Share Sounds. presented by Juliette Foster related to Economics

This is Conversations From Africa, Share Radio's weekly round-up of major news stories from across the African continent, with Chris Bishop - Managing Editor of Forbes Africa Magazine. This week Share Radio's Patrick Jones talks to Chris about platinum miners meeting their employers to discuss new pay deals, a new mall for South Africa finally opening and attracting over 90,000 visitors, President Zuma calling for unity in South African politics whilst the public continue to rally against him & much more.

With the local elections just two days away the Labour party could be on track to suffer one of its worst results in opposition for 34 years....according to one of the country's leading polling experts. Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University believes Labour could lose 170 councillors and control of key local authorities like Redditch and Crawley. It's the latest run of bad news for a party still reeling from claims of anti-Semitism in its ranks. Labour's candidate for Mayor of London, Saddiq Khan, has even warned party leader Jeremy Corbyn that accusations of anti-Semitism will make it more difficult for him to beat his Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith. Could Mr Corbyn's days as leader be numbered, and what last minute actions can the party take to avoid a massacre at the polls? Councillor Angela Mason, Cabinet Member for Children at Camden Council, is in the studio along with Professor John Weeks, Share Radio's regular economics commentator.

Retail sales fell at the fastest pace over the last year since January 2012, thats according to the CBI's latest monthly Distributive Trends Survey. Analysts had hoped to see a pick up in growth in the sector and the figures come in the same week as high street retailers BHS and Austin Reed entered administration. Joining Juliette Foster to shed more light on this research is Anna Leach, Head of Economic Analysis at the CBI.

Share Radio's Patrick Jones catches up with our man in Hong Kong, Finbarr Bermingham, Asia Editor of the Global Trade Review, to talk about the future for the Chinese economy considering it's colossal debt levels, collaboration between global banks and what is the 'ISDS' clause within TTIP?

This week experts from Greenwich University's Political Economy Research Centre will publish a report which include proposals to strengthen trade unions and increase the statutory minimum wage in Britain and Europe. Similar themes will be addressed in May when a conference hosted by the University, will argue the case for raising public and private investment to stop Europe lagging behind the US and Japanese economies. The reports are published as the debate over the UK's position in Europe gathers more heat in the run up to June's referrendum, and as questions are raised about the future of think tanks like the "Political Economy Research Centre", which get some or all of their funding from Europe. What future do they have if Britain leaves the EU and what could happen to their research? In the studio are Professor Ozlem Onaran and Doctor Giovanni Cozzi, from the Political Economy Research Centre, and Professor John Weeks, Share Radio's regular economics commentator.

This is Conversations From Africa with Chris Bishop, Managing Editor of Forbes Africa Magazine, & Share Radio's Patrick Jones. This week we return to the 'Once Empowered, Always Empowered' landmark court case for South African mining, the ex-finance minister for South Africa and his new job, the strength of the rand and how it manages to remain a bastion among emerging market currencies, Starbucks finally coming to South Africa & more.

This is Conversations from Africa with Chris Bishop, Managing Editor of Forbes Africa Magazine, & Share Radio's Patrick Jones. On this weeks show: President Zuma still manages to cling on to his Presidency despite a great deal of opposition. Zimbabwe is still dealing with the fallout from it's drought, affecting food supplies, the Springbok's have a new captain, a new super-mall for South Africa, new strength to the rand & more.

This is Conversations From Africa, with Chris Bishop, Managing Editor of Forbes Africa Magazine & Share Radio's Patrick Jones. In this weeks edition - major news from South Africa as the President Jacob Zuma has succesfully managed to avoid impeachment despite heavy opposition. With notable public figures now saying he should do the honorable thing and step down, will he bow to the pressure? Other topics include South Africa's manufacturing sector seeing growth despite the countries economic woes, an address by Robert Mugabe to thousands of war veterans in Zimbabwe, plus South Africa avoiding a major strike.

A survey by the professional services group Deloitte, reveals that support for Britain to stay in the European Union, has risen among the Chief Financial Officers of the UK's biggest companies. It also found that the possibility of a British exit, is now the top issue on the corporate worry list. Ian Stewart, is the Chief Economist at Deloitte, and he joined Investment Perspectives host Juliette Foster in the studio for more analysis of the new survey.

On the day that Chancellor George Osborne made his budget speech to the House of Commons, the government's controversial Trade Union Bill was dealt a major blow by peers in the House of Lords. By a majority of 320 votes to 172, they defeated a proposal to change the way that union members pay their dues. It was a strong show of support to a recommendation from a cross-party committee which had said that any changes to party funding should be restricted to new members only. The Lords then ended what had been a bruising session for the government, by giving its overwhelming support to two other bill ammendments. So what happens now? Is the Trade Union Bill dead in the water? Will the government now have to rip it up and start again? Silkie Cragg is the "Policy & Campaigns Support Officer" for the TUC, and Professor John Weeks is Share Radio's regular economics commentator.