News

Union bosses have disagreed over whether to strike during this summer’s Olympic Games. The TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said his organisation were “strong supporters”, adding: “This was reflected in the agreement we reached with London 2012 in 2008, which included proper procedures for the speedy resolution of any disputes should any arise during the games.” However Unite chief Len McCluskey said public sector cuts were so deep that targeting the Games would be justified as part of the anti-cuts campaign. Lateness Summary and Absence Summary are just some of the standard reports contained within a comprehensive WinTA workplace clocking recording system from Tensor plc. Accurate information about staff absenteeism and lateness is crucial for many businesses. WinTA provides this information through warning email notifications, SMS messaging direct to a supervisor’s mobile or via hardcopy reports. The WinTA software quickly shows at the touch of a button colour-coded charts that are the ideal way of viewing an individual’s or a shift’s absence records.  

Many businesses in the United Kingdom are joining schemes where they are asked to open their facilities free of charge to build up trade in town centres. They are then compensated for their services – payments can be anything from £600 up to £1,500 per annum. Mendip District Council is promoting a ‘share your toilet’ scheme as a means to cut costs. The council says it does not have to provide toilets, saying that they are “discretionary”. Tensor solves the problem of providing toilets for the community as our access control technology includes custom built Coin Operated Toilet Turnstiles. The mainly self-funding devices are manufactured from graded stainless steel for ease of cleaning and maintenance and are duty cycle rated for intensive use. The turnstile bodies have lockable lids to prevent unwanted access. Half height and full height turnstiles also prove to be an unbeatable solution for improving security at your company premises while not compromising the safety and security of those passing through it.  

The suspected leader of a hacking ring has pleaded guilty to carrying out attacks on several companies. Hector Xavier Monsegur of ‘Lulzsec’ had been charged with conspiracy to engage in computer hacking, according to unsealed court papers. News agency sources suggest that the suspect had co-operated with the US government. Computing expert, Professor Alan Woodward, commented that Lulzsec had been quiet since the middle of 2011 following a well-documented attack on money handling organisation Paypal. Tensor is a leader in the field of Biometrics, or fingerprint matching technology, for corporate clients who wish to beef up their internal IT security. Our range of ‘plug and play’ biometric control scanners have revolutionised access control for your computer. The state-of-the-art technology means there is no need for external power cables or batteries, as it plugs directly into the USB port on your computer. The T4251 is ideal for use as a PC logon device, where a person’s name and fingerprint are used to securely authenticate a person's identity.  

An employment panel was told that a custody nurse made an allegation of bullying against an officer dealing with her absence levels. Ms Anna Hulse was part of a small team of 19 nurses at North Wales Police. The hearing – which was convening to reach a decision on her fitness to work – revealed that the bullying accusation was rejected after investigation, and meant Ms Hulse was able to go on claiming her £40,000 a year salary package for a year. Tensor knows that you will get the best out of your workforce if their hours and pay are properly regulated, monitored and conform to the law. Luckily, our automatic smart card operated WinTA time and attendance clocking systems do just that. Our clever WinTA software means management is pre-warned when applying a shift pattern that will result in a Working Time Regulations infringement. Standard reports show any instances when rest day rules have been broken and when night workers are due a health assessment.  

Two people were arrested on Friday in connection with an armed robbery of a jewellery store. Police announced the pair – a 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old youth – were detained in the London area overnight concerning the raid on the Francis Wain shop in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, a month ago. Staff had gone through a terrifying ordeal when a gang of armed robbers, one of whom was carrying a handgun and another wielding a sledgehammer, struck at the business. From one-door, one-clock systems to large communications networks, businesses can buy direct from manufacturers Tensor a variety of access control products. At the forefront of security solutions, Tensor’s products are Windows™ based and are suitable for any site size. You can decide at first to control a single entrance, and then your access control system can expand upwards. A smart card access control system from Tensor gives you real-time monitoring of doors and photographic recognition and checking of employees, visitors and contractors.  

Sources close to a top soccer club today (March 9) say players have agreed wage cuts to lessen the impact of redundancies. In order to save the troubled club Rangers, leading players like Steven Naismith have already struck deals to take a 75 per cent cut. On Tuesday night administrator David Whitehouse said a failure to agree to certain clauses with players’ advisers had blocked the deal. The Scottish champions need to make savings of around £1m per month. User-definable working patterns, rosters and shifts are possible at your workplace thanks to Tensor’s time and attendance technology. The large fluorescent display of the T32xx clocking station makes it easy to confirm your clockings and check flexi-time hours. Overtime is easily monitored by the PC software with up to four different pay bands in each shift. Bands are selected based on the time and the number of hours worked. The T32xx works independently of the PC, if the computer is switched off or fails.  

A further education college had its licence suspended by the UK Border Agency following revelations of visa fraud involving foreign students. The Rayat London College suspended three members of staff after an investigation by the BBC. The broadcaster had looked into claims that students were offered help to cheat their way to degrees. After these allegations were made public the college was raided by the UK Border Agency at the end of last year. Tensor offers a computer based Visitor Management and Visitor Pass production system that will prevent visitors with fraudulent ID attempting to enter your site or building. The Visitor Management System (VMS) allows Signature Capture Tablets to be connected to the system so that the signatures of visitors and contractors can be stored at the point of entry to your premises. This signature can be used for verification purposes or as proof that the visitor or contractor has read and understood the site’s health and safety or security policies.  

A gas blast destroyed a bungalow after stolen copper piping caused a leak. Luckily the dwelling was empty and the residents in the house next door somehow escaped injury. The blast blew the roof off during the night-time explosion. Police said of the Cambridgeshire property: “This incident shows how dangerous stealing copper pipes from homes can be. It is only sheer luck that the offender responsible, or the people living nearby, was not killed or seriously injured.” The latest .NET PC based Access Control system from Tensor includes door entry and exit devices that facilitate staff safety in an emergency. The T3512 is a one door Smart Card Access Control system that has everything you need for controlling access through a single door. It comprises a T3511 controller, WinACnet PC software, magnetic door release, push button for exit, break glass for emergency exit and 10 Smart Cards. The T3512 includes a Fire Roll Call from fire panel input and early warning LED’s.  

Aircraft workers have voted hugely in favour of losing a day’s pay per month to help save jobs. After the voting results were known, defence company Lockheed Martin confirmed that a current 30-year deal with BAE Systems to supply 3,000 Joint Strike Fighter planes would continue with future production expected to increase. At the beginning of the year BAE said that more than half the 1,400 jobs under threat in Lancashire had been cut without compulsory redundancies. Tensor’s personnel and time and attendance software is available for both small and large businesses, enabling the human resources department at your organisation to correctly calculate wages and hours. Tensor Personnel comes in Small Business, Lite and Enterprise editions depending on your number of employees; having the ability to bend, flex and adapt to changes in protocol and the way in which your company operates. Extensive information is stored on each employee in your company. The Pay Reviewer feature includes reports, projected pay increases and salary expenditure.  

Police are appealing for information following an armed robbery at a scrap metal merchant on Monday morning (March 12, 2012). The gang struck on an industrial estate near Caerphilly in Wales around 8.45am. Two men arrived at the premises in a vehicle and demanded money from the employees present. They got away with a “significant” amount of cash and made off in a grey Vauxhall Astra car. Anyone with information is urged to call 101. A Tensor security system for exterior premises can stop vehicles or personnel at the relevant barrier and disallow entry or exit until they identify themselves. Automatic Bollards limit vehicle access to a specific location, and can easily be lowered when passage is authorised, typically within two to three seconds. Constructed out of concrete, stainless steel, aluminium or cast iron, all of the automatic bollards are constructed to completely stop the majority of vehicles. An access control device, such as a smart card, can be combined with your automatic bollards.  

A robber has terrorised middle England businesses as diverse as petrol stations, bookmakers and shops. In almost all of the robberies the suspect wielded a weapon of some sort. Northamptonshire Police have described him as a “dangerous offender”. They warn that although he has not yet hurt any member of staff, they have been left badly shaken each time. Bookmakers Coral say one of their outlets has been robbed four times in just over four months by the suspect. Tensor can quickly install security and access control products to shops or other businesses affected by robbery. For outdoor areas Tensor’s range of high quality, durable gates offer reliable performance in the most demanding environments. Ideal for controlling vehicle access to and from your site, Tensor’s gates are quick to respond to the user’s instructions. Working alongside Tensor’s smart card and access control products, your gate can be used to monitor the throughput of an access control point as well as reporting on staff’s time and attendance.  

Leading politicians were in Scotland to discuss youth unemployment in the UK. Young people particularly have borne the brunt of the economic downturn, with the latest jobless figures showing half of 16 to 24-year-olds are out of work. The National Convention on Youth Employment in Dundee was attended by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith. Companies and organisations like John Lewis and Jobcentre Plus were invited to take part. Tensor supplies fast, accurate and easy-to-use products to record employees’ hours of working at organisations employing just a few people, right up to large multinational businesses. The large colour display on Tensor's T32xx Time & Security Station makes it simple for employees to confirm their clockings. The clocking station, which measures 240x170x55mm, has an illuminated keypad for ease of text input. It features digital outputs to control door locks, fire alarms, wall clocks, etc; plus digital inputs for door monitoring and alarms. Battery backup and local fail-safe storage for power communications loss is another feature.