http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/research/worldofWorkNews/wit/ WIT is a free alert service, providing abstracts and links to workplace-related news stories covered in the major media. en-us 2013 Cornell University Fri, 17 May 2013 10:44:45 EDT 5 Fri, 17 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/17/business/foxconn-audit-reveals-workweek-still-too-long.html?_r=0 New Foxconn report finds some progress 2013-05-17 00:00:00.0 9962 A new audit of Chinese Apple producer Foxconn found that the company has not reduced the average workweek to be within Chinese law. The workweek is supposed to be capped at 49 hours a week but the audit said it was still too high. The report also found that unions at the company are still dominated by management. Foxconn said that they had made progress, and were still looking to do more. Critics say that the group doing the auditing, which was paid for by Apple, is too lenient, and that they are missing problems that have been found by other investigators. Click the link above to see the article "Foxconn Audit Finds a Workweek Still Too Long", by Vindu Goel, The New York Times. (SD) Fri, 17 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/17/us-safrica-strikes-idUSBRE94G08020130517 South African mining tensions continue 2013-05-17 00:00:00.0 9963 South Africa’s largest platinum miners’ union is demanding a meeting with the President, saying that the government is ignoring violence against workers. The union said that they are prepared to stop mining, a move that would cause problems for the country’s economy. A wave of strikes last year led to similar actions in other industries. Amplats, one of the country’s biggest platinum companies, said that they were laying off 6,000 workers last week, in part because of a loss of profits from the earlier strikes. Click the link above to see the article "Mine union threatens to bring South Africa to ‘standstill’", by Xola Potelwa, Reuters. (SD) Fri, 17 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-05-17/philippines-fears-for-workers-in-taiwan-amid-row Filipino workers in Taiwan told to be cautious amid rise in tensions 2013-05-17 00:00:00.0 9964 The Filipino government is advising Filipino workers in Taiwan to stay inside as much as possible after the death of a Taiwanese fisherman off the cost of the Philippines. Taiwan has frozen the hiring of Filipino workers, and said that the apology from the Philippines is not enough. At least one Filipino worker has been attacked. About 87,000 Filipinos work in Taiwan. Click the link above to see the article "Philippines fears for workers in Taiwan amid row", by Hrvoje Hranjski, Business Week. (SD) Thu, 16 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/16/nyregion/state-said-to-be-reviewing-pay-for-fast-food-workers.html?_r=0 New York looking at how fast-food workers are paid 2013-05-16 00:00:00.0 9959 The New York State attorney general's office is said to be reviewing cases involving fast food workers. Sources say that fast-food owners are being investigated to see if they have cheated workers out of wages, including paying below the minimum wage and not paying overtime. The attorney general's office has pushed back against employers who have violated labor laws in the last two years, specifically those cases that involve low-wage workers. Fast food workers in New York City are currently attempting to organize around better wages and working conditions. Click the link above to see the article "State Said to Be Reviewing Pay for Fast-Food Workers", by Julie Turkewitz, The New York Times. (SD) Thu, 16 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/17/world/asia/cambodia-factory-ceiling-collapse.html Ceiling collapses in Cambodian shoe factory 2013-05-16 00:00:00.0 9960 A ceiling collapse at a Cambodian shoe factory has killed at least two people, with more injured. The workers were making shoes for Asics, a Japanese shoe company. Workers said that it the collapse had happened slightly later, many more people would have been injured. Asics said that they would consider measures to improve safety at overseas suppliers. About 8,000 people work in the factory, with most making about $75 a month, the minimum wage in Cambodia. Click the link above to see the article "Ceiling Collapse at Shoe Factory in Cambodia Kills 2", by Keith Bradsher, The New York Times. (SD) Thu, 16 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323582904578486973178589776.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Jobless claims rise 2013-05-16 00:00:00.0 9961 A new report from the Labor Department says that unemployment claims rose by 32,000 last week, the largest one-week gain since November 2012. Claims had fallen to nearly five-year lows in the previous two weeks. The Labor Department said that the furloughs of federal employees did not seem to be having an impact on unemployment. The unemployment rate fell to 7.5% in April, the lowest level in four years. Click the link above to see the article "Jobless Claims Spike by 32,000", by Eric Morath and Jonathan House, The Wall Street Journal. (SD) Wed, 15 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/business/six-retailers-join-bangladesh-factory-pact.html?ref=business&_r=0&pagewanted=all Wal-Mart says it will monitor own factories 2013-05-15 00:00:00.0 9956 New documents show that Wal-Mart apparel had been produced at one of the factories in the Bangladeshi building that collapsed last week. This information comes as Wal-Mart and other American retailers are being pushed to sign onto a safety agreement for factories in Bangladesh. More than a dozen European apparel companies have signed into the agreement, but Wal-Mart says that it will inspect factories where it produces itself and then release the results. The company said it would stop production at unsafe factories, but unlike brands who have committed to the larger agreement, it would not help to pay for safety improvements. Click the link above to see the article "As Firms Line Up on Factories, Wal-Mart Plans Solo Effort", by Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times. (SD) Wed, 15 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/05/14/food-workers-strikes/2159047/ Milwaukee fast food workers to strike 2013-05-15 00:00:00.0 9957 Milwaukee fast food workers are expected to become the latest city to join in a series of one day walkouts over wages and unionization. Workers argue that they cannot live on what they are paid, about $9.05 nationwide. Workers are asking for $15, which they say is enough to live on. Workers in New York, Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit have all staged one-day walkouts, and in New York many of the restaurants affected have slightly raised wages. Click the link above to see the article "Fast-food workers stage protests for higher wages", by Paul Davidson, USA Today. (SD) Wed, 15 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/207477391.html Minnesota approves unionization for child care, personal care workers 2013-05-15 00:00:00.0 9958 The Minnesota Senate has passed a bill that would give in-home family child-care workers and personal care attendants the right organize unions. Opponents of the bill say that allowing child-care workers to unionize will take wages from the workers and cost parents more. Supporters say that it would help workers band together to push for changes. About 21,000 workers are expected to be affected by the decision. Click the link above to see the article "Minn. Senate marathon: Child-care unions bill passes after 17-hour debate over 2 days", by Jim Ragsdale, Minneapolis Star Tribune. (SD) Tue, 14 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/14/us-safrica-lonmin-idUSBRE94D0AH20130514 South African platinum miners strike 2013-05-14 00:00:00.0 9953 South African miners at platinum producer Lonmin went on a wildcat strike Tuesday. The strike has haled operations at the company's mines. The workers are protesting over the killing of a union organizer for the rival miners' union that many workers have joined. Government officials said that they hoped the conflict would be resolved soon. The company has told the workers to return to their jobs, and said that they might be subject to firings if they do not. Click the link above to see the article "Lonmin South Africa workers strike, raise fears of mine unrest", by Joshua Nhlapo, Reuters. (SD) Tue, 14 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e4d3bdde-bc82-11e2-9519-00144feab7de.html#axzz2TH5PrvNq Amazon warehouse workers strike in Germany 2013-05-14 00:00:00.0 9954 Amazon warehouse workers in Germany went on strike Tuesday. The strike is over demands for Amazon to pay workers the same wage levels as other workers in the industry, while the company says that their workers are part of a different industry. Amazon has about 9,000 workers in Germany, and the union says that 97% of workers had voted for the strike. The company says that business will not be affected by the strike. Click the link above to see the article "Amazon hit by German strike action", by James Wilson, Financial Times. (SD) Tue, 14 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Assembly-acts-to-extend-farm-workers-rights-4512637.php New York gets closer to rights for farmworkers 2013-05-14 00:00:00.0 9955 The New York State Assembly passed a bill on Monday that would give farm workers the right to collectively bargain, disability and unemployment benefits, an eight-hour work day and an expansion of other state codes. Supporters say that bill merely gives farm workers the same protections as other workers in the state, while opponents say that it will hurt small family farmers. The bill still needs to be passed by the State Senate, where it failed by four votes in 2010. The governor has said that he supports the bill and hopes it passes. Click the link above to see the article "Assembly acts to extend farm workers' rights", by Casey Seiler, Albany Times Union. (SD) Mon, 13 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/business/global/hm-agrees-to-bangladesh-safety-plan.html?hp H&M, others sign on to Bangladeshi safety agreement 2013-05-13 00:00:00.0 9950 Two of the world's largest apparel companies, H&M and Inditex announced on Monday that they would sign on to a plan that will require them to help finance fire safety and building improvements in their Bangladeshi factories. H&M is the largest purchaser of apparel from Bangladesh. PVH, which owns brands like Calvin Klein and Izod has signed on to an earlier version of the plan, and said that it would support this expanded version as well. Worker advocates praised the companies for signing on to the plan, and said that they hoped other companies will follow them. The announcement comes three weeks after the collapse of a building in Bangladesh killed more than 1,100 workers. Click the link above to see the article "Major Retailers Join Bangladesh Safety Plan", by Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times. (SD) Mon, 13 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/world/middleeast/bangladeshs-cabinet-approves-changes-to-labor-laws.html?hpw&_r=1& Bangladeshi government approves labor law changes 2013-05-13 00:00:00.0 9951 Three weeks after the Rana Plaza building collapse killed more than 1,100 people, the Bangladeshi government says that they have approved labor law changes. Officials say that the changes will expand benefits and make it easier for garment workers to form unions. The government has also said that they will push for a higher minimum wage. The changes still need to be approved by Parliament. The garment industry employs about 4.5 million people in Bangladesh, about 80% of them women. The current minimum wage is $37 a month. Click the link above to see the article "Bangladesh's Cabinet Approves Changes to Labor Laws", by Jim Yardley, The New York Times. (SD) Mon, 13 May 2013 09:00:00 EDT http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/13/us-greece-strike-idUSBRE94C0KA20130513 Greek workers strike against changes 2013-05-13 00:00:00.0 9952 Greek public sector workers say that they will stage a strike on Tuesday. The strike is over a government decision to ban strikes for high-school teachers. The government says that workers will be arrested if they go ahead with the strike. The teachers are expected to begin their own strike on Friday, during exams for high-school students. Click the link above to see the article "Greek state workers to strike against teachers' walkout ban", by Renee Maltezou, Reuters. (SD)