Latest news with #lowpay
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Gardeners quitting King Charles' Highgrove amid demands
Gardeners are leaving their jobs at Highgrove Gardens, owned by Britain's King Charles, amid low pay and Charles' demands, according to a report. Chalres oversees the gardens at his Gloucestershire retreat, which he has transformed and nurtured over the past 45 years, and, according to The Sunday Times, has lost 11 of 12 gardeners since 2022. Advertisement The newspaper reported that Charles visits the gardens regularly and, after walking the series of interlinked gardens, sends notes to garden staff who are expected to act on his requests before his next visit. King Charles with the prime minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape at Highgrove House earlier this month (Ben Birchall/PA) According to the report, Charles asked that staff move a single ragwort from the perimeter of his swimming pool, and said gardeners' failure to cultivate his delphiniums had caused him great disappointment. The newspaper said staff have complained of poor conditions, including pay as low as minimum wage. It has been reported that Charles knew of staff shortages at Highgrove, and after the invasion of Ukraine wrote a note proposing war refugees could be recruited to help. Advertisement Near the Cotswolds town of Tetbury, the nine-bedroom house and estate was set to become William's when Charles acceded to the throne in September 2022 as it is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. But Charles now rents the house from the Duchy, for a reported £340,000-a-year, and continues to use it as a country residence, where he spends time with Queen Camilla and he rested there after time in hospital for side effects of his cancer treatment earlier this year. The Sunday Times reported that of the 11 gardeners who have left, two were heads of gardens and one had served Charles for many years. Another failed his probation after it emerged he had a lack of knowledge about a particular flower, the newspaper said. Advertisement Charles reportedly said of him 'don't put that man in front of me again'. Charles' charity The King's Foundation, which is the custodian of Highgrove Gardens, runs education workshops on site for traditional and endangered crafts such as millinery, embroidery and woodworking. It also oversees public access to Highgrove through its ticketed garden tours, which attract more than 40,000 visitors every year. The Sunday Times reported that in late 2023 one member of staff at Highgrove complained about the gardens' management, saying the team was overwhelmed, under-resourced and struggling to fulfil the Charles' requests. Advertisement Charles at Highgrove with Constantine Innemee, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham (Finnbar Webster/PA) In turn, The King's Foundation commissioned an external investigation and, according to the report, it found evidence of 'staff shortages' and 'poor' management practices and said that remuneration was an 'issue for recruitment and retention'. It recommended 'management training for all managers', 'mental health support and counselling' and a pay review, The Sunday Times said. Staff at the gardens have received pay rises each year since 2022 totalling between 15 per cent and 19 per cent cumulatively, it is understood. The newspaper also reported that in August 2023, a senior gardener complained that he was 'shouted at' by Constantine Innemee, then the Highgrove director for The King's Foundation. Advertisement According to The Sunday Times, The King's Foundation requested an investigation and did not uphold the complaint about Mr Innemee. A King's Foundation spokeswoman said: 'At The King's Foundation, we take staff welfare extremely seriously and strive to be an exemplary employer. We are proud to regularly report very high satisfaction rates in our annual staff survey. 'Our staff turnover is well below the national average, as is the number of formal grievances raised. For the gardening team at Highgrove specifically, we regularly review guidance from the Professional Gardeners Guild for pay benchmarking. 'Highgrove has also seen many positive developments since The King's Foundation became the charitable custodian of the gardens. Since 2022, the operating profit has more than doubled, a new education facility teaching traditional heritage skills to hundreds of students has been established, and visitor numbers continue to reach over 40,000 annually.'
The Guardian
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Morning Mail: Chalmers' plea to opposition, Victoria banner stoush, Trump's arms for Ukraine
Morning everyone. Jim Chalmers has used an interview with Guardian Australia to urge the opposition to take a constructive attitude into next month's big productivity as he tries to find ways to fix the issue that has dogged Australia's economy. In other news, a study showing the extent of low pay endured by young workers sheds some light on the treasurer's pet problem; Victorian politics is engulfed by a battle over a rally banner; Trump announces a big arms deal for Ukraine; and a recipe to reclaim the unloved brussels sprout. Bradfield bid | The New South Wales Liberal party will challenge votes counted in independent Nicolette Boele's wafer-thin win in the Sydney seat of Bradfield, asking a judge to recount some of the ballots that led to her 26 vote margin. Chalmers offensive | Jim Chalmers has warned the opposition will have no credibility with voters or key economic decision makers if it plays politics at next month's productivity summit and has called on the Coalition to work with Labor to boost growth and prosperity. He explains more in conversation with Tom McIlroy in our Australian politics podcast. Pay pain | More than one-third of young workers are exploited by their employers, according to a new study, with many paid less than the minimum wage, forbidden to take entitled breaks, compelled to pay for work-related items, or given food and products instead of money. Rally row | The Victorian opposition leader, Brad Battin, and firefighters union boss, Peter Marshall, have sparked backlash after attending a rally in Melbourne's west where the slogan 'ditch the bitch' – apparently aimed at the state premier, Jacinta Allan – was emblazoned on a fire truck. Stone charge | A man from Sydney has appeared in a court in Scotland charged with 'malicious mischief' following reports a glass case containing the famous historical artefact, the Stone of Scone, was broken in Perth. Ukraine deal | Donald Trump has agreed with Nato allies to supply a large amount of arms to Ukraine, including Patriot missiles, and warned Russia that it will face severe sanctions if Moscow does not make peace within 50 days. At home, Trump faces rare discontent from his Maga base over his administration's claim that it did not have a list of Jeffery Epstein's alleged clients. Israel feud | A feud has broken between the Israeli government and the military over the cost and impact of a planned camp for Palestinians in southern Gaza as politicians attacked former prime minister Ehud Olmert for warning that the project would create a 'concentration camp' if it goes ahead. Letby miscarriage | A senior coroner's officer who first reviewed the deaths of babies at at the Countess of Chester hospital now believes Lucy Letby – who convicted of murdering seven babies – has suffered a miscarriage of justice. Summary execution | A man in Pennsylvania has been given life in prison for shooting his father, who worked for the federal government, decapitating him and brandishing the severed head in an online video that called for the execution of other civil servants. Web of intrigue | German customs officials have seized roughly 1,500 young tarantulas found inside plastic containers that were hidden in chocolate sponge cake boxes shipped to an airport. The controversy over Jillian Segal's antisemitism plan Political reporter Josh Butler and education reporter Caitlin Cassidy speak to Reged Ahmad about why the proposed antisemitism plan has some people worried. Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $ As Jim Chalmers prepares for his big economic summit, we have invited three academics to write about why Australia has struggled to improve productivity and ease the cost of living pressures on ordinary people. They argue that the reasons are complex, ranging from the impact of the GFC to political failures by all parties – but all warn that neoliberalism 'lite' is not the answer. Alice Zaslavsky looks at the history of our relationship with brussels sprouts and makes the arguable case for us to eat more of the brassica. Having said that, her suggestion of teaming them with apple and smoked pork belly sounds pretty tasty. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Cricket | England won the third Test against India by 22 runs as a dramatic, nail-biting final day at Lord's saw the visitors fall just short after recovering from a seemingly hopeless 112-8 at lunch chasing 193 to win. Rugby union | Wallabies back Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i has resisted the temptation to throw fuel on the fire ahead of a possible spicy rematch with British and Irish Lions centre Sione Tuipulotu in Saturday's opening Test in Brisbane. Cycling | An epic Bastille Day stage of the Tour de France ended with an Englishman winning in the Auvergne, an Irishman in the yellow jersey and a French hope falling by the wayside. The Telegraph hears from a 'leading China expert' who claims that the Beijing government has tried 'to weaponise' the Chinese Australian diaspora to the benefit of the Labor party. Dog owners in South Australia are worried the state's algal bloom is making their pets sick, the Advertiser reports. An opinion piece in the Herald Sun asks whether the Liberal party should copy the tactics used by Nigel Farage's Reform UK party to stem its slide. The son of Eileen Bond paid tribute to her 'colourful personality' at a funeral service in Perth yesterday, WAtoday reports. Reserve Bank | The RBA will release a consultation paper on retailer card payments costs and surcharging. Universities | A 'people's inquiry' into campus free speech on Palestine will hold public hearings in Sydney. Sydney | The former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas will appear at Bankstown local court over a protest in which she sustained a serious injury. If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. And finally, here are the Guardian's crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
JD Sports, M&S and Sainsbury's to face shareholder pressure over low pay
Major high street retailers are set to face pressure from shareholders over low pay in their workforce, including third-party contractors. ShareAction, which campaigns for responsible investment, has put forward resolutions on the issue, which will be voted on by shareholders at M&S and JD Sports' annual general meetings (AGMs) on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. While the group is not filing a resolution at Sainsbury's, shareholders will directly question the board about pay transparency at the supermarket's AGM on Thursday. The companies are facing questions over wages that do not meet the 'real living wage' of £12.60 per hour nationally and £13.85 per hour in London for those aged 21 and over. These wages, which are set by the Living Wage Foundation to reflect the true cost of living, exceed the 2025/26 legal minimum wage of £12.21 set for the whole country including London. ShareAction argues the real living wage boosts stability, productivity and brand value, and has long been campaigning on the issue across the retail sector. Catherine Howarth, chief executive at ShareAction, said: 'We urge investors to support the shareholder resolutions going to a vote at the AGMs of M&S and JD Sports. 'Votes in support will endorse good governance and risk management whilst recognising the workers who keep these businesses running.' The resolutions ask M&S and JD Sports to disclose information on the number of employees earning below the real living wage and staff turnover rates as well their approach to setting base pay for contracted staff and a cost/benefit analysis of setting the real living wage across their workforce. While M&S pays direct employees at least the real living wage, it argues that third-party contractors are independent and set their own pay. M&S's board is recommending shareholders oppose the resolution, citing its recent investments in employee compensation of more than £285 million since 2022 and an increase to the standard hourly rate by more than 26%. On third-party contractors, it also said the vast majority of colleagues are paid at or above the real living wage. At the AGM, M&S could also be questioned about the major cyber attack it suffered earlier this year, which halted website orders, disrupted contactless payments, left some shelves empty and saw personal customer data taken by hackers. The company said the incident is likely to drag its group operating profits down by around £300 million this year but it expects this to be reduced through cost management, insurance and other reactions. For JD Sports, the activists argue that the firm only guarantees the legal minimum wage and lacks transparency on contractor pay. The board has advised shareholders to vote against the proposals, saying the firm complies with legal requirements and has invested more than £75 million over the last three years in removing the age banding as well as enhancing the remuneration and benefits of lowest-paid workers. Further reporting adds no value, reduces flexibility, raises costs and may harm competitiveness, the retailer said. Pensions & Investment Research Consultants (PIRC), which is Europe's largest independent shareholder advisory consultancy, is supporting the resolution at both companies' AGMs. PIRC said that while M&S has made progress on pay, there is still room to improve in formally committing to wage standards and increasing transparency for contractor pay. For JD Sports, the consultancy argues that legal compliance is not best practice and that pay transparency is needed to assess risks and resilience. It follows an identical resolution filed at Next in May, which gained the support of over a quarter of shareholders. While not legally binding, support for shareholder resolutions can put pressure on business leaders to respond to the matters raised, and more than 20% of dissent against the board can be considered a rebellion. During Sainbury's AGM, shareholders plan to stand up and ask the board to commit to disclosing the composition and pay of their workforce, employee turnover, and the feasibility of paying the real living wage for all staff, including all third-party contractors. An M&S spokesperson said: 'In addition to paying the real living wage, we offer an industry-leading range of benefits which, when taken with hourly pay, is worth up to £15.40 an hour. 'In regards to on-site third party contractors, which we use for specialist roles and to support the inherent seasonality in retail, a vast proportion of colleagues are paid at or above the real living wage and we go to great lengths to ensure they are all treated as part of the M&S family. 'While we support and act on the principle that all M&S-related colleagues should be paid well, we do not believe it is right to divest responsibility for setting pay and benefits away from businesses and their shareholders to a third party, as ShareAction would propose.' A JD Group spokesperson said: 'Our highly competitive UK colleague package is specifically designed to address the needs of our predominantly young workforce. 'We remain committed to providing fair wages and acting in the best interests of all stakeholders and have been engaging with shareholders ahead of our AGM on July 2 to outline our holistic approach to reward and benefits and are grateful for their supportive response. 'We are proud of our role as one of the UK's largest employers of young people, often giving them their first jobs and teaching them skills and disciplines that stand them in good stead for the rest of their working lives, including long-term opportunities with JD.' The PA news agency has contacted Sainsbury's for comment.
The Independent
28-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
JD Sports, M&S and Sainsbury's to face shareholder pressure over low pay
Major high street retailers are set to face pressure from shareholders over low pay in their workforce, including third-party contractors. ShareAction, which campaigns for responsible investment, has put forward resolutions on the issue, which will be voted on by shareholders at M&S and JD Sports' annual general meetings (AGM s) on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. While the group is not filing a resolution at Sainsbury's, shareholders will directly question the board about pay transparency at the supermarket's AGM on Thursday. The companies are facing questions over wages that do not meet the 'real living wage' of £12.60 per hour nationally and £13.85 per hour in London for those aged 21 and over. These wages, which are set by the Living Wage Foundation to reflect the true cost of living, exceed the 2025/26 legal minimum wage of £12.21 set for the whole country including London. ShareAction argues the real living wage boosts stability, productivity and brand value, and has long been campaigning on the issue across the retail sector. Catherine Howarth, chief executive at ShareAction, said: 'We urge investors to support the shareholder resolutions going to a vote at the AGMs of M&S and JD Sports. 'Votes in support will endorse good governance and risk management whilst recognising the workers who keep these businesses running.' The resolutions ask M&S and JD Sports to disclose information on the number of employees earning below the real living wage and staff turnover rates as well their approach to setting base pay for contracted staff and a cost/benefit analysis of setting the real living wage across their workforce. While M&S pays direct employees at least the real living wage, it argues that third-party contractors are independent and set their own pay. M&S's board is recommending shareholders oppose the resolution, citing its recent investments in employee compensation of more than £285 million since 2022 and an increase to the standard hourly rate by more than 26%. On third-party contractors, it also said the vast majority of colleagues are paid at or above the real living wage. At the AGM, M&S could also be questioned about the major cyber attack it suffered earlier this year, which halted website orders, disrupted contactless payments, left some shelves empty and saw personal customer data taken by hackers. The company said the incident is likely to drag its group operating profits down by around £300 million this year but it expects this to be reduced through cost management, insurance and other reactions. For JD Sports, the activists argue that the firm only guarantees the legal minimum wage and lacks transparency on contractor pay. The board has advised shareholders to vote against the proposals, saying the firm complies with legal requirements and has invested more than £75 million over the last three years in removing the age banding as well as enhancing the remuneration and benefits of lowest-paid workers. Further reporting adds no value, reduces flexibility, raises costs and may harm competitiveness, the retailer said. Pensions & Investment Research Consultants (PIRC), which is Europe's largest independent shareholder advisory consultancy, is supporting the resolution at both companies' AGMs. PIRC said that while M&S has made progress on pay, there is still room to improve in formally committing to wage standards and increasing transparency for contractor pay. For JD Sports, the consultancy argues that legal compliance is not best practice and that pay transparency is needed to assess risks and resilience. It follows an identical resolution filed at Next in May, which gained the support of over a quarter of shareholders. While not legally binding, support for shareholder resolutions can put pressure on business leaders to respond to the matters raised, and more than 20% of dissent against the board can be considered a rebellion. During Sainbury's AGM, shareholders plan to stand up and ask the board to commit to disclosing the composition and pay of their workforce, employee turnover, and the feasibility of paying the real living wage for all staff, including all third-party contractors. An M&S spokesperson said: 'In addition to paying the real living wage, we offer an industry-leading range of benefits which, when taken with hourly pay, is worth up to £15.40 an hour. 'In regards to on-site third party contractors, which we use for specialist roles and to support the inherent seasonality in retail, a vast proportion of colleagues are paid at or above the real living wage and we go to great lengths to ensure they are all treated as part of the M&S family. 'While we support and act on the principle that all M&S-related colleagues should be paid well, we do not believe it is right to divest responsibility for setting pay and benefits away from businesses and their shareholders to a third party, as ShareAction would propose.' A JD Group spokesperson said: 'Our highly competitive UK colleague package is specifically designed to address the needs of our predominantly young workforce. 'We remain committed to providing fair wages and acting in the best interests of all stakeholders and have been engaging with shareholders ahead of our AGM on July 2 to outline our holistic approach to reward and benefits and are grateful for their supportive response. 'We are proud of our role as one of the UK's largest employers of young people, often giving them their first jobs and teaching them skills and disciplines that stand them in good stead for the rest of their working lives, including long-term opportunities with JD.'
