[Onthebarricades] South Africa mass strike + Sweden, Vietnam

Wed Jun 13 06:54:11 PDT 2007

http://libcom.org/news/south-africa-massive-strike-spreads-13th-day-13062007
South Africa: 'Massive' strike spreads on 13th day

June 13th, 2007 by Joseph K. 

A nationwide public sector strike by hundreds of thousands of workers has shut down schools, courts and hospitals in a bitter dispute over pay that has seen the army deployed against pickets.

Today thousands of workers have joined one of the largest strikes in South African history. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) - which is a partner in the ANC government - has called for a one-day solidarity strike today from public and private sector workers as the ongoing pay dispute enters its 13th day.

Reports say that Durban, South Africa's major port has ground to a halt as bus and taxi drivers joined the strike while mass marches are planned across the country, prompting the government to warn it will use the army to 'prevent violence.'

Cosatu is demanding at least a 10% pay rise, while the government is offering 7.25%, revised from 6% before the strike action. With the rate of inflation at around 7% the pay 'rise' on offer is in fact a freeze after several years of falling real incomes.

On Friday 2,500 soldiers were deployed, firing rubber bullets at pickets. The government has so far sacked over 600 public health workers who are not allowed to strike under South African law, whilst it is withholding pay from the thousands of others talking action. Cosatu has said the strike will not end until such threats are withdrawn.

http://libcom.org/news/sweden-wildcat-strikes-break-out-mines-10052007

Sweden: Wildcat strikes break out in mines
tags: 
  a.. manufacturing and materials 
  b.. Western Europe 
  c.. mining 
  d.. strikes 
  e.. Sweden 
  f.. wildcat strikes 
May 10th, 2007 by John. 

Miners at Sweden's state-owned mining company LKAB started the unsanctioned walkout on Monday, and on Tuesday morning work was at a standstill in Kiruna, in the far north of Sweden.

Harry Rantakyrö, chairman of the mineworkers' union told thelocal.se "In Malmberget [in Lappland] there was a complete stoppage in the mines last night. And I have not heard anything other than that it will continue today."

Rantakyrö said he will contact LKAB management on Tuesday and pass on the miners' demands for continued wage negotiations at the local level. Rantakyrö called on the striking miners to return to work, but he said there was little hope of them doing so without measures from the management.

"The members have said that without negotiations resuming they will not return to work," he said.

The miners are demanding rises of 4,000 kronor (US$594) a month. The company offered them 800 kronor. LKAB's management said the demand was unreasonable, and said that as far as it was concerned local wage negotiations had been concluded.

We at libcom are unaware of how the dispute progressed. Anyone with information please contact us.

http://libcom.org/news/1-000-vietnamese-shrimp-processing-workers-strike-10062007

1,000 Vietnamese shrimp processing workers on strike
tags: 
  a.. Asia 
  b.. retail and food 
  c.. strikes 
  d.. Vietnam 
June 10th, 2007 by Ed 

Nearly 1,000 workers have gone on strike to protest a wage cut at a Singaporean shrimp processing factory in Vietnam.

According to wire agency AFP, the workers at Amanda Foods are protesting against the company's decision to cut salaries to S$37.50 (600,000 dong) a month. Manual labourers in Vietnam typically earn around S$50 a month.

The report quoted the chairman of the local labour federation, Doan Van Day, as saying he is "working with the company management to find an appropriate solution to the conflict".

The company's office in Singapore, when contacted by Channel NewsAsia, said the directors were not available for comment. It said "they're neither in Singapore nor Vietnam at the moment".

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/s1946707.htm

      Last Updated 08/06/2007, 22:33:49 Select text size:    
Vietnamese shrimp workers strike over wage cut 

Nearly 1,000 Vietnamese workers are on strike to protest against a wage cut at a Singaporean shrimp processing factory in the south of the country.

The Amanda Foods Company, in Dong Nai province, has decided to reduce the monthly salary to an average of $US37.

The chairman of the local labour federation says he is working with the company management to find an appropriate solution.

Vietnam has become a popular destination for foreign producers of footwear, textiles, food stuffs, electronics and automobiles. 

Labour unions independent of the ruling Communist Party are banned in Vietnam and industrial relations experts say that workplaces currently lack transparent arbitration mechanisms to settle labour disputes. 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/281062/1/.html

Workers at S'pore firm in Vietnam strike over pay dispute: report
By Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 June 2007 1951 hrs 

SINGAPORE: Nearly 1,000 workers have gone on strike to protest a wage cut at a Singaporean shrimp processing factory in Vietnam. 

According to wire agency AFP, the workers at Amanda Foods are protesting against the company's decision to cut salaries to S$37.50 (600,000 dong) a month. 

Manual labourers in Vietnam typically earn around S$50 a month. 

The report quoted the chairman of the local labour federation, Doan Van Day, as saying he is "working with the company management to find an appropriate solution to the conflict". 

The company's office in Singapore, when contacted by Channel NewsAsia, said the directors were not available for comment. 

It said "they're neither in Singapore nor Vietnam at the moment". - CNA/ir 

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