Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Flack for Fox over Soviet slur on Jezza
RATTLED Tories have been urged to “focus on their job” after trying to launch another slur against Jeremy Corbyn.
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox accused Mr Corbyn of being “useful” to the Soviet Union in the Cold War.
He stepped up the attack days after Tory vicechairman Ben Bradley had to apologise for an earlier slur on the Labour leader.
Dr Fox told the BBC: “I certainly think the Labour left were the Soviet Union’s useful idiots in that period.”
He claimed Mr Corbyn and others caused harm as they “undermined the arguments of the West”.
Labour urged: “Liam Fox should focus on his job, and not give credence to claims everyone knows are false and ridiculous.” THE number of workplace sexual harassment complaints here has risen by almost a third in the past five years.
The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland said it was “relatively common” and affected all sorts of employers.
The watchdog advised all firms to have a clear policy, properly implemented and made known to all staff.
Its chief Dr Michael Wardlow added: “The Commission has seen the number of calls to our discrimination advice team by people who believe they have experienced sexual harassment at work rise by 31% over the last five years.”
In 2012/13, 110 calls were recorded to the discrimination advice line by people who believed they had experienced sexual harassment at work.
That rose to 144 last year. Dr Wardlow said: “Our advice is that all employers should have a clear policy on what behaviour is acceptable in the workplace and what is not.
“And as soon as a claim of sexual harassment is made employers must investigate thoroughly and sensitively, implementing any appropriate follow-up action.
“We provide advice to employers to help them comply with the law and we can also advise and help people who believe they’ve experienced sexual harassment at work.
“It is clear from our work and the work of others that sexual harassment is still an issue in Northern Ireland.”
In an unrelated blog post, the Commission said sexual harassment happened in fast food outlets, care homes, service stations, phone shops, corner shops, banks and laboratories.
It added: “Sexual harassment at work in Northern Ireland is, unfortunately,