Greece's coalition government has said it will use emergency powers to prevent teachers from disrupting university entrance exams as part of their planned strike this month.

The Government had its first major defeat of its EU presidency when members of the European Parliament rejected a deal on greenhouse gas emissions, jeopardising the union’s climate policy.

Workers across the European Union have sought to present a united front against rampant unemployment and government spending cuts with a string of strikes and demonstrations across the region.

Hundreds of thousands of people across Europe joined demonstrations or went on strike today as they demanded that governments stop cutting benefits and create more employment.

Workers aimed to present a united front against unemployment and government spending cuts with strikes and demonstrations across the EU today.

European trade unions said EU policies to create jobs had worsened working conditions and weakened the economy.

Greece’s coalition leaders have once again postponed a crucial meeting on new cutbacks, despite intense international pressure for Athens to bite the austerity bullet if it wants to avoid bankruptcy.

Greece was fighting to avoid economic disaster tonight amid political stalemate, nationwide strikes and controversial claims that the country could leave the eurozone without triggering a single currency crisis.

EU finance ministers were warned tonight to abandon “brutal austerity” as the answer to the sovereign debt crisis and instead give struggling countries a chance to restore collapsing economies.

The European Commission was slammed by the unions tonight for backing away from a new tax on every transaction between banks and finance houses in Europe.

“Austerity” is a useful word in Europe – it translates easily.

Tens of thousands of workers took to the streets of European cities today to protest at job cuts, public spending reductions and tax rises.

Britain's chancellor George Osborne will today endorse sweeping European supervisory powers over banks and financial institutions in response to the economic crisis.

I FIND it highly irresponsible that Cóir should deliberately try to derail an informed debate on the Lisbon Treaty.

LISTENING to various commentators rehash the same opposing arguments concerning the second Lisbon vote is like rewatching an old film, and not a very good one.

THE scattergun attack by Michael O’Driscoll on all and sundry on the EU and workers’ rights entirely misses the target (Letters, August 10).

SO the ruling class believes that rejecting the project of the ruling class, the Lisbon Treaty, was damaging to Ireland’s interests (Irish Examiner, July 27).

British prime minister Gordon Brown will offer new British plans for tighter banking controls today as the blueprint for the rest of the world.

EU leaders were last night inching towards agreeing a €5 billion package to help stimulate economies, including €110 million for an Irish electricity interconnector — €10m more than originally planned.

Unions fighting the threat of cheap labour from migrant workers from new EU member states won the latest round of a legal battle over equal pay today.

European Union states must include strong clauses to defend workers' rights in the new Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) regulation providing trade benefits for developing countries, representatives of the international trade union movement declared in Brussels.

EUROPE should ensure its employment policies enhance social inclusion as well as creating more and better jobs, a meeting with the EU social partners agreed yesterday.

WE should all support the call by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) for a European day of action on April 2/3, when hundreds of thousands of citizens are expected to demonstrate in support a democracy, justice, equality, tolerance and freedom across our continent.

The Irish Farmers Association has reiterated its support for a 'Yes' vote in this Saturday's re-run of the Nice Treaty referendum.

Belgian police have arrested 40 anti-globalisation protesters near Brussels city centre.

At least 7,000 protestors have marched in Belgium as European Union finance ministers meet to discuss the economic fallout from the US terror attacks.