International Employment Relations Network List

(IERN-L)

A Miscellany of International Employment Relations News

Miscellany 12, 18 April 2012

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Contents

Main Stories

Asia: Labor ministers urged to raise protections for migrant workers at 19-nation meet

Australia: Lockout remains an option to resolve 19-month impasse

China: A Decade of Change: The Workers’ Movement in China 2000-2010

Europe: Measuring up the impact of the last recession on jobs

Kenya: COTU (K) on Kenya Airports Authority to lockout workers

Nigeria: PENGASSAN shelves strike

South Africa: COSATU NW concerned about continuing farm killings and child

labour in NW province

In Brief

1

Australia: Toyota sackings unpleasant: Wayne Swan

Bangladesh: Worker Rights Advocate Murdered

Bulgaria: Employees may be given status as creditors

Canada: End of long gun registry ‘sad day’ for workplace

China: At least 15 killed in coal mine flooding

Germany: Age-related leave differences unjustified

ILO: Candidates for Director-General

Ireland: Congress tells labour conference investment vital to boost demand and

create jobs

New Zealand: Veto reveals Government’s real priorities

Singapore: Veteran back as head of SIA pilots' union

UK: Judgment expected on Boots Sunday pay case

UK: London Underground maintenance workers vote to strike

Publications

Calls for Papers, Conferences, Seminars, Symposia

Other Sites

Awards  

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Main Stories

Asia: Labor ministers urged to raise protections for migrant workers at 19-

nation meet

ER/Asia and Middle East/Labour Markets/Labour Migration/Labour Standards

ATUC, 16 April 2012 at http://aseantuc.org/2012/04/labor-ministers-urged-to-raise-

protections-for-migrant-workers-at-19-nation-meet

2

Manila, April 16, 2012 – Labor ministers from 19 Asian and Middle Eastern countries should

endorse protections for migrant workers and increase dialogue with civil society, Migrant

Forum Asia and Human Rights Watch said today. The ministers are meeting in Manila from

April 17 to 19, 2012, as part of the second round of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, an inter-

regional consultation between labor-sending countries and labor-receiving countries on

contractual migrant workers.

The theme of the meeting is, “Sustaining Regional Cooperation Toward Improved

Management of Labor Mobility in Asia.” Civil society groups have not been invited to

participate, but will hold a parallel consultation process.

“Increased regional cooperation is essential for improving protection of migrant workers’

rights,” said William Gois, regional coordinator of Migrant Forum in Asia, a regional

network of more than 200 migrants’ rights groups in Asia. “But as civil society, we want to

know what is going on, we want to be part of the process, and we demand opportunities for

genuine participation.”

Enhance skills

The governments will discuss the draft for a “2012 Framework of Regional Collaboration of

the Abu Dhabi Dialogue,” which would commit them to taking domestic, bilateral, and

multilateral measures to increase the benefits of international labor migration. The draft is

based on the input from the first dialogue and a meeting of senior officials in January.

Preparatory documents for the conference include examples of best practices and

recommendations on government oversight of four stages of migration: recruitment,

employment abroad, preparation for return, and reintegration.

The current draft framework contains provisions that will help prevent abuse and foster

greater benefits from migration. These include reducing recruitment costs, developing

standard employment contracts, and making recruiting agencies responsible for the activities

of local-level labor brokers. The draft also recommends pre-departure and post-arrival

information seminars for migrant workers and government action to inspect workplaces and

enforce labor laws.

The draft framework also calls on governments to enhance workers’ skills and certifications,

improve mechanisms for balancing labor supply and demand, and recognize the value of

experience gained abroad. Finally, it recommends provision of safe, affordable transit home

and research on helping migrant workers to save money.

3

“The draft framework contains many positive elements that could help reduce recruitment-

related exploitation and workplace abuse of contractual migrant workers,” said Nisha Varia,

senior women’s rights researcher for Human Rights Watch. “But it should also call on

governments to revise labor laws and immigration policies that contribute to abuse, especially

the exclusion of domestic workers from labor codes and sponsorship systems that link a

worker’s residency to his or her employer.”

Key economic role

Civil society groups representing migrants’ organizations, nongovernmental organizations,

faith-based-groups, and trade unions across Asia will hold a parallel process. They will

discuss recommendations for reforms to the sponsorship system, standardized contracts with

comprehensive labor protections for migrant domestic workers, and proposals for a reference

wage as an alternative to a minimum wage. They will also discuss the draft framework for

regional cooperation.

Migrant workers play a key economic role. They fill labor demands in host countries and

provide much-needed income for their own countries. In 2011, the World Bank estimates,

Asian migrants sent home US$191 billion in remittances. Gulf countries in particular rely

heavily on Asian contract labor; for example, there is approximately one migrant domestic

worker for every two Kuwaiti citizens. Migrants from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri

Lanka have provided the labor for construction booms in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab

Emirates, and Bahrain.

But many migrants are at high risk of abuse, the groups said. Domestic workers are excluded

from basic labor protections such as a weekly rest day and limits to working hours. Many

migrants have limited information about their rights and face abuses such as deception about

their jobs, heavy debt burdens from excessive recruitment fees, unpaid wages, and hazardous

work conditions. Limited access to redress means that some get trapped in situations of

forced labor and trafficking.

“Governments in the Abu Dhabi Dialogue should ensure that the framework for regional

cooperation incorporates full protection of migrant workers’ human rights,” said Ellene Sana,

executive director of the Center for Migrant Advocacy, a Philippine-based migrants’ rights

group. “They should also develop a concrete action plan with benchmarks to monitor their

progress.”

Ratify and implement

4

The groups called on participating governments to ratify and implement international labor

and human rights standards such as ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic

Workers and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant

Workers and Members of their Families.

Labor-sending countries in the Abu Dhabi Dialogue include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China,

India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Labor-

receiving countries include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the

United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea will participate as

observers. The first round of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue was hosted by the United Arab

Emirates in 2008 and was an offshoot from the Colombo Process, a regional meeting of

labor-sending countries.

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Australia: Lockout remains an option to resolve 19-month impasse

IR/Australia/Stevadores/ Collective Bargaining/Lockout

The Australian, 13 April 2012 at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/industrial-

relations/lockout-remains-an-option-to-resolve-19-month-impasse/story-fn59noo3-

1226325303880

AUSTRALIA'S largest stevedoring company, Asciano, has threatened a Qantas-style

lockout of its workforce amid warnings from the company's advisers that a shutdown of

its freight terminals could cost the national economy up to $1.1 billion a month.

Despite Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten personally intervening in the waterfront

dispute, Asciano said yesterday a lock-out remained an option to resolve the 19-month

impasse that has clogged up the company's Patrick operations.

A report prepared last month for Asciano by consultancy Deloitte, which has been obtained

by The Australian, estimates the cost of a shutdown of Asciano's port operations in Sydney,

Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle could cost the economy up to $1.1bn a month, or 0.9 per

cent of GDP, and affect 21,500 workers.

The direct costs of disrupting container movements are estimated at about $195 million a

month. But the report - written by Deloitte Access Economics partners Ian Harper, the former

Fair Pay commissioner, and Chris Richardson - says the effects across the economy of a

5

shutdown are "amplified considerably", with sectors such as transport, retailing and

manufacturing likely to be affected.

About 85 per cent of container trade moves through the ports of Sydney, Melbourne,

Brisbane and Fremantle, with Asciano's Patrick stevedoring arm handling about half that

trade.

Mr Shorten told The Australian yesterday that the Maritime Union of Australia and Asciano

had agreed to the "rules of engagement" he put forward to restart talks in the long-running

industrial battle. "Whilst there are deeply held views, I think with goodwill and with

compromise it is possible to reach a win-win outcome," he said.

He stopped short of predicting a resolution to the negotiations to finalise an enterprise

agreement.

Asciano, which has withdrawn an offer of back pay, is standing firm. "We're now considering

our options under the Fair Work process and, yes, a lockout is one of those options," the

director of Patrick Terminals and Logistics, Alistair Field, said.

Asciano yesterday said the offer of consensual arbitration remained on the table for the

MUA. "At this stage we've had no response from them but we've also made it clear that we're

not going to pay back pay going back to November last year. We're at an impasse and we've

drawn a line in the sand," Mr Field said.

MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin said he had offered to resolve the outstanding

matters, mainly at the Port Botany terminal, this week.

"Mr Field has refused to enter into that process and instead has gone to his national

workforce - which has reached agreement on every issue - and is now taking away the basis

of that agreement and, in fact, enticing them into taking protected action," he said.

"I refuse to rise to that type of aggression; they have publicly threatened a lockout and this is

a commercially negligent and improper way to conduct finalisation of what they say to be a

handful of trivial issues in one region."

Asciano reached an in-principle agreement with the MUA last November for an enterprise

agreement and made a year's worth back-payment at 5 per cent on the deal. The deal was for

a 22.5 per cent wage increase over five years to July 2015, or an average of 4.4 per cent a

year.

6

Mr Field yesterday said all container terminal employees were now set to miss out on the

backpayment once a final agreement had been reached.

"It's extremely disappointing that the MUA representatives at Port Botany have forced us to

take a position which has put at risk the terms agreed to at our other terminals, including the

back pay," he said. "Part of that good-faith arrangement was that productivity would be

improved at Port Botany and Fremantle . . . there was a slight improvement (but) in January

productivity dropped again."

The company said it had been told by the MUA it was not willing to negotiate on a dispute-

resolution clause covering all four terminals, a rostering issue at Fremantle and issues at Port

Botany.

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China: A Decade of Change: The Workers’ Movement in China 2000-2010

IR/China/Labour /Protest/Transformation

China Labour Bulletin, 28 March 2012 at http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/110024

At the beginning of the Twenty-first Century, tens of millions of poor rural labourers flooded

into the factory towns of southern China. They worked long hours for low pay in frequently

hazardous conditions with little opportunity for redress. All the power lay with the boss, and

the government did little to help.

By the end of the decade however, the picture had changed. China’s workers were still being

exploited but they were far more willing to stand up to that exploitation and demand a better

deal. Employers no longer had everything their own way, and the Chinese government

introduced a range of legislative and policy measures designed to boost incomes and reduce

social inequality and injustice.

In a new research report published today, China Labour Bulletin analyses how this

remarkable transformation took place, and discusses how the picture might change again in

the future. The 24-page report looks at 553 worker protests that took place over the eleven

years from 2000 to 2010. It plots the changes in the distribution of these protests across

different industries, the changes in workers’ demands and tactics used to further those

demands, and the changes in the composition of the workforce that fed into the wave of

strikes in China’s manufacturing sector in the summer of 2010.

7

The report shows how demographic shifts combined with economic growth and social change

over the decade have given China’s workers more bargaining power, and  how a younger,

better educated, more aspirational workforce that is more aware of its legal rights has learnt

to use that bargaining power to its advantage. Workers are not only more confident in their

ability to organize strikes and protests, they are increasingly willing to sit down with their

employer and negotiate a settlement on behalf of their co-workers. Indeed, in some factories,

workers have already established an embryonic system of collective bargaining.

In the future, CLB argues, this experimental stage of collective bargaining needs to develop

into a more stable and institutionalised system that can provide effective channels of

communication between labour and management. Such a system would lead to more

productive and fundamentally more equitable labour relations in China. While without it,

social tensions will inevitably rise and the government’s hoped for “harmonious society” will

slip even further into the distance.

A Decade of Change: The Workers’ Movement in China 2000-2010 is now available as a

downloadable PDF.

___________________________________________________________________________

Colombia: Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on U.S.-

Colombia Free Trade Agreement

IR/ER/Colombia/Workers’ Rights

AFL-CIO, 15 April 2012 at http://www.aflcio.org/Press-Room/Press-Releases/Statement-by-

AFL-CIO-President-Richard-Trumka-on-U.S.-Colombia-Free-Trade-Agreement

Today’s announcement that Colombia has successfully implemented key elements of the

Labor Action Plan and that the U.S.-Colombia trade agreement will enter into force on May

15th is deeply disappointing and troubling. It signals to average Colombians that their

struggles are not our struggles. Rather than insisting that the Colombian Government honor

its promises to Colombia’s working class, our government signaled with today’s decision that

a little improvement is good enough. If a little improvement were good enough, women

might still be fighting for the right to vote, and our workplaces would be filled with children.

Premature certification of the Labor Action Plan undermines the early signs of progress that

have been achieved for Colombian workers – and could prevent further progress.  

8

Rather than moving to prematurely implement the U.S.-Colombia FTA, President Obama

today should have signaled that he stands shoulder to shoulder with the working people of

Colombia and the U.S. and will continue to fight for their right to improve their working

conditions and standards of living. On behalf of the working families of both nations, the

AFL-CIO, CUT, and CTC strongly oppose today’s announcement and urge our governments

to redouble their efforts to ensure that Colombian workers can organize to improve their lives

in a climate of respect for their fundamental rights, without fear for their own safety or that of

their families. We regret that the Administration has placed commercial interests above the

interests of workers and their trade unions.

___________________________________________________________________________

Europe: Measuring up the impact of the last recession on jobs

ER/Europe/Labour Market

FEdee, 17 April 2012 at http://www.fedee.com/about-fedee/newsflash

Although employment in service-based businesses across the EU was hard hit by the recent

recession, growth has now resumed – albeit not yet at pre-recession levels. By contrast,

employment in the construction sector grew by 15% between Q1 2004 and Q2 2008 before

subsequently falling by over 17%, with no evidence of recovery. Employment in production

has been in long-term decline, but was accelerated by the recession. Between the Q1 2008

and Q3 2010 industrial employment fell by 11.4 % before leveling out as the recession

waned. Most hard hit during the recession were mining and quarrying, petroleum and gas

production, tobacco products, textiles and clothing and leather goods

________________________________________________________________

Kenya: COTU (K) on Kenya Airports Authority to Lockout Workers

IR/Kenya/ Civil Aviation/Lockout

COTU, 11 April 2012 at http://www.cotu-kenya.org/press-release/re-cotu-k-kenya-airports-

authority-lock-out-workers

The Central Organization of Trade Unions COTU (K) is demanding the sacking of the

permanent secretary for transport and the managing director Kenya Airports Authority for

contravening a court order stopping KAA from firing Aviation and Allied Workers who

9

ended their five day strike yesterday. This comes after the workers were denied entry into the

airport this morning.

The court had also issued summons to the KAA Management to appear in court on the 18th

of this month to explain why the management went against a Collective Bargaining

Agreement (CBA) between KAA and the Aviation and Allied Workers Union.

‘We are going back to court to demand for the arrest of the Kenya Airports Authority

managing director for going against court orders. KAA entered into a Collective Bargaining

Agreement with The Aviation and Allied workers Union that allows for both parties to

dialogue, which KAA did not show interest in, forcing the workers to take an industrial

action which is allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the two parties.’

Said COTU (K) secretary general Francis Atwoli.

In the meeting attended by General Secretaries fro 34 Affiliated Workers Unions in the

country, it was noted that rampant corruption in the country is hampering creation of

Employment and Economic Growth.

Speaking in the meeting COTU (K) Secretary General Mr. Francis Atwoli also showed

concerns of unwillingness by the government to support trade unions in the country in the

protection of workers’ rights.

___________________________________________________________________________

Nigeria: PENGASSAN shelves strike

IR/Nigeria/Oil and Gas Industry/White Collar/Dispute Settlement

Daily Trust, 16 April 2012 at http://dailytrust.com.ng/index.php?

option=com_content&view=article&id=159788:pengassan-shelves-strike-

&catid=1:news&Itemid=2

Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has

suspended its planned warning strike billed to commence today.

The postponement followed a two-day meeting between the Federal Government and

representatives of oil unions - PENGASSAN and the National Union of Petroleum and

Natural Gas workers (NUPENG) -  in Abuja.

PENGASSAN and other stakeholders have complained against unfair labour practices by

employers as well as government policies they consider unfair to workers in the oil industry.

10

They specifically expressed concern over contract staffing and outsourcing, Petroleum

Industry Bill, local content, turnaround maintenance of refineries, pension matters, board of

agencies in the sector and a new tax regime in the oil sector amongst others.

A communiqué signed by stakeholders said that arising from the meeting, “PENGASSAN

agreed to suspend the impending industrial action,” and that “all the parties would meet

within 30 days to update the trade unions on the accomplishments of the above resolutions.”

The communiqué, issued on Friday, was signed by PENGASSAN President Comrade

Babatunde Ogun, President of Nigeria Union of Petrloleum and Natural Gas Workers

(NUPENG) and representatives of government.

The communiqué said the unions and government representatives resolved that a stakeholders

meeting would be held to deliberate on the labour issues in the oil and gas industry with a

technical committee to be formed to work out details of the proposed meeting.

The meeting also resolved that the request by the unions for membership of boards and

committees in the oil and gas sector should be given appropriate consideration and that the

unions should be represented on the Task Force on Petroleum Industry Bill.

___________________________________________________________________________

South Africa: COSATU NW concerned about continuing farm killings and

child labour in NW province

ER/South Africa/COSATU/White Farmers and Black Workers

COSATU, 13 April 2012 at http://www.cosatu.org.za/show.php?ID=6028

The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West is concerned about the

continued spate of the farm killings, child labour and attacks on farm workers and farm

dwellers in the province, despite the call for this to come to an end.

COSATU has noted that almost every month in the province a farm worker or a farm dweller

is shot or killed by a farmer and this is always reported as a case of theft and there are no

cases of attempted murder or murder opened against the people who shoot. This happens to

young boys of 16 years of age and we are told compliance is done by all farmers.

What is also worrying is that most of these victims are black people yet there is an over-

emphasis in the media if one white farmer is attacked and there is nothing reported if it is a

black person.

11

On the other hand the police are very quick to conclude that the farm worker or farm dweller

is at fault without looking at all possibilities available for investigation, and this is always

reported as burglary, robbery or theft and it is said that the farmer was acting on self defence.

We are still asking how it is that a young boy of 16 years with no firearm or being empty

handed can be a threat to a white racist farmer who is well armed,. At the same time he knew

that young boy as he employed him and abused him for years.

As COSATU we raise this against the backdrop that we are in Freedom Month and are about

to celebrate eighteen years of democracy, but it seems as if the black people are still third-

class citizens and they are always seen as criminals and whites are first-class citizens who are

always victims and enjoy the full protection of the law due to what they have in their bank

statement.

In the coming month we are going to see the conclusion of the murder case of Eugene Terre

Blanche. There are many cases of black farm workers or farm dwellers who have been killed

before this case. These are just a few examples:

A boy who was killed by a mowing machine in Lichtenburg,

Oupa Ranta in Zeerust,

The man who was killed by a farmer in Piet Plesies,

A child who was killed in Setlagole,

The Johan Nell case in Lichtenburg,

The recent shooting and killing of a boy in Kwaggafontein near Zeerust,

The shooting of a farm worker in Bloemhof.

This new case is a response to the case of the killing the late racist AWB leader who

was allegedly killed by

his own employees for not paying them their salaries and abusing them with child

labour.

As COSATU we believe these killings are perpetuated by the fact that the white farm owners

know that they have the full protection of the courts, the police and the department of labour.

Hence they continue to kill the workers and employ children in their farms.

12

COSATU calls on the South African government to make sure that all citizens of this country

enjoy the protection of the law equally. It cannot be correct that a certain race within the

country continue to dominate the other race and this is perpetuated by the state and its organs.

It is high time that all citizens must feel that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black

and white.

We want to make it clear that we will pull out a one-day action against the police of the NW

to demand justice and the defence of our poor farm workers and children.

We are aware that our provincial commissioner, our MECs, our national and provincial

governments have neglected our call for so many years while the poor farm workers are

being killed by their bosses for nothing.

We are consulting our structures on the ground with a full day action in the month of workers

as part our workers’ day to expose the fact that poor farm workers are not celebrating the18

years’ democracy we are talking about. The country will be celebrating Freedom Day in two

weeks time but not the poor farm workers.

As COSATU we remain unapologetic that 18 years of democracy is for those who are in

power of capital. Racism and capitalism remain the enemy of our country under the

corruption of our system.

___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

In Brief

Australia: Toyota sackings unpleasant: Wayne Swan

IR/Australia/Toyota/Retrenchments

The Australian, 17 April 2012 at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/toyota-sackings-

unpleasant-wayne-swan/story-fn59niix-1226330001765

WAYNE Swan [Treasury Minister] says he's concerned about Toyota's treatment of workers

sacked from the car giant's Melbourne plant and has vowed to do everything possible to help

those affected. Workers claim they were treated like dogs and slaves when told by Toyota's

management yesterday they were losing their jobs, as the car maker began axing 350

13

positions at its Altona factory. Many workers were simply tapped on the shoulder by security

and were frogmarched out of the building when told of their terminated employment. Some

didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to their co-workers, despite years of service at the

company.

___________________________________________________________________________

Bangladesh: Worker Rights Advocate Murdered

IR/Bangladesh/Anti-Unionism/Intimidation

ITUC, 13 April 2012 at http://www.ituc-csi.org/bangladesh-worker-rights-advocate.html

The body of Aminul Islam, who was detained and tortured by state security in 2010, was

found some 100km from where he had last been seen bearing marks of physical abuse.

Aminul Islam was senior organiser with the Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity

(BCWS) and President of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation’s

(BGIWF) Local Committee of Savar and Asulia. The government deregistered BCWS and

arrested its two leaders in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________

Bulgaria: Employees may be given status as creditors

ER/Bulgaria/Bankruptcy/Worker Creditor Status

FEDee, 29 March 2012 at http://www.fedee.com/about-fedee/newsflash/

An amendment to the Bulgarian Commercial Code has been proposed that would give

employees the right to submit a claim as a priority creditor if their company files for

bankruptcy.

________________________________________________________________

Canada: End of long gun registry ‘sad day’ for workplace

ER/Canada/Safety/ Gun Laws

CLC, 11 April 2012 at http://www.canadianlabour.ca/news-room/statements/end-long-gun-

registry-sad-day-workplace

The Canadian Labour Congress condemns this week’s Senate vote to end the long gun

registry. “It’s a sad day for workplace and community safety,” said CLC President Ken

14

Georgetti. The legislation to scrap the registry, destroy the data and gut the oversight

requirements for gun purchases passed without amendment.

___________________________________________________________________________

China: At least 15 killed in coal mine flooding

ER/China/Mining/Safety

China Labour Bulletin, 16 April 2012 at http://www.clb.org.hk/en/node/110041

At least 15 miners were killed and seven remain missing in two separate flooding incidents

over the weekend, the official Xinhua news agency reported. One of the mines, the Shanfu

Mine, in the coal heartland of Shanxi, was operating without a valid production license and

the mine’s owner and manager, along with 19 others, were later detained by the local police

for allegedly trying to cover-up the accident. Although the number of coal mine accidents and

deaths in China has decreased steadily since the mid-2000s, when the death toll averaged a

staggering 6,000 per year, there were still 1,973 coal mine deaths in 2011, according to

official figures. More than two thirds of those deaths occurred in smaller mines.

__________________________________________________________________________

Germany: Age-related leave differences unjustified

ER/Germant/Employment Law/Age Discrimination

FEDee, 12 April 2012 at http://www.fedee.com/about-fedee/newsflash

The German Federal Labour Court has declared that it is discriminatory to vary annual leave

allowances according to an employee’s age – even if the scaling of allowances is set out in a

collective agreement. According to the agreement in question, holiday entitlements ranged

from 26 days for employees under the age of 30 years to 30 days for those over the age of 40.

The court could not find any justification for disadvantaging those under the age of 40 and

held that it could only be remedied through an upward adjustment, granting 30 days leave to

all employees irrespective of their age.

________________________________________________________________

ILO: Candidates for Director-General (application submitted by)

Details at: http://www.ilo.org/gb/about-governing-body/appointment-of-director-general/

lang--en/index.htm

15

Mr Gilles de Robien (France)Mr Angelino Garzón (Columbia) Mr Ad Melkert (Netherlands) Mr Jomo Kwame Sundaram (Malaysia)Mr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki (Niger) Mr Assane Diop (Senegal) Ms Mona Sahlin (Sweden)Mr Guy Ryder (Worker Members of the Governing Body)Mr Charles Dan (Benin)

________________________________________________________________

Ireland: Congress tells labour conference investment vital to boost demand

and create jobs

ER/Ireland/ICTU/Government

ICTU, 14 April 2012 at http://www.ictu.ie/press/2012/04/14/congress-tells-labour-

conference-investment-vital-to-boost-demand-and-create-jobs

The General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, David Begg, has told Labour

delegates it was imperative there was significant new investment in the economy in order to

boost domestic demand and create jobs.

Delivering a special address to the Labour Party's annual conference in Galway, Mr Begg

said Congress was working with Government on an initiative that could see private Irish

pension funds invest in major infrastructure projects.

_________________________________________________________________________________

New Zealand: Veto reveals Government’s real priorities

ER/New Zealand/Parental Leave

NZCTU, 12 April 2012 at http://union.org.nz/latest-news

Finance Minister Bill English threatening a veto on Labour MP Sue Moroney’s Paid Parental

Leave Bill before it has even had its First Reading, let alone the chance for Select Committee

to consider it, says more about the government’s priorities and principles than government

finances says CTU Women’s Council Spokesperson Suzanne McNabb.

___________________________________________________________________________

16

Singapore: Veteran back as head of SIA pilots' union

IR/Singapore/Pilots

Straits Times, 14 April 2012 at

http://www.straitstimes.com/Singapore/Story/STIStory_788522.html

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) pilots turned to an old hand for the third time to head their

union [ALPA-S, the only significant union in Singapore not affiliated with the National

Trades Union Congress].

__________________________________________________________________________________

UK: Judgment expected on Boots Sunday pay case

IR/UK/Premium (Penalty) Wage Rates/Retailers/Boots

CIPD, 16 April 2012 at

http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2012/04/judgment-expected-on-boots-

sunday-pay-case.htm?

wa_src=email&wa_pub=cipd&wa_crt=news_2&wa_cmp=pmdaily_160412

Boots [the high street chemist] has defended its decision to reduce Sunday pay for some staff,

telling an employment tribunal that premium wage rates for weekend working are

“discretionary”. Three test cases have been brought in Nottingham against the retailer by the

Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw), the Pharmacists’ Defence

Association (PDA) and a local employee representing herself. The claimants argued that the

company’s decision to cut Sunday pay from double time to time-and-half for staff employed

before October 2000 was an unlawful deduction of wages

___________________________________________________________________________

UK: London Underground maintenance workers vote to strike

IR/UK/Industrial Action/London Underground

CIPD, 16 April 2012 at http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2012/04/london-

underground-maintenance-workers-vote-to-strike.htm?

wa_src=email&wa_pub=cipd&wa_crt=news_2&wa_cmp=pmdaily_170412

Maintenance staff on the London Underground have voted four to one in favour of strike

action next week in a row over pensions and benefits.

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17

Publications 2012

26th AIRAANZ Conference 2012: Re-Organising Work, Association of Industrial Relations

Academics of Australia and New Zealand, published papers, ed. Robin Price, Brisbane,

Queensland University of Technology.

________________________________________________________________________

Pocock, B., Skinner, N and Williams, P. (2012) Time Bomb: Work, Rest and Play in

Australia Today, NewSouth Books, may be ordered at

http://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/isbn/9781742232959.htm

_________________________________________________________________________

Baird, M., Hancock, K. and Isaac, J. eds. (2012) Work and Employment Relations: An Era

of Change, The Federation Press, ISBN: 9781862878501 may be ordered at www.federation

press.com.au

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Bamber, G. J., Lansbury, R. D. and Wailes, N. (2012) International and Comparative

Employment Relations: Globalisation and Change, Allen and Unwin, ISBN:

9781742370651 may be ordered from academic@allenandunwin.com

_______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

European Commission (2012) White Paper on Pensions (16/02/2012). White Paper on

Pensions .

This document is the follow up of the Green Paper 'Towards adequate, sustainable and safe

European pension systems' published in July 2010. Its purpose was to initiate a European

debate on the key challenges concerning pensions, the main question being: how can the EU

best support the efforts of Member States to ensure adequate, sustainable and safe pensions

for their citizens both now and in the future. On the basis of the responses to the open

consultation launched by the Green Paper, the White Paper identifies the most important

measures to be taken forward in this respect at the European level.

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18

International Labour Review, Vol. 150 (3-4)

Posting of workers, EU enlargement and the globalization of trade in services, by S.

LALANNE

Job attitudes, behaviours and well-being among different types of temporary workers in

Europe and Israel, by E.J. GRACIA, J. RAMOS, J. M. PEIRÓ, A. CABALLER and B.

SORA

Primary school student employment and academic achievement in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador

and Peru, by D. POST

Trade union influence in Spanish manufacturing firms, by C. GARCÍA-OLAVERRI and

E.HUERTA

Special feature: DECENT WORK IN GLOBAL PRODUCTION NETWORKS

Decent work in global production networks: Framing the policy debate, by S.

BARRIENTOS, F. MAYER, J. PICKLES and A. POSTHUMA

Economic and social upgrading in global production networks: A new paradigm for a

changing world, by S. BARRIENTOS, G. GEREFFI and A. ROSSI

Economic and social upgrading in global production networks: Problems of theory and

measurement, by W. MILBERG and D. WINKLER

Further reading

Notes and debates

Documents and communications

Book reviews

___________________________________________________________________________

Japan Labor Review, Vol. 9 (1) Winter 2012

Special Edition: ‘Labor Relations in Japan’

Access at http://www.jil.go.jp/english/JLR.htm

Introduction

Articles

Japan's Labor Unions: Past, Present, Future

19

Unionization of Non-Regular Workers by Enterprise Unions

The Functions and Limits of Enterprise Unions in Individual Labor Disputes

The Current Status and Significance of General Unions:   Concerning the Resolution of

Individual Labor Disputes General Unions and Community Unions, and Japanese

Labor Law

Article Based on Research Report

The Scheduled Increase in the Pension Age a JILPT Research Activities and the Effect

of Job   Security Measures for the Elderly in Supporting Their Subsistence

JILPT Research Activities

________________________________________________________________

Calls for Papers, Conferences, Seminars, Symposia

 The E-Journal of International and Comparative Labour Studies

The following is a list of indicative, but far from exhaustive, topic areas: - collective and

individual labour issues; - equality and discrimination; - school-to-work transition; -

industrial relations; - vulnerable workers and precarious working; - employment productivity;

- role of skills and human capital in a global context – immigration issues, labour law.  For

more information http://www.adaptbulletin.eu/docs/e_journal_cfp.pdf

___________________________________________________________________________

The Korean Journal of Industrial Relations

The Korean Journal of Industrial Relations (KJIR) is published by the Korean Industrial

Relations Association. There is no due date for the submission. We receive articles around a

year. Web/URL: http://www.lera.uiuc.edu/news/Calls/2007/Korean%20Journal%20of

%20Industrial%20Relations.htm

__________________________________________________________________________

UK: 2nd International Conference on Vulnerable Workers and Precarious Work in a

Changing World

Date:                                      10-11 September 2012

Venue:                                   Middlesex University Business School, Hendon campus, The

Burroughs, NW4 4BT, London. 

20

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

UK: BUIRA 2012 Conference, University of Bradford, 28 - 30 June 2012. Calls for

abstracts have now closed, however if you have submitted an abstract to the conference

please check that your submission was successfully submitted.  As this is the first time we

have used this electronic submission system you may not have been aware that you should

have received this confirmation.  If you did not receive confirmation of your submission

please contact k.gilbert@strath.ac.uk attaching a copy of your abstract this week.

__________________________________________________________________________

USA: ILERA Study Group (Public Sector)

Leading Public Service Organisations in Challenging Times, July 2-5, 2012 in Philadelphia at

ILERA.

 Governments are looking towards their senior civil servants and top managers to implement

challenging programmes of organisational and workforce restructuring and routinely include

leadership as a core competency for top level positions. The study group is interested in

papers that address a number of issues in relation to leadership in a period of restructuring,

not only relating to central government but also in other public services such as health,

education and municipal services.  Abstracts and papers are invited on this topic. We are also

interested in receiving shorter papers from policy makers and practitioners that contributes to

our understanding of current developments. The abstract should be around 500-750 words

and submitted to Stephen.bach@kcl.ac.uk or lorenzo.bordogna@unimi.it  no later than 16th

March 2012. Acceptance decisions will be communicated by the 30 March 2012. Accepted

papers should be submitted by 15 June 2012.Full call for papers:

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/iira/study/publicsector.htm

___________________________________________________________________________

USA: ILERA Study Group #9 (Pay Systems)

21

If you are interested in making a presentation at Study Group #9 the 16th World Congress of

the ILERA in Philadelphia, please send an email with the title and brief description to

daniel.j.b.mitchell@anderson.ucla.edu.

__________________________________________________________________

USA: ILERA Study Group (Research Methods)

The study group will meet during, USA, 2–5 July 2012 (http://www.ilera2012.com/).  The

focus of the meeting will be on Partisanship in Industrial Relations Research. The aim of

this study group is to examine issues around the topic of whether IR can be truly objective.

Please send abstracts or papers as a Word or 'rtf' file by e-mail to both coordinators: Professor

Keith Whitfield whitfield@cardiff.ac.uk and Professor Ralph Darlington

r.r.darlington@salford.ac.uk no later than Friday 30 March 2012. Acceptance decisions will

be communicated by 15 April 2012. Accepted papers should be submitted by 15 June 2012.

__________________________________________________________________________

USA: ILERA - Global Meeting of Deans/Directors/Chairs of Programs in Industrial Relations and Human Resources

In conjunction with the 16th World Congress of ILERA in Philadelphia during 2-5 July, 2012, a global meeting of Deans/Directors/Chairs of university and college programs in industrial relations and human resources will be held from 4 pm - 5:30 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012. To participate in this forum, please send an email request to: ac@ilera2012.com Please include name, address, name of the university, email, phone and some information on the programs at your university like name of the degree and annual enrollment.

___________________________________________________________________________

UK: Rethinking Retirement: Changing Realities for Older Workers and Employee

Relations

 Deadline: 30 April 2012

 Special Issue of Employee Relations Guest edited by Wendy Loretto (Edinburgh) Sarah

Vickerstaff (Kent) and David Lain (Brighton), see for full call:

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/authors/writing/calls.htm?id=3854

___________________________________________________________________________

Portugal: IREC 2012: Challenges for Public and Private Sector Industrial Relations and

Unions in times of Crisis and Austerity

22

 5-7 September 2012, CIES-ISCTE/IUL, Lisbon, Portugal

 This year the conference is organised jointly with the Research Network on Work,

Employment and Industrial Relations of the European Sociological Association, but

participants are not required to be ESA members.

 The conference will consist of plenary and workshop sessions focusing on the impacts of

crisis and austerity upon the institutions and actors of European industrial relations systems in

both the private and public sectors, and the methodological issues involved in their study.

•  What is the concrete impact of the crisis upon industrial relations systems in Europe, and

what are the comparative implications of these transformations?

•  What are the differential impacts of austerity upon private and public sector employment

and labour relations?

•  To what extent have the crises accelerated transformations already in progress in European

industrial relations, and to what extent have they spawned qualitatively new challenges?

•  Have the crises accentuated the complex trends towards both convergence and divergence

across European industrial relations? 

•  How are unions and employers’ associations in the private and public sectors facing up to

the varied challenges of current transformations?

•  Are new forms of social movements and collective action around labour issues emerging in

these crises? If so, which; and what, if any, are the emergent relationships between old and

new forms of collective action?  

 Papers may be theoretical and/or empirical (both qualitative and quantitative). As in previous

conferences, cross-national papers are especially welcome.  The conference will be hosted at

ISCTE-Lisbon University Institute by the Centro de Investigação e de Estudos em

Sociologia.

 Deadlines:

April 30  submission of abstract proposals ; May 30  acceptance of papers; June 15  early bird

registration; August 1  submission of papers

 For full details, visit the conference web site at

http://conferencias.cies.iscte.pt/index.php/IREC2012/irec2012  

 __________________________________________________________________________

23

Canada: International Interuniversity Research Centre on Globalization and Work

(CRIMT) Conference, on Union Futures: Innovations, Transformations, Strategies,

October 25th to 27th 2012, HEC Montréal, Montral, Canada.

Original academic and actor contributions are invited on one or more of the following

themes. 1. What do Unions Stand For? 2. Who do Unions Represent? 3. What are the

Dynamics of Union Activism? 4. What are the Strategies for Union Power? 5. How do

Unions Innovate? For details on each of these themes and on how to submit proposals, see

the full call for papers at http://www.crimt.org/UnionFutures.html . The deadline for

submission of proposals is April 30th, 2012. They must be sent to Nicolas Roby, CRIMT

Scientific Coordinator at nicolas.roby at umontreal.ca.

___________________________________________________________________________

Cuba: 2nd International Conference of Labour Youth 29-30 April 2012 – Havana Cuba,

29-30 April 2012. WFTU at http://www.wftucentral.org/?language=en

_________________________________________________________________________________________

 UK: Transnational Industrial Relations and the Search for Alternatives, Greenwich

University, 31 May 2012 to 1 June 2012. For abstract submission or more information,

contact Lefteris Kretsos (l.kretsos@greenwich.ac.uk).

___________________________________________________________________________

Ireland: IFSAM 2012 Conference, Limerick, Ireland, 26-29 June 2012. Website:

http://www.ifsam.org/

__________________________________________________________________________________

USA: 16th World Congress of ILERA, 16th World Congress of ILERA, 2-5 July 2012,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Website: http://www.ilera2012.com/

Register at: http://www.ilera2012.com/Registration/default.asp

Reserve accommodation at:

http://www.ilera2012.com/Accommodations/default.asp

Review program at:

http://www.ilera2012.com/Congress-Program/default.asp

Arrange travel at:

24

http://www.ilera2012.com/General-Information/default.asp

__________________________________________________________________________________

Australia: Special Issue of Labour and Industry

Governance and CSR: Implications for Labour.

Papers are due to s.h.young@latrobe.edu.au by end of August 2012

_________________________________________________________________________________

Singapore's principal event focusing on diversity and inclusion is back for the fourth

year!

Singapore Tripartite Forum

This year, the Conference on Fair Employment Practices themed "Strengthening Fair and

Responsible Employment - for Inclusive Growth in Challenging Times" will engage local

and international experts, leading employers, academics as well as tripartite leaders.

Find out how being a fair and responsible employer can help you and your company

capitalise on human resources and contribute to your organisation's growth in preparation for

the challenging times ahead. The conference will help participants learn and understand more

about strengthening and managing diversity and inclusion in workplaces.

Guest-of-Honour, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister of State for Manpower and National

Development, will deliver the welcome address. The conference keynote speakers include Mr

Stephen Frost, Vice President and Ms Dianah Worman, Advisor, Diversity & Inclusion; both

from Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. The UK experts will share their

insights and discuss details of how employers can better manage their diverse employees in

challenging times. Following that, hear from a diverse pool of panellists on key business

trends, issues and best employment practices on achieving inclusive growth within the

organisation.

In the afternoon, participants can select and attend topical session to suit their organisations'

needs. These breakout sessions include:

Session 1A : Developing Cross-Cultural Competence - A Talent Management Imperative

Session 1B : Harnessing Female Talent in the Workplace

Session 2A : Building and Leading High Performance Teams - D&I Perspective

Session 2B : Synergising A Multi-Generational Workforce - Issues & Strategies

25

Registration is open now! For more information, visit www.fairemployment.sg/conference

today.

___________________________________________________________________________

27th AIRAANZ Conference, 6-8 February 2013, Freemantle, Western Australia. Information

from www.conferencewa.com.au/airaanz2013; email trish.todd@uwa.edu.au;

email al.rainnie@gbs.curtin.edu.au . Submission deadline for refereed papers 21 September

2012.

___________________________________________________________________________

8th Asian Regional Congress of the International Labour and Employment Relations

Association, 9-12 April 2013, Melbourne, Victoria.

Theme: Work and Employment in the Asian Century

The program will be organised around four track themes:

1. The changing contours of employment relations and labour market regulation.

2. Human Resource management – trends and challenges.

3. The future of worker voice and representation, and

4. Globalisation, corporate social responsibility and decent work.

Call for Abstracts Open, February 2012; Deadline for Special Interest Symposia,

27 July 2012; Deadline for Abstract Submissions, 28 September 2012; Registration Open

11 April 2012.

For more details about the program, please click here:

___________________________________________________________________________

 Australia: Fifth International Community, Work and Family Conference, The fifth

international Community, Work and Family Conference will take place at the University of

Sydney, 15-17 July 2013. Information at www.CWF2013.aifs.gov.au

___________________________________________________________________________

The Netherlands: 10th European Conference of the International Labour and

Employment Relations Association, Imagining new employment relations and new

solidarities. Amsterdam, 20 - 22 June 2013

Call for Papers and Submission of Abstracts

26

Abstracts must be 350-500 words in length and can be submitted on the conference website

as of 1 May 2012.

Over the last two decades employment and labour relations in Europe have undergone

important changes. Manufacturing employment is decreasing and various types of service

employment are rising, together with female participation levels. The standard employment

relationship is losing its dominant position with the growing use of flexible and part-time

contracts, temporary agency work and (dependent) self-employment. Segmentation between

stronger and weaker groups is increasing. Social solidarity is under pressure in many

countries as a consequence of the increasing diversity of populations and of the labour force.

Collective bargaining is decentralizing but there are also attempts to transnationalise

bargaining within multinationals or within certain sectors. Trade unions are slowly losing

membership and power but worker involvement in social innovation is wanted more than

ever. The role of the EU is getting more important and new forms of governance are being

experimented with. Change is accelerating as a result of the crisis and austerity is leading to

profound restructuring of the public sector, affecting employment conditions and service

provision.

Within this context, we want to foster a reflection and debate on the future of employment

relations and new forms of solidarity. Such questions include: What can or should

employment relations look like in the future? What is the future of the public sector? Can or

should growing segmentation and polarization be countered? What new types of governance

support collaborative efforts to tackle today’s collective problems? What new types of

solidarity can we foresee between group of workers or workers in different countries? What

new types of cooperation or conflict can we foresee between workers and employers?

Papers presented at the Conference will be organised around five broad tracks (for more

detailed descriptions, see conference website):

Track 1: Industrial relations actors in a changing labour market. Track 2: Europeanisation of

social and employment policies. Track 3: Public sector restructuring: consequences for

employment relations and public services. Track 4: New forms of regulation and governance.

Track 5: HRM and Social Innovation.

Abstract submission deadline: 31 December 2012. Acceptance decisions will be

communicated by: 1 February 2013.

27

Apart from regular sessions with paper presentations there will be interactive sessions with

short presentations.

Symposia

We welcome proposals for special symposia. Symposia are self-contained sessions of one

and a half hour. They can be on the general theme of the conference or on one of the track

themes. The convenor of a symposium is requested to submit a proposal of about 1000

words, including the theme of the symposium, the details of speakers and the abstracts of

their papers. Proposals can be submitted at the Conference website as of 1 May 2013.

Conference Venue

The conference will be held at the historic Oudemanhuispoort building of the University of

Amsterdam, located in the city centre.

The 10th European ILERA Conference is organized by a consortium of universities in the

Netherlands which are home to research groups studying labour and employment relations, in

collaboration with the Dutch Labour and Employment Relations Association (DLERA).

Contact

For more information please visit: www.ilera-europe2013.eu as of 1 May 2012 or contact the

conference management at: Amsterdam Institute for Advanced labour Studies (AIAS),

Plantage Muidergracht 12, 1018 TV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.info@ilera-europe2013.eu

www.ilera-europe2013.eu

___________________________________________________________________________

Other Sites

ILO: The International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS) was established by the

International Labour Organization in 1960 as a centre for advanced studies in the social and

labour fields. It produces the annual "World of Work Report". The International Labour

Review, a global multidisciplinary journal of labour and social policies is also published

under the aegis of the IILS.

http://www.ilo.org/

___________________________________________________________________________

UK: Working Lives Research Institute

28

Subscribe to the WLRI mailing list for regular news updates, including our regular WLRI

electronic-newsletter, and subscribe to our WLRI press release mailing list.

___________________________________________________________________________

29