Page 119 - Labor

'Education, skills determine quality of life in older age'

Scientists have found that raising your level of education and skills during your working life are key factors in determining your quality of life in retirement and older age. The study, published in the Journal of Vocational Behaviour, involved interviewing around 50 retirees from a range of different professions and educational backgrounds. It was found that pathways to retirement and experiences of retirement differed greatly according to profession, gender, class and education. The researchers from the University of Birmingham in the UK identified six groups of workers including the professionals, delayed professionals, those who had disjointed careers, mid-career transformation, administrative careers and semi-skilled careers. Experiences of retirement differed greatly according to which group workers fell into. For example, it was found the professionals were more likely to continue working in a part-time capacity (though not for financial gain), while those who ...

Labour Min to issue UWIN Cards to informal workers from April

The labour ministry will begin a drive in April to register over 47 crore unorganised sector workers and provide them with Unorganised Worker Index Number or UWIN Card, bringing them under the social security net, according to an official source. It wants to complete the exercise by the end of next fiscal, before going to the polls in 2019, so that these workers are covered under the social security code proposed by the ministry. "The ministry will begin registering the unorganised workers across the country by the beginning of the next fiscal (April-March, 2018-19)) to provide them benefits of various social security schemes run by retirement fund body EPFO and state health insurer ESIC," the official source said. The UWIN Card would have unique number which would be seeded with Aadhaar to provide all benefits of social security schemes at one stop, he added. "Labour Code on Social Security and Welfare is at the consultation stage and could be a reality by the time ...

U.S., Mexico unions file NAFTA labour complaint to influence talks

MONTREAL (Reuters) - U.S. and Mexican unions formally complained to the U.S. Labor Department on Thursday that Mexico continues to violate NAFTA's weak labour standards, a move that they hope will persuade U.S. negotiators to push for stronger rules.

Corrected: Starbucks to boost pay, benefits after U.S. lowers corporate taxes

(Corrects last paragraph to show median pay for hourly associate managers)

JK govt hikes DA for employees, pensioners by 3 pc

The Jammu and Kashmir government today announced 3 per cent hike in dearness allowance (DA) for its employees and pensioners, effective July 2017. According to an order issued by the state's principal secretary finance, Navin Kumar Choudhary, the revised rate of DA would be 139 per cent after this 3 per cent increase. The finance department also said the arrears for July- December 2017 will be paid in cash to the employees and will form part of the salary from January 2018 onwards. According to the order, the enhancement in DA will also apply to the work charge/whole time contingent paid employees working in the regular timescale. State Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu had in his budget speech in the state assembly on January 11 this year announced release of pending DA and implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations in favour of the state government employees. He had also announced increase in the refreshment charges of the employees for working overtime during the .

U.S. jobless claims rise from 45-year low; labor market tightening

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rebounded from a 45-year low last week, though by less than expected, pointing to tightening labor market conditions.

Exclusive: U.S., Mexican unions to file NAFTA complaint over labor bill

MONTREAL (Reuters) - U.S. and Mexican unions will formally complain to the U.S. Labor Department on Thursday that Mexico continues to violate NAFTA's weak labor standards, a move that they hope will persuade U.S. negotiators to push for stronger rules.

U.S. jobless claims increase less than expected

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose less than expected last week, pointing to tightening labor market conditions.

Child labour:Court quashes order framing charges against woman

A Delhi court has quashed an order framing charges against a woman, accused of employing a 14-year-old boy as domestic help, saying there was no reason why offences under child labour and juvenile laws were invoked against her. Additional Sessions Judge A K Kuhar allowed the plea of the woman, a resident of south-east Delhi, while quashing the magisterial court order framing charges against her under the provisions ofChildLabour (ProtectionandRegulation) Act, JuvenileJustice (Care and Protectionof Children)Act (JJ Act) and Indian Penal Code (IPC). "Reasons are the hallmark of a judicial order. Though, a court is not supposed to pass an elaborate order on charge but before subjecting a person to trial, the submission made by accused before the court are to be addressed and the order should reflect the ground on which a particular charge has been framed. "The impugned orders...are being set aside with direction to the Metropolitan Magistrate to hear submission of the ...

3 trafficked Hyderabadi youth returns home, courtsey MEA

Three youths from Hyderabad, who were trafficked to Malaysia in name of jobs, have returned to India on Saturday, January 19.They were trafficked by an agent with an job offer in Malaysia's mega steel company. However, on landing, they were made to work as labours there."An agent, Syed Shoaib approached me, my brother Shaik Mohammed Bilal and my cousin Mohd. Mateen Ali and offered a job in Malaysia's mega steel company. After landing there the employers made us work as labourers, " said a victim, Shaik Ahmed Ibrahim to ANI.Later one of them tweeted to Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, who rescued them from Malaysia."Contacted Sushma Swaraj through Twitter and got a quick response from her. Thanks to her for helping us return home. We hope she continues helping people like us", Ahmed added.

Starbucks to boost pay, benefits after U.S. lowers corporate taxes

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp will use some of the savings from the new U.S. corporate tax cuts to give domestic employees pay raises, company stock and expanded benefits with a combined worth of more than $250 million, the company said on Wednesday.

Niki Lauda could run out of pilots: Niki labour boss

VIENNA (Reuters) - Former motor racing champion Niki Lauda may not have enough pilots for the planned relaunch of his Niki airline in March unless he offers attractive contracts, the head of the airline's works council said on Wednesday.

IMF's Lagarde urges action to improve prospects for EU youth

Declining incomes for European youth since the global financial crisis are dimming their prospects, and IMF chief Christine Lagarde today urged governments to take action to ensure they do not fall further behind. A new International Monetary Fund study showing that while average income inequality in the European Union "has remained broadly stable there since 2007," Lagarde said the data reveal "a worrying trend: the gap between generations in Europe has widened significantly." "Working-age people, and especially the young, are falling behind. Without action, a generation may never be able to recover," Lagarde said in a blog post that accompanied the release of the report. Strong European safety nets helped older workers, whose pensions were also protected, but incomes for young people declined due to high unemployment, which spiked to 24 percent in 2013, and one-in five are still looking for work. IMF research shows that an employment gap can lead to longer-term wage ..

WR installs sanitary pad dispensers for its women employees

The Western Railway (WR) has installed sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators for its women employees in six divisions, including its headquarters at Churchgate here, an official said today. The facility was inaugurated at Churchgate station yesterday by Archana Gupta, President of Western Railway Women's Welfare Organisation (WRWWO) along with senior women employees. "The WRWWO donated and commissioned sanitary napkin dispenser and incinerator at Churchgate yesterday for the benefit of the women working at the WR headquarters," chief public relations officer of WR, Ravinder Bhakar, said. Besides Churchgate, these coin-operated machines were installed at other five divisions- Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Ratlam, Rajkot and Bhavnagar- and were inaugurated by seniormost or youngest women employee working there, he added. "The women employees of the Western Railway has hailed this historic step," Bhakar said.

Trudeau bats for gender equality, says sexual harassment

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today strongly supported urgent steps for gender equality and termed sexual harassment as an unacceptable systemic problem. "We need to have a critical discussion on the power dynamics of gender," Trudeau said in a special address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual summit here. "Sexual harassment is a systemic problem and it is unacceptable. We need a fundamental shift in the way we operate," he said. The Canadian leader further said pay parity efforts are just the first step because pay equality does not mean equal opportunity, or equal sacrifice. He said employers must hire, promote and retain more women not because it is a nice thing to do, but because it is the smart thing to do.

Worker, who fled with 1 kg gold from Delhi showroom, arrested

A 37-year-old man, who allegedly fled with one kg gold last month that was handed over to him by his employer for delivery to a customer, has been arrested, police said today. The accused has been identified as Sukhdev, a native of Panipat, and he was arrested yesterday from Jwala Heri market in West Delhi's Paschim Vihar, they said. On December 31, a jewellery showroom owner in Ranjit Nagar had complained to the police that one of his employees had fled with a one kg gold which was handed over to him for delivery to a customer in Pitampura. The accused, when called on phone by his employer, said he has gone to Panipat because his parents had suddenly fallen ill, according to a police official. When Sukhdev did not return even after some days and his phone was also switched off, his employer approached the police, the official said. On a tip-off, the police yesterday found a man wandering in Jwala Heri market with the intention to sell huge quantity of gold who turned ...

Rupani lays foundation stone of steel plant in Kutch district

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today laid the foundation stone of the Rs 15,000 crore steel plant in Mundra tehsil in the district. The plant will be set up by Cromo Steels Private Limited, an official release said. The Memorandum of Understanding for the project was inked during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January 2017. Rupani said the investment of Rs 15,000 crore in this plant, will provide employment to 8,000 to 10,000 persons, the release added.

Govt to start releasing quarterly employment figures from Sep

The government will start releasing quarterly data on employment based on household surveys from September this year, said Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar. Kumar said recommendations of a panel on employment data has been accepted by the government. Henceforth, he said there will be data release on jobs based on household surveys. "...those surveys have already started and (from) coming September onwards on you will get quarterly data based on extensive household surveys on employment," he said in an interview to Rajya Sabha TV. Kumar further said there would be employment data based on payroll surveys. "We are starting that also...we will use the high frequency data, for example when you ask employers like Ola, Uber, Flipkart, Amazon...these organisations are not included in the employment statistics," Kumar said. The government in May last year had set up a task force headed by the then Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya to recommend ways to deal with ...

JK govt ropes in Trinity to design health insurance policy

The Jammu and Kashmir government today roped in Trinity Re-insurance to design health insurance policy for 6 lakh government employees and pensioners of the state. Replying to a question of PDP MLC Firdous Ahmad Tak in State Legislative Council, Minister of State for Finance Ajay Nanda said the government has engaged a brokerage firm, Trinity Re-insurance Pvt Ltd, to design health insurance policy product for government employees, employees of autonomous bodies, PSUs, local bodies, universities and pensioners. He said that a committee of officers has been set up to study the policy product designed by the said firm. It may be recalled that the government is launching an improved and enhanced group mediclaim insurance policy to insure all the government employees including pensioners have been covered along with 5 family members. Given the fact that there are 4.5 lakh employees and about 1.5 lakh pensioners, this insurance cover extends to about 30 lakh people as per the

Enterprises now deploying AI technologies: Infosys

Enterprises are moving beyond the experimentation phase with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and are now deploying AI technologies more broadly, said an Infosys survey on Tuesday.