Malaysia: Japanese Firm Must Drop Defamation Charges Against Human Rights Defender
On February 14, 2011, the Malaysian subsidiary of Japanese electronics firm Asahi Kosei filed a $3.2 million defamation suit against human rights defender Charles Hector after he posted on his blog reports he received from Burmese migrant workers detailing violations of their labour and human rights at the company.
International Trade Union Confederation condemns yet another attack on fundamental rights in Fiji
On August 13, police broke up a regular meeting of the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) after revoking its permit to assemble. The move follows the recent arrest of FTUC President Daniel Urai and Mr. Goundar, a union official, for meeting with members to prepare for collective bargaining.
New ITUC report on indigenous peoples in Latin America
To mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, the ITUC is releasing a new report entitled "The Alliance Between the Indigenous Peoples and Trade Unions in Latin America". The report points to the discrimination, feudal exploitation, isolation and forced labour suffered by indigenous peoples in Latin America.
Union Leaders call for emergency G20 Summit to respond to run on financial markets
As the collapse in world share values threatens to trigger renewed downturn and with it a surge in unemployment, union leaders have called on G20 leaders to convene an emergency Summit to take the initiative to regulate the markets and avert economic collapse.
Fiji: all-out assault on trade unionism by the military government
The military government of Fiji has engaged in an all-out assault on trade unionism this year, by force and by decree, and it is getting worse by the day. Just this week, union officials were detained, questioned and charged with “unlawful assembly” by police simply for meeting with union members to prepare for collective bargaining negotiations. “This is completely unacceptable. Any and all charges must be dropped”, said Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary. Earlier this year, several trade union leaders were brutally beaten by members of the armed forces for exercising their fundamental trade union rights.