May 20, 2013—At least 23 garment workers were injured today when a structure the workers used for rest breaks collapsed in Cambodia. The collapse comes just days after two workers were killed when a ceiling caved in at a Cambodian shoe factory.

Over the weekend, the owner of the Wing Star Shoe factory said negligence led to the collapse of an overloaded storage bin.  He also said in a press conference last week that he does not expect to be prosecuted for the deadly incident. Another Wing Star official called the tragedy “a small incident.” Meanwhile, workers have been told to report back to work, despite government assurances on the day of the tragedy that a full investigation would take place.

May 17, 2013—The recent judgment of Guatemala’s Supreme Court against former dictator Efrain Rios Montt to 80 years in prison for genocide and crimes against humanity is a big step forward—and worker rights groups are urging the Guatemalan government to now continue the momentum for peace by seeking justice for the more than 56 trade union leaders killed in the past three years. No one has ever been convicted in Guatemala for killing a union leader.

The Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA) has written to President Otto Perez Molina asking for action to resolve the murders of union leaders and for a commitment to guarantee the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

May 16, 2013—The 2022 World Cup competition in Qatar may be nine years away, but the tiny nation is already making plans to improve the country’s infrastructure and image. While Qatar still has a long way to go in meeting international labor standards, especially when it comes to migrant workers, there are already some encouraging signs coming out of the country. The Qatar Foundation recently unveild a set of detailed standards for the treatment of the potentially hundreds of thousands of  migrant workers hired by the foundation, its contractors, and all subcontracting agencies to build the infrastructure for the event.
 

May 15, 2013—Nine unions representing more than 7,000 workers recently held the founding congress of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Jordan (FITU-J), demonstrating a concrete commitment to independent trade unionism as workers in Jordan seek to mobilize for greater political freedom, improved economic conditions and strong social justice.

The conference theme, “Freedom of Association is a Necessity,” underscored how, as Jordanian workers have participated in multiple labor strikes for the right to form unions over the past four years, they are part of the country’s broader movement for democratic change.

May 14, 2013—The Bangladesh Cabinet approved a change to the nation’s labor laws that it says would enable workers to more freely form unions. The proposal, which must be approved by Parliament, would allow workers to join unions without showing the list of union supporters to factory owners to verify their employment—a practice that effectively makes it impossible for unions to gather sufficient support to register with the government because factory owners often penalize or fire workers who support unionization. 

The move follows an announcement that the Bangladesh government would raise the minimum wage for the nation’s 4 million garment workers. Bangladesh garment workers at minimum are  paid $37 a month, the lowest wages in the global garment industry, while often risking their lives just to be at work.

The government’s step toward improving Bangladesh labor laws is welcome, but significant  issues remain, says Solidarity Center Asia Regional Director Tim Ryan.

May 9, 2013—This is a crosspost from AFT by 
Adrienne Coles. 

Healthcare nurses Mari Cordes and Barbara Rock traveled to Sri Lanka in March as part of a trip sponsored by the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center, which works with unions worldwide to strengthen workers' economic and political power. The three-day visit gave the nurses an opportunity to exchange information and ideas with Sri Lankan nurses who are members of the Government Nursing Officers' Association, a union representing nurses in the country's public hospitals.

May 8, 2013—A stunning 73.4 million young workers are estimated to be jobless in 2013, an increase of 3.5 million between 2007 and 2013, according to an International Labor Organization (ILO) report out today. Even worse, the number of unemployed young workers is likely to increase through 2018, with the long-term impact felt for decades, the report forecasts.

“The  youth  employment  crisis  will  not  be  overcome  without  stronger  employment  growth,” according to “Global Employment Trends for Youth 2013: A Generation at Risk.” But job growth will not happen on its own. The report urges nations to adopt aggressive policies for improving job growth, including strategies targeting employment of disadvantaged youth. Further, nations must invest in education and training, and ensure labor rights are based on international labor standards “to ensure that young people receive equal treatment and are afforded rights at work.”

May 7, 2013—More than half of Palestinian workers—59 percent—earn less than the national minimum wage established in October 2012, and women workers are paid half as much as male wage earners, according to a new report. A large majority, 85 percent, of Palestinian workers do not have a written contract guaranteeing their conditions of employment.

“Palestinian Workers: A Comprehensive Report on Work Conditions, Priorities and Recommendations,” details the working conditions of Palestinians who labor in the West Bank, Gaza, Israel and Israeli settlements in the West Bank territories.

May 6, 2013—Employers in Kenya now must abide by the verbal contracts they make with domestic workers, following a landmark ruling by the nation’s high court that also effectively places domestic workers under Kenya’s employment law. Saying that under the Employment Act, “a verbal contract is a contract that can confer rights and can be enforced,” the judge ruled that domestic workers are covered by the national minimum wage and other provisions of the employment law.   

“This court notes that many employers fail to issue their employees with a contract of service and this acts to their detriment as non-issuance of this document leaves the court to interpret the relationship between the parties which could have been well outlined by the mutual agreement of the parties,” Justice Monica Wanjiru Mbaru wrote.

May 3, 2013—Valentin Urusov, the Russian electrician and trade unionist unjustly imprisoned for years in a Siberian penal colony, received the international Arthur Svensson Prize for Trade Union Rights in 2013. Urusov led the trade union Profsvoboda at Alrosa, the world's second largest diamond mining company, based in the northern Sakha province of Russia.

Urusov, who was released from prison in March—after he was nominated for the prize—was jailed in 2008 for allegedly possessing narcotics. However, his arrest coincided suspiciously with preparations for a protest rally by workers at the state-owned Alrosa—a rally which Urusov helped organize.  He was sentenced to six years in a penal colony.