The labor laws created in 2016 to protect workers in trade unions in Cambodia have recently been amended. The changes are putting factory workers at higher risk – especially within the garment industry. There are over 800,000 workers in Cambodia who are working in the global fashion industry and based on the amended trade sanctions of the country, the workers are now facing an unpredictable future.
As much as many countries around the world have been working towards elimination of gender pay discrimination, there are still a number of countries lagging further behind than others. In Ukraine in the past year, data has been compiled and has shown that the country has a serious gender pay gap where women are paid an average of approximately 32% less than men. This rate varies quite a bit across different regions and industries within the country; however, there is a noticeable gender pay gap across the nation as a whole.
The New Year is shaping up for some big changes in Vietnam. Minimum wages are set to increase by approximately 5.7% as of January 1st, 2020. Depending on the industry and geographical region, some minimum wage rates may increase from the current rate of $6 USD to $10 USD. There have also been some new standards created for those who have received formal, vocational training. In these instances, employees must be paid (at a minimum) 7% more than the minimum salary level available.
Working in Pakistan has become a struggle for many people within the nation. The current economic condition of the country has increased uncertainty about worker rights. The Pakistan Workers Federation (PWF) has been created in order to speak for all employees within the country, regardless of their employment role. Last month, the PWF demanded that the Pakistan government finally implement labor laws that will secure (or at the very least, increase) workers’ rights (especially laborers).
Refugees in Ethiopia are not presently able to apply for a work permit and are instead going to great lengths to find ways to earn a living. While Ethiopia recently passed a law to register 700,000 refugees and asylum seekers within the country, they still do not have the right to work and therefore are left in an extremely precarious situation. While they can open bank accounts, and register births and marriages within the country, refugees and asylum seekers are still unable to legally work, therefore leaving these individuals with very few options of having a sustainable livelihood.
Starting in March 2020 there will be some new changes to the way that annual salary arrangements are structured in Australia across a variety of industries. These changes have been developed in accordance with the federal awards that aid organizations in creating pay structures for their employees and cover a diverse range of industries throughout the country.
As an employer, what do you do when an employee behaves inappropriately outside of the workplace? Or when they post something online that negatively affects your company?
Given the ubiquity of social media platforms, universal access and a culture of posting contrarian views, employers find themselves in a bit of a pickle. While there may be disclaimers about personal views on social media posts, is this really enough to protect the employee at their workplace? Is it also enough to protect the workplace against negative repercussions?
Minimum wages may have been considered common practice across most of the world for many years, however, Bermuda is just now in the process of developing them. Over 90% of the nations that are members of the International Labour Organization, have already created minimum and statutory national wage plans. As of this month, the new Wage Commission has been developed and proposed, which may lead to the future creation of a structured minimum wage policy in Bermuda in the not so distant future. Based on the overall discussion surrounding the new Wage Commission, both a minimum wage and a standard living wage rate are being discussed within the government.
New legislation in Costa Rica has created an opportunity for employees to work remotely from their homes instead of traveling into their offices each day. This legislation has been created as a method to create more jobs, and more job opportunities, for those that live in progressively rural areas throughout the country. In this regard, employees that work digitally or in IT related services are no longer required to live and work in large, urbanized areas.
Finland is finally discussing the creation of minimum wage regulations since sector specific minimum pay regulations have not existed in the country, which creates both more opportunities and risk for employees in the country. Since the 1970s, Finland has utilized collective bargaining practices in order to negotiate wage agreements. This has been the case both on a national level, as well as on an industry specific level.