Page 30 - Labor
More than 25,000 workers strike at Mexican border factories
More than 25,000 Mexican workers at dozens of factories south of Brownsville, Texas, went on strike Friday after owners of the plants that assemble for export refused union demands for a 20 percent pay hike and an annual bonus. The Union of Maquiladora Industry Industrial Workers of Matamoros, the SJOIIM, said that by late Saturday nine companies had agreed to meet the salary and bonus demands. Union leader Juan Villafuerte thanked union members who had stood outside in the rain and cold, noting "we hope to soon conclude this labor action." The government of Tamaulipas state said at least one company announced plans to leave the city of Matamoros. The state's development office said other companies had halted expansion projects. The strikes affect factories that make auto parts, medical equipment, plastics and other goods. The labour strife comes on the heels of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's promise to double the minimum wage in communities along the U.S. border to 176.2 ...
NLCIL inks pact with Tamil Nadu to set up mines, power projects
State-owned NLC India Ltd Saturday said it has signed an agreement with Tamil Nadu to set up mines and power projects in the state. The company already operates four lignite mines of capacity 30.6 million tonne per annum (MTPA) (in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan) and five thermal power stations of capacity 3,140 MW (in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan), out of which, 28.6 MTPA lignite mines and 2,890 MW thermal power stations are located in Tamil Nadu. The envisaged investment in the projects would generate direct employment for about 1,250 persons and indirect employment for nearly 7,500 persons, the company said in a statement.
MP announces employment scheme for urban poor youth
On the occasion of Republic Day, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Saturday announced the launch of the 'Yuva Swabhiman Yojana' for youths from the economically weaker sections in urban areas.
Idea from Davos: Experts pitch for 4-day work week
The World Economic Forum summit, an annual jamboree of the rich and powerful of the world, is known for brainstorming sessions on economy, geo-politics and other issues, but this time a rather different idea was floated here -- a four-day work week. The proposal evoked an instant and wide response from attendees, both on the positive and negative sides, with some experts making a strong pitch for adopting a smaller work week to reap the benefits of working less. Adam Grant, a psychologist from the Wharton School in Pennsylvania, said at a session: "I think we have some good experiments showing that if you reduce work hours, people are able to focus their attention more effectively, they end up producing just as much, often with higher quality and creativity, and they are also more loyal to the organisations that are willing to give them the flexibility to care about their lives outside of work." Economist and historian Rutger Bregman, author of 'Utopia for Realists', came in support ..
AI will help economies grow, but greater social security needed: Study
With artificial intelligence grabbing attention at the WEF annual meeting, a study on Friday said this new technology will certainly help economies grow but would require greater social security. The study published by Credit Suisse Research Institute, which looked into the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of the labour market, found that contrary to popular belief, there will be no shortage of work in contemporary economies. Rafael Lalive and Daniel Oesch, professors in economics and sociology respectively at the University of Lausanne, wrote: "Rather than a jobless economy, the two great challenges in the labor market may then be massive dislocation on the one hand and the distribution of productivity gains on the other." "While technological change will not lead to the end of work, it will certainly displace people from occupations and sectors," the report said. On the need for economic security in the gig economy, the study said the growing number of freelance ...
Remarkable growth of 42.3 pc in seafarer jobs
India provides 9.35 per cent of seafarers globally and ranks third in the list of largest seafarer supplying nation to world maritime industry, the Central government said on Friday.The past four years saw an unprecedented growth of 42.3 per cent shipboard jobs for Indian seafarers. The seafarers employed on ships worldwide increased from 108,446 in 2013 to 154,349 in 2017, said Union Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya.The number of trained active seafarers today is 1.54 lakh, of which 4,700 are women. About 810 women are employed in the shipping sector, he said in a statement.The Ministry of Shipping has strived to improve employment generation in the sector. The ban on the opening of new pre-sea and post-sea institutes has been lifted. Various requirements for approval of courses also delinked.This has considerably helped in the opening of the new maritime training institutes, added Mandaviya.
Subaru probe finds 3,400 staff were not paid for overtime work
TOKYO (Reuters) - Subaru Corp on Friday said it did not pay overtime wages over a two-year period to some 3,400 employees who under-reported their hours, a revelation that surfaced in an internal probe following the 2016 suicide of an overworked employee.
US jobless claims hit lowest since 1969
Claims for jobless benefits last week sank to the lowest level in nearly 50 years, signalling continued strength of the US labour market despite a slowing economy, according to data released Thursday. The decline came despite a spike in US government workers filing for unemployment benefits amid the longest government shutdown in history. The sudden drop in claims also marked a recovery from increased layoffs following the back-to-back natural disasters of late 2018 and pointed to another strong month of job creation in January. For the week ending January 19, first-time claims for unemployment insurance fell by 13,000, sinking below the 200,000 threshold to 199,000 -- the lowest since November 15, 1969, the Labour Department reported. The four-week moving average also fell by 5,500 to 215,000. In the prior week ending January 12, claims lodged by federal civilian employees soared more than 140 per cent to hit 25,419. Claims by newly discharged veterans also bounced 40 per cent higher
Govt launches new norms for Jan Shikshan Sansthans
The government Thursday unveiled new guidelines for Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSS) aligning them to the National Skills Qualification Framework with an aim to providing standardised training across sectors. "JSS guidelines have been reformed keeping in mind the diverse stake-holders engaged in running these institutions, and will bring in greater flexibility, transparency and uniformity," Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said at the launch. He observed that the centres can play an important role in bridging information asymmetry between skill training and market opportunities thereby giving an impetus to the creation of a workforce equipped in technology-driven skills, including in areas like health & well-ness, tourism, e-commerce, retail and trade. The new norms are expected to help identify and promote traditional skills in the district through skilling / upskilling; create livelihood linkages and boost training of trainers to develop the ...
Railways announcement of giving jobs to 3 lakh people another 'jumla', says Chidambaram
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram Thursday termed the announcement by the Railways that nearly 3 lakh people will be recruited in the next two years as "another jumla (gimmick)". In a series of tweets, the former Union minister said the story is the same across many departments of the government as on one hand, there are vacant posts and on the other, there are unemployed youths. "Railways leave 2,82,976 posts vacant for nearly 5 years and suddenly wake up to say we will fill them in 3 months! Another jumla!," Chidambaram said. Railways Minister Piyush Goyal had on Wednesday said the national transporter will recruit around 1.31 lakh employees within the next six months and about a lakh more over the next two years. The Indian Railways has a sanctioned strength of 15,06,598 employees. Out of these, 12,23,622 personnel are on roll. The remaining 2,82,976 are vacant posts. The recruitment for 1,51,548 posts in the railways is going on, leaving 1,31,428 posts still vacant, Goyal had ..
Govt to face any legal challenge to Maratha quota: Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Wednesday said his government is committed to reservation for the Maratha community and will fight any legal challenge to the move. Addressing a meeting in Navi Mumbai, he said the BJP- led government's decision to provide quota to the community in jobs and educational institutions was a well thought out move and not taken in haste. "Be it reservation or education or employment we are going to stand firmly behind the community," Fadnavis said. "We are fully prepared to fight it in courts," he said. The CM said banks should give loans to youths from the community to set up their ventures. He said in politics and social life one has to digest poison and give 'amrit' (divine syrup) to people like Lord Shiva. "I have been doing the same for the last four years," Fadnavis said.
Railways to recruit 4 lakh emplyees in 2 yrs: Goyal
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said that Railways is in the process of recruiting four lakh people as 1.32 lakh seats are presently vacant and 1 lakh employees will retire in two years. Addressing a press conference here, Goyal said: "Around 2.32 lakh vacancies are to be filled in the Railways as 1.32 lakh seats are presently vacant and 1 lakh employees will retire in two years. Last year, we started a mission to provide employment to 1.50 lakh people, which will be completed in the next two months.""However, there are pending vacancies in old Group C and Group D and after adding them to the vacancies that are to be filled by the Railways in two years, it makes a total count of four lakh vacancies," he said.Goyal added, "We are taking steps in advance to fulfil the vacancies that will get vacant after the retirement of 1 lakh employees in two years. These jobs will be provided without any change in the reservation meant for backward classes and physically challenged. Also,
Bezeq Israel workers to strike over plan to sell company
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Workers at Bezeq Israel Telecom have called a strike starting on Feb. 5 over plans by the parent company to divest its controlling stake, the country's largest telecoms company said on Wednesday.
Cabinet approves agreement with Kuwait to safeguard domestic workers
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the signing of an agreement with Kuwait to safeguard three lakh Indians working as domestic workers there and to provide a structured framework for cooperation on matters related to them.
French ex-staff sue Goodyear over 'chemical exposure'
Around 1,000 former employees at a Goodyear factory in France announced Tuesday that they are suing the US tyre-maker, accusing the company of exposing them to dangerous chemicals. Goodyear shut the factory in Amiens, President Emmanuel Macron's hometown in the industrial north of France, in 2014 after a bitter six-year dispute between staff and management. All 1,143 employees at the site lost their jobs. Most of them are now suing their former employer for allegedly "exposing them to dangerous products without informing them, for cost reasons," the factory's former CGT union leader Mickael Wamen told AFP. "Goodyear put us in danger in order to shave some cash off the price of the tyres being made," he said. According to the legal complaint filed at a court in Nanterre in the northern Paris suburbs, the company is accused of exposing employees to "harmful products without protection when substitutes were available". The company "wilfully neglected to warn and inform its employees of ..
Demonetisation impacted private job opportunities for youths: Gopal Rai
The Delhi government's mega job fairs have registered lesser numbers of participating companies and candidates being short-listed since 2017 due to the negative effect of demonetisation, Employment Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday. The minister also said that various departments of the Delhi government were highly understaffed and running with just 20-30 per cent of the strength as recruitment could not be made because the government lacked power in the services matter. "We will carry out a massive recruitment drive once the services matter come to us," he said. The jurisdiction over services matter is to be decided by court and currently the Lieutenant Governor exercises authority over it. Rai said that the Centre should take steps for providing jobs under public and private sectors. A two-day mega job fair that concluded at Thyagaraj Stadium here on Tuesday was attended by 79 companies that screened 14,000 candidates, of whom 5,000 were short-listed for recruitment, said officials
Tower of London workers strike over pensions
Workers at the Tower of London went on strike Tuesday for the second time in months in a dispute over pensions, without affecting tourist visits. Workers at the tower and at Hampton Court Palace are in dispute with their employer, Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), over plans to close a salary pension scheme and replace it with another. The change affects about 11 percent of HRP's 1,100 workers. The 24-hour strike by over a dozen staff was organised by the GMB trade union. "Due to the small number of people involved, the strike will have no impact on the day-to-day running of our sites, and we will be remaining open throughout," said HRP chief executive John Barnes. He said the pension scheme would still close in April, as it was "financially unsustainable.
Residential complexes will be constructed at all ICPs: Rajnath
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Tuesday that residential complexes will be constructed for security forces at all integrated check posts (ICPs) along the country's international borders.
Operations at Haldia Dock resume as strike ends
After operations came to a standstill following a strike by a section of the employees on Sunday evening at Haldia Dock Complex, activities resumed on Tuesday, an official said.
2 brothers die after inhaling poisonous gas
: Two workers were asphyxiated to death while cleaning a septic tank in a housing unit here Tuesday, police said. Four workers were engaged to clean the tank by a residents welfare association, the police said. As two of the workers, both brothers, got into the tank, one of them - Murugan developed breathlessness and fainted. Seeing this, his brother Pandidurai got into the tank and tried vainly to pull Murugan out but the latter died by then, the police said. Soon, Pandidurai too lost consciousness and died inhaling the poisonous gas, they said. On information, police arrived at the scene, recovered the bodies and sent them for a postmortem. Some of the residents complained to the police that the sanitary workers had entered the septic tank without equipping themselves with safety gear.