NEWS |
FROM THE MORNING STAR (UK):
MPs demand death for opposition leaders
Tuesday 15 February 2011
Hard-line Iranian MPs urged the judiciary today to hand out death penalties to opposition leaders for fomenting unrest amid ongoing anti-government rallies which have so far claimed one life and left dozens wounded. Clashes broke out between security forces and protesters on Monday when thousands of opposition supporters rallied in solidarity with the popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. The pro-government Fars News Agency reported that a bystander was shot dead at the hands of protesters. Today the official IRNA news agency quoted MPs as saying that "Mehdi Karroubi and Mirhossein Mousavi are spreading corruption on earth and should be tried." The charge of mofsed fel-arz, or spreading corruption that threatens social and political well-being, carries the death penalty in Iran. Iranian police reportedly continued to use electric prods and tear gas against protesters in Tehran today in an attempt to prevent scattered demonstrations from coalescing. Jailed Iranian trade union leader Mansour Osanloo has been taken to hospital after suffering chest pains this weekend that may have been caused by a heart attack. International Transport Federation general secretary David Cockroft said that if Mr Osanloo, who has been locked up for four years, "hadn't had his life threatened, been beaten, arrested, re-arrested and held for years he would today be a well man. "His maltreatment is part of a campaign to crush his voice and that of his trade union, the Vahed Syndicate."
***Week of action for oppressed unions
Monday 14 February 2011
Global union federations kicked off a week of action today to defend independent trade unionism in Mexico. The International Metalworkers, International Chemical Workers, International Transport Workers, the Uni Global union and the International Trade Union Confederation are organising demonstrations outside Mexican embassies worldwide to press the government to stop attacks on their members. Five years ago an explosion at the transnational Grupo Mexico's Pasta de Conchos coalmine killed 65 miners who were members of the Los Mineros union. The bodies of 63 of the 65 miners remain buried in the mine. Despite international protests the Mexican government has failed to investigate or prosecute those responsible. Instead the Mexican government has escalated its violent attacks on Los Mineros after it demanded justice and the recovery of the miners' bodies. The Mexican government has tried to destroy Los Mineros and to arrest its president Napoleon Gomez on trumped up and unproven charges. Mr Gomez is currently running the union from exile in Canada, supported by the United Steelworkers. Other independent unions which have faced attacks from the Mexican government include the Mexican Electrical Workers' Union UNTYPP which represents staff at state-owned petroleum company Pemex, the National Union of General Tyre Workers of Mexico and the Union of the Autonomous University of Mexico Workers. The global unions are demanding that the Mexican government stop violating fundamental trade union rights and start complying with its own laws and international standards on human and trade union rights.
FROM SCOOP (NZ):
***Osanloo hospitalisedMansour Osanloo, the Iranian trade union leader unjustly imprisoned for the last four years, has been taken to an outside hospital after suffering chest pains this weekend that could be caused by a heart attack. ITF general secretary David Cockroft stated: “Frankly, I believe that if he hadn’t had his life threatened, been beaten, arrested, re-arrested and held for years in awful Iranian prisons, he would today be a well man.” “His maltreatment is part of a campaign to crush his voice and that of his trade union, the Vahed Syndicate. The blame for it lies with the government of Iran, a government that is today letting loose its so-called security forces against protesters in cities across the country.” He concluded: “Hasn’t that government learnt from the experience of its neighbours: that no one is too powerful to be held to account, and that injustice – such as has been meted out to Mansour Osanloo – cannot be sustained indefinitely?” In July 2007 Mansour Osanloo, now aged 50, president of the ITF-affiliated Vahed Syndicate (Tehran Bus Workers’ Union) was dragged from a Tehran bus by men who only later were identified as Iranian security forces. Three months later he was sentenced to five years imprisonment on charges of ‘acting against national security’ and ‘propaganda against the state’; in 2010 another year was added to his sentence. In reality his only ‘crime’ has been to help found a genuinely democratic trade union for his fellow bus drivers.
Trade Unions around the world call on the Mexican Government to ensure Mexican Workers their right to Freedom of Association Brussels 15 February 2011 (ITUC OnLine): The International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), UNI Global Union (UNI) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) are calling on the Mexican government to restore justice for killed workers and to ensure freedom of association for workers in Mexico. It is now five years since 65 miners were killed in the February 19, 2006 explosion at the Grupo México Pasta de Conchos coal mine. To this day, bereaved families await proper compensation and recovery of the bodies for funeral. Miners, the local community, the Mexican National Human Rights Commission, and the investigatory committee of the Chamber of Deputies believe Grupo México's illegal safety violations killed the 65 and note a pattern of labor inspectorate irregularities. In 2009, the United Nations' ILO recommended that "adequate sanctions [be] imposed on those responsible" for the disaster. The total lack of progress to enable an independent investigation and prosecute the corporate and government officials responsible is cause for grave concern for the trade union movement. See the model letter to have the full story: http://www.ituc-csi.org/workers-rights-in-mexico.html?lang=en The international trade union movement launched a campaign (14 - 18 February) asking their affiliates from around the world to call on the Mexican Government to hold employer and government officials accountable for the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion that killed 65 miners on February 19, 2006; to abolish systemic violations of workers' freedom of association, including employer-dominated "protection contracts" and interference in union elections; to end the use of force-by the state or private parties-to repress workers' legitimate demands for democratic unions, better wages and working conditions, and good health and safety conditions and to end the campaign of political persecution against the Mexican Miners' and Metalworkers' Union (SNTMMSRM) and the Mexican Electrical Workers' Union (SME). Different activities, such as visits to embassies, demonstrations, press conferences are being organized throughout the world in the framework of this international campaign in support for Mexican workers' rights.
FROM PROGRESSIVE RAILROADING:
***European unions raise concerns about containers
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and its unions plan to lobby European politicians, the European Union and other stakeholders about what ITF officials believe are dangers associated with current container practices. The issue will be the subject of an International Labor Organization (ILO) forum in Switzerland Feb. 21-22.
FROM AUSTRALASIAN TRANSPORT NEWS:
FROM THANH NIEN DAILY:
***Vietnamese ship stranded off southern India, 18 sailors at risk
Last updated: 2/15/2011 15:00
A Vietnamese ship has been stranded off the coast of India for nearly six months, putting 18 sailors onboard at risk, The Times of India reported Tuesday.
The news source quoted Captain Maung Maung Iwin of the MV Bien Nam ship as saying that the vessel is currently about three miles away from the shore and has no power, while the main engine has been completely damaged.
Iwin said over phone that the sailors have starved for days and run out of drinking water for more than ten days.
According to the news source, Iwin has continuously sent out cries for help to the Sailors Helpline at the Chennai port.
However, so far the port authorities have not been able to do anything due to the lack of legal provisions, although they are willing to help, Sailors Helpline coordinator Manoj Joy said.
The coordinator stressed that the vessel, without functional engines, is also threatening to cause accidents in the outer seas.
In the meantime, K Sreekumar, ITF inspector and assistant secretary of Madras Port Trust Employees’ Union, said the ship’s owner is bankrupt.
Over the past months, its food and other provisions have been supplied by agents in Chennai City under their agreement with the owner, but the supply stopped last week when the latter stopped paying the former, Sreekumar said.
“We are trying to get them food as soon as possible," said Sreekumar, who recently supplied Rs. 35,000 (US$769.15) worth of food items to the ship with the help of the Seafarers' Club and the Chennai Port Trust.
Phan Thanh Thuy, consular officer at the Vietnamese Embassy in New Delhi, meanwhile, told the newspaper that they were trying to contact the ship’s owner to settle the case.
FROM THE TIMES OF INDIA:
FROM DAWN (PAKISTAN):
PIA strike ends with Haroon`s resignation Posted By From the Newspaper On February 12, 2011 @ 4:08 am In Home > Top Stories,Latest News,Newspaper > Front Page,Pakistan > Top Stories | Comments Disabled
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: A four-day-long strike by Pakistan International Airlines [1] employees, which had collapsed domestic and international flights schedule, ended on Friday night after the government removed the Managing Director of the national flag carrier Aijaz Haroon on their demand. Following the government’s assurance that all demands of PIA employees will be met, flight operations reportedly started from all airports of the country. “I have received the resignation of Mr Aijaz Haroon and I accepted it,” said Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar while talking to journalists after the meeting. He said all demands of PIA employees would be met, adding that as far as the Memorandum of Understanding between the PIA and the Turkish Airlines was concerned, he had not seen any such agreement. “No such agreement had ever been sent to my ministry and thus no action is being made on any such MOU,” the minister said.
The PIA employees observed the strike on three basic demands — withdrawal of MoU between the national flag carrier and the Turkish “I assured you that the government will not take any step which will be harmful to PIA, its employees and the country,” the defence minister said, who was seen for the first time in the issue which lasted four days. Before his removal, the PIA Managing Director was seen at the Presidency in the evening during the oath-taking ceremony of new cabinet members which indicated that he had some support from the Presidency and would not be removed due to his close association with President Asif Ali Zardari. The leaders of PIA’s Action Committee also demanded of the government to put the name of Mr Haroon on the Exit Control List so that he could not escape abroad and faced alleged of corruption charges against him. Speaking on the occasion, PIA Action Committee’s chairman Sohail Baloch welcomed the government decision to accept all demands of PIA employees and called off the strike. Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that President Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had given him and the defence minister a free hand to resolve the issue at any cost. “What has happed should not have happened,” he said while describing clashes between PIA employees and security forces. He said hundreds of passengers had faced a great deal of trouble [2] because of the strike and a number of flights were cancelled and several people lost validity of their visas because of cancellation of their travel to different countries. Earlier, only a few hours before his resignation, Mr Haroon, while talking on different TV channels, had refused to resign saying he would not resign because of accusations of corruption by certain elements as he had to keep his honour before his family and friends. He, however, had offered to appear before a judicial committee. Even around half an hour before he resigned, the PIA spokesperson had issued a press release on his behalf asking the employees to resume work. PROTESTERS BEATEN: At the Karachi airport, protesters turned violent on Friday afternoon when Section 144 was imposed and a large number of police personnel were called in to help the Airport Security Force. Announcements were made asking all people to leave the airport within 10 minutes. The police personnel soon went into action and beat peaceful protesters. They were supported by a large number of stick-wielding people who had emerged from nowhere. The police action injured a number of protesters, some women among them. Some of them got serious injuries, including employees’ leader T.M. Rabbani. The action triggered a reaction and JAC leader Sohail Baloch refused to continue talks with the government side unless an FIR was registered against a senator, the PIA MD and Aamir Shah for the attack on peaceful PIA employees. |
Стихи |
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Записки не совсем еще старого капитана |