Where trade unionists start their day on the net.
In this week's mailing:
* France: Victory at Buffalo Grill
* El Salvador: Lie detector tests to check workers' loyalty
* Iran: Good news and bad
* Palestine: Unions under attack
* Korea: Union leaders arrested
As you read the reports below, please remember that LabourStart urgently needs your continuing financial support in order to keep campaigning for workers' rights around the world. Please give generously today:
http://www.labourstart.org/donatenow.html
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France: Victory at Buffalo Grill
Well, that was certainly quick.
The month-long occupation of a Buffalo Grill restaurant outside of Paris by 20 undocumented migrant workers has ended in victory -- barely a week after we told you about it. With the support of the Commerce, Distribution and Services Federation of the CGT (FCDS-CGT), and international support from the IUF (whose online campaign we urged you to support), local authorities have agreed to regularize their employment status. Full details are here:
http://tinyurl.com/327b2y
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El Salvador: Lie detector tests to check workers' loyalty
The viciously anti-union Calvo company -- one of the largest tuna canners in the world -- has had a bad attitude towards unions for some time now. In El Salvador, the Spanish-owned corporate giant has sacked workers, created a company union, and most recently forced workers to take "lie detector" tests to determine their loyalty to the company and their attitude toward unions. Their union, SGTIPAC, and the IUF are asking for your support by sending messages to the company today:
http://tinyurl.com/39m2ac
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Iran: Good news and bad
Let's start with the good news. Ebrahim Madadi, vice president of the Tehran bus workers' union, was released from jail barely 24 hours after his arrest following a protest rally by workers. Full details are here:
http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/1400
The bad news is that Mahmoud Salehi, jailed for his trade union activities, is facing a life-threatening medical condition. Help put pressure on Iran's government to free him today by participating in our online campaign:
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=231
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Palestine: Unions under attack
LabourStart's regular coverage of Palestinian labour news this week highlighted the July 5th attack by Israeli soldiers on the Ramallah branch office of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) and the condemnation this brought from international unions. It also reports on an upcoming conference of independent trade unions being organized by the Democracy and Workers Rights Center (DWRC) in Ramallah later this month. Full details are here:
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Palestine
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Korea: Union leaders arrested
There has been a wave of arrests directed against South Korean trade unionists -- including 27 officers of the metal workers union -- who have protested against the Korean-US Free Trade Agreement. Full details are here:
http://tinyurl.com/3dslwp
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http://www.labourstart.org/donatenow.html
Thank you!
Eric Lee
Texts appearing here are often press releases sent to us by unions and other organizations which do not appear elsewhere on the web. LabourStart takes no responsibility for their content.