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Dear President Lee Myung-bak, I am writing to express my deep concern over the mass arrests of workers and members of the Korean Metal Workers' Union who took part in a sit-in strike at the Ssangyong Motor plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi province.I have been shocked to witness your government's brutal response to this legitimate industrial dispute, specifically, the dropping of corrosive chemicals from helicopters, brutal attacks from taser guns that have inflicted life threatening injuries and the denial of access to food, water and even basic medical treatment for the injured. Violating human rights by denying their citizens food, water, medicine is unacceptable behavior from the state in any situation.  I strongly urge you to: immediately release all imprisoned union leaders and Ssangyong workers; drop all charges (criminal and civil) against individuals and organisations involved in the strike; and take a role in ensuring good faith, genuine negotiations towards guaranteeing the KMWU Ssangyong Motor members employment security.Sincerely,

Release all jailed Ssangyong strikers immediately!

PROTEST LETTER TEXT (to send)

Visit the IMF website for regular updates on the IMF campaign to end labour rights abuses in Korea or sign up for <a href="../index.cfm?n=669">IMF Action Alerts</a> to be notified of urgent solidarity requests and campaign developments immediately when they arise.This page will reload to the protest letter again in 5 seconds

Thank you for taking ACTION!

USA: The IMF Ford Network met the 22nd to the 24th of April in Detroit, bringing together 37 delegates from 12 countries representing all regions, to discuss how to further effective means of solidarity for workers across the company&#039;s production chain. The meeting sought ways to built on efforts underway since 2007.Trade unions agreed to a number of concrete steps. Outcomes included means to furthering the network&#039;s coordination capacities, making progress towards an international framework agreement, exploring ways to support organizing Ford and supplier workers and defending trade union rights, as well as facilitating information exchange. Participants were informed about two important struggles involving workers at Ford suppliers, which were brought directly to the attention of Ford management. Significant gains have been subsequently won by the workers and unions. The first was the dramatic fight for justice for 610 Visteon workers, members of Unite the Union in the UK, who had been sacked with only a minute&#039;s notice, in the process denied their rightful redundancy pay and their pensions hit. Workers&#039; fight-back for just compensation went beyond even the Ford redundancy terms and included as well the right to be considered for jobs at Ford, the former employer of the vast majority of the workforce.In Thailand, workers involved in a two-month dispute at Siam Michelin were strongly supported by the IMF affiliate TEAM and by rubber workers of the Petroleum and Chemical Workers&#039; Federation affiliated to ICEM. The dispute was favourably resolved on 28 April though settlement of a collectively bargained agreement, the release of 20 jailed workers with all charges against them dropped, and required payment of the annual bonus in May.

Trade union network representing Ford workers across all regions emerges stronger.

IMF Ford Network builds cross-border solidarity

Dear Mr. Chaika, I am deeply alarmed by attacks and threats made to trade union leaders and activists in Russia. I am gravely concerned about the authorities&#039; indifference to violations of fundamental human and labour rights and the failure to act promptly and effectively to ensure these rights are fully upheld and protected against any such attack.I urge you to apply all your efforts in order to carry out an immediate, unbiased and transparent investigation into the attacks against  Alexei Etmanov, the leader of the Ford-Vsevelozhsk trade union and co-chairman of the Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA) and the leaders of the local ITUA of Taganrog automobile plan Alexei Gramm and Sergei Bryzgalov, as well as the death threats made to Vladimir Lesik, vice chair person of the ITUA union at Ford-Vsevelozhsk plant.Sincerely,

Violation of trade union rights in Russia

Text of the protest letter

Alexei Etmanov, the leader of the Ford-Vsevelozhsk trade union and co-chairman of the Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA) has been the target of two brutal attacks on November 8 and 13, 2008. An anonymous caller following the first assault contacted the union and warned Etmanov to stop his union activities or &quot;we will take away your life,&quot; the caller said. No one has been charged for the crimes. Other members of the ITUA have been assaulted, including the leaders of the local ITUA of Taganrog automobile plant, Alexei Gramm and Sergei Brizgalov. Those incidents were not investigated either. The International Metalworkers´ Federation is carrying out a campaign to protect the leaders of ITUA, demanding that the Russian authorities conduct a complete investigation of all cases of the assaults and to punish the guilty ones - both those that took part and those who ordered the crimes to be committed.

Demand authorities conduct a complete investigation into all cases of violence and threats of violence against trade unionists in Russia.

Help Stop the Violence Against Russian Unionists!

Market opening should be an instrument for sustainable development. This requires that the promotion of quality employment becomes the primary goal of trade liberalisation, with a fair distribution of the wealth for the workers who create it. The sustainable growth we stand for cannot happen at the expenses of weaker parties. The IMF, particularly through its Working Party on Trade, Employment and Development, works to build solidarity and harmonize the legitimate interests of workers in the North and the South, and to promote a transparent debate on the concerns arising from trade liberalisation.

Trade, employment &amp; development

All workers should enjoy equal rights. Yet workers throughout the world continue to be subject to discrimination, resulting in many being denied their right to join a union. Discrimination also means that women and young workers are over-represented in precarious employment.IMF activities focus on assisting affiliates to develop specific organising strategies to improve unionisation rates among women, migrant workers and young workers. Strategies focus particularly on electronics production workers and workers in EPZ, areas where young women and migrant workers predominate, labour rights are abused and trade unionism is repressed.Women&#039;s representation at all levels of trade union organisation is still too low. IMF has taken steps towards improving the level of participation within the organisation and will continue to work with affiliates to assist them to remove barriers to women&#039;s representation in their unions.

Equal rights

Building strong national trade unions is crucial. The strong unions which are in a permanent democratic relationship with workers, are capable of achieving real gains through collective bargaining, by organizing the unorganized, striving for trade union unity at the national level and building unions through training, education and effective exchange of information.To learn more about the IMF union building philosophy please click <a href="../index.cfm?c=21980&amp;l=2">here</a>.

Bad working conditions are experienced on a daily basis by workers. Even small improvements in occupational health and safety are well received by the most vulnerable groups of workers. Through education, IMF is assisting affiliates in setting up effective health and safety committees in all workplaces. IMF is working with affiliates in order to achieve an international ban on the production, import, export and use of asbestos, responsible for more than 100,000 deaths yearly.

Health and Safety

The structural and technological transformation of metal industries has brought about profound changes in the occupational pattern of the workforce. Non-manual workers are growing in number but are poorly organised or not organised at all.  Like those on the shop-floor they are drawn into the race to the bottom in the global economy. The IMF and its affiliates need to engage and mobilise these workers around labour and professional issues to build greater solidarity and bargaining strength.

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