Charlie Thompson, an employment lawyer at Stewarts, says the “overwhelming direction of travel” in gig economy cases is in favour of the individuals. The Uber drivers argue they are entitled to workers’ rights but the ride hailing firm, which is appealing a 2016 employment tribunal decision, claims they are self-employed. […]
Road
Japan tries to keep its spluttering car industry on the road
Toyota – which has been a laggard in the development of electric cars – made a statement at last year’s Tokyo motor show with boss Akio Toyoda telling the world that the company was becoming a “mobility business”, not a carmaker. It has the cash to back such a pledge, […]
Coronavirus blocks Belt and Road, cutting Q1 project value by 64%
SINGAPORE — China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to link countries across Asia and beyond through a string of infrastructure projects, has hit a major bump during the coronavirus pandemic. A report released by analytics company Refinitiv on Tuesday showed a 15.6% drop in the number of new […]
Social distancing goes out the window on the road to retail revival
A scrum of shoppers outside NikeTown formed as the store prepared to reopen on Monday morning, with reports of customers pushing and shoving each other in a bid to be first through the doors. Social distancing was enforced at Selfridges by encouraging shoppers to queue for escalators, but the department […]
Deserted Orchard Road highlights Singapore’s economic woes
SINGAPORE — To see the extent of the economic crisis gripping Singapore — which last week recorded its steepest ever monthly retail sales fall — just take a random walk down Orchard Road. One of Southeast Asia’s prime shopping hubs, the normally thriving strip of malls and high-end retailers — a reliable […]
Pakistan bans political party critical of China’s Belt and Road
KARACHI — Pakistan has banned a political party well known for criticizing China’s Belt and Road Initiative along with two other groups for alleged terrorist links, highlighting the country’s reliance on Beijing for political and economic support. Pakistan’s interior ministry early this month outlawed Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz-Arisar (JSQM-A), a […]
Coronavirus latest: Tokyo issues road map for looser restrictions
The Nikkei Asian Review is tracking the spread of the new coronavirus that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Global cases have reached 4,438,371, according to Johns Hopkins Univertsity. The worldwide death toll has hit 302,115. To see how the disease has spread, view our virus tracker charts: […]
Hostile takeover leads to new chief at Japan road builder
TOKYO — Construction company Maeda Corp. will install one of its own as the head of new subsidiary Maeda Road Construction, the target of a rare Japanese hostile bid in March. Yasuhiko Imaizumi, now an advisor, will become president, replacing Ryozo Imaeda, Maeda Road said Thursday. Imaizumi was a longtime veteran of […]
Pakistan request opens door for Belt and Road project debt relief
KARACHI — Pakistan’s plea last month to China for Belt and Road Initiative debt relief has opened the floodgates for other participating countries to make similar appeals as the impact of the coronavirus slams friendly economies with traditionally close ties to Beijing. Islamabad sought the extension of a debt repayment […]
Shippers turn to Belt and Road trains to beat coronavirus shutdowns
HAMBURG, Germany — With few international flights operating and many cargo ships knocked off course by the coronavirus pandemic, businesses sending goods between Asia and Europe have turned in desperation to trains linked to China’s Belt and Road project. “These days, many European customers are exploring rail freight on the […]