NYU Adds Worker Rights Rules to Abu Dhabi Contract
Workers involved in building and operating New York University's Middle East campus in Abu Dhabi must have protections in areas such as how often they are paid and how many hours they can work in a week, the university announced Feb. 3 in a move that human rights advocates hope reverberates around the region. "Since we and our Abu Dhabi partners announced the creation of NYU Abu Dhabi in the fall of 2007, we have made clear our shared commitment to protecting the rights of the men and women who will build and operate the campus, NYU spokesman Josh Taylor told the Associated Press from Abu Dhabi.

Construction on the degree-granting campus is said to start later in the year. Abu Dhabi is the name of both the capital city of the United Arab Emirates and one of the seven largest individual emirates that make up the country. The city is one of the richest in the world.

The Human Rights Watch, while acknowledging that significant progress has been made in Dubai, insists that some abuses remain. The Emirates' authorities have rejected criticism, saying the government has taken significant steps over the past few years to increase rights and protection for laborers. Sarah Whitson, Middle East director for Human Right Watch, says NYU's actions are "a huge step forward."

Mine Workers Locked Out After Rejecting Employer's Contract Offer
A mining company, Rio Tinto, in a southern California town, locked out more than 500 employees and hired replacement workers at the world's second largest borax mine, after the union refused to sign a contract containing the employer's offer. When the employees turned up for work at 7 a.m. on Sunday , they were given their final paychecks, which included accrued vacation hours. Then busloads of replacement workers swept into the mine.

As part of their negotiations with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 30, the giant, London-based Rio Tinton mining company wanted to hire more non-union employees and alter the seniority system based on performance than years of service. Craig Merrilees, a union spokesman, says all union members voted over the weekend to reject the contract, although it did include a 2 percent pay increase, 80 percent health-care coverage and a $4,000 bonus.

Global unions are calling for international action against Rio Tinto for its lockout of U.S. miners in Boron, California. The lockout will be at the top of the agenda at the Mining and Maritime meeting in Palmdale, Cal. on Feb. 15, where there will be a call for world-wide solidarity action in support of the locked out Rio Tinto miners. Meanwhile, calls have gone out to the world's dockworkers and seafarers unions via the International Workers Federation (ITF), which represents 751 unions with a membership of over 4,600,000 transport workers in 154 countries.

Greek Tax Officials Strike Against Government Budgetary Cuts
Customs officials and tax inspectors in Greece are holding a two-day strike to protest against government austerity measures, including wage cuts. Prime Minister George Papandreou has announced a public sector salary freeze, a higher retirement age and an increase in petrol prices. The austerity measures have been introduced to tackle Greece's huge budget deficit and national debt.

The strike is disrupting Greece's import market, with lines of trucks being held up at the country's borders. Union members have been complaining that the government has bowed to the markets and pressure from the European Union. The country's biggest union, GSEE, has voted to hold a mass work stoppage on Feb. 24.

Ironically, part of the government's plan relies on tax collectors recovering billions of euros lost to tax evasion. BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Athens says tax inspectors are the most feared people in Greece, with the power to descend on any business or individual without warning and go through the books.

Zimbabwe Government Fails to Stop Widespread Worker Abuse
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) says it has recorded more than 2,300 cases of violation of workers' rights in 2009, most of them committed by state security agents. It said the police and the state's spy Central Intelligence organization carried out attacks against workers and union leaders despite the formation of a coalition government by the country's main political leaders who had promised to restore the rule of law and to protect human rights.

ZCTU said in its annual report released Feb. 4 that state security agents arrested 78 workers last year and threatened or assaulted another 2,306 workers for taking part in union activities. And in probably the worst cases in 2009, four workers were tortured by police and another three were shot and injured for protesting against non-payment of wages by the employer.

President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirii formed a government of national unity last February that has managed to stabilize the economy and improve living conditions. But the power-sharing administration has not reformed or restructured the state security forces that remain fiercely loyal to Mugabe.

Migrant Workers in Korea Excluded from Health Benefits
In a survey of 17,400 foreign workers in Korea from 2007 to 2009, the Joint Committee for Migrants in Korea found that a great many of these workers are denied medical benefits. Currently, there are about 1.2 million migrants living in Korea, but the government does not have a proper medical policy for them. Lee Young, executive secretary of the Joint Committee for Migrants in Korea, said their right to medical care is directly related to public health, to prevent the spread of contagious diseases they need more support from the government. "Previously, local public health centers offered basic vaccinations for migrants and their children for free, but the service was discontinued in 2008. "Apart from married migrants, most refugees or stateless people are denied benefits," Lee stated. Many migrants have premature births or still-births due to insufficient health care at general hospitals and public health centers. The Migrant Health Association in Korea has offered medical examinations and treatment to 361 people in 2007, 325 in 2008, and 251 in 200 9. The ratio of males to females was 4 to 6, with obstetrics taking up 45 percent of patients' visits.

Cambridge University Pressured to Recognize Employees' Union
The University of Cambridge is coming under significant pressure to recognize its branch of the University and College Union (UCU), the biggest trade union in the U.K. for academics, lecturers, researchers and their staffs. The organization represents more than 120,000 workers in the U.K., protecting their employment and professional interests.

The Cambridge division of UCU first called for formal university recognition three years ago. They are now continuing their pursuit, working alongside of Unite, the country's largest union, which has a membership of more than two million workers. The aim of the campaign is to gain formal recognition for "academic staff," a term that that encompasses those involved in both education and research in either a professional or administrative capacity.

There appears to be some hope for union success since the British Trades Union Congress (TUC) has an understanding to work with the university's academic staff. This is seen as a promising step for an accord that allows for full recognition.