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  Labour issues: General - Apr.-May 2002 

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Apr.-May 2002:

The Burger They Love to Hate -...But to others, McDonald's is the archvillian, the target for a host of environmentalists, animal rights activists, vegetarians, trade unionists, and enemies of capitalism. (Eetta Prince-Gibson, Jerusalem Post [Israel], 31 May 2002)

Confrontation at Shaw's [Shaw's Supermarkets, a subsidiary of Sainsbury]: The Frontline Fight for Workers in a Global Economy - Lord Sainsbury U.K. vs. Labor Movement U.S.A. - National AFL-CIO President To Risk Arrest In Workplace Representation Fight At Worcester [Massachusetts] Area Shaw's Stores...The national leaders are directly challenging Shaw's policy of denying workers' job site representation, and the company's use of arrests to prevent workers from talking with union representatives. (United Food and Commercial Workers, 31 May 2002)

Councils Armed To Drown Sweatshops [Australia] - Five Sydney councils hold the key to rooting out clothing industry sweatshops that employ predominatly immigrant, female labour for as little as $2 an hour. (Workers Online, Labor Council of New South Wales, 31 May 2002)

China jails two dissidents ahead of Tiananmen anniversary - Two labor activists and members of the outlawed China Democracy Party have been convicted of subversion and jailed for up to 11 years for organizing workers protests in southwest China, court officials and a Hong Kong rights group said. (AFP, 31 May 2002)

Unions Push for Employers And Workers Role in NEPAD - The New Partnership for African Development will not succeed if workers, trade unionists and employers were not taken on board, a conference resolved yesterday (The Nation [Kenya], 31 May 2002)

Labor Law Database Eases Companies' Compliance Efforts - A new database service aids corporate compliance teams in gathering information on national and local labor laws. [launch of Labor Law database by Business for Social Responsibility] (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 30 May 2002)

ICFTU backs campaign to reveal the true face of 'modern' Korea [South Korea] -...a government using antiquated legislation and a police force with a tendency to use violence to repress workers’ rights...numerous trade union leaders behind bars. Anti-union violence is rife. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 30 May 2002)

Trade unions to fight globalisation - A pan-African trade union movement vowed on Thursday to fight globalisation unless world trade is democratised and made transparent and accountable (South African Press Association, 30 May 2002)

Workers File Disney Hotel Complaint [USA] - A union representing striking workers at two hotels [owned by Tishman Hotel Corp. and managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc] on Walt Disney World property has filed complaints alleging intimidation by the hotels' management, a union leader said Thursday. (Mike Schneider, Associated Press, 30 May 2002)

Court upholds arbitration contract [USA] - The Texas Supreme Court today upheld a company's [Brown & Root Energy Services, a subsidiary of Halliburton Co.] right to impose a non-negotiated binding arbitration contract on a longtime employee [alleging race & age discrimination] who claimed it was unfair. Consumer and labor groups criticized the ruling as eroding Texas workers' rights to sue employers for wrongdoing. (Associated Press, 30 May 2002)

{···français} Sixièmes journées du monde du travail: Le dialogue social, indicateur de bonne gouvernance [Sénégal] (Ibrahima Khaliloullah Ndiaye, Le Soleil [Sénégal], 29 mai 2002)

China Capacity Building Project - Occupational Health and Safety - Final Report -...The project [at factories producing for Reebok, Nike & adidas] has resulted in the creation of young, but functioning, worker-management committees, including one committee supported by a democratically elected union. These committees are the first step in building systems for worker participation in evaluating and improving health, safety, and environmental conditions inside these factories. (Project Coordinating Committee, 29 May 2002)

Journalists List Corporations Found Guilty of Crimes throughout the 1990s - A simple list of corporate crimes, presented along with guilty pleas or fine payments, hints at the pervasiveness of poor corporate ethics...journalists Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman have compiled a list of The Top 100 Corporate Criminals of the Decade...The authors point out that six corporations--Exxon (now ExxonMobil), Rockwell International, Royal Carribbean Cruises, Warner-Lambert (now part of Pfizer), Teledyne, and United Technologies--appear more than once on the list. (William Baue, SocialFunds.com, 29 May 2002)

Target for Clothing Retailers [Australia] - The Target Deed of Co-operation agreed between Target and the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union is expected to be used as the baseline for building a minimum standard for ethical clothing retailers in NSW (LaborNET, Labor Council of New South Wales, 29 May 2002)

Mauritania: Forced labour persists in Mauritania - [report by Anti-Slavery International]...Former slaves in Mauritania typically work as herders of livestock, agricultural workers and domestic servants, but remain completely dependent on their traditional masters to whom they pass virtually all the money they earn or for whom they work directly in exchange for food and lodgings. (afrol News, 28 May 2002)

Unions issue challenge to UN “Sustainable Development” Meeting - The proposal was to form partnerships to initiate an international programme of "Workplace Assessments', a strategy for surveying and reporting on sustainable development issues as they affect the workplace and surrounding community. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 28 May 2002)

Internationally-recognised Core Labour Standards in Haiti: Report for the WTO General Council Review of Trade Policies of Haiti (Geneva, 5 and 7 June 2002) -... flagrant violations of workers’ trade union rights, including violence against trade union activists, and serious problems with child labour, including bonded child labour...Discrimination against women is a problem, especially in export processing plants and as concerns the representation of women in senior positions. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 28 May 2002)

Millions 'forced into slavery' (BBC News, 27 May 2002)

Campaign for World Cup labour rights - Labour activists throughout Asia are taking advantage of the final countdown to the World Cup to highlight the exploitation of children and adults in sports-related industries [refers to India & Pakistan] (Caroline Gluck, BBC News, 27 May 2002)

{···español} Violencia contra trabajadores bananeros ecuatorianos en huelga por sus derechos [Noboa, Dole] (UITA - Unión Internacional de los Trabajadores de la alimentación, Agrícolas, Hoteles, Restaurantes, Tabaco y Afines, 24 mayo 2002)

Independent Monitoring Working Group Final Report on Independent Monitoring in Central America - The following is the final report on the activities of the Independent Monitoring Working Group (IMWG). The report focuses on the progress of independent monitoring programs in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. [reports on suppliers to Gap, which is a member of the Independent Monitoring Working Group] (Independent Monitoring Working Group, 24 May 2002)

Bargaining power of benefit to workers [China] - More than 85,000 enterprises in Jiangsu province negotiated and signed wage contracts with trade unions last year. The revelation of the growing trend towards employee bargaining power came as the People's Daily reported that workers at Deze Company recently signed a contract on pay and conditions with the German firm's management. (Olivia Chung, iMail [Hong Kong], 24 May 2002)

Retailers in Outworker Spotlight [Australia] - Fashion retailers have nine months to agree on effective protections for clothing outworkers or face State Government regulation. That was the key point to emerge from this week’s Behind The Label launch by NSW Industrial Relations Minister John Della Bosca. (Workers Online [Australia], 24 May 2002)

Football Dreams Stitched with Children's Hands: India, China and Pakistan Still Harbour Child Labourers and Unfair Labour Conditions - Child labour and highly unfair labour conditions for adult stitchers in the football industry are still common practices, despite the fact that the contracts between FIFA and sporting goods companies promise the opposite. This was revealed by the Global March Against Child Labour in a presentation of three new reports on China, India and Pakistan. (Global March Against Child Labour, 23 May 2002)

Unocal Shareholder Move on Labor Rights Makes Major Headway - A resolution calling on United States oil giant Unocal Corporation to adopt a workers' rights policy gained the support of almost one third of the shares voted at the company's annual shareholder's meeting in California this week in what corporate social responsibility advocates hailed as an unprecedented advance in the movement to press companies to respect human rights...The move was targeted in particular at Unocal's operations in Myanmar (formerly Burma), which have been accused by the ILO and the U.S. state department of using forced labor and child labor. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 22 May 2002)

Focus On Exploitation in Textile Factories [Lesotho] -...fair trade campaigners have pointed to the exploitation and rights abuses of workers in some of the clothing factories in Lesotho. (U.N. Integrated Regional Information Networks, 22 May 2002)

Ecuador: Escalating Violence Against Banana Workers - Banana workers in Ecuador are facing an onslaught of illegal firings, violence, and intimidation as they try to exercise their rights to organize and strike (Human Rights Watch, 22 May 2002)

Big Unocal Shareholder Support For Worker Rights Proposal: No new investments in Burma, energy giant pledges - A resolution calling on energy multinational Unocal to adopt a workers' rights policy was supported by over 31 percent of the shares voting at the company's annual shareholder meeting in the US this Monday. (ICEM - International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions, 22 May 2002

Voices from Cambodia -...In this photographic journey, women workers in Cambodia's garment industry tell it like it is (Oxfam GB, 21 May 2002)

Starbucks changes its brew [Canada] - Starbucks will offer "fair trade" coffee at its Canadian outlets...Fair trade coffee has been available at Starbucks in the U.S. and the United Kingdom for two years. (CBC News, 21 May 2002)

BSR Unveils Labor Law Database: Web-based Tool to Improve Labor Compliance and Safeguard Human Rights in the Supply Chain - Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) today unveiled Labor Law, a unique Internet database of labor law reports and supply chain compliance resources. Compiled from hundreds of primary sources, Labor Law will provide users with independently verified, in-depth reports on more than 60 countries' labor requirements relevant to corporate codes of conduct - from child labor and discrimination to working hours and wages. (Business for Social Responsibility, 21 May 2002)

Violence Against Ecuadorian Banana Workers Striking for their Rights [refers to companies: Noboa, Dole] (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 21 May 2002)

Labor Ministry reinforces protection of migrant workers, temporary employees [South Korea] - The Korean government will toughen surveillance and crack down on illegal labor practices by employers in order to protect the rights of migrant workers and temporary employees, the Ministry of Labor said yesterday. (Korea Herald, 21 May 2002)

Sweet success for anti-slavery lobby - Britain's major chocolate-makers have endorsed an initiative to phase out slavery and child labour in cocoa plantations in West Africa...Industry associations, whose members include Cadbury Schweppes, Mars and Nestlé, signed an agreement with the International Labour Organisation this month to persuade cocoa-growers to eliminate illegal labour practices by 2005. (Severin Carrell, Independent [UK], 19 May 2002)

Violence towards foreign workers [Israel] -...Last Pesach eve, thugs accompanied by police patrol cars, raided a group of Chinese workers in the Petach Tikva industrial area. (Kav La'Oved [Israel], 19 May 2002)

Labor council to be set up soon [Saudi Arabia] - An advisory labor council will be established shortly under the chairmanship of Labor and Social Affairs Minister Ali Al-Namlah to supervise the labor committees...The council will study the proposals of labor committees on improving productivity and working conditions. (Ismail Ali, Arab News [Saudi Arabia], 19 May 2002)

Economic benefits of high tech investment in developing countries are compromised by environmental and health costs, concludes new report - Despite voluntary efforts to reduce environmental impacts, semiconductor companies are not adequately grappling with the environmental, health and labor impacts of their production and assembly operations, especially in developing countries and global supply chains (Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainable Development, 17 May 2002)

Pony up for farm workers [USA] - Important moves are finally under way to help California's wretchedly treated farmworkers to exercise the essential union rights promised them by the 1975 law that resulted from a decade of nationally supported strikes and boycotts. (Dick Meister, San Francisco Examiner, 17 May 2002)

Union chief wins bank battle [Australia] - A national union chief has won a Federal Court case against one of the big four banks after she was threatened with the sack for speaking to the media about industrial issues. Finance Sector Union (FSU) national president Joyce Buckland today won a claim in the Federal Court in Sydney against the ANZ bank. (Herald Sun [Australia], 17 May 2002)

Docklands boosted by $700m development [Australia/Indonesia] -...new Shangri-La hotel [to be built in Melbourne]...A long-running dispute involving the Kuok group and workers on the Shangri-La hotel in Jakarta yesterday prompted the ACTU president Sharan Burrow to put the company on notice in its dealings with unions on the Docklands project..."We remain concerned about this group's attitude to working people, particularly given their failure to convince their Indonesian partners to respect freedom of association and the right to collectively bargain," she said. (William Birnbauer, The Age [Australia], 17 May 2002)

National Labor Committee calls on Disney "to stay in Bangladesh while working with its contractor clean up the factory [Shah Makhdum Garments Factory] and finally guarantee that the human and worker rights of these women will be respected" (National Labor Committee, 16 May 2002)

US may press countries over labour rights - The US is considering the first revision in almost 20 years to the list of workers' rights that African and other developing countries must respect in order to sell their goods duty-free into the US market. The US Senate is likely to approve next week a revision to the 25-year-old Generalised System of Preferences that will for the first time require beneficiary countries to prohibit discrimination with respect to employment and occupation. (Edward Alden, Financial Times, 16 May 2002)

U.S. clothing giants suffer blow from Saipan case rulings - A group of United States retailers, including Gap, J. C. Penney and Target, suffered a setback this week when a federal judge ruled that thousands of garment workers on the Pacific island of Saipan could sue the companies and their contracted factories as a class. The group also failed to block a US$ 8.7 million settlement by 19 other retailers, including Tommy Hilfiger and Liz Claiborne, which sets a strict code of conduct and opens up factories on the island to independent monitoring. (Nancy Cleeland, The Age [Australia] / Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2002)

Liaoyang Police Again Use Violence Against Workers Holding a Peaceful Petition [China] (China Labour Bulletin, 15 May 2002)

Gov't Establishes Taskforce Against Unfair Labor Practices [South Korea] -...Officials at the Ministry of Labor said that the team will conduct intensive monitoring of employers who improperly obstruct labor union activities, fire labor union leaders without good reasons or force employees to leave unions. (Heo Yun-seon, Korea Times, 15 May 2002)

A conference of security guards: 14/5/02 [Israel] -...Every day "Kav La'Oved" deals with security guards belonging to several groups: students, new immigrants, pensioners, young people and single mothers. Their complaints expose a situation wherein the most basic workers rights have been consistently and systematically violated. (Kav La'Oved [Israel], 14 May 2002)

LABOR: ILO, Philippines Sign "Decent Work" Deal - The Philippines, one of four countries selected for the initial three-year phase of the International Labor Organization's Action Program for Decent Work, signed an agreement yesterday in Manila with the ILO and employers' and workers' groups to launch the program in the country. The Philippines is bound under the joint declaration to support freedom of association and collective bargaining and to seek the elimination of forced labor, child labor and discrimination in the workplace. (UN Wire, 14 May 2002)

Worked Till They Drop: Few Protections for China's New Laborers -...guolaosi. The phrase means "over-work death," and usually applies to young workers who suddenly collapse and die after working exceedingly long hours, day after day...Foreign outcry over sweatshop labor has led some multinational firms to monitor conditions in their factories and among their direct suppliers. But a system of subcontracting has undermined such measures. (Philip P. Pan, Washington Post, 13 May 2002)

Chinese workers protest over detained leaders - More than 1,000 laid-off labourers angry over the protracted detention of four of their leaders protested outside government offices in the northeastern Chinese city of Liaoyang (Reuters, 13 May 2002)

No end to the savagery in Colombia -...“It is clear to us,” said ICFTU General Secretary Guy Ryder, “ that despite repeated promises, forces linked to the government in Colombia have not ceased to target trade unionists.”...being involved in trade union activity in Colombia is tantamount to suicide; the 184 assassinations in 2001 and the steadily mounting total of 67 this year are testimony to that. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 13 May 2002)

'Control migration of health workers' - [South Africa's] Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang told a meeting of the Commonwealth Ministers of Health in Geneva yesterday the recruitment of health workers from developing countries must be controlled by bilateral agreements between such countries and developed nations. (SAPA, in Dispatch [South Africa], 13 May 2002)

Internationally-recognised Core Labour Standards in Slovenia: Report for the WTO General Council review of trade policies of Slovenia (Geneva, 13 and 15 May 2002) -...women receive lower wages than men and are under-represented in senior positions, and discrimination in employment against Roma continues to be a problem...Child labour does not generally occur, although there are credible reports of children under 16 working, largely on family farms, during the harvest. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 13 May 2002)

Premier Oil: UK company bad in Burma, putrid in Pakistan -...Campaigners from The Burma Campaign UK and Friends of the Earth have bought one share each in Premier Oil and will be going into the AGM, after the demonstration. The shareholders will be asking the board difficult questions about its controversial activities, and whether they are damaging shareholder value. (Friends of the Earth, 10 May 2002)

Sweatshops Under the American Flag [refers to labour abuses at garment factories in American Samoa & Saipan] (editorial, New York Times, 10 May 2002)

Liaoyang workers prepare for extended struggle [China] - On 7 May, the Liaoning Province Liaoyang Ferrous-Alloy Factory workers’ action for the release of the arrested workers’ representatives has entered its 4th day (China Labour Bulletin, 10 May 2002)

Schumer rips sweatshops [New York]: B'klyn case sparks call for fed probe of city factories - A Brooklyn garment factory that allegedly subjected its workers to a pattern of labor abuses has spurred Sen. Chuck Schumer to demand a citywide investigation of sweatshops by federal labor inspectors. (Bob Port, New York Daily News, 10 May 2002)

Former Chinese war slaves appeal lower court ruling [Japan] - Fifteen Chinese men who were forced to work in coal mines here during World War II appealed a lower court ruling Thursday at the Fukuoka High Court that ordered Mitsui Mining Co. -- but not the government -- to pay them compensation (Japan Times, 10 May 2002)

Gap worker in Africa stabbed, others in Central America threatened, rights violated in multiple countries: Gap Sweatshop Workers to Confront Gap Shareholders on Friday at Annual Meeting in Albuquerque With New Evidence of Labor Abuses - Employee at Gap Factory in Lesotho Stabbed by Plant Manager while Protesting Conditions; She Was Scheduled to Attend Shareholder Meeting, but U.S. State Dept. Denies Visa and Muzzles Worker Voice Against Large U.S. Retailer [refers to El Salvador and Guatemala] (UNITE - Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees, 9 May 2002)

Chinese workers demand leaders' release (Duncan Hewitt, BBC News, 9 May 2002)

TotalFinaElf faces lawsuit by Myanmar refugees over govt human rights abuses - Four refugees from Myanmar are seeking to take legal action in Belgium against TotalFinaElf for alleged complicity with Myanmar's military regime, human rights advocates said (AFX News, 8 May 2002)

Wal-Mart's War on Workers [USA]: Frontline Report from Alaska, Iowa and Idaho - Worker Charges Put Wal-Mart on Trial - Again - Giant Retailer Backs Down from Illegal Union Busting Activities -... Worker charges in Alaska and Iowa have resulted in National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) complaints against the retail giant's illegal anti-union activity. (UFCW - United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, 8 May 2002)

McDonald's "Corporate Responsibility" Report a Blueprint for Union-Busting (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 8 May 2002)

Unocal Shareholders Urged to Back Corporate Best Practice: Burma Disinvestment Campaign Continues (ICEM - International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions, 8 May 2002)

Burma : Statement by ICFTU-APRO/Global Union Federations -...pressure on the military junta (SPDC) needs to be maintained until all trade union and political prisoners have been released and until there is full restoration of all democratic, trade union and other human rights in Burma. (ICFTU-APRO and the Global Union Federations, 8 May 2002)

{···español} Carta de protesta: horror y desesperanza del sindicalismo colombiano (Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres, 7 mayo 2002)

ICFTU welcomes release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, vows to maintain pressure [Burma] - The ICFTU today welcomed the release from house arrest of Burma democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi but said it would keep up the pressure on the military junta until forced labour in the country was totally eradicated. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 6 May 2002)

Chinese worker alleges beating, work without pay [Israel]: Slavery-like conditions reported in 30 Chinese manpower companies operating here...The incident highlights the shady activities of some 30 Chinese companies operating in Israel to supply Chinese construction workers to the building industry. (Ruth Sinai, Ha`aretz [Israel], 6 May 2002)

{···français} Ouvrières chinoises - World Knits [Ile Maurice]: le calme après la tempête - Les ouvrières chinoises de World Knits ont peur de parler. Elles ne veulent pas subir ce qui a failli arriver à trois de leurs compatriotes vendredi soir : le rapatriement forcé. (L'Express [Ile Maurice], 5 mai 2002)

Demonstrators at Montreal store claim union-busting by Gucci parent company [Canada/USA] - About 50 people demonstrated outside a high-end Montreal boutique Saturday to protest what they claim to be union-busting tactics by...French conglomerate Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (Canadian Press, 4 May 2002) 

U, WRC must make conduct code work [USA] -...The University [University of Minnesota] has solidified its commitment; now, the duty lies with the WRC [Worker Rights Consortium]. It should take the initiative to police these companies, enforcing company compliance with code standards and ensuring those who do not comply lose their contracts. (Minnesota Daily, 3 May 2002)

New IUF Publication on The WTO and the World Food System: A Trade Union Approach - Access to adequate, safe and nutritious food is a fundamental human right, yet an estimated 820 million people are living in hunger. The agricultural workers who help feed the world are often unable to feed themselves, are twice as likely to die at work than workers in any other sector, and generally stand outside all systems of legal protection for their rights, health and welfare. Food processing workers are engaged in a constant battle to defend their unions, their employment and working conditions, their health and safety. (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 3 May 2002)

Chiquita joins ethical trading initiative (Chiquita Brands International, Inc., 3 May 2002)

{···français} Recommandations en direction des entreprises françaises investissant en Birmanie - À la demande de la CFDT, de la CGT et de FO, le Point de contact national chargé de veiller au respect des Principes directeurs de l'OCDE (PCN) a examiné les difficultés qui se présentaient aux entreprises françaises ayant des activités en Birmanie. Cet examen a principalement porté sur le respect des droits sociaux, particulièrement sur la lutte contre tout travail forcé. Le PCN a audité deux groupes français, Total et Accor (CFDT - Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail, 3 mai 2002)

Court says first amendment doesn't shield Nike from suit [USA]: California's highest court ruled yesterday that the First Amendment did not shield Nike from a lawsuit accusing it of fraud for asserting that its overseas workers received adequate wages and that its working conditions complied with safety regulations. (Steven Greenhouse, New York Times, 3 May 2002)

Bahraini demonstration on May Day -...calling for considering the first of May as a national day off and to found workers trade unions in the country [Bahrain] (ArabicNews.com, 2 May 2002)

Starbucks' struggle for moral ground: Program to aid poor coffee growers off to slow start -...Starbucks said it would pay vendors in origin countries a premium price -- up to 10 cents extra per pound -- if they can prove they're protecting the environment and meeting, if not exceeding, the minimum legal requirements for wages, benefits and working conditions...But Starbucks' well-wishers and detractors alike say that progress in the first four months of the two-year test program looks plodding at best. Some criticize the financial incentives as insufficient. Others say the verification process is flawed. (Bill Clifford, CBS.MarketWatch.com, 2 May 2002)

Calif. court says Nike can be sued for false ads [USA] - Sportswear giant Nike Inc. can be sued for false advertising over a publicity campaign that sought to dispel reports that Asian sweatshops are used to produce its famous footwear, California's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. (Andrew Quinn, Reuters, 2 May 2002)

New bill on arbitration limits [USA]: Measure would return states' power to regulate workplace disputes - Two leading U.S. senators introduced a bill Wednesday that would allow states to block employers from forcing employees into binding arbitration, a private system of resolving disputes without laws or juries or constitutional rights. (Reynolds Holding, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 May 2002)

North American Fair Trade Movement Reports Big Advances - The Fair Trade industry in North America made nearly US$100 million in gross sales in the year 2000, according to a new report released this week by the Fair Trade Federation (FTF), an association of retail and wholesale outlets committed to ensuring that Third World producers are paid a basic living wage for their products...it expects further increases in 2001 and 2002 primarily due to the rapidly growing market for fair-trade coffee sold by retail outlets (Jim Lobe, OneWorld, 1 May 2002)

Remove obstacles to labour rights: AI urges gov’t - Amnesty International in Malaysia today urged the government to step up its effort to guarantee the basic rights of workers in the country...only in-house unions are allowed in the electronics sector and these unions are estimated to represent only five percent of the country’s 150,000 electronics workers (YS Tong, Malaysiakini [Malaysia], 1 May 2002)

China 'abusing' workers, says Amnesty - China is using repressive measures in tackling protests by workers, says Amnesty International. (Damian Grammaticas, BBC News, 1 May 2002)

Summary: "Child Labour and Labour Rights in the Sporting Goods Industry: A Case for Corporate Social Responsibility" [India] (Social Sector Group, Tata Consultancy Services, report contracted by India Committee of the Netherlands, May 2002)

People's Republic of China: Detained and Imprisoned Labour Rights Activists - This report describes the cases of labour activists who have been detained or imprisoned since the late 1980s for attempting to defend workers' rights or set up independent trade unions. (Amnesty International, 30 Apr. 2002)

Seven Banana Workers/SINTRAINAGRO Members Murdered in Colombia [reportedly on 26 April by guerrillas belonging to the "Fifth Front" of the FARC guerrilla forces] (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 30 Apr. 2002)

Labor Tensions Rising in Haitian Orange Industry: A sharp rise in tensions between the owners of a large orange plantation in northern Haiti and workers who have tried to organize a union has caused widespread insecurity in the area, according to a British-based solidarity group. [refers to processing company Produits Agricole Guacimal, and to Remy Cointreau] (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 29 Apr. 2002)

Forced laborers win suit: Mitsui Mining ordered to pay 165 million yen [Japan] - The Fukuoka District Court on Friday ordered Mitsui Mining Co. to pay 165 million yen in damages to 15 Chinese men who were forcibly brought to Japan as slave laborers during World War II. (Japan Times, 27 Apr. 2002)

ACFTU and Union Organizing [China] - The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), with a declared membership of over 120 million, claims to be the world's largest union organization. But behind this impressive facade, workers in China are among the world's most exploited, disorganized and dis-empowered workforces. When some of these workers do show the courage to organize, sometimes in tens of thousands, they never go to the ACFTU. (Trini Leung, China Labour Bulletin, 26 Apr. 2002)

Kirby Bouquet for Equal Pay [Australia]: High Court judge Michael Kirby cites NSW treatment of equal pay as a ground-breaking application of human rights principles into industrial law - Speaking to a packed audience, Justice Kirby argued that international human rights principles, through ILO conventions, were increasingly underpinning Australian workplace law. (Workers Online, Labor Council of New South Wales [Australia], 26 Apr. 2002)

McDonald's and Corporate Social Responsibility? The April 14th McDonald's Report on Corporate Social Responsibility is a low water mark for the concept of sustainability and the promise of corporate social responsibility. (Paul Hawken, author of The Ecology of Commerce and Natural Capitalism & founder of Natural Capital Institute, FoodFirst: Institute for Food and Development Policy website, 25 Apr. 2002)

Ecuador: Widespread Labor Abuse on Banana Plantations - Harmful Child Labor, Anti-Union Bias Plague Industry -...Banana-exporting corporations such as Ecuadorian-owned Noboa and Favorita, as well as Chiquita, Del Monte, and Dole fail to use their financial influence to insist that their supplier plantations respect workers’ rights (Human Rights Watch, 25 Apr. 2002)

Poor Labor Conditions Revealed at Organic Farms [USA]: Despite the widespread impression among consumers that organic farms treat their workers better than the legal minimum standards, labor inspection reports show that organic farm workers often toil in dangerous, unsanitary conditions for less than minimum wage. (Business for Social Responsibility News Monitor summary of 22 Apr. 2002 article in U.S. News & World Report, posted 24 Apr. 2002)

ICFTU & ETUC call for European Union Action on Burma -...the government of Burma has taken no concrete action to dismantle the forced labour system and to punish those still imposing the practice (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 24 Apr. 2002)

MEXICO: ILO Says Girls More Vulnerable To Child Labor, Exploitation -...The ILO's International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor says Mexican girls on average work longer hours, receive less pay and begin at a younger age than boys, mainly in the agricultural sector. (UN Wire, 24 Apr. 2002)

Daqing Oil Workers' Protests Spread to Lanzhou [China]; Further Arrests in Daqing (China Labour Bulletin, 23 Apr. 2002)

Police in north-east China deny workers permission to demonstrate (AFP, 23 Apr. 2002)

TUC [Trades Union Congress, UK] urges Unocal shareholders to pass Burma resolution -...Shareholders in the US energy firm Unocal have put forward a resolution for its annual meeting calling on it to adopt and implement an enforceable company-wide employee policy based on the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. (TUC, 22 Apr. 2002)

Okapuka tannery closed pending labour investigation [Namibia]: The Okapuka tannery outside Windhoek has been temporarily closed while an investigation into poor labour practices is conducted. (Hugh Ellis, The Namibian, 22 Apr. 2002)

Council Support Grows for a 'Living Wage' [New York] (Steven Greenhouse, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2002)

Socially Reponsible Consumers Give High Marks to New Online Shopping Site -...IdealsWork.com allows consumers to shop and compare brands on the basis of companies' records on issues that include diversity, the environment, labor practices, women's issues, human rights and animal cruelty. (IdealsWork.com, 22 Apr. 2002)

Helping China's trade unions protect workers' rights: The All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), whose affiliates represent 120 million workers, is launching an initiative to help workers laid off in the transition to a socialist market economy and strengthen unions' ability to protect workers' rights and interests. UNDP and the International Labour Organization (ILO) are supporting the project. (U.N. Development Programme, 22 Apr. 2002)

Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Agrees to Reopen Marsinah Case [Indonesia]: The murder of Marsinah--who was a worker at PT Catur Perkasa Surya in Sidoarjo, East Java--has been always questioned at the conferences of the International Labour Organization (ILO). (Dede Ariwibowo, Tempo [Indonesia], 22 Apr. 2002) 

Horrific Work Death Toll Prompts Call For OSH Bill Urgency [New Zealand]:...The death of a timber factory worker on Friday brought the Labour Department official toll of workplace fatalities to 57 in the past nine months (New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, 22 Apr. 2002)

Labor Proposal Tipped Scales for Hyundai Alabama Plan [USA]: Hyundai Motor was found to have chosen Alabama as the site for its first production plant in the United States after the state government made a guarantee that there would be no labor union in the plant. (Kim Jong-ho, Chosun Ilbo [South Korea], 21 Apr. 2002)

Apparel Maker in Samoa Is Told to Pay Workers $3.5 Million - A court in American Samoa has ordered an apparel company there to pay $3.5 million to hundreds of Chinese and Vietnamese workers who were sometimes paid just $2.25 an hour and were illegally charged thousands of dollars to obtain their jobs. (Steven Greenhouse, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2002)

Rights body may reopen probe into Marsinah case [Indonesia]: The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has uncovered enough new information to reopen the investigation into the 1993 slaying of female labor activist Marsinah...Labor activist Marsinah was found dead near Nganjuk, East Java, on May 9, 1993, after leading a strike at PT Catur Putra Surya, a watch factory in Sidoarjo, East Java. Her badly mutilated body showed signs of torture and rape. (Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Yogita Tahilramani, Jakarta Post, 20 Apr. 2002) 

TUC demands Ministers honour promises to stem rise in deaths at work [UK] (TUC, 20 Apr. 2002)

Unions prevent 40 workplace injuries every day [UK] (TUC, 20 Apr. 2002)

HIV/AIDS: 30 Percent Of South African Work Force To Be Infected By 2005 (UN Wire, 19 Apr. 2002)

Aids shock waves galvanise mining firms: South African mining firms are looking at a unified approach to tackle Aids, one of their biggest unresolved challenges as the infection rates creep higher. (Allan Seccombe, Daily Mail & Guardian [South Africa], 19 Apr. 2002) 

Megawati backs worker death probe [Indonesia]: President Megawati Soekarnoputri gave the go-ahead on Thursday to efforts to reopen investigations into the killing of woman worker Marsinah in 1993. (Jakarta Post, 19 Apr. 2002)

Boost for workers' rights in Saudi Arabia - Workers in Saudi Arabia are now able to defend their rights through committees at the workplace, a move welcomed by ILO Director-General Juan Somavia as another step in promoting social and labour rights in the Middle East (International Labour Organization, 18 Apr. 2002)

Teamsters Union Protests at Coke Meeting [USA] - Accusing the Coca-Cola Company of "closing its eyes" to the intimidation, torture and assassination of union workers who bottle its drinks, the Teamsters union demanded yesterday that the company adopt and enforce strict labor standards for the manufacture of its products around the world. (Greg Winter, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2002)

Domini Social Investments announces 2002 shareholder proposals: Socially Responsible Firm Focuses on Sweatshops and the Environment, Continues Push for Greater Corporate Transparency [refers to resolutions filed and/or dialogue with: Gap; Sears, Roebuck; Disney; McDonald's; Nordstrom; Merrill Lynch; Procter & Gamble; Coca-Cola; Pepsi; Emerson; Cooper Industries; Household International; Johnson & Johnson] (Domini Social Investments, 18 Apr. 2002)

{···français} Travailleurs étrangers [Ile Maurice]: Le ministère du Travail recrute une " social coordinator " chinoise - Le ministère du Travail et des Relations industrielles a recruté, au début de cette semaine, une Social Coordinator d'origine chinoise, Mme Chan Kane Lin, qui aura pour principale responsabilité d'agir en tant que Liaison Officer entre les ouvriers chinois travaillant à Maurice, notamment dans le secteur de la zone franche, et le ministère du Travail (Le Mauricien [Ile Maurice], 18 avril 2002)

{···français} Des syndicats de Technip-Coflexip et de PPR [Pinault-Printemps-La Redoute] appelés en renfort par les salariés de filiales aux Etats-Unis: La fédération américaine AFL-CIO a sollicité la CGT, FO et SUD pour l'aider à imposer la création de sections syndicales dans des sociétés récemment rachetées par les deux groupes français (Michel Delberghe, Le Monde, 18 avril 2002)

Trade unionists persecuted in USA - The French retailer PPR (Pinault-Printemps-Redoute) is a sad example of a company that respects social dialogue within its own country but acts as a lawless and irresponsible company in the United States. Brylane, the American subsidiary of the French multinational PPR, has been engaged for several months in an anti-union campaign at two of its sites in Indiana. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 17 Apr. 2002)

{···español} Ecologistas denuncian muerte de operario por imprevisión en construcción del OCP [Ecuador]: La organización Acción Ecológica denunció hoy que la imprevisión en la construcción de un nuevo oleoducto causó la muerte de un operario e hirió a otros dos. (El Universo [Ecuador], 17 abril 2002)

{···français} Prévention des risques industriels majeurs: la contribution de la CFDT [France] (CFDT - Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail, 17 avril 2002)

Hoffa Tells Coke: Murder Is More Than A PR Problem - Hoffa, Colombian Leader Correa Demand Negotiated Rights Agreement: James P. Hoffa, Teamsters General President, on Wednesday joined Colombian union leader Javier Correa and a global delegation of Coca-Cola union leaders in Coke’s annual shareholders meeting to demand that Coke negotiate a worldwide agreement to protect its workers’ rights and safety. (Campaign for Justice at Coca-Cola, 17 Apr. 2002)

TUC [UK] welcomes MEPs’ ‘toughest approach yet’ to asbestos -...The European Parliament’s proposed exposure limits would reduce British exposure limits by between half and two thirds, depending on the type of asbestos concerned. (TUC, 17 Apr. 2002)

Tasmanian hospitality workers back critical review of anti-smoking laws [Australia]: Tasmanian hospitality workers working in gaming areas at the casinos, pubs and clubs want bans on cigarette smoking because they view the existing situation as an unacceptable threat to their health (Liquor, Hospitality & Miscellaneous Workers Union, 17 Apr. 2002)

Another Labour Leader Arrested; Detainee Suffers Injury [China]: On 16 April, 2002, the government arrested one more leader of the mass workers' protest in Liaoyang (China Labour Bulletin, 17 Apr. 2002)

Union Activist: Co.'s Hire Attackers [Colombia]: Hiring paramilitary groups to attack and threaten union leaders is a common practice by foreign companies operating in Colombia, a union activist from the country said Tuesday [refers to lawsuits against Drummond Co. and Coca-Cola] (Associated Press, 16 Apr. 2002)

Senate panel tackles ergonomics at work [USA]: Local woman with repetitive strain injury to testify as committee weighs employer rules. (Gregory Weaver, Indianapolis Star [USA], 16 Apr. 2002)

Union alleges exploitation, plans protest at Salem site [USA]: Union leaders at the New England Regional Council of Carpenters...say contractors are underpaying the workers, providing no health insurance, and in some cases, not paying into the state workers' compensation fund. (Cindy Rodríguez, Boston Globe, 16 Apr. 2002)

McDonald's feeds appetite for social responsibility: Stung by unfavorable attention it has attracted as a symbol of rampant globalization, McDonald's Corp. is touting its record of promoting animal welfare, protecting tropical rain forests and hiring disadvantaged workers. (Deborah Cohen, Reuters, 16 Apr. 2002)

Sitting Ducks: As polluting asbestos units and illegal mining thrive amid lax laws, lakhs of workers become easy prey for dreaded diseases [India] (Kushal P. S. Yadav, in Down to Earth, Centre for Science and Environment [India], 15 Apr. 2002)

{···français} Main-d'œuvre étrangère [Ile Maurice]: de nouvelles directives en préparation (Le Mauricien [Ile Maurice], 15 avril 2002)

Harvard Students Tell Coke: Stop the Killings - Global Entourage of Coca-Cola Union Workers Visit Campus to Share Stories - Coca-Cola workers from Colombia, Guatemala, the Philippines, Zimbabwe and the U.S. visited Harvard today to share their stories of kidnapping, torture and harassment of trade union members at Coca-Cola production, bottling and distribution centers. (International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 15 Apr. 2002)

Union irate over plan for schools [USA]: Phila. teachers' contracts would not have to be honored if private firms are brought in to run low-performing sites. (Susan Snyder, Philadelphia Inquirer, 15 Apr. 2002)

CAMBODIA: ILO Gives Mixed Review To Country's Garment Factories - The International Labor Organization released a report Friday giving mixed reviews to 34 Cambodian garment factories that operate under a technical cooperation project with the United States. The ILO uncovered no evidence of forced labor or discrimination but did find sexual harassment, infringements on freedom of association and problems with payment of wages and overtime hours. (UN Wire, 15 Apr. 2002)

Decision by Shangri-La [Hotel] to resist court order to reinstate wrongfully dismissed workers [Indonesia] [text of letter from ICFTU to Megawati Sukarnoputri, President of Indonesia] (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 15 Apr. 2002)

Union urges workplace smoke ban [Australia]: Research by the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, with the Victorian Cancer Council, has found smoke-exposed workers suffer significant health problems. (Kristine Gough, The Australian, 15 Apr. 2002)

Ice-cream tycoon turns to sweat-free clothes [USA] (Andrew Gumbel, Independent [UK], 13 Apr. 2002)

Wife seeks release of sick China labour leader: The wife of a Chinese labour leader arrested after recent protests appealed on Friday for his release on medical parole, saying her husband [Yao Fuxin] was ailing with symptoms of a stroke. (Reuters, 12 Apr. 2002)

Indonesian Government, Hotel Owners Resist Court Decision to Reinstate Wrongfully Dismissed Shangri-La Jakarta Workers (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 12 Apr. 2002)

Workers Gear-up For Pollution Fight [Australia]: Workers want State Government [New South Wales, Australia] support so they can be more effective in protecting their communities against pollution. Labour Council will put the acid on Environment Minister Bob Debus to fund training for delegates and organisers about how they can utilise existing legislation to become frontline environmental watchdogs. (Workers Online [Australia], 12 Apr. 2002)

Starbucks shares cup of goodwill [USA]: Exec tells DU [Denver University] students, businesses the value of social responsibility -...leaders of the movement that blamed Starbucks for the plight of millions of coffee farmers mired in some of the planet's worst poverty say they now are broadening their campaign to target major "can" coffee companies such as Maxwell House and Folgers. (Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2002) 

Costa Rica has launched a "sustainable" coffee seal: Costa Rica has launched a "sustainable" coffee seal to be awarded to growers who protect plantation ecosystems, save energy, clean up waste-disposal, improve pest and disease control, provide healthy working conditions for pickers and reduce the use of chemicals. (Veronica Vega, Reuters, 12 Apr. 2002)

Breakthrough global agreement protects Australian dairy workers rights: A NZ based multinational dairy company [Fonterra] - who employs hundreds of Australian workers - has signed a groundbreaking global agreement with a trade union international, which strengthens the hand of its workforce. This is the first international union agreement with a multinational originating in the Asia-Pacific region and affecting a workforce largely in the Asia-Pacific Basin. (Australian Liquor, Hospitality & Miscellaneous Workers Union, 12 Apr. 2002)

Coal Mine Accidents Kill 31; 2001 Industrial Injury Statistics [China] - The fatal accidents provide a stark illustration of the grim state of industrial safety, in particular in the mining industry, on the very day when government announced its latest campaign against hazardous mine operations. (China Labour Bulletin, 11 Apr. 2002)

press release: The Great Trade Robbery: Rich world swindles millions from the benefits of trade as global wealth divide widens to all time high - OXFAM today accused the rich world of robbing the poor world of $100 billion a year by abusing the rules governing world trade and denying millions of poor people their best escape route from poverty. (Oxfam, 11 Apr. 2002)

Labor Board Issues Complaint Against Wal-Mart [USA]: The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint accusing Wal-Mart Stores...of illegally coercing, intimidating and retaliating against employees who sought representation by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (Dow Jones, 11 Apr. 2002)

ICFTU hails coming into force of International Criminal Court as a milestone for international justice:...Victims of gross human rights violations, of forced labour with torture, victims of gender-based violence as well as families of murdered trade unionists now have some hope that the international community is moving resolutely towards an international justice system that could contribute to redressing wrongs. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 10 Apr. 2002)

Chinese workers rally to demand back pay from toy plant: More than 300 laid-off migrants protested on Wednesday to demand back pay from a southern China toy plant where they had toiled under sordid conditions that led clients to cancel their orders...Multinational firms such as Mattel Inc., MGA Entertainment and Wal-Mart Stores Inc had cancelled their orders with the plant after receiving reports of squalid conditions, China Labour Watch said. (Reuters, 10 Apr. 2002)

{···español} Vinculan a Daimler con la dictadura [Argentina]:...Así lo informó ayer en una conferencia de prensa en Berlín, en la que la entidad pidió investigar la presunta complicidad de directivos de la ex Daimler-Benz en Buenos Aires con desapariciones y asesinatos de 15 sindicalistas que trabajaban en la planta de esa empresa. (Sindicato Mercosul, 10 abril 2002)

{···español} Accionistas de la empresa alemana piden explicaciones [Argentina]: La memoria de Mercedes Benz - En una asamblea de la empresa, la Asociación de Accionistas Críticos pedirá hoy que designe al Premio Nobel de la Paz, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel para investigar el rol de esa compañía en la represión. (Página 12 [Argentina], 10 abril 2002)

Chinese mine blasts kill 31: Fatal explosions have been reported in two coal mines in northern China, on the same day the country announced it was closing thousands of unsafe mines. (BBC News, 10 Apr. 2002)

Thousands more Chinese mines to be shut in safety crackdown: China will close thousands of small coal mines this year in an attempt to reduce the appalling death toll among workers in the industry. (AFP, 10 Apr. 2002)

Global giant signs for workers' rights: Fonterra has turned over a new leaf as the world's fourth largest dairy company by signing a commitment to international labour standards for its 20,000 employees. Unionists view the move as a quantum leap from the overseas behaviour of the old Dairy Board, which they say included the dismissal of employees in Sri Lanka and Mauritius just for joining unions. (Mathew Dearnaley, New Zealand Herald, 10 Apr. 2002)

New Changes to Increase the Transparency, Independence, and Scope of the FLA - At its April 9, 2002 Board of Directors meeting, the Fair Labor Association (FLA) made major changes in its programs and procedures to increase the transparency, independence and scope of the FLA. (Fair Labor Association, 9 Apr. 2002)

Accord on health and safety signed [South Africa]:...the signing yesterday of a new occupational health and safety accord by representatives of business, labour and government, committing themselves to minimise workplace injury and to securing a healthy and safe workplace. (Business Day [South Africa], 9 Apr. 2002)

Clothing Firm Adopts Non-Sweatshop Concept [USA]: It hopes to stay competitive and turn a profit - Ice cream mogul turned social activist Ben Cohen is out to prove it's possible to make clothes with a conscience in Los Angeles (Nancy Cleeland, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2002)

Opposition urges government to protect rights of migrant workers [South Korea]: The opposition Grand National Party urged the government yesterday to work out measures to better protect rights of migrant workers here. The party said illegal foreign workers are suffering from a variety of abuses such as delays in payment, labor exploitation and physical assault due to their defective legal status. (Korea Herald [South Korea], 9 Apr. 2002)

Commission told of uplifting abuse [Australia]:...Dependable Roofing director Mark Anderson told the royal commission...his workers had refused to join the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union...He said they were installing down pipes about seven metres above ground on a scissor lift when unionists "surrounded us and verbally abused us, swore at us and intimidated us". (Paul Robinson, The Age [Australia], 9 Apr. 2002)

Protesting retired workers block highways in Chinese city: Around 1,000 retired workers in southwest China blocked roads in a protest over pensions, a rights group and staff said. (AFP, 8 Apr. 2002)

Labour protests erupt in southern China: Labour protests over back pay and inadequate welfare have erupted in two cities in south China in a wave of worker unrest (Reuters, 8 Apr. 2002)

Working fears: Employees with cancer face 'uncertain state' on the job -...Many of the 8.1 million cancer survivors in the United States either want or need to continue working. But they are faced with problems that include not being able physically to do their jobs; losing their jobs and their insurance; not being open to promotions or changing their jobs; and difficulties in their relationships with supervisors and co-workers as they fight the disease. (Melanie Payne, Sacramento Bee [California], 8 Apr. 2002)

IUF and New Zealand Dairy Workers' Union Sign International Union Rights Agreement with Fonterra: The IUF and its affiliated New Zealand Dairy Workers Union (NZDWU) today signed an agreement on international trade union rights and minimum labour standards with the New Zealand-based Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited, the fourth largest global dairy company...The agreement commits the company to respect international labour standards as defined in ILO Conventions 87 and 98 (freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining), 135 (worker representatives), 29 and 105 (forced labour), 138 and 182 (minimum age, child labour), and 100 and 111 (equal remuneration and employment discrimination). (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 8 Apr. 2002)

Colombian Rebels Free Union Leader: A leader of an oil workers' union was freed Sunday by a right-wing paramilitary group which had kidnapped him more than a month ago, the government said. (Associated Press, 7 Apr. 2002) 

UMWA miners' union says safety regulations unenforced [USA]: A coal miners' union has accused the government of major regulatory lapses at an Alabama mine where an explosion last September killed 13 workers and at mines nationwide. (Jay Reeves, Associated Press, in Nando Times, 7 Apr. 2002)

IMF [International Metalworkers' Federation] publishes report on FTAA: The Free Trade Area of the Americas will present a major challenge for the labour movement....Although he [IMF General Secretary Marcello Malentacchi] says that fair trade is one of the best instruments for development, "certain fundamental conditions must be fulfilled for this purpose, such as a clause guaranteeing minimum labour and environmental standards, and increased purchasing power, particularly in developing countries, so that people are able to buy what they produce." (IMF - International Metalworkers' Federation, 5 Apr. 2002)

Trade unions call for comprehensive workplace measures:...With 160 million new cases of work-related diseases every year and 1.2 million fatalities (over 3,300 per day), ICFTU General Secretary, Guy Ryder has good reason to call for drastic workplace measures to address occupational conditions as a single largest contributor to the poor state of the world’s health...Asbestos is the single largest occupational culprit (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 5 Apr. 2002)

IMF [International Metalworkers' Federation] joins complaint against China - Following mounting repression against workers in the People's Republic of China, the IMF joins the ICFTU in a formal complaint to the ILO (IMF - International Metalworkers' Federation, 4 Apr. 2002)

Civic Groups Condemn Abuse of Chinese Migrant Workers [South Korea]: Civic groups in South Kyongsang Province gathered yesterday in Pusan to denounce a local tire manufacturer accused of violating the basic rights of Chinese migrant workers through unfair contracts. (Soh Ji-young, Korea Times, 4 Apr. 2002)

UFCW Statement on Immigrant Worker Rights: Response to U.S. Supreme Court Decision Hoffman Plastics v. National Labor Relations Board -...Congress can and should immediately correct this decision with the passage of very simple language that provides for uniform remedies for workers who are illegally fired-regardless of immigration status. (UFCW - United Food and Commercial Workers Union, 3 Apr. 2002)

HIV/AIDS: India Announces New National Policy To Control Disease [prohibiting violations of rights to education, work and privacy of HIV-infected patients] (UN Wire, 3 Apr. 2002)

Occupational illnesses on rise in China: Health damages and illnesses associated with poor working conditions are plaguing an increasing number of Chinese workers, as necessary protective measures are often ignored, according to China's health authorities...Workers in the industries of coal production, metallurgy, building materials, nonferrous metals, machinery and chemicals run especially high risks of suffering occupational illnesses. (Xinhua, in China Daily [China], 2 Apr. 2002) 

{···français} Emploi - Poussées par la justice, des grandes entreprises indemnisent les militants dont la carrière a été pénalisée par leur engagement syndical [France] - Discrimination syndicale les entreprises se rachètent une conduite:...Les exemples de la SNCF et de EDF démontrent une chose que la France ne voulait pas voir : la discrimination syndicale n'est pas uniquement pratiquée dans quelques groupes emblématiques de l'antisyndicalisme comme Citroën et Michelin. La CGT, première organisation à s'être mobilisée sur le sujet, a établi une liste de plus de soixante-dix entreprises «discriminantes». Parmi celles-ci, on trouve le gratin de l'économie française : Renault, Aérospatiale (maintenant EADS), Matra, Thales, Framatome, Snecma, la SNPE, Comurex, Sollac, Ugine, Delphi, mais aussi la RATP, ou encore des PME comme TLD Tracma, près de Tours. (Hervé Nathan, Libération [France], 2 avril 2002)

Farmer accused of torturing workers [Namibia]: The Police are investigating allegations that a karakul sheep farmer tortured two of his employees with a cattle prodder to force them to give information about the theft of 170 sheep. One of the farmworkers, Thomas Topnaar, suffered severe injuries to his testicles. (Max Hamata, The Namibian, 2 Apr. 2002)

EEOC [U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] initiates talks with small businesses on employment of individuals with disabilities (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1 Apr. 2002)

Burma Democracy Campaigners Target U.S. Energy Firm: Burma Campaign UK launched a campaign last week aimed at persuading energy firm Amerada Hess to withdraw its 25 percent stake in the British company Premier Oil, which operates a major pipeline in Myanmar (Carol Nahra, OneWorld UK, 1 Apr. 2002)

Workplace Cacophony Leads to Compensation [Hong Kong]: Hong Kong's government plans to tackle at least one of these occupational hazards — making employees of mah-jongg parlors eligible for compensation for loss of hearing suffered on the job...In addition to mah-jongg workers, the Hong Kong authorities added three other professions to their list of dangerously noisy jobs: disc jockeys, waiters and bartenders, and workers in slaughterhouses who electrocute pigs. (Mark Landler, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2002)

Province probes 'sweatshop conditions' [Canada]: Vancouver garment maker [Eminent Knitting Ltd] is target of investigation (Chad Skelton, Vancouver Sun [Canada], 1 Apr. 2002)

Company faces death charges [New Zealand]: A Hamilton company [Gremara Holdings] will face charges over the death of a roading contractor crushed by a seven-tonne road roller last year. (New Zealand Herald, 1 Apr. 2002)

Manipulating Code of Conduct [India] - According to an article published by a leading Indian monthly Apparel Views, "Codes of conduct have also given rise to a new need for the industry to look for sophisticated methods of manipulating the code standards. This invariably leads to double books, hiding facts, coaching workers to give tutored answers to auditors and faking records..." (CSR World, quoting Apparel Views, Apr. 2002)

The Cost of Living Richly: Citigroup’s Global Finance and Threats to the Environment - Citi-financed projects, say environmentalists, are promoting environmental insecurity — not only damaging local ecosystems, but undermining the livelihood of communities around the world and threatening the well-being of people across the globe through climate change (Ilyse Hogue, global finance campaigner with the Rainforest Action Network, in Multinational Monitor, Apr. 2002)

Report on the Working Conditions of Soccer and Football Workers in Mainland China [refers to factories producing for Puma, Wilson, Umbro, Diadora, Adidas] (Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee, Apr. 2002)