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EPMU members at a Colgate-Palmolive factory in Petone, NZ, are continuing a series of one-day strikes over the pay issue. While the global chemicals and detergents company shows record earnings in New Zealand, it offers Petrone workers a 5% increase covering 15 months, rather than the 5% yearly increase sought by the EPMU.

Strikes Occurring in New Zealand at Colgate-Palmolive

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Legislation in South Korea to revise how contract and agency labour is regulated became deadlocked in the country's National Assembly. The country's two national labour centers--FCTU and FKTU--have joined hands and said passage in the bill's existing form would ensure a general strike across Korea. 
Employers are seeking a top pay rate of 70% coupled with the use of contract and non-regular labour on an unlimited basis. The union federations, whose top two leaders 22 April announced they would start a hunger strike over the issue, back a recommendation from the National Human Rights Commission of Korea which states the bill must provide part-time workers with full labour pay rates, and contain guarantees of full rights and safeguards against discrimination.

Korean Reform Legislation On Contract Labour

EPMU members at a new tyre plant of Bridgestone began picketing that jobsite on 26 April in protest of the Japanese company's failure to meet demands. The 24 strikers are highly skilled electricians, engineers and mold changers who are also seeking the 5%, as well as shift allowances and a minimum nine statutory holidays. The actual work stoppage began 9 April.

Discord by Skilled Workers at Bridgestone Tyre in New Zealand

Dutch citizens are expressing themselves in mass dissent at the center-right coalition government’s austerity measures that targets valued social programs. Led by trade unions such as ICEM affiliate FNV Bondgenoten, some 300,000—better than three times the expected number—protested in Amsterdam 2 October. A full spread on the protests in NL will be featured in the upcoming issue of the ICEM print magazine Global-Info.

300,000 Dutch Citizens Turn Out to Say 'No' to Social Cuts

A 4-day strike paralyzed Nigeria the week of 11 October, and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is gearing for a second, heavier general strike aimed at getting the government to reverse a fuel price hike. A 2-week break in the strike ends this week and NLC leadership and leaders of the federation’s 29 affiliates meet tomorrow to schedule another general strike if the government does not rescind September’s 25% petrol hike.

Four-Day Nigerian General Strike Over Fuel Prices

Nigeria’s House of Representatives will carefully scrutinize an already amended Labour Reform Bill passed by the Senate. The measure, introduced by President Olusegun Obasanjo to punish NLC and trade unions for opposing past fuel price hikes with strikes, did have “no strike” language removed by the Senate before passage, but other restrictive measures that would weaken the NLC and trade unions remain. House leaders promise comprehensive hearings to ensure Nigerian people are heard on the legislation. Further amendments are likely.

Nigerian Labour Seeks to Further Weaken Labour Reform Bill

The president of Colombian mining union Sintraminercol was the target of an assassination attempt 10 October as he was leaving his home in Bogotá with family members. Francisco Ramirez noticed gunmen on a motorcycle heading directly at him and he immediately took cover with his young girls behind a utility setting. The attempted killing comes at a time when the union is resisting the liquidation of state mining company Minercol, a move by the Uribe government to open the country’s natural resources to global enterprises.

Colombia’s Mining Union President Target of Assassination

Dutch affiliate FNV Bondgenoten continued its lead in protesting NL government’s planned budget cuts last week. Some 200 union protestors barricaded the offices of the Social Affairs Ministry in The Hague 20 October to remind ministers that cuts to social programmes are unacceptable. Six days earlier, transport workers staged a nationwide 24-hour strike and tomorrow metal workers will strike factories and workplaces in protest to the government’s widely unpopular austerity measures.

Bondgenoten Blocks Entrances of NL’s Social Affairs Ministry

Three deadly mine accidents last week in China left 33 miners dead. On 8 June, an explosion at the Zijiang coal mine in Loudi, province of Hunan, killed 21 and injured 24. On the same day at an iron ore mine in Shahe, Hebei province, another gas blast killed nine and injured eight. On 7 June at the Shilongxiang coal mine near Zhaotong, Yunnan province, a methane explosion killed three. 
In a further Chinese mine safety note, it was revealed through an investigation that the owner of the illegal Xinfu coal mine in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang province, in which 18 miners died in a 14 March explosion was also a top safety official for the provincial mine supervisory bureau. The Xinfu mine was found to lack basic ventilation and gas monitoring equipment.

Three Mine Accidents in China Leave 33 Dead

Coal talks between New Zealand’s Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) and Solid Energy broke down last week, and workers began renewed industrial action at three worksites by refusing to load coal trains. State-run Solid Energy responded by suspending workers without pay. By 10 June, EPMU workers were back on jobsites and further bargaining is scheduled for next week between the union, Solid Energy and five of its contractors. EPMU compromised its wage demands from 6% to 5% in line with the union’s national “Fair Share—Five in ‘05” campaign, but the coal company has only offered 2.8% in bargaining.

Coal Dispute in New Zealand Again Grows Tense

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