May 1st also known as May Day is celebrated as International Worker&rsquo;s Day in most countries of the world. The day pays a tribute to labourers and the working classes. It started as part of an international labour movement by socialists, communists or anarchists every year.

In India, the first Labour Day was celebrated in 1923 in Chennai. As part of the celebartions, The Triumph of Labour also known as Labour statue was erected at the northern end of the Marina beach in Chennai. India.&nbsp;The statue shows four men toiling to move a rock, depicting the hard work of the labouring class. It bears a semblance to the famed&nbsp;World War II&nbsp;photograph of the&nbsp;raising of the flag on Iwo Jima&nbsp;by the&nbsp;American Marines. It was sculpted by&nbsp;Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury. The statue is the earliest one to be erected on the beach&nbsp;and is installed close to the site where the country&#39;s first commemoration of&nbsp;May Day&nbsp;was held.&nbsp;

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The Triumph of Labour, also known as the Labour statue, is a statue at the Marina Beach, Chennai, India (Source: Wikipedia) (Others)
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History

May 1st was chosen for International Workers&#39; Day by the Second International, a pan-national organization of socialist and communist political parties, to commemorate the Haymarket affair, which occurred in Chicago on 4 May 1886. On this day in 1886, the police were trying to disperse a public assembly during a general strike demanding an eight-hour shift for all. The demonstration took an ugly turn when someone threw a bomb at the police. The police retaliated by firing on the workers, killing four demonstrators. In addition, more than 100 people were injured in the blast.&nbsp;

Importance

May Day or Labour Day is celebrated every year as an official holiday all over the world to celebrate the accomplishments of workers. Factory owners and other units which employ labour, enjoy the day by throwing parties and recreational activities for the workers on this day. It&#39;s a day when workers get together and showcase their strength which indicates how effectively they can struggle to bring in positive reforms for the working class of the society.

(WION)

Every year, May 1st is celebrated as International Workers Day across the globe

May 1st also known as May Day is celebrated as International Worker’s Day in most countries of the world. The day pays a tribute to labourers and the working classes. It started as part of an international labour movement by socialists, communists or anarchists every year. In India, the first Labour Day was celebrated in 1923 in Chennai. As part of the celebartions, The Triumph of Labour also known as Labour statue was erected at the northern end of the Marina beach in Chennai. India. The statue shows four men toiling to move a rock, depicting the hard work of the labouring class. It bears a semblance to the famed World War II photograph of the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima by the American Marines. It was sculpted by Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury. The statue is the earliest one to be erected on the beach and is installed close to the site where the country's first commemoration of May Day was held. The Triumph of Labour, also known as the Labour statue, is a statue at the Marina Beach, Chennai, India (Source: Wikipedia) (Others) × History May 1st was chosen for International Workers' Day by the Second International, a pan-national organization of socialist and communist political parties, to commemorate the Haymarket affair, which occurred in Chicago on 4 May 1886. On this day in 1886, the police were trying to disperse a public assembly during a general strike demanding an eight-hour shift for all. The demonstration took an ugly turn when someone threw a bomb at the police. The police retaliated by firing on the workers, killing four demonstrators. In addition, more than 100 people were injured in the blast. Importance May Day or Labour Day is celebrated every year as an official holiday all over the world to celebrate the accomplishments of workers. Factory owners and other units which employ labour, enjoy the day by throwing parties and recreational activities for the workers on this day. It's a day when workers get together and showcase their strength which indicates how effectively they can struggle to bring in positive reforms for the working class of the society. (WION)

What is Labour Day or May Day?

Workers employed by a builder on Tuesday complained to police that their services were terminated after they refused to accept their salary in demonetised currency notes.

&quot;On complaint of the workers, the builder has been called for questioning. If any illegality is found, action will be taken against him. Also, efforts will be made so that workers get salary through cheques,&quot; DSP Arvind Yadav said.

They also held a protest outside the builder&#39;s office.

A worker, Shesh Kumar, alleged, &quot;The salary for October was paid in old currency notes which was accepted by the workers. Now, the builder is pressurising us to accept November&#39;s salary and that for December in advance in old currency notes.&quot;

&quot;When we refused, the builder informed us that our services have been terminated,&quot; the worker alleged.

(This report first appeared on DNA)

On complaint of the workers, the builder has been called for questioning, DSP Arvind Yadav said.

Workers employed by a builder on Tuesday complained to police that their services were terminated after they refused to accept their salary in demonetised currency notes. "On complaint of the workers, the builder has been called for questioning. If any illegality is found, action will be taken against him. Also, efforts will be made so that workers get salary through cheques," DSP Arvind Yadav said. They also held a protest outside the builder's office. A worker, Shesh Kumar, alleged, "The salary for October was paid in old currency notes which was accepted by the workers. Now, the builder is pressurising us to accept November's salary and that for December in advance in old currency notes." "When we refused, the builder informed us that our services have been terminated," the worker alleged. (This report first appeared on DNA)

Demonetisation: Workers laid off on refusing to accept salary in old notes

Saudi Arabia has promised &quot;urgent&quot; action to resolve the plight of some 2,500 Indian workers stranded without money in the kingdom after a plunge in oil prices sparked construction layoffs. 
 
Labour minister Mufarrej al-Haqbani issued orders to allow the Indian workers &quot;to immediately transfer their kafala (sponsorship) and renew their residencies,&quot; the Okaz daily reported on today. Haqbani&#39;s orders also ease restrictions on workers leaving the kingdom, Okaz quoted ministry official Abdullah al-Alyan as saying. 
 
The kafala system, applied on foreign workers in Gulf countries, restricts most employees from moving to a new job without their boss&#39;s consent before their contracts end, leaving many trapped. It has been criticised by rights groups as a form of bonded labour or even slavery. 
 
Alyan&#39;s announcement comes as India&#39;s minister of state for foreign affairs, VK Singh, arrived in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah today, after New Delhi said it was negotiating to repatriate thousands of migrant workers who have lost their jobs and were left with no money to return home. 
 
Asian activists and officials have said that thousands of jobless Indians, Filipinos, and Pakistanis are stranded and destitute in Saudi Arabia following the construction layoffs. 
 
Some of them have been forced to beg or sift through garbage to survive after going unpaid for months, according to officials. But Alyan did not mention thousands of Saudi-based Filipino and Pakistani workers, and dismissed as &quot;rumours&quot; that around 10,000 Indian workers had been left to starve. Alyan said the &quot;immediate and urgent action&quot; was to resolve the issues of &quot;2,500 Indian workers from Saudi Oger who have faced difficulties due the delays in their salaries&quot; and cut-offs in electricity and food supplies from their camps. 
 
Sources in March told AFP that delayed receipts from the government, whose oil revenues have dropped significantly over the past two years, left employees of construction giants struggling while they wait for salaries. 
 
Saudi Oger, the once-mighty construction giant led by Lebanon&#39;s billionaire former prime minister Saad Hariri, is among the affected companies. It employs around 50,000 people of various nationalities. 
 
(AFP)

But Alyan ignored thousands of Saudi-based Filipino and Pakistani workers, and dismissed as "rumours" around 10,000 starving Indian workers

Saudi Arabia has promised "urgent" action to resolve the plight of some 2,500 Indian workers stranded without money in the kingdom after a plunge in oil prices sparked construction layoffs. Labour minister Mufarrej al-Haqbani issued orders to allow the Indian workers "to immediately transfer their kafala (sponsorship) and renew their residencies," the Okaz daily reported on today. Haqbani's orders also ease restrictions on workers leaving the kingdom, Okaz quoted ministry official Abdullah al-Alyan as saying. The kafala system, applied on foreign workers in Gulf countries, restricts most employees from moving to a new job without their boss's consent before their contracts end, leaving many trapped. It has been criticised by rights groups as a form of bonded labour or even slavery. Alyan's announcement comes as India's minister of state for foreign affairs, VK Singh, arrived in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah today, after New Delhi said it was negotiating to repatriate thousands of migrant workers who have lost their jobs and were left with no money to return home. Asian activists and officials have said that thousands of jobless Indians, Filipinos, and Pakistanis are stranded and destitute in Saudi Arabia following the construction layoffs. Some of them have been forced to beg or sift through garbage to survive after going unpaid for months, according to officials. But Alyan did not mention thousands of Saudi-based Filipino and Pakistani workers, and dismissed as "rumours" that around 10,000 Indian workers had been left to starve. Alyan said the "immediate and urgent action" was to resolve the issues of "2,500 Indian workers from Saudi Oger who have faced difficulties due the delays in their salaries" and cut-offs in electricity and food supplies from their camps. Sources in March told AFP that delayed receipts from the government, whose oil revenues have dropped significantly over the past two years, left employees of construction giants struggling while they wait for salaries. Saudi Oger, the once-mighty construction giant led by Lebanon's billionaire former prime minister Saad Hariri, is among the affected companies. It employs around 50,000 people of various nationalities. (AFP)

Saudi vows 'urgent' action for stranded Indian workers

More than half of workers in five Southeast Asian countries are at high risk of losing their jobs to automation in the next two decades, an International Labour Organization study found, with those in the garments industry particularly vulnerable. 
 
About 137 million workers, or 56 per cent of the salaried workforce from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, fall under the high-risk category, the study showed. 
 
&quot;Countries that compete on low-wage labour need to reposition themselves. Price advantage is no longer enough,&quot; said Deborah France-Massin, director for the ILO&#39;s bureau for employers&#39; activities. The report said workers have to be trained to work effectively alongside digitalised machines. 
 
Southeast Asia is home to more than 630 million people and is a hub for several manufacturing sectors, including textiles, vehicles and hard disk drives. 
 
Of the nine million people working in the region&#39;s textiles, clothing and footwear industry, 64 per cent of Indonesian workers are at high risk of losing their jobs to automation, 86 per cent in Vietnam, and 88 per cent in Cambodia. 
 
Garment manufacturers in Cambodia, who take orders from retailers such as Adidas, Marks and Spencer and Wal-Mart Stores Inc, employ about 600,000 people. 
 
Neighbouring Vietnam is seeing record investment in its footwear and textiles industries, due to new free-trade pacts with major markets, including the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership. It is the second-largest garment supplier behind China to the United States. 
 
The United Nations agency said technologies including 3D printing, wearable technology, nanotechnology and robotic automation could disrupt the sector. 
 
&quot;Robots are becoming better at assembly, cheaper and increasingly able to collaborate with people,&quot; the ILO said. 
 
The textiles, clothing and footwear sector is at the highest risk of automation out of five industries analysed in the study, including automotive and auto parts, electrical and electronics, business process outsourcing and retail. 
 
In the automotive and auto parts industry, more than 60 per cent of salaried workers in Indonesia, and over 70 per cent of those in Thailand face the risk of their jobs being displaced. 
 
Southeast Asia&#39;s automotive sector, the seventh-largest producer of vehicles in 2015 globally, employs more than 800,000 workers, the report said. 
 
Known as the &quot;Detroit of Southeast Asia&quot;, Thailand is a regional production and export hub for the world&#39;s top carmakers. The auto sector accounts for around 10 per cent of Thai GDP and employs a 10th of its workers in manufacturing. 
 
(Reuters)

The textiles, clothing and footwear sector is at the highest risk of automation out of five industries analysed in the study

More than half of workers in five Southeast Asian countries are at high risk of losing their jobs to automation in the next two decades, an International Labour Organization study found, with those in the garments industry particularly vulnerable. About 137 million workers, or 56 per cent of the salaried workforce from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, fall under the high-risk category, the study showed. "Countries that compete on low-wage labour need to reposition themselves. Price advantage is no longer enough," said Deborah France-Massin, director for the ILO's bureau for employers' activities. The report said workers have to be trained to work effectively alongside digitalised machines. Southeast Asia is home to more than 630 million people and is a hub for several manufacturing sectors, including textiles, vehicles and hard disk drives. Of the nine million people working in the region's textiles, clothing and footwear industry, 64 per cent of Indonesian workers are at high risk of losing their jobs to automation, 86 per cent in Vietnam, and 88 per cent in Cambodia. Garment manufacturers in Cambodia, who take orders from retailers such as Adidas, Marks and Spencer and Wal-Mart Stores Inc, employ about 600,000 people. Neighbouring Vietnam is seeing record investment in its footwear and textiles industries, due to new free-trade pacts with major markets, including the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership. It is the second-largest garment supplier behind China to the United States. The United Nations agency said technologies including 3D printing, wearable technology, nanotechnology and robotic automation could disrupt the sector. "Robots are becoming better at assembly, cheaper and increasingly able to collaborate with people," the ILO said. The textiles, clothing and footwear sector is at the highest risk of automation out of five industries analysed in the study, including automotive and auto parts, electrical and electronics, business process outsourcing and retail. In the automotive and auto parts industry, more than 60 per cent of salaried workers in Indonesia, and over 70 per cent of those in Thailand face the risk of their jobs being displaced. Southeast Asia's automotive sector, the seventh-largest producer of vehicles in 2015 globally, employs more than 800,000 workers, the report said. Known as the "Detroit of Southeast Asia", Thailand is a regional production and export hub for the world's top carmakers. The auto sector accounts for around 10 per cent of Thai GDP and employs a 10th of its workers in manufacturing. (Reuters)

Millions of Southeast Asian jobs may be lost to automation in next two decades

The French socialist government was reportedly poised today to push through labour reforms without a vote as protesters gathered for their 12th show of opposition to the controversial package since March. 
 
&quot;The decision has been taken and the prime minister will announce it officially in parliament, likely at the start of the debate at 3:00 pm (1300 GMT),&quot; a political source told AFP. 
 
It would be the second time Prime Minister Manuel Valls will have used the so-called 49-3 provision for this package of reforms because he could not count on the support of the left flank of the Socialist Party in parliament when it first came up for a vote in May. 
 
The move prompted the opposition to call a vote of no-confidence, which the government survived by a comfortable margin. 
 
Today the head of the centre-right Republicans parliamentary group, Christian Jacob, said they would not call such a vote this time around. 
 
An opinion poll published last week found that 73 per cent of the French would be &quot;shocked&quot; if the government used the 49-3 provision for the final passage of the reforms, which are aimed at reining in unemployment by freeing up the job market. 
 
Union and student-backed demonstrations against the reforms which they see as too pro-business and threatening to cherished workers rights began in early March, with some protests descending into violence. 
 
The worst unrest was seen in Paris on June 14, just four days after the start of the Euro 2016 football championships in France, when around 40 people were hurt and dozens were arrested. 
 
President Francois Hollande, who faces a re-election bid next April, had hoped for a signature reform to reverse his dire approval ratings.But pressure from the street, as well as parliament`s back benches, caused the government to water down the proposals, which only angered bosses while failing to assuage critics. 
 
Unions say the main remaining sticking point is a measure giving precedence to agreements negotiated between companies and their staff over deals reached with unions across entire industrial sectors notably on working hours. 
 
Pierre Gattaz, the head of the employers` federation MEDEF, said last week that he was &quot;very disappointed&quot; with the bill in its watered-down form, calling it a &quot;monument of complexity, absolutely illegible&quot; for small and medium-sized businesses. 
 
&quot;No one on the ground understands anything anymore and it`s a law that will be of absolutely no use for employment,&quot; Gattaz said after meeting with Valls. 
 
Last week the right-dominated Senate approved a more business-friendly version of the legislation. 
 
The Senate bill, passed by a vote of 185 to 156, would scrap the 35-hour work week and restore a cap on the amount employers would have to pay out when they lose labour disputes.&nbsp; 
 
With the two chambers unlikely to agree a final version, the lower house has the final say, but now the government is expected to invoke clause 49-3 and force through its version. 
 
The embattled socialist government also had to force a package of economic reforms through parliament last year using the constitutional measure, to prevent the rebel left flank of the party from sinking it.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Labour bill, if passed in the Parliament, will give freedom to companies to set work conditions and tailor pay

The French socialist government was reportedly poised today to push through labour reforms without a vote as protesters gathered for their 12th show of opposition to the controversial package since March. "The decision has been taken and the prime minister will announce it officially in parliament, likely at the start of the debate at 3:00 pm (1300 GMT)," a political source told AFP. It would be the second time Prime Minister Manuel Valls will have used the so-called 49-3 provision for this package of reforms because he could not count on the support of the left flank of the Socialist Party in parliament when it first came up for a vote in May. The move prompted the opposition to call a vote of no-confidence, which the government survived by a comfortable margin. Today the head of the centre-right Republicans parliamentary group, Christian Jacob, said they would not call such a vote this time around. An opinion poll published last week found that 73 per cent of the French would be "shocked" if the government used the 49-3 provision for the final passage of the reforms, which are aimed at reining in unemployment by freeing up the job market. Union and student-backed demonstrations against the reforms which they see as too pro-business and threatening to cherished workers rights began in early March, with some protests descending into violence. The worst unrest was seen in Paris on June 14, just four days after the start of the Euro 2016 football championships in France, when around 40 people were hurt and dozens were arrested. President Francois Hollande, who faces a re-election bid next April, had hoped for a signature reform to reverse his dire approval ratings.But pressure from the street, as well as parliament`s back benches, caused the government to water down the proposals, which only angered bosses while failing to assuage critics. Unions say the main remaining sticking point is a measure giving precedence to agreements negotiated between companies and their staff over deals reached with unions across entire industrial sectors notably on working hours. Pierre Gattaz, the head of the employers` federation MEDEF, said last week that he was "very disappointed" with the bill in its watered-down form, calling it a "monument of complexity, absolutely illegible" for small and medium-sized businesses. "No one on the ground understands anything anymore and it`s a law that will be of absolutely no use for employment," Gattaz said after meeting with Valls. Last week the right-dominated Senate approved a more business-friendly version of the legislation. The Senate bill, passed by a vote of 185 to 156, would scrap the 35-hour work week and restore a cap on the amount employers would have to pay out when they lose labour disputes. With the two chambers unlikely to agree a final version, the lower house has the final say, but now the government is expected to invoke clause 49-3 and force through its version. The embattled socialist government also had to force a package of economic reforms through parliament last year using the constitutional measure, to prevent the rebel left flank of the party from sinking it. (AFP)

French labour law poised for passage amid protest

The Indian makers of a $4 smartphone hope its low price will allow millions of the poorest to own a mobile phone in a market which at present has seen only 10 per cent penetration. 
 
But labour rights campaigners worry that the push to churn out cheap handsets and tablets may lead to greater abuse of workers&#39; rights in India, world&#39;s fastest-growing smartphone market. 
 
Ringing Bells&#39; Freedom 251 smartphone, whose launch in February crashed the company&#39;s website, is priced at Rs251. 
 
On Thursday, the company&#39;s chief executive Mohit Goel said the first shipment of about 200,000 handsets was due next week. 
 
Ringing Bells pays fair wages to its workers and its pricier models will help offset the cost of the $4 phone, he added. 
 
&quot;Our vision is to make mobile phones more affordable to the millions of poor Indians who do not own one,&quot; Goel told Reuters. 
 
India sold 103 million handsets last year, an increase of 29 per cent on the previous year.&nbsp; 
 
With only one in 10 Indians owning a mobile phone, there is enormous potential - much of it at the lower end of the market where dozens of local and foreign brands are vying for customers with some handsets selling for less than $25. 
 
However, the pressure to keep costs low is pushing manufacturers to pay low wages, rely on cheaper contract labour and insist on unpaid overtime, activists say. 
 
&quot;Responsibility of the supply chain and workers lies with brand companies,&quot; said Gopinath Parakuni, general secretary at Cividep, a workers&#39; rights campaign group. 
 
&quot;Our regulations simply aren&#39;t strong enough to ensure workers in the electronics industry are taken care of,&quot; he said. 
 
&#39;Who pays the price?&#39; 
 
Last month Cividep and Amsterdam-based GoodElectronics issued a report on Samsung Electronics, the leader in India&#39;s mobile market, which found that Samsung workers were poorly paid with no way to effectively have their grievances addressed. 
 
A Samsung India spokesman said the company complies by all relevant labour laws and regulations wherever it operates.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Fairness and respect for all are the values that form the foundation of our business,&quot; the spokesman said in a statement. 
 
While most of the 100-odd phone companies in India largely import from China and Taiwan, companies are increasingly heeding Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s call to &#39;Make in India&#39;, an initiative launched in 2014. 
 
Chinese phone maker Xiaomi rolled out its first, locally-made smartphones last year from a facility in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. 
 
The &#39;Make in India&#39; drive to boost manufacturing is aimed at luring more investment, raising economic growth and creating jobs in industries such as electronics and apparel. 
 
But these efforts lack sufficient checks and balances for millions of workers who face archaic labour laws, low wages, few benefits and little job security in businesses that often flout laws on safety or underage workers, activists say. 
 
In India&#39;s electronics industry, working conditions are &quot;among the worst&quot;, according to a 2013 report by Hong Kong-based labour rights non-profit Asia Monitor Resource Centre. 
 
Not all efforts to produce cheap electronics have been successful. In 2008, the Indian government unveiled a $10 laptop that ended up costing more than $100, while a $20 Android tablet sold through a subsidy scheme failed to capture significant market share. 
 
&quot;Companies like to say cheap phones and computers is about digital empowerment and democracy,&quot; said Raphel Jose at the Centre for Responsible Business in New Delhi. 
 
&quot;But we must stop and ask, &#39;what is the real cost of these cheap devices? Who pays the price?&#39; Cheap is not always good,&quot; he said. 
 
($1 = 67.55 Indian Rupees)&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Activists claim that to keep costs low, manufacturers pay low wages, rely on cheaper contract labour and insist on unpaid overtime

The Indian makers of a $4 smartphone hope its low price will allow millions of the poorest to own a mobile phone in a market which at present has seen only 10 per cent penetration. But labour rights campaigners worry that the push to churn out cheap handsets and tablets may lead to greater abuse of workers' rights in India, world's fastest-growing smartphone market. Ringing Bells' Freedom 251 smartphone, whose launch in February crashed the company's website, is priced at Rs251. On Thursday, the company's chief executive Mohit Goel said the first shipment of about 200,000 handsets was due next week. Ringing Bells pays fair wages to its workers and its pricier models will help offset the cost of the $4 phone, he added. "Our vision is to make mobile phones more affordable to the millions of poor Indians who do not own one," Goel told Reuters. India sold 103 million handsets last year, an increase of 29 per cent on the previous year. With only one in 10 Indians owning a mobile phone, there is enormous potential - much of it at the lower end of the market where dozens of local and foreign brands are vying for customers with some handsets selling for less than $25. However, the pressure to keep costs low is pushing manufacturers to pay low wages, rely on cheaper contract labour and insist on unpaid overtime, activists say. "Responsibility of the supply chain and workers lies with brand companies," said Gopinath Parakuni, general secretary at Cividep, a workers' rights campaign group. "Our regulations simply aren't strong enough to ensure workers in the electronics industry are taken care of," he said. 'Who pays the price?' Last month Cividep and Amsterdam-based GoodElectronics issued a report on Samsung Electronics, the leader in India's mobile market, which found that Samsung workers were poorly paid with no way to effectively have their grievances addressed. A Samsung India spokesman said the company complies by all relevant labour laws and regulations wherever it operates. "Fairness and respect for all are the values that form the foundation of our business," the spokesman said in a statement. While most of the 100-odd phone companies in India largely import from China and Taiwan, companies are increasingly heeding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to 'Make in India', an initiative launched in 2014. Chinese phone maker Xiaomi rolled out its first, locally-made smartphones last year from a facility in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The 'Make in India' drive to boost manufacturing is aimed at luring more investment, raising economic growth and creating jobs in industries such as electronics and apparel. But these efforts lack sufficient checks and balances for millions of workers who face archaic labour laws, low wages, few benefits and little job security in businesses that often flout laws on safety or underage workers, activists say. In India's electronics industry, working conditions are "among the worst", according to a 2013 report by Hong Kong-based labour rights non-profit Asia Monitor Resource Centre. Not all efforts to produce cheap electronics have been successful. In 2008, the Indian government unveiled a $10 laptop that ended up costing more than $100, while a $20 Android tablet sold through a subsidy scheme failed to capture significant market share. "Companies like to say cheap phones and computers is about digital empowerment and democracy," said Raphel Jose at the Centre for Responsible Business in New Delhi. "But we must stop and ask, 'what is the real cost of these cheap devices? Who pays the price?' Cheap is not always good," he said. ($1 = 67.55 Indian Rupees) (Reuters)

India's $4 smartphone will further hurt underpaid workers' conditions, campaigners say

After a break of 20 years,&nbsp;Afghanistan&#39;s first&nbsp;cementfactory is once more clanking noisily in the countryside near Kabul as crushed-up limestone rocks rattle along a battered conveyor belt to the newly restored kiln.

In an area desperately short of industry and jobs, workers hope the relaunch of the plant, built by Czech engineers in 1957 and shut by the Taliban in 1995, heralds the revival of an industry shattered by decades of war and destruction.

&quot;By selling our products and improving the factory&#39;s production, we can avoid having our young generation go abroad,&quot; said Amir Mohammad. &quot;If there are job possibilities, they can stay with their families and look after their children.&quot;

But the outdated state-owned plant 75 km (47 miles) outside Kabul also shows how far there is to go before that promise can be achieved and there are serious questions whether the plant has a viable future unless it is thoroughly modernised.

Jabal Saraj, which now employs 150 workers, is a small factory with daily capacity of 100 tonnes and equipment that is at least 40 years out of date, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a 2011 report.

&quot;We&#39;ve tried our best and got the factory running using its old machinery,&quot; said Abdul Wakil, one of a group of former workers who have returned to help get the plant working again. &quot;As long as we have electricity, it will work.&quot;

Talks with a private operator to develop a separate, larger plant at Jabal Saraj have run for months, but for now, the government has decided the old plant still serves a purpose, a spokesman for the country&#39;s mines and petroleum ministry said.

&quot;This old factory is useful and has a profitable production capacity,&quot; Mohyaddin Noori added. &quot;It provides job opportunities.&quot;

Afghanistan&#39;s only other major&nbsp;cement&nbsp;manufacturer, the Ghori&nbsp;cement&nbsp;plant, has daily capacity of more than 1,000 tonnes, but domestic industry is dwarfed by the millions of tonnes of imports from neighbours, including Pakistan and Iran.

That fierce competition makes it tough to find domestically produced&nbsp;cement&nbsp;in Kabul&#39;s main wholesale markets, even despite the fact that domestic&nbsp;cement&#39;s bulk and relatively low cost should penalize foreign&nbsp;cement, trucked in hundreds of miles.

&quot;We have only Pakistani&nbsp;cement,&quot; said trader Ershad Shinwari. &quot;Afghan-made&nbsp;cement&nbsp;is not coming to us.&quot;

Demand for building materials has fallen sharply since international forces left in 2014 but the market has not collapsed and director Mohammadi hopes for domestic growth.

&quot;There is huge demand for&nbsp;cement&nbsp;in&nbsp;Afghanistan,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ve got the factory working, so it will give investors a chance.&quot;

For the moment, however, Jabal Saraj relies on government subsidy to survive. The economics may be tough, but it is people nearby who are mainly looking for work.

&quot;We ask the other countries to help this factory and provide new machinery to replace the old machines,&quot; said plant worker Wazir Mohammad.

&quot;It will be very useful for our people as long as there is poverty in&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;and everyone suffers insecurity.&quot;

After a break of 20 years,?Afghanistan's first?cementfactory is once more clanking noisily in the countryside near Kabul as crushed-up limestone rocks rattle along a battered conveyor belt to the newly restored kiln. In an area desperately short of industry and jobs, workers hope the relaunch of the plant built by Czech engineers in 1957 and shut by the Taliban in 1995.

After a break of 20 years, Afghanistan's first cementfactory is once more clanking noisily in the countryside near Kabul as crushed-up limestone rocks rattle along a battered conveyor belt to the newly restored kiln. In an area desperately short of industry and jobs, workers hope the relaunch of the plant, built by Czech engineers in 1957 and shut by the Taliban in 1995, heralds the revival of an industry shattered by decades of war and destruction. "By selling our products and improving the factory's production, we can avoid having our young generation go abroad," said Amir Mohammad. "If there are job possibilities, they can stay with their families and look after their children." But the outdated state-owned plant 75 km (47 miles) outside Kabul also shows how far there is to go before that promise can be achieved and there are serious questions whether the plant has a viable future unless it is thoroughly modernised. Jabal Saraj, which now employs 150 workers, is a small factory with daily capacity of 100 tonnes and equipment that is at least 40 years out of date, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a 2011 report. "We've tried our best and got the factory running using its old machinery," said Abdul Wakil, one of a group of former workers who have returned to help get the plant working again. "As long as we have electricity, it will work." Talks with a private operator to develop a separate, larger plant at Jabal Saraj have run for months, but for now, the government has decided the old plant still serves a purpose, a spokesman for the country's mines and petroleum ministry said. "This old factory is useful and has a profitable production capacity," Mohyaddin Noori added. "It provides job opportunities." Afghanistan's only other major cement manufacturer, the Ghori cement plant, has daily capacity of more than 1,000 tonnes, but domestic industry is dwarfed by the millions of tonnes of imports from neighbours, including Pakistan and Iran. That fierce competition makes it tough to find domestically produced cement in Kabul's main wholesale markets, even despite the fact that domestic cement's bulk and relatively low cost should penalize foreign cement, trucked in hundreds of miles. "We have only Pakistani cement," said trader Ershad Shinwari. "Afghan-made cement is not coming to us." Demand for building materials has fallen sharply since international forces left in 2014 but the market has not collapsed and director Mohammadi hopes for domestic growth. "There is huge demand for cement in Afghanistan," he said. "We've got the factory working, so it will give investors a chance." For the moment, however, Jabal Saraj relies on government subsidy to survive. The economics may be tough, but it is people nearby who are mainly looking for work. "We ask the other countries to help this factory and provide new machinery to replace the old machines," said plant worker Wazir Mohammad. "It will be very useful for our people as long as there is poverty in Afghanistan and everyone suffers insecurity."

Hopes and fears for jobs as Afghan cement factory reopens

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