CONTRACT WORKERS
How one of the world's strongest car unions is dealing with EV job losses
Toyota in Japan and Hyundai or Kia in South Korea navigate challenges from technological transformation and electrification.
WestJet Airlines strike to continue until deal reached with mechanics, union says
Bret Oestreich, president of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, said the two sides will reconvene with a mediator on Sunday. The union represents around 680 workers at WestJet, including aircraft maintenance engineers, who went on strike Friday after 97% of its members rejected a pay deal reached in May. "All we want to do is to go back to the table," said Oestreich. "The strike will be in effect until we get an agreement."
Karnataka releases draft gig workers Bill; seeks comments from platforms, other stakeholders
Karnataka introduced draft Bill for app-based platforms to provide social security benefits to gig workers and sought public feedback. The Bill proposes fee on transactions and penalties for non-compliance. It aims to protect workers' rights and ensure basic social security. It is inspired by Rajasthan law and includes grievance redressal mechanism and prevention of illegal termination. the Bill promises welfare board, fund for gig workers. Discussions have been held with major platforms and International Labour Organisation for input.
Meta must face lawsuit claiming it prefers foreign workers over US citizens
The legal landscape shifted with the Section 1981 ruling impacting tech giants like Meta Platforms and Apple. Cases against biased hiring practices signal a push for fair employment. Conservative groups scrutinize diversity initiatives, while calls for federal investigations challenge companies like Tyson Foods. Upholding U.S. citizens' rights in employment remains a focal point in the evolving discourse.
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni pays homage to Indian farm worker Satnam Singh in parliamentary address
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently honoured Satnam Singh, an Indian farm worker who tragically passed away after his employer abandoned him on the roadside following a severe injury. "These are inhumane acts that do not belong to the Italian people. I hope that this barbarity will be punished harshly," said Meloni.
Hollywood workers union reaches pay, AI use deal with top studios
The union said the terms of the agreement include scale rate increases of 7%, 4%, and 3.5% over the three-year term. In terms of AI, the agreement includes that no employee will be compelled to generate AI prompts in a way that would lead to displacing any covered employee.
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Indian farm labourers march to end 'slavery' after worker death shakes Italy
Thousands of Indian farm laborers in Italy demand an end to "slavery" after the tragic death of Satnam Singh, who lost his arm in a work accident. Exploitation of undocumented migrants in agriculture sector sparks outrage and calls for justice and better working conditions.
RSS-affiliate union seeks extension of mandatory work under MGNREGA to 200 days in pre-Budget meet
BUDGET EXPECTATION: In its pre-budget meeting with the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday, BMS general secretary Ravindra Himte demanded increasing the minimum pension under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995 from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 while enhancing of honorarium of scheme workers, especially for Asha, Aanganwadi, Mid-day Meal and National Health Mission workers, the central trade union said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Beauty secrets: Inside India's booming beauty industry that relies on hundreds of contract manufacturers
Nishit Dedhia, the MD and cofounder of Kain Cosmeceuticals, is leading a tour of his cosmetics manufacturing facility in Khopoli, Maharashtra. The facility produces a variety of beauty products for the growing direct-to-consumer market in India.
What does Nigel Farage promise in his ‘contract’? Is it economically feasible?
The Reform UK Party promises to end all non-essential immigration and proposes steep cuts in personal income tax rates and other direct taxes. He is not expected to win the upcoming parliamentary elections in July.
Hinduja family staff settle civil lawsuit over domestic workers’ exploitation allegations
A deal to end the civil suit was reached this week, Olivier Peter, a lawyer for one of the three claimants said, without confirming the details of the accord. The settlement comes more than six years after the workers filed their case. The legal proceedings have been beset by delays but got underway this week in Geneva.
India plans to examine contracts of 40 workers who died in Kuwait fire
A devastating fire on Wednesday in a multi-storey building housing foreign workers in southern Kuwait's Mangaf area killed 49 people, mostly Indians, and injured over 50 others out of an expected 160 people who were present in the building at the time of the accident.
'Unemployment is not a problem': Arvind Panagariya's prescription to FM Nirmala Sitharaman ahead of Budget
Arvind Panagariya believes India's job challenge lies in reallocating capital to labor-intensive sectors rather than creating jobs. He emphasizes that too much capital is tied up in industries like machinery and pharmaceuticals that don't hire many workers. Panagariya suggests redirecting capital to sectors that generate more jobs per investment, stressing the upcoming budget as a critical policy statement.
Lok Sabha Results: Coalition govt is back. Will policy paralysis too strike again?
Over the past decade, Narendra Modi has propelled India's economy to become one of the fastest-growing globally, positioning it to soon rank as the world's third-largest. His emphasis on reforms and dynamic policies, exemplified by initiatives like Make in India, has bolstered manufacturing and infrastructure growth. However, the recent Lok Sabha election results, leading to a coalition government, raise concerns about potential challenges and policy paralysis ahead. Expert analyses suggest that while coalition governments have historically been effective in driving economic growth, they have struggled to control inflation.
Brute majority or coalition pressure, India's growth to be perpetual theme
India's growth story may thrive under a coalition rule despite no party having an absolute majority. Past data suggests coalition governments have effectively boosted growth but struggled with inflation. Inflation rates varied under different regimes, with Narendra Modi's government seeing 5.4% inflation during its tenures.
Modi plans post-election reforms to rival Chinese manufacturing
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning business-friendly measures if he secures a third term, aiming to boost domestic manufacturing by easing labor regulations, offering subsidies, and reducing import taxes. Modi's vision includes creating industrial zones to attract global firms, but challenges remain with restrictive labor laws, land acquisition, and high import tariffs. His reelection campaign emphasizes economic development and positioning India as a manufacturing hub.
Germany just launched its new point-based Opportunity Card. The best part? You don't need a job offer or family sponsorship
Germany's new Opportunity Card, also known as 'Chancenkarte,' offers a one-year residence permit for non-EU candidates to search for employment without a permanent contract, attracting skilled workers with simplified entry and job search processes.
Access to benefits key in retaining women contract workers: Study
A study by Quess Corp and The Udaiti Foundation reveals that both single and married women who receive performance incentives are more likely to retain their jobs than those who don't. The findings, which analysed data from 1.6 million Quess employees over four years, highlight the high turnover in the staffing industry and India's low female labour participation rate. The study found that nearly one out of every two associates who quit do so within the first three months of employment, underlining the importance of support in that period to stem attrition.
India needs lower tax on recruitment services to boost jobs, says industry body
India's Indian Staffing Federation (ISF) has called for a reduction in the 18% tax on recruitment agencies providing outsourced staff to big companies. The ISF, which provided 1.6 million outsourced workers to companies last year, believes the new government should support hiring more salaried workers. The ISF claims that the 18% goods and services tax discourages employers from hiring contract workers through recruitment agencies.
University of California academic workers strike to stand up for pro-Palestinian protesters
Graduate students at UC Santa Cruz joined a systemwide protest against the university allegedly violating the speech rights of pro-Palestinian advocates. United Auto Workers Local 4811, representing 48,000 graduate students, initiated rolling strikes across the 10-campus UC system. The union demands amnesty, divestment from Israel-related investments, and filed unfair labor practice complaints.
77th Cannes Film Festival begins. Know about its #MeToo moment and workers warning
Greta Gerwig has been elected president of the 77th Cannes Film Festival. She will be joined by Lily Gladstone, French actor Eva Green, Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona, French actor Omar Sy, and Lebanese actor Nadine Labaki. Besides, Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, Turkish screenwriter Ebru Ceylan and Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino will also be on the jury.
Unionised US Apple store votes to authorise strike
Unionized workers at a Maryland Apple store voted on Saturday to authorize a strike, which would mark the first such labor action against the retailer in the United States if it goes forward. Employees at the Apple store in the town of Towson, outside of Baltimore, voted to unionize in 2022 -- another first for the iPhone maker's US stores.
Summer heat takes toll on gig workers; the rise of Airchat
Happy Monday! A shortage of delivery executives amid soaring temperatures is becoming a major concern for ecommerce companies. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
Google fires workers protesting $1.2 billion contract to provide Israel AI, cloud services through Project Nimbus
Google has fired 28 employees for protesting against Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion deal with Amazon to provide AI services to Israel. The protests, led by No Tech for Apartheid, included sit-ins at Google offices. Google cited policy violations, sparking debate over employee activism and tech companies' handling of dissent.
Is it good to fear God?
This positive aspect of fear teaches the child the dos and don'ts of life as she grows and bonds with her siblings, friends, teachers, co-workers, spouse and so on. But, in all relationships, a trace of fear remains. This is the fear of being hurt. And it is one of the basic ingredients that binds us in our social contract.
New Zealand slips into its second recession in 18 months as economy contracts
The latest slip follows a 0.3 per cent contraction in the September quarter, which fulfils the technical definition of a recession. It is New Zealand's second recession event in the past 18 months. Stats NZ said the country New Zealand had returned negative GDP figures in four of the last five quarters, and had a stagnant annual growth rate of just 0.6 per cent. The slump was largely expected with New Zealand's central bank forecasting a flat figure, while bank economists suggested a range of results between a narrow contraction and fractional growth.
Biden administration issues rule that could curb 'gig' work, contracting
The U.S. Department of Labor issued a rule compelling companies to treat certain workers as employees, not contractors, impacting industries relying on contract labor. Expected to raise labor costs, the rule, criticized by business groups and Republicans, redefines worker classification. While praised by some Democrats and advocates, it faces legal challenges. Its potential effect on gig workers, like Uber and Lyft drivers, has drawn attention, with companies expressing doubts about reclassification. Business groups fear confusion and potential lawsuits due to the rule's complex criteria for worker classification.
Microsoft agrees to union contract terms governing its use of AI
As part of negotiations with the Communications Workers of America the first US collective bargaining in the company's history Microsoft has reached a tentative agreement on an AI article to include in a contract covering a few hundred staff at Microsoft's video game studio ZeniMax.
United Auto Workers workers reject Mack Trucks contract, will strike
About 73% of workers voted against the deal covering 4,000 workers, the UAW said. The proposed deal had included a 19% pay hike.
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