The File

2002

The fight continues through the courts and Whitehall as the downturn bites and rates slide.

141 ARTICLES
2002

2002

31 DEC 2002Government will 'make or break' business in 2003, says CBIGovernment actions next year stand to 'make or break' British business, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).BUSINESS
23 DEC 2002Broadband pressure group slams OFTEL findingsClaims made by the Official Telephone Regulator, OFTEL, of faster broadband take-up in the UK than in other countries have been challenged by the…BUSINESS
20 DEC 2002"Ridiculous nonsense of IR35" slammed in ParliamentMark Prisk, the Shadow Financial Secretary, called IR35 a "ridiculous nonsense" and accused MPs of regarding it with too little importance in a…IR35
18 DEC 2002Skills monitor reveals 140,000 IT joblessA report from the national IT skills barometer, e-skills UK, shows more than 140,000 skilled workers are unemployed or 'on the bench.' The total…BUSINESS
18 DEC 2002e-commerce fraud will cost US $500 millionOnline retailers in the US expect to lose about $500 million to fraud and suspect transactions over the Christmas period, according to a survey by…BUSINESS
9 DEC 2002'Enough EU red tape!' CBI tells BlairThe Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has urged the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, to curb plans for further EU intervention on tax and employment…BUSINESS
6 DEC 2002Deutsche Bank: Freelancers get near 30 per cent rate cutDeutsche Bank has introduced another 10 per cent cut in its freelance IT rates, for the third time in two years.BUSINESS
6 DEC 2002Key report shows UK is IT 'underachiever'A Government IT report that was supposed to form the crux of last month's e-summit showed the UK lagging behind competitors.POLITICS
5 DEC 2002Market Report: Initial IT recovery hopes dashedThe latest REC Report on Jobs has realised fears that last month's jump in demand for IT freelancers was a freak 'blip.' Last month, the 'IT &…BUSINESS
3 DEC 2002Small business owners work into their 60sAlmost 60 per cent of small business owners still expect to be working full-time into their 60s and beyond, according to a recent survey.BUSINESS
3 DEC 2002Government's drive to boost entrepreneurship on the ropesResearch published by a top London business school shows the UK business start-up sector is in steep decline despite a plethora of Government…BUSINESS
29 NOV 2002Only 'slight growth' for IT services in 2003, says GartnerThe IT services industry is going through one of its most difficult years, and the forecast for 2003 looks to be only slightly better, according to…BUSINESS
28 NOV 2002Global firms counting cost of failed IT projectsA survey of companies in the UK, USA, Africa, Australia and Europe has revealed more than half have lost millions of pounds from failed IT projects…BUSINESS
26 NOV 2002From Business to Business: IT's Inn at ScotlandMike Horley, a top-level IT freelancer with 22-years' experience, was forced to leave his successful small business behind and look for another…BUSINESS
21 NOV 2002Market report records jump in IT freelancer demandThe Recruitment and Employment Confederation's Report on Jobs recorded a jump in demand for IT freelancers last month.BUSINESS
21 NOV 2002World's e-Envoys come together in Londone-Envoys representing nine of the world's major ICT-player countries gathered this week to compare strategies at the UK's first London e-summit.POLITICS
1 NOV 2002EDS profits in freefallThe US outsourcing giant, Electronic Data Services, has posted third quarter results showing a 59 per cent fall in profits.BUSINESS
30 OCT 2002Revenue busts EBT freelance companyA company that offered an 'employment benefit trust' (EBT) to freelancers has ceased trading, owing thousands of pounds.BUSINESS
29 OCT 2002Survey shows UK at forefront of 2003 IT recoveryA major survey of large European companies has named the UK, Ireland and Italy as IT growth 'bright spots' for 2003.BUSINESS
29 OCT 2002New REC Chief Exec has no agency backgroundThe Recruitment and Employment Confederation's new Chief Executive, Gareth Osborne, has no experience of the recruitment industry.AGENCIES
18 OCT 2002Freelancer Lime-IT wins IR35 battleIT freelancer Lisa Fernley's company, Lime-IT, has won its long-running battle against the Inland Revenue following a judgment by the Special…IR35
17 OCT 2002Think tank urges employment status review to address taxA specialist taxation unit has called on the Government to address long-standing difficulties in classifying workers for tax in a consultation over…BUSINESS
17 OCT 2002'Red tape day' could intensify small firms' miseryA Government proposal for a national 'Red Tape Day', when all regulations would be implemented, could do more harm than good.BUSINESS
16 OCT 2002MAD 4 IT aims to bridge UK digital divideA Government campaign this week hopes to broaden IT's appeal to small businesses, young people and ethnic minorities.IT
14 OCT 2002IT skills monitor aims to boost UK trainingThe latest quarterly report from e-skills UK has advised the Government to broaden training courses for students or risk losing business abroad.IT
3 OCT 2002Entrepreneurs held back by red tape and tax, report findsBritain's fast growth entrepreneurs are younger and better educated than managers of slow growth firms, but are finding Government interference hard…BUSINESS
2 OCT 2002DTI told to drop PSCs from Agency RegsRecruitment agencies who recently met with the DTI unanimously voted to have personal service companies (PSCs) excluded from the forthcoming…AGENCIES
20 SEP 2002EDS announces revenue crisisElectronic Data Systems, the US IT outsourcing giant, has announced a sharp fall in revenue that it has warned could grow in 2003.BUSINESS
17 SEP 2002From Business to Business: The price of endeavourAlan Walker built up substantial revenue working across Europe and the US as an IT SAP freelancer during the pre-millennium boom years.BUSINESS
17 SEP 2002MEP is ignoring UK's Agency Directive warningsIeke Van Den Burg, the Dutch MEP and Rapporteur of the Agency Workers' Directive, has come under fire from representatives of the UK recruitment…AGENCIES
13 SEP 2002US firms to double spending on offshore outsourcingMore than a quarter of US companies currently outsourcing IT operations abroad will double their spending on the service in 2003, according to a…IT
11 SEP 2002Business broadband costs to be 'significantly reduced'Broadband connection charges for businesses could be reduced by around 50 per cent, and rental charges by 30 per cent, if new proposals from the…IT
10 SEP 2002IT freelancers are worse off under flat rate VATGovernment legislation introduced in the Budget to simplify VAT accounting for small businesses has meant higher running costs for freelance…BUSINESS
9 SEP 2002Market Report: Rare skills quickly growing in demandNick Wells from Jobstats, the IT market statistics service, provides his own unique take on what skill sets are in demand and why more agencies are…BUSINESS
6 SEP 2002From Business to Business: A design for managing IR35...Mark Ridley, a freelance business analyst, entered the contracting market in 1990, building up his limited company as he moved from client to client.BUSINESS
5 SEP 2002Radical new IT security guidelines announced for businessesStephen Timms, the Minister for e-commerce and Competitiveness, has launched new guidelines to ensure information systems are more secure against…BUSINESS
3 SEP 2002Australia tightens FTV rulesAustralia is to close an immigration loophole that grants fast track permanent residency to non-IT professionals studying one-year IT degrees.BUSINESS
30 AUG 2002From Business to Business: When in Romania...Former UK IT freelancer Edwin Thornber's last overseas contract expired at the beginning of 2002.BUSINESS
30 AUG 2002e-Government must fit public's needs, MPs warnThe Public Accounts Committee has warned £10 billion could be wasted if the Government cannot tailor online services to meet the practical needs of…POLITICS
28 AUG 2002Newsflash: FTV list pulledThe IT skills shortage list, operated by Work Permits UK, the Government agency that issues visas and work permits to fast track visa workers, has…POLITICS
23 AUG 2002From Business to Business: Building boatsFrom Business to Business is a new series that will profile how entrepreneurial contractors are moving into new business areas whilst the market…BUSINESS
23 AUG 2002Contractors' concern at general state of marketContractors' businesses are most at risk from the general economic downturn over and above the threat of specific issues like IR35 or fast track…BUSINESS
19 AUG 2002Market report: IT skills still falling in valueIT skills are still dropping in value, with some of the market's highest earning skills dropping by as much as 38 per cent since April this year…BUSINESS
19 AUG 2002'We're watching you' Revenue tells composite companiesThe Inland Revenue's latest tax bulletin has issued a warning to composite companies, set up to remove the threat of IR35 for contractors.IR35
16 AUG 2002IT workers are worst email offendersMore than two thirds of IT workers are unable to resist opening emails they suspect to be 'inappropriate' and a further 42 per cent circulate them to…IT
16 AUG 2002Industry chiefs at loggerheads over Agency Workers' DirectiveThe Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G), which represents UK agency and temporary workers, has said EU plans to extend employee rights to…BUSINESS
13 AUG 2002Clients fearful of using ex-contractorsSome recruitment agencies are being instructed to overlook ex-contractors trying to enter the permanent market because of clients' fears they will…BUSINESS
12 AUG 2002UK tax re-classification threat to self-employedAttempts by the Inland Revenue to re-classify casual and irregular workers as employees will mean big increases in National Insurance contribution…POLITICS
8 AUG 2002Contractors shun Revenue contract opinionsThe majority of contractors will not submit their contracts to the Inland Revenue, preferring to have them independently analysed by specialist…BUSINESS
8 AUG 2002CIOT's 2003 wish list slams complicated tax legislationThe Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has identified key areas requiring legislative change in 2003, many of which centre around the legislative…BUSINESS
6 AUG 2002Market Report: Autumn jobs market will 'wait and see'Employers have grown increasingly cautious when hiring new workers whilst the economic outlook remains uncertain, according to this month's…BUSINESS
2 AUG 2002Oracle ships out to IndiaOracle, the enterprise software company, has bought a large area of land in Hyderabad where it plans to build new offices.BUSINESS
29 JUL 2002Small firms lagging on internet marketing, DTI study findsA PricewaterhouseCoopers study for the DTI finds small companies trailing larger rivals in marketing themselves online, despite rising e-commerce…POLITICS
29 JUL 2002Revenue snaps back at Guardian criticismThe Inland Revenue has responded to a series of articles in The Guardian that allege the Department has allowed large companies to cut tax corners…BUSINESS
25 JUL 2002Ditching Microsoft? Government swaps 'lock-in' software for open sourceThe Government has announced a new software policy entitled 'Open Source Software: Use within Government' to avoid product 'lock-ins' and lessen…POLITICS
24 JUL 2002Industry cautiously welcomes draft EAA changesThe Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has called for 'harmonisation' of the Employment Agencies Act with the Agency Workers Directive…AGENCIES
24 JUL 2002Skills gaps are stifling small businesses, SBC warnsThe Small Business Council (SBC) has asked the Government to address 'critical skills gaps that are leaving the UK's 3.5 million small businesses…BUSINESS
23 JUL 2002DTI consultation on draft changes to Employment Agencies ActThe Department of Trade and Industry has amended the 'Draft Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2002' to incorporate…CONFERENCE PAPERS
19 JUL 2002Consultation begins on Agency Workers' DirectiveThe Department of Trade and Industry has launched a 16-week consultation period over the controversial Agency Workers' Directive to measure the…POLITICS
17 JUL 2002ATSCo warns of IT agency and client clashAnn Swain, the Chief Executive of the Association of Technology Staffing Companies (ATSCo), has warned a clash of cultures between IT agencies and…AGENCIES
16 JUL 2002MPs' bid to make IR35 training costs tax deductible failsA cross-party bid by MPs including John Bercow to make IR35 contractors' training costs tax deductible has been rejected by the Government.IR35
16 JUL 2002Further work permits changes in AustraliaThe Australian Government has announced it will suspend priority visa processing arrangements for permanent foreign Information and Communications…IT
15 JUL 2002Parcelforce employees urged to quit and come back self-employedDrivers who wish to continue working for the loss-making delivery company, Parcelforce Worldwide, are being asked to leave the company on Friday…IR35
12 JUL 2002India and the new 'digital dragon' set to swallow global ITIndia is actively making contingency plans to save its fastest growing industry, IT, from being overtaken by China, which says it can do the job even…BUSINESS
12 JUL 2002UKTECH survey shows contractor to permie shift has doubledA UKTECH survey has revealed the number of contractors who have closed their businesses to go permanent has doubled since June 2000.BUSINESS
12 JUL 2002Australian 457 visa scheme harming local IT jobs, report warnsA report by academic Robert Kinnaird urges Australia to overhaul its '457' migrant visa scheme, warning it damages resident IT professionals.IT
10 JUL 2002IT contractor demand to turnaround with economy, says people3IT contractor demand will experience a dramatic turnaround from its current low position as a result of tighter budgets and deferred or discontinued…BUSINESS
8 JUL 2002Government on track to meet e-targets despite bad press, says surveyOver a third of local authorities have said they will have 50-100 per cent of their services online by the end of 2002, ahead of the 2005 deadline…POLITICS
4 JUL 2002Low demand for IT contractors 'a real concern', says RECIn this month's market report, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) acknowledged that a lack of demand for IT contractors has become a…BUSINESS
3 JUL 2002Study says content is key driver for broadbandNew state of the art applications and services are set to drive the next wave of broadband take-up, according to a new report from the international…IT
2 JUL 2002Nicholson quits the RECTim Nicholson, Chief Executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), is to leave the agency representative body, having worked at…AGENCIES
28 JUN 2002ATSCo chief warns of further skills shortages unless action is takenAnn Swain, Chief Executive of the Association of Technology Staffing Companies (ATSCo), has predicted an estimated shortfall of up to two million IT…AGENCIES
27 JUN 2002Revenue pulls external e-mail project over security fearsA pilot scheme to allow 55,000 Inland Revenue employees to communicate with taxpayers using e-mail has been put on hold after internal security…BUSINESS
26 JUN 2002Contractors sceptical as Government announces new UK broadband teamStephen Timms, the new e-Minister, has reiterated the Government's pledge to provide high-speed internet access across the country by announcing a…IT
26 JUN 2002Parliamentary Committee calls for compulsory contractors' codeThe Public Administration Select Committee, the Parliamentary Committee for the civil service, has called for tough new contract terms for public…POLITICS
21 JUN 2002The Minister for Small Business aka the 'Come-back Kid'In our final piece on Nigel Griffiths, the Small Business Minister, we look at the Minister himself and his attitudes and past experiences leading up…POLITICS
20 JUN 2002What place for contractors in the future UK flexible workforce?In our fourth interview over issues affecting UK contractors with Nigel Griffiths, the Minister for Small Business, UKTECH asks what the Minister…POLITICS
20 JUN 2002IT literati slammed brakes on Blunkett's RIP Act amendmentsDavid Blunkett, the Home Secretary, suspended the adoption of a controversial statutory Order within the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000…POLITICS
18 JUN 2002Barriers to business: Where does IR35 rank with the Minister for Small Business?In the second part of our interview series with Nigel Griffiths, the Minister for Small Business, UKTECH explores the main barriers to setting up and…POLITICS
17 JUN 2002'Who's an entrepreneur?' UKTECH.com interviews the Minister for Small BusinessUKTECH recently interviewed Nigel Griffiths, the Government's Minister for Small Business, about enterprise and contractors' businesses in his office…POLITICS
12 JUN 2002IBM bags (another) large IT outsourcing contract, with GoodyearIBM has added a five-year deal to provide IT services to the tyre manufacturer, Goodyear, to its growing list of large outsourcing clients in 2002.IT
10 JUN 2002Upturn on the horizon? Weakest decline in IT contractor demand for 15-monthsThe rate of decline in demand for IT contractors has fallen to its lowest level for 15-months, according to the most recent Recruitment and…BUSINESS
10 JUN 2002Griffiths' enterprise culture plan at risk from 'stumbling blocks'The Professional Contractors Group (PCG) has warned Nigel Griffiths, Minister for Small Businesses, to clear existing stumbling blocks, such as IR35…POLITICS
31 MAY 2002GSK contractor from axed supplier speaks outUKTECH interviewed a contractor working through the recruitment agency Certes for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).BUSINESS
31 MAY 2002New e-Minister has chequered history with IT contractorsThe new e-Minister, Stephen Timms, has had a chequered history with contractors in the IT field through his involvement in introducing IR35, his…POLITICS
31 MAY 2002Revenue takes online self-assessment offline over security fearsThe Inland Revenue has suspended its online self-assessment service after users reported they could see parts of completed forms submitted over the…BUSINESS
31 MAY 2002PCG's FTV meeting on ice as Lord Rooker is shifted to HousingA meeting between the Professional Contractors Group (PCG) and the Home Office Minister, Lord Rooker, about fast track visas (FTVs) was a victim of…POLITICS
24 MAY 2002EAA: Government announces third round of consultationVic Patterson, Assistant Director of the DTI's Employment Relations Directorate, has announced a third consultation period for its proposed changes…AGENCIES
24 MAY 2002Revenue's investigatory powers no longer extend to contractors' legal adviceA recent case between the investment bank Morgan Grenfell and the Inland Revenue at the House of Lords has reversed a previous Court of Appeal…BUSINESS
23 MAY 2002Barclays 'not concerned' over highest contractor rates cutsBarclays Bank is to introduce one of the highest confirmed rates cuts for IT contractors at 20 per cent from July 1 in a bid to cut substantial costs…BUSINESS
21 MAY 2002CIOT voices concerns over Finance Bill 2002The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has said it has 'growing concerns over the Government's attempts to make significant tax changes without…POLITICS
17 MAY 2002Feature: Security clearance for contractorsContractors looking to take on projects in some Government departments will first need security clearance, which is issued by the UK Defence Vetting…BUSINESS
13 MAY 2002Government works with US over internet address managementDouglas Alexander, Minister for e-commerce and competitiveness, has issued a UK-wide consultation on the management of internet addresses in…IT
10 MAY 2002CSSA defends use of fast track visa system on costThe Chairman of the Computing Services & Software Association's (CSSA) Offshore Group has defended the fast track visa system as "an alternative to…BUSINESS
10 MAY 2002Government announces education initiative to combat IT skills shortagesMargaret Hodge, Minister for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education, has announced the formation of 'New Technology Institutes' (NTIs) across the UK…IT
9 MAY 2002IT demand improves for first time in 12 monthsThis month's REC Report on Jobs has shown the first rise in demand for permanent IT staff for one year and the biggest slowdown in the rate of…BUSINESS
5 MAY 2002Broadband breakthrough: Oftel reports 500,000 connectionsOFTEL, the telecom regulator, has reported more than half a million high-speed DSL, satellite and cable internet connections have now been set-up…BUSINESS
26 APR 2002Agencies urged to increase marginsAgencies were told to increase their margins if they wanted to survive this and future economic downturns at a recent conference at the Institute of…AGENCIES
26 APR 2002Sector Skills Council gets major Government cash injectionThe newly formed 'Sector Skills Council' network will receive nearly £30 million between 2003-4 to boost business efficiency through the development…BUSINESS
25 APR 2002No guarantees on 'IR35-friendly' contracts with agentsContractors who work through agents can expect no guarantees their contracts will pass IR35, according to a survey conducted by UKTECH.IR35
23 APR 2002Conservatives cast doubt over IR35 repeal pledgeIain Duncan Smith , the leader of the Conservatives, has told UKTECH that the Conservative party no longer has a specific policy on IR35, although it…IR35
18 APR 2002Duncan Smith warns of hidden Budget taxes 'like IR35'Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith attacked the Chancellor after his Budget speech, warning of hidden taxes 'like IR35' and a return to Government deficit.BUSINESS
16 APR 2002What price a Budget day NIC hike to contractors?National Insurance is the likeliest target for tax increases on Budget day, most likely by raising both the contributions rate and the ceiling.IR35
10 APR 2002Agents' fast track visa reviewThe Government has announced it will review part of the UK fast track visa system in a move that could lead to a lifting of the ban on agencies…AGENCIES
9 APR 2002IoD says red tape machine is forcing companies abroadA survey conducted by the Institute of Directors has shown that 93 per cent of UK businesses are unable to grow efficiently with some moving abroad…BUSINESS
8 APR 2002Accountants say Revenue's tax-NIC merger failed to deliverThe ICAEW has accused the Inland Revenue of failing to deliver the benefits it promised when the income tax and National Insurance offices merged in…BUSINESS
5 APR 2002Demand for contractors rises at fastest rate for 13 monthsThis month's Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Report on Jobs shows demand for contractors has risen at its fastest rate for thirteen…BUSINESS
4 APR 2002Umbrella company owes contractors thousandsContranet, a Birmingham-based umbrella company for IT contractors, has gone into administration leaving contractors unpaid to the tune of thousands…BUSINESS
28 MAR 2002BCC red tape audit invites contractors to flag regulation gripesThe British Chambers of Commerce has invited contractor businesses to submit their regulatory grievances to a 'Red Tape Audit' that already flags…IR35
27 MAR 2002Employees are addicted to taking advantage of weak IT securityA survey conducted by Indicii Salus, a London-based Internet security company, has shown that 87 per cent of UK employees have read their boss's…IT
25 MAR 2002Bit-part 1930s actress could play major role in contractors' fateLillian Braithwaite, a bit-part actress from the 1930s, could yet play a pivotal role in the case for contractors to be seen as being in business on…IR35
22 MAR 2002EU Temps' Charter causes industry-wide condemnationA proposed EU directive that seeks to give Britain's temporary workers the same pay and rights as permanent staff after a six-week continuous work…AGENCIES
19 MAR 2002UK has left recession with IT spending to rebound, says CEBRThe Centre for Economics and Business Research says the UK has emerged from recession, forecasting IT spending will rise 6.4 per cent by the end of…IT
15 MAR 2002Revenue to extend employee-style tax perks to IR35 contractorsThe Inland Revenue will grant contractors caught by IR35 the same tax-free mileage allowances and other concessions enjoyed by employees from 6 April.IR35
15 MAR 2002Haskins to step down as Better Regulation Task Force chairLord Haskins will leave the Better Regulation Task Force at the end of March, with former IPC chairman David Arculus named as his successor.POLITICS
13 MAR 2002EU is working in the dark over UK IT skills shortagesA senior member of the EU skills planning team in Brussels has told UKTECH he is using information submitted by the UK Home Office in 2000 to plan…POLITICS
12 MAR 2002Contracting back on the up?This month's industry statistics show an increase in weekly billings from contract workers for the second successive month, marking a further…BUSINESS
8 MAR 2002What the Revenue has learnt from IR35...In the final part of our interview series with the IR35 chief, John Hinton, we ask what lessons the Revenue has taken away with it after three years…IR35
8 MAR 2002Government Skills Agency nears completionThe Sector Skills Development Agency framework is being finalised ahead of its official launch in April, when it will take chief responsibility for…BUSINESS
8 MAR 2002E-commerce minister urges software firms to tap DTI support fundsE-commerce minister Douglas Alexander has called on the UK's £22 billion software industry to make greater use of DTI funding and start-up support.POLITICS
7 MAR 2002Size and competition nothing to do with IR35, says RevenueUKTECH's fourth interview subject with IR35 chief, John Hinton, concentrates on the Revenue's justification for targeting small companies with IR35…IR35
6 MAR 2002Putting a price on the uncertainty of IR35In the third part of our interview series with the Revenue's IR35 chief, John Hinton, at IR HQ in Somerset House - our reporter Richard Powell asks…IR35
4 MAR 2002Revenue's IR35 chief: no plans to change the legislationIn an exclusive interview, the Revenue's IR35 chief John Hinton says there are no plans to change the legislation, likening its targeting to a 'duck…IR35
22 FEB 2002Leaked Brussels temp proposals cause uproar in UK recruitment industryDraft EU proposals concerning the rights of temporary workers in relation to those enjoyed by permanent employees have caused widespread controversy…BUSINESS
22 FEB 2002Blair calls for EU to back knowledge-based companiesA joint letter from Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Dutch Prime Minister, Wim Kok, to the Spanish Prime Minister and EU President, Jose Maria…POLITICS
21 FEB 2002EU Commission adopts plan to import 1.6 million IT workersThe European Commission has accepted an 'Action Plan for Skills and Mobility' which outlines increased legal immigration to help cover skills…POLITICS
21 FEB 2002UK business representatives present joint 'wish list' paper to EUMajor organisations representing more than 135,000 UK small businesses have come together to present a 'wish list' paper, calling on EU leaders to…POLITICS
15 FEB 2002Griffiths meets EU Minister over small business progressNigel Griffiths, Minister for Small Business, has met with Erkki Liikanen, the EU Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society, ahead of…POLITICS
12 FEB 2002EU publishes 'Small Firms Charter' reportThe report is a review of how each EU member state is implementing the Small Firms Charter.POLITICS
11 FEB 2002PCG warns of IR35 harm at Institute of Directors seminarThe Professional Contractors Group told a recruitment-industry panel at the Institute of Directors that IR35 is damaging the UK's flexible workforce.IR35
8 FEB 2002IR35 FAQ update- Computation and Penalties on P35sThe Inland Revenue's IR35 Frequently Asked Questions page has been updated with a question and answer regarding computation and penalties arising…IR35
7 FEB 2002UKTECH interviews Self-employment Rights Bill architectMark Prisk MP, architect of 'The Right to be Self-Employed' Bill, recently told Parliament that defining self-employed status is: 'confusing…POLITICS
6 FEB 2002January marks first contract sector upturn in four monthsAgencies reported an increase in weekly billings from contract staff for the first time in four months in January, according to the latest REC Report…BUSINESS
1 FEB 2002Government launches new e-Learning Strategy Task ForceEstelle Morris, the Education and Skills Secretary, has announced a new e-Learning Strategy Task Force as part of the Government's drive to increase…IT
28 JAN 2002Market Outlook 2002: IT market showing signs of recoveryCertain areas of the IT recruitment market are showing the initial signs of a recovery, according to Daniel Elkins, CEO of the skills exchange…BUSINESS
22 JAN 2002Further rates cuts for contractors in 2002?Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) has cut its contractor rates by a further five per cent.BUSINESS
22 JAN 2002Market Outlook 2002: Do accountants understand IR35?Whether an IR35 challenge by the Inland Revenue is successful or not can depend on what advice a contractor receives from his or her accountant in…BUSINESS
21 JAN 2002Market Outlook 2002: IT contractor demand will grow in 2002Over the next week UKTECH will present various interviews and discussions with leading agents, accountants and clients in the IT contracting sector…BUSINESS
9 JAN 2002Market Report - From skills shortage to surplus?This month's REC Report on Jobs has shown yet another large increase in the availability of both permanent and contract workers across a number of…BUSINESS
4 JAN 2002Happy New Year from UKTECH!!! A Review of 2001The UKTECH site covered a vast array of news affecting the UK contracting scene in 2001 and will expand on this coverage in the New Year.BULLETIN
3 JAN 2002Government justifies Fast-Track foreign IT with 1999 informationThe Home Office has referred to documents featuring information collected during positive market conditions in 1999 as justification for its drive to…POLITICS