In Turkey, teachers’ union leaders were released from house arrest. In the Philippines, union leaders who were sacked for their activism, were all reinstated. In Azerbaijan, security police raised the question of international support being shown to jailed union leaders while interrogating an activist.
What do these headlines all have in common?
These were all the results of LabourStart campaigns this summer.
Today, I’d like to update you with the extraordinary stories of these workers’ struggles. And to ask for you support.
Union leaders punished for their solidarity with students – and released following our campaign
In March this year, the teachers’ union in Turkey showed solidarity with pro-democracy protests by university students.
The regime’s response was swift: union leaders were placed under house arrest and faced other repressive measures. The union approached us through their global union federation, Education International. And we launched a campaign.
As we learned from the union a few days ago, “Within a short time, thousands of people joined the campaign, expressing their support for Eğitim Sen (the teachers’ union). This international campaign, which has continued for over three months, alongside national public support, has undoubtedly played a significant role in pushing back against the oppressive policies targeting our trade union. As a result, the judicial control measures imposed on Eğitim Sen’s leaders have been lifted.”
I’m delighted to share this good news with you and to pass on what the union’s leaders wrote to us:
“We extend our heartfelt thanks, first and foremost, to the LabourStart platform; to our global federation Education International (EI); to the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE); and to dozens of international trade unions and confederations from North America to Latin America, from Europe to the Asia-Pacific region. We are also deeply grateful to every individual and institution that has stood in solidarity with us. International trade union solidarity continues to be a powerful source of strength in our struggle against all forms of pressure and interference targeting democratic principles and trade union rights.”
I can tell you honestly that getting a message like that — well, it’s the whole point of what we do here at LabourStart.
And that was not the only message we received like this recently.
Massive win for workers making the clothes for Lululemon
Just a few days earlier, we learned workers in the Philippines, who were making clothes for Lululemon, had won a huge victory, assisted by a one of our online campaigns.
Here are just some of the things they told us that they won:
- All five terminated union leaders were reinstated, with full back wages from the date of their termination.
- The current disciplinary scheme will undergo review with the aim of crafting a new disciplinary policy in consultation with the union.
- The company commits to fully respect employees’ freedom of association and will make sure that this is clearly conveyed to all its employees.
- As a concrete step in this commitment, a labour education seminar on trade unionism will be conducted and attended by all rank-and-file employees of the company.
And that’s just part of a long list.
Not every campaign ends that way.
Azerbaijan’s security forces express concern about our campaign
But even when we don’t get everything we want, the campaign matters.
For example, a few weeks ago we closed down a campaign we’ve been running in support of jailed trade union leaders in Azerbaijan. Those brave individuals remain in jail and we are committed to doing everything we can to fight for their freedom. When we asked the union what, if anything, the campaign achieved, here is what they told us:
“The campaign received widespread attention, going viral in the news and drawing significant public interest. It even reached state-level awareness … [one of our members] was questioned about it during her interrogation while in detention this past April.”
From Turkey to the Philippines, LabourStart campaigns make a difference. And by supporting those campaigns, you make a difference.
To continue this important work, we need to ask for all of you to donate — and to encourage your trade union to also donate.
Please click here and give what you can. Every donation matters.
Our global network of tens of thousands of trade unionists like yourself — we’re making a difference, every day.
As our Turkish friends wrote in their message, “Long live international solidarity!”
Thank you so much for being part of this.
Eric Lee
LabourStart
Labour News Network 