Monday, June 29, 2009

[olympiaworkers] Call for Solidarity! Olympia IWW's Fight in Centralia Continues!

Please Foreword Widely!

The Olympia GMB's fight against Neil White and the Aerie Ballroom
continues!

Thanks to all of you who have supported the Olympia General
Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)so far in
our fight against The Aerie Ballroom and Neil White in Centralia, WA. This
fight and those like it show that when we get together, we can win justice
for working people everywhere!

This past Friday, June 26th we held an informational picket in Centralia
at the Hub City Grill, a restaurant that is also owned by Neil White and
is conveniently across the street from the Aerie Ballroom. About 15 people
came out to show their support for the Olympia General Membership Branch
and Brooke in our fight. We were able to spread the word about our
struggle during the Friday night dinner rush!

Our demand remains the same: REINSTATE BROOKE!

We will continue to put pressure on Neil White and the Aerie Ballroom
until our demands are met!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
This week, we're asking for solidarity letters and phone calls.

THURSDAY JULY 2ND has been designated as a call in day. Please call The
Aerie Ballroom at (360)807-1212 and demand that Brooke be reinstated in
her position!

Also, please send SOLIDARITY LETTERS. Letters are welcome from
individuals, organizations and unions. A form letter is attached to this
email to make it a bit easier, or feel free to write your own.

We also have another PICKET planned.

WHEN? Wednesday July 8th, 2009. Carpool leaves at 6 PM SHARP! Picket is from
7 PM-9 PM

WHERE? The picket is in Centralia, but we'll meet at the Artesian Well in
Downtown Olympia (off 4th Ave. between Adams and Jefferson). The
rendezvous point in Centralia will be disclosed at the carpool.


BACKGROUND ON THE SITUATION:
Ninety years after the Centralia Conspiracy and the lynching of
Wobbly Wesley Everest, the Wobblies are back in Centralia.

A member, Brooke Stepp of the Olympia General Membership Branch of the
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was fired from her job on
unfair, illegal and unjust grounds. She put in the simple request to her
boss that she be paid, in accordance with Washington and federal laws, for
her time spent in training for her job. The boss denied her request and
immediately fired her.


WHAT WE'VE DONE:
On Sunday May 17th, 13 Wobblies and supporters delivered a letter to the
Aerie Ballroom stating our demands that Brooke receive payment for the
training she had already completed. Neil wasn't there, so we took a
picture and mailed him a copy of the letter with the picture attached.

WHAT WE'VE WON:
Neil had until Friday May 22nd to respond to our demands. On that Friday
we received a letter from his lawyers claiming that Brooke was never an
employee of the Aerie Ballroom (untrue), that the training she completed
wasn't mandatory (untrue), and that they had filed a police report for the
"incident" on May 17th. However, enclosed in the letter was a check for
the training time! WE GOT HALF OUR DEMANDS MET!


For more info or for information on how to get involved email us at
olywobs@riseup.net

Remember: an injury to one is an injury to all!

[olympiaworkers] Call for Solidarity! Olympia IWW's Fight in Centralia Continues!

Please Foreword Widely!

The Olympia GMB's fight against Neil White and the Aerie Ballroom
continues!

Thanks to all of you who have supported the Olympia General
Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)so far in
our fight against The Aerie Ballroom and Neil White in Centralia, WA. This
fight and those like it show that when we get together, we can win justice
for working people everywhere!

This past Friday, June 26th we held an informational picket in Centralia
at the Hub City Grill, a restaurant that is also owned by Neil White and
is conveniently across the street from the Aerie Ballroom. About 15 people
came out to show their support for the Olympia General Membership Branch
and Brooke in our fight. We were able to spread the word about our
struggle during the Friday night dinner rush!

Our demand remains the same: REINSTATE BROOKE!

We will continue to put pressure on Neil White and the Aerie Ballroom
until our demands are met!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
This week, we're asking for solidarity letters and phone calls.

THURSDAY JULY 2ND has been designated as a call in day. Please call The
Aerie Ballroom at (360)807-1212 and demand that Brooke be reinstated in
her position!

Also, please send SOLIDARITY LETTERS. Letters are welcome from
individuals, organizations and unions. A form letter is attached to this
email to make it a bit easier, or feel free to write your own.

We also have another PICKET planned.

WHEN? Wednesday July 8th, 2009. Carpool leaves at 6 PM SHARP! Picket is from
7 PM-9 PM

WHERE? The picket is in Centralia, but we'll meet at the Artesian Well in
Downtown Olympia (off 4th Ave. between Adams and Jefferson). The
rendezvous point in Centralia will be disclosed at the carpool.


BACKGROUND ON THE SITUATION:
Ninety years after the Centralia Conspiracy and the lynching of
Wobbly Wesley Everest, the Wobblies are back in Centralia.

A member, Brooke Stepp of the Olympia General Membership Branch of the
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was fired from her job on
unfair, illegal and unjust grounds. She put in the simple request to her
boss that she be paid, in accordance with Washington and federal laws, for
her time spent in training for her job. The boss denied her request and
immediately fired her.


WHAT WE'VE DONE:
On Sunday May 17th, 13 Wobblies and supporters delivered a letter to the
Aerie Ballroom stating our demands that Brooke receive payment for the
training she had already completed. Neil wasn't there, so we took a
picture and mailed him a copy of the letter with the picture attached.

WHAT WE'VE WON:
Neil had until Friday May 22nd to respond to our demands. On that Friday
we received a letter from his lawyers claiming that Brooke was never an
employee of the Aerie Ballroom (untrue), that the training she completed
wasn't mandatory (untrue), and that they had filed a police report for the
"incident" on May 17th. However, enclosed in the letter was a check for
the training time! WE GOT HALF OUR DEMANDS MET!


For more info or for information on how to get involved email us at
olywobs@riseup.net

Remember: an injury to one is an injury to all!

[olympiaworkers] Short fuse; 50, 000 workers on the streets & 50 factories burning in Bangladesh

Libcom.org Jun 30 2009

The mass unrest in the garment industry continued on Monday (29 June) for
a third day...

On the outskirts of Dhaka, the capital city, in the industrial zone;
workers' rioting and demonstrations yesterday escalated to new heights. As
thousands of workers gathered in the morning, at 10am a group set off
towards the nearby Dhaka Export Processing Zone where many garment
factories are located. Police blocked their way and fierce fighting began
- in the pitched battle police teargas and rubber bullets left 100 workers
injured.

Other workers soon joined the protesters and informed them that work was
continuing as normal at the Hamim Group factory complex. Twenty thousand
workers began to march towards the complex. As the numbers of protesters
in the area swelled to 50,000 the security forces were simply overwhelmed;
the Dhaka District Superintendent of Police said; "An additional 400
policemen stood guard in front of the major factories. We tried our best
to disperse the crowd, but they were too many and too fierce."

There are reports that some workers at the Hamim complex tried to defend
the factory and clashed with the demonstrators as they approached
(presumably reluctant to sacrifice their workplace to the greater cause -
though whether these workers were garment workers or factory security
and/or management personnel is unknown). The approaching protesters were
said to be angry that these workers had failed to join the weekend
protests over the killing of two garment workers shot by cops - and that
the factory owners had, unlike other bosses, continued operating since the
shootings.

The workers split into smaller groups and stormed the complex at around
10.15am. They sprinkled the buildings with petrol; a sweater factory,
three garment factories, two washing factories, two fabric storehouses ...
over 8,000 machines, a huge quantity of readymade garments, fabrics, three
buses, two pickup vans, two microbuses and one motorbike were all reduced
to ashes.

The crowd was thinking strategically. Once the buildings were ablaze some
workers returned to the highway and blockaded the road; consequently, the
fire services were unable to reach the blaze for several hours until
3.30pm - by which time the buildings were burnt to the ground.

Meanwhile, groups drawn from some of the other 50,000 workers and
participants (undoubtably other sympathetic non-garment workers and slum
dwellers would have been drawn in) roamed the area and attacked and
vandalised another 50 factories and 20 vehicles. Thick black smoke could
be seen across the city.

Though in public statements the garment bosses have been attempting to
maintain international confidence by playing up the continued economic
health of the industry it seems that some companies are beginning to feel
the pinch of the economic crisis. One report suggests that

The current global meltdown had a background part to play in the whole
thing as scores of factories turned sick due to reduced orders.
Low and delayed wage payments following the recession also helped
trigger the unrest... Many factory owners had truncated their
workforce to be more competitive against their international
competitors, industry insiders said. (Daily Star - 30 June 09)

The factory in Ashulia's S. Suhi Industrial Park, where the dispute that
sparked this unrest began(1), laid off most of its workers and sold to a
new owner in February due to a decline in orders from international
buyers. Laid off workers had apparently been regularly agitating for
re-employment at the unused factory at a higher wage rate;

The closure of the units of S Suhi Industrial Park Ltd was mainly
responsible for the latest labour unrest in garment factories in
Ashulia and Savar areas, a number of garment workers claimed.
Pretty Group in March started production only with the
sweater-manufacturing unit and kept the five other units of the former
S Suhi Industrial Park closed. Around 1,000 out-of-work workers of the
five units were mounting pressure on the new management to restart
those units soon, said garment workers.
The workers of the closed units along with other ill-paid workers of
some nearby factories, which are not doing so well, started a movement
to reopen the units and raise salary of workers, they said.
Failing to get their jobs back, they started to unite and threaten to
halt production in other factories unless the former S Suhi units are
reopened, a worker of Ha-Meem Group said requesting anonymity.(Daily
Star - 30 June 09)

But the new owners denied this, none too convincingly;

Manjur Rahman, manager and company secretary of Pretty Group, claimed
that this labour unrest had neither anything to do with his factory
nor was it triggered from his factory.

In fact, the truth is probably a little more subtle - the Pretty Group
dispute was the spark that set off an explosion waiting to happen. The
global economic crisis increases already pressured working conditions,
decline in real wages/purchasing power due to inflation and actual or
threatened unemployment; in Bangladesh a decline in income is a short step
away from hunger and starvation; many garment workers are already
permanently malnourished (as described here;
http://libcom.org/news/bangladesh-militarized-factory-visions-devouring-demons-capital-15092008).

Where this workers' movement goes from here is anybody's guess. But the
ruling class is worried it may spread to the south-eastern port city of
Chittagong, another smaller center of the garment industry, with 700
factories.

Security has been beefed up with special surveillance over the
Chittagong city's apparel sectors as tension brewed here against the
backdrop of violence in the garment factories in Dhaka, police
officials and garments association leaders said on Monday.

Nothing is resolved. Watch this space...

Footnote
1) See earlier articles here;
http://libcom.org/news/fury-garment-worker-shot-dead-bangladesh-workers-strike-riot-28062009
http://libcom.org/news/more-mayhem-cops-kill-again-garment-workers-rioting-continues-bangladesh-28062009

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

[olympiaworkers] Iranian bus workers’ statement on the demonstrations

Libcom.org June 21, 2009

Statement of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus
Company about the recent unrest sparked by discontent with the claimed
results of the 2009 election.

Vahed Syndicate – Any Suppression or threat of civil liberty condemned

In line with the recognition of the labour rights, we request that June 26
Action Day – Justice for Iranian workers – to include the human rights of
all Iranians who have been deprived of their rights.

In recent days, we continue witnessing the magnificent demonstration of
millions of people from all ages, genders, and national and religious
minorities in Iran. They request that their basic human rights,
particularly the right to freedom and to choose independently and without
deception be recognized. These rights are not only constitutional in most
of the countries, but also have been protected against all odds.

Amid such turmoil, one witnesses threats, arrests, murders and brutal
suppression that one fears only to escalate on all its aspects, resulting
in more innocent bloodshed, more protests, and certainly no retreats.
Iranian society is facing a deep political-economical crisis.
Million-strong silent protests, ironically loud with un-spoken words, have
turned into iconic stature and are expanding from all sides. These
protests demand reaction from each and every responsible individual and
institution.

As previously expressed in a statement published on-line in May of this
year, since the Vahead Syndicate does not view any of the candidates
support the activities of the workers' organizations in Iran, it would not
endorse any presidential candidate in the election. Vahed members
nevertheless have the right to participate or not to participate in the
elections and vote for their individually selected candidate.

Moreover, the fact remains that demands of almost an absolute majority of
the Iranians go far beyond the demands of a particular group. In the past,
we have emphasized that until the freedom of choice and right to organize
are not recognized, talk of any social or particular right would be more
of a mockery than a reality.

The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company fully
supports this movement of Iranian people to build a free and independent
civil society and condemns any violence and oppression.

In line with the recognition of the labour rights, the Syndicate requests
that June 26 which has been called by the International Trade Unions
Organization 'Day of action' for justice for Iranian workers to include
the human rights of all Iranians who have been deprived of their rights.

With hope for freedom and equality

The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company

Sunday, June 21, 2009

[olympiaworkers] Pyeongtaek strike continues in South Korea

June 21, 2009 Libcom.org

A strike now completing its fourth week at Ssangyong Motors in Pyeongtaek,
South Korea, remains a standoff as of this writing. The strike echoes in
many ways the dynamic seen in the recent Visteon struggle in the UK and in
battles over auto industry restructuring around the world. Involving, on
the other hand, an outright factory seizure and occupation, and
preparation for violent defense of the plant if necessary, it is the first
struggle of its kind in South Korea for years.

Loren Goldner

(June 19)

The company was taken over three years ago by China's Shanghai Automotive
Industry Corporation, which holds 51% ownership. At the time, the
Pyeongtaek plant had 8700 employees; it now has 7000. In February the
company filed for bankruptcy, proposing a restructuring and offering the
Pyeongtaek plant as collateral for further loans to re-emerge from
bankruptcy. The court approved the bankruptcy plan, pending adequate
layoffs to make the company profitable again.

The management strategy seems to have been a long-term whittling down of
personnel combined with acquisition of technology for operations in China.
Since the Shanghai Automotive takeover, there has been no new investment
at Ssangyong Motors, and no new car model launched. (Korean prosecutors
have raised questions over the legality of the technology transfer to
China, since the technology in question was developed with Korean
government subsidies, but to date no legal action has been taken.)

Workers at the plant responded with strikes against pending layoffs in
April which accelerated into a full strike and plant takeover and
occupation by 1700 workers on May 27 when the list of workers to be laid
off was announced. The strike focused on three main demands: 1) no layoffs
2) job security for all and 3) no outsourcing. The company wants to force
1700 workers into early retirement and has fired 300 casuals.

The Ssangyong workers are organized in the Korean Metal Workers Union
(KMWU) and have worked an average of 15-20 years in the factory. A regular
worker earns a base pay of approximately 30,000,000 won (currently ca.
$25,000) per year; a casual earns about 15,000,000 for the same work. (In
Korea, the base pay is only part of the salary, which includes benefits
–for regular workers—as well as significant overtime paid at a higher
rate, often 10 hours a week and accepted, or even desired, by most workers
as a necessary income supplement.)

As of mid-June, about 1000 workers were continuing the occupation, with
wives and families providing food. About 500 workers not slated for layoff
are staying at home, and about 1000 supervisory staff are scabbing, mainly
maintaining machines, while no cars have been produced since the
occupation began.

There has been to date little mass police presence in Pyeongtaek. This is
due at least in part to to the current political crisis in South Korea
following the recent suicide of ex-president No Mu Hyeon and subsequent
large-scale demonstrations expressing growing outrage against the current
right-wing government of Lee Myong Bak, demonstrations that are expected
to gain momentum into July. The Lee government, elected in December 2007
on a program of high economic growth and now discredited by the world
crisis, has been taken aback by the depth of outrage revealed in
demonstrations mobilizing up to 1 million people. After the unleashing of
riot police provoked further outrage and brought more people to the
streets, the government is unwilling to risk further disenchantment by an
assault on the Pyeongtaek factory.

On June 16, a large anti-strike rally of more than 1500 people was held
outside the factory gates. The rally was attended by the 1000 supervisory
scabs, 200 hired thugs and 300 workers not on the layoff list and not
supporting the strike. 400 riot police stood by, doing nothing, and
finally declared the scab assembly illegal.

During the scab rally, about 700-800 workers from nearby factories, such
as the Kia Motor company, came to defend the Ssangyang plant, in part in
response to a text message tree of the KMWU.

The occupying workers have made plans for armed defense against any police
attempt to recapture the plant, stocking iron pipes and Molotov cocktails.
As a further fallback plan, they intend to concentrate in the paint
department, where the flammable materials (in their estimate) will
dissuade the police from firing tear gas cannisters and setting off a
conflagration.

According to one activist critical of the role of the union, the KMWU
seems to remain in control of the strike. In contrast to role of the
unions in the Visteon struggle in the UK and in the dismantling of the US
auto industry, the KMWU has thus far supported the illegal actions of
seizing the plant and preparing for its armed defense. On the other hand,
it has been concentrating on the demand for no layoffs and soft-pedaling
the demands for job security for all and against out-sourcing.

The core occupation of the plant is powered by 50 or 60 rank-and-file
groups of 10 workers each, who in turn elect a delegate (chojang) for
coordinated action. According to the same critical activist, these chojang
are the most combative and class-conscious workers.

The outcome of this strike remains up in the air. It benefits from a
momentarily favorable political climate, which has put the Korean
government on the back foot, but it is up against the deep crisis of the
world auto industry and the world economic crisis generally. The nearby
Kia Motor Company plant is itself in the middle of critical negotiations
for crisis measures, and GM-Daewoo is being hit with the world
reorganization of GM. The company strategy, as in the case of Visteon,
seems to be at best slow attrition (already underway since 2006) or even
an outright closing of the plant. The Ssangyong Motor struggle may light a
fire in the Korean auto industry and beyond, or, more likely, be
strangled, slowly or not so slowly, in its current isolation.

Friday, June 19, 2009

[olympiaworkers] Wildcat strike in Stockholm

Wildcat strike in Stockholm
Jun 16 2009

Workers in the warehouse for the Swedish state's alcohol monopoly have
started a wildcat strike in response to management attempts to replace the
workforce with short term workers.

Management has been trying for a long time to replace the workers with
casualised workers on short term contracts, but now they are using the
recession as an excuse for laying off workers, while they continue to hire
agency staff. The workers have received little help or interest from their
trade union; after a demonstration outside the LO (mainstream trade union
federation) headquarters they were promised a meeting with LO
representatives, but this was never fulfilled.

The workers have refused to return to work and have been joined in their
strike by supporters from the local branch of the SAC and individuals from
the extra-parliamentary left.

A blockade of the warehouse was successful between five this morning until
two in the afternoon when police helped the management to sneak scabs in
the back door. Police have taken the unusually hostile step of classifying
the action as a demonstration rather than a workplace conflict, which
gives them increased powers to harass the strikers.

This is a tactic that is often used against strikers from the syndicalist
union SAC but is not typically used against workers from the LO
(mainstream) trade unions. The strike continues tomorrow when there will
be a national day of action. The strikers are expected to be supported by
SAC members working in the stores of the state's alcohol monopoly.


Jun 17 2009
#1
altemark

Couldn't make it there today, but here are the latest news.

Police this morning had sealed off the entire loading area with riot
fences, and helped bring in strike breakers from temp workers agencies by
the back way along a railroad track. Yesterday there were about 50 riot
police hidden close by in the industrial area ready to go into action.
Faced with this, the strikes and Friends of the Lagena Workers decided to
move their blockade to the systembolaget HQ in central Stockholm. At the
same time thousands of leaflets have been handed out outside systomblaget
stores around sweden.

Even though people still are working loading cargo at the warehouse, they
are still not as skilled as the regular workers and they are still short
of hands. Syndicalists working at systembolaget could confirm that the
supply of goods is seriously affected in many places in middle Sweden, the
stores being behind schedule several hours at most places. The stores are
closed both friday and saturday during midsummer (the weekend when the
alcohol consumption is absolutely highest during the year) today and
tomorrow which makes today and tomorrow vital for the struggle.

Media coverage is not as big, but still the threat of "nubben" being
unavailable in stores still fires the headlines. Nubbe is another word for
snaps, a small shot of strong liquor which is repeatedly consumed, usually
to a meal of pickled herring. Nothing good can come out of this as you
understand, but it is good clean fun.

Anyway - latest news is that sympathizers in Gävle, home town of Joe Hill,
have occupied the loading bay of a systembolaget store in solidarity with
the strike.

Letters of solidarity have come in from the mine workers locals in
northern Sweden, the independent dockers union, bakery workers, service-
and communication workers' in Stockholm, lots of of SAC locals and
syndicates, like the industrial workers' syndicate of SAC and the section
at systembolaget. The facebook support group now is over 1000 members

An account has been setup for a solidarity fund to help the striker's that
might be facing fines for bogus charges by the police as well as the
damages that the wildcat nature of the strike will lead to.
Top


Jun 17 2009
#2
altemark

What can you do to help the workforce of Lagena?

1. You or your organisation; use this template for solidarity statements
and as soon as possible and send to:
Members of the Handels union at lagena:
lagerarbetare@gmail.com

The CEO of Lagena, Per Öhagen
per.ohagen@lagena.se

Chairman of Lo, Wanja Lundby-Wedin
wanja.lundby-wedin@lo.se

We support the demands of the workers at Systembolaget warehouse Lagena!

The workers at the Systembolaget warehouse Lagena in Jordbro is struggling
to stop the sacking of 33 employees. The company wants to replace
full-time personel and hire disposable agency staff to. This autumn
already 49 out of 150 lost their jobs.

What the workers at the warehouse are reacting to is something that is not
only a problem for themselves. Only during may, 9000 persons in Sweden
were notified that they were to lose their jobs. At the same time the
pressure at workplaces is on the increase with more precarious jobs. This
is a development that grinds down people, that destroys shoulders, knees
and hits hard against families.

The struggle at Lagena is relevant to everyone who wants to stop this
development. The Lagena workers shows us an alternative to despair.

Therefore we want to support the demands of the Lagena workers:

- The Lagena management must withdraw the planned sackings

- The conditions of the workers must not be worsened.

- The share of rental personel must not be higher than 10%

- LO should organise struggles against sackings.

2. Help collect money to support the strikers:
PlusGiro 134456-3

[olympiaworkers] Energy wildcat strikes spread across UK

Energy wildcat strikes spread across UK

Jun 18 2009 Libcom.org

The oil refinery wildcat strike over redundancies has escalated as workers
from several power stations and oil terminals across the UK took
unofficial industrial action.

The dispute flared a week ago at the Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire
when a contractor laid off 51 workers while another employer on the site
was hiring staff.

Around 1,200 contract workers at the terminal, which is owned by Total,
have been taking unofficial action all week as efforts were made to
convene talks.

Sources said today that workers at several other sites across the country
joined the industrial action, hitting power stations at Drax and
Eggborough in Yorkshire, Ratcliffe and West Burton in Nottinghamshire,
Fiddlers Ferry in Cheshire and Aberthaw in South Wales.

Contractors at a BP refinery near Hull also joined the strike action.

Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, said he had been in touch
with the conciliation service Acas and was seeking an urgent meeting with
the head of Total to try to break the deadlock.

The Lindsey refinery was hit by strikes earlier this year in what was
largely seen as a row over the recruitment of non-UK workers but in
reality was over the termination of workers' contracts and their
replacement by other workers.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

[olympiaworkers] 2009 Annual Survey of Trade Union Violations

http://survey09.ituc-csi.org/

As you open this year's Annual Survey of Trade Union Violations, you may
be thinking of the terrifying impact of the global financial and economic
crisis which hit millions of working women and men around the world in
both industrialised and developing countries in 2008.

The crisis emphasises the need to develop a global economy based on decent
jobs and social justice and it underlines the need for a better
distribution of wealth. Instead workers everywhere have begun to feel the
full impact of surging unemployment on their lives and that of their
families and communities as decent work and decent jobs disappear. They
have also begun to see the growing impact on their rights at work.

Trade union rights are universally-recognised human rights at work. Two
key International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions which define and
guarantee them (conventions 87 and 98) have been ratified by 149 and 159
Member States of the ILO, respectively, out of a total of 182 worldwide.

Despite this formal recognition by governments, the ITUC is, this year
again, documenting the continuous and often massive and harsh violations
of fundamental trade union rights. This Survey is one of the ITUC's means
to expose and denounce those violations through its overview of the trade
union rights situation in the world in 2008.

Countries where widespread and grave anti-union practices have
unfortunately continued include: Colombia, Burma, Belarus, Sudan,
Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Iran, Pakistan and the Philippines. Countries such as
Honduras and Guatemala should this year be added to this list. In many
other countries, where violations are not as outrageous, there is an
overall growing tendency to undermine workers' rights. Interference in
trade union activities has been reported in Iraq, Kuwait, Latvia,
Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Venezuela, among others.
Despite some legislative proposals or measures in some Middle East
countries and Gulf States, migrant workers are still denied trade union
rights in many countries. In addition to that, companies continued to take
advantage of poor legislation and weak implementation to undermine
workers' rights.

Worldwide in 2008, at least 76 labour activists were killed as a result of
their actions for workers' rights. Latin America remains the deadliest
continent for trade unionists with over 66 murdered in 2008. 49 Colombian
trade unionists lost their lives (including 16 union leaders, 4 of whom
were women), a 25% increase over 2007. Trade unionists were also killed in
Guatemala (9), Honduras (3) and Venezuela (4) among others. In Asia, at
least 6 murders were reported (Nepal and the Philippines), as well as 3 in
Africa (Nigeria, Tunisia and Zimbabwe) and 1 in the Middle East (Iraq).

In countries in every region, trade unions continue to be banned, or their
establishment restricted. China still bans independent trade unions. Those
attempting to unionise groups of workers or organise protests are often
arrested, with some given prison sentences and others condemned to
're-education through work'.

Certain categories of workers also continue to be excluded. This includes
public servants, agricultural workers, migrant and domestic workers, etc.
The right to strike is often unduly limited, with lists of public services
in which strike action is restricted going far beyond the ILO definition.

Again this year, several thousand trade unionists and workers were
dismissed for participating in strike actions or protests; thousands more
were harassed or discriminated against and hundreds arrested. The
situation of domestic workers, mostly women and migrant workers in the
Middle East and the Gulf States as well as some African and Asian
countries, is also disturbing. Outright denial and other violations of
labour and trade union rights were common in export processing zones, for
example in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Swaziland,
Bangladesh, Kenya, Mauritius and Pakistan.

Furthermore, the ongoing globalisation of the world economy coupled with
the global financial and economic crisis put inordinate pressure on labour
markets, working conditions and workers' rights everywhere. Workers
continue to be threatened by employers with relocation, outsourcing and
downsizing, with inevitable negative consequences for the effective
exercise of their trade union rights.

New forms of employment relationships are also affecting fundamental
rights. The use of bogus self-employment as well as subcontractors or
labour agencies is increasing in industrialised and developing countries.
This report documents cases in Korea, Croatia, Poland, Montenegro,
Georgia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Peru, Malaysia, Vietnam,
South Africa, Chad and Morocco, amongst others. Sadly, we can only fear
that next year's Survey will paint a worsening picture.

This Survey, covering 143 countries, is also intended as a tool. It
highlights wasted opportunities to promote better industrial relations,
improve working conditions and productivity and to build or consolidate
democratic institutions. It also illustrates good practice in cases where
improvements are recorded. For instance, new legislation recognizing and
enabling trade union organising has been adopted in Burkina Faso, Kenya,
Mozambique and Australia.

You will find the full text of ILO core conventions 87 and 98 in the
annexes as well as an overview of ILO decisions on key issues concerning
trade union rights, which are often insufficiently known and understood.

Legislative frameworks and effective institutions should provide adequate
protection and guarantees on freedom of association and collective
bargaining. Unfortunately, in too many parts of the world, including Asia,
the Middle East and the Gulf States, freedom of association is still not
guaranteed by constitutions or labour laws.

Effective implementation of international conventions or even national
labour laws and respect for trade union rights continues to fall far short
of workers' rightful expectations. This year again, the ITUC is reporting
assassinations, abductions, arrests and imprisonments, as well as death
threats, dismissals, harassments, acts of discrimination and intimidation
against trade unionists.

Yet, millions of trade unionists and labour activists around the world
continue to fight for workers' solidarity, sometimes at the risk of losing
their own lives or livelihoods. Prominent examples in 2008 included trade
union leaders in Zimbabwe, Colombia, Guinea, Guatemala, the Philippines,
Iraq and Iran.

I want to thank our affiliates, the Global Union Federations and all the
persons who contributed to making this Survey possible, and to pay tribute
to all those whose dedication to justice, equity and fairness at work has
achieved so much for so many working people.

The ITUC remains the international voice and ally of trade unionists
worldwide, especially when they can not rely on fair national legal
systems to protect their fundamental trade union rights.

More than ever, the ITUC's mission is to stand side by side with workers
in their struggle for justice and the defence of trade union rights
worldwide because "An Injury to One is an Injury to All!"

USA
Population: 301,000,000 / Capital: Washington
ILO Core Conventions Ratified: 105 - 182

The National Labor Relations Act restricts union rights in violation with
minimum international labour standards. In most enterprises there are no
constructive labour relations or social dialogue since employers use every
means to stop or undermine trade unions and to harass trade union
activists. Union busting is a 4 billion dollar industry in the USA.
Trade union rights in law

Freedom of association: The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) is the
private sector federal labour law in the United States, and is binding on
the states. The NLRA guarantees the right of freedom of association, the
right to bargain collectively and the right to join trade unions.

However, in addition to excluding public sector workers, the statute
excludes many categories of private sector employees from its scope,
including agricultural and domestic workers, supervisors and independent
contractors. In 2002, the U.S. General Accounting Office found that some
25 million private civilian workers, as well as 6.9 million federal, state
and local government employees, did not have the right under any law to
negotiate their wages, hours or employment terms. Since then, even more
workers have been denied coverage.

Private sector: In the private sector, the law requires proof of majority
status in order for a union to become the exclusive representative of
employees within a bargaining unit. The National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB), the administrative agency that enforces the NLRA, will only
certify a union that obtains a majority vote during a Board-supervised
election although, as discussed below, voluntary recognition agreements
are also legal.

Employers allowed to hold anti-union meetings: Employers have a statutory
right under the NLRA to express their views during a union campaign, so
long as they do not interfere with their employees' free choice. In
practice, however, employers have a legal right to engage in a wide range
of anti-union tactics that discourage the exercise of freedom of
association. For example, employers have the right to hold "captive
audience" meetings, which they use to make anti-union presentations, (see
below). Under the law, it is perfectly legal for employers to discipline
or even fire workers for failing to attend these meetings. The law also
allows employers to "predict" (though not "threaten") that a workplace
will shut down if workers vote for the union.

Public sector – collective bargaining denied to many…

… at the federal level: In the public sector, approximately 40% of all
workers are still denied basic collective bargaining rights. While the
Federal Labor Relations Act covers over two million employees of the
federal government, the statute outlaws strikes, proscribes collective
bargaining over hours, wages, economic benefits, and imposes extensive
management rights that further limit the scope of collective bargaining.

…and the state level: Collective bargaining for state employees varies
from state to state. Only a little more than half of the states allow for
collective bargaining in the public sector; several more allow it only for
narrow categories of workers. Even where public sector workers have the
right to bargain, they generally do not have the right to strike, and the
terms and conditions of employment subject to collective bargaining may be
restricted by law. In North Carolina, all public employees are denied
collective bargaining rights, a situation that in 2007 the ILO has
determined violates workers' fundamental rights (Case No. 2460).

"War on Terrorism" used as pretext to restrict rights: The ongoing "War on
Terrorism" has been used as a pretext to significantly roll back labour
rights for employees of the U.S. government. In 2003, Congress authorised
two Departments, Defense and Homeland Security, to create a new system for
resolving labour-management disputes for the next six years. Both
departments created new labour relations systems that virtually eliminated
collective bargaining. The unions representing the employees of these
federal agencies challenged the systems in court. In 2007, the U.S. Court
of Appeals for the District of Columbia reversed a lower court and held
that under the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act, the Department of
Defense was authorised to curtail collective bargaining rights until 2009
for its civilian employees. Earlier, another panel of the same court
struck down portions of the rules applying to employees of the Department
of Homeland Security that abrogated certain collective bargaining
agreements and limited the scope of collective bargaining.

The approximately 56,000 airport screeners who work for the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) have no rights of freedom of association or
collective bargaining by virtue of a federal government order stating that
they "shall not, as a term or condition of their employment, be entitled
to engage in collective bargaining or be represented for the purpose of
engaging in such bargaining by any representative or organization."
Pursuant to a complaint filed by the AFL-CIO and the American Federation
of Government Employees (AFGE) about the government's violation of the
rights of airport screeners, the ILO's Committee on Freedom of Association
in 2006 expressed "concern" with "the use of an ever-enlarged definition
of work connected to national security to exclude" from collective
bargaining employees that are further and further away from the type of
employee considered to be "engaged in the administration of the State."
(Case No. 2292, 794). Accordingly, the Committee recommended that the U.S.
government "engage in collective bargaining . . . with the screeners'
freely chosen representative" in matters "which are not directly related
to national security issues." (798). To date, the screeners have not
regained their rights of representation or collective bargaining.

Restrictions on collective action: The NLRA and judicial decisions
interpreting the law place limitations on the ability of workers to engage
in "concerted activity", such as intermittent strikes, secondary boycotts
and other forms of mutual aid and protection. The law also allows
employers to replace striking workers permanently. Permanent replacement
workers can vote in a decertification election to eliminate union
representation.

Undocumented workers: The NLRA, anti-discrimination laws, and wage and
hour standards apply to employees regardless of their immigration status.
However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that undocumented workers
are not entitled to back pay as a remedy for unfair labour practices under
the NLRA, and they are not entitled to reinstatement. These restrictions
have made it difficult to enforce trade union rights on behalf of the
millions of undocumented workers in the United States. The ILO's Committee
on Freedom of Association recommended, in November 2003, that the
government should amend the legislation to bring it into line with
freedom-of-association principles, but the United States has not done so.

Employee Free Choice Act: The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) passed by
the U.S. House of Representatives in 2007 and gained a majority support in
the U.S. Senate before it was blocked by a Republican filibuster. The
Employee Free Choice Act helps to level the playing field between workers
and corporations by making it harder for employers to violate the law. The
proposed Act would provide statutory protection for employees' right to
choose freely whether to join unions and engage in collective bargaining
by signing cards authorising union representation. The Act would also
provide mediation and arbitration for first contract disputes and would
establish stronger penalties for violations of employee rights when
workers seek to form a union and during first contract negotiations. It
will be reintroduced in 2009.
Trade union rights in practice and violations in 2008

Background: In November 2008, Illinois Democratic Senator Barrack Obama
was elected President of the United States.

Anti-Worker National Labor Relations Board: John Sweeney, President of the
AFL-CIO, has stated: "The function of the Labor Board is protecting
workers rights and ensuring their freedom to form unions and bargain
collectively for better wages, benefits and working conditions. Like so
much else in the Bush Administration, this Labor Board has become nothing
more than a shill for corporate special interests and it's time for it to
be closed for renovation."

Union-busting consultants: A US$4 billion union-busting industry exists in
the United States to defeat union organising drives through coercion and
intimidation. Consultants employ a wide range of tactics, including many
that skirt the law.

Anti-union terminations, meetings and threats: A 2005 survey, carried out
by the University of Illinois and commissioned by American Rights at Work,
shows that 91% of employers, when faced with employees who want to join
together in a union, force employees to attend closed-door meetings to
hear anti-union propaganda. In 70% of organising campaigns in the
manufacturing sector, employers threaten to move the plant if the union
wins. Thirty percent of employers fire pro-union workers. Unions
frequently establish initial majority support among a workforce, only to
see it erode under employer threats, harassment and coercion. According to
the survey, in 91% of the union recognition petitions filed with the NLRB
as a prerequisite to an election, a majority of employees indicated they
wanted a union. However, unions were victorious in only 31% of these
campaigns. In addition, employers often challenge the results of union
elections, which can delay union representation and contract negotiations
for several years.

Bad-faith bargaining: Even after a union becomes certified as the
exclusive representative of the workers, many employers engage in
bad-faith bargaining in order to prevent the union from winning a first
contract. Under current law, if no contract is reached for 12 months, the
union's status as bargaining representative can be challenged. As a
result, 44% of all attempts at winning a first contract fail. Only one in
seven organising efforts in which a petition is filed with the NLRB
achieve a first contract.

Justice ineffective: Remedies for intimidation and coercion, such as the
illegal firing of workers who seek to form unions and bargain
collectively, are both limited and ineffective. Many employers who violate
labour laws are never punished. Even when they are, the penalties are too
weak to deter them from doing it again.

CLEAN car-wash campaign seeks to clean up dirty industry: In March 2008,
Los Angeles area car-wash workers began publicly organising with the
Carwash Workers Organizing Committee (CWOC) of the United Steelworkers.
Since then, the owners of one area carwash where workers have been
actively organising have fired three union supporters who advocated
publicly for better working conditions. The NLRB filed almost a dozen
complaints against the owners for their retaliatory behaviour in fall
2008. A trial was scheduled for February 2009, but there have already been
delays. The United Steelworkers and the AFL-CIO joined a coalition of
organisations known as the Community-Labor-Environmental Action Network
(CLEAN), to support the car-wash workers. A report released by CLEAN found
that exploitation of car-wash workers in the largely underground industry
is rampant. Violations include underpaying workers, hiring minors,
operating without workers' compensation insurance, and denying workers
meal and rest breaks.

Verizon business workers win union recognition and first contract: Several
hundred technicians at Verizon Business have united in the Communications
Workers of America (CWA) and International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers (IBEW) throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the
US.

In early 2007, the techs achieved support from a majority of their
co-workers. They received strong support from their elected officials and
the rest of the labour movement. Most significantly, they built unity with
Verizon "core company" union members whose contract with Verizon East
expired on 2 August 2008.

Core company workers and their union leaders made it a major issue while
bargaining for a new contract. With an arbitration case pending charging
that Verizon Business was doing bargaining-unit work covered by contract,
the company agreed to recognise the techs and negotiate a new contract.
Their new agreement went into effect on 28 December. About 600 techs are
covered by the new contract.

There are thousands of Verizon Business workers throughout the rest of the
country. Efforts are underway now by the newly organised Verizon Business
techs to reach out to their co-workers about the benefits of uniting in a
union.

Resurrection Health Care: Resurrection Health Care (RHC), the largest
Catholic health care system in Illinois, and the second-largest health
care system in the Chicago area, has undergone a systematic program of
corporatisation leading to deteriorated working conditions and patient
care. In 2002, RHC employees began exercising their right of freedom of
association by seeking representation by the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Workers (AFSCME). In response, RHC began a campaign
of intimidation and harassment, including retaining the services of a
union-busting law firm, questioning employees about their support for the
union in closed-door sessions, and holding mandatory meetings in which
management spoke against the union and refused to allow union supporters
to speak.

During 2008, workers steadfastly continued their fight for union
representation. The six-year-long struggle at Resurrection has become a
prime example of the need for EFCA and labour law reform.

Construction workers in the Southwest escalate their effort to win union
recognition: The Sheet Metal Workers and the International Union of
Painters and Allied Trades, with the full support of the AFL-CIO, are
waging the Building Justice campaign to raise working standards in the
residential construction industry, particularly in the southwest region of
the US. The Sheet Metal Workers have focused on Chas Roberts Air
Conditioning in Arizona, the largest residential heating and air
conditioning contractor in the state. After a 50-year collective
bargaining relationship with the union, the company abrogated the
agreement and hired union-busting lawyers. The NLRB issued a complaint
over the company's failure to honour the agreement and its harassment of
workers. In addition, the workers have had to go to court to receive owed
overtime pay.

Immigrant painters in the Phoenix Valley and Las Vegas area are attempting
to organise at a number of companies. Federal wage and hour lawsuits have
been filed against several of these contractors. Workers have also rallied
and done outreach to politicians in an effort to secure a safer working
environment.

In addition to the subcontractors, the campaign is also focused on a major
home developer, Pulte Homes. Pulte has been involved in more than one
incident where striking workers were targeted by industrial water trucks
on the company's housing tracts and repeatedly doused with high-pressure
water. Moreover, its employees often harass union supporters who do
informational leafleting at Pulte developments and seek to deny them their
democratic right to freedom of speech.

Drugstore warehouse workers frustrated by Rite-Aid's refusal to bargain in
good faith: A majority of workers at Rite-Aid's Lancaster CA distribution
centre voted in March 2008 to form a union with the International
Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU). The company conducted an anti-union
campaign that included harassment, threats and unjust firings. Prior to
the election, the NLRB issued a complaint alleging 49 violations of the
NLRA. A settlement of the charges resulted in the March election.

Since the union victory in March, Rite-Aid has fired about 50 employees at
the Lancaster distribution centre. Management has cut back on permanent
workers' hours, while keeping temporary and contracted workers on the
payroll.

On 6 August 2008, the union charged that Rite-Aid has unilaterally changed
the terms and conditions of employment of employees by terminating their
employment or imposing discipline short of termination without providing
the union with notice and opportunity to bargain in advance of making
these unilateral changes.

On 3 December 2008, the union also charged that Rite-Aid has unilaterally
changed the terms and conditions of employment of employees by reducing
the hours of full time employees below 40 hours per week, laying employees
off and reassigning other employees to perform the jobs of laid-off
employees while retaining supervisors and temporary employees to perform
the same work.

The ILWU has requested injunctive relief for both charges under Section
10(j) of the NLRA. A decision from the NLRB on the charges is pending.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

[olympiaworkers] Alert: Massacre by Peru Police

 

ALERT: Massacre in Peru Police shooting Amazon Indigenous civilians - 84 people dead

PLEASE TAKE ACTION! Send a letter to President Garcia and the government of Peru.

Embassy of Peru
1700 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20036
Telephone: (202) 833-9860; Fax: (202) 659-8124; E-mail:
webmaster@embassyofperu.us
URL:
http://www.peruvianembassy.us/
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru is on the Web.
The Peruvian Foreign Ministry has a
list of Peruvian foreign missions worldwide.
Also e-mail the President of the Congress of Peru Javier Velásquez-Quesquén at jvelasquezq@congreso.gob.pe.

Check out the video here
http://latinamericansolidaritynetwork.org/, some part of the massive indigenous demostrations in Peru from yesterday.

The government of Peru has ordered for the National Police to attack the Amazonian Indigenous peoples. Civilians were shot from buildings roofs and helicopters.

More than 38 people have died so far at 2:00 PM U.S. Eastern time, including 28 civilians and 10 police men -who are also Indigenous. Hospitals collapsing, fights ongoing. Update: now 84 dead people at 6:00 PM US Eastern time.

Indigenous peoples in Peru are in strike for the last 52 days protesting against free trade policies that would allow multinationals to take over their territories. This attack occurred around 5:00 AM this morning, a day after the Congress of Peru decided not to debate one of the most important decrees that allow the sale of Indigenous land. The number of casualities is according to a Twetter sent by a Peruvian journalist who is in the area of Bagua, a city located in the Amazonas region of Peru.

At this moment the police is attacking Indians and also the rest of the population in the cities of Bagua Grande and Bagua Chica, in the departmento (region) of Amazonas. There are lots of killings, but the radio only talks about the policemen that have died.

The central argument is this one: how can the government be right in this situation, if the WHOLE POPULATION (indians and not indians) are against the police (and soon the armed forces which is being deployed.

At this moment, though people I know inform directly from the zone, information is confused. I will let you know about what is happening and with clear information soon. Please be in alert.

Servindi Indigenous News in Peru reports that the attacks started at 5:30 AM. and among the dead is a local Indigenous leader who organized the protest. Santiago Manuig Valera is an Awajun-Wampis man and his remains are not yet recovered, as the Police are preventing civilians from doing so.

The director of Policía Nacional del Perú (PNP), José Sánchez said the attacks were a response of violence started by the Indigenous protesters.

Peru's president Alan Garcia is on national TV right now and has accused the Indigenous leaders of the violence "They want to play a revolution game," and later on he added that "brave Police forces have fallen in defense of the nation," and said he might send the military this is just beginning. Peru minister Mauricio Mulder calls indigenous protesters "terrorists". Primer Minister Jose Garcia Belaunde has denied that there were not previous consultations with Indigenous peoples, which is a lie.

Amazonian Indigenous leader Alberto Pizango, of AIDESEP said the government has committed genocide and that they will continue their fight and will rally in cities of Peru.

Peru's police keeps attacking Natives and president Alan Garcia is saying that Venezuela is behind Indigenous protest.

Opposition leftist leader Ollanta Humala has protested and said Alan Garcia is responsible for the violence.

LIMA MEDIA is mostly biased saying "4 brave police men were killed by criminal Natives". El Comercio the biggest newspaper in Peru accuses indigenous peoples of violence "More than 7 police killed responding to Natives attacks"... Blogs in Lima are just awakening to reality of Peru, and some are even blaming the Native peoples. Very few posts on this issue at this time, unfortunately.

Civilians in Bagua are reporting that "this is a genocidal attack, there is violence everywhere" as the violence continues right now. Enlace Nacional has also news.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION
Demand an immediate end of violence!.


Sample Spanish letter to President Garcia:

Presidente Alan García
Despacho Presidencial
Jirón de la Unión S/N 1 cda
Lima 1, PERU

El mundo se preocupa por lo que ocurre en Perú y en nombre de los derechos humanos de los pueblos indigenas amazónicos peruanos, les solicito que detengan la violencia contra inocentes ciudadanos que están defendiendo sus territorios y sus vidas.

Por favor respete la vida de los peruanos, esto es un crimen de lesa humanidad que ustedes están promoviendo y en nombre de los tratados de derecho internacional que Perú ha firmado, le exijo que respete la vida de los indigenas amazónicos y suspenda el Estado de Emergencia.

Solicito respetuosamente que ordene el fin de los ataques policiales y que restituya el diálogo respetuoso y honesto con los pueblos indigenas amazónicos de Perú.

Por la vida, por la paz, por la justicia.

Please send copies of your letter to:

a.. Yehude Simon Munaro, President of the Council of Ministers
b.. (ysimon@pcm.gob.pe, Fax +51 1- 716- 87-35 )
c.. Rafael Vásquez Rodríguez, President of Congress
d.. (rvasquezr@congreso.gob.pe, Fax +51 1- 311- 77- 03 )
e.. Public Ombudsman Office of Peru
f.. (centrodeatencionvirtual@defensoria.gob.pe)
g.. Peruvian Embassador in your country (for contact details - see http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-of/Peru
h.. UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
i.. (indigenous@ohchr.org)
j.. UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
k.. (wgeid@ohchr.org)
l.. UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom expression
m.. (freedex@ohchr.org)
n.. United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
o.. (indigenous_un@un.org)
p.. IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
q.. (cidhoea@oas.org)
r.. IACHR Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Expression
s.. (
cidh-expresion@oas.org)

Protests to continue in Peru

a.. CAOI the Andean Indigenous Organization has made a call for an international trial to Alan Garcia and his cabinet for genocide.

a.. Protests in Lima today: Movilizacion en Lima en protesta por matanzas de indigenas HOY a las 5 PM Plaza Francia hasta Plaza San Martin.

a.. Indigenous leaders call for National Protest on June 11.

Up to 100 dead in Amazon clashes: activist

By News Online's Amy Simmons

Updated Mon Jun 8, 2009 4:59pm AEST

Many Peruvians - not just Indigenous - are upset by plans to open land in Peru's Amazon region to oil, gas and mineral exploration (User submitted: Ben Powless)

Up to 100 Amazon natives have been killed after Friday's military crackdown on protesters in Peru and the situation is expected to worsen, says a Canadian Indigenous rights activist.

Twenty-two-year-old Ben Powless is working alongside Peru's national organisation of Amazon Indigenous people, AIDESEP, and fears more lives will be lost, with the government now labelling protesters as "terrorists".

Many Peruvians - not just Indigenous - are upset by plans to open land in Peru's Amazon region to oil, gas and mineral exploration, even though much of the land is officially protected.

The Government has recently signed a number of free trade agreements with the United States and Canada, seeking to change domestic laws and encourage foreign investment in the Amazon.

The Government has declared a state of emergency in some Amazon regions, suspending constitutional rights in the areas.

Mr Powless says Government reports are portraying the situation incorrectly.

"What we've been hearing from some of the communities is that a lot of the death tolls and the number of people hurt or injured are dramatically different from the Government figures, which put it as low as three to nine Indigenous people who have been killed," he said.

"But we have heard from some representatives on the ground that there may be as many as 100 people murdered.

"There was an active attempt by the Government here to portray it as a massacre of policemen who went into an area and were killed on their job, when in reality, native participants were sitting in blockades early in the morning [on Friday] when the police attacked."

Mr Powless says the Government is controlling information on the unfolding events.

"There is a lack of information about what's going on," he said.

"A lot of reports aren't making it out of the communities, the Government has a near monopoly on being able to get their own message out about the situation and convene press conferences, and I have not been able to go into the Amazon region yet as the military has taken control and restricted access."

He says a group of Indigenous leaders in Lima, Peru's capital, are planning to go to the Amazon region on Tuesday - and Mr Powless intends to accompany them.

National strike

He says Friday and Saturday's deadly conflicts appear to have settled down, but more unrest is expected on Thursday when a national strike, called for by Indigenous organisations and unions, will be carried out.

"Today what we've been told is that some Indigenous groups have taken over one of the oil refineries as well as one of the airports in one of the regions," he said.

"The military is basically walking around armed, patrolling, just trying to keep people out of the streets.

"The situation seems pretty calm but if the strike is anything like in the past, it's been able to successfully shut down roads, restrict all access to Machu Picchu by train - which is the major cultural and tourist destination here - shut down airports, oil refineries and other major areas of transportation."

Mr Powless says strikers will call for the dismissal of Peruvian President Alan Garcia over his response to the crisis and urge him to take responsibility for the deaths that have occurred as a result of the heavy-handed military action.

Human rights abuses

In the long-term, he says the issue is one of Indigenous rights and liberties.

"The Indigenous groups here, especially in the Amazon region, are fearing for control of their livelihoods and really fighting for control of the land they have lived on, and that they have lived on forever," he said.

"Any development anywhere usually has to take into consideration the people who live there and who would be impacted - this is something that has been established by the United Nations and the recent UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples."

Ultimately, Mr Powless says achieving this would mean a renegotiation of the laws, which have been pushed through the Government without any oversight from the Indigenous people.

Indigenous 'terrorists'

However, Mr Powless says he is not optimistic, particularly due to Government attempts to paint Indigenous protesters as terrorists.

"In the context of a country that has been fighting an insurgent group for over 20 years now and they have a long history of dealing with what they consider terrorism in a very violent, militarised means, for them to start coming out and calling the Indigenous groups here terrorists seems to suggest that they're preparing to respond to them with more military means," he said.

"Without serious pressure coming nationally and internationally, letting the government know that they can't commit human rights abuses anymore, and without people saying that there needs to be negotiation and that they can't just go in with the military and stop people's legitimate protests, then I'm not really convinced that the Government is going to step down."

Mr Powless says this is the biggest incident the Peruvian Amazon has seen in the modern era.

Protest against the murder of Native resisters in Peru:
Peru Consulate
3717 NE, 157th Street - Suite 100
Seattle, Washington 98155
Phone:
+1-206-7149037
Fax:
+1-206-3655378
Email:
consulateperu@msn.com