International Development Matters Issue 158 October 2016
| International Development Matters |
| Issue number 158 October 2016 |
| IDM - Monthly newsletter reporting international development matters and issues affecting trade unionists around the world. Including reports, statements, interviews and events. |
Swaziland: Sugar Workers Pay the Cost of King Mswati’s Greed
Bangladesh garment unions resolve to intensify organising together
Landmark UN Report on Freedom of Assembly and Association
Cameroon: World Bank project fails workers
Gender-Just Macroeconomics: Engaging the IMF and World Bank
Liberia: Union rights now - reinstate fired union leaders!
ACT NOW! Samsung: end worker abuse and abolish your "no-union" policy now!
Tribute to Helen Kelly: ILO Interview
Radio Labour World Report, 17-21 October
Book Now for the Latin America Conference 2016
Free GLU online course on International Labour Standards
TUC NEWS
TUC Playfair Qatar campaign
The TUC is campaigning to create awareness of the abuse suffered by migrant workers building 2022 World Cup stadiums and infrastructure in Qatar. The workers are putting their lives on the line for poverty pay and Qatar’s laws stop workers from walking away from danger, but do nothing to protect them. Without action from FIFA, thousands will be injured and killed.
For more information and to get involved in the campaign visit www.playfairqatar.org.uk
OTHER INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Swaziland: Sugar Workers Pay the Cost of King Mswati’s Greed
Thousands of workers in Swaziland’s sugar industry, which exports hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sugar to Europe and within Africa and is dominated by Swazi King Mswati III, face gruelling and unhealthy working conditions, poverty wages and violent suppression of effort to organise unions according to a new ITUC Report, King Mswati’s Gold released recently.
Read more here
Bangladesh garment unions resolve to intensify organising together
During a workshop in Dhaka, IndustriALL affiliates in Bangladesh committed to organise more workers along the supply chain in the readymade garments sector. The workshop witnessed frank deliberations on how multinational corporations (MNCs) and major garment brands in supply chains effect organizing workers in the sector.
Read more here
Landmark UN Report on Freedom of Assembly and Association
The ITUC has welcomed the publication of a major new UN report on the right to freedom of assembly and association, and called on governments to act on its findings. The report, by UN Special Rapporteur and distinguished Kenyan lawyer Maina Kiai, is to be presented to the UN General Assembly in New York on 20 October.
Read more here
IFI NEWS
Trade unions call on IFIs to support recovery through stronger labour market institutions and increased public investment
In advance of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, that took place on 7-9 October in Washington the ITUC and its Global Unions partner organisations called on the international financial institutions (IFIs) to support a vigorous and coordinated strategy of public investment in services and infrastructure and strengthening of labour market institutions to secure wage growth.
Read more here including the Global Unions’ statement to the IMF and World Bank annual meetings
Cameroon: World Bank project fails workers
Our friends at the Bretton Woods Project have recently published their latest quarterly journal, and there’s a useful article setting out how a World Bank-funded hydro power project in Cameroon has tolerated the abuse of workers’ rights. Poor accommodation, corporal punishment and withholding of wages, unfair dismissals often related to uncompensated industrial injuries … it’s a litany of neglect by the World Bank and abuse by the Chinese company running the project.
Find out more here
Gender-Just Macroeconomics: Engaging the IMF and World Bank
The Bretton Woods Project has published its latest briefing, Gender-Just Macroeconomics: Engaging the IMF and World Bank. This booklet is a guide for civil society on why macroeconomics matters to gender equality; how the IMF and World Bank shape global macroeconomic policy; and the ways in which civil society can advocate for gender-just macroeconomic policies that work for everyone.
Find the full booklet in PDF here or contact them directly for a printed version in the post
CALLS TO ACTION
Liberia: Union rights now - reinstate fired union leaders!
In February 2014, twenty-two union leaders across Liberia were fired without any hearing by the Health Minister following a nationwide strike against poor working conditions in the health sector. Twenty were later reinstated -- but not Joseph S. Tamba and George Poe Williams, respectively President and General Secretary of the National Health Workers' Association of Liberia. Sign the LabourStart campaign, to send messages to the Liberian government demanding the reinstatement of the dismissed workers, the recognition of the right to organize for public service workers and respect for trade union rights.
ACT NOW! Samsung: end worker abuse and abolish your "no-union" policy now!
Recent leaked internal documents at Samsung reveal the extreme lengths the company will go to exert total control over workers’ lives – especially those who want to form a union. The ITUC is running a worldwide campaign demanding Samsung end worker abuse and abolish its "no-union" policy.
Read more and sign the action here
FOCUS ON TRADE UNIONISTS
Tribute to Helen Kelly: ILO Interview
As a member of the ILO's Governing Body, Helen Kelly who passed away on 14 October 2016, shared her thoughts on the situation of workers ‘rights in Asia/Pacific region. In this interview, Ms. Kelly gave her views about the situation of workers' rights in Fiji and Bangladesh. She also underlined the need for New Zealand to ratify several ILO core conventions to respect workers’ rights.
Read the interview here
Radio Labour World Report, 17-21 October
The RadioLabour report includes; Child labour and poverty-level wages on coffee plantations; The growing gender wage gap as women grow older; An ILO Convention on violence against women and men needed and the LabourStart report about union events around the world.
Listen to the report here
EVENTS
Latin America Conference 2016
Saturday 26 November, 10am-5pm, Congress House, London
The implications of the recent UN vote on the blockade and the results of the US presidential elections for Cuba will be discussed at this year’s Latin America – Adelante! Conference 2016 which takes place at TUC Congress House. There will also be a Latin American film festival and stalls throughout the day.
Find out more and book your tickets here
Free GLU online course on International Labour Standards
Join this FREE Global Labour University (GLU) online course to learn about the What, Why and How of International Labour Standards! Find out, what are Labour Standards, and how can workers’ organisations use the ILO supervisory mechanisms? What are the key principles of Freedom of Association, the right to strike and Collective Bargaining? Learn and discuss these questions and connect with trade unionists and labour activists from around the world.
Watch the course trailer and enrol for free here
The person responsible for the e-bulletin is:
Tanya Warlock
Tel 0207 467 1307
E: twarlock@tuc.org.uk
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