Page 36 - Londra Gazete Sayı 1118

Londra Gazete, 11 August 2022 LondraGazete.com/English 5

People turning back

to cash as prices rise

PEOPLE are going back to cash
to keep tighter control on their
spending as living costs soar, ac-
cording to new research by the
Post Office.
Post offices handled £801m
Drivers warned over tyre in personal cash withdrawals in
July, the most since records be-
gan five years ago.
blowouts during heatwave year earlier.
That's up more than 20% from a
Natalie Ceeney, chair of the
DRIVERS are being urged to take steps to prepare their car be- Cash Action Group, said it showed
check their tyres before beginning fore they set off. people are "literally counting the
journeys on “searing Saturday”. “Peak temperatures are expect- pennies" as they grapple with ris-
The AA is concerned the start of ed over the weekend when many ing prices.
a weekend when millions of peo- will be travelling longer distances, "It's absolutely because of the
ple will be making long trips to the whether that’s to the beach or vis- cost of living crisis," said Ms
seaside, football matches, music iting friends and family, and hot Ceeney, who chaired the govern-
festivals and holidays will coincide weather brings more problems ment's independent Access to
with extreme heat. with engines overheating and tyre Cash review.
Temperatures are expected to blowouts. "People will be taking out cash
peak at 35C, increasing the risk “It’s best to set off at the coolest and physically putting it into
of blowouts for tyres that are in- part of the day to reduce the risk pots, saying 'this is what I have at £801m, were up almost 8% 11,500 branches down to more
for bills, this is what I have for
flated to the wrong pressure or al- of your engine overheating. food, and this is what's left'." month-on-month and up more people turning to cash to help
ready damaged. “Equally, the wrong tyre pres- Prices are currently rising faster than 20% year-on-year. manage their budgets on a week-
Motorists should also consid- sure can mean dangerous tyre than they have for 40 years. It is the highest amount since by-week and often a day-by-day
er having their vehicle’s cooling blowouts on hot summer days The increase in the cost of liv- records began five years ago, basis.
and only the second time that
system checked by a mechanic as when road surface temperatures ing is putting a squeeze on peo- personal cash withdrawals have It also said it was partly due
overheated engines are a common increase, so check the pressure ple's finances, as incomes fail to exceeded £800m. The last time to more people choosing to have
cause of breakdowns in hot weath- regularly.” keep up. was December 2021, and there's staycations, with recent research
er, according to the AA. RAC spokesman Simon Williams In total, £3.32bn in cash was always an increase in withdrawals by the Post Office finding that
Radiator cooling fans are more said: “Drivers should carry plenty deposited and withdrawn at Post around that time of year, the Post 71% of Brits planning on going
likely to seize on older cars, mean- of water, melt-proof snacks, a hat Office counters in July, £100m Office said. on holiday in the UK this year
ing they will not work when need- or an umbrella for shade, sun block higher than in June. The Post Office put the ex- intended to take out cash before
ed, potentially leading to costly and a fully charged mobile phone Personal cash withdrawals, tra volume of withdrawals at its leaving.
engine damage. in case of an unexpected break-
AA patrol of the year Sean Sidley down. “Being stuck at the side of
said: “Having your car break down a road in these extreme tempera-
would be torturous in the heat- tures without shade or protection Postal workers set to go on strike
wave this week, so drivers should could be very dangerous.”
to demand 'proper pay rise'

WhatsApp users will be able to leave
million, our members won’t ac-
OVER 115,000 postal workers brink...
groups without everyone knowing are to stage a series of strikes in “We can’t keep on living in a cept pleads of poverty from the
the coming weeks in a dispute country where bosses rake in bil- company.
over pay. lions in profit while their employ- “Postal workers won’t meekly
WHATSAPP users will be able ways to keep users' messages as The Communication Workers ees are forced to use food banks. accept their living standards be-
to leave groups without everyone "secure as face-to-face conversa- Union (CWU) said it will be the “When Royal Mail bosses are ing hammered by greedy business
knowing under new privacy fea- tions" by Mark Zuckerberg, the biggest strike of the summer so raking in £758 million in profit leaders who are completely out of
tures. chief executive of WhatsApp's far to demand a “dignified, proper and shareholders pocketing £400 touch with modern Bri5tain...”
The changes will also allow peo- parent company Meta. pay rise”.
ple to control who can see when They are being launched along- Strikes will be held on Friday
they are online and to prevent side a global advertising cam- August 26, Wednesday 31st and
screenshots of auto-deleting paign starting in the UK and In- September 8 and 9.
"View Once" messages. dia. The decision follows a recent
The features are described as When people on WhatsApp ballot for strike action, which saw
leave group chats at present, the members vote by 97.6 per cent on
a 77 per cent turnout to take ac-
entire chat receives a notification tion.
that they have exited, potentially The union said management re-
drawing unwanted attention. The sponded by imposing a 2 per cent
company says now only adminis- pay rise, which it believed would
trators will receive a notification. lead to a “dramatic reduction” in
The app also broadcasts to all workers’ living standards because
of soaring inflation.
contacts of a user when they are CWU general secretary Dave
online and have the app open, Ward said: “Nobody takes the de-
something that users will be able cision to strike lightly, but postal
to choose to share. workers are being pushed to the