Page 97 - Labor
Polish teachers rally to demand wage hikes
Several thousand teachers rallied in Warsaw today demanding wage hikes a week after Poland's right-wing government announced a raft of generous spending measures in other sectors ahead of local elections this fall. Public sector wages, especially in education and health care, have long been notoriously low in Poland, a 2004 EU member of 38 million people, where the average gross monthly salary is around 5,000 zloty (1,200 euro, USD 1,500). "We're fed up with the disregard for teachers, we're fed up with pitiful teachers' salaries," Slawomir Broniarz, head of the ZNP Polish Teachers' Union, told protesters who blared horns and beat drums in front of the education ministry. "The education minister says we earn 5,400 zloty, but that is over 2,000 zloty more than most of us actually receive," he said, demanding that each teacher receive a 1,000 zloty wage hike. The ZNP has rejected assurances by Education Minister Anna Zalewska that a series of wage hikes planned over 2018-19 will meet ...
Private hospital nurses in Ker to strike work from April 24
Over 68,000 nurses of private hospitals in Kerala will go on an indefinite strike from April 24, demanding implementation of promised minimum monthly salary of Rs 20,000, a body of them announced today. The functioning of more than 450 private hospitals with 50 plus beds was likely to be affected by the agitation, which was announced after talks held here between the nurses' representatives and the Labour Commissioner failed. The nurses had struck work in June last year over the demand and called off their agitation after the government assured to address their demand. """ Though the government had published a draft on the minimum wages in November last year, an order on the revised pay was yet to be issued, the United Nurses Association (UNA) said. """ UNA President Jasmin Shah said that during today's talks, the government sought more time for a consensus, but the association rejected it. "" As part of the agitation, the nurses along with their family members would ...
Nicaragua accepts dialogue call after protests
Nicaragua has accepted a call for dialogue by the private sector to discuss a new set of social security measures, which have led to widespread protests and violence in the country that killed at least five persons and injured around 100 in three days.
Qualcomm to lay off 1,500 employees to cut costs
US Chipmaker Qualcomm started to cut jobs at its facilities in California in order to meet the company's promise to investors to cut costs by $1 billion.
Uttarakhand CM launches campaign to connect with youngsters
In a unique initiative to establish direct contact with the youth, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat launched a campaign called "Devbhoomi dialogue" at his official residence calling upon them to look for self-employment opportunities in their chosen fields. "Jobs are limited and it is time to look for self-employment opportunities. You have to recognise your own abilities and find an opportunity for self-employment accordingly," he said today. A search for self-employment opportunities alone can help check the perennial problem of migration from the remote hill areas of the state, the chief minister said. Rawat said valuable suggestions made by the youth at this programme will be included in the policies to be framed by the state government in future. "The idea to initiate a programme like this was inspired by the success of a similar feedback oriented programme called 'Apki Rai, Apka Budget' conducted prior to introducing the state's annual budget in the Assembly last
Rs 1,000 cr allotted to develop Kalyan Growth Centre: Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said Rs 1,000 crore have been allotted the development of Kalyan Growth Centre. He said the proposed growth centre will create avenues of employment for the residents of Kalyan, who are dependent on neighbouring Mumbai for trade and business. He was speaking at a meeting in Mumbai to discuss development of Kalyan Growth Centre. "The decision of setting up a Growth Centre at Kalyan has been taken keeping in mind sustainable development and better employment and financial opportunities to the youth and future generations," Fadnavis said. The chief minister said the government was positive towards the demand of the local residents to have a separate municipal council for 27 villages and a decision will be taken soon in that regard. "Kalyan Growth Centre and a logistic hub at neighbouring Bhiwandi are for the planned development of that region," he said. "We want to move ahead with people's consent and with utmost ...
Air France CEO threatens to resign if strikes continue
The embattled CEO of Air France-KLM, Jean-Marc Janaillac, threatened Friday to resign if Air France staff continue to reject his wage proposals following nine days of strikes in the past two months. Staff and management at the French carrier have been locked in a dispute over pay since February. Unions say workers deserve to benefit from years of belt-tightening that have returned the carrier to operating profitability, after seeing their wages effectively frozen since 2011. Management says it cannot afford their demands of a 5.1 percent increase this year, saying it would undo the benefits of the restructuring efforts. It is offering an increase of two percent for 2018, with another five percent staggered between 2019 and 2021. Janaillac said he would circumvent the unions to put the proposals directly to staff in an online ballot. "I will assume all the consequences of the result of this consultation," he said. "My future is nothing compared to what is at stake for the future of ...
Centre should withdraw fixed-term employment notification: CPI(M)
The CPI(M) today demanded that the BJP government at the Centre should withdraw the notification on fixed-term employment and ensure effective implementation of the labour laws that protect the rights of workers. A resolution passed at the CPI(M) party congress here "strongly" condemned the decision of the Centre on extending fixed-term employment to all sectors through a notification amending the industrial employment rules. "This Congress of the CPI(M) demands that the BJP government at the Centre immediately withdraw the notification on fixed-term employment and ensure the effective implementation of the labour laws that protect the rights of workers and provide them some benefits," it said. Accusing the central government of imposing conditions of virtual slavery on the working class, the party said that the move is an integral part of the "neo-liberal" agenda of labour law reforms. The Left party also said that the move is the BJP-led government's latest attack on the working ...
Vestas India bags Great Place to Work certification
Wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Technology India has bagged the Great Place to Work certification 2018 here, recently. Since it began the operations in 1997, the company has delivered 2,520 MW of installed base to customers. The award instituted by Great Place to Work Institute conducts research on workplace culture and recognises workplaces in close to 60 countries. For an organisation to get certified, 70 per cent of the employees should rate the organisation as a great workplace. "Winning the Indian market is key to our future success in the renewable industry and receiving this Great Place to Work certificate in India makes it even more rewarding as our hardworking employees are leading the way for progress," Vestas Asia Pacific, Vice-President for People and Culture, Morten Enggaard Rasmussen said. "We are working hard to execute our vision to make Vestas in Asia Pacific the employer choice in the renewable energy space," he added. Vestas India currently has ..
GM Korea and union to talk again on Friday, seek to stave off bankruptcy
SEOUL (Reuters) - General Motors' South Korean unit and its labour union are set to hold another round of wage talks on Friday afternoon, keen to stave off a threat by the U.S. automaker to seek bankruptcy for the loss-making unit.
Analysis: Peugeot boss faces toughest adversary yet in IG Metall
PARIS/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - PSA Group boss Carlos Tavares, whose career has seen him thrash out margin-boosting labour deals for two carmakers in several countries, is now taking on Germany's IG Metall union, which has been the undoing of many a cost cutter.
Software exports from Crystal IT Park rise 24% in FY18
Software exports from Indore- based Crystal IT Park (SEZ) has registered an increase of 24 per cent at Rs 248 crore in 2017-18, against Rs 200 crore in 2016-17, an official said today. At present, there are 13 companies being run from Crystal IT Park, which have given employment to 1,914 people, a senior official of the development commissioner's office, special economic zone said on the condition of anonymity. The exports from Crystal IT Park began in June 2012 and this is the first IT SEZ in the state.
Best Young Minds in India slug it out at KRONOTHON2.0
KRONOTHON2.0, the second edition of the Kronothon Programming Challenge and Business Case Study presentation conducted by Kronos Incorporated, received overwhelming responses from participating professional coders, engineering graduates, and business school students across the country.Nearly 11,000 participants from more than 300 institutions and organizations pan India applied for the KRONOTHON2.0 competition, which was comprised of two main events: iCODE for budding engineers and professional coders as well as iDEATE for B-School graduates and professionals.News FactsThe intensive 11-week challenge concluded with the top 140 participants competing in a final two-day event at the Kronos Noida office. The top six coders and business professionals were rewarded with individual prizes of up to Rs. 1 lakh, with the total prize money of more than Rs. 5 lakhs. The contest received 45 percent more applications compared to first year of the event.Kronothon2.0 is a pan-India competitive ...
Qualcomm begins layoffs as part of cost cuts
(Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc has begun cutting jobs as part of its promise to investors to cut annual costs by $1 billion, the chipmaker said on Wednesday.
Merkel says German government must help in Opel dispute
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday she expected Peugeot maker PSA Group to stick to the commitments it made during its takeover of Opel last year and that the German government felt it had to help.
Pilot project for ESI cover to construction workers in Haryana: Gangwar
The government plans to launch a pilot project in Haryana to examine the feasibility of providing health cover to building and other construction workers through Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar said today. "We are planning to start a pilot project in Haryana. This will enable us to know about the practical problems while implementing this programme," Gangwar said while addressing a conference on building and other construction workers here. "In order to provide health services, we should bring building and other construction workers in the fold of Employees' State Insurance (ESIC) scheme," the minister said. "The employers contribution to ESI should be paid by states and they file ESI returns instead of employers for these workers. States can give employers as well as employees' contributions towards ESI out of building and other construction workers cess collected by them," the minister suggested. Noting that there are around five crore .
Workplace anxiety may boost performance
Anxiety in the workplace can help boost employee performance in certain situations, a study has found. Researchers from University of Toronto in Canada looked at both the triggers of workplace anxiety and also its relationship to employee performance. "If you have too much anxiety, and you're completely consumed by it, then it's going to derail your performance," said Julie McCarthy, an expert on organisational behaviour. "On the other hand, moderate levels of anxiety can facilitate and drive performance," she said. If employees are constantly distracted or thinking about things that are causing them anxiety, it will prevent them from completing tasks at work and that can eventually lead to exhaustion and burnout, said Bonnie Hayden Cheng, now an assistant professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. However, in certain situations anxiety can boost performance by helping employees focus and self-regulate their behaviour. Cheng compares it to athletes who are trained to harness ...
More agro clusters needed for job creation: Singh
Union Minister Giriraj Singh today stressed upon the need for inclusion of more agro clusters under the MSME Ministry for spurring job creation. Addressing an event here, he said it is quite alarming that women are losing employment and are forced to migrate to cities. To minimise both unemployment and migration, the minister said that the agro-clusters can act as catalyst for creation of more jobs in rural India especially for women, Singh said addressing the Conference of Development Institutes, Technology Centres and Tool Rooms under the MSME Ministry. The minister also suggested that a wide publicity should be given to successful ventures of MSME Ministry like clusters and tool rooms so that many more may be set-up in the country, an official statement said.
British official unemployment dips to 4.2 per cent
Britain's unemployment rate dipped in February to remain at the lowest level since 1975, official data showed today. The jobless rate stood at 4.2 per cent in the three months to the end of February, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement. That was slightly down from 4.3 percent in the quarter through to the end of January.
Air France cancels flights due to another strike over pay
About 30 per cent of Air France flights scheduled on Tuesday are expected to be canceled due to a strike over pay. Crews and ground staff are staging their eighth day of walkouts since February. They are seeking a 6 percent pay rise. Their wages have been frozen since 2011. Air France's management on Monday offered a 2 percent rise this year followed by an increase totaling 5 percent over the following three years. Unions have until the end of the week to decide whether to accept the proposed deal. The pilots' main union, SNPL Air France, said Tuesday the offer doesn't meet its demands. Some 45 percent of long-haul flights will be canceled, along with 35 per cent of medium-haul flights to and from Paris.