Latest news with #labourunions
The Independent
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Heatwave death sparks protests among European workers
Southern Europe is grappling with a brutal heatwave, creating perilous conditions for outdoor workers. The death of a street sweeper in Barcelona due to extreme heat has sparked protests and calls for tougher regulations from European labour unions. More than 1,000 excess deaths have been recorded in Spain during June and July, attributed to the severe heat. Despite new rules issued by Barcelona City Hall, workers claim these measures are not being implemented and they face sanctions for taking breaks. European labour organisations and the UN's International Labour Organization are advocating for a coordinated international approach to protect workers from heat stress, which they term an 'invisible killer'.
Free Malaysia Today
14-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
US judge temporarily blocks Trump plans for mass layoffs
Demonstrators gather in protest against mass layoffs of federal employees outside the US office of personnel management in Washington. (EPA Images pic) CALIFORNIA : A US judge has temporarily blocked several federal agencies from proceeding with the mass layoffs of government workers ordered by President Donald Trump in February. US district court Judge Susan Illston of California ordered a two-week pause on Friday, writing that the Trump administration's moves to slash the federal workforce likely required approval from congress. 'The court holds the president likely must request congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks, and thus issues a temporary restraining order to pause large-scale reductions in force in the meantime,' Illston wrote in the order. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has directed federal agencies to prepare sweeping workforce reduction plans as part of wider efforts by the Elon Musk-headed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to downsize the federal government. In a Feb 11 executive order, Trump called for a 'critical transformation of the federal bureaucracy' and directed agencies to cull workers who are not designated essential. A coalition of labour unions, non-profit groups and six city and county governments last week sued Trump, DOGE and federal agencies including the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), arguing that they had exceeded their authority by implementing the mass layoffs without congressional go-ahead. 'The Trump administration's unlawful attempt to reorganise the federal government has thrown agencies into chaos, disrupting critical services provided across our nation,' the plaintiffs, led by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), said in a joint statement, hailing the judge's temporary freeze. 'Each of us represents communities deeply invested in the efficiency of the federal government – laying off federal employees and reorganizing government functions haphazardly does not achieve that,' it added. Trump has rapidly moved to fire thousands of government employees this year and slash programmes – targeting the US humanitarian aid agency USAID, diversity initiatives across the government and various other offices. But in several cases, judges have thwarted or held up his administration's signature policy initiatives, including on immigration and upending government spending.
