Bijna 300 actoren uit de maatschappelijke en socio-culturele wereld, ondersteund door academici, roepen de regering op om dringend werk te maken van een sociale exitstrategie met prioriteit voor de noden van kwetsbare groepen

Peu à peu la coopération des « deux tiers du monde » rêvée par Simon Bolivar s’incarne. Le blocage états-uniens de ses raffineries et d’importations d’additifs pour la produire sur place avait privé le Venezuela d’essence. Cinq tankers envoyés par l’Iran viennent de briser le blocus états-unien/européen.

The ITUC condemns the Chinese regime’s plan to impose a complete stranglehold on Hong Kong’s legal system and law enforcement. A decision by the regime is imminent, and the Hong Kong government is expected to obey Beijing’s instruction to hand over control of the judiciary and police, in violation of Article 23 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law.

The ITUC condemns the Chinese regime’s plan to impose a complete stranglehold on Hong Kong’s legal system and law enforcement. A decision by the regime is imminent, and the Hong Kong government is expected to obey Beijing’s instruction to hand over control of the judiciary and police, in violation of Article 23 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law.

https://aflcio.org/press/releases/p...“China clearly fears the will of the people of Hong Kong, who have stood up for fundamental freedoms in massive numbers and at great risk to their safety. China has routinely labelled legitimate protests as ‘terrorism’, which is not only a fabrication but also an affront to people everywhere who have suffered at the hands of real terrorists. This latest move would obliterate fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right to freedom of association. China’s ruling elite is violating the solemn undertakings it made in 1997, when Hong Kong gained independence from the UK, as it seeks total power over the people of Hong Kong in order to protect its own interests. The international community must condemn China’s actions unequivocally and exert maximum pressure on the Chinese authorities to refrain from imposing these new controls,” said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

On Sunday 24 May, police again cracked the down on peaceful protesters and assaulted journalists with tear gas, water cannons and pepper spray. Teachers are being accused of inciting students to rebellion and feel pressure to adapt their curricula in the face of targeted cuts to education budgets.

Beijing’s move comes ahead of Hong Kong elections scheduled for September. The new rules mean that China will be able to unilaterally decide which political parties, media and civil society organisations to ban or to allow. The free exercise of fundamental rights in Hong Kong, including the trade union right to freely associate and liaise with international organisations, will be suppressed in the name of national security. This would mean the end of democracy and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong.

AFL-CIO Awards George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award to Hong Kong Democracy Movement: https://aflcio.org/press/releases/proud-stand-courageous-defenders-democracy-hong-kong

Bron: https://www.ituc-csi.org/china-s-power-grab-in-hong-kong?lang=en

The European Commission has revealed its long-awaited proposal to relaunch the European economy hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite repeated commitments by the European Commission to make the European Green Deal the blueprint of the recovery, the proposal still allows for money to be spent on supporting fossil fuels and is lifting climate spending targets in regional development funding, while the climate emergency would need a rapid phase-out of these polluting fuels and strong climate earmarking.

Op 11 april liet het Cubaans Ministerie van Gezondheid weten dat twee vaste leveranciers van beademingstoestellen hun contracten met Cuba hebben opgezegd. De reden: zij werden opgekocht door het VS-bedrijf Vyaire Medical Inc en vallen nu onder de blokkadewetten. President Trump toont zijn cynische kant en negeert de internationale oproepen om in deze corona-crisis de blokkade op te heffen of te versoepelen.

"It is with anxiety and anger that we are following the events in
Pirogov Hospital, the largest hospital in Bulgaria.
It is already difficult enough to protest in this country, but in
recent days we have been facing unprecedented repression against the Bulgarian Nurses' Union (SBMS) and its branch in Pirogov.

His employer is a German company called Redpath Deilmann, which is owned by the Canadian company Redpath Mining. The decision by the company to suspend Mikalaj came after a year's struggle by workers to have their workplace inspected for safety. They created a local union with the support of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BITU).

The Covid-19 pandemic has shown as never before the importance of international solidarity. Some countries are starting to re-open businesses and community spaces, and unions are demanding safe workplaces and provision of PPE. Other countries are still to face the peak of the pandemic.