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By Sharon Kimathi, Energy and ESG Editor, Reuters Digital

Hello,

Happy belated International Workers’ Day! Today’s newsletter focuses on the social in environment, social and governance (ESG) principles as workers from Greece to the United States exercise their rights to protest peacefully, which falls in the scope of national and corporate social responsibility.

This week, hundreds of Greek workers marched through central Athens to demand pay rises that would bring their salaries close to the European average and to protest over the war in Gaza.

Ships remained docked at Greek ports and buses and metro services in the capital were disrupted as transport workers joined a 24-hour strike in the private and public sector called by the country’s largest trade unions for Labour Day.

Also on my radar today:

• Unions, businesses eye migrants to fill labor gaps in Ohio
• Deutsche Bank and union reach pay deal for Postbank employees
• Shell investors should oppose climate resolution, Glass Lewis says

Protesters hold Palestinian flags during a rally commemorating May Day, in Athens, Greece REUTERS/Louiza Vradi

In Athens, protesters demanded pay rises that will make up for a series of wage slashes imposed by previous Greek governments as part of austerity measures in return for the international bailouts during its 2008-2018 debt crisis.

Greece’s economy has been growing at nearly twice the euro zone rate in recent years and the country last year regained investment grade status after 13 years in the “junk” category.

As public finances have recovered, wages for state workers increased this year for the first time in 14 years and the Greek conservative government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, re-elected last June, unveiled this week a plan for a performance-based bonus of up to 15% of annual salary from 2025.

State workers said the plan was a pittance which failed to make up for a cumulative 40% drop in their salaries over the decade-long meltdown, just as food and house expenses kept rising.

Many of the demonstrators who had gathered peacefully outside the Greek parliament buildings held Palestinian flags and flew balloons in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

“It was our duty not to forget that genocide as the (Labour) day calls,” said Marianna Tsagari, 48, who joined the demonstration.

Israel strongly denies accusations that its actions in Gaza, which aim to destroy the Palestinian militant group Hamas after its attack on southern Israel, constitutes a genocide.

Separately, police were deployed in force to the University of California in Los Angeles campus after Israel supporters attacked a camp set up by pro-Palestinian protesters.

Witness footage from the scene, verified by Reuters, showed people wielding sticks or poles to attack wooden boards being used as makeshift barricades to protect the pro-Palestinian protesters.

On the other side of the country, police in New York arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators holed up in a building at Columbia University and removed a protest encampment.

Elsewhere, a group of workers at Alphabet Inc’s Google have filed a complaint with a U.S. labor board claiming the tech company unlawfully fired about 50 employees for protesting against its cloud contract with the Israeli government.

The single-page complaint filed late Monday with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) alleges that by firing the workers, Google interfered with their rights under U.S. labor law to advocate for better working conditions.

Google this month said it had fired 28 employees who disrupted work at unspecified office locations while protesting against Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract jointly awarded to Google and Amazon to supply the Israeli government with cloud services. The company last week said that about 20 more workers had been fired for protesting while in the office.

In a statement on Tuesday, Google said the workers’ conduct was “completely unacceptable” and made other employees feel threatened and unsafe.

Zelda Montes, a former Google employee who was arrested during a protest against Project Nimbus, said Google fired workers to send a message to its workforce that dissent would not be tolerated.

People attend the traditional May Day labour union march in Paris, France. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

Kelly Thomson, partner at international law firm RPC, shares her thoughts on “social washing”:

“Consumer businesses, balancing a diversity of stakeholder interests, are increasingly aware of the significant risks of ‘greenwashing’ and the emerging concern of ‘social washing’.

“Shareholder activism can drive companies to demonstrate contribution beyond profit generation. Profit is not a dirty word, but it need not be at the expense of the planet or people.

“Employee demands are equally influential, as talented people increasingly seek organizations aligned to their values. Businesses should ask whether their market facing commitments are informed by the needs and concerns of their workforce.

“Regulatory and legal obligations increasingly require companies to demonstrate delivery on their social responsibilities. Promises must be backed by evidence of substantive actions.

“Consumer pressure and social movements further emphasize the need for authenticity in corporate behavior. Marketing initiatives must align with strategic decisions and day-to-day behaviors, even when not being watched. How are companies using their spending and investment power to further their goals, thus aligning their deeds with their words?

“These factors are interconnected and directly impact core business drivers like profit, market share, reputation, and longevity. Our roadmap offers a structured approach to navigate this landscape, helping companies have – and demonstrate – their lasting and positive impact in their communities.”

Ilker poses during the shooting of a sequence of a TV series in Istanbul, Turkey, July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya

Today’s spotlight shines a light on a Reuters special report about a Turkish drag performer, whose shows are a political act.

Ilker Yazici – stage name Miss Putka – was in secondary school when he discovered he was gay. There he met LGBT advocacy groups and joined street protests in Turkey’s capital Ankara to defend LGBT rights, carrying rainbow flags.

“At first I struggled with myself a lot,” he said. “You grow up in the Middle East. It is not easy. I felt like I was the only one, just like most LGBT people feel.”

Many in Turkey’s LGBT community live in fear after last year’s election campaign when President Tayyip Erdogan described LGBT groups as deviants and vowed to strengthen traditional family values. Homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, but hostility to it is widespread.

Ilker, now 23, never felt the need to hide, however and went on to celebrate who he is. Inspired by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” series on Netflix, he sees drag performance as an act of self-expression rather than just entertainment.

“Drag is a political act. The audience probably look at me and think, ‘What is this freak doing?’ I’m getting them used to seeing something they are not used to seeing.”

Today’s Sustainable Switch was edited by Elaine Hardcastle

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