Latest news with #employmentrights
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Keir Starmer defends Labour's tax hikes and employment rights red tape as business chiefs warn burden must not be increased again
Keir Starmer defended Labour's tax hikes and employment rights red tape today as business chiefs warned the burden must not be increased again. The PM admitted the government had 'asked a lot' of firms as he addressed the British Chambers of Commerce conference in London. However, he argued that money from the monster national insurance increase had been needed to 'fix the foundations' of the country, by propping up the NHS and investing in skills and infrastructure. The head of the BCC has sent a stark message at the gathering that companies are already 'wading through treacle' thanks to government policy, and cutting back on hiring. There is alarm that more pain is looming, as Rachel Reeves desperately struggles to balance the books with the economy stalling and Labour MPs forcing U-turns on benefits cuts. The BCC said a third of small and medium-sized firms have made staff redundant or are thinking about job cuts as a direct result of the NICs increase. Some 13 per cent of more than 570 members surveyed had already cut jobs and 19 per cent were actively considering it. Speaking after Sir Keir, BCC director general Shevaun Haviland insisted the Chancellor cannot increase the burden again. 'There must be no further tax increases on business in the Autumn Budget,' she said. 'Business leaders are resilient, but they are also flexible. 'Some of our well thought-out business plans sometimes no longer meet our needs. When the facts change, so do we. 'And the Government needs to take the same approach. 'If the UK economy is subject to any further economic shock, such as a sustained spike in oil prices, then we need fiscal rules that are responsive and protect business investment.' In his speech, Sir Keir said firms were responsible for 'creating the jobs, the wealth, the tax receipts that means that we have the opportunity to change our country for the better'. 'I fully acknowledge, and I do acknowledge here, that this year, as we've had to fix the foundations of our country, deal with the unprecedented mess that we inherited, we have asked a lot of you,' he said. 'I understand that and I want to acknowledge that. 'It has made a huge difference. Because of it, the money has gone into the NHS and waiting lists are coming down. 'We have put investment into the skills of our young people, the new homes, new roads, new infrastructure that we're building, they are all vital for the long-term growth of our country. 'But none of that would have been possible without your contribution. And I say thank you. It's what I mean by partnership.'
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
‘Pretty lady': Sask. MLA testifies about text messages with alleged human trafficking victim
WATCH: A Saskatchewan Party MLA took the stand in a human trafficking trial Tuesday, alleging she contacted him about her employment conditions and work status. As the trial of two men accused of human trafficking continued Tuesday, Saskatchewan MLA Doug Steele took the stand. The Sask. Party official detailed how he met the alleged victim at the Empire Diner in Gull Lake. 'She was the waitress those mornings that we stopped for breakfast,' Steele said. This restaurant is one of the three which the complainant — whose name is protected under a publication ban — says she was hired to work at before allegedly having her personal documents and wages stolen by her employers. She also testified to experiencing abuse and blackmail by the accused, Mohammad Masum and Sohel Haider. Masum is facing additional charges of sexual assault. Steele told the court that he gave the woman his business card during one of his visits to the diner. Steele testified he then got a phone call from the woman asking for information about employment standards and immigration permits. 'She sounded a bit distraught, it was very hard to understand her given the language [barrier]...It was concerns on the terms of how to be compensated via salary...[work] Permit concerns and not feeling very comfortable at her workplace,' Steele said. Steel told the court that he spoke with colleagues within the legislature to learn more about the logistics of immigration work permits. He said they continued to have occasional correspondence about her employment situation and concerns. 'There seemed to be more concern of unhappiness at the place of employment,' said Steele. 'At the time, I was not aware of the extraordinary circumstances ... Some [of her] concerns were being afraid, wondering if there was going to be an opportunity to leave there, and also possibly having to leave Canada,' Steele said. The MLA testified that he communicated with then-MLA for Kelvington-Wadena Hugh Nerlien about the complainant's situation. Nerlien's constituency is adjacent to Tisdale, where the woman worked in one of the restaurants at the time. Steele testified that he and Nerlien sought out community resources which might meet the complainant's needs. Eventually, Steele arranged for his assistant to pick up the complainant from a house in Elrose, and drive her to a women's shelter in Swift Current. After the woman was transported to the shelter, the MLA testified to providing a statement to police. When asked why he didn't contact law enforcement prior to relocating the woman, if he felt the woman was in danger, the Cypress Hills MLA said he didn't know the extent of the situation. 'At the time, not knowing the details, that it was not my place to contact them between Hugh and we hoped [the contact at the women's shelter] could gather the details and give that signal or do that,' Steele said. While Steele testified to deleting his messages with the complainant, he did confirm that there was a message in which he complimented the woman's physical appearance. 'I told her not to worry and called her pretty lady ... just a compliment,' Steele said. The MLA added that the complainant responded by calling him a 'handsome gentleman.' Steele told court he spoke with plain-clothed Regina police officers with Nerlien, where they gave statements about the situation. The defence then began cross examination. Steele was asked about his correspondence with the complainant. The MLA testified that there was no formal record of his contact with the alleged victim. Steele testified that he did not ask the woman to sign the typical consent form required when beginning a formal case due to the language barrier, but he continued to correspond with the woman via phone calls and text messages and discuss the topic with other officials, including Nerlien. The defence additionally pressed Steele regarding alleged Facebook correspondence between the MLA and the woman. Steele told the court that he did not recall communicating with the complainant through Facebook. After being presented with evidence displaying a Facebook Messenger communication between the two, Steele agreed that he and the woman were Facebook friends. The trial resumes Thursday in Rosetown.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Foul-mouthed boss' furious spray over electrician's prayer break backfires
An electrician feared for his safety and was forced to resign when his employer swore at him after he attended prayer at a mosque during work hours. Suhayl Ali had no choice but to quit his job at DMG Building & Electrical Services in Melbourne due to his boss' conduct, the Fair Work Commission ruled on May 1. Mr Ali joined the small firm of four employees on September 17 to work as an electrician providing maintenance and repairs to housing projects. Over the two months he worked for the company, he alleged there were a series of fraught discussions with his boss Darren Gemayel. This included concerns over whether Mr Ali must call clients on his personal phone, his rate of productivity, and a vehicle reversing into the company van while he was praying at a mosque during work hours. Tension between the pair exploded in a meeting on November 25, which Mr Ali secretly recorded and was later played to the commission. The director was heard calling Mr Ali 'deceitful' for not disclosing that he was taking time off during the working day to pray. Mr Gemayel told Mr Ali: 'There's two things I can't f***ing tolerate its people who steal and people who lie. Right now you've done that'. 'I don't want any negative nancies running around my company f***ing becoming toxic to other blokes. It festers,' the director continued. 'What we do with those people, we f***ing weed them out. 'You need to be on the same page as everyone.' Mr Ali told the hearing that when Mr Gemayel got angry, he raised his voice, made fists with his hands, and stepped towards him. Mr Gemayel's conduct made Mr Ali feel scared and worried for his own safety, the commission heard. The meeting ended with the director saying he would continue to work with Mr Ali, but he needed to be clear on what times he would not be available. Mr Ali took personal leave the following day, texting Mr Gemayel: 'My mental health is not in the right place'. The electrician resigned a day later and filed a general protections application in which he cited Mr Gemayel's conduct as a cause for quitting. Commissioner Susie Allison ruled in Mr Ali's favour, finding he 'was forced to resign because of the conduct of Mr Gemayel', including during the meeting. 'I do not think that Mr Gemayel intended Mr Ali to resign,' she said. 'I want to acknowledge that Mr Gemayel is clearly an employer who cares about his employees and listens to their concerns.' She also recognised Mr Gemayel runs a 'small business in a blue-collar environment' and relies on 'close, direct relationships with his staff'. This meant 'speaking openly and frankly, and swearing is likely to be part of the everyday work culture', she said. 'Having said that... the language and behaviour directed towards Mr Ali at the meeting... is not appropriate or acceptable behaviour in any workplace.' Commissioner Allison noted the electrician had been scared. While she could not confirm Mr Gemayel's physical approach, she found him to be acting in an 'aggressive, confrontational and inappropriate way'. Mr Ali had provided other reasons for his resignation, including DMG's business practices, complaints about his performance, and working conditions. However, the commissioner chose not to fully consider them as they were deemed unnecessary given the conduct of Mr Gemayel in their final meeting. Both parties will meet on Teams at a later date for a formal conciliation process.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Angela Rayner's workers Bill 'is a wrecking ball for the UK economy' that could wipe out struggling businesses, Tories warn
British businesses have been urged to rise up and fight Angela Rayner 's crippling new labour laws, amid dire warnings of the devastating effects they will wreak on the economy. Conservatives have sent an open letter to company bosses this weekend urging them to speak out against the Deputy Prime Minister's radical plans – or be 'sleepwalked into disaster'. Ms Rayner has been accused of taking a 'wrecking ball to the economy' with her Employment Rights Bill – which has also been dubbed 'the Unemployment Bill' over fears it will deter firms from taking on staff. The proposals, currently being debated in the Lords and due to take effect later this year, will make it more burdensome to employ workers and will leave businesses vulnerable to ruinous strikes. Central to the plans are the repeal of Tory trade union laws which will reduce the threshold for strike action and make union funding of the Labour Party automatic. But it also contains a raft of other measures, including the end of zero-hours contracts, strengthened redundancy rights, more flexible working and the power for ministers to take companies to employment tribunals on behalf of employees even if they do not want to sue. The Bill has led to tensions in the Cabinet, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves trying to dilute the measures as she battles to revive a moribund economy. Asked by The Mail on Sunday this weekend if she was working to limit the economic damage which Ms Rayner's measures are expected to cause, the Chancellor did not deny she was trying to mitigate the effects, saying: 'We talk all the time to businesses.' In the open letter, Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith says he has been moved to act because he is 'genuinely concerned that British businesses are being sleepwalked into disaster' and the Tories cannot oppose it alone In the open letter, Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith says he has been moved to act because he is 'genuinely concerned that British businesses are being sleepwalked into disaster' and the Tories cannot oppose it alone. He writes: 'We need more voices to persuade the Government to listen. The Government's own calculations – which many consider to be an underestimate – say this will cost British businesses £5 billion a year and the economy 50,000 jobs... This is not good for the economy. I know it and every business I speak to around the country knows it. 'I urge you to please share this letter with others, seek advice on the impact of the Bill from your professional advisor and encourage business groups to speak up clearly on your behalf.' Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Griffith said: 'The economy badly needs the growth that only business can create. Yet Labour's Bill for Unemployment is a trade union charter that will increase strikes, slash jobs and raise prices. 'Going back to 1970s-style domination by the unions is the very last thing Britain needs right now and shows just how little this socialist government understands business. Angela Rayner is taking a wrecking ball to the UK economy.' He was echoed by a chorus of leading business figures, including Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra beer and UK chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce. He said: 'Making it easier for workers to strike will inevitably increase their number and frequency. This is like the 1970s, and look where that got us. We were called the sick man of Europe. 'We don't want to go back in time. Of course, you want fair employee rights, but there's got to be a balance. If you create the environment this bill is putting us on the path towards, it's going to be very damaging to business and our economy.' He called on the Government to 'think twice' before pushing ahead with the reforms. Luke Johnson, entrepreneur and former chairman of Pizza Express, said: 'At a time when unemployment is rising, the economy is weak and the number of failing businesses is on the increase, introducing a new swathe of burdensome regulations is, to me, little short of madness. 'In the 1970s our country was going broke and we had to go to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout. 'It feels as if we are headed back towards that period. I lived through that time. But a lot of the MPs writing and supporting this bill are too young to remember what it was like. '[Angela Rayner] doesn't even speak the same language as people who work in the private sector. She has no clue what it's like to build a business and have your house on the line if you go broke, or struggling to pay wage bills and bank loan repayments each month. 'She just doesn't care. She only ever talks to people in the public sector, civil servants and trade unionists. But eventually, their ideology is going to collide with reality and unfortunately, they are going to drag the economy into a serious recession.' Alex Veitch, of the British Chambers of Commerce said: 'There remains a high risk of unintended consequences that could limit employment opportunities and economic growth.' And Luiza Gomes, from the British Retail Consortium, said: 'Maintaining a 50 per cent threshold for strikes is important to ensure ballot results legitimately and accurately reflect the consensus amongst workers, rather than the minority view.' A Labour spokesman said: 'The public will see right through the sheer hypocrisy of a party that crashed the economy and family finances now opposing better rights for workers. 'Labour do not think it's fair for workers to be sacked without any good reason or denied sick pay from the first day they are ill. The Tories and Reform need to explain why they do. 'These measures are developed with business, and good for workers and the economy.'
Free Malaysia Today
19-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
74 Bangladeshi workers win RM1.5mil in claims over unpaid wages
A file pic showing a workers' dormitory. The 74 workers claimed they were left stranded in Malaysia with no work or wages and had to endure poor living conditions. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : A group of Bangladeshi workers has won more than RM1.5 million in claims from their former employer due to unpaid wages and other breaches of their employment contracts. The Kuala Lumpur labour office had ordered Meranti Binamas Sdn Bhd to pay RM1.54 million to the 74 workers, who had lodged complaints through migrant rights group Tenaganita. In a statement, Tenaganita official Abdul Aziz Ismail said this was a 'significant payout' and a major win for migrant rights which showed that employers could be held accountable for breaching the rights of foreign workers. 'It has been a long road but we finally have a decision and an order from the labour office. By ordering Meranti Binamas to pay the amounts due, the labour department has sent a clear message that employers cannot exploit workers with impunity. 'This is a significant achievement for the workers and for Tenaganita. It sets yet another precedent that even large, seemingly untouchable companies can be held accountable when workers stand united and demand justice,' he said. Aziz urged the government to ensure the RM1.5 million is paid out in full quickly. It was reported that the workers paid up to RM25,000 each to secure jobs but were left stranded in Malaysia with no work or wages and enduring poor living conditions after arriving here. The workers had stayed in a crowded hostel in Pudu, KL, and went months without pay, with some said to have had suicidal thoughts. The labour department's order is separate from a case now before the Shah Alam High Court. In that suit, 33 workers are seeking RM1.71 million in damages, including the RM25,000 they each paid in fees to get to Malaysia and 18 months of wages they say they never received. They also want the court to declare them victims of job fraud and to bar the immigration department from detaining or deporting them until the case is disposed of. The suit names Meranti Binamas, the human resources ministry secretary-general, the immigration director-general, and the government as defendants. It was filed in March and is ongoing.
