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TUC E-Bulletins

International Development Matters Newsletter

Issue number 132 April 2014

IDM - Monthly newsletter reporting international development matters and issues affecting trade unionists around the world. Including reports, statements, interviews and events.

TUC NEWS

TUC letter to DFID on Rana Plaza compensation

TUC calls for release of Korean trade union leader

TUC condemns arrest of trade union lawyer in Swaziland

TUC condemns arrest of trade union leader in Democratic Republic of Congo

OTHER INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Rana Plaza Trust Fund to launch worker payments as of 24 March

ITUC report exposes squalid conditions of Qatar’s World Cup workers

MENA unions build power by strengthening cooperation

ILO gets tough with Fiji over workers’ rights while Commonwealth gives in

IFI NEWS

Statement by Global Unions to the 2014 Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank Washington, 11-13 April 2014

The World Bank Gets An Overhaul — And Not Everyone's Happy

The future of global economic governance and the IMF

CALLS TO ACTION

ACT NOW! No More Fashion Victims!

EI surveys teachers’ working conditions

Egypt - Journalists Trial Resumes

FOCUS ON TRADE UNIONISTS

Kachin women in Burma need union support

Commonwealth Leaders Conference helps union activists

Sierra Leone labour movement fighting for decent work

Fighting for democracy in Swazliand  with research and education

EVENTS

THE WAY OF THE DRAGON: What can the UK learn from the rise of China and East Asia?

Justice for South African Gold Miners: Take action

London Labour Film Festival

War On Want Comedy Gig 2014

TUC NEWS

TUC letter to DFID on Rana Plaza compensation

The TUC General Secretary has written to Justine Greening, Secretary of State for the International Development calling on DFID to press companies sourcing from the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh to pay adequate compensation into the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund.  It is almost one year since the factory collapsed, killing over 1300 workers.

TUC calls for release of Korean trade union leader

The General Secretary has written to the Ambassador of South Korea, condemning the detention of Kim Jung-woo, former leader of the Ssangyong Motor branch of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union and demanding his unconditional release.

Thanks to the international campaign launched by Amenesty international Kim Jungwoo was released from jail on 1 April 2014. Other 14 leaders condemned in the same case remain imprisoned.

TUC condemns arrest of trade union lawyer in Swaziland

TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady joined trade union leaders from around the world in condemning the arrest in Swaziland of trade union lawyer Thulani Maseko. In her letter to the Swaziland High Commissioner in London, O’Grady argues that the detention of Maseko by armed police officers on 17 March.

TUC Condems arrest of trade union leader in Democratic Republic of Congo

The General Secretary has written to the Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo, condemning the arrest of Mr Victor Umba Ilunga, President of the national union delegation and demanding his unconditional release.

OTHER INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Rana Plaza Trust Fund to launch worker payments as of 24 March

The 3,600 workers and families owed compensation from the Rana Plaza collapse a year ago will finally be able to claim payment as of 24 March. An advance payment of 50,000 BDT (US$650) will be made to every beneficiary before the one-year anniversary on 24 April.

Read more here

ITUC report exposes squalid conditions of Qatar’s World Cup workers

FIFA needs to get tough with the organisers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, says the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), as it publishes a report exposing the squalid conditions in which many of the tournament’s construction workers are living.

Read the ILO demands that Qatar must reform laws to stop forced labour and allow workers to form unions here

MENA unions build power by strengthening cooperation

A lively debate on democratic development and workers’ rights dominated IndustriALL Global Union’s regional conference for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in Jordanian capital Amman on 24-25 March, with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES).

Read more here

ILO gets tough with Fiji over workers’ rights while Commonwealth gives in

The fortnight-long tripartite ILO Governing Body meeting in Geneva, that ends took place in March, got tough with Fiji over its abuse of workers’ rights, under pressure from global unions, supported by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Read more here

IFI NEWS

Statement by Global Unions to the 2014 Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank Washington, 11-13 April 2014

Read the statement issued by the ITUC and its Global Unions partner organisations in advance of the Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank (Washington, 11-13 April) calling on the international financial institutions (IFIs) to take concrete actions to follow through on their announced intentions to pay greater attention to employment and inequality issues.

The World Bank Gets An Overhaul — And Not Everyone's Happy

The World Bank, the largest international development institution, is undergoing a sweeping reorganization, the first of its kind for the bank in nearly a generation.

The bank, based in Washington, has laid out a new set of goals, but they're accompanied by deep budget cuts and the elimination of a whole layer of senior management jobs.

Read more here

The future of global economic governance and the IMF

This summary report is the output of a joint seminar held by the German Development Institute, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Bretton Woods Project in December 2013, which details the forthcoming challenges and opportunities for Europe, emerging economies and developing countries.

CALLS TO ACTION

ACT NOW! No More Fashion Victims!

Thursday 24 April will mark the anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh – the worst disaster in the history of the fashion industry that killed over 1,100 people. Despite the scale of the disaster and the huge public response, Gap has refused to join over 150 major brands and retailers in a comprehensive project to make Bangladesh’s garment factories safe. War on Want will be organising and attending actions across the UK outside selected Gap stores to make sure they change their mind. Get involved here

EI surveys teachers’ working conditions

EI is launching a world-wide survey on teaching and learning conditions, with the aim of bridging the gap between policy making and the reality of the classroom. The survey will be accessible online from today until the end of July in more than 10 different languages, and is part of EI’s assessment of Education for All. The results will be presented to UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, later this year.

If you are a teacher, please take part here or forward on accordingly.

Egypt - Journalists Trial Resumes

Attacks on any one who questions the action of Egypt’s military backed government is unfortunately continuing. Notably the trial of the three Al Jazeera journalists (arrested in Cairo in December 2013) resumed on 10 April.

Please write immediately calling on the Egyptian authorities to release Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed immediately and unconditionally.

FOCUS ON TRADE UNIONISTS

Kachin women in Burma need union support

While some improvement in the lives of Burma's workers have taken place the plight of people, especially women, in the ethically-different regions of the north is dire. Listen to a RadioLabour interview with Jessica Nhkum, the Joint General Secretary of the Kachin Women's Association. The interview was conducted in partnership with the European Union and International Relations Department of the Trades Union Congress in the UK.

Commonwealth Leaders Conference helps union activists

The CSCLeaders conference brings together 120 exceptional senior leaders selected each year from government, business and NGOs across the 53 countries of the Commonwealth. A number of unionists were selected to attend the 2014 conference held in London. One of the participants was Robert Mkwezalamba, the General-Secretary of the Communication Workers Union of Malawi. Listen how he describes the struggle for workers' rights in his country.

Sierra Leone labour movement fighting for decent work

Sierra Leone is a country of six million people in west Africa. It has a strong and vibrant labour movement. A RadioLabour interview with Muctarr Williams, the Deputy Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress. The RadioLabour interview with Mr Williams was conducted in partnership with the European Union and International Relations Department of the Trades Union Congress in the UK.

Fighting for democracy in Swazliand  with research and education

Swaziland is ruled by a dictator-king who has banned the central labour federation. One of the organizations fighting for the country's workers is the International Research Academy for Labour and Education. Listen to a recent RadioLabour interview with Percy Masuku, an IRALE projects officer here

EVENTS

THE WAY OF THE DRAGON: What can the UK learn from the rise of China and East Asia?

Tuesday 15 Apr 2014 - 10:00 to 12:00

TUC Congress House, Great Russell Street

China is set to become the world’s largest economy by 2016. South Korea spends five times as much on research and development as most European countries. Since 2007, while Europe has languished in recession, Singapore enjoyed growth of more than five per cent a year. A major new report from the TUC, ‘The Way of the Dragon’, argues that, far from being afraid of rising Asia, there are massive opportunities for the UK from these countries if we get the policy mix right.

Click here to register and find out more

Justice for South African Gold Miners: Take action

Thursday 24 April 2014-04-11

Queen Elisabeth II Conference Centre Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3EE

20 years into democracy thousands of ex gold miners are suffering from silicosis, without the compensation, testing and care they need. We are calling on Anglo American and all the companies that made their fortunes from apartheid gold to pay up now. Help ACTSA take action by attending the 24 April protest, attending the 23 April Public Meeting and email your MP

London Labour Film Festival

Mon 28 Apr 2014 - 12:45 to Fri 2 May 2014 - 13:45

Odeon cinema Covent Garden 135 Shaftesbury Ave London WC2H 8AH

The London Labour Film Festival is pleased to announce its 2014 festival programme. View it here

War On Want Comedy Gig 2014

Thursday 1 May 2014

London’s Bloomsbury Theatre, 7pm

Join War on Want for their 2014 Comedy Gig at Bloomsbury Theatre. Line up includes: Stand Up for the Week star Angela Barnes; Cutting Edge team member and co-creator/writer of No Pressure to be Funny Alistair Barrie; The Now Show and Just A Minute regular Marcus Brigstocke; legendary alternative stand-up comedian Arnold Brown and many more. Buy tickets here


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