Latest news with #labourers
The Independent
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Two dead and seven missing after cloudburst triggers landslide in Indian Himalayas
At least two labourers were confirmed killed and seven remained missing after a cloudburst triggered a landslide in northern India early on Sunday. The disaster struck near an under-construction hotel in the Silai area of Uttarkashi along the Yamunotri National Highway, a key route leading to one of Hinduism 's holiest pilgrimage sites in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. A labour campsite housing 19 workers was swept away by a torrent of rainwater and debris, with 10 rescued thus far. Most of the victims, engaged in road construction, were believed to be from the neighbouring country of Nepal, PTI news agency reported. The two bodies were recovered around 18km downstream, from the banks of the Yamuna, local police officer Vikram Singh said. Uttarkashi magistrate Prashant Arya said a new landslide zone had formed near where the incident took place. 'There is an under-construction hotel near Silai. Adjacent to it, a new landslide zone has developed where no such incident had occurred before – it was considered a safe area,' he said. 'The rubble cascaded down near the hotel and hit the labourers' campsite.' Mr Arya said rescue operations were underway with teams from the National Disaster Response Force, the State Disaster Response Force, and the police working in difficult terrain. 'Yamunotri Marg has also been affected,' he noted, referring to the critical highway leading to the Yamunotri temple. The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Uttarakhand, forecasting heavy rainfall and thunderstorms on Sunday and Monday. The state has experienced unrelenting rain since Saturday, causing rivers to swell and prompting fears of further landslides and flash floods. Connectivity to several areas of the state has been severely disrupted. A 10m stretch of the Yamunotri Highway has been washed away while key roads near Nandprayag and Bhaneropani have been blocked by landslides. In Rudraprayag, the Sonprayag–Munkatiya road, vital for access to the holy Kedarnath shrine, has been temporarily closed after fresh landslides. The Yamuna's water level has risen significantly, placing nearby settlements at risk. Amid the unfolding crisis, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was in constant contact with district officials and had directed rescue and relief efforts. In response to the weather alert and hazardous conditions, Uttarakhand suspended the Char Dham Yatra for 24 hours. The pilgrimage, one of the holiest in the Hindu religion, involves visiting the four shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, and draws hundreds of thousands of devotees from across India and abroad each year. Vinay Shankar Pandey, commissioner of the Garhwal division, said that pilgrims were being stopped in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Sonprayag, and Vikasnagar for their safety. "As a precautionary measure, I have given instructions to police and administration officials to stop the pilgrims,' he said, reported the New Indian Express. Authorities were also urging residents and pilgrims to avoid riverbanks and unstable slopes.
Zawya
18-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
ADIB participates in the 'Midday Break' initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
Aligned with UAE's Year of Community and ADIB's broader ESG commitment to worker welfare Abu Dhabi, UAE: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, participates in the 'Midday Break Initiative,' as part of its ongoing commitment to ESG principles and its wider efforts to support community welfare and social responsibility. The initiative, which prohibits outdoor work between 12:30 PM and 3:00 PM during the summer months, is designed to safeguard the health and well-being of labourers during periods of extreme heat, reflecting ADIB's continued dedication to promoting a safe and respectful working environment and aligns with the UAE's national regulations and the broader theme of the Year of Community. As part of the initiative, ADIB distributed tokens of appreciation that included gifts and meals to participating workers. The initiative will span different emirates and construction sites, aiming to reach over 3,000 labourers. This initiative is part of ADIB's broader strategy to drive sustainable development by integrating social initiatives and community engagement into its operations. By supporting projects that protect vulnerable groups and encourage volunteerism, ADIB continues to promote a culture of inclusion and positive impact across the UAE. About ADIB ADIB is a leading bank in the UAE with AED 244 billion in assets. The bank also offers world-class online, mobile and phone banking services, providing clients with seamless digital access to their accounts 24 hours a day. ADIB provides Retail, Corporate, Business, Private Banking and Wealth Management Solutions. The bank was established in 1997 and its shares are traded on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX). ADIB has a strong presence in six strategic markets: Egypt, where it has 70 branches, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Qatar, and Iraq. Named World's Best Islamic Bank by The Financial Times - The Banker publication, ADIB has a rich track record of innovation, including introducing the award-winning Ghina savings account, award-winning co-branded cards with Emirates airlines, Etihad and Etisalat and a wide range of financing products. For media information, please visit or contact: ADIB Edelman Lamia Khaled Hariz Simon Hailes Head of Public Affairs Director of Financial Communications
RNZ News
18-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Inland Revenue finds $45 million of undeclared tax in horticulture industry from last 10 months
Inland Revenue was pursuing the contracting firms through audits and prosecutions with nearly 100 such audits active at the moment. Photo: Supplied Inland Revenue has found $45 million of undeclared tax in the horticulture industry in just the last 10 months. Spokesperson Tony Morris said they were seeing concerning practices in the sector, that included people being paid under the table. He said some in the sector were still recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle, and dealt with increasing compliance costs and labour shortages, so paying tax could become an afterthought. Morris said Inland Revenue was also seeing cash sales not being reported correctly and withholding tax not being deducted on payments made, deducted at incorrect rates or not being reported. Growers typically hire labour through contracting fims and Morris said it's these firms that try and hide payments. Photo: 123rf Inland Revenue was pursuing the contracting firms through audits and prosecutions with nearly 100 such audits active at the moment. "While many growers are doing things right, they typically hire labour through a contracting firm, which then frequently pays the labourers in cash. Some of these contracting firms then use convoluted business structures to try and hide those payments," Morris said. "Not only does this mean they could avoid their tax, but it also means the labourers can get benefit payments they aren't entitled to or avoid their child support or student loan payments. "Inland Revenue is cracking down on this by requiring many contracting firms to withhold tax from their labourers payments, and pay that directly to IR. Where Inland Revenue identifies growers and other payers not correctly deducting or accounting for the tax, we are also following these up." Morris also said due to the high use of cash and migrant labour in the horticulture industry, it was a sector open to the abuse of workers. He said Inland Revenue worked with other government agencies to address such issues. "Alongside Hort NZ and Zespri, we work hard to ensure growers and contracting firms are aware of what they need to do to get things right, and appreciate the efforts of the many who do get it right." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
South China Morning Post
07-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong contractor ‘promises to settle HK$9 million in unpaid wages next week'
A Hong Kong contractor has promised to pay part of the HK$13 million (US$1.67 million) in wages it owes to 250 construction workers next week after some of the labourers held a protest at a construction site, a union has said. Advertisement On Wednesday morning, several dozen workers gathered at the Lohas Park Phase 12 construction site in Tseung Kwan O to demand payment from Gammon Construction, the project's main contractor. Images shared by the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union showed the entrance to the site had been blocked off with barriers, including some marked with slogans, while workers sat on the nearby walkways. Gammon told the Post that it had earlier agreed to pay the wages by the end of May, but the workers, who had been hired by a subcontractor, on Tuesday had 'unexpectedly' demanded the date be brought forward. Ryan Ng Wai-leung, the union's rights and complaints officer, said 250 workers had not received their wages for between January and April, amounting to HK$13 million in total. Advertisement He said the labourers had held a protest to put pressure on the contractor.
