Page 35 - Labor
BEST workers' strike: HC issues notices, hearing tmrw
The Bombay High Court issued notices Thursday to the Maharashtra government, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the BEST Workers' Union over a PIL against the ongoing strike of employees of the civic bus service. A bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice N M Jamdar posted the matter for further hearing Friday. Thousands of workers of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), the civic transport undertaking, are on strike since Tuesday for various demands, including salary hike. The public interest litigation filed by lawyer Datta Mane urged the court to pass interim orders directing BEST workers to call off the strike immediately. The petitioner also urged the court to direct the state authorities to constitute a committee to look into BEST workers' demands. Saying that the strike is causing inconvenience to over 50 lakh commuters in the megapolis, Mane sought an urgent hearing.
Jaguar Land Rover says to axe 4,500 jobs worldwide
Jaguar Land Rover will axe around 4,500 jobs, the Indian-owned carmaker announced Thursday, with the group hit by a slump in Chinese sales and fears about Britain's competitiveness after Brexit. "Jaguar Land Rover is expanding a business-wide organisation review aimed at reducing the size of its global workforce by around 4,500 people," the company said in a statement. "This is in addition to the 1,500 who left the company during 2018.
Over 1 lakh youths in Jharkhand get jobs in private companies
Chief Minister Raghubar Das Thursday said Jharkhand has established a record by giving jobs to over one lakh youths in the private sector. A total of 1,06,000 youths got jobs with Governor Droupadi Murmu, Chief Minister Raghubar Das and other guests handing over letters to some skill-trained youth symbolically during the 'Global Skill Summit, 2019', an official release said. The chief minister said Jharkhand became the first state to achieve the feat of giving jobs to over one youths in the private sector. Addressing the summit at the Khelgaon here, Das appealed to the youth to work diligently and bring laurels to the state and to their families. He said that the state government had done a great work by providing jobs to the youths, two days before the Youth Day, which will help the state in the future. Das said that the youths pledge would be fulfilled through hard work, adding the state was rapidly moving forward as per Prime Minster Narendra Modis thought. He asked ..
Striking BEST employees meet MNS chief
The striking employees of the BEST on Thursday met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray at his residence with their demands.The key demands include provision for payment contract from 2016 and upgrading the salary slab, from Rs 6055 to Rs 7930, for junior grade employees who have been promoted to the master grade.Thackeray assured the striking employees of all the cooperation and asked them to continue their protest. He said he will take appropriate action to press for their demands which would end their woes.They alleged that they haven't got the bonus that they are entitled. They also claimed that the bonus that was given for the period 2016-17 has also been withdrawn with a salary deduction of Rs 500 every month.They further said that the bonus of Rs 5500, which is due for the year 2018, has also not been paid to them.The wives of the BEST employees met Raj Thackeray separately to ask for his support against a notice issued by the BEST management, asking the ...
German airports strike slashes 600 flights
Almost 640 flights were cancelled in Germany Thursday as security staff went on strike at three airports, meaning disruption for around 100,000 passengers. The number of flights blocked was more than half the 1,050 planned for Duesseldorf, Cologne-Bonn and Stuttgart. Duesseldorf -- the country's third-largest airport -- said in a statement that 370 of Thursday's 580 planned departures had to be cancelled. News agency DPA reported that the walkout, slated to last from 3:00 am (0200 GMT) to midnight (1100 GMT), was expected to affect around 100,000 travellers. At Cologne-Bonn, where 131 of almost 200 flights were cancelled, union Verdi told DPA the security strike was also slowing freight handling. Representing 23,000 airport security staff across Germany, Verdi is demanding a pay increase to 20 euros (USD 23.08) per hour from the present rate of 17 euros, or almost 18 per cent. Employers' association BDLS meanwhile is offering increases of between two and eight per cent. Passengers' ...
BEST indefinite strike enters third day, Central Railway runs extra trains
As the indefinite strike by Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) employees entered its third day on Thursday, the Central Railway has decided to run extra sub-services to cater to the demands of commuters who struggle to reach their workplace on time."In view of BEST buses strike Mumbai Division will run extra sub-services. Main line - Thane dep 13.44hrs and CSMT arrival 14.40hrs. CSMT dep 14.49hrs. Kalyan arrival 16.15hrs. Harbour line- Vashi dep 13.44hrs. CSMT arrival 14.32hrs. CSMT dep 14.45hrs and Panvel arrival 16.05," CPRO Central Railways said in a statement on Thursday.At least 32,000 employees of Mumbai's civic transport from a long time have been demanding for merging of BEST budget with 'A' budget of BMC. They are also seeking resolution of the issue of employee service residences and recruitment. When the talks with the authorities failed, the employees resorted to the strike.BEST, the lifeline of Mumbai has a fleet size of as many as 3200 buses. It the ...
Corrected: Pfizer to shut two manufacturing plants in India
(Reuters) - U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday it was shutting down two manufacturing plants in India that make generic injectables like penicillin as a response to falling demand.
Workers at GM's Canada plant hold work stoppage over closure
Unionized workers at the General Motors assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, are holding another sit-down protest over the planned closure of the facility that would lead to the loss of 3,000 jobs. The union confirmed Wednesday's work stoppage following an earlier protest Tuesday. Unifor president Jerry Dias sat down with GM on Tuesday to talk about proposals the union had made to extend the life of the Ontario plant, but were turned down. The union suggestions included extending the life of the Chevy Impala and Cadillac XTS produced at the plant or shifting production slated for Mexico to the plant. GM says they're not economically viable. GM announced in November it would cut up to 14,000 workers in North America and put five plants up for possible closure.
One dead, 50 injured in Bangladesh garment workers strike
Bangladeshi police Wednesday used water cannon to disperse 10,000 striking garment workers who were blocking a major highway in a fourth day of industrial action, an official said. Authorities meanwhile confirmed that one worker was killed and 50 others injured on Tuesday after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at some 5,000 workers protesting in Dhaka and on the outskirts of the capital. Bangladesh's 4,500 textile and clothing factories exported more than $30 billion worth of apparel last year, making clothing for retailers such as H&M, Walmart, Tesco, Carrefour and Aldi. Police said some 10,000 workers blocked the highway at several places outside the industrial town of Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, for hours after some 50,000 workers walked out of their factories in the morning demanding higher wages. "We used water cannon to disperse them from the highway," police official Sana Shaminur Rahman told AFP. Some 2,000 workers from a major factory in Dhaka also walked ...
Spanish unions call off Ryanair strike after deal
Unions representing 1,800 Ryanair cabin crew in Spain said Wednesday they had called off a strike planned for later this week after reaching a deal with the airline following months of fraught negotiations. The Sitcpla and USO unions said in a statement they had "finally reached an agreement" with Ryanair in the early hours of Wednesday after 19 hours of marathon talks. As such, they decided to call off strikes planned for January 10 and 13 but said the deal still had to be ratified by cabin crew. The statement said the agreement "guarantees job stability, betters working conditions". It also meets the unions' main demand -- that cabin crew in Spain be employed under Spanish labour legislation rather than that of Ireland as had been the case for many. Ryanair was not immediately available for comment. The no-frills airline was hit by a series of strikes Europe-wide last year as its employees complained about their working conditions. In July, strikes by cockpit and cabin crew ...
Euro zone unemployment unexpectedly falls to 10-year low
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Unemployment in the euro zone unexpectedly fell in November to its lowest rate in more than ten years, official estimates released on Wednesday showed.
No impact of shutdown in Karnataka on 2nd day
There was no impact of the nationwide shutdown called by trade unions in Karnataka on the second day, with government offices and bus services functioning normally across the state on Wednesday.
Govt offers special concession to woo employees to work in Kashmir
The Centre has extended special concessions and incentives, including departmental arrangements for stay, security and transportation, for central government employees working in Kashmir valley for two more years till 2020, as per an order issued by the Personnel Ministry. The move is aimed at encouraging more employees to work in the valley, officials said. The concessions include an option for employees to move their families to a selected place of their choice in the country at government expenses, the order issued Tuesday said. Kashmir Valley comprises of ten districts namely, Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, Kupwara, Pulwama, Srinagar, Kulgam, Shopian, Ganderbal and Bandipora. The special grant also include departmental arrangements for stay, security and transportation to the place of work for employees, it said. A per diem allowance of Rs 113 will also be paid for each day of attendance to compensate for any additional expense in transportation to and from office etc. Messing ...
German airports brace for Thursday strike
Thousands of passengers in Germany face disruption on Thursday following a strike call by security staff at three major airports, the powerful Verdi union said. The walkout was to begin at 3:00 am (0200 GMT) in the airports of Dusseldorf, Cologne-Bonn and Stuttgart, and was to continue until midnight, the union said Wednesday. A warning strike took place on Monday morning at Berlin's two airports, Tegel and Schoenefeld, forcing the cancellation of about 50 flights. Verdi, which represents 23,000 airport security personnel, wants wages raised to 20 euros (USD 23) an hour from around 17 euros currently, an increase of around 17 per cent. The BDLS employers association has offered pay increases of between 2.0 and 8.1 per cent. The next round of talks is scheduled for January 23.
Bangladesh clashes prompt garment industry wage review
DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh, the world's second biggest garment exporter behind China, will consider demands for an increase in the minimum wage, a minister said, after a third day of clashes with police that killed one worker and wounded dozens.
Sena union withdraws from Mumbai bus strike; stir to continue
Over 32,000 employees of Mumbai's civic transport undertaking went on an indefinite strike Tuesday in support of various demands, including higher salaries. The strike is expected to continue Wednesday as talks between the undertaking's management and striking workers failed, even as a Shiv Sena-affiliated union in the transport body said its members had withdrawn from the stir. The state government quickly moved to invoke the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) against the striking employees of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST), while its management asked them to end the stir and come to the negotiating table. The employees are demanding higher pay, merging budget of the loss-making transport undertaking with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), deliberations on new wage agreement, resuming appointments on compassionate grounds and a bonus equivalent to that of the civic body's employees. The protest by BEST employees ...
Strike by central trade unions hits normal life across India (Roundup)
The two-day nationwide strike called by central trade unions in protest against what they have described as the alleged anti-worker policies and unilateral labour reforms evoked a mixed response on Tuesday with claims of near-total success in some states and of partial impact in some others.
Yuva Halla Bol calls a youth summit against depleting job opportunities
Over 50 youth organizations from various states joined 'Yuva Halla bol' movement under one umbrella on Tuesday and called for holding a historical youth summit in national capital on January 27, protesting against all selection commissions, depleting job opportunities in the country and expose corruption in recruitments making government accountable.
Trade unions strike evokes mixed response on Day 1, complete bandh in Kerala
The strike by 10 central trade unions evoked a mixed response on Tuesday as five states, including Kerala, Odisha and Assam, witnessed complete bandh while sporadic incidents of violence were reported in West Bengal and Rajasthan. Central trade unions, except RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, launched the two-day nationwide strike Tuesday to protest against proposed labour reforms and worker policies of the BJP-led government. The bandh partly affected the public life in most of the states and Union Territories. Employees and workers in sectors such as steel, oil, mines, dock and port, transport, and insurance joined the strike, unions said. Banking and postal services were affected across the country as a section of employees abstained from work, according to reports from various parts of the country. In West Bengal, several protesters were arrested after sporadic incidents of vandalism were reported from parts of the state during the strike. Stones were pelted at a school bus ..
Nationwide trade strike near total in Kerala
The two-day nationwide strike called by trade unions was near total in Kerala on Tuesday and was by and large peaceful, with train services badly hit.