In most of the developed countries in the world we can take union participation for granted, but we should never lose sight of the fact that, it is because of the courage and determination of those early groups and individuals who fought long and courageously for that very basic right, sometimes ending in prison, sometimes paying with their lives. Their determined struggle allows us to play our part on our union, but it is not like that in other developing countries, where the employers in conjunction with the state, will do anything and everything, legal or illegal to prevent workers from becoming organised. They are going through now what we went through in our not so distant past. A show of solidarity can make all the difference to those being persecuted and also to those doing the persecution, they don't like the adverse publicity from abroad.
An appeal from Labour Start.
The military dictatorship ruling Fiji has arrested the country's two most prominent trade union leaders.
On November 4, police arrested Felix Anthony, General Secretary of the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) and searched both the union headquarters as well as his home.
Anthony’s arrest follows closely the arrest of Daniel Urai, President of the FTUC, who has remained in detention since his return from the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia in late October.
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is calling on trade unionists around the world to mobilise in our thousands and send messages of protest to the Fijian government.
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is calling on trade unionists around the world to mobilise in our thousands and send messages of protest to the Fijian government.
Please take a moment to send your message today:
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1155
And please forward this message to as many people as possible.
Thank you.
Eric Lee
