[Onthebarricades] Welfare state, workers and farmers protests October 2007

[Andy]

US:  Chicago students protest budget cuts

SCOTLAND:  Taxi drivers hold go-slow protest in Dundee

IRELAND:  Hundreds protest lack of firefighters in Bray

IRELAND:  Thousands attend Mayo hospital rally

IRELAND:  Farmers target EU over beef imports

BAHRAIN:  Mass clean-up in protest at government

ZIMBABWE:  Hundreds rally against water meters

ZIMBABWE:  Magistrates rally, strike over working conditions, unpaid wages

UK:  Thousands join rally for NHS

UK:  Music syat heads hospital closure protest

US:  Wisconsin teacher boycotts No Child Left Behind tests

US:  Taxi drivers protest against GPS

PAKISTAN:  Engineers’ strike grounds flights

BAHRAIN:  Teachers plan mass protest

ROMANIA:  Cattle farmers protest at parliament for subsidies

FRANCE:  Fishermen protest fuel prices, demand aid

BULGARIA:  Healthcare workers stage protest

ITALY:  Public sector strike over lack of funding

SOUTH AFRICA:  Abalone fishing ban reconsidered due to protests

INDIA:  Workers shave heads in pay protest

NICARAGUA:  Bread makers protest price restrictions


http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/602947,CST-NWS-julian14.article

Julian students protest teacher cuts
'NOT FAIR' | Violence last school year blamed for drop in enrollment
October 14, 2007
BY ANNIE SWEENEY AND ROSALIND ROSSI Staff Reporters
Students already wearied by the violence that touched Julian High last 
school year protested yet another upheaval Friday -- the dismissal of 10 
teachers because of a sharp drop in the number of students.
Enrollment at the South Side school has plummeted to 1,688, down 255 
students from last year, Chicago Public Schools officials said. Their 
preliminary guess was that a large block of freshmen who had been expected 
to attend Julian went elsewhere.
Some were quick to blame the succession of protests and news stories that 
followed the bus shooting that killed Julian honor student Blair Holt and 
injured four others.
Three Julian students and one teacher were killed last school year, all in 
incidents that occurred at least five blocks from Julian but still threw a 
cloud of tragedy over the school at 103rd and Elizabeth.
"Some kids are afraid to come to Julian because of the [Holt] shooting," one 
student protester, who asked not to be named, said Friday. "It's not fair. . 
. . It's a good school. It's a great school."
When word spread Thursday that 12 teachers were being cut -- a number CPS 
trimmed to 10 by Friday -- some students gathered in the halls in tears.
In addition, several training programs -- including fashion design -- were 
axed, and several student schedules had to be reworked a month into the new 
school year.
"We were confused something like this could happen all of the sudden," said 
Raven Coleman, a junior who led the Friday protest that included one banner 
reading "Save Our Teachers."
"We are tired of all the negative news. It's just like no one ever promotes 
anything good at our school. We worked so hard to get the programs . . . and 
now they are taking them away."
Raven, 16, said this school year started off on a good note. But the news 
about the loss of the popular teachers was too much to take.
Some students said the teachers created a sense of family. One student said 
her teacher loaned her a laptop so she could do her papers.
"These teachers, they try to relate to our situations," said Jameson Dixon, 
17, senior class vice president. Some teens "don't have role models at home. 
They bring you in as family. It is hard to let that go."
The cuts were announced Thursday in the library during a meeting of students 
and teachers. On Friday, several students planned to walk out in protest, 
but instead gathered to pray in the lobby.
Julian Principal Therese D. Johnson could not be reached Friday. CPS 
officials set the number of positions to be cut, but Johnson decided who 
would be cut, said CPS spokesman Michael Vaughn.
Told that students were upset, Vaughn said, "I don't blame them. We're 
upset, too. We don't like to close positions."
Julian's projected enrollment was 1,915, but only 1,688 showed up, Vaughn 
said. Officials were trying to figure out why the estimate was so far off. 
The exact reason for the drop was unclear, Vaughn said, but potential 
freshmen may have been lured away by at least four South Side schools that 
opened this fall.
Ron Holt, a Julian Local School Council member whose son Blair was shot and 
killed while riding the 103rd Street CTA bus home from school in May, said 
he has talked to families who decided to pull their children out of the 
school. But like the students, Holt said, Julian can not be blamed for 
street violence.
"I'm disappointed they took their children out, but it's understandable 
considering what happened over the past year," Holt said.
Contributing: Art Golab

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/7041991.stm

Last Updated: Friday, 12 October 2007, 15:31 GMT 16:31 UK
Taxi drivers hold Dundee protest

Drivers have been threatening industrial action for weeks
Taxi drivers have held a protest in the centre of Dundee as part of a 
dispute with the council.
About 50 cabs were driving slowly around the city's main roads to draw 
attention to the row.
The protest, which lasted for about an hour, had been threatened unless the 
local authority took action over a series of concerns.
They included complaints about space on ranks, the number of licences and 
some private hire companies.
Tayside Police had previously threatened to "use the full force of the law 
to deal with any disruption to the road network".
We have repeatedly spoken to the council and had no concrete answers from 
them and until this happens, we are resorting to further action

Mark Bennett, taxi driver
A list of drivers' grievances was due to be discussed at a meeting of the 
council's taxi liaison group next week.
Taxi driver Mark Bennett said he felt compelled to take action because he 
was frustrated the dispute had not been resolved.
He said: "We are driving very slowly around the Marketgait and ring road to 
highlight the situation between ourselves and the council.
"We have repeatedly spoken to the council and had no concrete answers from 
them and until this happens, we are resorting to further action.
"We don't want to upset people, but we have found in the past that decisions 
have been made prior to the taxi liaison committee meeting."
A spokesman for Dundee City Council reiterated their position that the taxi 
liaison group was the appropriate forum to discuss drivers' complaints

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article3056814.ece

Hundreds protest lack of full-time fire service in Bray
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Up to a thousand people took to the streets in Bray town in County Wicklow 
today in protest at the failure to provide a full-time fire service in the 
town.
The demonstration follows the tragic death of two part-time firefighters in 
the town as they fought a blaze at a disused factory on September 26th last.
The families of 46-year-old Brian Murray and 26-year-old Mark O'Shaughnessy 
have since been campaigning for a full-time fire service.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/1028/mayo.html

Thousands attend Mayo hospital protest rally
Sunday, 28 October 2007 22:11
Over 7,000 people turned out at a public rally in Castlebar, Co Mayo today 
in protest at the withdrawal of cancer care services from Mayo General 
Hospital under the national cancer control programme.
Cancer support groups who attended the rally called on the Minsiter for 
Health, Mary Harney, to retain the regional cancer network in the west.
They also demanded that the Health Service Executive retain and expand 
existing cancer sevices at the Castlebar Hospital.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article3112911.ece

Farmers continue sit-in protest at EC offices in Dublin

Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Up to 40 farmers are continuing a sit-in protest at the European Commission 
offices in Dublin this morning.
The Irish Farmers Association mounted the demonstration yesterday afternoon 
as part of its campaign for an EU ban on Brazilian beef imports.
The IFA has accused the EC of ignoring major problems with production 
standards in Brazil.
It also claims an EU report that exposes these deficiencies is being 
withheld from the public.
The IFA has been campaigning for months for a ban on Brazilian beef, saying 
it is hypocritical to allow such imports while imposing strict standards on 
beef produced in the EU.

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=197237&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30213

Join clean-up protest appeal
  By MOHAMMED AL A' ALI

PEOPLE in the centre of the country are so fed up with their public 
sanitation company that they are planning to launch their own clean-up 
operation.
Members of the public are now being urged to join in a clean-up campaign as 
part of an ongoing protest against cleaning firm MBM-Alam Flora.
It will take place in one of Bahrain's most polluted areas and companies 
have already donated equipment.
They have also pledged to provide manpower for the task, which is being 
spearheaded by the Central Municipal Council.
The council is upset that the Tender Board reopened bidding a month ago for 
the contract currently held by MBM-Alam Flora.
It says it has already selected a replacement firm out of 13 bidders, but 
the board described the selection as improper and appointed a new 
consultancy firm to oversee new bids.
Council chairman Abdulrahman Al Hassan said the clean-up campaign was a 
last-ditch attempt to solve the area's refuse crisis.
"In the coming days cleaning equipment and machinery will be available for 
us from national companies for free," he said.
"The council has also contacted community organisations to support the 
campaign and their response has been overwhelming because they know if the 
situation gets worse, the governorate will be thrown into chaos.
"The cleaning status in the governorate has reached a low point and needs 
immediate action."
Citizens in the governorate will be asked to contribute to the clean-up 
drive until a new company is appointed to replace MBM-Alam Flora.
"Garbage is piled up near homes for more than two days and our roads and 
streets are unclean because the company doesn't sweep any more due to a 
shortage in manpower," said Mr Al Hassan.
"This means the council is forced to ask the people to clean up the place by 
themselves, something the government should be doing.
"The campaign will be divided among our nine constituencies, with each 
councillor getting his own volunteers and equipment to ensure that work goes 
ahead at once.
"Nothing will be left out. Neighbourhoods, alleys and side roads - all will 
be cleaned.
"We have already co-ordinated with societies, charity funds, clubs and youth 
societies who have voluntarily signed up for the campaign."
However, he said more volunteers were needed and urged the public to take 
part.
"The door is open to everyone from any governorate," he said.
"The fate of our governorate's cleanliness is in the hands of the people, 
who we are confident will do a better job than MBM-Alam Flora even though it 
is getting paid."
Brochures and booklets will also be distributed around the country 
highlighting the importance of cleanliness in co-ordination with the Central 
Municipality.
"A hotline is currently being set up so people can report any piled up 
garbage near their homes and neighbourhoods so it can be removed 
immediately," added Mr Al Hassan.
"In the end, this campaign is fuelled by the people. Without their efforts 
and patience it would not be up to expectations and we are confident that 
people power always wins."
Central Municipality director-general Yousif Al Ghatam said the municipality 
would back the campaign any way possible.
"We welcome this national campaign, which comes after cleanliness levels 
reached their lowest," he added.
MBM Alam Flora serves the Central, Northern and Southern Governorates.
However, the three councils scrapped the firm's original contract in June 
last year, saying the company was not up to the job.
Contract
They retained the firm on temporary six-month contracts until a replacement 
could be found.
Its current contract expires at the end of December, but the decision to 
reopen bids for a replacement means a fourth, six-month extension is likely.
The company has been responsible for cleaning and drainage in the three 
areas since 2002 and its original contract was due to expire in 2009. The 
Malaysian-Bahraini joint venture company has had to sub-contract out to 
smaller cleaning companies to help it fulfil its commitments. 
alaali at gdn.com.bh

http://allafrica.com/stories/200710251152.html

Zimbabwe: Hundreds Protest Against New Water Tariffs in Mutare

SW Radio Africa (London)
25 October 2007
Posted to the web 25 October 2007
Tichaona Sibanda
There was a peaceful protest march by hundreds of Woza and Moza members in 
Mutare late on Wednesday, against the huge increases in water tariffs 
recently introduced by the government.
A statement issued at the end of the protest by Woza said nearly 300 women 
and men marched for several blocks through the eastern city to the civic 
centre, demanding access to affordable water and a more reliable service.
The statement added that there were no arrests during or after the 
demonstration as riot police officers arrived after the protesters had 
dispersed. Several bystanders are reported to have joined in the procession.
The protestors also called for an end to violence against human rights 
defenders. This is the fourth Woza demonstration in Mutare this year and the 
third peaceful street action this month, following two in Bulawayo and one 
in Harare.
There have been concerns that state security agents are in the habit of 
visiting homes of activists at night in Mutare, long after demonstrations 
are over. After a demonstration in Mutare in August, several members had 
their homes visited and illegally searched. It is expected that similar 
harassment of activists will occur in the coming weeks.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200711030058.html

Zimbabwe: Magistrates Continue Protest

The Herald (Harare)
3 November 2007
Posted to the web 3 November 2007
Harare
PROVINCIAL magistrates yesterday continued remanding cases as their demands 
for salaries and a review of working conditions rages on despite 
Government's assurance that their grievances were being considered.
The protest started on Tuesday, before prosecutors and support staff joined 
in. No trials were taking place at all the courts countrywide yesterday.
At the High Court, no prosecutors appeared yesterday, leaving prisoners 
stranded in court cells waiting to be remanded.
"We have been here since morning and no criminal court ever sat since 
Thursday," said a prison officer.
A court official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the prosecutors 
were likely to resume work on Monday if the impasse between them and their 
employer was solved.
Only civil cases were entertained at the High Court.
At Harare Magistrates' Court only police prosecutors were vetting cases and 
appearing in court with magistrates who had agreed to remand cases until 
midday when they expected their grievances to have been addressed.
After lunch, all prosecutors from Harare province were gathered for a 
meeting with their superiors over the issue. Efforts to get comment from the 
Justice Ministry's human resources director Mr Maxwell Ranga were fruitless.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-7046879,00.html

Thousands set for NHS protest rally
Press Association
Saturday November 3, 2007 6:28 AM
Thousands of NHS employees are converging on London to protest at the state 
of the country's health service.
NHS staff are taking to the streets to rally against the increasing 
fragmentation of the NHS and low morale among its staff.
Nurses, midwives, doctors, physiotherapists, hospital cleaners and 
technicians from all over the UK will march to Trafalgar Square for the 
rally at 1.30pm.
The 'I Love The NHS' march and rally was co-ordinated to celebrate the 
successes of the NHS, which is 60 next year. As part of the event, a song 
written in celebration of the country's health service will be performed.
The NHS rendition of the Sopranos theme tune, penned by Alabama 3's frontman 
Larry Love, is entitled Woke Up This Morning and pays tribute to free health 
treatment and NHS nurses.
However, the rally is also being used by health service employees to send a 
message to the Government that, while staff are committed to their jobs, 
they are feeling increasingly demotivated and demoralised by longer working 
hours and bigger workloads.
Pro-NHS campaigners believe that over-involvement of the private sector in 
public services is jeopardising the future of the health service.
Geoff Martin, head of campaigning for Health Emergencies, an NHS pressure 
group, said that his organisation was attending the rally because it 
supported a free health service and wanted to warn against the dangers of 
privatisation.
He said: "Large health sector corporations are actively seeking to take over 
the budgets of Primary Care Trusts and primary care since the creation of a 
market in healthcare under the Blair government.
"We support the NHS but everything we have that's good could be put at risk 
by these corporations. We defend the principles of a free health service, a 
service which is free from profit."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-7029036,00.html

Rolling Stone Keith in protest walk
Press Association
Saturday October 27, 2007 4:58 PM
Rolling Stone Keith Richards joined a protest march on Saturday to campaign 
against possible cuts to a hospital close to his country home.
The 62-year-old rock star marched alongside thousands of other people 
through Chichester, West Sussex, to protest against proposed changes to St 
Richard's Hospital.
The rocker has owned Redlands, in nearby West Wittering, since the 1960s. It 
was the scene of an infamous drugs bust in 1967. His main home is in 
Connecticut, USA.
He turned up to the demonstration in a minibus dressed in a long black 
leather coat, a trilby, and sunglasses.
Other celebrities who attended the protest march included actress Patricia 
'Hyacinth Bucket' Routledge and actor Christopher Timothy, best known as 
James Herriot in TV's All Creatures Great and Small.
An estimated 15,000 people attended the march.
A public consultation is currently taking place about the provision of 
hospital services in West Sussex.
Plans are afoot to make one of the county's three hospitals - in either 
Chichester, Worthing or Haywards Heath - the major general hospital and 
downgrade services at the others, protesters claim.
Campaigners want St Richard's Hospital to retain its acute A&E and maternity 
services.
They say that if these services are axed patients will be forced to travel 
to Worthing or Portsmouth to give birth or receive emergency treatment.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j9DEyt2_EpfroIoPSHgC1rRsqTpAD8SL7QE80

Wis. Teacher Protests No Child Law
By RYAN J. FOLEY – 3 days ago
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A middle school teacher who refused to administer the 
first part of a federally required standardized test because of moral 
objections was reluctantly at his desk for the second round Thursday to save 
his job.
David Wasserman had sat in the teachers' lounge Tuesday, leaving his 
colleagues to oversee the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam. The test is 
used to measure whether schools are meeting annual benchmarks under the No 
Child Left Behind law, President Bush's signature education policy. Schools 
that do not meet goals can face sanctions.
Like many teachers, he said he believes the test is a poor way to measure 
student progress, takes up too much class time and is used unfairly to 
punish schools. So after years of growing frustration, he said he decided to 
be a "conscientious objector" this year.
Wasserman had planned to resume his protest for five more days of testing. 
But he said district officials warned he would be fired from Sennett Middle 
School if he did.
On Thursday, he was allowed to sit at his desk for 90 minutes but still have 
two other teachers oversee the test for his 30 eighth-grade students.
"I was able to stick to my morals. I did not have to touch a single test 
booklet. I didn't have to read a single direction," he said. "I sat there 
quietly while the students were working really hard on this really unnatural 
assessment that they are not used to."
He added: "I did get one kid an eraser. That's what I did for an hour and a 
half."
He said he planned a similar routine during the final four days of testing 
next week.
District spokesman Ken Syke said Wasserman fulfilled his required duties on 
Thursday and "administered the test."
Syke said the district would not comment on any possible discipline for the 
initial protest, but Wasserman said he was told he would get a letter of 
reprimand in his personnel file for insubordination.
Wasserman, 36, said he was considering whether to appeal the reprimand with 
the teacher's union but said he was glad to keep his job.
FairTest, a national group that opposes the overuse of standardized tests, 
said it was unaware of any other similar actions by teachers protesting the 
law.
Wasserman said teachers and parents bombarded him with phone calls and 
e-mail messages Thursday after news of his protest spread nationwide. He 
said that some critics have falsely accused him of not caring about his 
students but that the vast majority of messages have been supportive.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/22/nyregion/22taxi.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin

Cabbies Plan 2nd Strike to Protest New Devices
By FERNANDA SANTOS
Published: October 22, 2007
A group that says it represents about 10,000 cabdrivers is calling for a 
strike today, its second in less than two months, to protest a city plan 
requiring the more than 13,000 medallion taxicabs to install global 
positioning systems and credit card machines.
The group, New York Taxi Workers Alliance, staged a two-day work stoppage 
last month, but it had limited participation and failed to achieve its 
goals. The group plans a 24-hour strike this time, beginning at 5 a.m. 
today.
“We are not going to back down,” Bhairavi Desai, the alliance’s executive 
director, said in an interview.
Ms. Desai said the strike was also intended to compel city officials to use 
revenue from a planned medallion auction to create a health care and 
retirement fund for cabdrivers.
Officials will roll out a contingency plan much like the one used during 
last month’s stoppage, but are ready to cancel it if the strike fails to 
significantly disrupt taxicab service, Allan J. Fromberg, a spokesman for 
the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, said in a news release on 
Thursday.
The contingency plan calls for a zone-based fare structure, with four zones 
in Manhattan and one in each of the other boroughs. Trips inside one zone 
will be a flat fee of $10 per rider; another $5 will be charged for 
additional zones entered. Tolls are included in the price of the trips.
On trips to and from the airports, passengers can choose to ride alone and 
pay metered rates. Group riders will each pay flat fees from Manhattan to La 
Guardia Airport ($20) or to Kennedy International Airport ($30). About a 
dozen cabdrivers interviewed yesterday at Punjab Food Junction, a 24-hour 
deli on 10th Avenue near 28th Street, said they participated in the strike 
on Sept. 5 and 6, and were planning to do the same today, even as few among 
them seemed hopeful that officials would reverse course.
“Cabbies don’t have enough power to defeat politicians,” Shahid Iqbal, 44, 
who has driven a cab for four years, said over a plate of lentils and 
chicken curry. “But we can make our voices heard and hope for change some 
day.”
Mr. Iqbal does not have the new system in his cab, but Hamado Bissiri does. 
He said he also had a host of complaints about it — like the time it takes 
to start up to the credit card machine, which frequently malfunctions.
“If a person goes to the supermarket and the credit card machine isn’t 
working, he has to pay cash or leave his groceries behind,” said Mr. 
Bissiri, 38, who has driven a cab since February. “But if my credit card 
machine freezes at the end of a fare, I could lose money because people can 
just leave without paying.”
Charles Fergusson, a cabdriver for 26 years, said, “This is a war that can’t 
be won, but I’ll go on strike in solidarity.”
During the previous strike, there was no noticeable change in subway and bus 
ridership, said Jeremy Soffin, a spokesman for the Metropolitan 
Transportation Authority. In fact, Mr. Soffin said, “our bus operators were 
actually thrilled about it because traffic moved at a faster clip without so 
many taxis on the road.”
If demand warrants, however, the city could add more buses on the line from 
Manhattan to La Guardia and along other busy routes, he said.
Last month, a group of cabdrivers organized by the Taxi Workers Alliance 
sued the city in federal court, arguing that it acted unconstitutionally 
when it ordered taxicabs to install tracking systems. During a hearing on 
Sept. 28, a federal judge refused to block the city rule, saying the use of 
technology to improve service seemed to outweigh drivers’ privacy rights.
Ms. Desai said the group planned to take the lawsuit to trial.
William Neuman contributed reporting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/23/nyregion/23taxi.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin

City Cabdrivers Strike Again, but Protest Gets Little Notice
By ELIAS E. LOPEZ
Published: October 23, 2007
A one-day strike called by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance had little 
effect on the daily commute yesterday, according to city officials, 
commuters and drivers.
At a news conference yesterday afternoon in Downtown Brooklyn, Mayor Michael 
R. Bloomberg said the strike, which began at 5 a.m. and was to end today at 
5 a.m., had “no appreciable impact” on transportation in the city.
That seemed to be the case at some of the major traffic arteries of 
Manhattan, where the flow of yellow cabs seemed unchanged.
“If there’s a taxi strike going on, it certainly doesn’t look like it,” said 
a man handing out free newspapers near Pennsylvania Station, as dozens of 
taxis lined up to pick up fares in front of Madison Square Garden.
The taxi strike, the second in less than two months, was called by the 
alliance, which says it represents 10,000 cabdrivers, to protest a city plan 
requiring taxicabs to install global positioning systems and credit- and 
debit-card readers.
The group says the new equipment will mean an extra cost for drivers: 5 
percent in fees on credit-card transactions.
Yesterday, city officials put in effect a contingency plan that consisted of 
a zone-based fare structure and allowed drivers to pick up multiple fares. 
Trips inside one zone cost a flat fee of $10 per rider; an extra $5 was 
charged for additional zones. Tolls were included in the price of the trips.
Outside the headquarters of the Taxi and Limousine Commission in Lower 
Manhattan, Bhairavi Desai, the alliance’s executive director, addressed 
those protesting the commission’s decision to move ahead with the 
technological requirements. The commission regulates more than 13,000 
medallion taxicabs.
After the demonstration, Ms. Desai said the strike did have an effect at the 
airports.
“If the impact was minimal, why did the city implement a contingency plan?” 
she asked.
But then she offered explanations about why many cabdrivers had decided not 
to participate in the strike. “It was too much economic pressure for a lot 
of drivers,” she said. “Also because they feel there’s nothing they can do. 
It’s a feeling that comes with the T.L.C. having absolute power.”
Lack of participation also diminished the impact of the previous strike , on 
Sept. 5 and 6.
But back then the presence of cabs on the streets shrank enough to make 
would-be passengers spend more time with their hands in the air and to 
stretch five-minute waits for a cab at the airport to half an hour at some 
terminals.
That did not appear to be the case yesterday.
In Midtown, a couple stepped out of a taxi after a ride from La Guardia 
Airport.
“We had no trouble getting a ride,” said Brittney Bone of Alabama. “He 
actually sought us out.”
One driver, Jose Laguardia, 65, said, “It’s too late to protest now.
“Technology is a necessity,” Mr. Laguardia said. “There’s nothing we can do 
at this point but keep working, keep driving.”
Ms. Desai said the alliance planned to continue to work with drivers who 
object to the requirements. “We plan to consolidate our organizing goals and 
regroup,” she said. “We want to give drivers more time to gain economic 
strength for when we decide to strike again.”
Diane Cardwell contributed reporting.

http://in.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idINIndia-30309220071103

Pakistan's PIA engineers to resume work, end protest
Sat Nov 3, 2007 3:51pm IST

KARACHI (Reuters) - Ground engineers for Pakistan International Airlines 
said on Saturday they would end a work stoppage that had forced widespread 
flight delays and cancellations, enabling crippled services to resume.
Most of the loss-making state carrier's fleet remained grounded on Friday, 
with dozens of flights cancelled, as the engineers took medical leave en 
masse to demand higher wages. The protest continued on Saturday, again 
disrupting many flights.
The engineers certify the air worthiness of aircraft after every flight, and 
planes cannot take off without their checks and say so.
"We will all be back at work by 3 p.m. (1000 GMT) today, only because we 
realise the discomfort it has caused our passengers," Mashkoor Hasan, 
General Secretary of Society of Aircraft Engineers of Pakistan told Reuters.
"PIA management has not fulfilled our demands but this is our airline, we 
have engineers who have been with this company for 25 and even 40 years and 
we know how much loss it is incurring because of this," said Hasan.
PIA was in trouble even before the protest, announcing this week accumulated 
losses of $584 million during the first nine months of the year.

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=197510&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=30216

Teachers planning massive pay protest
THOUSANDS of teachers are preparing to demonstrate for the third time to 
demand a 30 per cent pay rise, it was announced yesterday.
They were awarded a 15pc raise last month along with other civil servants, 
but the Bahrain Teachers Society is demanding 30pc.
Society members and teachers met yesterday to discuss preparations for the 
third protest.
Society president Mahdi Abu Deeb said parliament's financial and economic 
affairs committee would also be reviewing the teachers' plight.
MPs last month pledged to review the teachers' demands for a bigger pay 
rise, along with improved living conditions.
"This initiative is still ongoing and the committee has not reached any 
decision yet," said Mr Abu Deeb.
"We want to keep on pushing for our rights and we will not stop until we get 
them."
He said a 10-day black armband campaign which started on October 1 had 
proved fruitless.
He said teachers were allegedly being harassed by school principals for 
wearing the armbands in school.
The Education Ministry told principals to report teachers who wore them, 
said Mr Abu Deeb.
He said some principals threatened teachers that they would not be given 
incentives or promotions if they continued wearing the armbands.
The society set up hotline numbers to receive complaints from teachers who 
claimed they were being harassed.
A date has yet to be fixed for the new protest, but organisers are hoping 
for a massive show of support.
"We would like to invite all the teachers to participate in this protest, 
which will take place at a date to be announced soon," said Mr Abu Deeb.
"The hotline numbers are still open for teachers, and those who wish to 
complain may do so at any time."
Thousands of teachers demonstrated twice in front of the ministry in June 
and in early September, to demand an increase in salary.
The hotline numbers, open 24 hours a day are 39622531, 39641141 and 
39892981.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/22/europe/EU-GEN-Romania-Agriculture-Protest.php

Romanian cattle farmers protest outside Agriculture Ministry to call for 
higher subsidies

The Associated Press
Published: October 22, 2007

BUCHAREST, Romania: Pouring milk on the ground and ringing bells that are 
sounded at funerals, about 150 Romanian cattle farmers demanded higher 
subsidies on Monday.
The country's agriculture minister, meanwhile, traveled to Brussels to try 
to persuade European Union officials that Romania would strengthen its 
oversight of EU payments to farmers.
Chairman of the Agrostar Federation trade union, Stefan Nicolae, who 
attended the Bucharest protest outside the Agriculture Ministry said 
Romanian cattle breeders were looking for an additional 300 lei (US$127, 
€89) per head of cattle for farmers who had up to three cows or bulls. He 
said that would apply to about 90 percent of farms in the country.
The government is offering 240 lei (US$102, €71.39).
Nicolae said that 600,000 cattle were not officially registered, which could 
lead to some breeders not receiving subsidies.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Dacian Ciolos was talking to European Union 
officials after the EU threatened this month to withhold €110.8 million 
(US$155.5 million) in farm handouts to Romania if it did not improve its 
oversight of the payments to its farmers.
EU officials gave Bucharest until November to improve controls and auditing 
of where the EU aid is spent — through the adoption of new computer software 
and by taking other steps — or risk a 25 percent cut in handouts next year. 
Romania joined the EU on Jan. 1.
Almost half of Romania's 22 million citizens live in rural areas, and 
agriculture generates up to 70 percent of income in rural areas, according 
to a World Bank study.
The ministry has allocated 420 million lei (US$178 million, €124.58 million) 
next year in subsidies for all animal farmers, national news agency Rompres 
reported.
Some protesters played a funeral song on trumpets and others carried a 
wooden coffin with the word "animal farming" inscribed on the side. Others 
threw away milk. They said they would protest for the next two days and have 
threatened a large protest at the end of November if the government does not 
increase subsidies.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL0318992820071103

UPDATE 1-French fishermen protest over rising fuel costs
Sat Nov 3, 2007 3:30pm GMT

(Adds Le Havre protest, minister)
RENNES, France, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Fishermen disrupted traffic in 
northwestern France on Saturday to protest against the rising cost of fuel 
and to demand state aid.
Around 100 vehicles slowed down traffic in a "snail operation" on main roads 
in western Brittany, said a spokesman for the fishermen who started a strike 
in the northwestern port of Guilvinec on Friday.
The fishermen said they had expanded their strike from Guilvinec to the 
northwestern ports of Concarneau, Lorient, La Turballe and Le Croisic.
"The strike should widen to all ports of the Atlantic and the Channel," said 
Dominique Faou, spokesman for the fishermen's crisis committee. "If 
nothing's moving forward by Monday, we will start new action."
In the northern port city of Le Havre, around a dozen boats briefly blocked 
a lock, delaying the start of a sailing race.
Fishing firms say they had budgeted for diesel to cost some 30 euro cents a 
litre this year. But the price has jumped to 51 cents in recent days, 
meaning boat owners risk making a loss every time they go to sea.
The fishermen want a cut in duty on fuel and have dismissed a 25.5 million 
euro ($37 million) aid package announced by the government as insufficient.
Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier said he would receive representatives 
from the fishing industry again next week to talk about their concerns.
Oil surged 2.5 percent on Friday, nearing a fresh peak as strong U.S. 
economic data reignited a rally that has added more than 40 percent to 
prices since August. Oil prices hit more than $96 per barrel earlier this 
week.

http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/healthcare-workers-on-one-hour-protest/id_25785/catid_66

HEALTHCARE WORKERS ON ONE HOUR PROTEST
17:30 Fri 26 Oct 2007

Workers in the National Healthcare System (NHS) have announced a one hour 
warning strike on Monday October 29.
This was announced on October 26 in a press statement from union KT 
Podkrepa, quoted by BTA.
Healthcare workers are demanding a 60 per cent raise in salary.
Representatives of the union did not accept the budget proposal for salaries 
in the NHS. The budget proposal was the reason to call for the strike.
Employees of the NHS, through their unions, were in an open conflict under 
the Law for arrangement of collective labour conflicts, and an agreement in 
this conflict had not been found yet, the announcement said.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/26/europe/EU-GEN-Italy-Strike.php

Public workers go on strike in Italy to protest lack of funds in 2008 budget

The Associated Press
Published: October 26, 2007

ROME: Italy's public workers staged a strike Friday that threatened to shut 
down offices and state museums and halt medical services across the country.
The eight-hour strike, starting at 10 a.m. (0800GMT), was called by the main 
labor confederations to protest the lack of funds in the 2008 budget to 
renew future contracts.
Thousands of the 3 1/2 million public workers converged on Rome to hold a 
protest.
Emergency sanitary services were guaranteed throughout the day, unions said. 
Union officials called on state and city museum personnel to take part in 
the walkout.
The unions estimate a shortfall in the budget of €5.12 billion (US$7.27 
billion) from what is needed to cover the contract renewals. The budget must 
be passed by parliament by the end of the year and it already faces a fierce 
battle within Premier Romano Prodi's fractious coalition.

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20071030195600235C228897

Abalone ban: protest to be considered

    October 30 2007 at 08:53PM

Environmental affairs and tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk has 
undertaken to consider representations made by trade union organisations 
about the proposed ban on abalone fishing following a late afternoon meeting 
at his office in Cape Town.

Speaking after the meeting on Tuesday Van Schalkwyk's spokesperson Riaan 
Aucamp said it had been a constructive discussion which concluded a number 
of issues regarding the abalone industry as well as subsistence fishing.

The minister had assured the representatives of the Congress of SA Trade 
Unions, Masifundise Development Organisation, and Food and Allied Workers 
Union that he would apply his mind to the issues raised and communicate his 
decision in due course.

Aucamp said there was general acknowledgement at the meeting that the 
abalone fishing industry was in a crisis.

Originally Masifundise, along with Cosatu, issued an ultimatum to Van 
Schalkwyk to withdraw his decision to close the commercial abalone industry 
by midday on Tuesday.

Last Thursday, government announced that all wild abalone (perlemoen) 
fishing would be suspended from November 1.

Government Communications head Themba Maseko said the suspension was based 
on the fact that abalone stock was in crisis and threatened with commercial 
extinction.

He said a social plan to address job losses resulting from the decision had 
been approved. – Sapa

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Nagpur/Pix_workers_tonsure_heads_in_protest/articleshow/2488181.cms

Pix workers tonsure heads in protest
25 Oct 2007, 0303 hrs IST,TNN

NAGPUR: Tonsuring heads as a mark of protest seems to be emerging as a 
popular mode of expressing resent in the city. Much like the Shivangaon 
villagers protesting against the cargo hub project, over 300 workers of the 
Bajargaon-based Pix Transmission's unit shaved their heads. However, they 
maintained that it was their original idea, and they were not inspired by 
the Shivangaon episode.

The workers who are demanding a pay hike, staged demonstrations near Variety 
Square on Wednesday.

Secretary of Bharatiya Pix Transmission Kamgaar Sanghathana Nandkishore Pund 
said that some of the union members suggested the move. The union is holding 
constant parleys with the management, but it has been of no avail so far.

The protests began with a "maun vrat" (mute protest), followed by slogan 
shouting. Then, someone suggested that the workers tonsure their heads. The 
workers have been shaving their heads bald one by one since the last week, 
said Pund.

timesnagpur at timesgroup.com

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aPQWUnPIRVqs&refer=news

Nicaraguan Bread Makers Protest Threats of Price Restrictions
By Eric Sabo
Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Nicaraguan bread makers demonstrated in the city of 
Granada to protest new taxes and threats of price restrictions by President 
Daniel Ortega's government.
``Ortega has made nothing better for us,'' said Juan Lopez, president of the 
Association of Bread Bakers of Granada. High costs of basic ingredients such 
as flour and new taxes on electricity have raised production costs, said 
Lopez, who led the march of fewer than 100 bakers in the colonial city 
today.
The government said Oct. 23 that it will take ``necessary measures'' to 
prevent higher prices for basic foods. Lopez said that his group will stick 
with price increases of 50 percent implemented Oct. 21. The association now 
charges 15 cordobas (80 U.S. cents) for a loaf.
``The people support us,'' said Lopez, whose association represents 1,884 
bread makers in Nicaragua.
To contact the reporter responsible for this story: Eric Sabo in Granada, 
Nicaragua at esabo1 at bloomberg.net .
Last Updated: October 25, 2007 19:08 EDT