India: Andhra Pradesh contract tourist workers strike for permanent jobs; Sri Lankan public health inspectors boycott dengue control activities; Australia: Maritime workers continue industrial action at DP World.
The Chief Minister made the statement while speaking at a book release event. “The restrictions have been put in place in accordance with a High Court order. However, I will discuss with the Advocate-General of the state to see what can be done to ensure that the steps of Town Hall are free for protests,” he said, after releasing a book on the well-known Kannada writer Dr K Marulasiddappa, titled ‘Ethical Strength of Progressive Movements – Dr Marulasiddappa. He further added that protests are an integral part of democracy, and they act as feedback machinery to the government while ensuring accountability.
Due to strong efforts by unions, pourakarmikas employed as sweepers were brought under a direct payment system in 2017. Still many pourakarmikas part of the collection and transportation of waste are under the contract system.
The amendments brought through the Factories (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2023 allow an increase in the daily working hours from the present nine (including an hour of rest) to a maximum of 12 hours, subject to a total of 48 hours in a week.
On Oct. 16, 32 Palestinian labor organizations issued a joint “urgent call” to unionists around the world to “end all complicity, stop arming Israel.” Although major unions in the U.S. have for the most part been silent on the unfolding genocide or, worse, have expressly stated their support for Israel,…