Heat Stress and Workers: The Union Difference
Join us as we dive into new research that shows how unions create safer workplaces by protecting workers from heat stress.
Register to join virtually.
This event will be in English with simultaneous Spanish and Khmer interpretation.
Rising temperatures around the world due to the climate crisis impact us all, especially in our roles as workers.
According to the International Labor Organization, 72% of workers worldwide are affected by heat stress. While outdoor workers–such as those growing our food or building our communities–are among those most affected, workers suffer from heat exposure in factories, warehouses, and even during daily commutes.
The danger of heat stress to workers, as well as broader inequalities in how extreme heat affects different groups, has been increasingly researched and covered in the media, yet proposed solutions often remain focused on individual actions that have little effect given the power dynamics that remain in workplaces.
Through collective bargaining and collective action, unions have long fought for safe and healthy workplaces, from a shorter workday to fire safety to child labor laws. Unions are now also protecting workers from heat stress and other impacts of the climate crisis.
These efforts are really paying off: Recent research with garment, transportation and street vendor workers in Cambodia using thermal heat sensors is showing that one of the biggest differences between how significantly workers were impacted by extreme heat was whether or not they are in a union.
During this event, we will explore the critical role of workers and their unions in designing and promoting inclusive climate adaptation and resilience efforts, and the implications this has for policymakers and employers.
Dr. Laurie Parsons, a leading expert on the social, political and economic aspects of climate change, will share the findings of new heat stress research in Cambodia.
So Somalay, Senior Program Officer for Equality, Inclusion and Diversity at Solidarity Center Cambodia, and Nash Tysmans, Organizer for Asia at StreetNet International, will share experiences of how unions are taking action on heat stress across sectors–including in the informal economy–in Cambodia and beyond.
The webinar will be moderated by Sonia Mistry, Director of Climate and Labor Justice at the Solidarity Center.
The event is organized by the Solidarity Center, the largest U.S.-based international worker rights organization.
Eradicating Gender-Based Violence and Harassment at Work in Southern Africa: An M-POWER High-Level Summit
WELCOME RECEPTION
Date: Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., South African Standard Time
Place: Avani Maseru Hotel, Maseru
SUMMIT
Date: Thursday, July 27, 2023
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., South African Standard Time / 2:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time
Place: Avani Maseru Hotel, Maseru, Lesotho, in person.
Millions of workers—most of them women—face intimidation, humiliation, physical and verbal assault, and worse on the job.
The Multilateral Partnership for Organizing, Worker Empowerment and Rights (M-POWER)* is working to eradicate gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the world of work as part of its efforts to ensure worker rights and civil-society participation around the globe. This high-level summit, convened by M-POWER, is bringing together government, labor and business leaders to highlight advances toward that goal—including the Lesotho government’s ratification of ILO Convention 190 and the groundbreaking anti-GVBH agreements negotiated collaboratively by local unions, multinational brands sourcing from Lesotho and a local factory producing clothing for Western markets.
IN-PERSON ATTENDEES: Please find information about Maseru accommodations and transportation here.
SPEAKERS
FEATURED SPEAKERS: The Right Honorable Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho, and representatives from M-POWER government partners Argentina, Germany, Spain and the United States.
- Honorable Richard Ramoeletsi, Minister of Public Service, Labor and Employment, Kingdom of Lesotho
- Shawna Bader-Blau, Executive Director, Solidarity Center*
- Chris Cooter, High Commissioner for Canada in South Africa* (by video)
- Cecilia Cross, Undersecretary for Inclusion Policies in the World of Work, Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security, Argentina*
- Laura Gutierrez, Global Worker Rights Coordinator, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO*)
- Jeffrey Hogue, Chief Sustainability Officer, Levi Strauss & Co. (by video)
- Nellie Kahua, General Secretary, Namibian Domestic and Allied Workers Union (NDAWU), an International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF*) affiliate
- Gloria Kente, Organizer, South African Domestic Services and Allied Workers Union (SADSAWU)
- Marieke Koning, Policy Adviser, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC*)
- Mamolise Lawrance, Programs Coordinator, Informal Traders Association
- Zingiswa Losi, President, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU*)
- Nhlanhla Mabizela, Field Program Specialist, Lesotho, Solidarity Center*
- Leeto Makoro, Shop Steward, Independent Democratic Union of Lesotho (IDUL)
- Matsie Moalosi, Education and Awareness Raising Facilitator, National Clothing Textile and Allied Workers Union (NACTWU)
- Mamohale Matsoso, Labor Commissioner, Ministry of Public Service, Labor and Employment, Kingdom of Lesotho
- Itumeleng Moerane, Information Line Manager, Federation of Women Lawyers Lesotho (FIDA)
- Samuel Mokhele, Secretary General, NACTWU
- Dr. Anna Montén-Küchel, First Secretary, Labor and Social Affairs, German Missions in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini*
- Leboeala Motebang, Gender Focal Person, Lesotho Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU)
- Nyasha Muchichwa, Representative, Southern Africa Trade Union Coordinating Council (SATUCC)
- Harry Nkhetse, Senior Facilitator and Leadership Coach, Tobaka Consultants, Mountain Peak Business Solutions
- Popoti Ntebe, Trade Union Member, United Textile Employees (UNITE)
- Thusoana Ntlama, Programs Coordinator, FIDA Lesotho
- Sethelile Ntlhakana, Lesotho Country Representative, Worker Rights Consortium*
- Joaquín Perez Rey, Secretary of State for Employment and Social Economy, Ministry of Labor and Social Economy, Spain* (by video)
- Elliot Ramochela, Secretary General, LFTU
- Kelly M. Fay Rodríguez, Special Representative for International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of State*
- Thato Sebeko, Member, Lesotho Labor Council (LLC)
- Puleng Selebeli, Trade Union Member, UNITE
- Paul Sematlane, General Secretary, Lesotho Labor Council (LLC)
- Motseoa Senyane, Lead Assessor, Workers’ Rights Watch
- Teboho Tolo, President, LFTU
- Keisha Toms, Deputy Chief of Mission, United States Embassy, Lesotho*
- Luc Triangle, Acting General Secretary, ITUC* (by video)
- Mathekiso Tseote, Shop Steward, NACTWU
* M-POWER Steering Committee Member or proxy, or M-POWER affiliated.
AGENDA
Wednesday, July 26
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Welcome Reception honoring Lesotho government, labor, nonprofit and business leaders behind the historic Lesotho Agreements
Thursday, July 27
8:00 a.m. Registration
8:30 a.m. Opening Session
9:30 a.m. Group Photo and Break
10:00 a.m. Panel 1: The Role of Governments in Eliminating Gender-Based Violence and Harassment at Work: C190
11:15 a.m. U.S. Global Labor Priorities: Kelly M. Fay Rodríguez, Special Representative for International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of State
11:45 a.m. Break
12:15 a.m. Panel 2: Spotlight – How Workers and Companies are Addressing Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in a Global Supply Chain: Focus on the Lesotho Agreement
1:30 p.m. Lunch
2:30 p.m. Panel 3: The Role of Trade Unions in Creating Safer, Fair and Healthy Workplaces Free from Harassment and Violence
3:30 p.m. Panel 4: Women Workers’ Participation in Democratic Governance
4:30 p.m. Closing Statements and Commitments
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LANDMARK LESOTHO AGREEMENTS
This event is co-hosted by: The Multilateral Partnership for Organizing, Worker Empowerment, and Rights (M-POWER), the Lesotho Federation of Trade Unions and Lesotho Labor Council, and supported by the Solidarity Center.
Event Partners: the Congress of South African Trade Unions; Federation of Women Lawyers Lesotho; Independent Democratic Union of Lesotho; International Domestic Workers Federation; International Trade Union Confederation-Africa; International Trade Union Confederation; National Clothing, Textile and Allied Workers Union; Southern Africa Trade Union Coordination Council; United Textile Employees, Lesotho; Women and Law in Southern Africa Research and Education Trust; Worker Rights Consortium and Workers’ Rights Watch.
* M-POWER is a historic global initiative focused on ensuring working families thrive in the global economy and elevating the role of trade unions and organized workers as essential to advancing democracy. The government of the United States and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) co-chair M-POWER, joined by steering committee members: the governments of Argentina, Canada and Spain; the International Domestic Worker Federation; the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU); the AFL-CIO; and Funders Organized for Rights in the Global Economy (FORGE). Additional partners include the governments of Germany and South Africa, Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, Global Labor Justice-International Labor Rights Forum, ProDESC, Solidarity Center and Worker Rights Consortium.
What Does Winning Look Like: Investing in Labor Rights Campaigns to Foster Change in Repressive Systems
Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Time: 3:30 PM – 8:00 PM EDT
Place: National Endowment for Democracy, 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 1100 Washington, D.C., DC 20004. Click here to register.
Co-Hosted By: National Endowment for Democracy and Global Labor Justice-International Labor Rights Forum
In March 2022, the Cotton Campaign, a global coalition against forced labor, announced that it was ending its call for a global boycott of Uzbek cotton. The Coalition made this decision following the 2021 harvest: Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, a frontline partner of the Cotton Campaign that has monitored the annual cotton harvest since 2010, found no state-imposed forced labor for the first time in years. This landmark achievement marked the elimination of state-imposed forced labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton harvest, which had affected millions of children and adults. Despite these gains, civic space and fundamental labor rights in Uzbekistan remain arbitrarily restricted and farmers face exploitation, jeopardizing reforms in the cotton sector.
Turkmenistan remains one of the most closed and repressive countries in the world. Every year during the harvest, the government continues to force tens of thousands of public sector workers to pick cotton in hazardous and unsanitary conditions and extorts money from public employees to pay harvest expenses. To this day, the government continues to deny the forced labor problem and has taken harsh actions against those who report on abuses.
Please join the National Endowment for Democracy and Global Labor Justice-International Labor Rights Forum for an in-person, two-panel discussion and reception to reflect on one year since the end of state-imposed forced labor in Uzbek cotton—including the implications for global cotton supply chains, next steps in Uzbekistan, and making labor rights gains in Turkmenistan and the Uyghur region. The panels will place the fight for workers’ rights in Central Asia in the broader context of global supply chains and supply chain governance. This has been given new prominence and urgency by systematic forced labor as part of genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the government of China against the Uyghur and other Turkic and/or Muslim-majority peoples.
SPEAKERS
- Shawna Bader-Blau- Executive Director, Solidarity Center
- Kelly M. Fay Rodríguez- Special Representative for International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of State
- Panelists
- Bennett Freeman- Cotton Campaign co-founder and former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
- Patricia Jurewicz- Cotton Campaign co-founder and founder and CEO, Responsible Sourcing Network
- Ruslan Myatiev- Founder and Editor, Turkmen.News
- Umida Niyazova- Director, Uzbek Forum for Human Rights
Additional Panelists to be Announced
AGENDA
3:30 PM – 5:30 PM Panel Discussions
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM Reception
Official Summit for Democracy Side Event: Amplifying the Voices of Workers to Safeguard Democracy in Africa
Date: Thursday, March 30, 2023
Time: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Central Africa Time / 2 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time
Place: In-person (Southern Sun Ridgeway Lusaka, Zambia) and virtual event. Registration required.
To join online, click here.
To join us in Lusaka, RSVP to [email protected].
Co-Hosted By: The Multilateral Partnership for Organizing, Worker Empowerment, and Rights (M-POWER) and the Zambian Congress of Trade Unions
Supported By: Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF), International Trade Union Confederation-Africa, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Solidarity Center and Southern African Trade Union Coordination Council (SATUCC)
“Amplifying the Voices of Workers to Safeguard Democracy in Africa” is an official side event of the second Summit for Democracy, a global democracy initiative co-hosted by Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, the United States and Zambia from March 28-30, 2023. The second Summit will showcase progress made by Summit partners on commitments during the Year of Action. M-POWER is one of the largest commitments made by Summit partners.
SPEAKERS
● Joy Beene, Secretary General, Zambia Congress of Trade Unions
● Toindepi Dhure, General Secretary, Zimbabwe Domestic and Allied Workers Union
● Kassahun Follo, President, Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions
● Akiko Gono, President, International Trade Union Confederation
● Naomi Kimbala Lunat, Director Gender Youth and Child Development, Zambia Congress of Trade Unions
● Mavis Koogotsitse, Executive Secretary, Southern Africa Trade Union Coordination Council (SATUCC)
● Thea Lee, Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor
● Bheki Mamba, President, Trade Union Congress of Swaziland
● Dan Mihadi, General Secretary, Transport Workers Union – Kenya
● Japhet Moyo, Secretary General, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions
● Richard Mulonga, Chief Executive Officer, Bloggers Association of Zambia
● Alex Nkosi, Coordinator, International Trade Union Confederation-Africa
● Joel Odigie, Deputy General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation-Africa
● Guy Olivier Ouédraogo, General Secretary, Confédération Syndicale Burkinabé
● Matthew Parks, Parliamentary Coordinator, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
● Lisa Peterson, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Bureau, U.S. State Department
● Ruth Sakala, General Secretary, Domestic Workers Union of Zambia
● Henry Sinkala, General Secretary, Basic Education Teachers Union, Zambia
● Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress
● Ezra Sekelani Zulu, Youth Chairperson, Zambia Congress of Trade Unions
AGENDA
8:00 a.m. Introductions and Opening Remarks
9:00 a.m. Solidarity Messages
9:30 a.m. Declining Labor and Human Rights Standards on the African Continent
11:30 a.m. Closing Democratic Spaces and Challenges of Transparent Electoral Processes
12:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. How Workers Can Strengthen Democracy Through Elimination of State Capture and Corruption in Africa
2:30 p.m. Youth and Women Workers’ Participation in Democratic Governance
3:30 p.m. Closing Statements
Full agenda here.
Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in French.
The Multilateral Partnership for Organizing, Worker Empowerment and Rights (M-POWER) is a historic global initiative focused on ensuring working families thrive in the global economy and elevating the role of trade unions and organized workers as essential to advancing democracy. It includes steering committee members from governments, philanthropy and labor organizations, including the AFL-CIO, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); the governments of Argentina, Canada, Spain and the United States; and Funders Organized for Rights in the Global Economy (FORGE). The Solidarity Center is a partner.
No Democracy without Unions: Labor Movements as Defenders of Democratic Rights
Date: Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Time: 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. EDT
Place: In-person (U.S. Dept of Labor – Frances Perkins Building 200 Constitution Avenue Northwest Washington, DC 20210) and virtual event.
To join online, tune in here at 11:30 a.m.
To join in person, register here.
Co-Hosted By: Department of Labor, Department of State, and U.S. Agency for International Development
This session will elevate the role of labor movements as drivers of democracy and essential components of democratic societies. Government and labor representatives will highlight country cases and approaches of labor movements defending, reclaiming, and expanding democratic space, with an emphasis on the responsibilities of governments to protect and hold space for democratic labor movements.
“No Democracy without Unions: Labor Movements as Defenders of Democratic Rights” is an official event of the second Summit for Democracy, a global democracy initiative co-hosted by Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, the United States and Zambia from March 28-30, 2023. The second Summit will showcase progress made by Summit partners on commitments during the Year of Action. M-POWER is one of the largest commitments made by Summit partners.
M-POWER Global Launch Summit
“We stand with all workers everywhere who are on the front lines of democracy”—AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler at last year’s U.S. Summit for Democracy. Credit: Solidarity Center
Date: Thursday, December 8, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., EST
Place: Virtual (live streaming available). Registration required.
M-POWER is a global initiative that unites governments, worker organizations, labor academics, civil society and philanthropic institutions committed to working in partnership to uphold and promote worker empowerment and rights as core to democracy, inclusive societies and equitable economic growth. One year after M-POWER was announced at the 2021 Summit for Democracy, the founding partners of M-POWER are proud to share our actions and pledges for M-POWER’s inaugural year of work.
Please join USDOL Secretary of Labor Walsh, along with other U.S. government officials, M-POWER founding government representatives, trade unions, philanthropic institutions and civil society organizations on December 8 to formalize our shared commitment to promoting worker voice and empowerment around the globe.
The Future of U.S. Taiwan Trade
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Longworth House Office Building 1100 and remotely here.
Bargaining for Decent Work: The Honduran Maquila Sector
Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., EDT
Place: Virtual. Registration required. (NEW registration link)
Please join the Solidarity Center for a discussion of a new report on collective bargaining agreements as tools for addressing poor working conditions in global supply chains.
FEATURING
Dr. Mark Anner, report author, director of the Center for Global Workers’ Rights and professor of labor and employment relations at Pennsylvania State University; Solidarity Center Executive Director Shawna Bader-Blau; senior labor leaders from Honduras Evangelina Argueta, Joel Lopez and Maria Elena Sabillon, as well as Worker Rights Consortium Field Director of the Americas Tara Mathur will share new insights on the impact of collective bargaining.
The report, “Bargaining for Decent Work and Beyond: Transforming Work and Lives through Collective Bargaining Agreements in the Honduran Maquila Sector” was commissioned by the Solidarity Center and draws its findings from original research in Honduras, principally the garment industry. Findings include that:
- Workers covered by collective bargaining agreements have more access to decent work, fair wages and safe working conditions, reducing economic coercion and other factors that compel migration.
- Collective bargaining agreements can address gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work.
- Unions have been critically effective in the promotion of health and public safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, contact event organizer Tom Egan, [email protected].
Speakers
Mark Anner, Pennsylvania State University Center for Global Workers’ Rights (CGWR) Director, and Labor and Employment Relations and Political Science Associate Professor
Mark Anner, whose field research has taken him to Bangladesh, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras and Vietnam, has written about international labor solidarity, labor law reform in Latin America, strikes in Vietnam and corporate social responsibility in the global apparel industry. He is currently examining how pricing and other sourcing dynamics in global supply chains affect working conditions and worker rights. Anner also directs Penn State’s labor and global workers’ rights master’s degree program, which is a part of the Global Labor University network. He holds a doctorate in government from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Latin American studies from Stanford University.
Evangelina Argueta, General Workers Central (CGT, Honduras) Representative, and Maquila Organizing Project Coordinator
Evangelina Argueta—who, at age 16, helped found a union at the factory where she had worked—negotiated landmark agreements with apparel brands Fruit of the Loom and Nike, in 2009 and 2010. Leading the CGT garment worker organizing program, she helped organize 27 unions representing nearly 30,000 garment workers, and now serves on bi- and tripartite commissions setting Honduras garment worker wages and conditions. As current coordinator of the Central American Regional Coordinating Body of Apparel and Textile Unions, Argueta serves as a role model for working women and provides mentorship and support for women taking on leadership positions in their unions.
Joel López, Independent Federation of Workers of Honduras (FITH) General Secretary
In addition to leading FITH, López serves on the political commission of the Central American Coordinating Body of Maquila and Textile Unions, and helps lead the Network of Garment Worker Unions of Honduras. López holds a bachelor’s degree in legal and social sciences with a specialization in labor law.
Tara Mathur, Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) Field Director for the Americas
Tara Mathur, who has worked with the WRC for more than 16 years, led a field investigation on freedom of association violations at Honduras Fruit of the Loom factories that resulted in the CGT union negotiating and signing the “Washington Agreement” with the company. Mathur leads the WRC’s work in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean to document, report on and engage with buyers on remedying worker rights violations at garment factories.
María Elena Sabillón, Solidarity Center Senior Coordinator, Honduras
A labor lawyer and fearless advocate for apparel sector workers and their organizations, Sabillón has worked for the Solidarity Center in Honduras since 2011. She currently serves as a worker-side representative on the Fruit of the Loom (FOTL) Supervisory Committee responsible for monitoring the framework agreement on freedom of association and collective bargaining in Honduran FOTL factories. Sabillón holds a law degree and master’s degree in criminal law and procedures from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH), and a doctorate in labor law, social security and human rights from Universidad de San Carlos (USAC) de Guatemala.
Moderated by Shawna Bader-Blau, Solidarity Center Executive Director
Grassroots Voices: Spotlight on Migrant Perspectives towards the IMRF [Report Launch Event]
Date: Thursday, April 28, 2022
Time: 08:30 NY / 14:30h Geneva / 19:30 BKK
Place: Virtual. Registration required.
The Global Coalition on Migration and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung are pleased to announce the launch of the Spotlight Report on Global Migration.
The launch event represents an important opportunity for Member States and stakeholders to hear grassroots migrant perspectives on progress and challenges regarding migrant realities in the lead up to the IMRF. The report launch will offer a space for dialogue between grassroots migrant organizations, their civil society allies, and Member States on urgent issues for migrants.
Speakers
Alma Maquitico, Co-director of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR)
Mishka Pillay, Migration & lived experience advocate & campaigner
Roula Seghaier, Strategic program coordinator of the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF)
Respondents
Irene Biontino, Counsellor Humanitarian Affairs, Migration, Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations in Geneva
Fernando de la Mora, Coordination of the Economic, Social, Human Rights and Humanitarian Section of the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations in New York
Full invitation in English.
More information on the Spotlight Report on Global Migration.
Simultaneous interpretation in French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic will be provided. Here you can find the launch event invitation in French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic.
Stopping Gender-Based Violence and Harassment at Work: The Campaign for an ILO Convention
Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Time: 10:00 a.m. EDT
Place: Virtual. Registration required.
Georgetown University’s Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor and the Solidarity Center invite you to a virtual conversation and book launch.
In June 2019, the International Labor Organization adopted a ground-breaking global treaty on eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based harassment. This historic treaty was the result of a global grassroots, cross-movement campaign to end gender-based workplace violence led by women trade unionists and their allies. In their newly published book, Stopping Gender-Based Violence and Harassment at Work: The Campaign for an ILO Convention, Jane Pillinger, Robin Runge and Chidi King document the critical role of women and unions in achieving this landmark achievement.
Join us on April 26 to hear from the authors who were directly involved in the campaign and key women union leaders of the global movement to end gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work. Learn more about this campaign and the impact of International Labour Convention 190 to prevent and address gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work.
Featured Panel
Robin Runge, Co-author
Jane Pillinger, Co-author
Cathy Feingold, International Trade Union Confederation
Rose Omamo, Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metal Workers
Requests for accommodation should be submitted by April 20 to [email protected]. A good faith effort will be made to accommodate requests made after that date.
OECD Global Deal Conference: A Better Future for Essential Workers
Date: Thursday, April 7, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. EST
Place: Virtual. Registration required.
Join Solidarity Center Executive Director Shawna Bader-Blau for a high-level discussion with global leaders on ending gender violence. The panel, “Ending Violence and Harassment in the World of Work,” will look at how governments and social partners have addressed work-related violence and harassment, including gender violence, which markedly increased during the pandemic. Essential workers—grocery clerks, market vendors, domestic workers, health professionals—have been especially targeted for abuse.
The discussion is one of four panels featured by Global Deal Conference, A Better Future for Essential Workers, which will take place online April 6–7.
- Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation
- Christy Hoffman, General Secretary, UNI Global Union
- Rosa Pavanelli, General Secretary, Public Services International
International Day of Solidarity with Ukraine Demonstration
Noon, Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Russian Ambassador’s Residence, 1125 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC
Unions around the world condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They stand in solidarity with Ukrainian communities facing increasing violence and with the Ukrainian workers and families who are impacted by this war.
This demonstration is part of the International Day of Solidarity with Ukraine, organized by the global labor movement.
If you cannot make the rally, there are other ways to show your support.
Learn more:
Ukraine Union Members Donate $500,000 to Support War-Impacted Workers
Donate:
Crying out for Justice: Wage Theft Against Migrant Workers during COVID-19 (Vol. 3)
Date: Monday, February 21, 2022
Time: 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. EST
Place: Virtual. Registration required.
Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) presents a virtual launch of the third volume of Crying Out for Justice: Wage Theft Against Migrant Workers during COVID-19. The report series provides an analysis of cases documented by MFA members and partners, including the Solidarity Center, as part of the Justice for Wage Theft Campaign. Volume 3 analyzes wage theft cases experienced by migrant workers from July 2020 through December 2021.
Panel Explores Human Rights Violations of South African Domestic Workers
Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. EST
Place: Virtual. Registration required.
IZWI Domestic Worker Alliances’ Amy Tekie, Theresea Nyoni and Tinovimbanashe Gwenyaya will discuss the findings of a new report—co-published by IZWI and the Solidarity Center—in conversation with McGill University Faculty of Law Professor of Transnational Labor and Development Adelle Blackett, and former South African Labor Court judge and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Urmilla Bhoola. IZWI is a network of domestic workers in Johannesburg that advises workers on their labor rights and conducts related advocacy and research work.
“The Persistence of Private Power: Sacrificing Rights for Wages,” a qualitative survey of human rights violations against live-in domestic workers in South Africa, focuses on the constitutional and human rights of live-in domestic workers in South Africa. The report describes how domestic workers’ rights to privacy, freedom of movement and children’s right to parental care are frequently sacrificed for wages in a sector underpinned by racism, sexism and classism. Resulting exploitation—largely invisible because of the private spaces in which it occurs—continues regardless of constitutional protections and industry-specific labor regulations.
Summit for Democracy Side Event: Worker Organizations’ Vital Role in Democracy
Date: Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. EST
Place: Virtual. Registration required.
Workers’ freedom to organize and bargain collectively is a cornerstone of democracy. Independent worker organizations enhance transparency by protecting whistleblowers and empowering workers to counter corruption; providing workers a voice in the political system, as well as at the workplace; countering the economic and political power of large corporations; and fostering civic engagement. However, workers’ fundamental human rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining are coming under threat globally, including by authoritarian governments.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, together with representatives of the International Trade Union Confederation, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of State and the Solidarity Center invite you to this official Summit for Democracy side event, which will: highlight the role of worker voice and worker rights as fundamental components of democracy; elevate the recommendations made during four listening sessions with labor unions from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe; and spur global action in support of freedom of association and collective bargaining, including through the launch of the Multilateral Partnership for Organizing, Worker Empowerment and Rights (M-POWER) Initiative.
Simultaneous interpretation will take place in Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
Register here.
AGENDA
Moderator – Thea Mei Lee, Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor
Welcoming Remarks
• U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh
• AFL-CIO President Elizabeth Shuler
Democracy Under Threat: The Voice of Workers
o Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the ITUC
o Trade union leaders from the Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe
Promoting Workplace Democracy: A Conversation Among Labor Officials
o Framing Remarks: ILO Director General Guy Ryder
o Labor Ministers from Argentina, Germany, Mexico and Norway
Commitments to Empowering Workers: Launching a Global Year of Action
o U.S. Department of Labor
o U.S. Agency for International Development
o U.S. Department of State
o Philanthropic Organization Representatives
o Trade Union Organizations
o Solidarity Center
Conclusion/Wrap-Up
High-Level Event Goal
An official Summit of Democracy side event to raise the visibility of worker rights as fundamental components of democracy, and elevate the recommendations made during the listening sessions with trade unions from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe to address the challenges facing unions and workers around the world.
Simultaneous interpretation will take place in Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
December 2 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
There are 5.5 million child slaves in the world. This is just an estimate of the number of children in forced labor, because trafficking as an illicit crime is hard to measure. Children in slavery can be found all around you—be it in domestic homes, in shops, in roadside eateries, in agricultural farms, in factories, in brothels, in mines
#EndChildSlaveryWeek is a campaign to raise awareness on all forms of child slavery and to encourage everyone to raise our voices and take action against this modern day slavery.
December 1 World AIDS Day
The United Nations set a goal to end AIDS by 2030, and each year marks December 1 as World AIDS Day to encourage people around the world to take action to prevent HIV/AIDS by educating and sharing information on how to prevent the disease.
November 25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
One-third of women globally have experienced gender-based violence in their homes and on the job. Gender-based violence at work includes verbal abuse, threats of abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, psychological abuse, threats of murder and murder, economic and financial abuse, stalking and forced prostitution. Each year, the United Nations sets November 24 as a day to reflect on, and take action against, this pervasive scourge.
November 24 Tazreen Fire Anniversary
A deadly 2012 fire at the Tazreen Fashions Ltd. factory in Bangladesh killed 112 garment workers and injured hundreds more. Many survivors and their families say they received little or no compensation, and many survivors have been unable to work again.
Find out more.
October 29 Global Day of Action: Invest in Care, Now!
Join workers and others across the globe on Friday, October 29 to campaign for investments in care for building more inclusive, accessible, resilient, and caring economies. The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the need for adequate investment in equitable, quality public health and care systems. Workers across the health, care and education sectors, whether working in hospitals, hospices, schools, care homes, private homes or as domestic workers, whether in the public or private sector, deserve decent working conditions and fair pay, that reflect their enormous contributions to our societies.
Learn more and join the campaign here.
[Event] UN Special Rapporteur Report Launch
Date: Friday, October 15, 2021
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. EDT
Place: Virtual. Registration required.
Attend the Side Event to the UN General Assembly at its 76th session for the launch of the 2021 report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association: The Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association as Essential to Advancing Climate Justice.
Special Rapporteur Clement Voule will host in partnership with Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (DAR), Earthrights International, European Center for Not-for Profit Law, Geneva Academy, International Center for Not-For Profit Law (ICNL), International Service for Human Rights and the Solidarity Center.
Get speaker and registration information here.
October 7 World Day for Decent Work
Decent work means not only employment, but workplaces that are safe, healthy and that provide workers with wages that support their families. Decent work is about fairness on the job and social protections for workers when they are sick, injured or retire.
[Event] Reshaping the World of Work for Women
Date: Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. EDT
Place: Virtual. Register here.
As part of the International Center for Research on Women’s 45th-anniversary series, speakers across regions will bring unique perspectives on work in South Asia and East Africa and aim to build a new foundation of support for women in both paid and unpaid work. These conversations will closely examine barriers that women perpetually face, and ways to tackle these challenges to build toward more inclusive and resilient economies. Solidarity Center Equality and Inclusion Co-Director Robin Runge will discuss how unions overcome barriers, providing illustrative case studies and recent data.
Event: Testimony on Forced Labor in the Global Supply Chain
Date: Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Place: Virtual
Join the Subcommittee on Trade of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, hosting experts on innovative approaches to combating forced labor in global supply chains and how U.S. resources can contribute to this fight. The event—”The Global Challenge of Forced Labor in Supply Chains: Strengthening Enforcement and Protecting Workers”—will include testimony by Neha Misra, Solidarity Center migration and human trafficking global lead.
EVENT: What Governments Can Do To Ensure Fair and Ethical Recruitment
Date: Wednesday, July 7
Time: 9:00 -10:00 a.m. EDT
Place: Virtual; registration required
Solidarity Center Migration and Human Trafficking Global Lead Neha Misra will participate in a panel discussion on FairSquare’s Five Corridors Project research, a two-year comparative research project that encompassed nine countries and five migration corridors. Moderated by Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) Chief Executive John Morrison, the event “Destination, Destination, Destination – What Governments Can Do To Ensure Fair and Ethical Recruitment” will focus on the report’s key findings and recommendations, highlight successful interventions and provide recommendations for action. Other speakers include former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (retired) Luis C.deBaca and FairSquare founding Co-Director James Lynch.
EVENT: Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in the World of Work
Date: Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. EDT
Place: Virtual. Registration is required.
On June 25, 2021, International Labor Organization Convention 190 on the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence and harassment, enters into force.
Come join us to recognize this landmark event as women unionists and feminist activists from around the world discuss how they are using the Convention to advocate and organize to prevent gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work.
Event co-sponsors include the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF), International Lawyers Assisting Workers Network (ILAW), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), Just Associates (JASS), Solidarity Center and Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO).
Moderated by Chidi King, ITUC Equality Department Director
Chidi King worked previously on equality, employment rights and civil liberties issues with the UK Trade Union Congress (TUC), and as the equality and rights officer with global union federation Public Services International (PSI). Chidi graduated in law from the University of Birmingham and from the Inns of Court School of Law (now The City Law School).
Speakers include:
Salamatu Aliu, Vice President and National Women Commission Chair, Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), Nigeria
Salamatu Aliu has more than 19 years of experience in education, labor, human rights and social justice activism. As coordinator of West Africa Women in Education Network (WAWEN) and deputy president of the African Women in Education Network (AWEN), her support of education workers has helped strengthen trade union structures in West and Central Africa.
Nelie Dina Kahua, General Secretary, Namibian Domestic and Allied Workers Union (NDAWU), Namibia
Nelie Dina Kahua has served as NDAWU General Secretary and head of the NDAWU Administration Department for five years. She has seven years of experience working for NDAWU’s Voluntary Committee and 17 years of experience as a housekeeper.
Isela Juárez, President, Union of Municipal Service Workers (SITRASEMCA), Honduras
Isela Juarez heads the municipal workers’ union in Tocoa, Honduras, where she is a leading figure for the defense of working people’s rights in the region. She is a¬ founding member and regional coordinator of the Honduran Network Against Anti-Union Violence, formed in response to more than a decade of sustained anti-union attacks and threats against SITRASEMCA leaders—including Isela. She represented Honduran workers at the 2019 International Labor Conference during the passage of Convention 190 and is building support within the labor movement to combat gender-based violence in the world of work in Honduras.
Touriya Lahrech, National Council Member, Democratic Labor Confederation (CDT), Morocco
Touriya Lahrech is a member of the CDT National Council and the Second Chamber of the Moroccan Parliament (House of Representatives), where she represents the union by proposing, advocating and passing national laws. She has championed women’s rights for more than two decades, including as president of the Moroccan Contribution Forum, an independent and progressive NGO that fights for human rights and advocates for social protection for women in the informal economy. The Forum is a founding member of Coalition 190, a group of unions and civil society organizations that are leading a national campaign for Morocco’s ratification of ILO Convention 190.
A Growing Problem: Child Labor in Agriculture (ILO-CLC)
Date: Friday, June 11, 2021
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 p.m., EDT
Place: Virtual. Registration is required.
The Solidarity Center Asia Regional Program Director and Global March Against Child Labor Chairperson, Timothy Ryan, will provide welcoming remarks for this International Labor Organization (ILO)-Child Labor Coalition (CLC) event, featuring two panel discussions.
Read the agenda here.
Event: Combating Human Trafficking in 117th Congress
Date: Thursday, May 13
Time: 2:00 -3:00 p.m., EDT
Place: Registration required
Join members of the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST) and leaders from the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus and the Senate Caucus to End Human Trafficking for a virtual briefing and discussion about initiatives to combat human trafficking during the 117th Congress.
Speakers
- Moderator: Catherine Chen, Chief Executive Officer, Polaris
- Senator Rob Portman (R, Ohio), Senate Caucus to End Human Trafficking
- Representative Carolyn Maloney (D, New York), Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus
- Evelyn Chumbow, Human Trafficking Survivor Leader, Board Member of Free the Slaves
- Shawna Bader-Blau, Executive Director, Solidarity Center
- Dr. Hanni Stoklosa, MD, MPH, Chief Executive Officer, Heal Trafficking
- Anita Teekah, Senior Director of the Anti-trafficking Program, Safe Horizon
- Annick Febrey, Director of Government and Corporate Relations, Human Trafficking Institute
Addressing GBVH of Women Workers in South Africa Mines
Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Time: Noon – 1:30 p.m., EDT
Place: Virtual. Register here (required)
Join the Solidarity Center and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) for this important discussion on gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH), featuring a new, joint report on gender-based violence and harassment of women workers in the South African mining industry, with research directed by former member of the United Nations team of international experts on the Kasai, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sheila B. Keetharuth.
Featuring:
Michael Clements, event moderator, is program head for Lawyers for Human Rights. She clerked for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague and was awarded a post-graduate fellowship from the Columbia University Human Rights Institute to work with mining-affected communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sheila B. Keetharuth, former member of the United Nations team of international experts on the Kasai, Democratic Republic of Congo, is a human rights defender from Mauritius who has worked and travelled in mainland Africa for more than three decades. She has extensive experience in research, advocacy, litigation and training in Africa.
The Hon. Maria Teresa Manuela is African Commission Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women, formerly Angola Commissioner and Special Rapporteur on Prisons, Conditions of Detention and Policing in Africa for the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Furaha Joy Sekai Saungweme is a lawyer and founder of Africa End Sexual Harassment Initiative (AESHI), a law reform and social movement project creating regional dialogue on sexual harassment and calling for the development of a regional model law on sexual harassment for Africa.
Brigadier Siachitema is an expert member of the Working Group of the Extractives of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and South African Litigation Center legal consultant for women’s land and property rights. He has more than seven years’ experience litigating land rights disputes, property grabbing and gender-based violence. Previously, Siachitema was an advocate at International Justice Mission (IJM).
Ending Gender-Based Violence and Harassment at Work
Date: March 19, 2021
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. EST
Place: Virtual. Registration required
Join the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) for a discussion of Ending Gender-Based Violence and Harassment at Work! The event is part of the NGO CSW65 Virtual Forum.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:
Evangelina Argueta Chinchilla, Federation Coordinator, FESITRATEMASH – General Workers Union Central of Honduras (CGT), Honduras
Others TBD. Check back March 10 for other speakers.
Registration is free, however, you must register as an “NGO CSW65 Virtual Forum Advocate” to access the virtual platform. Once you register as an Advocate, you will receive an email with the subject, “NGO CSW65 Virtual Forum Information” that contains a personalized link to access your account, set up a profile, and register for events. Once on the platform, you can use the search bar, and type in the name of the event to access and sign up to attend the event by clicking on the “+” sign to add the event to your own agenda in the platform. You can contact Nour Abdel-Ghani at [email protected] for assistance with these directions.
Register here.
Women Workers’ Voices and Participation on the COVID-19 Recovery Front Lines
Date: March 17, 2021
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. EST
Place: Virtual. Registration required
Featuring:
- Rose Amamo, General Secretary, Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metal Workers, Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU-K), Kenya
- Nadia Bergaoui, General Secretary, Media Officer and Women’s Affairs Officer of the Federation of Agriculture affiliated to the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT), Tunisia
- Gulnara Derbisheva, Director of Insan Leilek, Kyrgyzstan
- Iris Munguia, Women’s Coordinator of the Honduran Federation of Agro-industrial Unions (FESTAGRO), Honduras
- Ou Tepphallin, Cambodian Food and Service Workers Federation (CFSWF), Cambodia
Our event is part of the NGO CSW65 Virtual Forum. To join, please register as a “NGO CSW65 Virtual Forum Advocate,” which will give you access to the virtual platform. Once you register as an Advocate, you will receive an email with the subject, “NGO CSW65 Virtual Forum Information” that contains a personalized link to access your account, set up a profile, and register for events. Once on the platform, you can use the search bar and type in the name of the event to access and sign up to attend the event by clicking on the “+” sign to add the event to your own agenda in the platform. You can contact Nour Abdel-Ghani at [email protected] for assistance with these directions.
[EVENT] Ever Essential: Women’s Work Is the Backbone of the Global Economy
Date: March 8, 2021
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. EST
Place: Virtual. Registration required.
Join inspiring women union leaders from Colombia, Ghana, Palestine and the U.S. to learn how the world’s ever-essential women workers are organizing around the globe to promote and defend the rights of women workers to equality, good jobs and an end to violence and abuse. Co-sponsored by CLUW and the Solidarity Center.
Arabic and Spanish simultaneous interpretation will be provided.
الترجمة الفورية ستكون متاحة باللغتين العربية والأسبانية.
La interpretación simultánea estará disponible en árabe y español
Registration in advance is required.
Moderated by CLUW National President Elise Bryant
Labor Heritage Foundation Executive Director Elise Bryant was elected CLUW national president by Convention delegates in 2017. She served as bargaining unit chair at the National Labor College for eight years and is a longstanding member of the Communications Workers of America (CWA)/The News Guild (TNG).
Speakers include:
Dr. Sanaa Alsarghali, Chairwoman, Women, Media and Development (TAM), Palestine
Dr. Sanaa Alsarghali is the elected chairwoman of Women, Media and Development (TAM), a non-governmental organization dedicated to correcting the stereotypical image of Palestinian women in the media. Last year she was appointed the UNESCO Chair on Human Rights, Democracy and Peace at An-Najah University. The first Palestinian woman to be awarded a Ph.D. in Constitutional Law, Alsarghali co-founded and directs the university’s constitutional studies center and serves on the Palestine Liberation Organization’s legislative drafting committee.
Carolina Del Valle Hevia de Brandts, Secretary General, Union de Trabajadores de Plataformas–UNIDAPP, Colombia
Carolina Del Valle Hevia de Brandts founded Union de Trabajadores de Plataformas – UNIDAPP, a new union representing more than a thousand Colombian and Venezuelan workers delivering food from restaurants and grocery stores to homes. A recent refugee to Colombia, she while working for an online and app-driven food-delivery service she organized her coworkers and led protests demanding decent wages, job safety and health protections for gig economy workers in the country.
Emelia Ghansah, Training and Education Head, General Agricultural Workers’ Union of Ghana (GAWU), Ghana
Emelia Ghansah has more than 16 years of experience in the Ghana labor movement including almost two decades in labor education and, from 2008-2012, the organizing of rural women into the union. For GAWU, she coordinates a palm oil sector project for global union federation International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) in five West African countries that is identifying health hazards to women on the plantations and promoting the appointment of women as health and safety representatives.
Koren M. Parker, President, CLUW Philadelphia Chapter and Staff Representative, AFSCME Council 13, U.S.
As Philly CLUW president, Koren M. Parker helps lead local initiatives furthering community-service work projects and anti-trafficking, and national initiatives addressing issues important to women and working families such as paid leave and closing the gender pay gap. As a staff representative at AFSCME Council 13, she represents rank and file members working for Lincoln and Cheyney Universities, Norristown Municipality, Merakey and the Commonwealth of Philadelphia. As an advocate for women’s rights and fair working conditions, Koren strives every day to better someone’s life.
Liz Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer, AFL-CIO, U.S.
Elizabeth H. Shuler is the AFL-CIO’s Secretary-Treasurer, its second ranking officer, the first woman elected to the position and the youngest woman ever on the federation’s Executive Council. Shuler oversees the federation’s operations and leads the AFL-CIO’s initiatives on the future of work, the clean energy economy, workforce development and empowering women and young workers.
New Solidarity Center Report: “What Difference Does a Union Make? Banana Plantations in the North and South of Guatemala”
Date: January 27, 2021
Time: 10 a.m., EST
Place: Virtual (registration details coming shortly)
Report author Pennsylvania State University’s Dr. Mark Anner will present report findings with Solidarity Center Executive Director Shawna Bader-Blau. They will be joined in discussion by the first woman coordinator of COLSIBA–the Latin American coordinating body of agricultural unions–Irís Munguía and a representative of the Guatemala banana workers’ union, SITRABI. Event contact: Tom Egan, [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY
December 18, 2020
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed December 18 as International Migrants Day on the date in 1990 that the General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
Labor migration feeds the global economy. There are an estimated 247 million migrants in the world, the overwhelming majority migrating for work. Migrant workers generated global remittances of more than $580 billion in 2013.
An estimated 200,000 Burmese migrants fuel Thailand’s huge fishing industry in Samut Sakhon province, an hour outside of Bangkok. Credit: Solidarity Center/Jeanne Hallacy
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
December 10, 2020
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed December 10 as Human Rights Day in 1950, to bring to the attention to “the peoples of the world” the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.
Among its provisions, the Human Rights Declaration grants all people “the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment,” and the right to form and to join trade unions.
Domestic workers in Mexico cast their votes to form a union in August 2015. Credit: CACEH
INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY
December 2, 2020
There are 5.5 million child slaves in the world. This is just an estimate of the number of children in forced labor, because trafficking as an illicit crime is hard to measure. Children in slavery can be found all around you—be it in domestic homes, in shops, in roadside eateries, in agricultural farms, in factories, in brothels, in mines
#EndChildSlaveryWeek is a campaign to raise awareness on all forms of child slavery and to encourage everyone to raise our voices and take action against this modern day slavery.
WORLD AIDS DAY
December 1, 2020
The United Nations set a goal to end AIDS by 2030, and each year marks December 1 as World AIDS Day to encourage people around the world to take action to prevent HIV/AIDS by educating and sharing information on how to prevent the disease.
INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
November 24, 2020
One-third of women globally have experienced gender-based violence in their homes and on the job. Gender-based violence at work includes verbal abuse, threats of abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, psychological abuse, threats of murder and murder, economic and financial abuse, stalking and forced prostitution. Each year, the United Nations sets November 24 as a day to reflect on, and take action against, this pervasive scourge.
WORLD DAY FOR DECENT WORK
October 7, 2020
Decent work means not only employment, but workplaces that are safe, healthy and that provide workers with wages that support their families. Decent work is about fairness on the job and social protections for workers when they are sick, injured or retire.
UN General Assembly High-level Meeting Set to Reaffirm Commitment to Multilateralism
Date: 1 October 2020
Place: Virtual
This high-level meeting of the General Assembly will focus on the overall theme, “The Future We Want, the United Nations We Need: Reaffirming Our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism—Confronting COVID-19 Through Collective Multilateralism.”
Building a Just Recovery: Workers’ Views on the Post-pandemic Economy
Date: September 16.
Time: 11:30 AM-1:00 PM, U.S. Eastern Standard.
Place: Virtual.
Join Solidarity Center Executive Director Shawna Bader-Blau as she moderates questions for this Business and Human Rights Resource Center event, led by Mary Robinson, former UN Human Rights High Commissioner. Panelists include:
* Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary
* Anannya Bhattacharjee,International Coordinator, Asia Floor Wage Alliance
* Mónica Ramírez, Founder & President, Justice for Migrant Women
* Leah Eryenyu, Research, Advocacy and Movement Building Manager, Akina Mama wa Afrika
* Thulsi Narayanasamy, Senior Labour Researcher, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
* David Pitt-Watson, Co-Founder, Hermes Focus Asset Management
Registration is required. A Zoom meeting link will be emailed to event registrants one week before the event.
WORLD DAY AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
July 30, 2020
Each year millions of children, women and men from all regions of the world are trafficked, their hope stolen. Today year marks the second United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons to raise awareness about this crime, and to send a message of hope to all those trapped in this abuse.
NELSON MANDELA DAY
July 18, 2020
The global union movement celebrates Nelson Mandela on the 97th anniversary of his birth. Nelson Mandela International Day was launched in 2009 via unanimous decision of the United Nations General Assembly.
In championing justice, equality and democracy, Mandela made it clear that worker rights are an essential part of achieving those goals. As he said: “The kind of democracy that we all seek to build demands that we deepen and broaden the rights of all citizens. This includes a culture of workers’ rights.”
INTERNATIONAL DOMESTIC WORKERS DAY
June 16, 2020
Today marks the fourth anniversary of the United Nation’s passage of Domestic Workers Convention 189, which asserts that domestic workers are entitled to the same basic rights as those available to other workers, including weekly days off, limits to hours of work, minimum wage coverage, overtime compensation, and clear information on the terms and conditions of employment.
WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOR
June 12, 2020
The most recent global estimates suggest some 120 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are involved in child labor, with boys and girls in this age group almost equally affected. The persistence of child labor is rooted in poverty and lack of decent work for adults, lack of social protection and a failure to ensure that all children are attending school through to the legal minimum age for admission to employment.
The annual World Day Against Child Labor, established by the United Nations, is an opportunity to raise your voice against child labor and in the call for all children to have a right to education.
WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK
April 28, 2020
This year the ILO’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work joins with the World Day Against Child Labor for a campaign to improve the safety and health of young workers and end child labor.
The 541 million young workers (15-24 years old) account for more than 15 per cent of the world’s labor force and suffer up to a 40 percent higher rate of non-fatal occupational injuries than adult workers older than 25.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE RANA PLAZA DISASTER
April 4, 2020
Workers will commemorate the anniversary of the deadly Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh, in which 1,100 garment workers were killed as the multi-story building pancaked in a preventable accident that also left thousands severely injured. Years later, many survivors and their families say they have received little or no compensation, and many survivors are unable to work again.
Unions Leading: Creation of a Feminist World of Work
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
In a parallel event in conjunction with the 64th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), this Solidarity Center-cosponsored event will provide worker, human and women’s rights organizations a forum to discuss the role of unions in creating a feminist world of work. Co-sponsors include AWID, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Just Associates (JASS) and Global Fund for Women.
Time: 8:30-10:00 A.M.
Place: Church Center for the United Nations, 777 First Avenue at 44th Street, NYC
World Day of Social Justice
February 20, 2020
The United Nations’ (UN) World Day of Social Justice is annually observed on February 20 to encourage people to look at how social justice affects poverty eradication. It also focuses on the goal of achieving full employment and support for social integration.
Briefing on the Trafficking and Severe Labor Exploitation of Domestic Workers
Friday, January 17, 2020
Hosted by the Office of U.S. House Representative Pramila Jayapal and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, this briefing will focus on the prevalence of trafficking, severe labor exploitation, wage theft and abuse and harassment in the domestic work industry. Speakers will explain the impacts of these abuses on workers and their families, the reasons for the abuse and the most promising solutions. Includes Alexis De Simone, Solidarity Center program officer.
Time: 12-1:15 P.M.
Place: Longworth House Office Building 1539
RSVP here.
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act at 20: A Look Back – and a Look Ahead
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing on the effect the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) has had in addressing the scourge of sex and labor trafficking around the world. The Commission will host experts to discuss innovative approaches to combating modern slavery and how U.S. resources contribute to this fight. Includes panelist Neha Misra, Solidarity Center Senior Specialist – Migration and Human Trafficking.
Time: 2:00 P.M.
Place: 2200 Rayburn House Office Building
For questions, contact Piero Tozzi at 202-225-3765 (for Rep. Smith) or Kimberly Stanton at 202-225-3599 (for Rep. McGovern).
The hearing will be livestreamed via the Commission website.
Accelerating the Realization of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of all Women and Girls [Virtual]
Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Time: 10:00-11:45 a.m. New York
Place: Public webcast from United Nations Headquarters
This session will highlight current challenges and opportunities for accelerating action for gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, through implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Solidarity Center’s Robin R. Runge, Equality and Inclusion Co-Director, will participate as part of a labor delegation advocating for ratification of the International Labor Organization’s Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (C190).
Registration is not required to view the webcast.
Celebrating Women in Civil Society and Activism [UN side event to the 75th General Assembly]
Date: October 20, 2020
Time: 9:00 a.m. New York
Place: Virtual (registration required)
This virtual side event will bring together women civil society leaders from around the world to discuss the findings of the report “Celebrating Women in Civil Society and Activism,” in which Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clement N. Voule, explores the myriad ways in which women’s organizations and movements have contributed to the advancement of human rights. The event is co-organized by OHCHR, ICNL, Women’s Major Group, CIVICUS, Solidarity Center, Women’s March Global, Access Now, Mesoamerican Initiative for Women Human Rights Defenders, the World Movement for Democracy, Freedom House and the Geneva Academy.
French and Spanish interpretation will be provided.
Registration in advance is required.
Webinar Series: 10 Years Protecting Freedom of Assembly and Association Worldwide
Date: Friday, July 17, 2020
Time: 9:00-10:30 a.m. New York
A discussion moderated by the Solidarity Center’s Jeffrey Vogt with Clément Voule, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, to discuss the report he presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council on the 10th anniversary of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur (UNSR FoAA). Speakers include ILO Freedom of Association Branch Chief, Karen Curtis; Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and General Workers’ Union Legal Consultant Lakmali Hemachandra; and Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions President Peter Mutasa.
French and Spanish simultaneous interpretation will be provided.
Registration in advance is required.