ILO: Invest in 100,000 people and change half a million lives

MANILA (ILO) – As reconstruction efforts gather pace after Super Typhoon Haiyan, rebuilding livelihoods through decent jobs in the service industry is a priority – alongside farming and fishing – according to the first sectoral needs assessment published by the UN.

World Aids Day walk focuses on solidarity with patients

World Aids Day walk focuses on solidarity with patients

MALAYSIA:::Union: Apology not accepted // 'Jeff Ooi patut ikhlas minta maaf'

GEORGE TOWN: The Amalgamated National Union for Local Authorities Employees chairman Saleem Sulaiman refused to accept DAP member of parliament Jeff Ooi's apology over the latter's kucing kurap remark.

ILO sees long road to recovery for Tacloban

MANILA, Philippines - The International Labor Organization (ILO) sees slow recovery for the typhoon-devastated city of Tacloban in Leyte, but it said residents still have a better life ahead of them.

Lawrence Jeff Johnson, ILO country officer for the Philippines, said the agency is working closely with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to build better lives for typhoon victims.

The fight against the use of asbestos continues across Asia

This week at Asia Ban Asbestos’ annual meeting, Bangladesh Ban Asbestos Network (B-BAN) was launched. Asbestos use is widespread in Asia, leading to the death of thousands of workers and their families. A major conference in Laos brought together unions and government officials to discuss how best to phase out the use of asbestos in that country. At the same time, in Australia, a major breach of its ban on asbestos use was discovered in train locomotives imported from China, the world’s largest user of asbestos.

Unions support Somyot and the right to organise in Thailand

With support from Australia Asia Worker Links (AAWL), earlier this month the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC) passed two motions calling for the immediate release of Somyot Prueksakasemsuk and against Thailand’s Article 112, see below. These were adopted by the international sub-committee of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and were tabled at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Asia Pacific regional meeting that was held in Bangkok, Thailand earlier this week. The ITUC conference passed a motion in support of the right to freedom of expression for labour and human rights activists. The ITUC meeting was held amid rising tensions in Bangkok with royalist and other right wing forces trying to overthrow the elected Thai government.

 

1) We express our concern and opposition to the use of repressive laws in Thailand to stifle democratic debate and the right of people and workers to freedom of expression. We, as part of the worldwide labour movement, pledge our support for international working people’s solidarity and for the continuing struggle for democracy in Thailand.

 

We call for the:

• Immediate release of Somyot Pruksakasemsuk

• Immediate release of all political prisoners in Thailand

• Abolition of Article 112 (The Lese Majeste law)

 

2) To organise an ITUC Asia Pacific delegation to visit Somyot in jail and to meet with his support group in Bangkok.

Turkish miners barricade themselves underground

Around 300 miners belonging to the Mine Workers Union (GMİS) have taken the bold step to barricade themselves inside the coal mine in which they work. The mine is situated in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak, a region that has many other mines. The workers are protesting against ongoing disregard by management of serious health and safety issues at the mine. This fear is well founded as Turkey has one of the highest rates of miner deaths per 100,000 miners in the world.

Pakistani workers win after three year struggle

As reported earlier in the year, workers had been fighting for over two years against Syngenta’s union repression, precarious employment practices and for better working conditions. The company is a global Swiss agri-business company with operations all around the world. While the workers have been able to win their demands for secure employment contracts, the reinstatement of Syngenta union head Imran Ali is still to be decided.