Where trade unionists start their day on the net.
In this week's mailing:
* Chile: Forestry worker killed
* Vietnam: Union leaders jailed
* Egypt: Workers' rights organization attacked
* UK: Conference on workers' rights, trade unionism and global solidarity
One day, I would like to be able write to all of you and say -- this week, no one was jailed or killed because they wanted to join a trade union, anywhere in the world.
Unfortunately, this is not yet the case.
***
CHILE: FORESTRY WORKER KILLED
Last week, 26 year old Rodrigo Alexis Cisternas, a forestry worker in Chile was shot three times by police, and died. He was killed during a strike involving 7,000 workers. His union (and the global union federation representing forestry workers, the BWI) are asking all of us to take a moment and send a message to the Chilean government demanding an investigation of this crime, and to ensure that workers' rights are respected. Please take a moment to send off your message -- and to pass this on to others:
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=247
***
VIETNAM: UNION LEADERS JAILED
Five leading members of the newly formed United Workers-Farmers Organization (UWFO) of Vietnam have been arrested and remain in detention. It is not known if any of them have been charged with any offence. Independent trade unions are banned in Vietnam. Please support Amnesty International's appeal for action:
http://web.amnesty.org/appeals/index/vnm-010507-wwa-eng.
***
EGYPT: WORKERS' RIGHTS ORGANIZATION ATTACKED
CTUWS is an independent civil society organisation in Egypt whose role is to develop independent trade unions which can defend workers' rights. One of its branches has just been closed by the government and another threatened with closure. For more details and ideas on how you can protest, go here:
http://www.unison.org.uk/international/pages_view.asp?did=5186
***
UK: CONFERENCE ON WORKERS' RIGHTS, TRADE UNIONISM AND GLOBAL SOLIDARITY
The Southern and Eastern Region TUC is holding a free conference on this theme on Saturday, June 2nd. We hope to see many of you there. Full details are here:
http://www.tuc.org.uk/events/detail.cfm?event=2779®ional=7
Thanks for your continued support.
Please pass this message on!
And have a great weekend.
Eric Lee
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