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Greetings from the IFWEA Secretariat and General Secretary Sahra Ryklief:
It is my great pleasure to invite you to the 22nd IFWEA International General Conference, which will be held at the Hotel Jose Antonio, in Lima, Peru, from Saturday 5th December to Monday 7th December 2015. IFWEA’s International General Conference is held every four years and provides the opportunity for worker educators and researchers to meet and share their opinions, work and resources. At the conference delegates from IFWEA affiliates review and renew our purpose and programme. All those interested in the development of educational resources and research which equips associations in the broader labour movement to engage with the contemporary 21st century challenges facing workers are welcome.
Our 22nd General Conference is themed “PRECARITY OR SOLIDARITY”. It is a call to action on our part, for IFWEA affiliates to work concertedly to both re-inforce our common foundation and expand the frontiers of knowledge through a global programme for worker education and research. Some 100 to 150 delegates and observers from around the world will gather in Lima to set the policy and programme for IFWEA over the coming four years, and elect our new Executive Committee.
The Conference fee is $600 per delegate. Below you will find a budget of what it would cost your organisation to send a delegate.. Registration will open in June 2015. I urge you to budget and fundraise to send at least one delegate. Category Four affiliates of good standing on the date of registration need only raise their travel costs. Accommodation, airport shuttle and Conference fees in Lima for one delegate per Category four affiliate will be subsidised. So please ensure you pay your affiliation fees before registration opens.
The Executive and Secretariat General Conference team is working on an exciting workshop, fringe and cultural programme to complement the General Conference business matters. Follow developments towards the conference through the IFWEA website at www.ifwea.org. Any communication with the IFWEA secretariat can be directed to ifweasecretariat@lrs.org.za. Looking forward to meeting you in Lima.
▷ click here for General Conference information including budget per delegate and programme http://www.ifwea.org/general-conference-2015/
In this e-bulletin:
▶ Labour News with IFWEA Affiliates in regions across the globe
▶ Project News from IFWEA :
◘ Online Labour Academy (OLA)
◘ Workers Education for Social Justice - Study Circles
▶ Solidarity in Action - find links to global campaigns
▶ see some interesting analysis in the Opinion / Blogs
▶ check out available Resources for development in organisations
▶ details to Contact IFWEA Secretariat - email the office, view the website and join the Facebook group
In ternational Women's Day:
March 8, 1908 - Thousands of New York garment workers demonstrate for higher wages, shorter workday, and end to child labor. The demonstration inspired the call for an International Women’s Day. The first International Women's Day was celebrated on March 8, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany and USA.
"Never be deceived that the rich will permit you to vote away their wealth." Lucy Parsons, organiser
© Image: Detail from SINDICALISMO SIN FRONTERAS - Mural by Mike Alewitz Frente Autentico Trabajadores Auditorium/ Mexico City/ 1997
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▶ Labour News with IFWEA Affiliates
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◘ EGYPT / Center for Trade Union and Worker Services (CTUWS):
"Launching the Fifty-Day Campaign for Trade Unions’ Freedomand the Implementation of Social Justice from March 12 (Day of Trade Unions Freedom) until May 1st 2015 (Labor Day)"
'In a huge conference held at the Press Syndicate and attended by hundreds of participants representing independent trade unions as well as several sectors of workers from the private and public sectors, the Center of Trade Unions and Workers Services (CTUWS) has launched the fifty-day campaign for the freedom of trade unions and the implementation of social justice.'
▷ read more at https://ifwea-org/CTUWS
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USA via Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations:
"Marilyn Sneiderman, SMLR's Director of the Center for Innovation in Worker Organization, was invited to join the core faculty of the yearlong National Labor Leadership Initiative (NLLI), which involves high-level leaders from national unions and worker centers, with facilitators from the AFL-CIO, the Cornell Worker Institute, University of Oregon Labor Center, and Rutgers SMLR. First launched in November 2013, NLLI was designed to meet a profound need expressed by many labor and worker center leaders for a space to come together and explore the strategic challenges they face in building a powerful movement for the 21st century. These leaders are participating in three intensive retreats, one in which Dean Susan Schurman led a session to address the transformation of employment relations, informalization of labor, and the strategic implications for unions."
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◘ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA via United Association of Labor Education (UALE):
"Local to Global - Working in a Changing World " UALE Conference in Orlando Florida 25th - 28th March 2015
'Check out the Conference 2015 page on the UALE website for all the latest info about our upcoming conference:
• 2105 Award winners
• pre-conference labor tour of historic Ybor "Cigar City"
• latest updates on schedule: plenary sessions., papers, workshops and other activities
▷ follow the conference via the website http://uale.org/conference/conference-2015 and via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/UALEUnitedAssociationforLaborEducation
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◘ SOUTH AMERICA via International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF):
"The unions of LAN Airlines began a series of actions today (25th March 2015) in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Miami. To date the company has not responded to the union’s demands to improve working conditions. Luis Chavez, President of the LAN Express union in Chile. “These difficulties are preventable and predictable. The problems are cascading due to LAN Airlines refusal to provide fair conditions for their workers.” LAN Airline workers are responsible for passenger safety, airplane maintenance, and customer connections in airports. Pls share and watch this space!'
'Right now at Santiago Airport, Lan express workers preparing strike action and also supporting the the reinstatement of Jimena Lopez to Lan Ecuador.'
▷ follow the strike and solidarity actions via ITF on their website http://www.itfglobal.org/en/global/ and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ITFglobal?fref=ts
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◘ EUROPE / GLOBAL via Solidar:
"SOLIDAR Mobilising for Social Justice Forum social mondial Tunis 2015 - Want to know more about all that has been discussed yesterday during our workshop on Social Protection in the MENA Region? Here you can find an overview of our activities; Not only have we had a discussion with Isabel Ortiz, ILO and Richard Howitt, S&D Group, we also launched our new Briefing 'Key Principles for a Revised European Neighbourhood Policy' - http://goo.gl/BepmLP"
▷read more and follow Solidar and partners at the World Social Forum via their Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/SOLIDAR.org and their website http://www.solidar.org
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◘ Online Labour Academy (OLA)
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© Albin Nordin / Labour Research Service
◘ IFWEA projects manager Saliem Patel reports on Online Labour Academy (OLA):
Activities during this period include:
1) Research - organisational partners will conduct research identifying the key challenges that trade unions face, identifying what changes can be made to meet these challenges, and identifying the educational and learning needs to bring about changes;
2) Workshops - organisational partners will host a workshop or seminar with trade unions and civil society organisations on educational challenges, discussing how applicable OLA is in addressing these challenges
▷ check out more developments on OLA via the IFWEA website http://www.ifwea.org/ifwea-online-labour-academy-ola/
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◘ Workers' Education for Social Justice - Study Circles
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Masixole, organiser, SATAWU
"I joined the study circle because I want to learn, I want to know what is happening in this country, how to tackle the problems of this country how to go forward. When you are in it, you know it is helpful because you get the knowledge, you get the experience, you learn and you get to know your rights, like freedom of speech everyone can talk. I'm interested to continue with the study circles because I want to take the knowledge I have, to others, that's what I want now. If you join a study circle, you are not wasting your time because you are learning. We learn about our rights, and what we learn we taking it back into the union and the union is the one who fights for the rights of workers."
Penny, organiser, Decisions For Life
"It definitely was not easy to start a study circle, we had the challenge of getting us together in one room at the same time. We did meet, we did plan, we discussed and met with external stakeholders, we went to community and government meetings so we could involve them... to consult with others who are dealing with the same issue (youth, crime prevention, education on gender violence). We used the movie 'Once Were Warriors' which depicted the issues of gender violence, rape and drug abuse, and people could identify with that, this set a nice tome for the discussion.'
▷ check out more details on Study Circles via the IFWEA website https://ifwea-org.directo.fi/workers-education-for-social-jus/ |
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◘ SWAZILAND in partnership with ITUC: "Attacks on trade unionists intensify"
'Africa’s last absolute monarchy has intensified its attacks on trade unions and activists. Political parties are banned in Swaziland and the President of the People’s United Democratic Movement Mario Masuku and the party’s youth leader, Maxwell Dlamini are subjected to arbitrary detention. Swazi human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko and journalist Bheki Makhubu received a two year sentence for writing articles critical of the lack of independence in the judiciary. On 19 March 2015, Thulani was moved to solitary confinement after the publication of a prison letter marking the one-year anniversary of his detention.'
▷ sign the online petition to Swaziland's Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini here by clicking on http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/SwazilandCampaign
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◘ BANGLADESH in partnership with Clean Clothes Campaign:
'TAKE ACTION! We need US$177!"
'Join the Cambodian garment workers in their call for US$177 a month. Sign the petition calling on brands to pay US$177 as a key step towards a living wage in Cambodia.'
▷ sign the online petition here by clicking on http://www.cleanclothes.org/
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◘ KENYA in partnership with International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF):
"Kenya: Truckers held at gunpoint for protesting over 24 hour shifts"
'Over the weekend truck drivers in Kenya working for Agility global integrated logistics were beaten, abducted at gunpoint and forced to drive their trucks to a company workshop. One driver stated “I knew they wanted us dead”. This police brutality follows protests by some 80 Kenyan truckers forced to work shifts of up to 24 hours in Maungu, near Voi and Mai Mahiu. The truckers' strike action has paralysed Kenya’s northern corridor. All they want is for AGILITY to recognise their union and treat them with respect.'
▷ sign the online petition to CEO of Agility Logistics Tarek Sultan here by clicking on http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/KenyaCampaign
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◘ ECUADOR: "Reinstate Jimena Lopez this International Women's Day" in partnership with International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF):
▷ sign the online petition to Mr Enrique Cueto Plaza, CEO of LATAM Airlines here by clicking on http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/KenyaCampaign
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◘ GLOBAL LABOUR COLUMN
▶ "Repositioning Social Dialogue The South African Case" by Eddie Webster and Katherine Joynt
'Introduction: A crucial moment in South Africa’s transition to democracy was the signing of the Laboria Minute in 1990 between unions, employers and government where it was agreed that no laws on labour market issues would be passed without the agreement of all three social partners.'
▷ read the entire article here http:/repositioning-social-dialogue-south.html#more
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◘ EQUAL TIMES
▶ "Privatisation has failed – it’s time to return to a public alternative" ' by Public Services International's Secretary General Rosa Pavanelli
'The failed privatisations of water, energy, rail and health have for decades shown worldwide that those promoting privatisation offer false promises. Why is privatisation resurging when the past 30 years’ experience shows it is fundamentally flawed?'
▷ read the entire article In English: http://bit.ly/1EXFowd En français: http://bit.ly/1D1wbW7 En Español: http://bit.ly/1EXFp3i
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◘ ITUC presents
▶ "FRONTLINE BRIEFING MARCH 2015 'THERE ARE NO JOBS ON A DEAD PLANET'"
'The science is in - We know the science is unequivocal. Without urgent and ambitious action we will face a temperature rise of 4C or more this century and irreversible changes in our climate. Economists have spoken. The financial damage caused by global warming will cost the world far more than previously estimated. The world’s people want their governments to deal with the pollution that is causing climate change. According to the ITUC Global Poll, 73 % of people want governments to do more to limit pollution causing climate change 2015 is the year governments can choose a pathway for a zero carbon future. We have a fighting chance to limit the temperature rise to 2ºC or less but if we don’t act fast, that window will close.
We are out of time - Climate catastrophes and extreme weather – cyclones, floods, drought, fires, melting glaciers, season changes, threats to agriculture and more – are increasing and hurting working people now.'
▷download here http://www.ituc-csi.org/ituc-frontlines-briefing-climate/
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◘ TNI Agrarian Justice Programme, Masifundise and Afrika Kontakt present
▶ "The Oeean Grabbing Report - The Global Ocean Grab "
'The term ‘ocean grabbing’ aims to cast new light on important processes that are negatively affecting the people and communities whose way of life and cultural identity depend on their involvement in small-scale fishing and closely related activities. Small-scale fishers and fishing communities in both the Global South and the Global North are increasingly threatened by powerful forces that are dramatically reshaping existing access rights regimes and production models in fisheries. This process is leading not only to the dwindling of control by small-scale fishers over these resources, but also in many cases to their ecological destruction and very disappearance.
▷ read the full report in English / Spanish / French
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