services
Articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in the service sector, as distinct from retail, energy and communications.
Protests due after police raid Thomas Cook occupation in Dublin
Protests have been called at short notice in Dublin and Belfast after 28 workers occupying Thomas Cook offices in Dublin's Grafton Street fighting jobs cuts were arrested this morning.
Protesting former workers at travel operator Thomas Cook in Dublin were arrested after after early-morning Garda raids for defying a court order to end a four-day sit-in at company premises in a dispute over redundancy payments.
One dead in Guadeloupe strike
As Guadeloupe's general strike against rising prices spreads across the Caribbean, a union official is shot dead.
Local officials states that union representative Jacques Bino, aged in his 50s, was shot dead in a crossfire while driving his car near a roadblock manned by armed youths, who opened fire at police in the capital Pointe-a-Pitre.
Workers in Guadeloupe launched a general strike on 20 January in protest at the rising cost of living.
Scottish Water workers vote on industrial action
Scottish Water workers are being balloted on industrial action after the employer imposed a below inflation pay rise which had not been agreed.
The imposition of a 3% rise over 15 months – worth 2.4% over a year – ended six years of partnership working between the company and staff.
"This pay cut is simply not acceptable when inflation is rising – recently reaching 5.2% - energy prices are rising by anything up to 30% and food by 11%," said branch secretary Steve Scott.
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange disruptions intensified
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange employees intensified work disruptions on Monday by interfering with the orderly conclusion of the trade day.
Management responded by threatening to close down trade entirely if disruptions continue today (Tuesday April 1st). Workers retaliated by diverting all incoming calls to the CEO's office.
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange: union overtime ban forces trade to end three hours earlier
Following a declaration on Thursday (March 6th), the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange workers` union has declared an overtime ban. This has resulted in management closing down trading three hours early for two days straight.
The ban took effect on Sunday (March 9th), and has been maintained on Monday (March 10th) as well. This step is a direct response to current conditions, which preclude overtime pay from counting into workers` pension plans.
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange employees set to strike on Feb 28th (CANCELLED)
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange workers are set to strike at February 28th. This action was declared about two weeks ago (Feb 5th), and is a response to TASE management's refusal to meet union demands.
These include increasing wages by 4.5% and adding workers hired through HR firms to the group pay agreement. Instead, management is only willing to increase wages to its direct employees, with a 0.5% blanket increase as well as an additional 3% to be rewarded selectively according to individual performance.
Lionbridge: globalizing low wages
In December 2007, a trade-union called “Krajowa Federacja Pracownikow (KFP)” (Worker’s Federation) was formed in Lionbridge Poland, a subsidiary of Lionbridge Technologies, a US-based multinational with subsidiaries all over the world.
Lionbridge specializes in translations and adapting products to local markets (so called “globalization services”). Lionbridge is one of many US-based companies which move jobs from the US to countries with lower wages and working standards.
Canada: bank workers strike over pay
62 workers at CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce) in Sudbury went on strike today.
Workers voted in favour of action by only 52% although pickets were out and observance was high. Picketers attributed the close vote to the time of year. Only one of the five branches in Sudbury was open with managers running a scab service.
France: petrol workers win bonus
The strike was launched on Monday at 4am by fuel delivery workers on the island of Réunion from the CFDT union.
The management of the SRPP (Reunion petroleum products company) gave into the workers demands after less than 24 hours. Workers won a shift bonus, which is approximately equivalent to an 8% salary increase.
South Africa: death at housing demonstration
A protester was accidentally killed during clashes between police and Soweto residents demanding improved housing conditions.
Almost twenty years after the end of Apartheid and thirteen years after the election of the ANC residents of the township of Soweto feel they have been left behind. Promises of wealth sharing have proved hollow, with any redistribution of assets seeming to end up in the hands of the emergent black middle class.
