Nigeria: Senate indicts police over killings during national strike
In Nigeria, the Senate Committee on Petroleum, which looked into the killings of people during the June-July national strike, has indicted the police for the death of Mallam Yusuf Abubakar and Dan Yaba at Maraba, Abuja, and directed the Police Service Commission to bring the culprits to book, and compensate the families of the victims. But it made no recommendation on the manner or value of compensation. However, the committee did not foreclose the right of the families of the deceased to seek legal redress.
The committee recommended that in the future, the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) should wear “distinctive vests or T-shirts.” The committee also recommended the formation of a special police unit to handle protests, armed with non lethal weapons to quell possible rioting. (Vanguard (Lagos))

Italians protest pension reforms
Protesters marched through major Italian cities on Fri., Oct 24 to show their support for a national strike against plans to reform the country’s pensions system. The reforms would mean Italians would not qualify for pensions before they have paid 40 years of contributions, or reached a minimum retirement age of 65 for men and 60 for women. At the moment, workers can retire at 57 if they have paid into the pension system for 35 years.
Italy’s top three unions had urged their 11 million members to join up to 100 demonstrations across the country. Trade unions said about 1.5 million people had taken part in the demonstrations and warned Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi that the stoppages were only the beginning of their campaign. Berlusconi is under pressure from Brussels to get the country’s finances into shape amid high inflation and unemployment.
National airline Alitalia cancelled more than 150 afternoon flights as a consequence of the staggered four-hour strike. Hospitals said they could only guarantee staff for emergency services, and schoolchildren got a bonus day at home as teachers walked off the job. Firms from carmaker Fiat to domestic appliance maker Merloni scaled back production as employees protested. Milan’s famous La Scala opera house canceled its evening performance. (BBC)

Shoprite employees march in Johannesburg
About 1,000 Shoprite employees arrived at the company’s branch in Pretoria Street, Hillbrow on Fri., Oct. 24 to hand a memorandum to management.
The striking workers took to the streets amidst a strong police presence, disrupting traffic in central Johannesburg, vowing to destroy the group’s “greed and exploitation.” A point of dispute was that part-time employees were asked in their new contracts to undergo an HIV-test. “We are fighting for the conditions of employment of casual and part-time workers,” said Mike Dreyer, chairman of Saccawu’s Wits Shoprite. “The fight also includes a request for a uniform allowance which has been denied.”
Saccawu deputy general secretary Mduduzi Mbongwe estimated that 98 percent of union members had joined the strike. Mbongwe said the strike was historic in the sense that it united part-time and full-time employees. (Business Day (South Africa))