Angie Brown
Edinburgh and East reporter

Image source, MUNIR UZ ZAMAN

An Edinburgh businessman is trying to help thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers hit by cancelled orders during the coronavirus outbreak.

Cally Russell said the country was left with mountains of unsold clothes in factories after UK retailers pulled out of their contracts.

Now the 32-year-old is planning to sell the clothes in the UK at half price in boxes based on customer's preferences.

The money will then go to help clothing workers who have lost their jobs.

Read more here.

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

People will need strong messaging from government as lockdown restrictions are eased, Tracy Black from CBI Scotland says.

She adds this must be a "unity message" to show businesses and government are in agreement about the guidelines.

Ms Black also warns that problems which existed pre-pandemic will likely have been exacerbated by it - for example issues with productivity and the fact the UK has an ageing population.

Image source, Getty Images

A campaign has been launched to save offshore jobs amid concerns for the sector caused by the Coronvirus pandemic.

Unite, the largest trade union representing workers in the sector, says tens of thousands of jobs are at risk due to the fall in demand for oil.

Oil and Gas UK has warned that up to 30,000 jobs could be lost over the next year an a half due to the fall in the price of a barrel of oil - because of a lack of demand.

Unite's members are being encouraged to lobby Members of the Scottish and UK parliaments to gain support for measures.

These include offering low-cost state loans to operators and collective bargaining with unions now and when transitioning to greener industries.

Image source, Nevis Range

People have volunteered to help get a mountain snowsports centre operational again - once lockdown restrictions are eased.

Like Scotland's other ski resorts, Nevis Range, near Fort William, shut down to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Its owners said the site had now operated at a loss for the last two winters.

More than 50 people have offered to help with maintenance work.

Events, on dates still to be confirmed, will be held to carry out repairs to Nevis Range's mountain bike trails and also to clear the snowsports areas of any litter.

Mornings with Kaye Adams
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

Tam Cowan, who presents Off The Ball with Stuart Cosgrove on BBC Radio Scotland, is another who was not enthused by the return of live football from Bundesliga on TV at the weekend.

"I didn't watch it," he tells Kaye Adams. "Stuart and I are the quintessential Scottish football fans and we couldn't care less about the game in other nations.

"If that is the only way we can bring Scottish football back sooner rather than later then fine, because we may need that for the sponsorship and TV deals to kick in to keep clubs afloat. I think, when we do get the nod to start football and bring back the fans, it will give Scottish football a right shot in the arm because we'll all be choking for it."

Meanwhile the fate of the Scottish Premiership season is likely to be decided this morning at an SPFL board meeting.

The top flight campaign is expected to be curtailed, with Celtic crowned as champions and Hearts relegated on a points-per-game basis.

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

Susan Love from FSB Scotland says just over a third of businesses are worried about ever opening again, with just under 10% of business owners now having applied for Universal Credit.

She explains that due to the speed at which support schemes had to be set up, there will be businesses which fall through the cracks - for example the smallest businesses are still not accessing support.

Liz Cameron from the Scottish Chambers of Commerce expresses concerns about gaps in support for the self-employed.

She highlights only 4% of SCC members are accessing help and calls for advice places to be set up.

Image source, Getty Images

A vital service in Glasgow which helps people make universal credit applications has been moved to an emergency hotline.

Glasgow Life started its assisted digital support project 18 months ago through the city's libraries. helping more than 5,500 people access a range of support estimated to be worth more than £12m.

The benefit is claimed for online and library staff have been helping people with completing the digital forms - almost 90% who apply with their help are successful compared to the national average of 70%.

During lockdown the service was working with social distancing measures but will now operate as a telephone hotline.

The helpline number is 0808 169 9901. Each call takes between 60 and 90 minutes to complete an application.

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

Image source, bbc

CBI Scotland director Tracy Black tells MSPs this unprecedented challenge from the pandemic represents a serious threat to both the public health and economic wellbeing of Scotland.

"That's why we need a joined up response, one that looks at protecting life and livelihoods," says Ms Black.

She says the economic response from both the UK and Scottish governments has been staggering. They have moved swiftly and on an unprecedented scale.

"Even still the economic damage is likely to be significant and sustained, there are no quick fixes."

She says businesses are "restless" to reopen, but they know a "health first approach is essential", so reopening must be safe and phased and done in partnership with government.

Mornings with Kaye Adams
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, SNS

Kaye Adams is asking listeners what they are missing most during the lockdown and, for Macka from Durham, the weekend return of live action on TV from the Bundesliga was not enough to quench his thirst for football.

"As a blind person, you focus on the commentary and I thought the commentator was having to express himself much more because there wasn't a crowd," says the Sunderland and Hibernian fan who travels from Durham to watch the Scottish Premiership side home and away.

"I am missing Scotland big time. I am missing seeing my friends, getting on the train, the whole day - and I am one of those who's got their season ticket already.

"I wish it would come back soon. People knock the Scottish game in England, but I just love travelling to watch Hibs home and away. I even get a Scottish food parcel sent to me - I get fruit pudding and black and white pudding, sliced sausage, Irn Bru - obviously being down in England, you miss it."

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Reuters

Australian virus expert Kristine Macartney tells Good Morning Scotland the spread of the virus by children is limited.

Teachers' unions here have urged caution over the re-opening of schools, saying they shouldn't start back until August but they could start to reopen in England from the start of June.

Ms Macartney says her study needs to be taken in the context it was done so it is difficult to use it as evidence in the UK for opening schools.

But she says the evidence is building.

The Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee is about to take evidence on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy.

MSPs will take evidence from CBI Scotland, the FSB, the Fraser of Allander Institute, the SCDI and the STUC.

The witnesses are:

• CBI Scotland director Tracy Black
• Susan Love from the Federation of Small Businesses
• Scottish Chambers of Commerce chief executive Liz Cameron

Image source, bbc

and then from—

• Fraser of Allander Institute deputy director Mairi Spowage
• SCDI deputy chief executive Matt Lancashire
• STUC assistant general secretary Helen Martin

Here are the papers for today's committee., external

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

At the start of Mental Health Awareness Week - Nick Jedrzejewski from the See Me charity says people who were already struggling with their mental health are getting worse, and those who didn't have issues are now struggling.

He says people need to be able to feel that they can talk about it.

The theme of this year's campaign is kindness, which he says is all the more important as the coronavirus lockdown continues.

Mornings with Kaye Adams
BBC Radio Scotland

On Mornings with Kaye Adams today...

• German football was back this weekend with the Bundesliga getting record viewing figures – great news for sports fans but what are you most looking forward to returning?
• Living with lockdown and also living with disability… we’ll hear about some of the challenges and some of the upsides
• Why cycling might remember lockdown as a golden age
• Perhaps the most important Mental Health Awareness Week ever begins

Listen live on this page or on BBC Radio Scotland.

Get in touch by texting 80295 or calling 08085 92 95 00.

Andrew Black
BBC Scotland Business Presenter

Image source, Getty Images

Thousands of new houses in Scotland under construction could be finished safely if the Scottish government approves a phased return to work, it has been claimed.

Jim Preston, chief executive of industry sub-contractor Veitchi, said his company's work on flooring installation at the NHS Louisa Jordan temporary hospital, and work at other critical sites, had allowed them to develop new ways to work safely, while maintaining social distancing.

He told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme there was a "delicate balance" to be struck, but argued there were about 6,000 homes in Scotland near completion, which could be finished using very few tradespeople.

Mr Preston said a large number of those were affordable homes being built for councils and social landlords.

He added there were also a number of "void units" - homes which can't currently be lived in, but could be made habitable with a small amount of work.

Mr Preston is involved with industry group Homes for Scotland, which is asking ministers to look at starting to allow a return to work.

In England, Redrow is the latest house builder to restart construction, although Scottish ministers remain concerned about lifting lockdown measures to the same extent.

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Ms Freeman confirms that about 41% of Scotland's care homes have coronavirus cases.

New measures have been introduced for health boards to be able to take over private care homes if they are failing.

The health secretary is asked about the fact that four Scottish health boards are currently at Stage 4 of the Performance Escalation Framework - the equivalent of being in special measures. Should she be turning care homes over to the control of organisations like that in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic?

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Ms Freeman says the test, trace, isolate, support strategy will be triggered by a case and they want to ensure the system is ready to go when any lockdown measures are eased.

She says the key to the next phase is the speed at which they can contact trace and "chase down the virus".

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman tells the BBC that 2,000 workers will be ready to start contact tracing on 1 June.

She explains that the testing, which is being piloted in three health boards, is a test of the technology.

She says there already 600 contact tracers ready to work. These are teams who already do the work for sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis.

She also says more will come and some returners to the NHS and new recruits will be added to the workforce.

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Reuters

Gary Smith from the GMB union tells the BBC that "we are fiddling while the care home sector burns".

He says he is concerned that the Scottish government is "constantly reacting rather than planning through this crisis".

The Scottish government is to introduce new powers to intervene in failing care homes during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Nearly half of all Covid 19 deaths in Scotland have been in care homes, with eight staff and more than 1,400 residents having died so far.

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Residents on Skye are furious a well-known author has made an 11,000 journey from New Zealand, via the US and London before self-isolating at his island holiday home.

Is it acceptable?