‘Venezuela’s National Assembly passed extraordinary new labor laws in support of workers on April 30, 2012. In a time when workers have had their rights stripped away and capitalist economies are collapsing throughout the United States and Europe, the Venezuelan government has managed to keep its economy thriving and has given the bounty to Venezuelan workers. We regard these new laws to be the most progressive labor legislation in the world today. We thank Axis of Logic Columnist, Arturo Rosales for his report and analysis.’

‘A controversial austerity scheme that has forced the unemployed to work for free in Supermarkets and other chains, has come under fire from the Unions today.

The coalition Government’s myriad of back to work programs has created a system whereby the UK’s largest retailers can employ staff from the dole line and not have to pay them a penny. Instead of truly getting the record unemployed back to work, citizens on Job Seeker’s Allowance are being forced to work for their benefits for up to 6 months, without the prospect of actually getting a full time position.

John Hannett, general secretary for the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, commented:
“The unemployment crisis is never going to be solved by forcing people to work for nothing…participants should receive the rate for the job, and there needs to be transparent checks and balances in place.”

The average UK weekly wage is around £451 [1] and declining. The average minimum wage of £6.08 per hour, for 40 hours a week is £243.20.

Therefore somebody working in retail is expected to make at least £243.20 if the employer is following the law.

However under this scheme, workers are simply paid the weekly £64.30 JSA benefit. This is tantamount to slave labour.’

‘You probably think all prisons are public. But private prisons are growing businesses that profit off the number of detention facilities and occupants.

The GEO Group and the Correction Corporation of America (CCA) are the two largest private prison corporations in the world.

These two companies have some pretty large investors that include Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley. The GEO Group also is under contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is the largest investigative wing of the Department of Homeland Security.

Each of these groups posts profits in the billions, and in 2010 GEO Group’s  revenues exceeded $1.2 billion, while CCA’s revenues were upward of $1.6 billion.

But how are such high profits posted when it costs about $40,000 a year to house one prisoner?

It’s actually pretty simple.

Private prisons like the GEO Group and CCA get contracted to do a wide range of jobs from other corporations and government agencies. The “employees” that GEO and CCA provide are inmates from their penitentiaries who make anywhere from 23 cents to $1.15 per hour.

Of course these “workers” get no benefits, no overtime, and no paid vacations and have no bargaining rights. Companies like CCA and GEO Group profit directly off of providing cheap and, arguably, slave labor.’