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The Federal Laws of the VCC.
CYBERIAN FEDERAL CODE
TITLE VI

CHAPTER 620 CIVIL RIGHTS - GENERAL (98-033)

620.1 No employer, public or private, may discriminate against an employee, prospective employee, patron, or client on any of the following grounds:

1) ethnic origin, ethnic group or colour,
2) gender,
3) sexual orientation,
4) membership in a political or religious organization, union, or social club,
5) non-native birth, or
6) disability.

620.2 Organizations whose primary purpose is religion and ministers of religion shall be exempted from grounds (3) and (4) if such organizations object to behavior defined by their religious convictions.

620.3 No portion of this act shall be interpreted to imply preferential treatment or special priveleges to any group or individual and shall only be interpretted to imply equality before the law.

620.4 Those alleging discrimination under clause 1 may take their case to a court. An employer found guilty of breaching these laws shall be liable to a fine, not to exceed 500,000 CY per case proven.

620.5 Any federal employee found in violation of this act is subject to dismissal and any elected official found in violation of this act is subject to impeachment by the Chamber of Deputies and removal from office.


CHAPTER 621 CYBERIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (99-015)

621.1 To protect Cyberian citizens from discrimination based on disability, Chapter 621 of the Cyberian Federal Code shall be devoted to anti-discrimination policies.

621.2 For the purposes of this Act, the following definitions shall apply:

621.21 Disabled Individual. An individual is disabled if he or she meets at least any one of the following tests:

1) He or she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of his/her major life activities;
2) He or she has a record of such an impairment;
3) He or she is regarded as having such an impairment.

621.22 Reasonable Accomodation. A reasonable accommodation is one that can be made without causing undue hardship to an employer or individual.

621.23 Undue Hardship. An undue hardship is defined as a serious financial hardship incurred in making an accommodation for disabled persons.

621.24 Qualified Disabled Individual. A qualified disabled individual is one who, with or without reasonable accommodation, is capable of performing the work involved in an employment position.

621.3 Employment
All public and private businesses shall provide reasonable accommodations to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment. Possible changes may include (but are not limited to) restructuring jobs, altering the layout of workstations, or modifying equipment. Employment aspects may include the application process, hiring, wages, benefits and all other aspects of employment. Medical examinations shall not be used to screen out disabled applicants or employees and, if administered as a condition of employment, shall be administered to all applicants.

621.4 Public Services
Public services, which include federal, provincial and local government instrumentalities, the National Cyberrail Corporation, and other commuter authorities, shall not deny services to people with disabilites or participation in programs or activities which are available to people without disabilities. In addition, public transportation systems, such as public transit busses, shall be accessible to individuals with disabilities.

621.5 Public Accomodations
Public accommodations shall include facilities such as restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, retail stores, etc., as well as privately owned transportation systems. All new construction of, and modifications to, public accommodations shall be accessible to individuals with disabilities. For existing facilities, barriers to service shall be removed if readily achievable.

621.6 Telecommunications
Telecommunications companies offering telephone service to the general public shall provide telephone relay service to individuals who use telecommunications devices for the deaf (TTYs) or similar devices.

621.7 Housing
All new housing construction projects shall include at least ten percent (10%) units that are accessible to disabled individuals.

621.8 Tax Incentives
Individuals or businesses that make modifications to their physical plants to make them accessible to disabled individuals shall be allowed to claim the cost of such modifications as a deduction on their federal taxes.

621.9 Enforcement

(1) The provisions of Titles I-V of this Act shall be enforceable through civil actions filed either by the government or affected disabled individuals for monetary relief, injunctive relief, or both. A limit of ~50,000 applies to monetary awards to individuals.
(2) It shall be a felony punishable by imprisonment for up to one year and/or a fine of up to ~100,000 to either (a) coerce or threaten or (b) retaliate against disabled persons or those attempting to aid people with disabilities in asserting their rights under this Act.


CHAPTER 622 FREEDOM OF CHOICE ACT (99-006)

622.1 The federal government shall make no law prohibiting the use of tobacco, alcohol, cannibas, hashish and other forms of these substances.

622.2 The federal government shall not imprison, fine, deprive civil rights or prosecute any person for the possession, sale, purchase, or usage of tobacco, alcohol, cannibas, hashish and other forms of these substances.

622.3 The federal government shall not regulate or impede the usage of tobacco, alcohol, cannibas, hashish and other forms of these substances by consenting adults over the age of 18.

622.4 No portion of this act shall be interpretted to apply to any entity or government agency besides the federal government. No provinicial legislation or initiative or referendum shall be affected by this legislation.


CHAPTER 630 WORKER'S RIGHTS (98-027)

630.1 No worker in Cyberia shall earn a minimum wage of less than ~8.5 per hour.

630.2 Workers shall be classified as hourly or salaried employees. Hourly employees will be paid by the hour while salaried workers may be under contract with the employer and collecting e.g. sales commissions.

630.3 No hourly worker shall be required to work more than 38 hours a week. If overtime is requested by the employer the hourly worker shall have the option of being paid overtime equal to 150 percent of their regular pay or using the time-off as compensation. The number of hours compensated will be computed at 150 percent of the employee's actual overtime hours.

630.4 An employer must provide to an employee who works less than 38 hours a week the same fringe benefits as those provided to a full-time employee, calculated on a pro rata basis.

630.5 The Minister of the Interior will be responsible for any and all worker-employer relations in Cyberia.

630.6 The Minister of the Interior will work with the Minister of the Treasury and based on recommendations of the Finance Committee will make recommendations to the National Assembly for an increase to the minimum wage.

630.7 No employee may be fired without proper cause. If the employee is a member of a union the employer must first negotiate with the union. The following reasons are not proper cause:

1. Union membership or participation in union activities,

2. Seeking office as, or acting or having acted in the capacity of, a workers' representative,

3. The filing of a complaint or the participation in proceedings against an employe involving alleged violation of laws or regulations or recourse to competent administrative authorities,

4. Race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family responsibilities, pregnancy, religion, political opinion or social origin,

5. Disability unless the disability prevents the employee from performing the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation,

6. Absence from work during maternity leave,

7. Temporary absence from work because of illness or injury.


CHAPTER 631 LABOR UNIONS (98-027)

631.1 No worker in Cyberia shall be deprived of the right to enter into a pact with other workers. All employers shall recognize that pacts exists between its workers. This pact is called a labor union. A labor union may initiate actions against a company that refuses to negotiate for a collective bargaining contract. Membership in a union is voluntary.

631.2 This pact shall be allowed to collectively bargain with the workers' employers to improve condition in the workplace including wages and cost of living adjustments. Each labor union shall negotiated a contract for a specific period of time to cover the workers and employer. If negotiations can not be completed prior to expiration of the contract, federal mediators may be called in to attempt to resolve the differences. workers have the right to strike against an employer upon expiration of the contract and when the employer refuses to negotiate in good faith and if federal mediators can not resolve the dispute. Prior to striking the labor union shall be permitted to seek a Court injunction preventing the hiring of replacements.

631.3 Companies shall be prohibited from creating their own labor unions, although Unions may be formed to work within the company. Individual employees may at any time join a union.

631.4 Labor Unions are recognized by the Cyberian government if 3 real citizens, 2 of which must not have a government position, register the union with the President. Any and all documents used by the union, including posts on the forum, must be endorsed by all real citizens registered in the union, or it shall not be considered a document by said labor union. Labor Unions may have their own page on the Cyberian website devoted to links to their homepages.


633.1 Cyberia's virtual location is on the world of Giess, as simulated by membership in the Geographical Standards Organisation, GSO.

633.2 Cyberia's timezone is GMT+6 and all transactions, forums and eGroups must be set to that time.

633.3 Cyberia has the geography, climate, weather, fauna and flora (including the salty dog and the skunk ape) appropriate to its location.


CHAPTER 641 GROGHAN ANTI-TRUST ACT (99-012)

641.1 This act shall be known as the Groghan Antitrust Act of 1999.

641.2 The purpose of this act is to put an end to anti-competitive business practices.

641.3 Regulations

641.31 No citizen may serve on the board of directors of two companies or worker cooperatives in the same industry.

641.32 It is illegal for one company or worker cooperative to charge different buyers different prices for the same product, or when the price differences are not related to cost differences. This rule only applies when the difference in prices has the effect of substantially lessening competition.

641.33 No corporation or worker cooperative may aquire the stock of a competitor if the aquisition substantially reduces competition.

641.34 Tying contracts, which are arrangements whereby the sale of one product depends on the purchase of some other product or producs, are illegal.

641.4 The Ministry of Justice is charged with prosecuting all violations of this act


CHAPTER 642 DEFAMATION ACT 1999
642.1 This Act may be cited as the Defamation Act 1999.

Object
642.2 The object of this Act is to ensure free and full debate on political questions in Cyberia while preserving to everyone their right to personal honour and reputation.

Constitutional Rights
642.3.1 This Act must not be read to reduce any rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

642.3.2 This Act does not apply to private communications within Cyberia.

Procedure
642.4. A cause of action under this Act may be pursued by issuing a statement of claim out of a court of competent jurisdiction and not otherwise.

Defamation
642.5.1 Defamation means the making of a public statement which has the effect of attacking the personal honour or reputation of another Cyberian.

642.5.2 The statement must exhibit either:
642.5.2.1 malice: or
642.5.2.2 reckless disregard for the truth.
642.5.3 The rule in Sullivan v New York Times remains in force.
642.5.4 The trial of an action for defamation must be before a jury.

Remedies
642.6 The remedies for defamation are all or any of:
642.6.1 compensatory damages;
642.6.2 punitive damages; or
642.6.3 an apology in terms ordered by the Court.
642.6.4 The rule of common law distinguishing libel and slander is abolished.
642.6.5 The rule in Hustler Magazine Corporation v Jerry Falwell remains in force.

Limitation
642.7 A cause of action for defamation ceases 3 months after the making of the defamtory statement.

Liability
642.8 Liability for defamation attaches to the author, editor and publisher of the statement.