Global Voices » Labor

China: Motor-Powered Breakfast Crepes

Juliana Rincón Parra — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:28:50 +0000

The Presurfer shares a video where we can see how the Beijing Jianbing is made. This large breakfast crepe is made possible thanks to a very steady hand and a motorized wheel that allows a really large and thin crepe to be evenly cooked.

Thailand: Minimum Wage and Cost of Living

Mong Palatino — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:57:40 +0000

Bangkok Pundit translates survey reports on the minimum wage and cost of living conditions in Thailand

Kenya: To Pay or Not to #PayInterns?

Ndesanjo Macha — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:37:12 +0000

Kenyan tweep @RobertAlai started a lively debate on 14 May, 2012 about the need for companies to pay interns. @RobertAlai wanted tweeps to ask companies, “#DoYouPayInterns?”:

@RobertAlai: If you are an intern and you feel that you are being exploited, please email me on alai @ techmtaa.com. Let's ask #DoYouPayInterns ?

Tweeps immediately took to their keyboards siding with interns:

@madonah12: #PayInterns Is the best Trend Ever I just love the idea that Interns should get Lunch Fare and Pocket money cc @RobertAlai Good work

A banner in support of interns. Photo courtesy: Jeff Howard Flickr account (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

@tyrus_: Aye how come all those KE companies on Twitter who tweet “Good morning and Good night” and sell new products cant respond to #PayInterns ?

@RobertAlai: “Interns” must be paid. Stand up for your rights and you'll find that employers are capable of paying you #PayInterns

@TheMacharia: I wonder how many of those on #PayInterns have actually hired, not selected, but hired interns.

@mainneli: Interns should be paid. they do the same work and same stuff like anyone else in the office,stop exploitation #Payinterns

@tkb: @kainvestor @Worldbank inviting users to wiki is same as @Wikipedia who don't #payinterns Create a global public good with all content open!

@B_Oyigo: @RobertAlai Jamii Telecom Limited #PAYINTERNS btwn 10-15k

@KenyaPolice: Kenya Police does not support the exploiation of Kenyan workers. #PayInterns

However, some tweeps sided with companies using interns without pay:

@Kkaaria: Interns, 5 years into your career, you will realize how little you actually knew when you started off. Be patient.. #payInterns

@TerryanneChebet: My two cents to the #payinterns. I say no. An allowance for food and transport, however is alright.

@mainaalex: ati #payinterns for what?if they are that good, they should start their own companies. show value you get paid.

@Kamungah: @MediaMK Interns contribute, companies gain as interns get required skills. Win - Win. Some employers use them as ‘continuous' interviews.

Bloggers have also joined the debate. Blogger Dennis Matara argued that labour laws stipulate that interns must be paid after working for three months:

You must wake up! You have been in intern for more than three months? Get alive. Labour laws clearly state that the company that takes you in as an intern is required by law to absorb you as their full time employee, paid in their scale and entitle to leave days among other benefits. If they cannot do that, then your internship should end at the end of your third month there.

It is true and evident that some interns ‘decide’ to stay longer in the hope of ‘acting good’ in order to secure themselves a job. Yes, that is ok but if the company really needs you that much, then they must take you in. Many employers know very well that majority of these interns are straight from college, they do not have money even for their transport to work but still misuse them to the fullest.

Nairobi Wire noted that companies in Kenya paying interns are the minority:

The companies that pay there interns are the minority and they pay peanuts. Reading through some of the tweets, KCB, EABL, CIC, KPLC, KBC, Standard Group, NMG, RMS among many others have been listed as the most exploitative. Equity bank has been attacked for using CSR as a reason to have cheap labour. KBC is the worst of all since interns have to pay to intern there.
There have also been complains of interns been sexually exploited.

This is one of the most lively discussion I've seen on twitter in a long time. Most of the time, people are always rumbling about Kenya Power.

#PayInterns has generated so much interest that at its peak, around 150 tweets were being tweeted per minute. This is considering its only in Kenya. Various corporates have also tweeted responding to allegations that they do not remunerate their interns. KCB tweeted, “KCB Group does not obtain any money from interns. Interns are actually paid a monthly stipend that is above the industry average”

Kenya: #PayInterns Trending

Ndesanjo Macha — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:50:23 +0000

#PayInterns is trending in Kenya. @mainneli writes: “Interns should be paid. they do the same work and same stuff like anyone else in the office,stop exploitation #Payinterns”

Bolivia: Protests Sweep Across the Country

Pablo Andres Rivero — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:40:16 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

A wave of different protests are sweeping across Bolivia, affecting at least six of the largest regions in the country. Although the conflicts are not initially linked to each other, they have generated a climate of political instability, raising challenging questions for the government of left-wing, coca-growing leader, President Evo Morales.

The Andean Information Network has published a calendar with the conflicts and protests that have taken place over the last couple of weeks.

In order to understand this climate of conflict it is important to look at these protests individually.

Transport unions strike

Photo by Mario Duran under CC licence

A 48-hour transport strike took place in La Paz, Bolivia's seat of government, and El Alto on May 7 and 8, 2012. Transport unions reject the recently passed Municipal Transport Law that attempts to deal with the chaotic transport system and also proposes a network of public buses to be launched in 2013.

Digital journalist Wilfredo Jordan (@wilofm) commented on Twitter [es]:

Buenos días, jornada difícil en La Paz y El Alto por la Ley de Transporte, para seguirlo en twitter ver#parotransporte

Good Morning, tough day in La Paz and El Alto due to the Transport Law, follow it on Twitter under #parotransporte (”transport strike”)

The 48-hour strike deployed thousands of buses and minibuses that blocked the streets of La Paz and El Alto and restricted any transit, even emergency services.

Several citizens criticized the blockades and showed their support for the Mayor's initiative to implement the local Transport Law.

Moreover, in only 48 hours a group on Facebook [es] emerged and gathered over 4,000 members who called for a “pedestrians strike”. They encouraged citizens to share cars, use bicycles or just walk instead of commuting for one day as a protest against the transport strike and the blockades.

Paginasiete uploaded this citizen video of citizens confronting the transport workers during the strike:

Luis Revilla, the Mayor of La Paz who is championing the Law, is a member of Movimiento Sin Miedo (”Movement without Fear” in Spanish) a left-wing party that stands in opposition to Evo Morales' party MAS (”Movement for Socialism”).

La Paz and El Alto rely on a private bus and minibus system that provides poor and unsafe services with previously set tariffs to almost 2 million inhabitants.

Netizen Fernando Cabezas wrote on the Facebook Page [es] of the Observatory “La Paz Cómo Vamos” (How are we doing La Paz), an independent watchdog for issues in La Paz:

Una de las observaciones de los choferes al Proyecto de Ley Municipal del Transporte es que para renovar el parque automotor, el Estado debería liberar de impuestos y avalar los créditos para la importación de nuevas movilidades. La pregunta es ¿Por qué, los choferes deberían tener estos privilegios si el transporte público se ha convertido en un negocio privado? Los actuales operadores deben brindar un servicio seguro, cómodo y puntual; y evaluar si pueden hacerlo o no.

One of the observations by transport drivers on the Municipal Transport Law is that the state should release and endorse tax credits for importing new vehicles in order to renew existing ones. The question is, why should transport drivers have these privileges if public transport has become a private business? Current operators must provide a safe, comfortable and punctual service; and it must be assessed if they can provide this or not.

Indigenous march against road through TIPNIS

As closely reported on Global Voices, The TIPNIS issue is one of the most challenging ongoing conflicts for Bolivia's government. Indigenous people from the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure are marching for the second time in one year towards La Paz, demanding the cancelling of a road project attempting to cross right through the middle of their National Park, a constitutionally protected area.

Over 600 marchers are in Puerto San Borja, approximately 300 kilometres from La Paz, at the time of writing this post. Fundación Tierra enabled a widget [es] screening the latest news on the indigenous march.

Health sector protests

Unionised Doctors, health workers and medicine students have been protesting and holding a strike for almost six weeks against the Decree 1126 passed by President Evo Morales. The regulation attempted to include all health workers into the General Labour Law, forcing them to complete an 8-hour work day, and not a 6-hour work day as is currently established. The reform also restricts cashing more than one salary from public funds.

Although president Morales “suspended” Decree 1126 on May 4 and called for a “Health Summit” in July, protesters demand a repeal instead of a suspension and reaffirm their claim to be part of the General Labour Law under full payment and benefits for extra hours.

As explained on a blog post by Videourgente [es], Medicine students support the strike, claiming that the government is capping lecturers' salaries and reducing practice hours.

Blogger Mario Duran, based in El Alto, commented on the Health Sector strike:

Analicemos las demandas y expliquemos las mismas:

8 horas. Sí. Esta medida merece nuestro apoyo, en Bolivia, obreros o profesionales, deberian trabajar ocho (8) horas.

Ley General del Trabajo. Sí. Todas las relaciones laborales deberian establecerse segun la Ley General del Trabajo […]

Nivelación Salarial a la CNS. Si.

Aqui se encuentra el meollo del paro medico, la Caja Nacional de Salud, al ser una entidad autarquica (en los hechos, aunque no en la reglamentación), sucesivamente ha destinado mayores recursos a la partida presupuestaria de sueldos y salarios,[…] hay que tener presente que en Bolivia, el salario mínimo es de 805 Bs.-. En promedio, los sueldos de la CNS superan entre un 20 - 40% al sueldo que se paga en otras instituciones.

Entonces, la movilización del gremio medico, no busca mantener el trabajo de 6 horas, sino exigir la elevación de sueldos y salarios.

Let's analize and explain the demands:

8 hours. Yes. This measure deserves our support, workers or professionals, should work eight (8) hours in Bolivia.

General Labour Law. Yes. All labour relations should be established according to the General Labour Law […]

Wage leveling for CNS (National Health Fund in Spanish) workers. Yes.

This is what the strike is about, the National Health Fund, being an autonomous entity (in fact, although not in the regulations), has successively increased the budget for salaries and wages, […] it must be taken into account that in Bolivia, the minimum wage is 130 US dollars. On average, the salaries at the National Health Fund are between 20 - 40% higher to the salary paid in other institutions.

Consequently, the protest by the health sector is not seeking to maintain the workday of 6 hours, but demands raising wages and salaries.

YouTube user davidangelcaballero1 shares the following citizen video of the march:

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

May Day Videos: Marches, Demonstrations and Protests Around The World

Juliana Rincón Parra — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:08:19 +0000

Through cities around the globe, people took to the streets to march and commemorate the International Workers' Day. Videos by The Real News take us on a tour of how the day was observed throughout the world.

May Day March in Venezuela

While some places saw peaceful marches, others had violent encounters between armed forces and the protesters. On the first part of the video, an overview of workers in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. For example, Malaysian activists protested against the growing inequality. In the Philippines were for job security and higher wages. Indonesians protested low wages and rough conditions. Cambodians asked for higher wages. People in Bahrein asked for workers to be reinstated to their positions of which they were removed by the government crackdowns. In Egypt protests were on behalf of including workers rights in the constitution that is being drafted. In Europe, workers protested austerity measures that seem to target them. In Russia, both the ruling party and the opposition had their own rallies. The French left marched against the past of fiscal austerity. And in the London, where May Day is not a holiday, workers went on strike.

On the second part, protests in North and South America. Demonstrations throughout Canada protesting budget cuts and rises in college tuition. In the USA, banks were targeted in many major cities including clashes with riot police, calls to strikes, and blockades. In Mexico workers marched to ask the government to do a better job in the face of violence. Honduras saw protests against the privatization of public services as well as corruption. In Cuba, massive parades commemorated the Cuban Revolution and in Venezuela both the government supporters and opposition marched, either for or against the recent reforms. In Colombia there were arrests during the protests and the Chilean student movement also marched.

Colombia: Nationwide Demonstrations Mark May 1

Lully Posada — Mon, 07 May 2012 03:53:42 +0000

As in other countries, Colombia commemorates International Work’s Day on 1 May. Traditionally [es], the day is celebrated by labor unions and various citizens who march on the streets to demonstrate in favor of labor welfare, social and economic development, and to reject any act that violates human dignity and the quality of life of workers.

This year in Colombia workers in different cities protested against the recently signed free trade agreement with the United Sates, high unemployment, poor salaries compared to the high living costs, outsourcing, and the transfer of the Social Security Institute to Colpensiones. Citizens also protested in favor for the right to life, education, work and health.

Marches in most cities were peaceful, as Frontera Informativa [es] reported about Manizales. But in Bogota and Medellin (where more people protested) demonstrations ended with the intervention of military forces. Several protesters were arrested and others wounded. However, traditional media spent more air time on the day's events abroad [es] than on local protests, while some [es] citizen and “independent” media outlets provided more local coverage.

“Este es El Punto” refers [es] to the origin of the day and questions the date in the United States (September 1). Finally, the blog mentions the President Santos' [es] new decree on home-based employment contracts:

Como nota positiva el presidente santos firmo un decreto para que las empresas empiecen a contratar a sus empleados desde sus casas.

On a positive note, President Santos signed a decree [es] for companies to start hiring employees from their homes.

Carlos Arturo Gamboa, on the blog Tutor Virtual, reflects on employment [es] as slavery and cites a video of Argentine Santiago Bou:

El trabajo hoy, en su gran mayoría, es la marca de que el valor de lo humano es una cifra, de que la dignidad habita en el olvido y lo peor de todo, de que la mayoría de empleados están dispuestos a aceptar los más grandes vejámenes con el fin de sostenerse en su lugar. Es como si los esclavos amaran sus cadenas.

Work today mostly shows that human worth is a figure, that the dignity lives in oblivion and worst of all, most employees are willing to accept the largest vexations to stay in place. It’s as if slaves loved their chains.

In Twitter the phrase “Día del Trabajo” (Labor Day) [es], became a Trending Topic as users referred to the marches, called for dignified work, and discussed other related issues.

Pacho (@ pachitoelche) [es] talks about the unrest [es] and calls for dignified work:

Marcharon muchos en diferentes ciudades de Colombia también hubo disturbios. Yo marché por millones de personas q no tienen trabajo digno

Many marched in different cities of Colombia also there were also riots. I marched for millions of people that don't have dignified work.

Ivan Martinez (@ OlimacNavi) [es] thinks that the march [es] was affected by communists:

Otra vez los comunistas tirándose la ciudad. Luego dicen que los del ESMAD [Policía anti disturbio] son cerdos que los maltratan. Feliz Día del Trabajo en la cárcel.

Communists again, ruining the city. Then say ESMAD (Mobile Anti-Disturbance Police) are pigs who mistreat you. Happy Labor Day in jail.

Karla Serrano (‏@KarlaSerrano7) [es] quotes a phrase [es]:

”El trabajo endulza la vida; pero no a todos les gustan los dulces.” Richard Hugo”

“Work sweetens life, but not everyone likes candy.” Richard Hugo”

Jesus Blanco (@ Gsusologo) [es] tweeted [ [es] with irony:

Me río yo del trabajo digno…

I laugh at dignified labor…

@ Comolanigua [es] shares two images of the anti-riot police:

En la marcha de #1mayose distribuyeron decenas de papas en la cara del ESMAD

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21476752 @ N08/6988071524 /, está su reacción

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ 21476752 @ N08/6988073666/in/set-72157629581472990 /

In the May 1 march, potato chips were distributed in the face of ESMAD http://www.flickr.com/photos/21476752 @ N08/6988071524 /, this was their reaction http://www.flickr.com/photos/ 21476752 @ N08/6988073666/in/set-72157629581472990 /

Pueblo Uníos published several videos [es] on their YouTube account. In one video they interview several workers [es] in the march in Medellin. These workers commented on the pension reform, temporary contracts, cooperatives, recognition of indigenous cultures, the free trade agreement with the U.S., and the right to health:

Finally, the blog “Marcha Patiotica” (Patriotic March) shares [es] some grim statistics:

(…) Colombia es hoy el tercer país más desigual del mundo, en el que mientras 30 compañías reportan ingresos operacionales anuales superiores a dos billones de pesos, según cifras oficiales el 43.6% de los trabajadores son informales y el 49.2% del total de ocupados recibe ingresos inferiores al salario mínimo y el nivel de crudeza e injusticia es tal que en puerto Gaitán, lugar donde tiene su principal centro de operaciones Pacific rubiales, empresa que reporta exorbitantes ganancias, los niños mueren de hambre, tendiendo este municipio el mas alto índice de mortalidad infantil del país y como muestra de la persecución sistemática contra la organización de los trabajadores entre el 2011 y lo que va corrido del 2012 han sido asesinados 35 lideres sindicales.

Colombia is now the third most unequal country in the world, where 30 companies reported annual operating earning over two billion dollars, according to official figures 43.6% of workers are informal and 49.2% of the total employed have income below the minimum wage. The level of cruelty and injustice is such that in Puerto Gaitán, where Pacific Rubiales (a company that reported exorbitant profits) has its main operations, children are starving. Furthermore, this municipality has the highest infant mortality rate in the country and as a sign of the systematic persecution against the organization of workers between 2011 and thus far in 2012, 35 union leaders have been killed.

Colombia: Telework Law or Microsoft Law?

Julián Ortega Martínez — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:40:07 +0000

lncognito wonders what is behind [es] the ‘telework law' (Decreto 884 de 2012 [es], which regulates the Ley 1228 de 2008 [es]), signed by President Juan Manuel Santos at the headquarters of Microsoft Colombia [es], and whose official website [es] seems to be sponsored by the Labour Ministry and the American company: “Interestingly, while most developing countries bet on free software, in this colony, sorry, Colombia, ICT and labour laws are signed by Microsoft.”

India: Photo Essay On Working Mothers

Rezwan — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:00:59 +0000

Pattabi Raman’s photo essay on working mothers in parts of rural India is up at the International Museum for women. The photo essay highlights issues that are specific to women in parts of rural India, such as the threat of displacement due to industrialization.

Panama Commemorates May 1 with Protests and Work

Rebecca Knaggs — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:53:35 +0000

The old-age dilemma of whether or not to rest on Labour Day is no different for Panamanians. This year, the Panamanian government decided to change the date of this public holiday and give the people the day off on Monday, April 30, instead of the traditional day, May 1. The reason for this change in date was to grant the people a long weekend as well as to encourage tourism within the country. The Panamanian newspaper, El Panamá América [es] writes:

Un comunicado de la Presidencia, señala que la oportunidad es propicia para que se traslade el día de descanso y se favorezca el desarrollo del turismo interno a nivel nacional y la convivencia familiar.

A press release from the Presidency points out that the opportunity to move this day of rest is propitious. It encourages the development of local tourism at a national level as well as family time.

Several labour unions were outraged because they consider the date to be a symbol of their rights, earned by the working class throughout history. Kaos en la red[es] indicates that the change of the date is seen as an insult by many:

Como un insulto y una burla a la clase obrera, se interpreta la imposición del lunes 30 de abril como día puente por el 1º de Mayo.

At Work; Guadalupe, Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panamá. Image courtesy Lon&Queta on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

We see the imposition of the change of the date of Labour Day from May 1 to April 30 as a joke and an insult to the working class.

Nevertheless, the various labour unions decided they would still carry out the marches and activities that they had planned, explained La opinión Panamá [es]:

Los dirigentes sindicalistas manifestaron que pese al día puente decretado por el Gobierno, realizarán hoy martes las distintas actividades.

The leaders of labour unions express their regret over the the change in date of the public holiday ordered by the Government, but they will still carry out their various activities today, Tuesday May 1.

Uniradioinforma [es] reports that the march became quite forceful, with signs that protest corruption as well as the high cost of living:

“Abajo el alto costo de la vida”, “La corrupción mata”, “Ni corruptos ni coimeros”, se leía en las pancartas que portaban los trabajadores, en alusión a un reciente escándalo de presunto pago de sobornos al presidente Ricardo Martinelli.

“Lower the cost of living, “Corruption kills”, “No more Corruption and No more Bribes” read the placards that were carried by workers. The slogans are in light of a recent scandal where bribery money was allegedly paid to president Ricardo Martinelli.

Netizens also participated in the celebration of Labour Day. Sthaisy Smith (@Staisy09) [es] considers it madness to have to work on a day that commemorates labour:

Y ahora el 1 de mayo a trabajar q loco esta Panamá!!!

Now we have to work on May 1, how crazy is Panama!!!

Leilani Gonzalez (@Le1lani) [es] on the other hand sees it as something logical:

Día del Trabajo, trabajando como una trabajadora!!! #Panamá

Labour Day, working as a labourer should!!! #Panamá

Agenda 507 (@agenda507) [es] wants to call attention to the fact that Labour Day is for everyone and not only for the groups of labour unions that went out to march on May 1:

#FelizDiadelTrabajador ¡El 1 Mayo es de todos! No exclusivo de un grupo, es tmbn de quienes trabajan en casa, ofi, calle, salud, campo y +

#FelizDiadelTrabajador May 1 is for everyone! It's not exclusively for one group, it is also for those who work at home, in offices, on the street, in health care, in the country etc.

It was in this way that May 1 was celebrated in Panama; some persons with slogans and others gratefully turning up at work, their opinions clearly coinciding with that of Tito Herrera (@TitoHerrera) [es]:

La mejor manera de celebrar el día del trabajo es… TRABAJANDO! Saludos a todos, Feliz día, sigamos trabajando por un mejor Panamá!

The best way to celebrate Labour Day is… WORKING! Regards to all, have a good day, we must continue working towards a better Panama!

Cuba: Nothing Changes on May Day

Janine Mendes-Franco — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:42:39 +0000

Today, Cuba marks May Day, in acknowledgement of the Cuban Revolution. It is an occasion that is strongly linked to the concept of labour empowerment, as workers from various towns march with their colleagues to Plaza de la Revolución to hear speeches - the most substantial of which have historically been delivered by the Castros - at the foot of the statue of José Martí.

There are also many cultural and musical events in honour of the occasion. National public service announcements about this year's parade state that it “will serve to demonstrate the people’s commitment to complying with the Communist Party’s economic and social reform guidelines.”

But some bloggers are wondering whether anything has really changed in Cuba, despite the fact that self-employed workers will be taking part in the march for the first time.

At Translating Cuba, Anddy Sierra Alvarez writes:

The propaganda has begun for participation on May Day, no one is forced to go, they’ve said for a lifetime, but this is not the reality. For not only are those belonging to the Cuban Communist Party forced to participate, but they are told so in the bureaucratic meetings they have every month.

The point of the march is to show the worlds that Cubans feel fine, there’s no desperation, no dissatisfaction with the government, no hunger, and that all we Cubans here who are trying to get the government to change the form of the government — or to bring it down — are painted as liars, defamers, or mercenaries supporting the interests of the government of Barack Obama.

Generation Y draws a parallel to “the last time the Plaza of the Revolution was full, crammed with people”, which happened in March, when Cubans attended a papal mass:

The television broadcasters repeated, with a strange insistence, that attending this Mass were ‘believers and non-believers.' It was…a clarification — and not subtle in the least — that…Cubans were there because of ‘discipline,' out of ‘respect,' or because they are an ‘equable' people, but not, in fact, because of faith.

I wonder whether this May Day they will also throw out such contrasting adjectives. They could, for example, say that on this Workers’ Day both ‘Revolutionaries and Non-revolutionaries' are marching, which would not be absurd on a day that should have a labor and union tone, not a political one. Can you imagine the grave voice of the announcer affirming that in the flag-waving crowd there are both ‘employed and unemployed'? Of these, the latter would undoubtedly have to be the most energetic block, because the number of unemployed workers in 2012 has grown to 170 million throughout the Island. In front of the microphones they should make the distinction that in the mass of people facing the statue of Jose Marti are found 'sympathizers and non-sympathizers' with Raul’s government. Because after all, who would believe that a million individuals are all in agreement with the administration of a president?

She continues:

There will be no surprises nor nuances, but rather attempts to lump together hundreds of thousands of participants and present them as a unanimous chorus supporting the system. And May Day once again will be hijacked, like so many times before. From the podium those who salute will be precisely those who should be called out and criticized on the banners, not those who should be leading a workers‘ commemoration. The day will end without demands being made of this boss named “the State” to raise salaries, lower the cost of living, or improve working conditions. Instead, every little head seen from the Plaza’s tower will be counted as a round of applause.

Without Evasion notes that “the official press has been announcing the parade this May 1st with a newly added component to the ‘army' of workers that will march in support of the revolution and socialism: the self-employed”:

I cannot quite understand the issue. Aren’t the self-employed a sector that represents private enterprise? Haven’t we been taught in school that private property is one of the ‘evils of capitalism,' a source of exploitation for the proletariat? Has the Cuban system created a new species, the owner-laborer?

What concerns her most, though, is that:

…when convening ‘independents' to this parade, the government has the intention to continue to monitor the supply of slaves, even the sector of freedmen, i.e., those who are in the first phase of buying their freedom through their economic activity, independent of the Master. Official control mechanisms deem important that those individuals who turn autonomous do not become independent or associate freely, and, at the same time, the government needs to offer the world the impression that private businessmen and manufacturers are aligned with the revolution, thus legitimizing the ‘renewal.'

Worst of all is that there is a representative sample of the self-employed who will lend themselves to the new farce. So then, the self-employed will march this May 1st under the banners of socialism, and maybe soon a ‘union of revolutionary self-employed' will be established. This won’t, even remotely, be a march on anyone’s own account.

Bad Handwriting finds the whole thing “surreal”:

In Cuba, where workers are being subjected to ‘downsizing', where the uncertainty about their place of employment, and the uncertainty of non-living wage are fundamental concerns, the first of May is celebrated with massive parades in all provinces. Signs abound in support of the Revolution (read Government) but there will not be a single sign demanding wage increases, the disappearance of the double currency, or transparency in the layoffs.

This country is so surreal, that the newly unionized self-employed workers, will parade in massive numbers. A group whose main concern should be the demand for non-discriminatory treatment, easing of red tape to access a work permit, extending the range of permitted activities and less severe taxes.

Finally, Through the Eye of the Needle calls this year's anniversary “an odd May Day”:

For the first time in more than fifty years self-employed workers and owners of small businesses will take part. They are already unionized.

So, will these new people be pressing for labor concessions – something prohibited under socialism – or will they simply be supporting the Revolution and the Party?

Will this be merely a display of cowardice? If they are attending this gathering out of a sense of conviction, they should be applauded. But I fear that even in the private sector a double standard is becoming evident. It is an indication that they by no means consider themselves to be free men and women. I respect the decision they have made. But what they are aspiring towards is to be treated with respect by the State itself, which not only manipulates them at whim, but also burdens them with excessive taxes, sells them wholesale supplies at already inflated retail prices without any special consideration, while unleashing on them a herd of ravenous inspectors. And, though no one will say so publicly, they are considered to be cowards by society itself. Is this the way we pretend that change is taking place in the country?

The changes will only be successful after a resurgence of civil society. But for that to happen, it is necessary to discard the heavy ballast of our induced fears and double standards. If you do not violate the country’s laws, no matter how unjust you feel they are, behave like a respectable citizen, and neither defame nor cause harm to others, then what is there to fear?

The thumbnail image used in this post, “Cuban flag”, is by Phil Guest, used under an Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) Creative Commons license. Visit Phil Guest's flickr photostream.

May Day Marked Around the Arab World

Ayesha Saldanha — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:25:02 +0000

May Day, or Labour Day, or International Workers' Day is recognised as a public holiday in many Arab countries, and demonstrations and rallies are held by unions and political parties to pay tribute to the role of workers and to call for workers' rights.

The National Transitional Council of Libya has declared [ar] International Workers' Day to be a national public holiday starting this year. Hamid tweeted from Tripoli:

@2011feb17: #Libya's first #MayDay (Worker's Day) holiday since 42 years ago! HAPPY HOLIDAY EVERYONE Yup #Libya has changed ;)

Demonstration on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Tunis. Image by Amine Ghrabi on Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).

Bahraini activist Maryam Alkhawaja remembered the migrant workers of the Gulf:

@MARYAMALKHAWAJA: On labor day we pay tribute to all the migrant workers who r treated like modern day slaves in #gulf countries

Demonstration in Barbar, Bahrain. Image by Twitter user @bahrainiac14.

Demonstrations were held all over Bahrain demanding the reinstatement of the hundreds of workers who were fired last year for taking part in protests. Many of the demonstrations were attacked by riot police with tear gas. Journalist Mazen Mahdi reported from Manama's souq (market):

@MazenMahdi: Despite tear-gasing #Manama souq labor day protest still on-going #Bahrain

Demonstration in Khouribga, Morocco. Image by Twitter user @__Hisham.

Imad Bazzi tweeted about the hacking of the Lebanese Ministry of Labour's website:

@TrellaLB: special delivery for the Ministry of Labor in #Lebanon on Labor day, a total makeover :D loooool http://www.labor.gov.lb/ thanks to #RYV

The website was changed to say the following:

We are RYV, short for Raise Your Voice, and we are simply a group of people who could not bare sitting in silence, watching all the crimes and injustice going on in Lebanon. We will not be silenced and brainwashed by your media. We will not stop until the Lebanese people mobilize, demand their rights, and earn them. We will not stop until the standards of living are raised to where they should be in Lebanon. We will not stop until this government's self-made problems are solved, like the power shortage, water shortage, rise in gas prices and rise in food product prices. We are RYV, expect us to break the silence, whether in the streets or on the Internet.
Silence is a crime

Demonstration in Cairo. Image by Hossam el-Hamalawy on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).

Iran: Street Sweeper Finds and Returns $500,000

Fred Petrossian — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:44:08 +0000

Headlines about multi-million dollar corruption often dance across the front pages of Iranian newspapers. There is currently hot news about Iran's biggest bank fraud, allegedly by people with ties to the government.

But all of a sudden a piece of positive news shined in Iran and outside country: A street sweeper named Ahmad Rabani from Bojnourd, 700km from Tehran, found 1 billion Toman (about $570,000 US dollars) and returned it to the owner.

As thanks, he received a 200,000 Toman ($120 US dollars) reward.

Iranian blogger Unirani praises the street sweeper and calls his actions a lesson for Islamic Republic officials involved with corruption. The blogger writes [fa]:

… a man from the working class and a member of the municipality found 1 billion Toman in a bag and returned it to its owner. We realise the worthiness of his actions when we learn he lived in poverty because of dire economic situation in country. Naturally he could have kept the money, resigned from his job, and become one of these millionaires. But he did not do it. Let that be a lesson to those thieves and corrupt people who steal everything in the country and with their impure policies that create endless economic difficulties.

Another blogger, Pesarirouni writes about this story and says [fa]:

Dignity still exists… in a time when a brother has no mercy for a brother… I was born in a working class family and I can sympathise with all the difficulties these people face… I praise his dignity, and think he should get a medal of honor for his actions.

Del2del writes [fa] that Rabani must have overcome big temptations to return the money, since he estimates the amount of money would equal 166 years of a street sweeper's salary.

India: The Hand Drawn Rickshaws in Kolkata

Rezwan — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:44:27 +0000

Debolina Raja Gupta notes that although the West Bengal Government In India had decided to take the hand drawn rickshaws off by 2005-2006 they are still plying in Kolkata roads.

Bulgaria: Penalty For Getting Pregnant

Rayna St. — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:18:41 +0000

The blog “Работнически глас” (”Worker's voice”) tells [bg] about a trial scheduled for May 26: a former female employee is suing a company for a discriminatory clause in the work contract, which stated that any female employee who gets pregnant after being hired will have to pay a fine (700 lv, around 350 euros: nearly double the average salary in Bulgaria). In her lawsuit, the employee argues that this clause constitutes a discrimination based on sex. It is still unclear how such a contract could have been approved by the official labor administration.