website of the IUF in Asia/Pacific – uniting food, farm and hotel workers
There are around 10,000 Burmese workers living in Japan at present, many of whom fled the military dictatorship because of political persecution. As with migrant workers in many other countries, they struggle to find work and face difficulties because of discrimination and problems concerning legal status.
The demonstration is part of an international support campaign launched by the IUF and its affiliates in conjunction with the campaign of the IUF-affiliated trade union UNITE (of the UK) to defend the rights of agency workers who supply meat products to Tesco. Earlier in the year, IUF affiliates around the world helped with a successful campaign for the rights of agency workers supplying meat products to Marks & Spencer (a large UK retailer). That campaign not only delivered better working conditions and job security to agency workers, but also resulted in 13,000 new union members for UNITE.
Below is a slightly amended version of an article which originally appeared in the August/September 2008 issue of “Land Worker” the newspaper for rural, agricultural and allied workers of the IUF-affiliated UNITE-T&G of Britain. The article discusses the IUF Global Meat Workers Conference, which was held on 23-24 June 2008 in Eastbourne, Britain, and hosted by UNITE-T&G.
Meat workers from all over the world met to discuss a global organising strategy for their industry, in the union’s Eastbourne centre. It could not have been more timely with news of the takeover of UK poultry firm Moy Park by Brazilian company Marfrig, and the takeover of the Grampian Country Food Group by Dutch company Vion. Workers from 15 countries compared wages, conditions, and health and safety, then launched a campaign to improve them everywhere by supporting each other.
After 20 years of policy neglect at the International Labour Organisation (ILO), agriculture has re-emerged for discussion and policy development. Given the present crisis in world food prices and the ongoing crisis of employment and lack of rights for agriculture workers, concrete actions from the ILO are imperative.
James Ritchie, National Secretary, New Zealand Dairy Workers Union
At the 2008 International Labour Conference (ILC) the Committee on Promotion of Rural Employment for Poverty Reduction is the location for key policy development on agriculture. James Ritchie, National Secretary of the IUF-affiliated New Zealand Dairy Workers Union, was chosen as Chair of the Workers’ Group of the Committee. Following is Brother Ritchie’s opening speech to the full Committee on 28 May 2008. (The Committee report prepared by the ILO is available here).
The IUF-affiliated Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU), which represents hotel workers in Australia, has launched a major campaign to improve conditions of workers in the luxury segment of the industry. Highlights from the union’s campaign launch appear in the video above. Continued…
On 11 February 2007 a fire swept through the Yeosu Immigration Controls Office, a detention facility which holds undocumented workers. The fire killed nine workers and wounded 18 others. The fatalities occurred because prison officials refused to release workers from their cells. The Migrant workers Trade Union (MTU) of Korea has issued a statement and call to action which is reprinted here (sample protest fax linked below). Continued…
IUF Global Newswire LabourStart
