unions
Articles about unions and the nature and function of labor or trade unionism.
Chinese union's plans for 2009 and union vigilance against “hostile forces”
The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) has come out with a series of recent policy goals and policies designed to help workers get through the current financial crisis and maintain social stability. But, these policies, however well intentioned, continue to reinforce the ACFTU’s misplaced identity. Meanwhile, an ACFTU vice-chairman has warned about foreign and domestic enemy forces using the economic crisis to infiltrate and cause damage to China’s migrant workers.
On February 12, ACFTU Chairman Wang Zhaoguo gave a speech at an international forum entitled “2009: Economic Globalization and Unions”. In the speech, Wang recapped the CCP and the government’s recent policy measures to combat the economic crisis and to save the economy from going into turmoil.
Israeli wildcat strikers kicked out of union
In unprecedented move, the Histadrut union federation has ousted leaders of last weeks wildcat strike on Israel Railways.
The action paves the way for Israel Railways management to prosecute the six workers committee members as if they were regular employees.
Giardini workers led to another defeat by the union in the Philippines
After two days strike of Giardini[1] workers led by the union last February 3-4, the union and the leftist party[2] that control them agreed with the management and local government of Mandaue City to lift the strike and accept the retrenchment package.
This is another defeat for the workers who are united to fight and defy capitalist laws to defend their jobs in the midst of crisis of over-production. Furthermore, the pay and back-wages that has been promised will depend on the capacity of the company to recover from the crisis[3].
Aftermath of wildcat at Israel Railways
Using an inside source, an Israeli libertarian communist constructs an analysis of the picture behind the scenes at the recent wildcat of Israel Railways workers. For context, see the original news update.
“We couldn't even walk around a train station without workers eating at us!” – One of the six union representatives accused of being responsible for the wildcat, at the disciplinary hearing.
“What you saw today was a distress signal from workers without a leadership... what they needed was a bear hug, an open ear...” – advocate for same, at the disciplinary hearing.
Sugar workers strike against bosses and union, striking airport workers fired in Guyana
Guyanese sugar workers have taken wildcat action against a disappointing pay award and their union's attempt to take a larger cut from it. Meanwhile, Guyana's Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn has fired 15 air traffic controllers who had been on strike for a week.
Operations at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Wales Estate were at a standstill for the second day in a row, when approximately 100 workers of the estate staged a strike, this time protesting against 0.79 percent of the Annual Production Incentive (API) being contributed to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union’s (GAWU) funds.
Israel: northern Israel Railways workers in wildcat strike
Israel Railways workers in Haifa conducted a wildcat strike this morning, Thursday Feb 5th, in response to fraud charges against official union members, and replacement of workers not loyal to management.
The wildcat is said to have been organized by an unofficial union committee. The official union committee has ceased functioning since the beginning of a probe by police fraud sections of its leaders.
Train travel has been disrupted around Israel throughout the day, as Israel Railways claims it was "forced" to close all travel, not just to the north, due to safety reasons.
Interview with a disillusioned UK ex-full-time union official
‘RPG’ is an anarchist who worked for trade unions from 1986 until the spring of 2007. He talks to Freedom about the lessons he learned
How did you originally get into union work?
Democratic Russia has little cause for optimism
In this interview originally published in Freedom in 2008, Rob Ray talks to Vadim, a Russian anarchist, about the state of the country in that year.
Rob Ray: What is the economic situation in Russia at the moment?
A climatic disorder? Class, coal and climate change - John Cunningham
At last November’s NUM convened conference, trade unionists and Climate Campers were invited to debate the explosive cocktail of (clean) coal, class and climate change. John Cunningham reports on the frustrating attempts to find a middle ground.
Source; http://www.metamute.org/node
Leftist union in the Philippines collude with management against workers
In a press release of the leftist Partido ng Manggagawa (Labor Party) published on Manila Indymedia last January 9, they claimed that “Furniture workers win major concessions as dispute settled”.
According to the press release, “The workers of Giardini del Sole,....one of the biggest furniture exporting company in the country, won major concessions in negotiations at the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) Region 7...”
What are these “victories” that the union claimed?
Quote:
“Management and the union agreed on the following points:
