Father Edward Daly, famous for protecting the wounded during Blood Sunday, says Vatican must ease shortage of priests On Bloody Sunday in 1972 Father Edward Daly faced down the Parachute Regiment responsible for shooting dead 13 unarmed Derry civilians, waving just a white handkerchief as he protected the wounded from the army’s bullets in the Bogside. Now 39 years later the retired Bishop of Derry is confronting an even more powerful force than the Paras: the Vatican. Dr Daly, who was the Bishop of Derry for 20 years during the Troubles, has become the first senior Irish Catholic cleric to call for an end to celibacy in the church. His intervention in the debate over whether priests should be allowed to marry is highly significant because he is still one of the most respected figures in the Irish Catholic church at a time when faith in the institution has been shattered by the paedophile scandals involving clergy. Challenging centuries of Catholic theocracy, Daly has said that allowing the clergy to marry would solve some of the church’s problems. The number of Catholic priests in Ireland is in sharp decline as older clergy die and very few young men take up a celibate life. In some parishes the church has transferred priests from Poland and the developing world to fill the gap. “There will always be a place in the church for a celibate priesthood, but there should also be a place for a married priesthood in the church,” Daly writes in his new book A Troubled See, Memoirs of a Derry Bishop, which will be launched at Magee College in the city on Wednesday. “I think priests should have the freedom to marry if they wish. It may create a whole new set of problems but I think it’s something that should be considered,” he says. “I’m worried about the decreasing number of priests and the number of older priests. I think it’s an issue that needs to be addressed and addressed urgently.” While Daly accepts he might be out of step with current Vatican thinking he points out that he is “not engaged in a popularity contest”. He says that during his time as a bishop he found it “heartbreaking” that so many priests or prospective priests were forced to resign or were unable to get ordained because of the celibacy issue. Many young men who once considered joining the priesthood turned away because of the rule, the 74-year-old cleric argues. Daly became a recognised figure around the world in 1972 when he was seen waving a bloodied white handkerchief in front of British paratroopers in Derry during Bloody Sunday. The sight of the priest during the army massacre in the city became one of the most iconic images of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Daly was also a fierce critic of the IRA’s armed campaign and a strong supporter of the peace process kickstarted by the likes of his friend and confidant, the Nobel peace prize winner John Hume. In the book the former bishop praises Hume who he says is “one of my great heroes”. He had first-hand experience of the Battle of the Bogside in 1969 and took part in the civil rights demonstrations in the city prior to the Troubles erupting. Daly also played a part in the campaign to free the Birmingham Six. His tenure as Bishop in Derry spanned the years 1974 to 1993 and included some of the worst atrocities of the Troubles. He accepts that admission of married men to the priesthood could well create new problems and issues for the church. “However, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, major decisions must be made,” he adds. In his book he also denounces the paedophile priests whose crimes and the cover-up by the Catholic hierarchy has dramatically reduced the church’s respect and influence in Ireland. He is “heartbroken and appalled” that fellow clergymen were engaged in “such horrible criminal acts against the most vulnerable”. Catholic priests have been unable to marry since the Gregorian reforms in the 11th century made celibacy compulsory. Historians have contended that the move was partly for spiritual reasons, but was mainly to ensure estates held by clerics would pass back to the church upon their deaths rather than to offspring. However, in recent years Pope Benedict XVI has made allowances for married Anglican ministers to transfer to the Catholic church after a number made the move in protest at controversial Anglican issues including the ordination of women priests, and acceptance of ministers in same-sex relationships. The County Fermanagh-born cleric now works as a chaplain in Derry’s Foyle hospice. Vatican’s view Bishop Daly’s proposal will meet with dogged silence in the Vatican, but widespread understanding in the Roman Catholic church. The view from the top is clear. Last year, when the scandal over clerical sex abuse was at its height, the archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Schönborn, suggested part of the problem might be priestly celibacy. His comment was all the more interesting, coming as it did from a conservative theologian andformer star pupil of Pope Benedict. But in case anyone thought his musings had Vatican backing, the pope went out of his way a few days later to praise celibacy as an “expression of the gift of oneself to God and others”. Three months later, he reinforced his defence of the status quo, describing celibacy as a “great sign of faith”. The debate over whether to admit married men to the priesthood, however, is one not even the pope can stifle. Two developments have refocused attention on the issue in the last couple of years – and one is partly attributable to Benedict himself. The first is the continuing sex abuse scandal, which on Tuesday acquired new life when the US-based Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests asked the international criminal court to investigate the Vatican for crimes against humanity. The first senior figure to argue the case for a link between an unmarried priesthood and sex abuse was the bishop of Hamburg, Hans-Jochen Jaschke, who in March 2010 told a newspaper interviewer a “celibate lifestyle can attract people who have an abnormal sexuality”. The other development has been the welcoming into the Catholic church of traditionalist Anglicans, unable to reconcile their faith with the ordination of women or the consecration of openly gay bishops. Their incorporation has been made easier since October 2009 when Benedict issued a controversial ordinance allowing them to retain much of their identity, liturgy and pastoral arrangements. The reordination into the Catholic church of married Anglican priests has pointed up the fact that priestly celibacy is not a doctrine, but a discipline. In 1970, the decline in priesthood vocations persuaded nine leading theologians to sign a memorandum declaring that the Catholic leadership “quite simply has a responsibility to take up certain modifications” to the celibacy rule. Extracts from the document were reprinted in January. Not least because one of the signatories was the then Joseph Ratzinger, now pope Benedict. Northern Ireland Ireland Catholicism Religion Christianity Europe Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Father Edward Daly, famous for protecting the wounded during Blood Sunday, says Vatican must ease shortage of priests On Bloody Sunday in 1972 Father Edward Daly faced down the Parachute Regiment responsible for shooting dead 13 unarmed Derry civilians, waving just a white handkerchief as he protected the wounded from the army’s bullets in the Bogside. Now 39 years later the retired Bishop of Derry is confronting an even more powerful force than the Paras: the Vatican. Dr Daly, who was the Bishop of Derry for 20 years during the Troubles, has become the first senior Irish Catholic cleric to call for an end to celibacy in the church. His intervention in the debate over whether priests should be allowed to marry is highly significant because he is still one of the most respected figures in the Irish Catholic church at a time when faith in the institution has been shattered by the paedophile scandals involving clergy. Challenging centuries of Catholic theocracy, Daly has said that allowing the clergy to marry would solve some of the church’s problems. The number of Catholic priests in Ireland is in sharp decline as older clergy die and very few young men take up a celibate life. In some parishes the church has transferred priests from Poland and the developing world to fill the gap. “There will always be a place in the church for a celibate priesthood, but there should also be a place for a married priesthood in the church,” Daly writes in his new book A Troubled See, Memoirs of a Derry Bishop, which will be launched at Magee College in the city on Wednesday. “I think priests should have the freedom to marry if they wish. It may create a whole new set of problems but I think it’s something that should be considered,” he says. “I’m worried about the decreasing number of priests and the number of older priests. I think it’s an issue that needs to be addressed and addressed urgently.” While Daly accepts he might be out of step with current Vatican thinking he points out that he is “not engaged in a popularity contest”. He says that during his time as a bishop he found it “heartbreaking” that so many priests or prospective priests were forced to resign or were unable to get ordained because of the celibacy issue. Many young men who once considered joining the priesthood turned away because of the rule, the 74-year-old cleric argues. Daly became a recognised figure around the world in 1972 when he was seen waving a bloodied white handkerchief in front of British paratroopers in Derry during Bloody Sunday. The sight of the priest during the army massacre in the city became one of the most iconic images of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Daly was also a fierce critic of the IRA’s armed campaign and a strong supporter of the peace process kickstarted by the likes of his friend and confidant, the Nobel peace prize winner John Hume. In the book the former bishop praises Hume who he says is “one of my great heroes”. He had first-hand experience of the Battle of the Bogside in 1969 and took part in the civil rights demonstrations in the city prior to the Troubles erupting. Daly also played a part in the campaign to free the Birmingham Six. His tenure as Bishop in Derry spanned the years 1974 to 1993 and included some of the worst atrocities of the Troubles. He accepts that admission of married men to the priesthood could well create new problems and issues for the church. “However, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, major decisions must be made,” he adds. In his book he also denounces the paedophile priests whose crimes and the cover-up by the Catholic hierarchy has dramatically reduced the church’s respect and influence in Ireland. He is “heartbroken and appalled” that fellow clergymen were engaged in “such horrible criminal acts against the most vulnerable”. Catholic priests have been unable to marry since the Gregorian reforms in the 11th century made celibacy compulsory. Historians have contended that the move was partly for spiritual reasons, but was mainly to ensure estates held by clerics would pass back to the church upon their deaths rather than to offspring. However, in recent years Pope Benedict XVI has made allowances for married Anglican ministers to transfer to the Catholic church after a number made the move in protest at controversial Anglican issues including the ordination of women priests, and acceptance of ministers in same-sex relationships. The County Fermanagh-born cleric now works as a chaplain in Derry’s Foyle hospice. Vatican’s view Bishop Daly’s proposal will meet with dogged silence in the Vatican, but widespread understanding in the Roman Catholic church. The view from the top is clear. Last year, when the scandal over clerical sex abuse was at its height, the archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Schönborn, suggested part of the problem might be priestly celibacy. His comment was all the more interesting, coming as it did from a conservative theologian andformer star pupil of Pope Benedict. But in case anyone thought his musings had Vatican backing, the pope went out of his way a few days later to praise celibacy as an “expression of the gift of oneself to God and others”. Three months later, he reinforced his defence of the status quo, describing celibacy as a “great sign of faith”. The debate over whether to admit married men to the priesthood, however, is one not even the pope can stifle. Two developments have refocused attention on the issue in the last couple of years – and one is partly attributable to Benedict himself. The first is the continuing sex abuse scandal, which on Tuesday acquired new life when the US-based Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests asked the international criminal court to investigate the Vatican for crimes against humanity. The first senior figure to argue the case for a link between an unmarried priesthood and sex abuse was the bishop of Hamburg, Hans-Jochen Jaschke, who in March 2010 told a newspaper interviewer a “celibate lifestyle can attract people who have an abnormal sexuality”. The other development has been the welcoming into the Catholic church of traditionalist Anglicans, unable to reconcile their faith with the ordination of women or the consecration of openly gay bishops. Their incorporation has been made easier since October 2009 when Benedict issued a controversial ordinance allowing them to retain much of their identity, liturgy and pastoral arrangements. The reordination into the Catholic church of married Anglican priests has pointed up the fact that priestly celibacy is not a doctrine, but a discipline. In 1970, the decline in priesthood vocations persuaded nine leading theologians to sign a memorandum declaring that the Catholic leadership “quite simply has a responsibility to take up certain modifications” to the celibacy rule. Extracts from the document were reprinted in January. Not least because one of the signatories was the then Joseph Ratzinger, now pope Benedict. Northern Ireland Ireland Catholicism Religion Christianity Europe Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
• Bash F5 or use our auto-refresher for the latest • Send your thoughts to barney.ronay@guardian.co.uk • Catch up on Chelsea v Bayer Leverkusen here • And get all tonight’s latest scores right here 13 mins Cleared off the line by Sagna. that was lovely play by Gotze, who found Lewandowski in lots of space near goal by the simple tactic of passing it to where Koscielny should have been standing, if Koscileny was a better defender. Lewandovski rounded Szczesny but his shot was hacked away by Sagna. Dortmund are all over Arsenal here, as you might expect in the early minutes. 11 mins Blimey. A simple long pass over the top finds Kagawa in a vast pocket of space that seems to stretch from horizon to horizon. Unfortunately he fails to control it properly and then shoots wildly over the bar. Koscielny: I’m also looking at you. I’m scratching my head and frowning while I’m looking at you. Now I’m shaking my head. Terrible marking there from the disappointing Frenchman. 8 mins Dortmund look quite fluid between midfield and attack, lots of scampering movement. It is very open, albeit this is partly because Arsenal don’t really know how to defend properly. Arteta has been neither anchoring nor passing so far. He has instead been doing nothing at all. 5 mins Gotze has a nice little attacking jink but it comes to nothing. He looks very clam and aware of what’s around him. And, oh my, Gervinho has a great chance to score, put through in front of the keeper with the ball bouncing a little high, but he makes a right pig’s ear of it and allows Weidenfeller to paw away his weak side foot shank. Although there was a fine challenge from Hummels in there. Gervinho: sorry. You’re probably a nice guy. But somehow you and I both know this just isn’t going to work out, don’t we? 3 mins Walcott is playing quite high up the pitch, presumably to use his acceleration on the break. Gary Naylor writes: “I wish Mikel Arteta well after years of fine service at Goodison. He might need those good wishes too, if he’s holding in midfield – has Arsene seen him play?” Not sure it’s really an “anchor” role. More a deep playmaker and a ball carrier. Song will do the fouling. 1 min Arsenal kick off and they’re on the attack straight away. Walcott finds a bit of space on the right and wins a corner which Big Per rumbles up for, but it’s cleared in frustratingly easy fashion. Already looks like there’s a lot of space out there. I scent goals. 7.44pm: Philippa Booth notes: “also in Group F OM are in an Arsenal-esque bit of trouble in Ligue 1 at the minute, if not worse (3 pts from 5, lying in 17th) and selection issues for DiDi mean that Djimi Traore (yes, him) is at left back while Jeremy Morel (a left back) is promoted to the wing. Could be interesting…” indeed it could. Sort of. About to kick off here. 7.43pm: The players are out. They’re standing there listening to the anthem like it’s a proper anthem. 7.37pm: Paul Merson on the Sky coverage seems strangely jumpy. How excited is it possible to get about these early group stages, even when you’re a drooling fan or Paul Merson? This at least should be a decent game. I’m genuinely curious about Arteta playing for Arsenal. I’m also Dortmund-curious and expecting big things from Gotze. I have it on good authority Germany is currently churning out an alarming excess of really good young players. Compulsory academies: it’s the key. And not the kind of academies where you still get shouted at and told to hoof it but in slightly more expensive surroundings and with isotonic drinks. 7.36pm: Paul Broadwater… Now this is the right kind of email. “Though this will sound like the most unattractive bout of arse kissing ever, Barney, thank you very much despite producing just the preamble so far tonight – some common sense and perspective from a journalist…” and so it goes on for a bit. More of that kind of thing. Note: it’s never unattractive. 7.33pm: Liam Mosley fancies crisis-club Arsenal tonight. “I know Arsenal have hardly set the world alight but the price for them to win 16/5 does seem a bit generous. Dortmund have not met the high standards of last season and are relative novices at this level. Worth the price of a pint surely? Or if you are me two pints.” It’s a loud, angry, swinging kind of ground. Never an easy place to go, the BVB Stadion. And Arsenal have a very open-looking team tonight. They’re not here for a draw. Hello and welcome to live coverage of Arsenal ‘s trip to Borussia Dortmund . It’s a tricky group F opener for crisis club Arsenal (who are not in crisis), their under-pressure manager Arsene Wenger (who is not under pressure) and his end-of-window panic signings (NB all experienced international players) as their season lurches (note: season not lurching) into another calamitous and potentially fatal non-fatal, fairly low-key… well, you get the point. This feels a bit like a game on two levels. On a sensible level it is a very interesting match-up with the youthful German champions, who are coming on a bit like an Arsenal 2.0, all thrusting, prancing ball-playing home made product and a charismatic and innovative coach. On an insensible level this has suddenly become a vital match, for reasons of perception above all. Wenger has become a story. A kind of ersatz pressure is being summoned up out of not that much. And Arsenal desperately need to get to the knockout stages, not for reasons of finance, or to break new ground, or because they’ve got any hope of winning the thing, but to arrest a perception of genuine decline. Of course, there is a bit of decline. A front line of Gervinho, Benayoun, Walcott and Van Persie is so-so, but it’s not what it once was. I like the Arteta signing though: he is a wonderful player, plus it’s a fascinating notion, that he can make the step up to a higher level at 29. Don’t see why not. There are even some things he does better than Fabregas. Also, Mertesacker is a good signing: I believe he will be a triumph. He’s slow apparently, but then so are John Terry, Jamie Carragher, Gary Cahill, Chris Samba and Carlos Puyol. So was Bobby Moore. The idea with a centre half is not to do that much running around in the first place. Anyway, enough ranting. Here are the teams: Borussia Dortmund Weidenfeller, Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer, Bender, Kehl, Gotze, Kagawa, Grosskreutz, Lewandowski. Subs Langerak, Da Silva, Zidan, Blaszczykowski, Gundogan, Felipe Santana, Perisic. Arsenal Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Song, Arteta, Walcott, Benayoun, Gervinho, van Persie. Subs Fabianski, Park, Andre Santos, Djourou, Arshavin, Frimpong, Chamakh. Champions League Champions League 2011-12 Arsenal Borussia Dortmund Barney Ronay guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were detained for entering country illegally, along with Sarah Shourd who was freed last year Two Americans sentenced in Iran to eight years in jail for espionage and illegally crossing the border are set for release on bail, their lawyer said on Tuesday. News of the deal came after Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, revealed in separate interviews with two US media organisations that Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, both 29, who had already been held for two years, will be able to return home in the next few days. In an interview with the semi-official Fars news agency, lawyer Masoud Shafii later confirmed Ahmadinejad’s remarks over Iran’s decision to release the two men, saying they are expected to be freed after paying $500,000 (£316,000) in bail money. The pair were arrested by Iranian security officials in July 2009 along with a friend, Sarah Shourd, 33, after walking across an unmarked border between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan. Last September, in a similar move and with the same amount of bail, Shourd who became engaged to Bauer while in jail, was released on health grounds. “The families of these two Americans and the Swiss embassy which hosts the US interests section in Tehran have been informed of this issue and Bauer and Fattal can leave Iran similar to Sara Shourd,” Fars added. The Washington Post quoted president Ahmadinejad as saying that Bauer and Fattal were granted a “unilateral pardon”. “I am helping to arrange for their release in a couple of days so they will be able to return home,” he told the paper in an interview in Tehran. “This is of course going to be a unilateral humanitarian gesture.” The US network NBC, which also interviewed the president on the same day, said the Americans will be released in two days. Ahmadinejad appears to be crediting himself for their expected release ahead of his visit to New York for the UN general assembly meeting later this month. In August, an Iranian court sentenced the two men each to three years for illegally entering Iran and a further five years for spying for US intelligence services. Their lawyer lodged an appeal against the sentences and Amnesty International said their conviction made a “mockery of justice”. The court’s verdict was at odds with earlier comments made by Iran’s foreign ministry officials who said before the trial that they would be freed. The contrast highlighted a growing rift between Iran’s judiciary, which is close to the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Ahmadinejad’s government. It is not clear why Iran has finally decided to grant them an apparent clemency but international pressure and Iran’s isolation in the region could be factors. A deal might also have been made in exchange for the lifting of the travel ban on Fereidoun Abbasi-Davani, the head of Iran’s atomic energy agency. The offer to release the Americans comes two days after Iran’s nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said Iran is ready to resume nuclear talks with the EU. It might be an attempt by Iran to reduce tensions with the US and other powers involved in negotiations over its nuclear programme. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, said on Monday he was “increasingly concerned” over Iran’s nuclear activities, which the west worries might have military dimensions. Iran says it wants nuclear energy for producing electricity. Iran Middle East United States Saeed Kamali Dehghan guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
More than 160 people, including children, injured as train hits bus on level crossing in suburb of Buenos Aires At least seven people were killed in a rush-hour crash involving two passenger trains and a bus in Argentina on Tuesday, authorities said. Police said 162 people were injured, many seriously, and were being treated at hospitals around Buenos Aires after the bus driver drove through barriers at a crossing in an attempt to beat the trains and get across the tracks. Argentina’s transport secretary, JP Schiavi, said the bus driver was among those killed. The vehicle was hit by an oncoming train as it attempted to cross the tracks and was crushed into a nearby platform. The train was shunted off the tracks, hitting another as it prepared to leave the station in the opposite direction. The force of the arriving train reduced the bus to a fraction of its width. Helicopters helped carry the injured to at least seven hospitals. Schiavi said children were among those injured in the accident, which happened at 6.15am (9.15am GMT) next to Flores station, where many parents use public transport to take their children to school. The transport secretary said the barriers at the crossing appeared to be functioning normally, but reporters at the scene said some witnesses had reported that one had descended only part of the way down, leaving room for the bus to try to drive across the tracks despite warning bells. Schiavi said investigators were studying videotape of the accident to determine exactly what happened. Argentina Rail transport guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
‘Many tens of thousands’ of items discovered by News of the World publisher that could contain evidence of phone hacking The publisher of the News of the World has found “many tens of thousands” of new documents and emails that could contain evidence about the scale of phone hacking at the paper, it has emerged. News International subsidiary News Group Newspapers’ barrister Michael Silverleaf QC told the high court at a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday: “Two very large new caches of documents have been [discovered] which the current management were unaware of.” NGN was ordered in the summer to search its internal email system for any evidence that mobile phones belonging to a list of public figures were targeted by the paper. That search has not been completed, but some documents have already been retrieved, the high court heard. Referring to the emails that NGN has been searching through, Mr Justice Vos told the high court that “there is some important material in what has already been disclosed”. It also emerged today that lawyers acting for phone-hacking claimants have been a handed a 68-page document by police which lists the names of those who asked Mulcaire to engage in hacking, based on notes seized from the home of private investigator Glenn Mulcaire in a 2006 raid. Mulcaire had a habit of noting the names of people who asked him to target mobile phones in the left-hand corner of his notebooks, often using their initials or first name to denote their identity. The document cannot be made public because Vos has previously ordered that they remain confidential so the police inquiry into phone-hacking is not compromised. The fact the document compiled by Scotland Yard runs to 68 pages suggests it contains many names, however. Mr Justice Vos also gave NGN longer to comply with the earlier order requiring the company to hand over potential evidence to phone-hacking litigants. It must now do so by 30 September. NGN has previously said last year that it had lost some emails from the period when Glenn Mulcaire was most active, but subsequently said they had been found. However, the Commons home affairs select committee was told last week by HCL, which managed the IT systems of NGN’s ultimate parent company News Corp, that its client had asked it to to delete hundreds of thousands of emails on 13 occasions from April 2010 to July this year. It also emerged today that Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator who worked for the paper, has told one alleged phone-hacking victim, Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, that he cannot remember who at the paper ordered him to target the politician’s phone. Hughes launched legal action against the paper’s publisher in August and won a high court order forcing Mulcaire to answer questions about who asked him to target his phone. Although Mulcaire has now complied with that order, Hugh Tomlinson QC, one of the barristers acting for the phone-hacking victims, told the court today: “Mr Mulcaire has indicated in respect of every question raised that he has no recollection.” •
Continue reading …
Labour leader calls for ‘meaningful negotiation to prevent further confrontation’ in address to union delegates Ed Miliband was heckled by delegates at the TUC conference as he triggered trade union anger by describing strikes over public sector pension reforms as “a mistake”. In his first speech to the TUC as the Labour leader, Miliband stood firm on his position despite widespread unhappiness with his criticism of the industrial action on 30 June, when three education unions and one civil servants’ union joined forces in a mass walkout. Unions are gearing up for more industrial action in the autumn, which could involve huge numbers of public sector workers. The head of Unison, Dave Prentis, warned that a ballot of more than 1 million public sector workers was becoming inevitable because negotiators could not meet government deadline for reforming pensions. Some unions – possibly led by Unison – are widely expected to declare their intention to ballot when they take part in a debate on public sector pensions at the conference on Wednesday. But in a a speech later described as “brave” by the leader of one of the major unions, Miliband stuck to his guns, saying strikes were the wrong response to talks with the government which, unions say, are close to collapse. The Labour leader said the government had set about reform “in completely the wrong way” and he understood why millions of public sector workers felt angry. However, he added: “While negotiations were going on, I do believe it was a mistake for strikes to happen. I continue to believe that. But what we need now is meaningful negotiation to prevent further confrontation over the autumn.” Miliband faced further dissent from the floor during a 20-minute question-and-answer session with delegates after Janice Godrich, the president of the Public and Commercial Services Union, challenged him to “stand up on the side of hundreds and thousands of workers whose pensions are under attack”. Godrich reminded Miliband that the former Labour cabinet minister Alan Johnson, who struck a pensions deal with public sector unions in 2005, had said the outcome was “fair and reasonable” and the National Audit Office had recently concluded that public sector pensions “are affordable”. To applause, she challenged him to back further industrial action, saying: “Will you defend the negotiated settlement we agreed, and will you support trade unionists taking industrial action to defend that deal?” Miliband agreed that the Johnson deal “was a good agreement”, but went on to say that, “while this may not be popular with everybody in the room”, the John Hutton report on pensions was a “decent report” that looked at important issues. This included its call for the government to engage in meaningful negotiations with the unions. “That is what should be happening,” Miliband said to jeers. “What I’m going to say is that the best thing that can be done is to avoid industrial action happening by a government willing to properly negotiate. That is what needs to happen.” Mary Bousted, the leader of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers – one of three education unions that took strike action in June – told Miliband: “Just for information, the government are not prepared to negotiate. “All they are prepared to do is negotiate how to implement the changes they have decided. There are no real negotiations going on. We can give you chapter and verse about that.” The Labour party’s biggest donor, the Unite union, played down the impact of Miliband’s “mistake” line. Len McCluskey, the Unite general secretary, said: “I thought we saw a man there who was demonstrating that he wants to be on our side.” Nonetheless, McCluskey said Unite was preparing for mass strike action featuring more than 1 million workers, with the prospect that industrial action by a “community of resistance” will also take place next year. Asked whether Unite, which has 250,000 public sector members, would ballot workers, he said: “I think it is inevitable.” And questioned on whether strikes would take place next year, he said: “Without a shadow of a doubt. We are planning for it to be a long dispute.” Miliband also drew shouts of “shame” and disagreement when he defended academy schools in his constituency, which he said had made a big difference to education standards. The Labour leader also used his speech to urge unions to raise their game and show their relevance in meeting future challenges. Highlighting the fact that just 15% of the private sector workforce is unionised, compared with over half of the public sector workforce, he told unions they needed to change “if that is to change”. He said: “Unions can offer businesses the prospect of better management, better relationships, as you did during the recession. Of course the right to industrial action will be necessary, as a last resort. “But in truth, strikes are always the consequence of failure. Failure on all sides. Failure we cannot afford as a nation. Instead, your real role is as partners in the new economy.” Miliband drew applause for other parts of his speech, including his insistence that he would “resist” any attempt to break the link between the trade union movement and the Labour party. The three million trade union levy payers were a “huge asset” to the party, he said, adding: “They should never ever feel like passive or unwanted members of our movement. I want them to feel part of it.” Miliband made clear that a Labour government, committed to halving the deficit in four years, would also make cuts. “Like our plans for a 12% cut in the police budget – not the 20% being implemented by this government,” he said. “Like cuts to the road programme. And, yes, reforms of some benefits, too.” Miliband also called for a living wage for young people, and attacked the high level of executive pay. Union leaders gave a mixed reaction to his performance. Paul Kenny, the leader of the GMB, said: “I have to give him credit for his courage in coming here and speaking frankly to us. What comes across is that he is not ashamed of the trade union links to the Labour party.” But Bob Crow, the general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: “Ed Miliband needs to decide just whose side he is on. “Criticising teachers and other workers taking strike action to defend jobs, services and pensions alienates core Labour supporters in their hundreds of thousands and is a political suicide mission. “You can’t play political games when workers are facing the biggest all-out attack on their rights and their livelihoods since the war. A Labour leader who doesn’t stand by the workers is on a one-way ticket to oblivion.” Asked about the prospect of Labour considering public ownership of the railways, Miliband said “all options”, including mutual, public and private ownership, should be considered. Miliband won the biggest applause when he attacked the “closed circle” of people who sit on company remuneration committees handing out pay and bonuses. Ed Miliband TUC Trade unions Labour Public sector pensions Public services policy Bob Crow Teaching Schools Hélène Mulholland Dan Milmo guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
News Corp boss to face fresh questions about whether he knew News of the World hacking went further than one reporter James Murdoch is to be recalled to give evidence to MPs on the Commons culture, media and sport select committee following a vote on Tuesday. Murdoch, who oversees News International as deputy chief operating officer of News Corporation, will face fresh questions about whether he knew that phone-hacking at the News of the World went wider than one “rogue reporter”. The date of his appearance has not yet been finalised, but it is understood that he could appear in November. Murdoch insists he was not told about the existence of an email sent by a News of the World reporter marked “for Neville”, which is understood to have been a reference to Neville Thurlbeck, who was the paper’s chief reporter. That suggested phone hacking was not the work of a single reporter, as the company claimed until recently. Colin Myler, the former editor of the paper, and Tom Crone, its head of legal, told MPs last week that they told Murdoch about the email and said that is why he approved an out-of-court settlement of £700,000 including costs to Gordon Taylor, the former chief executive of the PFA. Murdoch told MPs in July that he did not know about the email and was not shown it or informed of its existence. In a statment last week he reiterated that was the case. A News Corp spokeswoman said: “We await details of the commitee’s request, however James Murdoch is happy to appear in front of the committee again to answer any further questions members might have.” •
Continue reading …
London Underground drivers get one-off payment and extra money for late and long shifts during Olympic Games Tube passengers are set to escape the threat of strike action during next year’s Olympics after London Underground (LU) bosses reached a deal with train drivers. Under the terms of the deal, negotiated with unions led by Aslef and the RMT, all tube drivers will receive a one-off payment of £500 and will be paid more during the Games if they work shifts that finish after 1.30am or last more than eight hours. LU’s managing director, Mike Brown, said the agreement was a “good deal” for drivers and thousands of Olympic spectators. “LU is committed to ensuring that the train service we provide contributes to the successful operation of the Games and I am pleased that we and the unions have been able to engage in constructive dialogue to reach this agreement,” he said. The deal covers the period from 27 July to 9 September. LU, part of the mayor’s Transport for London authority, did not confirm whether the deal contained a no-strike agreement, under which unions would agree that all disputes that arise during the Olympics are referred to the Acas conciliation service. Network Rail, the owner of Britain’s tracks and stations, included such a clause in its Olympics pay deal, which included a one-off payment and effectively saw off the threat of strikes during the Games. LU said talks over a wider pay deal were continuing. An Olympics deal with drivers was considered vital by LU and the mayor’s office because it is one of the staff groups that has enough industrial muscle to bring one of the capital’s main transport arteries to a halt. London Rail transport Transport Trade unions Olympic Games 2012 Dan Milmo guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Foundation trust gets warning notice after critical report into Furness general hospital’s maternity services The hospital trust at the centre of a police investigation into baby deaths has been issued with a warning notice by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) watchdog to improve within two months or be closed down. The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS foundation trust runs Furness general hospital in Cumbria, where nine-day-old Joshua Titcombe died in November 2008. Cumbria police are investigating the deaths of other babies as well as Joshua’s. The CQC issued a highly critical report on the hospital’s maternity services on Friday. It also handed the trust a warning notice detailing the improvements to be made and setting a deadline. An inquest in June ruled that Joshua died of natural causes but that midwives repeatedly missed opportunities to spot and treat a serious infection. The Cumbria coroner, Ian Smith, said staff had not listened to the baby’s parents and had failed to record proper notes and to spot that the baby was becoming seriously ill. Despite concerns being raised by his parents, midwives did not call in a doctor for some time, the hearing was told. It also heard that Joshua would have had at least an 80% chance of recovery if antibiotics had been given at birth. Joshua’s father, James Titcombe, said at the time that the inquest had been “thorough” and it would help the family move on. The trust admitted Joshua had been “let down”. Police said in a statement on Friday: “Cumbria police is continuing an investigation into a number of deaths that occurred after mothers and infants received care at the maternity unit in Furness general hospital. The investigation began following the death of Joshua Titcombe and detectives have now widened their investigation to include a number of other deaths. “The enquiries are detailed and complex so it is too early to determine exactly which of these cases, or how many others, the investigation may include as it progresses.” The cases being investigated by police are understood to include those of Niran Aukhaj and her baby, who both died in April 2008; Nittaya Hendrickson and her baby Chester, who both died in July 2008; and baby Alex Brady, who died in September 2008. Hendrickson, originally from Thailand, was admitted to the hospital on 31 July 2008 and her baby was induced. Minutes after her waters broke, she had a fit. Doctors were called but she had another fit and died shortly afterwards. An inquest ruled that she died of natural causes. It was discovered that baby Chester had suffered severe brain damage due to a lack of oxygen during the birth. Hendrickson’s husband, Carl, 44, from Ulverston, said: “Our family has been absolutely devastated by the death of Nittaya and Chester. My son Conrad has lost a wonderful mother. They were so close and he is so like her, it is as if she has poured herself into him. “Relations with Nittaya’s family in Thailand have also been damaged. Her family can’t accept her death without knowing the full facts and I still can’t give them the answers they need. I have been saying there were serious issues at the maternity unit of Furness general hospital for over three years. Although the media coverage is upsetting for me and Conrad, I do feel vindicated.” The trust said there had been “vast improvements” since 2008 and action plans had been submitted to the CQC. But during unannounced inspections in July this year the commission identified “major concerns” with staffing levels, risk management and outdated facilities at the hospital. NHS Health Helen Carter guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …