Here is your June 14th edition of the Alliance for Retired Americans:

Momentum Continues to Build Ahead of July 2nd Human Chain Day of Action
The Alliance and our allies continue to plan events around the country for the July 2nd "Human Chain against the Chained CPI" National Day of Action. The day is devoted to stopping the chained CPI benefit cut to Social Security. More than forty actions are already scheduled to take place in front of key Congressional offices and Federal Buildings across the country. A comprehensive map of events is now available, along with an event listing, on our website at http://www.retiredamericans.org/state-by-state/Human_Chain

"We cannot cut Social Security," said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance. "Some cuts never heal!"

Did Your U.S. Rep. Vote for the Extremist Republican Study Committee Budget?
This past March, the U.S. House of Representatives held a vote on a budget proposed by the House Republican Study Committee (RSC), a caucus of 170 conservative Republicans. If passed, the budget would have decimated crucial benefit programs. Medicare would be gutted by turning it into a voucher program. Social Security would be cut by implementing chained CPI and increasing the retirement age to 70. All discretionary spending, including Meals on Wheels and vital medical research, would have been frozen until 2017. The RSC budget ultimately failed, but 104 Republicans (over half of the House Republican caucus) voted to pass it. To view a list of these lawmakers, go to http://libcloud.s3.amazonaws.com/24/14/4/2314/RSC_budget_Chained_CPI_VOTE_FINAL_Updated.pdf

"The RSC budget achieves the remarkable feat of being even more harmful to retirees than the already destructive Paul Ryan budget," said Ms. Easterling. "The Alliance is committing to ensuring that our members know how extreme these 104 politicians are."

New York Times Editorial Board Comes Out Against Social Security Cuts
In a strongly worded editorial released this past Sunday, The New York Times Editorial Board condemned the chained CPI and other proposed cuts to Social Security. The editorial states that the majority of people over 65 get two-thirds or more of their income from Social Security. It also points out that benefits are already being reduced due to the rise in Medicare Part B premiums and the gradual increase in the retirement age from 65 to 67. For these reasons, the editorial board argues that no further across the board cuts to Social Security, including the chained CPI, should be implemented. To read it, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/10/opinion/whats-next-for-social-security.html?hp&;_r=1&

The Sunday Times also contained an article stressing that people at nearly all levels of the income distribution have under-saved. Social Security is going to be a major, and maybe primary, source of income for people, even for those with $1 million in new worth.

Mississippi Republicans Risk Entire Medicaid Program to Avoid Vote on Expansion
Mississippi's entire Medicaid program is in danger of losing all funding due to the refusal of Gov. Phil Bryant (R) and conservative leaders in the state legislature to hold a vote on the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion. Mississippi has not passed a Medicaid budget, meaning that the program will run out of funding and cease to exist on July 1. Republican leaders are demanding that Democrats pass a bill reauthorizing Medicaid without the expansion, which would prevent them from having to bring the expansion to the floor for an up-or-down vote.  Currently, 700,000 people are enrolled in Mississippi's Medicaid program. If the expansion passes, coverage would be expanded to up to 300,000 more Mississippians. To read a Politico write up of the story, go to http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/mississippi-medicaid-plan-92535.html?hp=r19

"Governor Bryant and his allies should be ashamed of themselves," said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. "This is a clear case of putting politics and obstructionism above the interests of Mississippi's most vulnerable citizens."

Medicare Must Retain Crucial Protections against "Balance Billing"
"Balance billing" is a practice that occurs when health care providers, such as physicians or hospitals, feel that they have not been paid enough by a patient's health care plan, and they make up the difference by levying charges on the patient. Currently, Medicare includes protections that make this practice illegal for all approved Medicare services. However, a Medicare reform bill recently proposed by House Republicans does not include the balance billing protections.  To learn more about balance billing and how to protect yourself, go to http://healthinsurance.about.com/od/claims/a/balance_billing.htm

Average Household Income of American Seniors is Precariously Low
According to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data recently released by the financial website Interest.com, the median household income for Americans over the age of 65 is $35,107. That amount is only 57% of the median household income for Americans 45 to 64, meaning that many seniors are living on considerably lower incomes than they had during their working lives. The analysis found that the average varied considerably by state, ranging from 45% of pre-retirement income in Massachusetts to 71% in Nevada. Retirement experts recommend that retirees retain at least 70% of pre-retirement income, but only two out of fifty states meet that benchmark in their average. To read a Washington Post article about the analysis, go to http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/10/retirement/retirement-income/

For a printable version of this document, go to http://libcloud.s3.amazonaws.com/24/05/a/2320/Friday_Alert_2013_0614.pdf

I want to thank everyone for their support in making this happen and for your support in the past for helping our members who were affected from the hurricane and tornado damage to their homes in North Carolina.  This help would not be possible without the generous donations of our brothers and sisters to the I AM Assistance Fund, which helps our brothers and sisters who have been affected by Natural Disasters and devistating events.

The I AM Assistance Fund is a donation fund and would not survive without your contributions. All contributions are now tax deductible. If you would like to make a donation please send a check to the I AM Assistance Fund at IAMAW, Attn: Community Services, 9000 Machinist Place, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. If you have any questions about this fund please call our office at 301-967-3433.

I want to thank everyone for their support in making this happen and for your support in the past for helping our members who were affected from the hurricane and tornado damage to their homes in North Carolina.  This help would not be possible without the generous donations of our brothers and sisters to the I AM Assistance Fund, which helps our brothers and sisters who have been affected by Natural Disasters and devistating events.

The I AM Assistance Fund is a donation fund and would not survive without your contributions. All contributions are now tax deductible. If you would like to make a donation please send a check to the I AM Assistance Fund at IAMAW, Attn: Community Services, 9000 Machinist Place, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. If you have any questions about this fund please call our office at 301-967-3433.

415 Cambodian Nike Workers Sacked for Striking

One of IndustriALL Global Union's affiliated garment worker trade unions in Cambodia, the FTUWKC, has suffered a serious backlash for striking in demand of a US$14 monthly pay increase. IndustriALL is working with Nike to intervene.

The workers at the Sabrina factory in Kampong Speu province, west of the capital Phnom Penh produce for Nike, Wilson Sports Apparel and Lululemon Athletica. The latest development in the concerning case is the mass-sacking of 415 workers identified by Sabrina management as participating in the strike.  

Say Sokny, General Secretary of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, reports that arrest warrants were issued for 16 workers identified by the Sabrina management as instrumental in the trade union campaign. Eight of the 16 are in jail and the others are in hiding.  

The arrested trade union activists must be released immediately without prejudice. They have been transferred to the provincial prison.  

Sokny reports that management are forcing workers to give their finger prints in a continued effort to intimidate and dismiss those supporting the strike and calling for the release of the eight imprisoned trade unionists. Hundreds remain mobilized at the plant gates demanding their release.  

Brother Sun Vanny President of the Sabrina factory FTUWKC Local has informed IndustriALL of the background to the dispute whereby an agreement signed on 30 January 2013 between management and the union was never honoured by management. The agreement covered a number of improved employment conditions.  

Following six months of increased intransigence from management, FTUWKC demands put forward on 9 May included the monthly salary increase of US$14 onto the previous US$74 level, in line with the 1 May national increase to the minimum wage. The other key union demand is for workers employed on temporary contracts to be automatically converted to permanent employment status.  

Without a positive management response to these demands, FTUWKC led a seven-day strike from 21 May and again from 3 June. Approximately 4,000 of the total 5,300 workforce took strike action. Negotiations to end the strike were supported by the Labour Ministry, but no counter proposal was put forward by management. Chea Mony, national President of FTUWKC took part in the failed negotiations.  

During the strike workers have been aggressively dispersed by over 1,000 riot police wielding stun batons on numerous occasions. Over 30 workers have been injured including two pregnant women who lost their babies when pushed to the ground by police on 27 May.  

IndustriALL supports its affiliate's demands for settlement to be reached, justice for the two women who lost their babies, the eight arrested workers to be released immediately, all 415 dismissed workers to be reinstated and for local Sabrina management to enter into good faith dialogue and positive industrial relations going forward. It is IndustriALL's expectation that Nike, Wilson and Lululemon strongly intervene to ensure these demands are met.

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Bangladeshi Unions Reject Inadequate Labour Law Changes 

Bangladeshi union leaders have rejected new labour law proposals drawn up by the government, saying they failed to improve their right to organize workers and guarantee freedom of association.

June 13, 2013:  At the end of May, the Executive Committee of IndustriALL Global Union adopted a four-point action plan for Bangladesh:

• Implementation of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety  
• Labour law reform to secure freedom of association  
• Raising the minimum wage from US$38 a month to reach living wage by 2015  
• Launching a massive organizing project to ensure union presence in 5,000 garment factories  

Following international pressure and a high-level ILO mission to Bangladesh in May, the Bangladeshi government adopted a proposal on a labour law reform to be presented to the parliament. However, early positive signs have all but evaporated and the package has proved to be a deception. Respect for the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, in particular the rights to organize unions and bargain collectively, is severely lacking.  

As an improvement, a former provision that factory owners be given the names of workers wishing to join unions may disappear in the new law. However, Bangladeshi union leaders point out that severe obstacles to unionization, registering of unions, collective bargaining, and the right to conduct strikes remain. In addition, the 360,000 workers in Bangladesh's eight export processing zones will remain excluded from protection under the labour law, instead relegated to a separate law that prohibits workers from forming a union.  

Also the campaign for an increase in the minimum wage from 38 USD a month for four million Bangladeshi garment workers remains stalled, as a result of employers' resistance.  

"With so many factory owners holding seats in parliament, it is no surprise that workers' rights are still being stifled,"  

said Sharan Burron, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Burrow called upon the US and EU to step up pressure for real reform.  

"Rana Plaza and other industrial homicides have demonstrated why Bangladeshi garment workers need strong national unions and local level union and safety representatives. A labour law reform that guarantees the rights enshrined in ILO Conventions is a necessary starting point for that,"  

said Jyrki Raina, general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union.

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Egyptian Trade Union Leader Facing Jail 

Yousri Maarouf, President of the new Egyptian Democratic Labour Congress (EDLC) faces three years imprisonment for trade union activities. IndustriALL Global Union is mobilizing support for Brother Yousri ahead of his key court hearing on 16 June at Egypt's Supreme Court.

June 13, 2013:   Yousri has already been sentenced to a three-year jail sentence by a penal court and international expectation is now turning to next Monday's Supreme Court session to overturn that repressive ruling.  

Yousri led dockworkers at the Alexandria Container and Cargo Handling Company in Al-Dekheila Port on the Mediterranean coast. The struggle for decent employment conditions at the company dates back to 2011, two years before the 25 January revolution in Egypt, and to the time of the Mubarak regime's archaic labour law 12-2003.  

The dockworkers' protests forced management to stand by previous agreements and led to improved employment conditions for all workers at the company. From this point onward Brother Yousri and the other leading trade union activists at the company were persecuted by management and the authorities.  

Persecution against Yousri was escalated as he continued to flag corruption in the management of the company. The company chairman threatened to sack Yousri and lodged a criminal complaint against him with the Attorney General. Yousri was docked wages and continually transferred to different departments to move him away from workers.  

Yousri led 1,500 workers in a strike on 1 October 2011 and brought the port facility to a standstill. The current charges facing Yousri stem from inciting workers during this strike. Yousri was successful in uncovering corruption at the firm and says that prison will not stop him in leading the EDLC. IndustriALL will campaign to stop him having to lead from jail.  

In writing to Brother Yousri, IndustriALL General Secretary Raina stated:  

"We, and all our member unions, are horrified to hear of the continual harassment, victimization and outright persecution that you have faced from both your employer and the authorities as you bravely defend workers' rights and working conditions, as well as protest against widespread corruption that has come to light.  

We assure you that we are following the situation closely and the next court case on 16 June, 2013, in particular. We offer you all our support and solidarity and are prepared, if necessary, to campaign publically and globally against the continued harassment of an important trade union leader."  

The founding congress of EDLC took place in Cairo on 24 April 2013, and was attended by IndustriALL. The representatives of more than 186 independent unions elected Yousri Maarouf as President through a direct secret ballot. .

EDLC PRESIDENT FOUND INNOCENT

The 16 June court hearing of Yousri Maarouf, President of the new Egyptian Democratic Labour Congress (EDLC), found him and his five colleagues to be innocent based on the rule that "sit-ins and strikes are guaranteed by the constitution and the defendants simply exercized this right".

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Annual ITUC Report Published on Trade Union Rights Violations 

Focusing especially on Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Guatemala, Burma, Fiji, Georgia and Bahrain, this year's annual ITUC survey is a valuable resource.

June 13, 2013:  The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) issues an annual call for compilation of all trade union violations occurring country-by-country. The confederation of national labour centres annually publishes its Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights.  

The 2013 ITUC Report "Countries at Risk-Violations of Trade Union Rights" was officially launched on 12 June at the International Labour Conference.  

This report points at key findings in 87 countries with a special focus on the seven countries where the existence of trade unions and other democratic institutions are under extreme risk: Burma/Myanmar, Bahrain, Fiji, Guatemala, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Georgia.  

Marking the publication of the report, ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow stated:  

"Hundreds of millions of working people, in developing and in industrialized countries, are denied the fundamental rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining,"  

"For many, especially those in precarious employment, this denial wreaks havoc on their lives, as they work extremely long hours in hazardous or unhealthy situations with incomes so low that they are unable to support themselves and their households properly. Lack of respect for workers' rights has increased inequality around the world, and that inequality helped trigger the global economic crisis and stand in the way of recovery."  

See the report in full on the ITUC website here. 

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Zewu Challenges the Dismissal of their President in Labour Court 

Zewu President Angeline Chitambo will appear at the labour court on Thursday in the ongoing battle to challenge her unfair dismissal by the state owned utility Zesa nearly a year ago.

June 12, 2013:  In July last year, 135 electricity workers were suspended without pay and benefits on charges of a threatened strike when the, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa), claimed that it could not afford to give workers the wage increase in the collective agreement reached in January 2012.  

After a protracted battle in which Zesa attempted to use the suspensions as leverage to have the Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union (Zewu) abandon the collective agreement, all but three workers were reinstated by November last year.  

Zesa has victimised these three remaining workers because they are union leaders. Dickson Nyika, a Zewu branch secretary has not been granted an appeal hearing by Zesa. The union secured an external arbitration process for Dennis Mukote, a national executive member of Zewu and the award is pending.  

Angeline Chitambo, President of Zewu and IndustriALL Executive Committee Member is challenging her dismissal in the labour court. Chitambo was dismissed at a hearing that took place in her absence on allegations that Chitambo disclosed confidential information at a press conference damaging the image of the company.  

The situation for workers has not improved for workers as Zesa has not implemented the collective bargaining agreement, despite an arbitration award instructing them to do so and a criminal court ruling that Zesa must comply with the agreement. Workers have still not received wage increases which entitled workers of the lowest pay grade to a wage increase from US$190 to US$275 in 2012.  

"We need to continue to mobilise on this campaign because workers have still received nothing despite arbitration awards and court rulings," says Mbonisi Sibanda, Acting General Secretary of Zewu. "This is serious beyond our issue with Zesa, showing that the rule of law does not prevail in Zimbabwe. Today this is against workers but tomorrow it may be against someone else, undermining much needed investor confidence in Zimbabwe."

IndustriALL General Secretary, Jyrki Raina has appealed to the Zimbabwe Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai to urgently intervene and compel ZESA to reinstate Chitambo immediately. Raina also asked the Prime Minister to instruct ZESA to implement the collective bargaining agreement, engage with the union for renewed dialogue and to stop victimisation of union leadership.  

"We will continue to support ZEWU and Angeline Chitambo until this matter is successfully resolved and would like to contribute to restoration of harmony and fairness," said Raina.

ITUC's '12 by 12' Campaign keeps up the pressure on governments for the ratification of the Domestic Workers Convention

Brussels, 14 June 2013 (ITUC OnLine): On 16 June,  actions and mobilisations in dozens of countries (from Spain to India, Senegal to Chile ) are expected to keep up the pressure on  governments to  better protect domestic workers in law and practice and  to put a hold on the exploitation and abuse of the 50 to 100 million domestic workers.

Two years on from the historical adoption of the ILO Convention 189 at the International Labour Conference (ILC) on 16 June 2011, the ITUC is intensifying the campaign to get more ratifications and to strengthen domestic workers' unions.

The adoption of a Convention and of a Recommendation, which are aimed at extending fundamental labour rights to an estimated 50 to 100 million domestic workers worldwide, represents a landmark step in the fight against discrimination and abuses. However, that fight is still far from over, since more governments need to ratify Convention 189 and to modify their national labour laws accordingly.

ITUC's  '12 by 12' Campaign  aims at  12 ratifications of C189, a goal nearly achieved with the two ratifications of C189 last week: Germany and South Africa - making up a total of 10 ratifications.

Other aims and impacts of the '12 by 12' Campaign include major labour law reforms (including Brazil, Argentina, Philippines, Vietnam and in two states in the U.S., namely Hawaii and Oregon),  significant pay rise of minimum wages in Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi and new collective bargaining agreements in Italy and Uruguay.   New unions have been established in Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, Columbia, Egypt and Angola and tens of thousands of domestic workers have been organised in unions.   The '12 x 12' Campaign  is a broad coalition gathering unions, NGOs and other civil society partners in more than 90 countries, working  together on improving rights and protection for domestic workers.

Background information:

So far, there have been 10 ratifications:  seven countries whose ratifications are registered at the ILO (Uruguay, Philippines, Mauritius, Italy, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Bolivia) and three who finished their ratification process at national level and still need to register at ILO: Colombia, Germany and South Africa.

ITUC 's '12 by 12' Campaign international partners are the International Domestic Workers Network, IUF, PSI, ETUC, Human Right Watch, Anti-Slavery International, Amnesty International , Caritas, SOLIDAR, Migrant Forum Asia , World Solidarity and FOS.

For more information, see:

The 12 by 12 Newsletter  

The 12 by 12 Flyer

The 12 by 12 Webpage

New global poll shows overwhelming voter support for policies to curb multinational tax scams.

 G8 expected to commit to new tax standards

Brussels, 14 June 2013 (ITUC OnLine): Eighty-five per cent of voters in 13 countries including six G8 economies support policies to stop large and multi-national corporates avoiding tax, according to a new public opinion poll released by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) ahead of the G8 Summit in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland.

The UK ranked top of the G8 countries polled to measure voter support to curb tax havens and with 96% of voters in support of policies followed by 91% Germany; 88% Canada; 82% France; 75% Russia and 74% Japan.

The G8 is expected to commit to work on new global standards to tackle tax evasion when it meets for the Lough Erne Summit 17-18 June in Northern Ireland. In the Global Unions Statement released on the eve of the Summit, unions warned commitments must be backed by concrete deliverables as action taken to date is inadequate.

Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the ITUC, said G8 members including Canada, Germany, Russia, the UK and the USA are failing to comply with standards set down by the Global Forum on Tax Transparency.

"Workers are paying for the financial crisis with their jobs, while corporations are denying ailing economies the revenue they so badly need.

"The sheer scale of tax evasion revealed by one corporate tax scandal after another is matched only by the injustice to workers and their families.

"In developing countries, national economies are robbed of revenues which could be used to address critical needs such as food security, health, poverty alleviation and education," said Sharan Burrow.

John Evans, General Secretary of the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD and  ITUC Chief Economist, said worldwide unemployment is forecast to rise above 200 million. Young women and men are particularly scarred by the crisis with 74 million young people under 25 unemployed globally.  

"The slow down in economic activity is likely to push even more into unemployment by 2014.

"The stakes are high, as we face a financial, economic and social crisis that threatens to divide and fracture our societies. G8 leaders must act urgently to put fairness at the heart of our economies. Curbing tax havens is one lever the G8 leaders have in their hands to put fairness and equality back on the table," said Evans.

Read the Global Union's statement to the G8 Lough Erne Summit covering  global union calls for action on taxation, transparency in the extractive sector and putting equality and fairness in trade policies.
     

For more information on the ITUC global poll 2013 contact Gemma Swart gemma.swart@ituc-csi.org.

Countries and dates of research

Between April 18, 2013 and May 1, 2013, TNS Opinion carried out the survey International Trade Union Confederation Global Poll 2013. This project covers the adult (18 years and over) populations of Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Spain, UK and the USA.

Methodology

The sample in each country has been selected by quotas to reflect national proportions in terms of age, gender and region.

In each country 1000 interviews were targeted for a total of 13.015 conducted interviews.

All interviews were conducted online.

Readers are reminded that survey results are estimations, the accuracy of which, everything being equal, rests upon the sample size and upon the observed percentage. With samples of about 1,000 interviews, the real percentages vary within the following confidence limits:

Observed percentages  10% or 90%      20% or 80%      30% or 70%      40% or 60%      50%

Confidence limits         ± 1.9 points       ± 2.5 points       ± 2.7 points       ± 3.0 points       ± 3.1 points

World Day Against Child Labour

Brussels, 12 June 2013 (ITUC OnLine): The ITUC is calling on governments to step up commitment to the global fight against child labour, with new evidence from the ILO that progress is slowing.  215 million children are still at work instead of in school.

"The two ILO Conventions on child labour have been ratified by the vast majority of governments, but tens of millions of children are experiencing the exploitation and misery of child labour when they should be getting a decent education.  The economic crisis, and the obsession with austerity, are severely hampering efforts to get the children out of work and into school," said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

177 governments have now ratified ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, while 165 have ratified Convention 138, which is the main global reference point for the age at which people under the age of 18 can begin work experience, apprenticeships or enter work full-time.

A special focus on the World Day Against Child Labour this year is the situation of children trapped in domestic servitude, facing some of the most severe exploitation and physical and psychological abuse.  So far, 10 countries have ratified Convention 189 on Domestic Work, adopted by the ILO just two years ago.

"Out of sight, out of mind, can no longer be the reality for children in domestic servitude or indeed in any other form of exploitation.  The global community needs to boost action directed specifically at tackling child labour, and also focus on quality education, social protection and labour inspection, instead of the erosion of these crucial services to satisfy subjective fiscal targets that are tearing communities apart," said Burrow.

The union movement is concerned that much of the focus for action on child labour has been on specific projects, without governments putting comprehensive policies in place.  An overall government policy and programme approach is essential.  Without this, sustained impact from individual projects to tackle child labour in particular locations or sectors is difficult or even impossible.

For more information, see: ILO-IPEC

Global March Against Child Labour

12 x 12 Campaign

New ITUC Report on Violations of Trade Union Rights

Special focus on seven countries at risk for trade unionists and trade union rights: Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Guatemala, Burma, Fiji, Georgia and Bahrain

Brussels, 12 June 2013 (ITUC OnLine): Unemployment rates and income inequality are increasing globally. Trade unionists continue to fight for jobs, rights and equality. This fight often costs them their jobs, and sometimes even their lives, in various parts of the world.  Since 2006, the ITUC, the largest and most democratic social movement of the world, has been monitoring violations of trade union rights. This report points at key findings in 87 countries with a special focus on seven countries where the existence of trade unions and other democratic institutions are under extreme risk: Burma/Myanmar, Bahrain, Fiji, Guatemala, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Georgia.

According to the ITUC report, despite international legal instruments that protect and promote freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, unions and their members are still exposed to severe violations of their rights. Unions are increasingly under attack, fighting to maintain the ability to effectively promote and defend the interests of workers. 

In more than half of the countries surveyed, workers have been dismissed or otherwise subjected to discrimination because of their trade union membership. The report includes detailed information on physical violence committed against trade unionists for their trade union activity in 24 countries. For example, 18 trade unionists were murdered in Colombia in 2012, and at least four already this year. Two workers were killed by police in Sierra Leone for protesting for better working conditions in mines in January 2013. Collective bargaining has been severely weakened in countries with strong industrial relations such as Portugal, Greece, Romania, Spain and Italy. In 28 of the countries surveyed, the report examines the arrest and detention of workers for their trade union membership and activities. Ninety-one members of the trade union KESK (22 women and 69 men) are still in detention in Turkey.

Guatemala has become the most dangerous country in the world for trade unionists. Since 2007, at least 53 union leaders and representatives have been killed, and there have been numerous acts of attempted murder, torture, kidnapping, break-ins and death threats, which have created a culture of fear and violence where the exercise of trade union rights becomes impossible.

Trade unionists in Africa's last absolute monarchy, Swaziland, are calling for the election of a democratic and accountable government in 2013 and have therefore been targeted by the King and the authorities. The only national centre, the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland, was de-registered in April 2012, and six trade union leaders were arrested in May 2013.

In Fiji, the military regime is trying to strengthen its illegitimate power at the expense of workers' rights. Trade unionists are excluded from bringing the voice of workers into the political debate by decree which prohibits them from expressing support for political parties.

"Hundreds of millions of working people, in developing and in industrialised countries, are denied the fundamental rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining," said Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary. "For many, especially those in precarious employment, this denial wreaks havoc on their lives, as they work extremely long hours in hazardous or unhealthy situations with incomes so low that they are unable to support themselves and their households properly.  Lack of respect for workers' rights has increased inequality around the world, and that inequality helped trigger the global economic crisis and stand in the way of recovery."

An online website with constant updates on trade union rights violations will become publicly available in October 2013.

Read the whole report here.    

For further information or to request an interview, please contact Mathieu Debroux on +32 476 62 10 18  - mathieu.debroux@ituc-csi.org

Bangladesh Labour Law Changes Inadequate

Brussels, 11 June 2013 (ITUC OnLine):  Changes to Bangladesh's notoriously weak labour laws being discussed in parliament are inadequate and will leave workers still without protection guaranteed under global labour standards, according to the international trade union movement. 

Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the ITUC, said, "After years of inaction, the government is trying to hose down criticism of a system which has cost thousands of lives and kept the country's garment workers on dollar-a-day wages to feed the corporate bottom line.  The changes being debated in parliament won't change that, so major trading partners including the US and the EU will now need to step up pressure for real reform."

The 360,000 workers in the country's eight export processing zones will remain excluded from labour law coverage and instead relegated to a separate law that prohibits workers from even forming a union.  Remaining union-free appears to be one of the promises made to investors who set up in the zones. "With so many factory owners holding seats in parliament, it is no surprise that workers' rights are still being stifled," said Burrow.

One of the worst clauses in the old labour law, a requirement that factory owners be given the names of workers wanting to join unions, is likely to be scrapped; however, cosy relations between many government officials and the country's employers mean that workers will still risk their jobs by signing up to unions.  The revised law, through a series of administrative obstacles, still makes it extremely hard for workers to form unions; such obstacles include high membership thresholds for registering unions, restrictions on who can serve as a union official and unreasonable limits on collective bargaining and the right to strike.

There is no sign that another common anti-union tactic, where government officials simply don't process union registration requests, will diminish.  Registrations have often increased when previous factory disasters have put Bangladesh under the international spotlight, only to taper off when the global pressure eases.

"Partial measures are not good enough.  Bangladesh needs to bring its laws fully into line with ILO standards, especially on freedom of association and collective bargaining.  We're pressing for that in tomorrow's debate at the ILO Conference, and we're keeping up the pressure on the global clothing brands and on governments to convince Bangladesh to do the right thing by its own people," said Burrow. 

Gap Hitches Ride on Walmart's Bangladesh Race to the Bottom

Brussels, 5 June 2013 (ITUC OnLine): The decision by US clothing retailer GAP to join Walmart in a non-binding and unenforceable "Bangladesh safety programme" is a sham, according the ITUC.  The two retail giants have ignored calls to join the global Bangladesh Fire and Safety Building Accord that has already been welcomed by the ILO and OECD, and signed by more than 40 US, Canadian and European brands.

Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, said, "Gap and Walmart are now unfortunate bedfellows in a public relations effort that aims to protect their business model rather than Bangladeshi workers.  Their refusal to join the global, binding effort brings shame upon them."

Walmart and Gap have announced they are working on their own "safety programme" with some employer lobby groups and the US Bipartisan Policy Center, a think-tank of US political figures that "works to address the key challenges" facing the USA.

"The Bipartisan Policy Center has a very strong track record on advocacy around US policy issues, but it doesn't seem to have any background on fire and building safety or on Bangladesh.  Walmart and Gap have avoided any commitments and can simply step away from their own programme any time they choose," said Burrow. "Three weeks ago Walmart said its own unilateral plan would bring faster results than the global accord, yet now they are launching into a new programme with Gap, causing even greater confusion and uncertainty.  Gap said earlier that they were close to signing the global accord, but in the end didn't want anything legally-binding."

See also: Joint statement by AFL-CIO and ChangetoWin 

The ITUC represents 175 million workers in 156 countries and territories and has 315 national affiliates.

Follow ITUC on the web  and YouTube. 

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on: +32 2 224 02 04 or +32 476 621 018  

MIKULSKI MARKS 50^TH ANNIVERSARY OF LANDMARK EQUAL PAY ACT BY CALLING FOR ACTION ON PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT TO ENSURE EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK ONCE AND FOR ALL

In 50 years since Equal Pay Act signed into law in 1963, women have made just 18 cent gain earning on average 77 cents for every dollar

'Well now it's time to step up to the plate on this 50th anniversary. Let's end pay inequity and end the policies that keep women uneducated and unequipped to fight for their fair share,' Senator says

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Dean of the Senate women, today renewed her call for equal pay for equal work on the 50^th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act. Since the landmark legislation was signed into law on June 10, 1963 by President John F. Kennedy, women have made just an 18-cent gain earning on average 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. Senator Mikulski called for the Senate to act on the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation she introduced earlier this year which would help close the wage gap between women and men working equivalent jobs, costing women and their families $434,000 over their careers

"Fifty years ago Congress passed the Equal Pay Act, a law that was to ensure pay equity for women in the workplace.  This landmark legislation was signed into law by President Kennedy on June 10, 1963, and prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex in the payment of wages by employers.  The goals of the legislation were groundbreaking.  Today we find ourselves in a similar place, in need of a solution because the Equal Pay Act is in need of fixing," Senator Mikulski said. "Well now it's time to step up to the plate on this 50th anniversary.  Let's end pay inequity and end the policies that keep women uneducated and unequipped to fight for their fair share.  It's not just for our pocketbooks.  It's about the family checkbooks and getting it right in the law books. And it's also about the generations of women to come.  Let's not make it another 50 years without giving the Equal Pay Act the tools it needs to finally fulfill its promise."

The Paycheck Fairness Act builds upon the landmark Equal Pay Act by closing loopholes that have kept it from achieving its goal of equal pay. The bill would require employers to show pay disparity is truly related to job-performance - not gender. It prohibits employer retaliation for sharing salary information with coworkers. Under current law employers can sue and punish employees for sharing such information. In addition, it strengthens remedies for pay discrimination by increasing compensation women can seek, allowing them to not only seek back pay, but also punitive damages for pay discrimination. Finally the bill empowers women in the workplace through a grant program to strengthen salary negotiation and other workplace skills and requires the Department of Labor to enhance outreach and training efforts to eliminate pay disparities.

President Obama's first bill, signed into law on January 29, 2009, was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which overturned the 180-day statute of limitations for women to contest pay discrimination. In his second inaugural address on January 21, 2013, President Obama called for equal pay for equal work once and for all. Today, women make on average just 77 cents for every dollar made by a man for equal work. The Paycheck Fairness Act, along with Ledbetter, would provide employees the rights they need to challenge and eliminate pay discrimination in the workplace.

Senator Mikulski's statement submitted to the Congressional Record follows:

"Fifty years ago Congress passed the Equal Pay Act, a law that was to ensure pay equity for women in the workplace.  This landmark legislation was signed into law by President Kennedy on June 10, 1963, and prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex in the payment of wages by employers.  The goals of the legislation were groundbreaking.  It was the first time Congress acted on this issue, addressing a real and growing problem as more women entered the workforce.  Congress stepped up to the plate and took the first attempt at fixing outright discrimination that was bound to have an impact on working families across America.

"Today we find ourselves in a similar place, in need of a solution because the Equal Pay Act is in need of fixing. It recently made big headlines when a Pew research study was released saying that women are the primary earner in 4 of 10 households today, many of these women being the sole earners.  But what was missed in this discussion is the impact that the pay gap is continuing to have on these households who are dependent on the salaries of women.

"The pay gap results in $4,000 less per year for working families and $434,000 less over a lifetime.  Think of what these families could accomplish if they got simply what they were owed.  With rising costs for child care, medical care, and filling up the family car, these families are held down by unfair and unjust pay policies.

"While these are the day to day impacts, there are also real consequences to the pay gap over a lifetime.  The pay gap affects your income, affects your pension, and affects your Social Security.  Women's Social Security benefits are 71 percent of men's benefits. The average income from private pension based on women's earnings was only 48 percent of men's earnings.  The consequences of our inaction on pay equity are following women out of the workplace, further impacting their lives down the line.  For years I have fought a solution to this.

"Under the Paycheck Fairness Act, no longer will employers be able to retaliate against workers for sharing information about wages.  Right now, if you ask someone what they get paid you can get fired.  For years, Lilly Ledbetter was humiliated and harassed because she tried to find out what she was making.

"No longer will women be able to seek only back pay when they are discriminated against. Under this pay they can seek punitive damages.  No longer will employers be able to use almost any reason to justify paying a woman less than a man.  Excuses such as 'Oh, they do harder jobs,' 'Oh, they do dangerous jobs,' or 'Oh, they have a better education than you' will no longer be tolerated. Women do hard and dangerous jobs.  Ask anyone who runs a daycare center or is a firefighter.  No longer will women be on their own in fighting for equal pay for equal work or education and training.

"In this country, they say work hard, play by the rules, and you'll get ahead.  We work hard every day, but we find the rules are different for women and men.  In 1963, women made 59 cents for every dollar made by men.  Fifty years later we've made an 18 cent gain.  Women now make 77 cents for every dollar earned by men.  Fifty years and 18 cents. That's not rewarding hard work and it's certainly not playing by the rules.

"In March during the Budget debate the Senate agreed with us and unanimously voted that it was time to do something about the pay gap.  Well now it's time to step up to the plate on this 50^th anniversary.  Let's end pay inequity and end the policies that keep women uneducated and unequipped to fight for their fair share.  It's not just for our pocketbooks.  It's about the family checkbooks and getting it right in the law books. And it's also about the generations of women to come.  Let's not make it another 50 years without giving the Equal Pay Act the tools it needs to finally fulfill its promise."

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Post-2015 Report: Decent Work and Rights Needed

May 31, 2013:  The ITUC is urging the United Nations to lift its poverty benchmark from $1.25 per day following the release of the report of its High-Level Panel on the post-2015 development agenda, to help realise the ambition of ending extreme poverty through sustainable development.  Though the report offers a solid starting point, UN Member States will need to go much further in their commitments if the Post 2015 Agenda is to be truly transformative.

"There is much which is good in this report, and we now need to see much stronger focus on providing decent work, universal social protection and meeting the massive challenge of tackling inequality," said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow. "We need the UN to throw its full weight behind efforts to realise fundamental rights, to ensure working people can lift themselves out of poverty and provide for their families. These ambitions cannot be achieved if the global community carries on with business as usual."

The Panel's emphasis on human rights and the accountability of governments, public institutions and the private sector to people is notable, as is the acknowledgement of the interconnectedness of economic and social development with environmental sustainability and climate change.

While unions welcome the emphasis on inclusive growth, financial stability and long-term investment, the absence of an absolute commitment to achieve decent work for all is a serious omission.

Job creation, worker's rights, social protection and social dialogue cannot be seen as too lofty an ambition for developing countries. This is discriminatory and an acceptance of exploitation.

The reports emphasis on the role of business in development is understandable, but should be complemented by the equally important role of workers. So it is regrettable again that Panel fails to recognize the importance of the Social Dialogue for increasing productivity, creating better working conditions and building stronger and more cohesive societies.

"Instead the report sets a goal to bring the number of people living on less than $1.25 per day to zero. This is what Bangladeshi workers producing garments for global markets are paid today, as are construction workers building skyscrapers and football stadiums in Gulf countries and agricultural workers producing for global food corporations. Corporate accountability cannot be left out of the equation if we are to truly tackle the roots of extreme poverty, and multinationals should reform their own operations and supply chain responsibilities to ensure environmental sustainability, decent work and a proper living wage" said Burrow.

Finally, the international trade union movement stresses that the path forward for UN Member States to agree Post 2015 commitments must be democratic and inclusive. It remains committed to achieving an outcome that responds to the demands of workers and communities around the world.

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ILC: A First Ever Discussion on Jobs & Environment

June 3, 2013:  Do we have to choose between jobs and environment? Can workers benefit from a more sustainable economic model? What should we do to ensure that the protection of nature comes with more prosperity and rights for working people?

These are just a few of the questions unions will be discussing in the upcoming International Labour Conference, which for the first time will put the issue of sustainability and green jobs as a key topic for discussion for ILO constituents: workers, employers and governments.

In this debate, unions will be showing that the world of work is at the forefront of the challenges arising from environmental degradation and as such, it must develop a strategy to shift from this unsustainable model of production to a sustainable one. More information on the discussion can be found here.

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Interview With Guy Ryder

June 5, 2013:  ILO + Sustainability = True:  Guy Ryder, Director-General at the ILO explains it all to us.

1. How does the ILO work with sustainability?

The ILO has been actively engaged in sustainable development for a long time. Initially, it focussed on the close relationship between the working environment, in particular safety and health at work, and the general environment. This remains a very relevant line of work as we can see from the disastrous effects of major industrial accidents or the risks from hazardous chemicals.

In recent years, it has been more and more recognized that the world of work and sustainable development are linked very closely also in terms of employment, incomes and social inclusion. In the outcome of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012, world leaders and the international community recognize that decent work must be a central goal and driver for sustainable development.

Without environmental sustainability, we cannot achieve sustainable enterprises with stable and decent jobs. Greening enterprises and indeed entire economies is not an option from a labour market perspective, it is a necessity. But it is also true that greener, environmentally sustainable economies will remain an elusive goal without the support of the world of work, without the daily active engagement of millions of employers and managers and hundreds of millions of workers. Our Green Jobs Programme and the ILO's International Training Centre in Turin have been building the capacity of ILO constituents to analyse and act on these links. We have already assisted over 25 countries to formulate policies and practical programmes tailored for their national circumstances and the ILO stands ready to provide further assistance whenever governments or the social partners request.

2. Is it possible to combine decent work with job creation in a greener economy?

Over the last few years, we have very actively studied this question and also looked at the experience in countries with shifting to a greener economy. The evidence produced by ILO and many others shows that we do not have to choose between jobs and protecting the environment for current and future generations. A greener economy can lead to net gains of 15-60 million additional jobs, perhaps even more. This is significant, even if we recognize that some jobs may be lost and the workers employed elsewhere. Particularly in the current economic crisis and in the face of high general unemployment in many countries, a strong push for investment - public, but even more so private - into a greener economy can be an effective short-term measure and one which does not increase the mortgage we have already taken out on the future, but invest in the chances of youth and future generations. This is an important element of the ILO Global Jobs Pact adopted in 2009. In the early crisis response many governments headed this advice and to good effect. Unfortunately, it has been abandoned prematurely.

Whether we will see a net gain in employment and what the quality of these jobs will be is not a given. It will depend on the policies which are used to drive the transformation. In fact, the opportunities to improve the quality of existing jobs in the shift to a greener economy are much larger than those of creating additional jobs. Well over a billion workers could benefit in agriculture, in construction and in waste management for example. To get these positive outcomes, but also to master the challenges of restructuring and of job and income losses due to climate change, we need coherent policies, which align economic, social and environmental goals. The report launched by the Green Jobs Initiative of UNEP (The United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing policies and practices. UNEP has played a significant role in developing environmental conventions and has also been active in funding and implementing environment related development projects.), ILO, IOE and ITUC in June 2012 summarizes the policy lessons and contains many examples of what can be achieved and how.

3. What makes a job sustainable?

Like enterprises, jobs will ultimately only be sustainable if they align the three dimensions of sustainable development. They have to be productive and economically viable and there has to be sufficient demand for the goods and services they produce. They also have to be decent work, because only then do they enable the workers concerned to benefit fairly from their work and so contribute to social cohesion, to inclusion and to poverty reduction. The ILO has always been clear on that. The Rio Conference has given the strongest endorsement yet.

And we need environmental sustainability across enterprises, national economies and globally. At the moment, production and consumption patterns are clearly not sustainable and we need to change that urgently and quickly. We already have seen the losses of hundreds of thousands, even millions of jobs and livelihoods because natural resources have been overused or the impact of climate change has disrupted and undermined enterprises.

4. For you personally, what area of sustainability does your heart beat extra for?

The realities of climate change which affect us all and which bring home the urgency of moving on it before it's too late. I say this not just in my professional capacity but as an ordinary citizen. It makes your heart beat faster though not in a positive way, it makes you sweat a bit.

5. Is the future of workers green?

In a sense, hopefully, yes. If we do not move towards a greener economy decisively and soon, the consequences for jobs, incomes and poverty reduction will be disastrous. The International Labour Conference this year will discuss the link between sustainable development, decent work and green jobs. The report prepared by the Office for this discussion makes this clear. It also shows that as many as 1.5 billion workers, i.e. practically half the global workforce, are active in sectors which will need major changes even in the short term in order to become environmentally sustainable.

For most workers this will mean acquiring some additional functions and skills. For a smaller, but critically important group, it will mean directly contributing to reducing environmental impact, and preserving or restoring natural resources. These jobs in growing environmental industries, but also key occupations in other sectors, like facilities managers, logistics officers, environmental assessors, among others, are what we call green jobs, provided of course, they are also decent jobs.

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Interview with Yahya Msangi

June 5, 2013:  The future of Africa: Yahya Msangi at the ITUC Africa office explains about Africa's future.

1. Why is sustainability important for unions?

Sustainability of development is key to the prosperity of workers and their families. Sustainability guarantees job security, safer and healthier working conditions, greener and more decent jobs, better wages, etc.

2. What are the aspects of sustainability that are most urgent and important for Africa?

To a large extent, Africa economies are natural resource-based economies; therefore, sustainability in the utilisation of natural resources is very important. Agriculture plays a big role in Africa economies and employs the majority of the people. It is therefore important that agricultural development is carried out in a more sustainable manner in order to eradicate poverty, secure food security and create decent and green jobs.

3. Any concrete example of unions doing sustainability work in Africa?

Health is a key aspect in the search for a sustainable development paradigm.  An affiliate of the Gambia Workers Confederation is engaged in a Malaria Control programme in the City of Banjul. The union is collecting discarded plastic materials and other materials that provide good hatching spots. According to the Gambia Environmental Protection Agency, this has resulted into a 50% decrease in the rate of malaria infections in the City of Banjui.

4. How will the Post 2015-work affect Africa?

The post 2015 development framework is important to Africa perhaps more than in any other region of the world based on the level of economic development across the globe. The post 2015 development framework should avoid the weaknesses of the current MDGs (The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that were officially establishing following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000. All 193 United Nations member states have agreed to achieve these goals by 2015. The ITUC advocates for the inclusion of Decent Work and Social Protection in the new development framework.) and its formulation process. The new goals must be more ambitious, supported by adequate financing, ensure meaningful participation of civil societies and trade unions, promote employment and decent jobs for all and bring into place universal social protection to all the people.

5. If you met a genie who gave you ONE wish within in the sustainability area, - what would you choose?

I would choose SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR ALL.

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ILO: Sustainable Development, Decent Work and Green Jobs

 Briefing Note for Workers' Delegates. How to ensure environmental sustainability while at the same time realizing decent work for all?

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Lost for words?

Check out the terminology!

Agenda 21  

The Agenda 21 is a non-binding, voluntarily implemented action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development. It is a product of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. The "21" in Agenda 21 refers to the 21st century.

CSD  

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development was established by the UN General Assembly in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of the Earth Summit. Its goal is to advance the sustainable development agenda within the international community. During the Rio+20, member states agreed to establish a high level political forum that will subsequently replace the CSD.

ECOSOC  

The United Nations Economic and Social Council coordinates the economic and social work of 14 UN specialised agencies. It serves as the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the United Nations system.

G20  

The Group of Twenty, or G20, is a forum for international cooperation on the most important aspects of the international economic and financial agenda. It brings together 19 countries and the European Union, which together represent around 90% of global GDP, 80% of global trade and two thirds of the world's population.

HLP  

The 27 members of the High Level Panel advise on the global development framework beyond 2015. The Panel is co-chaired by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia and Prime Minister David Cameron of the UK, and it includes leaders from civil society, private sector and government. The Panel will submit its report containing recommendations on possible components of a post-2015 UN development agenda to the Secretary General in May 2013.

Kyoto Protocol  

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement adopted in 1997 and linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It sets binding obligations on industrialised countries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

MDGs  

The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that were officially establishing following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000. All 193 United Nations member states have agreed to achieve these goals by 2015. The ITUC advocates for the inclusion of Decent Work and Social Protection in the new development framework.

Rio+20

Rio+20 was a UN conference of the highest possible level, including the heads of state and government or other high-level representatives. It was coordinated by UN Department of Social and Economic Affairs (DESA). Rio+20 was a follow up of two important events: the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. The conference took place 20 to 22 June 2012 and was accompanied by a number of side events (People's Summit, Dialogue Days, Trade Union Assembly on Labour and Environment, etc.). One of the outputs of Rio+20 was the Sustainable Development Goals.

SDGs  

The Sustainable Development Goals were one of the outcomes of the Rio+20 Conference. The members States launched a new set of future international development goals, which will build upon the Millennium Development Goals and converge with the post-2015 development agenda.

UNDG  

The full UN Development Group membership has grown to 32 funds, programmes, agencies, and offices, plus five observers that play a role in development. The group meets at least three times yearly to decide on issues related to country level coordination to achieve the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs. The Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) chairs the UNDG.

UNDP  

The United Nations Development Programme is the UN's global development network. It helps the countries to find solutions to development challenges and to achieve human development and the MDGs.

UNEP  

The United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing policies and practices. UNEP has played a significant role in developing environmental conventions and has also been active in funding and implementing environment related development projects.

UNCTAD  

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development is the main body of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues. It formulates policies related to all aspects of development including trade, aid, transport, finance and technology. It's also a forum where the developing countries can discuss the problems related to their economic development.

UNDESA  

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) is part of the United Nations Secretariat and is responsible for the follow-up to the major United Nations Summits and Conferences. DESA helps countries in agenda-setting and decision-making with the aim of meeting their economic, social and environmental challenges. DESA works on issues ranging from poverty reduction, population, gender equality and indigenous rights to macroeconomic policy, development finance, public sector innovation, forest policy, climate change and sustainable development. The Department also supports the effort to achieve the MDGs.

UNFCCC  

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an international environmental treaty negotiated at the Earth Summit held in Rio in June 1992. The objective of this treaty is to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system". However, the treaty is legally non-binding. It was signed by more than 180 governments and promotes the principles of common but differentiated responsibility and precautionary action.

UNCED  

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the "Earth Summit" was held at Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. The main achievement of the Conference was the agreement on the Climate Change Convention which led to the Kyoto Protocol.

UNDCF  

The biennial high-level UN Development Cooperation Forum is one of the functions of the Economic and Social Council. It was mandated by the 2005 World Summit and first held in 2008 to review trends and progress in international development cooperation and promote greater coherence among the development activities of different development partners. It is meant to be the principal forum for multi-stakeholder dialogue on international development cooperation at global level. It brings together all key development cooperation actors, including member states, multilateral organisations and players from the United Nations system as well as civil society organisations, parliamentarians, local governments and the private sector.

Click here to see who was recognized and learn about their significant contributions.

June 5, 2013:  On 3 June the Council of Global Unions (CGU) discussed the developments in Turkey and expressed their deep concern, regret and outrage over brutal and excessive violence applied by the Turkish security forces against people peacefully exercising their rights of freedom of assembly.

In their letter to the Turkish Prime Minister, the leaders of Global Unions said "The global union movement is concerned that your Government has turned violent repression into a regular practice. It is still fresh in our minds that this year's May Day Celebrations, which were supposed to take place in Taksim Square in Istanbul, turned into bloodshed with the attacks of the security forces on demonstrators using tear gas and other repressive methods. According to reports received, there are a number of injured people and thousands in custody."  

Almost for one week, there have been clashes with police and since Friday night 31 May, clashes and mass demonstrations spread to all parts of Istanbul and many other cities including Ankara, Izmir, Samsun and Trabzon.  

The initial reason of this mobilization was to block government's decision to destroy the central park "Gezi Park" in Taksim Square of Istanbul and build a shopping mall in the area. The police tried to oppress this peaceful protest with excessive violence and at 5 am attacked people with tear and pepper gases. This oppression provoked anger of millions and suddenly on Friday night after 11 pm, hundred thousands of people poured to the streets to protest police acts of violence and state terror.  

Particularly since the 2011 elections, the authoritarian actions in Turkey have increased. This includes legal and illegal union busting, adoption of laws that discourage rather than encourage the exercise of trade union rights, inaction, at best, against employers refusing to respect workers' rights, abuses in the judiciary system, and violence against trade unionists. Coupled with the limits on freedom of assembly and expression, these constitute attacks on fundamental human rights and democracy.  

The CGU members called upon Turkish Government "urgently to take necessary actions to calm the current situation by entering into a real dialogue with your citizens and their representatives. The global union movement urges your Government to take action against those who are responsible for such massive unrest in society and for the violence. We also call on you to ensure that those detained  for participating in peaceful demonstrations be immediately released".

Full text of the CGU letter to the Prime Minister of Turkey is available on the link.  

 The website www.labourstart.org has launched a campaign in support of the rights for freedom of expression and non-violence in Turkey which is available on the link.

IndustriALL, UNI and ITUC Visit Bangladesh

June 6, 2013:  A joint mission of IndustriALL, UNI and ITUC visits Dhaka to push for a labour law reform and implementation of the historic Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh which more than 40 leading clothing brands have signed.

The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh is our strong response to the recent horrific catastrophes in the Bangladeshi garment industry. Negotiated between IndustriALL Global Union, UNI Global Union, and over 40 of the most progressive global fashion brands, the Accord is not just another voluntary initiative. It is a binding agreement with a complaints mechanisms and real consequences for non-compliance.  

In the last week of May, IndustriALL Global Union, UNI Global Union and ITUC jointly visited Dhaka, Bangladesh. The purpose of the joint mission was to push for progress on trade union rights, decent work, minimum wage raise, and the acceptance and implementation of the Accord. Meetings took place with the Bangladesh Secretary of Labour and the Deputy Secretary of Labour, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), IndustriALL-affiliated trade unions, and a number of non-governmental organizations working to improve conditions in Bangladesh.  

The meetings confirmed the many challenges faced by Bangladeshi workers: inadequate labour laws, inadequate enforcement, a labour movement that is still in many ways just finding its voice, and a powerful but defensive garment industry. There are thousands of ready-made garment factories in Bangladesh, and the problems are so extensive that implementing the Accord will be a daunting task. Building inspections and fire safety training are both crucial and urgent, but a healthy safe and sustainable garment industry must be built on a solid foundation of respect for human rights, labour rights, and decent work.  

Brian Kohler, IndustriALL's director for health, safety and sustainability, reports from Savar close to Dhaka a month after the industrial homicide:  

"Reading about events such as the collapse of the Rana Plaza building is one thing, but even though a month has passed, seeing the site somehow put the scale of the horror in a different perspective. Something like 4000 people, plus or minus a few hundreds, worked tightly-packed with their machines in a small building in the tropical heat of Dhaka. It is nearly impossible to imagine what working conditions were like. The official death toll is 1129 but there are still many unaccounted for.  

"Thousands were injured, many maimed for life with horrific injuries. At least two pregnant women gave birth while trapped under the rubble. The site still smells of rotting flesh. The building, built on swampland, was only supposed to be four stories residential - and was improperly built at that - but the owner added four more, then overloaded it with heavy, vibrating industrial equipment and people. It will not be the last building to collapse in Dhaka. On April 24, 2013, at least 1129 human beings paid a very high price for other people's low prices. None of us are innocent, really,  

concludes Kohler.  

A global levelling up of standards must replace the race to the bottom. The task in Bangladesh is a start. It will not be an easy one, but neither is it an impossible one. Successful implementation of the Accord in Bangladesh will create a model for other parts of the world and other industrial sectors that are equally in need of attention but have not suffered the same headline-grabbing events as Bangladesh.

Russia Ratifies ILO Convention 176 on Mining Safety

June 3, 2013:  On 21 May the State Duma, the Russian parliament's lower house, ratified ILO Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines. This is the result of many years' sustained effort of the trade union movement.

IndustriALL Global Union's Executive Committee meeting on 28-29 May 2013 warmly applauded the victory of the Russian mineworkers' trade union in achieving this milestone. This Convention was adopted at the ILO Conference in 1995.  

The Convention sets minimum health and safety standards at the ratifying country's mines, including the safety standards for miners working underground and establishing preventive measures. It specifies the rights and duties of the social partners with regard to mine safety.  

The ratification of the Convention 176 will not require changes in existing Russian laws. Labour legislation is already fully compatible with the Convention.  

Since 1995 the Russian Independent Coal Employees' Union, an IndustriALL affiliate, appealed several times to the Russian government, urging it to ratify the Convention. The union's efforts to push for the ratification of the ILO Convention 176 were supported by IndustriALL and its founding organizations under the long standing global campaign "The Stronger the Union, the Safer the Mine".  

"Finally, after 17 years of common struggle the ILO Convention 176 was ratified. This is our great achievement. We thank you for your solidarity, help, and support," said Ivan Mokhnachuk, president of the Independent Coal Employees' Union.  

Once the ratification passes through each stage of Russia's legislative process, which is now a formality, Russia will become the 27th country to ratify.

IndustriALL Global Union Welcomes Unifor

June 6, 2013:  Unifor: A strong, new, bold union for Canadian workers is being formed with the joining of forces of IndustriALL affiliated unions CAW and CEP.

The new Canadian union being formed by the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP) will be named Unifor. The name and logo were unveiled on 30 May during a packed press conference of 200 local leaders, members, community supporters and allies.  

"All together, Unifor will be: 800 local unions, 3,000 bargaining units, in more than 20 different sectors, and we're here to show that we will be a strong voice and a positive force for change for working people across this nation," said CAW National President Ken Lewenza.  

"Today, we are proud to introduce our new union as Unifor, a union that will fight for working people in every sector of the economy and in every community in Canada," said CEP National President Dave Coles. "Unifor will be a union for young workers, those struggling to piece together part-time work and contract jobs, and other precarious working conditions. It will be a union for everyone."  

Unifor Canada was chosen as a name that is expressive, dynamic, and symbolizes the two unions' aspirations as a new organization: to be united, strong, modern, forward-looking. The name was picked after a process that spanned several months and involved members, union leadership, communications advisers and community allies.  

"We have a new union with a new name, and today we will begin to build the next chapter in the future of the labour movement in Canada," said CEP Secretary-Treasurer Gaétan Ménard. "This new union identity -the name and logo - expresses our aspirations for all Canadians, at work and in our communities. This new union will take our movement forward, to a new era of engagement and action."  

"This is an historic moment for our two unions, and the Canadian labour movement, another concrete step in the direction of creating Canada's largest private sector union," said CAW Secretary-Treasurer Peter Kennedy. "Collectively, we will represent over 300,000 members and plan to grow to represent many more."  

The Founding Convention of Unifor will take place over Labour Day weekend in Toronto (August 31- September 1). At that time, CEP and CAW delegates will vote to create Unifor as an entity, and then will hold individual vote to merge with the new union.

South African Solidarity Support for Nissan Mississippi Workers

June 6, 2013:  A weeklong visit to Numsa by a delegation organized by UAW in the US ended with a solidarity protest at the Japanese Embassy calling for union rights at the Nissan plant in Mississippi, USA.

Delegates from the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) including IndustriALL executive committee member Bob King and substitute member Kristyne Peter were joined by a worker and organizer from the Mississippi plant as well as a civil rights organization and community organization lending support to the campaign. But it was actor and activist Danny Glover, committed to raising awareness of the situation of US workers at the Nissan plant, that stole the show.  

Hugely popular in South Africa, Danny Glover was well received by the public and media. He met with South African President Jacob Zuma and together with the rest of the delegation, was received also by several other government officials as well as those from the ruling party, the African National Congress.   

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) hosted the delegation in South Africa and organized several opportunities to engage with unionists and workers. Accompanied by Numsa, the delegation met with management of the Nissan plant in South Africa.  

"They spoke positively of their relationship with Numsa and said
that they would put our concerns to the company in Japan,"  

said Peter.  

Peter said that they had encountered this around the world, where Nissan has good relations with unions that organize at their plants. All except in the United States.  

Whilst in Cape Town the delegation met with IndustriALL affiliate, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union. "What made the Cape Town trip extra special was that President of the Australian Workers Union, Paul Howes, also an IndustriALL Exco member, made the effort to come to our press conference where he reaffirmed Australian workers' solidarity to Nissan workers in Mississippi."  

Numsa organised a picket outside the Japanese Embassy on 4 June to call on the apenese government to reach out to Nissan and ensure it behaves as a good global corporate citizen. Demands of protestors included that Japanese owned car manufacturer Nissan must end union bashing in Mississippi, respect worker rights and end exploitative conditions including the lack of job security for its temporary workers.  

"Nissan employs a high percentage of temporary workers who for
years receive less pay, have limited benefits and have no job security,"  

said Numsa spokesperson, Castro Ngobese.   Nissan can do better!

Young Machinists from throughout the country traveled to Washington, D.C. this May for the IAMAW's annual Legislative Conference. Not only did they pound the pavement on Capitol Hill, lobbying their elected officials to support hard-working men and women, they also made another commitment to our great union.

On Tuesday, May 14^th, young unionists gathered at the NFFE, FD-1 legislative reception to take an oath and pledge their dedication to making our union stronger. In front of their union brothers and sisters, young members promised to respect the pioneering unionists of our past while fighting to protect the labor movement for the future.

Our union's young workers will not stop here - every day Young Machinists from coast to coast are not only representing members in their workplaces, they are also working together to create educational, mentorship, and leadership opportunities for other young unionists.

NFFE, FD-1 President William R. Dougan remarked on the importance of engaging young workers in the organized labor movement:

"It was a tremendous honor to swear in another generation of dedicated unionists. It is our greatest responsibility to ensure the future of the labor movement is secure by providing young workers with all of the tools they need to succeed."

When unionists of all ages and experience levels come together and make a commitment to one another and this union, the IAMAW's powerful legacy will be sure to endure long into the future. Get started today by seeking out opportunities for greater union education, establishing a mentorship relationship, or stepping up to serve in a leadership position. Together, all of our individual contributions will create a tremendous impact for generations to come.

He notes that the club has sent letters to all the Congressional Representatives from the Washington State asking them to support H.R. 1102. The House Bill would require the Federal Government to negotiate the price of prescriptions for Medicare. This would lower costs to Medicare Part D for seniors and the government. The official mission of H.R. 1102 is to:

Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers the prices that may be charged to Medicare part D prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors and MedicareAdvantage (MA) organizations for covered part D drugs for part D eligible individuals who are enrolled under a PDP or under an MA-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plan.

Brother Schwarts goes on to note, "The case for negotiations is obvious. Two years ago a similar Bill was co-signed by most of the Democratic Representative - opposed by Republicans. We need to make this a reality, once the Democrats have signed (no slam dunk) we should picket Republican home offices, write letters, distribute literature - going into the 2014 elections. This can be a winning issue for Retirees, Labor and pro-people Democrats. Make it a primary issue at the upcoming conference."

 Since the declaration, the White House has issued an annual proclamation recognizing June as Caribbean-American Heritage Month. This year marks the eighth anniversary of June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month.  

 The campaign to designate June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month, was spearheaded by Dr. Claire Nelson, Founder and President of the Institute of Caribbean Studies.  Through the commemoration of this month, we hope to ensure that America is reminded that its greatness lies in its diversity, with Caribbean immigrants from founding father Alexander Hamilton, to journalist Malcolm Gladwell, who have shaped the American dream.