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International Matters E-Bulletin
 
International Development Matters
 
Issue 143 July 2015
 
IDM - Monthly newsletter reporting international development matters and issues affecting trade unionists around the world. Including reports, statements, interviews and events.

TUC NEWS

TUC condemns arrest of human rights defenders in Colombia

TUC Stronger Unions blog - Swaziland: is the pressure working?

TUC Aid and NGWF programme trains over 500 women workers in organising and labour rights in Bangladesh

TUC Aid and DAA: Defending employment rights of disabled people in Rwanda

OTHER INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Myanmar: national trade union centre officially registered and minimum wage victory

East African unions join forces to tackle common issues

IndustriALL women members demand respect of women rights in India

BRAZIL: Decent Work in the Olympic Games 2016

IFIs

ITUC participates in fourth BRICS Trade Union Forum

World Bank report on social safety nets and signs a joint statement with ILO on ‘Universal social protection’

Further downward adjustment in IMF global forecast

CALLS TO ACTION

ACT NOW! Iran: Free Esmail Abdi now

FOCUS ON TRADE UNIONISTS

RadioLabour interview with BWI General-Secretary Ambet Yuson

ILO Interview on new standard on the informal economy: What are the challenges and opportunities for Unions?

EVENTS

Cuban Futures Conference 2015
 

TUC NEWS

TUC condemns arrest of human rights defenders in Colombia

Four human rights defenders have been arrested in Colombia and there are fears that more arrests may follow. The TUC condemns this cynical attempt to silence dissent from trade unions and indigenous and peasant groups, and calls for action to bring law enforcement agencies to heel.

TUC Stronger Unions blog - Swaziland: is the pressure working?

Round up of the latest international pressure being applied to the government of Swaziland and the ongoing progressive successes towards establishing democracy and trade union rights in Swaziland.

Read the full blog here

TUC Aid and NGWF programme trains over 500 women workers in organising and labour rights in Bangladesh

The TUC Aid programme with National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) in Bangladesh has trained over 500 women workers in organising skills and their rights at work in order to develop them as future union leaders.

Read more here

TUC Aid and DAA: Defending employment rights of disabled people in Rwanda

A joint initiative by TUC Aid and Disability Aid Abroad (DAA) – Northern Ireland charity - has been successful in raising awareness of employment rights of disabled people in Rwanda and in securing support from local trade unions, East Africa Trade Union Confederation (EATUC) and the Government of Rwanda for further initiatives in the region.

Read more here

OTHER INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Myanmar: national trade union centre officially registered and minimum wage victory

Three years after unions were made legal in Myanmar, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Myanmar CTUM), the national trade union centre, has been officially registered by the government. The fight for the country’s first minimum wage has delivered a victory for trade unions.

Listen to the ILO interview with Ms Phyo Sandar Soe, Assistant General Secretary of the CTUM on worker’s expectations on social protection in Myanmar.

East African unions join forces to tackle common issues

East African unions have joined together to build stronger trade unions, fight against precarious work and advocate for better occupational health and safety in the region. On 5 June, the IndustriALL East Africa union building project, funded by Danish central organization LO-FTF, was launched in Tanzania.

Read more here

IndustriALL women members demand respect of women rights in India

Around 35 women trade unionists demanded respect for women workers’ rights and a halt to the attacks on trade unions when they met in Pune, India, on 21 and 22 June.

Read more here

BRAZIL: Decent Work in the Olympic Games 2016

The “Decent Work in the Olympic Games 2016” campaign has been officially launched in Brazil. This is a combined initiative of UGT and trade unions of athletes, physical educators and other classes connected to the organization and execution of the Olympic Games - Rio 2016 to make sure labour protection is implemented throughout the games.

Read more here

IFIs

ITUC participates in fourth BRICS Trade Union Forum

The President of the International Trade Union Confederation, João Felício, addressed the plenary session of the BRICS Trade Union Forum, which was being held in Ufa, Russia on 9 July. Mr Felício provided an overview of the international trade union movement at this time, broaching such issues as the fight against anti-trade union practices and for collective bargaining and freedom of trade union organisation throughout the world.

Read more here

World Bank report on social safety nets and signs a joint statement with ILO on ‘Universal social protection

The World Bank has released a report, which tries to show that a significant expansion of social safety nets in low and middle-income countries has taken place in recent years but also identifies continued gaps.

The World Bank and ILO have signed a joint statement on ‘social protection for all…..to ensure that no one is left behind’.

Further downward adjustment in IMF global forecast

The IMF has released its updated World Economic Outlook report. The WEO does contain a further downward adjustment of the IMF’s global economic growth forecast.

Read more here

CALLS TO ACTION

ACT NOW! Iran: Free Esmail Abdi now

Esmail Abdi, a leader of the Iranian Teachers' Trade Association, was arrested on 27 June following his attempt to obtain a visa to attend the 7th Education International World Congress in Ottawa, Canada in late July. Act now and sign the Labor Start action calling on the government of Iran to immediate release Mr Abdi and to secure the rights of Iranian teacher unionists to travel to attend union meetings.

The TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady has protested to the President of Iran about the arrest and has written to the Foreign Secretary to raise these issues.

FOCUS ON TRADE UNIONISTS

RadioLabour interview with BWI General-Secretary Ambet Yuson

The Building and Wood Workers International has charged FIFA with breaking the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises of the OECD. The BWI especially objects to the way migrant construction workers are treated in Qatar which is hosting the FIFA World Cup Games in 2022. Listen to the Radio Labour report from Ambet Yuson General Secretary of the BWI.

New ILO Standard on the informal economy: What are the challenges and opportunities for Unions?

The ILO has adopted a new recommendation on the transition from the informal to the formal economy. Watch the interview with Raghwan Raghwan, Senior Specialist in Workers’Activities, who express his views about the challenges and opportunities for Unions to organize workers in the informal economy.

EVENTS

Cuban Futures Conference 2015

Saturday 3 October, 9.30am-5pm
Council Chamber, TUC Congress House, London, WC1B 3LS

Tickets £10 (£8 unwaged)

Want to know what’s happening in Cuba and the reality behind the headlines on US-Cuba relations? Then come along to the Cuban Futures Conference for a Cuban perspective on what’s really happening in the country.

More information and tickets

  The person responsible for the e-bulletin is:
Tanya Warlock
Tel 0207 467 1357
E: twarlock@tuc.org.uk
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