Every
June, trade union leaders, employers and government officials meet in
Geneva for the International Labour Conference. And every year since
1926, that conference has set aside some time to discuss the worst
violations of trade union rights. But not this year - because this
year employers have put down their foot and said "no". As I
write these words, unions have issued some strong statements (here's
one example)
and we're monitoring the situation.
To
coincide with the conference, the International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC) has just issued its annual report on violations
of trade union rights -- and it makes for chilling reading.
"Colombia
is once again the most dangerous country in the world for trade
unionists," says
the ITUC. "Of the 76 people murdered for their trade union
activities, not counting the workers killed during the Arab Spring,
29 lost their lives in Colombia. And in Guatemala yet again trade
unionists paid a heavy price, with 10 assassinations committed with
impunity. A further eight trade unionists were murdered in Asia."
As
if to highlight those issues, two of the global union federations
have launched major appeals in the last 24 hours.
- One is in support of oil workers in Iraq - please make sure to add your name to the online campaign here.
- The other supports nine trade union leaders in Algeria, five of them women, who have been on hunger strike since 6 May. They too need your urgent support - please click here.
The
employers' representatives in Geneva may want us to stop talking
about workers rights, and maybe they'll succeed in doing so at the
ILO conference. But they can't stop us from campaigning -- as we will
show them in the next few hours. We are going to fill the inboxes of
political leaders in Iraq and Algeria with our messages of protest.
And we're going to show the world once again what solidarity means.
I
know that I can count on your support - thank you!
Eric
Lee
