WFTU solidarity statement with the All India strike on November 26th, 2020

 

During the last 6 years, the World Federation of Trade Unions, the oldest, and only class-oriented international trade union organization, has been monitoring, condemning, and fighting against the neoliberal, anti-grassroots policies implemented by the Monti government, crushing the rights and living standards of the country’s workers, farmers, and people.

The coordinated efforts of the Indian bourgeoisie to improve its position in the intra-capitalist competition include further devaluation of the labor force, shrinking of the state benefits and pensions, privatization and corporatization of the public sectors and industries, reactionary changes in labor and farmer laws and codes. In addition, the complete indifference to protecting the popular strata from the impacts of the pandemic creates a suffocating situation for ordinary people who are plagued by unemployment, hunger, and misery.

We demand the release of all the arrested trade unionists

Workers’ experience has shown that anti-labor policies hand in hand with authoritarianism, oppression, and state violence against the workers’ struggles. We strongly condemn the arrest of at least fifty union leaders during the numerous sectoral and regional activities that took place all over India in the framework of the preparations of tomorrow All India Strike. The efforts of the Monti government to sabotage the strike will come to nothing. We demand the release of all the arrested trade unionists and an end to all provocations and violations of the trade union’s rights and freedoms.

The struggles in India give hope to workers all over the world

The militant struggle in India with the pioneering and leading role of the class unions – members of the WFTU proves the strength of the workers and gives hope and courage to the oppressed employees around the world. The escalation of the struggles in recent years is remarkable and commendable with massive strikes and activities in all sectors and regions and also nationally with the impressive and admirable nationwide strike that paralyzed the country with the participation of 250 million workers on January 8th, 2020.

We join our voice with the class-oriented trade unions in India

 The World Federation of Trade Unions, continuing its support to the workers’ struggles in the length and breadth of the world, expresses its internationalist solidarity and supporting the demands of the countywide strike that is going to take place on November 26th,2020, against the anti-labor, anti-farmer and anti-national policies of the Indian government

On behalf of the 105 million workers, represented by the WFTU, we join our voice with the Indian working class demanding:

1. Cash transfer of Rs 7500 per month for all non income tax paying families
2. 10 kg free ration per person per month to all needy
3. Expansion of MGNREGA to provide 200 days’ work in a year in rural areas at enhanced wages; extension of employment guarantee to urban areas
4. Withdraw all anti farmer laws and anti worker labour codes
5. Stop privatisation of public sector including the financial sector and stop corporatisation of Govt run manufacturing and service entities like Railways, Ordinance Factories, Ports etc.
6. Withdraw the draconian circular on forced premature retirement of Government & PSU Employees
7. Provide Pension to all, scrap NPS and restore earlier Pension, improve EPS-95

The Secretariat

 

The UFCW and the Grocery Industry

NOVEMBER 20, 2020

The right of workers to organize in unions is one of the earliest and most basic premises of Catholic Social Teaching. In most of the United States, every time you shop for groceries you have an opportunity to choose between shopping at a supermarket whose employees have the protection of a union contract, and one that doesn’t. That’s because the United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) represents more than 800,000 supermarket clerks, cashiers, stockers and other employees at many of the nation’s leading grocery store chains – but they face tough competition from nonunion competitors in every community, competitors that offer substandard health care benefits and little retirement security.

At one time, the supermarket industry was largely organized, and UFCW members represented most of the industry’s employees. However, large new non-union actors entered the scene, such as Wal-Mart and Whole Foods, and successfully beat back efforts by their workers to form unions.

Want to support union workers and the right to organize? Look for these names:

• Albertsons
• Kroger
• Ralphs
• King Soopers
• Fred Meyer
• Albertsons
• Safeway
• Jewel-Osco
• Stop & Shop
• Giant

The UFCW is one of the nation’s largest unions, reporting 1.3 million members. Outside of the grocery chains, they represent cashiers and clerks at many drugstores and workers at meatpacking plants, as well as other segments of the economy.

Uruguay: Health Services Unions Call for a National Strike

 

                                      Health care workers transfer a COVID-19 patient                                                         to a hospital, Montevideo, Uruguay, Nov. 11, 2020. | Photo: EFE

The National Medical Union rejects "the position of the private health care providers, who refuse to integrate the medical sector in advisory commissions linked to strengthening and improving the quality of care."

Uruguay's National Medical Union (SMU) and the Medical Federation of the Interior (FEMI) Wednesday called for a 24-hour strike in the private sector and mobile emergencies to demand better working conditions.

On November 5, the General Assembly of the SMU agreed to carry out the national strike due to "the lack of progress in the negotiation with the Wage Council of the private sector."

SMU representatives noted that the wage guidelines proposed by the private sector and the government 'are tremendously insufficient and represent a setback in the working conditions achieved in previous agreements', including "the loss of wages, labor rights, and quality in Health Care services."

"In the pandemic scenario, it is not acceptable to try to cut rights, lose wages. This weakens the health system, causing the loss of quality of care for the population." SMU chairman Federico Preve noted.

"The SMU holds collective negotiations to defend doctors' wages and working conditions."

 

On November 6, the SMU Executive Committee rejected "the position of the private health care providers, who within the scope of the National Health Board (JUNASA), refuse to integrate the medical sector in advisory commissions linked to strengthening and improving the quality of care."

Negotiations between the government, the private sector, and health workers unions are part of the eighth round of annual wage councils in which almost all the sectoral tables have already closed. 

Meanwhile, Minister of Labor and Social Security Pablo Mieres has pointed out that the Government prioritizes the dialogue, but few agreements have been reached.

On Tuesday, Uruguay reported 104 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the total number of confirmed cases to 4,208 since the outbreak of the epidemic in the country. The Death toll stands at 68, while 792 cases remain active.

$15 is the floor, not the ceiling! Raise Starbucks Pay to $15 an Hour! $25 /hour will keep is out of poverty!

 Raise Starbucks Pay to $15 an Hour | Coworker.org

Campaign created by

Jasmine Barringer

Why is this important?

As the largest coffee chain in the world, Starbucks should treat employees above average -- especially since the company is known for taking care of employees. We are a branded coffee name yet employees pay are comparable to coffee houses a fraction of the size of Starbucks. Starbucks is a multibillion dollar company, but it's been reported that it pays an effective tax rate of zero, yet is still unable to pay livable wages to its employees.

We have been continually working throughout the pandemic, but the pay is not a livable wage starting at $12 an hour. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many new rules/regulations and restraints implemented. We have new work every day, but we're not seeing a return for that work. At my location, for example, we have a great crew, but morale is starting to go down with many employees feeling as if their work is unappreciated. With the morales of employees going down, we are seeing a direct correlation to our customer connection score (the happiness of our customers). Customers are feeling less like they have a 3rd place, and more like they are just getting rushed thru with less smiles because there is so much more going on behind the bar. Employees deserve to feel they can handle their bills and what ever else they need while working full time at any job, but especially a company as large and profitable as Starbucks.

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https://www.coworker.org/petitions/starbucks-pay-to-15-an-hour?share=89a61ad5-83f0-4fe9-b3c2-6e6e5bbe955d&source=email-share-button&utm_medium=&utm_source=email

NOVEMBER 26 GENERAL STRIKE!

 Government & Bosses Want To Legislate 10hour- Workday/60hour Work Week

They Want To Ban Unions And Workers’ Strikes

Against the thousands police forces that flooded Athens to impose ban to demonstrations, a militant protest was organized with discipline and all health protection measures in the morning of November 17 right in front of the Embassy of the USA in Athens. This action broke in action the ban to the demonstration of November 17 that the Government attempted to impose.

Video of November 17 demonstration in Athens at the U.S. Embassy