jiselle's blog
In Tirupur, a boom town in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu, close to a thousand garment workers or their family members have committed suicide in the past two years. People were driven to take their lives by a combination of grinding poverty, overwork, precarious employment or layoff, crushing debts, and harassment from private money-lenders. Located some 500 kilometers north-west of Chennai, Tamil Nadu’s capital, Tirupur now produces about 90 percent of all India’s cotton knitwear exports. But those whose toil is fueling this spectacular growth — the hundreds of thousands of textile workers and their families — are living in desperate conditions. So desperate, they are now committing suicide at the rate of 40 to 50 per month. To read more about this issue, click here
Cambodia 300 garment workers who were dismissed in September 2010 for taking Strike Action for better pay, need your support and solidarity.
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Irregular workers at GM Daewoo in South Korea have won their long-standing dispute over union recognition including the reinstatement of the sacked 15 workers. On February 2, the management of GM Daewoo signed an agreement committing to reinstate all 15 members of the GM Daewoo Irregular Workers Chapter of the Korean Mental Workers Union who were laid off over three years ago. The two valiant union members who had been living and protesting on the arch in front of the GM Daewoo factory for over 60 days concluded their struggle and are now in recovery. For background to this dispute, click here. To read more about this victory, click here. Congratulations to the GM Daewoo Irregular Workers chapter of the Korean Metal Workers Union. Workers Change the World
A landmark ruling by the Seoul High Court against Hyundai Motor this week marked a victory for Korean unions that have been campaigning against labour casualisation. In a case reviewed, overturned, and then sent on to the Seoul High Court by Korea’s Supreme Court, the ruling rightfully declared that Choe Byeong-seung, 35, was a direct employee of Hyundai while employed at its Ulsan manufacturing complex between 2003 and 2005. In issuing the verdict on 10 February, the High Court said Choe “carried out his duties mixed with regular workers on either side of the conveyer belt, and Hyundai Motor made decisions regarding workload, methods, sequence, etc.” Following the ruling, the Hyundai Irregular Workers’ Union and its parent, the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU), held a press conference in front of Hyundai’s headquarters in Seoul. Their message is that the world’s fifth largest auto maker must take this ruling as a signal to bring all subcontract workers to direct employment. To read more about this victory for workers, click here. Congratulations to the Hyundai Irregular Workers chapter of the Korean Metal Workers Union. Workers Change the World
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Hyundai Motor
Since 2006, the company has conducted a campaign against the union to quash the legitimate workers’ demands for higher wages, job security and trade union rights. With support from the company, the Philippine military has been conducting anti-union seminars, accusing AK-NAFLU-KMU of being a communist front and urging the union members to withdraw support from KMU. Several workers have also been fired, suspended, demoted or transferred as a result of their support for AK-NAFLU-KMU. Union president Jose Teruel and other officials have received death threats. Active union members are slapped with fabricated charges or subjected to overly-strict discipline; are threatened with non-renewal of their relatives’ contracts in the labor cooperative; and are being offered early retirement packages in another bid to cut back the union membership. To read more and to show your support for the Dole Workers online campaign, click here. To support the “Stop the Killings in the Philippines” campaign, click here.
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 Pay Justice ActionDespite equal pay decisions, women earn less than men. In just one year, 2009 – 2010, the gender pay gap increased from 17% to 18%! Over a lifetime, a woman in Australia can expect to earn one million dollars less than a man!
It’s time for action on equal pay!
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Victoria T
 rades Hall Council & Australian Council of Trade UnionsLooking Back, Looking Forward, Union Women Making History
You're invited to join the VTHC and ACTU for a cocktail evening to celebrate the centenary of Internatonal Women's Day Tuesday 8 March 2011 at 6pm - 9pm in the New Ballroom, Victoria Trades Hall
Celebrating 100years of International Women's Day. Friday 11 March 2011 at 7.00am Speaker – Sharon Rowlands, ASU delegate Family Violence EBA Clause Cost $10 per person
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End Aboriginal Deaths in Custody! Pay Back All Stolen Wages!
Rally: Stop The Racist NT Intervention - Equal Pay & Jobs with Justice! |
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In 2007, the management refused to recognize the union and instead carried out mass sackings. For over three years now, the dismissed workers have been fighting for reinstatement. In July 2010, the workers organized a rally commemorating the 1000th day of a tent sit-in protest and calling for justice for irregular workers. On 1 December 2010, two members of the irregular workers union began a high-altitude sit-in protest on the arch that stands 10 meters above the front entrance to the GM Daewoo factory in Bupyeong. Calling for abolition of illegal dispatch work, reinstatement of fired workers and regularisation, they have vowed not to come down until their demands are met. They have been on the arch for over 30 days, in a cramped space and brutal winter weather. To send your solidarity messages and to read more about this dispute, click here |
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With the assistance of the International Metalworkers’ Federation, the EIWU resisted the company’s anti-union tactics including attempts to register a company-controlled union. On the morning of the balloting, the police and local authorities attempted to disrupt the union from gathering outside the factory where balloting was conducted by the Ministry of Human Resources. IMF Regional Representative Arunasalam intervened and met the company's Human Resources Director, and following that the pressure from the police and local authorities reduced. |
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 Pay Justice ActionDespite equal pay decisions, women earn less than men. In just one year, 2009 – 2010, the gender pay gap increased from 17% to 18%! Over a lifetime, a woman in Australia can expect to earn one million dollars less than a man!
It’s time for action on equal pay!
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Victoria T
 rades Hall Council & Australian Council of Trade UnionsLooking Back, Looking Forward, Union Women Making History
You're invited to join the VTHC and ACTU for a cocktail evening to celebrate the centenary of Internatonal Women's Day Tuesday 8 March 2011 at 6pm - 9pm in the New Ballroom, Victoria Trades Hall
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In June 2010, approximately 15,000 ship-breakers went on strike in the town of Gadani, Balochistan province, and since then have taken various forms of industrial action. Gadani ship-breakers work for twelve to fourteen hours a day, receiving between 200 and 300 rupees, and remain unregistered in any government social security institution through which they could access medical facilities. Despite having worked for ten to fifteen years, they don’t have formal confirmation of their employment status. Even though the conditions of work are arduous, there are next to no workplace safety guidelines - they are not provided safety shoes, gloves, goggles, helmets, belts, or other necessary safety items. As a result of this neglect, in the last year approximately 20 workers have died on the job. There is no clean water to drink, nor any decent food provided. The workers are also not provided with proper accommodation, and the nearest hospital is in Karachi, which is about 50km away, that could guarantee emergency treatment in the event of an accident. To read the Ship-Breaking Democratic Workers' Union's statement about this struggle, written during the June 2010 strike, click here. The struggle for union recognition, as well as better wages and conditions continues. Send your letters of condemnation to the Balochistan Government by clicking here. Send your letters of solidarity to the Pakistan Labour Federation by clicking here.
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Ship-breaking workers in the Gadani ship-breaking yard are demanding better working conditions, health and safety standards, proper equipment and better wages.
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