Business & Human Rights: Labour June-July 2002

Threats of Violence and Intimidation Intensify Against Shangri-La [Hotel] Workers [Indonesia] (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations, Asia & Pacific Regional Secretariat, 10 July 2002)

China's labor unrest not likely to lead to reforms (Julie Chao, Cox News Service, 8 July 2002)

BMI accused of anti-union ploy [UK] - BMI British Midland has been accused of squeezing out militant members of the cabin staff through a restructuring which will abolish a senior rank on each short-haul flight. (Andrew Clark, Guardian [UK], 8 July 2002)

Initiative to Test Berkeley Voters' Coffee Conscience [USA] -...After gathering 3,000 signatures, Mr. Young's voter initiative requiring that all cups of coffee sold in Berkeley be Fair Trade, shade-grown or organic has qualified for the November ballot. If it passes, it would make this the only city in the nation with an official coffee policy. (Evelyn Nieves, New York Times, 7 July 2002)

A great city's people forced to stop drinking swill [Berkeley, USA]? Berkeley ordinance would ban all but politically correct coffee - Berkeley, a place passionate about coffee and progressive politics, could become the only city in the nation to ban coffee not grown with strict protections for workers and the environment. (Charles Burress, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 June 2002)

Pennies an Hour, and No Way Up -...Two billion people in the world make less than two American dollars a day. As voters and consumers of sweatshop products, Americans can make a difference in ending the miserable conditions under which these people work...Under our customs laws, we ban imports made with inmate and indentured labor, so why not extend the ban to include those made with sweatshop and child labor? (Tom Hayden & Charles Kernaghan, in New York Times, 6 July 2002)

Law Reports: UK violates trade unionists' right to freedom of assembly - European Court of Human Rights - Wilson and Others v United Kingdom -...The use of financial incentives to induce employees to surrender their right to trade union representation for collective bargaining was a violation of the freedom of assembly and association, as guaranteed by article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights. (Times [UK], 5 July 2002)

Gucci's Label Tarnished - Gucci fashion outlets have been targeted for their down-market labour practices with a colourful protest outside a Sydney [Australia] CBD outlet...Robertson went on to describe a pattern of denial of the rights of PPR [Gucci's parent company Pinault-Printemps-Redoute] workers globally. (Workers Online, Labor Council of New South Wales, 5 July 2002)

New Initiative to Combat Child Slave Labor in Cocoa Fields Hailed - The launch of a new initiative to fight child and slave labor in West African cocoa fields, announced this week in Geneva, is being hailed as a new landmark in pressuring big corporations to take responsibility for social and working conditions in impoverished countries where they buy their primary commodities. (Jim Lobe, One World, 4 July 2002)

Trade unions urge World Summit leaders to strengthen social & employment dimensions of new text for WSSD [World Summit on Sustainable Development] [includes call to make improvements on wording about corporate accountability] (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 4 July 2002)

{···español} Los sindicatos instan a los líderes a reforzar las dimensiones sociales y laborales del nuevo texto de la Cumbre Mundial sobre Desarrollo Sostenible (Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres, 4 julio 2002)

{···français} Les syndicats engagent les dirigeants du sommet mondial a renforcer les dimensions sociales et de l’emploi dans le nouveau texte qui émanera du sommet mondial du développement durable (SMDD) (Confédération internationale des syndicats libres, 4 juillet 2002)

The struggle for free trade unionism in Bahrain - During the General Assembly of the General Committee of Bahrain Workers last week, a historic and democratic vote was taken to establish the first free trade union in the Gulf, the General Federation of Bahrain Workers (GFBW). Only days later, the Ministry of Labour demanded that the vote be rescinded. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 3 July 2002)

{···español} La lucha de Bahrein por el sindicalismo libre (Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres, 4 julio 2002)

{···français} Le combat en faveur d'un syndicalisme libre au Bahreïn (Confédération internationale des syndicats libres, 4 juillet 2002)

Trade unions campaign against child labor [Indonesia] - Trade unions vowed on Monday to fight the child slave and sex industry in Indonesia and called for legislation banning work for children aged under 18. (Jakarta Post, 3 July 2002)

Protest letter against the oppression of trade union activities in Turkey (from General Secretary of International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, to President of Turkey, 3 July 2002)

Labor board files complaint against Mission Linen [USA] - The National Labor and Relations Board has issued a complaint against Mission Linen for unfair labor practices...The complaint makes 16 separate charges against the Flagstaff plant, alleging that management at the plant promised wage increases and increased benefits if employees refrained from joining the union. The complaints also allege that management at the plant threatened employees with firing and loss of benefits if they tried to organize. (Arizona Daily Sun, 3 July 2002)

Senate [New York State Senate] approves anti-sweatshop bill [USA] -...The bill would prohibit the State Office of General Services from purchasing uniforms and other apparel produced in sweatshops...The Senate bill is similar to a recent law enacted by New York City concerning its apparel purchases. Provisions of the Senate bill include:...Allowing SUNY, CUNY and community colleges to ask if their apparel providers use 'sweatshops' in the production of their clothing. (Senate Republican Majority, New York State Senate, 2 July 2002)

Farm probe to focus on conditions for workers [South Africa] - The SA [South Africa] Human Rights Commission is launching its national inquiry into human rights abuses in farming communities after receiving several complaints from the public. The commission will hold hearings into all aspects of farming. These include farm killings, working conditions, child labour, education, land rights and tenure rights. (Business Day, 2 July 2002)

European court ruling victory for UK unions -... The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday ruled in favour of a journalist and a group of dockworkers who were told they could not have pay rises unless they signed personal contracts accepting not to be represented by a trade union. (Mary Watkins, Financial Times, 2 July 2002)

Union members win equal rights - Employers in the UK are unlawfully allowed to discriminate against workers who want to join a union, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. (BBC News, 2 July 2002)

Unions win ruling in European Court of Human Rights (Trades Union Congress [UK], 2 July 2002)

Despite upsurge in litigation, China's courts fail to redress labor abuses (Philip P. Pan, Washington Post, in Seattle Times, 2 July 2002)

SAHRC holds its first public hearings on farming communities in the Western Cape [South Africa] - As part of its effort to promote the culture of human rights in farming communities, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will conduct provincial hearings on human rights in farming communities. (South African Human Rights Commission, 1 July 2002)

New York Forced Labor Marks First for U.S. Trafficking Law -...In an indictment issued late last month, the United States attorney in Buffalo charged that the six contractors [who contract migrant labor for farmers] transported and held several dozens of migrants whom they recruited in Arizona in illegal and unsafe conditions and forced them to work to repay more than $1,000 each for the cost of their transportation, food, rent, and utilities. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 1 July 2002)

ILO finds "encouraging signs of improvement" in working conditions in Cambodian garment factories - The International Labour Office (ILO) today reported "encouraging signs of improvement" of working conditions in some 30 garment factories located in Cambodia which produce apparel for sale in North America, Europe and other developed countries. The "Third Synthesis Report on the Working Conditions Situation in Cambodia's Garment Sector" provides an overview of progress made by the factories in implementing suggestions made by ILO monitors. (International Labour Organization, 1 July 2002)

{···español} La OIT encuentra indicios alentadores de mejora en las condiciones de trabajo en las fábricas de confección textil de Camboya (Organización Internacional del Trabajo, 1 julio 2002)

{···français} Le BIT décèle des «signes encourageants d'amélioration» dans les conditions de travail des usines de confection du Cambodge (Organisation internationale du Travail, 1 juillet 2002)
full report (English only): Third Synthesis Report on the Working Conditions Situation in Cambodia's Garment Sector (Garment Sector Working Conditions Improvement Project, Kingdom of Cambodia, International Labour Organization, June 2002)

All Party Parliamentary Group on Corporate Social Responsibility [UK] - 1 July 2002 - Submission by Sir Geoffrey Chandler, Founder-Chair, Amnesty International UK Business Group 1991-2001 and former senior executive Royal Dutch/Shell Group -... CSR [corporate social responsibility] will be largely cosmetic if there is no commitment to labour conditions based on acceptable standards for a company's own employees and its supply chains, if there is no acceptance of responsibility for the environmental and human rights impact of its operations, if there is no monitoring and reporting on that impact as rigorous in principle as reporting on money. (Sir Geoffrey Chandler, 1 July 2002)

Longer hours lead to lawsuits over pay [USA] [regarding lawsuits about unpaid overtime; refers to Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, Rite Aid, Bank of America, Pacific Bell, Farmers Insurance Group] (Fay Hansen, Christian Science Monitor, 1 July 2002)

BHP Billiton - Not just a new face - a new beginning? -...From the Canadian Arctic where it is facing an environmental prosecution, to South America, displacing indigenous people, to labour rights in Mozambique, to Papua New Guinea and clean up of massive destruction caused by two decades of Ok Tedi mining, BHP Billiton has a long path of reform ahead. (Mineral Policy Institute, 1 July 2002)

company website: BHP Billiton (BHP Billiton)

Beyond Good Deeds: Case Studies and a New Policy Agenda for Corporate Accountability [coverage includes oil industry & high tech industry; environment; pollution & its impact on human health; health & safety in the workplace; labour rights; security arrangements & human rights abuses; supply chain; codes of conduct; legal accountability; case studies on: Nigeria - Chevron & Shell; Azerbaijan & Kazakhstan - Unocal & Chevron; Ecuador - Occidental; Peru - Shell; Taiwan - Shengli Chemical Co.; Thailand - Seagate Technology, Advanced Micro Devices, Read-Rite, IBM, Lucent Technology, Hana Microelectronics, Philips; India; Malaysia - Seagate Technology, Agilent Technologies, Advanced Micro Devices, Intel, Dell, Fairchild Semiconductor, Integrated Device Technology, Iomega, Knowles Electronics, KOMAG USA, Linear Semiconductor, MCMS, Motorola Technology, Quantum Peripherals, Solectron Technology, Xircom Operations; Costa Rica - Intel, Romic; California] (Michelle Leighton, Naomi Roht-Arriaza & Lyuba Zarsky, California Global Corporate Accountability Project, July 2002)

Bonded Labor in Israel - The indenture of foreign workers to their employers: A policy and its consequences -...The Israeli government not only repeatedly allows the massive "import" of foreign workers, but it binds over each and every one of them to a specific employer. This gives employers untrammeled freedom to violate all the legal rights of the workers in bondage to them. Complaints to the police or to the Ministry of Labor about the criminal offenses of employers are almost always ignored. (Kav La'Oved Newsletter [Israel], July 2002)

Critics say U.S. garment trade is booming because laws are ignored - The apparel business in the United States has become a $50 billion-a-year industry that employs about 600,000 people. The reason for the boom, critics say, is that the U.S. government has allowed many shops to give workers no more protection than they would have in a Third World country. (Sherwood Ross, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2002)

Scores hurt in 3-day riot at HK-owned factory [China] - Thousands of workers at a Hong Kong-owned textile factory in Guangdong fought running battles with security guards in a three-day riot that left scores injured, media and officials said...Local officials said they did not know what sparked the violence at the factory. But the Yangcheng Evening News said it began on Monday after security guards armed with sharpened iron piping beat up one worker. (South China Morning Post [Hong Kong], 29 June 2002)

Poor work conditions fuel unrest in China - The plight of millions of migrant workers toiling for meagre wages in southern China has been thrown under the spotlight by a three-day textile worker riot. It started after security guards beat up an employee for jumping a meal queue. (James Kynge, Financial Times, 29 June 2002)

2,000 Women Retirees Protest in Daqing [China] - China Labour Bulletin has learned that over 2,000 retired women workers of Daqing Petroleum Administration Bureau (DPAB) staged protests in front of the bureau's headquarters on 24 June, 2002 to demand better pension payments. The women pensioners receive only 50 yuan a month from the DPAB. The wage necessary for a minimum standard of living in the poorer cities of China usually averages around 150 yuan per capita per month. (China Labour Bulletin, 28 June 2002)

ILO Reaffirms Need to Reinstate Dismissed Shangri-La Jakarta Unionists [Indonesia] (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 28 June 2002)

{···español} Solidaridad internacional con los/as trabajadores/as del Hotel Shangri-La de Yakarta al tiempo que la OIT afirma la necesidad de su reintegro [Indonesia] (UITA - Unión Internacional de los Trabajadores de la alimentación, Agrícolas, Hoteles, Restaurantes, Tabaco y Afines, 2 julio 2002)

{···français} L’OIT réaffirme la nécessité de la réintégration des travailleurs/euses de l’hôtel Shangri-La de Djakarta [Indonésie] (UITA - Union internationale des travailleurs de l’alimentation, de l’agriculture, de l’hôtellerie- restauration, du tabac et des branches connexes, 1 juillet 2002)

Profit at all costs: Irish and Spanish multinationals flout international standards in Georgia [refers to labour rights issues relating to multinationals Iberdrola & ESB International] (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 28 June 2002)

{···español} Ganancias a toda costa: Multinacionales irlandesas y españolas [ESB International & Iberdrola] se burlan de las normas internacionales en Georgia (Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres, 1 julio 2002)

{···français} Le profit à tout prix: des multinationales irlandaises et espagnoles [ESB International & Iberdrola] bafouent les normes internationales en Géorgie (Confédération internationale des syndicats libres, 1 juillet 2002)

Chinese Workers' Rights Stop at Courtroom Door - The government has granted workers only one imperfect weapon to defend themselves during the country's bumpy transition from socialism to capitalism: filing a lawsuit. Over the past decade, the number of workers doing so has skyrocketed, from barely 17,000 in 1992 to nearly half a million in 2000, according to government statistics...But it [the Communist Party] has refused to establish a truly independent judiciary, fearful that doing so might threaten its monopoly on power. (Philip P. Pan, Washington Post, 28 June 2002)

Corporate Human Rights -...For several years, a small group of lawyers and labor advocates has been trying to hold transnational companies responsible for their actions by suing them in the United States for abetting and/or benefiting from human rights abuses overseas. [refers to lawsuits against Unocal, Shell, Texaco, Rio Tinto, Coca-Cola, Del Monte, DynCorp, Drummond Company, ExxonMobil] (David Corn, The Nation, 27 June 2002)

What has the ACFTU done? [China] – An Interview with the Wife of a Jixi Mine Blast Victim - On June 20, a gas explosion with 115 fatalities took place at the Chengzihe Coal Mine in Jixi, a city in Heilongjiang province. On June 25, a victim’s wife told China Labour Bulletin that the compensation offered by the Jixi Mining Bureau (JMB) was unreasonable, and that the mine was guarded by the police to prevent further negotiations with the victims’ families. (China Labour Bulletin, 27 June 2002)

Outworkers - the real fashion victims (Part I) [Australia] - Campaign aims to end exploitation - An estimated 300,000 clothing outworkers know the true cost of fashion in Australia. (Katie Franklin, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 27 June 2002)

Outworkers - the real fashion victims (Part II) [Australia] - On the road to regulation - A New South Wales Government campaign to better protect outworkers in the clothing industry hinges on a new code of conduct, but compliance with the code will remain an issue (Katie Franklin, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 27 June 2002)

Outworkers - the real fashion victims (Part III) [Australia] - From Trash to Tiaras - Melbourne fashion label Hunter Gatherer is quickly making a name for itself...the clothes are made without the exploitation of outwokers. (Katie Franklin, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 27 June 2002)

Workers, employers may take disputes to court [Indonesia] - The House of Representatives is expected to pass soon a long-awaited bill on the settlement of industrial disputes, which will allow workers and employers to take their disputes to labor courts. (Jakarta Post, 27 June 2002)

Day of Action for South Korea: June 27, thousands of trade unionists around the world take protest action calling for the immediate release of imprisoned trade unionists in South Korea (International Metalworkers' Federation, 27 June 2002)

Internationally Binding Legislation and Litigation for the Enforcement of Labour Rights - This international seminar brought together lawyers, NGOs and Trade Unions to explore the legal possibilities for holding multinational corporations (MNCs) responsible for labour rights in their operations outside their home countries. (Clean Clothes Campaign and IRENE, report on seminar held in Germany, 26 - 28 June 2002)

Hotel legal dispute drags on [Indonesia] - Despite pressure from the International Labor Organization for the rehiring of some dismissed workers, the Shangri-La Hotel management is insisting on awaiting the Supreme Court's decision on its appeal. (Jakarta Post, 26 June 2002)

Let Them Sweat -...sweatshops are the only hope of kids like Ahmed Zia, a 14-year-old boy here in Attock [Pakistan], a gritty center for carpet weaving. (Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times, 25 June 2002)

Third-World Workers - Nicholas D. Kristof is correct when he says multinational companies can benefit workers in third-world countries, but wrong when he suggests that sweatshop jobs are better than no jobs at all. (Letter to the Editor of New York Times, from Doug Cahn, V.P., Human Rights Programs, Reebok International, 2 July 2002)

BASF publishes its report Social Responsibility 2001: Report independently verified for the first time -...The report focuses on BASF's activities in key areas such as employees, the community, human rights, markets and dialogue. (BASF, 25 June 2002)

The whole world wants Ivanhoe to withdraw from Burma - As the Canadian-based Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.'s holds its annual shareholders meeting today in Vancouver, the Canadian Labour Congress and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) are urging the company to end its mining joint venture with the Burmese military regime and withdraw its investments from Burma...Ivanhoe's Monywa Copper Mine...is the largest foreign mining investment in Burma and has been linked to the mass conscription of forced labour as well as the severe environmental degradation of the surrounding area. (Canadian Labour Congress and ICEM, 25 June 2002)

company website: Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.

Suits Say Wal-Mart Forces Workers to Toil Off the Clock [USA] - Federal and state laws bar employers from making hourly employees work unpaid hours. Wal-Mart's policies forbid such work. But many current and former workers and managers said an intense focus on cost cutting had created an unofficial policy that encouraged managers to request or require off-the-clock work and avoid paying overtime. Accusations like these are at the heart of a wide-ranging legal battle between Wal-Mart and employees or former employees in 28 states. (Steven Greenhouse, New York Times, 25 June 2002)

Union says labor relations remain tense in Indonesia - Despite the lifting of the worst restrictions on labor union rights in 2000, many others still remain and labor relations have become increasingly tense, with many incidents of violent physical attacks on strikers, according to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). (Jakarta Post, 24 June 2002)

Norske Skog Signs Global Labour Agreement: ICEM agreement with paper multinational guarantees worker rights worldwide - Worker rights in its operations worldwide are guaranteed by leading paper multinational Norske Skog under a global agreement signed with trade unions today. (ICEM - International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions, 24 June 2002)

text of the agreement: Agreement between Fellesforbundet/ICEM and Norske Skogindustrier ASA on the development of good working relations in Norske Skogindustrier's worldwide operations (ICEM and Norske Skogindustrier, 24 June 2002)

company press release: Norske Skog in global agreement to guarantee employee rights (Norske Skog, 24 June 2002)

China to Promote Democracy in State, Collective-owned Factories - State and collective-owned factories plus those with shares mainly held by state or collective-owned companies should open up their internal affairs to all their staff. The general offices of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council made this call in a joint circular dated June 3 (Xinhuanet, 23 June 2002)

NOW Blasts Wal-Mart Workplace Abuses, Names the Company a Merchant of Shame [USA] - "Today the National Organization for Women is naming Wal-Mart — the nation's largest company with close to one million employees — a Merchant of Shame," said NOW President Kim Gandy. "Wal-Mart faces numerous allegations of sex discrimination in pay, promotion and compensation; of wage abuses, violation of child labor laws and the Americans with Disabilities Act; exclusion of contraceptive coverage in employee insurance plans and discrimination on the basic of sexual orientation. (National Organization for Women [USA], 22 June 2002)

In Search Of A Better Deal For Informal Workers - Government officials, workers and employers assembled in Geneva for the 19th annual International Labour Conference this month to find solutions to the problems facing workers who fall outside labour regulation. (Mail & Guardian [South Africa], 21 June 2002)

High street shops under attack for their ethics [UK] - High street shops have scored poorly in a survey rating businesses on their support for ethical trading practices. The survey...awarded marks to businesses according to their stance on issues such as child labour, poverty wages and poor working conditions. The Co-op, Body Shop and DIY chain B&Q all scored highly. But the survey said most high street shops either had no code of conduct to cover unfair trading issues, refused to publish one or declined to allow their codes to be independently checked. (Henrykl Zientek, Huddersfield Daily Examiner [UK], 20 June 2002)

ILO annual Conference adopts new measures to tackle the challenges of globalization - The International Labour Organization (ILO) concluded its 90th annual Conference today after adopting a series of measures designed to promote a more rigorous approach to tackling the challenges of globalization and create an "anchor" for personal security through poverty reduction, job creation and improved workplace health and safety. (International Labour Organization, 20 June 2002)

LABOR: ILO Ends Meeting By Adopting New Measures On Globalization (UN Wire, 21 June 2002)

Confusion at the ILO? China's Government Elected to Governing Body as...Worker Delegate - For decades, there has been a general consensus in the democratic labour movement that the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) is a component part of the Party/state power structure in China, i.e. the Chinese "unions" represent the state (backed by the army and police) and not the workers...[L]ast week's vote by a divided Workers' Group at the International Labour Conference where a small majority decided to give the ACFTU a seat as an alternate worker delegate on the ILO Governing Body...will unavoidably be seen as a softening of international labour's commitment to defending the right of Chinese workers to independent trade unions. (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 19 June 2002)

{···français} Confusion à l’OIT? Le gouvernement chinois élu au Conseil d’administration à titre de … délégué des travailleurs/euses (UITA - Union internationale des travailleurs de l’alimentation, de l’agriculture, de l’hôtellerie- restauration, du tabac et des branches connexes, 20 juin 2002)

French Multinational Retailers 'Most Backward in OECD' - French multinational retailers, and in particular the retail giant Pinault-Printemps-Redoute, were today dubbed ‘the most backward in the OECD’ when it comes to corporate social responsibility. Speaking at an OECD roundtable on corporate responsibility, Neil Kearney, General Secretary of the Brussels-based International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation slammed PPR for violating labour standards in its own operations and those of its suppliers. (ITGLWF - International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation, 19 June 2002)

full text of Neil Kearney's speech: Speech by Neil Kearney to OECD Roundtable on Corporate Responsibility: Multinational retailers fuelling worker abuse from factory to store (Neil Kearney, General Secretary of International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation, 19 June 2002)

Colombia most dangerous nation for union members [referring to annual survey by International Confederation of Free Trade Unions] (South African Press Association & AP, in Business Report [South Africa], 19 June 2002)

ICFTU condemns abuses of all core labour standards in India in new report - In a new report on India, produced to coincide with the 19-21 June WTO trade policy review, the ICFTU has condemned flagrant violations of workers’ trade union rights, including violence against trade union activists. The report also highlights “widespread child labour” with approximately 50 million children at work, at least 50% of whom are engaged in dangerous professions. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 19 June 2002)

{···español} En un nuevo informe, la CIOSL condena Ios abusos cometidos en la India contra las normas fundamentales del trabajo (Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres, 19 junio 2002)

Colombia's Ecopetrol on strike after unionist murdered (PetroleumWorld, 19 June 2002)

Colombian oil workers strike over killing - Colombia's USO oil workers' union said on Tuesday it was beginning a 48-hour strike in protest at the latest killing of one of its officials. (Reuters, 18 June 2002)

Nike may move back in to Cambodia: New scrutiny of labour laws bring transparency - U.S. sportswear giant Nike may be about to make a comeback in Cambodia, two years after a television documentary on underage girl workers prompted the company to stop using factories in the country...Nike's possible change of heart has come about following the launch of independent monitoring in the country by the International Labour Organization. (National Post [Canada], 18 June 2002)

2001 Grim for Trade Unions, New Survey Shows - Labor unions around the world faced a difficult year in 2001 due both to direct and sometimes violent repression, as well as the continuing pursuit by major multinational corporations of cheap labor in poor countries, according to the latest in a series of annual reports by the Brussels-based International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 18 June 2002)

Anti-union repression still on the rise worldwide - The ICFTU’s Annual Survey on trade union rights violations, which covers 132 countries and territories across the world, notes 223 cases of murdered or “disappeared” trade unionists in 2001 (i.e. 14 more than in 2000), with a terrifying record number of 201 assassinations or disappearances in Colombia alone. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 18 June 2002)

{···español} Sigue aumentando la represión antisindical en el mundo - Informe 2002 de la CIOSL: 223 sindicalistas asesinados (Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres, 18 junio 2002)

{···español} Informe anual 2002 sobre las violaciones de los derechos sindicales

{···español} África: Empeora la represión antisindical

{···español} Europa: aumenta la precariedad

{···español} América Latina: índice récord de asesinatos

{···español} Los derechos sindicales en Oriente Medio: un paisaje represivo

{···español} Asia y el Pacífico: una región caracterizada por violencia y hostigamiento

{···français} La répression antisyndicale dans le monde encore à la hausse - Rapport 2002 de la CISL: 223 syndicalistes assassinés (Confédération internationale des syndicats libres, 18 juin 2002)

{···français} Rapport Annuel 2002 des violations des droits syndicaux

{···français} Afrique : la répression antisyndicale se durcit

{···français} Asie et Pacifique: une région marquée par la violence et le harcèlement

{···français} Europe: la précarité gagne du terrain

{···français} Amérique latine: taux record d'assassinats

{···français} Droits syndicaux au Moyen-Orient: un paysage répressif et cadenassé

Over 200 Religious, Labor, and Human Rights Groups Calls on M&M/Mars to Offer Fair Trade Chocolate - Groups Say Consumers Would Be Shocked to Learn How Bitterness of Exploitation Taints Their Favorite Chocolate - More than 200 religious organizations, labor, consumer, environmental, public health, and human rights groups are calling on M&M/Mars to ensure fair labor practices for cocoa workers. (Global Exchange, 17 June 2002)

Senate Hearing to Expose Widespread Employer Tactics to Deny Workers the Freedom to Improve Their Lives with Unions [USA] - AFL-CIO President John Sweeney to Join Workers and Experts in First Congressional Hearing in More Than a Decade on Workers' Right to Form Unions (AFL-CIO, 17 June 2002)

Striking Ecuadorian Banana Workers to Visit Europe as International Support Builds - Over 1,400 workers on Ecuador's banana plantations have been struggling against violence and repression for basic human rights since February this year...The European visit will build additional pressure on the government of Ecuador and the Noboa Corporation, the world's fourth largest banana company and owner of the Bonita brand, for recognition of the workers' rights. (IUF - International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations, 17 June 2002)

{···español} Trabajadores bananeros ecuatorianos en huelga visitarán Europa como consolidación del apoyo internacional -...La visita a Europa aportará presión adicional en favor del reconocimiento de los derechos de los/as trabajadores/as contra el gobierno de Ecuador y la Corporación Noboa, la cuarta compañía bananera del mundo y la propietaria de la marca Bonita. (UITA - Unión Internacional de los Trabajadores de la alimentación, Agrícolas, Hoteles, Restaurantes, Tabaco y Afines, 17 junio 2002)

{···français} Les grévistes équatoriens/nes de la banane en visite en Europe alors que le soutien international prend de l'ampleur -...La visite européenne vise à augmenter la pression sur le gouvernement équatorien et la société Noboa, quatrième producteur mondial de bananes et propriétaire de la marque Bonita, afin qu’ils reconnaissent les droits des travailleurs/euses. (UITA - Union internationale des travailleurs de l’alimentation, de l’agriculture, de l’hôtellerie- restauration, du tabac et des branches connexes, 17 juin 2002)

Bad business in Burma - In a boon for human rights and corporate responsibility, a Superior Court judge in California last week refused to dismiss a suit charging that the energy company Unocal is liable for human rights abuses perpetrated by the military junta in Burma while the regime was under contract to provide security for Unocal and its partners in a natural gas pipeline project. (editorial, Boston Globe, 16 June 2002)

‘The Party Is Over’ - A California judge has paved the way for Burmese workers to sue oil giant Unocal over ‘slave labor’ working conditions. Should other multinationals be concerned? (Newsweek, 21 June 2002)

Unocal to Face Suit on Human Rights - The Unocal Corporation, the oil and gas company, faces a September trial over charges that it was responsible for human rights abuses during the construction of a $1.3 billion pipeline in Myanmar, the plaintiffs' lawyer said today. (Reuters, in New York Times, 12 June 2002)

Judge OKs Unocal Abuse Lawsuit - A group of Burmese refugees won a landmark victory Tuesday when a Los Angeles judge ruled that Unocal Corp. could be tried for human rights violations, including forced labor, that allegedly occurred during construction of a $1.2-billion natural gas pipeline in Myanmar. (Lisa Girion, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2002)

Unocal Will Stand Trial Over Myanmar Venture - In a First, Judge Rules U.S. Company May Be Liable for Overseas Abuses (Peter Waldman, Wall Street Journal, 11June 2002)

U.S. firms face suits for overseas acts: New twist on anti-pirate law blurs borders, extends liability ...Some suits charge companies with polluting foreign lands, others with violating human rights [refers to lawsuits in U.S. courts against Unocal, ChevronTexaco, Gap, Levi Strauss] (David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 June 2002)

Belarus government liquidates free trade unionism: And gets elected to ILO Governing body (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 14 June 2002)

{···español} El gobierno de Bielorrusia acaba con el sindicalismo libre (Confederación Internacional de Organizaciones Sindicales Libres, 17 junio 2002)