The Indian Government sent a Ministerial delegation to Orissa on 17-19 November 2008 to review the situation in Orissa.

At its sixty-second session, in November 2007, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed 20 February as World Day of Social Justice. The day is to be observed for the first time in 2009.

Monday 16th March: Student Christian Movement (SCM) gathering: ‘Climate Change – Understanding And Responding  In Faith: at Wesley Church ‘Old schoolhouse’, Lonsdale St, Melbourne, prayers, input, discussion and meal, 6.00-8.30pm.

Another SCM opportunity: Orientation Camp with students from various campuses: 27-29 March at Moora Moora Lodge. A relaxed weekend away, exploring the theme of A Christian Response to Climate Change.

For more Information: Wes Campbell – wesleyc@unimelb.edu.au
Tel: 8344 6034/ 0431 847 278
See the blog
Also the chaplains web page

Update

February 6, 2009

After being held for more than three months in prison on trumped up charges, Philippines labour rights attorney Remigio Saladero Jr was finally released on Thursday, February 5th.  Five other Philippine labour rights leaders were also released with him including Nestor San Jose, Rogelio Galit, Crispin Zapanta, Arnaldo Seminiano, and Emanuel Dionida.

More

Update

Wednesday 18th February 2009

Asian Women at Work has also made some (more recent) comments:

“The lack of protections in WorkChoices has increased the hardship for this already vulnerable workforce” said Debbie Carstens, Development Officer for Asian Women at Work.  “The Fair Work Bill improves their situation but falls short in a number of ways.  For example, unfair dismissal laws are returned, but workers in businesses of less than 15 employees can be sacked after a single warning, that doesn’t even need to be in writing.” 

7-Eleven employ lots of international students. The Unite campaign is doing something to assist them.

Source: UNITE member, Kirk Leonard

On Friday February 13 more than 100 people attended a rally outside the 7-Eleven store in the heart of Geelong. The protest called for 7-Eleven to start paying its workers the legal minimum wage and for all unpaid wages to be paid back to them. The rally was also demanding that one of the workers, who was sacked for making a complaint, be reinstated.

If you already boycott Nestlé then use the resources on these pages to spread the word. If you want to know why there is a boycott and how you can get involved, go here and here!

Call on adidas not to discriminate against union leaders and to re-employ union officials from the PT Spotec and PT Panarub suppliers.

Support the union leaders today and write to adidas today!
Take action now
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Indonesian union members are desperately looking for new jobs as they appear to have been blacklisted at adidas suppliers due to their labour rights activism. Since the closure of the PT Spotec and PT Dong Joe factories in November 2006, seven SBGTS union leaders have unsuccessfully been searching for permanent employment at the new adidas supplier Ching Luh. And 33 SBGTS (earlier Perbupas) union members are still without jobs after being unfairly dismissed from the PT Panarub supplier in October 2005 in response to a strike.

In its code of conduct, adidas ensures freedom of association. In reality, however, union members frequently face discrimination at adidas suppliers; they increasingly report difficulties finding employment with adidas.