IG Metall is negotiating on behalf of around 3.9 million workers in a critical sector for Europe’s largest economy, pushing for higher pay and the right to temporarily switch to part-time hours. Around half a million workers drawn from sectors as varied as carmaking, electrical and electronic goods or metal production downed tools last week in 24-hour “warning strikes” as talks made little headway. Union bosses threatened an indefinite strike if their demands were not met, something that has not occurred in the sector since 2003. But in an overnight statement, both the union and employers announced that they had reached a “tolerable compromise” with some “painful elements” in the key industrial state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Some 900,000 workers are covered by the agreement, which could be extended to all of Germany. The state is home to industrial giants such as Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler and the world’s biggest car parts supplier Bosch. A key concession is the right for more senior employees to cut their working week to 28 hours for a limited period of six to 24 months. The reduced working week comes with a commensurate salary despite union demands — but employees are guaranteed their full-time position when they return. The concession is a partial win for both sides. The union pushed for more flexible working conditions for employees during key life moments such as the birth of a child, looking after a relative or ill health. Employers were determined to avoid continue paying full-time salaries to those who… [Read full story]
American scientists Eric Betzig and William Moerner and Germany's Stefan Hell won the 2014 Nobel Prize for chemistry for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy, the award-giving body said on October 8. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarding the 8 million crown (US$1.1 million) prize said the three scientists' research had made it possible to study molecular processes in real time. "Due to their achievements the optical microscope can now peer into the nanoworld," the academy said in a statement. Betzig works at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Ashburn, United States, while Moerner is professor at Stanford University.…... [read more]
Contestant Nguyen Ngoc Kieu Khanh from the Federal Republic of Germany won Miss Sea title of the 2010 Vietnam Global Pageant on August 17. Nguyen Ngoc Kieu Khanh (C) The young lady, 19, will receive a cash prize of VND30 million (US$1, 500) and a prioritized rank among the top 15 beauties due to enter the final night of the contest.Miss Earth 2009, Larrisa Ramoz, arrived in Nha Trang for the competition as a member of the jury. She will come back the coastal city to give the crown to the new pageant winner in December. As planed, Miss…... [read more]
Chieu Bong (Cinema) with the award winning German film The Lives of Others by director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. A drama movie which marked the feature film debut of filmmaker Donnersmarck, The Lives of Others won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film will be presented in its original German-language version with Vietnamese voice-overs (no English subtitles) at 7.30pm on Sunday. Tickets on the door: VND70,000 and VND50,000 for students. Due to limited capacity, please pre-register at [email protected] before 5pm on Friday. Following, on July 14, Manzi will welcome the Fields Medal award-winning mathematician Ngo Bao…... [read more]
Germans Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann beat reigning FIVB world champions Emanuel Rego and Alison Cerutti of Brazil to win the gold medal of men's beach volleyball at London Olympics on Thursday. The Germans won the match by 23-21, 16-21,16-14 in the fully-packed Horse Guard Parade, central London, which brought the duo their, and the Europe's first Olympic gold medal. "The first set was pretty close, from the beginning to the end," Reckermann said. "In the second the Brazilians played great and we had trouble siding out. In the third we went point by point and then at 14-11 we…... [read more]
Cambodia's football-loving Prime Minister Hun Sen has tipped Germany to win the World Cup. "Congratulations Germany!," Hun Sen, speaking in English, told bemused foreign diplomats and businessmen attending an investment seminar in the capital Phnom Penh on Wednesday. "I bless Germany to win the World Cup," he told the group which included ambassadors from Cup contenders Germany, England, Japan, South Korea, France and Australia. Football fever has gripped the war-scarred southeast Asian nation, with Cambodians from every walk of life staying up into the small hours of the night to watch their favourite teams. Hun Sen said he won a…... [read more]
