union

Cheating and sacking push New Caledonia to boiling point

Ségolène Team Observers — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:35:44 +0200

Twenty seven policemen were injured yesterday when protests by pro-independence activists turned violent in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. Our Observers in the capital of Nouméa describe the chaos.

Unionists from the pro-independence group USTKE are staging a general strike after union chief Gérard Jodar was jailed for attempting to ground an aircraft amid a dispute over the sacking of an employee by local airline Airca. The employee was fired after an extramarital affair had been unveiled. Starting a week ago, the USTKE blocked a number of industrial zones, prompting an intervention by riot police on Monday.

The events have been compared with the fierce violence that took hold of the island between 1984 and 1988, when dozens were killed.

Nicolas Sarkozy: "These days when there's a strike in France, nobody notices". Really?

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:42:57 +0100

Last July, Sarkozy passed a law that meant public services are forced to keep a minimum service going during strikes. "These days when there's a strike in France, nobody notices" said the French President. It was not, however, the case on Thursday.

Although public transport was severely disrupted, Sarkozy's "minimum service" rule functioned well. For example, in Paris, one metro out of two was running. So was the strike a failure? One union chief, François Chérèque from the Democratic Workers Federation, called it the biggest demonstration in twenty years. Police say over a million took to the streets across the country (the unions say it was 2.5m) - a number certainly unprecedented since Sarkozy took office.

We’re all stuck in a social elevator says French union

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:43:27 +0200

Disgruntled workers complain. One banner reads "Death to internships!"

In these modern times, it's a lift that takes you from one rung of the social ladder to the next. And in France, the lift is out of order. This is the scenario for a new French comedy, produced by a trade union. Seven colleagues, all desperate to get to the next level, but stuck in the lift. It's certainly funny, but will it attract people to get involved in unions?

With only 8% of France's working population involved in trade unions, the country has the lowest percentage of trade unionists in Europe, while the UK boasts 30% and Germany 23%. Now one of France's top five unions, the French Confederation of Christian Workers (CFTC), has decided to take action against the dwindling numbers in time for major union elections in December. Written by Stéphanie Sphyras, "Dark Elevator" lends its style to British comedy The Office, and hopes to revive the stick-in-the-mud stereotype of the traditional trade unionist.

Chinese ship endeavours to get weapons to Zimbabwe

Julien — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:46:16 +0200

The An Yue Jiang in a Japanese port. Photo: niraikanai.sakura.ne (We couldn't find a recent amateur photo of the boat).

Refused in South Africa and turned away from Mozambique, 77 tons of weaponry bound for Zimbabwe are now heading towards Angola in hope of access to land. Will the Chinese vessel succeed in reaching its final destination? Unions, lawyers and anti-arms activists hope not.

Shortly after Zimbabwe's doomed elections more than three weeks ago, desperate and unpopular president Robert Mugabe ordered three million rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 1,500 rocket-propelled and over 3,000 mortar rounds and mortar tubes from China. Last week, the An Yue Jiang arrived on the continent in Durban. But in the face of a 300,000-strong African union and refusal to transfer the goods from the country's high court, the ship fled on Friday. Its plan to offload in Mozambique was also rebutted and the vessel is now gambling on Angola, where it is thought to be headed. While Zambia's president urged everybody in the region to prevent the Cosco ship from docking on Monday, reports that it will offload to another vessel in the area have started circulating. Surrounding countries worry that the weapons will fuel escalating police brutality reported in Zimbabwe.

Paris students can't put up with their parents

Julien — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:11:30 +0100

According to a study done by the French magazine l'Observatoire on student life in Paris, a third of students have trouble finding housing in the capital. A whopping forty-two percent live in family homes - 37% have to put up with their parents, while only 7% live in a shared flat. Thirty-one percent live alone or in a couple, while 14% stay in the dreaded ‘residences' (shared toilets and showers and hospital-style food). But thanks to ongoing complaints from UNEF and other associations, the subject has become an important issue in the local elections in Paris, which are to take place on March 29.