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☆ Japan's real wages fall for 23rd straight month, dampening Bank of Japan's hopes for 'virtuous cycle'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Real wages in Japan fell for a 23rd straight month, suggesting that high inflation is still biting into consumer spending power in the country. Labor ministry data released Monday showed that real wages fell 1.3% in February from a year ago, accelerating from a revised 1.1% drop in January. The data showed special payments, which include bonuses, slipped 5.5% year-on-year. But those pay hikes benefit only a fraction of Japan's workers, given only 16.3% of workers are unionized in the country and most unionized workers are concentrated in large companies. If real wages continue to decline, consumers may choose to save instead of spend, thereby generating little demand and impetus for prices to rise.

Organizations: Labor, Bank of Japan's Locations: Japan

☆ Taiwan wants to hire Indian workers. What’s skin color or religion got to do with it?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Diksha Madhok | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New Delhi/Hong Kong CNN —Taiwan has swung into damage control mode after its labor minister made controversial comments about the skin color, religion and diets of some Indians ahead of a potential drive to recruit migrant workers to the island. In a separate apology, Taiwan’s labor ministry said Hsu implied “absolutely no discriminatory connotation when she mentioned ‘similar skin color’ in the interview. CNN has reached out to India’s Ministry of External Affairs for comments. In February, Taiwan said it will hire migrant workers from India to ease its labor shortage, but did not share any other details. Taipei currently allows migrant workers from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines to work in the island, according to the labor ministry.

Persons: Hsu Ming, chun, ”, ” Hsu, Hsu, Hsu’s, Taiwan’s Foxconn, ” Young Liu, ” Liu, Padma Bhushan Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Taiwan, Yahoo, Labor, CNN, India’s Ministry, Affairs, Padma, Bloomberg Locations: New Delhi, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India’s, India, China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Covid, “ India, Japan, South Korea, Taipei, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines

☆ A shorter workweek is gaining ground as another major pilot program prepares to kick off
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The four-day workweek has been successful elsewhereThe Dominican Republic will be the first Caribbean country to test a shorter workweek, according to the country's Ministry of Labor. Other lawmakers, like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, have also voiced support for a shorter workweek. AdvertisementMost four-day workweek programs are voluntary for companies, and many countries have no legislation that requires a shorter workweek. With continued positive data, it's possible that the US and other countries could see the shorter workweek implemented into law. Have you been a part of a four-day workweek pilot program or do you work at a company adopting the schedule?

Persons: —, What's, Mark Takano, Vermont Sen, Bernie Sanders Organizations: Employees, Service, International Labor Organization, country's Ministry of Labor, Economic, Revenue, Democratic, Education, Workforce, Labor Locations: Dominican Republic, Latin America, Claro, Caribbean, Australia, United Kingdom, Zealand, Chile, Colombia, Mexico's, Vermont

Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara wrote online that he was “overjoyed.”He had traveled more than three weeks ago to Egypt and Qatar to seek their help in obtaining the hostages’ freedom. “It is our deep hope that all remaining hostages will be taken care of, and will be safely released at the earliest opportunity,” the Thai Foreign Ministry said. The spokesman for the Qatari foreign ministry, Majed al-Ansari, posted on X that the number was 10. Prof. Hagai Levine, head of the medical team at the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, said that getting medical information about the Thai hostages' pre-existing conditions has been trickier than with released Israelis. According to Thailand's foreign ministry, 39 were killed in the Oct. 7 attacks, and 26 abducted.

Persons: Parnpree Bahiddha, Nukara, ”, Thais, Srettha Thavisin, Majed al, Ansari, farmhands, Hagai Levine, Ratana, “, Parnpree Organizations: Thai, International Committee, Thai Foreign Ministry, Qatari, Shamir, Center, Facebook, Hamas, Government, Trade, Labor Ministry Locations: Egypt, Qatar, Thailand, Israel, Iran, Malaysia, Thai, Udon Thani, Tehran, Persia

☆ Union set to strike at Peru's Las Bambas copper mine next week -leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Las Bambas copper mine is pictured in Apurimac, Peru May 9, 2022. Erick Ramos, general secretary of the Las Bambas workers union, told Reuters by telephone the union had agreed to go on a strike with no set end date starting Nov. 28. Representatives for Las Bambas did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The union had already kicked off a strike on Sunday, which is set to end Tuesday, over the profit sharing. The union, which represents more than 1,000 workers, is currently registering the strike set for Nov. 28 with the labor ministry, Ramos said.

Persons: Angela Ponce, Erick Ramos, Ramos, Bambas, China's MMG, Pedro Castillo, Marco Aquino, Isabel Woodford, Kylie Madry, Louise Heavens, Kirsten Donovan, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Workers, Reuters, China's, HK, Thomson Locations: Apurimac, Peru

☆ Strike ends at major Mexican gold mine after workers pocket 8% raise
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mexico is a top 10 gold miner, and Penasquito has ranked among its most productive precious metals projects. Both parties agreed to an 8% salary increase for workers, the statements said, a figure below the 10%-20% hike proposed by the union initially. The miner also agreed to pay two months salary to workers if it fails to report profits in the year, the union said. The statements noted that workers will also receive a 152 million peso ($8.3 million) bonus, divided equally among them. In addition to precious metals, Penasquito also produces significant volumes of base metals zinc and lead.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Penasquito, Newmont, Sen, Napoleon Gomez, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Daina Beth Solomon, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire Garcia, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, National Union of Mine, Metal Workers, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, Mexican Republic, Zacatecas

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Some employees in government offices in Nigeria walked off their jobs Tuesday in protest of the growing cost of living due to the removal of gas subsidies, threatening to “shut down” Africa’s largest economy if their demands for improved welfare are not met. Made up of hundreds of thousands of members, the Nigeria Labor Congress workers association began a two-day “warning strike," their second in over a month. Last-minute efforts to avert the strike failed on Monday evening after labor unions' leaders shunned a meeting called by the Labor Ministry. After he ended the yearslong subsidies for gas on his first day in office, the price of petrol more than doubled, resulting in a similar hike in the price of other commodities. But workers have said such steps are not enough with their wages still the same.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Joe Ajaero, Tinubu’s, Tinubu, Ajaero, Simon Lalong Organizations: Nigeria Labor Congress, Local, Labor Ministry, ” Labor Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria

Seoul, South Korea CNN —As South Korea struggles to get young people interested in marriage and kids, authorities are trying a new tack: importing foreign workers to carry some of the household burden. The plan will expand the number of industries and companies eligible to employ foreign workers, as South Korea faces an aging population, shrinking workforce and labor shortages in various sectors. South Korea has long struggled with chronic labor shortages in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, Reuters reported. Some politicians have previously urged the government to import foreign workers to help alleviate the burdens on young couples and parents. Singapore’s migrant worker system is just as controversial for employing cheap foreign labor to sustain one of the world’s richest countries.

Persons: ”, They’ll, Seoul’s, –, Housekeepers, Indonesia – Organizations: South Korea CNN, Authorities, Reuters, Ministry, Employment, Labor, Hong Locations: Seoul, South Korea, South, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, birthrate, Korean, “, Philippines, Indonesia

☆ Mexico denies U.S. request to review labor concerns at Grupo Yazaki factory
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies YAZAKI Corporation FollowMEXICO CITY, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Mexico said on Friday it has notified the United States that it will not carry out a requested review of labor rights concerns at Grupo Yazaki's auto components factory in Guanajuato. The U.S. Trade Representative said on Aug. 7 it had asked Mexico to see whether workers "are being denied the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining" at the privately held company's facility, which makes electrical components for autos for Japan-based Yazaki Corp.Mexico's labor ministry and Federal Center for Conciliation and Labor Registration "determined that there is no substantial evidence of employer interference or denial of rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining by the company," the labor and economy ministries said in a joint statement. The rejection is one of the few times since the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement went into effect in 2020 that Mexico has deemed a case ineligible for review under the pact, which has tougher rules than its NAFTA predecessor. Reporting by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan O'Boyle, William Mallard Organizations: YAZAKI, MEXICO, Grupo, The U.S . Trade, Yazaki Corp, Federal Center for Conciliation, Thomson Locations: Mexico, United States, Guanajuato, The, Japan, U.S, Canada

☆ US, Mexico agree on labor rights plan for Mexican Goodyear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, July 19 (Reuters) - The United States and Mexico reached an agreement to remedy violations of workers' rights at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co (GT.O) plant in the Mexican city of San Luis Potosi, both countries said on Wednesday. The Mexican government has committed to carry out a number of measures under the agreement, the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) office said in a statement. Goodyear must also inform workers of their labor rights and respect union activity, the USTR said. Mexico will carry out periodic inspections of the plant, and if warranted, could impose sanctions on people, labor organizations or the company, the USTR said. The remediation plan comes after a petition from a Mexican independent union, which found Goodyear was offering employees fewer benefits than an industry-wide agreement required.

Persons: Goodyear, Raul Cortes, Valentine Hilaire, Kylie Madry, Brendan O'Boyle, Sonali Paul Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Goodyear Tire &, U.S . Trade, Goodyear, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, United States, Mexico, Mexican, San Luis Potosi, U.S

A jump in the number of people working part-time for economic reasons also suggested a weaker labor market, but the pace of job growth remains strong and with inflation still double the Fed's target rate, a rate hike this month is likely. "The Fed is being hawkish and that prevents the dollar from depreciating too much. After the jobs data, futures pointed to an 88.8% probability that the Fed hikes in three weeks. Adding a tailwind to the rally in the yen was some position-squaring among speculators, who have built up sizeable bearish positions, Hardman said. The Australian dollar rose 0.8% to $0.6681, but it is still battered by weak Chinese economic data and broad risk aversion.

Persons: Joe Manimbo, We're, Thierry Wizman, They've, Lee Hardman, Hardman, YEN, Herbert Lash, Amanda Cooper, Rae Wee, Sam Holmes, Mark Potter, Barbara Lewis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Federal Reserves, Labor Department, Treasury, ECB, Strong U.S, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: U.S, Japan, New York, London, Singapore

☆ Japan's base salaries jump most since 1995, puts Bank of Japan's policy into view
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Kazuo Ueda, governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ), far right, speaks during an event at the central bank's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Ueda said central banks need to be more careful about how they communicate with increase in their toolkits and advancements in monetary policy making. Global financial markets have been closely watching Japan's wage data, as Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda regards pay growth as a key gauge to consider in deliberations about a shift in policy. Regular wages rose 1.8% in May from a year before, labor ministry data showed, the biggest gain since February 1995. The strong base pay growth boosted worker's total cash earnings, or nominal wages, by 2.5% in May, after a revised 0.8% increase logged in April.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Noriaki Sasaki, Kuroda, Hisashi Yamada, Rengo Organizations: Bank of Japan, Yomiuri Shimbun, Bloomberg, Getty, Global, Hosei University Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Taiwan Faces a #MeToo Wave, Set Off by a Netflix Hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Amy Chang Chien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In some ways, the #MeToo movement points to a generational shift in attitudes brought about by the hard-fought advances won by women’s rights activists in decades past. Taiwan’s younger generation started learning about gender equality in elementary school, as part of curriculum changes enacted in 2004, and have since come of age. Taiwan’s younger generation has “a higher awareness of gender diversity and equality than the older generation,” said Wei-Ting Yen, an assistant professor of government at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania. Women’s rights groups have called for Taiwan to extend the statute of limitations for sexual harassment complaints, currently at one year. A survey by Taiwan’s labor ministry last year showed that only a tiny percentage of female respondents who said they had encountered sexual harassment at work had filed complaints.

Persons: ”, Wei, Ting Yen, Lai Yu, Bartosz, Lai, gossiped, “, ” Ms Organizations: Franklin, Marshall College, Lawmakers, Facebook Locations: Pennsylvania, Taiwan, Polish

But in South Korea, “no-kids zones” have become remarkably popular in recent years. In addition to the world’s lowest birthrate, South Korea has one of the world’s fastest aging populations. A widely circulated crowd-sourced Google Map shows the location of many of South Korea's no-kids zones, as identified by users. A man looks at strollers at a baby fair in Seoul, South Korea, in September 2022. See why South Korea has the world's lowest fertility rate 02:41 - Source: CNNNo kids to kids first?

Persons: it’s, Yong Hye, Bonnie Tilland, Tilland, ”, Lee Yi, “ It’s, Lee Ji, Kim Se, “, choong, ” Tilland, Yong, don’t, ” Yong, Barista Ahn Hee, yul, they’re Organizations: Seoul CNN —, South, Google, Income Party, National Assembly, Facebook, Human Rights, UN, Yonsei University, Leiden University, Hankook Research, CNN Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Jeju, Japan, United States, South, Korea, Netherlands, ‘

☆ Mexico's Telmex reaches pay rise agreement with union, ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, June 5 (Reuters) - Mexican telecom Telmex, a subsidiary of America Movil (AMXB.MX), has reached a deal with a workers' union that proposes a 5.6% pay rise, the country's labor ministry said on Monday, after extended negotiations. Some 30,000 current and retired workers will now vote on the deal, it added. The company and union also agreed on other commitments such as increasing market share, sales, customer retention, investments, benefits for workers' children, share-exchange and voluntary permanence programs among others, it added. The labor ministry had been mediating between the company and the telephone workers' union. ($1 = 17.4537 Mexican pesos)Reporting by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Sarah MorlandOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlos Slim's, Carolina Pulice, Sarah Morland Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexican, America

☆ Thousands of union contracts to dissolve in Mexico's fight against pro-company deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Daina Beth Solomon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mexico committed to eliminating these so-called "protection contracts" under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade pact that replaced the 1994 NAFTA. "This is historic, because we finally managed to rid the labor market of pretend contracts and fake unions," Labor Minister Alcalde said in an interview. Since the vote process began four years ago, workers have cast ballots on some 20,000 contracts in sectors spanning autos, retail and mining. The Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board, a U.S. advisory committee, said in March the small number of rejected contracts "raises serious doubts about the credibility" of the process. Alcalde said she expects unions to aim to establish new contracts in place of ones that were canceled.

☆ South Korean millennials and Gen Z are raging against the idea of a 69-hour workweek. They are tired, having fewer babies, and are even working themselves to death.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Nidhi Pandurangi | Reena Koh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The South Korean government wants to increase the workweek to 69 hours. The 69-hour limit relates to a six-day workweek, while the 80.5-hour limit is applicable for a seven-day workweek, according to South Korean outlet Han Kyeo Re. In 2020, 14 delivery couriers in South Korea died of overwork stemming from increased deliveries during the COVID-19 pandemic, Reuters reported, citing a union representative. Notably, the culture of long working hours and death linked to overworking is not specific to South Korea. However, the government is trying to disconnect longer working hours from low birth rates.

☆ Brazil meal payments overhaul delayed by central bank standoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Marcela Ayres | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Finance Ministry says the central bank has jurisdiction to regulate payment systems, but sources said the central bank resisted early proposals to shake up the market and sought to keep its hands off the segment. The bank's staff believes the voucher market presents no systemic risk. The standoff has added to already high tensions between the Finance Ministry and central bank, the sources said on condition of anonymity. The central bank declined to comment on its reported resistance to regulating the market. The ministry told Reuters such regulation "goes beyond its competencies," and should be handled by the Finance Ministry and the central bank.

☆ US, Mexico aim to find 13,000 Mexican migrant workers owed $6.5 mln in wages
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, March 14 (Reuters) - U.S. and Mexican officials on Tuesday said 13,000 Mexican migrant workers are owed a total of $6.5 million in unpaid wages from U.S. workplaces, and will work to help beneficiaries now living in Mexico claim their pay from U.S. labor authorities. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said the effort marked an unprecedented collaboration between the U.S. and Mexico to support workers who for years have been short-changed. "In past governments, this would not have happened," he said at an event in Mexico City alongside Mexican labor officials. Mexico will also launch a public campaign to encourage workers to come forward if they believe they qualify for checks. "The work ahead is to find these 13,000," Mexican Labor Minister Luisa Alcalde said.

☆ Mexican govt inks deal to buy Mexicana airline brand for $42 mln, union says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Kylie Madry | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said the government intends to use Mexicana to launch a military-run commercial airline. In December, Lopez Obrador said the airline was set to launch operations in 2023. The payment will be divided between pilots' union ASPA, flight attendants' union ASSA, ex-aviation workers' union AJTEAM and transportation workers' union SNTTTASS proportionally by a percentage of what was owed when Mexicana shuttered, Alonso said. The deal was reached Friday between Mexico's transportation ministry and the unions with supervision from the labor ministry, Alonso added. The push to operate the military carrier comes as Lopez Obrador has expressed his discontent with the country's airlines.

☆ Uber, delivery apps propose offering Mexico drivers social security
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Tech giant Uber (UBER.N) and delivery apps DiDi and Rappi have proposed offering social security benefits to workers in Mexico for the first time ahead of a new government bill set to regulate the gig economy. They stopped short of agreeing to classify drivers as employees, however, and few details were given on how payments towards social security costs would be divided. It is also unclear if the bill will seek to make drivers employees, or propose other reforms in line with the apps' statement. Ridesharing and delivery apps worldwide have pushed back against calls to classify workers as employees rather than independent contractors, saying the change would hinder their business models and deny drivers flexibility. Reporting by Isabel Woodford, Editing by Daina Beth Solomon, Cynthia Osterman and Anna DriverOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Argentina's replaces three ministers amid economic crisis, puts more women in power
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUENOS AIRES, 10 Oct (Reuters) - Argentine President Alberto Fernandez on Monday again reshuffled his Cabinet and appointed three women to lead the labor, social development and women's ministries, as a deep economic crisis has sparked weeks of protests. Ayelen Mazzina, current secretary of Women, Diversity and Equality of San Luis province, will take over as the new minister of Women, Gender and Diversity. She will replace Elizabeth Gomez Alcorta who resigned after opposing the eviction of a group of indigenous Mapuche women from land in the southern Patagonia region. The latest Cabinet changes come less than three months after the government reshuffled the economic ministries, naming Sergio Massa to be Argentina's economy "superminister" in an attempt to contain the worsening economic crisis. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Eliana Raszewski; Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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