Labour News Headlines - Yahoo! News UK

Gay marriage Bill set to continue

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:21:06 +0100

Plans to allow gay marriage look set to overcome their latest parliamentary hurdle after Labour and the Government signalled they were ready to work together to defeat a backbench bid to wreck the legislation in the House of Commons.

Warning over hospital capacity

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:45:17 +0100

Hospitals are "dangerously close to full", Labour has warned after it emerged that the number of hospital beds available to patients in England has shrunk by almost 6% since the coalition Government took office.

Labour party calls for country-by-country tax reporting

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:25:10 +0100

By Tom Bergin LONDON (Reuters) - The opposition Labour party, tapping into widening public anger over corporate tax avoidance, wants the government to push for new international rules to force companies to report profit and tax payments country-by-country. Campaigners say the move, which is receiving increased support internationally despite strong opposition from business, would deter companies from shifting profit into tax havens where they have no staff or sales. ...

Dubai labourers stage rare strike for more pay

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:58:47 +0100

By Praveen Menon DUBAI (Reuters) - Thousands of workers employed by Dubai's largest construction firm, Arabtec, stayed away from work on Sunday to back wage demands, a rare labour protest in the Gulf emirate, where trade unions are banned, staff said. Most blue collar workers in the Gulf Arab states are migrant labourers hired on a contract basis from South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, and strikes are uncommon. ...

Labour's polling starts to recover as Tory chaos continues

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:26:41 +0100

Labour's poll lead has started to rally after several weeks of Tory infighting over Europe.

Miliband pledges tax crackdown

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:33:33 +0100

Labour leader Ed Miliband will write new rules to tackle corporate tax dodgers if he wins the next election, even if there is no international consensus for action.

Greek teachers back down and call off 24-hour strike

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:34:34 +0100

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek high-school teachers called off a planned 24-hour walkout for Friday, yielding to government threats of arrest and dismissal if they failed to show up for work. In a sign of growing strike fatigue among austerity-hit Greeks and widening rifts within labour unions, teachers said they cancelled the walkout because they did not receive enough support from other workers. "The majority of teachers' unions said conditions were not appropriate for the strike to go ahead," said Nikos Papachristos, head of high-school teachers' union OLME. ...

Harman investigates mystery of missing older women TV presenters

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:53:40 +0100

Broadcasting chiefs face a dressing-down from Harriet Harman in the Commons later, after it emerged just 18% of television presenters over the age of 50 are women.

U.S., European groups divided on how to improve Bangladesh factories

Thu, 16 May 2013 01:47:21 +0100

By Jessica Wohl and Nivedita Bhattacharjee (Reuters) - A trans-Atlantic divide between European and U.S. retailers over how best to respond to fatal disasters in Bangladesh textile factories split wide open on Wednesday, with U.S. retailers claiming their European counterparts are giving labour unions too much control over ensuring workplace safety. Some U.S. retailers, including Gap Inc, had said they would not join the European pact without changes to the way conflicts are resolved in the courts. The rhetoric sharpened considerably when a U.S. ...

As some retailers back Bangladesh accord, U.S. group lashes out

Wed, 15 May 2013 19:38:47 +0100

By Jessica Wohl (Reuters) - An accord designed to prevent another deadly disaster in Bangladesh's garment industry drew sharp criticism from a major U.S. retail trade group on Wednesday, which said it would constrain legal rights of U.S. companies, even as more European retailers signed on to the pact. Wednesday is the deadline for retailers to decide whether to sign onto a fire-and-building safety agreement for Bangladesh, led by labour groups such as Europe's IndustriALL. ...

Men 'facing crisis of masculinity'

Wed, 15 May 2013 03:04:37 +0100

Britain's men are facing a "crisis of masculinity" as rapid economic change distorts male identity fuelling homophobia and misogyny, Labour MP Diane Abbott is warning.

Julie Hilling MP: Government’s dog control measures insufficient

Wed, 15 May 2013 01:00:09 +0100

Ahead of her adjournment debate later today, Labour MP Julie Hilling stresses the need for Dog Control Notices and comprehensive legislation to tackle the issue of dangerous dogs.

Wal-Mart will not sign Bangladesh accord

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:34:23 +0100

(Reuters) - Wal-Mart said on Tuesday it does not plan to sign a Bangladesh fire and building safety accord drawn up by labour groups because it believes its current safety plans will get faster results. The legally-binding agreement, drafted by labour and non-governmental organizations Europe's IndustriALL and UNI Global Union, has a May 15 deadline for retailers to sign on. Many North American retailers are discussing whether to forge their own Bangladesh safety agreement as an alternative. ...

Italy will not dismantle Monti's labour reform - minister

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:17:01 +0100

By Francesca Piscioneri ROME (Reuters) - Italy's new government will make few substantial changes to the much-criticised labour reform adopted last year by former premier Mario Monti, Industry and Welfare Minister Enrico Giovannini told parliament on Tuesday. The unpopular reform made it harder and more expensive to hire workers on temporary contracts and slightly easier to fire permanent staff. It has been widely criticised by both trade unions and employers, but Giovannini said the reform was showing some positive effects and any changes would be "limited to details. ...

Lord Ahmed Quits Labour Ahead Of Hearing

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:43:22 +0100

Labour peer Lord Ahmed has resigned from the party two days before he was due to face a hearing over allegations he made anti-Semitic comments.

A pox on all your houses: Ukip surge hammers Labour as well as Tories

Tue, 14 May 2013 09:21:59 +0100

Labour is shedding as much support to Ukip as the Conservatives, new polling suggests.

Lord Ahmed resigns from Labour Party

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:00:42 +0100

Nazir Ahmed, the peer who was due to face a hearing after reportedly blaming Jewish-owned media groups for his imprisonment, has resigned from the Labour Party.

No money for mediocrity, 'average' Miliband told

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:00:05 +0100

Ed Miliband has only "average" political skills, former Labour party bankroller Lord Sainsbury has declared.

Baroness Young of Hornsey: Fashion that workers die to make

Mon, 13 May 2013 01:33:45 +0100

Ahead of her oral question today, Baroness Young of Hornsey highlights how the public remains oblivious to the consequences of the fashion industry’s focus on cheap labour abroad.

Vaz urges Labour EU referendum vow

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:08:42 +0100

A senior Labour MP has led calls for his party to back an in-out referendum on the European Union.

Miliband Rules Out EU Referendum Promise

Sat, 11 May 2013 15:41:24 +0100

Ed Miliband has rejected calls for Labour to promise a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union.

Miliband accuses 'weak' Cameron

Sat, 11 May 2013 00:10:49 +0100

Labour leader Ed Miliband is to accuse David Cameron of putting efforts to hold the Tory party together over Europe ahead of the national interest.

Italy's Enel agrees early retirement for 3,500 - source

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:25:06 +0100

By Alberto Sisto ROME (Reuters) - Italian power company Enel has reached a deal on early retirement for almost 10 percent of its domestic workforce, the largest agreement of its kind since the government overhauled Italy's pension rules, a labour union source said. With the Italian economy in its longest recession since World War Two, Enel has suffered a steep decline in demand for gas and electricity at home and is now looking to newer markets such as Latin America for growth. ...

Militant South Africa union vows fight as Amplats job plan looms

Fri, 10 May 2013 09:37:37 +0100

By Helen Nyambura-Mwaura and Tiisetso Motsoeneng RUSTENBURG, South Africa (Reuters) - South African labour activists promised on Friday to fight any job cuts by Anglo American Platinum, which is expected to unveil a new plan on restoring profits later in the day after the original provoked a backlash from the government and unions. Amplats, a unit of London-based Anglo American and the world's top platinum producer, had initially envisaged slashing 14,000 jobs and mothballing two mines. ...

North Korea says jailed American missionary plotted downfall of state

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:38:46 +0100

By Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - A Korean-American sentenced to 15 years hard labour in North Korea was a missionary who used his tourism business to form groups to overthrow the government, the state's Supreme Court said. Kenneth Bae, 44, was sentenced earlier this month after being detained late last year leading a tour group in the North Korean city of Rason, on the border with China. ...

U.S. jobless claims hint at strengthening labour market

Thu, 09 May 2013 17:41:56 +0100

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless aid fell last week to its lowest level in nearly 5-1/2 years, signalling labour market resilience in the face of fiscal austerity. The job market buoyancy, flagged last week by a relatively strong April employment report, eased fears of an abrupt economic slowdown. "We are not getting a slowing in the second quarter. The claims data provide another set of confirmation that the labour market is healing," said Michael Strauss, chief economist at Commonfund in Wilton, Connecticut. ...

'Action Hero' Ed Miliband Rescues Cyclist

Thu, 09 May 2013 11:07:08 +0100

Labour leader Ed Miliband has been branded an "action hero" after coming to the aid of a cyclist involved in a crash.

Miliband is cyclist's 'action hero'

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:31:20 +0100

Ed Miliband has been hailed as an "action hero" by a woman cyclist after he came to her aid when she tumbled from her bike.

'He was actually attractive': Hero Ed Miliband saves cyclist

Thu, 09 May 2013 08:47:33 +0100

Ed Miliband was branded a hero today after he appeared out of nowhere to help a cyclist who had crashed off her bike.

U.N. team won't be deterred if North Korea rebuffs inquiry into abuses

Thu, 09 May 2013 06:02:46 +0100

By Lincoln Feast SYDNEY (Reuters) - U.N. investigators will seek the cooperation of North Korea as part of an inquiry into allegations of widespread human rights abuses in the country but won't be deterred if Pyongyang refuses, the head of the investigating panel said on Thursday. Michael Kirby, an outspoken former justice of Australia's top court, was named this week as head of a three member team that will look into allegations of torture, food deprivation and labour camps that are believed to hold at least 200,000 people. The U.N. ...

Michael McCann MP: Time to take Hezbollah seriously

Thu, 09 May 2013 01:49:35 +0100

Ahead of his debate today, Labour MP Michael McCann says the fallacy of Hezbollah’s ‘supposed’ role in supporting Lebanese stability must be exposed.

Israeli government wins respite from strike risks over tough budget

Wed, 08 May 2013 20:30:00 +0100

By Steven Scheer JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's conservative government staved off the risk of public sector strikes on Wednesday as it tries to push through a plan to hike taxes and cut spending that has incensed middle- and lower-income voters. The budget plan, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes will reassure investors alarmed by growing deficits, had sought to cut some civil service jobs and delay pay rises, drawing threats of labour action. ...

Labour leads Sir Alex tributes

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:23:30 +0100

Sir Alex Ferguson's shock retirement on the day of the State Opening of Parliament has been received with glee by Labour, who hailed him for overshadowing the Government.

UK 'falling behind economic rivals'

Wed, 08 May 2013 00:07:42 +0100

The UK is "falling behind" in the global economic race, Labour claimed as a study showed the economy was set to grow slower than 23 international competitors.

U.S. requests talks with Bahrain over 2011 labour crackdown

Tue, 07 May 2013 23:35:42 +0100

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday accused Bahrain of failing to protect workers' rights in its response to a March 2011 general strike at the time of the Arab Spring and asked for formal consultations under a free trade pact. "Ensuring that workers in Bahrain - and in other countries - can exercise their fundamental labour rights is a top priority for the Obama Administration," acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis said in a statement. Bahrain, a small island country off the Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, is home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet. ...

U.N. names team to investigate torture, camps in North Korea

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:08:34 +0100

By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations on Tuesday named a team of three human rights investigators who will look into allegations of torture and labour camps in North Korea that are believed to hold at least 200,000 people. Pyongyang denies the existence of such camps and is not expected to cooperate with the investigation, having denounced it during a U.N. Human Rights Council debate, activists said. ...

Bad body language: The secret cost of Labour's coalition negotiation

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:07:41 +0100

The disrespectful body language of Labour's negotiating team was one of the reasons that a Lib-Lab coalition became impossible in 2010, new memoirs have revealed.

GM plans no pullout from South Korea but workforce a worry - CEO quoted

Tue, 07 May 2013 05:47:55 +0100

SEOUL (Reuters) - General Motors Co will not pull out of South Korea but will discuss labour woes with South Korea's President, its CEO was quoted as saying by its Korean union, a move that could complicate already troubled relations with its local workforce. Chief Executive Dan Akerson said last month GM might look at shifting output from this key production base in the long-term due to tensions between South and North Korea, angering the union. This latest development suggests annual wage talks will not be easy when they start later this month. ...

Labour criticises Royal Mail sale

Mon, 06 May 2013 01:15:05 +0100

The Government's controversial plans to privatise the Royal Mail have come under fresh attack as Labour accused the coalition of a "fire sale" to raise badly-needed finances.

Labour would halt A-levels split

Sat, 04 May 2013 01:12:10 +0100

Controversial plans by Education Secretary Michael Gove to hive off AS-levels as a stand-alone qualification would be ditched by a Labour government, shadow schools minister Kevin Brennan has said.