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Visit the IMF website for regular updates on the IMF campaign to end labour rights abuses in Korea or sign up for IMF Action Alerts to be notified of urgent solidarity requests and campaign developments immediately when they arise.
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Dear President Lee Myung-bak,
I am writing to express my deep concern over the mass arrests of workers and members of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union who took part in a sit-in strike at the Ssangyong Motor plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi province.
I have been shocked to witness your government’s brutal response to this legitimate industrial dispute, specifically, the dropping of corrosive chemicals from helicopters, brutal attacks from taser guns that have inflicted life threatening injuries and the denial of access to food, water and even basic medical treatment for the injured. Violating human rights by denying their citizens food, water, medicine is unacceptable behavior from the state in any situation.
I strongly urge you to: immediately release all imprisoned union leaders and Ssangyong workers; drop all charges (criminal and civil) against individuals and organisations involved in the strike; and take a role in ensuring good faith, genuine negotiations towards guaranteeing the KMWU Ssangyong Motor members employment security.
Sincerely,
Thank you for taking ACTION!
Visit the IMF website for regular updates on the campaign to Stop the Violence Against Russian Unionists or sign up for IMF Action Alerts to be notified of urgent solidarity requests and campaign developments immediately when they arise.
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Alexei Etmanov, the leader of the Ford-Vsevelozhsk trade union and co-chairman of the Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA) has been the target of two brutal attacks on November 8 and 13, 2008. An anonymous caller following the first assault contacted the union and warned Etmanov to stop his union activities or "we will take away your life," the caller said. No one has been charged for the crimes. Other members of the ITUA have been assaulted, including the leaders of the local ITUA of Taganrog automobile plant, Alexei Gramm and Sergei Brizgalov. Those incidents were not investigated either.
The International Metalworkers´ Federation is carrying out a campaign to protect the leaders of ITUA, demanding that the Russian authorities conduct a complete investigation of all cases of the assaults and to punish the guilty ones – both those that took part and those who ordered the crimes to be committed.
Dear Mr. Chaika,
I am deeply alarmed by attacks and threats made to trade union leaders and activists in Russia. I am gravely concerned about the authorities' indifference to violations of fundamental human and labour rights and the failure to act promptly and effectively to ensure these rights are fully upheld and protected against any such attack.
I urge you to apply all your efforts in order to carry out an immediate, unbiased and transparent investigation into the attacks against Alexei Etmanov, the leader of the Ford-Vsevelozhsk trade union and co-chairman of the Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA) and the leaders of the local ITUA of Taganrog automobile plan Alexei Gramm and Sergei Bryzgalov, as well as the death threats made to Vladimir Lesik, vice chair person of the ITUA union at Ford-Vsevelozhsk plant.
Sincerely,
USA: The IMF Ford Network met the 22nd to the 24th of April in Detroit, bringing together 37 delegates from 12 countries representing all regions, to discuss how to further effective means of solidarity for workers across the company's production chain. The meeting sought ways to built on efforts underway since 2007.
Trade unions agreed to a number of concrete steps. Outcomes included means to furthering the network's coordination capacities, making progress towards an international framework agreement, exploring ways to support organizing Ford and supplier workers and defending trade union rights, as well as facilitating information exchange.
Participants were informed about two important struggles involving workers at Ford suppliers, which were brought directly to the attention of Ford management. Significant gains have been subsequently won by the workers and unions.
The first was the dramatic fight for justice for 610 Visteon workers, members of Unite the Union in the UK, who had been sacked with only a minute's notice, in the process denied their rightful redundancy pay and their pensions hit. Workers' fight-back for just compensation went beyond even the Ford redundancy terms and included as well the right to be considered for jobs at Ford, the former employer of the vast majority of the workforce.
In Thailand, workers involved in a two-month dispute at Siam Michelin were strongly supported by the IMF affiliate TEAM and by rubber workers of the Petroleum and Chemical Workers' Federation affiliated to ICEM. The dispute was favourably resolved on 28 April though settlement of a collectively bargained agreement, the release of 20 jailed workers with all charges against them dropped, and required payment of the annual bonus in May.
All workers should enjoy equal rights. Yet workers throughout the world continue to be subject to discrimination, resulting in many being denied their right to join a union. Discrimination also means that women and young workers are over-represented in precarious employment.
IMF activities focus on assisting affiliates to develop specific organising strategies to improve unionisation rates among women, migrant workers and young workers. Strategies focus particularly on electronics production workers and workers in EPZ, areas where young women and migrant workers predominate, labour rights are abused and trade unionism is repressed.
Women's representation at all levels of trade union organisation is still too low. IMF has taken steps towards improving the level of participation within the organisation and will continue to work with affiliates to assist them to remove barriers to women's representation in their unions.
