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International Employment Relations Network List (IERN-L) A Miscellany of International Employment Relations News Miscellany 12, 18 April 2012 ______Subscribe at: http://lists.unisa.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/iern-l
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______Contents
Main Stories
Asia: Labor ministers urged to raise protections for migrant workers at 19-nation meet Australia: Lockout remains an option to resolve 19-month impasse
China: A Decade of Change: The Workers’ Movement in China 2000-2010
Europe: Measuring up the impact of the last recession on jobs Kenya: COTU (K) on Kenya Airports Authority to lockout workers
Nigeria: PENGASSAN shelves strike
South Africa: COSATU NW concerned about continuing farm killings and child labour in NW province
In Brief Australia: Toyota sackings unpleasant: Wayne Swan
Bangladesh: Worker Rights Advocate Murdered
Bulgaria: Employees may be given status as creditors
Canada: End of long gun registry ‘sad day’ for workplace
1 China: At least 15 killed in coal mine flooding
Germany: Age-related leave differences unjustified
ILO: Candidates for Director-General
Ireland: Congress tells labour conference investment vital to boost demand and create jobs New Zealand: Veto reveals Government’s real priorities Singapore: Veteran back as head of SIA pilots' union
UK: Judgment expected on Boots Sunday pay case
UK: London Underground maintenance workers vote to strike
Publications
Calls for Papers, Conferences, Seminars, Symposia
Other Sites
Awards
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Main Stories
Asia: Labor ministers urged to raise protections for migrant workers at 19- nation meet
ER/Asia and Middle East/Labour Markets/Labour Migration/Labour Standards
ATUC, 16 April 2012 at http://aseantuc.org/2012/04/labor-ministers-urged-to-raise- protections-for-migrant-workers-at-19-nation-meet
Manila, April 16, 2012 – Labor ministers from 19 Asian and Middle Eastern countries should endorse protections for migrant workers and increase dialogue with civil society, Migrant Forum Asia and Human Rights Watch said today. The ministers are meeting in Manila from April 17 to 19, 2012, as part of the second round of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, an inter-
2 regional consultation between labor-sending countries and labor-receiving countries on contractual migrant workers.
The theme of the meeting is, “Sustaining Regional Cooperation Toward Improved Management of Labor Mobility in Asia.” Civil society groups have not been invited to participate, but will hold a parallel consultation process.
“Increased regional cooperation is essential for improving protection of migrant workers’ rights,” said William Gois, regional coordinator of Migrant Forum in Asia, a regional network of more than 200 migrants’ rights groups in Asia. “But as civil society, we want to know what is going on, we want to be part of the process, and we demand opportunities for genuine participation.”
Enhance skills
The governments will discuss the draft for a “2012 Framework of Regional Collaboration of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue,” which would commit them to taking domestic, bilateral, and multilateral measures to increase the benefits of international labor migration. The draft is based on the input from the first dialogue and a meeting of senior officials in January. Preparatory documents for the conference include examples of best practices and recommendations on government oversight of four stages of migration: recruitment, employment abroad, preparation for return, and reintegration.
The current draft framework contains provisions that will help prevent abuse and foster greater benefits from migration. These include reducing recruitment costs, developing standard employment contracts, and making recruiting agencies responsible for the activities of local-level labor brokers. The draft also recommends pre-departure and post-arrival information seminars for migrant workers and government action to inspect workplaces and enforce labor laws.
The draft framework also calls on governments to enhance workers’ skills and certifications, improve mechanisms for balancing labor supply and demand, and recognize the value of experience gained abroad. Finally, it recommends provision of safe, affordable transit home and research on helping migrant workers to save money.
“The draft framework contains many positive elements that could help reduce recruitment- related exploitation and workplace abuse of contractual migrant workers,” said Nisha Varia, senior women’s rights researcher for Human Rights Watch. “But it should also call on governments to revise labor laws and immigration policies that contribute to abuse, especially
3 the exclusion of domestic workers from labor codes and sponsorship systems that link a worker’s residency to his or her employer.”
Key economic role
Civil society groups representing migrants’ organizations, nongovernmental organizations, faith-based-groups, and trade unions across Asia will hold a parallel process. They will discuss recommendations for reforms to the sponsorship system, standardized contracts with comprehensive labor protections for migrant domestic workers, and proposals for a reference wage as an alternative to a minimum wage. They will also discuss the draft framework for regional cooperation.
Migrant workers play a key economic role. They fill labor demands in host countries and provide much-needed income for their own countries. In 2011, the World Bank estimates, Asian migrants sent home US$191 billion in remittances. Gulf countries in particular rely heavily on Asian contract labor; for example, there is approximately one migrant domestic worker for every two Kuwaiti citizens. Migrants from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have provided the labor for construction booms in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.
But many migrants are at high risk of abuse, the groups said. Domestic workers are excluded from basic labor protections such as a weekly rest day and limits to working hours. Many migrants have limited information about their rights and face abuses such as deception about their jobs, heavy debt burdens from excessive recruitment fees, unpaid wages, and hazardous work conditions. Limited access to redress means that some get trapped in situations of forced labor and trafficking.
“Governments in the Abu Dhabi Dialogue should ensure that the framework for regional cooperation incorporates full protection of migrant workers’ human rights,” said Ellene Sana, executive director of the Center for Migrant Advocacy, a Philippine-based migrants’ rights group. “They should also develop a concrete action plan with benchmarks to monitor their progress.”
Ratify and implement
The groups called on participating governments to ratify and implement international labor and human rights standards such as ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.
4 Labor-sending countries in the Abu Dhabi Dialogue include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Labor- receiving countries include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea will participate as observers. The first round of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue was hosted by the United Arab Emirates in 2008 and was an offshoot from the Colombo Process, a regional meeting of labor-sending countries.
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Australia: Lockout remains an option to resolve 19-month impasse
IR/Australia/Stevadores/ Collective Bargaining/Lockout
The Australian, 13 April 2012 at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/industrial- relations/lockout-remains-an-option-to-resolve-19-month-impasse/story-fn59noo3- 1226325303880
AUSTRALIA'S largest stevedoring company, Asciano, has threatened a Qantas-style lockout of its workforce amid warnings from the company's advisers that a shutdown of its freight terminals could cost the national economy up to $1.1 billion a month.
Despite Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten personally intervening in the waterfront dispute, Asciano said yesterday a lock-out remained an option to resolve the 19-month impasse that has clogged up the company's Patrick operations.
A report prepared last month for Asciano by consultancy Deloitte, which has been obtained by The Australian, estimates the cost of a shutdown of Asciano's port operations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle could cost the economy up to $1.1bn a month, or 0.9 per cent of GDP, and affect 21,500 workers.
The direct costs of disrupting container movements are estimated at about $195 million a month. But the report - written by Deloitte Access Economics partners Ian Harper, the former Fair Pay commissioner, and Chris Richardson - says the effects across the economy of a shutdown are "amplified considerably", with sectors such as transport, retailing and manufacturing likely to be affected.
About 85 per cent of container trade moves through the ports of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle, with Asciano's Patrick stevedoring arm handling about half that trade.
5 Mr Shorten told The Australian yesterday that the Maritime Union of Australia and Asciano had agreed to the "rules of engagement" he put forward to restart talks in the long-running industrial battle. "Whilst there are deeply held views, I think with goodwill and with compromise it is possible to reach a win-win outcome," he said.
He stopped short of predicting a resolution to the negotiations to finalise an enterprise agreement.
Asciano, which has withdrawn an offer of back pay, is standing firm. "We're now considering our options under the Fair Work process and, yes, a lockout is one of those options," the director of Patrick Terminals and Logistics, Alistair Field, said.
Asciano yesterday said the offer of consensual arbitration remained on the table for the MUA. "At this stage we've had no response from them but we've also made it clear that we're not going to pay back pay going back to November last year. We're at an impasse and we've drawn a line in the sand," Mr Field said.
MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin said he had offered to resolve the outstanding matters, mainly at the Port Botany terminal, this week.
"Mr Field has refused to enter into that process and instead has gone to his national workforce - which has reached agreement on every issue - and is now taking away the basis of that agreement and, in fact, enticing them into taking protected action," he said.
"I refuse to rise to that type of aggression; they have publicly threatened a lockout and this is a commercially negligent and improper way to conduct finalisation of what they say to be a handful of trivial issues in one region."
Asciano reached an in-principle agreement with the MUA last November for an enterprise agreement and made a year's worth back-payment at 5 per cent on the deal. The deal was for a 22.5 per cent wage increase over five years to July 2015, or an average of 4.4 per cent a year.
Mr Field yesterday said all container terminal employees were now set to miss out on the backpayment once a final agreement had been reached.
"It's extremely disappointing that the MUA representatives at Port Botany have forced us to take a position which has put at risk the terms agreed to at our other terminals, including the back pay," he said. "Part of that good-faith arrangement was that productivity would be
6 improved at Port Botany and Fremantle . . . there was a slight improvement (but) in January productivity dropped again."
The company said it had been told by the MUA it was not willing to negotiate on a dispute- resolution clause covering all four terminals, a rostering issue at Fremantle and issues at Port Botany.
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China: A Decade of Change: The Workers’ Movement in China 2000-2010
IR/China/Labour /Protest/Transformation
China Labour Bulletin, 28 March 2012 at http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/110024
At the beginning of the Twenty-first Century, tens of millions of poor rural labourers flooded into the factory towns of southern China. They worked long hours for low pay in frequently hazardous conditions with little opportunity for redress. All the power lay with the boss, and the government did little to help.
By the end of the decade however, the picture had changed. China’s workers were still being exploited but they were far more willing to stand up to that exploitation and demand a better deal. Employers no longer had everything their own way, and the Chinese government introduced a range of legislative and policy measures designed to boost incomes and reduce social inequality and injustice.
In a new research report published today, China Labour Bulletin analyses how this remarkable transformation took place, and discusses how the picture might change again in the future. The 24-page report looks at 553 worker protests that took place over the eleven years from 2000 to 2010. It plots the changes in the distribution of these protests across different industries, the changes in workers’ demands and tactics used to further those demands, and the changes in the composition of the workforce that fed into the wave of strikes in China’s manufacturing sector in the summer of 2010.
The report shows how demographic shifts combined with economic growth and social change over the decade have given China’s workers more bargaining power, and how a younger, better educated, more aspirational workforce that is more aware of its legal rights has learnt to use that bargaining power to its advantage. Workers are not only more confident in their ability to organize strikes and protests, they are increasingly willing to sit down with their
7 employer and negotiate a settlement on behalf of their co-workers. Indeed, in some factories, workers have already established an embryonic system of collective bargaining.
In the future, CLB argues, this experimental stage of collective bargaining needs to develop into a more stable and institutionalised system that can provide effective channels of communication between labour and management. Such a system would lead to more productive and fundamentally more equitable labour relations in China. While without it, social tensions will inevitably rise and the government’s hoped for “harmonious society” will slip even further into the distance.
A Decade of Change: The Workers’ Movement in China 2000-2010 is now available as a downloadable PDF.
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Colombia: Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on U.S.- Colombia Free Trade Agreement
IR/ER/Colombia/Workers’ Rights
AFL-CIO, 15 April 2012 at http://www.aflcio.org/Press-Room/Press-Releases/Statement-by- AFL-CIO-President-Richard-Trumka-on-U.S.-Colombia-Free-Trade-Agreement
Today’s announcement that Colombia has successfully implemented key elements of the Labor Action Plan and that the U.S.-Colombia trade agreement will enter into force on May 15th is deeply disappointing and troubling. It signals to average Colombians that their struggles are not our struggles. Rather than insisting that the Colombian Government honor its promises to Colombia’s working class, our government signaled with today’s decision that a little improvement is good enough. If a little improvement were good enough, women might still be fighting for the right to vote, and our workplaces would be filled with children. Premature certification of the Labor Action Plan undermines the early signs of progress that have been achieved for Colombian workers – and could prevent further progress.
Rather than moving to prematurely implement the U.S.-Colombia FTA, President Obama today should have signaled that he stands shoulder to shoulder with the working people of Colombia and the U.S. and will continue to fight for their right to improve their working conditions and standards of living. On behalf of the working families of both nations, the AFL-CIO, CUT, and CTC strongly oppose today’s announcement and urge our governments to redouble their efforts to ensure that Colombian workers can organize to improve their lives
8 in a climate of respect for their fundamental rights, without fear for their own safety or that of their families. We regret that the Administration has placed commercial interests above the interests of workers and their trade unions.
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Europe: Measuring up the impact of the last recession on jobs ER/Europe/Labour Market
FEdee, 17 April 2012 at http://www.fedee.com/about-fedee/newsflash
Although employment in service-based businesses across the EU was hard hit by the recent recession, growth has now resumed – albeit not yet at pre-recession levels. By contrast, employment in the construction sector grew by 15% between Q1 2004 and Q2 2008 before subsequently falling by over 17%, with no evidence of recovery. Employment in production has been in long-term decline, but was accelerated by the recession. Between the Q1 2008 and Q3 2010 industrial employment fell by 11.4 % before leveling out as the recession waned. Most hard hit during the recession were mining and quarrying, petroleum and gas production, tobacco products, textiles and clothing and leather goods
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Kenya: COTU (K) on Kenya Airports Authority to Lockout Workers
IR/Kenya/ Civil Aviation/Lockout
COTU, 11 April 2012 at http://www.cotu-kenya.org/press-release/re-cotu-k-kenya-airports- authority-lock-out-workers
The Central Organization of Trade Unions COTU (K) is demanding the sacking of the permanent secretary for transport and the managing director Kenya Airports Authority for contravening a court order stopping KAA from firing Aviation and Allied Workers who ended their five day strike yesterday. This comes after the workers were denied entry into the airport this morning.
The court had also issued summons to the KAA Management to appear in court on the 18th of this month to explain why the management went against a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between KAA and the Aviation and Allied Workers Union.
9 ‘We are going back to court to demand for the arrest of the Kenya Airports Authority managing director for going against court orders. KAA entered into a Collective Bargaining Agreement with The Aviation and Allied workers Union that allows for both parties to dialogue, which KAA did not show interest in, forcing the workers to take an industrial action which is allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the two parties.’ Said COTU (K) secretary general Francis Atwoli.
In the meeting attended by General Secretaries fro 34 Affiliated Workers Unions in the country, it was noted that rampant corruption in the country is hampering creation of Employment and Economic Growth.
Speaking in the meeting COTU (K) Secretary General Mr. Francis Atwoli also showed concerns of unwillingness by the government to support trade unions in the country in the protection of workers’ rights.
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Nigeria: PENGASSAN shelves strike
IR/Nigeria/Oil and Gas Industry/White Collar/Dispute Settlement
Daily Trust, 16 April 2012 at http://dailytrust.com.ng/index.php? option=com_content&view=article&id=159788:pengassan-shelves-strike- &catid=1:news&Itemid=2
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has suspended its planned warning strike billed to commence today.
The postponement followed a two-day meeting between the Federal Government and representatives of oil unions - PENGASSAN and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG) - in Abuja.
PENGASSAN and other stakeholders have complained against unfair labour practices by employers as well as government policies they consider unfair to workers in the oil industry.
They specifically expressed concern over contract staffing and outsourcing, Petroleum Industry Bill, local content, turnaround maintenance of refineries, pension matters, board of agencies in the sector and a new tax regime in the oil sector amongst others.
10 A communiqué signed by stakeholders said that arising from the meeting, “PENGASSAN agreed to suspend the impending industrial action,” and that “all the parties would meet within 30 days to update the trade unions on the accomplishments of the above resolutions.”
The communiqué, issued on Friday, was signed by PENGASSAN President Comrade Babatunde Ogun, President of Nigeria Union of Petrloleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and representatives of government.
The communiqué said the unions and government representatives resolved that a stakeholders meeting would be held to deliberate on the labour issues in the oil and gas industry with a technical committee to be formed to work out details of the proposed meeting.
The meeting also resolved that the request by the unions for membership of boards and committees in the oil and gas sector should be given appropriate consideration and that the unions should be represented on the Task Force on Petroleum Industry Bill.
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South Africa: COSATU NW concerned about continuing farm killings and child labour in NW province
ER/South Africa/COSATU/White Farmers and Black Workers
COSATU, 13 April 2012 at http://www.cosatu.org.za/show.php?ID=6028
The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West is concerned about the continued spate of the farm killings, child labour and attacks on farm workers and farm dwellers in the province, despite the call for this to come to an end.
COSATU has noted that almost every month in the province a farm worker or a farm dweller is shot or killed by a farmer and this is always reported as a case of theft and there are no cases of attempted murder or murder opened against the people who shoot. This happens to young boys of 16 years of age and we are told compliance is done by all farmers.
What is also worrying is that most of these victims are black people yet there is an over- emphasis in the media if one white farmer is attacked and there is nothing reported if it is a black person.
On the other hand the police are very quick to conclude that the farm worker or farm dweller is at fault without looking at all possibilities available for investigation, and this is always reported as burglary, robbery or theft and it is said that the farmer was acting on self defence.
11 We are still asking how it is that a young boy of 16 years with no firearm or being empty handed can be a threat to a white racist farmer who is well armed,. At the same time he knew that young boy as he employed him and abused him for years.
As COSATU we raise this against the backdrop that we are in Freedom Month and are about to celebrate eighteen years of democracy, but it seems as if the black people are still third- class citizens and they are always seen as criminals and whites are first-class citizens who are always victims and enjoy the full protection of the law due to what they have in their bank statement.
In the coming month we are going to see the conclusion of the murder case of Eugene Terre Blanche. There are many cases of black farm workers or farm dwellers who have been killed before this case. These are just a few examples:
A boy who was killed by a mowing machine in Lichtenburg,
Oupa Ranta in Zeerust,
The man who was killed by a farmer in Piet Plesies,
A child who was killed in Setlagole,
The Johan Nell case in Lichtenburg,
The recent shooting and killing of a boy in Kwaggafontein near Zeerust,
The shooting of a farm worker in Bloemhof.
This new case is a response to the case of the killing the late racist AWB leader who was allegedly killed by
his own employees for not paying them their salaries and abusing them with child labour.
As COSATU we believe these killings are perpetuated by the fact that the white farm owners know that they have the full protection of the courts, the police and the department of labour. Hence they continue to kill the workers and employ children in their farms.
COSATU calls on the South African government to make sure that all citizens of this country enjoy the protection of the law equally. It cannot be correct that a certain race within the country continue to dominate the other race and this is perpetuated by the state and its organs.
12 It is high time that all citizens must feel that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white.
We want to make it clear that we will pull out a one-day action against the police of the NW to demand justice and the defence of our poor farm workers and children.
We are aware that our provincial commissioner, our MECs, our national and provincial governments have neglected our call for so many years while the poor farm workers are being killed by their bosses for nothing.
We are consulting our structures on the ground with a full day action in the month of workers as part our workers’ day to expose the fact that poor farm workers are not celebrating the18 years’ democracy we are talking about. The country will be celebrating Freedom Day in two weeks time but not the poor farm workers.
As COSATU we remain unapologetic that 18 years of democracy is for those who are in power of capital. Racism and capitalism remain the enemy of our country under the corruption of our system.
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In Brief
Australia: Toyota sackings unpleasant: Wayne Swan
IR/Australia/Toyota/Retrenchments
The Australian, 17 April 2012 at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/toyota-sackings- unpleasant-wayne-swan/story-fn59niix-1226330001765
WAYNE Swan [Treasury Minister] says he's concerned about Toyota's treatment of workers sacked from the car giant's Melbourne plant and has vowed to do everything possible to help those affected. Workers claim they were treated like dogs and slaves when told by Toyota's management yesterday they were losing their jobs, as the car maker began axing 350 positions at its Altona factory. Many workers were simply tapped on the shoulder by security
13 and were frogmarched out of the building when told of their terminated employment. Some didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to their co-workers, despite years of service at the company.
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Bangladesh: Worker Rights Advocate Murdered
IR/Bangladesh/Anti-Unionism/Intimidation
ITUC, 13 April 2012 at http://www.ituc-csi.org/bangladesh-worker-rights-advocate.html
The body of Aminul Islam, who was detained and tortured by state security in 2010, was found some 100km from where he had last been seen bearing marks of physical abuse. Aminul Islam was senior organiser with the Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity (BCWS) and President of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation’s (BGIWF) Local Committee of Savar and Asulia. The government deregistered BCWS and arrested its two leaders in 2010.
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Bulgaria: Employees may be given status as creditors
ER/Bulgaria/Bankruptcy/Worker Creditor Status
FEDee, 29 March 2012 at http://www.fedee.com/about-fedee/newsflash/
An amendment to the Bulgarian Commercial Code has been proposed that would give employees the right to submit a claim as a priority creditor if their company files for bankruptcy.
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Canada: End of long gun registry ‘sad day’ for workplace
ER/Canada/Safety/ Gun Laws
CLC, 11 April 2012 at http://www.canadianlabour.ca/news-room/statements/end-long-gun- registry-sad-day-workplace
The Canadian Labour Congress condemns this week’s Senate vote to end the long gun registry. “It’s a sad day for workplace and community safety,” said CLC President Ken Georgetti. The legislation to scrap the registry, destroy the data and gut the oversight requirements for gun purchases passed without amendment.
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China: At least 15 killed in coal mine flooding
ER/China/Mining/Safety
China Labour Bulletin, 16 April 2012 at http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/110041
At least 15 miners were killed and seven remain missing in two separate flooding incidents over the weekend, the official Xinhua news agency reported. One of the mines, the Shanfu Mine, in the coal heartland of Shanxi, was operating without a valid production license and the mine’s owner and manager, along with 19 others, were later detained by the local police for allegedly trying to cover-up the accident. Although the number of coal mine accidents and deaths in China has decreased steadily since the mid-2000s, when the death toll averaged a staggering 6,000 per year, there were still 1,973 coal mine deaths in 2011, according to official figures. More than two thirds of those deaths occurred in smaller mines.
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Germany: Age-related leave differences unjustified
ER/Germant/Employment Law/Age Discrimination
FEDee, 12 April 2012 at http://www.fedee.com/about-fedee/newsflash
The German Federal Labour Court has declared that it is discriminatory to vary annual leave allowances according to an employee’s age – even if the scaling of allowances is set out in a collective agreement. According to the agreement in question, holiday entitlements ranged from 26 days for employees under the age of 30 years to 30 days for those over the age of 40. The court could not find any justification for disadvantaging those under the age of 40 and held that it could only be remedied through an upward adjustment, granting 30 days leave to all employees irrespective of their age.
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ILO: Candidates for Director-General (application submitted by)
Details at: http://www.ilo.org/gb/about-governing-body/appointment-of-director- general/lang--en/index.htm Mr Gilles de Robien (France) Mr Angelino Garzón (Columbia) Mr Ad Melkert (Netherlands)
15 Mr Jomo Kwame Sundaram (Malaysia) Mr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki (Niger) Mr Assane Diop (Senegal) Ms Mona Sahlin (Sweden) Mr Guy Ryder (Worker Members of the Governing Body) Mr Charles Dan (Benin) ______
Ireland: Congress tells labour conference investment vital to boost demand and create jobs
ER/Ireland/ICTU/Government
ICTU, 14 April 2012 at http://www.ictu.ie/press/2012/04/14/congress-tells-labour- conference-investment-vital-to-boost-demand-and-create-jobs
The General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, David Begg, has told Labour delegates it was imperative there was significant new investment in the economy in order to boost domestic demand and create jobs.
Delivering a special address to the Labour Party's annual conference in Galway, Mr Begg said Congress was working with Government on an initiative that could see private Irish pension funds invest in major infrastructure projects. ______
New Zealand: Veto reveals Government’s real priorities
ER/New Zealand/Parental Leave
NZCTU, 12 April 2012 at http://union.org.nz/latest-news
Finance Minister Bill English threatening a veto on Labour MP Sue Moroney’s Paid Parental Leave Bill before it has even had its First Reading, let alone the chance for Select Committee to consider it, says more about the government’s priorities and principles than government finances says CTU Women’s Council Spokesperson Suzanne McNabb.
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Singapore: Veteran back as head of SIA pilots' union
16 IR/Singapore/Pilots
Straits Times, 14 April 2012 at http://www.straitstimes.com/Singapore/Story/STIStory_788522.html
SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) pilots turned to an old hand for the third time to head their union [ALPA-S, the only significant union in Singapore not affiliated with the National
Trades Union Congress].
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UK: Judgment expected on Boots Sunday pay case
IR/UK/Premium (Penalty) Wage Rates/Retailers/Boots
CIPD, 16 April 2012 at http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2012/04/judgment-expected-on-boots- sunday-pay-case.htm? wa_src=email&wa_pub=cipd&wa_crt=news_2&wa_cmp=pmdaily_160412
Boots [the high street chemist] has defended its decision to reduce Sunday pay for some staff, telling an employment tribunal that premium wage rates for weekend working are “discretionary”. Three test cases have been brought in Nottingham against the retailer by the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw), the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) and a local employee representing herself. The claimants argued that the company’s decision to cut Sunday pay from double time to time-and-half for staff employed before October 2000 was an unlawful deduction of wages
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UK: London Underground maintenance workers vote to strike
IR/UK/Industrial Action/London Underground
CIPD, 16 April 2012 at http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2012/04/london- underground-maintenance-workers-vote-to-strike.htm? wa_src=email&wa_pub=cipd&wa_crt=news_2&wa_cmp=pmdaily_170412
Maintenance staff on the London Underground have voted four to one in favour of strike action next week in a row over pensions and benefits.
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Publications 2012
26th AIRAANZ Conference 2012: Re-Organising Work, Association of Industrial Relations Academics of Australia and New Zealand, published papers, ed. Robin Price, Brisbane, Queensland University of Technology.
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Pocock, B., Skinner, N and Williams, P. (2012) Time Bomb: Work, Rest and Play in Australia Today, NewSouth Books, may be ordered at http://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/isbn/9781742232959.htm
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Baird, M., Hancock, K. and Isaac, J. eds. (2012) Work and Employment Relations: An Era of Change, The Federation Press, ISBN: 9781862878501 may be ordered at www.federation press.com.au
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Bamber, G. J., Lansbury, R. D. and Wailes, N. (2012) International and Comparative Employment Relations: Globalisation and Change, Allen and Unwin, ISBN: 9781742370651 may be ordered from [email protected]
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European Commission (2012) White Paper on Pensions (16/02/2012). White Paper on Pensions .
This document is the follow up of the Green Paper 'Towards adequate, sustainable and safe European pension systems' published in July 2010. Its purpose was to initiate a European debate on the key challenges concerning pensions, the main question being: how can the EU best support the efforts of Member States to ensure adequate, sustainable and safe pensions for their citizens both now and in the future. On the basis of the responses to the open consultation launched by the Green Paper, the White Paper identifies the most important measures to be taken forward in this respect at the European level.
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International Labour Review, Vol. 150 (3-4)
Posting of workers, EU enlargement and the globalization of trade in services, by S. LALANNE
Job attitudes, behaviours and well-being among different types of temporary workers in Europe and Israel, by E.J. GRACIA, J. RAMOS, J. M. PEIRÓ, A. CABALLER and B. SORA
Primary school student employment and academic achievement in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, by D. POST
Trade union influence in Spanish manufacturing firms, by C. GARCÍA-OLAVERRI and E.HUERTA
Special feature: DECENT WORK IN GLOBAL PRODUCTION NETWORKS
Decent work in global production networks: Framing the policy debate, by S. BARRIENTOS, F. MAYER, J. PICKLES and A. POSTHUMA
Economic and social upgrading in global production networks: A new paradigm for a changing world, by S. BARRIENTOS, G. GEREFFI and A. ROSSI
Economic and social upgrading in global production networks: Problems of theory and measurement, by W. MILBERG and D. WINKLER
Further reading
Notes and debates
Documents and communications
Book reviews
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Japan Labor Review, Vol. 9 (1) Winter 2012
Special Edition: ‘Labor Relations in Japan’
Access at http://www.jil.go.jp/english/JLR.htm
Introduction
Articles
19 Japan's Labor Unions: Past, Present, Future
Unionization of Non-Regular Workers by Enterprise Unions
The Functions and Limits of Enterprise Unions in Individual Labor Disputes
The Current Status and Significance of General Unions: Concerning the Resolution of Individual Labor Disputes General Unions and Community Unions, and Japanese Labor Law
Article Based on Research Report
The Scheduled Increase in the Pension Age a JILPT Research Activities and the Effect of Job Security Measures for the Elderly in Supporting Their Subsistence
JILPT Research Activities ______
Calls for Papers, Conferences, Seminars, Symposia
The E-Journal of International and Comparative Labour Studies
The following is a list of indicative, but far from exhaustive, topic areas: - collective and individual labour issues; - equality and discrimination; - school-to-work transition; - industrial relations; - vulnerable workers and precarious working; - employment productivity; - role of skills and human capital in a global context – immigration issues, labour law. For more information http://www.adaptbulletin.eu/docs/e_journal_cfp.pdf
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The Korean Journal of Industrial Relations
The Korean Journal of Industrial Relations (KJIR) is published by the Korean Industrial Relations Association. There is no due date for the submission. We receive articles around a year. Web/URL: http://www.lera.uiuc.edu/news/Calls/2007/Korean%20Journal%20of %20Industrial%20Relations.htm
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UK: 2nd International Conference on Vulnerable Workers and Precarious Work in a Changing World
Date: 10-11 September 2012
20 Venue: Middlesex University Business School, Hendon campus, The Burroughs, NW4 4BT, London.
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UK: BUIRA 2012 Conference, University of Bradford, 28 - 30 June 2012. Calls for abstracts have now closed, however if you have submitted an abstract to the conference please check that your submission was successfully submitted. As this is the first time we have used this electronic submission system you may not have been aware that you should have received this confirmation. If you did not receive confirmation of your submission please contact [email protected] attaching a copy of your abstract this week.
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USA: ILERA Study Group (Public Sector)
Leading Public Service Organisations in Challenging Times, July 2-5, 2012 in Philadelphia at ILERA.
Governments are looking towards their senior civil servants and top managers to implement challenging programmes of organisational and workforce restructuring and routinely include leadership as a core competency for top level positions. The study group is interested in papers that address a number of issues in relation to leadership in a period of restructuring, not only relating to central government but also in other public services such as health, education and municipal services. Abstracts and papers are invited on this topic. We are also interested in receiving shorter papers from policy makers and practitioners that contributes to our understanding of current developments. The abstract should be around 500-750 words and submitted to [email protected] or [email protected] no later than 16th March 2012. Acceptance decisions will be communicated by the 30 March 2012. Accepted papers should be submitted by 15 June 2012.Full call for papers: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/iira/study/publicsector.htm
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21 USA: ILERA Study Group #9 (Pay Systems)
If you are interested in making a presentation at Study Group #9 the 16th World Congress of the ILERA in Philadelphia, please send an email with the title and brief description to [email protected].
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USA: ILERA Study Group (Research Methods)
The study group will meet during, USA, 2–5 July 2012 (http://www.ilera2012.com/). The focus of the meeting will be on Partisanship in Industrial Relations Research. The aim of this study group is to examine issues around the topic of whether IR can be truly objective. Please send abstracts or papers as a Word or 'rtf' file by e-mail to both coordinators: Professor Keith Whitfield [email protected] and Professor Ralph Darlington [email protected] no later than Friday 30 March 2012. Acceptance decisions will be communicated by 15 April 2012. Accepted papers should be submitted by 15 June 2012.
______USA: ILERA - Global Meeting of Deans/Directors/Chairs of Programs in Industrial Relations and Human Resources In conjunction with the 16th World Congress of ILERA in Philadelphia during 2-5 July, 2012, a global meeting of Deans/Directors/Chairs of university and college programs in industrial relations and human resources will be held from 4 pm - 5:30 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012. To participate in this forum, please send an email request to: [email protected] Please include name, address, name of the university, email, phone and some information on the programs at your university like name of the degree and annual enrollment. ______
UK: Rethinking Retirement: Changing Realities for Older Workers and Employee Relations
Deadline: 30 April 2012
Special Issue of Employee Relations Guest edited by Wendy Loretto (Edinburgh) Sarah Vickerstaff (Kent) and David Lain (Brighton), see for full call: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/authors/writing/calls.htm?id=3854
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Portugal: IREC 2012: Challenges for Public and Private Sector Industrial Relations and Unions in times of Crisis and Austerity
22 5-7 September 2012, CIES-ISCTE/IUL, Lisbon, Portugal
This year the conference is organised jointly with the Research Network on Work, Employment and Industrial Relations of the European Sociological Association, but participants are not required to be ESA members.
The conference will consist of plenary and workshop sessions focusing on the impacts of crisis and austerity upon the institutions and actors of European industrial relations systems in both the private and public sectors, and the methodological issues involved in their study.
• What is the concrete impact of the crisis upon industrial relations systems in Europe, and what are the comparative implications of these transformations?
• What are the differential impacts of austerity upon private and public sector employment and labour relations?
• To what extent have the crises accelerated transformations already in progress in European industrial relations, and to what extent have they spawned qualitatively new challenges?
• Have the crises accentuated the complex trends towards both convergence and divergence across European industrial relations?
• How are unions and employers’ associations in the private and public sectors facing up to the varied challenges of current transformations?
• Are new forms of social movements and collective action around labour issues emerging in these crises? If so, which; and what, if any, are the emergent relationships between old and new forms of collective action?
Papers may be theoretical and/or empirical (both qualitative and quantitative). As in previous conferences, cross-national papers are especially welcome. The conference will be hosted at ISCTE-Lisbon University Institute by the Centro de Investigação e de Estudos em Sociologia.
Deadlines:
April 30 submission of abstract proposals ; May 30 acceptance of papers; June 15 early bird registration; August 1 submission of papers
23 For full details, visit the conference web site at http://conferencias.cies.iscte.pt/index.php/IREC2012/irec2012
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Canada: International Interuniversity Research Centre on Globalization and Work (CRIMT) Conference, on Union Futures: Innovations, Transformations, Strategies, October 25th to 27th 2012, HEC Montréal, Montral, Canada.
Original academic and actor contributions are invited on one or more of the following themes. 1. What do Unions Stand For? 2. Who do Unions Represent? 3. What are the Dynamics of Union Activism? 4. What are the Strategies for Union Power? 5. How do Unions Innovate? For details on each of these themes and on how to submit proposals, see the full call for papers at http://www.crimt.org/UnionFutures.html . The deadline for submission of proposals is April 30th, 2012. They must be sent to Nicolas Roby, CRIMT Scientific Coordinator at nicolas.roby at umontreal.ca.
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Cuba: 2nd International Conference of Labour Youth 29-30 April 2012 – Havana Cuba, 29-30 April 2012. WFTU at http://www.wftucentral.org/?language=en
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UK: Transnational Industrial Relations and the Search for Alternatives, Greenwich University, 31 May 2012 to 1 June 2012. For abstract submission or more information, contact Lefteris Kretsos ([email protected]).
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Ireland: IFSAM 2012 Conference, Limerick, Ireland, 26-29 June 2012. Website: http://www.ifsam.org/
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USA: 16th World Congress of ILERA, 16th World Congress of ILERA, 2-5 July 2012, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Website: http://www.ilera2012.com/
Register at: http://www.ilera2012.com/Registration/default.asp
Reserve accommodation at:
24 http://www.ilera2012.com/Accommodations/default.asp
Review program at: http://www.ilera2012.com/Congress-Program/default.asp
Arrange travel at: http://www.ilera2012.com/General-Information/default.asp
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Australia: Special Issue of Labour and Industry
Governance and CSR: Implications for Labour.
Papers are due to [email protected] by end of August 2012
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Singapore's principal event focusing on diversity and inclusion is back for the fourth year!
Singapore Tripartite Forum
This year, the Conference on Fair Employment Practices themed "Strengthening Fair and Responsible Employment - for Inclusive Growth in Challenging Times" will engage local and international experts, leading employers, academics as well as tripartite leaders.
Find out how being a fair and responsible employer can help you and your company capitalise on human resources and contribute to your organisation's growth in preparation for the challenging times ahead. The conference will help participants learn and understand more about strengthening and managing diversity and inclusion in workplaces.
Guest-of-Honour, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister of State for Manpower and National Development, will deliver the welcome address. The conference keynote speakers include Mr Stephen Frost, Vice President and Ms Dianah Worman, Advisor, Diversity & Inclusion; both from Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. The UK experts will share their insights and discuss details of how employers can better manage their diverse employees in challenging times. Following that, hear from a diverse pool of panellists on key business trends, issues and best employment practices on achieving inclusive growth within the organisation.
25 In the afternoon, participants can select and attend topical session to suit their organisations' needs. These breakout sessions include: Session 1A : Developing Cross-Cultural Competence - A Talent Management Imperative Session 1B : Harnessing Female Talent in the Workplace Session 2A : Building and Leading High Performance Teams - D&I Perspective Session 2B : Synergising A Multi-Generational Workforce - Issues & Strategies
Registration is open now! For more information, visit www.fairemployment.sg/conference today.
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27th AIRAANZ Conference, 6-8 February 2013, Freemantle, Western Australia. Information from www.conferencewa.com.au/airaanz2013; email [email protected]; email [email protected] . Submission deadline for refereed papers 21 September 2012.
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8th Asian Regional Congress of the International Labour and Employment Relations Association, 9-12 April 2013, Melbourne, Victoria.
Theme: Work and Employment in the Asian Century
The program will be organised around four track themes:
1. The changing contours of employment relations and labour market regulation. 2. Human Resource management – trends and challenges. 3. The future of worker voice and representation, and 4. Globalisation, corporate social responsibility and decent work.
Call for Abstracts Open, February 2012; Deadline for Special Interest Symposia, 27 July 2012; Deadline for Abstract Submissions, 28 September 2012; Registration Open 11 April 2012.
For more details about the program, please click here:
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Australia: Fifth International Community, Work and Family Conference, The fifth international Community, Work and Family Conference will take place at the University of Sydney, 15-17 July 2013. Information at www.CWF2013.aifs.gov.au
26 ______
The Netherlands: 10th European Conference of the International Labour and Employment Relations Association, Imagining new employment relations and new solidarities. Amsterdam, 20 - 22 June 2013
Call for Papers and Submission of Abstracts
Abstracts must be 350-500 words in length and can be submitted on the conference website as of 1 May 2012.
Over the last two decades employment and labour relations in Europe have undergone important changes. Manufacturing employment is decreasing and various types of service employment are rising, together with female participation levels. The standard employment relationship is losing its dominant position with the growing use of flexible and part-time contracts, temporary agency work and (dependent) self-employment. Segmentation between stronger and weaker groups is increasing. Social solidarity is under pressure in many countries as a consequence of the increasing diversity of populations and of the labour force. Collective bargaining is decentralizing but there are also attempts to transnationalise bargaining within multinationals or within certain sectors. Trade unions are slowly losing membership and power but worker involvement in social innovation is wanted more than ever. The role of the EU is getting more important and new forms of governance are being experimented with. Change is accelerating as a result of the crisis and austerity is leading to profound restructuring of the public sector, affecting employment conditions and service provision.
Within this context, we want to foster a reflection and debate on the future of employment relations and new forms of solidarity. Such questions include: What can or should employment relations look like in the future? What is the future of the public sector? Can or should growing segmentation and polarization be countered? What new types of governance support collaborative efforts to tackle today’s collective problems? What new types of solidarity can we foresee between group of workers or workers in different countries? What new types of cooperation or conflict can we foresee between workers and employers?
Papers presented at the Conference will be organised around five broad tracks (for more detailed descriptions, see conference website):
27 Track 1: Industrial relations actors in a changing labour market. Track 2: Europeanisation of social and employment policies. Track 3: Public sector restructuring: consequences for employment relations and public services. Track 4: New forms of regulation and governance. Track 5: HRM and Social Innovation.
Abstract submission deadline: 31 December 2012. Acceptance decisions will be communicated by: 1 February 2013.
Apart from regular sessions with paper presentations there will be interactive sessions with short presentations.
Symposia
We welcome proposals for special symposia. Symposia are self-contained sessions of one and a half hour. They can be on the general theme of the conference or on one of the track themes. The convenor of a symposium is requested to submit a proposal of about 1000 words, including the theme of the symposium, the details of speakers and the abstracts of their papers. Proposals can be submitted at the Conference website as of 1 May 2013.
Conference Venue
The conference will be held at the historic Oudemanhuispoort building of the University of Amsterdam, located in the city centre.
The 10th European ILERA Conference is organized by a consortium of universities in the Netherlands which are home to research groups studying labour and employment relations, in collaboration with the Dutch Labour and Employment Relations Association (DLERA).
Contact
For more information please visit: www.ilera-europe2013.eu as of 1 May 2012 or contact the conference management at: Amsterdam Institute for Advanced labour Studies (AIAS), Plantage Muidergracht 12, 1018 TV Amsterdam, The [email protected] www.ilera-europe2013.eu
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Other Sites
ILO: The International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS) was established by the International Labour Organization in 1960 as a centre for advanced studies in the social and labour fields. It produces the annual "World of Work Report". The International Labour
28 Review, a global multidisciplinary journal of labour and social policies is also published under the aegis of the IILS. http://www.ilo.org/
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UK: Working Lives Research Institute
Subscribe to the WLRI mailing list for regular news updates, including our regular WLRI electronic-newsletter, and subscribe to our WLRI press release mailing list.
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