In the News

Obama, Uribe to discuss long-delayed trade pact

Reuters
06/12/2009

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama is eager to discuss a long-delayed free trade agreement with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe when the two leaders meet on June 29, the White House said on Friday.

Colombia is a close U.S. ally and Obama looks forward to discussing a number of issues with Uribe, including how to enhance regional security and development, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement...

Solis Commits to Battling Child Labor Abuse

Women's Wear Daily
06/11/2009

By Kristi Ellis

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis on Wednesday said the federal government will commit $60 million this year for programs aimed at curtailing exploitative child labor.

“Many challenges remain in the fight against child labor, but the department is committed to raising awareness, improving the quality of, and access to, education and building the capacity of governments and civil society organizations to address the issues of children in need,” she said.

Collective punishment: A new wave of unionisation in the private sector is being met with intimidation by the owners

Global Network Asia
06/11/2009

"On May 25, I got home around 9 pm. I found several men inside my home and on the rooftop. They blindfolded me and took me away in a police van while ruthlessly torturing me, telling me how they\'ll \'teach\' me what it means to be a trade union leader,\" says Niaz Khan, General Secretary Carpet Workers Trade Union, Lahore. Khan\'s crime, according to him, was facilitating the workers of a furniture manufacturer establish a trade union last month. After being kidnapped from home, Khan says, he was taken to the CIA centre in Model Town, Lahore.

Colombia still dangerous for trade unionists

Financial Times
06/10/2009

Colombia remains the most dangerous country for trade unionists and the situation there is getting worse despite government claims to the contrary, the International Trade Union Confederation says on Wednesday.

In its annual survey of violations of trade union rights, the ITUC says 49 trade union activists were killed in Colombia last year, an increase of 10 over 2007. Globally, the number of recorded assassinations of trade unionists fell to 76 last year from 91 in 2007...

Financial crisis could push more girls into child labor, warns UN agency

Xinhua
06/10/2009

The financial crisis threatens to push more children, especially girls, into child labor, the UN International Labor Organization (ILO) said in a recent report.

Despite falling numbers of children involved in child labor worldwide, the current economic turmoil could roll back those gains, according to the new study, entitled "Girls a Chance: Tackling child labor, a key to the future," to be issued on the World Day Against Child Labor.

Chiquita: Between life and law

People and Power (Al Jazeera English)
06/10/2009

** This is a TV report. PLEASE CLICK HERE to see the video. **

Fined $25m by the US federal court for funding a terrorist organisation, Chiquita, the US-based banana distribution company, is now facing a number of new lawsuits.

The plaintiffs want compensation for the victims of Chiquita's actions and are demanding that the company's directors be extradited from the US to stand trial in Colombia.

Eagle workers protest plant closure

Standard Times
06/10/2009

NEW BEDFORD — Chanting in Portuguese and Spanish and waving posters that read, "Eagle Jobs Belong in New Bedford" and "U.S. Army Stop ATK, Save Our Jobs," Eagle workers rallied Tuesday to protest plans to close the plant.

Alliant Techsystems announced May 29 that it will shut down the South End factory on July 31 and move production of Army backpacks and vests to Puerto Rico.

The closing will claim 350 jobs and, despite the raw, rainy day, Eagle workers turned out in force Tuesday to protest...

ILO says crisis increases risk of girls becoming child labourers

International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)
06/10/2009

GENEVA (ILO News) – The global financial crisis could push an increasing number of children, particularly girls, into child labour, according to a new report issued by the International Labour Office (ILO) for the World Day Against Child Labour on June 12.

The ILO report, entitled Give Girls a Chance: Tackling child labour, a key to the future (Note 1), notes that while recent global estimates indicate the number of children involved in child labour has been falling, the financial crisis threatens to erode this progress.

Global Trade Union Rights Situation Worsening - New ITUC Report

ITUC OnLine
06/10/2009

ITUC Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights Violations



76 Trade Unionists Murdered in 2008

Thousands of Dismissals and Arrests

Repression of Striking Workers in 40 Countries

Brussels, 10 June 2009 (ITUC OnLine): 2008 was another difficult and often dangerous year for trade unionists around the world, according to this year's ITUC Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights Violations, which

Uzbekistan: Forced Child Labor Begins in Cotton Fields of Karakalpakstan

EurasiaNet
06/10/2009

A human rights group is reporting that children’s rights are again being abused in Uzbekistan, where thousands of youths are being forced to work in cotton fields.

In Karakalpakstan, an autonomous northwestern region, schoolchildren and students have been sighted at work in cotton fields, one rights group, Veritas claims.

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