A roundup of progressive information…
1.High European Airways Have Spent £4bn on Russian Jet Gasoline Since Crimea Invasion-DeSmog
DeSmog studies on how since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, European airways have continued shopping for jet gasoline price billions of kilos from Russia.
The location highlights: ‘Final yr, British Airways proprietor IAG spent an estimated £13.4 million on Russian-sourced kerosene, in keeping with a brand new evaluation of Europe’s ten largest airline corporations.
“IAG – which additionally owns Spanish and Irish carriers Iberia and Aer Lingus – used 586 barrels of Russian jet gasoline per day in 2021, spending the equal of £36,903 per day.”
In whole, the ten airline corporations spent an estimated £4.1 billion on Russian jet gasoline since Putin’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. This contains £850 million in 2019 alone, earlier than gross sales dropped in the course of the Covid pandemic.
Svitlana Romanko, coordinator of Stand With Ukraine, which campaigns in opposition to Russian fossil gasoline imports to Europe, mentioned: “The analysis has made clear that as of the top of 2021, British Airways, Scandinavian Airways and different air flight suppliers have been nonetheless shopping for aviation gasoline from Russia.”
She referred to as on airways to reveal the place they’re at the moment sourcing their jet gasoline, including: “Nobody can purchase Russian oil, gasoline and coal and feed Putin’s struggle machine, in any other case the entire world will face a bleak, dictatorial future devoid of freedom, safety and selection.”
2. Power Giants Pay £172 Million as a Results of Company Violations in Final 12 Years-Byline Instances
Byline Instances reveals that the UK’s largest vitality suppliers have paid greater than £172 million on account of regulatory breaches since 2010.
It comes as tens of millions wrestle to make ends meet throughout the price of residing disaster, with British Fuel paying the biggest penalties at £36 million. It was penalised final yr, alongside 17 different suppliers, for over-charging clients who switched to a different provider or tariff.
‘E.ON and Npower, the latter now owned by the previous, have every paid £31 million over this time interval, Scottish Energy has been penalised to the tune of £30.35 million, SSE has paid £21.6 million, and OVO – which purchased SSE’s retail arm in 2020 – has paid £13.6 million.’
3. Revealed: UK’s COVID heroes amongst hardest hit by value of residing crisis-openDemocracy
Among the many hardest hit by the price of residing disaster are the very staff who have been hailed as heroes in the course of the pandemic, a damning piece by openDemocracy studies.
The plight of cleaners, carers, NHS staff and transport staff is highlighted within the piece, with all of them struggling as the price of residing disaster continues to chew.
One of many examples used is that of Ivan, who works for Mitie, one of many UK’s largest outsourcing corporations, and cleans Vodafone’s world headquarters, which take up 5 flooring of a shiny Paddington high-rise.
Whereas Vodafone’s workers have been despatched residence when COVID instances have been peaking, Mitie insisted Ivan and his colleagues proceed cleansing, quite than inserting them on furlough.
“We have been made to return in on daily basis to deep clear an already spotless workplace,” Ivan remembers. “Inevitably, I bought sick and so did all of my co-workers.”
In June, Mitie introduced earnings of £167m, boosted by £429m of presidency COVID contracts in its annual outcomes. However Ivan says his pay hasn’t stored up – Mitie agreed to a small rise solely after a marketing campaign led by his union, the IWGB. With inflation now reaching 10% and rents rising by 13% in London since final yr, he’s fearful about offering for his daughter.
4. Why London Bus Drivers Have Joined the Strike Wave-Tribune
Francesca Newton writes for Tribune Journal about why London bus drivers have joined the strike wave, after many have been hit with a pay lower, alongside tube and practice workers.
Final week 1,600 bus drivers walked out over low pay and poor situations, following a measly pay provide of three.6 % this yr, and 4.2 % subsequent yr, in opposition to inflation already within the double digits and anticipated to go larger.
Francesca highlights how London’s bus drivers have seen a few of the worst penalties of cuts to networks and staff’ situations lately. Bus drivers have been additionally a few of the hardest hit in the course of the pandemic, with London’s bus drivers thrice extra prone to die from the illness than these in different occupations. In whole, town misplaced a devastating seventy-five drivers.
One bus driver says: “We’ll stick with it placing till we get what we would like—and deserve.”
5. Labour: Reverse Tory “failure” by making insulating properties a “nationwide mission”-LabourList
Labour has referred to as on the federal government to make it a nationwide mission to insulate 19 million properties in a bid to scale back vitality payments and make the UK extra vitality impartial, LabourList studies.
Calling on Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to undertake Labour’s ‘heat properties plan’, set out by Labour final yr, Ed Miliband instructed the management candidates that “too many working folks and pensioners stay in draughty, chilly properties with excessive heating prices”.
“Each Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss bear accountability for the Conservatives failures on this important nationwide agenda. Until they modify course and undertake Labour’s plan, pensioners will go chilly, payments will keep excessive, and we must import extra gasoline from Putin and his cronies,” the Shadow Local weather Change and Internet Zero Secretary mentioned.
“If the Conservatives have been critical about reducing vitality payments, they might begin proper now, by delivering the nice and cozy properties plan that Labour has referred to as for. A correct nationwide mission would save 19 million households over £1,000 on their payments in addition to creating good development jobs, and boosting our vitality safety.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Ahead
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