INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-INDIA/ENGLAND:

DEFINITELY NOT TESCO'S FINEST BLEND:

This item from the international union federation, the IUF, is mainly for our readers in the United Kingdom. It does, however, illustrate a larger point- don't necessarily believe corporations when they trumpet their "social responsibility".

ILILILILILILIL

Tesco's finest tea – produced in far from finest conditions?:

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The IUF fully supports the call from our UK affiliate Unite for the UK-based supermarket Tesco to close the gap between its public policy commitments on socially responsible sourcing and its practices.

The call comes in a shareholder resolution to be put to Tesco's AGM Friday, July 3, 2009. The resolution highlights discriminatory practices in Tesco's meat supply chain and calls on the company to "allocate a non-executive board member to Tesco's Corporate Responsibility Committee to share accountability for the implementation and achievement of Tesco's policy commitments" on human and trade union rights.

West Yorkshire Pension Fund Chairman Ian Greenwood, who supports the Unite resolution, told the UK Guardian "We don't enter these things lightly but there's no question there is evidence of problems in many, many supply lines." In addition to problems in the Tesco meat supply chain identified by Unite, the IUF has now uncovered disturbing conditions on an Indian tea plantation which it has strong grounds to believe to be a part of Tesco's tea supply chain.

In June 2009, an experienced team of IUF researchers investigated living and working conditions on the large Talup plantation in Assam, India which IUF understands to supply tea for Tesco's Finest blends. The plantation management clearly failed to apply even the minimum requirements of the Indian Plantation Labour Act of 1951.

The researchers found clear evidence of:

-- substandard housing including homes with no toilets or electricity

-- shockingly poor sanitary facilities

-- lack of potable water

-- evident malnutrition amongst workers

-- pesticides being applied by workers without protective clothing.

In addition evidence gathered strongly suggested the presence of child labour

Tesco's Finest? The IUF research team found no evidence that personal protective equipment was provided to workers applying pesticides on the Talup plantation ....including evidence of children working on the estate.

"Tea was the first own brand product sold by Tesco company founder Jack Cohen", commented IUF General Secretary Ron Oswald. "Tesco is currently running a campaign to revive the British tea time, yet at the same time they place at risk their reputation and the company's brand by selling teas sourced from plantations which pay so little attention to working conditions. The IUF calls on Tesco to take all necessary measures to ensure that all tea workers on estates producing for it are truly in compliance with international standards."

While the IUF acknowledges that Tesco is not the only UK retailer to buy from this plantation, Tesco claims that "In addition to its own strict standards", the company plays "a leading role within the wider industry to address ethical and other issues of concern." Its own claims, and its role as market leader, therefore impose a leading responsibility.

Tesco also claims to ensure that its "Suppliers adhere to our voluntary guidelines" and in reply to the UNITE resolution says "we are not in breach of any laws". Their tea supplier in Talup cannot make the same claim.

The full report is available here in PDF

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRELAND/ENGLAND:

MORE ON FACTORY OCCUPATIONS AT VISTEON:

Molly has blogged before on the recent factory occupations in England and Ireland of the Visteon car parts manufacturers. The following, from the Anarkismo web site, gives more details , concentrating on the situation in Ireland, being as the authors are the Workers' Solidarity Movement of Ireland.

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Factory occupations in Ireland in response to capitalist crisis:
Following on from the occupation of the Waterford Glass plant in February which managed to save some of the jobs and improve redundancy conditions workers in Belfast at Visteon occupied their factor last week. With plant closures happening across the island of Ireland both these occupations provide an example of workers taking direct action to preserve jobs and/or force employers to improve on redundancy conditions. Here we present reports from WSM members from these occupations and background articles.
Visteon - Belfast
Hundreds rally in support of Visteon workers occupation (April 9th)

Over 200 people marched today from Andersonstown to the factory in Finachy for a rally, which was addressed by Unite Shop Stewards Charlie Maxwell and John Maxwell, including representatives from the SDLP and Sinn Fein.
Workers occupations spread at Visteon Plants (April 2nd)

Workers decided to take action on Tuesday after the car parts company announced without notice that administrators are being brought in with the loss of 210 jobs with minimum redundancy payments. A further 400 people will also lose there jobs across the UK. Even those who have been working at the plant for 30 years will be receiving £9,000 in redundancy payment with most getting less.
WSM audio interview from inside the plant with Unite shop steward and convener John McGuire and interviews with Belfast Visteon workers at rally (Michael)(Gerry)(Rally at plant)
Why we have occupied Visteon, EnfieldThe text of the leaflet produced by workers in occupation of the Ford Visteon factory in Enfield, London explaining why they had joined the occupations in Belfast and Enfield.

Waterford Glass - Waterford
Clear as Crystal ... Waterford Shows the Way (WS 108, March)

The workers at Waterford Crystal occupying the plant are an example to us all. Rather than accept the closure of the business, the loss of all the jobs and the destruction of the area’s premier industry; workers seized the buildings making liquidation impossible for the receiver.
Audio: Waterford Crystal Workers Speak Out (Feb 10th)

Noel Atkins and Pat Phelan, Waterford Crystal workers and Unite Shop Stewards, travelled to Cork last night to speak out against the attempted closure of the plant. They spoke from the heart as workers tossed on the scrap heap after decades of service.
Support workers occupying Waterford Glass (Feb 3rd)

Workers have been occupying the Waterford Glass factory in Kilbarry for five days now after the receiver was unable to borrow further funds to keep the plant operating. Yesterday as 150 workers continued the occupation members of the Cork WSM visited the plant and interviewed Joe Kelly, the chairman of the Crystal Unite branch. The Cork branch later issued a statement in support of the occupation.
WSM audio interview with Joe Kelly from inside the occupation
Background articles
WSM position paper on the Trade Unions

This is the collective policy of the WSM as agreed at our national conferences that guides our work in the unions and workplaces in general.
Workers Without Bosses - Workers' Self-Management in Argentina (RBR8, 2004)

The original battle cry of Argentinean people "Que se vayan todos" - We want all of them out - that expressed the will to break with the corrupt bureaucracies, with the political class, turned out with all of them staying in the end. These experiences also highlight many of the problems anarchists elsewhere face in the wake of popular risings and they show us that the building of a libertarian society is not a matter of repeating clichés and slogans.
Argentina says "Enough" (WS69, March 2002)

On the 19th and 20th of December 2001, there was a major popular revolt in Argentina which among other things led to a large number of workplace occupations with workers putting these occupied factories back into production under their own self management. Workers Solidarity 69 reported on the start of the process in early 2002.
Workers Self-management in Argentina (WS73, Nov 2002)

The most direct challenge to capitalism is the occupation of factories by workers. On the 1st of October last year, the workers of the Zanón ceramics factory in Neuquén, one of Latin America's largest ceramics producers, occupied their factory and have kept it running ever since. The bosses had stopped production, claiming the factory was no longer profitable and that they could no longer pay the workers. In similar circumstances in Buenos Aires, the female workers of the Brukman textile factory occupied their workplace and have been running their plant successfully for the last 10 months.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR:

DEMONSTRATE TO KEEP THE BLOOD SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM:

The following is for our readers in England. This coming Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, the British section of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), along with other unions and organizations, is planning a cavalcade to protest the closing of the blood services centre in Birmingham England. Here's the story from the Anarchist Black Cat site.

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IWW Valentine's Day Blood Service protest (UK):

- - - CALL OUT - - - PLEASE FORWARD - - - CALL OUT - - - PLEASE FORWARD - - -

On Saturday 14th February the IWW is calling a cavalcade - taking a mobile protest to hospitals around the city, to inform the public and health workers about the looming closure of the Birmingham blood processing lab in March. This vital link in the blood supply chain is to be transferred down to Bristol under a centralisation regime, with the loss of around 70 jobs, leaving local hospitals’ blood supply at the mercy of the clogged motorways of the South-West of England.

The IWW, along with other unions and organisations, has campaigned against this dangerous move during the last few years. Unsurprisingly when management proposed these cuts there was the bare minimum of consultation with hospitals and none with the public. Now that the cuts are happening, the least we can do is take the message to the streets and make sure that Birmingham is well informed of exactly what is happening to our public services.

Show some love for the blood service on Valentine’s Day!

•We need cyclists! Lots and lots of cyclists! - To form the body of the
convoy behind a large van with banners.
• We also need car drivers who can carry extra protesters. As many as
possible.

The protest will meet at Birmingham Uni North gate turning circle, pass the Blood Centre and the QEH/Women’s hospital in Edgbaston, then call at Selly Oak, City, and end up at the Children’s hospital in the city centre.

Meeting points

@ B’ham Uni North Gate (Prichatts Rd) assemble from 11am

@ Selly Oak Hospital (Oak Tree Lane) approx 12 noon – 12.30pm

@ City Hospital (Dudley Road) approx 1.30pm – 2pm

@ Children’s Hospital (Steelhouse Lane) approx 2.45pm

Finishing in the city centre on foot at 4.30pm

Please put this date into your diaries now, and help us build numbers by letting your friends and family, workmates, neighbours and union contacts know about the event. Leaflets and posters are available now (see attachment to this email). For more info, to confirm attendance, to book a seat as a car passenger, or to get copies of the pre-event leaflet please contact iww.nbs@gmail.com

HUMAN RIGHTS-UNITED KINGDOM:

HELP BOLANLE AND HER CHILDREN:

This item from the No Borders South Wales site is for our readers in the United Kingdom.

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Bolanle and her children urgently need your help:
Bolanle Ojulari is a pregnant mother with children aged 2 and 4. She is currently in hospital in Swansea after being admitted with bleeding, stomach pains and being unable to keep food down.

Bolanle contaced No Borders South Wales to ask for help to stop her being forcibly deported to Nigeria on Monday 3rd November on British Airways flight 0075, Heathrow to Lagos at 13:40pm.

She wishes to fight this deportation and needs our support urgently.
Bolanle came to the UK in 2005 after fleeing Nigeria. She is from the state of Zamfara which was the first state in Nigeria to introduce strict Islamic Sharia Law in 2000. Bolanle’s father had arranged for her to be married. However, she was forced to escape from Nigeria after she became pregnant by a different man and was threatened with punishment as she was not married.

Under Zamfara Sharia Law section 126, a woman who has sex outside of marriage will be punished by 100 lashes and one year of imprisonment. If a woman commits adultery she will be sentenced to being stoned to death.

None of the family have had anti-malaria medication, which government guidelines state should be given to those travelling to this region, particularly young children and pregnant women.
What you can do to help
1) Contact British Airways using this model letter, asking that they do not take part in this removal.
*Fax: 020 8759 4314
*Email: willie.walsh@ba.com
*Reservations & general enquiries: 0844 493 0 787 (06:00-20:00 daily)
*Customer Relations: 0844 493 0 787 (Monday-Friday 08:00-18:30)
2) Raise your concern with their Passenger Medical Clearance Unit that Bolanle is not fit to fly due to health complications which meant she was recently hospitalised and the family have not had essential anti-malaria medication:
*Telephone: 020 8738 5444
*Fax: 020 8738 9644
Email: PMCU.PMCU@BA.COM
3) Contact the Home Secretary using this model letter
*Fax: 020 8760 3132
*Telephone: 020 7035 4848
*Email: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

VENEZUELA:

OUR OIL AND OTHER TALES:

A CENSORED DVD DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF VENEZUELA'S OIL INDUSTRY, BY THE GATTACICOVA COLLECTIVE:

THE MOVIE THE VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT TRIED TO KILL:

Running time: 80 minutes.

The Venezuelan government had liked previous Gattacicova Collective productions (for example, Another Way is Possible...In Venezuela) so much that they offered financial support for their next project. But the documentary they then made examined the issues of oil production in the country, from its impact on the environment and indigenous population to the way the industry is run.

The bureaucrats in the Ministry of Culture realized that they didn't like such a close look at their involvement with multinational and North American corporations so they tried to suppress the movie. Only with the help of local activists have a few copies escaped censorship.

Now you can watch the documentary that Chavez tried to keep secret...

The Anarchist Federation- London, the British section of the International Anarchist Federation has begun to copy this powerful film, and is making copies available worldwide. All proceeds will go to support Venezuelan anarchists. Copies are:

6.00 Pounds UK orders

6.50 Pounds or 10.00 Euros EU orders

7.50 Pounds, 10.00 Euros or $15.00 US rest of the world

Copies are available from the Anarchist Federation, BM Anarchfed, London, WC1N 3XX, England or see the website above. All prices include postage and handling. Cheques or money orders payable to 'Anarchist federation'.