Business
Whittlesey butcher makes appeal for customers on social media
John Devine/BBCA shop that has housed butchery businesses for more than 100 years could face the chop unless more people use it.
Jones Butchers has stood on Broad Street in Whittlesey, near Peterborough, since 1957 and before it, two other butchers dating back to the early 1900s have been there.
Mark Field, a butcher with 30 years’ experience, took over the business in June but has appealed for more customers on social media, putting his struggles down to the cost of living and the convenience of supermarkets.
Trade association National Craft Butchers (NCB) said beef prices were at an historic high, with the cost of meat generally rising 17%, which had made it tough for independent butchers.
Mark FieldAfter always working for other people in the butchery industry, Mr Field, 47, thought he would try and go it alone and run his own shop after an opportunity arose.
“I am not regretting taking it on because I have a love for the job and I’ve always wanted to do this,” he said.
But despite a summer perfect for barbecues, Mr Field said he had already been forced to cut down on staffing hours and upped his own shift patterns, working 60 hours a week.
GRAHAM JONES“Things have picked up a bit since I made the plea for more customers on Facebook last week, so I will keep my fingers crossed”, he said.
But he added: “The cost of meat has been rising across the board, and I think younger people can sometimes feel intimidated by coming in to a shop where they have to ask for something. They prefer picking up meat in packs from a supermarket.”
BENT AND CORNWELLAdrian Cornwell, who runs Bent and Cornwell in Ely, noticed that business had also been quieter this year.
“We can’t compete with supermarkets on prices, but what we can do is share our vast knowledge with our customers on how best to prepare various cuts of meat,” he said.
Mr Cornwell added that he had tried to replicate how the supermarkets displayed their meat, because “that’s what the shopper expects”.
He agreed with Mr Field that the younger generation seemed to forgo visiting butchers’ shops, preferring the convenience of the supermarket.
Beef prices have increased to historic highs of £7 per kg due to constrained supply and continued consumer demand, said NCB.
According to the British Retail Consortium, food prices rose by 4% in July from a year earlier.
Meat prices have also increased by 17% up to June this year.
John MettrickJohn Mettrick, legislation director at NCB and a fifth generation butcher, said it was “tough for all businesses on the High Street, not just butchers”.
He said his own shop had managed to entice younger customers by selling “kitchen-ready” meals.
“I do a thing called ‘fake-a-ways’, stir fries, Indian dishes, all prepared ready for the oven, it saves so much time,” he said.
The wait is finally over for over 1 crore central government employees and pensioners. The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has officially approved the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC). The Commission is expected to submit its recommendations within 18 months from the date of its formation. (Image: AI-Generated)
The Central Pay Commission is set up every few years to review and revise salary structures, retirement benefits, and service conditions. (Image: AI-Generated)
Historically, a new Pay Commission is implemented roughly every 10 years. (Image: AI-Generated)
The salary hike depends largely on the fitment factor, which is a multiplier used to calculate the revised basic pay. In the 7th Pay Commission, the fitment factor was 2.57, raising the minimum basic salary from Rs 6,000 to Rs 18,000. (Image: AI-Generated)
For the 8th Pay Commission, different fitment factors are being considered. Here’s how they could impact salaries: if the fitment factor is set at 1.83, the basic salary could rise from Rs 18,000 to around Rs 32,940. A slightly higher factor of 1.86 would increase it to Rs 33,480. However, if the government applies a more generous fitment factor of 2.47, the revised basic pay could reach Rs 44,460. These figures help illustrate how significantly the fitment factor influences salary revisions under the Pay Commission. (File Photo)
Gross salary includes Basic Pay, Dearness Allowance (DA) – linked to inflation, revised twice a year, and House Rent Allowance (HRA) – based on city category (30% for metro cities, 20% for Tier-2 cities, and 10% for Tier-3 cities). (Image: AI-Generated)
Let’s calculate the gross salary using a fitment factor of 2.47 and assuming: Basic Pay: Rs 44,460; DA: Rs 0 (for simplicity); HRA (30% for metro): Rs 13,338. The New Gross Salary = Basic Pay + DA + HRA, which is 44,460 + 0 + 13,338 = Rs 57,798. (Image: AI-Generated)
Business
Aadhaar Card Update: Is Aadhaar A Proof Of Date Of Birth Or Citizenship? Govt Issues Clarification
New Delhi: The Ministry of Communications has issued a latest circular on clarification on the Properties and Usage of Aadhaar by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The three-point clarification was issues regarding the properties and permissible usage of the Aadhaar number and related documents.
UIDAI said that an Aadhaar number may be used for establishing the identity of the Aadhaar number holder subject to authentication or offline verification.
Further, Aadhaar number or the authentication thereof, is not a proof of citizenship or domicile in respect of Aadhaar number holder.
UIDAI also added that Aadhaar number is not a proof of date of birth and hence, must not be used for establishing the date of birth of the Aadhaar number holder conclusively.
Members of the NASUWT union are set to be balloted on industrial action over class contact time.
The union accused the Scottish Government of failing to meet the SNP manifesto commitment ahead of the 2021 election of reducing contact time by one-and-a-half hours per week.
Announcing the move, NASUWT national official for Scotland Mike Corbett said teachers are “arguably worse off in terms of workload” than before the last election.
“The commitment on class contact time was a recognition by the Scottish Government that additional time away from the classroom was necessary to give teachers sufficient time and space to plan, prepare and assess pupils’ work in order to help students achieve their best and raise attainment.
“Since 2024 we’ve had agreements to work ‘at pace’ and the establishment of working groups by the Scottish Government and Cosla to make meaningful progress on class contact time reduction.
“But the reality is that teachers today are arguably worse off in terms of their workloads and working hours than they were in 2021 when this commitment was first made.
“A reduction in class contact time is as needed now, if not more so, than in 2021.
“It is regrettable that we have been forced to declare a trade dispute and move to a ballot in order to try to force the Government to give teachers the working conditions it itself acknowledges they require to do the job effectively.”
The union’s general secretary Matt Wrack said it had “exhausted all avenues” to reduce contact time, adding: “Where ministers and employers continue to fail our teachers, we will stand up for their right to working conditions which would enable them to deliver the highest quality of learning for our children and young people.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Ministers have been clear that reducing class contact will help support the time and space necessary for teachers, to allow them to drive improvement and reform in our schools and improve outcomes for their pupils.
“We are committed to working with teaching unions and Cosla to agree our approach to delivering a reduction in class contact time at pace.
“That is why we are providing local authorities with increased funding of £186.5 million to restore teacher numbers – this additional funding was agreed to by local government on the understanding that they make ‘meaningful progress’ with reducing class contact.
“Ministers respect union members’ right to withdraw their labour, but are disappointed that the NASUWT has taken this action while these constructive discussions are ongoing.”
ICE cotton futures rise on weaker US dollar, trade deal hopes
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8th Pay Commission Update: What Government Employees Can Expect
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