The ISS workers shop stewards network held a 2 day conference on Belgium last week attended by over 35 people. The network, of ISS activists from across Europe, was meeting to discuss its work with the European Works Council, the promotion of the Cleaners Charter and the activities to plan for this years International Justice Day.
Many trade unionists and affiliates in Asia Pacific actively joined the national campaigns and events during International Women's Day to promote gender equality.
FIFPRO, the world football players union, hosted an exchange on global collective bargaining practices in sport this week at their offices in Hoofdorp, the Netherlands. Moderated by UNI Sport PRO's, Walter Palmer, major player associations from around the world including the NFLPA, IRPA (world rugby players union), FICA (world professional cricketers union), the Japanese professional baseball players association and the regional federation of player unions in Europe, EU Athletes participated in the exchange.
On 6 March 2014, UNI Europa contributed to a high-level conference on the role of the European services industry in the context of EU industrial policy which took place in the European Parliament in Brussels. Reinhard Bütikofer, MEP and co-president of the European Greens, acted as host of the conference. Next to interventions by UNI Europa President Frank Bsirske and Regional Secretary Oliver Röthig, speakers representing national governments, academic institutions, and social partners provided food for thought and concrete proposals for EU policy-making.
UNI Global Union, through the UNI National Liaison Council (UNI NLC), has been focusing on organizing private hospital, health and care workers in Nepal, and there are some recent successes to celebrate.
It is crunch time now for the Rana Plaza compensation fund. The one-year anniversary of the mass industrial homicide is fast approaching. IndustriALL, UNI, Clean Clothes Campaign and LabourStart have launched an online petition calling on brands to pay now.
The total fund needed is US$40 million for correct levels of payments to be made to the families of those 1,138 workers crushed to death at their workstations in Rana Plaza, and also to the survivors, hundreds of whom lost limbs and their ability to work when the factory fell.
8 March is International Women’s Day and UNI is highlighting the plight of female security workers who bravely put themselves at risk of violence every day while at work. We believe these workers deserve the full protection of union rights.
Prosegur is the world’s third largest security company and its President Helena Revoredo is one of the few women in the world to hold such a prominent position. Yet, surprisingly, Prosegur’s record of working rights for female security guards does not stand up to inspection.
Tomorrow, we join the people of the world in celebration of the progress made for women’s rights, women’s empowerment and gender equality. We also acknowledge that progress has been slow, uneven and in some cases women and girls face new and more complex challenges.
International Women's Day is therefore also a day to recommit ourselves to working harder for gender equality, together as women, men, youth and leaders of nations, communities, religion and commerce.
International Women’s Day is not a celebration. It is a day to observe and to remind us that 70% of women have experienced some sort of violence during their lives. This violence causes more death between women aged 15 and 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents and war combined. Furthermore, as a result of this violence most of them develop health issues like strokes, heart disease, depression, anxiety, stress-related syndromes, substance abuse and suicide.
A joint statement by the three European Trade Union Federations - EPSU - UNI - SCECBU and IPSO, the sole trade union at the ECB, on staff-related issues surrounding Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM)
