On the sixth day of the takeover, workers released the bank president but continued to occupy the facility, vowing to stay there until the government renounced its job cut plans. Other workers in France have carried out similar plant takeovers in the face of French prime minister Alan Juppé's austerity drive. Unemployment in France is 12.7 percent and expected to rise. The New York Times, in an article on the seizure wrote that "worker protests are becoming almost weekly events in some European countries."

Italy farmers refuse to be milked
Dairy farmers in northern Italy have been refusing to pay $240 million in European Union (EU) fines for breaching EU milk quotas during 1995-96. During four days of protests in Milan in mid-January, farmers blocked access to Linate airport, among other actions. EU rules, introduced in 1984, allow Italy to produce only 9.9 million tons of milk a year, a limit farmers insist is too low. Italian President Romano Prodi, while promising some aid, still maintains that the farmers must pay the fine.

Turkey, Greece tensions mount
Turkish president Suleyman Demirel issued a warning January 20 that if the Greek government were to set up air and naval bases in southern Cyprus, it would do the same in the north. Demirel made this statement as he signed a declaration of military cooperation with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash. "Any attack against the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will be considered as an attack against Turkey," Demirel declared. Tensions in that region escalated following the recent purchase of surface-to-air missiles in southern Cyprus.

Cyprus, a Mediterranean island, is a former British colony that has been divided since 1974, with the north controlled by Turkish forces and the south dominated by the Greek government. In response to the rising conflict, German foreign minister Klaus Kinkel said this could jeopardize Turkey's entry into the European Union.

U.S. renews Lebanon travel ban
Warren Christopher, the outgoing U.S. secretary of state, renewed a 10-year ban on U.S. citizens traveling to Lebanon. State Department spokeswoman Nancy Beck claims the ban is based on "concerns" about "the safety of Americans" in that region following a series of military actions, including bombings, carried out by various groups in Lebanon. The ban originated in 1987. At the time Palestinian refugees, peasants, and Hezbollah, a guerrilla group that supported the Iranian government, were in battle against Amal, a Syrian-backed militia group that began taking over Lebanon.

In the name of ending "factional strife," the Syrian government waged war on Lebanese toilers, invading the country and murdering members of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The assault was also aimed at other resistance fronts, in a crackdown effort to aid Amal's forces. The Israeli government, also trying to crush resistance, launched a Sept. 5, 1987, missile strike -one of many - that killed 41 people. Tel Aviv claimed they were attacking "terrorist" bases; Lebanese police confirmed that civilian homes were also bombed. In addition to protesting, resistance fighters retaliated with any means available including bombings and kidnapping, among other methods.

U.S.-Japan shipping conflict
The United States government is at the brink of imposing economic sanctions on several Japanese shipping companies. The move is promoted as retaliation against requirements at Japanese ports that U.S. shipping bosses say restricts competition among those providing harbor service. After Washington and the European Union warned Tokyo about its "discriminatory" treatment of foreign companies and got no reply, the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission proposed a $100,000 fee per trip to any U.S. port. This fee would be imposed on three Japanese shipping operators: Mitsui OSK Lines, Kawasaki Kisen, and Nippon Yusen.

Cambodia textile workers strike
Thousands of textile workers from five textile companies in Cambodia have gone on strike or protested since late December. At one factory in Phnom Penh, hundreds of women walked off their jobs demanding wages increase to $40 a month, a 48-hour work week, sick leave, and a right to elect representation. Currently these workers put in seven days a week, for a dollar a day with forced, unpaid overtime. "We will not go back until our demands are met," said Lao Bonna, one of the workers in the plant. Cops were sent in and strikers were beaten and sprayed with water cannons. The Associated Press reported that the more than 18,000 people in Cambodia's textile mills produced $70 million in exports in 1996 - almost triple the 1995 figure - comprising 30 percent of the nation's total exports.

U.S. pharmaceutical bosses push tariff on Argentina
The U.S. government issued a January 15 tariff threat against Argentina, to go into effect on March 1. The Argentinian government allows domestic pharmaceutical companies to copy medications without paying patent fees. Charlene Barshefsky, acting U.S. trade representative, said unless Buenos Aires enforces copyright laws Washington will withdraw 50 percent of the South American country's duty- free trade privileges, affecting $260 million in products shipped to the United States.

Port workers strike in Colombia
Colombian port workers began a strike of 2,500 the second week of January in Buenaventura. Strikers have prevented any shipments from going out. The Buenaventura port ships out 60 percent of the coffee in Colombia, the world's second largest coffee producer.

Plant fined over injuries
Landis, a nonunion plastics factory, was found guilty of failure to report and record workers' injuries, and fined $720,700 January 14 in New York State. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) held a six-month investigation on the plant after workers came forward to tell about the conditions. They found that four workers had fingers cut off in the last 18 months. Broken pelvises, amputated extremities, and mangled digits are among the gruesome unreported findings uncovered. The company was also cited for having inadequate safety mechanisms on machines and a poor safety training. The amputation rate at Landis is 100 times higher than the average New York factory, according to state safety statistics.

Landis spokeswoman Linda Russell said the company would "vigorously contest" the fines laid down on them. Russell said of the penalties placed on the company for maiming dozens of workers, "We believe that these violations are the work place equivalent of old parking tickets."

- BRIAN TAYLOR  
 
 
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