Labelled tableaux are extensions of semantic tableaux with annotations (labels, indices) whose main function is to enrich the modal object language with semantic elements. This paper consists of three parts. In the first part we consider some options for labels: simple constant labels vs labels with free variables, logic depended inference rules vs labels manipulation based on a label algebra. In the second and third part we concentrate on a particular labelled tableaux system called KEM using free variable and a specialised label algebra. Specifically in the second part we show how labelled tableaux (KEM) can account for different types of logics (e.g., non-normal modal logics and conditional logics). In the third and final part we investigate the relative complexity of labelled tableaux systems and we show that the uses of KEM's label algebra can lead to speed up on proofs.