Job losses and consultations: Syngenta has started formal talks over closing its Grangemouth site, putting 377 jobs at risk, after saying the plant is “significantly more expensive” than other locations. Higher education pay and cuts: University of Edinburgh staff marched on Holyrood over planned £140m cuts and up to 1,800 job losses, echoing disputes at other Scottish universities. Local jobs protected: Stagecoach bus services in Thurso and Wick are set to move into public ownership, with 26 jobs secured as D&E Coaches takes over. Finance sector restructuring: Aldermore is consulting on scaling back its invoice finance business, potentially cutting customers and some roles as it prepares for a possible sale. Workplace pensions push: At a City of London conference, industry leaders urged faster progress on private-market investment in UK growth and faster-growing companies. Skills and apprenticeships: Kendal College is urging employers to create more engineering, agriculture, property maintenance and marketing apprenticeships. Employee advocacy trend: New research highlights rising use of employee advocacy as consumers trust personal recommendations over corporate ads. Market pressure: UK 30-year gilt yields hit 6%, raising borrowing-cost worries for the government. Retail closures: Wynsors is preparing to shut multiple stores, including a Gateshead branch, as part of a wider estate restructure.