Shop sales fall

HIGH street sales fell again last month, although good weather provided some comfort to retailers, a survey showed today.

Like-for-like retail sales in June dropped by 0.5 per cent after falling 2.4 per cent in May, although they rose by 3.5 per cent on a total basis, the British Retail Consortium said.

The BRC said traders did better in June than in May and April due to fine weather and clearance sell-offs, which boosted clothing and shoe sales.

Gender rethink The 18 per cent pay gap between men and women will not close unless there was a "radical" rethink of equality laws, the Government was told today.

The Equal Opportunities Commission said Britain's 30-year-old equality laws were failing to tackle the causes of the gender pay gap, which it warned will continue for at least another generation unless urgent action was taken.

Asda pay row

HUNDREDS of Asda workers at a depot in Washington, near Sunderland, will vote this week on whether to strike in a row over pay.

The GMB said industrial action will start on Tuesday, July 26 if there is support for a walkout over a 7.75 per cent offer over two years.

BBC jobs deal

ONE of the unions representing BBC staff has voted to accept a deal on proposed job cuts which would delay compulsory redundancies at the corporation.