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Dear John, 

 

This week we will be sharing with you news about our call to end union-busting and retaliatory firings at World Bank-funded Marriott-Sheraton in Guinea, the conviction of thirteen railway union leaders in Thailand, and how it continues to setback Freedom of Association and health and safety protections in Thailand, how Thailand's labor laws fall short of international standards on protecting workers, U.S. trade unions who filed a complaint with the ILO charging the Trump administration with violating global standards in its handling of the Covid-19 crisis in American workplaces, press coverage elevating our work, and two new positions we are hiring for at GLJ-ILRF. 

GLJ-ILRF and Global Trade Unions Call for an End to the Retaliation Against Union Leaders at World Bank Funded Marriott-Sheraton Grand in Conakry, Guinea

At the Marriott-Sheraton Grand in Conakry, Guinea, the IUF, ITUC, and Global Labor Justice – International Labor Rights Forum (GLJ – ILRF), advocated with the IFC to organize and win a fair union election despite retaliatory firings, but the hotel has since returned to firings and pressure on workers to bust the union. On October 7th, after an escalating pressure campaign by the hotel against union members, the Marriott-Sheraton Grand in Conakry, Guinea fired the two senior union officers as part of a broader attempt to bust the union. As Global Labor Justice – International Labor Rights Forum (GLJ-ILRF), we call on the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation to act in accordance with their mandates to block union-busting and respect freedom of association and collective bargaining where workers have chosen to be represented.  This must include the reinstatement of hotel union General Secretary Amadou Diallo and Deputy General Secretary Alhassane Diallo, who were both terminated on October 7th, 2020 as leaders of the newly elected union, raising awareness around fundamental workplace issues, including health and safety. You can read more here.

 

GLJ-ILRF Stands with Convicted Leaders of the State Railway Workers' Union of Thailand and Calls on US Brands to Ensure Freedom of Association in their Supply Chains in Thailand

The October 21st conviction of thirteen State Railway Union of Thailand leaders by the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases in Bangkok continues setbacks on Freedom of Association and health and safety protections in Thailand. In 2009 following deadly train derailments,  SRUT members organized a health and safety initiative calling on the State Railway of Thailand to address outdated and broken safety equipment.  SRUT members also refused to drive trains with faulty safety measures. The International Labor Organization (ILO) found that the union leaders’ actions were in line with international standards on the role of unions in occupational safety and health (OSH). At GLJ-ILRF, we stand with these 13 workers, their families, the SRUT, the International Trade Union Confederation and the International Transport Workers’ Federation in seeking justice and upholding their members’ rights, starting with the reversal of this verdict. We call on U.S. brands to ensure freedom of association in their supply chains in Thailand.  Too many U.S. companies are profiting from the repression of workers’ rights including the chilling of freedom of association, expression, and assembly that cases like this create. Now more than ever, workers must be free to individually and collectively refuse unsafe work as allowed by the ILO’s International Labor Standards without fear of retaliation and reprisals.  You can read more here.

Rights Groups, Unions and Companies Urge EU to Make Labor Rights a Precondition of Resuming Thai Trade Negotiations

A group of 45 organizations composed of NGOs, trade unions, companies, and multi-stakeholder initiatives sent a letter today to Valdis Dombrovkis, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, urging the European Union to require labor reform in Thailand as a precondition to the resumption of trade negotiations with the Government of Thailand.  The signatories emphasized in their letter that Thailand’s weak labor laws fall far short of international standards and the government has a poor track record in both preventing and countering labor rights abuses such as forced labor, discrimination against migrant workers, and violations of freedom of association. Such failures pose serious risks for buyers of goods and products from Thailand who is determined to ensure compliance with requirements to respect human rights throughout their global supply chains.  You can read more here. 

 

AFL-CIO, SEIU File Complaint Charging Trump Administration’s COVID-19 Response Violated Global Labor Standards

U.S. trade unions representing more than 14 million workers Wednesday filed a complaint with the International Labour Organization charging the Trump administration with violating global standards in its handling of the Covid-19 crisis in American workplaces. In the complaint, the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) assert the Trump administration and anti-union employers have exploited longstanding flaws in U.S. labor law – and imposed new ones – to restrict employees’ organizing and bargaining rights, leaving millions of workers unable to defend their health and their lives while the Coronavirus ravages their workplaces. The sweeping complaint points first to the failure of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to adopt emergency standards on Covid-19 in the workplace, instead of issuing a toothless “guidance” with no legal force. Further charges cite the National Labor Relations Board, now dominated by Trump appointees, for decisions and policy rulings that undercut workers’ organizing and bargaining efforts, endangering their lives. You can read more here. 

GLJ-ILRF In The News

 

 

GLJ-ILRF Is Hiring! 

Are you passionate about defending worker rights and building worker power in the global economy? Come join our team! We are currently hiring for a Central America Campaign Organizer and a Senior Staff Attorney, you can read more about the positions and how to apply here. 

 

In Solidarity, 

Jennifer (JJ) Rosenbaum 

Executive Director, GLJ-ILRF

 

1634 I St NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006, USA | +1 (202) 347-4100
www.globallaborjustice.org | www.laborrights.org

                                    

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