Industrial Workers of the World

aawl mini news

Tuesday 28 April 2009 International Workers Memorial Day 2009 Rally 10 am, Trades Hall, Lygon St Carlton South Eleven Victorian workers have already died at work in 2009. It is expected that many more workers will be injured or made ill from their work before this year is through. Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. Most don't die of mystery ailments, or in tragic "accidents". They die because an employer decided their safety just wasn't that important a priority. Workers’ Memorial Day commemorates those workers. Worker’s Memorial Day is held on 28 April every year, all over the world workers and their representatives conduct events, demonstrations, vigils and a whole host of other activities to mark the day. The day is also intended to serve as a rallying cry to “remember the dead, but fight like hell for the living”.

Stop Sri Lanka’s Genocide of the Tamil People Hear Tamil women speak Radical Women Public Meeting Thursday 23 April, 7:00 pm Since January 2009, more than 2,000 Tamils have been killed and 7,000 wounded by Sri Lankan troops. More than 200,000 are trapped inside a barren and shadeless 12-kilometre strip of land, without drinking water. Food and medicines are not allowed in. Forced hysterectomies and abortions of Tamil women make the genocidal aim of the Sri Lankan government’s offensive unmistakable. This is another Gaza, but concealed from world view. Hear from Tamil women about this important freedom struggle. Come and show solidarity by learning about and uncovering the hidden war. Bring your ideas about what we can do to help bring it to an end. Solidarity Salon, 580 Sydney Road, Brunswick The public meeting is free. A delicious will be served at 6.30 pm for a $7.00 donation. For information, contact Radical Women Tel: 0393880062 Email: radicalwomen@optusnet.com.au Web: www.RadicalWomen.org

Thursday 30 April 2009 May Day Wreath Laying Ceremony 5pm at the 8 Hour Memorial opposite Trades Hall to commemorate workers' struggles. Cnr. Victoria & Lygon Streets, Carlton South

Friday 1 May 2009 Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation Melbourne is holding a commemorative picnic 12 noon at the 8-hour day monument on the coner of Victoria and Lygon Streets in Carlton and later at 7pm is holding a public meeting to discuss May Day followed by a social event at the Melbourne Anarchist Resource Centre located at 62 St. Georges Rd. Northcote. The ASF Melbourne has held organised events on May Day every year since 1986. website: www.asf-iwa.org.au, email: asfmelbsec@gmail.com, phone: 0404 105 403

May Day Global Day of Action Solidarity Rally 5:30 State Library, Swanston Street, Melbourne We must oppose and defeat capitalism. No sackings. No wage cuts. No unsafe work. No workplace closures. Guaranteed pensions and social security. No disconnections. No evictions. No repossessions. Multi-Cultural

Evening and Entertainment 7pm at Trades Hall Cnr. Victoria & Lygon Streets, Carlton South. Speakers and cultural items hosted by a number of ethnic organisations followed by a muticultural smorgasbord.

Saturday 2 May 2009 May Day Film Screening and Celebration Salt of the Earth: An inspirational movie classic with lessons for tough times Saturday 2 May, 6:30 pm Solidarity Salon, 580 Sydney Road, Brunswick This film tells the story of the Empire Zinc mine strike — one of the most dramatic international union struggles of the McCarthy years. The strike, by Mexican-American miners, started over wages and conditions that were clearly discriminatory compared to Anglo miners in New Mexico. Radical leadership, multi-racial solidarity and the power of women who broke with traditional sex roles were key to the victory of the strike. Two years after the hard fought 17-month battle ended, the story was brought to life in Salt of the Earth, an extraordinary feature film that unforgettably portrays the racism against the miners, the picket line battles and the dynamic leadership of the women. It was made by an independent company of blacklisted Hollywood filmmakers and actors who worked in conjunction with the mineworkers’ union. Denounced as subversive, its makers were harassed and the lead actor — Rosaura Revueltas — was deported to Mexico. Cinemas across the country banned Salt of the Earth. Despite this, the film became an underground classic embraced by the Women’s Liberation movement and chosen by The Library of Congress as one of the 100 American films to be preserved for posterity.

Greetings to Yao Fuxin, a workers' delegate, free at last! The “International commission of inquiry of the democratic and labour movement against repression in China” greets Yao Fuxin, workers' delegate who was discharged from Lingyuan Prison N° 2 (Liaoning province) on March 16th, 2009, after staying the full duration of the prison term he had been disgracefully sentenced to: a 7 year prison sentence! Medias report that when he walked out of the prison building, Yao Fuxin declared: “I did not do anything wrong. I merely acted in line with my rights just as they are enshrined in the Constitution. What did I do wrong as a citizen? It was worth it and I have no regrets. I simply protected the interests of the country and those of the people, the legal rights and interests of workers. That was my responsibility, otherwise who would have done it?”

Thai Red U.K. Condemns the arrest of Redshirt Leaders No to the State of Emergency! No to the Military Crack-down! Return Thailand to Democracy Now ! Giles Ji Ungpakorn and Watana Ebbage, on behalf of Thai Red U.K. Thai Red U.K., the association of Redshirts in Britain, condemns the declaration of a State of Emergency by the illegitimate government of Abhisit Vejjajiva. We condemn the Military’s use of tanks and live ammunition against protestors. We say no to another coup. We also condemn the arrest of Redshirt leaders and demand that all of them be released. We are concerned by the creation, by pro-government politicians, such as Newin Chitchorp, of armed Blueshirted thugs, who have attacked pro-democracy demonstrators. The government should resign immediately to allow genuine democratic elections to be held as a matter of urgency. This would be a first step in allowing for a peaceful resolution of the long-running crisis.

Sunday 3 May 2009 May Day March, Concert and Family Activities Festivities begin at 12 noon in Lygon Street. The May Day March assembles at 1pm on the corner of Victoria and Russell Streets opposite Trades Hall. May Day Concert after the march. Pete Seeger birthday celebrations at 5pm. Burmese military regime arrests trade union members FTUB unlawfully detained, likely tortured On April 1, 2009, five members of the Federation Trade Unions Burma (FTUB) were arrested in their homes in Rangoon after returning from border areas where they had participated as delegates in the 1st National Congress of FTUB. The five members are likely being held in interrogation centers in the Rangoon area where it is believed they are being tortured. These FTUB members have served as non-violent advocates and campaigners for workers’ rights and the improvement of wages and working conditions for workers inside Burma. While the charges on which they were arrested have not been announced, the FTUB strongly condemns these unlawful arrests.

Paying the Price for the Economic Crisis New research by Oxfam International uncovers a hidden aspect of the global economic crisis – its impact on women workers in developing countries. Preliminary findings from Oxfam’s research with women in global supply chains shows that the crisis is having a devastating impact on their livelihoods, their rights, and their families. Women are often first to be laid off, with employers leaving pay outstanding and evading legal obligations to give notice and pay compensation, and governments turning a blind eye, with devastating knock-on effects. Last year, women’s wages were putting food on the table and children through school in millions of families. Now, the lives of women who were already suffering from poor labour conditions have become even more precarious.

Free Mansour Osanloo Mansour Osanloo believes that Tehran’s bus drivers deserve a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. For that he has been thrown in prison for five years. Please join us and hundreds of thousands of other people worldwide today who are trying to help Mansour Osanloo, an ex-bus driver beaten and imprisoned for nothing worse than being a unionist. Osanloo is the elected leader of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, a trade union founded three years ago. Even though the organisation is free, democratic and legal it has been violently attacked by Iranian security forces. As a result of his work Osanloo has been beaten, arrested and had his tongue sliced as a warning against speaking out. He is now being held in Evin Prison in Tehran, where he is in danger of losing his sight in one eye due to a previous beating. Osanloo and fellow jailed trade unionists are considered to be prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International. By helping us to campaign for his freedom you’ll be standing up for the fundamental human rights of all Iranian citizens, for the many thousands of people around the world imprisoned for trade union activities, and reinforcing all workers' freedoms.

Free Dr Binayak Sen Dr Binayak Sen is a very well known human rights activists in India. He has been jailed by the right wing government in the Indian States of Chhatisgarh since 14 May 2007. There is a protest movement in India and worldwide for his release. On 14 May 2009 in Mumbai there will be a public meeting of workers demanding his release. Every Monday there are rallies for Dr Sen's release in Raipur, capital of Chhatisgarh.

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