LABOUR BULLETIN : July 2013

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Bangladesh - New wage structure for garment workers after Eid: Minister

Minimum Wage Commission working hard as government wants to announce new structure as soon as possible

Apple protest in Reno (raw video): Local union workers protested against Apple on Tuesday at the Summit mall for what they claim is a lack of transparency over its work in the Reno area and its hiring practices.

NUBE Labour Research Institute to offer Professional Studies in Trade Unionism

Jul 29, 2013
In the last 30 years workers’ rights have been brutally battered and as a result workers have become ignorant of their basic human rights. Trade Union membership and rights have equally suffered battery.
The government, employers and workers must recognize International Labour Standards and adopt labour, economic and social policies in conformity with the International Labour Standards.

6000-worker strike in Flextronics Shanghai

Sept. 17th 2012, 6000 workers of Flextronics in Shanghai had been called out to protest the removal compensation scheme. Because of the price of land and the problems of Human Resources, the headquarter of the company decided to move the industrial park to Suzhou instead of Jiading District, Shanghai. However, both sides couldn't reach the agreement on the removal compensation, thus making the whole factory's workers gathered to block the streets to fight for their rights and asked for their compensation they should receive.

Monday, July 29, 2013

VIETNAM - Trade union starts 11th congress

Workers of the Dung Quat Oil Refinery Factory changing shift. Trade union organisations were urged to promote democracy at grassroots level, step up social activities and encourage workers to exercise their rights.

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s state pension fund will invest half a billion euro in industrial property in Germany and office space in France, according to sources familiar with the deals, signalling growing appetite for high-yielding property assets as Europe’s main economies show signs of recovery.

Union Carbide seeks transfer of asbestos mass tort claim from Phila. to federal court

Attorneys for Union Carbide Corp. have petitioned the federal court in Philadelphia for a

Robert N. Spinelli

transfer of an asbestos mass tort claim that was brought last month by a Florida woman at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

Susan E. Murphy is suing Union Carbide over the mesothelioma related death of Donald Murphy, who was diagnosed with the disease in July 2011 by a doctor at Broward General Medical Center in the Sunshine State.

Donald Murphy’s disease, the plaintiff claims, was directly attributed to the man’s exposure to asbestos, which occurred during his career with the United States Army and during private work as a housing renovator.

Donald Murphy, the lawsuit shows, was also a cigarette and pipe smoker for a number of years.

A file picture shows the interior of Whitefriars at 65, Fleet Street London, which has been purchased by EFP. The fund has invested at least RM279bil in the United Kingdom.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) will invest 500 million euros (RM2.13bil) in industrial property in Germany and office space in France, according to sources familiar with the deals, signalling growing appetite for high-yielding property assets, as Europe’s main economies show signs of recovery.

With union workers at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. saying they're poised to strike this weekend if necessary, some businesses surrounding Cumberland County's largest employer are bracing for the potential fallout.

"I'm scared," said Pyong Cho, the 48-year-old owner of Su's Subs in the Andrews Commons shopping center. "It will damage if they strike. That's why I'm a little bit scared ... I'm just waiting on what's going to happen."

Cho said 70 percent of his business is from plant workers.

Singapore: Moody's Investors Service has changed the outlook for Singapore's banking system to Negative from Stable, owing to the recent period of rapid loan growth and rising real estate prices in Singapore and in regional markets where Singapore banks are active.

Bridgestone/Firestone union set to strike

Inspector Mark Tomlinson looks over a freshly made tire at the Bridgestone/Firestone tire plant in Des Moines in March 2010. A union member vote came back this week with overwhelming support for strike action if negotiations fall through before the current contract expires this weekend. The contract affects 1,400 plant workers.

Union leaders representing 1,400 workers at the Bridgestone/Firestone tire plant in Des Moines say a strike is possible if contract negotiations falter before a four-year contract expires tonight at midnight.

Zimbabwe court orders reinstatement of union leader

After a year of fighting the unfair dismissal of ZEWU president Angeline Chitambo, the Zimbabwe labour court ruled in her favour. Her dismissal was unfair, and she should be reinstated without any loss of salary.

Bangladesh on Thursday defended its new labour laws, and said it was angry at criticism from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which called the legislation inadequate.

SOUTH AFRICAN MINERS/FILE PHOTO©REUTERS

Uncertainty has gripped South Africa's gold mining sector after three major workers unions announced that talks with employers reached a deadlock.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Solidarity and UASA on Wednesday announced that they had declared a wage dispute with the Chamber of Mines.

The deadlock has been referred to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), the unions said.

COMRADE Bobboi Bala Kaigama, is the recently elected President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC. In this interview with Labour Vanguard, Kaigama, who is also the President General of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, speaks on his vision for TUC among others. Excerpts

Dewan Negara :Pertanyaan & Bahas Titah Diraja 2013

SILA RUJUK MINIT YANG KE 26 UCAPAN SENATOR TUAN SYED SHAHIR

ILO statement on reform of Bangladesh labour law

Amendments to the Bangladesh labour Act 2006 were adopted on 15 July 2013. Its conformity with international labour standards ratified by Bangladesh will be reviewed by the ILO supervisory machinery later in the year.

The amendments to the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006, adopted on 15 July 2013, will hopefully prove to be the first step towards fulfilling the Government’s obligation to respect fully the fundamental rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining and to address the critical need to bolster occupational safety and health. Bangladesh has ratified ILO Conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining and thus is required to protect the rights contained therein.

The conformity of the amended legislation with international labour standards ratified by Bangladesh will be reviewed by the ILO supervisory machinery later in the year.

Kementerian Sumber Manusia hari ini memaklumkan jumlah kemalangan sejak lima tahun lalu ialah 15,419 dengan 14,446 cedera dan 473 kemalangan maut melibatkan pelbagai sektor.

Construction workers build a new residential property development in north London, March 21, 2013. REUTERS/Neil Hall

Reuters)- Nothing lasts forever but a global trend that set in 30 years ago shows no sign of ending: a steep rise in the share of income that goes to profits and a corresponding decline in labor's slice of the economic pie.

MALAYSIA - EPF: Opt for flexi-withdrawal scheme in order to stretch savings

PETALING JAYA: The Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) has urged the public to take advantage of its Flexible Age 55 Withdrawal scheme, which allows them to manage their savings via flexible withdrawal options.

Union organizing prospects strategy

Promoting Your Union

see video at http://www.promoting-your-union.com

Bangladesh - ILO wants more labour law changes

In a press statement on Monday, the UN agency said it was a positive move to ensure workers' freedom of association, collective bargaining rights and addressing the need to boost occupational safety and health.

Johannesburg - Trade union Solidarity has expressed disappointment at the Chamber of Mines' pay offer to workers in the coal industry.

The chamber's 5.6 percent offer was declined because it fell short of the union's 10 percent demand that applied to other benefits, union general secretary Gideon du Plessis said on Monday.

“The housing and living-out allowance is a burning issue for Solidarity's members and today's offer regarding this issue is unacceptable,” Du Plessis said.

ILO Welcomes G20 Efforts to Boost Job Creation

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director-General, Guy Ryder, has welcomed the recommendations by G20 labour ministers to step up their efforts to promote jobs and economic growth.

MARIAM (dua kanan) menjawab soalan pemberita dalam sesi sidang media, turut kelihatan Jimmy (tengah) dan pegawai-pegawai kanan Perkeso yang lain.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has introduced comprehensive guidelines to further enhance its supervision on the Fund Management Institutions (FMIs) appointed under the EPF Members Investment Scheme to safeguard members’ retirement savings.

Seksyen 2 (Tafsiran):

“upah” ertinya upah pokok dan semua pembayaran lain dengan wang tunai kepada seorang pekerja bagi kerja yang dibuat mengikut kontrak perkhidmatannya tetapi tidak termasuk –

TM sedia manfaat lebih baik

TELEKOM Malaysia Bhd (TM) menandatangani Perjanjian Bersama (CA) kesembilan bersama Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja-Pekerja Telekomunikasi Semenanjung Malaysia (Nute) yang meliputi penambahbaikan pelbagai terma dan syarat perkhidmatan, bagi petugas bukan eksekutif di Semenanjung Malaysia dan Labuan.

Petugas bukan eksekutif kini menyumbang 60 peratus daripada tenaga kerja TM seramai kira-kira 17,000 orang.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Kumpulan TM Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa berkata, tujuan utama perjanjian bersama itu ialah untuk keselamatan dan kebajikan pekerja.

“Perjanjian bersama ini juga bertujuan meningkatkan aktiviti pekerja dan produktiviti dan prestasi TM,” katanya selepas majlis pemeteraian itu.

On 15 July the ILO launched a new project called “Work in Freedom” to provide women migrant workers from South Asia with a more secure future.

Kathmandu, July 19: Finance Minister Shankar Prasad Koirala Friday asked the Employees of the Provident Funds (EPF) to introduce a cheaper housing project targeting the employees.

Pakistani workers express solidarity with Indian workers

Karachi—Pakistan’s trade union movement has expressed its solidarity with the workers’ movement of Suzuki Marui in India and demanded the Indian government to accept workers’ demands and release all the arrested labour leaders.

Antananarivo (Madagascar): As many as 86,000 children are working in mines in Madagascar, an International Labour Organisation (ILO) official has revealed, adding some of them work to help parents in sapphires or gold careers.

'Alarming' unemployment could get worse: ILO

Unemployment will likely soar further in the group of 20 major economic powers without immediate action, Guy Ryder, the director general of the International Labor Organization told CNBC on Friday, comparing the jobs crisis to the 2008-2009 financial crisis and warning it needs to be tackled urgently.

Iraqi unions join forces for trade union legislation

The new IndustriALL Global Union Council of Iraq

Iraq still lacks legislation protecting workers' rights, guaranteeing freedom of association and governing industrial relations. In an effort to coordinate and consolidate forces, an IndustriALL Global Union National Council was established in Baghdad on July 10.

Badrul Hisham kelihatan sedang menaiki kenderaan pacuan empat roda menuju ke pejabat Kementerian Perdagangan dan Industri bagi menyerahkan memorandum bantahan perjanjian TPP di Jalan Duta, hari ini.

Mohd Khalid juga kelihatan hadir dalam bantahan tersebut.

KUALA LUMPUR [DIKEMASKINI] – Beberapa gabungan badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) hari ini mengadakan perhimpunan untuk menyerahkan memorandum bantahan kepada pejabat Kementerian Perdagangan dan Industri berhubung isu Perjanjian Perkongsian Trans-Pasific (TPP).

Kumpulan itu yang dikenali sebagai Badan Bertindak Bantah TPPA Malaysia (BBBTM) terdiri daripada 200 NGO itu mengadakan perhimpunan di Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan selepas solat Jumaat petang tadi.

Kumpulan berkenaan mula membanjiri tempat letak kereta bersebelahan dengan masjid itu kira-kira jam 2.15 petang.

Perhimpunan tersebut dilakukan selepas solat Jumaat itu bagaimanapun dilihat kurang mendapat sambutan para jemaah yang hadir menunaikan solat.

Sementara itu, turut kelihatan sebuah kenderaan pacuan empat roda berwarna hitam dijadikan pentas kepada wakil NGO dan berucap menggunakan pembesar suara mudah alih yang dipasang di atas kenderaan terbabit.

Antara pemimpin NGO yang menyertai perhimpunan itu ialah Presiden Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM), Badrul Hisham Shahrin, Presiden Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia (MTUC), Mohd Khalid Atan, wakil Pas, Dr Rosli Yaakob dan wakil Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Melayu (MTEM), Rizal Yaakob.

Kumpulan berkenaan tiba di pintu masuk pejabat kementerian terbabit pada jam 2.50 petang namun ia dikunci dan dikawal rapi pihak polis dan turut menghalang wakil NGO terbabit daripada memasuki kawasan pejabat kerajaan itu.

Garment factory workers block a section of the National Highway Two in Phnom Penh to demand higher wages and better working conditions, June 19, 2013.

Working conditions in Cambodia’s garment industry have worsened, the International Labour Organization said in a report Thursday, but manufacturers said the entire industry should not be blamed for the problems of a few factories.

Despite improvements until two to three years ago, the country’s third largest currency earning industry has suffered setbacks in the areas of worker safety and child labor, the ILO said.

Mr. Steve Marshall, the ILO liaison officer seen in a press conference

Myanmar is still using forced labour in addition to the use of child soldiers, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said during a press conference in Yangon on July 17.

“Myanmar cannot deny the fact that there are still child soldier and forced labour. We are negotiating with the government over the eradication of these two issues. Not only the ILO but also other UN organisations are working together on these issues. To avoid using child soldiers, the government has already ordered to stop recruiting underage soldiers to the army. We are joining hands with the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services in this regard,” said Mr. Steve Marshall, the ILO liaison officer.

He continued to say that recruiting minors has also been found in other ethnic armed forces apart from the government forces. Forced labour and using child soldier cases can be found in the regions where ceasefires have been agreed. They have planned to work together with ethnic groups and international labour organisations to put an end to the practice.

copy from:::http://www.elevenmyanmar.com

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Cambodia garment worker conditions worsening: ILO

Cambodia is backsliding in efforts to improve working conditions in its garment industry, the International Labour Organisation said today, following a series of strikes at factories producing western-brand clothing.

Gerdau-Diaco dismissed one of their employees, Luis Cruz, on 5 July. Cruz has chained himself to the factory gates at the Duitama plant in protest at the company’s action. He is legally protected against dismissal because of a workplace accident he suffered in 1994.

Presiden Cuepacs, Datuk Omar Osman

PUTRAJAYA - Presiden Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-pekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (Cuepacs) Datuk Omar Osman berpendapat masih ada harapan untuk lebih 1.4 juta penjawat awam menerima bonus menjelang Aidilfitri.

Ini berikutan kenyataan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hari ini yang memaklumkan kerajaan akan mengkaji kemungkinan memberi bonus kepada penjawat awam menjelang Aidilfitri, kata Omar.

Perdana Menteri berkata kerajaan akan mengkaji kemungkinan itu dan masih mempunyai masa untuk memutuskan perkara itu.

"Cuepacs mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Perdana Menteri kerana sudi mempertimbangkan permohonan Cuepacs untuk 1.4 juta penjawat awam.

Signing the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) will see an increase in the cost of medicines, an MP said today.

The leader of the nation’s largest telecommunications union is threatening some Senate Democrats for siding with Republicans in a deal requiring President Obama to withdraw his nominations to the country's union protection watchdog.

Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), said Tuesday that the two members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Sharon Block and Richard Griffin Jr., are “definitely tossed under the bus” in a Senate deal that will allow five of Obama’s other nominees to receive up-or-down votes before the Senate.

Perjanjian Perkongsian Trans-Pasifik (TPPA) mempunyai tujuan lain supaya negara yang kuat dapat mengawal yang lebih lemah dan boleh dibandingkan dengan penggunaan kekuatan tentera, kata bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Work to boost jobs OECD-ILO tells G20

The leading 20 nations in the world must work together, and quickly, to boost policies for jobs, the job market and social safety nets, the OECD and International Labour Organisation warned on Wednesday.

Young people are in a particularly tight spot when trying to get their first job, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the ILO stressed.

Mekanisme KSM Pastikan Tiada Diskriminasi Tangga Gaji Pekerja Tempatan, Asing

.KUALA LUMPUR: Kerajaan komited memastikan tiada diskriminasi dalam kadar tangga gaji pekerja asing dan pekerja tempatan melalui mekanisme dilaksanakan Kementerian Sumber Manusia (KSM).

Menterinya Datuk Richard Riot Anak Jaem berkata mekanisme ini adalah mengikut undang-undang sedia ada yang memberi perlindungan dan menjaga kebajikan pekerja tempatan dan pekerja asing daripada sebarang diskriminasi.

"Mekanisme ini terdiri daripada langkah seperti penguatkuasaan Akta Kerja 1955 (Akta 265), penguatkuasaan Akta Majlis Perundingan Gaji Negara 2011 9Akta 732) dan tapisan permohonan pekerja asing oleh majikan," katanya.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – South Africa's long-dominant mining union mounted a last-ditch legal battle to halt the rise of a rival militant union Wednesday, taking allegations of membership "fraud" to government mediators.

NAIROBI; KENYA: The Kenya National Union of Teachers ( Knut) has called of teachers’ strike hours after the Government had closed primary schools indefinitely.

This is after Knut agreed a pay deal with theGovernment on Wednesday after a meeting with the Deputy President William Ruto.

Workers who are members of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) at West Bengal warehouses exclusively contracted by PepsiCo are fighting for fairness and justice in the face of mass dismissals as a result of exercising their right to join a union. 162 workers out of 170 have been brutally fired. Furthermore PepsiCo is using labour contractors that are not officially licensed (something that is mandatory). Workers are therefore not paid the current minimum wages set since January 1, 2013 and no social security payments are made for them as required by law.

Send a message to PepsiCo Chief executive officer, Indra Nooyi demanding an end to these brutal attacks and calling on the company to respect the freedom of association, workers’ rights and working conditions in India.
click link for support http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=750
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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Protes lebih besar isu bersara 60 tahun

Pekerja-pekerja Telekom Malaysia (TM) merancang mengadakan perhimpunan lebih besar bagi membantah dakwaan kegagalan kesatuan sekerja mereka dalam menuntut pelaksanaan segera umur persaraan minimum 60 tahun.

Jurucakap kumpulan itu Pasupathy PA Palaniappan berkata, perhimpunan mereka Jumaat ini di pejabat Kesatuan Pekerja-pekerja Telekomunikasi Telekomunikasi Semenanjung Malaysia (Nute) di Kuala Lumpur dijangka mencatat angka jauh lebih besar sehingga 100 orang.
NONE

"Sebelum ini mereka (pekerja TM) ingat tidak ada apa-apa yang akan berlaku. Mereka juga takut polis tangkap.

"Tetapi selepas perhimpunan dulu, walaupun tiada apa-apa berlaku, mesej kami sudah sampai ke pelbagai pihak," kata Pasupathy, 56.

Perhimpunan lusa di Jalan Bangsar dirancang pada jam 10 pagi.

Dalam perhimpunan pertama mereka pada 29 Jun lalu, hanya 20 pekerja TM menyertai acara itu.

More unions for better representation, workers urged - (MTUC PENANG DIVISION)

BUTTERWORTH: In view of housing debts rising to worrying levels coupled with the escalating of cost of living, most Malaysian wage-earner are now trapped between the affluent and the lower middle income group, lamented veteran unionist K Veeriah.

“The saying that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer is indeed a reality among the working class here. Is it possible for wealth to be distributed equitably? This is a burgeoning issue which our policy makers and economists must seriously look into and come up with a solution fast,” said Veeriah.

He added that with less than nine percent of the country’s workforce unionised, the plight of the working population in this country cannot be effectively addressed when the unions are not empowered to represent all workers.

UN launches joint project to protect 100,000 women in South Asia from trafficking

Of the 21 million in forced labour 70% are in forced labour exploitation and 22% are in forced sexual exploitation.

Photo: ILO

July 2013 – A new project launched today by the United Nations labour agency and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) seeks to prevent 100,000 girls and women across South Asia from falling victims to labour trafficking.

For the workers at the Maruti Suzuki plant in India, 18 July marks an unwanted anniversary filled with flagrant anti-union behavior from the police and authorities. Attempting to put end to the repression, a hunger strike is planned. After the violent incident on 18 July last year in which a manager at Manesar plant of Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) died, 147 workers have been held in Gurgaon jail without being granted bail. An additional 66 workers have outstanding non-bailable arrest warrants. 2,300 workers have lost their jobs, and it has been a year where thousands of families have been devastated economically and emotionally. On 23 June the General Body of the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union (MSWU) decided, following continued struggle and solidarity action, to protest against the injustice of persecution when voicing their legitimate rights. The demands related to the hunger strike are two-fold: 1. Release arrested workers and activists. 2. Reinstate all terminated workers of the three plants of Maruti Suzuki Manesar. The struggle will continue until the above mentioned demands are met.
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Monday, July 15, 2013

Temporary contract staff to enjoy protection under Perkeso

Temporary, contract staff to enjoy protection under PERKESO

MARAN (July 14, 2013): The government is expected to spend RM30 million every year to provide social insurance coverage under the Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (Perkeso) to about 63,000 contract and temporary staff in the civil service.

International Labour Organization - Origins and history

The ILO was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, to reflect the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice.

Volkswagen
The Global Framework Agreement (GFA) with Volkswagen Group was signed on June 6, 2002. The agreement states that the principles of the ILO Core Labour Standards will be assured within Volkswagen.