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January 2012 - Constructors Intenational Meeting in Damascus |
 On 20-22 of January 2012 an International Meeting jointly organized by UITBB and the Professional Federation of Construction Workers of Syria was held in Damascus, Syria, on the subject: The developments in the Middle East and the Mediterranean area, the consequences for the constructions sector, the working class and the development of the anti-imperialist struggle.
Trade union delegates from Syria, Lebanon, Greece, Cyprus, Palestine, Yemen, Iraq, Sudan, India attended the meeting.
All the participants expressed their solidarity with the people of Syria as well as their determination to work for the strengthening of the struggle against the imperialist forces of USA-NATO-EU, for the right of the people to decide by themselves their own future.
We publish hereby the speech delivered by Yiannis Pasoulas, member of UITBB Secretariat and President of the Federation of Construction Workers of Greece at the meeting.
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Undocumented migrants are our brothers |
II European coordination meeting “Towards the European March”, Sunday 5th of February 2012- Torino (Italy)
The "Coalition Internationale des Collectifs de
Sans-Papiers" (CICSP) has decided to organize a joint march against the repressive laws adopted by European countries and stated among others the following demands:
- a global regularisation of all undocumented migrants;
- freedom of movement and of settlement for all;
- an end to abusive checks and ethnic profiling;
- an end to centres of custody for adult and child migrants.
The European March is due to take place in May 2012. It will walk through Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and France heading towards Brussels and Strasbourg. This march also covers undocumented migrants in Switzerland and in all EU-27countries.
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News on struggles and actions in Latin America |
La Secretaría regional de la FSM para las Américas acaba de publicar este 20 de enero 2012 su boletín electrónico número 215 . Para consultar los números anteriores pulse en Publicaciones sindicales .
Latest edition (in Spanish only) of the weekly electronic newsletter published by the WFTU regional office for the Americas, and archives.
Dernier numéro (en espagnol) du bulletin électronique publié par le Secrétariat régional de la FSM pour les Amériques, et ses archives.
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2012 01 05 - Free the Cuban Five petition |
 Day after day, more people in every corner of the world demand the immediate release of the Cuban Five . After a trial labelled unfair by many, including prominent North American voices, the Last Soldiers of the Cold War as the Brazilian writer Fernando Morais describes them, have already spent more than 13 years in highly restrictive prison compounds. These calls are now joined by various institutions and international bodies, which are aware of the fact that no evidence was produced at the court that the prisoners had acted against the internal security of the United States, but rather that they were fighting against terrorism defending their Cuban compatriots by denouncing the preparation of acts of sabotage against Cuba, thus preventing an irreparable loss of human lives.
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Australia: no more ABCC bashing workers , scrap it now! |
ABCC hangs on, but legislation to scrap it will be debated at Australian Parliament early next year
Dave Noonan, CFMEU Construction Secretary and Secretariat member of the UITBB, has written to us that despite their best efforts, the ABCC has received a stay of execution. The legislation introduced by Australian Labour Government to scrap this inquisitorial industrial police agency was not debated this year, and won't be back in Parliament until February at the earliest. So the fight continues in 2012. Some crossbenchers , which with a minority Labour government hold the balance of power, have said they need some more time to consider the Bill. So the CFMEU will continue to talk with them and explain the importance of abolishing this throwback to the days of WorkChoices , i.e. the anti-labour, anti-union, anti-strike and pro-sacking policy implemented by Howard’s Conservative government in 2005. Others, such as Bob Katter and Andrew Wilkie support the abolition of the ABCC. The Greens, who are allowing for the survival of the government, have indicated that they believe that the legislation should go further by abolishing coercive powers completely.
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CGTP thanks UITBB affiliates' solidarity |
"Get out from home, take the street"
CGTP-IN: MESSAGE OF THANKS FOR INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY AND INFORMATION AFTER THE 24TH NOVEMBER GENERAL STRIKE - THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES
With the workers’ participation in public and private workplaces, the immense attendance of demonstrations and rallies held on the day and the clear support of the public opinion, the 24 November general strike was a magnificent expression of strength and determination and a shining landmark in the struggle of the Portuguese men and women workers.
The general strike received solidarity greetings from dozens of trade union organizations from several continents, including solidarity events in front of Portuguese consulates abroad, all of these being important expressions of unity of purpose as well as internationalist and class-based solidarity which deeply honour us and stimulate the Portuguese workers and their necessary struggle.
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Pakistan - serious violations of labour rights |
Forced labour, child labour, discrimination and violations of trade union rights - all common practices in Pakistan
 UITBB Executive Committee member, brother Pirzada Imtiaz Syed has sent a recent report published by the GFTU & APFUTU on core labour standards in Pakistan, which reveals serious violations of fundamental workers’ rights including a high degree of prevalence of forced labour and poverty.
Both local suppliers and multinational enterprises make extensive use of anti-union practices including lock-outs, dismissals, unfavourable work assignments and eviction of union members in order to curtail union membership and activities. Employers often use contract labour to weaken bargaining power in Pakistan.
Many children are victims of the worst forms of child labour, mainly in brick kiln, carpet industries, agriculture, bangles industries, fisheries, local industries, and domestic servitude as well as, unfortunately, prostitution. They often have to carry too heavy loads, work long hours and handle pesticides and other dangerous substances. A survey found that 500 000 working children between the ages of 5 and 14 in brick kiln, agriculture, carpet industries, bangles industries, workshops, tea stalls perform unpaid work. Girls are often employed as domestic servants where they work long hours and are vulnerable to sexual and physical abuse.
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Solidarity with Greek metalworkers on strike |
 Lisbon, 19/11/2011 - The Secretariat of Trade Unions International of Workers in the Building, Wood and Building Materials Industries - UITBB, which met in Lisbon on Saturday 19th of November, unanimously expressed its class-oriented solidarity to the 400 metalworkers from the company Hellenic Halyvourgia (GREEK STEELWORKS), owned by George Manesis, who were on their 20th day of strike, to overthrow the company’s plans to proceed with dismissals and wage cuts.
The company has made huge profits during previous years. Nevertheless, the employer, Manesis, makes use of the anti-worker arsenal, which has been legislated by the PASOK Government together with the other parties of the plutocracy in order to crush the rights and the gains of the working class.
The capital and the employers are not undefeatable. The united and class based struggle can cancel their plans, can defeat them. Only the united struggle of the workers with the solidarity of the working class and of the other popular strata can compel Manesis to retreat.
UITBB Secretariat stands by these metalworkers in their struggle expressing its solidarity with and its support for their fight for the reintegration of colleagues, for the cancellation of the dismissals, for stable work without any wage reductions.
Long live to class oriented solidarity!
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Pakistan workers protest against price hikes and unemployment |
 Islamabad, 17 Nov 2011: Pakistan’s working class observed a national ‘Protest Day’ yesterday, against price hikes in essential commodities and aggravating unemployment among workers and youth owing to load shedding and prevaent anti-labour legislation, such as, the ‘Industrial Relations Ordinance’.
Protest marches took place in all major cities including Karachi, Faisalabad, Mardan, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Sialkot, Gujranwala, M.B.Din and Quetta, reports the All Pakistan Federation of United Trade Unions (APFUTU).
In the provincial metropolis, Islamabad, the main procession marched from the APFUTU-regional office, through Constitutional Avenue and ended with a rally outside the National Parliament.
The protesters carried banners in support of their demands while chanting slogans against feudalism, price-hikes and unemployment.
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Flemacon electronic Newsletter |
La Flemacon acaba de publicar este mes de noviembre 2011 su boletín electrónico número 03. Para consultar los números anteriores pulse en Publicaciones sindicales.
Latest edition (in Portuguese and Spanish only) of the electronic newsletter
published by the Flemacon, and archives.
Dernier numéro (en portugais et en espagnol) du bulletin électronique publié par la Flemacon, et ses archives.
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