Explore Business Standard
Strikes
New York fired more than 2,000 prison guards Monday for failing to return to work after a weekslong wildcat strike that crippled the state's correctional system, but said enough officers had come back on the job to declare the illegal work stoppage over. After 22 days of an illegal strike, the governor and I are happy to report it is now ended, Commissioner Daniel Martuscello said during a virtual press briefing. The state and the guards' union struck a new deal to end the strike this weekend, but it was contingent on at least 85% of staff returning to work by Monday morning. Although the number fell short of the 85% goal needed to trigger the agreement, Martuscello said the state would honor the deal's overtime and some other provisions. He said the National Guard would remain in place at prisons in a support position while the department undertakes an aggressive recruiting campaign to attract additional employees. About 10,000 security staff are available to work in prisons across
The State Food Commission on Saturday warned of legal action against ration traders on their proposed indefinite strike in Kerala from January 27. Legal action will be taken against anyone obstructing ration cardholders from receiving their entitled share of food grains, according to an official release issued by the Commission. "It is the responsibility of the State Food Commission to ensure that the food rights guaranteed under Section 16 (6) (b) of Chapter II of the National Food Security Act, 2013, are upheld and made available to consumers through the public distribution system." "The Commission will take a serious view of any act that disrupts the delivery of food grains to ration cardholders and will initiate legal proceedings against those responsible," the release stated. The Ration Traders Coordination Committee announced the indefinite strike starting January 27 after talks with Finance Minister K N Balagopal and Food and Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil failed to resolv
An airstrike targeting an armed group in northwestern Nigeria mistakenly killed at least 10 civilians, the West African nation's military said Friday. The villagers were killed on Christmas Day when the air force targeted a logistics base of the Lakurawa insurgent group in the Silame area of Sokoto state, Edward Buba, Nigerian defense spokesperson, told journalists at a press conference. On Thursday, the Sokoto state government said the air force mistakenly shelled the villagers in the early hours of Wednesday in an attempt to dislodge the insurgents from the area. However, on Friday, Buba said only that the Lakurawa insurgents were directly hit by munitions and that the civilians died from secondary explosions. The Lakurawa insurgent group began infiltrating Africa's most populous country following a wave of coups that disrupted Nigeria's relations with neighbouring Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, hurting their ability to cooperate on transnational threats. Initially gaining local
Unionised factory workers at Boeing are voting Monday whether to accept a contract offer or to continue their strike, which has lasted more than seven weeks and shut down production of most Boeing passenger planes. A vote to ratify the contract would clear the way for the aerospace giant to resume airplane production and bring in much-needed cash. If members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers vote for a third time to reject Boeing's offer, it would plunge the company into further financial peril and uncertainty. In its latest proposed contract, Boeing is offering pay raises of 38% over four years, as well as ratification and productivity bonuses. IAM District 751, which represents Boeing workers in the Pacific Northwest, endorsed the proposal, which is slightly more generous than one the machinists voted down nearly two weeks ago. It is time for our members to lock in these gains and confidently declare victory," the union district said in schedulin
Ahead of the Ganesh festival, the bus services of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) got disrupted on Tuesday in most parts of Maharashtra, as a large section of its employees launched a strike over salary-related and other demands, officials said. Due to the strike launched by the action committee of 11 trade unions starting midnight, the bus services of the state-run corporation were completely stopped at 35 out of the MSRTC's 250 bus depots across the state, a spokesperson of the corporation said. "Other depots are either fully or partially operational," he said. The strike will create problems for the people who wish to travel to their native places for the 10-day Ganesh festival, which is celebrated on a large scale in the state. The Maharashtra State Transport (ST) Kamgar Sanyukta Kruti Samiti (joint action committee) began this strike over salary-related issues of employees, after talks with the state government failed last month. The action committee
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea against the 12-hour 'Bangla Bandh' called by the BJP since the petitioner was debarred perpetually from filing public interest litigations (PIL) before the court in a previous order. Petitioner Sanjoy Das, who claimed to be a lawyer practising at the high court, sought that the bandh be declared illegal. A division bench, presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, dismissed the PIL, as the court in its previous order perpetually debarred Das from presenting any PIL. The bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, in that order rejected Das's PIL, where it held that he had made false statements about himself in that petition, seeking a change of roster of a particular judge presiding over police inaction/overaction matters. The bench also imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on Das in connection with that petition. Maintaining that the petitioner has abused the process of this court, attempted to intimidate the office of the ch
Israeli tank and drone strikes in Gaza on Wednesday killed at least 17 people, according to hospital staff and Associated Press journalists who counted the bodies. The strikes happened in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and Khan Younis in the south. Lebanon's Hezbollah on Wednesday launched more than 50 rockets, hitting a number of private homes in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Hezbollah said the attack was in response to an Israeli strike deep into Lebanon on Tuesday night. The attacks came a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar as he pressed ahead with the latest diplomatic mission to secure a cease-fire in the war in Gaza, even as Hamas and Israel signalled that challenges remain. Diplomatic efforts had redoubled as fears grow of a wider regional war after the recent targeted killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, both blamed on Israel, and threats of retaliation. Meanwhile, key mediator Egypt expressed skepticism Wednesda
Canada's second largest airline, WestJet, said it canceled 407 flights affecting 49,000 passengers after the maintenance workers union announced it went on strike. The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association said its members started to strike Friday evening because the airline's unwillingness to negotiate with the union made it inevitable. The surprise strike affecting international and domestic flights came after the federal government issued a ministerial order for binding arbitration on Thursday. That followed two weeks of turbulent discussions with the union on a new deal. WestJet said it will continue to park aircraft through Sunday for the long weekend culminating in Canada Day on Monday. The airline has about 200 aircraft and says they'll operate approximately 30 by Sunday evening. The airline's CEO, Alexis von Hoensbroech, put the blame for the situation squarely on what he said was a rogue union from the U.S. that was trying to make inroads in Canada. Von Hoensbroech sai
Union leaders and Hollywood studios reached a tentative agreement Sunday to end a historic screenwriters strike after nearly five months, though no deal is yet in the works for striking actors. The Writers Guild of America announced the deal in a joint statement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the group that represents studios, streaming services and production companies in negotiations. WGA has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP, the guild said in an email to members. This was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings who joined us on the picket lines for over 146 days. The three-year contract agreement -- settled on after five marathon days of renewed talks by WGA and AMPTP negotiators that was joined at times by studio executives -- must be approved by the guild's board and members before the strike officially ends. In a longer message from the guild shared by members on social
The president of the United Auto Workers said on Friday the union will expand its strike against major automakers by walking out of 38 General Motors and Stellantis plants in 20 states. Ford was spared additional strikes because the company has met some of the union's demands during negotiations over the past week, said UAW President Shawn Fain. The union is pointing to the companies' huge recent profits as it seeks wage increases of 36 per cent over four years. The companies have offered a little over half that amount. The UAW has other demands, including a 32-hour work week for 40 hours of pay and a restoration of traditional pension plans for newer workers. The companies say they can't afford to meet the union's demands because they need to invest profits in a costly transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles. The UAW's contract with the automakers expired at midnight on September 14, and workers walked out of a Ford assembly plant near Detroit, a GM factory in ...