Page 40 - Labor
Hollywood unions team up to fight against sexual harassment
A slew of Hollywood labour unions have come together to pledge to combat workplace harassment.
Massages and free fish help east Europe tackle labour shortages
PRAGUE (Reuters) - What's does a company do when it doesn't have enough workers and unemployment rates are at record lows? In eastern Europe answers includes workplace massages, free carp for Christmas and guaranteed jobs for spouses.
H-1B should attract best talent: Homeland Secretary Nielsen
The US should select the "very best" among the applicants under the H-1B visas, the Trump administration told lawmakers Thursday, asserting that it was determined to ensure that the temporary work permits, most sought by Indian IT companies, do not harm domestic workers. The H1B visa, popular among Indian IT companies and professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. Perhaps no other visa category has received as much attention in recent years as the H-1B, as reports of abuse of the program have caused outrage among the public, Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told members of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee during a Congressional hearing. "No qualified hardworking American should be forced to train their H-1B replacement, and then let .
Newly sworn-in Telangana Home Minister offers employment opportunities to Naxals
Soon after taking charge as Home Minister of Telangana, Mohammad Ali on Thursday offered employment opportunities to the Naxals, while urging them to shun Naxalism.Ali, a Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader told ANI: "We will ensure that there is proper law and order in the state by working with the police. But, we will ensure that no one would be harassed.""I also urge all the Naxalites to leave Naxalism and come to the mainstream. We will provide them with everything including employment and the police will help them in all ways if they leave Naxalism," said Ali, who served as the Revenue Minister in the previous cabinet.The K Chandrashekhar Rao-led TRS emerged victorious in Telangana Assembly elections held on December 7, bagging 88 seats in the 119-member Assembly. Second in the race was Congress which achieved 19 seats, followed by the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which won seven seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win only one seat.Following
8.27 lakh jobs created in Oct; 79.16 lakh in last 14 months: EPFO payroll data
Employment generation in the formal sector nearly trebled to 8.27 lakh in October 2018 as compared to 2.81 lakh in the same month a year ago, while 79.16 lakh jobs added in 14 months since September 2017, according to EPFO payroll data released Thursday. Around 79.16 lakh new subscribers were added to social security schemes of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) from September 2017 to October 2018, data showed. This indicates that these many jobs were created in the last 14 months. However, the payroll data released Thursday showed that there is a downward revision of 10.81 per cent in the new jobs at 70.89 lakh created in 13 months till September 2018, from earlier estimates of 79.48 lakh released by the EPFO last month. Similarly the payroll data for September 2018 has also been revised downward by 5.5 per cent to 8.75 lakh from 9.73 lakh released last month. However, the job creation remained highest in September 2018 during the 14-month period till October 2018. The
Sterlite Copper plans to spend Rs 100 cr for setting up social infra in Thoothukudi
Sterlite Copper Thursday said it is planning to spend Rs 100 crore to set up social infrastructure, including establishing a world-class hospital and planting one million trees in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The announcement comes days after the National Green Tribunal set aside the Tamil Nadu government's order for closure of Vedanta Ltd's Sterlite Copper plant in Tuticorin, which was at the centre of massive protests over alleged pollution. Reaffirming its commitment to the people of Thoothukudi, the company said in a statement that it has "Rs 100-crore high investment social infrastructure plans for Thoothukudi -- a clean and green Thoothukudi with planting of one million trees, quality education through a smart school, a world-class hospital, desalination plant and youth development schemes." The company said it has committed to undertake plantation of one million trees across the city and initiate a youth development scheme that includes employment, sports and entrepreneurship. "We .
In relief to 3,000 Indians stranded in Saudi Arabia, minister says govt taking steps
In a major relief to 3,000 Indian workers stranded in Saudi Arabia, the government has provided return tickets to those willing to come back and is making efforts to renew permits of those wanting to work there, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said Thursday. The Indian mission in Riyadh was also visiting the 13 construction sites where the workers were living to ensure their well being, particularly access to medical attention if needed, Badal said quoting a letter from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Badal, who is food processing industries minister, took up the issue with the external affairs ministry, pointing out that among those stranded were 1,000 from Punjab. The Indians were not paid salaries by their employer and also their visas and residential permits had expired. Badal said that Swaraj wrote her back informing of the steps taken by the government. The workers had been hired by one of the biggest construction companies in Saudi Arabia which had to shut shop due
U.S. weekly jobless claims rise less than expected
WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing applications for jobless benefits rose marginally from near a 49-year low last week, suggesting underlying strength in the labor market and broader economy.
Allow HMT Machine to revise salary, raise retirement age: JD(S) chief to Centre
Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda Thursday asked the Centre to allow HMT Machine Tools to revise salaries of its employees and raise the retirement age at par with HMT International. Gowda discussed these issues with Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete. Both HMT Machine Tools and HMT International are subsidiaries of the holding company HMT Ltd. In a representation made to the central government, Gowda said employees of HMT Machine are drawing salaries at the 2007 scale and a revision is necessary to end the discrimination between employees of two subsidiaries of the same holding company. "The management is ready to implement the 2007 wage revision without expecting any financial assistance from the government. But they need permission from the Government of India," Gowda said. He also urged the government to permit the company to enhance the retirement age from 58 to 60 years at par with HMT International and HMT Ltd. The JD(S) chief also emphasised the need to
Khadi and Village Industries provide employment to 140.36 lakh persons in 2017-18
Tamil Nadu generated highest employment for an estimated 19.23 lakh persons
Maha to revise pension of retired govt employees
The Maharashtra government has decided to revise the pension and family pension of former government employees, who retired between January 2006 and 2009, state Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said on Wednesday. The pension amount would be revised as per the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendations, he said, adding that the aim of the move was to improve the life of the retired employees. The minister was speaking during the cabinet sub-committee meeting chaired by him at Mantralaya. Minister of State for Finance Deepak Kesarkar, Upper Chief Secretary to Finance Department U P S Madan, Secretary of Finance Department Nitin Gadre and other officials were present at the meeting. "With this decision, the government will have to bear a financial burden of Rs 2,204 crore due to the arrears. The implementation of this decision will require an additional funds of Rs 319 crore annually," he said. Mungantiwar said the decision will benefit more than one lakh pensioners/family ..
Uber loses UK court case, expected to appeal
Lawyers say the taxi hailing app Uberhas lost its appeal against a ruling that its drivers should be classed as workers in a case with broad implications for the gig economy. Law firm Leigh Day says Britain's Court of Appeal upheld an earlier ruling that found the company's drivers are workers, not independent contractors and therefore should receive the minimum wage and paid holidays. Uber is expected to appeal. Though the company argued that the case applies to only two drivers, Uber has tens of thousands of drivers in the UK who could argue they deserve the same status as the former drivers covered by decision. The court says some 40,000 drivers use the platform in the UK, though the company said the number had grown since the submission to 50,000.
Female labour force participation has gone down in rural areas: NITI Aayog
The female labour force participation rate has gone down from 49.7 per cent in 2004-05 to 26.7 per cent in 2015-16 in rural areas, according to a new NITI Aayog report, which termed the drop a "worrying trend". This was stated in the National Strategy for New India report unveiled by the NITI Aayog on Wednesday. The strategy is a detailed exposition across 41 crucial areas, including gender issues, and suggests ways of achieving objectives for 2022-23 in these areas. The report said the objective is to enhance the female labour force participation rate (LFPR) to at least 30 per cent by 2022-23 which in 2015-16 was recorded at 26.7 per cent. It said a declining LFPR despite "increasing levels of education and declining fertility rates has emerged as a worrying trend". The current female LFPR is 23.7 per cent, 26.7 per cent in rural areas and 16.2 per cent in urban areas. The declining trend is particularly strong in rural areas, where it has gone down from 49.7 per cent in 2004-05 to ..
Niti suggests road map to make India skilling hub
Niti Aayog Wednesday suggested a road map to increase the proportion of formally skilled labour from the current 5.4 per cent of India's workforce to at least 15 per cent to realise the country's rich demographic dividend. The Aayog released 'Strategy for New India @75', which defines clear objectives for 2022-23 in a detailed exposition of 41 crucial areas and suggests the way forward to transform India. The government think tank also recommended setting up of an Overseas Employment Promotion Agency under the Ministry of External Affairs. "Apart from working with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to train and certify Indian workers keen on overseas employment, in line with international standards, it could also support pre-departure orientation training (PDOT), including language and soft skills training modules," the Niti Aayog said. It recommended that to build the capacity and infrastructure for skilling existing and new entrants to the labour force, the ...
PBL associates with CRY to promote children's cause
The Premier Badminton League (PBL) on Wednesday announced its association with Child Rights and You (CRY), an NGO working for child rights for the last four decades to use it as a vehicle to promote children's cause through sports.
Nothing new in preference to locals in jobs: Kamal Nath
Under attack from various quarters for his announcement that only those industries that employ 70 per cent locals could avail incentives from the state government, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Wednesday said other states also have the policy of giving preference in employment to locals.
ATM operations likely to remain unaffected on Dec 21
ATM operations on December 21 during the bank strike called by All-India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) may remain unaffected, an official of the association said Wednesday. "We will not use any force to close the ATMs. The employees engaged in ATMs are not controlled by officers' bodies," AIBOC assistant general secretary Sanjay Das said. However, ATM operations may be hit on December 26, the day the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called a strike. Most bank branches will remain open only for a day (Monday) between this Friday and next Wednesday. During the six-day period, there are three holidays fourth Saturday of the month, Sunday and then again on Tuesday for Christmas. There are about 9,500 ATMs in West Bengal. The AIBOC called a strike after it walked out of a bipartite negotiation demanding full mandate for scale I to scale VII officers, introduction of five-day work week, salary revision according to the charter of demands and a defined benefit ...
Kamal Nath defends his remarks on jobs for MP youth
Unperturbed by the attack on him for his remark that youth from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are taking away the jobs in Madhya Pradesh, new state Chief Minister Kamal Nath defended his statement saying he has not said anything new.
US court to hear lawsuit against H-4 visa authorisation to spouses of H1B visa holders
A top US court has given the go ahead for hearing a lawsuit challenging the work authorisation to H-4 visa holders after the Trump administration delayed a formal notification over the issue that can impact spouses of H-1B visa holders, mostly Indians. The Barack Obama administration in 2015 allowed H4 visa-holders - mainly spouses of the H-1B visa-holders - to be gainfully employed in the US. The group 'Save Jobs USA' took the matter to the appeals court after a district court upheld the Obama administration's decision. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations. H-4 visas are issued to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a significantly large number of whom are high-skilled professionals from India. The US Court of Appeals, District of Columbia, in its order on December 17 ordered that the motion to schedule briefing and oral argument be granted and this case challenging work authorisation to of H-4 visa holders ..
Data breach hits NASA, employees' personal information at risk: Report
Personal information of some of current and former employees at NASA may have been stolen in a data breach that hit the US space agency in October this year, a media report said.