CANADA
THE
LABOUR MOVEMENT SPLITS
The big Canadian story so far this
year is the decision by Unifor, the country’s largest private sector union, to
leave the Canadian Labour Congress or CLC, the national labour centre.
The decision has sent shockwaves through all unions and it threatens not just
national programmes but co-ordination between unions at the regional and local
levels.
CHAD
TRADE UNIONS CALL FOR IMMEDIATE NATIONWIDE GENERAL STRIKE
On 29 January 2017, trade
unions issued a joint statement calling for an immediate nationwide general
strike. The call comes amid anti-austerity protests across the country after
the government enacted public spending cuts, including reductions in salaries
for civil employees. (29 Jan 2018)
EL SALVADOR
TAXI DRIVERS PROTEST AGAINST PROPOSAL TO ALLOW RIDE-SHARING
SERVICES
On 29 January 2018,
approximately 300 taxi drivers gathered at the Divino Salvador del Mundo square
in central San Salvador and drove to the Congress to protest against proposed
legislation that will allow ride-sharing services, such as Uber, to operate in
El Salvador. Representatives of the taxi drivers’ union then attended a meeting
with members of a congressional committee and urged them to reject the
proposal. Uber has been operating in the country since May 2017. (29 Jan 2018)
FINLAND
U.K. FCO UPDATES TRAVEL ADVICE FOR FINLAND
On 29 January 2018, the U.K.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) updated its travel advice for Finland to
include the following: "Industrial action is planned across Finland on 2
February 2018, and some transport may be affected." (29 Jan 2018)
LABOR STRIKE EXPECTED TO CAUSE TRANSPORTATION DISRUPTIONS
On 2 February 2018, several of
Finland’s labor unions will observe a 24-hour strike to protest a proposed
unemployment law. In Helsinki, the bus system will be out of service between
0300 and 1800 local time (0100 and 1600 UTC). The strike will also halt the
metro and tram systems, which will resume services on the morning of 3
February. Outside Helsinki, the strike will likely cause disruptions to public
transportation in Turku, Vaasa and possibly Tampere. The labor action is not
expected to affect aviation services. Additionally, local and long-distance
passenger trains are expected to operate normally, but they are likely to have
higher numbers of passengers. The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions
(SAK) plans to stage a demonstration on 2 February in connection with the
strike. The rally is scheduled to take place in Helsinki's Senate Square
between 1100 and 1300 local time. (02 Feb 2018)
GERMANY
INDUSTRIAL WORKERS STAGE 24-HOUR STRIKE
On 31 January 2018, industrial
workers in Germany began the first 24-hour strike in a planned series of labor
actions. Reports indicate that approximately 260 businesses throughout the
country -- including Volkswagen -- were affected by the strike and will likely
continue to be in the strikes that follow, which are planned to take place
through at least 2 February. Union leaders are calling for an 8 percent pay
raise for workers and reduced working hours. Additional strikes depend on
negotiations with business leaders. (31 Jan 2018)
UNEMPLOYMENT REACHES RECORD LOW
Reports from 31 January 2018
indicated that unemployment rates in Germany reached a record low in January.
The 5.4 percent unemployment rate is the lowest rate since the country
reunified in 1990. Despite a stable economy, Germany is experiencing increased
political tensions, and labor actions in the private and public sectors
dominate headlines. (31 Jan 2018)
INDIA
STRIKE DISRUPTS RAIL TRANSPORTATION IN ASSAM
As of 27 January 2018, tribal
groups in the Dima Hasao district of the northeastern state of Assam were
observing a 48-hour bandh (strike) to protest the killing of two local youths
during a 25 January demonstration. The bandh has disrupted rail services in the
area, cutting off rail connections to southern Assam, as well as the states of
Tripura and Mizoram. An official of the Northeast Frontier Railway stated that
protesters damaged a portion of the track and that services cannot resume until
railway authorities can ensure the track’s safety. (29 Jan 2018)
HUNDREDS ARRESTED AFTER PROTEST IN VISAKHAPATNAM
On 30 January 2018, more than
300 demonstrators who were protesting government anti-labor policies were
arrested in Visakhapatnam, the financial capital of Andhra Pradesh state in
southeast India. More than 2,000 people participated in the protest, which was
organized by two major labor unions. Participants demanded several government
actions, including implementing a minimum wage and regularizing contract worker
services. Several of the demonstrators who were arrested were labor union party
leaders. (30 Jan 2018)
MEXICO
SOUTH AFRICA
UNITED KINGDOM
UNITED STATES
