No Sweat

Labour Behind the Label reports:

"The trial of Thai labour rights activist and journalist Somyot Prueksakasemsuk started on 21st November 2011, following seven months in detention on charges of lèse majesté. If found guilty he could face 30 years' imprisonment."

And asks us to take action today to call for Somyot's release...

No Sweat is supporting the strikes to defend public sector pensions in the UK on 30 November. Find an action near you: http://falseeconomy.org.uk/nov30/uk/all/t1

The event included representatives from 100 Trade Unions and Workers’ Solidarity Organisations from all over the world (at least 30 countries were represented at the conference) and gave No Sweat the perfect opportunity to network with, and meet new and interesting people fighting for their workers rights in countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Algeria, Pakistan, South Africa Iraq, Iran, Egypt and countries from across the Middle East region and the world.

To mark International Day to Stop Violence Against Women we offer this statement from MAP Foundation on violence against migrant women in Thailand...

Stepping Into the Light: MAP Foundation Statement

MAP Foundation, a Thai NGO, working with migrant workers from Burma, runs activities dedicated to reducing violence against migrant women and girls and to increasing their access to justice. Burmese migrant women have written their stories of violence, exploitation and abuse, and the stories of their efforts to get justice and compiled them into a report: Stepping into the Light, soon to be released by MAP Foundation.

Click title to read full statement

A statement from the Director of MAP Foundation on the current situation of migrants from Burma attempting to reach the boarder or leave Thailand and return home to their families in the midst of the worst flooding Thailand has seen in many years.

" In the midst of a humanitarian crisis, the local authorities in Mae Sot, Tak Province have declared a witch hunt on undocumented migrant workers. Mae Sot is the closest crossing point into Burma for the thousands of migrants affected by the floods in Bangkok and Central Thailand. It is also a town of refuge, or at least was."

"The local authorities, seemingly ignoring what is happening in the rest of Thailand, have announced their annual post registration crackdown on undocumented migrants. The result will be chaos."

" Although workers with documents have been given special permission to travel across provinces to escape the floods, many have lost their documents and many employers have held on to the documents of their workers. Without documents they are liable to deportation. Then there are those migrants who were employed in the flooded areas who were always undocumented . They too have suffered, they too have lost their livelihoods."

Click the title to read the full statement.

People & Planet are holding a protest today (Tuesday 1 Nov) outside the Greater London Authority, to support garment workers in their supply chains

Migrant workers left without electricity, food or drinking water. Migrants lacking documents, confiscated by employers, enabling them to leave flood areas. Migrants trapped in Thailand unable to get home or legally return to Thailand.

"The Mekong Migration Network, with 30 civil society organizations members from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar/Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, and Yunnan, China, wish to express our solidarity and support for all peoples who have lost their homes and livelihoods in the floods and to share our sincere condolences with the families who have lost loved ones. In this difficult time when the needs are so great, we are concerned that migrants from neighbouring countries may be neglected and forgotten."

The Mekong Migration Network calls on the International Organization of Migration (IOM) to work closely with the Royal Thai government and civil society to ensure that migrant workers receive relief supplies immediately and have equal access to all services.

Please read MMN's statement and recommendations concerning the situation of migrant workers affected by the floods.

Asalettin Arslanoglu, organising manager of the Textile, Knitting and Clothing Workers' Union of Turkey (Teksif), did a UK tour with Labour Behind the Label recently. News about the tour has been picked up in an article in the Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/workers-supplying-olympic...

Our friends at Ethical Consumer magazine released an issue last month with a focus on clothes and fashion!

With the in-depth research into ethical products that we have come to expect from this quality publication, you can now find out the latest info from their website.

Find out where to buy the most ethical clothes around, from online stores to alternative clothes companies as well as where to buy decent ethical clothes on the high street. What's more they have produced a special feature on Designer Clothing and Luxury Fashion, the 'Style over Substance' report. Find out who's ethically hot and who's not in the designer fashion world.

As much of central Thailand remains under water in the country's worst floods in decades, thousands of Burmese migrant workers left stranded by the disaster are making their way back to Burma.

Many of the affected migrants are crossing the Thai-Burmese border at Mae Sot-Myawaddy, where local sources say that in recent weeks, hundreds of people have been crossing the border back into Burma every day.

Workers in Burma will be allowed to form unions and go on strike under a new law signed this week by the president, officials say.

The law permits unions with a minimum of 30 members to be formed and allows strikes if a notice period is given.

Unions have not been allowed to operate in Burma since 1962.

The law appears to be the latest in a series of changes being introduced by Burma's new military-backed, civilian-led government.

No Sweat joined Labour Behind the Label in a "Ban Killer Jeans" protest outside Dolce & Gabbana on London's Bond Street. We are campaigning for D&G to join the brands banning sandblasting in their supply chain. Sandblasting causes respiratory diseases that kill workers. Sign the petition: http://www.labourbehindthelabel.org/support-us/item/947-killerjeansluxur...

Public meeting, Thursday 29 September, Room 7.05, Connaught House, LSE, Aldwych, London, 7-8pm: hear Yesim Yasin - a doctor who has been working with the workers' affected by sandblasting, and Abdulhalim Demir - an ex-worker in a Turkish factory - speak about the problems they face, how they are fighting big brands, and how you can help.

Demonstration Saturday 1 October, 10am-1pm, outside Dolce & Gabbana, 6-8 Old Bond Street, London W1S 4PH. Against sand-blasting jeans technique, which is causing respiratory disease in workers.

Monday 19 September is the day set for Basildon council to evict Traveller families from Dale Farm. You can still help support the Travellers - go down to Dale Farm if you can - see advice below. Or donate money if you can't go...

The situation at Dale Farm is becoming desperate, if you can go to Dale Farm then please do. The electricity is being cut off on Monday and the bailiffs are starting to set up a perimeter around the site. Details: http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/tag/save-dale-farm/

If you can't go due to work or other commitments then please support this solidarity action in London on Thursday 15 September...

UPDATED: There are some pictures taken at the protest here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11722019@N03/sets/72157627558475249/

Campaigners defending Dale Farm have learned that the date for eviction is probably Monday 19 September. Read on for more details of the next steps in the campaign...

Ethical Consumer magazine has published a report on some of the big companies bidding for contracts to run public services. It finds that companies including Capita, KPMG and Serco have subsidiaries in places usually used to minimise tax bills. Extracts reproduced below... (The Crapita logo used to accompany this story was No Sweat's choice.)

'Without ye, we are hopeless, ye are our power' - young Gypsy woman

Last weekend I visited the Camp Constant activists at Dale farm on the eve of their eviction from the site.

Dale Farm residents are calling on supporters to join them outside the Royal Courts of Justice, in the Strand, London, at 12 noon on Wednesday 31 August.

On the 25th August 2011 after an exhausting, expensive and exasperating six months the case of human rights defender Charles Hector being sued by Japanese company Asahi Kosei in Malaysia, was brought to an end with a settlement.

The case has highlighted the potential of large companies to undermine the vital work of human rights and workers rights campaigners in safeguarding the vulnerable and exposing abuses.

The Japanese company sued for libel over Hector's blog statment claiming the company was responsible for the abuse of migrant worker from Burma in their employment, arguing that the migrant workers were not employees of the company those of an "outsourcing agent".

The settlement reached means Charles Hector has avoided the potential of being forced to pay a crippling US$3.3 million in compensation to Asahi Kosei. However the struggle is not over for Hector who, as part of the settlement has to publish public appologies in two seperate newspapers within the next 3 weeks that will cost him over US$7,000.

To support Charles Hector click the srticle heading and donate money to the In Defence of Charles Hector Campaign and read full statements for more information.

Also included is a statement made by The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights, that has expressed serious concern that this libel suit, and others, undermine the legitimate work of human rights defenders.

We publish the minutes of our monthly steering meetings to give an idea of our work at the moment. If you have any questions, please email admin@nosweat.org.uk.

The owners of Spanish fashion chain Zara say they are strengthening the oversight of their production system after workers were found toiling in a Brazilian sweatshop.

Hear about life on the frontline of sweatshop exploitation for migrant workers in Thailand from a No Sweat activist volunteering with the MAP Foundation, a grassroots Thai NGO based in Chiang Mai. Recorded at No Sweat's iSweat Comedy Night fundraiser.

Evictions of traveller families living at Dale Farm near Basildon could begin as early as 31 August. Here are details of a long weekend of preparations by supporters to prevent the evictions...

Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis backs campaign for workers' rights, saying "The only sweat we want to see at the 2012 London Olympics should come from the athletes."