INTERNATIONAL LABOUR IRAN:
SAVE ABDOLREZA GHANBARI:

Abdolreza Ghanbari is an Iranian university professor who has been sentenced to death by the regime basically for the "crime" of receiving unsolicited political emails. Here is his story and appeal for solidarity from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start.
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Iran: Stop the execution of Abdolreza Ghanbari


In partnership with the Education International, the world’s largest federation of unions, representing thirty million education employees in about four hundred organisations in one hundred and seventy countries and territories, across the globe.



Abdolreza Ghanbari, a 44-year-old lecturer of Payam e Nour University, was arrested at his home in Pakdasht on 4 January 2010. He was charged with Moharebeh (enmity towards God) for receiving unsolicited emails from an armed opposition group, to which he does not belong. While in detention at the notorious Evin Prison, Prof. Ghanbari was interrogated for 25 days in a row and forced to confess under duress to unproven charges. Nasrin Sotoudeh was his lawyer until he was himself condemned to a six year sentence in Evin prison for "propaganda against the regime" and "acting against national security". In 2007, Prof. Ghanbari had already been detained for 120 days and sentenced to a six-month suspension from teaching and exiled from Sari to Pakdasht. Prof. Ghanbari has no known political connections. He was previously involved in teacher union activities until his union ITTA was dissolved in 2007. Prof. Ghanbari's death sentence has been confirmed by Tehran's Appeal Court, Branch 36 in April 2010. He has since been waiting on death row. A request for pardon was rejected on February 28 by the Commission of Justice in Tehran. It means that authorities are allowed to proceed with the execution. The Education International calls on the Iranian authorities to stay the execution of Prof. Abdolreza Ghanbari and revoke the death sentence; to drop all charges against all detained trade unionists and release them immediately; to comply with the international labour standards and respect the rights of Iranian workers to freedom of association, assembly and expression.

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THE LETTER

Please go to this link to send the following letter to Iranian authorities.

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Your Excellency,

I am writing to you to condemn the death sentence pronounced against Prof. Abdolreza Ghanbari, a university lecturer. I urge the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately stay his execution. Abdolreza Ghanbari was arrested at his home in Pakdasht on 4 January 2010. While in detention at the Evin Prison, Prof. Ghanbari was interrogated for 25 days in a row and forced to confess under duress to unproven charges. He has been sentenced to death for "enmity towards God". His death sentence has been confirmed by Tehran's Appeal Court, Branch 36 in April 2010. A request for pardon was rejected on February 28 by the Commission of Justice in Tehran. I urge the Iranian authorities to:
- Stay the execution of Prof. Abdolreza Ghanbari and revoke the death sentence;
- Drop all charges against all detained trade unionists and release them immediately;
- Compensate the individuals for the damages suffered as result of detentions;
- Register the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations (CCITTA) and allow it to hold trade union activities and reach out to members;
- Stop the harassment and repression against teachers, unionists and human rights defenders;
- Comply with the international labour standards and respect the rights of Iranian workers to freedom of association, assembly and expression;
- Engage in a peaceful dialogue regarding the professional concerns of teachers in Iran.
I look forward to hearing about your positive intervention on this very serious matter.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR GEORGIA:

RESPECT WORKER RIGHTS IN GEORGIA:

The now independent Caucasus republic of Georgia is (in)famous as the homeland of Soviet dictator Josep Stalin. Sorta like being noted as the homeland of malaria. Living down to this "fine" tradition the present government of this republic is trying to supress the independent unions of that country. The economy may change but the urge to dominate remains the same. Here's an appeal from the onl;ine labour solidarity site Labour Start for solidarity with Georgia's unionists.

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Georgia: Stop attacks on trade unions - respect labour rights
An iconic example of the potential to build free unions in post-Soviet states, the Georgian Trade Union Confederation (GTUC) is in serious jeopardy of being destroyed. Even as its fate hangs in the balance, the GTUC is the largest and most viable civil society organization in Georgia, with a reform-minded leadership that possesses an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the role democratic and representative trade unions play in the promotion of labour rights and democracy. Immediate action is necessary to combat the Georgian government’s concerted, intensifying efforts to dismantle the GTUC and take over the GTUC's teachers' union by violating international labour standards and actions aimed at starving it of financial resources.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to Georgian authorities.

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President Mikheil Saakashvili
Office of the President of Georgia
1 M. Abdushelishvili Street
Tbilisi, Georgia 0103

Dear President Saakashvili,

I am writing to protest the continuing attacks by the Government of Georgia on the Georgian Trade Union Confederation (GTUC) including the Educators and Scientists Free Trade Union of Georgia (ESFTUG). Your government, which claims to uphold democratic values, is revealing its true nature by actively and aggressively working to destroy the basic labor rights of the Georgian people. I understand that the AFL-CIO has filed a Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) petition against the Georgian government due to your lack of respect for international labour standards. I urge the Government of Georgia to take the importance of labour rights seriously and immediately stop the harassment of the GTUC and ESFTUG. Your government should begin serious negotiations with the GTUC to strengthen labour rights and particularly change the labour code to allow for real freedom of association and other labour protections. You may be assured that the international labour movement is united in this call for your government to respect their international obligations and cease these attacks on Georgian working people.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR PHILIPPINES:

SUPPORT WORKERS AT DOLE PHILIPPINES:

For over four years workers at Dole in the Philippines have been struggling against both the agribusiness company and the Filipino state for their right to unionize. They are now calling for an international support campaign to press for their rights. Here's the story and appeal from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start.

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Philippines: Dole must respect union rights
Since 2006, the company has been trying to weaken, if not eliminate altogether, the democratically-elected union in Dole Philippines - the Amado Kadena–National Federation of Labor Unions–Kilusang Mayo Uno (AK-NAFLU-KMU). Since 2006, the company has conducted a vilification 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. The Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) 27th Infantry Battalion conducted a door-to-door campaign calling for disaffiliation from KMU. Union officers and active members are publicly accused as being "enemies of the state” – a very serious accusation amidst the extra-judicial killings in the country. The Dole management also supported the creation of a new union called UR Dole and on Feb 13, 2007, it conducted a bogus general election and "impeached" the legitimate union officials in a viva voce manner. The management refused to implement two orders from the Department of Labor and Employment ordering a status quo and nullifying the assembly and the "impeachment". It continued to recognize UR Dole and even released union dues to them in a clear effort to cripple the operations of AK-NAFLU-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.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Philippine authorities and to Dole Philippines.

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We are alarmed to learn that democratically elected AK-NAFLU-KMU has been the object of a vilification campaign by the Dole Philippines company and Philippine military to undermine the trade union and quash legitimate trade union rights. Reportedly, since 2006, the Philippine military, with support from the company, has been conducting anti-union seminars, accused AK-NAFLU-KMU as being a communist front and urged union members to withdraw support to and disaffiliate from KMU. It has also come to my attention that Dole management is interfering in purely union affairs by openly supporting another trade union in violation of two orders issued by the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment. Once a union is elected by its workers, union affairs are managed by the workers and governed by the union constitution and by-laws written and approved of by the workers, and management must not interfere with internal union processes. We are equally alarmed of reports that union president Jose Teruel and other officials have been receiving death threats and that several workers have been retrenched, suspended, demoted or transferred as a result of their support for AK-NAFLU-KMU.

We call on Dole Philippines management to reinstate all workers who have been fired, suspended, demoted or transferred as a result of their active union involvement.

We call on Philippine President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III to order the management of Dole Philippines and the Philippine military to immediately stop all forms of harassment and repression to the workers.

We call on the Philippine Government to take all necessary measures to ensure that workers at Dole Philippines enjoy the right to free and fair election slated for Feb 22 of this year, free from interference by the military and without threat or fear of retaliation, whether by the government or company management.

We condemn and oppose the labor and human rights violations being undertaken by the Dole company and the military. We stand in solidarity with the workers of Dole Philippines in demanding an environment free from company and military interference. An injury to one is an injury to all!

We will closely monitor the situation in Dole Philippines to ensure that workers get their legitimate demands.

Thank you.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR TURKEY:

REFORM TURKISH LABOUR LAWS NOW:

For a long time now labour activists in Turkey have been fighting an uphill battle, hamstrung by repressive labour legislation. The following appeal for solidarity with the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey asks for international solidarity to pressure the government into reform. This appeal is being broadcast by the online labour solidarity site Labour Start.

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Turkey: Reform labour laws now
Although Turkey was earnestly criticized and warned by ILO committees in International Labour Conferences, she has not made necessary legal changes in compliance with ILO Conventions No. 87 and 98. Because of the legal prohibitions and regulations, millions of workers cannot exercise their fundamental rights. Thousands of workers are subject to various pressures such us being dismissed or being arrested. Since 2002, despite the ruling party AKP’s repeated commitments, reform on trade union law has not been realized yet. Industrial relations of Turkey are still being shaped by the laws enacted during the military coup of 1980. The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DISK) is asking for your support, and believes that the messages to be sent to Prime Minister and Labour Minister will be very effective and that your efforts will create an international pressure on the government of Turkey and will force the government to reform the trade union law which should be in compliance with ILO Conventions and Revised European Social Charter.

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THE LETTER

Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Turkish Prime Minister and Labour Minister.

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I have been informed that the trade union laws regulating working conditions in Turkey were made during the military coup of 1980. Although your country has already signed the ILO conventions No. 87 and 98 that form the backbone of the perspective of ‘decent work’ and of the trade union rights and freedoms, the domestic laws in your country have not been amended in compliance with these conventions yet. By these reasons, as the ILO emphasizes, the government of Republic of Turkey should make a new trade union law in line with the requirements of ILO conventions immediately. In order to realize this, all thresholds both at sectoral level and company level should be removed, the prohibitions on strikes should be removed, the notary clause should be removed, and the fact of being dismissed on the grounds of trade union membership should be prohibited.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR BANGLADESH:

FREE MOSHREFA MISHU:

The following appeal for solidarity with imprisoned Bangladeshi labour activist Moshrefa Mishu comes from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start. There is also a Facebook site devoted to this cause.

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Bangladesh: Free Moshrefa Mishu
Moshrefa Mishu, President of the Garment Workers Unity Forum (GWUF), a trade union of the ready-made garment sector, was illegally arrested on 14 December 2010. The arrest occurred after mass protests of garment workers demanding the implementation of the increased minimum wage. While there was no warrant at the time of her arrest, Mishu is now facing three fabricated criminal charges. She has been ill-treated and threatened with death while in detention, and the police did not allow her to take necessary medicines with her. Mishu's health has deteriorated as a result of ill-treatment and the subsequent denial of adequate medical treatment by politically-motivated doctors while in detention. It is urgent to intervene by insisting that the Government of Bangladesh immediately release Mishu Moshrefa and to drop the fabricated charges.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Bangladeshi authorities.

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I have been informed that Moshrefa Mishu, President of the Garment Workers Unity Forum (GWUF), was illegally arrested on 14 December 2010 by heavily armed policemen in plain clothes. The arrest occurred after mass protests of garment workers demanding the implementation of the new minimum wage. While there was no warrant at the time of her arrest, Mishu is now facing three fabricated criminal charges. Mishu has been ill-treated and threatened with death while in detention, and the police did not allow her to take necessary medicines with her. Mishu's health condition has deteriorated as a result of ill-treatment and the subsequent denial of adequate medical treatment by politically-motivated doctors while in detention. Mishu's arrest, her ill-treatment and the fabricated charges constitute a serious violation of human rights. The attack against the garment workers' union also constitutes a violation of ILO conventions 87 and 98. I demand the immediate release of Mishu Moshrefa and that the charges against her are dropped. It is totally unacceptable that people who demand the implementation of their rights and the payment of the agreed minimum wage are intimidated and criminalised.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR IRAN:

RELEASE REZA SHAHABI:

The following appeal is from the UK branch of Amnesty International, It came to Molly's attention via the online labour solidarity site Labour Start, though many other unions across the world have also featured this case. The person in question was one of the organizers of the Tehran Bus Drivers' Union, and in the theocracy that governs the country of Iran independent unions are a big no-no. The individual in question has been in detention since last summer, and he has now begun a hunger strike demanding his release as he is innocent of any real "crime". Here's the story....

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Imprisoned trade unionist on hunger strike

Imprisoned trade union leader, Reza Shahabi, has been on hunger strike since 4 December in protest at his continuing detention. We are calling on the authorities in Iran to release him immediately.

Reza Shahabi is the treasurer of the independent and unrecognised trade union, Sherkat-e Vahed. He was arrested on 12 June 2010, three days after the arrest of Saeed Torabian, the unions spokesperson.


Union members arrested
Saeed Torabian has since been release but there are six other members of Sherkat-e Vahed (the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company) in prison.

Gholamreza Gholamhosseini, Morteza Komsari and Ali Akbar Nazari have all been arrested since the beginning of November and we believe they are all prisoners of conscience, held solely on account of their peaceful trade union activities.


Prisoners of conscience
Mansour Ossanlu, the head of the union and his deputy, Ebrahim Maddadi, are already serving prison sentences. They must be immediately and unconditionally released.

Sherkat-e Vahed was banned after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but workers resumed the union's activities in 2004, although it is not legally recognised.

History of harassment
On 22 December 2005, police arrested 12 of the unions leaders at their homes but quickly released four of them. Other members were arrested three days later after they went on strike to call for the release of their colleagues. Saeed Torabian was among those arrested and spent a month in custody. Hundreds more were arrested during a further strike in January 2006.

Along with Reza Shahabi, Saeed Torabian was suspended from work, without pay, for approximately four years following the strikes. They were eventually reinstated only after the Court of Administrative Justice investigated their case.

Leadership imprisoned
Mansour Ossanlu was already serving a five year sentence in Rejai Shahr Prison, in Karaj near Tehran, when he was convicted on fresh charges in August 2010 and given an extra year behind bars.

Ebrahim Madadi is currently serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence and has been held in Evin prison since 2008.

Trade unionists targeted
Other trade unionists have also been arrested or harassed recently, including members of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company Trade Union. The unions Leader, Reza Rakhshan, was recently sentenced to six months in prison for spreading lies, apparently in connection with an article he wrote entitle We are One Family, condemning arrests and harassment of his fellow workers.

Imprisoned trade union leader, Reza Shahabi, has been on hunger strike since 4 December in protest at his continuing detention. We are calling on the authorities in Iran to release him immediately.
Reza Shahabi is the treasurer of the independent and unrecognised trade union, Sherkat-e Vahed. He was arrested on 12 June 2010, three days after the arrest of Saeed Torabian, the unions spokesperson.

Union members arrestedSaeed Torabian has since been release but there are six other members of Sherkat-e Vahed (the Union of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company) in prison.
Gholamreza Gholamhosseini, Morteza Komsari and Ali Akbar Nazari have all been arrested since the beginning of November and we believe they are all prisoners of conscience, held solely on account of their peaceful trade union activities.

Prisoners of conscience Mansour Ossanlu, the head of the union and his deputy, Ebrahim Maddadi, are already serving prison sentences. They must be immediately and unconditionally released.

Please call on the Iranian authorities to release Reza Shahabi and all the other jailed trade unionists in Iran

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THE LETTER:
Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Iranian authorities about this case.
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I urge you to immediately release Reza Shahabi the Treasurer of Sherkat-e Vahed and union members Gholamreza Gholamhosseini, Morteza Komsari and Ali Akbar Nazari, who have been recently arrested.

They must be released if, as appears, they are being held solely for their peaceful trade union activities. Otherwise I call on you to bring them to trial promptly and fairly on recognisable criminal charges.

I call on you to ensure that those held are protected from torture or other ill-treatment and are granted immediate access to their families, to lawyers of their choice, and to adequate medical care.

I further urge you to release prisoners of conscience Mansour Ossanlu and Ebrahim Maddadi immediately and unconditionally.

I remind you of Iran’s obligations under International Labour Organisation Conventions and the ICCPR to allow the right to form and join independent trade unions and I call on you to cease the harassment of members of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company (HTSCC) Trade Union and of teacher trade unionists and to release those detained immediately and unconditionally.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR COLOMBIA:

FREE ROSALBA GAVIRIA TORO:

For over a year and a half Colombian trade unionist Rosalba Gaviria Toro has been jailed for "rebellion" by the Colombian authorities. Her real "crimes" are her union and human rights work in the country deemed to be "the most dangerous for trade unionists in the world". The following appeal to petition the Colombia authorities for her release comes from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start.

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Colombia: Free jailed trade unionist Rosalba Gaviria Toro
On 9th March 2009 Rosalba Gaviria Toro, a member of FENSUAGRO, the Colombian Agricultural Workers' Trade Union was detained and accused of 'rebellion'. She has been imprisoned since then in Villa Cristina jail in the city of Armenia, without being convicted of any crime. Rosalba has been an active trade unionist and human rights activist for many years, however, the Colombian authorities have described her as a 'terrorist' - jeopardizing her right to a fair judicial process. There is no legitimate evidence against Rosalba and it would seem that, like so many other political prisoners in Colombia, she has been jailed to silence her and prevent her from carrying out her legitimate work in defense of trade union and human rights.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Colombian authorities.

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I am writing to express my concern about the case of Rosalba Gaviria Toro, the Colombian trade unionist and human rights defender detained 9th March 2009, accused of "rebellion" and "conspiracy to commit a crime". She has been imprisoned for more than 19 months in Villa Cristina Prison, Armenia, without being convicted of any crime. There is no legitimate evidence against Mrs Gaviria and it therefore appears that her incarceration is politically motivated. It is clear that she is a dedicated trade union activist who has been targeted as a result of her work, like so many other Colombian political prisoners. The practice of detaining members of civil society for their participation in legitimate organisations violates fundamental human rights. We therefore urge you to ensure that Ms. Gaviria is given a fair trial and that she is released as her innocence demands.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR VIETNAM:

SUPPORT VIETNAMESE WORKER ACTIVISTS:

It's just another day in another workers' paradise, and three workers are due to go on trial for organizing a strike. The "proletarian justice" they may face can mean up to 15 years in prison. Here's the story and appeal from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start.

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Vietnam: Labour rights advocates face prison

Three Vietnamese labour rights advocates face 5-15 years imprisonment for helping organise a strike by 10,000 workers at the My Phong shoe factory in January 2010. Doan Huy Chuong, Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung, and Do Thi Minh Hanh, all in their 20's, have been detained virtually incommunicado since their arrests in February. The trial is expected in late October 2010.

The "crimes" alleged by prosecutors are that Doan Huy Chuong, Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung, and Do Thi Minh Hanh worked in an organised manner, distributed leaflets expressing discontent about working conditions and about the authorities, and helped workers to organise a strike. All of these activities ought to be legal, under Vietnam's own Constitution and in international instruments to which Vietnam is a signatory. The charges that they encouraged workers to destroy factory properties are without evidence and appear made-up.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Vietnamese authorities.

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I call on the Vietnamese government to release jailed labour rights advocates Doan Huy Chuong, Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung, and Do Thi Minh Hanh.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CAMBODIA:

SOLIDARITY WITH CAMBODIAN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS:

Molly first saw this appeal at the online labour solidarity site Labour Start. It comes originally from the Building and Woodworkers International union where more information on this struggle can be found. Interested readers might also like to check out the independent Cambodian news site KI Media.

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Cambodia: Reinstate sacked construction workers
The Building and Wood Workers Trade Union of Cambodia (BWTUC, an affiliate of BWI, has been struggling to organise the KC GECIN Enterprise, located at No.500, National Road 2, Sangkhat Chak Angre Loe, Khann Meanchey, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. KC GECIN Enterprises is a local construction company, owned by Mr. Kim Chhean, a Cambodian national. This company has two main construction producing sites - one located in Prekho, Kandal District and another main site is located in Kilo 10, Khann Russei Keo, Phnom Penh. It employs around 160 workers all in main headquarter and in the two main sites. However, instead of recognising the union and starting a process to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement, the company has resorted to drastic and discriminatory measures as evident by the illegal termination of 25 union leaders and activists on August 13th and another 25 members who had participated in a legitimate trade union seminar.

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THE LETTER:
Please go to this link to send the following letter to the management of the KC GECIN Enterprises in Cambodia.

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We strongly urge you to immediately reinstate the dismissed union leaders and members without preconditions, refrain from intimidating the workers on strike, recognise the union as a primary step that would lead to normalcy in the employee-employer relationship towards settling the industrial dispute through a collective bargaining agreement.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR TURKEY:
SUPPORT TURKISH UPS WORKERS:


There's an ongoing struggle in Turkey to unionize employees of the multinational UPS. Here's an appeal from the ITF via the online labour solidarity site Labour Start for solidarity with these workers.
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Turkey: Support sacked UPS workers
UPS workers in Turkey need your support.

The ITF-affiliated TÜMTIS has been taking steps in the recent months to unionise this company and its sub-contractors. As a result, 120 employees in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir have been dismissed without any application of the procedures stipulated by Turkish law. UPS is a global company which says publicly in its corporate social responsibility report that it supports the rights of its workers to become members of a union. The reality in Turkey, however, is very different.

All of the 120 dismissed workers are union members or sympathetic to TÜMTIS. Others are constantly harassed not to join the union. Some were taken by force to a notary to resign from the union. On 2 July, the conflict escalated in Izmir when a manager of a sub-contractor pulled out his gun and started shooting in front of a notary. More recently, a new company brought in replacement workers in Istanbul. Such action contradicts with the claim by the management that they are reducing the workforce due to economic reasons. After these recent incidents, the ITF has written to the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to raise its concern.

The ITF and its affiliates are firmly backing TÜMTIS in their struggle against UPS. Unions from around the world have sent their messages.
Trade union delegations have been visiting the picket-line on a regular basis to show global solidarity.

However, there has been no response from the company to TÜMTIS or to the ITF. Add your concern by sending a protest letter to the Prime Minister of Turkey now. Copies of the letter will also be sent to UPS representatives including CEO Scott Davis and local management in Turkey. We want all these workers to be reinstated and all intimidations to be ceased.
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THE LETTER:
Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Turkish Prime Minister (and also to the Turkish division of UPS).
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Dear Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan,

I am writing to you to express my grave concern over the serious violations of trade union rights at UPS in Turkey.

I have reason to believe that 120 workers who work for UPS and its sub-contractors in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir have been dismissed because they support the union, TÜMTIS. Other workers are constantly harassed by the management not to join the union. There was a shooting incident in Izmir which was caused by a senior manager of the company's sub-contractor.

These recent events violate the fundamental workers' rights as enshrined in the Core Conventions of the International Labour Organization. It also goes without saying that accession to the European Union will require some fundamental changes to the current climate of industrial relations in Turkey. Actions taken by the UPS Turkish management and its subcontractors are also damaging the reputation of this global company, which enshrines in its Code of Conduct the promotion of a sound relationship between trade unions and the management.

I urge your immediate intervention to resolve this situation so that all the sacked workers are reinstated unconditionally and steps are taken to ensure that no further victimisation takes place at UPS and its subsidiaries.

Yours sincerely

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR IRAQ:

PROTEST REPRESSION OF IRAQI UNION:

Well, the new Iraqi government is proving itself to be following the methods of the old one. Last month they banned the Iraqi electricity unions. But what did you really expect ? Here's an appeal from the online labour solidarity organization Labour Start for support for the Iraqi unionists.

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Iraq: Minister closes all union offices in Saddam-style move
Police raided and shut down electricity unions across Iraq in mid-July, carrying out an order from the Minister of Electricity that could have been lifted from Saddam Hussein’s rule book.

The order prohibits "all trade union activities at the ministry and its departments and sites" and authorizes the police "to close all trade union offices and bases and to take control of unions' assets properties and documents, furniture and computers."

The leader of Britain's Trades Union Congress has called upon the Iraqi government "to withdraw the order, and allow unions to operate freely, underpinned by a fair, just and ILO-compliant labour law."

The Iraqi trade union movement is calling on trade union members everywhere to raise their voices in protest.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Iraqi authorities.

ILILILILIL

To Mr Hussain al-Shahristani
Minister of Electricity
Baghdad, Iraq

Sir:

I have learned about Ministerial Order No 22 244 issued on 20 July 2010 which "prohibit all trade union activities at the ministry and its departments and sites" and orders police to raid union offices across the country.

This order is a clear violation of international labour standards which your government is obligated to uphold, and I call upon you to reverse course and stop this assault on Iraqi unions.
Thank you.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR TURKEY:

SOLIDARITY WITH JAILED TURKISH UNIONISTS:

The Turkish government is presenting holding five unionists on trumped up charges. The Public Service International believes that this is part of a deliberate campaign being waged against workers in Turkey and particularly those of Kurdish descent. The online labour solidarity site Labour Start has initiated a campaign to demand that these people be released. Here's the appeal.

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Turkey: Free jailed trade unionists now
Five trade unionists belonging to PSI affiliates in Turkey are currently in prison on trumped up accusations of "belonging to illegal or terrorist organisations" or making propaganda on behalf of such organisations. The prison conditions are harsh and concern is growing over the mental and physical health of the imprisoned unionists. PSI contends that these arrests are part of a deliberate policy by the Turkish authorities to misuse the courts in order to harass and intimidate trade unionists, particularly those belonging to the largely Kurdish confederation, KESK.

During the International Labour Conference in June, Turkey was questioned about the spate of arrests of trade unionists. The cases of Meryem Özsögut and Seher Tümer from SES were specifically mentioned, as well as those of Metin Findik and Ferit and Bestas Epözdemir of PSI affiliate Tüm Bel Sen.

A cloak of secrecy surrounds each case, on orders of the public prosecutor. This means that lawyers are denied access to the detainees and are unable to view their case files.

You can help by sending a letter of protest to the Turkish government.

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The Letter:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to the President of Turkey.

TUTUTUTUTU
Dear President,

I write to the Government of Turkey to protest in the strongest terms possible against the continued judicial persecution of trade unionists.

Ms Meryem Özsöðüt, Executive Board member of PSI affiliate SES (trade union of Public Employees in Health and Social Services) was arrested on 19 June 2010, in connection with her trade union activities. This is the second time Ms Özsöðüt has been imprisoned on allegations of terrorist activity. She previously spent 8 months in an F-type prison without any clear evidence being presented of her involvement in or membership of a terrorist organization.
I also voice outrage at the sentencing of Ms Seher Tümer, Branch Secretary of SES, and the on-going detention of Mr Metin Findik, Mr Ferit Epözdemir and Mrs Belkýza Bestas Epözdemir, members of PSI affiliate Tüm Bel Sen (Union of All Municipality Civil Servants).

I call on your government to take the necessary steps to secure the immediate release of Ms Özsöðüt and her fellow trade unionists and request once again that Turkey abides by its international obligations to secure the human and trade union rights and freedoms of its workers.

Yours sincerely,

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-ALGERIA:

PROTEST REPRESSION AGAINST ALGERIAN UNIONS:

Last May 21 the government of Algeria shut down a union centre in the city of Bach Djarrah in response to independent union organizing. The following appeal for solidarity with the unionists affected comes from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start.

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Act NOW!
Algeria: Union headquarters shut down
On 12 May 2010, Algerian authorities effectively shut down La Maison des Syndicats (2 Rue El Oued, Bach Djarrah, Algiers), the headquarters of an important coalition of independent labor unions fighting for workers rights, including the Syndicat National Autonome des Personnels de l'Administration Publique (SNAPAP). Their website has also been shut down.

The closure was justified on the grounds that the space was being used as a meeting place for young men and women, meetings were held that were not authorized by the government, foreign nationals were invited to some of these meetings without government authorization, and a general disruption of public order by the occupants.

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The Letter:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Algerian authorities.

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I am concerned that La Maison des Syndicats at 2 Rue El Oued, Bach Djarrah, Algiers has been shut down by your government and demand an immediate and unconditional reopening, as well as an end to all anti-union repression.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR- IRAN:

PROTEST FARZAD KAMANGAR EXECUTION:

The following call to protest the recent execution of Iranian political prisoner Farzad Kamangar comes from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start.

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Iran: Farzad Kamangar executed
Together with four other Kurdish political prisoners, Farzad Kamangar was executed, in secret, on Sunday 9 May at Evin Prison in Tehran. Kamangar, a 35-year-old teacher and member of the Teachers' Trade Association of Kurdistan, was accused of "endangering national security" and "enmity against God". He had lived with the threat of the death penalty since February 2008, when it was imposed upon him after a sham trial that lasted less than five minutes. In prison, Farzad suffered torture and psychological pressure.

Although the Iranian authorities had accepted Farzad’s appeal, the case stalled when it should have been sent to the Supreme Court for review. After further delays, Farzad's lawyer was told that his file had been lost. Despite the evident lack of independent inquiry into the allegations and the absence of a fair judicial process, Farzad has been executed.

Farzad's case is particularly troubling because of the opaque and secretive manner in which his trial was conducted, the lack of basic rights he had access to whilst in prison, and the fact that neither his family or legal representatives were informed of his execution.

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THE LETTER

Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Iranian authorities.

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I strongly condemn the execution of the Kurdish teacher trade unionist Farzad Kamangar on 9 May 2010.

Despite the evident lack of independent inquiry into the allegations, the absence of a fair judicial process, the fact that Mr Kamangar's appeal was still to be reviewed by the Supreme Court, though Mr Kamangar's lawyer had been told that the file had been lost, Mr Kamangar has still been executed. I denounce this inhumane treatment of Farzad Kamangar, and the fact that neither his family, nor his lawyer, were informed about the execution.

This brutal execution raises anxiety about the fate of other detained teacher unionists, such as Rasoul Bodaghi, Hashem Khastar, Bahman Goudarzzade and Abdolresa Ghanbari. I am also concerned about the continued detention of Mansoor Osanloo and Ebrahim Madadi, leaders of the Tehran Bus Workers' Union (Vahed Syndicate), Mohammad Olyaiefard,
lawyer for the Haft Tapeh and Tehran Bus Workers' Unions, and Ali Nejati, Chairman of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company Workers' Syndicate.

This execution will also intensify the already pervasive climate of fear and persecution surrounding trade union activities in Iran.

I urge you to:

Investigate the legal framework of the execution of Farzad Kamangar and clarify why his file was not reviewed by the Supreme Court in accordance with national law;
Ensure, in law and practice, all guarantees of due process of law established in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including the principle of presumption of innocence and elimination of torture and ill-treatment in prison;
Respect the full exercise of the right to freedom of expression and rights to association and assembly, as recommended by the Committee on Freedom of Association of the International Labour Organisation;
Announce a moratorium on executions.

I look forward to hearing about your positive intervention on this very serious matter.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-TAIWAN:

TOUCHSCREEN WORKERS STRUGGLE FOR THEIR RIGHTS:

The "tech miracles" that gain such enthusiastic praise (and even more enthusiastic marketing) often have a grimy core that is hidden beneath the gee-whiz. One such situation is the Young fast Optoelectronics company in Taiwan, manufacturers of touch screens for some of the biggest players in the world tech market. The following appeal for these workers is from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start.

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Taiwan: Touch panel screen workers struggle for basic rights
Workers at Young Fast Optoelectronics (YFO) in Taiwan urgently request your support for their struggle to defend their union and basic labour rights against the company's union-busting actions and the Taiwanese government's negligence of the law. YFO is one of the major manufacturers for touch panel screens in the world; its buyers include: Samsung, LG, HTC and Google. Although making tremendous profits, the working conditions in YFO's Taoyuan Plant are worse than most people expected. The unacceptable conditions include child labour, excessive and forced overtime working, deduction of overtime wages, and poor health and safety conditions. YFO has been sabotaging the union YFOTU since its establishment in December 2009. It dismissed five union officers and more than ten active union members in March 2010, under the pretense that their production line will be moved to China. Trade unionists in Taiwan believe that this is a deliberate union-busting action and gross violation of the Labor Union Law. YFOTU and National Federation of Independent Trade Unions (NAFITU), which YFOTU is affiliated with, have waged a campaign since the illegal dismissal.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to both the Taiwanese government and to corporate management.

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I am deeply concerned about the working conditions and union-busting actions at Young Fast Optoelectronics (YFO), which is a supplier to Samsung, LG, HTC, Google, Qualcomm, Vodafone, Verizon, Chunhwa Telecom and Taiwan Mobile, and I am writing to request you to look into the case and correct the abuses of labor rights in YFO. In support of YFOTU and NAFITU, I call on the above mentioned corporations to communicate with YFO aiming to reinstate the dismissed union officers and members; resolve the labor dispute through dialogue with YFOTU and NAFITU; monitor the labor rights and working conditions, and prevent repetition of labor rights abuse in YFO. I also strongly urge the Taiwan Government to make a thorough investigation on the working conditions and labor rights in YFO; and to take concrete actions against the illegalities and to protect the workers in YFO.

CANADIAN LABOUR-ALBERTA:

END THE HARVEST OF DEATH:

It has been only 14 months since the workplace death of Kevan Chandler in Alberta, but in that short time there have been 13 other farm worker deaths in that province. Across the country there have been 59 such deaths. This carnage must stop. Here's a story and appeal from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) who are campaigning to have Alberta apply the simple minimum protection that other workers enjoy to farm workers in that province.

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Premier Stelmach: End the Harvest of Death!
Premier Ed Stelmach: 14 months and
13 deaths later and still no action
It’s been 14 months since Justice Peter Barley told Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach that farm workers in Alberta should be granted the same health and safety rights as everyone else.

Despite asking Justice Barley for his advice, the Premier doesn’t want to hear it, and farm workers are paying the price.

After being asked by the Premier to investigate the workplace death of farm worker Kevan Chandler, Justice Barley found that farm workers must be included in Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to prevent future workplace injuries and deaths.

To date, Premier Stelmach has ignored that advice, and since then 13 more people have been killed on Alberta farms in work-related accidents.

Since Kevan Chandler died at work on Father’s Day nearly four years ago, an additional 59 people have been killed in agriculture-related accidents.

As the leader of a majority government, Premier Stelmach is the “decider”. He has the power to save lives with stroke of a pen by granting basic health and safety rights to farm workers – they’re the same rights that most of us already have.

Tell Premier Stelmach to do the right thing by ending the deadly discrimination against Alberta farm workers.

Click here to tell Premier Stelmach: End the Harvest of Death!

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Please go to this link from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start to send the following message in support of Alberta farmworkers to Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach.

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Dear Premier Stelmach:

I am writing to you to express my displeasure over your government’s inaction in providing farm workers in Alberta coverage under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, R.S.A. 2000 CH.0-2.

In the Public Fatality Inquiry into the death of farm worker Kevan Chandler, Judge Peter Barley recommended that farm workers be covered under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Mr. Premier the death of one farm worker is one too many, yet Alberta has averaged nineteen farm worker deaths per year since 1997. I urge you and your government to take a proactive role in preventing further industry deaths and join the national consensus by immediately implementing the recommendation of Judge Barley and give Occupational Health and Safety coverage to the farm workers of Alberta.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRAQ:

CAMPAIGN FOR JUST LABOUR LAWS IN IRAQ:

The following appeal for solidarity with the General Federation of Iraqi Workers came Molly's way via the online labour solidarity site Labour Start.

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Iraq: Pass a fair and just labour law!

International call for a fair and just labour law in Iraq
We the undersigned call on the Iraqi Government and Parliament to implement a fair and just labour law.

Almost seven years have passed since the fall of the former regime, yet many of its laws and decisions continue to apply, denying workers the most basic of freedoms. Workers in the public sector are denied the right to organise and join trade unions and collective bargaining is almost impossible. Without laws guaranteeing freedom of association, various state ministries are threatening to seize union assets and ban their activities.

These laws are undermining the immense contribution democratic and independent trade unions can make to Iraq’s fledgling democracy.

We support the Iraqi Labour Campaign and its call on the Iraqi Government and the Parliament to put in place a fair and just law labour law which would:

•Enable workers to make workplaces safer, prevent discrimination and harassment, ensure equality of opportunity, improve skills and education, increase workplace productivity and morale, collectively bargain for fairer wages, protect the most vulnerable workers and be part of a mature system of industrial relations.
•Allow trade unions to be supported by their members, accountable to their members according to internal rules and free from outside political interference.
•Finally give workers their fundamental rights as provided for in the Iraqi constitution and the core conventions of the International Labour Organisation.
•Help build a free, fair and prosperous federal Iraq for everyone.
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Please go to this link to add your name to the petition above.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR- GUYANA:

STOP UNION BUSTING IN GUYANA:

The following appeal for solidarity with fired workers at the Bauxite Company of Guyana comes from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start.

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Guyana: Stop union-busting - respect workers rights
57 trade union leaders of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers' Union (GBGWU) were summarily sacked, without recourse, in late 2009 when miners at the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI) went on strike. BCGI is 90% owned by the Russian aluminum company RusAl and 10% by the government of Guyana.

The company gave 600 miners the choice of accepting one of three bargaining proposals, and when miners voted to accept management’s least desired offer, BCGI terminated its collective bargaining relationship with GBGWU and fired the union's leaders for strike activity that was caused by this collective bargaining charade.

Subsequently, BCGI has used coercion, intimidation, and fear to get workers remaining on the job to sign a deauthorization petition in order to decertify GBGWU. RusAl and BCGI managers have held captive meetings in which they used threats and intimidation to get workers to sign the petition and to turn away from their long-time union.

Such actions are flagrant violations of core labour standards, and the GBGWU is requesting that labour activists worldwide register that complaint directly with Guyana's Minister of Labour. The message is that he halts this employer-perpetrated, union destroying initiative immediately.

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The Letter:

Please go to this link to send the following letter to the Guyanese authorities.

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Mr Manzoor Nadir, Minister of Labour, Human Services, and Social Security, Republic of Guyana

Dear Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir,

I write to urgently request that you fully examine the elements surrounding deauthorization of trade union Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union (GBGWU) at the mining company BCGI. As one who has followed this dispute since late last year, I believe that management of this bauxite mining operation has used coercion, intimidation, and the duress of workers during a very difficult time to unfairly capture signatures on a petition in order to dismiss GBGWU as the lawful bargaining representative.

I strongly encourage you to set aside this current de-unionizing effort, and find a fairer way to determine the union status at BCGI. Guyana ratified ILO Convention 98 (the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention) in 1966 and ILO Convention 87 the Freedom of Association and the Protection of the Right to Organize Convention) in 1967.

Your government, through the Ministry you direct, is in violation of these paramount global labour standards if you allow management interference to intercede in workers' legitimate right to freely and openly select the union of their choice.

Yours Sincerely,