Inside LabourStart

This morning we launched our Vietnam campaign in Vietnamese and in Korean as well.

And this afternoon, we were asked by the International Metalworkers Federation to launch a new Foxconn campaign to replace the old one, which we’ve done.  There’s a Facebook cause as well.

Results have begun to come in following up on yesterday’s semi-annual LabourStart fundraising appeal.  So far, 59 donations have come through totalling approximately US $1,800.

Busy day …

• My lastest podcast on labour and technology is now online, here.
• UnionBook 2.0 has 910 members as of this morning.
• I’ve asked about closing down our Algeria campaign and am waiting to hear from the comrades there.
• We’ve got a sponsor for our Canada page – ad to appear later today.
• Our book of the month for September will be this one (but don’t order it just yet – not using that link).
• Derek, Andrew and I have scheduled our first Skype conference call for next week to discuss the 2011 LabourStart Global Solidarity Conference.  Details coming soon.

I’m pleased to report that the five weeks since we launched our May Day appeal have seen a real outpouring of generosity by unions and individual trade unionists.  The total raised so far has been £10,594, donated by 148 unions and individuals. The largest donations were:

• £2,943 – CFMEU (Australia)
• £1,298 – USW (Canada)
• £1,177 – NSWTF (Australia)
• £1,010 – Individual donor (USA)
• £851 – SAK (Finland) – invoiced
• £347 – PSI (global union federation)

In the first few days of the appeal we’ve received 122 donations totalling £8,764 from 18 countries (the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Turkey, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Finland, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the Philippines, and South Korea).  A very good beginning.  The full text of the appeal is here.

It would be great to bring the total up to £10,000 – we have to raise only another £1,236 to do.