The World of Labor - July 5, 2008



	THE WORLD OF LABOR — July 5, 2008 By Harry Kelber Power of European Unions to be Boosted by Plan for Works Councils The European Commission (EC) has unveiled plans to overhaul laws on European Works Councils (EWCs), which could force many companies to renegotiate the agreements they operate under. The current directive requires multinational companies operating in Europe with at least 1,000 employees to set up a works council if requested by employees or trade unions. There are more than 800 such councils operating in Europe, with about 100 in U.K.-based firms. Clauses in the new directive give unions extra rights to act as “expert” advisers to employees and to attend meetings between employers and employees, even when a company does not recognize a union. Another provision will force companies with EWCs to renegotiate their agreements when a significant restructuring occurs. Trade unions have been lobbying the commission to boost the power of EWCs after mobile phone giant Nokia announced the closure of a major plant in Germany without any prior consultation. Unions see the commission’s revised rules as an opportunity to challenge corporate restructuring and give them a foot in the door in companies where they are not presently active. 700 Bangladeshi Workers in Kuwait Are Unpaid for Six Months In addition to not being paid their wages for six months, some 700 Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait are worried about food shortages, inhuman living conditions and the fear of being evicted from the camp of their employer at Hasawi. These workers, employed by a cleaning company, said that residence permits of most workers had expired, but the company has not taken any initiative to renew them. There are about 2,000 Bangladeshi, working in Kuwait; about 50 percent are women. The workers filed a complaint with the Kuwait Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour regarding non-payment of their salaries. The female workers have urged the Bangladesh Embassy to expedite their repatriation process. The company has filed charges against some of the workers, accusing them of abstaining from work so they can be deported. The company is using these accusations as a reason for denying the workers their unpaid salaries. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Embassy in Kuwait has taken some drastic measures to prevent exploitation of its workers by unscrupulous employers and create awareness among Bangladeshi workers about Kuwait’s local laws. It checks the antecedents of a company before giving the green signal for recruitment of Bangladesh workers. Local companies with a history of violating the rights of workers are prevented from hiring Bangladeshis. Lufthansa Cancels 44 Flights as German Workers Stage Strike Europe’s second largest airline canceled 44 flights and delayed others after the German carrier’s workers in Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart and Cologne staged a strike over wages. About 4,500 workers, including check-in and catering workers, took part in today’s strike, which also affected airports in Berlin and Nurenberg. The strike began at 4 a.m. German time and lasted four hours, after which all workers returned to their jobs. The German union, ver.di, began limited strikes on June 19 in a dispute over wages for Cologne-based Lufthansa’s 48,000 German flight attendants and ground workers. The union wants a pay increase of 9.8 percent, while the airline is offering 5.5 percent in two steps. Lufthansa, which operates more than 3,300 European flights a week, is “extremely well-positioned” to survive the current earnings squeeze, said Wolfgang Mayrhuber, Lufthansa’s chief executive officer. “Our employees know that the company supports them. We’ll get through this with intelligence and calmness.” New Zealand Truckers Block Roads in Protest Against a New Tax Protesting truck drivers have converged on New Zealand’s main cities, slowing traffic to a near standstill as they protested against higher road taxes. The protests were held in 13 cities and major towns to coincide with the Friday morning rush hour. Police estimated that about 2,000 trucks clogged the streets and motorways of the biggest city, Auckland, though total gridlock was avoided as many commuters traveled early to escape the traffic jam. About 300 trucks t raveled in a convoy through the capital, Wellington, sounding their horns as they passed the parliament. They were protesting this week’s government decision to increase road user charges at a time fuel prices were soaring and the economy is sharply slowing. Kelvin Bonney, from the Road Transport Forum, said truck drivers were delighted by their public support. “We are more than happy, absolutely overwhelmed, and it shows the country wants to be listened to,” he said. Trucking companies are also angered by the increase in the road tax, which came without warning. Attacks on Unionists Continue even after the Mugabe Election The campaign of intimidation against trade unionists and human rights activists in Zimbabwe continues even after Robert Mugabe has been sworn in for another five-year term. This follows an election process described by the African Union as “falling short of accepted AU standards." The climate of violence remains persistent, Ruling party activists and security forces harassed and beat up leaders and members of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and its affiliates. The situation facing the Zimbabwean people becomes more difficult with each passing day. The inflation rate is mind-blowing. A loaf of bread costs 600 million Zimbabwe dollars, and customers do not have the money to buy even necessities. The teachers union (ZIMTA) continues to negotiate wage increases with the Public Service Commission, but the inflation immediately absorbs any increments. Teachers are quitting their jobs as their 400 million-dollar salary is not sufficient to pay for transport to and from school, let alone grocery bills. Forty-six members of the General Agriculture Plantation Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe, an affiliate of the ZCTU, have sought shelter in Harare, the capital, after being harassed and beaten up by youth militia. The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) says it has closed its main office after its officials were harassed by unknown people. Between the violence and the skyrocketing inflation, unions and human rights organizations are finding it extremely difficult to function properly. Romanian Orthodox Church Faces Trade Union Challenge The Romanian Orthodox Church has condemned the formation of a trade union among its clergy and has said that priests should follow church procedures in making demands and airing grievances, “Certainly, some Orthodox priests have trouble making ends meet. Especially those with families,” said Constantin Stoica, a spokesperson for the Bucharest patriarchate which governs the church, “but we have ways of solving their problems inside our church.” On May 20, priests from Iasi, Neamt, and Bacau applied to the Iasi court to register their Mother of God Protection Union in northeastern Romania, while 35 other priests in Oltenia said they were considering strike action after registering a separate Good Shepherd union at Craiova on May 22. The Rev. Nicolae State, the Good Shepherds’ vice president, told Romania’s Gandul daily newspaper on May 28 that the union would fight low clergy pay, and demand the right for priests to make parish decisions without diocesan approval. “There is an abyss between the church hierarchy and the priests who serve in churches,” State said. “We are put under pressure and have already lost some of our members. Check our web site: https://www.laboreducator.org

THE WORLD OF LABOR — July 5, 2008

By Harry Kelber

Power of European Unions to be Boosted by Plan for Works Councils

The European Commission (EC) has unveiled plans to overhaul laws on European Works Councils (EWCs), which could force many companies to renegotiate the agreements they operate under. The current directive requires multinational companies operating in Europe with at least 1,000 employees to set up a works council if requested by employees or trade unions. There are more than 800 such councils operating in Europe, with about 100 in U.K.-based firms.

Clauses in the new directive give unions extra rights to act as “expert” advisers to employees and to attend meetings between employers and employees, even when a company does not recognize a union. Another provision will force companies with EWCs to renegotiate their agreements when a significant restructuring occurs.

Trade unions have been lobbying the commission to boost the power of EWCs after mobile phone giant Nokia announced the closure of a major plant in Germany without any prior consultation. Unions see the commission’s revised rules as an opportunity to challenge corporate restructuring and give them a foot in the door in companies where they are not presently active.

700 Bangladeshi Workers in Kuwait Are Unpaid for Six Months

In addition to not being paid their wages for six months, some 700 Bangladeshi workers in Kuwait are worried about food shortages, inhuman living conditions and the fear of being evicted from the camp of their employer at Hasawi. These workers, employed by a cleaning company, said that residence permits of most workers had expired, but the company has not taken any initiative to renew them. There are about 2,000 Bangladeshi, working in Kuwait; about 50 percent are women.

The workers filed a complaint with the Kuwait Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour regarding non-payment of their salaries. The female workers have urged the Bangladesh Embassy to expedite their repatriation process. The company has filed charges against some of the workers, accusing them of abstaining from work so they can be deported. The company is using these accusations as a reason for denying the workers their unpaid salaries.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Embassy in Kuwait has taken some drastic measures to prevent exploitation of its workers by unscrupulous employers and create awareness among Bangladeshi workers about Kuwait’s local laws. It checks the antecedents of a company before giving the green signal for recruitment of Bangladesh workers. Local companies with a history of violating the rights of workers are prevented from hiring Bangladeshis.

Lufthansa Cancels 44 Flights as German Workers Stage Strike

Europe’s second largest airline canceled 44 flights and delayed others after the German carrier’s workers in Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart and Cologne staged a strike over wages. About 4,500 workers, including check-in and catering workers, took part in today’s strike, which also affected airports in Berlin and Nurenberg. The strike began at 4 a.m. German time and lasted four hours, after which all workers returned to their jobs.

The German union, ver.di, began limited strikes on June 19 in a dispute over wages for Cologne-based Lufthansa’s 48,000 German flight attendants and ground workers. The union wants a pay increase of 9.8 percent, while the airline is offering 5.5 percent in two steps.

Lufthansa, which operates more than 3,300 European flights a week, is “extremely well-positioned” to survive the current earnings squeeze, said Wolfgang Mayrhuber, Lufthansa’s chief executive officer. “Our employees know that the company supports them. We’ll get through this with intelligence and calmness.”

New Zealand Truckers Block Roads in Protest Against a New Tax

Protesting truck drivers have converged on New Zealand’s main cities, slowing traffic to a near standstill as they protested against higher road taxes. The protests were held in 13 cities and major towns to coincide with the Friday morning rush hour. Police estimated that about 2,000 trucks clogged the streets and motorways of the biggest city, Auckland, though total gridlock was avoided as many commuters traveled early to escape the traffic jam.

About 300 trucks t raveled in a convoy through the capital, Wellington, sounding their horns as they passed the parliament. They were protesting this week’s government decision to increase road user charges at a time fuel prices were soaring and the economy is sharply slowing.

Kelvin Bonney, from the Road Transport Forum, said truck drivers were delighted by their public support. “We are more than happy, absolutely overwhelmed, and it shows the country wants to be listened to,” he said. Trucking companies are also angered by the increase in the road tax, which came without warning.

Attacks on Unionists Continue even after the Mugabe Election

The campaign of intimidation against trade unionists and human rights activists in Zimbabwe continues even after Robert Mugabe has been sworn in for another five-year term. This follows an election process described by the African Union as “falling short of accepted AU standards." The climate of violence remains persistent, Ruling party activists and security forces harassed and beat up leaders and members of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and its affiliates.

The situation facing the Zimbabwean people becomes more difficult with each passing day. The inflation rate is mind-blowing. A loaf of bread costs 600 million Zimbabwe dollars, and customers do not have the money to buy even necessities. The teachers union (ZIMTA) continues to negotiate wage increases with the Public Service Commission, but the inflation immediately absorbs any increments. Teachers are quitting their jobs as their 400 million-dollar salary is not sufficient to pay for transport to and from school, let alone grocery bills.

Forty-six members of the General Agriculture Plantation Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe, an affiliate of the ZCTU, have sought shelter in Harare, the capital, after being harassed and beaten up by youth militia. The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) says it has closed its main office after its officials were harassed by unknown people. Between the violence and the skyrocketing inflation, unions and human rights organizations are finding it extremely difficult to function properly.

Romanian Orthodox Church Faces Trade Union Challenge

The Romanian Orthodox Church has condemned the formation of a trade union among its clergy and has said that priests should follow church procedures in making demands and airing grievances, “Certainly, some Orthodox priests have trouble making ends meet. Especially those with families,” said Constantin Stoica, a spokesperson for the Bucharest patriarchate which governs the church, “but we have ways of solving their problems inside our church.”

On May 20, priests from Iasi, Neamt, and Bacau applied to the Iasi court to register their Mother of God Protection Union in northeastern Romania, while 35 other priests in Oltenia said they were considering strike action after registering a separate Good Shepherd union at Craiova on May 22.

The Rev. Nicolae State, the Good Shepherds’ vice president, told Romania’s Gandul daily newspaper on May 28 that the union would fight low clergy pay, and demand the right for priests to make parish decisions without diocesan approval. “There is an abyss between the church hierarchy and the priests who serve in churches,” State said. “We are put under pressure and have already lost some of our members.

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