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International Development Matters

Articles for inclusion in International Development Matters should be sent to at twarlock@tuc.org.uk

TUC NEWS

Social protection floors and the fight against HIV/AIDS

This week (21 July) sees the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington DC, and the TUC is taking part in the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) delegation. Bandula Kothalawala, TUC delegate, reports on the opening trade union forum.

Sex workers demand employment rights

The TUC reports from the XIX International AIDS Conference held in Washington DC on the passionate and well-argued case of representatives from sex workers for the recognition of their employment and human rights in a lively session. Read more here

Robin Hood could provide the funds to beat AIDS

The ITUC delegation (including TUC delegate Bandula Kothalawala) to the International AIDS Conference in Washington DC took time off to join a march organised by Robin Hood Tax campaigners in the US.

Read more here

TUC protest letter re coup in Paraguay

The TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has written to the Paraguayan ambassador to protest against the legislative coup that has removed President Fernando Lugo from office.

TUC protest to Guatemalan President

The TUC General Secretary has written to President Molina in protest at the latest wave of violence against trade unionists and indigenous peoples leaders in Guatemala. Between 4-11 July three people were murdered and several more suffered serious injuries.

Support for the Spanish trade union movement

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has sent the following message of solidarity and support for the Spanish trade union movement against the austerity policies of the Spanish Government.

Attack on Turkish Trade Unionists

Once again the trade union movement is outraged at attacks on Turkish trade unionists by the Turkish state. On the 25 June raids took place in some 20 Turkish towns and 71 trade unionists dragged off. For further details read the TUC's letter of protest.

Sadrist thugs attack General Federation of Iraqi Workers

Thugs from the Sadrist movement in Iraq stormed the offices of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers in Baghdad last week, assaulting union members and damaging property.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber wrote to the Iraqi Charges D'Affaires Dr Muhieddin Hussein Abdullah protesting against this latest attack on trade unions.

Playfair 2012 at Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival - July 2012

View the gallery of pictures taken at Tolpuddle as festival goers made a stand with the Playfair 2012 giant torch calling on the Olympic Movement to Light the flame for workers' rights, while others took to our Olympic podium - highlighting who the winners and losers are in the Olympic Games.

OTHER INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Peru: Five Lives Claimed During Peaceful Protest

The ITUC has joined with its affiliated organisations in Peru in denouncing the brutal police repression that claimed the lives of five demonstrators affiliated to the Regional Front of Cajamarca and the CUT Peru during a peaceful protest on 3 and 4 July.

Honduras: CATERPILLAR Distributor Fires 100 Workers

The ITUC has joined with its Honduran affiliates, the CUTH, CTH and CGT, in firmly condemning the union-crushing tactics being deployed by CEMCOL, which distributes heavy equipment produced by the Caterpillar brand in Honduras.

Dominican Republic: 300,000 Domestic Workers to Gain Labour Law Protection

The 300,000 domestic workers in the Dominican Republic are set to gain coverage under labour laws following an announcement by Labour Minister Francisco Domínguez Brito at a meeting organised in Santo Domingo by the ITUC and its three affiliates CASC, CNUS and CNTD.

Read more here

Swaziland: Excessive Violence Against Peaceful Demonstrators; Trade Union Leader Arrested

The ITUC strongly condemned the way the Swaziland police handled the peaceful demonstrations organized by the National Public Service and Allied Workers' Union (NAPSAWU), the Swaziland Transport and Allied Workers' Union (STAWU) and the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) on 11 July.

Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and Togo: Alarming Levels of Child Labour and Widespread Anti-union Discrimination

The ITUC has released a report prepared for the World Trade Organisation's trade policy review of Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and Togo that finds that the absence of respect for the rule of law has a serious impact on respect for all core labour rights.

Egypt's President Morsi Intervenes to Settle Strike Wave After Worker Killed

Egypt's President Morsi has intervened to settle strikes across the textile sector and at the giant Cleopatra Ceramics in Ain Sokhna, where striking workers agreed to mediation to get unpaid wages from the Mubarak-era factory owner.

Read more here

Singapore needs to do more to protect foreign workers, especially domestic workers

The ITUC has released a report prepared for the World Trade Organisation's trade policy review of Singapore that finds certain restrictions on the right to organise and a migration system that makes foreign workers vulnerable to abuses by employers.

IFI NEWS

UN Development Cooperation Forum - development cooperation for decent work

Decent work and jobs creation were among issues discussed at the UN Development Cooperation Forum held in July at the UN headquarters in New York.

Read more here

BRICS Pushes IMF To Reform - Analysis

In a move that was as much political as it was necessary, the BRICS nations called upon the IMF (International Monetary Fund) to pass quota reforms agreed upon in 2010 to increase representation and voting shares for emerging economies, particularly BRICS. Read the full story here

Eurozone meltdown: IMF providing "political cover"

As European elections show the public increasingly rejecting austerity, critics call on the IMF to focus on the flaws of the eurozone rather than austerity in country programmes.

Read more.

GLOBAL CALLS TO ACTION

ACT NOW: Turkey - Togo Footwear workers sacked for forming a union

In Turkey, 35 union members were sacked by their employer for joining a trade union. The new global union federation IndustriALL is appealing for thousands of messages to be sent in protest.

To learn more, and to send off your message, please click here.

Peru: Union leader sacked for speaking out

In Peru, one leader has lost his job because he dared to speak the truth about conditions in his agricultural export company in a television interview. Peru's largest national trade union centre, the CGTP, has asked LabourStart to run an international online protest campaign.

To learn more and to send off your message, please click here.

ACT NOW: Italy failing to protect rights of migrants and refugees

Italy is failing to protect the migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers crossing the Mediterranean from Libya, many of whom are fleeing conflict and persecution. Call on the Italian authorities to safeguard human rights of migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers fleeing Libya.

FOCUS ON TRADE UNIONISTS

Radio Labour interview Anna McMullen, Campaigns Coordinator, Labour Behind the Label

Listen to the RadioLabour interview with: Anna McMullen Campaigns Coordinator, Labour Behind the Label about the Fair Play report on Olympic workers in developing countries.

ITUC interview with Nalu Faria, Coordinator SOF - Sempreviva Organização Feminista, Brasil

What happened in between the original Earth Summit in 1992 and Rio+20 in 2012 - 20 years later?

Watch the ITUC interview with Nalu Faria, Coordinator SOF - Sempreviva Organização Feminista, Brasil here

Trade Union on the Move for Rio+20 - discussion on HIV/AIDS

Watch the interviews of Daniel Owusu Boatey Trade Union Congress Ghana (TUC Ghana) on HIV/AIDS and Yahya Msangi - Regional Coordinator, International Trade Union Confederation Africa (ITUC Africa) on HIV/AIDS who took part at the II Trade Union Assembly on Labour and the Environment from 11 to 13 June, a few days ahead of Rio+20, on discussions on HIV/AIDS.

Chinese exploitation of African Workers

Listen to the Workers' World Productions (based in Cape Town) report on the effects of China's 90 billion dollar investment in the African continent. Tension is rising because of cheap Chinese goods pricing out goods made by African workers. As well as the managers of Chinese companies in Africa having no experience with real labour unions so tend to be viciously anti-union.

EVENTS

Adidas day of action

Saturday 4 August

Adidas Oxford Street, London,

11.00am

Adidas are refusing to take the exploitation of thousands of workers seriously. Now is the time to step up the pressure while Adidas are in the Olympic spotlight and demand that Adidas takes action. To get Adidas to take this seriously, we need you to join a day of action outside Adidas stores on Saturday 4 August.

Application for Global Labour University Programmes

The deadline for application is 31 August

The University of Campinas invite trade unionists and to apply for the Global Labour University master programmes on 'Labour and Globalisation' in Brazil.

The programme is part of a global research and study network that debates and develops labour responses to the social, economic and environmental crisis of the global economy. Click here for further information concerning the programme, application requirements and scholarships.

Useful websites

There are a number of websites with useful information for trade unionists, policy makers and campaigners. Details here: Useful websites

Newsletter (1,500 words) issued 1 Aug 2012