The union is holding a two-day policy forum in London next week, and if a resolution for a strike ballot is passed by the 500 reps, and the union’s 115,000 Royal Mail members vote in favour, industrial action could begin as soon as the end of September. If the ballot does go ahead and is approved, which based on the results of the union’s consultative ballot last month seems likely, any strike action is likely to clash with the planned privatisation of the Royal Mail. CWU head of communications Kevin Slocombe said that a final decision on whether to ballot Royal Mail members would only be made if no agreement was reached or if the ongoing negotiations with Royal Mail were deemed unsuccessful. Talks with the Royal Mail began this week and are scheduled to run for three weeks. If no agreement is reached, a 21-day ballot could be launched in early September. However, Slocombe added that even if the current talks fail and a ballot is launched, this wouldn’t rule out further talks with Royal Mail. Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, said: “UK postal services are facing unprecedented change and threats. We will always embrace innovation and changes in the industry, but only on terms which maintain decent jobs and protect quality services. “This policy forum is all about anticipating what may lie around the corner and how CWU can react to protect the interests of our members and customers they serve in the increasingly changing world of postal services.” Issues to be discussed at the policy forum will include securing job “protections” in Royal Mail, alternative business models to privatisation, changes to pensions and workplace pressure. Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said: “We want to secure the best possible protections for our members’ jobs and we will stop at nothing to ensure that their future, and that of the UK’s postal services, is protected. “The offer on job protection made by Royal Mail earlier this month wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. Patience is wearing thin and unless we can secure robust protections for jobs, pay and terms and conditions soon we are asking our reps to endorse a policy of holding a national industrial action ballot no later than September.”...

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has launched a consultation that includes proposals for apprenticeship training to be funded directly through employers rather than through training providers. The proposed funding reforms for apprenticeships that are included in the consultation are among ten recommendations, published last November in the government-backed Richard Review of Apprenticeships. The report, commissioned by BIS, set out a series of reforms designed to modernise apprenticeships in England and give employers greater ownership of standard and curriculum selection for their individual apprenticeship programmes. The three funding options under consultation include a direct payment, a PAYE and a provider payment model. Under the direct payment model, businesses would register their apprentices and file claims for government funding through a new online system. State contributions would then be paid directly into the employers’ bank account. The direct PAYE model would also introduce the direct online registration and reporting system, but government contributions would be recovered through PAYE returns. The third model under consultation, provider payment, would continue to utilise training providers for processing government funds for placements, but the organisations would only be able to draw it down once they had received the employers’ contribution to training. Launching the consultation, business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Employers are the best people to judge what training is worth investing in. These reforms will mean just that. “It gives them the power to train their staff to make sure their skills are relevant to the company, while choosing from the wide range of courses available.” However BPIF chief executive Kathy Woodward said that the proposals would only suit larger employers and would not be effective for SMEs. “Larger employers already have their own systems so they could easily make use of these proposals, but they don’t really show an understanding of SMEs,” she added. Woodward said that as they stood, the proposals did not consider the cost effectiveness of delivery for industry specific programmes and that although in principal apprenticeship reform was positive, in practical terms the proposals hadn’t been thought through for specialist providers. “If an SME was given a chunk of money to develop its own apprenticeship scheme who is going to develop the standards, manage delivery or do the inspections? The infrastructure of costs would be a massive burden on an SME,” explained Woodward. She added: “If many of our college courses have gone out of business, it is unrealistic that an individual SME without such resources could deliver this on its own.” “I have spoken to Vince Cable about it this week and he has assured us that he has taken our concerns on board and is trying to work out a solution.” The consultation, which...

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has launched a consultation that includes proposals for apprenticeship training to be funded directly through employers rather than through training providers. The proposed funding reforms for apprenticeships that are included in the consultation are among ten recommendations, published last November in the government-backed Richard Review of Apprenticeships. The report, commissioned by BIS, set out a series of reforms designed to modernise apprenticeships in England and give employers greater ownership of standard and curriculum selection for their individual apprenticeship programmes. The three funding options under consultation include a direct payment, a PAYE and a provider payment model. Under the direct payment model, businesses would register their apprentices and file claims for government funding through a new online system. State contributions would then be paid directly into the employers’ bank account. The direct PAYE model would also introduce the direct online registration and reporting system, but government contributions would be recovered through PAYE returns. The third model under consultation, provider payment, would continue to utilise training providers for processing government funds for placements, but the organisations would only be able to draw it down once they had received the employers’ contribution to training. Launching the consultation, business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Employers are the best people to judge what training is worth investing in. These reforms will mean just that. “It gives them the power to train their staff to make sure their skills are relevant to the company, while choosing from the wide range of courses available.” However BPIF chief executive Kathy Woodward said that the proposals would only suit larger employers and would not be effective for SMEs. “Larger employers already have their own systems so they could easily make use of these proposals, but they don’t really show an understanding of SMEs,” she added. Woodward said that as they stood, the proposals did not consider the cost effectiveness of delivery for industry specific programmes and that although in principal apprenticeship reform was positive, in practical terms the proposals hadn’t been thought through for specialist providers. “If an SME was given a chunk of money to develop its own apprenticeship scheme who is going to develop the standards, manage delivery or do the inspections? The infrastructure of costs would be a massive burden on an SME,” explained Woodward. She added: “If many of our college courses have gone out of business, it is unrealistic that an individual SME without such resources could deliver this on its own.” “I have spoken to Vince Cable about it this week and he has assured us that he has taken our concerns on board and is trying to work out a solution.” The consultation, which...

Bartlett studied at the Royal College of Art and is well-known for his paper and cardboard engineering creations. His high-profile designs include a hat for Lady Gaga and a collaboration with milliner Philip Treacy to create a luxe Christmas cracker for Aspreys. The Brand-it range encompasses 13 different items including chairs, plinths, tables, stools, graphic panels and brochure racks. The flat, die-cut blanks are produced for Brand-it by Diamond Packaging of Pontypool, south Wales, using a microflute board made in the UK by DS Smith. “It’s a very fine microflute board with a clay-coated surface that’s ready for high-quality print,” said Bartlett, who described the seats as “stylish and very comfortable.” The pieces can be folded down for re-use, or kept flat and used as promotional giveaways. Brand-it pitches the range as a lightweight, reusable and recyclable alternative to conventional options. “No more renting chairs and tables at vast expense.” In Europe, the Brand-it products will be sold via a franchise arrangement whereby printers can purchase blanks and then overprint the pieces. The franchise costs £1,000 and the price of the blanks depends on volume. Bartlett is also talking to exhibition organisers about including the products into exhibitor packs, and a major brand owner is looking at using Brand-it items for a large promotion. In other parts of the world Bartlett will license his original designs. The Brand-it range was inspired by a project for Habitat, when Bartlett created a paper table and chair for the retailer to mark the millennium. “At the time you couldn’t get this particular microflute board,” he explained. “When the board came out I made a chair for fun and people told me ‘you’ve got to do more of this’. The range as it is today is just the start.” For more information visit www.branditfurniture.com....

Bartlett studied at the Royal College of Art and is well-known for his paper and cardboard engineering creations. His high-profile designs include a hat for Lady Gaga and a collaboration with milliner Philip Treacy to create a luxe Christmas cracker for Aspreys. The Brand-it range encompasses 13 different items including chairs, plinths, tables, stools, graphic panels and brochure racks. The flat, die-cut blanks are produced for Brand-it by Diamond Packaging of Pontypool, south Wales, using a microflute board made in the UK by DS Smith. “It’s a very fine microflute board with a clay-coated surface that’s ready for high-quality print,” said Bartlett, who described the seats as “stylish and very comfortable.” The pieces can be folded down for re-use, or kept flat and used as promotional giveaways. Brand-it pitches the range as a lightweight, reusable and recyclable alternative to conventional options. “No more renting chairs and tables at vast expense.” In Europe, the Brand-it products will be sold via a franchise arrangement whereby printers can purchase blanks and then overprint the pieces. The franchise costs £1,000 and the price of the blanks depends on volume. Bartlett is also talking to exhibition organisers about including the products into exhibitor packs, and a major brand owner is looking at using Brand-it items for a large promotion. In other parts of the world Bartlett will license his original designs. The Brand-it range was inspired by a project for Habitat, when Bartlett created a paper table and chair for the retailer to mark the millennium. “At the time you couldn’t get this particular microflute board,” he explained. “When the board came out I made a chair for fun and people told me ‘you’ve got to do more of this’. The range as it is today is just the start.” For more information visit www.branditfurniture.com....