Posts in the "Human Rights" category
The Business of Human Rights
Posted on December 19, 2017
Protest at Qatar's failure to uphold workers rights
David Joyce looks a closer look at Ireland's first National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
The first National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights finally saw the light of day, in late 2017. The Human Rights Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs is to be commended for its work in developing the plan and getting Government approval. You can view a range of civil society responses to the plan here but for a trade union perspective on it read on…
The National Plan’s stated aim is:
Permanent link | Categories: human rights • global solidarity
European Pillar of Social Rights Offers New Hope for Social Europe
Posted on December 16, 2016
ETUC Confederal Secretary
The EU is slowly emerging from the worst economic crisis in its history.
One of major casualties of that crisis was the European Social Model, undermined and weakened by the official response to a meltdown in the financial system.
Fundamental social rights and public services have been sacrificed. But an EU focused only in the market will not maintain the support and trust of workers and citizens.
With a third of workers across the EU struggling to make ends meet, Europe urgently needs a new social pact.
We need more Social Europe.
We need a vision that is bold enough to redress the glaring imbalance in the current model, that restores the primacy of livelihoods and living standards in EU policy.
Permanent link | Categories: EU • Social Europe • European Pillar of Social Rights
FIFA'S SQUALID SECRET
Posted on April 18, 2016
Sharan Burrow - General Secretary of the ITUC - says a new report on human rights could finally force FIFA to do the right thing for workers in Qatar
Thousands of workers building the 2022 FIFA World Cup facilities and infrastructure in Qatar are forced to live as modern day slaves. They are housed in squalid conditions and survive on poor quality food and insufficient water.
Temperatures in the slave state of Qatar can sometimes reach 122° Fahrenheit.
These bonded workers are paid badly and often receive no money for months on end. No worker can leave an unsafe or abusive work environment or even exit the country without the employer’s permission.
Permanent link | Categories: FIFA • Qatar • Workers Rights
NEW YEAR, SAME OLD TORIES
Posted on January 07, 2016
Head of the TUC’s European Union & International Relations Department
The TUC's Owen Tudor reports on the UK government's ongoing assault on union rights and why Valentine's Day may be a little different this year
On Monday (11 January), the UK’s House of Lords began detailed consideration of the government’s Trade Union Bill, the latest attempt to relive the Thatcherite dream of 'taking on' the trade unions and restricting our ability to defend workers’ rights and public services.
The Bill emerged largely unscathed from the House of Commons before Christmas, although the government was forced to concede some ground on the more alarming attacks on the right to strike – such as the Orwellian requirement that unions should advise the police and employers of union social media strategies (but not vice versa.)
Permanent link | Categories: union rights • TUC • right to strike • Tory government