Page 24 - Labor
South Korea January jobless rate rises to highest in nine years
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's unemployment rate rose to a nine-year high in January as jobs were shed in manufacturing and construction sectors amid rising minimum wages, deepening economic policy frustrations for President Moon Jae-in.
Pricol Limited reconsiders dismissal order of 70 workmen
Automotive parts manufacturer Pricol Limited here on Tuesday expressed desire to reconsider the dismissal order of over 70 of its employees, who failed to respond to transfer orders, if they were willing to resume duty within seven days at their allotted location. The company had transferred over 250 employees following continuous strike, a management release said here, adding a few of the employees had commenced work in their transferred location, while 72 employees did not respond to any of the written appeals in the last 75 days. In view of this, the management, without any option, dismissed them on February 11 as per their employment condition in the contract and other statutory guidelines, it said. "However, we are ready to reconsider their dismissal order on humanitarian grounds, if these workmen are willing to resume duty, with a written consent letter to the management, at their allotted location within seven days from now," the management said. Though the activities of the ...
U.S. job openings hit record high; workers more scarce
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. job openings surged to a record high in December, led by vacancies in the construction and accommodation and food services sectors, strengthening analysts' views that the economy was running out of workers.
NCP holds protest over 'missing' jobs
The Mumbai unit of the NCP Tuesday staged a protest here against "rising unemployment" in the country and slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "unfulfilled" promise of creating two crore jobs per year. The Sharad Pawar-led party also attacked the government over the recent National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) report on job data, that has been withheld. As per reports, the NSSO survey had pegged the current unemployment rate as the highest in the last 45 years. "The Modi government had promised two crore jobs a year, but the promise has not been kept. In fact, the NSSO report has said that the unemployment rate is the highest in 45 years," NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto said. He said the protesters were stopped by police from marching towards the office of the Mumbai district collector, but were later allowed to submit a memorandum to authorities. The protest was organised by NCP's Mumbai unit youth wing head Nilesh Bhosale and South Mumbai district president Vijay
Indefinite strike in jute mills from March 1
All trade unions of the jute sector barring the Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress have announced an indefinite strike from March 1 on workers' various unmet demands. Bengal Chatkal Mazdoor Union general secretary Anadi Sahu told reporters that the strike call was the last option for them after the workers' charter of 22 demands were ignored and not been heard since long. "All the 21 trade unions of the industry have agreed to support the indefinite strike of jute mills, except INTTUC," he said. The jute sector employs over 2 lakh workers in 65 mills in the state. Sahu said the recent interim wage hike of Rs 70 with effect from February 1 2019 by West Bengal was a unilateral decision. The state government, in a meeting held on January 17 this year with the jute industry and trade unions, had decided to give an interim relief of Rs 70, raising the wage to Rs 327 per day till the new wage agreement was finalised. However, the relief would be applicable only to .
MTNL seeks Rs 500 crore from DoT to pay January salary
Unable to pay salaries to its employees for a third consecutive month in January, state-run MTNL has raised pending dues of Rs 500 crore from the Department of Telecom (DoT) for the period 2000-13.
Flying allowance non-payment causing stress, has direct implications on flight safety: AI pilots
Air India Pilot unions wrote to the company on Sunday saying they are yet to receive December's flying allowance, which consists of around 70 per cent of total salary, and the pilots are working under "stressful conditions" that has "direct implications on flight safety". Flying allowance is paid to a pilot on the basis of the number of flight hours he or she has clocked in a month. The unions told the airline that since they have not received the flying allowance, they have decided not to accept "changes in (duty) roster and will maintain CMS (crew management system) printed roster already issued for the month of February". "This is to ensure member pilots are not stressed further. Kindly note we are already working under stressful conditions as we are finding it difficult to meet our monthly financial commitments which has direct implication on Flight Safety," read the letter by the Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) and Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG). According to airline ...
Modi govt 'textbook case of moral bankruptcy': Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday attacked the Centre over the issue of job creation, alleging that incompetence coupled with arrogance has made the government a "textbook case of moral bankruptcy". Gandhi cited a media report, which quoted an Uber driver as saying that the government has not given jobs and he found one after investing lakhs, to make his point. The driver had made the remarks when he was asked about NITI Aayog's reported statement that Ola/Uber have created two million jobs. "Incompetence coupled with arrogance has made this government a textbook case of moral bankruptcy," Gandhi said in a Facebook post. Gandhi has been highly critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of unemployment and has often accused him of not fulfilling the promise made before coming to power of creating two crore jobs per year. His attacks have escalated following a report by the National Sample Survey Office, carried by an English daily, which said the unemployment rate .
EPF enrolment, Income tax data cannot measure job creation: Experts
Amid the controversy over the withholding of a report on the country's unemployment situation, the government has cited data from provident fund rcords, Income Tax filings and the National Pension System (NPS), besides a possible upswing in the informal sector to show generation of crores of new jobs.
Once under ISIS influence, men in Maha make a new beginning
Jamil Ansari (name changed) runs a mobile phone repair shop in Maharashtra's Beed district. But, nobody would imagine that only two years ago, he was on the verge of joining the dreaded terror outfit ISIS by travelling to Iraq, thousands of kilometres away. Thanks to an initiative of the Maharashtra Anti- Terrorism Squad (ATS), Ansari changed his mind and underwent an employment training programme after escaping clutches of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria's (ISIS) online 'recruiters' who had almost radicalised him. He is not the only one. There are many such young men in Maharashtra, mainly in the industrially backward Marathwada region, who had once fallen victim to ISIS' propaganda but are now leading a normal life with the help of the employment training programme, a senior ATS official told PTI. Ansari, a 35-year-old graduate, lost his job as a salesman in 2016 and began spending a lot of time surfing online, where he came in contact with some ISIS sympathisers .
Modest praise for US reform of visa program for skilled workers
The Trump administration's new rules for a US visa program widely used for technology workers are getting cautious praise from Silicon Valley amid surging demand for high-skill employees. The H-1B visa programme, which admits some 85,000 foreign nationals each year, will give higher priority to people with post-graduate degrees from US universities, under a final rule published in January by the Department of Homeland Security. "US employers seeking to employ foreign workers with a US master's or higher degree will have a greater chance of selection in the H-1B lottery" under the new rule, said Francis Cissna, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, in announcing the change on January 30. The changes come with the tech industry pleading for more immigrants to fill key skilled positions, and responds in part of concerns that the program has been exploited by some tech giants and outsourcing firms to depress wages and displace US employees. "The changes are, on the whole, a
Harsimarat Kaur Badal lays foundation of Nandvan Mega Food Park
Union Minister Harsimarat Kaur Badal Saturday laid foundation stone for Nandvan Mega Food Park in Chata here. "With Mega Food Park being set up here, at least 25 thousand farmers would benefit," the Union Minister for Food Processing Industry said. It will provide job to five thousand unemployed and 25 thousand farmers would benefit from it, the minister said, adding that scope for woman employment is more. The government will provide Rs 50 crore subsidy in the food park being established at the cost of Rs 130 crore, she said. This scheme of her department will prove to be a boon for farmers as they can sell their produce in market or in this park, wherever they get better return, she said. The prime minister has given time bound programme to departments to double the income of the farmer by 2022, she said. The scheme was launched in 2008 and is good one, however, proper attention was not paid. It virtually failed to get result as only two food parks were established during six ...
Odisha BJP promises land patta, house, jobs if voted to power
The BJP Saturday promised a host of welfare measures including permanent land patta, concrete house to the poor and jobs to the youth in Odisha if it comes to power in the state after the coming Assembly polls. Senior BJP leader and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan made these announcements at a party meeting here. Addressing the event, Pradhan said if the party is voted to power in the state, no one will be left without permanent land patta along with pucca house. Similarly, all the jobless youth would be provided with employment and self-employment opportunities, he said, appealing to the people to vote for the BJP to ensure speedy development of the state and welfare of all. Stating that Narendra Modi Government at the Centre has taken a slew of measures for the poor in the country since it came to power in 2014, Pradhan said the BJP will also provide facilities like drinking water, toilets, electricity and LPG connections to the people in Odisha. Hitting .
3 workers swoon after inhaling chlorine gas in factory
: Three workers of a private textile bleaching factory near here swooned after inhaling leaking chlorine gas Saturday, police said. The three were shifted to a hospital and they were stated to be out of danger, the police said. The Fire and Rescue Services were alerted and the firemen sprayed water inside the factory and also at the chlorine gas jars, they said. Based on a complaint from the factory owner, investigations have begun, they added.
Piyush Goyal calls for embracing modern ways of data collection for accuracy
Amid the Opposition's attack on the Centre over an NSSO report on unemployment rate in the country, Union minister Piyush Goyal Saturday called for embracing modern ways of data collection for ensuring accuracy. The finance minister also said here the charm of having a "fixed 9 AM to 5 PM" job was waning across the world, and the youth today are looking to engage in new ways of working. A recent report by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) claimed the unemployment rate in the country was the highest in 45 years in 2017, providing ammunition to the Opposition to target the Narendra Modi government. "There was a time when a job in a government department or a company, like let's say Tata group or PSU like NTPC, was the only thing that reflected a job or working class in this country. In the whole world, the situation has changed today," Goyal said. India has now aspirational youth, who are looking to engage with new technology and ways of working, he said. In the "changing world",
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launches "Plumber Konnect" - mobile app for certified plumbers
The apex skilling body of the Indian Plumbing Industry, IPSC (Indian Plumbing Skills Council) organized the mega event, "Plumbing Skills Mahotsav" which was inaugurated by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon'ble Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship at Thyagraj Stadium, New Delhi.The day long event was attended by almost 10,000 plumbers from all parts of North India who were trained in the latest plumbing techniques and were also handed out participation certificates. Many who have already undergone skill training and assessment are also being felicitated with the IPSC-Skill India Certification.One of the biggest highlight of the event was the launch of Plumber Konnect - World's 1st Mobile App which aims to bring certified plumbers closer to its users. Plumbing Skills Mahotsav also witnessed the best plumbers being handpicked for International and Domestic placements by the companies as a part of the Job Fair. Other excitement at the mega event includes Lucky Draw including ...
Ex-employees of BSNL, MTNL protest over pension revision
Former employees of state-owned telecom firms BSNL and MTNL Friday staged protest for pension revision, alleging that the telecom department is deliberately stalling the matter. The Committee of BSNL and MTNL Pensioner's Association approached Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha office and handed over the application, seeking his intervention for pension revision. "We represent the erstwhile DoT (Department of Telecom) employees who were absorbed in BSNL and MTNL on their formation and entitled to government pension under pension rule. We made out contribution to government irrespective of profit and loss of BSNL and MTNL but now government has linked it with profit and loss which is not correct," S S Nanda, general secretary, Retired Telecom Officers' Welfare Association said. The committee has demanded that pension revision should be de-linked to wage revision at BSNL and MTNL, which are further dependent their financial performance. Nanda said the pension revision could not be ...
Punjab govt announces 6% dearness allowance for employees, pensioners
The Punjab government Friday announced a 6 per cent dearness allowance (DA) for its employees and pensioners, with effect from February 1. The decision, which will benefit nearly 3.25 lakh employees and three lakh pensioners, was announced by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh during the cabinet meeting after informal discussions on the issue, an official statement said. The decision would entail an additional annual financial liability of Rs 720 crore for the state exchequer. Amarinder, who presided over the cabinet meeting, reiterated his government's firm commitment to ensure welfare of the employees and pensioners despite financial constraints.
Punjab to give 6 pc DA to 6.25 lakh employees, pensioners
Punjab government on Friday announced 6 per cent dearness allowance (DA) to government employees and pensioners, with effect from February 1, 2019.The decision, which will benefit nearly 3.25 lakh employees and 3 lakh pensioners, was announced by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh during the Cabinet meeting after informal discussions on the issue.The decision would entail an additional annual financial liability of Rs 720 crore to the state exchequer.Reiterating his government's firm commitment to ensure the welfare of employees and pensioners despite financial constraints, the Chief Minister said that the employees were a critical segment of the state administration and safeguarding their interests was the government's top priority.
Efforts to end child labour in Meghalaya: Dy CM Tynsong
Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Friday admitted the prevalence of child labour in the state but said a mechanism has been put in place to ensure that the state is completely free of the social malaise. Tynsong also hit out at an NGO for its claim to have detected 70,000 cases of child labour in the coal mines of the northeastern state. "The government does not say that there is no child labour here. We do have. But the fact is that a mechanism is now in place. "We have constituted district task forces headed by deputy commissioners and there is enough manpower. Labour inspectors are posted in each of the 46 blocks and we hope that the state will be a child labour free state," he said. The deputy chief minister was addressing a workshop, jointly organized by the National Human Rights Commission and the states labour department, on the eradication of bonded labour and child labour. During 2010-11, the Planning Commission had asked for a clarification ..