The World of Labor - February 2, 2008



	THE WORLD OF LABOR — February 2, 2008 By Harry Kelber Contents (Click on the title to read the report.) Polish Miners End 48-Day Underground Strike with Contract German City Votes ‘No’ to All Privatization Dutch Cleaners Conduct Unusual Campaign for Higher Wages Striking Dockers Will Join Talks on Sale of Greek Ports Russian Railway Workers Win Pay Raise and Package of Benefits Berlin Paralyzed by Union-Led Strikes over Pay Increases # # # Polish Miners End 48-Day Underground Strike with Contract The strikers of the Budryk mine in Ornontowice in southern Poland ascended from their underground, 48-dsy strike, after reaching an agreement with the mine owner. The miners will receive a 10 percent pay raise as well as a one-time payment of about 1,500 zloty (U.S. $619). The agreement also stipulates the formation of a special commission, which will include one of the striking miners. The commission will deal with the standardization of wages in mines across Poland. Strike organizers deem the agreement beneficial to both parties. However, the miners point out that their demands were only partially met. The strike at the Budryk mines began in December, with strikers having heir Christmas dinner underground to protest their low wages. Back to top German City Votes ‘No’ to All Privatization Leipzig, a large city in eastern Germany, has voted in a referendum to forbid the city council from privatizing all essential services, including the privatization of the municipal energy supplier. The referendum was initiated by a coalition of unions and Attac Leipzig, a political movement with an anti-corporate tax program. Nearly 150,000 citizens voted in the referendum in which 87.4 rejected privatization of public services. Attac said. For a referendum to succeed, it requires not only a majority of the participants, but that the majority equals at least 25 percent of all registered voters. Attac was founded in 1998 and its first concrete proposal was the taxation of financial transactions to create a development fund and to help curb stock speculation. This is what gave Attac its name: Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions to Aid Citizens. Back to top Dutch Cleaners Conduct Unusual Campaign for Higher Wages In Amsterdam, cleaners and activists, accompanied by a samba band and rebel clowns, stormed the ING Bank headquarters and gave a guerrilla concert at Schiphol Airport. Last week, cleaners went on a millionaires’ tour, visiting the houses of the richest bosses of the cleaning companies. On Jan. 30, officials of trade union FNV Bondgenoten reached a tentative agreement with OSB, the employers’ group, that called for an increase in wages from 8.90 to 10.00 euros ($U.S 1$3.10 to $14.80) per hour. The contract contains a unique agreement on integration courses for new workers. The organizing campaign will not stop once union members have approved the new contract. Worker activists will be trained to enforce the new agreement and to campaign on workplace issues. In addition, contractors of cleaning companies will be encouraged to adopt socially responsible policies. Back to top Striking Dockers Will Join Talks on Sale of Greek Ports Strikers at Greece’s largest port, Piraeus Port Authority, will have a say on the terms of a tender to sell cargo facilities, their union said Jan. 30. Fearing job cuts, Greek dockworkers have staged repeated strikes and refused to work overtime since the beginning of the year in protest against the government’s plan to partly privatize the country’s two largest ports. “We will take part in the discussions, but we do not agree with a sell-off,” said George Nouhoutidis, head of the Piraeus port’s dockworkers union. “We will not be a party to the government’s plans. We will continue striking through February.” Greece, with two of the largest ports in the Mediterranean, is seeking foreign investors to modernize the facilities as their role as regional hubs is slipping. The tender, due to be published soon, will allow the winning bidder to operate and expand two of Piraeus port’s commercial docks for a number of years, according to a draft proposal sent by the port management to unions. In another tender for the Thessalonika Port in northern Greece, the government is inviting companies to manage the port’s dock for up to 35 years. Back to top Russian Railway Workers Win Pay Raise and Package of Benefits Under a new three-year agreement, Russian railway workers will receive a wage increase plus a package of social benefits. The collective bargaining contract was negotiated last month between the joint stock company, Russian Railways and the ITF-affiliated Trade Union of Railwaymen and Transport Construction Workers of Russia. The agreement provides workers with a wide range of benefits in addition to wage increases. It includes lump sum payments to workers who retire; additional days of annual leave; free medical assistance at company medical facilities; funding for improvement in working conditions; discounts for employee’s household fuel; company nursery schools for workers’ children, and free tickets for suburban and long-haul train journeys. Mikhail Lyakhov of ITF’s Moscow office, commented: “Our national railway system is now entering its third stage of reform. Our labor legislation was also recently amended. Nevertheless, the union succeeded in concluding a new collective bargaining agreement for a longer period and bringing better conditions. It testifies to the strength of the union and its increasing influence on the employers within the framework of social partnership.” Back to top Berlin Paralyzed by Union-Led Strikes over Pay Increases Workers in Berlin’s public transport, steel, retail and electrical utility industries struck on Feb. 1, paralyzing Germany’s capital city. The work stoppages were over pay increases. Previously, the unions held off demands for higher salaries as the economy was sluggish and there were threats of mass layoffs. However, the German economy has recovered since then, prompting workers to ask as much as 12 percent salary adjustments. Because of the strike by 12,500 workers at Berlin’s BVG public transport system that controls the capital’s subway, buses and trains, the city came to a halt at the start of the 39-hour strike. BVG earlier offered workers a one-time payment of 200 euros (U.S. $297) and a 6 percent wage increase, but the union, Ver di, wanted salary hikes between 8 to 11 percent. Meanwhile, 85,000 workers from major steel mills went on strike on Feb. 1 as they demanded an 8 percent increase in pay and shorter working hours for older employees. A similar demand for an 8 percent pay rise was demanded by 1,500 workers from a large utility firm, Vattenfall, on behalf of the company’s 21,000 employees. In Bavaria, unionized workers employed by department stores joined the mass walkout, asking for a wage adjustment of 125 euro (U.S. $185) a month and a minimum wage of 1,500 euro (U.S. $2,225 for all full-time employees. Back to top Check our web site: http://www.laboreducator.org

THE WORLD OF LABOR — February 2, 2008

By Harry Kelber

Contents (Click on the title to read the report.)
Polish Miners End 48-Day Underground Strike with Contract
German City Votes ‘No’ to All Privatization
Dutch Cleaners Conduct Unusual Campaign for Higher Wages
Striking Dockers Will Join Talks on Sale of Greek Ports
Russian Railway Workers Win Pay Raise and Package of Benefits
Berlin Paralyzed by Union-Led Strikes over Pay Increases

# # #

Polish Miners End 48-Day Underground Strike with Contract

The strikers of the Budryk mine in Ornontowice in southern Poland ascended from their underground, 48-dsy strike, after reaching an agreement with the mine owner. The miners will receive a 10 percent pay raise as well as a one-time payment of about 1,500 zloty (U.S. $619).

The agreement also stipulates the formation of a special commission, which will include one of the striking miners. The commission will deal with the standardization of wages in mines across Poland.

Strike organizers deem the agreement beneficial to both parties. However, the miners point out that their demands were only partially met. The strike at the Budryk mines began in December, with strikers having heir Christmas dinner underground to protest their low wages.

German City Votes ‘No’ to All Privatization

Leipzig, a large city in eastern Germany, has voted in a referendum to forbid the city council from privatizing all essential services, including the privatization of the municipal energy supplier. The referendum was initiated by a coalition of unions and Attac Leipzig, a political movement with an anti-corporate tax program.

Nearly 150,000 citizens voted in the referendum in which 87.4 rejected privatization of public services. Attac said. For a referendum to succeed, it requires not only a majority of the participants, but that the majority equals at least 25 percent of all registered voters.

Attac was founded in 1998 and its first concrete proposal was the taxation of financial transactions to create a development fund and to help curb stock speculation. This is what gave Attac its name: Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions to Aid Citizens.

Dutch Cleaners Conduct Unusual Campaign for Higher Wages

In Amsterdam, cleaners and activists, accompanied by a samba band and rebel clowns, stormed the ING Bank headquarters and gave a guerrilla concert at Schiphol Airport. Last week, cleaners went on a millionaires’ tour, visiting the houses of the richest bosses of the cleaning companies.

On Jan. 30, officials of trade union FNV Bondgenoten reached a tentative agreement with OSB, the employers’ group, that called for an increase in wages from 8.90 to 10.00 euros ($U.S 1$3.10 to $14.80) per hour. The contract contains a unique agreement on integration courses for new workers.

The organizing campaign will not stop once union members have approved the new contract. Worker activists will be trained to enforce the new agreement and to campaign on workplace issues. In addition, contractors of cleaning companies will be encouraged to adopt socially responsible policies.

Striking Dockers Will Join Talks on Sale of Greek Ports

Strikers at Greece’s largest port, Piraeus Port Authority, will have a say on the terms of a tender to sell cargo facilities, their union said Jan. 30. Fearing job cuts, Greek dockworkers have staged repeated strikes and refused to work overtime since the beginning of the year in protest against the government’s plan to partly privatize the country’s two largest ports.

“We will take part in the discussions, but we do not agree with a sell-off,” said George Nouhoutidis, head of the Piraeus port’s dockworkers union. “We will not be a party to the government’s plans. We will continue striking through February.” Greece, with two of the largest ports in the Mediterranean, is seeking foreign investors to modernize the facilities as their role as regional hubs is slipping.

The tender, due to be published soon, will allow the winning bidder to operate and expand two of Piraeus port’s commercial docks for a number of years, according to a draft proposal sent by the port management to unions. In another tender for the Thessalonika Port in northern Greece, the government is inviting companies to manage the port’s dock for up to 35 years.

Russian Railway Workers Win Pay Raise and Package of Benefits

Under a new three-year agreement, Russian railway workers will receive a wage increase plus a package of social benefits. The collective bargaining contract was negotiated last month between the joint stock company, Russian Railways and the ITF-affiliated Trade Union of Railwaymen and Transport Construction Workers of Russia.

The agreement provides workers with a wide range of benefits in addition to wage increases. It includes lump sum payments to workers who retire; additional days of annual leave; free medical assistance at company medical facilities; funding for improvement in working conditions; discounts for employee’s household fuel; company nursery schools for workers’ children, and free tickets for suburban and long-haul train journeys.

Mikhail Lyakhov of ITF’s Moscow office, commented: “Our national railway system is now entering its third stage of reform. Our labor legislation was also recently amended. Nevertheless, the union succeeded in concluding a new collective bargaining agreement for a longer period and bringing better conditions. It testifies to the strength of the union and its increasing influence on the employers within the framework of social partnership.”

Berlin Paralyzed by Union-Led Strikes over Pay Increases

Workers in Berlin’s public transport, steel, retail and electrical utility industries struck on Feb. 1, paralyzing Germany’s capital city. The work stoppages were over pay increases. Previously, the unions held off demands for higher salaries as the economy was sluggish and there were threats of mass layoffs. However, the German economy has recovered since then, prompting workers to ask as much as 12 percent salary adjustments.

Because of the strike by 12,500 workers at Berlin’s BVG public transport system that controls the capital’s subway, buses and trains, the city came to a halt at the start of the 39-hour strike. BVG earlier offered workers a one-time payment of 200 euros (U.S. $297) and a 6 percent wage increase, but the union, Ver di, wanted salary hikes between 8 to 11 percent.

Meanwhile, 85,000 workers from major steel mills went on strike on Feb. 1 as they demanded an 8 percent increase in pay and shorter working hours for older employees. A similar demand for an 8 percent pay rise was demanded by 1,500 workers from a large utility firm, Vattenfall, on behalf of the company’s 21,000 employees. In Bavaria, unionized workers employed by department stores joined the mass walkout, asking for a wage adjustment of 125 euro (U.S. $185) a month and a minimum wage of 1,500 euro (U.S. $2,225 for all full-time employees.

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