SOLIDARITY

The Newsletter of the Unions Aotearoa International Development Trust Issue 24 Spring 2020

Crisis Support for Bangladeshi

Garment Workers’ Union
COVID-19 has devastated the garment
industry in Bangladesh. With no
universal social security and few
savings the workers and their families
are facing long-term hardship. Some
200,000 workers have still not been
compensated for work already
completed and an estimated 30,000
workers have had their employment
terminated illegally.
Until the pandemic hit, the National
Garment Workers Federation (NGWF)
of Bangladesh, had been increasing
union membership and strengthening
collective organising. With
UnionAID’s support over 50 delegates
were trained and nearly 5,000 new
members recruited in 2019. Now
the union needs help to sustain its
organisation and defend garment
workers’ rights, as membership
revenue drops and workers face long-
term hardship.
With a return to pre-pandemic
employment levels expected to take
months or years, the sustainability of
the NGWF is at risk. Its membership
revenue dropped to zero in May as
members faced serious hardship.
Yet NGWF’s 11 full-time staff are
working harder than ever to follow up
grievances and campaign for justice.
UnionAID will be supporting the
union to retain its organisers so they
can respond to the needs of garment
workers, research and address labour
rights violations, and run small local
pressure campaigns to push garment
factories and the government to better
support the workers. By supporting
UnionAID you can support NGWF and
some of the world’s most vulnerable
workers.

NGWF members were targeted by the Windy Group factory for redundancy
during Covid-19 and staged a sit-in protest outside the factory grounds
Safeguarding Jobs and
Health in Sri Lanka
A high risk of virus transmission
in cramped workplaces. Reduced
global demand for garments. 500,000
women and men manufacturing
garments in Sri Lanka facing health
risk and job losses. This is the
situation confronted by the Free
Trade Zones Union (FTZ&GSEU) in Sri
Lanka, and so far, the union has led
a successful move to safeguard both
jobs and health.
The FTZ&GSEU has played a key role
in negotiating a tripartite agreement
for factories. This means all staff are
retained through a rotation system
allowing physical distancing. Workers
are guaranteed no less than 50-75% of
their standard hours and pay. FTZ&GSEU members facing redundancy take protest action outside their garment factory

FTZ&GSEU joint-secretary, Anton
Marcus, describes this as a vital first
step in protecting the livelihoods of
workers. But making sure factories
implement it is a huge task. The
FTZ&GSEU is already tackling 400
redundancies at a factory supplying
major brands.
The crisis has hit the ability of
members to fund their union, so
UnionAID’s support means that for the
next six months FTZ&GSEU organisers
can continue to advocate on behalf of
garment workers, making sure that
they are paid, that they are safe and
that their jobs are protected.
It is because of our Solidarity donors
that we can respond to our union
partners’ urgent needs at a time when
their job is bigger, and their resources
are at risk.

Two Alumni Masters Graduates

Zin Mar Lar Tay (pictured to the
right) and Zet Nan (below right)
have both recently graduated with a
Masters in Public Policy from Victoria Campaign to
University. Now they will take their
new knowledge and skills back home Boost Aid
to make a difference. Well done! UnionAID has joined 12 NZ
development NGOs in supporting

Contact Us
the Big Hearts, Connected World
campaign to boost overseas aid.
PO Box 6689 For years politicians have failed to
Marion Square, Wellington 6141 deliver on New Zealand’s promise
Phone: 021 0250 6402 to do our bit for the global
Email: admin@unionaid.org.nz community. Now is the moment
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Stories: Michael Naylor global challenges together by
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Harre aid and climate action. Please sign
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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
Alumni action projects were also found to have been a major contributor to capacity building. For example, Aung Lwin brought together
Kanbauk villagers to discuss the environmental and social impact of local tin mining (above) and establish a dialogue with the mine owners.

Alumni Change Makers in Myanmar

On their return home, MYLP alumni
have been active in bringing about
positive change and assisting
development in Myanmar, according
to an independent evaluation done
late last year. This was achieved
through alumni being promoted to
positions of responsibility, leadership
and influence in their organisations
and communities. Evaluator Miranda
Cahn found that
“the programme has built the capacity
of the young leaders, who have then
developed capacity in communities
in which they work. Alumni’s
development activities in Myanmar
have empowered communities to
collaborate, engage in their own
development, and to influence to
political outcomes of their country,
contributing to democracy in
Myanmar.”
Host families were also found to
have also played a significant role,
as students were exposed to flexible
gender roles, improved their English
and learnt social skills; they also
felt welcome and cared for. Miranda
recommended the continuation of
the MYLP beyond the current 2021
contract.

Just released!

Life Under Lockdown…

and Ten Years of MYLP
Life under lockdown for two of the Myanmar students was
beautifully illustrated in a short video by film maker, Anna
Cottrell, screened to MYLP hosts and supporters recently.
Thin Thin and Htu Sam are seen here with Anna, their
host parent, at a table tennis and pizza party following the
screening.
Life under Lockdown was accompanied by Anna’s film
celebrating ten years of the MYLP which explored how
alumni’s thinking and values had changed after the
programme.
To view the video click on this link.

Photo: Dhobis or washer people at work. Photo Mike Regan
Changing Lives
and Livelihoods
in Tamil Nadu
Shrinking debt and growing incomes are the new reality
for 580 Dalit and Tribal workers from the hills and slums
around Madurai, according to survey data collected in the
field. These workers are all members of six new workers’
cooperatives* established by our project partner, the
Tamil Nadu Labour Union.
The benefits of working collectively have made a
significant impact on the lives of these people, once
shunned by society. Before joining the cooperative, the
majority were earning less than Rs150 ($NZ3) a day.
Now 275 members are bringing home more than Rs200
($NZ4), with another 122 earning over $NZ5 daily. This
is reflected in a similar positive shift as households start
saving and gradually move out of debt and the clutches of
the money lenders.
While the surveys were undertaken before the Covid-19
pandemic hit, working together in a cooperative and
building savings has put these workers in a better position
to weather the economic impacts of lockdown in India.
* These are the members of the catering workers, construction
workers, goat rearers, jaggery workers, utensil makers and washer
people’s cooperatives

Celebrating Local Cuisine to Secure

Markets for Local Farmers
A collection of traditional and adapted local food recipes and stories,
Food, Land and People, was published recently by Ete Umbu Tara, one
of the 2018 young leaders from Indonesia. Recipes were collected
during visits to villages and observing and listening to home cooks.
Ete chose this action project as a way to support traditional farmers
and create a sustainable market by encouraging food businesses and
home cooks to use more local food crops and products.
Ete Umbu Tara is a local food campaigner on Timor Island. While the
pandemic affected the launch and promotion of her book, Ete says
it also highlighted the importance of food security. “Transportation
lines have been restricted, goods are expensive and limited. People in
the villages suffer.” Her colleague, Pikul, says of the villagers “…local
food helps them a lot when they do not have access to enough food,
especially rice. Local food has become important as a food resource
and as income for the family.”

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