Latest news with #tradeUnion
New York Times
09-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Italian Referendum to Loosen Citizenship Rules Fails
A referendum that sought to make it easier for foreigners to apply for Italian citizenship ended unsuccessfully on Monday when it failed to draw a majority of voters to the polls. Polls closed at 3 p.m. with around 30 percent of eligible voters having cast a ballot — far below the turnout of 50 percent plus one person required for a referendum to be valid. The vote, which took place over Sunday and Monday, also sought to strengthen labor rights. The result was a relief for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had vocally opposed the referendum, which called for dropping to five from 10 the number of years a foreigner had to live in Italy before applying for citizenship. Some of her coalition partners had called on people to abstain from voting. Ms. Meloni went to her polling station on Sunday evening but did not cast a ballot. The referendum prompted nationwide discussion about who could be a citizen, and came as the issues of migration and birthright citizenship are hotly debated in the United States and Europe. Even if they are born in Italy, the children of lawful immigrants can apply for citizenship only when they turn 18 — and only if they have continuously lived in the country since birth. Many economists believe that migration is critical to a country that is facing a steep demographic decline. The referendum was championed by a major trade union, civil society groups and some center-left opposition parties. But it had little bipartisan support, and voter turnout was low on the first weekend after public schools closed in much of Italy. Since 1990, only three of 14 referendums managed to draw enough voters to be valid. 'We've been let down by Italy before, we knew it was an uphill battle,' Fioralba Duma, an activist for Italians Without Citizenship, one of the groups that supported the referendum, said of the low turnout. On the positive side, she added, the referendum brought the citizenship issue into mainstream conversation, spotlighting the challenges faced by hundreds of thousands of foreigners who seek to be better integrated into Italian society. Even though the referendum didn't pass, with about a quarter of the ballots counted, about 64 percent of those who voted did so in favor of reducing the number of years living in Italy required for citizenship to five from 10. For many activists, she said, the defeat of the referendum was merely a setback, adding, 'We will continue to work.' \
Reuters
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Low turnout set to thwart moves to ease Italian citizenship rules
ROME, June 9 (Reuters) - Voting resumed on Monday for Italy's two-day referendum on proposals to make it easier to obtain Italian citizenship and strengthen labour rights, but low turnout looked set to make the vote invalid. Data overnight showed under 23% of eligible voters had cast their ballots as polls provisionally closed on Sunday, far short of the 50% plus one of the electorate needed to make the outcome of the vote binding. Voting ends at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT). One of the five referendums is about reducing the period of residence required to apply for Italian citizenship by naturalisation to five years from 10 years. This could affect about 2.5 million foreign nationals, organisers say. With Italy's birthrate in sharp decline, economists say the country needs to attract more foreigners to boost its anaemic economy, and migrant workers feel a lot is at stake for them as they seek closer integration into Italian society. Three other referendum questions would reverse a decade-old liberalisation of the labour market, and a fourth concerns liability rules for accidents at work. Opposition leftist and centrist parties, civil society groups and a leading trade union have latched on to the issues of labour rights and Italy's demographic woes as a way of challenging Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition government that took power almost three years ago. Meloni and her allies encouraged their supporters to boycott the vote. The prime minister attended a polling station in Rome on Sunday but her staff confirmed that she did not collect ballot papers and did not cast a vote, a tactic she had indicated that she would adopt. A low turnout and a failed referendum could lead to further infighting among centre-left opposition groups which have struggled to find a way to dent Meloni's popularity since she came to power.
Free Malaysia Today
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Govt denies blocking MTUC from ILC participation, cites internal dispute
The human resources ministry has urged MTUC to expedite its re-election to restore stability to the trade union movement and ensure Malaysia's full participation in the ILC next year. (File pic) PETALING JAYA : The human resources ministry has dismissed claims that the government blocked the participation of labour representatives to the now-concluded 2025 International Labour Conference (ILC). The ministry said the non-representation of workers at the conference held in Geneva was caused by the absence of legitimate leadership in the Malaysian Trade Unions Congress (MTUC), the country's largest trade union umbrella organisation. 'In February, the Court of Appeal ordered MTUC to conduct a re-election of its leadership within 90 days under the watch of a joint special committee,' it said in a statement today. 'This election was later postponed to August, leaving MTUC without a legitimate leadership to represent workers in any official platform.' The ministry stressed that the selection of the Malaysian delegation to the ILC was made transparently under the guidelines of the International Labour Organization, after seeking advice from the Attorney-General's Chambers. It also urged MTUC to expedite its re-election to restore stability to the trade union movement and ensure Malaysia's full participation in the ILC next year. On June 4, Malaysiakini reported that the joint special committee's chairman, J Solomon, denied knowledge of needing to hold an election within three months of the committee's formation. He had earlier criticised the government for failing to register labour delegates for the ILC.
The Independent
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Unite union had ‘pervasive fraud environment', auditors say
One of Britain's biggest trade unions had a 'pervasive fraud environment', a leaked auditors' report has concluded. Global tax advisory firm BDO found there had been a culture at Unite that 'did not challenge the appropriateness of transactions' and failed to ensure appropriate financial reporting. It concluded 'dominant personalities and a weak control environment facilitated opportunities to commit fraud' at the union. The audit was ordered by general secretary Sharon Graham shortly after she entered her role in 2021 amid questions about accounting and spending on building a hotel and conference centre in Birmingham. Its findings were presented to the union's executive council on Friday. Unite said the probe uncovered a £53.8 million 'impairment' related to the difference between the original valuation of the Birmingham project used to calculate the 'book value' by the auditors at the time, and the real value. The BDO report also said there had been 'unusual relationships' between former senior staff and Unite's customers and suppliers, according to the BBC which obtained a copy of the 35-page document ahead of its publication. In response, Ms Graham, who has pledged to strengthen internal governance practices, said: 'On behalf of Unite's 1.2 million-plus members, I promised on my election that I would uncover the truth about historic alleged corruption related to the Birmingham hotel project. 'This process has quite frankly been an ugly one, where I have endured attacks and smears from those with much to lose, but they have not deterred me. 'The re-audit is in its final stages and as we move to completion, I will ensure steps are taken so that this can never happen again and we have already started the process of getting our money back. 'Over the last three years of my leadership, I have refocused our union on to the jobs, pay and conditions of our members and we have secured a union that is financially strong and able to fight for workers.'
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Fraud culture was 'pervasive' at union, auditors say
There was a "pervasive fraud environment" at one of the UK's largest trade unions, an auditors' report obtained by the BBC has which used to be Labour's biggest donor, also faced an "impairment" - effectively a financial hit - of £53.8m related to the building of a hotel in Birmingham, the report a highly critical 35-page document, auditors BDO said in the 2021 financial year "dominant personalities and a weak control environment facilitated opportunities to commit fraud" at the probe was ordered by Unite's general secretary Sharon Graham shortly after she was elected in 2021. It was presented to the union's ruling executive council by the auditors today. The BDO report says there were "unusual relationships" between former senior staff and Unite's customers and suppliers, as well as a culture that "did not challenge" financial transactions and "failed to ensure" appropriate financial Graham said: "On behalf of Unite's 1.2 million plus members, I promised on my election that I would uncover the truth about historic alleged corruption related to the Birmingham hotel project."This process has quite frankly been an ugly one, where I have endured attacks and smears from those with much to lose, but they have not deterred me."The re-audit is in its final stages and as we move to completion, I will ensure steps are taken so that this can never happen again and we have already started the process of getting our money back." The BBC previously reported that the Serious Fraud Office has launched an investigation into the hotel construction Wales Police and HMRC are investigating historical allegations of fraud, bribery and money laundering linked to the union. Officers raided Unite's London headquarters in April BDO identified "properties, made available to certain staff and senior management that appear to have facilitated a financial upside… with the Union taking on disproportionate risk". It is unclear which staff report said members of the union's executive council "are not required to provide details of all business interests" and other relationships meaning Unite is "unable to determine whether conflicts of interests have occurred". Sharon Graham has committed to tightening governance procedures including those involving expenses, gifts and hospitality.
