Mexican  Striking Miners Say They’ll Destroy Mine if Evicted
Hundreds of striking miners occupying Mexico’s largest copper pit said on April 22 they are prepared to destroy the mine if the government tries to evict them after a court ruled they could be fired. The miners first walked off the job at the massive Cananea copper mine near the U.S. –Mexican border nearly three years ago over health and safety standards in a protracted labor dispute that has been fought back and forth in the Mexican courts.

Mexico’s Supreme Court this week upheld an earlier court ruling allowing mine owner Grupo Mexico to terminate the contracts of the strikers and hire new workers. But the miners at the historic copper pit have refused to turn over the mine and say if police or soldiers come to dislodge them, they are prepared  to take extreme measures.

“We  are not going to turn over the mine to Grupo Mexico, let that be clear,” national mining union spokesman Sergio Beltran said. “First we will burn it down. We have people already inside, we have a plan in  place to burn it if necessary, if they want to force us out.” The union has successfully negotiated contracts with other companies in Mexico, including a wide-ranging agreement last month with global steelmaker ArcelorMittal.

Dutch Cleaning Workers  End Long Strike with a Contract
After months of campaigning and a strike that lasted many weeks, Dutch cleaners reached an agreement with the employers’ organizations, it was announced by the union, FNV Bondgenoten. The cleaners will get a raise of 3.5 percent over two years. It had originally asked for 4 percent, while the employers  had  refused to offer any increase, but had later raised its ante to 2.5 percent.

 In  addition,  there will be a supplement of 500 euros. ($670) for those who participated in the strike. It was also agreed that temporary workers will not lose their jobs because of the strike. Ron Meyer, a union spokesman said: “The longest strike since 1933 has opened peoples’ eyes all over the Netherlands and has inspired people. This is the achievement of cleaners who are no longer invisible.”

Large contractors, including Dutch Railways, Schiphol  Airport and the UWV unemployment agency will sign a covenant on responsible contracting in July.

Romanian Teachers Strike over IMF-Driven Pay Cuts
Romanian teachers staged a one-day strike on April 22 to protest over pay cuts and mass layoffs in the public sector because the government needed to  keep spending within terms of an IMF-led rescue deal. The government of Romania, the European’s second poorest country, worked out a 20 billion euro deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) earlier this year by promising to cut spending by eliminating  thousands of public sector jobs.

Education unions, that threaten to launch an indefinite strike  later  this year,  say 15,000 jobs are to be chopped from the public sector, which is seen as inefficient and outdated. “If our demands will not be met, we will hold a national strike for an unlimited period, starting the first half of June,”  said  Marius Nistor of the Spiru Haret union.

The country’s public sector employs 1.3 million workers, a third of all jobs. Its payroll swallows 9 percent of GDP and analysts say the cost is twice as high as it should be. An IMF mission will be in Bucharest, the country’s capital,  from April 27 to May 7 to review the aid package.

150,000 Safety Officers in Malaysia to Enjoy nearly 75% Pay Rise
Starting July 1, about 150,000 local safety officers in the security industry will enjoy a salary boost, ranging from 67 percent to 75 percent. “We will increase the salaries based on the various geographical zones, and the details will be released later,” said Datuk Dr. Subramaniam,  Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister.

The present salary for workers in the industry ranges from  RM300 ($94) to RM400    ($124) a month. The minister said a similar process for pay increases would be carried out in the textile, electronics and hospitality industries. Sobramaniam also said that the ministry was reviewing the labor laws to promote economic growth in accordance with the New Economy Model pronounced by the prime minister.

The Malaysian model calls for the open discussion and transparency approach in which the leading manufacturers and unions would be regularly consulted on government policies and actions.  “We hope there will be feedback from the various sectors on the proposed changes which have been suggested so we can formulate the final decisions,” Subramaniam added.  

Striking Lebanese Transport Workers Vows to Widen Protests
Lebanon’s taxi and public bus drivers blocked roads and held rallies around the country during a strike on  April. 22 to protest against rising fuel prices, promising a nationwide general strike if their demands are not met  There are some 45,000 taxi cars in Lebanon. Gas prices have risen almost 30 percent since early 2010, reaching a record LL35,000 ($23) for 20  liters. The price includes nearly 40 percent in taxes.

Ghassan Ghosn, head of the General Labor Confederation (GLC) said: “We informed all sectors, professions and public institutions about our upcoming movements. Further steps will be taken until June17, which will be a day of general strike for all Lebanese if demands are not met.” There was a heavy police presence at most of the gatherings, with riot police and the Lebanese Army deployed in downtown Beirut.

Among the union’s specific demands are a reduction in the tax on fuel, the abolition of car maintenance examination fees, and launching legal proceedings against drivers who use private, fake or green license plates. Taxi drivers argue that rising fuel costs, in addition to state-imposed fees, make it harder for them to make a profit in their profession.

Spain’s Largest Union  Expects to Sign a Major Agreement in May
The Spanish union, CCOO, will likely sign an agreement with employers in May, says Ignacio Fernandez Toxo,  the union’s leader.  The agreement will focus on a reduction in  working hours, an overhaul of hiring incentives and measures to incorporate young workers and the long-term  unemployed into the work force, Toxo said.

“We have more than 4 million people unemployed in Spain and at least some of them could have been spared if some measures, such as a reduction of the working day, had been introduced earlier,” he said. Economists regard labor reforms as a key element in boosting Spain’s economy out of its  worst recession in half a century. The country could become the only leading European economy that fails to return to growth this year as it struggles to recover from the bursting of a housing bubble.

An initial agreement between  unions and employers is seen as a first step  for the introduction of labor reforms by the government. “The government was pushing for an agreement to come by the end April, but this is not going to happen,” Toxo said.