Spain: Cabinet clears Royal Decree limiting temporary and contract work
28 December, 2021: Cabinet has given its green signal to the Royal Decree which would limit the scope of temporary and contract work. The decree is a result of 9-month long tripartite negotiation. Once in place, companies will have 3 months to do away with contracts for a specific project or service known as “por obra y servicio,”. Employers will only be able to hire workers on two types of contract: structural, for production circumstances, and the substitution of another employee with the preservation of their role. These contracts can only be renewed up to six months. Further, any worker who works 18 months on contract in a continuous 24 month period will automatically be entitled to regularisation.
USA: Kellogg’s workers’ month-long strike ends in victory
22 December, 2021: Over a month-long strike of over 1,400 Kellogg’s workers ended in victory when the management agreed to a 5-year long settlement on wages and working conditions. According to the new settlement there Kellogg’s will not shut any plants till October, 2026, and neither would it employ workers on long-term contracts. Workers will be employed on permanent rolls of the company and entitled to inflation adjusted pay raise. The agreement includes an immediate raise of $1.10 per hour and a pension boost.
Australia: Social Services Department underpaid workers to the tune of $400,500 over five years
21 December, 2021: Fair Work Ombudsman has found that the Social Services Department underpaid 68 workers employed in the communication services department to the tune of $400,500 between October, 2015 and February 2020. The matter came to light when documents were released under Freedom of Information Laws which also suggest that the federal government department was aware of the wage theft. A compliance notice has been issued to the department by the Fair Works Ombudsman.
Nigeria: University lecturers begin indefinite strike as government backtracks on MoU
20 December, 2021: University lecturers have embarked on indefinite strike against government’s inaction over Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in March,2021. According to the MoU signed between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the government, services of armed Civil Defence Corps were to be deployed on the campus to address security concerns. Further, government was to release N142 million towards payment of Earned Academic Allowance arrears by October, 2021.
Egypt: Universal Appliances workers resume strike after management delays payment of wage arrears
15 December, 2021: Workers at Universal Appliance have resumed strike after management fell short on promise to pay wages as agreed after the month-long strike in October, 2021. Workers are now demanding a lump sum payout of six months’ worth of incentive bonuses that were not distributed in 2021, and on management’s resuming risk allowance payments worth LE100-120 per month that have been suspended for over 3 years.
South Africa: Striking retail workers’ register big victory against Walmart subsidiary Massmart
10 December, 2021: After a 3-week long strike Walmart subsidiary – Massmart has signed an agreement which provides worker a 4.5 percent pay increase or R400 whichever is higher. Furthermore, according to the settlement, around 320 retrenched workers at Game stores will be offered jobs at the group’s stores within a 50km distance from their homes. Company will freeze recruitment until February 2022 to accommodate this process, and it will also set up a joint company/worker committee to oversee the job placements. Workers who do not wish to be reinstated will receive severance pay.
