Ghana High Court Rules Workers Have a 'Mandate' to Join a Union

The Supreme Court of Ghana, by a majority decision of 3 to 2, ruled that the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has a constitutional mandate to belong to a union. The court held that, even though the Labor Act of 2003, Act 561, and Article 24 of the 1992 Constitution exclude security agencies from joining trade unions, their constitutional interpretation exempts CEPS, because the nature of its functions (collection of taxes) does not make it a real security agency, like the army, the police and the prison services.

The majority decision held that the CEPS group has a constitutional mandate to join any union of their choice to promote their economic and social rights and interests and that CEPS should not be prevented from unionizing. The majority decision also stated that the CEPS would not be considered a security agency unless the law was amended.

The court case was ordered after the National Labor Committee refused to grant CEPS the right and license to belong to a trade union when it applied for one.

2,300 Colombian Workers Are Dismissed as a City 'Restructures'

The dismissal of more than 2,300 municipal service workers by the mayor of Barranquilla, Colombia, through a series of "restructuring" actions is being vigorously opposed by trade unions. Several of the trade unionists who have voiced opposition to the restructuring process now find themselves the target of a paramilitary group that has issued death threats against them.

More than 70 percent of those dismissed were trade unionists. Further, the mayor has directed that, as part of the restructuring, several financially viable institutions are to be shut down and brought back under the control of the central administration. The process will result in the suppression of 86 trade union posts.

Public Service International (PSI) has learned that a right-wing paramilitary group has issued death threats against trade unionists and journalists who are opposing the reconstruction process. In a letter containing the names of the people against whom these threats have been issued, it states: "these supposedly left-wing fighters will soon die for opposing the changes from which the city would benefit through the policies of President Uribe."

Germany's Machinery Sector to Shed 25,000 Jobs

With industrial orders in a freefall, Germany's key engineering sector could eliminate 25,000 jobs this year, the VDMA trade association warned on Feb. 10. The group said machine tool orders plummeted a massive 40 percent in December 2008, compared to a year earlier, as the global downturn slammed German engineering firms that depend heavily on exports for their business.

"The fourth quarter of 2008 was the worst quarterly result since 1958," VDMA President Manfred Wittenstein said at a press conference. He warned that the current dire economic conditions would have a dramatic impact on the sector, which is an important backbone of the German economy. The VDMA estimated that machinery firms would cut some 25,000 jobs in 2009 alone.

Despite the grim slide in he past three months of 2008, the VDMA still said the year was a good on for the sector overall. Turnover of machinery equipment - often used to produce industrial and consumer goods - rose 8 percent to 205 billion euros. ($265 million) and exports rose to a new record of 174 billion euros ($ 225 million). The sector also created some 40,000 new jobs in 2008.

Moroccan Government Docks Wages of Workers Who Strike

Following a wave of strikes by trade unions, the Morocco government decided to make deductions from the salaries of all public-sector and local council workers who participate in a work stoppage. "The right to dock wages is guaranteed on an accounting basis founded in the principle of wages in return for work," explained Mohamed Abbou, the public sector modernization minister, at a press conference.

The government said that unions should not protest the wage deduction, which has also been applied by developed countries, such as France and Spain. Pay stoppages have already been imposed in the past on some sectors, such as education and health. The government is seeking to limit the number of pickets and the number of calls for strikes. Yet the trade unions have continued their escalation of work stoppages.

A union official said: "We showed a genuine desire to come to a realistic solution of the various financial and legal issues without putting any pressure on the government, but that got us nowhere. The government is trying to string out the talks and no progress has been made in the items on the agenda."

India's Surgeons Call Off Strike for Pay Hike

The All-Orissa House Surgeons Association has called off their indefinite strike that began four days ago. The strike was terminated following assurances from the government that the monthly stipend of house surgeons would be increased from Rs 5,000 ($103) to Rs 8,640 ($178).

While the government and house surgeons were fighting it out, services in the three college hospitals - where nearly 4,000 patient undergo treatment in the inner wards at any given time - were affected for the fifth consecutive day. All 353 house surgeons at the three state-run medical college hospitals in Cuttack, Berhampur and Burla resumed their duties on Feb. 13.

"The assurance [about the agreement] was communicated through the director of medical education and training, P.K. Das. We were assured that a resolution on it would be issued by the government within a week," an association member said.

Nissan to Cut 20,000 Global Jobs

Nissan is to wipe out 20,000 jobs worldwide, 8.5 percent of its workforce, over the next year because of a sharp fall in sales. The Japanese carmaker made the announcement as it said it expected to suffer a loss of 265 billion yen ($2.9 billion) for its current financial year.

The reduction will see the size of its global workforce fall to 215,000 from 235,000, although Nissan has yet to say which plants will be affected, and by how much. Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn said: "The global auto industry is in turmoil. Nissan is no exception."

Nissan's loss for the current financial year will be its first since the 12 months ending March 2000. Ghosn said it would be talking to unions about cutting working hours.

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