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Thames Water boss to meet with union leaders
Thames Water boss Chris Weston will meet with union leaders, who aim to fight for no job cuts at the embattled utility company.
Representatives from GMB, Unison and Unite will meet with the water company's boss later today as concerns grow about it slipping back into government hands.
Gary Carter, GMB's national officer, plans to ensure that "there are no cuts to workforce numbers – or terms and conditions."
He added: "Any cost-cutting measures being considered by Thames will only be a sticking plaster and will not address the root cause of the company’s problems – a lack of investment by shareholders stretching back decades."
Thames Water has been under pressure to pay off parts of its 80% leveraged debt pile, with a £190 million loan due to be paid off by the end of April.
Last week, the company failed to drum together a £500 million rescue package from shareholders, making the likelihood of insolvency even more likely.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) slashes hundreds of AWS jobs
Amazon is cutting hundreds of jobs in its cloud computing division AWS as it rejigs its strategy.
Some "few hundred roles" will be axed in the team which develops technology for its in-person store.
The company also announced it will be ending the use of its "just walk out" self-service checkouts, which can be found in its grocery stores in the US.
AWS is also slashing several hundred jobs in the division's marketing, sales and global services teams.
“These decisions are difficult but necessary as we continue to invest, hire and optimise resources to deliver innovation for our customers,” AWS said in a statement.
New EV sales slump in March
Electric vehicles lost market share in the wider car sector in March, new data revealed.
It prompted the UK's industry body to ask the government for support through offering incentives for buyers.
New EV car registrations accounted for 15.2% of the total figure, down from 16.2% in 2023, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: "Manufacturers are providing compelling offers, but they can’t single-handedly fund the transition indefinitely.
"Government support for private consumers - not just business and fleets - would send a positive message and deliver a faster, fairer transition on time and on target."