In the last fortnight, the relentless race for profits has claimed the lives of over 70 Indian workers in the southern town of Chennai. The first tragedy was the collapse of a building under construction which was being built on reclaimed swamp lands. Many of the workers were migrants from adjoining provinces. A week later, a warehouse wall also collapsed on another group of workers, killing eleven. Deaths like these once again shows that for capitalists and governments, profits are more important than our lives. Only through independent unions are we going to create safe working environments.
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Over 70 Indian construction workers killed in two disasters
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Indian steel workers finally secure a hard fought win
As reported previously, the strike by thousands of steel workers in Warzipur in northern India has been fraught with many difficulties. This week, after remaining on strike for over a month, management finally agreed to implement the workers demands. This is a great victory for workers and an example to the other many thousands of workers that live and work in the New Delhi industrial belts. -
Tens of thousands of people protest rise of militarism in Japan
With rising tensions among the major countries of East Asia, the Japanese government has enacted new legislation that allows the Japanese military to take offensive action. This policy shift was greeted with anti-war demonstrations of tens of thousands of people. Subsequent to this change, the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, visited Australia last week where the two countries agreed to work together militarily against China. -
Jacobabad Sepco workers in tool down strike
SUKKUR, July 10: Employees of the Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) observed tool down strike and held a sit-in outside the SEPCO office in Jacobabad on July 9 in protest against suspension of services of a colleague.
The call for the protest was given by the Jacobabad chapter of the All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Labour Union.
As the protest went on, power supply to the town was shut completely and remained suspended for five hours, severely affecting business activities in bazaars and trade areas and hampering service of civic amenities.
An office bearer of the union, however, clarified the union had no hand in shutting power but it had to be suspended after a fault developed in the main trolley of grid station.
Published by Daily Dawn on July 10, 2014
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Longshore Workers Ordered Back To Work After Joining Striking Truckers
By JoAnne Pow!ers
Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in Los Angeles and Long Beach were ordered to return to work Tuesday morning after walking off the job in solidarity with striking port truck drivers. After the longshore workers refused to cross the picket lines, a federal arbiter ruled that the action was a violation of their current contract. The 120 truckers are holding the Unfair Labor Practice strike over misclassification of the workers by three transportation companies as “independent contractors”, resulting in lower pay and fewer benefits than if they were properly classified as employees. The misclassification has been ruled a violation of U.S. labor law, and would prevent the workers from being able to form a union. The open-ended strike, supported by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, is the third, following two shorter walkouts earlier this year. While ongoing contract negotiations prevented comment from the ILWU, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Vice President and Ports Division Director Fred Potter feels that the rank-and-file longshore workers and other union members are deeply committed to helping the striking drivers:
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UK Public Sector Workers Strike Over Cuts
As of Workers Independent News air-time, trade unions in the United Kingdom are expecting over a million public sector workers to walk off their jobs Thursday in a coordinated strike against “poverty pay”, as well as concerns about pensions and workplace safety. Britain’s Trade Union Congress estimates that most public sector workers’ incomes have lost more than 4000 dollars annually following years of wage freezes. The massive strike is expected to include workers from all corners of the public sector, ranging from teachers to firefighters to civil servants.
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Hazardous conditions: ‘There were no safety measures at factory where four workers died’
MULTAN, July 9th: Vehari District Coordination Officer (DCO) Jawad Akram on July 8 submitted his report of on the death of four labourers to the chief minister.
The investigation was supervised by the home secretary and MNA Hamza Shahbaz Sharif. The report said the four men, who died on July 6, had been hired late in June by a relative, who was a contractor for Viga Plastic Pipes, as daily wage workers in Lahore. Police said the men, of Mitro in sub-district Mailsi, fell sick last week and were referred to Nishtar Medical Hospital in Multan. They said three of them passed away on Sunday and the fourth died on Monday.
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Raigad: Protest against forced land acquisition for Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, Jul 9
Corridor Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti & Jagitikikaran Virodhi Sanghrash Samiti Join the protest for saving the agricultural Land and livelihoods against forced Acquisition for Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor, at Mangoan, Raigad Date: 9th July 2014 Place: Sub Divisional Office , Mangoan, dist, Raigad Hundreds of farmers from 78 villages of Mangoan, Roha and Tala Tehsil of […]
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Argentina: Lear Roadblocks Face Violent Eviction by Gendarmerie
June 8 2014 Buenos Aires: Today was a national day of solidarity with the struggle of Lear workers with roadblocks in roads and highways in various parts of the country. Actions were held in Cordoba, Mendoza, Neuquen, Tucuman, Rosario and Jujuy. The most important roadblocks were in Puente Pueyrredon connecting the southern outskirts of Buenos
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