Students need financial help to get through their studies. Indigenous Australians and low socio-economic status (SES) students particularly need help; but all students need greater assistance. Many students have to work excessive hours and this is impacting negatively on their study. A significant amount of tertiary students are even going without food because of lack of income.

All Commonwealth Government allowances for students should be above the poverty line. This is not the case at present. For example, students under 25 receiving Youth Allowance, and living in a share house, can be living about 38% below the Henderson poverty line.

The eligibility criteria for Youth Allowance for rural students are too tight and can create a barrier for remote young people contemplating study.

For the recent apology to Indigenous Australians to translate into positive action we need to look at the positive role that tertiary education can play in assisting Indigenous people to find decent work, and other opportunities.

Better income support would assist students to become more involved in the learning community as well as taking the financial pressure off so more time can be committed to study.

As a start, the Commonwealth should provide adequate income support so that all can participate in the learning and broader community life of the tertiary institution. There should be better income support of tertiary students in the following areas:

• the age of independence for Youth Allowance recipients should be reduced from 25 to 18 so that students are not assessed on the basis of their parents’ income and assets;
• the Youth Allowance threshold of earned income before penalty should be raised, to match CPI, from $6000 to at least $8000; and,
• scholarships providing financial support should not be included as accessible income when evaluating eligibility for income support.

Also, extra measures should be considered to assist Indigenous students and those attending tertiary education from remote and regional areas.

Email the Hon. Tony Burke MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and thank him for his Government’s commitment to take action on illegal logging. Ask him to ban the importation of illegally logged timber into Australia.

Add your own points using the info from the action or use the sample email below.

His email address is: Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au

…Because my husband’s income is very low it is not enough for our family to survive, so I must keep this job… I am very fast at sewing, but my rate of pay is still very low as the piece rate is low. I usually can get about $6 an hour. When I first started working at home I was actually getting $8-9 an hour because I was fast. The boss was surprised that I was so fast, so he reduced the rate he paid me for future orders of the same style.
(Australian Homeworker ‘Winnie’s Story’ – recorded by FairWear)

Commonly suggested improvements (Homeworkers Worldwide - 2004) made by homeworkers include:

• increasing piece rates and prices paid for work;
• wanting assistance in finding regular work, continuity of work and income.
• accessing and conducting of regular training on a range of issues;
• needing a concerned body, organisation they can go to for assistance and support;
• availability of other forms of employment;
• accessing markets for their products, and loans;
• skills development to allow them to diversify into other work areas;
• accessing work directly (eliminate intermediaries); and,
• establishing a homeworker organisation.

Through the United Nations system, governments have developed a number of ‘human rights instruments’. In addition, there is the International Labour Organisation (ILO), to which Australia belongs. It is tripartite in the sense that employers, workers (unions) and governments attend meetings and participate in decision-making. The ILO sets international labour standards in the form of conventions on particular matters.

JustAct is calling on the Commonwealth of Australia to accede (‘sign on’) to the ILO – C177 Home Work Convention. The Convention sets out minimum requirements for governments to undertake and provides a guide to the development of national laws that need to be enacted. The Convention defines homework, who homeworkers are and promotes equality of treatment; therefore reinforcing a fundamental status to homeworkers as workers entitled to equal remuneration, training and other conditions as to enterprise based workers.

The minimum a government is required to do upon acceding is to develop a national policy on homework and to undertake to keep statistics on the number of homeworkers in their respective country. As the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia noted in a Senate submission in 2006, there is controversy over the number of outworkers in Australia, with estimates ranging from an unrealistic 25,000 to a high 330,000. The lack of recent research in this area highlights the need for a coordinated data collection exercise.

The policy platform of the Australian Labor Party commits Australia to accede to the ILO Home Work Convention and the Deputy Prime-Minster, the Hon. Julia Gillard has written to the Justice & International Mission Unit of the Uniting Church in Australia (Victoria & Tasmania) to inform that the Commonwealth Government will positively address this issue. JustAct wants to support this direction taken by the Commonwealth and will continue to highlight the benefits of the Convention to make sure that Australia takes the step to support the Convention.

Note: The Australian Commonwealth Government has just committed $4m to the No Sweatshop label.

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A 15 year old girl employed in a fast-food shop, was given a bucket containing caustic soda by the owner and asked to clean the ovens. The employer failed to inform her of the contents of the bucket and did not provide her with necessary training or adequate protective gear. She suffered burns to her body and required hospital treatment which the employer agreed to pay. However, the employer found the bill amounting to $99 was “excessive” and refused to give her any more shifts. The employer alleged the accident was her fault. JobWatch also found that she had been underpaid by 50% and that the employer had no insurance. 
(JobWatch Annual Report 2006-2007)

Providing for decent conditions for young workers should be a priority for Governments, employers and all others involved in the employment area. The Victorian Office of the Workplace Rights Advocate (OWRA) has recognised that many young people do not feel confident about negotiating their terms and conditions of employment.

A strong set of legislated universal standards for young people at work should address these issues:

• training should not be unpaid (including ‘trials’);
• work undertaken in unsociable hours (weekend and late night work) should receive higher pay;
• the need for advanced notice of work rosters (so young people can plan ahead);
• casualisation (and the right to secure and regular work);
• occupational health and safety (including sexual and other harassment and bullying);
• underpayment; and,
• provision of meal breaks.

JustAct is specifically calling on the Victorian Government to legislate for the protection of 15-17 workers and to provide greater education and monitoring resources to this important area of need.

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A number of different terms, homeworker, outworker or home based worker have been used to mean a person, usually a woman, who does paid work in her own home, or in the home of a neighbour or friend, or in fields, yards or even the street adjoining a home.

One group said they were paid $2.50 for a detailed shirt which took one hour to sew. Another group said they were paid between $2 and $3 an hour. When asked about hours worked, most indicated that they often went weeks without a job but when the work was available they worked long hours.
 – Ethical Threads, report by Brotherhood of St Laurence (2007) on Australian Homeworkers

This kind of work is distinct from unpaid household work, done by women usually for their own families, such as cleaning, preparing food, fetching water, childcare or caring for elderly family members.  It is also different from domestic work, meaning doing this kind of household work, for payment, usually in other people’s houses.

In principle, there are two distinct types of home based workers:

• dependent workers producing goods or sometimes carrying out a service for an intermediary, agent or employer, according to their specifications; and,
• contractor workers, sometimes known as self-employed, producing goods which they market themselves.

The reality is more blurred since many women take on whatever kind of work is available, whether dependent or on a contract basis.  In some cases, although inappropriately called an ‘independent contractor’, a worker may be economically dependent with no access to markets or working only for orders.  The range of employment relationships and dependency is more accurately visualised as a continuum with the dependent worker at one extreme and the contractor worker at the other.  In-between, there are many overlapping types of relationships.

We use the term homeworker (or outworker) to mean a dependent worker. Research and inquiries have revealed that the idea of an independent contractor in the clothing industry (at least in Australia) is essentially a myth.

The above information draws from Homeworkers Worldwide (2004).

For stories from Australian Homeworkers go here

For international information and links go here

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Let us begin
Help us begin the investigation. We are gathering information about where Christian novelty items, including Bible covers, crucifixes, bracelets and gadgets, are being made. Visit your local Christian specialty shop and respectfully record for us what the item is, how much it costs, and where it was made. We are particularly interested in items made in China. Please note that we are working with Central Catholic Bookstore and UniChurch Books in Melbourne so there is no need to review their merchandise.

Email your findings to JustAct to antony.mcmullen@victas.uca.org.au

For more information, or if you have any questions contact Antony on (03) 9251 5286 (or email him - see above).

Volunteers needed
Interested in more? We are looking volunteers to work with us to help undertake further research. Contact Antony on the above if you are interested and want to become more involved.

Act NOW! – At the moment, we are asking you to contact a Christian bookstore
Ask Word Bookstores to play a part in protecting the dignity of workers making their Christian devotional items

Christian retailers and suppliers are being called to work together to identify workplaces where goods are being manufactured so as to ensure that the fundamental human dignity of those who make the products are fully respected, and local workplace laws are complied with.

Word Bookstores Pty Ltd is a high-profile and successful Christian retailer involved in the selling of a range of products made in China, and other countries, where there are documented cases of gross disregard for the fundamental human dignity of working people.

Here are some examples of China made products sold at Word Bookstores:

• “Bee your Best” rubber balls set – Oriental Trading Company;
• “Confirmed in Christ” – large cross – Dayspring (company);
• “God is Love” – glow in the dark plastic cross – Fun Express (company);
• “He Lives Activity Set” – bag of pencils and pad – Oriental Trading Company;
• “Heroes of Faith” – Moses figure in rocks, “10 Commandments” – Journey ITB (company);
• “Jesus is Tops” – plastic toy top – Dicksons (company); and,
• “Veggie Tales” – Bible cover.

Just because an item is made in China does not mean it is made under gross exploitation; however, without independent verification everyone is in the dark.

The Justice & International Mission Unit of the Uniting Church in Australia has repeatedly tried to contact this company to start a dialogue about these issues; but there has been no response. In contrast, UniChurch Books and the Central Catholic Bookstore (both in Melbourne) have responded favourably.

JustHolyHardware wants to make certain that no goods made for the Victorian Christian community to celebrate and acknowledge the Christian faith have been made with violations of human dignity.

Write to Word Bookstores asking them to engage with the Justice & International Mission Unit so that the scale of the problems can be properly evaluated and some solutions can be found.

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Is the cross you hang around your neck worth more than 11 cents an hour?

A report released in late November 2007 by the US National Labor Committee (NLC), Today Workers Bear the Cross, exposed the Association for Christian Retail (ACR) for selling crosses manufactured in a Chinese sweatshop.

Many would be aware of issues relating to freedom of religion in China. Similar problems exist in the areas of respect for basic labour rights and freedom of association (the freedom of individuals to freely associate as an end in itself or with a view to pursuing common projects, e.g. through churches, political parties, sporting clubs – in this context particularly trade unions).

The NLC report found that crucifixes are being made at the Junxingye Factory in Dongguan, China, under the following conditions:

• all overtime in the factory is mandatory and anyone who does not carry out the required overtime loses a full day’s wages;
• anyone who gets sick and misses work in the factory loses two-and-a-half days pay for each day they miss;
• employees forced to work regular 14 to 15.5 hour shifts a day, seven days a week;
• the factory employed 300 — 400 women as young as 15;
• it is common for workers in the factory to work over 100 hours a week, which includes 51 hours of overtime;
• the workers get no paid sick leave, no paid maternity leave, no paid holidays and no health insurance, all of which are required under Chinese labour laws;
• when an order is due a shift can be extended up to 25 hours;
• workers fear they may be handling toxic chemicals, paints and solvents, the fumes sting their eyes and skin contact causes rashes, but the factory management refuses to provide even the names of the chemicals, let alone their potential health hazards;
• workers in the factory are housed in primitive dorm rooms sleeping on narrow double-level metal bunk beds that line the walls (there is no other furniture); and,
• workers in the factory are paid as little as 30 cents an hour, just over half the legal minimum wage in China (after fees deducted for room and board, the workers pay can drop to just 11 cents an hour).

The report states that the US National Labor Committee (NLC) has no code of conduct and no factory monitoring program. The kinds of practices outlined above in the NLC report are entirely inconsistent with Christian faith.

Brief analysis of Australian Christian retailers and wholesalers leads to the conclusion that there is a lack of attention to this issue.

We at the Justice & International Mission Unit have contacted the Christian Bookselling Association Australia. Already the Central Catholic Bookstore and UniChurch bookstores in Melbourne want to work with us to make a difference. We are working with the Justice Unit of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne on this project, and have the support of the Victorian Council of Churches Social Questions Commission.

We have also drafted a set of Standards that we think that businesses and communities involved in the trade of Christian related items should adhere to.

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Act NOW! – Our current action is about young people and work

Ask the Victorian Government for better workplace laws for young people

The Victorian Government can legislate to specifically protect young people (15-17) in Victorian workplaces. The Government is currently reviewing laws in this area and the Justice & International Mission Unit of the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania has been positively liaising with the Government and other community groups about this issue. The Victorian Minister for Industrial Relations, the Hon. Rob Hulls has congratulated the church and community groups for their feedback so far. We are very hopeful for a good outcome.

Ensuring decent conditions for young workers should be a priority for Governments, employers and all others involved in the employment area. Many young people do not feel confident about negotiating their terms and conditions of employment.

There should be a set of standards for Victorian workplaces that are stronger than Commonwealth protections for workers 18 or above. New Victorian laws should respond to these and other issues:

• unpaid training (including so-called ‘trials’);
• extra pay for work undertaken on the weekend or late night work;
• advanced notice of changes to rosters so young people can better plan;
• the right of regular casuals to have their employment status transferred to permanent;
• safer workplaces – particularly in the areas of sexual and other harassment;
• underpayment for work; and,
• proper meal breaks.

Also, there is a need for greater community education in this area. Specific monitoring resources should also be allocated by the Victorian Government to ensure that young people are not exploited or abused at work.

Note: the Victorian Government provides an advice line for Victorian workers.

The international situation

Homeworkers’ ages range between 14 – 80 years, the majority being aged between 30-40 years, mostly married and have children. Children and family members of homeworkers frequently work to assist to complete the work or contribute to the family income.  Education levels are generally low with many women having low literacy rates.

Homeworkers generally carry the family financial responsibilities with many migrating to find work, and overseas Indigenous women face discrimination on numerous levels.  Workers either seek work through agents or directly to a factory or employer, while they have limited access to markets in the case of own account workers, many become dependent upon agents or intermediaries to find work.  Commonplace is income - patching, especially in rural areas, where seasonal work needs to be subsidized at other times.

The principal reason for doing homework is because economic conditions necessitate this kind of work so that women can support their family. Most homeworkers report some type of health condition as a result of their work (for example - backache, headaches, asthma, poor eyesight, effects of pesticides, dyes and in more extreme cases loss of limbs, miscarriages, deafness, electrocution, poisoning, respiratory problems and general lethargy and poor health).

The average working day is 10 hours but it is not unusual for homeworkers to work longer hours, at times around the clock, without sleep, to complete orders. Homeworkers report earning very low rates for their work, or even where they may earn more through selling direct the work is so irregular that the income they receive barely meet their basic needs.  Earnings are irregular and often as little as 1/5 to 1/3 of minimum wages in each country. Few homeworkers are members of a trade union, group or organisation, although, as indicated by organising initiatives undertaken with homeworkers, this trend can be reversed, with a majority of homeworkers joining some form of group, cooperative, organisation or union.

Common problems reported by homeworkers include, but are not limited to:

• very low payment by employers;
• no regular work;
• lack of good equipment, tools, threads etc.;
• difficulties in access or supply of raw materials;
• lack of training;
• feel isolated and alone; and,
• poor treatment by employers.

The above information comes from Homeworkers Worldwide (2004).

Homeworkers in Australia

The Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania has been involved in the FairWear campaign to end exploitation of Australian home and sweatshop workers in the textile, clothing and footwear industry for over ten years. Despite the maintenance of legislated safeguards in this area, the church continues to hear of abuses in this industry.

Over the past ten years the following state and federal inquiries have consistently found that homeworkers receive payment and conditions significantly lower than their award and statutory entitlements. These include:

• Productivity Commission (2003) Inquiry into assistance to the TCF industry 2005;
• Senate Economics Reference Committee Inquiry (1996) Outworkers in the Garment Industry;
• Industry Commission Inquiry (1997) The Textiles, Clothing and Footwear Industries;
• NSW Legislative Council Standing Committee on Law and Justice (1998) Inquiry into Workplace Safety; and,
• Family and Community Development Committee (2002) Inquiry into the Conditions of Clothing Outworkers in Victoria.

The FairWear campaign (made up of Christian, women’s and worker organisations) has been successful in persuading some Australian manufacturers and retailers to sign the No Sweat Shop label (Homeworkers Code of Practice). Despite this, homeworkers interviewed for more recent research in 2007 by the Brotherhood of St. Laurence (Ethical Threads) indicated that conditions had worsened in the last five years. A shortage of work had left them with very little bargaining power with contractors. One group said they were paid $2.50 for a detailed shirt which took one hour to sew. Another group said they were paid between $2 and $3 an hour. When asked about hours worked, most indicated that they often went weeks without a job but when the work was available they worked long hours.

In 2008 the Commonwealth Government decided to allocate $4 million over four years for the Homeworkers Code of Practice Committee that oversees the No Sweat Shop label. It is hoped that this large injection of funds will help change the buying habits of consumers so that clothing is not produced in sweat shops and is not made under unethical conditions in the homes of outworkers.

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Examples of lack of care for safety of young people (15-17) working – three cases

• A 15 year old girl employed in a fast-food shop, was given a bucket containing caustic soda by the owner and asked to clean the ovens. The employer failed to inform her of the contents of the bucket and did not provide her with necessary training or adequate protective gear. She suffered burns to her body and required hospital treatment which the employer agreed to pay. However, the employer found the bill amounting to $99 was “excessive” and refused to give her any more shifts. The employer alleged the accident was her fault. JobWatch also found that she had been underpaid by 50% and that the employer had no insurance. (JobWatch Annual Report 2006-2007)
• In October 2004, a 16 year old lost three fingertips after they were crushed in a press at Conditionaire International, based in Miranda, south Sydney. The NSW Industrial Relations Commission found that the company had provided inadequate supervision and training to the 16 year old who had been working at the company for just four months. (WorkCover NSW, 2006, WorkCover News: The Workplace safety and injury magazine)
• In December 2001, 16-year-old asthma sufferer Dwayne Doyle had commenced work at a family company called MA Coleman Joinery, located in Lidcombe in Sydney’s west.  Whilst at work, four colleagues attacked him and wrapped him in cling wrap from neck to feet. His shoes and bag were then filled with sawdust and he was placed on a work trolley. The men then covered him with sawdust and squirted wood glue in his shoes, over his body and into his mouth. Dwayne coughed and choked and was unable to breathe. The director of the business knew that this ‘initiation’ would occur but failed to prevent it. The employees responsible for the incident were not disciplined. The NSW Chief Industrial Magistrate found that the business had failed to adequately supervise or train its employees. (Court punishes employers on workplace bullying, The Australian, 2004)

Before the introduction of recent changes to the industrial relations framework by the previous Commonwealth Government (WorkChoices), research, including studies undertaken by Job Watch in 2004, identified that young workers were more vulnerable and liable to exploitation in the workplace, and required additional protection. A survey, also in 2004, of 599 young people under the age of 25, from 278 individual fast food outlets found that 25% of participants did not receive a 30 minute break after working for five hours continuously. 53% of respondents said they worked longer than an 8 hour shift and 32% worked shifts of 11 hours or more in duration. 10% of respondents said they were paid below the legal minimum wage and 43% did not know if they were receiving the legal minimum pay.

Apart from work undertaken by Job Watch, there is little information available regarding the compliance of Victorian employers with Federal and Victorian (Common Rule) Award terms and conditions of employment.

The Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania compiled research for a submission to the Inquiry into the impact of the federal government’s Work Choices legislation on workers and employers in the Victorian retail and hospitality industries that was conducted by the Office of the Workplace Rights Advocate. This research highlighted that the kinds of incidents outlined here, and issues such as underpayment and lack of meal breaks are not uncommon in Victoria.

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According to the 2005 New South Wales Children at Work survey (NSW commission for children and young people) the five types of work done by the majority of children are baby sitting, sales work, leaflet and newspaper delivery work, agricultural and horticultural work and cleaning.

Family businesses are a common place of work for children (a 2006 ABS study indicated that at least 33% of children under 15 worked on a family farm or in a family business between June 2005 and June 2006).

Many children engaged in agricultural and horticultural work on a family farm are exposed to potential dangers (even if this is deemed ‘light work’) such as working around dangerous machinery and equipment. Research undertaken by the South Australian Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service found that 30 children aged 0 to 14 years die on Australian farms each year and approximately 600 are admitted to hospital because of farm-related injuries.

There continues to be a lack of detailed data in relation to the employment of children. For example, Worksafe Victoria merely provides statistics on injuries in the workplace for an aggregate of those aged under 20. The available data from the Worksafe found online indicates that there were between 700 and 1,000 injuries per annum of those aged under 20 (1996 to 2006). The mentioned research undertaken by the South Australian Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service states that, “On average, 30 children aged 0 to 14 years die on Australian farms each year and around 600 are admitted to hospital because of farm-related injuries”.

Young people have always been particularly vulnerable to exploitation due to their lack of experience, and in many cases confidence, to speak up when they are being treated unfairly or are working in unsafe conditions. In a submission to the ACT Government in 2007, the Youth Coalition of the ACT states that young people are likely to have:

• low levels of knowledge about industrial relations;
• limited experience in workplace bargaining;
• low levels of accessing complaints processes;
• significant power imbalances between themselves and their employers;
• work in low skill industries; and,
• high levels of unemployment.

Some of the key issues raised in the Child Employment Principles Case 2007 by the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales relating to Occupational Health & Safety, were the issue of high rates (and non-reporting) of accidents concerning young people. The Case found a high level of incidences of harassment and bullying of children/young people in employment (particularly verbal).

Some of the other key issues raised in the Child Employment Principles Case 2007 include:

• exploitation due to unpaid training;
• importance of higher rates for weekend work;
• the importance of advance notice of rosters and changes to rosters;
• the potential negative affects of long and irregular hours of work late at night or early in the morning; and,
• a high level of casual employment amongst young people.

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The Bible is a very important document for Christians, to say the least! These Scriptures speak against those who make profit through the exploitation of workers; God is “against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan” (Malachi 3:5).

Christians have a tradition of Sabbath, of an allocated time of rest, where the human soul, body and mind have the opportunity to be restored and refreshed for the work to come. The Sabbath is a sign of freedom (Heb 4:9-10) - that can caution against making work a false idol. The Sabbath allows time for worship, and constitutes a barrier against people becoming involuntary (or voluntary) slaves to work (and is thus a defence of the poor).

Jesus probably spent most of his life as a manual worker – a carpenter (Mark 6:3). Jesus believed that the meaning of the Sabbath had been lost due to mere surface observance (of the rules relating to it) – rather than adherence to the real reason behind it, which is based on the needs of the person (Mk 2:27). Jesus healed people on the Sabbath day to illustrate that this is the day of God, and that it is the day where people can dedicate themselves to God and others (Lk 6:6-11 / Lk 13:10-17 / Lk 14:1-6). Near the end of the Bible, the Letter of James defends the rights of workers to a just wage (Jas 5:4).

For Christians, it follows then that people are not simply human resources alongside other resources. Any work environment should be a place where people are respected and where they can enjoy dignified conditions and responsibilities and paid appropriately in return for hard work.

Justice at work (and human rights)

The market place is driven by the desire for profit. Unfortunately some will value profit more than the need to offer dignity to others. This is why the work environment must be ordered in such a way that protects people’s rights and true value.

In the 2006 policy, Dignity in Humanity: Recognising Christ in Every Person, the Uniting Church in Australia affirmed support for the human rights standards recognised by the United Nations (this includes those issued by the International Labour Organisation). The Uniting Church noted that “internationally recognised human rights are indivisible, universal and inalienable” and that, “no rights are possible without all that is necessary for a decent life, including the rights to work with just pay and conditions…”

Thanks to Rev Deacon Natalie A Dixon-Monu who contributed some ideas for this section.
Also see - Compendium of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, 2004 (this informs the Scriptural references above)

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In the Gospel of Luke (1:53) in Christian Scripture, Mary, the mother of Jesus, states that God fills the hungry with good things. Central to the Christian message is that God prioritises the needs of the poor. Near the end of the Christian Scriptures, the Letter of James defends the rights of workers to a just wage (James 5:4).

In the early history of Christianity, seminal writers exhorted the faithful to treat the slaves of their day with high respect. In the 18th Century Christians in Britain and France led the movement for the abolition of slavery. In the 19th Century, Pope Leo XIII condemned unjust and forceful workplace practices perpetrated by employers or contractors during the period. Today, many Christians are involved in assisting vulnerable Australian workers, in such industries as cleaning and clothing, to be afforded their basic legal entitlements. Christian communities also celebrated the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British slave trade in 2007. The Salvation Army, with others in the Stop the Traffik campaign, is working to counter exploitation of labour in the production of chocolate, calling on chocolate manufacturers to act ethically.

By supporting JustHolyHardware you can strengthen the call made by the Justice & International Mission Unit of the Uniting Church in Victorian and Tasmania (and others) to Christian communities, retailers and suppliers that they should work together to try to ensure that the fundamental human dignity of those who make Christian-related products are respected.

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In October 2004, a 16 year old lost three fingertips after they were crushed in a press at Conditionaire International, based in Miranda, south Sydney. The NSW Industrial Relations Commission found that the company had provided inadequate supervision and training to the 16 year old who had been working at the company for just four months. 
(WorkCover NSW, 2006, WorkCover News: The Workplace safety and injury magazine)

Have you ever got the feeling that you have been treated unfairly at work? Have you ever treated someone else badly at work? Work is an important part of life. At work we make choices. These decisions are made within an area that is subject to law and Government policy. Recently in Australia this bigger picture of work and how it should be regulated (or deregulated) has been vigorously debated. What laws should be in place to help us have better relations with each other at work?

Christians have not stood by and watched idly when this debate has occurred. So what do Christians think about work?

The Christian perspective on work
The Judeo-Christian perspective on humanity is that we are all purposely created in the image and likeness of God. All human life is of value and should be treated with the respect and dignity God intended us to have.

[Read more on Christians and work]

JustAct is highlighting two key issues relating to justice and employment. Some of these issues rarely get a public airing, so it is time to take some action.

Young Workers

The world of work brings with it responsibility and challenge. Young workers (15-17 years olds) often endure work in unsafe conditions and do not enjoy pay and working conditions that many other sections of the workforce take for granted. When young people are experiencing the formal workplace for the first time - this is a formative experience. Unstable and unrewarding work for young people can result in entrenching a ‘dog eat dog’ atmosphere that erodes commitment to building a compassionate and strong community. Young people deserve to have safe, stable and rewarding work environments – this benefits the good of all.

Homeworkers

Have you ever wondered why that pair of jeans ‘made in China’ is so cheap? Many homeworkers and workers in what are known as ‘sweat shops’ throughout the world remain an underclass which can provide a pool of cheap and submissive workers in both industrialised and developing countries. Christian communities (and others) of all persuasions have played a part in highlighting this issue. You can play a part in striving for justice for home workers here and overseas by calling for more countries, including Australia, to support an international agreement to protect these most vulnerable workers.

Hindu Extremists launch wave of attacks on Christians in Orissa State, India

October 2008

The mob came with weapons shouting Jai Bajrang bali (Hail Hanuman) and using abusive language cursing Christian villagers. They burnt two Church of North India churches, one Roman Catholic church and one Independent Pentecostal church. We all ran to the jungle. But Pastor Samuel Nayak was not that fortunate. They caught him and killed him in front of his wife. They also set his mother on fire.
Pastor Premanad Nayak of the Church of North India, Bakingia, Kandhamal

Update

The Church of North India, a partner church of the Uniting Church in Australia, has appealed for support from the Uniting Church and other churches in the face of a wave of violent attacks by Hindu nationalist extremists against the minority Christian population in Orissa State. The Church of North India has described the situation as a ‘reign of terror’.

A Hindu leader, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), and four other people were murdered on 23 August by Maoist guerillas. However, Hindu nationalist extremists blamed the murder on the Christian community.

An estimated 50,000 Christians have been forced to flee their homes, women have been raped and burnt, a Catholic nun was pack raped, and priests have been tortured. More than 36 people have been murdered in the violence and over 400 injured. Some reports from churches suggest that the actual number of people murdered could be in the hundreds. More than 400 churches and prayer halls have been ransacked and desecrated, and hymn books and bibles have been burnt. More than 30,000 Christians now living in refugee camps or are hiding in the forests, including children from orphanages that have been destroyed leaving the children without shelter. Even the refugee camps have been attacked by Hindu extremists, some of whom have attempted to poison the water supply to the camps. More than 100 Christian educational institutions have been attacked.

One of those murdered was a young Hindu woman, Rajni Majh, who worked at a Catholic orphanage. Rajni was tied up by Hindu extremists and thrown into the burning orphanage.

The churches report that Christians captured by the Hindu extremists are being forced to convert to Hinduism. Hindu extremists have threatened to murder all Christians in Orissa to wipe them from the state.

The violence has spread to other states controlled by the Hindu nationalist Bharantiya Janata Party (BJP). In Madhya Pradesh, Hindu nationalists burnt down the 86-year-old St Bartholomew Anglican Church in Ratlam city.

On 30 September a mob of 3,000 Hindu extremists burnt 300 houses and three churches in Kandhamal, while police stood by and watched. One person was murdered and two required medical treatment.

Churches have expressed concern that they and related non-government organizations have been blocked from being able to distribute relief materials except through the Red Cross. The church leaders have stated that they have no confidence in the management of the Red Cross in Orissa as it is managed by the Government officers most of whom are party to violence against the Christians

The churches have also complained that many innocent Christians have been taken into police custody and been subjected to inhumane methods of interrogation. At the same time the police refuse to register complaints by Christians when they have been the victims of criminal activity.

Church of North India leaders have filed a petition with the National Commission for Minorities seeking national government intervention. A church delegation met with the Indian Prime Minister, Shri Manmoham Singh, who said the situation in Orissa State was a ìa national shameî. He stated the Chief Minister and Governor of Orissa State had failed to undertake their duties.

The Chief Minister of Orissa, The Hon. Navin Patnayak, promised a delegation of church leaders on 17 September that the Christians in the State will be protected and offered assurance that all possible efforts were being taken to restore peace and harmony in the State.

Some photos are too disturbing for publication: this photo is of a burnt out orphanage - part of the attacks

[Some more background information from Radio National]

Take Action Now: points to include in your email (see below – You Can Help)

• Express your horror at the atrocities committed against the Christian community in Orissa and neighbouring states and the failure of the Indian authorities to take timely and effective action end these gross human rights abuses.
• Ask for assurance that immediate and effective measures will be taken to end the attacks and to bring to justice those responsible for the reported murders, rapes and arson of homes, shops, schools, orphanages and churches.
• Express deep concern at reports that local police have ignored some of the crimes being committed and have failed to carry out investigations into the crimes when the victims are Christians.
• Ask specifically about what steps have been taken to investigate the murders of Pastor Akbar Digal, Pastor Samuel Nayak of Bakingia, Kandhamal, Pastor Matthew Naik from Kanbagiri, seven month pregnant Kamalini Naik and her one year old son from Kandhamal district and Pastor Gopana Naik from Badimunda and to bring those responsible to justice.
• Ask what investigation has been conducted into the attack on four nuns of the Missionaries of Charity who were travelling on a train from Raipur to Indore on 5 September that resulted in the nuns being severe injuried.
• Ask what investigation is being conducted into the murder of a young woman, Rajni Majh, who was burned to death by a mob on 25 August at the orphanage where she worked.
• Ask that the Indian authorities take immediate and effective action to provide all necessary support to people who have been forced to flee their homes to ensure their health and well-being and to provide them with adequate compensation to rebuild their homes.
• Ask that relief agencies and Indian churches be allowed free access to provide humanitarian relief to those who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the persecution they have been subjected to.

Also see action update

Update

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Act NOW! – At the moment we are asking for you to help Pastor Berlin Guerrero

Help the UCCP to seek justice for Pastor Berlin Guerrero

Pastor Berlin Guerrero from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) was abducted and tortured by members of the Filipino security forces in May 2007 and remains in prison awaiting trial on what the UCCP and the Justice & International Mission Unit of the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania (JIM Unit) believe are trumped up charges.

The UCCP has partnership agreements with the Uniting Church in Australia.

When Pastor Guerrero was abducted he was travelling with his family, wife (Mylene) and three children, after leaving a local church in which he serves. The motor tricycle they were travelling in was cut off by a white van in front of the Seven Star petrol station at Bgy Casile, Binan, Laguna and armed men abducted Pastor Guerrero. The van had its number plates covered. The attackers stole Mylene’s bag, mobile phone, laptop and the money collected in the church service they had come from. Pastor Guerrero had a cloth placed over his head and he was beaten, punched and kicked repeatedly on the journey. He was taken to an unknown location and tortured by being beaten with fists and blunt objects and having a plastic bag placed over his head until he fell unconscious twice.

Those torturing him were able to force him to give them the names and addresses of his family, members of his church, the name of the administrator at the Union Theological Seminary and leaders of local labour rights and peasant organisations.

They tortured him to extract the password for his computer and wiped off all his church, school and personal files, replacing them with incriminating files.

Pastor Guerrero was threatened with death and being burnt.

He was taken to Camp platoon Garcia, Cavite Provincial Police Office, Imus, Cavite when they finished torturing him. He has been placed under arrest with charges of murder and sedition.

Some progress has been made. Arrest warrants have been issued in late 2007 against the four members of the Filipino security forces responsible for the abduction and torture of Pastor Berlin Guerrero on 27 May 2007.

However, Pastor Guerrero is still in prison. He has organised a regular lay formation program for fellow prisoners which is held every Thursday and Sunday he helps to lead an ecumenical worship service in the prison. He also organised the Cavite Provincial Jail Choir which conducted a Christmas concert. The Chief Warden at the prison has publicly expressed his deep gratitude for the ministry being undertaken.

The appeal of Pastor Guerrero to have the charges against him dismissed was heard in February 2008 and a decision is pending.

STOP PRESS*

On August 20 2008 members of the UCCP Council of Bishops marched to the Court of Appeals to appeal the immediate release of Pastor Berlin Guerrero.

If the Court of Appeals will decide to dismiss the Information for murder against Pastor Berlin Guerrero, he can be immediately released. This is the hope and prayer of the Council of Bishops of the UCCP. However, if the Court of Appeals does not decide in favour of Pastor Berlin he will stand trial on the trumped-up murder charge.

“It will be very disturbing seeing a pastor, who has committed his life to God in the service of God’s people, standing trial for murder. But, it’s really not so different than the story of Jesus and His disciples in the Bible. We hope and pray the case of murder will be quashed and that justice will prevail,” Bishop Eliezer M. Pascua, UCCP’s secretary-general said.

*Source: Noel Sales Barcelona www.cbcpnews.com

STOP PRESS #2

On September 11 Pastor Guerrero was released from jail (on the equivalent of ‘bail’), but his court case is still ongoing. We still need your help. We still need emails. Call for justice in this case, and state that there is much support for Pastor Guerrero.

For more information go here

STOP PRESS #3

Because of this new information (Stop Press #2) when you write letters include the following points:

• Welcome the news that Pastor Guerrero was released on Thursday 11th September (but note that his case is still pending).
• Call for the case against Pastor Guerrero to now be quashed, given the lack of evidence supporting the charges.

STOP PRESS #4 - case is now dismissed!

Last September 11, the third Branch of Court Appeals chaired by Justice Martin Villarama ordered a temporary restraining order barring Bacoor Regional Trial Court to proceed with the trumped up murder charge against Pastor Berlin and likewise ordered his temporary release in the custody of his counsels. Yesterday, September 25, the CA so ordered to lift and/or recall the warrant of arrests and Alias warrants of arrest and directed the lower court to quash the informations therein and dismiss the criminal case of murder against Pastor Berlin.

Indeed this is a triumph of justice against repression, of truth against lies.

Thanks to all who helped by sending an email - activism works!