Chief Executives Weekly News for 20th May 2019

CBI Highlights from this month’s Labour market update include:

• The UK labour market continues to outperform the rest of the economy. The employment rate remains at a record high, with the unemployment rate at a record low.
• Across the UK, many regions and nations have seen an increase in employment, while unemployment has remained broadly unchanged.
• The unemployment rate fell again to 3.8% in the quarter to March 2019. But although the number of job seekers per vacancy (1.5) remains close to record low, the overall number of vacancies has decreased. These are signs that the labour market remains tight which means that it becomes increasingly difficult for companies to fill all vacant positions and can create upward pressure on wages.
• Pay growth has come off its recent two and a half year high over the last couple of months. The only route to stronger pay growth remains a revival in productivity, rather than the fits and starts that we’ve seen since the financial crisis. The flash estimate for productivity in Q1 unfortunately showed no sign of a shift from this trend, recording that productivity fell by 0.6% following growth of 0.3% in Q4 2018.
• To some extent, the labour market’s strong performance may reflect Brexit contingency planning (i.e. hiring to support stockpiling or those with other specialist skills). And the economy remains highly vulnerable to political developments: ongoing uncertainty continues to push companies to delay investment decisions and shift production outside the UK. It remains crucial for Parliament to finally agree a Brexit deal, in order to give businesses the confidence to invest, rather than simply stockpile, in the UK.

Brexit: The number of EU nationals working in the UK hit a record high in the three months to March as the jobs market ignored political turmoil to create more positions. It came as unemployment fell to 3.8pc, the lowest level since the end of 1974.

Almost 2.4m citizens of other EU nations now work in the country, a rise of more than 100,000 compared to the final three months of 2018. That more than reverses the outflow, nicknamed the ‘Brexodus’, from late 2017 to September 2018.

The number of workers from outside the EU also increased, the Office for National Statistics said, rising by 22,000 on the quarter and 80,000 on the year to more than 1.3m.

Public Health England(PHE): Has given an update on some of its key initiatives:

Sugars. Analysis continues on the year 2 reduction monitoring report due to be published ‘late Summer 2019.

Calories. Guidelines are due to be published in the summer.

Nutrient Profile Review. This is the responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), so no update on timing.

Salt. Will be included in the DHSC Preventative Health Green Paper still due in the summer. Can expect a focus on categories that contribute most to the diet and the out-of-home sector. The detail of the ‘targets’ or otherwise will be the responsibility of PHE to follow up on after the publication of the DHSC paper.

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) annual conference will take place on 24 June at Church House in Westminster, London.

The conference is free to attend and you can register your attendance here.

At the conference you will have the opportunity to:

• hear direct from the GCA about her plans for the coming year and her review of 2018 to 2019
• be the first to see the findings from the GCA annual survey, presented by YouGov
• have a one-to-one meeting with Christine or one of her team if you are a direct supplier of groceries (slots are filling up fast)
• meet retailer Code Compliance Officers, GCA staff and other industry representatives. If you have any questions about the conference, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the GCA. Enquiries@GroceriesCode.gov.uk  

Glyphosate: Last week it was widely reported that a jury in California has awarded more than $2 billion to a couple who have said the weedkiller Roundup (containing the herbicide glyphosate, commonly used in arable farming) caused their cancer. This is the third time that a US jury has ruled damages must be paid over use of the weedkiller, following similar cases in March 2019 and August 2018.

Australian Harvest or lack of it!: It has been reported that Australian authorities have approved the first bulk import of foreign wheat in more than a decade, as a devastating two-year drought continues to ravage the country’s eastern states. The shipment from Canada marks the first time the Manildra Group, the largest user of Australian wheat for industrial purposes, has been forced to import grains in bulk to meet exceptional drought conditions in its 67-year history. Approval of the shipment has also raised biosecurity fears among Australian grain growers, who worry that importing overseas product could introduce foreign pests or diseases.

Free Breakfast Briefing: Climate, Climate Change and Climate Risks to arable agriculture – 2 July 2019

Measuring and Reporting Food Waste – 3 July 2019

Wednesday 03 July 2019
11:30pm – 12:30pm
Free webinar

As part of the UK’s Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, WRAP and UK food businesses have agreed common recommendations for UK companies in measuring and reporting food waste and surplus data, consistent with the Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard (FLW Standard).

These principles are supported by a growing number of the UK’s leading food retailers, manufacturers and hospitality and food service businesses with over 80 committed to this approach so far.

To facilitate consistency in measurement and reporting, WRAP and UK food businesses have developed a common food surplus and waste reporting template that is recommended for any instances in which data is shared. It consolidates the key information requirements of the FLW Standard and the information that businesses will need in order to replicate their food surplus and waste inventory from one year to the next (i.e. details on methods, assumptions etc.).

This webinar walks through the reporting template outlining the recommended measurement and reporting metrics and defining key terms in a consistent way, including the scope of food waste based on its destinations, to support delivery of SDG Target 12.3.

Learning outcomes:

• Learn how to define the scope of your food waste inventory and the importance of clarity and transparency with your measurement approach
• Be equipped to measure in a consistent way by using standard definitions of food waste and a framework for collecting and reporting data in line with the UK’s Food Waste Reduction Roadmap
• Be inspired by real-life examples of measurement and reporting which showcase the opportunity to present a narrative of your progress

Speakers:

Darren Smillie, Business Engagement Manager on behalf of WRAP.
Darren works in the Business Engagement Team for WRAP, supporting businesses across the supply chain in targeting, measuring and acting on food waste to deliver on the UK’s Food Waste Reduction Roadmap.

The webinar would benefit food and drink manufacturers, those with impact / influence / responsibility for managing food waste, supply chain teams, CSR tems. technical managers, commercial and procurement teams, and all FDF members who would like a greater understanding of food waste reduction.

Book your place now »