Latest news with #DeputyPrimeMinister
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Angela Rayner's civil servants launch 'work to rule' protest after being told they cannot WFH
Civil servants in 's department are launching a 'work to rule' protest after being told they cannot work from home. Staff at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which is headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, will begin the industrial action next week. It follows a dispute over the closure of six offices, the scrapping of 'location-neutral' contracts, and the enforcement of 'rigid' office attendance policies. Members of the Public and Commecial Services (PCS) union, which represents civil servants, will begin action short of a strike on Monday. This will see MHCLG staff who are PCS members work to contract, remove goodwill, and refuse to comply with non-contractual policies and processes. Civil servants in Ms Rayner's department are said to feel particularly frustrated as the Deputy PM is spearheading Labour's reforms to workers' rights. The Employment Rights Bill includes a right to request flexible working, including working from home, and measures to boost trade unions' powers. The legislation will increase the burden of justificaion on bosses so that they must accept a flexible working request unless it is 'not reasonably feasible'. The Bill also seeks to give trade unions greater freedom to organise, represent and negotiate on behalf of their workers. Martin Cavanagh, the PCS president, said: 'From removing staff from an office before the lease expires to spuriously challenging lawful notices of industrial action, the employer seems intent to avoid proper consultation, disregard fair process and alienate its staff. 'Closing local offices while rigidly enforcing mandatory office attendance doesn't make sense. The way out of this dispute is to negotiate, not frustrate.' A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'We have engaged with unions and staff about a number of proposals – including plans to expand four offices outside of London and close six offices over the next two years, as leases come to an end. 'The department will continue to have offices in every English region as well as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and all staff affected will be able to continue in their roles.'
ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Is Donald Trump's ceasefire an illusion?
The Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles is in the Netherlands for this week's NATO summit and speaks to David Speers.
Arab News
5 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan signs statute to strengthen labor, social protection collaboration among OIC members
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar recently announced Islamabad had signed the Statute of the Labour Center of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to strengthen collaboration among member states on labor, social protection and human development capital. The OIC Labour Center is a strategic institution aimed at enhancing labor conditions, promoting employment opportunities and fostering social protection systems across member states. It emphasizes the crucial need to ensure decent work, sustainable social protection and poverty reduction within OIC member states, in alignment with the objectives of the organization's charter. In a post on social media platform X on Sunday, Dar announced he had signed the statute at the OIC's 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul from June 21-22. 'This statute is an important step toward strengthening collaboration among OIC Member States on labor, employment, social protection, and human capital development,' the deputy prime minister wrote. Pleased to sign the Statute of the Labour Center of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the sidelines of the 51st OIC CFM in Istanbul. This Statute is an important step toward strengthening collaboration among OIC Member States on labor, employment, social… — Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) June 22, 2025 A significant number of Pakistanis seek employment opportunities abroad for a better standard of living as the country grapples with macroeconomic challenges. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Gulf countries are key destinations for Pakistan's skilled and unskilled workers, whose remittances are vital for the cash-strapped country. Pakistan's state media reported in April that the country sent 151,120 skilled laborers to Gulf countries in the first three months of 2025. Senior Pakistani officials have repeatedly spoken of the need to bridge the skills gap and enhance global competitiveness of Pakistani workers, particularly in the Middle Eastern job market. Pakistan sends approximately one million skilled workers abroad each year to help reduce unemployment and boost foreign exchange reserves through remittances.
Arab News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan tells OIC conference Israeli military actions driving Middle East instability
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday voiced alarm over escalating tensions in the Middle East, blaming Israel's military actions in Gaza and recent strikes in Iran for deepening instability and humanitarian crisis in the region. Addressing the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in Istanbul, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar reiterated his country's condemnation of Israel's attack on Iran. The high-level conference comes at a moment of crisis for several OIC member states. Two of the bloc's key countries — Pakistan and Iran — have recently experienced military escalations with regional rivals. While Pakistan's brief but intense standoff with India ended in a ceasefire last month, Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, launched more than a week ago, have shown no signs of de-escalation. 'Israeli aggression against Iran is not an isolated event,' Dar said in his address to the forum. 'It is part of a dangerous and consistent pattern of militarism that Israel has demonstrated across the Middle East.' 'Pakistan remains deeply concerned at the escalating tensions, deepening instability and humanitarian crises across the Middle East,' he added. 'What underpins many of these situations is the continued impunity with which Israel is undermining peace and stability of the broader region.' The Pakistani deputy PM condemned Israel's 'unprovoked aggression' against Iran as a violation of international law and the UN Charter, warning that such actions posed a grave threat to both regional and global peace. 'We can all feel the reverberations of this instability,' he said. Turning to Gaza, Dar said Israel was waging a 'genocidal campaign' against Palestinians, pointing out that over 55,000 people, mostly women and children, had been killed since the start of the conflict in October 2023. He noted Israel was deliberately blocking life-saving humanitarian aid and targeting relief workers, leaving millions displaced and entire neighborhoods in ruins. Calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, Dar said that lasting peace in the region was impossible without a viable, sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital. He also referenced last month's military standoff between Pakistan and India, telling the conference participants that Pakistan had shot down six Indian fighter jets in the confrontation. He said that his country was committed to regional stability and warned that India's unilateral actions — including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty — were further escalating tensions. 'Pakistan will not allow India to stop water for our people,' he said. 'It will be treated as an act of war.' Dar also urged the OIC to assert itself as a collective voice for the Muslim world. 'The OIC has a crucial role to play in streamlining the rapidly evolving and deteriorating global order to the benefit of the Muslim world,' he added.
Bloomberg
20-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Sugar Jumps From 4-Year Low on Pakistan's Plans to Import
Raw sugar futures rebounded from a four-year low in New York after Pakistan initiated plans to import the sweetener to tame high domestic prices. The most-active contract rose as much as 2.6% to 16.73 cents a pound. Pakistan's government will seek cabinet approval to import 250,000 tons of raw sugar, according to a statement issued by the deputy prime minister's office.
