Strikes threaten summer festival season in France

PARIS: France´s prolific summer festival season threatens to grind to halt this year as disgruntled performers and technicians strike over a controversial welfare agreement.

Under French law, some 250,000 workers in the film, theatre, television and festival industry benefit from a system under which they are eligible for compensation and social protection for periods when they do not work, in a bid to address the job insecurity they face.

But they are unhappy with a deal reached between some unions, employers and the government in March to try and save money on this loss-making welfare regime -- which would increase their payroll taxes among other changes -- and argue that conditions to access this unique system are often extremely difficult to meet.

On Wednesday, the first day of the Latin American Rio Loco festival in the southwestern city of Toulouse was cancelled and a flamenco event in Paris was partially called off over strikes.

A month-long theatre festival in the southern city of Montpellier, meanwhile, has been severely disrupted. English singer and actress Jane Birkin cancelled her June 22 show at the event in support of the striking workers.

Performers and technicians are threatening to further their strikes if the agreement is officially signed off at the end of June as planned.This would threaten many events during the summer season, including the famed arts festival in Avignon, which attracts tens of thousands of people annually and takes place on July 4-27 this year.

MPAs threaten to stage sit-in against Islamabad vindictive power cut in Sindh

KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) members in Sindh assembly here on Tuesday went on a protest against the unannounced and prolonged load shedding in the rural and urban areas of the province piling miseries on the people, Geo News reported.

PPP members urged upon the Sindh government to lodge a formal protest with the federal government for the injustices being perpetrated on the people of Sindh and ensure forthwith the due share of power supply to the province otherwise the members of the assembly would be forced to lead the vexed citizens’ protests and sit-ins on the roads and streets of the province.

PPP’s Nawaz Chandio, MQM’s Muhammad Hussain and others honourable members of the Sindh assembly raising their voice against the unannounced and prolonged load shedding termed the power outage federation’s vengeance against Sindh.

On the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N)’s opposition member Irfanullah Marwat, assuring his full support to the agitation against the federal government for power cut in Sindh, said that the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah should also take out processions like Shahbaz Sharif did in PPP tenure. Those sitting in air-conditioned rooms should also know how one feels during the load shedding, he remarked.

Senior Provincial Minister, Nisar Khuhro sharply reacting to the remarks of the opposition member said when do your want to take out the procession, let us go right now.

Following some exchange of barbs between the opposition and treasury members, the Speaker on one occasion sensing the situation getting extremely tense warned the members that session could be adjourned to bring the agitated and angry members under control.