isocr's blog

The government of Kazakhstan is cracking down on independent trade unions.

This has gone on now for several years, and this is not the first time we have written to ask you to join us in protesting this repression.

Erlan Baltabay (pictured) is the leader of the Industrial Trade Union of the Fuel and Energy workers, known as "Decent Work".

His trade union was dissolved by a decision of the court.

Criminal proceedings against Erlan began ten months ago.

On 17 July this year, he was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Nestlé sales force workers across Russia confined to rooms and compelled to resign employment.

On May 14 all Nestlé Russia sales force employees were invited to the company's regional centers in 10 cities across Russia under the pretext of "discussing business results". The workers were confined in locked rooms under security guard, denied access to all communication to the outside world and instructed to sign a notice of staff reduction or resign immediately "by agreement of the parties".

For years contractual workers at the Holcim cement plant in Davao have demanded regular employment, in line with Philippine law. Last year they filed a complaint with the Department of Labor and Employment.

But in March this year 140 contract workers were laid off, while non-union workers were offered new employment contracts.

Since then the workers have been picketing the factory, but in May they found out the owner of the plant - multinational cement giant LafargeHolcim - is planning on selling the factory to notoriously anti-union Filipino conglomerate San Miguel.

Transnational giant Hutchison Ports is punishing workers in Poland them for their union activity.

The National Section of Port Workers NSZZ Solidarność has asked us to build international support for justice for one of their organisers, Marek Szymczak, who was sacked for his union activism.

This company has also recently harassed workers for union activity in Pakistan. The same company, and the same union-busting activities.

Please support our new campaign in support of trade unionists in Jordan.

Last month, thousands of you sent a message to the Jordanian parliament urging members not to move forward with deeply flawed amendments to the labour law. Unfortunately, those amendments were adopted by the legislature and have been sent to King Abdullah II for his royal assent. We are now asking you to call on the King to reject this legislation and instead work with trade unions to adopt a labour law that fully respects international labour rights.

In Myanmar, hotel union leaders and members were released from prison on March 29 to an emotional welcome from family and union members after serving their full 30-day sentences. The six were arrested in December for attempting to lead a peaceful march to protest the brutal police destruction of their solidarity picket. Their release is great news, but the struggle for reinstatement and recognition of trade union rights in one of Myanmar's key tourism regions continues.

France Castro, a trade union activist from the Philippines, has been awarded the Arthur Svensson International Prize for Trade Union Rights 2019. She won the prize in recognition of her struggle throughout many years to organize teachers and to fight for basic workers' rights. According to the ITUC, the Philippines is among the ten worst countries in the world for workers and trade unionists.

Every Northcote (Melbourne, AU) local has heard of the cocktail bar, Joe’s Shoe Store. But what patrons don’t know is how this bar, and its sister-venue Uncle Joe’s, treat their staff like dirt. They pay below-award wages, ripping us off by as much $11 an hour on Sundays and by more $25 an hour on public holidays.

The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions needs our support today.

Workers in China are being arrested because they want to form their own trade unions. We need your help today to tell the Chinese government that this is unacceptable.

http://www.labourstart.org/go/jasic

by Pyotr Malatesta