Eric Lee: Good news - trade unionists released from jail

[Omaha Steve]

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In this week's mailing:

* Turkey: Good news - trade unionists released
* Australia: Boeing won't recognize union
* Russia: Nestle needs to bargain over wages
* USA: Union campaigns to close tax loopholes for 'buyout barons'
* Malawi: Justice for security guards
* New book: Labour and the challenges of globalization

There are a lot of things in this week's mailing. There's some good news about trade unionists being released from jail -- in part thanks to your efforts. But there are also new appeals from unions on four continents, each one of which deserves our support. And finally, there's an important new book just out on the subject of unions and the challenges of globalization. I hope you'll consider purchasing a copy and thereby helping to support our campaigning activities.

And please -- forward on this mailing to your lists. Involve your fellow union members in these campaigns.

TURKEY: GOOD NEWS - TRADE UNIONISTS RELEASED

A couple of weeks ago we asked for your support on behalf of seven jailed Turkish trade unionists, members of TUMTIS (an ITF affiliate). On 6 June, a court ordered their immediate release -- but a new hearing has been set for September. This is great news, but the fight is not over yet.

AUSTRALIA: BOEING WON'T RECOGNIZE UNION

This will be a familiar story to many of you -- a company which recognizes some unions, but not others, which sometimes respects workers' rights but other times employs strike-breakers, lock-outs and intimidation to break a union. This appeal from APESMA in Sydney deserves widespread support -- please take a moment to send off your message to Boeing:

http://www.labourstart.org/boeing

RUSSIA: NESTLE NEEDS TO BARGAIN OVER WAGES

Workers at the KitKat plant in Perm have made some progress in their struggle to get Nestle to agree to bargain with their union over wages. The company has finally made a modest offer. International pressure has been vital in this case, as it has been in other transnational companies which need to respect workers' rights wherever they operate. The IUF is waging an online campaign which needs your support:

http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=350

USA: UNION CAMPAIGNS TO CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES FOR 'BUYOUT BARONS'

Billionaire "buyout barons" like Henry Kravis, the founder of private equity firm KKR, pay lower taxes than teachers, nurses and other working people. The SEIU has launched a big public campaign to demand the closing of tax loopholes -- featuring an online video with comedian Lewis Black. Take a moment to send off your message of support and check out Black's latest rant here:

http://seiuaction.org/campaign/BuyoutBarons

MALAWI: JUSTICE FOR SECURITY GUARDS

15 June is international justice day -- a day to raise our voices in support of some of the lowest paid workers in the world. UNI Global Union has an online appeal in support of security guards in Malawi, demanding that they get paid for overtime. You can send off your message here:

http://www.internationaljusticeday.org/unipropertyn.nsf/EnGlobalJusticeIndex2008Action?OpenPage

NEW BOOK: LABOUR AND THE CHALLENGES OF GLOBALIZATION

That's the title of a brand new book which critically examines the responses of unions to the challenges posed by the neo-liberal restructuring of the global economy. (Some of those responses appear above.) It includes country studies from India, China, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Canada, South Africa, Argentina and Brazil. Books like this one are not published every day and deserve to be read by trade union activists everywhere. Please order a copy -- or several for your union -- from our unionized online bookshop:

http://www.labourstart.org/bookoftheweek

Thanks for your continuing support.

Eric Lee