International News - March 2006

Kremlin Guards Get 'Space-age' Uniforms

Moscow , February 2, 2006 (UPI) -- The guards of Moscow 's Kremlin Regiment are trading in their traditional felt and sheepskin for cold-weather uniforms based on space-age technology.

The guards, whose responsibility includes the protection of high-level officials and the Kremlin itself, spend many hours outside, sometimes in winter temperatures as low as minus 25 Celsius (minus 13 Fahrenheit).

The guards' traditional "valenki," or felt boots, as well as their sheepskin hats and overcoats, are being replaced by modern wear made from special water-resistant fabrics and lined with thermoplastic fibers originally developed for spacesuits, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported Wednesday.

"The outerwear's fabric possesses unique properties. It can withstand strong winds, snow, freezing temperatures and rain. The special membrane fabric is almost 100 percent waterproof. Tests have shown it will resist water for more than 500 hours," said Sergei Devyatov, spokesman for the Federal Guard Service, of which the Kremlin Regiment is part.

The uniform's designers resisted the temptation to dress the regiment in spacesuit silver, however, and kept the regiment's historical colors of emerald green and cornflower blue.

Mexico Failing to Take Advantage of China Restrictions

Mexico , January 31, 2006 (Emerging Textiles) - Mexico 's apparel and textile producers have clearly been suffering in 2005. Latest figures confirm lower shipments to the US in a year dominated by trade tussles with China . The industry is in a panic and has been hemorrhaging jobs in a bid to reduce production costs while also losing out to Asia in restricted China categories.

Mexico 's apparel exports to the US have declined in 2005 under pressure from soaring Chinese shipments.

Total volume of apparel shipments en route to the US has fallen 10 per cent in the year to November with notable decreases in several larger bulk categories such as women's cotton trousers (348).

This has created panic within both the industry and government circles on how to adapt and successfully formulate a plan to retain US market shares.

Since 1994, Mexico had relied upon close market ties with both Canada and the US as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

However, this only gave Mexico a short-lived advantage and, following China 's breakthrough into world commerce, such benefits accorded by NAFTA have since been eroded.

The balance of trade between Mexico and China is also extremely unequal. In 2004, Mexico bought US$14 billion worth of Chinese produce with only US$400 million going the other way.

Slowly, Mexico has begun to evolve a strategy to counteract the emerging Chinese by focusing on certain areas in the US market while at the same time applying high duties to protect its industry.

The country's textile and apparel industry is the key indicator in the challenging new post-quota world that has seen a vicious increase in shipments from China in the past twelve months.

35 per cent of jobs in the industry have been lost due to such elevated direct competition in the US market that was previously deemed to be Mexico 's natural place.

It is not merely that factories have been closing down or going bust, but rather due to large sackings of workers as producers attempt to save on labor costs.

Workers in China demand around a quarter of a Mexican wage and this has fuelled into the price cuts seen in 2005 for Chinese apparel and textile products.

CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, could provide Mexican textiles with a ray of hope.

Under the agreement's rules of origin, exporters from the signatory countries are allowed to use yarn from any of the three NAFTA member nations and still qualify for duty free access in the US .

However, most agree that quotas imposed by the US over three years on Chinese apparel will not be enough to save Mexico 's industry as it competes with other Asian low cost producers.

Countries such as Vietnam , Cambodia and Bangladesh , for example, have been gaining in areas subject to restrictions while the part of the market once enjoyed by Mexico has been declining. And with China 's ability to severely reduce unit values, Mexico has been virtually priced out of the US market.

Firefighters Demand Safe Uniforms

Melbourne , Australia , February 15, 2006 (Green Left Weekly) - Angry members of the United Firefighters Union (UFU) yesterday marched to Victoria 's Parliament House steps to protest the stalling by the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (MFB) on negotiations over a new enterprise bargaining agreement. They were especially angry that the MFB has refused to offer Victorian firefighters safe uniforms for fighting fires.

UFU members employed by the Country Fire Authority also joined the protest, as it appears that the CFA will take a similarly intransigent attitude to the MFB.

The depth of anger at the MFB's disregard for the safety of firefighters was reflected by the high turnout of firefighters at the rally. Two-thirds of firefighters available to attend turned up. Many came straight from night shift to the rally.

Firefighters from both the MFB and CFA are angry that the new uniforms being offered do not meet Australian safety standards.

UFU state secretary Peter Marshall told the firefighters that Victoria has “the worst equipment in Australia ”. He accused the fire services of hiding test results on the new uniforms, which are cheaper than the safer alternatives.

A Queensland fire safety officer, Mark Gribble, told the protest that every state except for South Australia could benefit from having better protective clothing. He agreed that Victoria had the most unsafe uniforms. He said that firefighters in other countries had much better protective clothing than in Australia .

“Why do we need a moisture barrier in our uniforms?”, asked Gribble. “Because two of our colleagues died as a result of these uniforms. Victorian firefighter gear fails all international standards. We need uniforms with a moisture barrier.”

UFU national executive officer Leigh Hubbard told the workers that the MFB runs at a surplus and could easily afford to provide safe uniforms. He told the rally that the MFB was stalling on the EBA to force the union to negotiate under the new Work Choices legislation when it comes in March.

Marshall said, “Those making decisions don't know what it's like to go into a fire and fight a fire, so how can they make decisions for us?” He added: “If [Labor Premier] Steve Bracks and his cabinet mates had to go into a burning building, they'd have the good uniform.”

Unless the safety issue is resolved, thousands of firefighters are expected to march to parliament on March 8.