UK

The Tories just ‘ducked’ the issue of AI’s impact on workers – surprise, surprise from Agent Sunak

Clearly no need to assess Sunak against Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics

 by Steve Topple

THE CANARY
7 February 2024


The Tories are still “ducking the issue” of regulating to protect workers in the face of AI. that’s the verdict of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), as the government released its response to a White Paper consultation on the issue. Clearly, Rishi Sunak would fail the test of Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics – as the PM appears hellbent on defending AI over actual humans.

AI: Tories say blah, blah, blah

As Computer Weekly reported, the government ran a public consultation on its White Paper proposals over regulating AI last year. This included:

“pro-innovation” proposals for regulating AI, which revolve around empowering existing regulators to create tailored, context-specific rules that suit the ways the technology is being used in the sectors they scrutinise.

It also outlined five principles that regulators must consider to facilitate “the safe and innovative use of AI” in their industries, and generally built on the approach set out by government in its September 2021 national AI strategy which sought to drive corporate adoption of the technology, boost skills and attract more international investment.

There were hundreds of submissions to the consultation. Now, the government has responded. Computer Weekly noted that:

the government generally reaffirmed its commitment to the whitepaper’s proposals, claiming this approach to regulation will ensure the UK remains more agile than “competitor nations” while also putting it on course to be a leader in safe, responsible AI innovation.

“The technology is rapidly developing, and the risks and most appropriate mitigations, are still not fully understood,” said the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in a press release.

“The UK government will not rush to legislate, or risk implementing ‘quick-fix’ rules that would soon become outdated or ineffective. Instead, the government’s context-based approach means existing regulators are empowered to address AI risks in a targeted way.”

However, there was a gaping hole in the government’s response. It put forward little-to-nothing on regulations to protect workers’ rights over that of AI. So, the TUC has hit back.
‘Leaving workers at risk of exploitation and discrimination’

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

AI is already make life-changing decisions about the way we work – like how people are hired, performance-managed and even fired. That’s why we need employment-specific legislation to ensure AI is used fairly in the workplace.

But the government is still ducking this issue by refusing to pass new laws and to give workers and business the certainty they need. A minimalist approach to regulating AI is not going cut it. It will just leave many at risk of exploitation and discrimination.

Commenting on the need to involve unions in AI policy-making after the government excluded them from November 2023’s AI Summit, Nowak added:


Working people must be given a seat at the table.

In America’s unions have been put at the heart of AI policy-making. But in the UK unions have been marginalised along with broader civil society.

Over on X, people were also critical. An interesting thread is below:

So, the TUC is taking matters into its own hands. In September it launched a new AI taskforce to safeguard workers’ rights and to ensure the technology benefits all. The taskforce has brought together leading specialists in law, technology, politics, HR and the voluntary sector. It will publish an expert-drafted AI and Employment Bill this year and will lobby to have it incorporated into UK law.

It’s unsurprising that the Tories are putting the interests of big tech over that of workers. So, in reality their approach is less Asimov – and more Skynet. Or maybe Sunak is actually an Agent Smith:

Featured image via Rory Arnold/No 10 Downing Street – Flickr, 

with additional AI editing by deepai.org

UK
Energy Minister Graham Stuart opposes Holderness nuclear waste site

By Stuart Harratt

BBC News

Conservative MP Graham Stuart has asked for East Riding Council to withdraw from discussions about the proposed nuclear waste site

A MP said he is supporting efforts to oppose plans to bury nuclear waste in East Yorkshire.

Beverley and Holderness Conservative MP Graham Stuart called on East Riding Council to withdraw from discussions with Nuclear Waste Services (NWS).

The government agency has named South Holderness as a potential site for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).

Mr Graham, who is also the Minister for Energy Security, had previously called for a public vote on the proposals.

He now says he is supporting a motion by two local Conservative councillors, Lyn Healing and Sean McMaster, asking that the local authority stop talks with NWS.

'Community says no'

"South Holderness is a special place, and the news that the area was being considered as the site for the UK's GDF shocked many in our community," Mr Stuart said.

"It is the people of Holderness who should determine what happens in their area and they have made clear their opposition to these plans."

He added: "Our community says 'No' and Lyn and Sean have my backing to seek our withdrawal."

Ms Healing and Mr McMaster said their motion to withdraw from discussions would be submitted to a full council meeting on 21 February.

"Yes, investment in Holderness is badly required but is this the right investment? We now believe it isn't," the councillors said.


Analysis - Paul Murphy, BBC Environment Correspondent

Unsurprisingly, the proposal to bury radioactive material under the East Yorkshire countryside grabbed the attention of the entire community.

A social media group set up to oppose it is currently coordinating a leaflet drop on a scale the area has rarely seen before.

Angry emails have been flying into the inboxes of councillors and to the local MP Graham Stuart.

There are those who believe a nuclear facility could bring jobs and long-term economic improvement, but the groundswell of opposition looks far more powerful.

The UK has been using nuclear power for 70 years.

That's a lot of dangerous waste to permanently dispose of, but the chances of a facility being built in East Yorkshire must now be in serious doubt.


The GDF would see waste stored under up to 3,280ft (1000m) underground until its radioactivity had naturally decayed.

Officials from NWS said the project could create thousands of jobs and investment in local infrastructure in the area.

The proposed South Holderness site is one of three areas being considered.

Nuclear Waste Services (NWS)The radioactive waste would be buried in a series of vaults and tunnels deep underground.

NWS said locals "would have to express explicit support for a GDF before anything could be built" and that the council could "withdraw the area from the process at any time".

"This is a consent-based process and government policy requires us to identify both a suitable site and a willing community," a spokesperson said.

They added that the agency was running a series of events to provide information to the public.


"If after answering all their questions, the local community decided they don't want it, it won't be built," they said.

Tupolev Tu-95LAL: A Look At Russia's Crazy Nuclear Powered Bomber

BY RYTIS BERESNEVIČIUS

SUMMARY

The Soviet Union developed the Tupolev Tu-95LAL, a nuclear-powered aircraft, but it never fully materialized due to impracticality.

The US also explored nuclear-powered aircraft with the B-36 experimental flight program.

Concerns about crew radiation exposure and the emergence of intercontinental ballistic missiles led to the demise of both projects.



At the advent of the nuclear age, both the United States and the Soviet Union were been trying to power everything with nuclear power. This included aircraft, which for the US, came in the form of the Convair NB-36H, which was based on the Convair B-36. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union tried to develop its nuclear-powered aircraft: the Tupolev Tu-119, based on the Tupolev Tu-95 bomber.
Tupolev Tu-95LAL

The Tupolev Tu-95LAL, the designation given to the Tu-95 derivative that would be nuclear-powered, never really materialized, and the Soviets built just a single unit, with full-scale production of the planned Tu-119 never commencing.

According to SKYbrary, a project initiated by EUROCONTROL, the Tu-95 is a large, four-engine turboprop strategic bomber and missile launcher platform. The aircraft flew for the first time in 1952, entering service four years later. Despite its old age, the aircraft is still active within the Russian Air Force (Военно-воздушные силы России, VVS).



Photo: RAF | Wikimedia Commons

According to one study published by Lukas Trakimavičius, the then-Subject Matter Expert at the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence, the Soviet government began developing the concept of a nuclear-powered aircraft in 1955. Initially, engineers inserted a small nuclear reactor within the bomb bay of the Tu-95.

Test flights began in 1961, with the aircraft performing around 40 flights in total. However, Trakimavičius noted that the Tu-95LAL only completed a few flights with its reactor turned on, and much like with the NB-36H, the reactor never actually powered the aircraft. Instead, it was used to test any potential effects of radiation exposure on the crews.

By 1969, the project was dead in the water, since the concept of nuclear reactors proved to be too impractical. Concerns about the crews’ exposure to radiation, high operating costs, and the emergence of intercontinental ballistic missiles were some of the reasons why the concept never truly materialized, concluded Trakimavičius.

The Top 5 Strategic Bomber Aircraft In Operation Today

Strategic bombers are less numerous than they used to be, but are still used by the US, Russia, and China.


US effort to develop nuclear-powered aircraft

Meanwhile, the US began researching nuclear-powered aircraft with the US Nuclear Propulsion Program (or Manned Nuclear Aircraft Program) in May 1946, according to the Hill Air Force Base. General Electric received a contract to develop the nuclear engines for the aircraft in 1951.

However, Charles Wilson, the then-Secretary of Defense of the US, canceled the B-36 experimental flight program, which would have resulted in the aircraft having a nuclear-powered engine in 1953. Still, the US Air Force refitted a nuclear reactor on a B-36 (pictured below), designating it as the NB5-36H.



Photo: Lockheed Martin

While development of the aircraft and engines continued for the next few years, with John F. Kennedy assuming office in January 1961, he overviewed all military projects. Subsequently, all companies involved with the project, which now included Pratt & Whitney, received information that their contracts were being terminated, essentially ending the effort to develop a nuclear-powered aircraft.

The Tupolev Tu-95 is still in active service with the VSS. On February 6, 2024, The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said it had detected four Russian military aircraft operating near the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), with Reuters detailing that these were two Tupolev Tu-95 and Sukhoi Su-30 fighters.

Russia has frequently deployed its Tupolev Tu-95 bombers to attack Ukraine during the war, which began on February 24, 2022. The cruise missiles launched by the bombers have routinely hit civilian targets, with the VVS resuming the usage of the aircraft in December 2023 after a brief break.

Which Is The Loudest Military Aircraft In The World?

BYMARK FINLAY

PUBLISHED JAN 1, 2024

SUMMARY
Aircraft noise is caused by airflow over the surface and the movement of propellers or jet engines.

The Russian Tu-95 Bear strategic bomber is currently the loudest military aircraft in service.

The Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech, although never produced, holds the title for the noisiest military aircraft ever.

You do not need to be at an Air Force base to hear the defining sounds that military aircraft can make, as is evident in sonic booms, which can be heard from many miles away. How loud a military aircraft can be depends on several factors, including the plane's size, the number of engines, and the power they produce.

While you would assume that an aircraft with no engines, like a glider, is silent, you could not be further from the truth. Two factors determine the noise an aircraft produces:The airflow over the surface of the aircraft

The noise produced by the planes and, in the case of propeller-driven airplanes, the propeller blade's movement through the air.

Friction creates noise

The air passing over the plane's surface creates friction during the aircraft's flight. The friction causes a turbulent flow of air, making a sound wave that gets louder as the plane increases its speed. This is why a glider can produce noise despite not having an engine. As an aircraft reaches a speed of 767 mph, the air pressure is so great that the wave it creates is greater than the speed of sound. The result is a loud sonic boom that can be heard from 30 miles away.

The noise of jet engines can be attributed to the moving parts inside the machine and the hot exhaust air produced. These days, modern jet engines are much quieter than earlier ones thanks to a bypass system that mixes the exhaust gases with cold air before being expelled from the engine. Earlier jets lacked this technology and were much louder than today's modern planes.

Photo: USAF

Now we have explained what causes aircraft noise. Let's take a look at the loudest military aircraft in service today. If you asked someone to guess what the loudest military plane in service today was, they would almost unanimously say a fighter jet like the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. While the F-16 is loud, it is nothing compared to the Russian Tu-95 Bear strategic bomber.

The Tu-95 Bear is the noisiest military aircraft in service today

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Tupolev Tu-95 is the loudest military aircraft currently in active service. During World War Two, the United States, on several occasions, refused to give the Soviet Union its B-29. Superfortress to help in the war effort against Nazi Germany.

Towards the end of the war, the US was using B-29s to bomb Japan from its bases in the Pacific. Four B-29s suffered mechanical issues during these raids and had to make emergency landings in Russia's Far East. Rather than return the aircraft to the United States, the Soviets copied them and built the Tupolev Tu-4 bomber.

Photo: Fedor Leukhin | Wikimedia Commons.

Now, post-war and the development of the atomic bomb, the Soviet Union wanted a long-range bomber capable of reaching the United States. Initially, they looked at nearly developed jet engines, but back then, they required too much fuel to cover the distance needed. The existing piston engines were not powerful enough for such a large plane, so Tupolev decided to use turboprop engines.

Designed by a German team of ex-Junkers prisoner-engineers under the leadership of Austrian aerospace scientist Ferdinand Brandner, they developed the 12,000hp Kuznetsov turboprop engine. Each Tu-95's four engines was fitted with two counter-rotating four-blade propellors. The complex airflow generated between the two poppers produces a deep buzzing noise that can be heard for miles. The Tu-95 is so noisy that Navy personnel in submerged submarines can listen to it flying overhead.

The Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech was the noisiest aircraft ever

Photo: USAF MUseum | Wikimedia Commons

While it never made it into production, the noisiest military aircraft in history was the Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech. Also powered by a turboprop engine, the Thunderscreech was so loud during testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California that people living 25 miles away complained about the noise. The aircraft was so loud that ground crews could only communicate by using signal flags.

OBITUARIES

Chita Rivera, Broadway's 'first great triple threat,' dies at 91

JANUARY 30, 2024

HEARD ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
Jeff Lunden
NPR
LISTEN· 5:105-Minute 

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Transcript

Chita Rivera in May 1977.Evening Standard/Getty Images

Chita Rivera, who appeared in more than 20 Broadway musicals over six decades, has died, according to her daughter, Lisa Mordente. The three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway legend created indelible roles — Anita in West Side Story, Rose in Bye Bye Birdie, Velma Kelly in Chicago, and Aurora in Kiss of the Spiderwoman. She was 91.

Rivera "was everything Broadway was meant to be," says Laurence Maslon, co-producer of the 2004 PBS series Broadway: The American Musical. "She was spontaneous and compelling and talented as hell for decades and decades on Broadway. Once you saw her, you never forgot her."



YouTube

You might think Chita Rivera was a Broadway baby from childhood — but she wasn't. Born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero in Washington, D.C., she told an audience at a Screen Actors Guild Foundation interview that she was a tomboy and drove her mother crazy: "She said, 'I'm putting you in ballet class so that we can rein in some of that energy.' So I am very grateful."

Broadway legend Chita Rivera dances through her life in a new memoir

Rivera took to ballet so completely that she got a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet in New York. But when she went with a friend to an audition for the tour of the Broadway show Call Me Madam, Rivera got the job. Goodbye ballet, hello Broadway. In 1957, she landed her breakout role, Anita in West Side Story, with a score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim.

"Hearing 'America' was just mind-boggling, with that rhythm," Rivera told NPR in 2007 for the musical's 50th anniversary. "I just couldn't wait to do it. It was such a challenge. And, being Latin, you know, it was a welcoming sound."

Chita Rivera (center) works with choreographer Jerome Robbins (second from left) and her fellow West Side Story cast members in a rehearsal on July 22, 1957.AP

West Side Story allowed Rivera to reveal not only her athletic dancing chops, but her acting and singing chops. She recalls Leonard Bernstein teaching her the score himself: "I remember sitting next to Lenny and his starting with 'A Boy Like That,' teaching it to me and me saying, 'I'll never do this, I can't hit those notes, I don't know how to hit those notes.' "

But she did hit them, and being able to sing, act and dance made her a valuable Broadway commodity, said Maslon. "She was the first great triple threat. Broadway directors like Jerome Robbins and Bob Fosse saw the need to have performers who could do all three things and do them really well."

And, from 1960 to 2013, she headlined some big hits — as well as some major flops. In 1986, Rivera was in a serious taxi accident. Her left leg was shattered, and the doctors said she'd never dance again, but she did — just differently.

Chita Rivera (right) and Michelle Veintimilla perform at the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 7, 2015, in New York City.

Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

"We all have to be realistic," she told NPR in 2005. "I don't do flying splits anymore. I don't do back flips and all the stuff that I used to do. You want to know something? I don't want to."

But her stardom never diminished. And the accolades flowed: She won several Tony Awards, including one for lifetime achievement, a Kennedy Center honor, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Rivera didn't do much television or film — she was completely devoted to the stage, says Maslon.

"That's why they're called Broadway legends," he says. "Hopefully you get to see them live because you'll never get to see them in another form in quite the same way."

Chita Rivera receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from then-President Barack Obama during a ceremony at the White House on Aug. 12, 2009.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

THE VERY SUBVERSIVE "AMERICA"

GREAT CANADIAN FILM DIRECTOR

'Fiddler on the Roof' director Norman Jewison dies at 97

By  Fred Wasser

BBC

JANUARY 22, 2024

Norman Jewison, shown here on the set of 1987's Moonstruck, was born in Toronto and served in the Canadian navy during World War II.AP

From the race drama In the Heat of the Night to the musical Fiddler on the Roof, Canadian-born director Norman Jewison defied categorization. He has died at the age of 97.

Jewison started his career in television. He was producing and directing a TV special when he caught the attention of actor Tony Curtis. "You do nice work, kid," Curtis recalled in his 2005 autobiography. "When are you gonna make a movie?" Not long after that encounter, Jewison directed Curtis in the 1962 comedy 40 Pounds of Trouble. Other comedies followed, with Doris Day, James Garner and Rock Hudson. Those were all studio assignments, but Jewison soon started making his own films, including 1965's The Cincinnati Kid, starring Steve McQueen, and a 1966 spoof of Cold War politics called The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!, starring Alan Arkin.
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Sidney Poitier played Philadelphia detective Virgil Tibbs in In the Heat of the Night.

Keystone/Getty Images

Jewison was born in Toronto and served in the Canadian navy during World War II. As he told NPR in 2011, he was on leave toward the end of the war — only 18 years old and in uniform — when he got on a bus in Memphis, Tenn.:

"It was a hot, hot day, and I saw a window open at the back so I headed to the back of the bus. And I sat down with my bag and by the open window. The bus driver looked at me, and I could see his face in the mirror. He says, 'Are you trying to be funny, sailor?' He says, 'Can't you read the sign?' And there was a little sign and it said, 'Colored people to the rear.' "

Jewison looked around and saw that he was the only white passenger in the back. "I was just a kid, but I was kind of shocked," he said. "I thought, well, the only thing I could do is get off the bus." It was his first experience with racial prejudice and, he says, it laid the groundwork for 1967's In the Heat of the Night. That film starred Rod Steiger as small town Mississippi police chief and Sidney Poitier as a visitor to the town who is accused of murder. It won five Oscars, including Best Picture.

Film historian and critic Leonard Maltin remembers seeing In the Heat of the Night when it first came out. He says, "This film caught lightning in a bottle... By casting Poitier and Steiger as adversaries who have to work together, have to find some way to work together in a Southern town, it just set things up so perfectly for character development against a backdrop that certainly all Americans could relate to." 

Jewison directs Denzel Washington in 1999's The Hurricane, about a boxer who is wrongly convicted of murder./Getty Images

Jewison followed In the Heat of the Night with the 1968 hit thriller The Thomas Crown Affair, starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway, but his biggest hit came in 1971 with Fiddler on the Roof. By then, Jewison had a successful track record. Still, when United Artists approached him to direct Fiddler on the Roof, it took Jewison a minute to figure out why.

"I've got a strange name," he said in his 2011 NPR interview. "Jewison. If you look at it closely, it kind of looks like I'm the son of a Jew. And I thought, Oh, my God. They think I'm Jewish. What am I going to do? Because how can you direct Fiddler on the Roof if you're not Jewish? So, I guess I have to tell them."

He got the job anyway, and the film won three Oscars. It was as different from any of Jewison's previous films as it could be. Leonard Maltin says that's what makes Jewison worth remembering.


MUSIC INTERVIEWS
At 90, 'Fiddler' Lyricist Tells His Story


MOVIES
Norman Jewison's 50 Years In Film: A True 'Superstar'

"You can't easily pigeonhole Norman Jewison because he didn't want to be pigeonholed," Maltin says. "There is no one identifiable Norman Jewison kind of film. The same man who made [the romantic comedy] Moonstruck made Fiddler on the Roof and The Thomas Crown Affair and a couple of good Doris Day movies back in the '60s and [the World War II drama] A Soldier's Story. Those are all Norman Jewison films."

Tom Cole edited this story for broadcast and Nicole Cohen adapted it for the Web.

IRELAND

Thousands of female students gather for STEM showcase

Updated / Thursday, 8 Feb 2024 

In a recent I Wish survey, 51% of female students said a barrier to STEM was a lack of female role models (Stock image)

By Brian O'Donovan

RTE
Work & Technology Correspondent


Almost 3,000 female students have gathered for the 10th annual I Wish Showcase which is held to inspire girls to consider careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

40 leading companies from the pharmaceutical, technology, and engineering sectors took part in the event at Dublin's RDS which includes interactive exhibitions and talks from guest speakers.

Former President of Ireland and current chair of The Elders Mary Robinson addressed students on climate justice and the challenges in achieving gender equality globally.

"I am delighted to join I Wish again this year, marking their 10th anniversary," Mrs Robinson said.

"It's an honour to be part of an event that ignites the spark of possibility in the hearts of young women."

"As a staunch supporter of 'girl power’, I witness its transformative impact every day through my work," she added.



Over the past decade, I Wish has engaged with over 60,000 students, hosted close to 1,000 speakers, and partnered with over 50 industry leaders.

In a recent I Wish survey, 51% of female students said a barrier to STEM was a lack of female role models while 66% cited poor gender equality in STEM careers.

"In our annual survey, time and time again girls tell us that they want more information about STEM and report that access to female role models positively influences them," said I Wish co-founder Caroline O'Driscoll

"At our Showcase, over 3,000 teenage girls get the opportunity to listen to the lived journeys of some amazing trailblazers," Ms O'Driscoll said.

LACK OF CENTRAL PLANNING

Tech employers faced with wage pressures and talent shortages

Updated / Wednesday, 7 Feb 2024

Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity and software engineering are among the most in demand skills

By Brian O'Donovan

RTE

Work & Technology Correspondent


Employers in the tech sector are facing challenges when it comes to wage pressures and the availability of talent.

According to the 2024 Stelfox Salary Guide Survey, 70% of tech employers in Ireland say wage pressure is a major hurdle they will need to navigate in 2024, while an even greater number, 83%, are grappling with the availability of talent as demand for skilled professionals escalates.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and software engineering are among the most in demand skills categories.

The research shows that 41% of employers in the IT sector are planning to expand the size of their teams this year.

It also found that there was a 24% decrease in the number of exclusively remote working-based roles in 2023.

"As the tech skill demands outstrip supply, many companies are embracing a new culture of learning," said Clare McDonald, Commercial Director at Stelfox.

"Emerging technologies are changing so quickly that by the time a tech organisation has built out the team they need, the skills in demand can already be shifting.

"Due to the accelerated pace of technology, at times there is virtually no talent pool at all," Ms McDonald said.

"Many of our tech clients are thinking differently about where and how to attain the skills needed, rather than thinking only about headcount," she added.

Growing numbers of graduates overqualified for their jobs - study

Updated / Thursday, 8 Feb 2024 

Graduates are increasingly having to take up lower-paid employment

By Brian O'Donovan
RTE
Work & Technology Correspondent


Increasing numbers of third-level graduates are working in occupations in which they are overqualified according to research from the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI).

The study found that as graduate numbers outpace high-end employment opportunities in the Irish economy, graduates are increasingly having to take up lower-paid employment.

According to the research, over a generation, Ireland has expanded third-level education by more than almost any other EU country by vastly increasing the numbers of third-level graduates from households with parents with lower levels of formal education.

However, labour market opportunities in high-end employment have not kept pace and graduates, especially the sons and daughters of parents who did not go to third level, are increasingly working in jobs that have lower skill requirements and are lower paid.

Following on from a report on the overqualification of third-level graduates in Ireland last year, NERI, with the support of the Irish Research Council and the Department of Sociology at Maynooth University, has published a series of 3 themed reports on third-level education and employment outcomes in 13 high-income EU countries.

"In broad terms, the reports show that since the 1990s, Ireland has transitioned from having one of the lowest shares of third-level graduates to the highest in a high-income EU context," said Ciarán Nugent, Economist at NERI.

"Most of this occurred by narrowing the gap of third-level attainment by social origin (by increasing the numbers going to third level from families who weren't in the high level of formal education bracket themselves)," Mr Nugent said.

The research found that graduates are increasingly filling jobs with lower skills requirements in services, sales and clerical roles and that this is 'bumping down’ adults with lower levels of formal education out of the labour market entirely who in the past might have filled these roles.

Canada’s Kicking Horse Coffee appoints first agency of record, Lifelong Crush

The Toronto-based creative agency will support Kicking Horse Coffee develop an enhanced brand marketing strategy to drive greater brand affinity across Canada and the US

Kicking Horse Coffee’s first flagship café at its Invermere headquarters | Photo credit: Lavazza

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Lavazza-owned specialty coffee roaster Kicking Horse Coffee has appointed Lifelong Crush as its first ever Agency of Record (AOR) as it seeks to develop its brand identity across Canada and the US. 
 

Selected following a five-agency competitive pitch process, Lifelong Crush will support Kicking Horse Coffee shift from a focus on individual product sales to develop a broader brand marketing strategy which will drive greater brand affinity. 

The first creative work of the partnership is expected to launch in the third quarter of 2024. 

“Lifelong Crush really understood the essence of our brand and history and that showed up in a strong creative strategy and truly nailing the tone of voice. The way the agency was able to play with our brand and show us examples of how far we could go was awesome,” said Lori Hatcher, Chief Marketing Officer, Kicking Horse Coffee. 

“We’re an agency full of unconstrained thinkers that seek to break with convention, so to be able to collaborate with a similar team at Kicking Horse to shake up a sleepy coffee industry, ‘buck’ the trends and ignite what already exists in the Kicking Horse Coffee DNA really excites us,” said Christina Yu, Chief Creative Officer, Lifelong Crush. 

Kicking Horse Coffee named Cédric Malaga as its new CEO in June 2023, with Hatcher-Hillier joining as Chief Marketing Officer the following November. 
 

Founded in 1996, Kicking Horse Coffee is one of Canada’s leading coffee roasters, distributing to cafés across North American grocery stores and direct-to-consumers via its online store. The specialty coffee roaster, which was acquired by Italian coffee roaster Lavazza in May 2017, opened its first flagship café at its Invermere headquarters in October 2023. 

DAMN FINE CUP OF COFFEE, DRINKING ONE NOW

Canada’s Tim Hortons to launch in Panama in 2024

 IMPERIALISM THE HIGHEST STAGE OF CAPITALI$M

The Ontario-based coffee chain will make its Central American debut in Panama later this year and has outlined plans to open 30 stores by 2034

Ontario-based Tim Hortons currently operates more than 5,700 stores across 17 markets globally | Photo credit: Erik Mclean

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Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons will enter Panama this year and plans to open 30 stores in the central American country within the next 10 years. 
 

Parent company Restaurant Brands International (RBI) said the first store in partnership with Vortex Investment SA will open in the coming months, with outlet growth focused on Panama City. 

“We look forward to bringing Tim Hortons renowned quality coffee in Panama and to introduce our delicious food and our welcoming Tim Hortons experience to guests later this year,” said Renato Rossi, Regional President, Latin America and the Caribbean, RBI. 

The move will mark Tim Hortons’ debut in Central America and adds to its growing presence in the US and Mexico, where it currently operates 630 and 89 stores respectively. 

The Ontario-based coffee chain currently operates more than 5,700 stores across 17 markets globally, having entered Pakistan, Singapore and South Korea in 2023. 
 

Panama’s branded coffee shop market is led by 24-store Kotowa Coffee House. However, international brands Starbucks and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf also have a modest presence, opening 16 and 10 outlets since their respective debuts in 2015. 

Tim Hortons to expand South Korea presence with two new Seoul stores

The Canadian coffee chain made its South Korea debut in December 2023 and says two existing sites in Seoul are its strongest performing across east Asia

Tim Hortons sold over 100,000 cups of coffee at its first two Seoul sites in the last month | Photo credit: Tim Hortons

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Tim Hortons will add two new outlets in Seoul this month amid strong consumer demand for the brand across the South Korean capital. 
 

The Canadian coffee chain entered South Korea in December 2023 with two stores in Seoul’s Sinnonhyeon and Seolleung districts. Tim Hortons sold over 100,000 cups of coffee and 300,000 donuts at the sites over the last month – marking a stronger performance than comparable sites in China, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore, according to a spokesperson.  

Tim Hortons will open its third and fourth sites at Sungnyemun Grand Central and Seoul National University Station on 30 and 31 January respectively. The brand is seeking to open 150 outlets in South Korea within five years.    

With more than 31,100 stores, South Korea is the second largest branded coffee shop market by outlets in east Asia, behind China which has nearly 50,000. 

Alongside Tim Hortons, Germany’s The Barn, France’s Terres De Café and China’s Cotti Coffee also opened their first stores in South Korea last year.  

World Coffee Portal research forecasts the total South Korean branded coffee shop market will surpass 41,700 outlets by the end of 2028. 

 

Tesco transforms bog-standard cardboard into luxury toilet rolls

by Fiona Briggs

 February 8, 2024

in Retailer News

In a supermarket first, Tesco is rolling out a new range of toilet roll and kitchen towel made from recycled cardboard and recycled pulp. These new, 100% recycled paper products, far from being bog-standard, are soft and absorbent.

Tesco and its supplier, WEPA, have invested in innovative technology that makes it possible to turn thousands of tonnes of corrugated cardboard, in part from the rapid growth since the pandemic of home delivery services, into soft toilet roll and absorbent kitchen towel.

The recycled cardboard such as home delivery boxes and corrugated card from supermarkets is combined with other recycled paper sources, mixed with water to create a pulp and cleaned to create suitable fibres for use in paper production.

Household category director, Philip Banks, said: “The explosion of home deliveries since the pandemic has created an abundance of recyclable cardboard boxes right on our doorstep. The manufacturing process our supplier has developed, that turns them into incredibly soft toilet roll and kitchen towel, allows us to create a second, sustainable use for them that couldn’t be more different!”

The innovative pulp production process uses less water, chemicals and energy compared to using traditional tree fibre as the raw material. The paper is unbleached, giving the products their unusual beige colour.

The three new additions to Tesco’s own brand ranges of toilet roll and kitchen towel will hit shelves in 100 Tesco Extra stores across the country from the start of February with more to follow. They include:

• 100% Recycled Brown Kitchen Towel
• Luxury Soft 100% Recycled Brown Toilet Tissue 4 Roll
• Luxury Soft 100% Recycled Brown Toilet Tissue 6 Long Roll

Sainsbury’s invests in living wages for banana workers three years ahead of industry commitment

by Fiona Briggs
February 8, 2024
in Retailer News

From today, every single banana bought at Sainsbury’s will contribute towards paying thousands of workers a fairer wage and support the future of banana growers in Cameroon, Colombia, Dominican Republic and Ghana.

Last year, Sainsbury’s, along with nine other UK retailers brought together by IDH, committed to enabling banana workers – those employed on large banana plantations – to receive a living wage by 2027. Sainsbury’s has taken action to address living wages now, three years ahead of the industry commitment.

The price Sainsbury’s is paying for every box of bananas now covers the cost of the fruit, plus a premium which is invested into workers’ wages. This additional money helps the workers to cover food, housing, education and healthcare costs, improving their livelihoods and those of their families.

The remainder of the premium goes towards helping the environment, by supporting the banana growers to implement sustainable farm practices, such as capturing carbon, reducing water footprints and improving biodiversity and soil health.

Sainsbury’s has also moved to four year contracts to give its growers greater stability and financial security.

Sainsbury’s worked with longstanding partner Fairtrade and banana supplier Fyffes to make these changes possible. The retailer is now calling on others to also meet the industry commitment early, so that every banana worker across the whole industry can be paid a living wage.

Ruth Cranston, Sainsbury’s director of corporate responsibility & sustainability, said: “Bananas are our bestselling fruit and by improving wages on this product we can positively impact the lives of thousands of people in the countries we source from. But we want every banana worker across the entire industry to benefit and we can’t do this alone, that’s why we’re urging other retailers to act now so that all workers can be paid fairly.

“By choosing Sainsbury’s bananas, our customers are helping to both enrich workers’ livelihoods through fairer pay and tackle climate change, supporting a thriving and enduring banana industry for the long term.

“This has all been possible thanks to our longstanding relationships with Fairtrade and Fyffes. We look forward to many more years of working together as partnership is the key to creating resilient and responsible supply chains.”

Minel Bellamir, employee at Bananeros los Ríos Plantation, Dominican Republic, said: “We are glad that thanks to Fairtrade and the Fairtrade Premium we are able to improve our living conditions and wages. To me, living wages means more security, better housing, and giving an education to my children. When Fairtrade and companies like Sainsbury’s work together and commit to support banana workers in earning decent wages, our families and communities have a better chance to establish decent living conditions. Fairtrade and Sainsbury’s are also supporting the development of better growing practices, which is especially important as I feel the effects of climate change and the impact this has on the production of bananas.”

Michael Gidney, CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “We are thrilled to be working with our valued long term partner Sainsbury’s to work towards closing the living wage gap for the women and men who grow Fairtrade bananas.

“Fairtrade’s vision is a world where farmers and workers have the power to improve their livelihoods through better pay and working conditions. Paying a living wage is central to sustainability, and this ground-breaking new commitment from Sainsbury’s comes after detailed consultations with producers, who have helped shape the partnership – in particular by securing multi-year contracts which is a huge step forward.”

Diana Copper, UK country director at IDH, said: “Sainsbury’s is making commendable steps towards getting more pay into the pockets of banana workers. We only started the UK Retail Commitment last year and perhaps the most critical part is responsible procurement practices and paying suppliers fairly. By paying the Fairtrade Living Wage Reference Price and committing to longer-term contracts, Sainsbury’s is addressing these key elements and showing that they are listening to their banana suppliers and producers. We have faith that more retailers will follow suit as the more retailers that embed similar solutions, the greater the impact will be on the workers’ wages.”

Sainsbury’s is the world’s largest retailer of Fairtrade bananas. Since 2000, Sainsbury’s has invested over £75 million via Fairtrade in improving social infrastructure for banana producing communities. This investment has laid the foundations for Sainsbury’s and Fairtrade to focus on wages and climate resilience to secure banana production for future generations.

SAINSBURY LAY OFFS IN THE UK

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2024/02/uk-sainsburys-boss-refuses-to-rule-out.html