Radio, television and newspaper news came to a standstill on 24 September as journalists joined the strikes against austerity cuts. In preparation of the general strike on the 26th, there was no television or radio reporting on the 24th and no print media on the 25th.
English: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/no-news-today-greek ...
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After fierce protests against the latest austerity lashing proposed by the centre-right government Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho has withdrawn his proposal to raise social charges that workers pay out of their salaries from 11% to 18%, while dropping employers' charges to 18% from 23.75%. The government decided to open talks with the leaders of the trade unions who oppose a planned austerity drive in return for last year's 78 billion euro rescue package.
English: http://www.euronews.com/2012/09/24/portuguese-force-austerity-plan-back ...
http://www.euronews.com/2012/09/24/portugal-pm-negotiates-with-union-and-business ...
Various reports have come to light about contractors and subcontractors working on London's Crossrail project that have fired union activists and refused health and safety officers onto the construction sites. Unions have expressed concerns about low wages, bogus self-employment and anti-union tactics. They demand that workers on the project will be brought under the same or similar collective agreements as those regularly applied in construction. In several separate instances, unions have already organised workers for better wages, working conditions and safety on sites. Crossrail project management has so far refused to engage with the unions.
English: http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events ...
The government launched 3200 investigations into underpayment of salaries and social security benefits by staffing firms that signed up to a collective agreement declared illegal by the Federal Labour Court in May. The aforementioned collective agreement was closed between employers and a number of smaller Christian unions and provided for lower wages and social security contributions than the regular collective agreement. The labour court ruled that the agreement `lacked bargaining capacity' and declared it retrospectively void.
English: http://www.staffingindustry.com/eng/content/view/full/70968
Several ferries were cancelled at Brittany Ferries due to strikes by its French crew. The crews are engaged in actions over working conditions. Crew members took strike action over proposed plans to take away bonuses and change certain shift patterns. The company is offering passengers alternative arrangements, such as ferries departing from different French ports. Brittany Ferries said despite `constructive' talks, no agreement had been reached. Although the talks continue with the trade unions ferry services operating between France and Spain have been cancelled 'indefinitely'.
English: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19700401
http://www.connexionfrance.com/Brittany-Ferries-strike-bonus-Roscoff ...
Military personnel and police officers have joined the protest against the new round of austerity measures that will further cut down wages and benefits whilst increasing the costs of public services. Teachers and judges too, have announced they will be joining the general strike that has been announced for the 26 September. The European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) expressed its solidarity with the Greek teachers and stated that Greece in many ways has been turned into an austerity laboratory under control of purely economic interests.
English: http://mg.co.za/article/2012-09-16-greek-protests-enter-menacing-phase
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_09_20/Athens-in-grip-of-strikes-again/
http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/news_details/2294
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greece-general-strike-with-a-silver ...
The government, employer unions and representatives from trade union confederations reached an agreement regarding a draft bill on `Collective Labour Relations' that has to put an end to problems concerning collective contracts, which have lingered for about nine months. A trade union should have at least 3% of the total number of workers in any sector to have a right to negotiate for a collective agreement with the employers, according to a draft law revealed in January. Although the current ratio is 10%, lowering it to 3% will still cause many trade unions to lose collective bargaining rights as the Ministry of Labour says the actual number of unionised workers is way below the number trade unions pronounce. The agreement foresees on a transition period of six years regarding the 3% sector threshold for trade unions to qualify. There was no representative from the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DISK) at the meeting.
English: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/wage-woes-of-340000-near-end ...
A strike was called by one of the main unions representing workers at Apple's stores in Paris and other cities after the breakdown of talks over working conditions. Demands by the union, which represents about a quarter of Apple Store employees, included the installation of water fountains, providing meal vouchers and paying a thirteenth month of salary as is common at French companies. The union also says it wants better conditions for employees at Foxconn and other Chinese factories that act as supplying industries for Apple products. Foxconn has long been criticised for poor labour conditions, especially after a rash of worker suicides in the past. On 23 September it came to an outburst of protest with thousands of workers demonstrating, finally leading to a closure of one of the largest Foxconn plants in China.
English: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57517598-37/apple-unions-day-of-solidarity ...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/technology/foxconn-plant-in-china-closed-after ...
Focus on the Working conditions at Foxconn in China: http://sacom.hk/
Three unions at the Spanish-owned NH hotels announced a strike for 21 September. The unions are protesting against the announced loss of 400 jobs, a 120 of which are to disappear and the rest to be outsourced. NH has around 400 hotels in 26 countries. The participation was impressive. In Milano more than 75% of the workforce went on strike in a procession from one hotel to the other. Workers in Florence joint forces with Siena and in Rome 200 workers gathered in front of the Hotel Leonardo da Vinci.
English: http://cms.iuf.org/?q=node/1926
Italian: http://www.filcams.cgil.it/home.nsf ...
Dockers unions have announced they will be organising a one-hour solidarity strike on 25 September in order to support their Portuguese colleagues. The strike that will last from 8 to 9 am was called by the International Dockworkers Council. Portuguese workers are fighting a new Port Law, whilst European unions fear an attempt by the European Commission to enact legislation on European port labour services.
English: http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=150957
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120921/local/Dockers-to-strike ...