Trade union defence of democracy is fundamental. Trade unions require the oxygen of democracy if they are to flourish. If democracy is to live and thrive, trade unions will join with others to make that happen.
Women members of the for Bayanihan ng mga Manggagawa sa Konstruksyon ng Qatar (BMKQ) are paving the way for gender equality among migrant workers in the Middle East.
BWI condemns in the strongest possible terms the arrest of Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) Chairperson Carol Ng and at least 50 other democracy activists under Hong Kong’s national security law (NSL).
On 3 January 2020, a building being constructed in Kep, Cambodia collapsed, killing 36 workers. Already a year on, there has been zero justice and accountability.
As we start 2021, I take this opportunity to send best wishes to you for the New Year and reaffirm the commitment of BWI to global solidarity as we take on the challenges that are being carried forward from 2020 and the new ones that we will face in 2021.
On International Migrants Day, IOE and BWI publish a joint statement on the essential role of migrant workers during the pandemic and the need to provide greater social protection to them in these uncertain times.
The Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) and the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) are jointly commemorating International Migrant Workers Day on 18 December under the theme ‘We are all Migrants’.
Singing the popular song “Bella Ciao,” BWI affiliates from different parts of the world expressed solidarity to workers worldwide as trade unions collectively fight the pandemic build a better future.
BWI, as part of its long-standing sports and decent work campaign, has defended the rights and conditions of construction workers involved in building facilities for Olympic Games just as we have with FIFA facilitates.
BWI’s European Regional Committee (ERC) extended its full support and solidarity to Kyrgystani and Swedish trade unionists who are in the middle of important fights to defend labour rights.
After BWI’s Indian and Romanian trade union affiliates joined hands in helping six stranded Indian migrant workers in Romania, the said workers were finally repatriated and returned to their home state of Tamil Nadu on 16 November.
The Council of Global Unions (CGU) will discuss the latest human rights developments in the Philippines, especially with the issuance of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the anti-worker Terror Law, and how unions can utilise international instruments to force the Duterte government to uphold and respect human and trade union rights.
BWI, through its General Secretary Ambet Yuson, joins its American trade union affiliates in celebrating their historic electoral victory, which it hopes will create ripples of positive change worldwide and build the ecessary momentum to defend democracy, promote gender equality and secure human and trade union rights against the spread of authoritarian populism.
As part of its contribution in analysing the migration flow in Europe before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, BWI released a discussion paper to identify the main migration trends in the region which would serve as guideposts for trade unions to pursue better policies to protect migrant workers’ rights.
"We may be observing physical distancing, but workers will never be distant from one another.” This was the statement issued by BWI Latin American and Carribean Representative Nilton Fretias after BWI-affiliated trade unions in the region released two series of “workers’ action bulletins” in August.
As Filipino workers mark Ferdinand Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law 48 years ago, Global Unions add their voices in opposing the draconian Anti-Terror Law an condemning the massive human rights abuses under the Duterte regime.
BWI welcomed the passage of a European Parliament resolution expressing deep concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte.
The CGU welcomes the adoption by the European Parliament (EP) of the “resolution on the situation in the Philippines, including the case of Maria Ressa”. The resolution provides examples of the degeneration of democracy, gross violations of human rights, and rampant violence and intimidation during the rule of President Duterte.
In another example of working class solidarity and cooperation, BWI’s trade union affiliates in India and Romania joined hands in working with authorities to help Indian migrant workers, who were reportedly stranded in the European state.
This was the message sent by BWI to all its affiliates, partners, allies and friends as it encouraged them to donate to the people of Beirut, especially its workers, who were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and a prolonged economic crisis that decimated millions of jobs, and recently, a social unrest that was triggered by the catastrophic Beirut explosion that injured and killed many people.
BWI, on behalf of its 12 million trade union members worldwide, and EFBWW, representing 2 million trade union members from 34 European countries, express their solidarity with the brave trade unionists and workers of Belarus who went on strike and organised different forms of democratic and peaceful actions to protest against the alleged massive electoral fraud in their country.
BWI welcomes landmark achievements in Qatar that were signed into law on 30 August 2020; introducing a minimum wage for migrant workers and allowing them to change jobs without requiring their employers’ permission to do so.
For more than 20 days people in Belarus have been protesting massive electoral fraud. Peaceful protestors have endured violence and repression and many have been arrested. Workers in Belarus joined the growing democratic movement and went on strike, organising protest actions to demand an end to the violence and new elections in the country.
With the COVID-19 pandemic worsening the plight of many Ukrainian migrant workers in EU countries, PROFBUD, the construction workers union of Ukraine held a multi-stakeholder conference on 19 August in Odessa to discuss and address the situation.
BWI, on behalf of its 12 million trade union members worldwide, expresses its full solidarity and support to Belarus’ brave trade unionists and workers who went on strike and launched massive peaceful actions to protest the alleged massive electoral fraud in their country.
The Building and Woodworkers’ International (BWI) expresses its sympathies to the Lebanese people on the recent tragedy arising from the explosion at the Beirut Port on Tuesday 4 August 2020.
To address the plight of millions of migrant workers who have been repatriated or are awaiting repatriation as a result of pandemic-induced unemployment, BWI endorsed the call of a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) and trade unions for an “urgent justice mechanism” to respond to the migrant crisis.
BWI denounces the American Peace Plan (Deal of the Century). It is an unwelcome intervention that is a departure from the rules and principles of international law and disregards internationally accepted processes.
Every year since joint inspections began in Qatar based on the memorandum of Understanding signed in late 2016 between BWI and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy of Qatar, established for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Joint Working Group (JWG) has made a report.
Workers at Wendt Corporation, a plant based in Buffalo New York succeeded in winning their two-year fight for a collective bargaining agreement. The workers joined the Ironworkers Union (Local 576) in 2017 and they have been battling the management for its first contract. Finally, this past August the union and the management agreed to an agreement after nearly 60 sessions of negotiations. During the negotiations the Wendt management harassed union members and threatened to lay-off workers.
The global union federation BWI has today released a second report highlighting how Tokyo 2020 construction workers lives are still at risk, while rampant subcontracting is putting downward pressure on workers’ wages.
In June 2018, at the Holcim El Salvador plant in Metapán in the north of El Salvador, eight leaders from the first Board of Directors of SICCA [Union for the Cement Industry and Allied Workers] were dismissed the day after having presented the union to the Ministry of Labour.
On 28 September the BWI and its Japanese Affiliates Council (BWI-JAC) held an international forum looking at the risks to human rights involved in the preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.
Today, on the opening of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, the BWI and its 12 million members around the world express condolences to the families of the twenty-one construction workers who died during construction of World Cup stadiums.
On 5 June 2018, the Swiss National Compact Point (NCP) responsible for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises concluded its follow-up on the BWI complaint against FIFA that focused on the 2020 World Cup Games in Qatar.
April 30 2018 - On the eve of May Day in Doha, close to 200 participants attended the BWI “Community Leaders Forum on Workers’ Welfare in the Construction and Allied Sectors” in Doha, Qatar.
For the first time, the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) commemorated International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD) in Qatar by supporting the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (ADLSA) 2nd National OSH Conference and participating in various site-level activities to raise awareness on safety and health.
Today, as the 2018 Winter Olympics begin in PyeongChang, South Korea, the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) and the Korean Federation of Construction Industry Trade Unions (KFCITU) have released a joint report outlining violations of construction workers’ rights throughout the Olympic construction process.
A Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) delegation met this week with FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura who was appointed by the FIFA Council at the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico. Representing BWI were: Ambet Yuson, General Secretary; Johan Lindholm Byggnads, Sweden; Dietmar Schaefers, IG BAU, Germany; Pierre Cuppens, ACV-CSC, Belgium; Steinar Krogstad, Fellesforbundet, Norway; Gail Cartmail and Jim Kennedy, UNITE; UK.
The FIFA Human Rights Advisory Board which includes Ambet Yuson, General Secretary of BWI met this week and issued the following statement:
We welcomed our first day and a half of substantive discussions with the FIFA Administration, including the Secretary-General, about FIFA’s human rights responsibilities. It was an important opportunity to establish a general understanding of FIFA’s human rights efforts to date, and it was a forthright and frank discussion.
The first joint inspections on 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ projects have been carried out by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and the Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI), the global trade union for construction workers.
The Mega-Sporting Events Platform for Human Rights (MSE Platform) published the ‘Sporting Chance’ White Papers, a series of 11 white papers on the interaction between MSEs and human rights.
According to the International Labour Organization there are over 150 million migrants in the global workforce. Migrant workers are essential part of the global economy and without them, entire economies would collapse.
On 2 June 2016, 15 members of the Tower Crane Operators Branch of the Korean Construction Workers Union (KCWU) affiliated to the Korean Federation of Construction Industry Trade Union (KFCITU), BWI’s affiliate in South Korea, were found guilty under the criminal charges of “blackmail” and “obstruction of business” for merely engaging in collective bargaining negotiations.
Still too many multinationals are operating without respecting international labour standards and many governments are only interested in attracting investments.
Signing our protest messages to anti-democratic governments or anti-union companies will help trade unionists in many countries as they continue to face imprisonment, dismissal and discrimination.
