in the following interview shares what it’s like filming in the Phils. for the movie “Deep Gold.”

Q: What is your character like in the movie?
A Jess Santos is the older , more sensible sister of Amy. She’s very protective of her little sister. Her little sister is sort of really gutsy, strong person who’s got this lovelife and is kind of carefree whereas Jess is more the sensible one. Likes to take care of the account of the business who doesn’t really have a lovelife.

Q: How was it filming in Cebu and Palawan?
A: I’ve never been here before and never really know what to expect…but I got in here and got into water stuff and it’s really great. One thing that’s been the constant challenge is the weather, we’re in the tropics and so it’s kind of unpredictable so the sets kind of take 5 hours to do.

Q: What can people can expect from this film?
A: I just really hope that people enjoy this movie, I think it’s going to be interesting and exciting. People will really be surprised by the production that’s come out and it’s a beautiful place to be and a beautiful place to work.

Jaymee Ong first appeared in the film “Gen-X Cops” produced by Jackie Chan. Following her successful debut, she landed a leading role in “Rave Fever.” She then went on to land roles in “Pearl Harbor” and in the hit TV series “Las Vegas’ and “Entourage.”

Based in Singapore since 2004, Ong has co-starred with Thai actor Gof Akara and Sharon Au in Channel 5 drama Tiramisu (TV show). She is also the host of AXN, currently hosting and writing for eBuzz, a weekly entertainment magazine programme where she interviews international celebrities.

“Deep Gold” opens August 31 in cinemas from Bigfoot Studios.

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