The Guardian 22 March, 2006
Global briefs
CHINA: The Industrial Park belonging to the Chinese Haier corporation in the eastern province of Shandung, was the scene for the handing over of the first consignment of refrigerators contracted by Cuba. The consignment consists of 300,000 top-quality domestic refrigerators grouped into three different models, acquired as part of the electrical energy savings program underway on the island. The ceremony was attended by Ricardo Cabrisas, government minister, and Major of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, president of the Cuba Electronics Group. Also present were Alberto Rodríguez Arufe, Cuban ambassador to China, businesspeople and officials from the Cuban embassy in Beijing. After the handover the refrigerators in this initial consignment were transported in trucks to the port to be shipped to Cuba.
GREECE: Public and private sector unions in Greece brought most of the country to a standstill last week. A 24-hour strike in protest over government economic reforms saw thousands of workers take to the streets in several major cities. The unions claim the reforms are penalising workers unfairly but the government says it must cut Greece’s budget deficit to ward off EU sanctions. One worker claimed that businesses and the government should really focus on the problem of unemployment in society. Most areas of Greek life were hit by the strike, from the closure of schools, hospitals and ports to the crippling of transport systems — making getting to work a misery for most. The reforms have hit the government’s popularity ratings hard despite only being half-way through its four-year term. Opinion polls show public support for the ruling conservatives has fallen and is now on a level with the opposition socialists.
INDONESIA: If the House of Representatives and the government endorse amendments to the 2003 Labour Law it will allow companies to outsource not only additional and/or temporary work, but also their core businesses, and to recruit contract-based employees. Workers will be paid less and they will likely lose most of the benefits they currently enjoy under the law, including meal and transportation allowances and social security programs. Remuneration will be determined not by the companies that actually employ workers, but by the companies that recruit them. Unskilled workers, who make up the majority of the country’s workforce, will have absolutely no bargaining power. Contract workers will see their rights and benefits disappear, under contracts written up by employers who will look after their own interests first. Besides receiving no bonuses, allowances for transportation, leave, health coverage, or holidays, workers are likely to be denied raises and will have nowhere to turn in demanding improvements in their working conditions. Employers will hold all the power over contract workers, being able simply to decide not to extend the contracts for any reason.