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The Union frequently comments on events or receives news of general interest and these are documented on this page. |
posted 10 Mar 2010 13:00 by Gerry Kangalee
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updated 10 Mar 2010 16:24
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SuperMix Workers Reclaim International Women's Day
On International Women’s Day, March 8th 2010, dozens of red-clad, overwhelmingly female, superexploited SuperMix employees, members of the National Union of Domestic Employees (NUDE) streamed out of their workplaces at Arima and Mausica in East Trinidad and picketed on the Churchill–Roosevelt Highway, highlighting their demands and condemning the company for failing to start collective bargaining.
The workers of SuperMix had gained recognition for their union: the National Union of Domestic Employees (NUDE). The company has appealed the decision of the Recognition Board and is refusing to meet with the union to begin collective bargaining.
The vast majority of the workers are women: their wages are miniscule and their working conditions are horrendous and, in many cases, downright dangerous. The management treats them with contempt and the workers have begun to fight back, hence their organising themselves into the union. The workers for the past few days have been wearing red bandanas to work calling for negotiations to begin.
On Monday 8th March programme some of the workers' reps together with their union leader, Comrade Ida Le Blanc appeared on Andy Johnson's Morning Edition on CCNTV and after four o clock on the afternoon of March 8th the workers organised their demonstration.
In a panic the company which produces the well-known Arawak chicken, closed certain departments in an effort to weaken the workers’ positive action: all to no avail. The workers had had enough and in that determined way working class women have nothing could shift their resolve to transform their miserable and downright dangerous working conditions.
The workers chanted their slogans, rang their bells and brought forcefully to the attention of commuters the horrendous exploitation they have to undergo to produce the chicken that the fast food industry sells at inflated prices to consumers.
Joining the workers on the picket line were executive officers of the National Workers’ Union (NWU), which works closely with NUDE in materialising its slogan - Organise the unorganised! The workers were addressed by NUDE General Secretary, Comrade Ida Le Blanc and by NWU officials: President, Comrade Frank Sears; General Secretary, Comrade Dave Smith and Treasurer, Comrade Sylvestre McLaren.
Nearing the end of the demonstration the workers were joined by Executive officers of the Transport and Industrial Workers’ Union: President Sutherland, Vice President Pollidore and Executive Officer Burgess.
The workers have vowed to keep up the pressure through lunch-time picketing and have decided to circulate a petition outlining their demands.
The demonstration by the SuperMix workers was certainly in stark contrast to other International Women’s’ Day activities in T&T which are controlled by the government. It is certainly at the other end of the spectrum from functions where self-satisfied politicians congratulate each other at five star hotels and navel-gaze at how far they have come, while ignoring the conditions besetting the vast majority of women – those from the working class.
SUPERMIX WORKERS DEMAND
- the right to a collective agreement, negotiated by NUDE.
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- an occupational health and safety committee.
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- job classification for all workers.
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- a base rate of pay at $25.00 per hour and upwards based on job classification.
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- stipulated hours of work from 7:00am-4:00pm.
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- the clocking machine be located at the gate.
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- proper procedures be followed for the selection of workers for the down days.
- separate toilets and changing areas for both men and women.
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- proper ventilation in all work areas.
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- the end of the use of crates to stand on at the parts machine.
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- proper protection against the gas from the fork lift.
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- repairs to leaking ammonia lines.
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- proper protective gear, such as earplugs, dust masks, etc.
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posted 17 Jan 2010 13:33 by Gerry Kangalee
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updated 17 Jan 2010 14:16
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In the wake of moves by two state companies in Trinidad and Tobago to decertify the unions representing their employees, the predominantly Russian-owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) has voice its intention to "de-recognise" the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU), the bargaining agent for most of the company’s 500-odd workers.
According to the Guyanese newspaper Stabroek News the workers at two of the company's installations had gone on strike during their struggle for a wage increase.
Latest reports in the Guyanese newspaper Kaiteur News state that the company has decided to unilaterally impose a wage increase on the workers.
PRESSURE MOUNTS ON GUYANA GOVERNMENT TO DEAL WITH RUSAL
Pressure is mounting on the Guyana Government to make a meaningful intervention in the impasse at the Russian controlled Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated. The government is a minority sharehiolder in the company and has made no move to come to the aid of workers who have been dismissed by the company which has repudiated the Collective Labour Agreement and has stood by while the company threartens to "de-recognise" the union... more.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNION CONDEMNS UNION BUSTING
The Guyana Local Govern-ment Officers Union (GLGOU) has condemned the recent actions of the Russian bauxite company RUSAL after several workers involved in industrial action had their services ended...more
GUYANA BAUXITE UNION CALLS ON MINISTER OF LABOUR TO UPHOLD THE LAW
The General President of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers' Union, Charles Sampson, has urged the Minister of Labour, Mr. Mansoor Nazir, to uphold the laws of Guyana
UNION GENERAL SECRETARY THREATENED
General Secretary of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union, Leslie Gonsalves has reported to the Guyana Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, that he has been threatened by a senior employee of the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc...more
UNION MEETS WITH RECOGNITION BOARD
On January 12th representatives of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers' Union met with officials of the Guyana Trade Union Registration and Certification Board. At that meeting a presentation was made outlining the union's position on relevant matters pertaining to the dispute with the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated thatthe Board needs to act on.
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posted 17 Jan 2010 06:57 by Gerry Kangalee
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updated 8 Mar 2010 18:56
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UNDERSTANDING HAITI: PAYING THE PRICE!
The Haitian revolution (1791) played a vanguard role in the destruction of New World slavery and colonialism in the 19th century. The defeat of Napoleon's troops and the beating back of Great Britain's military forces ensured the independence of Haiti (1804) and hastened the end of chattel slavery throughout the Caribbean. When the Haitian revolutionary forces gained the upper hand against the forces of colonialism and slavery, many Haitian planters fled to Trinidad, bringing their slaves with them.
Haitian succour and support was critical to the success of the Latin American independence movement from Spain and the country has had to pay and is still paying a dear price for its revolutionary role in world history...more
A TALE OF UNIMAGINABLE HORROR
15 January - Jasmine Pierre and 10 members of her family have been camped out in a park since Tuesday. She has not seen any food deliveries, spotted rescue workers or noticed any signs of international relief. ``Nobody is coming,'' she said. ``I think only God is in charge. The government should be here, any government. There is no government in the palace right now. I don't even really know if Haiti has a government today.'' U.S. Southern Command in Miami reported Friday afternoon that some aid was finally trickling into the ravaged city of 2 million. But the 22-year-old's feelings of frustration were shared by many aid workers, relief agencies and medics, who say that three full days after an earthquake devastated this nation it is still not clear who is in charge of relief efforts. Nobody had seen any.
No single federal government office building is still standing, and officials are looking for a proper headquarters from which to organize relief operations, first lady Elizabeth Préval said. Some Haitian leaders lost their lives. Others lost family or property, leaving a grief-stricken leadership awaiting an international community that Friday was still mobilizing to fill the void. ``The government seems to be just waiting for help,'' said Gregory Gue, a Jacmel doctor who came to Port-au-Prince to volunteer for the Red Cross and was aghast at the conditions he encountered. ``People die waiting for help. I am angry. Angry, but everyone is also very sad. It is clear the government had no emergency plan.'' Gue was providing aid Friday to the injured, including a woman who needed an emergency C-section to remove her dead 8-month-old fetus. He was working out of a muddy parking lot.
Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, however, defended the pace of progress. ``The international community reacted quite quickly in view of the circumstances and the scale of the hit,'' he said. ``Everyone is still today in the streets -- and that includes the government. Because three-quarters of the government buildings are destroyed, that doesn't mean the government isn't doing its work.'' Moreover, starting a day after the quake, Bellerive said, the remnants of the government held morning coordination meetings with U.N. representatives, foreign ambassadors and international agencies. (Miami Herald)
15 January - At a press conference, Haiti's minister of health, Alex Larsen, has announced that an estimated 750,000 - 1 million people are homeless, that more than 50,000 have died, and around 250,000 are injured. (Metropole)
15 January - In Port-au-Prince, Stefano Zannini, the head of mission for Médecins sans Frontières, said his staff had been working around the clock under canvas to perform life-saving surgery on hundreds of people with dangerous open fractures. Thousands more were still awaiting help, and at least 100 had died before their wounds could be tended. “People are still coming to our structures by any way they can, in cars, on motorbikes, even being carried on doors used as stretchers,” he said. “We have thousands ready for surgical interventions.”
With the city’s tiny airport overwhelmed, aid organisations were struggling to find alternative routes to bring in vital medical supplies. Lorries bearing tarpaulins, high-energy food, water and medical supplies were beginning to reach the city by road yesterday after being flown into the Dominican Republic. With Port-au-Prince’s commercial docks destroyed by the quake, hopes of bringing sea cargo rest on the tiny northern port of Cap Haïtien — the only means by which to bring in the quantities of food required by hungry survivors. (The Times)
15 January - In the Jacmel region around 2,000 families has been affected leaving around 20,000 people in very bad conditions. For the moment we have an estimate of 150 deaths but some children are still under a school building. We have set up 4 camps one of them with 4,000 persons. We are doing our best to manage the situation in Jacmel with the assistance of the UN and local authorities. But we are still traumatized and are waiting for humanitarian assistance. The earth is still shaking at night.
Early at 5am every morning, for two hours there are like 500 - 600 people on the streets singing religious songs, dancing and blessing God for being alive. It is like a parade, the local way of healing their pain, it is vey impressive. A real therapy for these victims which have lost everything except their faith. (Cine Institute, Jacmel)
15 January - One group trying to free a man trapped in the rubble of the tax office looked up wearily at the planes flying overhead. "We hear on the radio that rescue teams are coming from the outside, but nothing is coming. We only have our fingers to look for survivors," said Jean-Baptiste Lafontin Wilfried. Despite the launch of the massive aid operation, there is no sign of heavy-lifting equipment among the rubble even as tons of material and badly needed supplies flooded the airport.
The rapidly decomposing bodies are also posing a major problem. Port-au-Prince resident Jacky Dodard says corpse disposal has been random and chaotic. "What is happening is that there is no help in the streets. Personally, I haven't seen any help," she said. "So everybody is trying to drop their dead bodies somewhere. They don't know what to do with the dead bodies."
Haitian officials have warned the overall death toll may top 100,000 as a result of the powerful quake that ripped across the poorest nation in the Americas. The International Red Cross said the quake, the largest in the Caribbean island nation in more than 150 years, has killed between 40,000 and 50,000 people.
"If international aid doesn't come, the situation will deteriorate quickly. We need water and food urgently," said Haitian survivor Lucille, still dazed by the scenes of devastation and carnage. Witnesses say there has already been some looting in the city. "More doctors, fewer journalists," one man yelled angrily, shaking his fists at a foreign media crew.
Haitian native and hip hop star Wyclef Jean has described conditions as "the apocalypse" and said Haiti needed to raise $1 million a day to survive. "We spent the day picking up dead bodies. All day that's what we did. There's so much bodies in the streets that the morgues are filled up, the cemeteries are filled up," he told Fox News. Doctors were struggling to treat the vast numbers of sick and injured, with medical charity Medecins Sans Frontiers speaking of patients with "severe traumas, head wounds, crushed limbs" and burns. (ABC News)
PAYING THE PRICE FOR ENDING SLAVERY, COLONIALISM.
by Cecil Paul
North American, Central American and Caribbean leaders waited until this disaster to speak about long term development in Haiti. Why is Haiti the way it is ?
Haitians have been punished for over 200 years for defeating the slave-owning classes in the New World, defeating the colonial powers, declaring themselves independent from the colonial powers and assisting revolutionaries to end colonialism.
How can a society develop with endless embargoes, invasions by colonial powers, invasions and occupations by the USA 8 times in 200 years (the last invasion a few years ago to oust Aristide) and billion of dollars in reparations to France for property and profits lost from slavery (the last installment was paid by Aristide under protest).
The reason why the roads are in a bad condition is because Haiti has always been in a state of perpetual war for 200 years: you don't build infrastructure to facilitate invasions by your enemies. You don't build permanent structures when you have to keep moving to defend yourself from foreign invasion. After 200 years of hostility the mindset of the people becomes part of their culture.
Did you know that Haitians fought in America's War of Independence as volunteers, provided sanctuary, arms, provisions, Haitian fighters and boats to Simon Bolivar to return to South America (after his unsuccessful attempt) defeat the Spaniards and liberate South and Central America?
Did you know that most of the Southern States of America including parts of Mexico were under French and Spanish colonial rule and because of the crushing defeat and weakening of these powers by the Haitians, the New United States of America was able, under force, to expel the Spanish and buy out the French from the territories they occupied in what is now the Southern USA.
Like Cuba is treated now: why was America hostile to Haiti for 200 years despite Haiti's friendship and assistance (at that time) to the only other Independent State in the Americas? The reason advanced by some historians is because of Slavery. Americas economy was based on Slavery and Haiti was Slavery's main enemy. In fact it is said that America through embargoes and military coercion forced Haiti to reintroduce slavery albeit for a short time, as the Haitian ruler who attempted this reversal of history was assassinated shortly thereafter. After this tragedy, let us now see whether the World will accept the people who made the first and only successful slave rebellion in recorded history.
Cecil Paul, now retired, is the former First Vice President and Chief Labour Relations Officer of the Oilfieds Workers' Trade Union and the former General Secretary of the now-defunct Council of Progressive Trade Unions.
HOW HAITI WAS CRUSHED BY IMPERIALISM
Buried beneath the rubble of imperial propaganda, out of both Western Europe and the United States, is the evidence which shows that Haiti's independence was defeated by an aggressive North-Atlantic alliance that could not imagine their world inhabited by a free regime of Africans as representatives of the newly emerging democracy...more
No, Mister! You Cannot Share My Pain!
If you shared my pain you would not continue to make me suffer, to torture me, to deny me my dignity and my rights, especially my rights to self-determination and self-expression...more
ROLE OF THE WEST IN HAITI'S PLIGHT
Any large city in the world would have suffered extensive damage from an earthquake on the scale of the one that ravaged Haiti's capital city on Tuesday afternoon, but it's no accident that so much of Port-au-Prince now looks like a war zone. Much of the devastation wreaked by this latest and most calamitous disaster to befall Haiti is best understood as another thoroughly manmade outcome of a long and ugly historical sequence...more.
HAITI I'M SORRY
Rudder’s reference to Toussaint and Napoleon hark back to the only case in world history of a slave population rising up and successfully overthrowing its masters after the initial slave uprising led by Toussaint L’Overture and the defeat of 40,000 French troops sent in 1802 by Napoleon to re-establish slavery throughout the colony...more
The Militarization of Emergency Aid to Haiti
Michel Chossudovsky writes: "The main actors in America's "humanitarian operation" are the Department of Defense, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). (See USAID Speeches: On-The-Record Briefing on the Situation in Haiti, 01/13/10). USAID has also been entrusted in channelling food aid to Haiti, which is distributed by the World Food Program. (See USAID Press Release: USAID to Provide Emergency Food Aid for Haiti Earthquake Victims, January 13, 2010)
The military component of the US mission, however, tends to overshadow the civilian functions of rescuing a desperate and impoverished population. The overall humanitarian operation is not being led by civilian governmental agencies such as FEMA or USAID, but by the Pentagon. The dominant decision making role has been entrusted to US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)..." more.
US MILITARY TAKEOVER
As the United States military moves to take control of Haiti in the wake of the disastrous earthquake of Tuesday 12th January, reports are surfacing of humanitarian aid missions being blocked by the US military.
Bill Van Auken writing in the COUNTERCURRENTS.ORG website says:" The deployment of troops has taken priority over the distribution of aid. As the Miami Herald reported Friday, “US air-cargo traffic was grounded to give the military airlift priority to bring moving equipment and the first 100 of a planned 900-paratrooper deployment of the 82nd Airborne Division from North Carolina.”
UNICEF, which has massed relief supplies in Panama, sent a plane full of medical kits, blankets and tents, but was denied permission to land and forced to return to Panama."...more
Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) said that one of its planes carrying essential medical supplies was not permitted to land at the airport.
"Despite guarantees, given by the United Nations and the US Defense Department, an MSF cargo plane carrying an inflatable surgical hospital was blocked from landing in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, and was re-routed to Samana, in Dominican Republic," the group said in a statement Sunday. "All material from the cargo is now being sent by truck from Samana, but this has added a 24-hour delay for the arrival of the hospital."
Trinidad and Tobago's Sunday Express of Sunday 17th January 2010 reports that a CARICOM aid mission was forced to turn back from Haiti by the US military.
US Troops Deployed In Haiti As Popular Anger Mounts
The first contingents of a US military force expected to reach 10,000 troops arrived in Haiti as anger mounted over the failure of international aid to reach the millions left injured, homeless and destitute by Tuesday’s earthquake. There were reports of looting and Port-au-Prince residents creating street barricades with the bodies of the dead to protest the lack of assistance. Thousands upon thousands of corpses line streets and are piled up outside hospitals and morgues...more
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posted 17 Jan 2010 06:16 by Gerry Kangalee
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updated 6 Mar 2010 20:19
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Unions Mobilise Aid For Haiti
The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) has announced that it will accept clothing and non-perishable foodstuff to assist the people of Haiti as they struggle with the aftermath of the monstrous earthquake of January 12th 2010. The collection point is CWU headquarters, 146 Henry Street, Port of Spain.
The Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FITUN) has partnered with the NGO Is there not a cause to provide relief for the people of Haiti.
Paramount Building, Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) Headquarters 99A Circular Road, San Fernando will serve as a drop off point for supplies to be shipped to Haiti.
Nikki Johnson, Education and Research Officer of the OWTU who is responsible for co-ordinating the effort, said that the priority supplies were bottled water; canned food and can openers; toiletries (especially female toiletries) - carbolic, blue soap etc.; basic first aid and medical supplies and seviceable clothing (no shoes with holes, old underwear etc.)
Sister Johnson can be contacted at 652-2701-3
The National Union of Government and Federated Workers has committed itself to mobilising relief for Haiti.
Labour and progressive organisations all over the world have been mobilising themselves to support the Haitian people... more
WFTU CALLS FOR HAITI SUPPORT
The World Federation of Trade Unions express its sympathy with the people of Haiti for the national calamity caused by the catastrophic earthquake. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and survivors are now struggling for basic necessities like drinking water. We express our condolences to the families of the victims and moral support to all unions and members that are going to rebuilt their country and the living conditions of the people of Haiti.
Once again we express our full support and solidarity with the working class of Haiti and we hope that they can find the strength to overcome this tragedy. The WFTU makes a call upon its affiliates and friends to actively express their solidarity and support in practice.
GUYANA UNIONS RALLY TO HAITI
The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has made a donation of $600,000 to the Haiti Relief Committee. According to the Stabroek News “The federation…was moved to collect and contribute this sum for its affiliates as little persuasion was needed in the face of the horrific devastation by the earthquake in the already depressed Caricom sister country,” FITUG said.
It noted that there is the possibility that either individually or collectively some further donation might be forthcoming from the trade union body. “FITUG mourns with the survivors of Haiti but will lobby for long-term continuous reconstruction of that Caribbean state, even after the current relief and rescue operations are completed,” it added.
WORLD LABOUR MOVEMENT SHOWS SOLIDARITY WITH HAITI
Unions around the world are raising money and sending volunteers to Haiti.
US UNIONS GET INVOLVED
The US trade union movement is mobilizing its members to provide assistance and calling for a massive global relief effort...more.
CANADIAN UNIONS RESPOND TO HAITI CRISIS The Canadian Labour Congress has arranged for online donations through the Red Cross. Funds received will be distributed to Haitian unions through the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas; disaster relief through the Red Cross; and relief and reconstruction initiatives through OXFAM and the Humanitarian Coalition. Each donation will be matched by the federal government...more
HAITI'S NEIGHBOURS RESPOND
Humanitarian assistance has been going in to Haiti from Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic three of Haiti's closest neighbours. The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.
The first contingent of Cuban doctors specializing in assisting after natural disasters and serious epidemics headed for Haiti, following the massive earthquake that struck the impoverished Caribbean country on Tuesday.
The brigade was first established to offer help to the United States when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005, an offer rejected by ex-President George W. Bush.
Since then the brigade has been on the scene after earthquakes in Pakistan and China, the Tsunami in Indonesia and major flooding in Guatemala and Bolivia.
Venezuelan Humanitarian Team Arrives in Haiti after Earthquake
Caracas January 13, 2009 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela sent its first aid airplane to Haiti, a Bolivarian National Armed Force's Hercules C-130, with a fifty-strong advance humanitarian aid team on board, on Wednesday morning, after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake leveled the country’s capital Port-au-Prince, late Tuesday...more. Venezuela has since stepped up aid to Haiti...more
URGENT CALL FROM CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM OF ACP COUNTRIES
The Civil Society Forum of the ACP States is totally disturbed about the slowness with which needed aid is getting to the Haitian people. We are well aware that tremendous financial aid is presently being committed to the cause, with the EU contributing approximately three million Euros to the relief efforts.
There is clearly a problem with coordination, and frankly, the United States of America have taken control of the airport and borders, thus having under its management all ports of entry into Haiti. This has been apparently accepted by CARICOM, but Jamaica has been designated and confirmed the hub of all relief efforts heading to Haiti, as such, it is our firm belief that the ACP Civil Society prepares itself to offer meaningful and organized aid for the Haitian people.
There is another crisis on hand : in a couple of days many Haitians will flood the borders of Jamaica and other Caribbean countries in boats. The Caribbean countries, already facing serious economic crises, will shelter the refugees.
It is imperative that we are funded to carry out a strategic and proactive response programme that will see to the sustained development of the State in crisis. ACP Civil Society Forum is therefore proposing:
Since there seems to be a problem with logistics, we need to partner with agencies such as the Salvation Army and the Red Cross to transport resources that have already been collected across the Caribbean region, so that shipment can be arranged and delivered in an orderly and timely manner. ACP Civil Society must ensure that there is a team dispatched to Haiti, to assist with recovery, but most importantly, rebuilding. We are not interested in being put up in hotels etc, the main interest is to get there and help, this is pivotal.
We have identified a Salvation Army owned property in Port-au-Prince that could house volunteers; as such we need help with securing tents for volunteers. Of greater importance is the sustainable rebuilding and development exercise. The ACP Civil Society Forum therefore needs to meet and implement an extensive youth and community development exercise that would incorporate issues relating to the affective.
We are therefore appealing for donations which will be spent on the most immediate need which is Transportation to get the relief there and medical and sanitary supplies. Apart from getting relief in, there is the problem of getting people with severe injuries out of Haiti where they could get special medical attention.
Barbados is setting up a portable medical facility in Haiti which will be fully outfitted with operating theatres, and medical personnel. This facility will need to be constantly supplied with large amounts of medical and sanitary supplies.
Here is a list coming out of Haiti of those needs which we are told are urgently needed for at least 100,000 people:
Ace bandages, gauze pads, bandage & tape Water purification tablets & Rehydration salts antibiotic and antifungal (Mycology) creams anti-allergy medication (i.e. Benadryl) anti-parasite medication Tylenol; children's tylenol cold and cough medicine diarrhea medication eye drops insect repellent hydrogen peroxide skin disinfectant spray
Account information is as follows: Account: BANGO (Barbados Association of NGOs) RBC Royal Bank of Canada, Hastings, Christ Church, Barbados, Caribbean: Swift Code: ROYCBBBB Transit No: 09545 Acc#: 31018001
Further information will be forwarded as we get more information to make it easier for you to donate to Haiti.
Lawman Lynch Chairman ACP Civil Society Forum Jamaica
lawmanlynch@yahoo.comRoosevelt O King Secretary General Barbados Association of Non Governmental Organisations rok@caribsurf.comFlavia Cherry Chair of CAFRA (Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action) St. Lucia cafraslu@hotmail.com
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posted 15 Jan 2010 06:33 by Gerry Kangalee
FIASCO IN COPENHAGEN: US SCUTTLES CLIMATE DEAL
The first big disappointment of the conference was that it failed to produce even a non-binding pact that everyone could live with—and this breakdown threatens the entire international climate process that was established with the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and which produced the Kyoto Protocol in 1997....more
"If the climate was a bank it would have been saved already"
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, in his inimitable style hit the nail on the head in his speech at the recently concluded failed climate talks at Copehagen, Denmark. His speech can be accessed at the very informative and progressive Drumming Truth to Summit blogsite.
DON'T CHANGE THE CLIMATE! CHANGE THE SYSTEM!
Now that the Copenhagen talks have collapsed, it is becomong clear that the capitalist economic system is unable to halt the runaway destruction of the human eco-system. At the heart of the system is the unceasing urge to accumulation and concentration of capital through the profit-maximisation mechanism, even at the expense of the future of th human race on planet earth...more |
posted 15 Jan 2010 06:04 by Gerry Kangalee
DOMESTIC WORKERS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN FOR ILO CONVENTION
On Thursday December 10th UN Human Rights Day and International Migrants Rights Day, the International Network of Domestic Workers celebrated around the world "Mobilising Day for Domestic Workers". The General Secretary of the National Union of Domestic Employees (NUDE), Comrade Ida Le Blanc had said that her union would have been part of the activity to launch an International campaign for an ILO Convention on Domestic Work.
In Trinidad and Tobago NUDE hosted a press conference at its Headquarters Wattley Circular, Mt. Pleasant Road, Arima at 10.00 am to update the Public on these new developments with regards to Domestic Workers. Comrade Le Blanc told the media that dmestic workers need and demand protection from the law.
Comrade Le Blanc said: "We believe it is very important to hold these activities to bring visibility to the myriad of Decent work deficits that Domestic Workers have to endure, even though they contribute to the economic, political and social life of all societies where we live, but our work remains unrecognised.
In this time of unprecedented global crisis, we also want to share our insights and vision for a different development model and the role we must play as Domestic workers in addressing the current challenges here in Trinidad and Tobago"...more |
posted 15 Jan 2010 05:52 by Gerry Kangalee
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Hon. Minister Mr. Clement Rohee Minister of Home Affairs Brickdam Georgetown GUYANA. January 11, 2010 Minister, Re: Threat made to Leslie Gonsalves by Krishen Singh, Geologist employed at BCGI This serves to bring to your attention for immediate action a public threat made to me reference the employment status of my wife Ertha Gonsalves who is a teacher employed at Aroaima Nursery School, Berbice River. This threat was made on 30 December 2009, around 5.30 pm by Krishen Singh, Geologist working at the Bauxite Company Guyana Inc. (BCGI) in the presence of Charles Sampson, General President, Guyana Bauxite &General Workers Union, on Republic Avenue, Mc Kenzie, Linden. I was told in a rather intimidating manner that I was a troublemaker bent on making trouble for the BCGI. and the Government and he has political influence and if I don’t stop he will cause my wife to feel the pressure. I was told that if I did not want my wife to be transferred far away or dismissed that I was to stop making trouble. I was also told to discontinue visiting Aroaima or he will cause systems to be put in place to have me stopped from entering Maple Town or evicted. I was told that if I knew what was good for me that I would “back off.” I have no reason to believe that these threats were not intended or that they were said as a joke as I share no such relationship with Krishen Singh which could have given rise to such threats being made against my wife’s economic well being and that of my family. My immediate concern for the safety of my wife and family kept me silent on the matter. However I am forced to recognize that such silence would only empower Krishen Singh and others like him to further their grip on me and all who are threatened in one form or another, but are fearful to speak out least they are physically, emotionally or economically attacked. After careful consideration my family has decided that we will not allow the fear of political bullies and terrorists to freeze us into inaction for had others not given their lives and freedoms at different points in the history of our nation’s struggle we would not be able to have even the little that we enjoy today. We anticipate your urgent review of the behaviour of this official which is in contravention of the basic expectations of his office and speaks to his suitability for where impartiality is important and victimization based on trade union affiliation, race and ethnicity or political persuasion have no place. My family is cognizant that some may be forced to do the biddings of an uncaring master. Hence even as we engage the attention of your office, we seek the transparency of our case in the public domain for our safety and that of my colleagues who stand just as vulnerable as me. Leslie Gonsalves General Secretary (ag), Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union. CC Hon. Mr. Samuel Hinds, Prime Minister Hon. Mr. Manzoor Nadir, Minister of Labour Hon. Mr. Shaik Baksh, Minister of Education Hon. Mr. Mortimer Mingo, Regional Chairman, Region # 10. Mr. Sergey Kostyuk, General Manager, BCGI Ms. Yvonne Langivine, CEO, Ethnic Relations Commission
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posted 15 Jan 2010 05:32 by Gerry Kangalee
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updated 15 Jan 2010 05:41
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Hon. Minister Mr. Manzoor Nadir Minister of Labour, Human Services and Social Security 1 Water & Cornhill Streets Stabroek Georgetown GUYANA January 13, 2010 Minister, Re: Impasse between Bauxite Co. Guyana Inc. and Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union The rule of law and fundamental rights are pillars upon which modern societies are built and development realised. It is this development that governments are elected to pursue and this can only be achieved providing the agencies charged with the responsibilities to contribute to nation building honour these principles. Having evaluated the on going impasse between the Bauxite Company Guyana Inc (BCGI) and the Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU) which commenced during negotiations in November 2009 and the escalating problems including BCGI letter dated Dec 1, 2009 to the Union stating it has terminated the Collective Labour Agreement which is in contravention of the Trade Union Recognition Act, Chapter 98:07, along with the strike, dismissal and suspension of strikers and claims of current workplace intimidation for those who have returned to work, I am appalled that you have not, to date seen it fit to intervene, or have not caused interventions by your ministry, to immediately put an end to this national insult. Further, these prevailing conditions are in direct contravention of ILO conventions of which Guyana is a signatory and of which your Ministry is chief government custodian for. Worthy of note is that BCGI is owned by both RUSAL and the Government of Guyana which makes it impossible to de-link the government from being responsible and working to undermine independent labour. Among those dismissed are all the union representatives. This speaks to and confirms suspicions of purposefulness in the inaction geared to undermine collective labour and creating an environment where trade unions will have no place in the social order unless these are affiliated to the government or compromise the strength of collective labour. Whereas your intervention to bring about industrial harmony has not been forth coming this nation will remember your unsavory comments on the issue as without any subtlety or political cautiousness you chastised the predominantly African Bauxite workers of this nation for their legitimate and constitutional demand and right to strike for a living wage and safe conditions of work… conditions that your Ministry ought to be at the forefront ensuring that BCGI commits to. Further your outward discriminatory stance as you made comparisons to the sugar industry dominated by an Indian workforce were also shocking. Such comments would never have gone without widespread public condemnation and calls for resignation in a country with respect for rights, its own diversity and the rule of Law. The fact that you have not corrected the public perception derived from these statements suggests that they are true and you are not worried about the pain, impact or disunity such statements create. The public is left to believe that they were fully intended as interpreted by Bauxite workers. In the absence of any engagement with the union as recent as January 2, 2010 Stabroek News recorded your views on the impasse to the effect that: a) Sugar "'accounts for over 15 percent of our foreign exchange earnings and it has critical importance to our economy.' While acknowledging the importance of bauxite to the country, Nadir noted that RUSAL is just one of several companies operating in that sector." b) "And perhaps…we should let this festive season of goodwill take its course and hopefully both parties will exercise more generosity towards each other."
c) "Asked if the ministry had conducted an investigation to determine whether the signatures were taken fairly and not under duress, Nadir replied in the negative. He, however, opined that since the company has over 400 workers and since most of the workers are back at work, if it was a situation of the letters being sent under duress, the Ministry would have seen more letters and signatures. 'If you have 98 percent of the workers on the job and just about 25 percent of them asking for withdrawal I want to infer…I can't say as gospel, that it may indicate that those signatures were gotten of free will,' the Minister said." The Union sees these occurrences as very troubling. It should be noted the impasse is several weeks old and counting and the strike is not over since normalcy does not exist at the Aroaima and Kwakwani sites as per industrial relations principles. As it presently stands the workplace is very tense, workers are being threatened and coerced to sign a company prepared petition seeking de-recognition of the union in contravention of ILO conventions and the Laws of Guyana and there have been dismissal on trumped charges without even a hearing. At this juncture the Union wishes to record its efforts to engage BCGI management through the Ministry of Labour on December 2, 2009 and directly via letters dated December 5, 2009, December 7, 2009 and December 15, 2009. To date nothing has taken place. Further, on December 30, 2009 the Union hand delivered a letter to the Chief Labour Officer at the Ministry of Labour requesting the Ministry involvement consistent with his duty under the Laws of Guyana. The Union is yet to be accorded an acknowledgment or response in any form. The failure to respond to the Union’s request and the absence of any initiative by the Ministry to bring about a resolution to this impasse have impelled us to request your immediate involvement as Minister with responsibility for conciliating labour disputes. As Minister you would agree the issue before us is grave since it borders on the violations of workers’ rights consistent with ILO Conventions and the rule of law and poses a threat to the stability of people and society. Today the Union calls on you as an officer of the state who has taken an oath to uphold the Laws of Guyana to pay immediate attention to the violations under your watch and to act consistent with the labour laws by putting in place conciliatory proceedings base on the Collective Labour Agreement between the parties to have the matter resolved. Bauxite workers will be anticipating your intervention without delay and are prepared to meet with you at a time that is immediately convenient. Yours sincerely, Charles Sampson General President, Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union. CC Mr. Norris Witter, General Secretary (ag.) Guyana Trades Union Congress Mr. Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary, Caribbean Congress of Labour Mr. Victor Báez Mosqueira, General Secretary, Trade Union Confederation of the Americas Ms. Liz Shuler, General Secretary, America Federation for Congress of Industrial Organisation Mr. Brendan, General Secretary, British Trade Union Congress Mr. John Monks, General Secretary, European Trade Union Congress Mr. Hassan Yussuff, General Secretary, Canadian Labour Congress Mr. Guy Ryder, General Secretary, International Trade Union Congress Sir Roy Trotman, Vice Chairman, International Labour Organisation, Workers Group.
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posted 14 Jan 2010 22:03 by Gerry Kangalee
The US trade union movement is mobilizing its members to provide assistance and calling for a massive global relief effort. Here are what some unions are doing: More than 3,400 registered nurses from across the United States responded in less than one day to the call by National Nurses United (NNU) to provide assistance in Haiti. Now the RNs are issuing an urgent appeal for the public to support these efforts with donations of funds to support travel costs and medical supplies on their upcoming emergency nursing mission.
The United Steelworkers (USW) announced the union will donate $20,000 from the union’s Humanity Fund to assist with emergency aid in Haiti.
Screen Actors (SAG) President Ken Howard urged SAG members to “give whatever you can to the charity of your preference in support of the Haitian earthquake relief effort.” Numerous SAG members, including Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, have pledged their support to victims of the earthquake. Jolie, 34, has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations since 2001.
The Transport Workers launched a “humanitarian relief effort” to support Haiti and the Haitian people. Search-and-rescue teams from Fairfax County, Va., and Los Angeles County, Calif., made up of members of Fire Fighters (IAFF) locals 2068 and 1014, are already in Haiti to aid in the rescue efforts. Other teams are likely to follow.
Many of the employees who will provide direct assistance to the Haitians in the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are AFGE members.
Meanwhile, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has called for a major international mobilization of humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Haiti. The ITUC says union members from the Dominican Republic, Haiti’s neighbor, are preparing to cross into Haiti to join the emergency assistance effort. Read the ITUC statement here.
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posted 13 Jan 2010 14:44 by Head Office
Dear friends, workers, poor farmers, unemployed, homeless,
Dear brothers and sisters in Africa, in Asia and the Pacific, in Latin America, in Europe and the Middle East ...
We are in the middle of the international economic
crisis. Unemployment, poverty, expensive prices on basic food-stuff,
further raise. The imperialistic wars create more refugees and migrant
workers, more destructions. The profits of the capitalists increase. In the last year the Working Class did many big, massive and efficient struggles. In the new year, new struggles could and should be
even stronger. The trade union movement in all over the world to become
stronger. The WFTU will be in the front line of these struggles and defend: - The rights of all the workers, the rights of young
people and the rights of women, for regular and stable jobs with good
salaries and trade union freedoms.
- The rights of ordinary people for public health, education and social security.
- The survival of the financial immigrants and refugees.
- The cancellation of the debts of all Third World countries.
- The freeze of lay-offs and privatisations.
- The protection of the environment and the quality of life. To face the problems resulting from the climate change.
To strengthen our internationalism and solidarity
with the people of Cuba, with the important Bolivarians changes that
are taking place in Latin America, with the people of Asia to stop
child labour, with the people of Eastern Europe to stop the
prostitution, with the people of Africa to stop the deaths for
starvation and AIDS. With the struggles in Honduras against the coup
d. etat, with our brothers from Colombia and the Philippines, who are
being assasinated by paramilitary organizations. We will struggle to
stop all the imperialistic wars, for the withdrawal of Israel from all
Arab territories and the foundation of an independent Palestinian state
with Jerusalem for capital city.
Dear colleagues, 2010 is for the WFTU a year of trade union formation
and training. With concrete programmes of trade union training and
education in all continents, in every country. With special care to the
young workers who represent the hope for a socialistic world.
We wish to the International Working Class health, strength and efficient struggles. |
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