Latest news with #LabourCode
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US banana giant Chiquita fires thousands over Panama strike
Banana producer Chiquita has announced mass layoffs in Panama amid an ongoing strike. The United States-owned banana giant said on Friday it was letting 'all' daily labourers go for the 'unjustified abandonment of work at our plantations'. Workers have been on strike for more than a month, as part of nation-wide industrial action protesting new social security laws lowering pensions. The government has branded the strikes 'illegal' and said the sackings are the result of workers' 'intransigence'. Chiquita said in a statement that the strike had caused 'irreversible damage ..[and] at least $75 million in losses', adding that those affected by the layoffs are required to collect severance payments. The company did not elaborate on the number of people affected by the decision. However, the Reuters news agency reported that about 5,000 workers out of 6,500 have lost their jobs, referring to an unnamed source. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino defended Chiquita's actions at a news conference on Thursday. 'The company will have to act accordingly, dismissing those necessary to save its operation in Bocas [a Caribbean province in Panama]. Believe me, it hurts me, but this intransigence is not good,' he said. 'The strike is illegal,' Mulino added. 'The next step according to the Labour Code is dismissal with just cause because this is a de facto strike, not a legitimate strike.' However, Francisco Smith, secretary-general of the Banana Industry Workers Union (Sitraibana), told the Panamanian television channel Telemetro on Thursday that the strike was legal because the 'deputies who approved bill 462 harmed the banana sector'. Passed in March, Bill 462 introduced changes to the Social Security Fund that could lead to a possible reduction in pensions. The introduction of the law led to significant anger, with unions, including banana workers, joining a national strike on April 23. The government and Sitraibana held a preliminary meeting on Thursday to discuss amendments to the bill, which would include protections for banana farmers. Still, Smith said, 'the strike continues, we continue fighting in the streets… The strike is indefinite.' Panama's banana industry is a significant part of the country's economy. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, in 2023, Panama exported $273m worth of bananas, making it the 13th largest exporter in the world.
Vancouver Sun
21-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Air Canada flight attendants contract: Here's what you need to know
The union representing 10,400 Air Canada flight attendants and the company will soon sit down with a conciliator to try to work out a new contract. But if they fail, the airline could be hit with a strike in mid-August. CUPE, which represents the flight attendants, filed for conciliation last week after contract talks broke down. The contract between Air Canada and CUPE members, which had been in effect for 10 years, expired in March. 'Everything has changed since 2015, but the company refuses to acknowledge reality,' Wesley Lesosky, CUPE air component president and a veteran flight attendant, said in a statement. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'We've made fair, reasonable, and long overdue proposals, but the company appears to be dragging their feet and not taking the process seriously.' Now that CUPE has filed for conciliation, the two sides wait for a federal conciliator to be appointed, which can take up to 15 days. Once there's a conciliator, negotiations will continue for up to 60 days. If no agreement is reached by then, there is a 21-day cooling-off period, after which CUPE could serve 72-hour strike notice. 'Air Canada will work with the federal mediation and conciliation service to achieve a new collective agreement with our flight attendant group that recognizes our flight attendants' valued contributions,' the carrier said by email. 'Air Canada has a long history of successful labour relations and fruitful negotiations with its employees, as has again been demonstrated in the recent past.' The company settled a labour dispute with pilots in September after strike notice was served. According to the union, entry level pay for a flight attendant is about $1,950 a month. Fight attendants are based in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and Montreal, according to Air Canada. CUPE wants flight attendants to be paid from the time they start setting up for pre-boarding. Currently flight attendants are only paid while planes are in motion, from the time it backs away from the gate to the time it lands and parks at another gate. They are not reimbursed for assisting people who have mobility problems, running the boarding process, helping with deplaning, or even pre-flight safety checks, work the union estimates comes out to an average of 35 hours a week for which the average flight attendants is not paid. CUPE began an Unpaid Work Won't Fly campaign in April, 2023, lobbying Ottawa to close the loophole in the Labour Code that allows such unpaid work, so far with no success. The union has also proposed scheduling changes, safety and fatigue provisions, and retirement security. 'Our workloads have soared, the cost of living has skyrocketed beyond belief, and our working conditions are getting worse by the day,' Lesosky said. 'The status quo won't cut it.' Air Canada said in a statement that the airline has worked hard and in good faith to reach a new collective agreement since the start of 2025. 'Air Canada remains committed to achieving a fair, negotiated agreement with CUPE under the normal bargaining process set out under the Canada Labour Code,' the company said. 'For this reason, customers can continue to book and travel with confidence on Air Canada.' If conciliation were to begin on Monday, May 26, and no agreement is reached, the union could serve strike notice on Aug. 14 and walk out on Aug. 17. 'I am really hopeful that Air Canada flight attendants reach a deal with the airline,' Claire Newell , owner of Travel Best Bets, said. 'The last thing an airline wants to do is cancel flights. If a strike happens it will likely be just for a few days, Newell said. 'However, in that time there can be a huge number of passengers affected.' The airline says no. 'The federally mandated conciliation process will occur over the coming months, so customers can continue to book and travel on Air Canada with full confidence.' Newell said that if a passenger changes their booking in any way — by rebooking their ticket or if they seek a refund — before Air Canada cancels their flight due to a labour situation, they are at Air Canada's mercy and subject to all of the airlines policies, terms and conditions. 'However, if they wait it out, the airline will notify affected passengers if a flight is cancelled, and the passengers will be eligible for a full refund regardless of the fare purchased,' she said. 'No cancellation fees will apply.' Under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, a labour disruption is considered outside of Air Canada's control, and passengers are not compensated with cash for inconvenience. The airline will try to re-book passengers on different flights, but in Newell's experience, very few passengers are offered alternative flights because space is limited. 'I have seen people who absolutely must be somewhere book Plan B flights on a different airline that are fully refundable just in case their flights are affected by a strike, although I know not everyone has that option available to them.' gordmcintyre@
NDTV
01-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
On Labour Day, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Highlights Workers' Struggles
New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha extended heartfelt greetings to workers on International Labour Day on Thursday. He highlighted the critical role of workers in nation-building and accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government of undermining their rights. आज का दिन मेरे लिए बहुत विशेष है क्योंकि आज मजदूर दिवस है। किसी भी देश का विकास श्रमिकों के बिना असंभव है। देश के करोड़ों मज़दूर भाई-बहनों को अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मज़दूर दिवस की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ व बधाई। मैंने अपने जीवन की शुरुआत मज़दूरों के अधिकारों की वकालत करते हुए ही की थी। ये… — Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 1, 2025 Taking to X platform, Mr Kharge wrote, "Today is a very special day for me because today is Labour Day. The development of any country is impossible without workers. Heartiest wishes and congratulations to the millions of workers across the country on International Labour Day. I started my life advocating for the rights of workers. It is the power of Indian democracy that a son of a mill worker like me got the opportunity to handle the labour ministry in the central government. By dedicating themselves to nation building through hard work and struggle, our labourer brothers and sisters strengthen the foundation of the country with their own hands." He reiterated the Congress Party's commitment to workers, stating, "For the Congress Party, 'Shramev Jayate' is not just a slogan. "For the Congress Party, 'Shramev Jayate" is not just a slogan; it is our resolve to provide justice and social security to crores of workers. Today, the future of the country's workers, labourers, and hardworking youth has been put in danger by the Modi government," Mr Kharge wrote in his X post. Mr Kharge further raised three key concerns regarding the struggles of workers under the Modi government. "First, MNREGA - which is the Congress guarantee to employ the most vulnerable workers, has been continuously axed by the Modi government. The budget has been reduced. 7 crore workers were dropped from MNREGA. Daily wages were not increased. We demand that MNREGA workers should get Rs 400 per day and their working days should be increased from 100 to 150 days," he said on X post. He added, "Secondly, Labour Unions are totally against the Labour Code of the Modi Government because in it, the government has increased the daily working hours and has given permission to fire up to 300 factory workers at one time. All the internationally accepted provisions like Minimum Wages, Retirement Benefits, Social Security, and 8 Hours of Work - the Labour Code of the Modi government has abolished all of them. Our demand from the government is that all these provisions should be restored after talking to the Labour Unions." He further added, "Third, unemployment is the biggest problem in the country. With the coming of the Modi government, the country's youth have been trapped in a labyrinth of paper leaks, recruitment exam rigging, corruption, and unemployment. There are 10 lakh vacancies in the Central Government alone, in which 50% of SC, ST, OBC, and EWS youth can benefit. Additionally, those with employment have not seen any increase in their income. By selling PSUs, the government has eliminated 5.1 lakh regular jobs, and there has been an increase of 91 per cent in contract/casual hiring in the Central Government posts." Mr Kharge also praised Congress-led state governments for enacting laws to support gig workers and unorganised sector labourers, while accusing the Modi government of failing to provide social security. "Congress and state governments have made laws for gig workers and labourers of the unorganised sector, but the Modi government has not given them any social security. Big claims are being made only on paper. Today, we must once again resolve to fight and struggle for the rights of workers. The Congress Party will ensure "labour justice" so that the self-respect of the workers is protected. Jai Hind #LabourDay," he said on X post.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
On Labour Day, Mallikarjun Kharge highlights workers' 'struggle' under BJP-led government
NEW DELHI: Congress president on Thursday extended heartfelt greetings to workers on International Labour Day . He highlighted three issues to make the nation aware of "problems and struggles" of workers under the BJP-led government. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Kharge posted on X, "Today is a very special day for me because today is Labour Day. The development of any country is impossible without workers. Heartiest wishes and congratulations to the millions of workers across the country on International Labour Day. I started my life advocating for the rights of workers. It is the power of Indian democracy that a son of a mill worker like me got the opportunity to handle the labour ministry in the central government. By dedicating themselves to nation building through hard work and struggle, our labourer brothers and sisters strengthen the foundation of the country with their own hands." The Rajya Sabha LoP then raised his three "key" concerns regarding labourers' struggles under the incumbent government. Kharge said, "First, MNREGA - which is the Congress' guarantee to employ the most vulnerable workers, has been continuously axed by the Modi government. The budget has been reduced. 7 crore workers were dropped from MNREGA. Daily wages were not increased. We demand that MNREGA workers should get Rs 400 per day and their working days should be increased from 100 to 150 days." He added, "Secondly, labour unions have opposed the government's Labour Code. In it, the government has increased the daily working hours and has given permission to fire up to 300 factory workers at one time. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now All internationally accepted provisions such as minimum wages, retirement benefits, social security, and 8 hours of work - the Labour Code has abolished all of them. Our demand from the government is that all these provisions should be restored after talking to the labour unions." He further stated, "Third, unemployment is the biggest problem in the country. Under the Modi government, the country's youth have been trapped in a labyrinth of paper leaks, recruitment exam rigging, corruption, and unemployment. The central government alone has are 10 lakh vacancies, from which 50% of SC, ST, OBC, and EWS youth can benefit. Additionally, those employed have not seen any increase in their income. By selling PSUs, the government has eliminated 5.1 lakh regular jobs, and there has been an increase of 91 per cent in contract/casual hiring in the central government posts." Kharge also praised Congress-led state governments for enacting laws to support gig workers and unorganised sector labourers, and accused the Modi government of failing to provide social security. "Big claims are being made only on paper. Today, we must once again resolve to fight and struggle for the rights of workers. The Congress will ensure 'labour justice so that the self-respect of the workers is protected," he assured.
Zawya
13-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Tunisia: Prime Minister stresses need to establish timeline for national employment strategy
TUNIS: Prime Minister Kamel Madouri emphasised the need to establish a clear timeline for the National Employment Strategy as he chaired a small Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday at the Government Palace in Kasbah. The Prime Minister stressed, during the meeting dedicated to reviewing the pillars of the National Employment Strategy, that the strategy should be based on a clear vision, quantitative objectives, expected outcomes, precise monitoring indicators, identified funding sources and an implementation plan for its execution. In the same context, he urged that the strategy be built on a thorough diagnosis of the challenges, needs, and stakes of the labour market, as well as the structural changes in the world of work. This includes addressing the opportunities and challenges posed by digital transformation, artificial intelligence, enhancing the employability of job seekers, diversifying available programmes, and creating a strong foundation for generating integration opportunities and achieving decent work conditions. Madouri stated that the review of this strategy falls within the framework of the reforms adopted by the state in the Labour Code to promote decent work conditions and establish a fund for unemployment insurance for those laid off due to economic reasons, according to a statement issued by the Prime Ministry. This aims to reintegrate them into the economic cycle and initiate the implementation of the self-employment system. He affirmed that the establishment of the Higher Council for Education, as a constitutional institution, will provide the appropriate framework for formulating necessary reforms in employment and training policies, improving the employability of education graduates, and bridging the gap with labour market requirements. The Prime Minister emphasised that employment is a national priority and a constitutional obligation, requiring the state to take necessary measures to ensure it based on competence and equity. He reiterated that every citizen has the right to work under decent conditions and for fair wages, recalling the need to expedite the implementation of President Kais Saied's recommendations in this regard and to elevate the value of work as a right for every citizen. In this context, he called for addressing the challenges related to the labour market, particularly creating sufficient job opportunities to accommodate the influx of youth, improving job quality, and attracting the informal sector into formal frameworks. This would ensure the provision of programmes and policies capable of enhancing labour market performance, especially on the demand side, to create more and better jobs. Madouri pointed out that creating a dynamic and inclusive labour market is one of the pillars of economic and social growth. He highlighted that the fundamental principles of the decent work programme, as outlined by the International Labour Organisation—creating and providing employment opportunities, benefiting from social protection, promoting social dialogue, and ensuring workplace rights—represent an ideal framework for developing employment policies and programmes. The Prime Minister affirmed that the state is working to enhance the dynamism of the national economy to stimulate investment, improve the business climate, and create projects with high employment capacity both quantitatively and qualitatively. This includes achieving sustainable growth rates, encouraging entrepreneurship and reconsidering labour market governance to better align training with employment needs. On this occasion, Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, Riadh Chaouad, presented an overview of the progress in updating the National Employment Strategy and the outlines of the implementation plan. He also proposed key solutions for better governance of the employment sector, along with a series of urgent measures that could be implemented, whether in wage employment or in promoting entrepreneurship, updating and developing support, guidance, and qualification programmes, and enhancing the capabilities of a responsible, highly employable, productive, and development-contributing human capital. At the conclusion of the meeting, it was emphasised that the document presented should be enriched according to the recommendations and observations made. The role and responsibility of all ministries were highlighted to ensure harmony between various sectoral strategies and the National Employment Strategy, relying on a participatory approach with all stakeholders. The meeting called for the resumption of the work of the National Steering Committee for the Strategy at the earliest opportunity to finalise the strategy's format in preparation for its presentation to a cabinet meeting. © Tap 2022 Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
