Labour photo of the year; new campaigns; global financial crisis -unions react

[Omaha Steve]

E mail from Eric Lee

In this week's mailing:

* Labour photo of the year: the voting begins
* South Africa: Woolworths engages in union-busting
* Colombia: Striking sugar cane workers need your support
* IUF launches new websites for Nestle, Unilever workers
* Global financial crisis: World's unions react
* Canada: Conference - solidarity with migrant workers

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LABOUR PHOTO OF THE YEAR: THE VOTING BEGINS

This year for the first time, LabourStart is holding a Labour Photo of
the Year competition. A panel of three judges has selected five
finalists -- all of them outstanding photos. Please have a look and
cast your vote here:

http://www.labourstart.org/lpoty/

***

SOUTH AFRICA: WOOLWORTHS ENGAGES IN UNION-BUSTING

South African unions have asked for our help to bring pressure on
Woolworths to recognize the right of their employees to join trade
unions. They say that Woolworths in engaging in Wal-Mart style
union-busting and are hopeful that a big global campaign can bring
pressure to bear on the company. Please send off your message today --
and spread the word:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=435

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COLOMBIA: STRIKING SUGAR CANE WORKERS NEED YOUR SUPPORT

Some 18,000 sugar workers have been on strike since 15 September. The
government and employer response was to use police violence to clear the
mills of striking workers. The IUF is requesting international support
for their struggle. For full details, including the chance to send off
your messages, go here:

http://www.iuf.org/den5409

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IUF LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITES FOR NESTLE, UNILEVER WORKERS

The IUF last week also launched two important new websites aimed at
workers in two of the world's largest food companies, Nestle and
Unilever. Please check them out and spread the word to people you know
who work for those companies. The websites are located at:

http://www.nestlewatch.org
http://www.unileverwatch.org

***

GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS: WORLD'S UNIONS REACT

The International Trade Union Confederation and the Global Unions have
issued a statement in response to the growing global financial crisis.
While mainstream media have largely focussed on efforts to rescue banks,
the unions are calling for urgent steps by the World Bank and IMF to
prevent the addition of 100 million people to the number of extreme poor
in the world. Unions are calling for increased regulation and for
reform of the international financial institutions. The statement also
stresses the importance of trade unions "so that workers can seek to
prevent further deterioration of their real incomes through collective
bargaining". For more details, go here:

http://www.ituc-csi.org/spip.php?article2427

***

CANADA: CONFERENCE - SOLIDARITY WITH MIGRANT WORKERS

Our readers in Canada may be interested to know about an important
conference on the subject of solidarity with migrant workers which is
taking place in two weeks. Full details are here:

http://www.jewittmorrison.ca/events.htm

Have a great weekend.

Eric Lee