ITUC Calls for Asbestos Trade Crackdown

Brussels, 13 April 2017 (ITUC OnLine): The ITUC has called for international action to stop the trade in chrysotile asbestos, a toxic form of the mineral which is still being exported, including to developing countries.  A key step would be for chrysotile to be included on the list of substances under the Rotterdam Convention on trade in hazardous substances.  Trade unions and many governments will be pushing for the listing at the next international Rotterdam Convention conference in Geneva starting on 24 April.

NGWF: Ananta workers’ movement prevents repetition of Rana Plaza tragedy in Dhaka

The workers of Ananta Fashion & Ananta Apparels Ltd, two garment factories housed at same building in Dhaka metropolitan city, resisted repetition of another Rana Plaza tragedy through united movement following partial collapse of the building recently under the leadership of the NGWF along with their factory union.

Security guardrooms at the ground floor of 15-the storied Ananta Plaza, which houses both factories, collapsed on April 5, 2017 at about 5pm, when about 3.000 workers, mostly women, were still producing RMG products inside the building, giving in to big earth-hole created due to pressure of a massive excavation of immediately adjacent land.

Sign the petition for clean (sports) clothes

The #cleanekleren campaign starts close to home. We engage in a constructive dialogue with Belgian sports brands, strengthened by athletes who indeed care how our clothes are made. But it can succeed only with your help! Therefore, just as Philippe Gilbert, sign our petition! It is a small effort, but one that can have a huge impact so sign #cleanekleren. The more signatures, the more Belgian sport brands and retailers know consumers care about the working conditions in which our clothes are made!

Paths to Human Economy

At a time when globalization has pervaded into the nerves and veins of the economy of each country and of the social life of every nation, the very idea of social development, economic progress and cultural growth cannot exist in isolation. All developed and developing countries are interdependent in achieving social development and economic progress. No nation could exist and get going by ignoring the welfare of the people of other nations. In the present context, we cannot accomplish social-politico-economic-cultural development by excluding nations or human races.  At the same time, each of the nations has to recognize the uniqueness of other because each nation and each race follows diverse paths of development.

Economy is not only centered on money but also on humanism. Hence, the development of a nation, now, depends on the development of other nations that are the lings in the chain of globalization. Each nation has to stride towards development by holding its hands with the partners nation or nations. One cannot rush forward leaving the others stay behind. We have to achieve economic development interdependently and help each other follow the Paths of Human Economy.

DCLI a Network of Human Economy have published a book ‘The Paths of Human Economy’ which is based on the findings and empirical evidences of the study undertook by DCLI on the human centered economy for more than two years. L.A.Samy of Asia, Yves Berthelot of Europe, Andres Lalanne of Latin America and Lily Razafimbelo of Africa have written this book together and the prefaces is written by Kofi Annan, d’Enrique Iglesias and Christiane Hessel. This book will, for sure, give you an insight to probe the present economy that overrules us in our respective countries. The work is not just a thesis nor a theory but an invitation to join in the network of Human economy whereever we are and involve in your own way to foster this.  The book is available with the publishers and you can get it online.

Links: Flipkart, Amazon, website

Nepal: trade unions fight for full service charge to go to workers

Major Trade Unions of Nepal expressed their solidarity to the Hotel and Tourism sector workers' demand regarding the 10 % service charge. Several social dialogues meetings took place between the Employers’, represented in the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) and the Nepal Tourism and Hotel Labourers’ Union Association from NTUC, GEFONT and ANTUF to resolve the issue but to date, the debate continues.

The major three tourism and hotel Workers unions demand the staff should get the entire amount collected in the service charge. The service charge collected from customers is currently divided between employees and the management: as per the first agreement signed in 2006, employees are getting 68 percent, while management gets 32 percent. A joint struggle committee of the associations has also been established to resolve the problem but was not heard. The service charge collection was made mandatory 12 years ago.
 
Mr. Khemraj Khadka, President, Nepal Tourism, Hotel, Casino and Restaurant Workers Union (NTHCRWU- a pioneer affiliated national union to NTUC and IUF internationally) accused the HAN officials of not respecting the initial agreement. There was a 20 points agreement between workers and HAN officials where they agreed to set up a task force to monitor and review the service charge every three years but not a single meeting was held.  
“When we made the agreement, we were very new in the practice of service charge in Nepal, but there is an international practice of taking 2-15%. Giving 32 % to management is an injustice towards the workers, now our demand is to implement 100 % service charge to the worker” Khada said.

Address the missing link in ASEAN integration: Realize people’s agenda for a Social ASEAN.

Statement of Civil Society, Trade Unions, Migrants, and Parliamentarians in Southeast Asia
to the 22nd Senior Officials Meeting of the ASCC and the 17th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting

On 6-9 March 2017, ASEAN Senior Officials and Ministers will tackle socio-cultural and environmental concerns in the region at the 22nd Senior Officials Meeting of the ASCC and at the 17th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting. The latter will discuss preparations for and the declarations or statements for adoption by the Heads of States at the ASEAN Summit, with the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World,” in April.

We – civil society organizations, trade unions, workers, migrants, marginalized sectors, and parliamentarians in Southeast Asia –  urge high officials and leaders in ASEAN to include in the discussions and declarations the perspectives of ordinary women, men, and vulnerable groups aspiring for a better quality of life – a life of dignity.
We call on the Senior Officials, Ministers, and Heads of States of ASEAN to make the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN truly meaningful by leaving a golden legacy to the peoples in Southeast Asia; make “people-oriented, people-centered ASEAN” a reality. Adopt the people’s agenda for a Social ASEAN.
Majority of the peoples in Southeast Asia have been suffering from economic and social deprivation, insecurity, social exclusion and oppression as inequalities continue to widen. More than 65% of the workforce in the region are in precarious work – without permanent and decent jobs, access to social services and social protection, and without adequate income that could enable them a life with dignity.  Less than 30% of the population have social protection as government expenditure for social protection remains low. In Southeast Asia, an average of only 3% of GDP per country goes to social protection and in 4 of the ASEAN countries it is below 2%.

ETI and various brands pulls out of the Dhaka Apparel Summit

ETI pulls out of Bangladesh summit amid fears over garment worker 'intimidation'

Concern is mounting over the future of the ready-made garment sector in Bangladesh following arrests in Chittagong and the Ashulia area of Dhaka, and intimidation of workers and their representatives. (…)ETI executive director Peter McAllister, who was due to speak at the event, said the organisation had no choice but to withdraw amid growing international concerns around Bangladesh’s clampdown on trade unions in the country’s garment sector, and following discussions with its member companies. ETI members C&A, H&M, Inditex and Tchibo also confirmed that they will not attend the summit.

(…)The BGMEA has claimed the strikes were illegal under the Bangladesh Labour Law 2006 – Section 210 and 211 and have cost the affected factories some $50m (£40m) in lost production.

“As a trade body, we cannot influence legal issues or issue arbitrary notices to that effect, however we are fully supportive of the call for ensuring that the law is not misused by any party,” the association said in a statement yesterday.

Read the full article here.

Persbericht: Kledingarbeiders in Bangladesh het zwijgen opgelegd

Reeds 34 mensen opgepakt in heksenjacht tegen vakbonden
Sinds in december stakingen uitbraken in 20 Bengaalse kledingfabrieken, worden bijna dagelijks mensen willekeurig opgepakt. Afgelopen weekend werden alweer 9 vakbondsleiders gearresteerd in Bangladesh. Vandaag staat de teller op 34. Er werd ook klacht ingediend tegen minstens 700 werknemers en vakbondsleiders. Vakbonden en ngo’s eisen dat de Bengaalse autoriteiten iedereen die opgesloten zit vrijlaat en de politiek gemotiveerde aanklachten laat vallen. De internationale kledingmerken die in Bangladesh produceren moeten de overheid en de werkgevers onder druk zetten om de rechten van werknemers te respecteren.

In december brak een spontane staking uit in de kledingfabriek Windy Apparels in Ashulia, een wijk in Dhaka, de hoofdstad van Bangladesh. De staking en de protesten deinden uit naar andere kledingfabrieken in de regio. Vele daarvan maken kleding voor bekende Westerse merken (H&M, Zara, Gap, Primark,...). In plaats van loonopslag, kregen meer dan 1600 werknemers hun ontslagbrief. Ze worden beschuldigd van vandalisme, plundering, bedreiging van medearbeiders en het aanvallen van fabriekskaders. Intussen werden al 34 vakbondsleiders en –activisten gearresteerd, terwijl de overgrote meerderheid niet eens betrokken was bij de stakingen.

De stakers eisten een hoger minimumloon, tussen de 15.000 en 16.000 taka (179-190 euro) per maand. Met het huidige minimumloon van 5.300 taka (63 euro), dat al dateert van 2013, moeten ze huur, vervoer, gezondheidszorg en eten betalen. De huur van een kamer kost echter al 2500 tot 4500 taka per maand. Zowel de Bengaalse regering als de werkgeversfederatie BGMEA weigeren een loonstijging. “Het totale gebrek aan vakbondsvrijheid is het grootste struikelblok voor een veilige en duurzame kledingproductie in Bangladesh,” zegt Sara Ceustermans van de Schone Kleren Campagne. “Werknemers kunnen nog steeds geen loonsverhoging vragen zonder gearresteerd of ontslagen te worden, terwijl net sterke vakbonden de enige écht duurzame garantie zijn op betere arbeidsomstandigheden voor de Bengaalse kledingarbeiders.”

Reactie kledingmerken ondermaats
De reactie van de kledingmerken met productie in Bangladesh was tot nu toe ondermaats. Op 4 januari verstuurden 21 internationale merken een brief naar de Bengaalse overheid over de onlusten in Ashulia, maar die brief werd niet publiek gemaakt. Sindsdien bleef het oorverdovend stil. Ook de Europese Commissie ging nog niet tot actie over. Bangladesh valt onder een gunstig handelssysteem[1] met de EU, waardoor het taxvrije toegang heeft tot de Europese markt. Ter vergelijking: kledingbedrijven die kleding laten produceren in China betalen hierop een importtax van 12%. Aan dat gunstige handelssysteem zijn wel een aantal voorwaarden verbonden, zoals het respecteren van de fundamentele arbeids- en mensenrechten. Vakbonden en ngo’s roepen de Europese Commissie op om deze hefboom te gebruiken en een onderzoek in te stellen naar de schendingen van de vakbondsvrijheid. Voorlopig lijkt de Europese Commissie daar niet toe bereid. De Bengaalse regering kan dus ongestraft de opgelegde voorwaarden blijven schenden.  

De les van Rana Plaza
De slechte werkomstandigheden in de Bengaalse kledingsector hebben herhaaldelijk geleid tot rampen. De dodelijkste was de instorting van Rana Plaza op 24 april 2013. 1.138 kledingarbeiders stierven, meer dan 2.000 anderen raakten gewond. Op 13 mei 2013 werd het bindende Akkoord over brand- en gebouwveiligheid afgesloten. Dat akkoord loopt tot 2018 en werd inmiddels door meer dan 200 internationale merken ondertekend. Andere problemen, zoals de extreem lage lonen en het gebrek aan vakbondsvrijheid, worden er niet mee aangepakt.

De Schone Kleren Campagne is een coalitie van verschillende organisaties: ABVV, ACV, Wereldsolidariteit, FOS, BBTK, LBC, ACV-Metea, ABVV AC, Testaankoop en Netwerk Bewust Verbruiken. De Schone Kleren Campagne maakt deel uit van het internationale netwerk Clean Clothes Campaign, met 17 coalities in Europa en meer dan 200 partners wereldwijd.

Meer info: Sara Ceustermans, coördinatrice Schone Kleren Campagne 

Crack down on Bangladesh labour activists

At least 11 garment union leaders and activists have been detained in Bangladesh in an alarming step backwards for workers' rights and democracy in the country. Security forces have raided the houses of trade union leaders and volunteers, and many have gone into hiding in fear of their safety.
Trade union offices in Dhaka have been invaded, vandalized and forcibly shut down, with membership documents burned and furniture removed.

Support these workers by taking a moment to sign this petition and this petition from UNI and IndustriALL to help end the attack on garment workers.

End of year wishes!

World Solidarity wishes you a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
May all your dreams come true!

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”

― John Lennon

The effect of India withdrawing currency notes on informal economy

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi's announcement over television on the night of November 8, 2016, withdrawing from circulation currency notes with denominations of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000, has had a cascading effect on the economy. In this Issue Brief, M. Vijayabaskar, Associate Professor, Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai, maps the pathways through which demonetisation impacts the informal economy. A distinction is made between sectors and categories of labour such as the self-employed, the casually employed and the micro and small enterprises operating below the realm of formal regulation. This Issue Brief brings out the paradox of justifying demonetisation in terms of formalising financial markets even it has informalised labour markets. Finally, it also points out that there is little likelihood of the move benefiting the informal economy even in the long run.

People may, therefore, be pushed into the financial system in desperation if the government chooses to not remonetise all that has been demonetised. While this may mean 'inclusion' in a symbolic sense, it will mean little else for the large segments of those who have been excluded from access to formal employment opportunities. Given that it is the same government which has pushed for labour reforms that weaken the protection given to formal workers through 'model' reform laws passed in Rajasthan, it is hard to buy the argument that demonetisation may actually work in favour of even those currently employed in the formal segment leave alone those in the informal economy.

Read the full article here.

Developing alternatives for Indian agricultural workers: solar panels for irrigation

 AREDS in India looks to develop alternatives for agricultural workers by creating and promoting a model farm which uses a more sustainable approach. WSM facilitated a grant from the Energy fund in Belgium, so that they could purchase solar panels for the irrigation in this very dry area of Tamil Nadu. As this is a fairly innovative technique, it required some research and experts analyzed the existing wells, and made recommendations. Next, three tenders were requested from companies, which all had similar prices, but the quality of the equipment varied, like the type of motor and pump. Once the choice made, the order went through the bank and fifteen days later it was installed, with concrete pillars already set up by AREDS according to the specifications provided beforehand. The Company installed the four sets of 10 panels next to each near the four wells and then engineers erected the pumps inside the wells. Currently, the plot has five horsepower motors which can run for ten hours. The system is self-sufficient and not connected to the electrical state grid, except one which was close to the grid. Plants are kept alive despite a severe drought this year in Tamil Nadu. AREDS also practices intercropping, with specific measures per crop. Through a rain harvesting programme, there is no danger of the wells running dry.


Of course, the goal is now to share these techniques, so AREDS reached out to farmers, government and universities. Four groups of twenty small-scale farmers, majority women have been trained in first 2016, with a three day training to learn how to maintain the panels, do minor repairs, measure the watts produce and when to switch them on. At least ten people have applied for the state grants for solar panels, which can take some time. A delegation from the local government agriculture department was invited and decided to support this initiative. The Agriculture university of Trichy is also attending training on this farm, and an exchange program runs with French students and soon VIVES, a farmers higher education institute in West Flanders.

Position Paper ANRSP on access to health care

Preambule

The Asian Network on the Right to Social Protection (ANRSP) is composed out of various trade unions and social movements in Asia, supported by the Belgian organisation World Solidarity (WSM). All these social movements strive in their own way for social protection, job creation and decent work, which are essential for sustainable and inclusive development. The ANRSP focuses on promoting the right to social protection on a regional, continental and global level, as part of the efforts for Decent Wages and Work worldwide. It is currently discussing this position paper regarding the access to health in Asia. Health care is only one element to ensure the general health condition of a population, with other social determinants which are often linked to the lack of a dignified life. This includes unsafe working conditions, inadequate housing, lack of income etc., which the network also tackles.

The ANRSP demands that health care should cover all, and special efforts made to include workers and populations currently not covered by social security systems, such as the young, garment workers, construction workers, health workers, migrant workers and people living below the poverty threshold. Work is urgently needed to make the right to health a reality for all.

Social protection and disasters illustration: Nepal's earthquake

After the earthquakes hitting Nepal in April and May 2015, which killed 9.000 people, injured 25.000 and hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless. Over 4,4 billion USD was promised in aid for the relief and reconstruction, but implementation by the Nepali government was too slow and failed to materialize: only a year and a half after the earthquake did some 75% of over 1.000 affected households receive a 450€ grant to rebuild their houses. Should there have been systems of social security in place, with registered beneficiaries, this aid could have come much sooner and could have saved many lives.

Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK) medical Team helped Nepal earthquake victims

By Mr. Rammani Pokharel, NTUC

After learning about the devastation, Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK) from Bangladesh came to Nepal and linked up with another WSM partner, Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) to offer medical help. A team of one doctor and five medical students, some with Nepali origins but studying at GK, came by truck, bringing medicines and supplies. NTUC facilitated the hosting of two medical camps in and around Laliptur for construction, commercial and carpet workers. The remaining medication and material was handed over to the Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu. During their mission, 971 (among which 398 male and 573 female) patients were treated. Head of the team, Dr. Halimour was glad he didn’t have to perform any major amputations. He remembered treating a little girl whose mother had died while shielding her from falling debris and who was still very afraid.