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Workers protests lead to clashes with security at trade union federation
Egypt:Dozens of laid-off workers continued their protests at the Egyptian General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) Thursday. The 58 workers from seven different companies clashed with security services the previous day, when they reportedly tried to storm the office of the federation's president Hussein Megawer.The workers accused the GFTU of stopping wage disbursements and also criticized the government for negligence.Security services temporarily placated the workers by arranging a meeting with Megawer and officials of their Spinning and Weaving Syndicate.The syndicate then requested time to resolve the problem, but the workers, who claim they were made a scapegoat to intimidate others demanding labor rights, said they will continue protesting until they return to work and receive compensation for their denied wages
Upload Date:
2010-09-04
Top German union urges industry to advance pay rise
Germany:Germany's largest trade union called for engineering employers to bring forward an agreed pay rise by two months to allow their workers to share in the spoils of a rebound in Europe's largest economy. Berthold Huber, head of the IG Metall union, also said on Thursday its demand for a 6 percent pay hike for some 85,000 steelworkers last week was "fair and adequate"."The current wage agreement has saved hundred thousands of jobs," Huber wrote in the Handelsblatt newspaper. "Fairness for the employees in this case means bringing forward the pay rise by two months. This has to be decided in the companies," he added.
The wage deal, reached in February between IG Metall union and engineering employers comprised a one-off payment of 320 euros per worker for the period between May 2010 and April 2011, when a 2.7 percent raise is due to kick in.
It also included a clause that the pay rise could be moved forward or back by up to two months depending on the health of the economy. Each company was to make its own decision on this.
The export-oriented engineering sector bore the brunt last year of the deepest recession Germany has experienced since World War Two, from which industry has emerged strongly.
The economy grew by 2.2 percent on the quarter in the April to June period, its fastest rate since reunification.
Inflation slowed to 1.0 percent year on year in August from 1.2 percent in July, preliminary figures showed last week.
Upload Date:
2010-09-04
PTCL strike hampering business activities
Karachi (pak):The ongoing strike of the PTCL employees for the last one month has compelled the businessmen and industrialists to switch over to other wireless communication (phone and internet services) in order to stay in touch with their local and foreign buyers.Industrialists said the government seemed reluctant to play any role in resolving the conflict, which is hampering business activities. “PTCL is also losing both the revenue and its clientele,” they added. Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) Chairman Razzak Hashim Paracha said that 42,000 phones were reportedly dead in the city alone. The Kati area with over 5,000 units has over 12,000 PTCL landline connections and as many industries especially export-oriented units have more than 10 lines, he said.
“Around 800 phones in Korangi area are down right now for the last one month,” Razzak said, adding that he had written a letter to the prime minister seeking his intervention for resolving the issue between the PTCL management and workers immediately.
He said in absence of PTCL DSL lines many industrialists especially exporters had acquired wireless broadband being offered by various private companies as they cannot afford to lose their buyers.
North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry chairman Sadiq Mohammad said that 2,000 units had been at the mercy of PTCL as the development work for the last three years in the area had almost destroyed the landline system. “Perturbed by the PTCL many industrialists have switched over to wireless mode of communication,” he added.
F.B. Area Association of Trade and Industry chairman Shahid Ismail said out of 2,000 units, the landline service of telephone including fax, internet etc., had been out of order in 30-40 per cent units in the area.
“This is a high time for the wireless internet and phone providers after getting demand as many businessmen have hired their services,” he said.
Salim Parekh, the chairman of SITE Association of Industry (SAI), said the industrialists now preferred to switchover to wireless, mobile services and other modes other than PTCL. “It will be revenue loss for PTCL when the trust deficit converts into total switchover from PTCL to other service providers,” he added.
He said the PTCL was not receiving complaints against the recurring interruptions and reported faults in the PTCL services in the country’s biggest industrial estate. “The ongoing strike has given another reason for PTCL officials in SITE area to seek excuses for not attending the faults.”
The cable faults and other minor faults with their continued registration of complaints by individual industrialists in own chase up and through the association remains un-attended for the needful of capital repairs to reduce and eliminate the high frequency interruptions in the PTCL services throughout the year and particularly in these days.
The SAI chief said that the facility of 11 telephone lines including fax services of former SAI chairman Engr M.A. Jabbar remained disconnected for many days.
Many members of the association including Diamond Textile (Pvt) Ltd, Al-Azmat (Pvt) Ltd, Razak Silk Mills (Pvt) Ltd, Zeenat Shirt Factory, Nawab Brothers Steel Mills (Pvt) Ltd, Futehally Chemicals (Pvt) Ltd, Z.K. Industries etc., are also complaining of recurring faults and no relief has been retrieved to them so far.
He said the taxpayers of the biggest industrial estate contributing in sizeable exports of the country deserve a fair treatment possibly with the pressure of government of Pakistan and Privatisation Commission in terms of promised improved services by the private purchasing party at the time of takeover of PTCL from the government.
He asked the PTCL higher-ups to issue orders for capital repair works preferably outsourced if the operating and maintaining staff in the SITE remained infected by go-glow or no-work policy, which is taking the trade facilitation to zero on account of dismal performance of PTCL in the SITE area.
Upload Date:
2010-09-04
KWSB workers yet to get salaries
Karachi (Pak):he Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) has failed to manage different accounts while its employees and pensioners were suffering delays in getting their disbursement of the past two months and the leave encashment equivalent to one month’s salary in the holy month of Ramazan, sources told.Although KWSB authorities claimed they had paid the salaries of the last two months along with the leave encashment, a number of KWSB employees said it had yet to start the process and the situation might become clear on Friday (today).Moreover, Rs 500 million from funds worth Rs 3 billion reserved for payment to the Karachi Electric Supply Company was used to settle outstanding dues of private contractors. While the funds reserved for the KWSB K-III project were transferred to the project of the Textile City.
The sources said that the KWSB management had also committed financial irregularities by utilising certain funds on non-specified works as the management utilised only Rs 10 million on development from MNA Dr Farooq Sattar’s special development fund of Rs 50.5 million, while the remaining amount of Rs 40.5 million was used on other works.
Sources claimed that some contractors had warned of suspending the ongoing repair and maintenance work on non-payment of their dues because the KWSB management continued to make payments to certain contractors who were said to be relatives of KWSB officials.
The sources said no significant development projects had been offered to the citizens and the water supply system remained as ancient as it was long ago, while the revenue generation had declined significantly.
However, KWSB Director Finance Iqbal said the contractors’ money was refunded after the fulfilment of assigned contracts.
He said the KWSB had 13,500 employees and the amount of monthly salaries was Rs 80.5 million but after a 50 percent increase announced by the provincial government, the amount has escalated to Rs 180.5 million, while an equal amount of money was required for the leave encashment.
Apart from salaries and leave encashment, 15 to 20 percent increase in the employees’ pension needed a further Rs 20.9 million, he said, adding that the KWSB employees would receive salaries with the announced increases for the first time, which has delayed the disbursement of salaries and pension.
Water shortage: Certain areas in the city have been facing a severe water shortage due to illegal water hydrants.
Sources said the KWSB managing director had sanctioned at least four hydrants, which are taking a significant quantity of potable water.
The KWSB chief engineer disconnected 6 out of 16 illegal water connections for bulk supply to certain industrial units in Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (SITE) Ltd.
It has been learnt that Ajab Khan Bawani was running the business of illegal water hydrants in association with the police of the areas concerned, especially SITE Ltd. The nexus of the water hydrant mafia and area police prevented the KWSB teams from disconnection of illegal connections for bulk supply.
Sources told that even some SITE officials were minting money from those illegal water connections.
SITE chief engineer Wahid Shaikh told that the industries in SITE required 30 million gallons of water per day but the KWSB had been supplying only six million gallons per day. Hence, the SITE managing director had issued a number of non-objection certificates to the owners of industrial units to acquire water from any source.
“We are not sure whether the owners are stealing water from the KWSB lines because SITE Ltd has not conducted any surveys,” he said, adding that the majority of factory owners were using groundwater.
Upload Date:
2010-09-04
UNISON aids Pakistan flood appeal
United Kingdom: UNISON has donated £10,000 to the Pakistan flood appeal and is urging branches to follow suit.
The donation was agreed by the national executive council’s presidential team.
President Angela Lynes commented: "The recent floods in Pakistan are probably the worst humanitarian disaster in the UN's history because so many millions of people are affected.
"The international community must respond faster and more generously if more lives are not to be lost. I am appealing to UNISON members to contribute to the Disasters Emergency Committee who are overseeing the British aid effort.
"Please give what you can as thousands are dying needlessly from preventable diseases and millions more are without food or shelter."
Find out more about the Disasters Emergency Committee Pakistan flood appeal and how you can donate here.
Upload Date:
2010-09-02
WFTU SUPPORTING PAKISTAN PEOPLE
Greece: The deadly floods in Pakistan are another proof that the people of the world are unprotected against the natural phenomena, despite the technological breakthrough. Those condemned in poverty, illnesses, imperialist wars and massive immigration rates by the imperialist aggressiveness and barbarity are also condemned in insecurity, uncertainty and misery because of the lack of flood protection measures (as well as earthquake and fire protection measures).
The World Federation of Trade Unions reafirms its sympathy with the people of Pakistan for the national calamity caused by the worst flooding in nearly a century. The devastation caused by the floods has killed thousands of people and over 20 million people have lost their every belongings.
We are following all developments in the area and we express our moral support to all unions and members that are going to rebuilt their country and the living conditions of the people of Pakistan.
Once again we express our full solidarity with the working class of Pakistan and we hope that they can find the strength to overcome this tragedy.
We call upon all the trade union organisations of the world to support the people and the working class of Pakistan with any practical and material way possible
Upload Date:
2010-09-02
New statistics highlight challenges for Government’s migration target
New statistics show that net immigration to the UK (the surplus of people immigrating over people emigrating) in the year to December 2009 was 196,000. This compares with 163,000 in the year to December 2008, an increase of around 20 per cent (but is significantly lower than the peaks of around 220,000 seen in 2005 and 2007).
But this hasn’t been caused by an increase in immigration, or at least not in the way that most people think about it.
In fact, declining net emigration by British citizens accounted for most of the increase in net immigration. Net emigration by British citizens was 36,000 in the year to December 2009, compared with 90,000 in the year to December 2008, a decline of over 60 per cent. Meanwhile, net immigration by non-British nationals was stable at around 220,000.
The increase in net immigration shown in statistics is bad news for the Government, given its now oft-restated aim of reducing net immigration to ‘tens of thousands, rather than hundreds of thousands’. With net immigration now rising again, after a period of substantial declines, this objective looks like it is becoming harder and harder to reach.
In seeking to achieve its objective, the Government has already introduced a temporary cap on immigration via Tiers 1 and 2 of the Points-Based System, with a permanent cap to be announced towards the end of this year. It is reviewing the student visa system; has brought forward various initiatives planned by the previous government to tighten the immigration rules, and has made clear that future EU expansion will be accompanied by transitional controls on migration to the UK from new member states.
But the Government may find itself running to stand still with respect to its total net immigration target if British net emigration continues to decline. Ippr’s paper The Limits to Limits explored the numbers behind the immigration cap in some detail, and concluded that net immigration of less than 100,000 could be achieved without major policy changes, in the current economic circumstances.
However, this analysis assumed that British net emigration continued at levels of around 70,000 a year. With today’s figures showing British net emigration of just 36,000 in the year to December 2009, net immigration of less than 100,000 looks much harder to achieve.
Upload Date:
2010-09-02
Coalition cuts endanger the poorest children on UK roads
Recent announcements of the coalition government’s cuts threaten to significantly worsen the plight of Britain’s poorest and most underprivileged children. New research highlights how the inequitable nature in road safety afflicting children from the poorest parts of the country is set to get worse.
The Road Safety Analysis group found children from the poorest wards in Britain are disproportionately more prone to being the victims of road traffic accidents. They concluded that the riskiest area in the UK is Preston, where one child in every 206 is likely to be involved in a road collision annually.
Kensington and Chelsea is the safest place in the UK, with a risk of only one in 1,158. The national average is one in 427 children is injured or killed in a road accident each year.
Cuts announced by the coalition government to the Road Safety budget – amounting to £38 billion – will only exacerbate the situation and increase the danger on roads and highways in Britain’s poorest neighborhoods. Added to this, the government has also ceased central funding for speed cameras, with the result that councils up and down the country are being forced to majorly scale back or even scrap their speed enforcement measures.
There are 6,000 speed cameras in the UK. The financial sustainability of the system is now at serious risk. This year’s road safety budget is being cut by a shocking 40 per cent. This is made up of a 27 per cent cut to the revenue grant (with £20.6m being taken off a promised £76.7 million) and a 100 per cent cut to the capital grant (£17.2m). Both grants fund the maintenance and improvement of the speed cameras network.
These cuts are a reckless move by the coalition government, which undermines their claims to be following a progressive agenda. All the evidence points to the effectiveness of speed cameras in cutting road safety deaths, with Richard Allsop, professor of transport studies at University College London, stating there have been “substantial reductions” in casualties in the first five years of the roll-out of cameras:
“There is a bit of statistical debate about exactly how many, but the picture of a substantial reduction is quite undisputed and it’s consistent with measured reductions in speed at camera sites.”
Upload Date:
2010-09-02
There Is An Alternative
United Kingdom: UNISON North West believes that we should use every opportunity to challenge the prevailing mythology that the only way forward is massive cuts and unemployment on an unprecedented scale. Lots of information is available on the UNISON North West website. The country faced a tougher financial crisis in 1946 and the government created the NHS!
An Alternative to Cuts:
•At least £1.5bn could be raised this year by bringing back the windfall tax on bankers’ bonuses.
•£30bn could be raised every year by introducing a major financial transactions tax on Britain’s financial institutions – the Robin Hood tax.
•£4bn could be saved just this year by cancelling Trident.
•£500m could be saved every year by eradicating health-care-acquired infections from the NHS. The extra cleaners necessary would cost half this amount.
•£5bn could be raised every year with a tax on vacant dwellings.
•£2.8bn could be saved every year by ending the central government use of private management consultants.
•£3bn could be saved in user fees and interest charges every year if PFI schemes were replaced with conventional public procurement.
•£10bn could be raised every year by reforming tax havens and residence rules to reduce tax avoidance by corporations and non-domiciled residents.
•£4.7bn could be raised every year by introducing a 50% tax rate on incomes over £100,000.
……….and the list goes on.We need to challenge the assumption that there is nothing we can do about the threats to our members and our communities. The cuts are being delivered by a flaky coalition with no electoral mandate which might not last 18 months never mind 5 years and it has to be attacked at every level and using all methods we can bring to bear.
Upload Date:
2010-09-02
Government Fails to Support Vital Asbestos Research
( UNITED KINGDOM )Fears are growing that the callous coalition of millionaires Con-Dem Government are planning to renege on a commitment by the previous Labour Government that money would be invested into desperately needed medical research for mesothelioma, the incurable lung cancer.
In a statement on February 25th 2010 the then Justice Secretary Jack Straw said that the UK “must now become a global leader in research into asbestos related disease” and committed the Government to help create a National Centre for Asbestos Related Disease.(NCARD)
Despite over 2,000 people a year now dying from mesothelioma and it being the 12th most common killer of men and the cancer of most rapidly increasing incidence in women, there is little money spent on research into the disease.
However Stephen Hepburn Labour MP for Jarrow, received a highly negative reply from the Department of Health, when he asked whether the Government would support and provide funding for NCARD and how much would be spent on research into asbestos related diseases in the next three years.
