Rip-off News round-up. Our pick of the last week's media (Thu 20th February)

Unpaid intern sues British fashion house Alexander McQueen for wages

The fashion house founded by the late designer Alexander McQueen is being sued by a former intern who worked unpaid for four months. Rachel Watson – not her real name but the one her lawyers want used – is claiming up to £6,415 in "lost wages" and says the fashion house broke the law by not paying her the national minimum wage. Watson's internship in 2009-10 included drawing artwork for embroidery, repairing embellished clothing, and dyeing large quantities of fabric. GUARDIAN

More than one million workers face the axe in 'largest public sector cull for 50 years'

As many as two in every five public sector workers could face losing their job over the next five years if the government goes ahead with its planned cuts. However because the government has ringfenced cuts to the NHS and schools, the rest of the workforce, in areas such as policing, defence and public administration, faces an even higher ratio of job cuts. The cuts would dwarf cuts of 350,000 seen in the early 1990s. The increase of 600,000 in the public sector seen under the Labour governments of the first decade of this century would be more than reversed. The impact of the decline in public sector employment will vary in different parts of the country, and dramatically changing the nature of the UK labour market. The percentage of workforce in the public sector is largest in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North East and smallest in London, the West Midlands and the South East. DAILY MAIL

Over 2.6m households spend more on bills than they earn - and their monthly shortfall has doubled in a year

Figures from Legal & General show that one in eight homes (12.6 per cent) are struggling to cover their bills – up from one in ten last year. Households who struggle to pay their bills suffer a shortfall of £85, up by over 50 per cent in the last year. In some regions the average shortfall is considerably higher. The dire findings by Legal & General’s 'Moneymood survey' comes despite the fall in inflation to 1.9 per cent, which is likely to ease the strain on household's disposable incomes. But although inflation dipped to a low last seen in November 2009, the number of people who don't have enough cash for their bills has shot up by 756,000 to 2.6million up from 1.9million last year. The cost of gas and electricity has been one of the largest contributors to inflation over the last 27 months. DAILY MAIL

SFO charges three ex-Barclays bankers over Libor rigging

The charges were announced by the SFO and takes the total number of individuals facing criminal proceedings over allegation linked to Libor-rigging to six. The SFO is continuing to investigate the manipulation of benchmark interest rates and further charges are expected. David Green, director-general of the SFO, described the investigation into Libor as "enormous" and said he was "sure" more individuals would be charged in connection with the allegations. The three charged men, Peter Johnson, Jonathan Mathew and Stylianos Contogoulas, were among a list of 104 current and former Barclays bankers who last year attempted to keep their identities anonymous as part of a legal case brought against the bank by a care home operator that claims it was defrauded into buying interest rate hedging products. Barclays declined to comment. TELEGRAPH

Bank of England governor calls for bankers' bonuses to be deferred

Mark Carney has stepped into the row about bankers' bonuses with a demand that a large chunk of the pay packages for senior staff should be deferred "for a very long time". Carney's comments followed news last week that Barclays was paying bigger bonuses despite announcing plans to shed staff in response to a fall in profits. Carney said the Bank of England now had the powers to step in and limit bonus payments if a bank was deemed to have inadequate levels of capital. GUARDIAN

Half of rail passengers dissatisfied with train companies

A survey of 7,000 regular travellers by the consumer campaigns group Which? in November last year, showed that Greater Anglia and Southeastern had a satisfaction score of only 40 per cent, while the best-performing company was Merseyrail. A fifth of commuters said they did not have a seat on their last journey, and over 10 per cent said toilets were not in good working order, rising to 20 per cent for London Midland, 19 per cent for Southeastern and 17 per cent for First Capital Connect (FCC). Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: “Seven rail franchises end in the next two years and we want to see passengers' experiences put right at the heart of the tender process so companies respond to consumer expectations and can be held to account if they don't.” INDEPENDENT

David Cameron defends 'moral mission' on welfare against criticism by Archbishop Nichols

Cameron was responding to strong criticism by the head of the Catholic church in the UK, archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, that recent changes to the benefits system had left many people facing hunger and destitution. Nichols said: "There must be something wrong with the administration of a system which has that effect on so many people's lives." Cameron replied: "Our welfare reforms... are about giving new purpose, new opportunity, new hope – and yes, new responsibility to people who had previously been written off with no chance.” Cameron said that making people stand “on their own two feet” was a moral issue, adding: “Seeing these reforms through is at the heart of our long-term economic plan – and it is at the heart too of our social and moral mission in politics today." GUARDIAN