Why Dock Workers are on Strike in the U S A?

 The dock workers' strike in the US is the result of  labour dispute between the Internationl Longshoremen's Association(ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance(USMX), according to the media reports.

According to the Reuters report, the ILA representing 45,000 port workers, is demanding better wages and job protection against automation. 

Reports quoting union representatives claim that employers such as container ship operator Maersk, haven't offered sufficient pay increase or agreed to stop automation projects that threaten jobs.

The strike, which began on October 1, 2024, has halted the flow of about half the country's ocean shipping, affecting dozens of ports from Maine to Taxes, according to the New York Times report.

The Market forecaster Oxford Economics projects the standoff could drain between $4.5bn and $7.5bn from the US economy for every week that passes.

White House officials, reportedly, fearing an economic dip, urged USMX to engage more with  the port workers' demands, which include a 77 per cent wage hike over six years and a ban on automation.  Al Jazeera report quoted transportation Secretary Prte Buttigieg, urging the port employers to make more concessions.

A wide gap remained between the union's demands and the contract offer from the United States Maritime Alliance, representing the major shipping lines, all of which are foreign owned.

Economists and academics point out that  depending on the length of the strike, it could result in shortages of consumer and industrial goods, which could then lead to price hikes and inflation.

According to the AL Jazeera report, President Biden has the authority under the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act to oder the Union members back to work, but ha has avoided taking such action.

The Democrats has long touted his ambition to be "the most pro-union president leading the most pro-union administration in American history," and he made history  in September 2023 by becoming the first sitting president to join a picket line, the report said.

In the midst of the current stand-off, Biden has directed his team to watch out for potential price gouging that benefits foreign ocean carriers, according AL Jazeera report.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is AI Destroying Our Jobs?

  The Wall Street Journal, recently reported that "The  way companies go about employment and hiring is  set for a shake up." The paper quoted a memo issued by the E-commerce software giant Shopify stating that "it will not bring aboard any new workers unless managers can prove artificial intelligence isn't able to do the same job." The Journal quoted the Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke as saying :"Before asking for more Headcount and resources, teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want,done using AI." The paper argued that many companies are experimenting with AI and how it can assist with productivity, but the new announcement shows just how far things can be taken in terms of replacing human workers. A Reuters report said Facebook parent Meta laid off about 5 per cent of its "lowest performers" in January, while pushing ahead with the expedited hiring of  machine learnging  engineers. Amazon has laid off employees several units, inc...
Read more

THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

  From Gaza to Ukraine, millions of people are displaced  and a significant number include women and girls. Human rights organisations and media reports have documented how women and girls are impacted  disproportionately, pushing them to the brink of survival. United Nations and  women activists have observed 25 November as a day against gender-based violence since 1981.  The day marks the start of the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which runs until December 10. The day is a catalyst for change, and aims to: prevent violence, protect victims, prosecute perpetrators, change attitudes, and promote equality between women and men. The day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly from 1993, with Declartion on the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The UN has embraced international  day as a powerful advocacy tool. According to United Nations, violence against women and girls remain one of the most prevalent and pervasive hum...
Read more

Why Tuberculosis Remains the World's Leading Infectious Disease Killer?

  The World Health Organisation's(WHO) 2024 Global Tuberculosis Report reveals  and explains why tuberculosis (TB) remains the world's leading infectious  killer disease, surpassing COVID-19. Five countries alone--India(26%), Indonesia(10%), China(6.8%), and Pakistan(6.3%) contributed 56 per cent of global tuberculosis burden. 55% of TB cases occurred in men, 33% in women, and 12% in children and young adolescents. The report quoted Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director-General as saying:"The fact thatTB still kills and sickens so many people is an outrage, when we have the tools to prevent it, detect it, and treat it." An estimated 8.2 million people were newly diagnosed with TB in 2023--the highest since WHO began global TB monitoring in 1995, the report says. TB is caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is spread when people who are sick with TB expel bacteria into the air, by coughing. About a quarter of the global population is estimated t...
Read more