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APAC Edition
10th September 2024
 
THE HOT STORY
Workers at Samsung India plant go on strike
Hundreds of workers at Samsung Electronics' plant in Sriperumbudur, India, have initiated an indefinite strike demanding higher wages and improved working conditions. The action follows a similar strike by Samsung's largest union in South Korea, which occurred in August. E. Muthukumar, head of the Samsung India union, said: "The strike will go on," indicating no set end date. The strike has significantly impacted production, with around half of the factory's output affected. Samsung has responded by employing contract staff to mitigate disruptions during the upcoming festive season, a crucial period for electronic sales in India. A company spokesperson assured that Samsung is engaging with workers to address grievances and maintain compliance with regulations.
LEGAL
Concerns over who will pay for Singapore's platform workers protection law
Singapore's Platform Workers Bill aims to establish a standardised work injury compensation regime for platform workers, addressing concerns over increased costs from proposed Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions. During a parliamentary debate, Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon said: “As a society, if we all believe that we should provide some core protections for our platform workers, we should be prepared to pay just a little bit more.” The Bill seeks to align CPF contributions for platform workers with those of traditional employees, but concerns have been voiced about potential cost increases for consumers and the impact on platform workers' incomes. Opposition Leader Pritam Singh highlighted the need for clarity on how costs will be distributed among consumers, platforms, and workers.
WORKFORCE
Woolworths staff stage historic walkout
Woolworths staff across New Zealand participated in their first national walkout, with 9,000 employees striking after a 96% vote from union members. First Union National Secretary for Retail and Finance, Rudd Hughes, noted that 400 workers rallied outside the Auckland Ponsonby branch, carrying signs like “Woolies are bullies”. Workers are advocating for higher wages, improved staffing, and safer conditions. Employee Michelle McKenzie expressed concern, stating: “We shouldn't have people that are working 40 hours a week and can't even afford to put food on their tables". Despite negotiations lasting 13 days, Mr Hughes indicated that the union remains “miles apart” from Woolworths on key issues. A Woolworths spokesperson claimed it has made a strong offer, proposing wage increases of 6.8%-10.1% over two years, following a 19% increase in 2022.
WORKPLACE
Ten tips for dealing with persistent workplace conflicts
Writing for Forbes, Heather V. MacArthur offers ten tips for dealing with persistent workplace conflicts to protect your well-being and maintain a productive work environment. The author observes that conflict can have negative impacts including: psychological ill-health e.g. anxiety, depression; poor physical wellbeing e.g. headaches, gastrointestinal upsets, high blood pressure; poor job satisfaction; and substance abuse.
CORPORATE
Byju's auditor resigns
Indian education technology company Byju's has announced that its auditor, BDO Global, has resigned due to the start-up's failure to provide requested documents amid ongoing insolvency proceedings. The firm explained that the documents were requested from the firm's board, which has been suspended due to the insolvency proceedings. It added that the correspondence requesting the material was addressed to the suspended board, not to the insolvency professional in control of the firm at the time.
TECHNOLOGY
Ant Group launches Zhixiaobao AI app
Ant Group has introduced Zhixiaobao, a stand-alone artificial intelligence (AI) app designed to assist users with daily tasks like ordering meals and hailing taxis through text or voice prompts. Company president Cyril Han stated that the app aims to provide “practical, user-focused solutions” to enhance everyday life. Zhixiaobao is built on Ant's Bailing foundational model, which has been applied in over 500 scenarios within Alipay, reaching more than 100m users. Additionally, Ant plans to launch two more AI apps for personal wealth and health management. The initiative is part of a broader trend among Chinese tech firms to develop and monetise their own large language models amid a global AI race.
RISK
Australia's airports face the worst climate change risks
Australia's major airports, including Sydney and Brisbane, are increasingly vulnerable to severe climate change impacts, according to the Zurich-Mandala Climate Risk Index report. The analysis reveals that approximately 94% of the country's 31 busiest airports are exposed to "multiple, very high risks with a very high level of impact." The situation poses significant threats to the multibillion-dollar investments favored by pension funds. Danny Elia, IFM's global head of infrastructure asset management, emphasized the need for resilience, stating: "If you think that risk is going to grow over time . . . then you invest in greater resilience." The report also highlights that by 2050, the proportion of Australia's tourism sites in the highest climate risk categories will increase from 50% to 55%, affecting environmental degradation and accessibility.
INTERNATIONAL
Companies battle attitude and expectation issues with Gen Z
Research findings by HR platform HiBob indicate that 70% of UK managers believe companies struggle to manage young employees, particularly Gen Z (18-24 years old). Key challenges cited include demands for work-life balance (62%), salary (58%), and benefits (44%). When they were asked who should deal with issues originating with younger colleagues, 40% of managers said HR. An analysis of FTSE 100 companies found that of the 80 which published their leadership team on their corporate website, less than half (40%) had a HR director at all, and just 31% had a Chief People Officer or equivalent. Half (48%) of the respondents thought that a lack of HR representation at C-level is due to a commonly held belief that HR is a support rather than a strategy function. Toby Hough, Director of People and Culture at HiBob, said: “The role of HR leaders in organisations has been undervalued for a long time, as the C-Suite focused on business-critical issues that didn't used to involve employee wellbeing or demographic societal shifts. Today's research clearly identifies Gen Z as one of leadership teams' biggest challenges. That said, each generation brings their own unique set of challenges and opportunities to the workplace and the HR function is critical to getting the best out of all generations. To maximise their potential in today's intergenerational workplace, UK businesses must appoint HR leaders to the C-suite.” Meanwhile, almost all (95%) respondents think it’s important for companies to have HR representation on the executive team. And almost three-quarters (73%) believe HR should have a strong influence on company strategy.
The boss who vowed to help his workers with child care
Sachin Shivaram, the CEO of Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry in Manitowoc, Wis., realised during the pandemic how much his employees were struggling with child care - but figuring out how to help them has been challenging, NPR reports. Shivaram couldn't even interest other companies in joining a consortium to support existing child care facilities. So, he was left to go it alone and decided to give each employee $400 a month to put toward child care costs. Around 100 of the foundry's employees currently use the child care benefit, including Emily Kasbaum, an HR business partner and the mother of three young children. "[New employees] are shocked to hear that a company will actually do that for their employees," Kasbaum says.
Greece aims to reverse brain drain
On Wednesday, Greece's Deputy Foreign Minister George Kotsiras and Spyros Protopsaltis, Head of the Public Employment Service (DYPA), signed a memorandum of cooperation to connect with the Greek diaspora. The initiative aims to inform Greeks abroad about job opportunities in Greece and encourage their return to the local labour market. Kotsiras said: “Through our collaboration with the Public Employment Service, we are taking another step toward reversing the brain drain.” The memorandum includes plans for employment opportunities, entrepreneurship, and training programmes, alongside sharing information on national and European employment initiatives. Protopsaltis highlighted the intention to extend the successful Career Days initiative to the global Greek community, with the hope of making the Greek labour market attractive once again.
Flush toilets to soon arrive at large construction sites across B.C.
Starting next month, large construction sites in British Columbia with 25 or more workers will be required to provide flush toilets and hand-washing facilities, replacing chemical toilets. The change follows a year after Premier David Eby announced the initiative, responding to demands from workers and labour advocates. Brynn Bourke, executive director of the B.C. Building Trades, said: "This regulation addresses one of the most egregious and long-standing indignities that construction workers have had to face." The British Columbia Construction Association supports the change but raises concerns about its implementation. Labour Minister Harry Bains expressed confidence in a smooth rollout, noting that "there's a cost already for not having them," as workers often spend time searching for washroom facilities.

 
CBC
 


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