1 Slave, Soumana (on the left) with her master Abdoulaye. Abalak, Niger. Photo: © ILOlCrozet M. Global Solidarity News No. 14 Summer 2009 In this Issue Edward Phelan and the ILO3 Colombia 7 ICTU Women’s Seminar 3 The Tamil People’s national rights8 The Big Read 3 €61,263 to rebuild Cuba 8 Global Solidarity Summer School3 Lesotho 8 Gaza feature 4 – 5 Forced Labour feature 9 Global Solidarity Champions 6 Climate Change and Social Justice10 – 11 2 Solidarity Committees The Solidarity committees (NI and ROI) continue to be the vital link between Congress and affiliates on solidarity issues. These committees work closely with the ICTU Global Solidarity to ensure that it reaches affiliated unions of Congress and meet regularly during the year. They continue to act as a link between ICTU Global Solidarity, their individual union, and the membership. These Committees encourage affiliates to engage with ICTU Global Solidarity and look to embed solidarity linking within trade union structure. Welcome A recent peer review of Irish Aid by the OECD Development Some affiliates (NIPSA, IMPACT, PSEU and Assistance Committee commends the Government for its ESBOA) have formed their own structures to “impressive growth” in overseas development assistance (ODA) from engage with international solidarity issues. 2003 to 2008. The DAC praises Ireland as “a champion in making aid more effective”, and the report says “The Irish Government is committed to meeting the United Nations ODA target of 0.7 per cent Republic of Ireland of GNI by 2012.” “The challenge for the Government is to reach these targets despite severe economic downturn and increased budgetary Stellan Hermansson pressure”. The DAC urges the Government to refrain from further Global Solidarity Officer budgetary action that would undermine this commitment.” Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) 32 Parnell Square As the DAC report points out, we should be proud of our national Dublin 1 aid effort. Yet, only two weeks later, the aid budget was further cut by €100 million in the April 7th emergency budget. That was the fourth t: +353 (01) 889 77 04 cut to the aid budget since June 2008. The Irish overseas aid budget e: [email protected] was cut by €45 million in July 2008, another €15 million in October w: www.ictu.ie/globalsolidarity and by €95 million in February this year. w: www.ictu.ie The framework agreement adopted by the social partners on the 28th of January states: “In developing a pact, the Government Northern Ireland and social partners are fully committed to an approach in which all sectors of society contribute in accordance with their ability to do John O’Farrell so, and conversely the most vulnerable, low paid, unemployed and Northern Ireland Committee social welfare recipients are insulated against the worst effects of Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) recession.” The slashing of our aid budget and seemingly inevitable Carlin House, 4–6 Donegall Street reneging (once again) on our commitment to reach 0.7% of our GNI Belfast BT1 2 FM by 2012 is not only inconsistent with this overall approach but is also t: + 44 (0)28 9024 7940 damaging to our international reputation. e: [email protected] The cuts in the overseas aid budget will have a devastating impact w: www.ictu.ie/globalsolidarity on the world’s poorest people who have been benefitting from the w: www.ictuni.org many different aid programmes. Congress has lent support to a wide coalition of groups in their strong protests against the cuts. We understand that in the current economic climate that cuts are inevitable but the current level of cuts is clearly disproportionate. The Government must now set out clearly how it is going to honour its promise of dedicating 0.7% of GNI to overseas aid by 2012. The first twelve Global Solidarity Champions, whom all attended our five day development education training course, got their certificates on the last day of the training course, the 7th of April. By pure coincidence it was the same day as the Government announced the enormous cuts in development aid. It is timely that Congress would like to acknowledge these people are the first (of many more we hope) of a group of the continued support of Irish Aid for our informed and active champions of the world’s poorest people who Global Solidarity work. will facilitate a better coordinated Irish trade union approach to our international solidarity work. In these times of global recession international trade union solidarity is more important than ever. We have a new website! To facilitate this further we have developed a new website The Global Solidarity Newsletter is published twice a year. But if you want up to date information we recommend that you visit: www.ictu.ie/globalsolidarity 3 children, as well as mature students. All those attending were asked to sign the Irish Big Book, on behalf of the millions that cannot worldwide. This was only one event of many taking place. Hundreds of schools and youth clubs throughout the country have been preparing their own Big Books as part of Global Action Week for Education. 774 million Edward Phelan adults in the world can not read. Each day 75 million children do not get the chance to go to and the ILO school, denying them the chance to learn to read and write. ICTU Global Solidarity was present at the launch of Welcome the book “Edward Phelan and the ILO” on the 30th of April. Edward Phelan who was born in Waterford 1888 played an important role in the history of Welcome to the the International Labour Organisation and he was ILO’s Director General 1941 – 1948. It was under Global Solidarity his leadership that ILO adopted Convention No. Daniel Smith ILO and David Joyce ICTU at 87 on Freedom of Association and the Right to the Edward Phelan book launch, April 30. Summer School in Organise. At the book launch the Taoiseach Brian Cowen held a speech where he mentioned ICTU’s active work. He said “ I am particularly pleased that Waterford 28 – 29 ICTU and IBEC have supported and contributed to the design of, Irish Aid’s Partnership Programme August with the ILO. Irish Aid support to the ILO focuses on the most vulnerable in developing countries, This Summer School is an excellent opportunity those often living at the margins of society with to learn more about the most urgent equality and little opportunity for economic advancement. For social justice issues in our world today. example, the ILO-Irish Aid Partnership Programme The Summer School is also a place to meet trade provides support to encourage the employment of union friends from Ireland, Lesotho, Norway and people with disabilities. Irish Aid also supports the some other countries. ILO in tackling two major global scourges: forced labour and child labour.” > We will learn more about Lesotho and the trade unions’ struggle against poverty and HIV/AIDS. Roddy Doyle at the Launch of The Big Read, April 22. > We will discuss Climate Change and the Trade ICTU Women’s Union movement’s important role in the work for a sustainable development. Seminar > We will gain knowledge about trafficking and On the 6th and 7th of March Global Solidarity took forced labour, and how we can stand up and part in ICTU women’s seminar in Belfast. Global support the victims of these criminal traffickers. Solidarity had invited Nancy Aguiar of the Cuban > We will study how casino capitalism and greed Women’s Federation to the seminar. She talked created the worldwide recession, and the need on the situation for women on Cuba and also for regulations and progressive solutions. expressed her gratitude for the strong support > from the Irish Trade Union movement to the people We will talk about how we can develop our of Cuba after the hurricanes last year. Tara Scott solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the of the UK Ethical Consumer’s campaign “Ethical global south, in our common work for human and trade union rights. Pest” was the second speaker. She is well known from the BBC programme “Blood, Sweat and Tara Scott, Ethical Pest, talking to the And we will celebrate the Centenary of ICTU women’s conference, March 7. T-shirts” which made the extreme exploitation of Waterford’s Trade Union Council with a great Photo: Lukasz Paluch garment industrial workers in India known to a lot party on Friday night! of young people in Britain. Tara held an emotional and much appreciated speech on the need of Among the speakers are Peter Power, the Minister ethical consumerism. for Overseas Development; Elliot Ramochela, General Secretary of the Lesotho Congress of Democratic Unions LECODU; Steve Benedict, The Big Read Responsible for the Human and Trade Union Rights section in the International Trade Union On the 22nd of April the author Roddy Doyle Confederation; Denise Charlton, Chief Executive launched the Global Campaign for Education of the Immigrant Council of Ireland; Naimh Garvey, (GCE) Big Read Campaign in the Irish Aid centre Climate Change expert in Trocaire and Asbjørn in Dublin. ICTU Global Solidarity is a member of Wahl, a Norwegian trade union leader with a ICTU’s Gaza solidarity the GCE and took part in the event. Roddy read green agenda. demonstration in a Michael Morpurgo story from the GCE’s Big Belfast 10th January If you are interested in taking part – please contact Read Book. The event included performances your own trade union or the ICTU Global Solidarity See page 4 and readings from primary and secondary school for more on Palestine Office by the 1st of August at the latest.