2015 Event Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi encounters resistance to proposed labor reforms as 150 million workers go on strike for a day in protest; Modi is seeking to make the Indian business environment more attractive to investment by foreign companies 2015 Event The U.S. National Labor Relations Board rules that recycler Browning-Ferris has employer responsibility for contract workers supplied by an agency; the ruling may imply similar liability for franchise companies such as McDonalds 2015 Event Los Angeles County, U.S., votes to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour from $9/hour; the new pay rate will be valid for county workers and employees working in unincorporated areas of the county 2015 Event HSBC bank announces plans to let go up to 8,000 workers in the U.K. and potentially up to 25,000 around the world as it restructures itself to improve profitability 2015 Event Construction workers discover an unexploded bomb from World War II near Wembley Stadium in London; after evacuations near the site, explosives specialists safely defused and removed the threat 2015 Event Walmart announces that in April it will raise wages of 500,000 Sam's Club and Walmart workers to $9/hour, exceeding the current minimum wage by $1.75, with a further raise to $10/hour by next February 2014 Event Pope Francis gives his annual Christmas address from the Vatican, praying for groups that included refugees and exiles, persecuted Christian communities, and workers fighting the Ebola epidemic 2014 Event 27 hostages have been freed in Cameroon, including the wife of vice prime minister Amadou Ali and a group of Chinese workers; Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram is suspected to be responsible 2014 Event North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not attend festivities for today's North Korean Workers' Party holiday; Kim has not made any public appearances since early September, raising questions regarding his whereabouts and his health 2014 Event Wal Mart announces that, due to the Affordable Care Act, it will increase health benefit costs for all employees and end health benefits for its 30,000 or so workers with fewer than 30 hours per week; the changes will take place in January 2015 2014 Event In addition to financial support and medical expertise, the U.S. is sending engineers to West Africa to build Ebola treatment clinics, will provide training for hundreds of healthcare workers, and will offer Ebola education packets to the public 2014 Event Thomas Frieden, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cautions that the Ebola epidemic will soon be uncontrollable unless more workers are found to aid in treatment of victims and burial of contagious bodies 2014 Event Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol, American aid workers who contracted the Ebola virus in Liberia and returned to the U.S. for treatment, have been released and declared fully recovered 2014 Event Dr. Kent Brantly, one of two American medical workers who contracted the Ebola virus in Liberia, arrives in the U.S. for treatment in isolation at Emory University Hospital; the virus has already claimed hundreds of lives in West Africa 2014 Event Labor unions of workers in the public sector went on strike across the U.K. to protest wage increases below the rate of inflation; unions claim that over one million workers participated 2014 Event The United Nations and the European Union have sent workers, equipment and supplies to Serbia and Bosnia in the wake of massive floods that have resulted in at least 36 deaths and a large number homeless after destruction of homes and farms 2013 Event In the U.S., 2.5 million minimum wage workers will get a raise January 1st in thirteen states including Colorado, Rhode Island and Connecticut 2013 Event The 350,000 workers furloughed since the recent government shutdown return to work at the Department of Defense 2013 Event In Bangladesh, workers seeking higher pay go on strike, and hundreds of garment factories shut down 2013 Event The Pentagon will furlough 650,000 civilian employees without pay for six days this year after receiving warnings that mandatory budget cuts might idle defense workers for a longer period of time 2012 Event In Oklahoma, airport workers discover a painted golden object with a hole in the bottom in the luggage of musician Wayne Coyne; they mistake the object for a live grenade and shut down the Will Rogers World Airport 2012 Event Hostess Brands reveals its plan to file for bankruptcy and liquidate its assets, claiming contract disputes from the bakery's union worker strike crippled its operations; about 18,500 workers will be laid off 2012 Event Anti-austerity protests in Greece attract tens of thousands of workers 2012 Event In an apparent effort to keep his contract, a subcontractor at Japan's defunct Fukushima's nuclear power plant shielded dosimeters with lead plates to ensure they did not reach radiation limits, and workers to lie about possible high radiation exposure 2012 Event The North Korean Workers party names Kin Jong Un First Secretary, with his father, Kim Jong IL delcared as the party's 'eternal' General Secretary 2011 Event Canadian Auto Workers vote in favor of striking against Caterpillar Inc's locomotive manufacturing plant in London, Ontario 2011 Event Two South African farm workers begin trial for murdering white supremacist Eugene Terre'Blanche 2011 Event In Australia, thousands of Toyota workers go on strike over a pay dispute 2010 Event Raul Castro, head of the Cuban government, declares they will lay off half a million state workers to improve their economy by the middle of 2011 2010 Event China's Premier, Wen Jiabao visits migrant workers at a Beijing construction site and declares the need for better treatment of the country's migrant workers 2010 Event Rescuers in Shanxi, China, enter a flooded mine to help over 153 workers who have been trapped for over a week 2010 Event The theory that Egypt's pyramids were built by free workers, not slaves, is reinforced by the discovery of new tombs near the great pyramids 1996 Death Karoly Grosz, politician, Communist Party, General Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party until end of Communism, dies at 65 1993 Death Cesar Chavez, U.S. farm worker (United Farm Workers), dies at 66 1991 Event Ex-postal worker Joseph Harris kills 4 postal workers 1991 Event Railroad workers go on strike in U.S. 1991 Death Frans Dohmen, union leader (Netherlands Catholic Mine Workers), dies at 81 1991 Event AT&T workers in Newark accidentally snap a cable 1990 Event British and French workers meet in English Channel's tunnel (Chunnel) 1987 Death I. W. Able, CEO (United Steel Workers of America, 1965-77), dies at 87 1987 Event 28 construction workers killed in an apt collapse in Bridgeport, Ct 1987 Event 163 day strike against Deere and Co ends, workers accept wage freeze 1987 Event United Steel workers union ratified a concessionary with USX Corp 1986 Event Mail carrier Patrick Sherrill, Edmond Ok, shot 14 fellow workers dead 1986 Event 20,000 mine workers protest closing of Hasselt Belgium mines 1986 Event Impala Platinum fires 20,000 black mine workers in Johannesburg 1985 Event Libya throws out 1000s Tunisian/Egyptian gas workers 1985 Event National Union of Mine Workers in England end a 51 week strike 1984 Event National Union of Mine Workers in England begin a 51 week strike 1982 Death Elio Petri, Italian director (Workers Class), dies at 53 1981 Event 10,000 copper workers in Chile strike 1981 Event Almost 1 million West German metal workers in strike 1981 Event 2 workers killed in space shuttle Columbia accident 1980 Event In Lenin Shipyard Gdansk, Poland, 17,000 workers go on strike 1980 Event Polish railway workers block railway to Russia 1978 Event Iranian oil workers go on strike 1977 Event Miltitary workers kill 300-500 students in Addis Ababa 1971 Death Muriel Kirkland, actress (Nana, Fast Workers), dies of emphysema at 68 1970 Event Construction workers break up an anti-war rally in New York City's Wall Street 1970 Event 23,000 Belgian mine workers strike 1970 Death Joseph A. Yablonski, candidate for United Mine Workers president, murdered 1970 Event Netherlands Christian Workers Union (NCW) forms 1968 Event Belgian construction workers strike 1966 Event Dutch police beat construction workers, 60 injured 1966 Event Belgian state police kills 2 striking mine workers 1964 Event Civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James E Chaney, bodies discovered in an earthen Mississippi dam 1963 Event Train struck makeshift bus full of migrant workers, killing 32 1963 Event 200,000 French mine workers strike 1962 Event North Korea reports 100% election turnout, 100% vote for Workers' Party 1962 Event French and Italian workers break through at Mount Blanc Vehicular Tunnel 1962 Event St. Bernard Tunnel finished, Swiss and Italian workers shake hands 1956 Event 650,000 U.S. steel workers go on strike 1956 Event Union workers ended a 156-day strike at Westinghouse Electric Corp 1952 Birthday M Cyril Ramaphosa, Secretary-General of South African Mine Workers' Union 1952 Event 650,000 metal workers go on strike in U.S. 1952 Event Operations begin at United Suriname Workers of Netherlands which flew from London to Johannesburg carrying 36 passengers 1948 Death Walter P Reuther, President (United Auto Workers), shot at his home 1947 Event United Mine Workers union withdrew from AFL 1946 Event Harbor workers end strike at Rotterdam and Amsterdam 1946 Event 400,000 U.S. mine workers strike 1946 Event United Mine Workers union rejoins American Federation of Labor 1945 Event General Motors workers go on strike 1944 Event Revolution by workers and students in Guatemala 1944 Event Dutch General Mine Workers Union (ABWM) forms 1944 Event Paris railroad workers strike against nazi occupiers 1944 Event 12 workers of Dutch illegal paper "Trouw," executed at Camp Vught 1943 Event Riot at Mobile Alabama shipyard over upgrading 12 black workers 1940 Event Nazi's forbid non-professional auto workers 1940 Event 27 killed, 15 injured when truck full of migrant workers collides with a train outside McAllen, Texas 1939 Birthday Franklin A Sonn, union leader, South African workers 1939 Event Hatch Act prohibits political activity by federal workers 1938 Event Federal minimum wage law guarantees workers 40 cents per hour 1937 Event U.S. Steel raises workers' wages to $5 a day 1936 Event United Auto Workers stage 1st sit-down strike, at Fisher Body Plant 1932 Event 200,000 English textile workers strike 1930 Birthday Karoly Grosz, born in Miskolc, Hungary, politician, Communist Party, General Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party until end of Communism 1929 Birthday Owen Bieber, United Auto Workers president 1929 Event Farm workers strike begins in East-Groningen 1927 Birthday Cesar Chavez, born in Yuma, Arizona, farm labor leader, United Farm Workers 1926 Event British general strike ends, but mine workers go on strike 1926 Event British general strike-3 million workers support miners 1925 Event VARA, Vereniging van Workers Radio Amateurs forms in Amsterdam 1925 Event Belgian Workers Party wins parliamentary election 1924 Event Workers at Werkspoor in Amsterdam strike against 3rd wage cut 1923 Event Socialist Workers Youth International forms in Hamburg 1923 Event Workers Party of America (New York City) becomes official Communist Party 1923 Event French soldiers fire on workers at Krupp factory in Essen; 13 die 1923 Event Belgium: Borinage-mine workers strike for higher wages 1922 Event Curacao harbor workers begin strike under Felix Chacuto 1921 Birthday Syd Vincent, British mine workers leader 1921 Event Black Friday- Labour Party strike of mine workers fails 1919 Event U.S. police raid offices of Union of Russian Workers 1919 Event Dutch steel workers strike for 8 hour day and minimum wages 1917 Event Limburgse mine workers strike 1917 Event Munition factory explosion at Eddystone PA, kills 133 workers 1917 Event Russian Dumas sets up Provisional Committee; workers set up Soviets 1917 Event Russian Duma sets up Provisional Committee; workers set up Soviets 1916 Event Last British-Indian contract workers arrive in Suriname 1915 Birthday Moe Biller, New York City, labor union officer, AFL-CIO, Postal Workers 1915 Birthday Ron Smith, union leader, British Postal Workers 1914 Event 600 Dutch textile workers go on strike 1913 Event Explosion at Dawson New Mexico coal mine kills 263 mine workers 1912 Event Army fires on striking mine workers at Lena-gold fields Siberia 1911 Event United Dutch Diamond workers get 8-hour day 1910 Event Explosion in coal mine in Hulton England, 344 mine workers dies 1909 Event Workers start pouring concrete for Panama Canal 1909 Event Christian National Labor Workers (CNV) party begins in Netherlands 1909 Birthday Lord Collison, British union leader, agriculture workers 1907 Event 239 workers died in a coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek, Penn 1907 Event Government of Transvaal sends home 50,000 Chinese day workers 1905 Event Swedish mine workers win 5 month strike for minimum wages 1905 Event 1st Soviet (workers' council) formed, St. Petersburg, Russia 1905 Event Union workers at NVV rejects safety demands 1905 Event Netherlands Workers van Vakverenigingen, (NVV) political party forms 1904 Birthday W A "Tony" Boyle, United Mine Workers president 1903 Birthday Muriel Kirkland, Yonkers, New York, actress, Fast Workers, Hold Your Man 1903 Event Dutch railroad workers strike 1902 Event 5 workers killed on explosion during IRT subway construction (New York City) 1902 Event Textile workers strike in Enschede Netherlands till June 1 1900 Event Diamond workers in Amsterdam strike 1899 Event 7000 lay-offs black mine workers of South Africa reach Natal 1899 Event National Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, forms 1898 Event 20,000 Paris construction workers go on strike 1897 Event Police shoot at striking mine workers in Penns, kills 20 1894 Event Government obtains injunction against striking Pullman Workers 1894 Event Workers in Pittsburgh strike Pullman sleeping car company 1894 Event 136,000 mine workers strike in Ohio for pay increase 1892 Event Striking steel workers in Homestead, Pennsylvania fire on scabs, killing 7 1890 Event United Mine Workers of America forms 1889 Event Chaplain Ariens founds 1st roman catholic workers group 1889 Birthday Bessie Hillman, founder, Almalgamated Clothing Workers of America 1889 Event 1st International Workers Day, according to 2nd International 1885 Birthday Henry de Man, Belgium, sociologist/chairman, Belgian Workers Party 1884 Event Suriname army shoots on British-Indian contract workers, 7 killed 1882 Event 10,000 workers march in 1st Labor Day parade in New York City 1880 Event Compressed air accident kills 20 workers on Hudson River tunnel, New York 1880 Birthday John L. Lewis, union leader, United Mine Workers, 1920-60 1877 Event Military shoots on stopped railroad workers in Balt, kills 9 1873 Event 1st contract workers of British-Indies Co arrives in Suriname 1868 Event President Andrew Johnson passes a law that government workers would work 8 hour day 1866 Birthday John Eigenhuis, writer, Tough Workers 1865 Event Michigan authorizes workers' cooperatives 1862 Birthday Auguste Lumiere, made 1st movie, Workers Leaving Lumiere Factory 1860 Event Shoe-making workers of Lynn Ms, strike successfully for higher wages 1848 Event Bloody insurrection of workers in Paris 1805 Birthday Auguste Blanqui, France, revolutionary, workers' leader
