At least 2 million migrants from Burma work in low-skilled, dirty and dangerous jobs in Thailand from which they frequently incur accidents and disease. Since 2001, Thailand has discriminated against migrant work accident victims from Burma by denying them access to the Workmen’s Compensation Fund (WCF), even though all workers regardless of national origin are legally eligible for access to this fund. The State Enterprise Workers Relations Confederation (SERC), an affiliate of the ITUC, has since 2007 demanded an end to this systematic discrimination against all migrants in Thailand to ensure their access to the WCF equally with Thai workers. More information and email campaign here.

The Building and Wood Workers Trade Union of Cambodia (BWTUC), an affiliate of BWI, has been struggling to organise KC GECIN Enterprise, a construction company in Phnom Penh. The company employs around 160 workers. Instead of recognising the union and starting a process to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement, the company has illegally terminated  25 union leaders and activists on August 13th and another 25 members who had participated in a legitimate trade union seminar. More details here and here. Send a protest message to the company from here.

WRP Buana Multicopora is a Malaysian company operating in Medan, Indonesia. On June 12, 2009 the company dismissed 400 workers because they went on strike to give solidarity for 7 workers who resigned from the company but did not receive severance pay. Since then the workers have kept fighting against the company and government who support the company. PPBI (The Unity of Indonesia Workers Movement) are calling for international solidarity for the striking workers - email your message of support to PPBI
 

Workers at Onamba Indonesia have been on strike since September 30. They are members of the Federation of Unions in Karawang (FSPEK) and affiliated nationally to Confederation of Congress of Indonesian Unions Alliance (KASBI). Onamba is a supplier to famous electronics companies such as Epson, Toshiba and JVC. They systematically practice union-busting activities. Company management broke off negotiations and dismissed the leader of the Onamba Trade Union after he testified before the Industrial Relations Court in the case of the previous Chair of the Onamba Trade Union who was dismissed by the company on October 2009. Within only 11 months, the company has dismissed two union leaders.

The Latin American Forum conference achieved some valuable discussions thanks to the international delegates, participants and organisers.

Click here to read the report presented by AAWL at the conference

Conferences coming up:

The recent flooding in Pakistan has been devastating for many workers. APHEDA and Médecins Sans Frontières are two of the many organisations that have responded to the crisis. APHEDA is working with their partner in Pakistan, the Labour Education Foundation (LEF) which combined with the National Trade Union Federation, the Qalandar Memon Labour Party of Pakistan, the Women Workers Help Line, and the Pakistan Progressive Youth Front to form a joint organisation called the Labour Relief Campaign (LRC). Priorities for Médecins Sans Frontières include water supply, medical care for dehydration, acute watery diarrhoea and distribution of essential non-food items and shelter. To make a donation or to find out more visit APHEDA here and Médecins Sans Frontières here.

At a recent Refugee Advocacy Network meeting in Melbourne it was decided to ask all the refugee and asylum seeker networks, agencies and community groups to support and participate in a Peoples Assembly in Canberra.

12.30pm, Tuesday 28 September 2010 on the lawns outside Parliament House.

AAWL General Meeting
Wednesday 6 October at 6:30 pm
Trades Hall, Lygon Street, Carlton

Women Workers Organising

Women are deeply involved in workplace struggles. They need to be in the leadership of the labour movement.

Report from Women Workers Lead conference in Jakarta
Discussions, proposals for action

Download leaflet

This is a General meeting for AAWL members and affiliates. New members welcome.

The labour movement globally is at a critical stage in terms of struggle,
but we need a clear and positive working class strategy to resolve the many interconnected problems that face workers.

These conferences are some opportunities for workers to decide together the next steps in our struggles.

We would like to see a global workers' meeting that can discuss a global labour movement charter of industrial and social demands. In order to have a global labour movement meeting, we propose an interim step, a regional labour movement meeting.

We think that a regional workers' meeting could discuss a global labour movement charter, and discuss strategies to coordinate international industrial action and solidarity, by industry and by company, to achieve workers' demands.

Read more here