Tata redundancy scheme targeted older, non-Indian nationals in UK, tribunal hears

A UK division of the Indian conglomerate Tata “deliberately orchestrated” a redundancy programme in a way that unfairly targeted older, non-Indian nationals, an employment tribunal has heard.Three claimants allege the Mumbai-based Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which is valued at almost £110bn on the BSE stock exchange in Mumbai, discriminated against them on grounds of age and nationality during a restructuring that began in mid-2023.The case mirrors a similar claim brought in the US, where at least 22 workers have alleged that TCS sacked them at short notice and replaced many of them with workers from India on H1-B visas, used for hiring staff with specialist skills.TCS denies both claims. It is part of the Tata group of companies, which includes Tetley Tea and Jaguar Land Rover

What Trump’s tariffs could mean for UK consumers

Donald Trump’s announcement that the US will put tariffs on goods from around the world, including a 10% charge on UK imports, has signalled the start of a global trade war.Although the UK faces a lower tariff than many other countries, for UK consumers there could still be some fallout. How it all plays out remains unclear.As it stands, the UK has not announced any retaliatory tariffs, so no US imports will leap in price. But if the government does decide to respond in kind, the prices of goods we buy in from the US could go up

Percy Pig’s US adventure may be short-lived as M&S responds to Trump tariffs

Percy Pig’s US invasion could be called to a halt amid fears that Donald Trump’s tariffs could affect sales of Marks & Spencer’s popular confectionery brand which has just launched in Target stores across the Atlantic.Archie Norman, the chair of M&S, has described Percy as the retailer’s “gift to America” but he told the Retail Technology Show in London that “we might have to change our minds” as Trump imposes additional taxes on imported goods. While M&S is not considering withdrawing the sweets, tariffs could push up prices and make them less popular.The pink confectionery which sells more than 18m bags a year in the UK and is apparently enjoyed by celebrities including Adele and Olivia Rodrigo, went on sale in the US on 30 March both in Target stores across the US and on its website in what was described as Percy’s “biggest journey to date”.The US president on Wednesday announced sweeping tariffs on imports, including a 10% tariff on those coming from the UK

Co-op to open at least 120 more grocery shops after profits rise five-fold

The Co-operative Group plans to open at least a further 120 grocery shops this year after profits rose more than fivefold, but told the government that “layering costs” on retailers could hit high streets and communities.The mutual, which owns more than 800 funeral parlours and an insurance and legal advisory business as well as operating more than 2,000 convenience shops, said changes to employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) and packaging regulations were expected to add £80m to its costs this year. It also lost £80m to shoplifters last year despite spending millions on new security measures.The business is introducing technology including electronic shelf-edge pricing and expanding its fast-track online grocery deliveries – where sales soared 46% last year to £460m – to help offset higher labour costs.The Co-op’s chief executive, Shirine Khoury-Haq, said: “We understand the government has a tough job, but it should look at layering of costs on the industry so it doesn’t tip over the balance and impact high streets

Luton airport allowed to double capacity after UK government overrules planners

Luton airport will be allowed to almost double in capacity after the government overruled planning inspectors who recommended blocking the scheme on environmental grounds.The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, granted a development consent order for the airport’s plans to expand its perimeter and add a new terminal, allowing for a potential 32 million passengers a year.The approval comes despite concerns raised about ancient trees and the impact of more flights on the Chilterns, an area of outstanding natural beauty.Labour sources, however, said the promise of thousands of additional jobs had outweighed environmental considerations.Luton airport is also ultimately owned by the local council, meaning that a greater share of its profits are put back into local services

Zonal electricity pricing plan could add £3bn a year to GB bills, report finds

Plans to overhaul England, Wales and Scotland’s electricity market risk piling an extra £3bn on to household energy bills every year until the 2040s, according to the government’s own clean power adviser.New research has found that moving ahead with a plan to divide the national electricity market into different pricing zones could drive up the cost of building new windfarms as the government aims for a renewable energy boom before the end of the decade.Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, hopes to double Great Britain’s onshore wind capacity, triple solar and quadruple offshore wind farms to help create a clean power system by 2030.But uncertainty over the plans for “postcode electricity pricing” could mean that developers of renewable energy demand higher subsidies to offset the risk, according to the research, which could raise household energy bills or even delay clean energy investments.The report by the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) warned that an upcoming auction for renewable energy subsidy contracts could clear at £20 per megawatt-hour higher than expected if the zonal market plans were adopted