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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

TUC calls for constitutional reforms in Swaziland on Independence Day

On the occasion of the Swazi Independence Day on 6 September, the TUC, in a letter to the Swaziland High Commissioner in London, has called for constitutional reforms

Release Bahraini teaching union leaders says TUC

Next week (early September) the leaders of the Bahraini Teachers' Association are having their final hearing to get the unjust sentences against them dropped. Brendan Barber TUC General Secretary wrote to the Bahraini Ambassador to the UK again calling for their release.

Safety fears for trade unionists Oscar Arturo Orozco & Wilson Jaramillo

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has written to the Colombian Ambassador to express the TUC's concerns for the safety of trade unionists in Colombia.

TUC demands release of imprisoned trade union leader in Côte d'Ivoire

In a letter to the Ivoirian Ambassador in London, the TUC has called for the immediate release of the imprisoned trade union leader in Côte d'Ivoire.

TUC Aid: Help Burma's workers build a union movement

For the first time in generations workers in Burma are now free to form trade unions. But they are starting from scratch in a country slowly emerging from dictatorship and extreme poverty.

Please help them by supporting TUC Aid's Burma Appeal.

Read the ITUC statement on the recent return to Burma of the leader of the country's trade union movement, following a decision by the government to remove some 2,000 people from a black-list of over 6,000 banned from entering the country.

TUC briefing: EU-India Free Trade Agreement

Launched in 2007, the ongoing negotiations for an EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) have thrown up a range of worrying issues for Indian and EU workers. This briefing note explains those concerns in more detail.

Day of nationwide protests target Adidas

This summer as Adidas took centre stage at the Olympic Games, War on Want exposed the exploitation that lies behind Adidas' brand and pressured the company to respect workers' rights. Read about the actions taken during the Olympics to get their message heard.

Commitment to play fair in future Olympics

Unions have welcomed the joint human rights communique signed recently by the governments of the four countries holding the current and next three summer and winter Olympics (the UK, Russia, Brazil and Korea).

Read the press release here

Nicaragua Solidarity news

At the invitation of Unison International Department, two young Nicaraguan trade union activists visited the UK in June 2012 and inspired hundreds of people with their talks on actions taken in their country to counteract the global orthodoxy that is failing the majority so drastically and deepening poverty.

To find out more about the work of NSCAG and the up and coming Venezuelan elections, they will be holding a Venezuela Fringe Meeting at TUC conference on 11 September.

Union Post - August 2012 Issue

The August edition of The Union Post, produced in association with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, is available for download and online viewing now.

OTHER INTERNATIONAL NEWS

South Africa: Murder charges against Marikana miners dropped

Charges against 270 striking miners that they murdered 34 of their colleagues shot by police are to be dropped. Police opened fire at the Lonmin-owned Marikana platinum mine in north-west South Africa following a week of violence in a row over pay and union recognition.

Read the worldwide messages of condemnation of the shootings that took place on 16 August, along with messages of condolences and solidarity from the Trades Union Congress (TUC), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and IndustriALL global union.

Educating and Empowering Banana Workers and their union to improve livelihoods in Cameroon

As investment increases in export production in Central and West Africa, Banana Link is strengthening relationships with African unions to address concerns that plantation jobs do not provide Decent Work.

Watch videos documenting conditions at banana plantations

Tunisia: Tunisian Women Demonstrate for Equality

A mass demonstration was held in the capital Tunis and other cities across the country to protest against a bill on women's rights that can be interpreted several ways due to its vagueness and which is to be included in the new constitution.

Read more here

Paraguay: Police Violence against Finance Ministry Employees

The ITUC has firmly denounced the police's use of tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse civil servants demonstrating for a pay rise in front of the Finance Ministry on 20 August.

Guatemala: Trade Unionist Denouncing Violations by Environment Ministry Arrested

The unfair detention of a trade union leader in Guatemala has roused international condemnation of Otto Pérez Molina's government. Jacinto Boj Equite, general secretary of the union representing Environment and Natural Resources Ministry employees SITRAMARN, was arrested on 30 June for allegedly stealing four bottles of water.

Domestic Workers Convention comes into force after ratification by the Philippines

The Senate of the Philippines today approved the International Labour Convention No. 189 on decent work for domestic workers. The ratification will improve the conditions of over 3.4 million workers in the country, which is one of the major world suppliers of domestic labour.

Read more here

IFI NEWS

Terms IMF imposes to suppress social dialogue (unions, employers associations)

Terms the officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and of the EU financial structures impose, will lead to the suppression of the social dialogue through the removal of the Collective Bargaining, at all levels.

Read more here

US proves stumbling block in IMF reform

After urging the IMF to reform, the United States has been dragging its heavy feet and blocking, in fact, proposals aimed at giving emerging economies more say in the global lender.

Read more here

World Bank: Global food prices hit new high

The World Bank's food price index attained its highest level ever in July, exceeding by 1 per cent the previous peak reached in early 2011. The Bank attributes the high prices to droughts in the US and Eastern Europe, but the impact is felt most strongly in low-income African countries where maize is a food staple.

GLOBAL CALLS TO ACTION

ACT NOW! Support Swazi teachers, nurses and transport unions

Join the global union campaign to condemn the governmental crackdown on Swazi public workers by sending a LabourStart message to Mswati III, King of Swaziland, urging him to meet the legitimate demands of public servants.

ACT NOW! Zimbabwe: State-owned utility tries to break union

ZESA continues in its effort to have the electricity workers abandon their wage increases in exchange for the reinstatement of suspended workers, despite an order from the Minister of Energy for ZESA to uphold the arbitration award granting the increase.

Add your voice to the IndustriALL-Labourstart campaign to support ZESA workers.

ACT NOW! Light the flame for workers' human rights

Unfair play, disrespect and inequality aren't values we usually associate with the Olympic and Paralympics Games. But for some workers making goods and sportswear for the Games, this is what the Olympic ideal really means.

Read more about the campaign and take action here

FOCUS ON TRADE UNIONISTS

Syria: Domestic Worker Elena's Dramatic Escape home to the Philippines

Thousands of migrant workers still trapped in the Syrian conflict

Elena (not her real name), 34, was desperate for work and grabbed an offer for a job in Syria in November 2008. She didn't mind the clandestine manner that she and six others were slipped into Syria, knowing it was her best chance to give her two children a decent life after her husband left them.

Read the full story here

RadioLabour Interview with Anthony Sylvester (3F) and Vinay Sharma (CAW)

Listen to the RadioLabour interview with Anthony Sylvester, Equality Officer of the United Federation of Danish Workers (3F) and Vinay Sharma Director, Human Rights Department in the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) on integrating workers of different cultures and races into the union.

EVENTS

Bookmarks Bookshop event

1 Bloomsbury Street, WC1B 3QE

The Cinema of Globalisation & Labour with Tom Zaniello

13 September, 6.30pm, £2*

As part of the London Labour Film Festival, American author Tom Zaniello will be discussing radical cinema with a focus on films addressing globalisation and the working class wordwide.

Full details here

London Labour Film Festival 2012

13-15 September 2012

The Prince Charles Cinema,

7 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7BY

This September the London Labour Film Festival will host a series of film screenings, talks and special events offering varied, challenging and inspiring cinematic takes on the lives, hopes and struggle of workers.

Details of screenings here

Love music Hate Racism event

Sat 15 September

1pm - 1am

Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA

Tickets £12

This year's event consisting of film screenings, exhibitions, music, poetry, comedy, meetings and talks will talk place at the Rich Mix in East London.

For full details and to buy tickets - click here

Useful websites

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

Newsletter (1,600 words) issued 3 Sep 2012