Friday, May 28, 2010
[IWS] BLS: MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW, May 2010, Vol. 133, No. 5 [28 May 2010]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Monthly Labor Review Online
May 2010, Vol. 133, No. 5
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2010/05/home.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2010/05/mlr201005.pdf
[full-text, 126 pages]
Articles
Labor costs in India’s organized manufacturing sector
Jessica R. Sincavage, Carl Haub, and O.P. Sharma
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2010/05/art1full.pdf
[full-text, 20 pages]
Compensation costs in India’s organized manufacturing sector
were 91 cents per hour for all employees in 2005; this amounted to
about 3 percent of hourly labor costs in the U.S. manufacturing sector,
but was above BLS estimates of labor costs in China
The early 2000s: a period of declining teen summer employment rates
Teresa L. Morisi
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2010/05/art2full.pdf
[full-text, 13 pages]
With many teens concentrating on academics, fewer are working
during the summer; in recent years, teens also have faced
a labor market weakened by recessions, a diminishing number
of federally funded summer jobs, and competition from other
groups for entry-level job opportunities
Job openings, hires, and separations fall during the recession
Mark deWolf and Katherine Klemmer
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2010/05/art3full.pdf
[full-text, 9 pages]
JOLTS data indicate record-low levels of job openings, hires,
and separations in 2009, as well as a record-high number
of layoffs and discharge
________________________________________________________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
****************************************
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] BLS: LABOR COSTS in INDIA'S ORGANIZED MANUFACTURING SECTOR [28 May 2010]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Monthly Labor Review Online
May 2010, Vol. 133, No. 5
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2010/05/home.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2010/05/mlr201005.pdf
[full-text, 126 pages]
Labor costs in India’s organized manufacturing sector
Jessica R. Sincavage, Carl Haub, and O.P. Sharma
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2010/05/art1full.pdf
[full-text, 20 pages]
Abstract:
Compensation costs in India’s organized manufacturing sector
were 91 cents per hour for all employees in 2005; this amounted to
about 3 percent of hourly labor costs in the U.S. manufacturing sector,
but was above BLS estimates of labor costs in China
________________________________________________________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
****************************************
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] Towers Watson: SHIFT from TRADITIONAL PENSION PLANS CONTINUES [26 May 2010]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Towers Watson
Press Release 26 May 2010
More Fortune 100 Companies Offering Account-Based Retirement Plans to New Salaried Employees, Towers Watson Analysis Finds
Shift Away From Traditional Pension Plans Continues
http://www.towerswatson.com/press/1956
NEW YORK, May 26, 2010 — The number of large U.S. companies that are replacing their traditional defined benefit (DB) plans with account-based retirement plans for new salaried employees continues to increase, according to a new analysis by Towers Watson (NYSE, NASDAQ: TW), a global professional services company. Account-based plans include defined contribution (DC) plans, such as 401(k) plans, and hybrid pension plans, typically cash balance plans.
According to the Towers Watson analysis, 58 companies in the Fortune 100 currently offer only a DC plan to new hires, compared with 55 companies at the end of last year and 51 companies at the end of 2008. The most recent findings include three companies that announced this year that they will switch from a hybrid plan to a DC-only plan and three companies that are converting from a traditional DB to a hybrid plan. Meanwhile, 17 companies continue to offer a traditional DB plan, a decline from 20 at the end of last year and 24 at the end of 2008.
AND MORE…including TABLE….
________________________________________________________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
****************************************
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] NSF: U.S. Businesses Report 2008 Worldwide R&D Expense of $330 Billion: Findings from New NSF Survey [26 May 2010]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
National Science Foundation (NSF)
U.S. Businesses Report 2008 Worldwide R&D Expense of $330 Billion: Findings from New NSF Survey [26 May 2010]
NSF 10-322 | May 2010
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf10322/
or
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf10322/nsf10322.pdf
[full-text, 8 pages]
[excerpt]
Companies located in the United States that have research and development activities—both U.S.-owned businesses and U.S. affiliates of foreign parents—reported worldwide sales of $11 trillion in calendar year 2008 and worldwide R&D expenses of $330 billion (table 1). Most ($234 billion) of that R&D expense was for R&D conducted in companies’ own facilities in the United States.
These figures are from the first Business R&D and Innovation Survey (BRDIS), developed jointly by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Census Bureau (Census).2 This first survey was conducted as a full-scale pilot, mailed to a representative sample of about 40,000 companies in January 2009. These data are preliminary; final statistics from the pilot will be available in early 2011. Two additional reports scheduled for release in 2010 will present preliminary 2008 statistics on worldwide and domestic employment, including R&D employment, and on innovation, respectively.
BRDIS collects a wealth of data on business R&D and innovation activities performed in the United States that were not collected by its predecessor, the Survey of Industrial Research and Development. Among its major features, the new survey collects data for companies’ worldwide activities, including separate data for their domestic and foreign operations; sales and R&D data by business activity; and R&D expense data, in addition to the R&D performance data NSF traditionally has collected. Some terms used to report BRDIS data were not used or differ from terms used to report data from its predecessor, and the two surveys use different methods to assign industry classifications. See “Definitions” and “Survey Information and Data Availability,” at the end of this report, for further information.
AND MUCH MORE...including TABLES....
________________________________________________________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
****************************************
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] EU: CHILDREN'S VOICES & DRUG/ALCOHOL ISSUES --for INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S DAY [1 June 2010]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction [EMCDDA]
NOTE: Released Today for purposes of International Children’s Day (1 June).
Children's voices. Experiences and perceptions of European children on drug and alcohol issues [28 May 2010]
EMCDDA, Lisbon, May 2010
http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/thematic-papers/childrens-voices
or
http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_102555_EN_TP_ChildrenVoices.pdf
[full-text, 38 pages]
Summary:
The purpose of this paper is to give meaning and insight into some of the key drug and alcohol issues that affect children from the perspectives of the children themselves. It is not to estimate the relative magnitude of a specific drug or alcohol problem or the numbers of children affected by it. Each section of this paper is preceded by one or two key statistics and whilst the quotations that follow may highlight a need to develop more robust and detailed statistics on a key issue, the overriding objective is to give the children a voice.
Table of contents
* Introduction
* Living with parents with drug or alcohol problems
* Children looked after by relatives, foster carers and institutions
* Children’s experiences and perceptions of alcohol and drug consumption
* Children’s perceptions about alcohol and drug interventions
* Conclusions
* Acknowledgements
* References
* Quotation sources
Press Release 28 May 2010
Children’s voices — experiences and perceptions of children around drugs and alcohol
(28.5.2010, LISBON) A collection of narratives from children on issues of substance use in Europe is released by the EMCDDA today ahead of International Children’s Day (1 June).
Alcohol and drug use in their different forms can have a profound impact on the lives of children. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children should be able to express their views in all matters touching their lives. The purpose of today’s paper — Children’s voices — is to provide a channel for such expression and offer meaning and insight into some of the key drug and alcohol issues affecting children.
Around 60 000 children in Europe today are likely to be living with individuals who are receiving treatment for drug problems. And many more are living with a drug-using parent or others not in contact with treatment services.
See Children’s voices at http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/thematic-papers/childrens-voices
________________________________________________________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
****************************************
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] EIRO: CATERING SECTOR [Comparative Study]: Representativeness of the European social partner organisations [28 May 2010]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)
European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO)
COMPARATIVE STUDY
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Catering sector [28 May 2010]
May 2010
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/studies/tn0909017s/index.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/studies/tn0909017s/tn0909017s.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/docs/eiro/tn0909017s/tn0909017s.pdf
[full-text, 47 pages]
This study sets out to provide the necessary information for establishing sectoral social dialogue in the contract catering sector. It first sketches the sector’s economic situation, then analyses the social partner organisations in all 27 EU Member States, focusing on membership levels, role in collective bargaining and public policy, and national and European affiliations. Finally, the study explores the representative associations at European level, particularly their membership composition and their capacity to negotiate. The aim of the EIRO representativeness studies is to identify the relevant national and supranational social partner organisations in the field of industrial relations in selected sectors. The impetus for these studies arises from the goal of the European Commission to recognise the representative social partner organisations to be consulted under the EC Treaty provisions. Hence, this study is designed to provide the basic information required to establish and evaluate sectoral social dialogue.
The study was compiled on the basis of individual national reports submitted by the EIRO correspondents. The text of each of these national reports is available below. The national reports were drawn up in response to a questionnaire and should be read in conjunction with it.
CONTENTS
Objectives of study
Economic background
National level of interest representation
European level of interest representation
Commentary
References
Annex: List of abbreviations
________________________________________________________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
****************************************
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
Thursday, May 27, 2010
[IWS] KLI (Korea): EVALUATION OF KOREA'S ACTIVATION POLICY AND DIRECTION FOR DEVELOPMENT
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Korea Labor Institute (KLI)
e-Labor News No. 97
Issue paper
Evaluation of Korea's Activation Policy and Direction for Development∗
Deok Soon Hwang∗∗
http://www.kli.re.kr/kli/html_eng/08_mail/webzineboard/upfile/e_97.pdf
[full-text, 39 pages]
Introduction
This paper reviews the significance to Korea of activation policies that have recently
been adopted around the world and investigates what conditions are required if such policies are
to be implemented effectively in Korea.
Many aspects of Korea's unemployment-benefit system resemble those of an activation
policy. Among these, the requirement that unemployment-benefit recipients register as a
job-seeker, the use of profiling systems to categorize recipients and individual action plans (IAP),
and the obligation of recipients to periodically visit public employment-service agencies and
engage in job-seeking activities show Korea to be applying stronger activation policies than other
OECD countries. One exception is the fact that unlike other OECD countries, Korea does not
have a system that forces recipients to participate in active labor market programs when they
receive unemployment benefits for a certain period (OECD, 2007).
Paradoxically, it is difficult to conclude that Korea's unemployment-benefit system does
in fact contribute to the activation of unemployed workers. This paper seeks to investigate why
such inconsistencies occur as well as the possibility and conditions for successful activation
policies in Korea, with a focus on the implementation process and delivery systems for
employment services.
The organization of this paper is as follows. First, it examines the concept of activation
policies. It is necessary to clarify the concept of activation policies used in this paper because a
multidimensional approach that covers not only specific programs but also changes in the
ideological goals of a welfare state is possible. Next, the paper looks at the key characteristics of
the Korean labor market and their significance from the viewpoint of activation. The paper then
discusses the characteristics of key welfare programs and labor market policies that can be
viewed in relation to activation policies. Next, it examines how Korea's current
employment-support services can be evaluated from the viewpoint of activation policies by
focusing on employment-service delivery systems. Finally, the results of the study are put
together to discuss the possibility and conditions for the success of activation policies in Korea.
* This paper was originally presented at the seminar "Activation Policies and the Performance of Employment Services," organized by the Korea Ministry of Labor and the OECD, in cooperation with the Korea Labor Institute, in Seoul in November 4, 2009.
** Senior Research Fellow, Korea Labor Institute (Email: hds@kli.re.kr).
________________________________________________________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
****************************************
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2010: STATE OF THE WORLD'S HUMAN RIGHTS [27 May 2010]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Amnesty International
Amnesty International Report 2010: State of the World's Human Rights (covers the period January -- December 2009) [27 May 2010]
DOWNLOADS
http://thereport.amnesty.org/downloads
and
COMPLETE REPORT
http://thereport.amnesty.org/sites/default/files/AIR2010_EN.pdf
[full-text, 430 pages]
Press Release 27 May 2010
http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGPRE011732010&lang=e
also
Report 2010: Global justice gap condemns millions to abuse
27 May 2010
http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGNAU2010052716941&lang=e
A global justice gap is being made worse by power politics despite a landmark year for international justice, said Amnesty International today in its annual assessment of human rights worldwide.
Launching Amnesty International Report 2010: State of the World's Human Rights, which documents abuses in 159 countries, the organization said that powerful governments are blocking advances in international justice by standing above the law on human rights, shielding allies from criticism and acting only when politically convenient.
"Repression and injustice are flourishing in the global justice gap, condemning millions of people to abuse, oppression and poverty," said Claudio Cordone, interim Secretary General of Amnesty International.
"Governments must ensure that no one is above the law, and that everyone has access to justice for all human rights violations. Until governments stop subordinating justice to political self-interest, freedom from fear and freedom from want will remain elusive for most of humanity."
Amnesty International called on governments to ensure accountability for their own actions, fully sign up to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and ensure that crimes under international law can be prosecuted anywhere in the world. It said that states claiming global leadership, including the G20, have a particular responsibility to set an example.
The International Criminal Court's 2009 arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir, for crimes against humanity and war crimes, was a landmark event demonstrating that even sitting heads of state are not above the law. However, the African Union's refusal to cooperate, despite the nightmare of violence that has affected hundreds of thousands of people in Darfur, was a stark example of governmental failure to put justice before politics.
The UN Human Rights Council's paralysis over Sri Lanka, despite serious abuses including possible war crimes carried out by both government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, also stood as a testament to the international community's failure to act when needed. Meanwhile, the recommendations of the Human Rights Council's Goldstone report calling for accountability for the conflict in Gaza still need to be heeded by Israel and Hamas.
Worldwide, the justice gap sustained a pernicious web of repression. Amnesty International's research records torture or other ill-treatment in at least 111 countries, unfair trials in at least 55 countries, restrictions on free speech in at least 96 countries and prisoners of conscience imprisoned in at least 48 countries.
Human rights organizations and human rights defenders came under attack in many countries, with governments preventing their work or failing to protect them.
In the Middle East and North Africa, there were patterns of governmental intolerance of criticism in Saudi Arabia, Syria and Tunisia, and mounting repression in Iran. In Asia, the Chinese government increased pressure on challenges to its authority, detaining and harassing human rights defenders, while thousands fled severe repression and economic hardship in North Korea and Myanmar.
Space for independent voices and civil society shrank in parts of Europe and Central Asia, and there were unfair restrictions on freedom of expression in Russia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Uzbekistan. The Americas were plagued by hundreds of unlawful killings by security forces, including in Brazil, Jamaica, Colombia and Mexico, while impunity for US violations related to counter-terrorism persisted. Governments in Africa such as Guinea and Madagascar met dissent with excessive use of force and unlawful killings, while Ethiopia and Uganda among others repressed criticism.
Callous disregard for civilians marked conflicts. Armed groups and government forces breached international law in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka and Yemen. In the conflict in Gaza and southern Israel, Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups unlawfully killed and injured civilians. Thousands of civilians suffered abuses in escalating violence by the Taleban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, or bore the brunt of the conflicts in Iraq and Somalia. Women and girls suffered rape and other violence carried out by government forces and armed groups in most conflicts.
Other trends included:
* Mass forced evictions of people from their homes in Africa, for example in Angola, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, often driving people deeper into poverty.
* Increased reports of domestic violence against women, rape, sexual abuse, and murder and mutilation after rape, in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Jamaica.
* Millions of migrants in Asia-Pacific countries including South Korea, Japan and Malaysia faced exploitation, violence and abuse.
* A sharp rise in racism, xenophobia and intolerance in Europe and Central Asia.
* In the Middle East and North Africa, attacks by armed groups - some apparently aligned to al-Qa'ida - in states such as Iraq and Yemen, heightened insecurity.
Globally, with millions of people pushed into poverty by the food, energy and financial crises, events showed the urgent need to tackle the abuses that affect poverty.
"Governments should be held accountable for the human rights abuses that drive and deepen poverty. The UN review meeting on the Millennium Development Goals in New York, USA, this September is an opportunity for world leaders to move from promises to legally enforceable commitments," said Claudio Cordone.
Women, especially the poor, bore the brunt of the failure to deliver on these goals. Pregnancy-related complications claimed the lives of an estimated 500,000 women, according the most recent UN figures, with maternal mortality often directly caused by gender discrimination, violations of sexual and reproductive rights, and denial of access to health care.
"Governments must promote women's equality and address discrimination against women if they are going to make progress on the Millennium Development Goals," said Claudio Cordone.
Amnesty International also called on G20 states that have failed to fully sign up to the International Criminal Court - USA, China, Russia, Turkey, India, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia - to do so. The international review meeting on the court, beginning in Kampala, Uganda on 31 May, is a chance for governments to show their commitment to the court.
Despite serious failures in ensuring justice last year, many events revealed progress. In Latin America, investigations into crimes shielded by amnesty laws were reopened, with landmark judgments involving former leaders including the convictions of former President Alberto Fujimori of Peru for crimes against humanity and Argentina's last military president, Reynaldo Bignone for kidnapping and torture. All trials in the Special Court for Sierra Leone were concluded apart from the on-going trial of former President of Liberia Charles Taylor.
"The need for effective global justice is a key lesson from the past year. Justice provides fairness and truth to those who suffer violations, deters human rights abuses, and ultimately delivers a more stable and secure world," said Claudio Cordone.
________________________________________________________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
****************************************
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] CRS: IMMIGRATION: POLICY CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO GUEST WORKER PROGRAMS [16 March 2010]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Immigration: Policy Considerations Related to Guest Worker Programs
Andorra Bruno, Specialist in Immigration Policy
March 16, 2010
http://opencrs.com/document/RL32044/2010-03-16/download/1013/
[full-text, 47 pages]
Summary
The United States has two main programs for temporarily importing low-skilled workers, or guest
workers. Agricultural guest workers enter through the H-2A visa program, and other guest
workers enter through the H-2B visa program. Before an employer can file a petition with the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to import workers under either program, the
employer must apply to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for a certification that U.S. workers
capable of performing the work are not available and that the employment of alien workers will
not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers. Other
requirements of the programs differ.
In December 2008, DHS and DOL published final rules to significantly amend their H-2A and H-
2B regulations. The new rules became effective on January 17, 2009. Under the Obama
Administration, DOL proposed a new H-2A rule to replace the 2008 rule. This rule was published
in final form in February 2010 and went into effect on March 15, 2010. The Administration left
intact the 2008 H-2A rule issued by DHS and the 2008 H-2B rules issued by DHS and DOL.
The DHS 2008 H-2A and H-2B rules modify previous limitations on H-2A and H-2B workers’
periods of stay in the United States. The rules also establish new requirements under both visas.
They prohibit payments by prospective H-2A or H-2B workers to employers, recruiters, or other
employment service providers where the payments are a condition of obtaining H-2A or H-2B
employment, and provide for the denial or revocation of petitions in the event of petitioner
violations. Among the other new requirements applicable to both programs, the DHS rules limit
participation in the H-2A and H-2B programs to nationals of designated countries.
DOL’s 2008 H-2B rule replaces the labor certification process with an attestation-based process,
in which employers attest in their applications, under threat of penalties, that they have complied
with program requirements. Among other changes to DOL’s H-2B regulations, the new rule
establishes a system of post-certification audits of H-2B employer applications.
DOL’s 2010 H-2A rule reverses some major changes to the H-2A program that were included in
its 2008 rule. Under the new rule, prospective H-2A employers must go through the traditional
labor certification process and are subject to the adverse effect wages rate, as calculated prior to
the 2008 rule. In addition, the 2010 rule calls for the creation of a new electronic registry for H-
2A job opportunities, and retains a system of post-certification audits of H-2A employer
applications that was included in the 2008 rule.
Various bills have been introduced in recent years to make changes to the H-2A and H-2B
programs and to establish new temporary worker visas. In the 111th Congress, AgJOBS bills
(H.R. 2414, S. 1038) propose to reform the H-2A program and establish a legalization program
for agricultural workers, and H-2B bills variously seek to reform the H-2B program (H.R. 4381,
S. 2910) and to reenact, in different forms, an expired provision to exempt certain returning
workers from the H-2B cap of 66,000 (H.R. 1136, H.R. 1934, S. 388).
The current discussion of guest worker programs takes place against a backdrop of high levels of
unauthorized migration to the United States, leading to various questions, such as whether new
guest worker proposals would enable participants to obtain legal permanent resident (LPR) status.
This report will be updated as legislative developments occur.
Contents
Introduction ...............................................................................................................................1
Background ...............................................................................................................................1
Current Programs ........................................................................................................................2
H-2A Program.......................................................................................................................2
H-2A Visas Issued...........................................................................................................3
DHS and DOL H-2A Regulations....................................................................................4
H-2B Program.......................................................................................................................6
H-2B Visas Issued and the Statutory Cap.........................................................................7
DHS and DOL H-2B Regulations....................................................................................8
Unauthorized Immigration ..........................................................................................................9
Legislation in the 111th Congress ............................................................................................... 11
AgJOBS Bills ..................................................................................................................... 11
H-2B Bills ..........................................................................................................................12
Policy Considerations ...............................................................................................................13
Comparison of Program Requirements ................................................................................13
Eligible Population..............................................................................................................14
Legalization of Program Participants...................................................................................14
Treatment of Family Members ............................................................................................15
Labor Market Test...............................................................................................................16
Numerical Limits ................................................................................................................17
Enforcement .......................................................................................................................17
Homeland Security..............................................................................................................18
Conclusion...............................................................................................................................18
Figures
Figure 1. H-2A Visas Issued, FY1992-FY2009............................................................................3
Figure 2. H-2B Visas Issued, FY1992-FY2009............................................................................8
Tables
Table 1. Estimates of Unauthorized Employment in Selected Occupations, 2008 .......................10
Table 2. Estimates of Unauthorized Employment in Selected Industries, 2008 ........................... 11
Appendixes
Appendix. Guest Worker Legislation in the 105th-110th Congresses............................................19
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