PRESS DIGEST- Financial Times - Jan 8

Jan 8 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Financial Times. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Headlines

MERKEL OFFERS CAMERON LIMITED SUPPORT

(http://on.ft.com/1BAWUWm)

TUC SAYS 250,000 WORKERS PAID LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE

(http://on.ft.com/1DnxGgj)

BANK OF ENGLAND REFORMS ON RIGHT TRACK, SAYS ANDREW TYRIE

(http://on.ft.com/143xH9v)

CONSERVATIVE PARTY ON DEFENSIVE OVER NHS PROBLEMS

(http://on.ft.com/1w1ow0h)

Overview

German chancellor Angela Merkel refused to endorse David Cameron's demand for a European treaty change, offering only limited support for the Prime Minister's bid to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU.

The Trades Union Congress wants tougher penalties for employers who repeatedly flout the law after the congress estimated a quarter of a million UK workers are being paid less than the legal minimum wage.

Andrew Tyrie, one of the fiercest critics of Bank of England governance, says the institution now has the structures in place to avoid some of the failings it demonstrated during the financial crisis.

British Prime Minister David Cameron was put on the defensive after the opposition party highlighted figures that showed the worst performance by emergency departments in England's hospitals since 2004.

(Compiled by Aurindom Mukherjee)