ERNATIONAL INT

PUBLISHED BY THE WEST MIDLANDS INTERNATIONAL FORUM Summer 2012

On May 19th The region organised , (what is becoming an annual event) an international The aim of the seminar at the regional office. seminar was not only to make delegates aware of the issues , but just as importantly focussed on how regional activists could be actively Sessions were held on; Trade Unions in Burma Mick Bowman from the Northern region reported back on a recent visit to meet the FTUK (Burmese trade union ), which because of restrictions within Burma operates just over the Thai border (see article inside) Labour behind the label - Sam Mahler outlined the work of the LBL and focussed on the Play fair campaign which addresses the iniquities of the sports wear industry and the Olympics. Action for Southern Africa Mark Beacon gave a well received session on Swaziland with a particular focus on the position of women in the country (see short article based on Marks presentation) Amnesty UK Ellis Brooks got delegates moving around whilst giving a session on the role of Amnesty and the art of protesting!

Sam Mahler

Involved in proLabour behind the Label moting them. Delegates were particularly interested in becoming involved in the ongoing projects with the FTUK and building stronger links with NAPSAWU in Swaziland. The seminar was held jointly with the Regional women's group and the regional black members sog, as it is felt that many of the issues are directly relevant to these groups, and our international priorities going forward will be where possible a joint effort.

When ever I talk to someone about Swaziland, most who have heard of the country will talk about a unique culture and describe it with words like quaint and traditional, but scratch beneath that veneer and you will find something distressingly different. As you travel over the border from South Africa you will see nice houses, decent road and a country that seems to successfully marry culture and tradition.

married her traditionally. In 2009 research found that almost one third of women and girls aged 13 to 24 had experienced sexual violence before their 18th birthday. Another survey found that 60 per cent of men believed it was acceptable to beat their wives and that 18 per cent of women (between 13 and 44) had contemplated suicide, primarily as a result of domestic violence.

Under traditional law a Swazi women is always a minor, a Many tourists wont realise Swaziland has one of girl, the property of her father or her husband and his famthe longest state of emergencies in the world, or the ily. Under the custom of Tolena she can be Kidnapped, highest HIV rate, or that its an absolute monarchy raped and married by a man and his family and her family where democracy is denied, or that it has fewer po- simply informed of the wedding and paid a Dowry. litical freedoms than Zimbabwe. Women when married are expected to live with their in 5% of the budget is spent on health, in the country laws and raise a family. What is shocking is how common with the highest HIV rate in the world, 3% on agriabuse is. A matter that cannot be spoken about, a matter culture when 70% of the population is rural, and that shows a man cares he is paying you attention. Also 70% live on less than 2$ a day and 17% of the common is the number of women who are expected to budget is spent on the military when there is no ex- look after their children, their in laws, cook, clean and farm ternal threat. whilst their husband goes off to raise another family elseIn March TUCOSWA held its inaugural congress. where. If the men return HIV positive, their wives have no This single federation brings together the previously right to negotiate over condom use. I spoke to a woman fractured trade union movement. It comes at an im- whose husband had returned from South Africa after ten portant time as next year Swaziland is going to the years, living with AIDS. She had no choice but to nurse polls. Surprisingly right at the top of the list of dehim until he died, pay for his funeral and then be chucked bated issues was the call for a boycott of next years out of her home by her in laws as a woman under tradielections. tional law cannot own property. Sadly this tragic story is not uncommon. Within days the leadership were summoned to meet with the Minister for labour. Hed been advised to deregister the new federation by the Attorney general. And so they are now an illegal organisation. When TUCOSWA attempted to celebrate May day, some were arrested and all property with the TUCOSWA logo was confiscated. The other day a teacher carrying a TUCOSWA bag was arrested. Next month they are due to go to the ILO. But as an illegal trade union movement, they may well be denied the right to be delegates there. Women in Swaziland are subjected to the most horrendous levels of gender based violence. If they are raped by their husbands they have no legal protection and there are no laws against domestic violence. On the rare occasions where a rape case ends up in court, the law even allows a rapist to claim that the victim appeared to be 16 or appeared to be a prostitute as grounds for defence or even he

Mark Beacon ACTSA

Four trade unions , including UNISON, are working with one of the principal Burmese trade union groupings, the Karen Trade Union Federation (the FTUK).

the displaced populations in eastern Burma. Workers now face new challenges and threats which will arise from Burma opening up to international big business

The FTUK, comprising health, education and agricultural unions, represents workers in Karen state Practical support and the refugee camps on the Thai/Burma border. Help fund FTUK, so they can employ 3 Karen TU A visit was recently made by trade unionists from activists for mae Sot office (approximate cost the Northern region (including Mick Bowman from 450 per month for 2 years. Northumbria UNISON, who spoke at our recent Twin with FTUK to enable ongoing solidarity links regional seminar. This was the first international trade union delegation to meet with the FTUK and as well as bringing financial support (from fundraising in the UK), the delegation were able to plan on-going practical solidarity action. In Burma and especially ethnic nationality areas, (e.g. Karen state) trade unionists have for decades been imprisoned, tortured and murdered by the state for carrying out legitimate activities. Despite the recent changes, the position of trade unionists in Burma is still very precarious and a significant number remain as political prisoners. Our comrades in the FTUK have done formidable work, often at great personal risk, in establishing their base in Mae Sot from where they not only mobilise workers but carry out human rights monitoring and provide essential medical services to Campaign for imprisoned labour activists and other political prisoners Link to the newly established UK-Burma TO solidarity network. Over the next 12 months our region will be getting involved in the above actions. For further info contact me at Dave auger@wolverhamptonunison.org.uk

When Josefina Paez decided on a holiday return to the Philippines , to visit her family She decided not to go empty handed!. Aware of the devastation caused by Hurricanes and consequent flooding last year, she also knew that the effects of that devastation was being felt by ordinary Filipinos in terms of a continuing scarcity of basic food stuffs such as rice. Following a letter circulated to branches seeking financial support, Ade Andrews Branch International Officer for Shropshire UNISON organised a quiz night . Over 30 participants raised over 150 for Josefina appeal! Ade was actually disappointed with the turnout!! The rest of us would welcome less than that!

However a continual terrorist war carried out by the Contra Rebels (heavily financed by the US again!) Wore the working classes down and with strong US support a right wing government was elected. Although Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere, the policies adopted by the Sandinista Government since their re-election in 2006 Has made it more able to survive the current world recession than its neighbours in Central America

This month our region hosted a visit by two young Nicaraguan trade unionists Arely Lpez and Emerson Silva Urbina, from the public workers union UNE The visit followed links made with the general secretary of UNE Domingo Perez at last years national Conference, at which we discussed making formal links between our region and the UNE. Arely Lpez is the Secretary of the UNE young members section, a member of the National Workers Front (FNT - the equivalent of TUC) young members committee, and is UNE representative to the young members section of Public Services International in the Mexico, Central America, Panama and Dominican Republic sub region. In 2009 the Communications Workers Union and UNISON International Development Fund provided funds for training young Nicaraguan trade unionists in leadership skills, employment law, and union organising. Arely and Emerson both participated in the above training. Arely says Thanks to the help of NSCAG and UNISON, young trade unionists have received training with a focus on empowering young people to take on leadership roles. I am now a member of the Executive Committee of UNE. They also spoke of the UNE legal office , which was set up in 2011 following UNISON providing 20000 through the UIDF. .For the first time UNE is able to provide advice and fight legal battles for any members subject to unfair treatment in the workplace. As well as taking up individual cases the office will also ensure through a training programme that the union becomes more selfsustaining in providing legal advice to its members. Unfortunately the UNE have been unable to make the office self sustainable and the funding runs out in a few weeks .

There followed some useful discussions on what we and they could hope to achieve from a twinning arEmerson Silva Urbina is a lawyer and member of the Leonel rangement Rugama youth movement of the UNE section representing On the second day of their visit they attended the relocal government workers in Managua. (lionel rugama was a gional International forum for further discussions on famous Nicaraguan poet who died defending the revolution) twinning. Here for two days Arely and Emerson spent their first day in The visit was facilitated by the Nicaragua Solidarity Wolverhampton . Having spent the afternoon visiting the Campaign. The campaign, which is based in Britain, branch office and then at a joint Council /NHS children's cen- has for many years raised awareness and support for tre (The gem centre). the Nicaraguan people and built solidarity between our Later they spoke at a well attended meeting where they gave unions. an outline of the recent history of Nicaragua and their role in The campaign is however run on a shoestring and I the union. would urge all branches to affiliate to the campaign, details of which can be found at ; Following 40 years of a dictatorship (propped up by the US government, the dictatorship was overthrown in a popular http://www.nscag.org/ revolution by the Sandinistas.