The Australian government has been accused of intercepting a boat of 153 Tamil asylum seekers, and handing them over to the Sri Lankan navy without processing their claims. According to relatives, at least 11 asylum seekers on board the boat are fleeing Sri Lanka because of torture. They fear further torture, imprisonment or death if they are returned. Australia’s actions are the latest in a long series of repressive policies against asylum seekers and refugees. But Australia is not the only country turning away asylum seekers. The United States is detaining refugees, mostly children, from Central America fleeing drug cartel and gang violence. Refugees are used by governments such as Australia and the US to ferment racism and to divide workers. Only through co-ordinated international working class action will we be able to defeat the racism that drives anti-refugee policies.
Open the Borders!
Free the Refugees!
Blog
-
Australia continues regressive policies on refugees
-
Migrant workers stranded in war-torn Iraq
Thousands of migrant workers from South Asia are stuck in Iraq, without work but unable to return home. Many of the workers want to flee the renewed sectarian fighting, but their employers withhold their passports. In at least one case, migrant construction workers went on strike in the city of Hilla to demand that their employer return their passports so they could travel back to India. -
Striking Indian steel workers hold strong against police repression
Workers from 23 steel factories in the Wazirpul industrial zone near Delhi are still fighting for employers to honour the agreement reached after a 3-week strike in June. Now local police are colluding with employers to try and force workers back to work. Workers responded by rallying outside the labour department, which issued a notice against employers for not implementing the agreement. For rapid updates on the situation, check out the facebook page and blog. -
Mass pro democracy rally in Hong Kong leads to many arrests
This year, the 1st of July commemorations attracted over 500,000 demonstrators. The 1 July protest is held each year in Hong Kong to mark the anniversary of the former British colony’s return to mainland control in 1997. About 500 people were arrested, and most have been released on bail. The size and energy of the demonstrations are a result of the uncertainty people feel about the process of nominating candidates for chief executive in the 2017 election. Chief Executive is the top post in the Hong Kong government. The financial and commercial hub of Hong Kong is a vital economic area for China and these protests come amid increasing protests by workers both in Hong Kong and the mainland. While independent unionists get jailed regularly, their commitment continues. -
Argentina: Multinational Weatherford Operators Protest Layoffs
Workers in Argentina are once again going up against a giant multinational company. Weatherford is an American oil services company based in Houston, Texas. The company operates in over 100 countries, with 730 locations as per their website. Weatherford has lucrative contracts with YPF and Petrobras. In Argentina there are 28 locations between exploration, drilling,
The post Argentina: Multinational Weatherford Operators Protest Layoffs appeared first on revolution-news.com.
-
Golden Farm workers win contract
For nearly two years the workers at the Golden Farm Deli in the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn have been trying to get a contract. Finally, the Golden Farm owner gave up his attempt to get Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union Local 338 decertified. He gave up trying to provoke the community support organized by […]
This report Golden Farm workers win contract appeared first on Workers World.
-
Kiev Protest Against Austerity Imposed by Maidan Coup
Kiev: Workers against Austerity In Kiev, the protests began against the regime of “austerity” imposed by the Government, which came to power during the “Maidan” coup. These antisocial measures were introduced, in particular, at the request of the EU and the IMF, with which the Ukrainian authorities have established close partnerships. Action in June
The post Kiev Protest Against Austerity Imposed by Maidan Coup appeared first on revolution-news.com.
-
SEIU Workers Press Demand For $15 As Johns Hopkins Refuses To End Poverty Wages
By Doug Cunningham
Johns Hopkins hospital is still refusing to meet 1199 SEIU’s demand that wages for 2,000 workers at the hospital be raised to $15 an hour for workers with at least 15 years experience. The union averted a planned strike by agreeing to a cooling off period and another bargaining session after the intervention of Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley. The union says the latest Johns Hopkins hospital offer would still leave many workers relying on food stamps, Medicaid and other public assistance because of their low wages. No new bargaining sessions are scheduled for now.
-
South Africa: Two hundred thousand metal workers on strike – bosses respond with lockouts
On Tuesday, 1 July, hundreds of thousands of metalworkers went out on strike in the engineering and metals sectors, bringing the industry to a complete standstill. The strike involves small, medium and large companies, with more than 220,000 workers at about 10,500 workplaces. Some of the big companies that are affected includes Bell Equipment, Dorbyl, Murray and Roberts, Scaw Metals and Reunert. -
LIUNA Protests Child Labor In Minnesota
By Doug Cunningham
The Laborers International Union of North America is calling for an investigation into possible use of child labor on a St. Paul Minnesota construction site. A formal complaint was made Tuesday to both the U.S. and Minnesota Departments of Labor. Tim Mackey, Business Manager of Laborers’ Local 563, says a youth who appeared 13 or 14 years old was seen doing work on the Cornelia Elementary School in St. Paul on multiple occasions. Mackey says kids should be sitting in classrooms, not building them. The youth was spotted moving and placing concrete blocks and cutting blocks with a concrete saw – without safety equipment or apparent supervision.