Workers Rights are Human Rights
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Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen will be speaking to a TUC Solidarity Rally with the workers of Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and a dozen other states where right-wing corporate politicians are trying to take away their...
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has called on the Yemeni authorities to stop the bloodshed immediately and develop a genuine national dialogue to respond to the legitimate demands of the people for democracy and equity. The TUC...
The TUC has joined unions around the world in protesting against martial law and violent repression of peaceful protests in Bahrain. TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has written to Bahrain's Ambassador. The trade union movement in...
The Republican Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, is attempting to take away one of the fundamental human rights (as recognised by the UN and the International Labour Organisation) of his own workforce: the right to bargain...
The International Trade Union Confederation has demanded that the Bahraini authorities immediately cease their violent repression of peaceful demonstrations, and start talks with the trade union movement and other civil society groups...
Many western media reports haven't covered the leading role of the UGTT, Tunisia's trade union movement – despite the fact that at one stage, they provided three Ministers in the first post-revolutionary government, and their...
The TUC is launching a new international development strategy today (9 December) and human rights will play a key role in the strategy – especially freedom of association. Global solidarity, global justice sets out the TUC's goals for...
This is the third of three postings about Kamangar’s case, which looks at solidarity in his case. In the first posting you will find Amnesty’s appeal and a link to our online action. In the second posting you will find Farzad’s account...
The bus workers' union in Tehran is one of the few independent unions in Iran, and it faces continual harassment by the authorities. Union leaders Mansour Osanloo (an Amnesty prisoner of conscience), Ebrahim Madadi and Reza Shahabi...
The TUC has complained to the Kenyan High Commissioner about worrying developments in the Kenyan tea industry. First, multinational companies introduced tea leaf picking machines that have destroyed a staggering 80,000 jobs. Second...
There are 33 million people with HIV/AIDS around the world, nine tenths of whom are of working age, and many more with caring responsibilities for family members with HIV/AIDS. So AIDS is a workplace issue and a union issue. This year...
UPDATE The Cuba Solidarity Campaign reports that Gerardo Hernandez has been returned to the general prison population, as we were demanding. ORIGINAL ARTICLE The TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has written to US Secretary of State...
FURTHER UPDATE – Monday night Charles was NOT deported today and has been reprieved for the moment, but things could get worse at any time. The NUJ have reported on the latest developments. UPDATE: Channel 4 jumped the gun – Charles...
It's good news for once, but it's not all good news. Saeed Torabian , the Publicity Director of the Vahed Bus Workers' Union in Tehran, has been freed after 42 days in jail on trumped up charges of acting against national security and...
The news from Iraq this week has not been good. After weeks of popular protest against power cuts which led in some cases to deaths and injuries at the hands of the police, Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani was given the Electricity...
Today the TUC, Amnesty International and the International Federation of Journalists took part in a global day of action in favour of press freedom in the Gambia, and to call for the Gambian authorities to release journalist Ebrima...
For years, we’ve been pressing the Government to be more helpful to people seeking asylum because their sexual orientation or gender identity have put their lives or liberty in danger. A couple of weeks ago, the Supreme Court ruled...
As well as the latest Urgent Action for Iranian bus workers union leaders Saeed Torabian and Reza Shahabi, global teacher union Education International reports on a death penalty, arrests and prison beatings. Iranian trade unions are...
The Geneva-based UN body the International Labour Organisation has decided to send a High Level Tripartite Mission to Colombia to investigate why the death rate amongst trade unionists hasn't fallen. This week the TUC has protested...
Colombia goes to the polls in the final round of its Presidential elections on 20 June, and the retirement of President Uribe means that there will inevitably be a new President elected. But one thing doesn't change, despite the claims...
About this blog
The right to join a trade union and bargain collectively, including taking strike action, are fundamental human rights, recognised as such by Amnesty International, the UN and the International Labour Organisation. Key human rights for trade unionists include not only freedom of association, but freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, equality, freedom from forced labour/slavery and dignity at work. The TUC is a formal partner with Amnesty International UK, and this blog reports on many trade union campaigns around the world for human and trade union rights. It is predominantly written by staff at the TUC European Union and International Relations Department as well as members of the AI UK Trade Union Network and AI UK trade union liaison officer Shane Enright (that's him in the profile image with a placard - he's also often seen with a megaphone!)