International Development Matters |
Issue 141 May 2015 |
IDM - Monthly newsletter reporting international development matters and issues affecting trade unionists around the world. Including reports, statements, interviews and events. |
TUC News
Other International News
IFI News
Call to action
Focus on trade unionists
Events
TUC NewsNepal earthquake appealThe TUC is requesting affiliates, union members and the general public to make donations to the appeals set up by the Nepal Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Global Unions (UNI, PSI, BWI and EI), GEFONT, the Disasters Emergency Committee and the British Red Cross to help victims of the Earthquake in Nepal. Read the ITUC statement calling for Gulf States to allow Nepalese migrant workers in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to return home to Nepal. TUC Aid update- Bangladesh: Training Women to Take Leadership Roles in Garment UnionsSince December, TUC Aid has been supporting the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) in Bangladesh to run a women’s leadership development programme. Read about the programme here . Watch the UDITA (ARISE) documentary about the struggles that women trade unionists in the NGWF have faced in Bangladesh over the last five years. TUC Aid supporting trade union women's leadership in TunisiaTUC Aid is helping to finance a training programme for women trade unionists in Tunisia through their trade union centre the UGTT. Aware of the lack of women representatives higher up in the UGTT, the organisation is taking affirmative action. Read the full report here TUC AID update: Peru project sets up potential for progressTUC Aid’s project to develop trade union strength in Peru’s thriving agricultural exports industry, where the harsh realities of supply chains and squeezed profit margins leave workers vulnerable to poor wages and inadequate health & safety, has finished with challenges remaining but positive progress in place. Read more here TUC condemns constant interferences in the affairs of the FESTU by the Minister of Labour in SomaliaTUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady, has written to the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia to express growing concern over the recurrent problem of constant interferences by the Minister of Labour in the affairs of the Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU). Other International NewsInaction Replay: Qatar Reannounces Unkept PromiseThe re-announcement one year on, of the Qatari government’s intention to abolish its kafala migrant worker system, comes with all the same flaws as last year. Read the TUC’s StrongerUnions blog here. See photos of Qatar's ambassador to the UK refusal to accept a letter from campaigners asking to protect lives of World Cup workers, as part of a protest outside the Qatar embassy in London on Workers' Memorial Day on 28 April. Rana Plaza two years on: progress but no hiding from massive task ahead24 April would be two years since the Rana Plaza collapse, killing more than 1,100 workers and injuring thousands more. The labour movement and its NGO partners are calling on the garment industry to show that it has the leadership to stay the course and change the global supply chain permanently. Read more here Read the StrongerUnions blog emphasising union rights and compensation as the immediate priorities for the factory workers in Bangladesh. Education awards go to Iraqi and Filipino leadersEducation International has named two teacher union leaders from Iraq and the Philippines to be awarded human rights and education prizes for their outstanding commitment, engagement and courage in promoting education for all. The awards will be presented at EI's 7th World Congress this July in Ottawa, Canada. Read more here IFI NewsIMF researchers find no evidence that deregulation worksResearchers of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) did not find evidence that deregulatory labour market reforms have a positive impact in increasing economies’ growth potential. This conclusion was drawn in the preparations for the April 2015 edition of its World Economic Output (WEO) report Read more here World Bank Report “Progress toward sustainable energy”This is the second report in a series that tracks the world’s progress toward the goal of achieving sustainable energy for all by 2030 and looks specifically at the period 2010 to 2012. Call to actionACT NOW! Iranian regime persecutes trade unionists … again!Labour activists in Iran have once again found themselves the target of persecution for exercising their legal and rightful trade union activities. Act now and join the global e-protest calling on the Iranian government to release Davood Razavi and Ebrahim Madadi from the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company in Iran. ACT NOW! Trade unionists in Swaziland under attackTake action and call on the Swazi government to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners in Swaziland including; the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement Mario Masuku and the party’s youth leader, Maxwell Dlamini who are subjected to arbitrary detention. Swazi human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko and journalist Bheki Makhubu received a two year sentence for writing articles critical of the lack of independence in the judiciary. Listen to the RadioLabour interview with Vincent Ncongwane the Secretary-General of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA). Trade Union leaders in Burma have been jailed for asking for a $1 pay riseNaing Htay Lwin and Myo Min Min are two union leaders who were arrested for organising protests calling for a pay rise of $1 a day. They were arrested under a repressive law which bans protest without government permission. Please take action by writing to U Win Mra, the chairman of the Myanmar National Human Rights Council, to call for their immediate release and all remaining political prisoners in Burma.
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