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© PLADES informal workers' education
Greetings from the IFWEA Secretariat,
We are excited to announce that registration of members has been going well as we prepare for the 22nd General Conference (GC) in Lima, Peru in partnership with affiliate Programa Laboral De Desarrollo [PLADES]. If you have not registered yet, you can do so here: ▷www.ifwea22generalconference.org/register#
The theme of the Conference is “Precarity or Solidarity? The role of workers’ education in building the 21st Century global labor movement.” ▷ click here for the programme of the 22nd GC: www.ifwea22generalconference.org/programme#
The International Labor History Workshop opens the Conference on Saturday 5 December 2015 “Education and emancipation: towards a global history of workers’ education.” Speakers at the workshop include Petro Gougoulakis, Aslak Leesland, Jenny Jansson, Namrata Bali, Lauren Marsh and C. R. Vendramim - and will be chaired by Michael Merrill.
▷ click here for more details www.ifwea22GC.org/IntLaborHistoryWorkshop#
Three International Workshops run on 7th December:
▷ click here for more details and to register: www.ifwea22generalconference.org/IntlWorkshops#
◘ Nominations for the IFWEA Executive Committee are now closed - the nominees' biographies and statements are available to view at www.ifwea22generalconference.org/nominations-the-executive-committee#
- See you in Lima! General Secretary Sahra Ryklief
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In this e-bulletin:
▶ AFFILIATE NEWS: HIGHLIGHTS
▶ NOTICE: DOWNLOAD "Educating for Union Strength"
▶ PROJECT NEWS from IFWEA :
◘ Online Labor Academy (OLA)
◘ Workers Education for Social Justice - Study Circles
▶ SOLIDARITY IN ACTION - find links to global campaigns and petitions than can make a difference
▶ see some interesting analysis in the OPINION section from Global Labor Column and Equal times
▶ INSPIRATION: "Sakena Yacoobi - Education activist TED Talk"
▶ details to Contact IFWEA Secretariat - email the office, view the website and join the Facebook group
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▶ AFFILIATE NEWS: HIGHLIGHTS
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◘ GLOBAL/ INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT WORKERS' FEDERATION [ITF] :
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◘ SWEDEN / ARBETARNAS BILDNINGSFÖRBUND [ABF]
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◘ USA / RUTGERS SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND LABOR RELATIONS [SMLR]
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"SMLR's Executive and Professional Education (EPE) held a special networking event at the University Inn and Conference Center to showcase its innovative training offerings and opportunities for collaborations. Attendees were introduced to EPE's instructional and leadership team and discovered ways in which EPE can enhance job seekers' and employees' critical, on-the-job competencies... "
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◘ BELGIUM / SOLIDAR:
"Syrian humanitarian crisis: SOLIDAR members in action in Lebanon and Jordan"
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◘ SOUTH AFRICA / LABOUR RESEARCH SERVICE [LRS]
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▶ "Towards a South African National Minimum Wage" Booklet
'What is a Minimum Wage?
ILO legal experts have defined the minimum wage as: “the minimum sum payable to a worker
for work performed or services rendered, within a given period (…) which may not be reduced
either by individual or collective agreement (and) which is guaranteed by law”. According to ILO
Convention No. 131 the primary purpose of such a minimum wage is to provide protection for
wage earners against “unduly low wages”. In other words, a minimum wage aims to set a
floor to the distribution of wages, below which no worker can legally be paid.
▷ download here hwww.lrs.org.za/docs/NationalMinimumWageBooklet.pdf
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via International Labour Organisation's ACTRAV - The Mandate of the Bureau for Workers' Activities [ACTRAV] is to strengthen representative, independent and democratic trade unions in all countries, to enable them to play their role effectively in protecting workers' rights and interests and in providing effective services to their members at national and international levels, and to promote the ratification and implementation of ILO Conventions.
"Educating for Union Strength":
' The handbook emphasizes the importance of training educators and focuses on ‘educating the union educator’ to implement education activities that are learner focused and based on the principles of solidarity and collectivism. It recognizes that education is a vital part of a union strategy and action plans because it encourages the involvement and confidence of workers to play a role in the union strengthening negotiations, representation and campaigns.'
▷ download here www.ilo.org/actrav/info/pubs/EDUCATINGUNIONSTRENGTH#
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▶ ONLINE LABOUR ACADEMY (OLA)
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In 2015 OLA partner organisations have been engaged in:
1) Research - conducting 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 /Seminars - organisational partners have hosted workshop or seminar with trade unions and civil society organisations on educational challenges, discussing how applicable OLA is in addressing these challenges
Look out for the research report via IFWEA website www.ifwea.org/online-labour-academy-ola/
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▶ WORKERS' EDUCATION FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE -
STUDY CIRCLES SA
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▶ THREADING WORKSHOP part 1: The study circle started their workshop series: threading is a technique for hair removal - this skill can be used as a full time or part time income generating activity.
More about study circles www.ifwea.org/workers-education#
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◉ KYRGYZSTAN: "Stop union-busting, reinstate Zhanaydar Ahmetov"
In Partnership with IndustriALL, which represents 50 million workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors and is a new force in global solidarity taking up the fight for better working conditions and trade union rights around the world. ▶ sign the petition www.KYRGYZSTANcampaign#
"The Chinese petrol company Zhongda is attempting to destroy a local branch of the IndustriALL Global Union affiliate Mining and Metallurgy Trade Union of Kyrgyzstan. The company went from ignoring the union to open busting. At the end of August the company management fired trade union leader Zhanaydar Ahmetov, challenged the registration of the union and started to call the families of union members threatening them with dismissals if they remain union members."
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◉ UNITED KINGDOM: "UK: Support strikers at the National Gallery in London"
In partnership with Public Services International (PSI), a global trade union federation representing 20 million working women and men who deliver vital public services in 154 countries, and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) one of the largest trade unions in the UK, with around 220,000 members.
"Staff at the National Gallery in London, organised by PSI affiliate the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), have been on strike since February 2015 following the Gallery's decision to privatise two thirds of staff, including those who look after the paintings and help the gallery's six million annual visitors. In the absence of successful negotiations, PCS has started an indefinite strike over the gallery's privatisation plans and the impact these will have. The action has escalated because the gallery has announced the appointment of private security firm Securitas to manage the visitor-facing and security services on a 5-year contract reportedly worth £40 million. About 300 gallery assistants who guard paintings and help visitors will be affected."
▶ sign the petition www.UKNATIONALGALLERYcampaign#
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◉ TURKEY: "Turkey: Union busting at €1,000 hand bag producer SF Leather"
In Partnership with IndustriALL, which represents 50 million workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors and is a new force in global solidarity taking up the fight for better working conditions and trade union rights around the world.
"SF Leather's union busting tactics in Izmir, Turkey over recent weeks includes sacking 14 union supporters, offering their jobs back on the condition that they cancel their union membership, demanding the local court to impound a union banner and block the union distributing material online of their action, and even filing a claim for damages against the union."
▶ sign the petition wwwTURKEYcampaigns#
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◉ "IRAN: FREE ESMAIL ABDI NOW"
In partnership with the Education International, a global union federation of 396 associations and unions in 171 countries and territories, representing some 32.5 million educators and support professionals.
"Esmail Abdi, a leader of the Iranian Teachers' Trade Association, was arrested on 27 June following his attempt to obtain a visa to attend the 7th Education International World Congress in Ottawa, Canada in late July.nAfter his passport was confiscated at the border, he was ordered to return to Tehran to meet with prosecutors. However, upon reporting to the prosecutors' office he was arrested while more than 70 teachers waited outside in support. Abdi's arrest comes after nationwide rallies were held earlier this year to protest wages that leave the majority of teachers below the poverty line."
▶ sign the petition www.IRANcampaigns#
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