The World of Labor - September 27, 2008



	THE WORLD OF LABOR — September 27, 2008 By Harry Kelber 800,000 Bank Employees Strike Across India Opposing privatization, mergers and acquisitions of state-owned banks, more than 800,000 bank employees from 50,000 branches across India began a two-day strike on Sept. 24. Among other issues, bank employees are also opposing the amendment of the Banking Regulation Act of 1949, which will give equal voting rights to shareholders. “Banking operations have come to a standstill. Once the strike is over, we will sit together and chalk out our future course of action,” said Rajen Nagar, National President of All India Bank Employees Association. (AIBEA), which is participating in the strike, called by the umbrella body, United Form of Bank Unions (UFBU). Nagar reported that in Kolkata, employees of different categories of banks--from the public, private, cooperative and regional rural sectors—have joined the strike. At present, none of the demands put forth by the UFBU, like pensions, wage revisions, and compassionate leave plans, have been resolved. Colombian Unions to Protest Govt. Policies in Oct. 7 Strike Union members across Colombia will converge on the country’s major cities Oct. 7 to protest the economic polices of President Alvaro Uribe and to support the judicial and sugarcane cutters’ strikes. The demonstration will also protest the form in which the election of Uribe was approved, said Tarcisio Mora, President of the United Workers Central (CUT). About 40,000 judicial workers have been on strike since Sept. 3, seeking salary equalization and autonomy. The strike is expected to continue at least through the weekend. An additional 10,000 sugarcane cutters began a strike on Sept. 15 to demand better conditions. Union workers have “decided to march through the streets so that the Uribe administration is once again made aware of hunger and misery, so that the state’s institutions understand that their laws don’t represent the great masses,” Mora said. Argentina Boosts Spending on Workers’ Children The head of Argentina’s state-run workers’ fund says monthly family allowances will increase 35 to 50 percent per child this year. Amado Boudou says the move will cost the government $128 million in 2008, benefiting more than four million children of active workers and 230,000 children of retirees. Union leader Hugo Mayan says the increase will give a “reasonable” boost to help workers cover rising living costs. Argentina’s annual inflation rate officially reached 9 percent in August, but independent economists put the rate closer to 25 percent. Poland’s Coal Miners Protest ‘Climate Package’ About 300 coal miners and power engineers from Solidarity, the country’s famed national trade union, will protest in Brussels on Sept. 25 against the European Commission’s “climate package,’ whose purpose is to limit carbon dioxide emissions. Miners from collieries throughout Poland will take part in the protest and will be supported by Polish shipyard workers. The trade union warns that introducing the new regulations might spell disaster to Polish coal mining and the power industry, which is based 95 percent on coal. Union members want to meet with the European Commissioner for Environment, Steve Dimas The “climate package” consists of bills proposed by the European Commission that are to counteract climate change. Protesters say the legislation would reduce the competitiveness of coal as a source of energy. The European Parliament will vote on the bills on Oct. 15. Nationwide Strike to Hit Belgium Public Transport Belgium’s public transport network will be heavily disrupted on Oct.6 when unions plan to protest what they say is the government’s failure to respond to rising prices. Workers at the Brussels metro, tram and bus company, STIB, will stage a 24-hour strike, while bus service in the rest of the country will also be halted. Unions are urging the government to take steps to alleviate the impact of inflation after it hit a 24-year high of 5.9 percent in July and they hope the planned strikes will send a clear signal to the government before it presents its 2009 budget to Parliament Oct. 14. The socialist rail workers union ACOD and the Christian trade union will also meet later in the week to discuss which railway services will be disrupted. “We are in favor of a 24-hour strike,” a socialist union spokesman said. Police Officers’ Strike in Kenya Creates a Cash Problem A strike by police officers in Kenya on Sept. 24 paralyzed the transportation of cash. The armed Administration Police Officers, who are supposed to escort vans carrying cash, refused to board the vehicles at the start of the business day. The police were protesting against what they termed as the lack of care they received when involved in accidents. Sometime last week, a cash-in-transit vehicle was in an accident in which police officers and crew were injured. The officers allege they were not taken care of after the accident. During the strike, 200 G45 vans were grounded until the issue was resolved. Last year, the Internal Security minister, John Michuki, issued a directive barring police escorts from traveling in vans carrying cash. They could use chase cars instead, he said. Check our web site: https://www.laboreducator.org

THE WORLD OF LABOR — September 27, 2008

By Harry Kelber

800,000 Bank Employees Strike Across India

Opposing privatization, mergers and acquisitions of state-owned banks, more than 800,000 bank employees from 50,000 branches across India began a two-day strike on Sept. 24. Among other issues, bank employees are also opposing the amendment of the Banking Regulation Act of 1949, which will give equal voting rights to shareholders.

“Banking operations have come to a standstill. Once the strike is over, we will sit together and chalk out our future course of action,” said Rajen Nagar, National President of All India Bank Employees Association. (AIBEA), which is participating in the strike, called by the umbrella body, United Form of Bank Unions (UFBU).

Nagar reported that in Kolkata, employees of different categories of banks--from the public, private, cooperative and regional rural sectors—have joined the strike. At present, none of the demands put forth by the UFBU, like pensions, wage revisions, and compassionate leave plans, have been resolved.

Colombian Unions to Protest Govt. Policies in Oct. 7 Strike

Union members across Colombia will converge on the country’s major cities Oct. 7 to protest the economic polices of President Alvaro Uribe and to support the judicial and sugarcane cutters’ strikes. The demonstration will also protest the form in which the election of Uribe was approved, said Tarcisio Mora, President of the United Workers Central (CUT).

About 40,000 judicial workers have been on strike since Sept. 3, seeking salary equalization and autonomy. The strike is expected to continue at least through the weekend. An additional 10,000 sugarcane cutters began a strike on Sept. 15 to demand better conditions.

Union workers have “decided to march through the streets so that the Uribe administration is once again made aware of hunger and misery, so that the state’s institutions understand that their laws don’t represent the great masses,” Mora said.

Argentina Boosts Spending on Workers’ Children

The head of Argentina’s state-run workers’ fund says monthly family allowances will increase 35 to 50 percent per child this year. Amado Boudou says the move will cost the government $128 million in 2008, benefiting more than four million children of active workers and 230,000 children of retirees.

Union leader Hugo Mayan says the increase will give a “reasonable” boost to help workers cover rising living costs. Argentina’s annual inflation rate officially reached 9 percent in August, but independent economists put the rate closer to 25 percent.

Poland’s Coal Miners Protest ‘Climate Package’

About 300 coal miners and power engineers from Solidarity, the country’s famed national trade union, will protest in Brussels on Sept. 25 against the European Commission’s “climate package,’ whose purpose is to limit carbon dioxide emissions. Miners from collieries throughout Poland will take part in the protest and will be supported by Polish shipyard workers.

The trade union warns that introducing the new regulations might spell disaster to Polish coal mining and the power industry, which is based 95 percent on coal. Union members want to meet with the European Commissioner for Environment, Steve Dimas

The “climate package” consists of bills proposed by the European Commission that are to counteract climate change. Protesters say the legislation would reduce the competitiveness of coal as a source of energy. The European Parliament will vote on the bills on Oct. 15.

Nationwide Strike to Hit Belgium Public Transport

Belgium’s public transport network will be heavily disrupted on Oct.6 when unions plan to protest what they say is the government’s failure to respond to rising prices. Workers at the Brussels metro, tram and bus company, STIB, will stage a 24-hour strike, while bus service in the rest of the country will also be halted.

Unions are urging the government to take steps to alleviate the impact of inflation after it hit a 24-year high of 5.9 percent in July and they hope the planned strikes will send a clear signal to the government before it presents its 2009 budget to Parliament Oct. 14.

The socialist rail workers union ACOD and the Christian trade union will also meet later in the week to discuss which railway services will be disrupted. “We are in favor of a 24-hour strike,” a socialist union spokesman said.

Police Officers’ Strike in Kenya Creates a Cash Problem

A strike by police officers in Kenya on Sept. 24 paralyzed the transportation of cash. The armed Administration Police Officers, who are supposed to escort vans carrying cash, refused to board the vehicles at the start of the business day.

The police were protesting against what they termed as the lack of care they received when involved in accidents. Sometime last week, a cash-in-transit vehicle was in an accident in which police officers and crew were injured. The officers allege they were not taken care of after the accident.

During the strike, 200 G45 vans were grounded until the issue was resolved. Last year, the Internal Security minister, John Michuki, issued a directive barring police escorts from traveling in vans carrying cash. They could use chase cars instead, he said.

Check our web site: https://www.laboreducator.org