Thanks to all those "sew radical" & crafty folks at Loophole

Melbourne women protested on May Day on the Library Steps in Swanston Street about "800" + women workers murdered in Mexico/US border "maquiladora/free trade zone" factory zone

Juarez Juarez Girl from Melbourne Action Against Femicide in Mexico

PHOTO

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33176213@N04/4570215322/

BACKGROUND

Spanish language videos, audio, photographs

http://www.griterio.org/category/feminicidios/

English language

http://www.mujeresdejuarez.org/EUversion.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_homicides_in_Ciudad_Ju%C3%A1rez

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/360/stories/2010/2844252.htm

http://www.lavc.edu/Library/bib-women_of_c._juarez.htm

Red November, black November, Bleak November, black and red.

Hallowed month of labour’s martyrs, Labour’s heroes, labor’s dead.

Labour’s wrath and hope and sorrow, Red the promise, black the threat,

Who are we not to remember? Who are we to dare forget?

Black and red the colors blended, Black and red the pledge we made,

Red until the fight is ended, Black until the debt is paid.

— By Ralph Chaplin author of Solidarity Forever

“Up until now,” Hernandez said, “we’ve heard of 16 marches in other states, and just in the state of Michoacan for example, 11,000 schools went on strike, as well all the higher education institutions. It’s also necessary to consider the amount of disorganization and domination which the large part of the Mexican working class has found itself in. What happened today signifies, without any doubt, a ‘leap’ in the consciousness of the Mexican working class. We need to be patient, but it seems to me that we’re on the threshold of qualitative change.”

http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/2214/79/

Workers members of the Triumph Labour Union have occupied the Ministry of Labour in Bangkok, Thailand and set up their living quarter and garment production facilities inside the ministry buildings.

Almost 2000 union members were sacked by Triumph in June, and have been picketing the factory in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan since then. The factory owners dismissed the workers claiming a fall in profits, and they set up a new factory with casual workers. The workers are producing garments under their own label, Try Arm and continue their fight for reinstatement & compensation.

‘Try Arm’ Underwear by the Producers of Triumph Oct 26th, 2009 http://tryarm.blogspot.com/2009/10/try-arm-underwear-by-producers-of.html

contact tryarm.underwear@gmail.com

On the ground floor of the Ministry of Labour, amid campaign banners and luggage scattered around, groups of women are engaged in activities. When night falls, mosquito nets of various colours occupy the place. These are members of the Triumph Labour Union, which has been active since 1980, and is reputedly one of the most enduring.