Scotland’s Unions Reject Pay Offer for 220,000 Public Employees

The three unions representing 220,000 local government employees in Scotland have rejected a pay offer made by council leaders. The deal would have given local authority workers a pay raise of 2.5 percent for each year of the three-year contract. The local government organization, Costa, said it was disappointed by the rejection. ¬ ¬

The unions said the pay offer was less than inflation and did not address losses suffered by members in recent years. Dougie Black, of Union Scotland, said: “if you want first-class public services, cutting the pay of public sector workers is the wrong way to go about it.” The rejection of the pay offer places the unions on a course of industrial action. ¬ ¬

Councilor Michael Cook, a Costa spokesman, said “We are dismayed that a trade union is threatening industrial action at a time when negotiations are going on. We look forward to further negotiations over the coming weeks to resolve our differences, and getting this pay rise into the pockets of our valued workforce.” ¬

Weak U.S. Dollar May Cost Israel the Loss of 15,000 technology Jobs

If the dollar exchange rate against the new Israeli Shekel (NIS) remains at constant levels, about 4,500 technology-based jobs will be cut in 2008, alongside 11,000 additional jobs for those indirectly employed by the technology industry in Israel, according to a survey conducted by the Israeli Association of Electronics and Software Industries. ¬ ¬

During 2007, the U.S, dollar devalued against the NIS by 9 percent. During the first two months of 2008, the dollar has devalued by a further 4.9 percent against the NIS. Almost all of the exporters’ sales are made in U.S. dollars, while much of their costs, including salaries, are incurred in shekels. ¬ ¬

Yehuda Zisapel, chairman of the association, called on the government to help technology-based industry increase the workforce and sales by drawing up a policy that would drive the shekel to a level of 4.3 NIS to the dollar. He said that during the first two months of 2008, overall industrial exports from Israel dropped by a real rate of 14 percent. ¬

Giant Dutch Mail Company Threatens Unions with Major Job Cuts

The global mail delivery company (TNT Post) met with Dutch unions, but failed to agree on a labor deal the company was seeking that would cut costs by 395 million euros ($623 million) annually. At the same time, it offered the unions a 3 percent pay increase, with half of the rise conditional on a plan to change employment conditions, but unions rejected the offer. ¬ ¬

TNT argues that its workers are paid 20 to 25 percent more than market rates. It had originally sought a pay freeze as well as changes to other employment terms, such as employee pension contributions. The company says that without changes to employment terms, it may have to cut up to 11,000 jobs from the current Dutch workforce. ¬ ¬

TNT Post has steadily lost mail volume to rivals, like the U.S,-based United Parcel Service (UPS). The company is due to lose its remaining monopoly this year, A spokesman said: “TNT is considering the present situation, and remains firm on the necessity of implementing considerable further cost savings at TNT Post.” ¬

Afghan Children Work in Brick Factories to Pay Off Family Debts ¬

More than 2,200 Afghan children are working long hours in dozens of brick-making factories in Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan, to pay off their families’ debts, a survey by the Child Action Protection Network (CAPN) reported. Up to 90 percent of 2,296 children, boys and girls, who work in 38 brick-making factories do not go to school and are deprived of other means of education, the report stated. ¬ ¬

Almost all of the 556 families that live in mud huts and shacks around the brick-making factories in Sorkhrod District said they owed large amounts of money to factory owners and a group of brick merchants who have employed them as wage laborers. Debt levels vary from 40,000 Afghanis ($800) to 100,000 Afghanis ($2,000) Many families find it not only difficult to pay off their debts but also remain trapped in a cycle of unending debt, due to high interest rates imposed on them by some lenders. ¬ ¬

Officials of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in Kabul said the government would encourage NGOs and aid agencies to help indebted families pay off their debts through short- and long-term plans. “Obviously, the government alone can not pay all these debts,” said Wasil Noor Mohamed, a deputy labor and social affairs minister. ¬

Bauxite Mining Firm Agrees to Make Concessions to Russian Strikers ¬

Striking workers at Rossi, a major bauxite mining company in Central Russia, have called off their occupation of one of the mine shafts, on signs that the company is ready to make wage, welfare and other concessions in a contract. The strike began on March 26 at the Robin Hood mine, when workers refused to come to the surface at the end of their shift. The miners have circulated a list of 11 demands, affecting 3,000 workers. ¬ ¬

Union sources say they do not expect to get management agreement for the full 50 percent salary increase they demanded 10 days ago. However, they are confident of gaining between 20 percent and 30 percent. In addition, Russi has already accepted their demand to restore company funding of sanitation and recreational programs which had been cancelled on Jan. 1. A union spokesman, Oksana Sgibneva, said Russi announced that because aluminum prices have gone up on the world market, they intended to revive the social program. ¬ ¬

The strike is the first by unionized workers against the powerful aluminum group, controlled by Oleg Deripaska. Workers at other Russi plants have complained about payroll cuts and the elimination of the welfare programs that were a traditional company obligation to its workers during the Soviet period. ¬

Indian Workers in Kuwait Say They Haven’t Been Paid for 7 Months

Some 90 Indian workers of a construction company in Kuwait have alleged they haven’t been paid for seven months. The firm employed them about a year ago as technicians, laborers and drivers at an average monthly salary of 40 to 60 dinars ($150 to $225). ¬ ¬

“We do not know what is in store for us, as there is a serious shortage of food at the camp. Since most of the workers’ residencies have expired, they cannot take up part-time jobs; they are afraid they will be arrested and deported.” One of the Indian workers said: “The company has refused to pay the rent, and our biggest problem at the moment is [the shortage of] food.” ¬ ¬

The Indian workers have threatened not to resume their duties until they are paid in full what is owed to them. The Indian embassy in Kuwait is now trying to arrange an out-of-court settlement between the two sides. There are around 550,000 expatriate Indians in Kuwait and a large majority of them work as contract labor in the city-state‘s booming construction industry. ¬ ¬

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