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    German workers won a key victory in their fight for a better work-life balance when a big employers’ group agreed to demands from the country’s largest trade union for the introduction of a 28-hour working week. The agreement between IG Metall, which represents a wide swath of industrial workers, and the Südwestmetall employers’ federation, shows how unions in Germany, that for years have been a model of wage restraint, are flexing their muscles in ways more typical of organised labour in France, home of the 35-hour working week. It also comes with Germany in the midst of its longest postwar stretch without a government and Angela Merkel struggling through her fifth month of coalition negotiations, raising questions about whether a country that once lectured Europe ...

    The Government's own analysis of the economic hit to GDP from a no deal Brexit would be 16% to North East England, Sky News can reveal. Northern Ireland could also face a GDP slump of 12% if Britain leaves the EU without a deal. Sky News can reveal the latest figures contained in the EU Exit Analysis - Cross Whitehall Briefing, which was controversially leaked last week. The losses are predicted to come over 15 years. It comes as the Cabinet tries to establish a common position on the Northern Ireland border in the crucial subcommittee meeting in Parliament on Wednesday. The SNP's Stephen Gethins asked her: "The Scottish Government analysis has shown that a 'no deal' scenario could cost Scotland up to 8.5% of GDP. Government analysis suggests that Northern Irela...

    The 27 remaining member states want to be able to act against the UK without having to go through a lengthy legal process. Brussels will have the power to punish the UK at will during the Brexit transition period by closing off parts of the single market to British companies, according to a leaked legal document drawn up by the EU. The use of focused sanctions to suspend certain benefits ... of the internal market, would give the EU the freedom to punish the UK without prematurely terminating the transition period and risking damage to its economic interests. The document does not stipulate what acts by the UK would lead to sanctions, but the EU has made it clear it is concerned that the British government could infringe the rights of its nationals living in the UK...