A cafe criticised for making trainees work unpaid for 40 hours, without a guaranteed job, has given in to public pressure and started paying training staff wages. 

Mooboo Bubble Tea - which sells the Taiwanese drink topped with tapioca balls - was attacked on social media and by campaign groups. A petition to demand it pay staff properly collected more than 40,000 signatures.

In a statement, Mooboo said trainees would now be paid "company set levels". Emails outlining the original terms were leaked to campaign organisation 38 Degrees the peition company.Gordon Maloney from the group said it was an "outrageous way for MooBoo Bubble Tea to exploit people looking for work". The company, which has stores in Scotland and England, has also been accused of deleting comments on Facebook and blocking people on Twitter who have criticised it for allegedly “exploiting” workers by asking them to work a full week unpaid. A Camapaign was launched by Better Than Zero, a union movement focusing on retail and hospitality in Scotland.

Multiple reports were recieved from people who claimed to have worked the trial period only to not be given a job at the end of it. 

Better than Zero have a cracking website. Click on the image below to visit:

We have been working to assist a caller today about where to send his ‘Fit Note’ as DWP addresses have been changing? Having recently sent what was previously known as a ‘sick note’ into the JCP/DWP in Glasgow - the same address he had used over the last two years,  the caller was baffled as this paperwork was sent back with a 'sender gone away' message?

Jobcentres in Glasgow are shutting down due to budget cuts, and we have yet to get to the bottom of this matter? The JCP offices in Tower Hamlets have this address - 13 Dod Street, Limehouse, Poplar, London, E14 7EP. This Jobcentre Plus office does not have a specific name in Google?

There is no Limehouse Jobcentre. Poplar Jobcentre exists at another Post Code (another office). I could not see the address on the list and I was a bit worried myself, were we giving the right advice? There is meant to be a Freepost, PIP's Mail Handling, Wolverhampton address but no one seems to know much about it. 

A call to the ESA telephone number, as shown on the governments website, just took my caller around the telephone system and his local Jobcentres phone number is discontinued? Why would the ESA phone number have no reference on the phone-line menu for  someone with a disability claim asks my caller? The telephone number just takes you to the standard Jobcentre Plus call-centre, the basic port of call for all claimants?  Our man went for a trip round the telephone system, ending up at the telephone line number for reporting fraud! 

Losing his benefit could affect my caller, and althoughwe are guessing that we have given him the right; 'Mail Handling Site' address in Wolverhampton, confirming that this is the correct address for certain is another matter.  

'Could do better' we say to the JCP/DWP. Though some might say, causing people claiming PIPs, ESA or DLA this sort of distress and difficulty, is all part of the plan? Accidental or deliberate, it is a very poor way to treat people.  

Our man suggested, why could there not be a simple text box on the. Gov website where claimants can search for the mailing address they need using a search engine rather than reading through a long list of addresses? Why is there no address printed on 'Fit-notes' telling you where to send them? 

Have you had issues like this? If so we would love to hear from you…  

Note: The latest DWP Postal Addresses can be downloaded below: 

The Chancellor is due to deliver this year's Budget today. 

Philip Hammond will start just after midday, once Prime Minister's Questions have finished.

You can watch the budget live below:

The Government faces a potential bill of 2 billion euros, it was reported today, after EU investigators accused UK customs authorities of turning a blind eye to a fraud network allowing cheap Chinese goods to be dumped in Europe. The EU's anti-fraud office OLAF has uncovered what is thought to be one of the biggest fraud rings in its history, concluding that UK customs officials played a central role by repeatedly ignoring warnings to take action against cheap Chinese textiles and footwear flooding into Europe through English ports. 

Liberal Democrat First Secretary of State Alistair Carmichael commented: "The Brexit bill is going through the roof as a result of this Conservative Government's incompetence in virtually every department. "The UK border force is asleep at the wheel and it's going to cost the taxpayer billions. "This doesn't bode well for reckless plans to leave the customs union and set up border checks for all goods coming into UK.

 
"From clothing to steel, it seems this Tory government is intent on sabotaging attempts to tackle the dumping of cheap Chinese goods.'Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Brian Paddick added:“This is a damning report from the EU’s anti-fraud office, especially at a time when we need goodwill from our European partners as this Government prepare to trigger Article 50.
 
"Fraud, like other forms of serious crime, operates across borders and it is vital that we work closely with other European countries to fight this scourge. "This report undermines the work our customs and border force do, the Government must take urgent action to address their failings to date and restore trust.”

Roma women have long been held back by inequalities, poverty, dire living conditions and a lack of opportunities, says the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on International Women’s Day on 8 March.

“Too often Roma women fare far worse than men, denied opportunities to get the skills they need to find work,” said FRA’s Director Michael O’Flaherty. “We need to stand up for the rights of Roma women to help them break the chains that are holding them back from enjoying their human rights in life and in work.”

The Roma of Europe have never had meaningful access to their socio-economic rights. For women, the picture is especially bleak. They remain trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, social exclusion and unemployment. Exclusion from education impedes their access to meaningful employment which condemns them to a life of poverty and poor housing conditions. Roma women then remain in poverty, with low education without employment opportunities, limiting their choices in later life.

A good education is the path to better jobs and better wages. But this road is closed to many young Roma women, who often drop out of secondary school without further training. Nearly three quarters of young Roma women aged 16-24 are not employed, in education or training, compared with over a half of young Roma men in the same age group, according to findings from the Agency’s second EU Minorities and Discrimination survey in nine EU Member States. In countries like Greece, Portugal and Hungary the gender gap was even more marked.

This gap translates to poorer job prospects: For example, only 20% of Roma women are in paid work compared with 41% of men. Often this is compounded by traditional gender roles where women do most of the domestic work in poor conditions without tap water, indoor bath, shower or toilet. Unsurprisingly, the health of Roma women also suffers.

Clearly, Member States need to protect Roma girls and women from discrimination and give them a real chance to break free from the cycle of deprivation. This means ensuring they stay longer in school, receive training and learning support. Businesses and local authorities need to create training schemes and work opportunities for Roma women. And Roma communities should enjoy a decent standard of living free of poverty. Local efforts to empower Roma women should also be used to boost inclusion, as FRA research has found.

More than 360 jobs will be created in North Lanarkshire, with the construction of a new distribution centre by retail giant Lidl.

Planning permission has been granted by the council for the 58,000 square metre building at McNeil Drive, Eurocentral.

Council Leader Councillor Jim Logue visited the site along with Lidl Senior Consultant Construction Graeme Mair and Senior Consultant Acquisitions Cameron Hall.

Lidl will transfer 400 staff from their existing HQ in Livingston and recruit another 360 new posts for the Eurocentral facility.

"This is excellent news for North Lanarkshire," said Councillor Logue. "Lidl's decision to relocate and expand here at Eurocentral highlights North Lanarkshire's position as a prime location for business, benefitting from first class transport links, capacity to expand and a skilled local workforce.

"The new facility will be a significant boost to the local economy, with the construction phase and support services as well as the new jobs."

Construction is expected to start on the site in six months. The distribution centre will provide support for the company's 92 Scottish stores.

"This new development is another sign of increasing economic activity in North Lanarkshire," added Councillor Logue.

"At the same Planning and Transportation Committee as this facility was approved, councillors agreed to a new residential development of 88 houses in Cumbernauld and the construction of a new primary school in Airdrie, to replace the old building destroyed by fire.

"It shows North Lanarkshire is a location that businesses want to invest in, an attractive place for new housing and a good place to live and work."

The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign group was formed to demand transitional arrangements including a 'bridging pension' for those caught out by the way the changes were brought about.

Budget Day they are planning a demonstration in Old Palace Yard, opposite the Houses of Parliament, from 1pm tomorrow (Wednesday 8 March) - which is both Budget Day and International Women's Day. Speakers at the event will include the Scottish National Party's Mhairi Black, Britain's youngest MP and a well-known advocate for WASPI's cause, as well as Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem MPs and trade union Unison's general secretary Dave Prentis.

Hundreds of WASPI supporters from across the country are expected to attend, with groups known to be travelling from all across the UK. Queen Boudica or Boadicea - whose statute is shown above, would be justly proud of them. 

Communities and Local Government Committee and Work and Pensions Committee

Tuesday 7 March 2017 Meeting starts at 3.45pm

This consultation seeks views on the government’s plans for a new housing costs funding model for supported housing as well as views on how funding for emergency and short term placements should work. It covers the following areas:

• devolved top-up funding to local authorities in England
• funding for emergency and short term supported housing placements across Great Britain.

Evidence review

The government has published a consultation on the implementation of the new funding model for supported housing. At the same time the government has published the evidence review of supported accommodation in Great Britain.

The review was jointly commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Communities and Local Government at the end of 2015 and provides a helpful insight into the estimated scale, scope and cost of the sector which respondents may find useful in responding to consultation.

Subject: Future of supported housing

• Witnesses: Tessa Bolt, John Wood, Joe Coffin, Robert Davidson, and Merida Taylor
• Witnesses: Age UK, Jane Ashcroft CBE, Chief Executive, Anchor, Anne Lawn, Head of Operations, Sense, and Gillian Connor, Head of Policy and Development, Rethink Mental Illness
• Witnesses: Sian Hawkins, Campaigns and Public Affairs Manager, Women's Aid, Denise Hatton, Chief Executive, YMCA England, and Lisa Hubbard, Senior Support Officer, Working Chance

International Women’s Day is a worldwide event that celebrates women’s achievements – from the political to the social – while calling for gender equality.

It has been observed since the early 1900s and is now recognised each year on March 8. Is is not affiliated with any one group, but brings together governments, women's organisations, corporations and charities.

The world of work is changing fast, through innovation, increasing mobility and informality. But it needs to change faster to empower women, whose work has already driven many of the global gains in recent decades.

Women still predominantly occupy jobs that pay less and provide no benefits. They earn less than men, even as they shoulder the enormous—and economically essential—burden of unpaid care and domestic work.

Realizing women’s economic empowerment requires transformative change so that prosperity is equitably shared and no one is left behind. The international community has made this commitment in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Every woman should enjoy her right to decent work. As a global champion for gender equality and women’s empowerment

At the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced that the government will move to a single major fiscal event each year.

This means following the spring 2017 Budget and Finance Bill, Budgets will be delivered in the autumn, with the first one taking place in autumn 2017.

1. The UK is the only major advanced economy to make major changes to the tax system twice a year

Businesses, economy and tax experts like the International Monetary Fund, Institute for Government, the CBI, Chartered Institute of Taxation and the IFS have all been calling for this change. It will mean businesses and people face less frequent changes to the tax system, helping to promote certainty and stability.

2. Spring Budget 2017 will be the final Budget held during springtime

The move to a single fiscal event will be made after the spring Budget in 2017. There will be a second Budget before the end of 2017 to switch to the new timetable, which will then be followed in future years.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is required by law to produce two forecasts a year. One of these will remain at Budget. The other will fall in the spring and the government will respond to it with a Spring Statement.

3. Finance Bill will follow the Budget, as it does now

We expect a Finance Bill in spring/summer 2017 following the spring Budget.

From winter 2017, Finance Bills will be introduced following the Budget. The aim will be to reach Royal Assent in the spring, before the start of the following tax year. This change in timetable will help Parliament to scrutinise tax changes before the tax year where most take effect.

4. Tax policy consultation will continue and be strengthened

The government remains committed to consulting on policy as set out in ‘The new approach to tax policy making’ in 2010. Most measures proposed at a Budget will be subject to policy consultation in the spring and publication of draft legislation in the summer, before being legislated in the Finance Bill after the following Budget. To build on this and allow for an earlier stage of involvement on key strategic challenges, the Chancellor has said that he may launch consultations on how to address these longer-term issues at the Spring Statement.

5. From 2018 ‘Legislation day’ will move to the summer

Since 2011, most tax policy consultation summaries and draft Finance Bill legislation have been published on ‘Legislation day’, following the Autumn Statement. In 2016 this will be on 5 December. From 2018, under the new timetable, this will move to the summer. As now, the date will continue to be announced by written ministerial statement.

6. An Autumn Budget means tax changes will be announced well in advance of the start of the tax year

The single fiscal event and new timetable to bring forward tax changes so they are legislated for before the start of the tax year will be beneficial to tax stakeholders. Making the transition to the new timetable will require adjustments to the normal tax policy making process due to the shorter interval between the two Budgets. Arrangements will be decided individually for different policies and set out to stakeholders by HMRC. In the normal way, these will where possible provide for consultation on policy proposals and on draft legislation.

7. 2018 will see the first Spring Statement

The Spring Statement will respond to the updated OBR forecast for the economy and the public finances. The Chancellor has said that the government will consider longer-term fiscal challenges and start consultations on how they can be addressed. The government will retain the option to make changes to fiscal policy at the Spring Statement if the economic circumstances require it.