STATE REPRESSION.

          Not all Arab Springs lead to sunshine, while the media mainly focuses on Egypt, we should not forget that all across the Arab world there has been people rising up against authority and in most cases this is being met with brutal repression. Messages of solidarity can let those being violently intimidated know that we in other countries are aware of their struggles and will raise our vioces in their support. They are not alone, an injury to one is an injury to all.

  

From LabourStart.

Last spring, while Tunisians and Egyptians celebrated the fall of authoritarian regimes, the people of Bahrain also staged a series of peaceful protests.

They were met by fierce repression. Leaders of the teachers' union were arrested and sentenced to long jail terms.

This weekend, their appeal comes before the courts. The Education International, representing some thirty million unionized teachers around the world, has called for a major online campaign to press the Bahraini government to drop the charges.

You can learn more and send off your message here.
Thanks very much - and please spread the word.

Eric Lee

ann arky's home.

SOLIDARITY WORKS.

       Those how took part in the campaign for the realse of the two trade union leaders in Fiji, will be delighted to know and should feel proud, that they have been released. Solidarity works, direct action and solidarity the keystones to changing the world. 

From Labour Start;

     Less than 24 hours after we launched a publicity blitz in support of our online campaign demanding the release of the two jailed trade union leaders from Fiji (pictured above), they have both been released. That campaign is now over.
      There is still much work to be done regarding Fiji - it is still a military dictatorship which doesn't respect workers' rights. But it is still a victory - for us, for Felix and Daniel, and for the international trade union movement.
       Online campaigns work! Please make sure to visit http://www.labourstart.org/actnowen.shtml and sign up to any campaigns you've not yet supported. And spread the word in your union.

 And while we're celebrating - three more things you should know:

SOLIDARITY.

Korea's Hanjin workers - also the subject of a big LabourStart campaign earlier this year - have now won a victory. We'll have lots more coverage in the next few hours and days, but here's one report.

Are pineapples's an "ethical" fruit? Read about Make Fruit Fair's online campaign in support of workers rights in Costa Rica.

Finally, it's Monica's birthday on Monday. Who's Monica and why should you care? Click here.

Thanks!
Eric Lee

ann arky's home.

MIGRANT WORKERS.

     
           Another appeal for solidarity from LabourStart. It only takes a few seconds to show your support.

           This is an extraordinary story about resistance and courage - and an appeal for you take one minute of your time to show your support. Leather workers in Turkey have been engaged in a bitter dispute with an employer which has included mass sackings, factory closures, and more. At one point the employer invited the workers to come to work in Istanbul, but refused to give them a day to find a place to live. So workers stayed overnight in the factory. Here's the amazing bit: the employer decided that this constituted an "occupation" of the factory and tried to call in the police. When that didn't work, they sacked 36 workers. The struggle has gone on since May 2011 and the union has called for an international campaign to protest these anti-union measures.

Please take a moment to send your message - clickhere .

And please - forward on this message to your fellow trade union members.

Thank you.

Eric Lee. 

ann arky's home.