date: 20 November 2008

embargo: For immediate release

Risking their lives to win better working rights

Nearly one hundred trade union members were murdered in 2007 for daring to campaign for better working rights in countries with violent histories of anti-union activity, according to a survey by the International Trade Union Confederation published today (Thursday).

According to the ITUC's 2008 survey of trade union rights violations, 91 trade unionists met violent deaths last year - 39 of them in Colombia (once again the most dangerous place in the world to belong to a union), closely followed by Guinea, where 30 were killed by President Lansana Conte's regime.

An increasingly hostile attitude to trade union members saw four people killed in Guatemala. Elsewhere there were fatal attacks on people active in unions in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Murders were also reported in a number of other countries including Argentina, Chile, Peru, Cambodia and the Philippines.

The survey reveals governments attempting to prevent ordinary men and women from joining trade unions and punishing those that do with spells in prison. In Iran, 40 trade union members were sent to prison, and many were also imprisoned in Burma and Morocco.

The ITUC survey also points to migrant workers in every part of the world suffering continued exploitation and abuse, and frequently being denied any right to union membership. Many of the worst cases occurred in the Middle East. Several construction workers were reported to have died in Qatar as a result of their terrible living and working conditions.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'There are many parts of the world where simply belonging to a union is enough to make someone the target of extreme violence and intimidation. In countries where governments take a highly unfavourable view of anyone who stands up for decent pay and safe working conditions, trade unionists are putting their lives at risk on a daily basis.

'Some governments are colluding with corrupt and unscrupulous employers to deprive working people of even the most basic employment rights. These same employers are likely to use the worsening global economic situation as an excuse squeeze workers even harder. Working men and women will be relying more and more on these brave trade unionists to speak out for them in future.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- For the full ITUC survey visit http://www.ituc-csi.org/spip.php?article2539

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

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Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Brenchley T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: ebrenchley@tuc.org.uk

Press release (500 words) issued 21 Nov 2008