Columbia should stop killings of unionists before membership
in OECD

Columbia, the most dangerous country in the world for unionists, is petitioning for membership in the OECD. Labour objects. A RadioLabour interview with John Evans, the General-Secretary of TUAC - the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD.
Duration: 2' 37" Audio

Walmart and Gap refuse to sign Bangladesh safety accord

The global unions IndustriALL and UNI have led negotiations with garment multinationals for a fire and safety code for Bangladeshi factories. Twenty-four companies signed. Walmart and Gap refused. A RadioLabour report featuring Philip Jennings, General-Secretary of UNI and Jyrki Raina, IndustriALL General-Secretary. Duration: 5' 0" Audio

Labour's global campaign for quality education

Education International is organizing a global campaign to support quality education. EI is the global union federation which represents teachers and their unions at the world level. A RadioLabour interview with a Deputy General-Secretary of EI, Charlie Lennon. Duration: 6' 46" Audio

The attack on collective bargaining
by the International Monetary Fund

The International Monetary Fund has been attacking collective bargaining as part of its programme to force austerity progammes on governments. A RadioLabour interview with the General-Secretary of the ITUC, Sharan Burrow. Duration: 9' 05" Audio

Durham Bus Services workers
in US fight for respect
and union rights

Employees of Durham Bus Services in the US have been trying to join the Teamsters union. But the company,owned by National Express in the UK, is actively resisting their right to join a union. RadioLabour interviews with: Louis Malizia, the Assistant Director of the Capital Strategies Department of the Teamsters, and Mac Urata from the International Transport Workers Federation, and Stefan Heimlich from the German union ver.di
Audio

Bangladesh garment factory building collapses

In Bangladesh an eight-story building housing garment factories with 2,500 employees, mostly young women, collapsed. 300 were killed, some 8L00 were injured. Duration: 8' 15" Audio

US retailers refuse to compensate
victims of Bangladesh garment factory fire

In Bangladesh in 2012 122 workers died in a fire in a garment factory. Many of the companies who had garments made in the factory are compensating the victims familes. But US retailers WalMart and Sears are refusing. Duration: 2' 11" Audio

Slaves working 16 hour days
found in Argentinian sweatshop

A report by the labour rights group La Almeda in Argentinian prompted police to raid a factory making clothes for the fashion company Zara. They found workers, including children, working as slaves. Duration: 4' 11" Audio

Labour and human rights activist faces $10 million fine
and seven years in prison

Andy Hall, a British labour and human rights activist working in Southeast Asia is facing lawsuits which could result in a fine of $10 million and up to seven years in prison. Mr Hall is a researcher who reported labour abuses and the use of child labour by Natural Fruit Company Ltd in Thailand. Duration 7' 1" Audio

Margaret Thatcher dies
leaving a legacy of hate

Margaret Thatcher, the first woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, died April 8, 2013 at 83. She was seen by many in the British labour movement as not only anti-union but also destructive to a caring society. RadioLabour explores why she was hated by many workers in the country.
Duration 5' 0" Audio

McDonald's exploits students on
cultural exchange programme

15 students from Latin America who went to the United States for a cultural exchange programme ended up working under slave-like conditions for McDonald's. Last year 400 students were treated the same way by Hershey's.
Duration 9' 45" Audio

Unionists help win victory at
UN Staus of Women conference

200 union delegates and volunteers at the UN conference about violence towards women and girls helped win a major victory.
Duration 5' 0" Audio

Why European unions are fighting
government austerity programmes

On March 14, 2013 the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) held a demonstration of 15,000 in Brussels to protest the austerity programmes of European governments. A RadioLabour interview with Patrick Ischert, the ETUC's Deputy General Secretary.
Duration 3' 06" Audio

How union activists organized at the Status of Women conference

The theme of the UN's 2013 session on the status of women was the elimination of violence against women and girls. 200 union activists attended the conference to make sure labour's views were heard. A RadioLabour interview with Sandra Vermuyten, the Equality and Rights Officer of Public Services International
Duration 3' 49" Audio

International Women's Day
Stop violence against
women and girls

The theme of International Women's Day 2013 is the elimination of violence against women and girls. A RadioLabour interview with Claire Courteille, the director of the ITUC Equality Department. Duration 8' 42" Audio

Global union wins compensation
for families of Bangladesh fire

On January 6, 2013, workers at a garment factory in Bangladesh died in a fire. The global union Industriall negotiated monetary compensation for the families of the victims. Duration 10' 06" Audio

Millions strike in India against government's anti-labour policies

Millions of workers in India went on on strike demanding the government implement labour laws, stop privatizing public enterprises and provide social protection for the working poor. Duration: 4' 58" Audio

Global labour body supports unionizing drive at T-Mobile in US

T-Mobile workers receive support from the General-Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Sharan Burrow Duration: 2' 03" Audio

Unions blame European horsemeat scandal on cutbacks

16 European countries have found horsemeat labelled as beef in their food chains. The UK's biggest union - UNISON - blames government cutbacks resulting in less vigorous food inspection. Duration: 6' 5" Audio

Labour's alternatives to government austerity programmes

Government austerity programmes are worsening the global economic crisis. Rosa Pavanelli is the General-Secretary of Public Services International (PSI). She outlines the effects austerity programmes are having on national economies and presents the labour movement's alternatives. Duration: 9' 58" Audio

The harmful effects of a
Canada-EU trade agreement

Canada and the European Union are negotiating a free trade deal called the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement - CETA. The deal could have serious effects on the cost of pharmaceuticals in Canada and how local governments buy goods and services. A RadioLabour interview with the President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Paul Moist. Audio

World Radio Day

How labour uses radio around the world, with a special focus on Africa. Duration: 10' 37" Audio

Labour gets 1 million signatures to stop water privatization

The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) has led a successful campaign to force Europe to protect the public supply of water. Audio

Why the right-wing is attacking public employee unions in the United States

In the past couple of years the attacks on public employee unions in the United States has intensified. Paul Booth is a long-time union activist and now Executive Assistant to the president of AFSCME - the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Audio

A sucessful 20 year fight to
unionize Rio Tinto in Australia

Twenty years ago the mining and smelting multinational, Rio Tinto, busted the union at its operations in Tasmania. But the Australian Workers Union never gave up. And now the workers have voted to re-join the union. Audio

Teacher unions promoting the rights of workers globally

The American Federation of Teachers and the global union federation Education International have partnered to enable teachers in Egypt, Georgia, Honduras and Zimbabwe to promote workers' rights. Audio

Government austerity programmes extending the recession

Austerity programmes are worsening the global economic crisis. Phillip Jennings, the General-Secretary of UNI, the global union federation for skills and services, says business and government leaders should work with labour unions to solve the crisis. Audio

Unions working internationally to unionize T-Mobile workers in US

T-Mobile is a tele-
communications company in the US owned by a German multinational. A cross-Atlantic coalition is trying to unionize its 20,000 workers. Audio

Davos told world needs more and greener jobs

Labour is telling world governmental and corporate leaders meeting in Davos, Switzerland, to create more jobs. One of the union leaders at the Forum is John Evans, the General-Secretary of TUAC - the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD. Audio

Labour wants protection from Walmart for small suppliers in South Africa

Walmart's takeover of a large retailer in South Africa has been approved. But labour bodies are concerned that small suppliers and workers will lose out. Audio

Fighting for the world's 1.5 million seafarers

1.5 million seafarers help transport 90% of the world's goods on 53,000 ships. They often work in unsafe conditions for low wages. Audio

New ILO report says domestic workers work excessively long hours per week

A new ILO study shows that domestic workers work many more hours during the week than other workers and many do not get any days off. Audio

Human trafficking of workers into slavery and bonded labour

Human trafficking into slavery or bonded labour effects two million workers a year. Labour trafficking has now overtaken even trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation. Audio

Filipino teachers in America win $4.5 million court case

With the help of the American Federation of Teachers 350 Filipino teachers working in the US have won a major court battle in their fight for justice. Audio

ITUC says migrant workers in Qatar being shamefully mistreated

More than a million migrant workers are in Qatar building the facilties for the 2022 World Cup of Football. They work and live in slave-like conditions. ITUC General-Secretary Sharon Burrow visited the country recently to lobby on behalf of the workers. Audio

Global union support for organizing Nissan workers in US

In America the United Auto Workers union - the UAW - has been working on organizing workers at the Nissan automobile plant in the state of Mississippi. The organizing drive is being supported at the international level by the global union Industriall. An interview with Industriall General-Secretary Jyrki Raina. Audio

Sustaining Partners

RadioLabour is unionized

Communications, Energy
and Paperworkers Union (CEP)
Local 2040

CEP is affiliated to the
International Federation of Journalists