SOLIDARITY

Better Work Better World

The Newsletter of the Unions Aotearoa International Development Trust Issue 21, Winter 2019

Social media attracting younger

factory workers

Patcharin Promchaisong, RLUG member and President of a medical supplies

factory union at the International Women’s Day 2019 rally in Bangkok

After a workshop earlier this year about union organising
through social media, younger workers are more interested
in being involved in these activities, reports our Thai project
partner, the Rangsit and Area Labour Union Group (RLUG).
After six months of activities, from rallies, meetings, and
advocacy, to study groups and seminars which focus on
organising, two more factory unions have joined RLUG. In
addition, strategies to ensure bargaining successes have
been developed by an electronics factory union which has
identified ‘strong speakers’ and ‘soft speakers’ who work
as teams to do research and support the various union
demands.
The RLUG member unions cover a wide range of industries
including electronics, textiles, medical supplies, bathroom
whiteware, aircraft tyres, motorcycle assembly, soft drink
manufacturing and security. This UnionAID project will
run for a year and aims to build union membership in local
factories. Under the project, unions are encouraged to
change their rules which prevent migrant and subcontracted
workers from joining as members.
Myanmar and Indonesian young leaders enjoying one anothers’ company at
a potluck dinner hosted by UnionAID after the Festival for the Future

Indonesian and Myanmar

young leaders gathering
Our two groups of dynamic young leaders met up for the first time when the ten newly arrived Indonesian young leaders
came down from Auckland recently. The occasion was the Festival for the Future in Wellington attended by hundreds of
young people eager to learn from their peers and others. Summing up the highlights of the festival, one of the Myanmar young
leaders said:
“…in my community, we need this kind of festival to discuss different topics and different issues by giving important role to young
leaders for change.”

Mindanao young leaders programme launched

Eight young leaders were recently selected for the new Mindanao Young
Leaders Programme for emerging leaders from civil society organisations
(CSOs) in Mindanao, Southern Philippines. They come from diverse CSOs
across the Mindanao region, working in human, women’s and indigenous
rights, environmental education, social entrepreneurship, sport for
peacebuilding and development, search and rescue operations, and youth
development and humanitarian work.
Joining UnionAID’s well established Myanmar Young Leaders Programme, and
the more recent Inspirasi Programme for young leaders from East Indonesia
based in Auckland, the Mindanao programme will address similar themes but
will also tackle topics directly relevant to Mindanao’s unique context.
Alexandra Hill has been appointed as the Programme Manager for this
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade funded initiative. Follow this link to
learn more about UnionAID’s newest young leaders programme:
https://unionaid.org.nz/young-leaders-programmes/mindanao-young-leaders- Alexandra Hill, Project Manager
programme/ Mindanao Young Leaders Programme

BECOME A KIWI SOLIDARITY DONOR - SUPPORT REAL CHANGE

You can help vulnerable workers in developing countries in our region get a fairer deal by
making a small monthly donation by direct debit by visiting:
www.unionaid.org.nz/donate
Early success for Bangladeshi
garment workers union
Two new unions have been registered
and 2076 new members have joined
the National Garment Workers
Federation (NGWF) after only six
months of this UnionAID funded
project in Bangladesh. This is the
successful outcome of well attended
workshops which have seen seventy
workers take up effective organising
tactics in their factories to boost
membership. The project is well on
the way to achieve the recruitment
target of 4720 by December.
Established in 1984, the NGWF is
the largest and oldest trade union
federation in the garment and textile
sector in Bangladesh with 82,629
members across the country. To date
they have not been active on social
media so the next step in this project
is the development of a strategy to
promote union activities and the
benefits of union membership on
Facebook. NGWF members at one of the training workshops

Full house for Prime Minister’s

Peter Conway memorial lecture
It was a pleasure to have Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
give our annual Peter Conway Memorial Lecture to a full
house in Wellington this July.
Peter Conway was one of UnionAID’s founding trustees
and would have been proud of her focus on improving
people’s well-being, tackling climate change and creating
trade that benefits all working people.
It was also great to have Jacinda recognise the important
work our Myanmar young leaders are doing back in their
communities!

UnionAID chairperson Ross Wilson with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern


Yasmeen highlights
fast fashion harm
From 6am to 10pm for 8 days straight,
Yasmeen Maria Jones-Chollet sat
behind her sewing machine on a
street in Nelson replicating some of
the conditions sweatshop labourers
are subject to. “I want people to
stop this mindless, empty, pointless
consumerism. It’s completely
Contact us
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Email: admin@unionaid.org.nz
Newsletter Credits
Stories: Helen Wilson and
Michael Naylor
Design: Marty Braithwaite
BECOME A KIWI SOLIDARITY DONOR - SUPPORT REAL CHANGE
You can help vulnerable workers in developing countries in our region get a fairer deal by
making a small monthly donation by direct debit by visiting:
www.unionaid.org.nz/donate
Yasmeen Maria at her Trafalgar St, Nelson, protest site
meaningless and it is not worth the Workers Federation. Yasmeen has
cost of our planet, or any of the people raised over $5,000 in donations and
involved” she says. from the sale of bags and earrings she
made from recycled clothing. This
Yasmeen’s activism was inspired by
money is going towards the National
the gruelling conditions garment
Garment Workers Federation’s
workers in Bangladesh face every
ongoing organising for decent wages.
week as well as the brave work of
our partners, the National Garment
10 years
celebrated
UnionAID marked its 10th anniversary in May
by drawing together nearly 400 supporters for
celebratory dinners in Auckland and Wellington.
Limited edition t-shirts and tea towels have
also been designed to proudly show UnionAID’s
values and mission. If you would like to order
one of these please visit our website:
www.unionaid.org.nz.