India: Report on the Online Thunderclap Campaign by NFIR

As you are aware that we had initiated an Online Thunderclap Campaign in Support of Global Day of Action - Right To Strike on 10th February 2015. The results of the campaign have been declared since we had given the target date as 18th February 2015 12.00PM GMT. The statistics of the Campaign are:

  • We received 154% Support as against 100 expected.
  • Social Reach of the Campaign was 113,145
  • Notable thunderous Supporters included ITUC, ITF, Union Solidarity International (USi), TSSA - Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, Stand up for Labour, Michele Martini and Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, ITUC.

We requested Support for the Campaign by giving the following information:

Global Day of Action for the Right to Strike – 18th February 2015

An extensive discussion on the right to strike was held during the ITF’s 43rd Congress in August last year and following on from my previous correspondence in December last year the situation has become even more serious. Now is the time to act decisively on this issue, which goes to the heart of the trade union movement.

The dispute has already hampered the functioning of the ILO’s supervisory mechanism since 2012. This attack comes at a time when employers and governments are implementing austerity measures and social protests are criminalized. The increasing use of ILO jurisprudence at national and regional level, as well as in codes of conduct on business and human rights, shows the relevance and importance of ILO standards and the need for an effective ILO supervisory mechanism. This crisis is intended to prevent national and regional courts from deriving a right to strike from international law – and it must be countered.

An ILO tripartite meeting on the #right2strike will be held on 23-25 February 2015. If there is no tripartite consensus at that meeting to recognize the existence of the international right to strike (which is unlikely) then there must be a recommendation to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as foreseen by the ILO Constitution. This decision will need to be taken by the ILO Governing Body at its session from 12th to 26th March 2015.

While intensive lobbying of ILO Governing Body government members is important, we also have to send out a strong signal to employers around the world that the right to strike and international labour standards have to be respected.

We therefore ask you to join in a Global Day of Action for the right to strike on 18th February 2015. We invite you to organize a specific event on that day, and to integrate this issue in all your on-going campaign activities leading up to 12th March.

Some of the actions you can undertake:

  • Communications to all members explaining the dispute and asking them to hold workplace meetings on 18th February;
  • Public meetings with significant community leaders from Government, judiciary and human rights groups;
  • Lobbying of Governments and parliamentary representatives before and on the 18th February;
  • Protesting outside government offices where governments oppose the right to strike or referral to the rule of law through the ICJ;
  • Public protests against employers’ organisations;
  • Public demonstrations;
  • Social media actions.

The ITF is working together with the ITUC and other GUFs including the PSI on this key issue.

Let us stand together to defend and promote the #right2strike!

The link for the Thunderclap Campaign is given below:
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/22215-strike-is-our-birth-right

The above Thunderclap Campaign was designed and planned by Brother Vishnu, Incharge, NFIR Media Centre on behalf of ITUC/ITF. The Campaign was very well received by many renowned personalities globally on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Whatsapp groups managed by Brother Vishnu.