AIPEU,Gr.-C Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Recent Selected

Labour & Trade Union News

across the Globe:

1.         Asbestos victims to challenge health insurance ruling:

The trade union Unite ( in U K’s Royal Post ) is set to challenge a recent ruling by the Court of Appeal concerning victims of asbestos-related cancer and their right to compensation . The Court of Appeal decided in October that employer’s liability insurance was triggered not by the exposure to asbestos in the workplace but by the development of mesothelioma in some cases.

It ruled that symptoms of mesothelioma only started many years after the asbestos dust had been inhaled by the victims, and may result in thousands of workers in the UK who have since developed the disease losing out on compensation. However, Unite is set to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court.

Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung caused by asbestos exposure, has no known cure, with about 2,000 people in the UK each year being diagnosed with the disease. Many of those now being diagnosed were exposed to asbestos prior to the dangers becoming more widely known.

Tony Woodley, Joint General Secretary of Unite, commented "The way the insurers refused to pay out in these cases is a kick in the guts to every family that’s watched a loved-one suffer a painful and degrading death from mesothelioma." He added "Insurers sold their policies knowing that employers and workers’ families would rely on them. Now they’re trying to weasel out of paying based on fancy legal argument and policy small print .

.Ian McFall, head of asbestos policy at trade union law firm Thompsons Solicitors, also said " Asbestos victims will welcome the decision by Unite to pursue the appeal to the highest court in the land and the union’s principled stance in opposing the insurers’ latest legal challenge.

Source: healthinsurance.co.uk, dated 03.11.2010

2. Bulgarian Cabinet Passes Latest Retirement Reform Plan:

       The Bulgarian cabinet approved the amendments in the Social Security Code, announced Sunday by Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, and approved the next day by the business and the trade unions.

This is the second time when the government of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) attempts to carry out the retirement reform. The initial version reached the Parliament and was approved by the Parliamentary Social Commission on first reading before Borisov's decision to withdraw it following trade unions' threats of country-wide protests.

According to the latest plan, approved Wednesday, the required years of service for retirement in Bulgaria will start going up by four months per year, beginning January 1, 2012. The gradual increase of the years of service would continue to 2020 to reach 40 years for men and 37 for women.

After the increase of the years of service, the retirement age will begin going up in 2021 by six months per year to reach in 2024 65 for men and 63 for women.

In addition, pensions of people eligible for early retirement (police, military, pilots, miners etc) would be paid by NOI until December 31, 2014, instead of the previously announced 2013. The move was triggered by the fact that private retirement funds admitted they do not have enough money to begin paying pensions to the above said workers in 2011. These private funds are to start paying pensions in 2015.

At this time, the required years of service for early retirement will begin to gradually go up by six months per year to lead to retirement eight or three years earlier than regular employees, depending on the category of work of those eligible to take advantage of early retirement.

Source: Sofia Morning News, dated 04.11.2010

3.         BULGARIA LIBERALIZES POSTAL SERVICES MARKET:

Amendments in the Postal Services Bill, effective January 1, 2011, eliminate the monopoly of the Bulgarian Posts on small parcels – less than 50grams.

The cabinet approved Wednesday the amendments to include mostly the letters market, estimated by the Commission for Communications Regulation at BNG 30 M.

The amendments provide for loyal competition and opportunities for other businesses wishing to provide letter mailing services without legal obstacles, the government's press release informs.

In addition to the Posts, there are now 4 other operators of mailing services in Bulgaria – "Tip Top Courier," "Ekont Express," "MIBM Express," and "Star Post."

The amendments were prompted by an EU directive, providing for the full liberalization of postal markets in Member States by the end of 2012.

According to the Bulgarian Bill, the Postal Services would remain the main operator for the entire country for the next 15 years and would be subsidized by the State budget when they incur "unjust financial burdens."

The initial plan was to open the market in the beginning of 2009, but on the concerns of the Posts that private competition would take over its most lucrative segments, it was postponed by 2 years.

Right now parcels under 50 grams form one fifth of the postal revenues.

The Posts say they are trying to introduce new services to make them more competitive such as international money transfers, sale of transportation fares, delivery of medications, opening postal counters in supermarkets, online retail and others.

Source: Sofia Morning News, dated 04.11.2010

4.     French again protest pension reforms:

Hundreds of thousands of French strikers took to the streets on Thursday in a desperate last ditch bid to force President Nicolas Sarkozy to scrap a just-passed law raising the retirement age.

But, while the crowds marching under a sea of trade union banners remained impressive, the interior ministry said nationwide turnout was sharply down compared to similar protests before the reform was voted.

Officials said that fewer than 200,000 had taken part by midday on what was a ninth one-day protest , compared to 480,000 on October 19, and unions admitted that demonstrators were being worn down.

“I can tell you that participation will be down. We don’t yet have the figures,” said the head of the CGT union Bernard Thibault. “What’s impressive is that this is doubtless the first time that the day after a law is voted we have such large demonstrations,” he said at the start of the main rally in Paris, calling on Sarkozy not to enact the law.

At least 270 rallies were to be held around the country, part of a movement that has threatened to paralyse the economy. Power was cut at the finance ministry for an hour at the start of the day, in what officials described as “an apparent act of ill will”.

Most of the demonstrations of recent weeks have been peaceful, but gangs of youths on the fringes of rallies or of school blockades have clashed with riot police in several cities and authorities are on high alert.

The biggest rally started in Paris at 1:00 pm, and was expected to draw hundreds of thousands. Previous marches on October 19 drew between 1.1 and 3.5 million nationwide.

An opinion poll by CSA institute published in Le Parisien at the start of this latest day of action showed 65% of French voters support the trade unions’ battle to protect workers’ right to retire at 60.

But, with the reform now formally approved by parliament and many families enjoying the half-term school holiday, labour leaders admitted they were not expecting to match previous mass mobilizations

At least one more day of action is planned after Thursday, on November 6, but the French parliament has approved Sarkozy’s pensions bill and his aides say he intends to sign it into law on or around November 15.

France’s Socialist opposition, which accuses the right-wing government of forcing ordinary workers to work longer to compensate for the failures of high finance, demanded that the president stay his pen.

“The plan is for the social movement to prevent the government from enacting a law that can’t be good, because it has been rejected by seven French people in ten,” said party spokesman Benoit Hamon

Source: The Economic Times, dated 29.10.2010