Andy Burnham has opened the door to a fresh Labour leadership battle, saying he would take on Prime Minister Keir Starmer if he secures victory in the Makerfield bye-election later this month. The Greater Manchester mayor said Labour, despite being in government, requires a fundamental reset as it struggles in the opinion polls. Burnham made the remarks during a BBC debate alongside other candidates contesting the parliamentary seat in northern England. Starmer, whose approval ratings rank among the weakest for a British…

Zimbabwe’s opposition politics and civil society circles are mourning the death of Linda Masarira, an outspoken human rights activist and party leader, who has died aged 43. Masarira founded and led the Labour Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) in 2019. Tributes have begun to pour in from those who worked alongside her. Close friend Abigale Mupambi remembered Masarira as a “comrade to many,” reflecting the breadth of her relationships across activism and political organising. Over the past decade, Masarira became…

Andy Burnham has been confirmed as Labour’s candidate for the Makerfield by-election, setting the stage for a closely watched contest with implications far beyond the constituency. Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee is understood to have shortlisted only the Greater Manchester mayor, removing the need for a vote by local party members. That decision tees up a battle between Mr Burnham and Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon, a local plumber who fought the seat for the party in 2024. Mr Burnham has presented his candidacy as…

Live Pressure mounts on Starmer as Labour unrest shows no sign of easing UK

Live Labour says it will place Britain back at the 'heart of Europe' Politics

A bruising night awaits UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Labour, with the expected scale of Thursday’s losses already spawning its own grim shorthand: "Starmergeddon". The term captures both the depth of the setback forecast for Britain’s governing party and the pressure set to fall squarely on the prime minister. Voters are choosing members of the devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales, as well as filling about 5,000 local authority seats across England, and Labour is widely expected to come away wounded. The…

Saturday May 2, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s labour movement marked International Labour Day in Mogadishu on Saturday with a gathering of more than 1,000 people, turning the occasion into a public display of worker solidarity and shared purpose. The commemoration was hosted by the Federation of Somali Trade Unions, with backing from the International Labour Organization, and formed part of the National Conference on Employment-Intensive Investment and Decent Work. Senior government officials, labour representatives, and…

The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation has sounded the alarm over a widening wealth gap across the continent, warning that economic gains are increasingly captured by a small elite while large numbers of workers grapple with rising living costs and shrinking opportunities.

Teachers have thrown their weight behind civil servants’ demands for higher wages, giving the government 14 days to act or risk major disruptions to the upcoming school term. Their warning follows April salary adjustments that public sector workers have rejected as inadequate. "The current salary structure does not reflect the cost of living, which is largely indexed in USD. Our members' conclusion is clear: there was no meaningful increment in real terms," said Tapedza Zhou, Secretary General of the Educators Union of…

Hospitals across Zimbabwe were thrown into turmoil as nurses walked off the job, leaving wards understaffed and patients without care, in a push for higher wages and allowances. At Parirenyatwa hospital, operations slowed to a near standstill, with student nurses drafted into critical units to keep services running. The walkout erupted just days after a similar action at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital. Nurses said their frustrations have intensified following recent fuel price hikes that have sent transport costs soaring.…