A report by research group Tech Transparency Project has revealed that Amazon's business is deeply interlinked with China and its suppliers have been linked to forced labour in the Xinjiang region. As per the group, Amazon's supplier list includes firms accused of using Uyghur labourers, reported Louise Matsakis, a tech investigator for NBC news.&nbsp;

It identified three Amazon suppliers linked to forced labour in China directly, including, Luxshare precision industry, AcBel polytech and lens technology.

"The findings raise questions about Amazon's exposure to China's repression of minority Uyghurs in Xinjiang — and the extent to which the e-commerce giant is adequately vetting its supplier relationships," the report read.&nbsp;

It further warned that some of the third-party sellers of Amazon may be offering products that are made using labour from the western Chinese region of Xinjiang. This includes cotton imports that are already subjected to US sanctions, said Matsakis. 
Amazon, however, has declined to comment on the same.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-crisis-china-accuses-nato-of-pushing-russia-to-breaking-point-460521">Also read |&nbsp;Ukraine crisis: China accuses NATO of pushing Russia to 'breaking point'</a>

In a general statement, Erika Reynoso, a spokesperson for the company, said: "Amazon complies with the laws and regulations in all jurisdictions in which it operates, and expects suppliers to adhere to our Supply Chain Standards. We take allegations of human rights abuses seriously, including those related to the use or export of forced labour. Whenever we find or receive proof of forced labour, we take action."

Meanwhile, China has ordered the closure of nearly 160 organisations that are focused on understanding the traditional Uyghur culture.&nbsp;

The Xinjiang Uyghur self-governing region (XUAR), issued a notice on February 22 that stated that there had been a ”revocation of registration certificate and seals of the legal reps of social organisations”.&nbsp;

The list of 160 organisations being shut down include: the Uyghur classical literature and Muqam Research Association and Dolan farmer paintings’ association, Atlan vocational training school and Intil language school, as well as Miraj vocational training school.

(With inputs from agencies)

A report by research group Tech Transparency Project has revealed that Amazon's business is deeply interlinked with China and its suppliers have been linked to forced labour in the Xinjiang region.

A report by research group Tech Transparency Project has revealed that Amazon's business is deeply interlinked with China and its suppliers have been linked to forced labour in the Xinjiang region. As per the group, Amazon's supplier list includes firms accused of using Uyghur labourers, reported Louise Matsakis, a tech investigator for NBC news. It identified three Amazon suppliers linked to forced labour in China directly, including, Luxshare precision industry, AcBel polytech and lens technology. "The findings raise questions about Amazon's exposure to China's repression of minority Uyghurs in Xinjiang — and the extent to which the e-commerce giant is adequately vetting its supplier relationships," the report read. It further warned that some of the third-party sellers of Amazon may be offering products that are made using labour from the western Chinese region of Xinjiang. This includes cotton imports that are already subjected to US sanctions, said Matsakis. Amazon, however, has declined to comment on the same. Also read | Ukraine crisis: China accuses NATO of pushing Russia to 'breaking point' In a general statement, Erika Reynoso, a spokesperson for the company, said: "Amazon complies with the laws and regulations in all jurisdictions in which it operates, and expects suppliers to adhere to our Supply Chain Standards. We take allegations of human rights abuses seriously, including those related to the use or export of forced labour. Whenever we find or receive proof of forced labour, we take action." Meanwhile, China has ordered the closure of nearly 160 organisations that are focused on understanding the traditional Uyghur culture. The Xinjiang Uyghur self-governing region (XUAR), issued a notice on February 22 that stated that there had been a ”revocation of registration certificate and seals of the legal reps of social organisations”. The list of 160 organisations being shut down include: the Uyghur classical literature and Muqam Research Association and Dolan farmer paintings’ association, Atlan vocational training school and Intil language school, as well as Miraj vocational training school. (With inputs from agencies)

Amazon's suppliers involved in forced labour in Xinjiang: Report

New Zealand Member of Parliament Julie Anne Genter rushed on her bicycle early on Sunday to the hospital. Despite bearing the labour pain she bravely made it travel safe and gave birth an hour later.

New Zealand Member of Parliament Julie Anne rushes to hospital on bicycle, delivers baby

‘The great resignation’ continues to gain steam in the United States, as over 4 million Americans, about 3% of the workforce, continue to churn out resignations for the second straight month.

The growing number of vacancies is now forcing companies to look elsewhere as they are coming out with attractive offers to quickly fill up the record job openings.

US’ Labor Department on Friday said that 4.4 million people quit their jobs in September, which is up from 4.3 million in August, and far above the pre-pandemic level of 3.6 million.

There were 10.4 million job openings, down from 10.6 million in August, which was revised higher, the data shows.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-4-million-americans-quit-jobs-in-august-report-420516">&nbsp;More than 4 million Americans quit jobs in August: Report</a>

Moreover, the data states that there are about 5 million fewer people looking for jobs compared with pre-pandemic trends, making it much harder for employers to hire.

The decline in the workforce is sharply visible in those industries which are made up of in-person service jobs, such as restaurants, hotels, and retail, and factories where people work in close proximity.

The economists argue that this trend reflects that some people are quitting solely out of fear of contracting COVID-19.

Watch

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-the-great-resignation-425381/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Apart from that, other possible reasons attributed to mass resignations include better social safety nets like unemployment aid, and people looking for better paying jobs.

Goldman Sachs, in a research note, on Thursday estimated that most of the 5 million are older Americans who have decided to retire. Only about 1.7 million are aged 25 through 54, which economists consider prime working years.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/find-out-the-top-paying-jobs-in-us-with-no-work-experience-416142">Find out the top paying jobs in US with no work experience</a>

Goldman estimates that most of those people in their prime working years will return to work in the coming months, but that would still leave a much smaller workforce than before the pandemic.

Businesses in other countries are facing similar challenges, leading to pay gains and higher inflation in countries like Canada and the United Kingdom, according to news agency AP.

However, in developing countries like India, there were no signs of mass resignations largely due to the absence of social security and unemployment benefits.

(With inputs from agencies)

‘The great resignation’ continues to gain steam in the United States, as over 4 million Americans, about 3% of the workforce, continue to churn out resignations for the second straight month.

‘The great resignation’ continues to gain steam in the United States, as over 4 million Americans, about 3% of the workforce, continue to churn out resignations for the second straight month. The growing number of vacancies is now forcing companies to look elsewhere as they are coming out with attractive offers to quickly fill up the record job openings. US’ Labor Department on Friday said that 4.4 million people quit their jobs in September, which is up from 4.3 million in August, and far above the pre-pandemic level of 3.6 million. There were 10.4 million job openings, down from 10.6 million in August, which was revised higher, the data shows. Also read | More than 4 million Americans quit jobs in August: Report Moreover, the data states that there are about 5 million fewer people looking for jobs compared with pre-pandemic trends, making it much harder for employers to hire. The decline in the workforce is sharply visible in those industries which are made up of in-person service jobs, such as restaurants, hotels, and retail, and factories where people work in close proximity. The economists argue that this trend reflects that some people are quitting solely out of fear of contracting COVID-19. Watch Apart from that, other possible reasons attributed to mass resignations include better social safety nets like unemployment aid, and people looking for better paying jobs. Goldman Sachs, in a research note, on Thursday estimated that most of the 5 million are older Americans who have decided to retire. Only about 1.7 million are aged 25 through 54, which economists consider prime working years. Also read | Find out the top paying jobs in US with no work experience Goldman estimates that most of those people in their prime working years will return to work in the coming months, but that would still leave a much smaller workforce than before the pandemic. Businesses in other countries are facing similar challenges, leading to pay gains and higher inflation in countries like Canada and the United Kingdom, according to news agency AP. However, in developing countries like India, there were no signs of mass resignations largely due to the absence of social security and unemployment benefits. (With inputs from agencies)

‘The great resignation’: Over 4 million Americans quit their jobs in September alone

Canadian apparel company Reitmans recently cancelled a contract with a Chinese supplier after a report by CBC News showed that it was using forced North Korean labour. This comes after a series of undercover investigations by the broadcaster CBC.&nbsp;

Reitmans is not the only brand to be involved with this Chinese supplier. YM Inc, which owns various other brands such as Sirens, Stitches and Bluenotes, also did business with the same factory, Dandong Huayang Textiles and Garment Co. Ltd.

After the brands came to know about the forced labour scenario, YM said that it does not partner with anyone using forced labour.&nbsp;

Reitmans, which has over 400 outlets in the country, issued a statement saying that it decided to “proactively stop issuing new business purchase orders with this supplier” at the end of 2020 and also decided to “pull all remaining inventory” of the styles originating from this supplier.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trade-direct-flights-on-agenda-of-colombian-president-duques-first-official-visit-to-uae-427346">Also read |&nbsp;Trade, direct flights on agenda of Colombian President Duque’s first official visit to UAE</a>

It further added, “We are shaken by these new allegations about the presence of North Korean guest workers in what appears to be Dandong Huayang Textiles and Garments Ltd factories.”

Dandong Huayang Textiles and Garment Co. Ltd. has refuted the allegation of using “illegal workers."

As per experts, the city of Dandong is located on the border of North Korea and China. It has a history of employing North Korean workers and therefore Dandong Huayang is no exception.

Reitmans has announced it will donate the unused clothing from the supplier to local charities.

The CBC report further claimed that it might violate 2017 UNSC sanctions that ban employment of North Koreans. This was done to prevent funding to Pyongyang's illegal nuclear&nbsp;programmes.&nbsp;

Canadian apparel company Reitmans recently cancelled a contract with a Chinese supplier after a report by CBC News showed that it was using forced North Korean labour.

Canadian apparel company Reitmans recently cancelled a contract with a Chinese supplier after a report by CBC News showed that it was using forced North Korean labour. This comes after a series of undercover investigations by the broadcaster CBC. Reitmans is not the only brand to be involved with this Chinese supplier. YM Inc, which owns various other brands such as Sirens, Stitches and Bluenotes, also did business with the same factory, Dandong Huayang Textiles and Garment Co. Ltd. After the brands came to know about the forced labour scenario, YM said that it does not partner with anyone using forced labour. Reitmans, which has over 400 outlets in the country, issued a statement saying that it decided to “proactively stop issuing new business purchase orders with this supplier” at the end of 2020 and also decided to “pull all remaining inventory” of the styles originating from this supplier. Also read | Trade, direct flights on agenda of Colombian President Duque’s first official visit to UAE It further added, “We are shaken by these new allegations about the presence of North Korean guest workers in what appears to be Dandong Huayang Textiles and Garments Ltd factories.” Dandong Huayang Textiles and Garment Co. Ltd. has refuted the allegation of using “illegal workers." As per experts, the city of Dandong is located on the border of North Korea and China. It has a history of employing North Korean workers and therefore Dandong Huayang is no exception. Reitmans has announced it will donate the unused clothing from the supplier to local charities. The CBC report further claimed that it might violate 2017 UNSC sanctions that ban employment of North Koreans. This was done to prevent funding to Pyongyang's illegal nuclear programmes.

Canadian brands cancel deal with Chinese supplier over use of North Korean forced labour

Amazon has settled with two of its most prominent internal critics, staving off a public hearing over accusations that the company illegally fired the pair, lawyers for the parties told an administrative judge on Wednesday.

The former employees, Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa, said in a statement that Amazon would be required to pay their back wages and “post a notice to all of its tech and warehouse workers nationwide that Amazon can’t fire workers for organizing and exercising their rights.” They called the settlement “a win for protecting workers rights.”

The pair have said they were fired last year because they publicly pushed the company to reduce its effect on climate change and address concerns about its warehouse workers. Amazon has maintained that the former employees repeatedly broke internal policies.

An Amazon spokesperson, Jose Negrete, said Wednesday, “We have reached a mutual agreement that resolves the legal issues in this case and welcome the resolution of this matter.”

The settlement was reached at a high-wire moment for Amazon, which has pledged to be “Earth’s best employer” and is looking, in a tight labor market, to hire 40,000 corporate and tech workers and 125,000 warehouse workers in the United States.

In 2018, Costa and Cunningham, who worked as designers at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters, were part of a small group of employees who publicly pushed the company to do more to address its climate impact. They turned their efforts into an organization, Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, and helped get more than 8,700 Amazon colleagues to support its efforts.

Over time, Cunningham and Costa broadened their protests. After Amazon told them that they had violated its external-communications policy by speaking publicly about the business, their group organized 400 employees to also speak out, purposely violating the policy to make a point.

At the start of the pandemic, they announced an internal event for warehouse workers to speak to tech employees about their workplace safety conditions. Soon after, Amazon fired both women. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wrote Amazon expressing concerns over potential retaliation, and Tim Bray, an internet pioneer and a former vice president at Amazon’s cloud computing group, resigned in protest.

This spring, lawyers with the National Labor Relations Board said they had found merit in Costa and Cunningham’s accusations that they were fired in retaliation for their organizing. The agency’s Seattle office then brought a case against Amazon, saying the company “enforced its facially neutral External Communications and Solicitation policies selectively and disparately in order to restrict employees from engaging in protected, concerted activities.”

The hearing was scheduled to start Tuesday morning, but was delayed as the parties worked on a settlement.

The case is one of many tangles the company has had with the labor board since the start of the pandemic. Most visibly, in August, a hearing officer of the NLRB recommended that the agency throw out a union election at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, finding that Amazon’s “conduct interfered with the laboratory conditions necessary to conduct a fair election.” Amazon denies any interference and has vowed to appeal if the regional office of the labor board agrees with the recommendation and formally overturns the election, which rejected the union.

Amazon has settled with two of its most prominent internal critics, staving off a public hearing over accusations that the company illegally fired the pair, lawyers for the parties told an administrative judge on Wednesday.

Amazon has settled with two of its most prominent internal critics, staving off a public hearing over accusations that the company illegally fired the pair, lawyers for the parties told an administrative judge on Wednesday. The former employees, Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa, said in a statement that Amazon would be required to pay their back wages and “post a notice to all of its tech and warehouse workers nationwide that Amazon can’t fire workers for organizing and exercising their rights.” They called the settlement “a win for protecting workers rights.” The pair have said they were fired last year because they publicly pushed the company to reduce its effect on climate change and address concerns about its warehouse workers. Amazon has maintained that the former employees repeatedly broke internal policies. An Amazon spokesperson, Jose Negrete, said Wednesday, “We have reached a mutual agreement that resolves the legal issues in this case and welcome the resolution of this matter.” The settlement was reached at a high-wire moment for Amazon, which has pledged to be “Earth’s best employer” and is looking, in a tight labor market, to hire 40,000 corporate and tech workers and 125,000 warehouse workers in the United States. In 2018, Costa and Cunningham, who worked as designers at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters, were part of a small group of employees who publicly pushed the company to do more to address its climate impact. They turned their efforts into an organization, Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, and helped get more than 8,700 Amazon colleagues to support its efforts. Over time, Cunningham and Costa broadened their protests. After Amazon told them that they had violated its external-communications policy by speaking publicly about the business, their group organized 400 employees to also speak out, purposely violating the policy to make a point. At the start of the pandemic, they announced an internal event for warehouse workers to speak to tech employees about their workplace safety conditions. Soon after, Amazon fired both women. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wrote Amazon expressing concerns over potential retaliation, and Tim Bray, an internet pioneer and a former vice president at Amazon’s cloud computing group, resigned in protest. This spring, lawyers with the National Labor Relations Board said they had found merit in Costa and Cunningham’s accusations that they were fired in retaliation for their organizing. The agency’s Seattle office then brought a case against Amazon, saying the company “enforced its facially neutral External Communications and Solicitation policies selectively and disparately in order to restrict employees from engaging in protected, concerted activities.” The hearing was scheduled to start Tuesday morning, but was delayed as the parties worked on a settlement. The case is one of many tangles the company has had with the labor board since the start of the pandemic. Most visibly, in August, a hearing officer of the NLRB recommended that the agency throw out a union election at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, finding that Amazon’s “conduct interfered with the laboratory conditions necessary to conduct a fair election.” Amazon denies any interference and has vowed to appeal if the regional office of the labor board agrees with the recommendation and formally overturns the election, which rejected the union.

Amazon settles with activist workers who say they were illegally fired

A Labour MP has brought her baby boy to the Commons to demonstrate new mothers are “rebuked” rather than supported when returning to Parliament. Watch this report for more details.

United Kingdom: Baby joins MP amid calls for support for new mother

The CBI has urged UK govt to relax immigration rules.

UK companies seek relaxation in immigration rules

Pictures from China-run factories in Zimbabwe reveal how local workers are systematically abused by their Chinese bosses. How are the workers reacting? Why is the Zimbabwean government silent? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas | Caught on-cam: China's forced labour in Zimbabwe

The leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, has reshuffled his team after disappointing results in local elections that further strengthened Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s grip on power.&nbsp;

Labour lost control of a number of local authorities and of the parliamentary seat of Hartlepool, a Labour bastion for many decades. It held on to city halls in London, Manchester and elsewhere, but those successes could not mask its retreat in areas that used to be party strongholds.&nbsp;

Starmer, elected leader last year, has struggled to bridge divides and unite Labour around a clear agenda to challenge the governing Conservatives, who are enjoying a boost from a successful COVID-19 vaccination programme and from ploughing money into areas where many voters have felt neglected.&nbsp;

After many voters in the local elections suggested they did not know what Starmer stood for, Shabana Mahmood, appointed Labour's campaign coordinator in the reshuffle, said the party would launch a policy review to settle on a programme.&nbsp;

"There has to be a policy review process which we are now going to embark on together as a movement to try and work out what is the programme that we need to be offering the country," she told BBC radio.&nbsp;

"It has to be a platform that speaks to the public."&nbsp;

The main changes in the reshuffle included the appointment of Rachel Reeves as head of economic policy, replacing Anneliese Dodds, who became party chair and head of the policy review.&nbsp;

Angela Rayner, who was sacked on Saturday as party chair and campaign coordinator in a move that went down badly in Labour ranks, was appointed policy chief on 'the future of work'.&nbsp;

She was also given the title of 'shadow first secretary of state', the equivalent of deputy prime minister in Starmer's 'shadow cabinet', or opposition leadership team.&nbsp;

"The Labour Party must be the party that embraces the demand for change across our country," Starmer said in a statement.&nbsp;

"I look forward to working with our refreshed and renewed team to take on that challenge, deliver that change and build the ambitious programme that will deliver the next Labour government."&nbsp;

The reshuffle got off to a bad start after several party figures openly criticised the removal of Rayner as party chair. She comes from a working-class background in northern England - precisely the demographic Labour has lost and needs to win back.&nbsp;

Starmer is likely seeking to placate critics by giving Rayner a prominent role in the shadow Cabinet.&nbsp;

Starmer and Rayner were elected as party leader and deputy leader last year, following Labour's crushing defeat in a general election in December 2019, when it was led by hard-left veteran Jeremy Corbyn.&nbsp;

While opinion polls suggest Starmer has more credibility in the eyes of many voters than Corbyn did, the local election results showed the party was still very far from being in a position to regain power at an election due in 2024.&nbsp;

After a 13-year stint in office under former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, Labour has lost four consecutive general elections since 2010.&nbsp;

The leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, has reshuffled his team after disappointing results in local elections that further strengthened Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s grip on power.

The leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, has reshuffled his team after disappointing results in local elections that further strengthened Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s grip on power. Labour lost control of a number of local authorities and of the parliamentary seat of Hartlepool, a Labour bastion for many decades. It held on to city halls in London, Manchester and elsewhere, but those successes could not mask its retreat in areas that used to be party strongholds. Starmer, elected leader last year, has struggled to bridge divides and unite Labour around a clear agenda to challenge the governing Conservatives, who are enjoying a boost from a successful COVID-19 vaccination programme and from ploughing money into areas where many voters have felt neglected. After many voters in the local elections suggested they did not know what Starmer stood for, Shabana Mahmood, appointed Labour's campaign coordinator in the reshuffle, said the party would launch a policy review to settle on a programme. "There has to be a policy review process which we are now going to embark on together as a movement to try and work out what is the programme that we need to be offering the country," she told BBC radio. "It has to be a platform that speaks to the public." The main changes in the reshuffle included the appointment of Rachel Reeves as head of economic policy, replacing Anneliese Dodds, who became party chair and head of the policy review. Angela Rayner, who was sacked on Saturday as party chair and campaign coordinator in a move that went down badly in Labour ranks, was appointed policy chief on 'the future of work'. She was also given the title of 'shadow first secretary of state', the equivalent of deputy prime minister in Starmer's 'shadow cabinet', or opposition leadership team. "The Labour Party must be the party that embraces the demand for change across our country," Starmer said in a statement. "I look forward to working with our refreshed and renewed team to take on that challenge, deliver that change and build the ambitious programme that will deliver the next Labour government." The reshuffle got off to a bad start after several party figures openly criticised the removal of Rayner as party chair. She comes from a working-class background in northern England - precisely the demographic Labour has lost and needs to win back. Starmer is likely seeking to placate critics by giving Rayner a prominent role in the shadow Cabinet. Starmer and Rayner were elected as party leader and deputy leader last year, following Labour's crushing defeat in a general election in December 2019, when it was led by hard-left veteran Jeremy Corbyn. While opinion polls suggest Starmer has more credibility in the eyes of many voters than Corbyn did, the local election results showed the party was still very far from being in a position to regain power at an election due in 2024. After a 13-year stint in office under former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, Labour has lost four consecutive general elections since 2010.

UK Labour leader reshuffles team after poor local election results 

Sadiq Khan was re-elected London Mayor on Saturday as had been widely expected, providing some joy to the opposition Labour Party which has suffered a series of disappointing results in other local elections.

Khan, who became the first Muslim to head a major Western capital after his victory in 2016, saw off his main challenger, Shaun Bailey, the candidate from Prime Minister Boris Johnson`s Conservative Party.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="PM Johnson's party sweeps aside Labour in northern English town">PM Johnson's party sweeps aside Labour in northern English town</a>

He won by 55.2 per cent to Bailey's 44.8&nbsp;per cent in a result which had been widely predicted, although his winning margin was smaller than his victory five years ago.

"I am deeply humbled by the trust Londoners have placed in me to continue leading the greatest city on earth," Khan said, who focused his campaign on creating jobs and boosting London`s tourism economy.

"I promise to strain every sinew to help build a better and brighter future for London after the dark days of the pandemic."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="IPL in London? Mayor Sadiq Khan reveals his ambitions for British capital">IPL in London? Mayor Sadiq Khan reveals his ambitions for British capital</a>

Khan, a former member of parliament who replaced Johnson as leader of the British capital with a population of almost nine million people, has faced criticism over rising violent crime in the capital, particularly stabbings involving teenagers.

His record on the issue and other security issues led to a series of angry Twitter spats with former US&nbsp;President Donald Trump.

Khan's success comes after a bruising set of results for Labour in local elections in its former heartlands in central and northern England - known as the party`s "Red Wall" - which followed a disastrous performance in the 2019 national vote.&nbsp;

While Johnson has enjoyed wide success elsewhere in England, the opposition party has become increasingly dominant in the British capital.

Analysts attribute this to the city's younger, more ethnically-diverse and more pro-European Union population, which unlike most of England, overwhelmingly opposed Brexit.

Sadiq Khan was re-elected London Mayor on Saturday as had been widely expected, providing some joy to the opposition Labour Party which has suffered a series of disappointing results in other local elections.

Sadiq Khan was re-elected London Mayor on Saturday as had been widely expected, providing some joy to the opposition Labour Party which has suffered a series of disappointing results in other local elections. Khan, who became the first Muslim to head a major Western capital after his victory in 2016, saw off his main challenger, Shaun Bailey, the candidate from Prime Minister Boris Johnson`s Conservative Party. Also read | PM Johnson's party sweeps aside Labour in northern English town He won by 55.2 per cent to Bailey's 44.8 per cent in a result which had been widely predicted, although his winning margin was smaller than his victory five years ago. "I am deeply humbled by the trust Londoners have placed in me to continue leading the greatest city on earth," Khan said, who focused his campaign on creating jobs and boosting London`s tourism economy. "I promise to strain every sinew to help build a better and brighter future for London after the dark days of the pandemic." Also read | IPL in London? Mayor Sadiq Khan reveals his ambitions for British capital Khan, a former member of parliament who replaced Johnson as leader of the British capital with a population of almost nine million people, has faced criticism over rising violent crime in the capital, particularly stabbings involving teenagers. His record on the issue and other security issues led to a series of angry Twitter spats with former US President Donald Trump. Khan's success comes after a bruising set of results for Labour in local elections in its former heartlands in central and northern England - known as the party`s "Red Wall" - which followed a disastrous performance in the 2019 national vote. While Johnson has enjoyed wide success elsewhere in England, the opposition party has become increasingly dominant in the British capital. Analysts attribute this to the city's younger, more ethnically-diverse and more pro-European Union population, which unlike most of England, overwhelmingly opposed Brexit.

Labour's Sadiq Khan re-elected as London mayor

On International Workers' Day, French rally against reforms in unemployment benefits

May 1: History and significance of International Workers' Day

India needs labour reforms, not a suspension of labour laws during a pandemic. Some states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have suspended key labour laws, which they claim is to facilitate employment and investment. The cruelty of the policy measure is visible in the timing of the decision. When the migrant worker crisis is one of the most visible failures in the fight against COVID-19, this insensitive decision robs our hardworking migrant labourers of the last shred of their dignity. It does not mean that we do not need labour reforms in India. &nbsp;

There are 44 Central laws and more than 200 State Laws which overlap with each other and are primarily skewed against the industry. India is a labour surplus country with 47 million unemployed below the age of 24 years and 12-13 million youths joining the labour market every year. Almost 93 per cent of India’s labour force works in the unorganised sector, the majority are unskilled and poorly educated. &nbsp;

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic raised its ugly head and made our immediate future uncertain, the Indian economy was already slowing down. Before the pandemic, India’s GDP growth in the October-December quarter of 2019 (Q3 of FY20) stood at 4.7 per cent, and in the previous quarter, it was a six-year low at 4.5 per cent. Economic growth was already on a downhill. The pandemic made it worse. Several rating agencies have predicted zero per cent growth in FY 20-21, amidst the lockdown. India’s Investment Rate i.e Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) as a percentage of GDP has declined by a whopping 9 percentage points between 2011-12 and 2019-20. This means that private investment has plummeted. It is predominantly because India has not been able to scale up manufacturing. Structural reforms in labour laws can boost private investment, but a crisis like the pandemic is hardly a time to do so. Post COVID-19 response to restart economy needs a whole package of big-bang reforms — labour reforms are only a part of it. &nbsp;

In pre-COVID economy, to circumvent the rigorous labour policies, companies either shifted their manufacturing bases to foreign countries or turned capital intensive, reducing their manpower needs. Besides swelling unemployment, these measures also pushed people to the informal sector. Private investment had already slumped. India’s women participation in the labour force remains abysmal. &nbsp;

In the times of lockdown, there is a huge migrant exodus from states as jobless workers are pushed to the corners of depravity by several governments. Critics would argue that doing away with labour laws is a sound policy decision. This may be the silver bullet idea which policymakers and industry lobbies think would attract the labourers back, but this would simply not work. Every policy intervention has a context. Right now, the context is the safety and wellbeing of our people. The recent incident of 26 workers in a pharmaceutical major in Gujarat turning positive is a stark example of how factory workers are not safe. &nbsp;

Least intervention by government is often the best policy measure. The immediate solution to migrant workers leaving their place of work is to give them a return ticket. Yes. That is the solution. If the government or the industry provides them with a return ticket to join work after the pandemic lockdown is over, it is natural that they will get their livelihood back. It is a simple solution rather than some big bang announcement to grab thirty seconds of eyeballs by any PR hungry government. It does not remove the social security net around the workers. Neither, does it take away their human rights. &nbsp;

The long term solution is amending the statutory framework of labour laws. Simplify them. First, we need a meta-structure to deal with ‘labour laws’ being in the concurrent list. A ‘Labour Laws Review Council’ with states, similar to that of GST Council, which meets periodically is needed. &nbsp;Second, consolidation of labour laws in four broad categories as envisaged by successive governments in the past. Third, have uniform definitions of key terms like ‘industry’, ‘worker’, ‘employee’ et al. Most laws have different definitions which result in long drawn disputes and confusion. Fourth, establish a ‘Central Labour Authority’ with representation from states, for self-certification and single consolidated return to ease compliances and multiple inspections of industrial units. &nbsp;

Fifth, amend the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 to ensure that post-facto approval from the government to close down industry is not required when any industry employees less than 300 workers or where lay off exceeds one month. A rigorous version of this was first implemented by Rajasthan and the Economic Survey, 2019 cited this as a case study to prove that employment increases if we do this. &nbsp;

Sixth, pass a new labour regulation law for small scale industries employing less than 50 workers with liberal exemptions. Seventh, a separate law to ensure the welfare, facilities and safety of women in the labour force.&nbsp;

Incremental long term reforms are needed to restart the economy. Snatching the rights of workers in a healthcare crisis will only result in high unemployment and no growth. &nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India needs labour reforms, not a suspension of labour laws during a pandemic. Some states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have suspended key labour laws, which they claim is to facilitate employment and investment.

India needs labour reforms, not a suspension of labour laws during a pandemic. Some states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have suspended key labour laws, which they claim is to facilitate employment and investment. The cruelty of the policy measure is visible in the timing of the decision. When the migrant worker crisis is one of the most visible failures in the fight against COVID-19, this insensitive decision robs our hardworking migrant labourers of the last shred of their dignity. It does not mean that we do not need labour reforms in India. There are 44 Central laws and more than 200 State Laws which overlap with each other and are primarily skewed against the industry. India is a labour surplus country with 47 million unemployed below the age of 24 years and 12-13 million youths joining the labour market every year. Almost 93 per cent of India’s labour force works in the unorganised sector, the majority are unskilled and poorly educated. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic raised its ugly head and made our immediate future uncertain, the Indian economy was already slowing down. Before the pandemic, India’s GDP growth in the October-December quarter of 2019 (Q3 of FY20) stood at 4.7 per cent, and in the previous quarter, it was a six-year low at 4.5 per cent. Economic growth was already on a downhill. The pandemic made it worse. Several rating agencies have predicted zero per cent growth in FY 20-21, amidst the lockdown. India’s Investment Rate i.e Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) as a percentage of GDP has declined by a whopping 9 percentage points between 2011-12 and 2019-20. This means that private investment has plummeted. It is predominantly because India has not been able to scale up manufacturing. Structural reforms in labour laws can boost private investment, but a crisis like the pandemic is hardly a time to do so. Post COVID-19 response to restart economy needs a whole package of big-bang reforms — labour reforms are only a part of it. In pre-COVID economy, to circumvent the rigorous labour policies, companies either shifted their manufacturing bases to foreign countries or turned capital intensive, reducing their manpower needs. Besides swelling unemployment, these measures also pushed people to the informal sector. Private investment had already slumped. India’s women participation in the labour force remains abysmal. In the times of lockdown, there is a huge migrant exodus from states as jobless workers are pushed to the corners of depravity by several governments. Critics would argue that doing away with labour laws is a sound policy decision. This may be the silver bullet idea which policymakers and industry lobbies think would attract the labourers back, but this would simply not work. Every policy intervention has a context. Right now, the context is the safety and wellbeing of our people. The recent incident of 26 workers in a pharmaceutical major in Gujarat turning positive is a stark example of how factory workers are not safe. Least intervention by government is often the best policy measure. The immediate solution to migrant workers leaving their place of work is to give them a return ticket. Yes. That is the solution. If the government or the industry provides them with a return ticket to join work after the pandemic lockdown is over, it is natural that they will get their livelihood back. It is a simple solution rather than some big bang announcement to grab thirty seconds of eyeballs by any PR hungry government. It does not remove the social security net around the workers. Neither, does it take away their human rights. The long term solution is amending the statutory framework of labour laws. Simplify them. First, we need a meta-structure to deal with ‘labour laws’ being in the concurrent list. A ‘Labour Laws Review Council’ with states, similar to that of GST Council, which meets periodically is needed. Second, consolidation of labour laws in four broad categories as envisaged by successive governments in the past. Third, have uniform definitions of key terms like ‘industry’, ‘worker’, ‘employee’ et al. Most laws have different definitions which result in long drawn disputes and confusion. Fourth, establish a ‘Central Labour Authority’ with representation from states, for self-certification and single consolidated return to ease compliances and multiple inspections of industrial units. Fifth, amend the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 to ensure that post-facto approval from the government to close down industry is not required when any industry employees less than 300 workers or where lay off exceeds one month. A rigorous version of this was first implemented by Rajasthan and the Economic Survey, 2019 cited this as a case study to prove that employment increases if we do this. Sixth, pass a new labour regulation law for small scale industries employing less than 50 workers with liberal exemptions. Seventh, a separate law to ensure the welfare, facilities and safety of women in the labour force. Incremental long term reforms are needed to restart the economy. Snatching the rights of workers in a healthcare crisis will only result in high unemployment and no growth. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India needs labour law reforms and not its suspension amid coronavirus mayhem

Ride-hailing company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uber-co-founder-travis-kalanick-to-leave-companys-board-270071">Uber&nbsp;Technologies Inc</a> and courier services provider&nbsp;Postmates&nbsp;Inc asked a US&nbsp;court to&nbsp;block&nbsp;a&nbsp;California&nbsp;labor&nbsp;law&nbsp;set to go into effect on Wednesday, arguing the bill violates the US&nbsp;Constitution.

In a&nbsp;lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court on Monday, the companies and two app-based drivers said the&nbsp;law, which would make it harder for&nbsp;gig&nbsp;economy companies to qualify their&nbsp;workers as independent contractors rather than employees, was irrational, vague and incoherent.

The office of&nbsp;California&nbsp;Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement on Monday it was reviewing the complaint. The bill, called AB5, faces multiple legal challenges.

The&nbsp;law&nbsp;was signed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-threatens-to-withhold-emergency-aid-from-fire-hit-california-259805">California&nbsp;Governor Gavin Newsom</a> in September and has garnered national attention, largely owing to the size of&nbsp;California's workforce and the state's leadership role in establishing policies that are frequently adopted by other states.

&nbsp;

Also Watch: Uber can't fix safety issues

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&nbsp;

Backers of the bill, including labor groups, have argued the&nbsp;law&nbsp;protects&nbsp;workers' rights. By classifying the contractors as employees, the companies would be subject to labor&nbsp;laws that require higher pay and other benefits such as medical insurance.

The bill strikes at the heart of the "gig&nbsp;economy" business model of technology platforms like&nbsp;Uber,&nbsp;Postmates, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ride-hailing-company-lyft-rises-in-wall-street-premier-206594">Lyft Inc</a>, DoorDash and others who rely heavily on the state's 450,000 contract&nbsp;workers, not full-time employees, to drive passengers or deliver food via app-based services.

Uber,&nbsp;Postmates&nbsp;and other app-based companies said the legislation compromises the flexibility prized by their workforce, and that fewer&nbsp;workers would be hired were they considered employees.

The companies in their Monday&nbsp;lawsuit called AB5 a "thinly veiled attempt" to target and harm&nbsp;gig&nbsp;economy businesses. Singling out app-based&nbsp;workers violates equal protection guaranteed under the constitutions of the United States and&nbsp;California, the companies argued.

"It irreparably harms network companies and app-based independent service providers by denying their constitutional rights to be treated the same as others to whom they are similarly situated," the&nbsp;lawsuit said.

The companies pointed to allegedly arbitrary exemptions of different non-gig&nbsp;worker&nbsp;groups, including salespeople, travel agents, construction truck drivers, and commercial fishermen.

The full impact of the bill remains unclear in the short term, but the&nbsp;lawsuit cited a study saying the bill would increase ride-hailing company Lyft's operating costs by 20 per cent&nbsp;and lead to some 300,000 fewer drivers in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasas-trip-to-mars-begins-in-california-clean-room-270678">California</a>.

Uber, Lyft and food delivery company DoorDash have earmarked $90 million for a planned November 2020 ballot initiative that would exempt them from the&nbsp;law.

Ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc and courier services provider Postmates Inc asked a US court to block a California labor law set to go into effect on Wednesday, arguing the bill violates the US Constitution.

Ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc and courier services provider Postmates Inc asked a US court to block a California labor law set to go into effect on Wednesday, arguing the bill violates the US Constitution. In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court on Monday, the companies and two app-based drivers said the law, which would make it harder for gig economy companies to qualify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees, was irrational, vague and incoherent. The office of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement on Monday it was reviewing the complaint. The bill, called AB5, faces multiple legal challenges. The law was signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in September and has garnered national attention, largely owing to the size of California's workforce and the state's leadership role in establishing policies that are frequently adopted by other states. Also Watch: Uber can't fix safety issues × Backers of the bill, including labor groups, have argued the law protects workers' rights. By classifying the contractors as employees, the companies would be subject to labor laws that require higher pay and other benefits such as medical insurance. The bill strikes at the heart of the "gig economy" business model of technology platforms like Uber, Postmates, Lyft Inc, DoorDash and others who rely heavily on the state's 450,000 contract workers, not full-time employees, to drive passengers or deliver food via app-based services. Uber, Postmates and other app-based companies said the legislation compromises the flexibility prized by their workforce, and that fewer workers would be hired were they considered employees. The companies in their Monday lawsuit called AB5 a "thinly veiled attempt" to target and harm gig economy businesses. Singling out app-based workers violates equal protection guaranteed under the constitutions of the United States and California, the companies argued. "It irreparably harms network companies and app-based independent service providers by denying their constitutional rights to be treated the same as others to whom they are similarly situated," the lawsuit said. The companies pointed to allegedly arbitrary exemptions of different non-gig worker groups, including salespeople, travel agents, construction truck drivers, and commercial fishermen. The full impact of the bill remains unclear in the short term, but the lawsuit cited a study saying the bill would increase ride-hailing company Lyft's operating costs by 20 per cent and lead to some 300,000 fewer drivers in California. Uber, Lyft and food delivery company DoorDash have earmarked $90 million for a planned November 2020 ballot initiative that would exempt them from the law.

Uber, Postmates sue to block California gig worker law, claiming it's unconstitutional

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-japan-south-korea-prepare-for-trilateral-summit-amid-tensions-269632">Chinese authorities</a> today denied the allegations of prisoners being forced into physical labour.&nbsp;

According to a British newspaper, a schoolgirl in London received a message in a Christmas card. Allegedly, it came from inmates at Shanghai's Qingpu Prison.&nbsp;

Tesco, the supermarket giant, recently announced the end of production at its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-should-abandon-their-double-standards-china-slams-eurpopean-union-parliament-over-uighur-sanctions-resolution-269347">factory in China</a> after a similar debacle. A charity card from Tesco contained a cry for help from a prisoner, as reported by the Sunday Times newspaper.

China has continuously denied the claims, referring to them as fictitious.&nbsp;

"I can tell you responsibly that, after seeking clarification from relevant departments, Shanghai Qingpu prison does not at all have ... forced labour by foreign convicts" said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular press briefing in Beijing.

Shuang also took the opportunity to attack former journalist Peter Humphrey who had written the article. He called the story a ''farce'' to ''hype himself up''.

Humphrey was detained in Qinqpu prison until his release in 2015.

Watch:&nbsp;U.S. blacklists China &amp; Pak, both languish in the blacklist

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"We are foreign prisoners in Shanghai Qingpu Prison <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/were-next-hong-kongers-rally-for-chinas-uighurs-269572">China</a>," said the message, in a charity card featuring a kitten in a Santa hat

"Forced to work against our will. Please help us and notify human rights organisation."

According to the Sunday Times, the note inside the card requested the finder to report the concerns to Humphrey, which the schoolgirl's father did, after which it was made public.

(With inputs from agencies)

Chinese authorities today denied the allegations of prisoners being forced into physical labour. According to a British newspaper, a schoolgirl in London received a message in a Christmas card.

Chinese authorities today denied the allegations of prisoners being forced into physical labour. According to a British newspaper, a schoolgirl in London received a message in a Christmas card. Allegedly, it came from inmates at Shanghai's Qingpu Prison. Tesco, the supermarket giant, recently announced the end of production at its factory in China after a similar debacle. A charity card from Tesco contained a cry for help from a prisoner, as reported by the Sunday Times newspaper. China has continuously denied the claims, referring to them as fictitious. "I can tell you responsibly that, after seeking clarification from relevant departments, Shanghai Qingpu prison does not at all have ... forced labour by foreign convicts" said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular press briefing in Beijing. Shuang also took the opportunity to attack former journalist Peter Humphrey who had written the article. He called the story a ''farce'' to ''hype himself up''. Humphrey was detained in Qinqpu prison until his release in 2015. Watch: U.S. blacklists China & Pak, both languish in the blacklist "We are foreign prisoners in Shanghai Qingpu Prison China," said the message, in a charity card featuring a kitten in a Santa hat "Forced to work against our will. Please help us and notify human rights organisation." According to the Sunday Times, the note inside the card requested the finder to report the concerns to Humphrey, which the schoolgirl's father did, after which it was made public. (With inputs from agencies)

'Made up': China denies allegations of forced labour at Shanghai prison

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-have-a-strong-mandate-for-brexit-boris-johnson-after-landslide-victory-268181">Prime Minister Boris Johnson</a> visited former strongholds of his Labour opponents in northern England on Saturday and pledged to repay their trust for helping to deliver a stunning victory for his Conservative Party in Britain's national election.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-urges-healing-for-brexit-bound-britain-268237">Johnson</a> led the Conservatives on Thursday to their biggest election win since Margaret Thatcher's landslide victory of 1987, trouncing his socialist Labour Party foe Jeremy Corbyn by capturing 365 parliamentary seats and securing an overall majority of 80. Labour won 203 seats.

The election saw the crumbling of Labour's "Red Wall" of formerly safe seats in working-class areas across northern and central England where most people voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the European Union.

Johnson, the face of the "Leave" campaign in that referendum, fought the election on the slogan "Get Brexit done".

"I know that people may have been breaking the voting habits of generations to vote for us," Johnson told supporters in Sedgefield, a symbolically important seat as it was once held by former prime minister Tony Blair, Labour's most successful leader.

"I want the people of the northeast to know that we in the Conservative Party, and I, will repay your trust."

Brexit was widely seen as the decisive factor in the election, with Johnson's promise to take Britain out of the EU by Jan. 31, 2020, winning over many former Labour voters.

"What an incredible thing you have done, you have changed the political landscape, you’ve changed the Conservative Party for the better and you've changed the future of our country for the better," said Johnson.

"First of all, what are we going to do to repay that trust? We are going to get Brexit done."

Johnson, who called the snap election to break years of deadlock in parliament over Brexit, has also promised to spend more money on health, education and the police.

Addressing newly elected Conservative lawmakers, Johnson evoked Blair's own words on taking office.

"When we get down to Westminster and we begin our work, remember we are not the masters, we are the servants now...and our job is to serve the people of this country and to deliver on our priorities. And our priorities and their priorities are the same," he said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited former strongholds of his Labour opponents in northern England on Saturday and pledged to repay their trust for helping to deliver a stunning victory for his Conservative Party in Britain's national election.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited former strongholds of his Labour opponents in northern England on Saturday and pledged to repay their trust for helping to deliver a stunning victory for his Conservative Party in Britain's national election. Johnson led the Conservatives on Thursday to their biggest election win since Margaret Thatcher's landslide victory of 1987, trouncing his socialist Labour Party foe Jeremy Corbyn by capturing 365 parliamentary seats and securing an overall majority of 80. Labour won 203 seats. The election saw the crumbling of Labour's "Red Wall" of formerly safe seats in working-class areas across northern and central England where most people voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the European Union. Johnson, the face of the "Leave" campaign in that referendum, fought the election on the slogan "Get Brexit done". "I know that people may have been breaking the voting habits of generations to vote for us," Johnson told supporters in Sedgefield, a symbolically important seat as it was once held by former prime minister Tony Blair, Labour's most successful leader. "I want the people of the northeast to know that we in the Conservative Party, and I, will repay your trust." Brexit was widely seen as the decisive factor in the election, with Johnson's promise to take Britain out of the EU by Jan. 31, 2020, winning over many former Labour voters. "What an incredible thing you have done, you have changed the political landscape, you’ve changed the Conservative Party for the better and you've changed the future of our country for the better," said Johnson. "First of all, what are we going to do to repay that trust? We are going to get Brexit done." Johnson, who called the snap election to break years of deadlock in parliament over Brexit, has also promised to spend more money on health, education and the police. Addressing newly elected Conservative lawmakers, Johnson evoked Blair's own words on taking office. "When we get down to Westminster and we begin our work, remember we are not the masters, we are the servants now...and our job is to serve the people of this country and to deliver on our priorities. And our priorities and their priorities are the same," he said.

'I will repay your trust', UK PM Johnson tells ex-Labour voters on trip to north

British Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-goes-head-to-head-with-buckethead-and-binface-in-uk-vote-262460">Boris Johnson</a> has said that all Conservative Party candidates in the December&nbsp;12 election have pledged to back his Brexit deal, opening the door to getting the agreement passed through parliament if the party were to win a majority.

"All 635 Conservative candidates standing at this election,&nbsp;every single one of them,&nbsp;has pledged to me that if elected they will vote in Parliament to pass my Brexit deal so we can end the uncertainty and finally leave the EU," Johnson told the Telegraph newspaper in an interview published late on Saturday.

"I am offering a pact with the people: if you vote Conservative you can be 100 per cent&nbsp;sure a majority Conservative government will unblock Parliament and get Brexit done."

Johnson struck a last-minute Brexit deal with the European Union last month, as the bloc granted the third delay to the divorce that was originally supposed to take place on March 29. Voters in the 2016 referendum narrowly voted in favour of leaving the EU.

Commenting separately on his tax policy, the prime minister told the newspaper that tax cuts can boost the economy, but added that he is delaying plans to increase the 40 per cent&nbsp;tax rate threshold, stating that the aim is to first "lift the burden" for low-income groups.

"We do want to reduce the burden of taxation," Johnson said. "That's very much our ambition, but we won't do that until we have done more to lift the burden particularly on people on low incomes."

Opinion polls published on Saturday showed that Johnson's Conservatives have the highest level of support since 2017, with the party leading opposition Labour by 10-17 percentage points in four polls.

However, analysts have warned that Brexit, which has divided parties and their voters, could make the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brexit-transition-period-will-not-be-extended-united-kingdom-pm-johnson-262314">result of the coming vote</a> highly unpredictable.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that all Conservative Party candidates in the December 12 election have pledged to back his Brexit deal, opening the door to getting the agreement passed through parliament if the party were to win a majority.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that all Conservative Party candidates in the December 12 election have pledged to back his Brexit deal, opening the door to getting the agreement passed through parliament if the party were to win a majority. "All 635 Conservative candidates standing at this election, every single one of them, has pledged to me that if elected they will vote in Parliament to pass my Brexit deal so we can end the uncertainty and finally leave the EU," Johnson told the Telegraph newspaper in an interview published late on Saturday. "I am offering a pact with the people: if you vote Conservative you can be 100 per cent sure a majority Conservative government will unblock Parliament and get Brexit done." Johnson struck a last-minute Brexit deal with the European Union last month, as the bloc granted the third delay to the divorce that was originally supposed to take place on March 29. Voters in the 2016 referendum narrowly voted in favour of leaving the EU. Commenting separately on his tax policy, the prime minister told the newspaper that tax cuts can boost the economy, but added that he is delaying plans to increase the 40 per cent tax rate threshold, stating that the aim is to first "lift the burden" for low-income groups. "We do want to reduce the burden of taxation," Johnson said. "That's very much our ambition, but we won't do that until we have done more to lift the burden particularly on people on low incomes." Opinion polls published on Saturday showed that Johnson's Conservatives have the highest level of support since 2017, with the party leading opposition Labour by 10-17 percentage points in four polls. However, analysts have warned that Brexit, which has divided parties and their voters, could make the result of the coming vote highly unpredictable.

All Conservative election candidates pledge to back my Brexit deal: UK PM Boris Johnson

Inside 'Labour Friends Of Pakistan'. #Gravitas

Gravitas: How Pakistan Is Influencing British Lawmakers

In an exclusive interview with WION,&nbsp;Indian-origin London assembly member Navin Shah spoke about his letter to London Mayor&nbsp;Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary of Britain&nbsp;Priti Patel&nbsp;to ban anti-India protests planned on Diwali in London.

WION: You wrote a letter to London Mayor Sadiq Khan about the upcoming protest march. Are you happy with the response that you have received?

Navin Shah: I am pleased that the Mayor of London has given a very comprehensive response to my letter in which he has strongly condemned the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/london-pak-plans-another-march-outside-indian-high-commission-on-diwali-wion-dispatch-257362">demonstrations planned on Diwali</a>. He has reassured me that the metropolitan police will have a robust policing plan to ensure that violence and the mayhem that took place on India's Independence Day outside the Indian High Commission is not repeated again. The Mayor in the letter has also confirmed the&nbsp;Indian community's rich contribution towards London's&nbsp;success as a&nbsp;world city.

It is further reassuring that the Mayor is concerned about the divisions that such protests can create and he has copied my letter to the Metropolitan Commissioner as well as the Home Secretary to see whether they are prepared to ban the demonstration planned on Diwali day.

WION: The Indian High Commission has witnessed two violent protests already.&nbsp;What do you make of the action the British government has taken so far? &nbsp;

Navin Shah: The ugly and violent incidents that took&nbsp;place outside the India High Commission is&nbsp;certainly not acceptable in any civilised society. There is no excuse for such behaviour in any community and therefore the wide condemnations of those incidents is&nbsp;the right thing.

In my view, the metropolitan&nbsp;police could have done better but I am pretty sure the lessons have been learnt&nbsp;and if the demonstrations go ahead on&nbsp;Diwali, I expect the metropolitan police to be prepared to deal with any behaviour which is unruly and&nbsp;brings about public disorder. It is the reason why in addition to writing to the Mayor of London, I have also written to the commissioner of metropolitan police to make sure there is no repeat of such incidents that had&nbsp;taken place outside the Indian High Commission.

WION: Is the British government doing enough to address India's concerns about the protests?

Navin Shah: I appreciate the way the Indian government is concerned about the situation with regard to the situation&nbsp;in Kashmir. I truly believe that UK government or UK politicians should not interfere with the internal affairs of third countries. Those countries should be left to determine on how matters like these should be resolved in a right and&nbsp;responsible way espeically when it involves complex matters like Kashmir.

WION: Should foreign governments and politicians be interfering with India’s constitutional matters such as removal of the special status of Kashmir? &nbsp;

Navin Shah: I am of the view that foreign governments and politicians should not be interfering in what is clearly India's constitutional matter. India should be left alone to determine what it wants to do in terms of such constitutional matters, they tend to be complex and let India deal with that instead of foreign government or politicians.

WION: What actions do you expect after raising your concerns?

Navin Shah: Manning of demonstrations is entirely the responsibility of the Home Secretary and that is why I have written to honourable Priti Patel to ban the planned demonstrations at the earliest opportunity. This is the right thing to do. I hope the Home Secretary, the government and the commissioner of police will listen to me, will listen to the community at large and do the right thing. And let us hope that we will have a happy, peaceful and the kind of Diwali we always expect, appreciate and demand.&nbsp;

WION: The leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has taken a tough stand against the Indian government on Kashmir. Do you agree with your party's position?

Navin Shah: I am appalled that the accepted protocol of not interfering in the internal affairs of a third country was dumped by the Labour Party at the conference and an ill-conceived, partisan motion was allowed to go through. This demonstrates my party’s astounding insensitivity and failure to scrutinise the motion before accepting it for debate.

The debate was unbalanced and went unchecked - for example one of the speakers supporting the motion made deplorable comments about the Indian army raping women; comparing Modi with Hitler and allegations of 10,000 women being gangraped. I wonder what efforts were made to check the authenticity of such statements!

Given the partisan and ill-conceived position taken by the Labour Party, it is no wonder that the&nbsp;Indian community&nbsp;and community organisations are fuming across the nation. Diplomatic relations with India are in tatters and divisions and conflict have been created within diverse communities.

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REVISED TWEET: Concerned re <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kashmir</a> Rally planned on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Diwali?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Diwali</a> day &amp; resultant disorder+deep offence 2 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hindu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hindu</a> community. Written to <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorofLondon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MayorofLondon</a> to help stop the Rally. Glad Mayor condemns the protest &amp; approached <a href="https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@metpoliceuk</a> Commissioner &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/patel4witham?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@patel4witham</a> to ban the Rally. <a href="https://t.co/KuuXLqHcxu">pic.twitter.com/KuuXLqHcxu</a>
— Navin Shah AM (@NavinShah2016) <a href="https://twitter.com/NavinShah2016/status/1185585069907419142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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All our hard work of community cohesion and credibility is being challenged due to partisan politics and is seen as an anti-India stance taken by the Labour Party through the disastrous motion on Kashmir.

It is true but very sad that we the Labour politicians were banned by some Indian organisations from attending Navratri celebrations which to me is very painful and does a huge deal of damage to the standing of the party. I fully understand the hurt and the pain the Indian community feels.

To this end, I welcome Jeremy Corbyn’s recent letter offering to meet members across the Indian community and hear their views. This will be a good start but it is imperative that the party also engages positively with the Indian diplomatic service and the Indian government; meets with British-Indian elected representatives to address the way forward to restore relations with the Indian community and see how best the party can genuinely engage with&nbsp;British- Indians and other communities to avoid similar disasters in the future.

In an exclusive interview with WION, Indian-origin London assembly member Navin Shah spoke about his letter to London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary of Britain Priti Patel to ban anti-India protests planned on Diwali in London.

In an exclusive interview with WION, Indian-origin London assembly member Navin Shah spoke about his letter to London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary of Britain Priti Patel to ban anti-India protests planned on Diwali in London. WION: You wrote a letter to London Mayor Sadiq Khan about the upcoming protest march. Are you happy with the response that you have received? Navin Shah: I am pleased that the Mayor of London has given a very comprehensive response to my letter in which he has strongly condemned the demonstrations planned on Diwali. He has reassured me that the metropolitan police will have a robust policing plan to ensure that violence and the mayhem that took place on India's Independence Day outside the Indian High Commission is not repeated again. The Mayor in the letter has also confirmed the Indian community's rich contribution towards London's success as a world city. It is further reassuring that the Mayor is concerned about the divisions that such protests can create and he has copied my letter to the Metropolitan Commissioner as well as the Home Secretary to see whether they are prepared to ban the demonstration planned on Diwali day. WION: The Indian High Commission has witnessed two violent protests already. What do you make of the action the British government has taken so far? Navin Shah: The ugly and violent incidents that took place outside the India High Commission is certainly not acceptable in any civilised society. There is no excuse for such behaviour in any community and therefore the wide condemnations of those incidents is the right thing. In my view, the metropolitan police could have done better but I am pretty sure the lessons have been learnt and if the demonstrations go ahead on Diwali, I expect the metropolitan police to be prepared to deal with any behaviour which is unruly and brings about public disorder. It is the reason why in addition to writing to the Mayor of London, I have also written to the commissioner of metropolitan police to make sure there is no repeat of such incidents that had taken place outside the Indian High Commission. WION: Is the British government doing enough to address India's concerns about the protests? Navin Shah: I appreciate the way the Indian government is concerned about the situation with regard to the situation in Kashmir. I truly believe that UK government or UK politicians should not interfere with the internal affairs of third countries. Those countries should be left to determine on how matters like these should be resolved in a right and responsible way espeically when it involves complex matters like Kashmir. WION: Should foreign governments and politicians be interfering with India’s constitutional matters such as removal of the special status of Kashmir? Navin Shah: I am of the view that foreign governments and politicians should not be interfering in what is clearly India's constitutional matter. India should be left alone to determine what it wants to do in terms of such constitutional matters, they tend to be complex and let India deal with that instead of foreign government or politicians. WION: What actions do you expect after raising your concerns? Navin Shah: Manning of demonstrations is entirely the responsibility of the Home Secretary and that is why I have written to honourable Priti Patel to ban the planned demonstrations at the earliest opportunity. This is the right thing to do. I hope the Home Secretary, the government and the commissioner of police will listen to me, will listen to the community at large and do the right thing. And let us hope that we will have a happy, peaceful and the kind of Diwali we always expect, appreciate and demand. WION: The leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has taken a tough stand against the Indian government on Kashmir. Do you agree with your party's position? Navin Shah: I am appalled that the accepted protocol of not interfering in the internal affairs of a third country was dumped by the Labour Party at the conference and an ill-conceived, partisan motion was allowed to go through. This demonstrates my party’s astounding insensitivity and failure to scrutinise the motion before accepting it for debate. The debate was unbalanced and went unchecked - for example one of the speakers supporting the motion made deplorable comments about the Indian army raping women; comparing Modi with Hitler and allegations of 10,000 women being gangraped. I wonder what efforts were made to check the authenticity of such statements! Given the partisan and ill-conceived position taken by the Labour Party, it is no wonder that the Indian community and community organisations are fuming across the nation. Diplomatic relations with India are in tatters and divisions and conflict have been created within diverse communities. REVISED TWEET: Concerned re #Kashmir Rally planned on #Diwali day & resultant disorder+deep offence 2 #Hindu community. Written to @MayorofLondon to help stop the Rally. Glad Mayor condemns the protest & approached @metpoliceuk Commissioner & @patel4witham to ban the Rally. pic.twitter.com/KuuXLqHcxu — Navin Shah AM (@NavinShah2016) October 19, 2019 × All our hard work of community cohesion and credibility is being challenged due to partisan politics and is seen as an anti-India stance taken by the Labour Party through the disastrous motion on Kashmir. It is true but very sad that we the Labour politicians were banned by some Indian organisations from attending Navratri celebrations which to me is very painful and does a huge deal of damage to the standing of the party. I fully understand the hurt and the pain the Indian community feels. To this end, I welcome Jeremy Corbyn’s recent letter offering to meet members across the Indian community and hear their views. This will be a good start but it is imperative that the party also engages positively with the Indian diplomatic service and the Indian government; meets with British-Indian elected representatives to address the way forward to restore relations with the Indian community and see how best the party can genuinely engage with British- Indians and other communities to avoid similar disasters in the future.

Written to London Mayor to ensure violence outside Indian High Commission is not repeated on Diwali: London assembly member Navin Shah to WION

Sneak peek into lives of Tantalum mine workers in Congo

With nearly 30,000 migrant workers employed on World Cup construction projects, Qatar's labour rights have come under global scrutiny.

Qatar’s labour rights questioned with thousands of migrants working on World Cup projects

British lawmakers opposed to a no-deal Brexit will attempt to pass a law this week to stop Prime Minister Boris Johnson from letting Britain crash out of the European Union on October&nbsp;31, the opposition Labour Party's Brexit spokesman said.

Senior minister Michael Gove refused, however, to guarantee the government would abide by any such legislation.

Johnson has pledged to deliver Brexit with or without a deal, but opposition lawmakers - and several from his own Conservatives - want to push through legislation to rule out no-deal before parliament is suspended in just over a week's time.

Labour Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said the plan, which will be published on Tuesday, had one "very simple" aim - to stop Johnson taking Britain out of the EU without a deal.

"Obviously, if we are at the 31st of October, that will require an extension," Starmer told the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday.

"But I think this should be a very short, simple exercise designed to ensure we don't crash out without a deal."

Gove, one of Johnson's key ministers who is coordinating no-deal contingency plans, said he believed a majority of lawmakers would back the prime minister and defeat the attempt.

"We know the prime minister is making progress with our European friends and allies in attempting to secure a deal, and I don't believe that people will want to erect a roadblock in his way," he said.

Asked whether the government would abide by any legislation passed to prevent a no-deal Brexit on October&nbsp;31, Gove said: "Let's see what the legislation is that (Starmer) puts forward."

Starmer said later it was "breathtaking" for ministers not to confirm the government would comply with legislation passed lawfully. "No government is above the law," he said on Twitter.

National interest

David Gauke, a former British justice secretary and a Johnson critic, said he would meet the prime minister on Monday to hear his plan to deliver a Brexit deal he could support.

But Gauke said he was prepared to disobey Conservative discipline and be expelled by the party if he was not persuaded.

"Sometimes there is a point where you have to judge between your own personal interests and the national interest, and the national interest has to come first," he told Sky News. "But I hope it doesn't come to that."

Sky News reported later on Sunday, however, that Johnson cancelled the meeting with Gauke because of a 'diary clash".

Johnson told the Sunday Times that those backing the opposition to no-deal risked there being no Brexit at all.

"Are you going to side with those who want to scrub the democratic verdict of the people — and plunge this country into chaos?" he said.

"Or are you going to side with those of us who want to get on, deliver on the mandate of the people and focus with absolute, laser-like precision on the domestic agenda? That's the choice."

Johnson has demanded the withdrawal agreement negotiated with the EU be changed to remove the Irish "backstop" - an insurance policy designed to maintain an open border between EU member Ireland and the UK's Northern Ireland.

Gove said German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron had indicated after talks with Johnson that the agreement - "which they had said was a block of marble that could not be altered" - was now capable of being changed.

But the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said the backstop had to stay to protect the integrity of the EU single market.

"The backstop is the maximum amount of flexibility that the EU can offer to a non-member state," he wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.

Gove said preparations for no-deal were progressing and that there would be no shortages of fresh food, although there could be price rises. "Some prices (of food) may go up, other prices will come down," he said.

The British Retail Consortium, a group representing the sector, said Gove's assertion was "categorically untrue".

"The availability of fresh foods will be impacted as a result of checks and delays at the border," the BRC said.

British lawmakers opposed to a no-deal Brexit will attempt to pass a law this week to stop Prime Minister Boris Johnson from letting Britain crash out of the European Union on October 31, the opposition Labour Party's Brexit spokesman said.

British lawmakers opposed to a no-deal Brexit will attempt to pass a law this week to stop Prime Minister Boris Johnson from letting Britain crash out of the European Union on October 31, the opposition Labour Party's Brexit spokesman said. Senior minister Michael Gove refused, however, to guarantee the government would abide by any such legislation. Johnson has pledged to deliver Brexit with or without a deal, but opposition lawmakers - and several from his own Conservatives - want to push through legislation to rule out no-deal before parliament is suspended in just over a week's time. Labour Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said the plan, which will be published on Tuesday, had one "very simple" aim - to stop Johnson taking Britain out of the EU without a deal. "Obviously, if we are at the 31st of October, that will require an extension," Starmer told the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday. "But I think this should be a very short, simple exercise designed to ensure we don't crash out without a deal." Gove, one of Johnson's key ministers who is coordinating no-deal contingency plans, said he believed a majority of lawmakers would back the prime minister and defeat the attempt. "We know the prime minister is making progress with our European friends and allies in attempting to secure a deal, and I don't believe that people will want to erect a roadblock in his way," he said. Asked whether the government would abide by any legislation passed to prevent a no-deal Brexit on October 31, Gove said: "Let's see what the legislation is that (Starmer) puts forward." Starmer said later it was "breathtaking" for ministers not to confirm the government would comply with legislation passed lawfully. "No government is above the law," he said on Twitter. National interest David Gauke, a former British justice secretary and a Johnson critic, said he would meet the prime minister on Monday to hear his plan to deliver a Brexit deal he could support. But Gauke said he was prepared to disobey Conservative discipline and be expelled by the party if he was not persuaded. "Sometimes there is a point where you have to judge between your own personal interests and the national interest, and the national interest has to come first," he told Sky News. "But I hope it doesn't come to that." Sky News reported later on Sunday, however, that Johnson cancelled the meeting with Gauke because of a 'diary clash". Johnson told the Sunday Times that those backing the opposition to no-deal risked there being no Brexit at all. "Are you going to side with those who want to scrub the democratic verdict of the people — and plunge this country into chaos?" he said. "Or are you going to side with those of us who want to get on, deliver on the mandate of the people and focus with absolute, laser-like precision on the domestic agenda? That's the choice." Johnson has demanded the withdrawal agreement negotiated with the EU be changed to remove the Irish "backstop" - an insurance policy designed to maintain an open border between EU member Ireland and the UK's Northern Ireland. Gove said German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron had indicated after talks with Johnson that the agreement - "which they had said was a block of marble that could not be altered" - was now capable of being changed. But the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said the backstop had to stay to protect the integrity of the EU single market. "The backstop is the maximum amount of flexibility that the EU can offer to a non-member state," he wrote in the Sunday Telegraph. Gove said preparations for no-deal were progressing and that there would be no shortages of fresh food, although there could be price rises. "Some prices (of food) may go up, other prices will come down," he said. The British Retail Consortium, a group representing the sector, said Gove's assertion was "categorically untrue". "The availability of fresh foods will be impacted as a result of checks and delays at the border," the BRC said.

UK lawmakers against no-deal Brexit to bring forward legislation

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday said Britain's next prime minister must put their Brexit plan to a second referendum on <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-brexit-minister-urges-european-union-to-reopen-withdrawal-deal-talks-234121&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjWts6X9qfjAhUn7HMBHSu2BDEQFjAIegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2cisH69I1RUe1Hp_6dpaoc">European Union </a>membership, saying his party would campaign to remain.

In an email to members, Corbyn said Labour would campaign to stay in the EU to stop a new Conservative Party leader, who will be chosen later this month, taking Britain out of the bloc without a divorce deal or to stop what he called a "damaging" <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/united-kingdom-economy-shrinks-as-brexit-global-worries-mount-purchasing-managers-index-232725&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi_n5nQ9qfjAhWT6XMBHYFuC5sQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0SBY8A6E_YzS2LYTww-ZvV">Brexit</a>.

The move by Corbyn inches the opposition party closer to heeding demands from many Labour members and some lawmakers to unequivocally embrace a second referendum to break the impasse in parliament over how to leave the EU.

But it might not be enough to satisfy all in his party, falling short of campaigning for a second referendum in any circumstance - a position some wanted to adapt to counter a challenge from the pro-EU, smaller Liberal Democrats.

Brexit has brought down Prime Minister Theresa May, who failed three times to get the divorce deal she agreed with the EU ratified by parliament.

Former foreign minister and London mayor Boris Johnson is battling current foreign minister Jeremy Hunt to replace her as party leader and prime minister. Johnson, who says he will take Britain out of the EU with or without a deal, is favorite.

"Whoever becomes the new prime minister should have the confidence to put their deal, or no deal, back to the people in a public vote," Corbyn said.

"In those circumstances, I want to make it clear that Labour would campaign to Remain against either no deal or a Tory (Conservative) deal that does not protect the economy and jobs."

What he did not say in his mail was what his party would campaign for in a parliamentary election - something the veteran socialist renewed his call for by saying:&nbsp;

"We need a Labour government to end austerity and rebuild our country for the many, not the few".

More than three years since voting 52% to 48% to leave the EU, Britain`s two main parties, its parliament and cities and towns across the country are still deeply divided over Brexit, opening the way for smaller parties to grab some share of the vote.

With Labour struggling in some opinion polls, some in the party want it to adopt a clearer message to tackle the twin challenges from the pro-EU Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party, led by veteran eurosceptic Nigel Farage.

Corbyn, an instinctive critic of the EU, has so far resisted calls to make his party a wholesale supporter of a second referendum, keen to keep on board Labour Brexit supporters.

Chuka Umunna, a former Labour lawmaker who has joined the Liberal Democrats, said on Twitter: "Yet another fudge, where the Labour leadership keeps open the door to standing on a pro-Brexit platform in a general election or supporting it in government."&nbsp;

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday said Britain's next prime minister must put their Brexit plan to a second referendum on European Union membership, saying his party would campaign to remain.

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday said Britain's next prime minister must put their Brexit plan to a second referendum on European Union membership, saying his party would campaign to remain. In an email to members, Corbyn said Labour would campaign to stay in the EU to stop a new Conservative Party leader, who will be chosen later this month, taking Britain out of the bloc without a divorce deal or to stop what he called a "damaging" Brexit. The move by Corbyn inches the opposition party closer to heeding demands from many Labour members and some lawmakers to unequivocally embrace a second referendum to break the impasse in parliament over how to leave the EU. But it might not be enough to satisfy all in his party, falling short of campaigning for a second referendum in any circumstance - a position some wanted to adapt to counter a challenge from the pro-EU, smaller Liberal Democrats. Brexit has brought down Prime Minister Theresa May, who failed three times to get the divorce deal she agreed with the EU ratified by parliament. Former foreign minister and London mayor Boris Johnson is battling current foreign minister Jeremy Hunt to replace her as party leader and prime minister. Johnson, who says he will take Britain out of the EU with or without a deal, is favorite. "Whoever becomes the new prime minister should have the confidence to put their deal, or no deal, back to the people in a public vote," Corbyn said. "In those circumstances, I want to make it clear that Labour would campaign to Remain against either no deal or a Tory (Conservative) deal that does not protect the economy and jobs." What he did not say in his mail was what his party would campaign for in a parliamentary election - something the veteran socialist renewed his call for by saying: "We need a Labour government to end austerity and rebuild our country for the many, not the few". More than three years since voting 52% to 48% to leave the EU, Britain`s two main parties, its parliament and cities and towns across the country are still deeply divided over Brexit, opening the way for smaller parties to grab some share of the vote. With Labour struggling in some opinion polls, some in the party want it to adopt a clearer message to tackle the twin challenges from the pro-EU Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party, led by veteran eurosceptic Nigel Farage. Corbyn, an instinctive critic of the EU, has so far resisted calls to make his party a wholesale supporter of a second referendum, keen to keep on board Labour Brexit supporters. Chuka Umunna, a former Labour lawmaker who has joined the Liberal Democrats, said on Twitter: "Yet another fudge, where the Labour leadership keeps open the door to standing on a pro-Brexit platform in a general election or supporting it in government."

New United Kingdom Prime Minister must put Brexit plan to second referendum: Labour's Jeremy Corbyn

Children running around railway tracks in scorching Delhi heat, chasing trains and collecting plastic bottles from bogies to sell as scrap is a common sight at the city's railway stations.

U.N. focus on India ahead of World Day Against Child Labour

Global unemployment levels fell one per cent&nbsp;to a steady 5 per cent in 2018, the lowest figures since the economic crisis that wreaked havoc on labour markets, the International Labour Organization (ILO), said in a report published Wednesday.&nbsp;

The "World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2019" report said unemployment rates were anticipated to fall further to 4.9 per cent this year, which is expected to hold steady into 2020 despite the fact that the number of jobless in real terms is estimated to rise from 172 million to 174 million in that time as the labour market expands.&nbsp;

The ILO, a United Nations agency that this year marked its centenary, lamented the fact it had taken nine years to recover from the shock of the 2007-08 global financial crisis. Between 2008-09, as the fallout of the near total collapse of major markets took hold, the unemployment rate jumped from 5 to 5.6 per cent.&nbsp;

Damian Grimshaw, the ILO's head of the investigation, told EFE that while the number of jobs was generally increasing worldwide, the quality of those jobs was not necessarily improving.&nbsp;

Gender continued to present a real issue.

"The much lower labour force participation of women, which stood at 48 per cent, compared with 75 per cent for men, means that around three in five of the 3.5 billion people in the global labour force were men," the report said.&nbsp;

"After a period of rapid improvement that lasted until 2003, subsequent progress on closing the gender gap in participation rates had stalled," the report added.&nbsp;

Moreover, 2 billion of the 3.3 billion people in the global labour market worked in informal employment which put their economic security at risk, according to figures in 2016.&nbsp;

"The poor quality of many jobs also manifests itself in the fact that, in 2018, more than one-quarter of workers in low- and middle-income countries were living in extreme or moderate poverty," the report said.&nbsp;

"Being in employment does not always guarantee a decent living. Many workers find themselves having to take up unattractive jobs that tend to be informal and are characterized by low pay and little or no access to social protection and rights at work," it added.&nbsp;

ILO said that in-work poverty rates in middle-income countries had declined in recent years, however.&nbsp;

Global unemployment among young people (between 15-24) stood at 11.8 per cent, higher than other age brackets.&nbsp;

The organization expressed its alarm at the high level of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET).&nbsp;

In 2018, 30 per cent of women in the youth age bracket and 13 per cent of men were classified as NEET.&nbsp;

"In line with a stable aggregate unemployment rate, the outlook for men, women and young people with regard to opportunities on the job market is also very stable," the report said.&nbsp;

"This means that neither the above-mentioned gender disparities nor the labour market challenges faced by young people are expected to abate in the coming year."&nbsp;

It said the youth participation in the labour market had been declining steadily for the last 25 years, although highlighted that one factor for this was that more young people were entering further education.

It warned, however, that the increasing number of inactive people in this sense in comparison to the number of active people in the labour market could pose future challenges on how the market is organized.&nbsp;

On a pessimistic note, the ILO said it had registered around 114 million children aged between 5-14 involved in the global labour market, 73 million of whom were working in hazardous conditions, according to data from 2016.&nbsp;

"Worldwide, this translates into an incidence of child labour of almost one in 10 children – a truly alarming statistic," is said.&nbsp;

Although those figures were dropping year-on-year, the drop was not consistent with the United Nations' program to eliminate child labour and exploitation by 2025.

Global unemployment levels fell one per cent to a steady 5 per cent in 2018, the lowest figures since the economic crisis that wreaked havoc on labour markets, the International Labour Organization (ILO), said in a report published Wednesday.

Global unemployment levels fell one per cent to a steady 5 per cent in 2018, the lowest figures since the economic crisis that wreaked havoc on labour markets, the International Labour Organization (ILO), said in a report published Wednesday. The "World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2019" report said unemployment rates were anticipated to fall further to 4.9 per cent this year, which is expected to hold steady into 2020 despite the fact that the number of jobless in real terms is estimated to rise from 172 million to 174 million in that time as the labour market expands. The ILO, a United Nations agency that this year marked its centenary, lamented the fact it had taken nine years to recover from the shock of the 2007-08 global financial crisis. Between 2008-09, as the fallout of the near total collapse of major markets took hold, the unemployment rate jumped from 5 to 5.6 per cent. Damian Grimshaw, the ILO's head of the investigation, told EFE that while the number of jobs was generally increasing worldwide, the quality of those jobs was not necessarily improving. Gender continued to present a real issue. "The much lower labour force participation of women, which stood at 48 per cent, compared with 75 per cent for men, means that around three in five of the 3.5 billion people in the global labour force were men," the report said. "After a period of rapid improvement that lasted until 2003, subsequent progress on closing the gender gap in participation rates had stalled," the report added. Moreover, 2 billion of the 3.3 billion people in the global labour market worked in informal employment which put their economic security at risk, according to figures in 2016. "The poor quality of many jobs also manifests itself in the fact that, in 2018, more than one-quarter of workers in low- and middle-income countries were living in extreme or moderate poverty," the report said. "Being in employment does not always guarantee a decent living. Many workers find themselves having to take up unattractive jobs that tend to be informal and are characterized by low pay and little or no access to social protection and rights at work," it added. ILO said that in-work poverty rates in middle-income countries had declined in recent years, however. Global unemployment among young people (between 15-24) stood at 11.8 per cent, higher than other age brackets. The organization expressed its alarm at the high level of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET). In 2018, 30 per cent of women in the youth age bracket and 13 per cent of men were classified as NEET. "In line with a stable aggregate unemployment rate, the outlook for men, women and young people with regard to opportunities on the job market is also very stable," the report said. "This means that neither the above-mentioned gender disparities nor the labour market challenges faced by young people are expected to abate in the coming year." It said the youth participation in the labour market had been declining steadily for the last 25 years, although highlighted that one factor for this was that more young people were entering further education. It warned, however, that the increasing number of inactive people in this sense in comparison to the number of active people in the labour market could pose future challenges on how the market is organized. On a pessimistic note, the ILO said it had registered around 114 million children aged between 5-14 involved in the global labour market, 73 million of whom were working in hazardous conditions, according to data from 2016. "Worldwide, this translates into an incidence of child labour of almost one in 10 children – a truly alarming statistic," is said. Although those figures were dropping year-on-year, the drop was not consistent with the United Nations' program to eliminate child labour and exploitation by 2025.

Global unemployment rate low but gender gap, low pay still haunts: ILO

Britain's main opposition Labour Party set out its bid to block a "no deal" Brexit on Wednesday, saying it wanted to put the idea to a vote in parliament during a debate on the exit agreement Prime Minister Theresa May has negotiated.

On December 11 May has to pull off what looks like an unlikely victory in parliament to approve the deal she agreed in Brussels on Sunday. Britain`s parliament is deeply divided on the issue and time is running short to ratify the deal and complete preparations ahead of Britain`s planned departure from the European Union on March 29.&nbsp;

Many in her own Conservative Party and among the opposition have said they will vote against her Brexit deal. She argues that if it is rejected, Britain will leave the bloc without any agreement.

Labour reject that outcome and are seeking to put political pressure on her during the debate by proposing a so-called amendment to the approval motion - a manoeuvre which could be used to show parliament opposes a no-deal exit.

"Labour will oppose Theresa May`s botched Brexit deal that puts jobs, rights and people`s livelihoods at risk," leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement. 
"There is a sensible deal that could win the support of parliament, based on a comprehensive customs union, with a British say in future trade deals, and a strong single market deal that protects rights at work and environmental safeguards and helps us to rebuild our economy and expand our public services," Corbyn said.

May will likely have to defeat the Labour amendment at a vote. If she loses, the result does not have the power to force her hand, but it could prove politically impossible to ignore and thus prevent an exit deal being ratified.&nbsp;

Labour would work across parliamentary party divides to keep all options open to protect Britain from a no-deal scenario, and said a general election was "the best outcome for the country."

Earlier on Wednesday, Labour`s finance chief John McDonnell told the BBC that if a general election were not possible, Labour could push for a second EU referendum -- something May has consistently ruled out.&nbsp;

Britain's main opposition Labour Party set out its bid to block a "no deal" Brexit on Wednesday, saying it wanted to put the idea to a vote in parliament during a debate on the exit agreement Prime Minister Theresa May has negotiated.

Britain's main opposition Labour Party set out its bid to block a "no deal" Brexit on Wednesday, saying it wanted to put the idea to a vote in parliament during a debate on the exit agreement Prime Minister Theresa May has negotiated. On December 11 May has to pull off what looks like an unlikely victory in parliament to approve the deal she agreed in Brussels on Sunday. Britain`s parliament is deeply divided on the issue and time is running short to ratify the deal and complete preparations ahead of Britain`s planned departure from the European Union on March 29. Many in her own Conservative Party and among the opposition have said they will vote against her Brexit deal. She argues that if it is rejected, Britain will leave the bloc without any agreement. Labour reject that outcome and are seeking to put political pressure on her during the debate by proposing a so-called amendment to the approval motion - a manoeuvre which could be used to show parliament opposes a no-deal exit. "Labour will oppose Theresa May`s botched Brexit deal that puts jobs, rights and people`s livelihoods at risk," leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement. "There is a sensible deal that could win the support of parliament, based on a comprehensive customs union, with a British say in future trade deals, and a strong single market deal that protects rights at work and environmental safeguards and helps us to rebuild our economy and expand our public services," Corbyn said. May will likely have to defeat the Labour amendment at a vote. If she loses, the result does not have the power to force her hand, but it could prove politically impossible to ignore and thus prevent an exit deal being ratified. Labour would work across parliamentary party divides to keep all options open to protect Britain from a no-deal scenario, and said a general election was "the best outcome for the country." Earlier on Wednesday, Labour`s finance chief John McDonnell told the BBC that if a general election were not possible, Labour could push for a second EU referendum -- something May has consistently ruled out.

UK's Labour to propose amendment aimed at avoiding no-deal Brexit

British Prime Minister Theresa May's government is in disarray over Brexit but there is no majority in parliament for damaging the economy by leaving the EU without a deal, the opposition Labour Party's finance minister-in-waiting said on Wednesday.

"We just can't go on like this," Labour finance chief John McDonnell, 67, said in a speech at Reuters in London. "We just cannot go on with this instability, uncertainty that there is in government, day by day and sometimes hour by hour."

Since striking a deal with the EU last week, May has faced the most perilous crisis of her premiership with several ministers resigning, including her Brexit minister.

May has pledged to fight on, warning that toppling her risks delaying Britain's exit from the EU or leaving without a deal, a step that could thrust the world's fifth largest economy into the unknown.

McDonnell said there was not a majority in parliament for either May's deal or for leaving the European Union without a deal.

"I think an overwhelming majority oppose anything that smacks of being no deal," he said. He said the future was deeply uncertain with options including national election or parliamentary deadlock.

"Then we could be into a situation of a war of attrition within parliament of amendments to legislation taking place and uncertainty continuing," he said.

More than two years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, it is still unclear how, on what terms or even if it will leave as planned on March 29, 2019.

When asked if he was a Marxist or a capitalist, McDonnell said he was a socialist but that Marx was one of the best analysts of how capitalism actually works.

"I'm a socialist. I'm trying to rehabilitate the reading of [Das] Kapital," he said, giving an overview of the Labour Party's socialist intellectual roots. "But you have to insert Marx into that as well because I think it's one of the best analyses of how capitalism works."

Asked about how many Labour lawmakers might rebel and vote for May's deal, he indicated none would.

"I think we'll hold our side now. I really do, and we have done on the votes this week," he said.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's government is in disarray over Brexit but there is no majority in parliament for damaging the economy by leaving the EU without a deal, the opposition Labour Party's finance minister-in-waiting said on Wednesday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's government is in disarray over Brexit but there is no majority in parliament for damaging the economy by leaving the EU without a deal, the opposition Labour Party's finance minister-in-waiting said on Wednesday. "We just can't go on like this," Labour finance chief John McDonnell, 67, said in a speech at Reuters in London. "We just cannot go on with this instability, uncertainty that there is in government, day by day and sometimes hour by hour." Since striking a deal with the EU last week, May has faced the most perilous crisis of her premiership with several ministers resigning, including her Brexit minister. May has pledged to fight on, warning that toppling her risks delaying Britain's exit from the EU or leaving without a deal, a step that could thrust the world's fifth largest economy into the unknown. McDonnell said there was not a majority in parliament for either May's deal or for leaving the European Union without a deal. "I think an overwhelming majority oppose anything that smacks of being no deal," he said. He said the future was deeply uncertain with options including national election or parliamentary deadlock. "Then we could be into a situation of a war of attrition within parliament of amendments to legislation taking place and uncertainty continuing," he said. More than two years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, it is still unclear how, on what terms or even if it will leave as planned on March 29, 2019. When asked if he was a Marxist or a capitalist, McDonnell said he was a socialist but that Marx was one of the best analysts of how capitalism actually works. "I'm a socialist. I'm trying to rehabilitate the reading of [Das] Kapital," he said, giving an overview of the Labour Party's socialist intellectual roots. "But you have to insert Marx into that as well because I think it's one of the best analyses of how capitalism works." Asked about how many Labour lawmakers might rebel and vote for May's deal, he indicated none would. "I think we'll hold our side now. I really do, and we have done on the votes this week," he said.

Labour's McDonnell says UK in disarray but parliament will block no-deal Brexit

By Deirdre McCann 
 
The visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights in the UK is crystallising an unease about the state of working life. Work is fundamental to combating poverty. Yet, despite the employment rate remaining high, the UK is experiencing a worrying increase in the number of people who are in work but still in poverty, due to the growth of types of work that are unacceptable over the last decade.

The law plays an important role here. It can either sustain or discourage low-wage and insecure jobs. Ongoing litigation over the rights of Uber drivers – as to whether or not they are covered by employment laws – is a prominent example of the capacity of labour laws to protect or let down the modern workforce. Worse, the presence of forced labour in the UK shows the need for more effective laws to prevent the proliferation of modern slavery.

When it comes to tackling these and other unacceptable forms of work, there are lots of lessons that can be learned from around the world. This was evident from a project I recently led that brought together a network of researchers and policymakers from more than 20 countries called Unacceptable Forms of Work: Global Dialogue/Local Innovation.

We found that countries across the world often face similar challenges in regulating labour effectively. Outlined in our recent report, these include casual work in its range of guises (“day labour”, “zero-hours contracts”, “on-call work” to name a few); forced labour; informal employment; the prevalence of violence and harassment in certain jobs and sectors, including in the care sector and in domestic work; and the weak enforcement of ostensibly robust labour standards.

Working conditions in different countries are exhibiting a degree of convergence due to the decline in job quality at the lower end of Western labour markets. Ongoing research in the garment sector in southern Africa, for example, highlights aspirations that are universal. Many of the most pressing concerns for workers here centre on work-life balance: accessible childcare, more flexible working arrangements, and cheap and swift transport to work.

Comparing problems in different regions is therefore useful, including with lower-income countries. It is valuable - and revealing - to ask whether lessons can be learned from the global south. And when it comes to having better regulation that might tackle these challenges, lessons from Brazil and India stand out.

Combating forced labour in Brazil

Brazil offers an effective model for combating forced labour in supply chains, which is where this problem often gets hidden. In particular, smaller firms that are lower down the supply chain may cope with pressure to cut costs through resorting to forced labour.

As part of our project, a team led by Ann Posthuma at the UN’s International Labour Organisation and Flavia Scabin at Fundação Getulio Vargas University in São Paulo, argues that transparency can be achieved by combining innovative laws with novel labour inspection and civil society strategies. The team has seen this in action in Brazil.

Central is something called the lista suja or “dirty list”. This is a registry that publicly discloses the names of companies found to host forced labour in their supply chains. Firms on the dirty list are publicly shamed and risk being denied government funding and tax subsidies. A São Paulo state law goes further, banning companies that benefit from forced labour for up to ten years.

The transparency requirement in the UK Modern Slavery Act, in contrast, merely requires firms to publicise any actions they have taken to ensure that forced labour is not taking place in their supply chains. The UK – and other European countries – could learn from the more forceful approach adopted in Brazil, which also has a labour inspection framework that involves coordination with unions and employers’ organisations.

Gig economy lessons from India

Regulating casual work – sometimes characterised as “the gig economy” – is essential if in-work poverty is to be eliminated since these jobs have variable and unpredictable incomes. In our project, Shelley Marshall from RMIT University, Melbourne, and Babu Ramesh from Ambedkar University Delhi illustrate how lessons can be learned from India and how Mathadi work in the state of Maharashtra is regulated.

Mathadi workers are labourers hired by transport companies to shift goods in ports and docks, market yards, and in retail – they tend to carry the goods on their heads and shoulders. It is gruelling work. Like “zero hours” workers, Mathadi workers have traditionally been excluded from the protections of labour law because they do not have a consistent employer and work on a “gig” basis.

Maharashtra enacted pioneering legislation – the Mathadi Act – back in 1969 to tackle both the oversupply of labour and worker exploitation. The law established Mathadi boards which combine representatives of workers, employers and the government. The boards themselves act as labour hire agencies: both workers and those hiring them must register with a board to operate in the industry. They also stipulate labour standards for Mathadi workers and provide them with social protection.

As Marshall has argued, the Mathadi Act offers a new way of thinking about regulating casual work – including by making space for dialogue between worker, employer and government representatives. This approach supports a more active and collaborative role for unions and employers or hirers.

Of course, different countries differ significantly in levels of socio-economic development, legal systems and labour market strategies. Yet there are clearly models from elsewhere that offer lessons in better regulating work, including from the global south.

If the UK government is serious about eliminating poverty and upholding the human rights of its citizens, it needs to update its laws to protect workers who are being exploited. As our report argues, this will require a degree of experimentation and the involvement of those who are affected by these laws. It is not enough to focus on high levels of employment if this work does not pay and poverty proliferates as a result.

(Deirdre McCann is Professor of Law, Durham University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-to-combat-forced-labour-and-in-work-poverty-brazil-and-india-offer-some-lessons-106570">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Deirdre McCann The visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights in the UK is crystallising an unease about the state of working life.

By Deirdre McCann The visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights in the UK is crystallising an unease about the state of working life. Work is fundamental to combating poverty. Yet, despite the employment rate remaining high, the UK is experiencing a worrying increase in the number of people who are in work but still in poverty, due to the growth of types of work that are unacceptable over the last decade. The law plays an important role here. It can either sustain or discourage low-wage and insecure jobs. Ongoing litigation over the rights of Uber drivers – as to whether or not they are covered by employment laws – is a prominent example of the capacity of labour laws to protect or let down the modern workforce. Worse, the presence of forced labour in the UK shows the need for more effective laws to prevent the proliferation of modern slavery. When it comes to tackling these and other unacceptable forms of work, there are lots of lessons that can be learned from around the world. This was evident from a project I recently led that brought together a network of researchers and policymakers from more than 20 countries called Unacceptable Forms of Work: Global Dialogue/Local Innovation. We found that countries across the world often face similar challenges in regulating labour effectively. Outlined in our recent report, these include casual work in its range of guises (“day labour”, “zero-hours contracts”, “on-call work” to name a few); forced labour; informal employment; the prevalence of violence and harassment in certain jobs and sectors, including in the care sector and in domestic work; and the weak enforcement of ostensibly robust labour standards. Working conditions in different countries are exhibiting a degree of convergence due to the decline in job quality at the lower end of Western labour markets. Ongoing research in the garment sector in southern Africa, for example, highlights aspirations that are universal. Many of the most pressing concerns for workers here centre on work-life balance: accessible childcare, more flexible working arrangements, and cheap and swift transport to work. Comparing problems in different regions is therefore useful, including with lower-income countries. It is valuable - and revealing - to ask whether lessons can be learned from the global south. And when it comes to having better regulation that might tackle these challenges, lessons from Brazil and India stand out. Combating forced labour in Brazil Brazil offers an effective model for combating forced labour in supply chains, which is where this problem often gets hidden. In particular, smaller firms that are lower down the supply chain may cope with pressure to cut costs through resorting to forced labour. As part of our project, a team led by Ann Posthuma at the UN’s International Labour Organisation and Flavia Scabin at Fundação Getulio Vargas University in São Paulo, argues that transparency can be achieved by combining innovative laws with novel labour inspection and civil society strategies. The team has seen this in action in Brazil. Central is something called the lista suja or “dirty list”. This is a registry that publicly discloses the names of companies found to host forced labour in their supply chains. Firms on the dirty list are publicly shamed and risk being denied government funding and tax subsidies. A São Paulo state law goes further, banning companies that benefit from forced labour for up to ten years. The transparency requirement in the UK Modern Slavery Act, in contrast, merely requires firms to publicise any actions they have taken to ensure that forced labour is not taking place in their supply chains. The UK – and other European countries – could learn from the more forceful approach adopted in Brazil, which also has a labour inspection framework that involves coordination with unions and employers’ organisations. Gig economy lessons from India Regulating casual work – sometimes characterised as “the gig economy” – is essential if in-work poverty is to be eliminated since these jobs have variable and unpredictable incomes. In our project, Shelley Marshall from RMIT University, Melbourne, and Babu Ramesh from Ambedkar University Delhi illustrate how lessons can be learned from India and how Mathadi work in the state of Maharashtra is regulated. Mathadi workers are labourers hired by transport companies to shift goods in ports and docks, market yards, and in retail – they tend to carry the goods on their heads and shoulders. It is gruelling work. Like “zero hours” workers, Mathadi workers have traditionally been excluded from the protections of labour law because they do not have a consistent employer and work on a “gig” basis. Maharashtra enacted pioneering legislation – the Mathadi Act – back in 1969 to tackle both the oversupply of labour and worker exploitation. The law established Mathadi boards which combine representatives of workers, employers and the government. The boards themselves act as labour hire agencies: both workers and those hiring them must register with a board to operate in the industry. They also stipulate labour standards for Mathadi workers and provide them with social protection. As Marshall has argued, the Mathadi Act offers a new way of thinking about regulating casual work – including by making space for dialogue between worker, employer and government representatives. This approach supports a more active and collaborative role for unions and employers or hirers. Of course, different countries differ significantly in levels of socio-economic development, legal systems and labour market strategies. Yet there are clearly models from elsewhere that offer lessons in better regulating work, including from the global south. If the UK government is serious about eliminating poverty and upholding the human rights of its citizens, it needs to update its laws to protect workers who are being exploited. As our report argues, this will require a degree of experimentation and the involvement of those who are affected by these laws. It is not enough to focus on high levels of employment if this work does not pay and poverty proliferates as a result. (Deirdre McCann is Professor of Law, Durham University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

We need to combat in-work poverty – Brazil and India offer some lessons

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday assured the labourers of taking action against those who are not abiding by the minimum wage norms. He also urged all the labourers to send their students to school and assured that the government is taking steps to make its schools at par with the private schools.

“We will take strict action against those not abiding by minimum wage norms for labours,” Kejriwal said while addressing a gathering on the occasion of Labour Day.

“If Delhi was granted statehood, we would have made all contractual labourers permanent. We are facing certain hurdles but we will do it soon,” the chief minister said.

Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai announced that the registered construction workers will soon receive passes for free travel in DTC buses plying across the city.

“The construction board is making a proposal for providing passes for free DTC travel to registered construction workers,” Rai said in his address.

Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai announced that the registered construction workers will soon receive passes for free travel in DTC buses plying across the city.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday assured the labourers of taking action against those who are not abiding by the minimum wage norms. He also urged all the labourers to send their students to school and assured that the government is taking steps to make its schools at par with the private schools. “We will take strict action against those not abiding by minimum wage norms for labours,” Kejriwal said while addressing a gathering on the occasion of Labour Day. “If Delhi was granted statehood, we would have made all contractual labourers permanent. We are facing certain hurdles but we will do it soon,” the chief minister said. Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai announced that the registered construction workers will soon receive passes for free travel in DTC buses plying across the city. “The construction board is making a proposal for providing passes for free DTC travel to registered construction workers,” Rai said in his address.

Will take action against those not abiding by minimum wage norms for labourers: Delhi CM

By Ankit Saproo

British PM Theresa May&#39;s decision to call for early snap elections in April was guided mainly by polls which pointed to a huge victory. However, as early results poured in it clearly revealed&nbsp;Britain was a different country two months ago.

Her political instinct was clearly out of sync with reality. A majority&nbsp;would have given her an entire five-year term to negotiate the Brexit process on her own terms.&nbsp;

In her speech announcing the early elections, May had said, &quot;It was with reluctance that I decided the country needs this election, but it is with strong conviction that I say it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond.&quot;

A confident May even suggested to&nbsp;the British people that they should vote for the Conservative party&nbsp;if they want Brexit to be a success.&nbsp;Unfortunately, the election results out today prove&nbsp;her political instincts were&nbsp;clearly out of sync with reality.

What led to the failure?

Just like her predecessor ex-prime minister David Cameron, May was against Brexit but remained silent during the entire campaign leading up to the referendum on June 23, 2016.

David Cameron resigned as the Prime Minister&nbsp;after Britain voted in favour of Brexit.&nbsp;Theresa May, who was home secretary in the Cameron government, took over as the next Prime Minister and quickly became a votary of Brexit saying that it is what the people wanted. In the end, it was her &#39;Great Switch&#39; which was rejected by the British people.&nbsp;

On March 29, 2016, she won a major victory in the UK Parliament when the European Union Bill was passed by a huge majority with the support of the Labour party. The Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats had opposed the bill.

With the bipartisan support for the bill to initiate the process of UK&#39;s exit, Theresa May activated Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. This was a major victory for the Theresa May-led government and gave her the confidence to go for what has been described as &quot;Hard Brexit&quot;.

In a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-theresa-may-signs-letter-that-will-start-brexit-13913">letter to the European Council President Donald Tusk</a>, Theresa May said that the Brexit referendum &quot;was a vote to restore, as we see it, our national self-determination&quot;.

Donald Tusk urged Theresa May not to let &quot;emotions&quot;&nbsp;get in the way of the negotiating process as it would lead to talks collapsing even before they start.

The appeal from the European Council President came after Theresa May accused Brussels of meddling in the election process and undermining British stance on the terms of negotiations governing Brexit.&nbsp;With her allegedly hard position on Brexit negotiations, she alienated most of UK&#39;s allies in the European Union.&nbsp;

What next?

With&nbsp;the Conservative party losing the majority in the House of Commons&nbsp;Theresa May is clearly handicapped, almost a lame duck when she leads the Brexit talks.

In fact, analysts are already hinting at the possibility of a new referendum on Brexit. The House is clearly divided after this historic verdict. Is this the beginning of the end of Brexit or end of a&nbsp;new beginning? &nbsp; &nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

May even went to the extent of suggesting that the British people should vote the Conservatives to power if they want Brexit to be a success, a report in The Guardian said

By Ankit Saproo British PM Theresa May's decision to call for early snap elections in April was guided mainly by polls which pointed to a huge victory. However, as early results poured in it clearly revealed Britain was a different country two months ago. Her political instinct was clearly out of sync with reality. A majority would have given her an entire five-year term to negotiate the Brexit process on her own terms. In her speech announcing the early elections, May had said, "It was with reluctance that I decided the country needs this election, but it is with strong conviction that I say it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond." A confident May even suggested to the British people that they should vote for the Conservative party if they want Brexit to be a success. Unfortunately, the election results out today prove her political instincts were clearly out of sync with reality. What led to the failure? Just like her predecessor ex-prime minister David Cameron, May was against Brexit but remained silent during the entire campaign leading up to the referendum on June 23, 2016. David Cameron resigned as the Prime Minister after Britain voted in favour of Brexit. Theresa May, who was home secretary in the Cameron government, took over as the next Prime Minister and quickly became a votary of Brexit saying that it is what the people wanted. In the end, it was her 'Great Switch' which was rejected by the British people. On March 29, 2016, she won a major victory in the UK Parliament when the European Union Bill was passed by a huge majority with the support of the Labour party. The Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats had opposed the bill. With the bipartisan support for the bill to initiate the process of UK's exit, Theresa May activated Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. This was a major victory for the Theresa May-led government and gave her the confidence to go for what has been described as "Hard Brexit". In a letter to the European Council President Donald Tusk, Theresa May said that the Brexit referendum "was a vote to restore, as we see it, our national self-determination". Donald Tusk urged Theresa May not to let "emotions" get in the way of the negotiating process as it would lead to talks collapsing even before they start. The appeal from the European Council President came after Theresa May accused Brussels of meddling in the election process and undermining British stance on the terms of negotiations governing Brexit. With her allegedly hard position on Brexit negotiations, she alienated most of UK's allies in the European Union. What next? With the Conservative party losing the majority in the House of Commons Theresa May is clearly handicapped, almost a lame duck when she leads the Brexit talks. In fact, analysts are already hinting at the possibility of a new referendum on Brexit. The House is clearly divided after this historic verdict. Is this the beginning of the end of Brexit or end of a new beginning? (WION)

Theresa May's gamble and why it failed

The UK&#39;s general election has seen the rise of that country&#39;s first ever female Sikh MP--Preet Gill has claimed a large victory in the peripheral seat of Birmingham Edgbaston. 
&nbsp; 
Indian-origin Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi has become the first Turban wearing to be elected to the British Parliament&rsquo;s House of Commons in the UK General Elections.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Both the Sikh candidates, Gill and Dhesi &ndash; are from Jeremy Corbyn&rsquo;s Labour Party. 
&nbsp; 
Gill won a total of 24,124 votes, nearly 7,000 more votes than the Conservatives&#39; Caroline Squire, while Singh won the seat by polling 34,170 votes and defeated Conservative Party candidate by nearly 17,000 votes. 
&nbsp; 
Ms Gill, who has been a Labour councillor in Sandwell, said after being selected: &quot;I am delighted I have been given the opportunity to become next MP for Edgbaston, where I was born and raised. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;I want to engage with the people of Edgbaston and with hard work, passion and determination I think we can achieve great things together.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation, was quoted by the BBC as saying: &quot;We are delighted to have the first Sikh woman MP in Preet Kaur Gill in Birmingham, Edgbaston.

&quot;She will be a fantastic MP, a credit to the Sikh community and an excellent role model.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
On a good note...Well done to Preet Kaur Shergill and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi 
????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sikh?src=hash">#sikh</a> <a href="https://t.co/MJBjw69u48">pic.twitter.com/MJBjw69u48</a>
&mdash; Dings Singh (@Dingssingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dingssingh/status/873112776754946048">June 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Big up Preet Kaur Gill (first Female Sikh MP) &amp; Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (first turban wearing Sikh MP).Huge for the British Sikh community??
&mdash; Joel???????????? (@joelbruv) <a href="https://twitter.com/joelbruv/status/873165542881984512">June 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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History Made! UK elects its first Sikh female MP (Preet singh) &amp; its first turbaned Sikh MP (Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UKElection2017?src=hash">#UKElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/OfoWbu9Rdo">pic.twitter.com/OfoWbu9Rdo</a>
&mdash; Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) <a href="https://twitter.com/sidhant/status/873077707222859777">June 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Gill won a total of 24,124 votes, nearly 7,000 more votes than the Conservatives' Caroline Squire, while Singh won the seat by polling 34,170 votes and defeated Conservative Party candidate by nearly 17,000 votes

The UK's general election has seen the rise of that country's first ever female Sikh MP--Preet Gill has claimed a large victory in the peripheral seat of Birmingham Edgbaston. Indian-origin Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi has become the first Turban wearing to be elected to the British Parliament’s House of Commons in the UK General Elections. Both the Sikh candidates, Gill and Dhesi – are from Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party. Gill won a total of 24,124 votes, nearly 7,000 more votes than the Conservatives' Caroline Squire, while Singh won the seat by polling 34,170 votes and defeated Conservative Party candidate by nearly 17,000 votes. Ms Gill, who has been a Labour councillor in Sandwell, said after being selected: "I am delighted I have been given the opportunity to become next MP for Edgbaston, where I was born and raised. "I want to engage with the people of Edgbaston and with hard work, passion and determination I think we can achieve great things together." Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation, was quoted by the BBC as saying: "We are delighted to have the first Sikh woman MP in Preet Kaur Gill in Birmingham, Edgbaston. "She will be a fantastic MP, a credit to the Sikh community and an excellent role model." On a good note...Well done to Preet Kaur Shergill and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi ????? #sikh pic.twitter.com/MJBjw69u48 — Dings Singh (@Dingssingh) June 9, 2017 × Big up Preet Kaur Gill (first Female Sikh MP) & Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (first turban wearing Sikh MP).Huge for the British Sikh community?? — Joel???????????? (@joelbruv) June 9, 2017 × History Made! UK elects its first Sikh female MP (Preet singh) & its first turbaned Sikh MP (Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi) #UKElection2017 pic.twitter.com/OfoWbu9Rdo — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) June 9, 2017 ×

UK election: Preet Gill first female Sikh MP, Tanmanjeet Singh first turbaned lawmaker

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