The World of Labor - April 19, 2008



	THE WORLD OF LABOR — April 19, 2008 By Harry Kelber French Employers and Unions Say Illegal Workers Are Needed President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government has pledged to deport 25,000 illegal immigrants each year, in spite of a plea from employers who say the crackdown is also penalizing French businesses. Some companies complain they are being forced to fire foreign workers they cannot replace, and they resent being compelled to “play the police” in the battle against illegal immigration. On April 15, some 300 foreign workers, including cleaners and restaurant staff, all with contracts, walked out on strike in the Paris area to back up their demand for resident visas. They were supported by the CGT, the powerful left union. The hotel and catering industry is one of several in France suffering from an acute labor shortage, despite the relatively high unemployment rate. The French Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses says the hard line taken by the authorities with immigrant workers is threatening the survival of some firms. ”Employers’ organizations have always supported the struggle against illegal work,” argues Jean-Francois Veysset, the confederation’s vice-chairman. “But it’s the government’s role to make sure that these people have papers to stay and work in our country.” Anti-Riot Police Attack Iran Tire Workers, Arresting over 50 Striking workers at an Iranian tire factory on the outskirts of Tehran were attacked by anti-riot police, who forcefully evicted hundreds of workers who had occupied the plant. The police used electronic batons in their assault on the strikers and arrested more than 50 of them. Some of the strikers were so badly beaten that they needed hospital treatment. Six firefighters have been detained by the Iranian security forces on charges of “support action,” because they refused to use their hoses to douse the strikers with boiling water. The workers of Kian Tyre have been on strike since April 15 to protest the non-payment of their wages — overdue since the fall of 2007. When their repeated calls for a settlement were ignored, the strikers partially blocked the main road outside the factory with burning tires to draw attention to their plight. The workers said they would stay in the factory, unless the company director came to talk to them, and the wages owed to them were paid in full. Kian Tyre employs 2,000 workers, who are owed from five months to eight months in unpaid wages. Earlier in the day, the governor and deputy governor of Tehran arrived at the factory to promise that the overdue wages would be paid in 48 hours. A South Korean Labor Union Marks 300th Day of Strike The strike at E-Land stores in South Korea began in June 2007 and is still going strong on April 17 — 300 days later — with no breakthrough in sight. Kim Gyeong-wook, the head of the E-Land union, expressed a sense of frustration, saying: “The E-Land dispute will only end if the union dies or the company dies.” On June 30, 2007,a day before a law governing irregular, or part-time, workers went into effect, some 500 unionized workers at E-Land launched a sit-in strike and occupied one of the company’s discount outlets, the Homever tore in Seoul’s Sangam-dong. At the time, E-Land workers said: “The company laid off a large number of part-time workers and changed their status to outsourced labor to avoid the law that requires an employer to convert part-time employees who have worked for more than two years into regular employees.” Before the strike, E-Land laid off some 790 part-time workers, mostly female cashiers, in its retail stores. Labor groups and civic organizations have strongly criticized E-Land for laying off its part-time workers. A campaign to boycott E-Land stores was initiated before the Chusok Thanksgiving holiday shopping season. The union has continued to hold sit-in strikes and street demonstrations. In retaliation for such actions, E-Land fired 30 union officials last year. Energy Unions to Hold Counter-Summit to North American Meeting Dozens of labor leaders from the Canadian, U.S. and Mexican energy sectors, along with allies from civil society, will gather in New Orleans on Sunday, April 20, for the second meeting of North American sector organizations. In addition to developing a common vision for solidarity on energy-related issues, they will emphasize energy as a human right and the need to address environmental challenges in the energy sector. On April 21, union and NGO representatives will announce their conclusions at a press conference, along with their response to the “Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP)” — the aggressive, neo-liberal integration project of the heads of state of the three countries in the Western Hemisphere. While the three government leaders discuss a project made to order for corporate USA, the labor leaders will lay the groundwork for integration of a more human kind — affirming peoples’ right to energy and energy sovereignty. Labor/civil society discussions will focus the challenges of moving towards renewable energy and energy efficiency Denmark Braces for Public Sector Walkout Unless a rumored government proposal to set up a salary commission is accepted by employee labor unions FOA and the Health Confederation, a mass strike scheduled for April 16 will create chaos for the Danish population. Up to 100,000 health care workers and pre-school employees are expected to begin a work stoppage, leaving many of the country’s young children and sick people without adequate care. No-shows from the unions’ 70,000 nurses, midwives and physiotherapists would especially exacerbate problems for the nation’s already overburdened facilities. The Association of Local Government Employees met last week and negotiated a 12.8 percent pay raise over three years for many of the nation’s teachers and also secured an agreement for public employees of the country’s largest labor union, 3F. But FOA and the Health Confederation want a 15 percent increase, among other conditions. South African Unions Protest Mounting Food Prices Hundreds of trade unionists marched in Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, on April 17 over rising food prices and the country’s electricity crisis. About 1,500 demonstrators marched to a branch of retail chain Pick’n’Pay to demand a hold on food prices and an end to price fixing. “We call for a moratorium on food prices,” said Violet Seboni, second vice–president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, as she handed over the petition. Senior general manager Kevin Korb said the company shared the concern among all South Africans. “This is not just a South African issue; it is a global issue,” he told the protesters. Rising inflation, which increased from 9.3 percent to 9.8 percent in February, and petrol costs have caused prices for basic goods, such as bread, oil and milk to increase in South Africa in recent months. Violent riots have broken out in other countries in recent weeks over similar rising food costs, including Argentina, Haiti, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Senegal and Egypt. Check our web site: https://www.laboreducator.org

THE WORLD OF LABOR — April 19, 2008

By Harry Kelber

French Employers and Unions Say Illegal Workers Are Needed

President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government has pledged to deport 25,000 illegal immigrants each year, in spite of a plea from employers who say the crackdown is also penalizing French businesses. Some companies complain they are being forced to fire foreign workers they cannot replace, and they resent being compelled to “play the police” in the battle against illegal immigration.

On April 15, some 300 foreign workers, including cleaners and restaurant staff, all with contracts, walked out on strike in the Paris area to back up their demand for resident visas. They were supported by the CGT, the powerful left union. The hotel and catering industry is one of several in France suffering from an acute labor shortage, despite the relatively high unemployment rate.

The French Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses says the hard line taken by the authorities with immigrant workers is threatening the survival of some firms. ”Employers’ organizations have always supported the struggle against illegal work,” argues Jean-Francois Veysset, the confederation’s vice-chairman. “But it’s the government’s role to make sure that these people have papers to stay and work in our country.”

Anti-Riot Police Attack Iran Tire Workers, Arresting over 50

Striking workers at an Iranian tire factory on the outskirts of Tehran were attacked by anti-riot police, who forcefully evicted hundreds of workers who had occupied the plant. The police used electronic batons in their assault on the strikers and arrested more than 50 of them. Some of the strikers were so badly beaten that they needed hospital treatment. Six firefighters have been detained by the Iranian security forces on charges of “support action,” because they refused to use their hoses to douse the strikers with boiling water.

The workers of Kian Tyre have been on strike since April 15 to protest the non-payment of their wages — overdue since the fall of 2007. When their repeated calls for a settlement were ignored, the strikers partially blocked the main road outside the factory with burning tires to draw attention to their plight. The workers said they would stay in the factory, unless the company director came to talk to them, and the wages owed to them were paid in full.

Kian Tyre employs 2,000 workers, who are owed from five months to eight months in unpaid wages. Earlier in the day, the governor and deputy governor of Tehran arrived at the factory to promise that the overdue wages would be paid in 48 hours.

A South Korean Labor Union Marks 300th Day of Strike

The strike at E-Land stores in South Korea began in June 2007 and is still going strong on April 17 — 300 days later — with no breakthrough in sight. Kim Gyeong-wook, the head of the E-Land union, expressed a sense of frustration, saying: “The E-Land dispute will only end if the union dies or the company dies.”

On June 30, 2007,a day before a law governing irregular, or part-time, workers went into effect, some 500 unionized workers at E-Land launched a sit-in strike and occupied one of the company’s discount outlets, the Homever tore in Seoul’s Sangam-dong. At the time, E-Land workers said: “The company laid off a large number of part-time workers and changed their status to outsourced labor to avoid the law that requires an employer to convert part-time employees who have worked for more than two years into regular employees.” Before the strike, E-Land laid off some 790 part-time workers, mostly female cashiers, in its retail stores.

Labor groups and civic organizations have strongly criticized E-Land for laying off its part-time workers. A campaign to boycott E-Land stores was initiated before the Chusok Thanksgiving holiday shopping season. The union has continued to hold sit-in strikes and street demonstrations. In retaliation for such actions, E-Land fired 30 union officials last year.

Energy Unions to Hold Counter-Summit to North American Meeting

Dozens of labor leaders from the Canadian, U.S. and Mexican energy sectors, along with allies from civil society, will gather in New Orleans on Sunday, April 20, for the second meeting of North American sector organizations. In addition to developing a common vision for solidarity on energy-related issues, they will emphasize energy as a human right and the need to address environmental challenges in the energy sector.

On April 21, union and NGO representatives will announce their conclusions at a press conference, along with their response to the “Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP)” — the aggressive, neo-liberal integration project of the heads of state of the three countries in the Western Hemisphere.

While the three government leaders discuss a project made to order for corporate USA, the labor leaders will lay the groundwork for integration of a more human kind — affirming peoples’ right to energy and energy sovereignty. Labor/civil society discussions will focus the challenges of moving towards renewable energy and energy efficiency

Denmark Braces for Public Sector Walkout

Unless a rumored government proposal to set up a salary commission is accepted by employee labor unions FOA and the Health Confederation, a mass strike scheduled for April 16 will create chaos for the Danish population.

Up to 100,000 health care workers and pre-school employees are expected to begin a work stoppage, leaving many of the country’s young children and sick people without adequate care. No-shows from the unions’ 70,000 nurses, midwives and physiotherapists would especially exacerbate problems for the nation’s already overburdened facilities.

The Association of Local Government Employees met last week and negotiated a 12.8 percent pay raise over three years for many of the nation’s teachers and also secured an agreement for public employees of the country’s largest labor union, 3F. But FOA and the Health Confederation want a 15 percent increase, among other conditions.

South African Unions Protest Mounting Food Prices

Hundreds of trade unionists marched in Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, on April 17 over rising food prices and the country’s electricity crisis. About 1,500 demonstrators marched to a branch of retail chain Pick’n’Pay to demand a hold on food prices and an end to price fixing.

“We call for a moratorium on food prices,” said Violet Seboni, second vice–president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, as she handed over the petition. Senior general manager Kevin Korb said the company shared the concern among all South Africans. “This is not just a South African issue; it is a global issue,” he told the protesters.

Rising inflation, which increased from 9.3 percent to 9.8 percent in February, and petrol costs have caused prices for basic goods, such as bread, oil and milk to increase in South Africa in recent months. Violent riots have broken out in other countries in recent weeks over similar rising food costs, including Argentina, Haiti, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Senegal and Egypt.

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