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IDM - Monthly newsletter reporting international development matters and issues affecting trade unionists around the world. Including reports, statements, interviews and events.
International Matters E-Bulletin
 
International Development Matters
 
Issue number 179 November 2018
 
IDM - Monthly newsletter reporting international development matters and issues affecting trade unionists around the world. Including reports, statements, interviews and events.

TUC NEWS

TUC General Secretary writes to Ambassador of Zimbabwe to denounce government brutality towards ZCTU

TUC stands in solidarity with NUJ and journalists around the world

TUC writes to Iranian Ambassador for the immediate release of teacher trade unionist

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Thousands attend funeral of murdered Turkish trade union leader

India: Alarming attack on Labour Laws

Global unions say Bangladesh must keep Accord on Fire and Building Safety

Unions call for Africa/Europe Economic Partnership Agreements to be changed

IFI NEWS

Nigeria: Unions welcome new minimum wage

World Bank’s World Development Report 2019: Unsatisfactory policy perspective on changes in the world of work

ILO study reveals bankruptcy of pensions privatisation

CALLS TO ACTION

ACT NOW! Hotel workers in Myanmar are fighting for their rights!

ACT NOW! Kazakhstan: Stop repression and physical attacks on leaders of independent unions!

Turkey: Release jailed construction workers - Ensure occupational safety at Istanbul Airport

FOCUS ON TRADE UNIONISTS

Equal Times interview: Joséphine Shimbi Umba, Vice President, Trade Union Confederation of Congo

RadioLabour: Chinese companies need to respect worker rights in Africa

RadioLabour interview with Patrick Tay, Assistant General Secretary, NTUC Singapore

EVENTS

Latin America Conference 2018

 

TUC NEWS EVENTS

TUC General Secretary writes to Ambassador of Zimbabwe to denounce government brutality towards ZCTU

The TUC General Secretary, Ms Frances O’Grady, wrote to the Ambassador of Zimbabwe, HE Colonel Christian Katsande to denounce the actions of the government of Zimbabwe who employed immense and unjust methods to block the recent peaceful demonstration organised earlier this month by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU). Which orchestrated the subsequent arrest of ZCTU leaders.

For more information read this Equal Times article here

TUC stands in solidarity with NUJ and journalists around the world

On 1 November the TUC stood in solidarity outside the Saudi Embassy in London with NUJ union for all journalists suffering injustice and to took a moment to remember the fearless #JamalKhashoogi who was not afraid to criticise wrongdoing.

TUC writes to Iranian Ambassador for the immediate release of teacher trade unionist

The TUC General Secretary, Ms Frances O’Grady wrote to the Iranian Ambassador to the UK to demand the release of teacher trade unionist Mohammad Habibi who is serving a 10-and-a-half-year sentence solely for his peaceful trade union activities and exercising his human rights. It has been reported that he is in poor health and is being denied the urgent specialised medical care he needs.

Read more here

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Thousands attend funeral of murdered Turkish trade union leader

Thousands of people gathered for the funeral of Turkish union leader, Abdullah Karacan , the day after he was fatally shot during a visit to meet workers at a Goodyear tyre factory in Adapazarı.

Read more here

India: Alarming attack on Labour Laws

The ITUC has expressed alarm at a wholesale erosion of labour laws initiated by the Indian government, and pledged full support for a general strike in protest against the changes planned for 5 January. The global trade union body has also condemned the government’s exclusion of major national trade union organisation INTUC from key tripartite processes.

Global unions say Bangladesh must keep Accord on Fire and Building Safety

IndustriALL Global Union strongly urges the government of Bangladesh to petition the High Court to lift a restraining order that seeks to expel the Accord from the country on 30 November.

Read more here

Unions call for Africa/Europe Economic Partnership Agreements to be changed

The ITUC, its African Regional Organisation and the ETUC have called for trade agreements designed to govern trade relations between Europe and Africa, known as “Economic Partnership Agreements” (EPAs), to be replaced with fair trading arrangements. EPAs, which do not guarantee workers’ rights and were developed without consultation with unions, threaten to curtail African countries’ ability to industrialise and diversify their economies.

Read more here

IFI NEWS

Nigeria: Unions welcome new minimum wage

Unions are welcoming a new minimum wage of 30,000 Naira (US$83) recommended by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage as an important step towards living wages in Nigeria.

 

World Bank’s World Development Report 2019: Unsatisfactory policy perspective on changes in the world of work

Responding to the World Bank’s publication of the “World Development Report 2019: The Changing Nature of Work” last month, ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow expressed disappointment in the Bank’s ‘flagship’ report. Read how other civil society groups slammed the report here

Read what she said here

Read how other civil society groups have slammed the report here

ILO study reveals bankruptcy of pensions privatisation

The privatisation of pensions has been a core element of neoliberal restructuring promoted by the World Bank, the IMF, the OECD, the Inter-American, African and Asian Development Banks, USAID and the financial services companies who derive the ultimate benefit. A new publication by the ILO confirms PSI’s long-held position: the privatisation of public pension systems has delivered vast returns to a tiny financial elite while diminishing the incomes of workers in retirement.

CALLS TO ACTION

ACT NOW! Hotel workers in Myanmar are fighting for their rights!

Workers who formed a union at the Hotel Tharabar Gate in the heart of the country's famous Bagan Archeological Zone have been fighting for rights and recognition since 2015. Management continually attempts to dismiss elected union chairman Ko Nay Myo Win and other active union members despite protests from hotel staff including non-union members

Click here to send a message to management of the Hotel Tharabar Gate!

ACT NOW! Kazakhstan: Stop repression and physical attacks on leaders of independent unions!

Please call on the Kazakh authorities to put an end to persecution and violence against independent trade union leaders, and to ensure freedom and safety for trade union activities in the country. Including a trumped-up criminal case brought against Erlan Baltabai, leader of the Fuel and Energy Workers' Union, affiliated with the banned Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KNPRK). And Dmitriy Senyavskiy, leader of the local branch of the Fuel and Energy Workers' Union in the Karaganda Region, who was attacked and brutally beaten by a group of unknown persons.

Turkey: Release jailed construction workers - Ensure occupational safety at Istanbul Airport

About 30,000 workers at the new Istanbul Grand Airport's construction site are suffering a shocking lack of occupational health and safety, excessive working hours and postponed salaries. At least 37 workers have died and many more injured during the last four years. Workers protested on 14-16 September and some 600 were violently arrested.

ACT NOW and call on the Turkish authorities to guarantee occupational health and safety, that workers can get their salary payments on time, that fundamental trade union rights are protected, the arrested workers are immediately released and those who are responsible for workplace murders will be punished.

FOCUS ON TRADE UNIONISTS

Equal Times interview: Joséphine Shimbi Umba, Vice President, Trade Union Confederation of Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo has one of the highest rates of informality in the world. Read the Equal Times interview with Joséphine Shimbi Umba , Vice President of the Trade Union Confederation of Congo who speaks about her union’s notable work with informal sector market traders in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa to ensure a cleaner trading environment.

RadioLabour: Chinese companies need to respect worker rights in Africa

While Chinese corporations spend billions in Africa, unions on the continent are demanding respect for worker rights. Listen to an interview with BWI's Regional Representative for Africa and Middle East, Crecentia Mofokeng about the issues here

(Duration 8:45)

RadioLabour interview with Patrick Tay, Assistant General Secretary, NTUC Singapore

Listen to the RadioLabour interview with Patrick Tay, Assistant General Secretary, NTUC Singapore discussing what challenges lay ahead as the country attempts to meet the goal of full employment.

(Duration 7:18)

EVENTS

Latin America Conference 2018

Saturday 1 December, 10:00am (registration 9.15am)

Congress House, 23-28 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS

Advance tickets £10 waged / £8 unwaged (£12 / £10 on the door)

Dr Mariela Castro (daughter of former Cuban president Raúl Castro) is one of the special guest speakers at this year’s Latin America Conference. Featuring contributions from more than 50 campaigners, politicians, trade unionists and academics from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Venezuela and the UK, Latin America 2018 is the largest event of its kind in Europe.

Full details here

 
IDM - Monthly newsletter reporting international development matters and issues affecting trade unionists around the world. Including reports, statements, interviews and events.
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