Blog Archive
€ 102,117 for Medical Aid to Gaza.
Posted on January 27, 2010
Congress' Gaza emergency solidarity campaign in 2009 resulted in an impressive €102,117.
All the funding was directed to Irish Medical Aid for Palestinians (IMAP). €43,200 came from direct contributions from affiliated unions and €58,917 came from a separate campaign where artist Robert Ballagh had produced a limited edition print to raise funds for medical aid to Gaza.
Individual trade union members Mags O'Brien SIPTU, Noirin Green UNITE and Anne Casey ICTU ran this succesful campaign. At a special solidarity event on the 23rd of June in Liberty Hall most of the funding was given to the Chairman of IMAP Mr. Mick Lanigan. There are still a small number of Ballagh's Gaza prints available, if you are interested in buying one (€150), please contact the Global Solidarity office.
Succesful Solidarity work on Colombia
Posted on December 17, 2009
Yessika Hoyos Morales: "Make sure that Europe does not put commercial interests before Human Rights"
Trade union solidarity work on Colombia has had recent success. On the 9th of December Congress along with the TUC in the UK and the European Trade Union Confederation organised a hearing in the European Parliament in Brussels. More than 100 people, including several MEPs, from all around Europe attended the hearing and several European speakers mentioned the Congress letter, co-signed by all the Irish MEPs, to the EU-Commission demanding the suspension of the European Union's negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with Colombia. Congress was represented by the chairperson of the Irish branch of Justice For Colombia Mick Dowling and the Global Solidarity Officer Stellan Hermansson.
COP 15 - UN Climate Change Conference Copenhagen 7-18 December 2009
Posted on December 07, 2009
ITUC: "The world can simply not wait any longer"
The International Trade Union Confederation call on all governments and, in priority, those in developed countries and major economies in the developing world to firmly commit to emission reductions, on the basis of their different responsibilities and respective capabilities.
Climate change will affect all aspects of our lives, in particular the way we produce and consume. Its immediate impacts will target the poorest and most vulnerable people. It will certainly also have effects on employment. Measures taken to combat climate change, in particular those aiming at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while crucial, will require important transformations in the world of work and generate opportunities and challenges for workers and trade unions.
David Begg's call on TDs and Senators; "Help us suspend EU's Free Trade negotiations with Colombia"
Posted on November 30, 2009
"Crimes against human rights are not to be rewarded"
In a letter to all TDs and Senators, the General Secretary of ICTU David Begg writes; "I kindly ask you, and all other TDs and Senators in Ireland, to support the work to suspend EU's negotiations with Colombia on a Free Trade Agreement. It is of utmost importance that our Government takes a clear position within the European Unions in favour of this demand. In the end, this is a question of showing Colombia and the world that crimes against human rights are not to be rewarded."
NEW PUBLICATION - Ethical Consumerism: A guide for trade unions
Posted on November 13, 2009
David Begg:
"In fact shoppers interest in ethical products has gone upp despite the credit crunch"
In his foreword to the new Global Solidarity publication "Ethical Consumerism" the General Secretary of ICTU David Begg writes; "Congress is very pleased to be publishing the latest in our series of publications - 'A trade union guide to ethical consumerism'. One might question the timing of the publication of such an guide given the global economic crisis that is having such a devastating effect on workers around the globe. However, the evidence suggests that the predicted demise of the ethical market - 'ethical is a fad and a luxury and now that hard times are here we'll forget this nonsense and get back to old fashioned value for money' - is not true and in fact shoppers interest in ethical products has gone up despite the credit crunch". Read the Consumer Guide -click here.
All Irish MEPs support David Begg's demand to suspend the negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Colombia.
Posted on October 30, 2009
Ireland is the first EU country in which all MEPs have taken a united position on this issue.
- "The atrocious human rights situation in Colombia has to be addressed. The proposed Free Trade Agreement would give special trade benefits to a government that has repeatedly failed to implement their international obligations including basic human and trade union rights", said David Begg who added that he is extremely pleased that all twelve Irish MEPs have co-signed a letter to EU Trade Commissioner Baroness Ashton asking her to suspend the negotiations with Colombia.
World Day for Decent Work
Posted on October 22, 2009
Solidarity with the garment workers in the global south.
On the 7th of October, the World Day for Decent Work, ICTU Global Solidarity organised a meeting "Recession Ethics - how the current crisis effects garment workers in the Global South and retail workers here".
The meeting in the Teachers' Club in Dublin, attracted more than 40 people, and was chaired by Sally-Ann Kinahan, the Assistant General Secretary of ICTU. She emphasised the importance of solidarity in the trade union movement for securing decent work for workers across the world.
Increased exploitation
Silvana Capuccio from the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers Federation (ITGLWF) outlined how workers are always at the forefront of historical and social changes and during the current crisis are the first to be affected.
Global Solidarity Summer School in Waterford
Posted on September 15, 2009
Minister Peter Power at the opening of the Summer School
70 trade unionists from the north and south of Ireland attended the Global Solidarity Summer School in Waterford on the 28th and 29th of August.
The Summer School was opened by the Assistant General Secretary Sally Anne Kinahan. In her speech she emphasized that "Congress continues to play a leading role campaigning in support of the UN-recommended 0.7% of Gross National Income to be given as aid and sought to ensure the Government's commitment to reach this target by 2012 was reflected in Towards 2016".
Global Solidarity at Congress' BDC in Tralee
Posted on July 31, 2009
Motions, fringe events and drums.
Global Solidarity issues played an important role at Congress' Biennial Delegate Conference (BDC) in Tralee 7 - 10 July. Six motions had been tabled on various Global Solidarity issues and they were all adopted. ICTU's Global Solidarity Committee will continue to develop its concrete work for international trade union solidarity. The BDC also decided to recommend the Irish Aid supported training course "Global Solidarity Champions" as a useful vehicle for the unions to build their capacity in developing their international solidarity work.
Some of the adopted motions pertained to specific countries, including;
- Strengthen the solidarity work with the Colombian trade union movement and to work to stop EU's trade agreements, until the Colombian government fully respects human rights and core labour standards.
Solidarity with the Trade Unions in Colombia
Posted on July 20, 2009
Luis Alberto Vanegas, Colombian Trade Union leader at the BDC in Tralee
- The solidarity with Colombia shown by the Irish Trade Union Movement during my days here in Ireland is highly valued by me and my comrades in CUT-Colombia.
Luis Alberto Vanegas, the Director of the Human Rights Department in the Colombian Trade Union Congress (CUT) was happy after his week in Ireland. He was invited by ICTU Global Solidarity to take part in the Biennial Delegates Conference in Tralee, where he spoke on the 8th of July to the 800 delegates and observers. The speech which was much appreciated described the extremely difficult situation for Colombian trade unionists.