The TUC has criticised ministers for refusing to discuss proposals to save the Agricultural Wages Board.Unions have criticised ministers for refusing to discuss proposals to save the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB), during the final debate on the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill last night (16 April.)The AWB for England and Wales brings together employers and unions to set wages and conditions for 150,000 agricultural employees. It was abolished, without a vote after the government guillotined a debate in the House of Commons yesterday.TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said:"This Bill is a direct attack on agricultural workers and has been sped through the House without any proper debate on its likely impact."The government's own figures show that getting rid of the AWB could see wages in the agricultural industry fall by £13 million, with many farm workers and their families strongly relying upon it to stay above the breadline."We are also worried that removing the minimum sick pay entitlements set by the board will mean that farm workers will return from illness before they are properly fit. Agriculture accounts for a quarter of all workplace deaths with 41 people killed last year alone."Julia Long, national officer for agriculture for the Unite union described the AWB as having"been effective in the last 65 years in protecting the incomes of some of the lowest paid workers in the country.""Supermarkets and the growers, who supply them, are behind the Agricultural Wages Board’s abolition proposal as they want to drive down workers’ wages to poverty levels”, she said.[Ekk/4]

JOHANNESBURG -; The small plane carrying only its American pilot disappeared 10 days ago just miles from a refueling stop at a West African island in the middle of a tropical storm of thunder and ...

This architectural wonderment will rival the Statue of Liberty, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Gateway to the West.Contact: Dean Brown, 417-414-0850BRANSON, Mo., April 17, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- A humble 80 year old retired mid-west executive put his entire retirement income on the line to purchase an Ozark mountain top outside of Branson, Missouri. He fought to obtain the necessary permits to construct one of the world's largest crosses and was successful obtaining the permits Source: Images At The Cross

Diocese of Christchurch has voted to take the next step towards a dramatic redrawing of its map. The diocese met in a special synod on April 13-14, ...

[Anglican Taonga] The Diocese of Christchurch, meeting in a special synod April 12-13, has given overwhelming endorsement to the most modern of the three concepts for a new Cathedral in the Square. The synod heard a presentation from the Cathedral Project Group and Warren& Mahoney about the three cathedral options - restored, traditional or contemporary. Bishop Victoria Matthews asked some ...

How is this different than Kermit Gosnell's"House of Horrors"?Followers of Christ must be more consistent in our ethics of war as understood in the context of God's kingdom. The Boston bombings were a tragedy. Whether first responders were targeted remains unproven, but what if they were? Is it intrinsically evil to target American first responders as opposed to the Pakistani ...

Continuing his catechesis on the Creed, Pope Francis focused on the significance of Christ's Ascension into heaven during his weekly General Audience in St. Peter's Square. An estimated 50,000 faithful were present at the audience according the Holy See Press ...

Where does human respect live?';), Thomas Clark proves my point. Unable to refute what I actually said -- that there is a correlation between human rights and the secularity of society -- he goes off somewhere else and rebuts a letter I never wrote. Nowhere did I say that human rights were';invented in Stockholm yesterday.'; Clark mentions Mother Teresa. It’s true that ...

VATICAN CITY, April 12 (CNA/EWTN News) .- The last month of papal transition meant that the employees of the Vatican's Secretariat of State worked long hours, so Pope Francis decided that he would offer his heartfelt thanks by making a personal visit."Why am I here today? To thank you, because I know that these days - tomorrow marks one month - you have worked a lot more, many hours ...

YACUBIA, Syria -- As explosions rang out in the distance, some 50 believers in a small church in this rural western village bowed their heads in prayer. The ancient church has remained almost entirely intact despite months of heavy fighting between government forces and the Free Syrian Army. The only scar is the absence of a large cross that once adorned the steeple. It lies in the roof's ...

“Celebrity Wife Swap”gives viewers and participants a chance to answer the age-old question: Is the grass truly greener on the other side?

VATICAN CITY, April 12, 2013 (Zenit.org) - Here is the text of Pope Francis' address yesterday to the members of the Papal Foundation on their annual pilgrimage to Rome.* * *Dear Friends,I am pleased to meet the members of The Papal Foundation during your pilgrimage to Rome, and I thank Cardinal Wuerl for his kind words. I very much appreciate your prayers as I begin my ministry as the ...

In First Chrism Mass Homily, Pontiff Reflects on Priestly MinistryBy Junno Arocho EstevesVATICAN CITY, March 28, 2013 (Zenit.org) - In his homily for the first Chrism Mass of his pontificate, Pope Francis reflected on the image of anointing and the priesthood. The Holy Father began his homily by greeting the priests who were present at the Mass, which he said,"recalls the day of your ...

The Pope told priests that if they"anoint" others by bringing the grace of God to their everyday realities, they will be strengthened in their priesthood."A good priest can be recognized by the way his people are anointed," said Pope Francis during the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass at which oils that will be used in the sacraments are blessed."When our people are anointed ...

American Jewish Committee Director Speaks on Pontiff's Role in Interfaith DialogueBy Anita BourdinROME, March 21, 2013 (Zenit.org) - As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, was well known in his efforts in fostering dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Jewish Community of Argentina.After ...