Search results

Following the successful introduction of operator training manuals in a factory in the UK, Cussons (International) Ltd (CIL) wanted a cost‐effective means of producing similar manuals in factories overseas. The solution was to prepare an automated, Word‐based template, which was carefully structured to suit many different factory processes, and which had additional functionality programmed in to simplify and speed up word processing for both novice and experienced users. The structured template can be used to prepare any number of manuals, and ensures that CIL maintain a degree of control over the format of manuals written overseas.

Seeks to document a responsive strategy to manufacturing planning with Cussons (UK) Limited, a company operating in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. In the FMCG environment products are manufactured to a sales forecast, and customers demand 100 per cent service levels within lead‐times, sometimes in the order of hours rather than days. It is essential that a company′s stock replenishment procedures should reflect this situation rather than inhibit its ability to respond. Manufacturing resource planning (MRPII), the standard for planning and procurement used comprehensively within manufacturing industry, is a tool that has been generally accepted and used within the FMCG sector. It was not, however, either designed or developed to cope with the specific demands imposed by this type of business. Suggests that MRPII, rather than facilitating responsive planning, may actually form a barrier to change.

Concentrates on ways of helping employers to keep their workforce up to date and adaptable. Contains precised articles exploring the relationship between employers and the world of education. The final group of precis examines the concept of knowledge management, which can help organizations to exploit their hidden talents.

A new addition to the CombiPack transit packaging system has been announced by the Pak‐Master Consortium. This is a new automatic Collator and Place Packer for glass bottles, specially designed for use with CombiPack case erecting machines. The new equipment places glass bottles, in collations of one dozen, into corrugated fibreboard transit cases which have been erected by the CombiPack machine. It is capable of packing up to 600 dozen bottles per hour, and takes only 30 minutes for bottle size changeovers to be made.

The Equal Pay Act 1970 (which came into operation on 29 December 1975) provides for an “equality clause” to be written into all contracts of employment. S.1(2) (a) of the 1970 Act (which has been amended by the Sex Discrimination Act 1975) provides:

A distinction must be drawn between a dismissal on the one hand, and on the other a repudiation of a contract of employment as a result of a breach of a fundamental term of that contract. When such a repudiation has been accepted by the innocent party then a termination of employment takes place. Such termination does not constitute dismissal (see London v. James Laidlaw & Sons Ltd (1974) IRLR 136 and Gannon v. J. C. Firth (1976) IRLR 415 EAT).

Mike Vardon has been appointed UK sales manager of Chemitrade Ltd., whom he joined in 1978. Mike was previously with Warwick Chemical as sales manager (surface coatings).

An employee who is eligible to make a complaint for unfair dismissal has to prove that he has been dismissed by the employer if the employer contests that the employee has in fact been dismissed. If the dismissal is not contested, all the employee has to do is to show that he has been dismissed. This constitutes the first stage of the proceedings in an industrial tribunal.