VOA News: Middle East: May Day Rallies Held Around the World

VOA News: Middle East Middle East Voice of America

May Day Rallies Held Around the World May 1st 2012, 14:00 Tens of thousands of workers are taking to the streets in cities around the world to mark International Workers Day with marches and calls for higher pay and better working conditions. In Asia, thousands gathered in the capital cities of Thailand, Bangladesh and Indonesia to mark May Day with a rallies organized by trade unions. The French news agency says the rally in Jakarta was the biggest on the continent. In Taiwan, one nurse, Li Hua-Cheng, 30, deplored her working conditions in a hospital. "We have been oppressed by the hospitals for a long time, and it has been hard especially when one person has to handle three people's jobs until we eventually develop health problems," said Li.  "This is very inhumane. Moreover, if we have health problems, then we can't provide good care to the patients, and if something happens to the patients, we could make mistakes because of fatigue." In Russia, President-elect Vladimir Putin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev joined tens of thousands in a march through Moscow. Marchers held huge banners supporting their labor unions and factories. One pensioner, Anna Maltseva, said May Day was a celebration of the solidarity of workers throughout the world. "I would like this day not just to be a labor holiday every year, celebrating May and freedom, but an international day of solidarity among working people, when we all support each other widely, at least on this day," said Maltseva. Elsewhere in Europe, protests were fueled by the growing sentiment against the austerity measures imposed by governments in Greece, Spain and elsewhere to cut government budget deficits. In Madrid, thousands protested against the highest jobless rate in the 17-nation euro currency union and labor reforms that make it easier to fire workers. In the U.S., Occupy protesters are planning demonstrations in New York to try to blockade a major bridge and shut down some of Wall Street's financial houses. Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters. Media files: AP May Day Indonesia rally 1May12 230.jpg

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VOA News: Americas: May Day Rallies Held Around the World

VOA News: Americas Americas Voice of America

May Day Rallies Held Around the World May 1st 2012, 14:00 Tens of thousands of workers are taking to the streets in cities around the world to mark International Workers Day with marches and calls for higher pay and better working conditions. In Asia, thousands gathered in the capital cities of Thailand, Bangladesh and Indonesia to mark May Day with a rallies organized by trade unions. The French news agency says the rally in Jakarta was the biggest on the continent. In Taiwan, one nurse, Li Hua-Cheng, 30, deplored her working conditions in a hospital. "We have been oppressed by the hospitals for a long time, and it has been hard especially when one person has to handle three people's jobs until we eventually develop health problems," said Li.  "This is very inhumane. Moreover, if we have health problems, then we can't provide good care to the patients, and if something happens to the patients, we could make mistakes because of fatigue." In Russia, President-elect Vladimir Putin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev joined tens of thousands in a march through Moscow. Marchers held huge banners supporting their labor unions and factories. One pensioner, Anna Maltseva, said May Day was a celebration of the solidarity of workers throughout the world. "I would like this day not just to be a labor holiday every year, celebrating May and freedom, but an international day of solidarity among working people, when we all support each other widely, at least on this day," said Maltseva. Elsewhere in Europe, protests were fueled by the growing sentiment against the austerity measures imposed by governments in Greece, Spain and elsewhere to cut government budget deficits. In Madrid, thousands protested against the highest jobless rate in the 17-nation euro currency union and labor reforms that make it easier to fire workers. In the U.S., Occupy protesters are planning demonstrations in New York to try to blockade a major bridge and shut down some of Wall Street's financial houses. Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters. Media files: AP May Day Indonesia rally 1May12 230.jpg

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VOA News: Europe: May Day Rallies Held Around the World

VOA News: Europe Europe Voice of America

May Day Rallies Held Around the World May 1st 2012, 14:00 Tens of thousands of workers are taking to the streets in cities around the world to mark International Workers Day with marches and calls for higher pay and better working conditions. In Asia, thousands gathered in the capital cities of Thailand, Bangladesh and Indonesia to mark May Day with a rallies organized by trade unions. The French news agency says the rally in Jakarta was the biggest on the continent. In Taiwan, one nurse, Li Hua-Cheng, 30, deplored her working conditions in a hospital. "We have been oppressed by the hospitals for a long time, and it has been hard especially when one person has to handle three people's jobs until we eventually develop health problems," said Li.  "This is very inhumane. Moreover, if we have health problems, then we can't provide good care to the patients, and if something happens to the patients, we could make mistakes because of fatigue." In Russia, President-elect Vladimir Putin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev joined tens of thousands in a march through Moscow. Marchers held huge banners supporting their labor unions and factories. One pensioner, Anna Maltseva, said May Day was a celebration of the solidarity of workers throughout the world. "I would like this day not just to be a labor holiday every year, celebrating May and freedom, but an international day of solidarity among working people, when we all support each other widely, at least on this day," said Maltseva. Elsewhere in Europe, protests were fueled by the growing sentiment against the austerity measures imposed by governments in Greece, Spain and elsewhere to cut government budget deficits. In Madrid, thousands protested against the highest jobless rate in the 17-nation euro currency union and labor reforms that make it easier to fire workers. In the U.S., Occupy protesters are planning demonstrations in New York to try to blockade a major bridge and shut down some of Wall Street's financial houses. Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters. Media files: AP May Day Indonesia rally 1May12 230.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: Indonesian Laborers Demand Bigger Share of Profits

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

Indonesian Laborers Demand Bigger Share of Profits May 1st 2012, 13:58 Thousands of protesters marched through the Indonesian capital Tuesday demanding better working conditions to mark international Labor Day. While increasingly frequent strikes have revealed discontent within the labor force, analysts say Indonesia is still a long way from overcoming its sweatshop reputation.  Traveling from all over to join the huge rally, thousands marched peacefully along Jakarta's main roads to deliver their message to the presidential palace Tuesday. Among the crowd was Dede Rasani, a 45-year-old factory worker from Bandung and a member of the Indonesian Trade Union Federation. Rasani says the government neglects the rights of workers and fails to properly implement labor laws. The government, he argues, should increase minimum wage, regulate pension payments and eliminate outsourcing. Tuesday's protest is the latest in a series in Indonesia in the past year. The success of workers at West Papua's Freeport mine, recently granted a 37 percent wage increase after a three-month strike, has encouraged laborers across the country rise up. In February 20,000 factory workers in West Java demanded their minimum wage be increased, and they won. Their win has sparked similar victories in eight other provinces. Sportswear producer Nike was recently forced to pay its local workers $1 million in unpaid overtime. There is also new controversy over allegations that uniforms for the London Olympic Games are produced under sweatshop conditions in Indonesia. Yet depite the rising number of protests, economist Ichsan Fauzi says Indonesia's huge pool of cheap labor undermines the likelihood of improved worker rights. "The fact that unemployment and underemployment exists in this country and makes up 30 percent of the labor force means there will always be people who are willing to take jobs with less pay, less than the minimum wage, said  In a way, that puts a cap on the official labor movement," said Ichsan. Indonesia is experiencing rapid economic growth but Indonesian factory workers still remain some of the lowest-paid in Asia, making between $100 to $200 a month - lower than China, India, Malaysia and Thailand. Many companies hire outsourced workers to avoid obligations in the labor laws. But even if the rate of outsourcing dropped, there is a fear that foreign companies will merely find cheap labor elsewhere. Ichsan says despite labor groups' recent victories, the country still a long way off from the kind of coordination efforts that have shaped workers' rights elsewhere. "You can't compare the labor movement in Indonesia with those in Western Europe for example, that of staging widespread strikes," said Ichsan. "That has not been witnessed in this country." While Indonesia's labor unions remain fragmented, seven groups recently announced they would form a national umbrella organization. In response to Tuesday's rally, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced a new higher income ceiling that is not subject to tax, as well initiatives providing cheap housing for workers. Photo Gallery: May Day Around The World Media files: ap_indonesia_labor_day_eng_480_1may09.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) ap_indonesia_labor_day_eng_230_1may09.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: India, Afghanistan Boost Strategic Ties

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

India, Afghanistan Boost Strategic Ties May 1st 2012, 13:54 The chief diplomats of India and Afghanistan have inaugurated a new council aimed at deepening their strategic ties. India plays a key role in supporting Afghanistan's development and reconstruction, and is also hoping to help support the country's long-term stability. Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna and his Afghan counterpart, Zalmai Rassoul, co-chaired the inaugural session of the India-Afghanistan Partnership Council in New Delhi Tuesday. It is a first step in implementing a strategic partnership the two countries signed last year. Krishna says India will soon help Afghanistan mobilize private capital to fund its ongoing reconstruction efforts. "I have informed Foreign Minister Dr. Rassoul of our intention to hold a meeting of regional investors on Afghanistan in New Delhi," Krishna said. India already donates billions of dollars to humanitarian causes such as hospitals and education in Afghanistan. Reconstruction efforts have taken on a greater note of urgency with the approach of 2014, when U.S.-led international forces plan to complete a pullout from the country. Krishna says the strategic fate of India will continue to be tied to that of Afghanistan. "While it is a time of change and transformation in the region, India's commitment to Afghanistan is neither transitory nor in transition,"  he insisted. Soon after al-Qaida carried out the September 2001 attacks, the United States invaded Afghanistan to capture terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, believed to be sheltered by the country's ruling Taliban. Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul says India is helping his country's forces prepare themselves to prevent a resurgence of the Taliban after the U.S.-led coalition leaves. "With India, we are continuing to discuss about training our officers, training national security forces, but also equipping, in the longer term, our security forces," Rassoul said. Neither foreign minister made any reference to Indian media reports this week saying the two countries had decided to upgrade intelligence sharing from "routine letters" to a more real-time system. Those reports quoted unnamed officials. An Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday he knew nothing about such a plan. Media files: AP India FMs Krishna Rassoul 1May12 480.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) AP India For Mins Krishna and Afghan FM Rassoul 1May12 230.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: May Day Rallies Held Around the World

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

May Day Rallies Held Around the World May 1st 2012, 14:00 Tens of thousands of workers are taking to the streets in cities around the world to mark International Workers Day with marches and calls for higher pay and better working conditions. In Asia, thousands gathered in the capital cities of Thailand, Bangladesh and Indonesia to mark May Day with a rallies organized by trade unions. The French news agency says the rally in Jakarta was the biggest on the continent. In Taiwan, one nurse, Li Hua-Cheng, 30, deplored her working conditions in a hospital. "We have been oppressed by the hospitals for a long time, and it has been hard especially when one person has to handle three people's jobs until we eventually develop health problems," said Li.  "This is very inhumane. Moreover, if we have health problems, then we can't provide good care to the patients, and if something happens to the patients, we could make mistakes because of fatigue." In Russia, President-elect Vladimir Putin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev joined tens of thousands in a march through Moscow. Marchers held huge banners supporting their labor unions and factories. One pensioner, Anna Maltseva, said May Day was a celebration of the solidarity of workers throughout the world. "I would like this day not just to be a labor holiday every year, celebrating May and freedom, but an international day of solidarity among working people, when we all support each other widely, at least on this day," said Maltseva. Elsewhere in Europe, protests were fueled by the growing sentiment against the austerity measures imposed by governments in Greece, Spain and elsewhere to cut government budget deficits. In Madrid, thousands protested against the highest jobless rate in the 17-nation euro currency union and labor reforms that make it easier to fire workers. In the U.S., Occupy protesters are planning demonstrations in New York to try to blockade a major bridge and shut down some of Wall Street's financial houses. Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters. Media files: AP May Day Indonesia rally 1May12 230.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: May Day Rallies Held Around the World

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

May Day Rallies Held Around the World May 1st 2012, 14:00 Tens of thousands of workers are taking to the streets in cities around the world to mark International Workers Day with marches and calls for higher pay and better working conditions. In Asia, thousands gathered in the capital cities of Thailand, Bangladesh and Indonesia to mark May Day with a rallies organized by trade unions. The French news agency says the rally in Jakarta was the biggest on the continent. In Taiwan, one nurse, Li Hua-Cheng, 30, deplored her working conditions in a hospital. "We have been oppressed by the hospitals for a long time, and it has been hard especially when one person has to handle three people's jobs until we eventually develop health problems," said Li.  "This is very inhumane. Moreover, if we have health problems, then we can't provide good care to the patients, and if something happens to the patients, we could make mistakes because of fatigue." In Russia, President-elect Vladimir Putin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev joined tens of thousands in a march through Moscow. Marchers held huge banners supporting their labor unions and factories. One pensioner, Anna Maltseva, said May Day was a celebration of the solidarity of workers throughout the world. "I would like this day not just to be a labor holiday every year, celebrating May and freedom, but an international day of solidarity among working people, when we all support each other widely, at least on this day," said Maltseva. Elsewhere in Europe, protests were fueled by the growing sentiment against the austerity measures imposed by governments in Greece, Spain and elsewhere to cut government budget deficits. In Madrid, thousands protested against the highest jobless rate in the 17-nation euro currency union and labor reforms that make it easier to fire workers. In the U.S., Occupy protesters are planning demonstrations in New York to try to blockade a major bridge and shut down some of Wall Street's financial houses. Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters. Media files: AP May Day Indonesia rally 1May12 230.jpg

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VOA News: Asia: UN Chief Praises Burma's Suu Kyi for Ending Boycott of Parliament

VOA News: Asia Asia Voice of America

UN Chief Praises Burma's Suu Kyi for Ending Boycott of Parliament May 1st 2012, 12:18 U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is praising Burma's newly elected lawmaker and pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi for agreeing to end a boycott of the country's military-dominated parliament. Ban made his comments Tuesday while meeting with the Nobel laureate at her lakeside home in the commercial capital of Rangoon. "I know that it must have been a very difficult decision. Politicians will sometimes continue to have differences on some issues. But real leaders demonstrate flexibility for the greater cause of a people of a country. And this is what she has done," he stated. Monday Aung San Suu Kyi and her opposition National League for Democracy party announced they would attend parliament for the first time on Wednesday to take the oath of office. The NLD had objected to phrasing in the oath obligating lawmakers to "safeguard the constitution," which was drafted by the country's former military rulers and that sets aside a quarter of all seats in parliament for unelected military members. The opposition group has now agreed to take the oath of office, but vows to push for constitutional change through legislative action. Aung San Suu Kyi said Tuesday that she was willing to make a compromise for the sake of reform. "We have always believed in being flexible throughout the years of our struggle, because that is the only way we can achieve our goal without violence," she said. "So I do not think flexibility is going to be a new concept for us." It is the first meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and the U.N. chief, who is on a three-day visit to Burma. In an address to Burma's parliament Monday, Ban expressed support for democratic reforms initiated by the country's new nominally-civilian government that took office last year. Ban, speaking in the administrative capital, Naypyitaw, hailed what he called the "vision, leadership and courage" of President Thein Sein, whose initiatives include clearing the way for Aung San Suu Kyi and her fellow party members to run for parliament in the by-election on April 1. The U.N. chief also praised the international community for its moves to ease long-standing sanctions imposed on the former military regime, and called for foreign investment in the Southeast Asian nation. Some information for this report was provided by AP, and Reuters. Media files: AP_BurmaBan_Ki-moon_1may12-resizedpx480q100dpi96shp8.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.3 MB) AP_BurmaBan_Ki-moon_1may12-300.jpg

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VOA News: Middle East: At Least 10 Killed By Mortar Bombs in Syria

VOA News: Middle East Middle East Voice of America

At Least 10 Killed By Mortar Bombs in Syria May 1st 2012, 09:07 Syrian activists say a bombing in the northwestern province of Idlib has killed 10 people, including nine members from the same family. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least two of those killed in Tuesday's attack were children. It is not yet clear who was behind the mortar bombings. The news comes a day after Syrian activists said a double bomb attack near security buildings in the northwestern town of Idlib killed at least 20 people. The activists said the attack in Idlib targeted intelligence offices used by the Syrian army and air force. Syria's state news agency said suicide bombers triggered the blasts. The news agency gave a lower death toll of at least nine, with another 100 people wounded. Casualties could not be independently confirmed. A small team of unarmed U.N. soldiers began operating in Syria earlier this month to monitor a shaky truce agreement in the Syrian conflict, which has lasted more than a year. The Syrian government and rebels accepted a U.N.-backed truce agreement that took effect on April 12.  But forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have continued assaulting opposition hubs, while rebel fighters have repeatedly ambushed government security personnel. Each side accuses the other of provoking attacks. The cease-fire agreement is part of a peace plan mediated by international envoy Kofi Annan. The United Nations estimates that at least 9,000 people have been killed since Assad began cracking down on the uprising in March 2011. Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters. Join the conversation on our social journalism site - Middle East Voices. Follow our Middle East reports on Twitter and discuss them on our Facebook page. Media files: afp_syria_idlib_bombing_03apr12_480.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.1 MB) afp_syria_idlib_bombing_03apr12_300.jpg

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VOA News: Africa: Zambia’s Draft Constitution Seeks to Decentralize Government

VOA News: Africa Africa Voice of America

Zambia's Draft Constitution Seeks to Decentralize Government May 1st 2012, 06:32 After many attempts at drafting a new constitution, Zambia Monday unveiled a draft which recommends a decentralized governmental system and enhances the independence of the country's electoral commission to conduct free and transparent elections. Simon Kabanda, spokesman for the technical committee on drafting the constitution, said the draft also recommends that a candidate win 50 percent of the votes plus one in an election in order to be declared president. "In the past processes, since we reverted to multiparty democracy, people wanted to have a majoritarian system of electing a president where the winning president gets 50 percent, plus 1, vote of the registered voters," he said. Kabanda said the draft constitution also calls for the president and vice president to be elected on the same ticket, as opposed to the current procedure of allowing the president to appoint the vice president. "The rationale is that we do not want a situation where the president can hire and fire a vice president any time [he] feels like it," Kabanda said. He said the draft also enhances the independence of the country's electoral commission. "This, too, has been a contentious issue.  People have lost confidence in the Electoral Commission of Zambia.  So, whenever they conduct elections, political parties and, generally, the people are suspicious that the results are manipulated by the Electoral Commission of Zambia," he said. Kabanda said the draft constitution makes it difficult for the president to fire civil service employees by giving parliament the authority to rectify the appointment of government employees. "What this constitution provides is actually security of tenure for many public officers that are employed so that they have, for example, a contract for five years, and the president does not have the hand to hire and fire immediately because parliament has been given more powers to rectify appointments of people into public office," Kabanda said. He said the draft constitution also provides for dual citizenship. "What is required is that somebody should be a citizen.  Whether the parents were citizens or not does not count in this draft that we have produced," Kabanda said. The draft constitution also includes a citizens' bill of rights, including more rights for women, youth, children, and the disabled. Kabanda said the Constitution Drafting Commission will hold forums around the country to get the input of the general public. Media files: PNN_Michael-Sata_300x300.jpg (image/jpeg, 0 MB) ap_zambia_new_president_230_23Sep11.jpg butty-zambia-draft-constitution-unveiled-kabanda-01may12.mp3 (audio/mpeg)

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