[Onthebarricades] Workers' protests, Dec-Jan 07/08
Andy
ldxar1 at tesco.net
Wed Jan 16 19:49:35 PST 2008
* UGANDA: Worker unrest over pay at sugar corporation
* BANGLADESH: Garment workers injured while trying to spread strike
* GREECE: Teachers rally, plan strikes against pension "reform"
* SLOVENIA: Workers stage mass protests for pay rises, income equality
* SOUTH AFRICA: Miners strike over safety at work
* US: Prior Lake teachers work-to-rule over contract insecurity
* US: Hollywood writers strike, thousands attend protest
* BULGARIA: Teachers protest against budget
* TRINIDAD: Senior nurses protest for more pay
* INDIA: Doctors protest against compulsory rural service
* ISRAEL: Universities shut down by weeks-long strike
* TAIWAN: Migrant workers protest for rights
* ISRAEL: Teachers protest against anti-strike injunctions at official
event
* ZIMBABWE: Exam markers protest poor allowances
* HONG KONG: Flight crews drop strike warning, but hold rally
* UK: Workers protest against factory closure in Sunderland
* UK: Protest against plans to close historic chocolate factory
* INDIA: Staff at religious site protest "robes only" dress code
* INDIA: Nurses protest against staff suspensions after kidnapping
* EGYPT: Tax workers end wage protest after government backs down
* UK: Tate art gallery workers stage wage protest
* NEW ZEALAND: Protest over possible job losses at port
* UK: Christmas Carol protest over Cadbury's closure
* INDIA: Journalists stage relay hunger strike over pay relief
* AUSTRALIA: Health workers protest at industrial relations hearing
* NIGERIA: Airways staff protest underpayment
* TRINIDAD: Workers rally against state pay body
* INDIA: Teachers block road during protest against work during holidays
* US: "Scuffle" at picket of waste disposal site
* US: New York Catholic teachers protest job contract
* UK: Birmingham council workers rally over pay
* GLOBAL/US: United Nations tour guides protest pay and conditions
* INDIA: Call centre staff rally over abuse
* UK: Hundreds join protest against closure of rural post offices
http://www.food-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=70B289B4-B41B-4AC2-A59B-9C02C3527567
SCOUL workers riot over pay issue
22nd November 2007
By Staff Writer
Workers at the Sugar Corporation of Uganda rioted and burnt part of the
company's sugar plantations because of a pay dispute with company officials.
RELATED ARTICLES
· SCOUL workers riot over pay issue
22 Nov 2007
Hassan Kasingye, spokesman for the Ugandan police, said that the fire
damaged up to 100 hectares of cane plantations.
An official from the Sugar Corporation of Uganda (SCOUL) said that the
workers were demanding an increase in pay to UGX100,000 a month from the
current UGX60,000, but added that this had been rejected.
The sugar producer's operations have not been affected by the riot as it has
been receiving cane from other farmers.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/15/content_7422226.htm
Dozens of garment workers injured in protest clashes in Bangladesh
www.chinaview.cn 2008-01-15 01:09:38 Print
DHAKA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of people were wounded in violent
clashes on Monday as garment workers were demonstrating in Bangladesh's
capital Dhaka in favour of higher income.
The private news agency UNB cited witness as saying that the garment
workers of a factory named MBM took on the street and asked workers of
adjacent garment factories to join them in the protest.
"At one stage, the MBM workers attacked the workers of Opex Group as
they didn't pay heed to their call for violence at about 4 p.m., plunging
the area into violence," a witness was cited as saying.
Police thus rushed in and chased the MBM garment workers with the
officials and workers of Opex Group, setting off widespread clashes.
According to UNB report, the workers damaged at least 10 vehicles,
forcing vehicular movement in the area to halt. The police charged baton on
the violent MBM workers. They also fired some 80 teargas shells and 30
rubber bullets.
A female garment worker was injured seriously during the melee and was
admitted to hospital.
However, the workers and owners reached a solution following a meeting
at the MBM office with the presence of the police.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/26/europe/EU-GEN-Greece-Teachers-Strike.php
Greek teachers rally against pension reforms as nationwide strikes loom
The Associated Press
Published: November 26, 2007
ATHENS, Greece: Greek schoolteachers went on strike Monday, and more than
1,500 of them marched through central Athens in the first of several planned
protests over social security reforms.
The demonstration ended peacefully. Protesters called on the conservative
government to shelve the draft reforms, which would merge about 150 pension
funds into fewer than 20.
A smaller march was held in the northern city of Thessaloniki, as state
schoolteachers staged a 24-hour nationwide strike.
The journalists' union will strike over the planned pension reforms Tuesday,
and also planned a march in downtown Athens.
Unions representing most public and private sector workers have called a
nationwide general strike for Dec. 12. They argue the reforms could cut
benefits for millions of future pensioners and raise retirement ages for
Greece's aging population.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/18/content_7097318.htm
Slovenian workers stage mass protest for higher salaries
www.chinaview.cn 2007-11-18 05:08:39 Print
BELGRADE, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of workers from all over
Slovenia staged a mass protest rally in the capital Ljubljana on Saturday to
call for higher wages and greater equality between the rich and poor in the
tiny former Yugoslav republic.
Police said that about 15,000 protesters arrived in the capital by bus
from all over the country, while organizers estimated that the turnout was
70,000 people.
The protesters wearing red bibs converged on one of Ljubljana's main
squares, where heads of all six trade union associations urged the
employers, who have so far refused to budge on wage demands, to heed the
calls for change.
Addressing the crowd, union leaders repeated the threat of a general
strike if no progress was made in the talks with employers on wage
increases.
"We hope that the employers will come to their senses. If there is no
progress in negotiations, we will be forced to stage a general strike," said
Dusan Semolic of the ZSSS, the largest trade union in Slovenia, "this rally
is the last warning for the employers."
The protesters were joined by representatives of students and
pensioners. They walked down Ljubljana carrying banners which condemned
employers' policy and salaries which lag behind inflation and living costs.
Unions demand a minimum 3.6 percent salary increase. The average monthly
salary in Slovenia is a net 820 euros (some 1205 U.S. dollars). Unions claim
the social differences are increasing, while pensioners' organizations say
that one-fourth of pensions are below 300 euros (some 441 dollars), which is
why they supported the demonstrators.
The protest was joined by some government officials and the newly
elected Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk.
Tuerk called both sides to sit back at the negotiating table to work out
a solution. He said he had taken part in the rally because he viewed this as
an important issue and sympathized with those who had to survive on a
monthly wage of less than 400 euros (588 dollars).
Among the government officials, Labor Minister Marjeta Cotman was there
to show her solidarity with the demands. According to her, the employers
should sit at the negotiating table, while the unions have a legitimate case
in calling for higher wages.
According to the police, there were no major incidents during the
demonstrations.
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa recently said the protests were an
attempt by the unions to show their power, but they were not demonstrating
in the right place and that "a linear salary increase" on the state level
was not realistic.
http://news.smh.com.au/s-africa-miners-to-down-tools-in-protest/20071128-1da2.html
Africa miners to down tools in protest
November 28, 2007 - 7:46AM
Around 200,000 mineworkers are set to down tools for one day in South Africa
next week in protest over the high death toll in the country's mines.
The National Union of Mineworkers has called on workers at all gold,
diamond, platinum and coal mines around South Africa to strike on December 4
in protest over the death of a little over 200 miners at work so far this
year.
NUM has been threatening strike action for months as mining companies'
promises to improve safety fails to translate into fewer deaths. Mining
deaths actually increased this year, from 199 in 2006.
This was despite government, the mining industry and unions agreeing in 2003
on a target of a 20 per cent, year-on-year reduction in mining fatalities.
NUM safety spokesman Peter Bailey blamed high commodity prices for the poor
safety.
"When you have good commodity prices everyone wants to benefit so they shove
up production targets, neglecting safety in the process."
Gold mining, one of South Africa's chief foreign exchange earners and
employers, is the most deadliest, according to Bailey.
Prices of gold have surged to near-record in recent months driving miners
deeper underground in search of new seams.
An estimated 60 mining companies will be affected by the work stoppage which
comes less than two months after an accident left 3,200 workers stranded
2.4km down a gold mine outside Johannesburg, some for over 36 hours.
In October 23 illegal miners were also killed in a fire in a disused gold
mine shaft in Free State province.
http://www.plamerican.com/node/4087
Teachers union puts limitations on work to protest lack of contract
settlement
Submitted by Lori Carlson on November 27, 2007 - 4:26pm.
Members of the teachers union in the Prior Lake-Savage Area School District
have begun "working to rule" and resigning from voluntary committees as a
show of their frustration over the lack of a contract settlement.
Deb Johnson, president of the Prior Lake-Savage Education Association, wrote
in a letter to the newspaper Tuesday that the teachers "are taking these
steps because our negotiators have met 20 times for over 45 hours since May,
including a full day with a state mediator on Nov. 19, and still have not
been able to reach a fair and equitable settlement."
Teachers are working their contracted eight-hour days but nothing extra.
Work done before or after school will not be done, and teachers will not
take work home, Johnson wrote.
At Monday's School Board meeting, Vice Chairwoman Lee Shimek read a prepared
statement:
"Negotiations with the teachers union continue to move forward. We met with
a mediator on Nov. 19 and have another all-day session with the mediator
scheduled for Dec. 5. We continue to strive for a fair settlement that is
also fiscally responsible. The challenge we are facing, like so many other
employers, is the rising cost of medical insurance. The board committee is
exploring options to help address this difficult issue and remains
optimistic that a solution can be reached."
Look for more on this story online later this week and in our Saturday, Dec.
1 print edition.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hMCNHDBUWUNkXnc6DeIJq-lNR1qQ
Thousands protest as Hollywood writers strike enters fifth day
Nov 9, 2007
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — More than 3,000 film and television
writers demonstrated here Friday as the strike over new media sales rumbled
into a fifth day with no prospect of a resolution in sight.
Thousands of writers brandishing placards and clad in red t-shirts gathered
outside Fox Studios in Century City to protest, the biggest single
demonstration since the strike began on Monday.
The writers' stance has earned sympathy from many celebrities this week,
including Julia Louis-Dreyfus of "Seinfeld" fame, "Desperate Housewives"
star Eva Longoria and Kelsey Grammer of "Cheers" who also attended Friday's
rally.
"Now people are, you know, drawing their lines and I'm hoping that the lines
can be blurred enough that people come back together and start talking,"
Grammer told ABC7. "It affects the economy of Los Angeles."
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) pressed ahead with a strike after
last-ditch talks with Hollywood producers over the issue of payment from
Internet sales and downloads broke down on Sunday.
The industrial action is the first by the WGA for nearly 20 years and has
plunged the industry into turmoil, halting production on hit television
shows like "Desperate Housewives" and forcing the postponement of "24."
Popular late night chat shows hosted by Jay Leno and David Letterman have
also gone into shutdown this week because of the strike, which industry
analysts believe may last several months.
Most major movie studios have sought to insulate themselves from the strike
by stockpiling scripts. However the longer the dispute goes on the greater
the risk of film productions being disrupted.
The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday that the entertainment industry's
top five talent agencies -- William Morris, International Creative
Management, Creative Artists Agency, United Talent Agency and Endeavor --
have met WGA leaders to help find a solution.
Meanwhile, popular comedienne and 2007 Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres was
lambasted by the WGA's East Coast chapter for continuing to broadcast her
daytime chat show despite the strike action.
"The WGAE is extremely disappointed to see that Ellen has chosen not to
stand with writers during the strike," a statement read.
"Ellen's peers who host comedy/variety shows have chosen to support the
writers and help them get a fair contract. Ellen has not.
"On her first show back, Ellen said she loves and supports her writers, but
her actions prove otherwise."
http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/teachers-to-protest-again-in-bulgaria/id_26256/catid_66
TEACHERS TO PROTEST AGAIN IN BULGARIA
11:50 Wed 21 Nov 2007 - Elitsa Savova
On November 21 2007, the teachers’ strike committee organises national
protest against the draft-budget 2008.
The protest was being held in front of the Parliament, where the
draft-budget would be discussed on first reading, Bulgarian news agency BTA
reported.
The teachers unions disagree with the sum allocated for education in Budget
2008.
According to the draft-budget, the education system would receive 4.2 per
cent of the GDP, while the teachers’ unions demand the sum to be at least
4.7 per cent of the GDP.
Bigger percentage of the GDP allocated for education would guarantee
increase in the allowance for one student from 933 to 1381 leva.
The Cabinet was “condemning the education system employees to low income” in
2008, unions said.
The strike committee expected nearly 3000 people from all over Bulgaria to
take part in the protest on November 21, BTA said. The protest would not
affect classes, it said.
Representatives of Bulgarian universities and the Bulgarian Academy of
Science and young scientists would also in Sofia, respectively in front of
the monument of St. Kliment Ohridski and in front of the Parliament, Focus
news agency said.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161240621
Senior Tobago nurses protest pay
Elizabeth W Allard Tobago Bureau
Saturday, November 24th 2007
Hospital wards at the Scarborough Regional Hospital in Tobago remained
short-staffed for several hours yesterday as senior nurses embarked on
strike action.
About 15-20 nurses picketed just outside the hospital complaining that
junior nurses, employed by the Tobago Regional Health Authority were being
paid higher salaries.
They said if their demands for equal treatment were not met they will step
up protest action and further disruption hospital operations.
Industrial Relations Officer of the Public Service Association Joan Bourne
Shepherd said there was a dual track system in Tobago where senior nurses
belonged to the Tobago House of Assembly while junior nurses were employed
to the Tobago Regional Health Authority.
Shepherd said, "At this time the TRHA offered junior nurses a professional
allowance representing 25 per cent of their salaries and the agreement
between the Public Service Association and the Chief Personnel Officer says
the TRHA also gives the same increase, so therefore senior nurses are now
receiving less remuneration than juniors nurses."
Shepherd said the PSA has approached the CPO on this issue for over a year
for a resolution of the matter and to date the situation has worsened
because of the new salary increase. The PSA is calling on the CPO to ensure
that there is equity, comparability and relativity with salaries at the
Scarborough Hospital.
"There have been many instances where nurses have been in acting positions
for over ten years in positions such as head nurses, supervisors and
administrators and to date they cannot receive their appointments," Shepherd
said.
Shepherd said it has been alleged that the Health Administrator with the
Tobago House of Assembly Gregory Smith has sent a note to Cabinet for VSEP
packages in Tobago for senior nurses. Nurses are against that move and are
asking that all parties sit down and discuss the issue. Efforts to contact
Smith on the matter yesterday were unsuccessful.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Patna/Docs_protest_rural_service_proposal/articleshow/2593318.cms
Docs protest rural service proposal
4 Dec 2007, 0240 hrs IST,Sanjeev Kumar Verma,TNN
PATNA: Hundreds of junior doctors in Bihar hit the roads on Monday to
register their protest against the proposed Bill of the Union government
which proposes one-year compulsory rural service for obtaining a degree of
MBBS from March next year.
The said one-year duration would be in addition to the five-and-a-half years
that the medicos have to spend to become a qualified doctor.
Terming Union health minister A Ramdoss’ move as "discriminatory", the
protesting medicos took out a procession from the Patna Medical College and
Hospital (PMCH) which culminated into a meeting at Dak Bungalow Chowk.
"The Union government appears to be hell bent on adopting a discriminatory
approach against the medical students, otherwise, it would not have come up
with this anti-student proposal," said Junior Doctors’ Association president
Anil Kumar Singh.
Singh said if the government is really interested in extending services of
qualified doctors in rural areas, it should go for regular appointment of
medicos instead of resorting to arm-twisting tactics.
Throwing more light on the practical problems the medicos would face in case
such a Bill is passed by Parliament, MBBS final-year student of Nalanda
Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) Fahad Faiz said such a provision would
only stunt the career of medicos because they would have to spend an
additional period of one year at the undergraduate level before opting for a
postgraduate course.
He said Monday’s protest march was only the beginning of a series of protest
movements which the medical students of Bihar intend to launch after
establishing due co-ordination with protesting medicos of other states.
It may be recalled that Ramdoss had issued a press statement on November 7
claiming that a Bill will be introduced in the winter session of Parliament
for making one year rural service compulsory for students pursuing MBBS
course across the country.
The statement led to protests by medical students in many states.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/930013.html
Striking lecturers to increase protest measures, partner with junior staff
By Tamara Traubmann
Tags: Universities, Students
Striking senior university faculty members are planning to increase
coordination with junior staff members and students, and to take more
visible protest measures, as their strike enters its fourth week today.
The Coordinating Council of Faculty Associations is planning steps including
shutting down the Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University campuses for a
day this week.
Student representatives said they hope these the plans mean the senior staff
is changing the nature of its strike, which had been generally quiet and
without protest activities.
On Monday, students will lock the gates of both the Mount Scopus and Givat
Ram campuses of HU for 24 hours, barring students and faculty from the
libraries, laboratories and classrooms. In addition, students and teachers
will conduct a public lecture on the state of higher education in Israel in
front of the Prime Minister's Residence.
On Wednesday, the TAU senior and junior faculty unions, along with the
student union, will shut down their campus.
On Thursday, students and teachers from colleges and universities around the
country plan to converge at TAU for a demonstration.
The protest activities are coming after students put heavy pressure on
lecturers, said Shlomit Atzava of the HU student union. Students at a few
universities told striking faculty members, "We still have the chains from
our strike last year, just say the word and we'll shut down the campus," but
the teachers preferred a quiet fight.
Students, junior faculty members and some senior faculty have complained
that the protest has not been broad enough, and is focused only on the
erosion of senior faculty members' salaries.
"We support their struggle, it's the method that bothers us," Atzava said.
"They told us they must reach their objectives through negotiations and see
no reason for demonstrations, but we have been telling them that it's not
enough. More than 2,000 students signed a petition saying, 'Teachers, this
is your struggle, go into the streets and fight!'"
"The faculty is still asleep," said the chair of the Technion student union,
Zvi Zitter. At other universities as well, the main force behind the protest
is the student associations, he said. "We sent lecturers a letter telling
them we expect them to take the lead, and that they shouldn't expect us to
lead them," Zitter says. "At the Technion, we decided we would have no
problem going to war - if we bind our fates together. That means the
teachers must denounce the recommendations of the Shochat Committee (calling
for increasing tuition - T.T.), and they didn't do that."
Students and teachers at TAU, however, say their cooperation is strong. They
formed a joint headquarters, and plan to raise their demands with the
cabinet and the university administration this week. These include
increasing higher education budgets; changing the injurious hiring policies
for adjunct faculty, junior faculty, contracted cleaning and maintenance
workers and cafeteria workers on campus; increasing access to academic
studies; and giving students and faculty a greater say in how the
universities are run.
However, in response to a question about changing the nature of the fight,
the chairman of the Coordinating Council of Faculty Associations, Zvi
Hacohen, said, "There is no essential change. We feel we are approaching
critical moments and thus must apply maximum pressure. The students and the
junior faculty are more willing to cooperate, so there are more things
[happening]."
The negotiations ran aground once more last week. Prof. Ben Tzion Munitz,
chair of the Senior Faculty Association at TAU, said regarding meetings with
Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehezkel and officials from the Prime Minister's
Office prior to the Annapolis summit last week, "Reasonable ideas were
raised that could serve as the outline for serious negotiations. The talks
did not continue last week because [the parties] went to Annapolis. The
message coming from the treasury last week was the exact opposite, with
proposals that set us back thousands of kilometers before the starting
point," Munitz said.
Finance Ministry officials told faculty representatives that if they insist
on a double-digit salary hike, then they must accept measures enabling
greater administrative flexibility at the universities, such as personal
contracts and higher-than-usual salaries for certain teachers, or the option
of firing unproductive researchers. The faculty unions halted negotiations
with the treasury in response.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/12/09/2003391794
Migrants protest working conditions
VACATION: Labor organizations will stage a march today to seek vacation
rights for foreign caregivers as part of a three-day international
conference on human rights
By Loa Iok-sin
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Dec 09, 2007, Page 2
"[Migrant workers] should be considered assets, not burdens."
Tessa Cheng, social worker for migrant workers
Long work hours, fewer days off, limited freedom and discrimination are some
of the issues that have worsened work conditions for migrant workers in the
country, activists said yesterday.
"A lot of migrant workers -- especially those who came as caretakers for the
eldery -- work extremely long hours, often without a day off. And a lot of
them are not allowed to lock their doors when they sleep at night," Lorna
Kung (龔尤倩), executive director of Scalabrini International Migration Network
Taiwan, told the audience attending a conference in Taipei hosted by several
domestic and foreign migrant rights advocate groups.
Tessa Cheng (程榮鳳), a social worker for migrant workers, said that in the
case of most migrant caretakers she has worked with, "they don't event have
their own rooms; they usually have to sleep in the same room with the aged
people in their care."
"They really have very limited freedom," she said.
She also said that discrimination often makes the conditions worse.
Tseng said many Taiwanese consider migrant workers "outsiders" and think
they should accept any working conditions, "or they should just leave the
country."
The government's lack of assistance also frustrates social workers, she
said, naming three major problems in government institutions that deal with
migrant worker affairs.
"First, staff members lack the language ability to talk to migrant workers
directly. Second, they don't have enough knowledge on laws relevant to
migrant workers. And third, they lack the human rights awareness -- most of
them only want to `get rid of the case' quickly when migrant workers seek
assistance from them," she said.
A change of attitude is key to improving working conditions for migrant
workers, she said.
Cheng said: "These migrant workers make significant contributions to
Taiwanese society. They should be considered assets, not burdens."
Migrant rights groups will stage a march today to seek vacation rights for
foreign caregivers.
The march will begin at 1pm from the Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station in Taipei
and end at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
The "I Want a Vacation" march is part of a three-day international
conference held by the Migrant Empowerment Network in Taiwan at National
Taiwan Normal University to discuss globalization and the human rights of
migrants. The conference began on Thursday and ended yesterday.
Secretary-General of the Taiwan International Workers' Association Ku
Yu-ling (顧玉玲) said some families that hire foreign caregivers refuse to give
their employees a vacation, claiming that they have no money to cover the
cost of hiring a substitute in their absence.
Not every family that employs a foreign caregiver is wealthy, Ku said,
adding that the labor authorities use its managed employment fund to hire
Taiwanese caregivers who can substitute for foreign caregivers when they are
on vacation.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/933193.html
On the street: Teachers protest injunctions In the hotel: Olmert, Bar-On
refuse to budge
By Or Kashti
Two long discussions on education were held yesterday at the Israel Business
Conference organized by the Globes newspaper in Tel Aviv: one took place in
the conference room of the David Intercontinental Hotel, among the
politicians and business people gathered there; the other was on the streets
around the hotel, among a thousand or so striking secondary-school teachers
who came to demonstrate against the government and the back-to-work orders
it had the National Labor Court issue. The injunctions go into effect this
Thursday. The connection between the two discussions was slight, which only
underscored the great distance between the two worlds.
The first demonstrators arrived at 9 A.M. at the plaza outside the hotel,
dressed in the red and white colors that have accompanied their campaign
since it began, exactly two months ago. The stream of protesters grew as the
time drew near for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's speech at the convention,
taking up one side of the street, then filling the other, and eventually
nearing the hotel entrance, which had been blocked off by police barriers.
Amid the various protest chants, one slogan stood out: "This struggle cannot
be stopped," the teachers shouted, "We have to go on fighting, we have to go
on fighting."
The insistence on reducing class sizes and restoring slashed study hours,
which typified the teachers' protests until last week's court order, has
been replaced by a sense of insult. Many demonstrators insisted they will
not return to school on Thursday.
"There are moments when every teacher must obey his conscience and not a
court order," Shuki Einhorn, a teacher at ORT Melton in Bat Yam, said.
"True, we are not a public that violates orders, but now we are at war,"
added Meital, a teacher from the Rabin High School in Mazkeret Batya. "This
is not an easy decision, but it is even harder to return to work under
injunctions."
Inside, Olmert and his finance minister, Roni Bar-On, heckled unsuccessfully
by teachers in the audience, repeated their positions - they understand the
teachers plight, but problems accrued over years cannot be fixed in a day -
and firmly refused to divulge details of the government's pledge to reduce
overcrowding in classrooms and restore instruction hours. There was no real
change in the government's position of two weeks ago.
"There are constant attempts to divert the discussion from the arena of
labor relations into the arena of the government's education policy," Bar-On
said. "The court also holds that this line detracts from the ability to end
the crisis. We will lead a reform in education, but not by formulating 'an
emergency plan' under strike pressure."
Olmert was full of empathy for the strikers - up to a point. "The teachers
are right when they demand an improvement in their wages and especially in
rehabilitating the status and honor of their profession. And they have a
solid basis for expecting the government to work on these matters quickly
and determinedly," the prime minister said. "The government is right when it
insists on a general reform in the school system, and not settling for wage
hikes that might undermine wage agreements in the economy."
Later he added that "the teachers outcry touches my heart. I know how hard
their mission is. It must be improved. The teachers organization has managed
to touch the most sensitive spots in Israeli society, and to arouse
spontaneous sympathy among many. Now they must finish the negotiations and
return to school."
Afterward, the teachers union leader, Ran Erez, went outside and told the
protesters: "Instead of this government serving the country, it wants the
people to serve it. We do not agree with that way, and so we shall go on
fighting."
http://allafrica.com/stories/200712100946.html
Zimbabwe: Zimsec Exam Markers Protest Poor Allowances
Zimbabwe Standard (Harare)
9 December 2007
Posted to the web 10 December 2007
Nqobani Ndlovu
Bulawayo
Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) markers downed their pens and
pencils last week protesting against low allowances and poor working
conditions.
The markers, most of them teachers, are also protesting against the late
payment of their food allowances.
The industrial action comes weeks after the council warned it was not
certain the 2007 examinations would be marked due to inadequate funding.
Zimsec depends entirely on government grants and examination fees paid by
candidates sitting for Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations.
Over the years, Zimsec has been constantly hit by financial problems and
lack of resources.
The Standard learnt that the markers were also protesting a move by the
cash-squeezed council to pay them 25% of their outstanding allowances next
year when examination results are released. Markers are being paid 75% of
their allowances.
Markers based at the Bulawayo Polytechnic said in interviews they wanted
allowances for both lunch and supper increased to more than $3 million a
day, up from the paltry $500 000.
A plate of sadza in Bulawayo and Harare costs anything between $1.5 million
and $2 million. The markers said they wanted allowances for marking
examinations increased from $150 000 a script to at least $1 million.
"Zimsec had promised to pay us the allowances for food on arrival at
Bulawayo Polytechnic last week but to date, we still have not received
anything," said a teacher, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Another said: "Zimsec should increase allowances for food and marking. What
they are promising us is just peanuts. The free food of boiled cabbages and
beans we are served at Bulawayo Polytechnic is sub-standard."
Zimsec spokesperson, E Pasipamire had not responded to questions at the time
of going to press.
Raymond Majongwe, the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ)
secretary-general, confirmed the markers had gone on strike. He said members
of his union had quit the marking altogether.
"This is just too bad and it compromises the already compromised marking of
examinations," he said.
"Teachers are not treated as professionals. Teachers should just boycott the
marking exercise to send a message to the government."
Zimsec director, Happy Ndanga told a parliamentary committee recently that
the examinations body was allocated a meagre budget, not enough to ensure
smooth running and marking of examinations.
There have been calls to the government to overhaul the council after
concerns raised over deteriorating standards, flagrant breach of security,
confidentiality of examination papers and delays in the issuance of
certificates.
Frequent leakages of papers and mix-ups of results by the council, mandated
to run examinations in 1998, have raised fears that education standards
could be seriously compromised.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/10/asia/AS-GEN-Hong-Kong-Cathay-Dispute.php
Cathay Pacific cabin crew hold protest rally but drop strike threat
The Associated Press
Published: December 10, 2007
HONG KONG: Hundreds of flight attendants for Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.
staged a protest rally in downtown Hong Kong on Monday over a new medical
insurance policy that requires all staff to pay a fee for doctors' visits.
The Flight Attendants Union, however, pulled back from an earlier threat of
a strike over the new medical plan, which comes into effect Jan. 1, 2008.
Cathay welcomed the union's decision not to press ahead with a strike, but
said it had no plans to change the medical policy.
About 500 cabin crew marched to the office of the Hong Kong-based carrier's
parent company, conglomerate Swire Pacific, to call for the policy to be
withdrawn. They said they were "informed" but not consulted on the policy,
which requires all staff to pay a standard fee to see either a doctor or
specialist, according to a union statement.
Staff did not have to pay for doctors' visits under the previous policy.
Cathay has defended its new insurance plan, saying it provides better
coverage for staff. The airline lowered the rates junior staff have to pay
for doctors' consultations to HK$30 (US$3.85; €2.60) and to HK$50 (US$6.40;
€4.35) for specialists, after protests from employees.
Senior staff pay HK$50 for consultations with a doctor, and HK$100
(US$12.85; €8.75) to see a specialist.
Staff were still paying for the "so-called increased benefits from our own
pockets," the union statement said.
The union said last week that its members might strike over the co-payment
policy, including refusing to serve passengers during the busy Christmas
period. The statement said they were no longer considering that action.
Cathay was pleased the union had stepped back from strike action, a company
spokeswoman said. The airline will continue to consult with employees about
the new medical policy, but will not withdraw it, the spokeswoman said on
condition of anonymity in line with policy.
Hong Kong is the key regional hub for Cathay, with over 100 flights daily to
Asia, the U.S. and Europe.
http://www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/business/news/display.var.1892549.0.workers_protest_against_scandalous_plans.php
Workers protest against ‘scandalous plans’
Comment
WORKERS at a Rolls-Royce plant in Sunderland will hold a protest today
against plans to cut jobs on Merseyside.
They will hold a solidarity protest outside the Wearside factory in support
of workers at Bootle. They will be joined by workers taking similar action
at other UK plants.
The Unite trade union said that more than 200 highly skilled engineers would
lose their jobs at the Bootle site, which makes turbines for the oil and gas
industries, if Rolls-Royce's plans to shift production to Mount Vernon, in
the US, go ahead.
The union has launched a campaign to fight the changes. More than 10,000
people on Merseyside have signed their petition.
Ian Tonks, from Unite, said: "It is scandalous that a global employer like
Rolls-Royce can abandon its loyal workforce and shift production abroad.
"We are doing everything in our power to defend our members' jobs on
Merseyside, and we will take on any company that attempts to exploit the
UK's weak employment laws because it is cheaper, quicker and easier to cut
jobs here compared to the jobs of workers in other countries.
"Unite will continue to fight this closure and prevent the loss of further
jobs and skills being sent abroad."
http://www.politics.co.uk/press-releases/unite-calling-noticecadbury-workers-stage-hq-carol-service-protest-against-factory-closure-$482870.htm
Unite: Calling notice:Cadbury workers stage H.Q. carol service protest
against factory closure
Monday, 10 Dec 2007 10:12
Calling notice:
Cadbury workers stage H.Q. carol service protest against factory closure
Sing to stop Cadbury production being moved out of UK
Monday 10th December, 12 noon, 25 Berkeley Sq, London, W1J 6HB.
Carollers from the chocolate town of Keynsham sing to save their factory
from closure outside the headquarters of confectionary giant
CadburySchweppes, Berkeley Square, London.
Led by Industrial Chaplain Rev. Harold Clarke, the festive protest blends
the old with the new as Christmas favourites such as The First Noel and O
Come All Ye Faithful are given a lyrical overhaul to reflect the anger of
workers, the community and Church at Cadbury’s decision to halve their UK
workforce, break its 200-year strong bond with Keynsham and relocate to
Poland.
The Bishop of Bath and Wells supports the protestors saying; “Decisions made
on the basis of seeing human beings simply as units of production is
destructive to the human condition, and flies in the face of the Quaker
principles of the founders of the Cadbury Schweppes empire. I believe that
the destruction of the fabric of community life is inevitable once a
significant employer closes a factory such as Somerdale. I have expressed my
opposition to this closure in the strongest possible terms . . . I wish you
success in your campaign”.
The strong coalition between The Church of England, Cadbury workers’ union
Unite and thousands of locals who oppose the factory closure says shutting
Somerdale heralds the end of UK chocolate manufacture and puts the future
success of Cadbury in jeopardy.
Transport Watch UK has highlighted the move to Eastern Europe will add an
annual seven million food miles to the carbon footprint of British chocolate
favourites like Crunchie, Fudge and Milk tray.
Unite claims the decision to close the Somerdale factory has been made in
haste by Cadbury despite a strong case for keeping production in Keynsham:
1. Cadbury has not assessed the impact of the move to Poland upon the taste
and quality of its products. Unite claims that consumers will notice the
difference. British chocolate has a unique flavour and Cadbury's brand value
is tied up in its UK heritage.
2. The Somerdale site is profitable and productive and current sales are, in
Cadbury's own words, “simply stunning”;
3. The decision to move is environmentally unsound. 98% of chocolate made at
Somerdale is consumed in the UK and moving production to Poland will add 7
million food miles to products like Fudge, Crunchie and Fry Turkish Delight;
4. Closure could put the supply chain at risk. Currently it takes just 6
hours for a chocolate bar to be made at Somerdale, transported and available
for sale;
5. Keynsham has a two hundred year history of chocolate manufacture, and the
closure will devastate the town, resulting in 700 direct and up to 1,000
further indirect job losses.
ENDS
Unite was formed on 1st May 2007 from a merger of amicus and the Transport
and General Workers Union (T&G)
For further information please contact Lydia Hayes on 0773 992 1669
http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:qR_arhgrDMUJ:www.dnaindia.com/report.asp%3Fnewsid%3D1138351+Sabarimala+staff+protest+undress+code&hl=en
Sabarimala staff protest undress code
Don Sebastian
Monday, December 10, 2007 10:05 IST
Staff deputed to keep track of cash, gold must not wear undergarments
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Already in the news for not being open to women between
the ages of 10 and 50, the Sabarimala shrine is facing another controversy.
The men who count the money the devotees offer can only wear dhotis.
Underwear is banned.
Apparently to prevent people from making off with the loose change. This
pilgrimage season, which began in mid-November, authorities caught four
employees trying to sneak out of the temple with cash.
Employees of the Travancore Devaswom Board which runs the temple are up in
arms against this dress code terming it demeaning.
“We have been voicing our protest against this inhuman practice at the board
meetings for long. But the authorities ignore it,” says the employees’
confederation president Shaji Sharma said. “There’s a chance of money being
stolen from the temple. But modern surveillance methods, like those used in
airports, must be put in place.”
Mohan Lal, the president of another staff union, says the union will
approach the Kerala State Human Rights Commission against the practice.
“The dhoti-only rule is applicable only to the lower-cadre staff at the
temple. Officers can come and go as they please. We want the board to end
this discrimination,” says Sharma.
Though a proposal to install an x-ray system at the temple was mooted,
nothing came through, employees said.
Recently, Kerala’s temple affairs minister G Sudhakaran and Travancore
Devaswom board president CK Guptan had insinuated that an invincible mafia
was grabbing pilgrims’ money.
At any rate, the Devaswom president has denied the imposition of the
no-underwear rule. “I am not aware of any such practice in Sabarimala. Maybe
the people who raised the allegation know better,” Guptan said. “We have
closed-circuit cameras at the counting centre and that’s our only safeguard
against pilferage.”
The employees have also accused the board of being soft on offenders. They
said that some of offenders have been reinstated in service even though
cases are against pending against them in courts.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C12%5C12%5Cstory_12-12-2007_pg11_2
HFH nurses protest suspension of staff
RAWALPINDI: The Holy Family Hospital (HFH) nurses staged a protest
demonstration in front of Medical Superintendent (MS) Syed Abid Hussain Shah’s
office on Tuesday against suspension of two nurses from service. They also
staged a strike for more than one-hour and did not attend the patients.
According to details, the MS suspended the services of two nurses for
dereliction of duties when a three-day old child was kidnapped from the
hospital. The two nurses were on duty when the child was kidnapped from the
ward on November 9. More than 70 nurses participated in the protest
demonstration and demanded that the MS reinstate the suspended staff. They
also chanted slogans against the hospital administration. They threatened
that the nursing staff of all the city government hospitals would go on
strike if their demand for reinstatement of nurses were not met. Deputy
Medical Superintendent Dr Litafat was not available for comments. staff
report
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/14/africa/ME-GEN-Egypt-Protest.php
Egyptian tax workers end protest demanding higher wages
The Associated Press
Published: December 14, 2007
CAIRO, Egypt: Employees from Egypt's tax department ended a 10-day-old
protest after officials promised to meet their demands, including wage
increases, the protest leaders said.
The protest was the latest in a series of labor actions complaining over low
wages and increasing prices in Egypt, where many of the poor and shrinking
middle class complain that economic reforms have not brought them
prosperity.
Hundreds of employees of the Real Estate Taxes' Department chanted slogans
Thursday outside the Cabinet building in downtown Cairo, where the
protesters have been holding a round-the-clock sit-in for the past 10 days,
sleeping on sidewalks.
They carried banners reading, "Our salaries do not even allow us to get a
pair of shoes" and shouted for the finance minister and prime minister to
hear them out and meet their demands. Police surrounded the protesters with
metal barricades to prevent them from reaching the Cabinet building.
Around noon, one of the protest leaders, Abdul-Qader Nada, emerged from a
meeting with the finance minister, saying the employees had agreed to end
their protest after the minister "promised us he will look into our
demands."
The protesters were demanding a pay hike or that they be incorporated into
the Finance Ministry, where wages are higher, rather than local
administrations.
Later Thursday, the state-run news agency MENA, reported that Finance
Minister Youssef Boutros Ghali has accepted to move the 55,000 Real Estate
Tax employees to his ministry.
"We were asking for our rights, we do most of the taxes' work and we get
almost nothing," said Nada. He said a new employee of the real estate tax
authority starts out with a salary as low as $45 a month.
Nada said that he, a 20-year veteran of the agency, makes only $70 a month.
In September, the World Bank ranked Egypt as the world's most improved
economy for investors in 2007, thanks to the new government's wide-ranging
economic reforms. The country has seen an average growth rate of 7.2 percent
for last three years, double what it was previously.
But even government officials have acknowledged in recent months that the
improving economy has not trickled down to the majority of Egypt's 77
million people. During the first half of 2007, inflation was as high as 12
percent. Though the government says it fell to 8 percent later in the year,
independent economists put the real rate at about twice that.
Unemployment remains officially at 12 percent, and the poverty level more
than 20 percent, according to the World Bank.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7145429.stm
Tate workers stage wage protest
Contract workers say the minimum wage does not reflect London living
Cleaners and caterers took over the main hall of the Tate Modern gallery as
part of a pay protest.
Contract workers at the south London gallery say their wage does not cover
the true cost of living in the capital.
Led by the South London Citizens group, dozens of protesters linked hands
and sang in its turbine hall on Friday.
A Tate spokesman said: "Tate ensures all its contractors must comply with
the statutory requirement to provide at least the national minimum wage."
Contract workers at the gallery currently receive the national minimum wage
of £5.52 per hour.
They want this increased to £7.20 per hour, which is known as the London
Living Wage - a wage level suggested by mayor Ken Livingstone to reflect the
extra cost of living in the capital.
South London Citizens spokesman Michael Faulkner said: "Everyone recognises
that living in London is more expensive than living anywhere else.
"We believe that the Tate as a major and very successful employer ought to
be recognising their responsibilities to make sure that all their employees
are properly remunerated for the work that they do."
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1505560
Napier dock workers protest job losses
Dec 15, 2007 11:10 AM
The Council of Trade Unions is backing the Maritime Union's campaign to save
jobs at the Port of Napier.
Workers have downed tools this morning to protest the potential loss of 85
jobs.
It follows a decision to change contractors, without securing employment
protection for current workers.
CTU spokeswoman Helen Kelly says the workers are not disposable units that
can be tossed about in the pursuit of a quick buck.
She says the impact of a change of contract on these workers would be
incredibly severe.
Kelly says the long serving dock workers on the Port of Napier deserve
better.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7151714.stm
Last Updated: Wednesday, 19 December 2007, 16:51 GMT
E-mail this to a friend Printable version
'Carol protest' over Cadbury cuts
Christmas songs were given a "lyrical overhaul"
Campaigners fighting to save up to 700 jobs at Cadbury have taken part in a
demonstration at a tourist attraction.
They held a Christmas carol concert outside Birmingham's Cadbury World to
protest against job losses.
About 40 workers from Keynsham near Bristol joined about the same number of
colleagues from Bournville, Birmingham.
The company wants to shut the Keynsham plant and transfer production to
Poland with the loss of 500 jobs. An extra 200 jobs would go from
Bournville.
Beeping horns
Cadbury has said it is still in talks with the Unite union.
Officials from Unite, who organised the protest, said traditional Christmas
songs were given a "lyrical overhaul".
In one example "O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant" was replaced
with "Don't close down Cadbury - England's finest chocolate".
Campaigners also sang to workers in the social club at the Bournville
factory during the protest, which lasted for about three hours.
Unite spokesperson Lydia Hayes said there was plenty of public support.
She said: "People were beeping their horns at us and coming up to us and
laughing at some of the songs."
The campaign has been previously backed by the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the
Rt Rev Peter Price, who said that closing the factory would "fly in the
face" of founder John Cadbury's Quaker principles.
Film-maker Ken Loach also led a rally in protest against the plans earlier
this month.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200712180322.htm
Journalist, non-journalists stage protest
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Journalists and non-journalists of newspapers and
news agencies in Kerala on Monday staged a relay hunger strike in front of
the Martyrs' Column here, demanding announcement of interim relief.
The fast was organised by the Kerala Union of Working Journalists and Kerala
Newspaper Employees Federation.
KUWJ president, P P Sasidharan, KUWJ general secretary, N Padmanabhan, and
KNEF president, K N Lathanathan, were among those who spoke on the occasion.
The protestors demanded that the Justice Narayana Kurup Wageboard submit its
recommendation without delay. They also demanded that employees of the
visual media be also included within the purview of the Wage Board.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/12/18/2122046.htm
Health workers stage protest
Posted Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:00pm AEDT
Map: Melbourne 3000
About 250 health professionals have protested outside the Industrial
Relations Commission (IRC) as it begins hearings on the union's work bans.
Four thousand health professionals, including physiotherapists and radiation
therapists, have staged rolling stoppages in their battle for better pay and
conditions.
The Victorian Hospitals' Industrial Association, the umbrella group
representing the state's public hospitals, has taken the Health Services
Union (HSU) to the IRC, to try to have the bans lifted
But the union's Kathy Jackson says health workers have been forced into
taking the action.
"The waiting lists are growing and the government has done nothing to
rectify those problems and I'm astounded by the shear hypocrisy of this
Labour Government who use work choices in this fashion," she said.
Alec Djoneff, a spokesman for the hospitals, says the bans are causing
widespread disruption to services.
"We are seeking orders to prevent the interruption to patient treatment
which has been quite extensive," he said.
"The half-day rolling stoppages have been very damaging and very concerning
and we have to bring them to a stop."
http://allafrica.com/stories/200712270907.html
Nigeria: Nigeria Airways Staff Protest Underpayment
Daily Trust (Abuja)
26 December 2007
Posted to the web 27 December 2007
Samson Ojo
Lagos
Some sacked workers of the liquidated Nigeria Airways have petitioned the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for underpayment of their
entitlements.
The sacked workers said they were underpaid by as much as N500,000 each and
have decided to officially notify the EFCC of the fraud.
One of the aggrieved workers, Mr. Garba Bawa, said he and some of his
colleagues were employed in 1993. He expressed shock that he was paid N1.5
million while some of his colleagues received N2 million.
Responding to the explanation of one of the union leaders, Mr. Kabir Lawal,
that he (Bawa) might have been among those employed in the second batch,
Bawa said: "It is a blatant lie. They are just trying to cover their
mistakes. They don't want the truth to be known. They want their mistakes to
be exposed.
"I'm from Kaduna State and all of us from Kaduna State were in the first
batch. That was in March, 1993. The second batch came later in September,
1993 and there is no way I will receive N1.5 million and some of my
colleagues will receive over N2 million. Even those employed in September
received N1.9 million," he said.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_business?id=161256450
Dozens of workers protest
Aretha Welch
Saturday, December 29th 2007
THREE dozen workers and trade union representatives gathered yesterday to
protest and show their dissatisfaction with the workings of the Government
appointed, Public Sector Negotiating Committee (PSNC).
Organised by the Banking and General Insurance Workers Union, the angry
labourers took time out of their end of year schedules to march outside the
Trinidad and Tobago Mortgage Finance Company's office at Dundonald Street
for several hours.
Representatives of a number of recognised union bodies took part in the
march which Mario Als, deputy president of BIGWU said, "Was organised to let
the PSNC know that both the union and the workers they represented did not
appreciate the presence of the committee in wage negotiations with public or
state owned companies as all the committee does was frustrate the process
and the workers."
Presently, BIGWU and the management of TTMFC are involved in wage
negotiations for salary increments for a vast majority of TTMFC's workers.
However, the union is saying that the inclusion of the PSNC in negotiations
has been making it difficult for the wage disagreement to be settled as the
employers are saying they cannot submit proposals without the go-ahead from
the PSNC who is in turn not willing to give the necessary approval.
Up to press time no members of the PSNC could be reached for comment.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Teachers-block-highway-to-protest-against-training-during-vacations/255754/
Teachers block highway to protest against training during vacationsFont
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Anupam Bhagria
Posted online: Sunday , December 30, 2007 at 12:00:00
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Updated: Sunday , December 30, 2007 at 01:45:52 Print Email To Editor Post
Comments
Ludhiana, December 29 Continuing their boycott of training seminars during
winter break, hundreds of government teachers today held a massive rally at
Mini Secretariat and blocked traffic on the National Highway on Ferozepur
Road for around half-an-hour.
The call for a rally was given by the Sarkari School Sikhya Bachao Manch
Punjab, a joint platform of more than 15 teachers’ organisations.
The Manch has been protesting against the Education department and the state
government for conducting training seminars during winter break.
The protesting teachers were also demanding that nine teachers, who were put
under suspension for protesting against the seminars at Mohali, be
reinstated.
Addressing a protest rally, Baldev Singh Mangat, president of the Government
Teachers’ Union, said if the state government didn’t reinstate the suspended
teachers they will intensify their struggle.
The eight-day long training seminars started on December 24. From day one,
however, teachers have completely boycotted the seminars.
After taking out a rally in the forenoon today, the protesting teachers
blocked traffic on Ferozepur Road in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s
officer. The protesters stopped traffic for half-an-hour.
Sher Singh, Bhajan Singh, Amandeep, Bhushan Lal Khanna, Charan Singh
Halwara, all office-bearers of different teachers’ associations, addressed
the agitating teachers.
While approving the protest of government teachers, Sudesh Bajaj, District
Education Officer, Secondary, said the teachers’ protest was justified
“because resource persons should be well-informed and aware about the topics
on which they are to training the teachers in-service”.
“There shall be small groups of teachers for conducting the seminars.
Calling all the teachers for attending the seminars and that too in holidays
is not right,” Bajaj added.
Meanwhile, the commuters say they had to face inconvenience because they had
to take different routes to reach their destinations. Fearing traffic
blockages, many bus drivers asked the passengers to get off near Bharat
Nagar chowk.
Krishna Kumari, a Jagraon-bound passenger, said: “It’s difficult to board
another bus with small kids. The VIPS as well as the government teachers
should not create such hindrance for public.”
Meanwhile, the Manch has decided to hold a meeting on January 2 at Mini
Secretariat to chalk out its future course of action.
Joginder Aazad, general secretary of the Democratic Teachers Front, said,
“Our protest is also against not fulfilling 40,000 vacancies of teachers,
for increasing the school timings, for not regularising computer teachers,
and for not bringing the schools of Zila Parishad under the District
Education Department.”
Somerville - At approximately 1 a.m. his morning, members of Teamsters Local
25 established a picket line at F.W. Russell Disposal Company located at 120
McGrath Highway and Broadway Brake at Broadway and Lombardi Way.
http://www.bloggernews.net/112882
Russell Disposal is the contractor providing trash removal services for the
city of Somerville.
Protestors bused into the scene padlocked the front gate and parked a
trailer in front of it so Russell’s employees could not enter and the trucks
could not leave.
At approximately 8:15 a.m. Thursday morning, acting Chief Robert Bradley
gave the order for police to push back the picketers who had been bused into
the site. Somerville Police were backed up by Northeastern Massachusetts Law
Enforcement Council (a regional force from other cities) which includes a
SWAT Team. Officials from Peabody, Concord, Pepperell, North Andover,
Watertown, Bedford, Chelmsford, Lexington and Woburn staged in the Target
parking lot and marched to the site in full riot gear.
As police pushed picketers back, a scuffle broke out. Ten picketers were
arrested.
“There is no riot. There never was a riot. We do not have a riot. We have a
labor dispute,” Somerville Police Capt. Upton said this morning.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5444340.html
Jan. 10, 2008, 2:38PM
NY Catholic Teachers Protest Contract
By ULA ILNYTZKY Associated Press Writer
© 2008 The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Nearly all of the 375 unionized lay teachers at 10 high schools
run by the Archdiocese of New York called in sick Thursday in a contract
dispute.
Eight of the 10 schools, serving about 5,000 students in the city and
northern suburbs, decided to send their students home early after 347
teachers represented by the Lay Faculty Association failed to show up for
work, the archdiocese said.
Archdiocese spokesman Joe Zwilling said all the one-day sickout would do is
disrupt the day for the students and cost teachers a day's wages.
Union business manager Henry Kielkucki defended the action.
"It's the best thing we've ever done," he said. "It's too bad that students
lost education over it and that the teachers lost money. There's no reason
that this couldn't be hammered out at the negotiating table."
The teachers have been without a contract since Aug. 31.
Zwilling said the two sides last met with a mediator in December. He said
the union rejected its "last, best and final" offer, which called for salary
increases of 17 to 19.5 percent over three years, based on years of
experience, for a top salary of $58,000. Top-paying teachers now make
$54,000. The offer also called for teachers to contribute to the cost of
their health care.
Kielkucki said the union was asking for a top salary of $60,000 for teachers
who hold master's or doctorates, and added that any raises would be lost to
health care premiums.
In comparison, the top salary of a city public school teacher with a
master's degree and 22 years on the job is $95,000. The average salary is
$68,000.
Zwilling said the number of teachers who stayed out ranged widely from
school to school.
Seven out of 39 teachers stayed out at John F. Kennedy High School in Somers
in Westchester County, and 46 out of 52 called in sick at Our Lady of
Lourdes in Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County.
Only Kennedy, and Moore Catholic High School on Staten Island, kept students
for the entire school day.
A total of 420 teachers, including the 375 union members, work at the 10
schools in Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Goshen, Poughkeepsie,
Hartsdale, White Plains and Somers.
Kielkucki said the union would wait before planning any other action but
would not do anything for at least the next seven days when students will be
taking their midterm exams.
The union went on strike in 2001 in a dispute over salaries and benefits.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7185150.stm
Council workers protest over pay
The council employs about 40,000 people
Hundreds of council staff have held a protest about plans to restructure
pay.
The Birmingham workers staged a rally in the city's Victoria Square, outside
the council offices.
Birmingham City Council is holding a review of wages paid to its 41,000
workers amidst union claims that some staff will be left worse off.
The council has said about 45% of its staff would receive a "considerable
increase". Staff are being balloted on strike action.
Unions have said some workers, mainly women, could be left worse off by a
few thousand pounds a year.
Unison spokesman Tony Rabaiotti, said Birmingham was the biggest local
authority in England and as such would be watched by many authorities
elsewhere to see what happened.
Council chiefs have said they are legally obliged to carry out the plans and
that it is amongst authorities across England asked by the government to
bring pay schemes in line with equal pay legislation.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jATey6oU4_xbGy6tnb4LOLGTrp6QD8TCFCDO0
UN Tour Guides Protest Pay, Conditions
By EDITH M. LEDERER – Dec 6, 2007
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Twenty-two tour guides called in sick on Thursday to
protest the U.N.'s failure to deal with their demands for better salaries
and working conditions, forcing all but large, prearranged tours to be
canceled.
The United Nations employs about 50 guides, who each work around 30 hours a
week, showing visitors around the headquarters building in New York.
Only six are staff members, said Emad Hassanin, first vice president of the
U.N. Staff Union. The rest are paid on an hourly basis and don't have
regular contracts, vacation, or sick leave, he said.
U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said the job action "is apparently
related to a number of issues that the tour guides have raised with
management in recent weeks."
Hassanin said a previous agreement to establish a working group to discuss
contracts and working conditions for the tour guides was thrown out by the
new Undersecretary-General for Public Information Kiyotaka Akasaka.
But Okabe said a meeting with the tour guides had been scheduled for
Thursday afternoon to again discuss creating a working group.
It was unclear if any of the tour guides showed up, but Akasaka later
informed U.N. officials by e-mail that he had set up a group. It includes
three representatives of the tour guides and two staff representatives of
the Department of Public Information.
Hassanin said the Staff Union leadership had pointedly been excluded. The
old agreement had called for union leaders to be included.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, asked about the tour guides, said the fact
that 22 called in sick "must have caused some inconvenience to the tours."
"Tour guides are very important (in) connecting the United Nations and the
outside world — they have been playing an important role," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Delhi/BPO_staffers_hold_protest/articleshow/2602671.cms
BPO staffers hold protest
7 Dec 2007, 0344 hrs IST,Dipak Kumar Dash,TNN
GURGAON: While Gurgaon has emerged as a success story with its concentration
of bustling BPO offices, small call centres sacking their employees and
refusing salary payments has started sullying the industry’s name. In fact,
on chilly Wednesday night, about 35 voice call executives, including women,
had to stage a noisy two-hour-long protest outside their call centre office
in Udyog Vihar, phase-V demanding their salary.
As the situation got worse, even the police rushed to the spot and
intervened to defuse the crisis. According to the executives of Voicekraft
Infosole, they were suddenly dismissed from their services after they
reached office on Wednesday. "They called us and said that we did not meet
their expectations and hence we were sacked. But this seemed to be a
well-conceived move by the company since the date of paying the salary was
approaching. We worked all these days to get the salary and now we have to
pay rent. Where will we stay, if we are thrown out of our rented
accommodation?" asked one of the employees. All those who have been sacked,
including women, were told to make their own transport arrangement to return
home.
Finally, they called up the local police and in their presence a fleet of
cabs took these employees home around 1.30 am. After the police intervened,
the BPO promised that they would hand over salary cheques to the sacked
employees by 5 pm on Thursday. But till late Thursday night, over 50% of
them said that the promise was not kept.
Piyush, a partner of this BPO said: "All of them have not yet got the
employment letter from the company. They have got the intent letter and the
condition clearly says they would be employed only when they are deemed
professionally fit. When they can’t work for outbound business, how can we
keep them?"
http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/headlines/display.var.1892788.0.hundreds_join_post_office_protest.php
Hundreds join post office protest
By Katie Adams
Protesters in Lacock on Saturday
HUNDREDS of campaigners in Lacock were joined by MP James Gray over the
weekend to protest about the impending closure of rural post offices.
In October hundreds of post office staff were asked to sign documents
forbidding them from telling customers their branches were under threat but
news of the gagging orders emerged as Royal Mail prepared to announce which
services would face the axe.
On Saturday around 300 people gathered at the village stores in Lacock to
protest the cuts and tomorrow Royal Mail will instigate a six week
consultation period on the closures which will effect post offices in large
parts of the West with as many as one in five in the region facing closure.
Lacock sub-postmistress Emma Hands defied the confidentiality agreement to
speak out.
She said: "I was told earlier this year that I would know in October. A man
from the post office came round but before he told me anything he made me
sign this confidentiality agreement.
"They told me I would get financial penalties for breaking it, but I don't
care. It's about free speech and they put me in a very awkward position."
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