28 Oct 2014

Business Briefs

1:52 pm on 28 October 2014

Coats sales flat

Guinness Peat Group said Coats' sales between 1 July and 27 October were flat compared to the same period last year.

Sales from Coats' industrial division were up 4 percent in the period but the craft division's sales were down 9 percent.

GPG said the latter is primarily due to lower demand for fashion in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Coats is GPG's only remaining investment and it said the crafts division's performance is expected to improve but trading will remain challenging.

Contact says gas prices to rise

Contact Energy's piped natural gas customers will pay more from 1 December.

The company said the increase is due to changes to distribution and transmission costs, which are out of Contact's control.

Average bill increases will be between $11 and $49 a year.

Caregivers win appeal

A Court of Appeal decision today paves the way for a substantial equal pay claim for aged-care workers.

The Court decision supports a case by the caregiver, Kristine Bartlett, and the Service and Food Workers' Union.

Kristine Bartlett said while she is nearing the end of her working life, she is pleased that the Court has confirmed what she has always thought, which is caregiving is not recognised or paid fairly because most caregivers are women.