What is driving current labour market shortages and how older workers could help: Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock Many countries are struggling with worker shortages right now as companies in the US, UK and the EU all struggle to fill job vacancies. This is often attributed to pandemic-related phenomena such as the “great resignation” or “great reshuffle”, when …
How tech companies are failing women workers and social media users – and what to do about it: Lerbank-bbk22/Shutterstock From Elon Musk’s erratic start as Twitter’s new owner to Meta’s recent decision to layoff more than 11,000 employees, and an ongoing downturn for tech stocks, the social media sector is once again in turmoil. But …
Chess players perform worse when air quality is poor – and other high-skilled workers could be affected too: Humans are exposed to air pollution almost everywhere. The World Health Organization estimate that 99% of the world’s population breathe in polluted air each day. Chess players competing indoors are no exception – and it can affect …
Rishi Sunak’s new law could force workers to break strikes: Amid ongoing strikes across multiple sectors, Rishi Sunak’s government has announced plans to introduce new legislation that would dramatically tighten restrictions on unions in England, Scotland and Wales. The strikes (minimum service levels) bill, currently being debated in parliament, would mean that people working in …
Chinese workers on Africa’s infrastructure projects: the link with host political regimes: Chinese workers are part of most Chinese government-funded projects in Africa. Wikimedia Commons China has rapidly become Africa’s most important infrastructure builder, and the footprint of Chinese construction companies is seen in cities, towns and villages across the continent. With the launch of …
Chinese imports could undermine Ethiopian manufacturing – leaving women workers worst off: A woman works in an Ethiopian textile factory Photo by Michael Tewelde/Xinhua via Getty Images China is now the African continent’s largest trading partner, accounting for US$ 254 billion in 2021. It’s also the main country of origin for African manufacturing imports, providing …
Why ambulance workers in England and Wales are going on strike: 'A “tripledemic” of flu, COVID and respiratory infections this winter could result into up to half of the available beds being occupied by patients.' JessicaGirvan | Shutterstock Emergency service workers are set to strike on December 21 2022, to demand better pay. The strike …
How Ireland’s ‘great reshuffle’ could benefit women and older workers: Dublin's 'Silicon Docks'. Faina Gurevich / Shutterstock Recent global tech sector layoffs have hit Ireland’s workforce hard. Prior to these job cuts, the Irish digital sector directly employed more than 270,000 people, as well as creating many more ancillary jobs. Tech jobs pay an average …
A cool Cape Town image: Cape Town workers Image by longreach A group of workers engaged in a landscape gardening project in Cape Town. Circa 1978. Image automatically curated and published by www.free-mail.co.za – CLICK HERE to learn more about WP Robot for WordPress. Have you tried: Sailing in Africa ?
How coal miners and factory workers helped found the environmental movement: A striking worker at a Fridays for Future march during COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. Fraser Hamilton, CC BY-SA Rachel Carson, a scientist and writer from rural Pennsylvania, published Silent Spring 60 years ago. Many credit this book, which meticulously documented the damage that DDT …
COVID and health workers’ strike: how Kenya’s health services coped in times of crisis: The pandemic and a health workers’ strike disrupted essential health services. Donwilson Odhiambo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images When epidemics break out and public health emergencies are declared, people shy away from seeking care for other conditions. This may seem counter-intuitive at …
Employers can’t fill vacancies, but many do surprisingly little to help workers return after a long illness: 'I'm sure you'll be able to take on a few extra tasks.' fizkes The UK was supposed to be facing a spike in unemployment after the pandemic furlough schemes ended, but instead the job market is the tightest …
Tigray’s healthcare workers haven’t been paid in over a year — and bear the brunt of the war: The unfolding crisis will only worsen the situation in Tigray. Eduardo Soteras/AFP via Getty Images Tragic stories of suffering and death have emerged from Tigray since 2020, when civil war erupted between the central Ethiopian government and …
Universal credit changes: increasing pressure on part-time workers is the wrong move at the worst time: The growth plan will require thousands more workers on universal credit to search for more work or face sanctions. 1000 Words/Shutterstock Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has laid out the government’s “mini budget”, a package of tax cuts that will mostly …
12% of working women in South Africa are domestic workers – yet they don’t receive proper maternity leave or pay: GettyImages Most of the world’s domestic workers – (76%) – are women. They mainly do housework like cleaning, washing clothes, cooking and childcare, usually in private households. Domestic workers often have low incomes and are …
Could neurotechnology make lawyers smarter workers?: Barristers may be set to swap their wigs for electroencephalograms. DC Studio/Shutterstock Cognitively enhanced lawyers may one day work in our courts. A recent report from The Law Society of England and Wales suggests the rapidly advancing field of neural technology could create “digitally enhanced” super-lawyers capable of focusing …
Auto manufacturing is changing: how South Africa can adjust to protect workers and jobs: Employees work on manufacturing a car at a Volkswagen plant in Uitenhage, South Africa. Photo by Michael Sheehan/picture alliance via Getty Images Technological changes in industry have given rise to contending schools of thought about their impact on work and workers. …
Mozambican unions hit snooze on a national strike: why it’s a bad thing for workers: Trade unions in Mozambique have been weakened due to their proximity to the ruling party, Frelimo. Photo by Gianluigi Guercia/AFP via Getty Images The surge in food and fuel prices has led to calls for national shutdowns across southern Africa. …