Montreal transit strike

Commuters who rely on the Montreal Transit Corporation had to scramble to find alternate means of transport or rely on sometimes spotty rush-hour service Nov. 17 after the corporation’s maintenance workers walked off the job.

The transit strike, the first in 14 years, was called by the union representing 2,000 maintenance workers who keep the city’s buses and subway running.

The union representing the workers called the strike after negotiations failed the previous night. The Montreal Transit Corporation’s pension plan is the main issue separating the union and management.

Union spokesman Réjean Désgroseilliers said that issues surrounding salary are resolved. But he said that offers on pension and benefits are not equal to what other city employees have received. (CBC)

Bid to end Kenyan lecturers’ strike fails

An attempt by the Kenyan government to initiate a return-to-work formula for lecturers to pave the way for the reopening of the six public universities failed on Nov. 13.

A meeting called by the government-appointed arbitration panel was cut short after Universities Academic Staff Union officials walked out following “technical issues raised by the panel”.

The union’s officials insisted they would only call off the strike, which entered its fifth day today, if their salaries — at the core of the boycott — were increased.

The impasse arose as Labor assistant minister Peter Odoyo declared that serious salary negotiations would only begin after the lecturers called off the strike.

A group of student leaders from all public universities issued a joint statement on the strike.

The students said: “We reaffirm our support for better pay for this country’s intellectuals and urge the Government to rise above pretensions and agree on a fair negotiation to sort out this country’s academic paralysis.” (The Nation (Nairobi))

Court ordered truce at Israeli docks

The National Labor Court has accepted the position of the Histadrut labor union, barring the use of the private Israel Shipyard to bypass striking longshoremen. The court’s decision is binding until Dec. 2. The dock workers are also barred from striking for at least two weeks, during which time they must enter into negotiations with the government.

While the labor union emerged with a bit of a victory in hand, the court expressed harsh criticism over the dock strike, pointing out one cannot compare the damage to the longshoremen by the government bypassing the striking port to the damage caused to the state by the closure of the seaports. At present, there are 43 ships waiting to be unloaded, as result of the strike that began last week.

Israeli longshoremen had gone on strike beginning Nov. 13 when a ship carrying cargo to be unloaded at a government port was instead diverted to a private port for unloading. The workers saw the use of the private port by the government as an attempt to subvert labor negotiations. (IsraelNN.com)

Miners strike over closure plans

Thousands of Polish coal-miners have gone on strike in a protest against government plans to close four pits.

Trade union leaders say the Nov. 17, 24-hour stoppage could be followed by a general strike unless a compromise is reached.

The government wants to restructure the loss-making industry before the country joins the European Union next May.

Under the plan 8,500 miners will lose their jobs in the southern region of Silesia which already has 30% unemployment - much higher than the national average.

Poland’s parliament has adopted the government’s plan to reform the industry. The restructuring will shed 25,000 of the sector’s 140,000 jobs and write-off most of the industry’s $4.5 billion debt by 2006.

Making its coal mines more efficient is part of Poland’s plan to cut spending and lower its budget deficit before it joins the European Union next May.

But the austerity measures are proving deeply unpopular in a country which is still adjusting to market reforms 14 years after the collapse of communism. (BBC)