Number 7 Winter 2013

Building the Sochi Olympics: workers rel ! Building the "uture: workers ct

#his $ssue "e tures: introducing the %&'s p2( trip to Sochi p)( millions in ction p*( the $#' p7( solid rity inter+iew p,( intern tion l women p11( - +id B con p12( the e!tr s p1./

$ntroducing the glob l union "eder tions

$n e rlier issues o" 0O#1 we touched brie"ly on the work o" the %&'s /Now we re t king closer look2 "ocusing on the $ntern tion l #r nsport Workers 'eder tion in p rticul r/ #o kick things o"" here3s re+iew o" the new 4 bour St rt book: #he %lob l 4 bour 1o+ement: 5n $ntroduction/ 6dd 1ustill ed 720138/ This short book provides brief histories and information on the current priorities of the sector-specific global union federations (GUFs), other organs like the International TUC (ITUC), plus ne er bodies ! the Global "abour Institute, #mnest$ International and the International Centre for Trade Union %ights (ICTU%) ! that together make up the global labour movement& In his introduction 'ric "ee argues there is a real need to educate trade unionists about this net ork of global actors& Globalisation is thro ing up ne challenges for all of us, and the role of the GUFs in this conte(t is crucial& )e need to strengthen and make these organs more effective sa$s "ee& To do so e must first understand ho the$ currentl$ ork& 'ver$one has heard of #mnest$ ( ith its * million supporters)+ but ho man$ kno much about the ITUC hich has almost ,times more members. The global labour movement has a long histor$ too& /ome of toda$0s GUFs can trace their origins back to the 123-s, a time hen economies ere run on national lines, and suppl$ chains or 45Cs ere unheard of& Toda$ things are rather different& The bulk of the book is taken up ith short chapters on each of the ten functioning GUFs& These have a common shape6 a brief histor$, a note on their structure, then a longer section on their current activities&

#t first glance these organs seem a diverse bunch& Their si7e varies greatl$6 the largest, Industri#"" ith 8- million members, has over 2- times the clout of the International Federation of 9ournalists& Though the$ retain an industr$-specific focus, some GUFs (through mergers) no cover a vast range of occupations compared to others& Contrast the International Transport )orkers Federation ith the Union 5et ork International Global Union (U5I)6 :the global union for service sector orkers, including cleaning and securit$, commerce, finance, gaming, graphical and packaging, hair and beaut$, the information communications technolog$ and services industr$ (ICT/), media, post and logistics and private care;&

In terms of functions, GUFs do not usuall$ engage in direct collective bargaining ith emplo$ers& Instead the$ tr$ to persuade multinationals to sign 0global frame ork agreements0 (GF#s) that give GUF national affiliates a rights-based frame ork for their o n negotiations& These tend to be favoured b$ internationals based in the private sector ! Industri#"", U5I, the International Union of Food orkers (IUF) and the <uilding and )ood orkers International (<)I)& =ublic sector e>uivalents, 'ducation International and the =ublic /ervices International, turn their attention to shaping or opposing specific government policies (especiall$ privatisation) and retaining services ithin the public sector& (For one e(ception here direct bargaining does occur, see page ? on the ITF)&

<e$ond these fundamentals, one a$ to appreciate the role GUFs pla$ is to e(amine their ork in concrete situations& 4ustill does this ith a couple of e(amples of persuasive collaboration bet een t o internationals and their respective national affiliates& @ere the GUFs provided educational support (in particular on 45C global strategies)+ gave specific training for national affiliate reps (on collective bargaining agreements)+ coordinated meetings bet een affiliates+ supported their organising+ and assisted campaigns for union recognition (persuading senior 45C management to begin negotiations)& GUFs also take up specific issues ithin their sector& In the garment and construction industries, their unnerving health and safet$ records are repeatedl$ highlighted in the ork of Industri#"" and the <)I respectivel$& Industri#"" has been a ke$ pla$er in dra ing up the ne <angladesh Fire and <uilding /afet$ #ccord follo ing the %ana =la7a disaster& =articular multinationals can become campaign targets ! tackling )al-4art and its denial of orker0s rights (U5I) or A@"0s treatment of its Turkish subsidiar$0s orkforce (ITF)& There are common trends across sectors too, leading man$ GUFs to campaign on issues like casualisation and precarious ork6 Industri#"", IUF and =/I are all active here at the moment& The internationals are ell placed to promote ider issues, taking them into the domains of national and international politics& Those in the public sector are prominent here& =/I has been involved in global development campaigns (for clean ater and sanitation) and international ta( Bustice (supporting financial transactions ta(es)& For the 'I, human rights are a maBor concern, ith teachers facing imprisonment or death in <ahrain and Colombia&

Cne final e(ample - the ork Industri#"" is doing around 0sustainable manufacturing0, especiall$ in relation to the environmental pollution of the shipbreaking industr$6 DDThere are no Bobs on a dead planet00&

The GUFs aren0t the onl$ agents of the global labour movement& 4ost significant of the others is the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), modern da$ successor to previous institutions that tried to create an all-embracing international organisation bringing national centres together& The ITUC pla$s a coordinating role in formulating international union polic$ ! even acting in an advisor$ capacit$ to the C'CA& It campaigns on issues such as domestic ork and $outh unemplo$ment, and has a strong educational orientation6 reflected in its annual summar$ of labour rights violations and a ne online maga7ine, '>ual Times& /maller bodies ! like Global "abour Institute, ICTU% - function as cultural centres for the movement& ICTU% has a legal basis, specialising in monitoring labour la , trade union rights and their violations& The G"I is an educational net ork, promoting international solidarit$ through research, capacit$ building and cultural e(change& Cverall this is a sound introductor$ tour of the institutions of global labour, as promised& "ee sa$s e need to make these organs stronger and more effective& @o to do this is probabl$ be$ond the authors remit here& <ut it is a crucial >uestion& Cne place to look for ans ers is in a book b$ %ichard Croucher and 'li7abeth Cotton called 0Global Unions Global <usiness0&

%lob l sport nd workers rights

0O#1 emerged "rom the 9l y" ir 2012 c mp ign on worker:s rights nd the 4ondon Olympics/ We need to return to this issue g in2 in respect o" the two m ;or e+ents o" 201) < the Winter Olympic % mes scheduled "or Sochi2 in =ussi 2 nd the World 0up due in =io de > neiro/ 4et3s st rt in Sochi//////

In danger at ork ! thousands of accidents reported each $ear& #nd prone to emplo$er reprisals if the$ dared to protest at their enslavement& Unions ere mostl$ absent ! confined to the large sites in the sector& # 4igrant )orkers union as set up in E--?, but offered onl$ advice and information, lacking an$ bargaining agreements in the construction ild est&

1igr nt l bour in the =ussi n economy

In numbers, ma$be 11 million migrants live and ork in %ussia, * million as 0illegals0& The construction sector relies a lot on labour flo s from the e(-/oviet republics, but the path to gaining legal status and securit$ isn0t eas$& 4an$ find the$ cannot get the ork permits and emplo$ment contracts needed, drifting into the informal econom$& In that unregulated space the$ risk abuse from emplo$ers, intermediaries, police and other authorit$ figures& #s the E--3 @uman %ights )atch report made clear&&&& @%)0s ide-ranging stud$ uncovered a macabre catalogue of e(ploitation, including forced labour& %ecruited from their homelands b$ intermediaries, $oung migrants arrived in %ussia and found themselves tied to brutal emplo$ment 0opportunities0& /ome had their identit$ documents confiscated, ere given fake ork permits and denied a contract of emplo$ment& Unable to return home or become a legal part of the %ussian econom$, the$ laboured in a t ilight e(istence& #nd this labour as irregularl$ paid ! sometimes not paid at all for eeks or months, ph$sicall$ confined on construction sites, ith containers for accommodation& /hort of food (supposed to be provided b$ their emplo$er)& Facing detention and harassment b$ police raids due to their illegal status ! and e(tortion to secure their release&

Sochi nd migr nt construction workers

/ochi is the countr$0s biggest ever construction proBect, ith F-- structures rising from the black earth ! accommodation, venues, roads and energ$ infrastructure& ?-,--orkers are reckoned to be involved in all this, ith 1,,--- of these migrants& #pproaching E-1F, the latest @%) report sho s little progress&&&& )age-related abuses are still common& 4igrants ma$ be paid late or not at all+ and face illegal deductions to cover the costs of arranging ork permits, food and housing (up to half their monthl$ pa$ packet)& The lack of emplo$ment contracts, ithholding of identit$ documents, and issue of fake ork permits again leaves man$ construction orkers far too vulnerable&& #dd in e(cessive orking hours, substandard food and accommodation&

Finall$ hen orkers cannot take an$ more and rebel, the$ find emplo$ers onl$ too illing to retaliate, den$ing them food and housing, or calling in the federal immigration service to flush out 0illegals0 and deport them&

' cing the "uture

/o hat can be done. 5o doubt the prevailing political and economic climate in %ussia isn0t favourable& 'ven those ho report on and publicise the plight of migrant orkers come under state scrutin$ and harassment& Then again, as the second most popular destination for migrant labour in the orld econom$, the issue is unlikel$ to disappear - stretching far be$ond /ochi E-1F and the construction sector&

The$ face some serious challenges! recent federal labour legislation permits )orld Cup emplo$ers to forgo pa$ing their foreign orkforceG #nd the harsh political climate for migrant orkers leaves them too e(posed to harassment and orkplace raids b$ the authorities& 5or is the %ussian state keen to accept organising of migrant armies& <e$ond sporting events, %ussia0s Trade Union of 4igrant )orkers continues its educational ork - so migrant orkers get information on admission rules and practices, kno their rights and gain access to unions&

In their latest report @%) call on state authorities, private emplo$ers and the International Cl$mpic Committee to secure the human and labour rights of migrants& )hat that leaves out, of course, is the role of the orkers themselves& /o far, unions are not strong defenders of the booming migrant orkforce& <ut there0s some promise&&&&&&&& #head of the E-12 )orld Cup, the %ussian <uilding )orkers union is getting mobilised and orking ith the sector0s GUF (the <uilding and )ood orkers International) to publicise migrant orker0s rights&

The IUF affiliate 5ovoprof is making aves across the food, catering and cleaning sectors, organising migrant labour and inning impressive amounts of back pa$ through staging strikes, demos and rallies& In the ords of itHs vice chair6 I)e proved that it is possible and necessar$ to fight for ages, and the first step to ards inning is to become a member of our union&I Finall$, the <)I is bringing together unions from %ussia and the Central #sian sources of these migrant flo s, to provide support for orkers at both ends of the chain& The introduction of regional union membership cards is one promising idea here&

The millions in action.....world day for decent work 2013

thanks to IndustriALL for photos

$ntern tion l #r nsport 'eder tion

#he $#' is one o" the oldest %&'s2 ble to tr ce its roots b ck to 1?,*/ 0o+ering workers in se " ring2 the docks2 ci+il +i tion2 ro d nd r il tr nsport2 it h s )/. million members strung out cross 1.0 countries/ $t h s long tr dition o" intern tion l solid rity2 "orged in the " ce o" m ;or ch llenges posed by the likes o" "l gs o" con+enience shipping/ #od y the building o" str tegic connections between tr nsport worker unions2 to e!ert le+er ge o+er modern glob l supply ch ins nd the mo+ement o" goods2 is m in priority/

"ong-standing, po erful solidarities bet een seafarers and dock orkers lie at the heart of the ITF0s successes here& It has been able to nimbl$ follo the changing geograph$ of the shipping industr$, and bring ne orkforces under its protection ! e&g& from 'astern 'urope& #nd it has moved to tackle the 0divide and rule0 tactics of the shipping companies, ho tried to pla$ labour suppl$ and capital suppl$ countries and their orkforces off against each other& The ITF encourages bilateral relations bet een unions as a solidaristic alternative to division& #nd that isn0t the onl$ campaign success the ITF has in its locker&&&&&&&

#he "l gs o" con+enience c mp ign

Uni>uel$ for a GUF the ITF is a direct bargaining agent ith emplo$ers in one particular sector of the shipping industr$& /ince 13F2 the$ have campaigned around the practice of 0flags of convenienceH (FCC) vessels& These ships are registered in states that differ from those of their o ners and cre s, creating a regulator$ gap (be$ond national unions) and a search for lo ages that the ITF has challenged&

Global Delivery

<e$ond the high seas, a length$ campaign in the A@" suppl$ chain bore fruit recentl$& For over t o $ears the ITF (and its GUF colleagues in the U5I) have supported the efforts of the TU4TI/ union in Turke$ to gain recognition from A@" for its orkforce& Covering 1,-- orkers the victor$ marks a big step for ard for labour rights in Turke$& #ccording to the TU4TI/ president, Kenan C7turk6
This victory is not just TUMTISs victory but it is the victory of collective struggle and international solidarity.

The ITF negotiates on behalf of around one >uarter of all FCC ships (J 1E-,--orkers)& It relies on its global net ork of inspectors to monitor conditions on board, ensuring the agreement ( hich covers ages and orking conditions) is upheld& FCC shipping is a forerunner of the 0race to the bottom0 e see across the hole global econom$ toda$&

9orts o" 0on+enience

The domination of the shipping industr$ b$ 45Cs e(tends be$ond the carriers themselves to the ports and container terminals& Cver 8-L of ports and terminals orld ide are controlled b$ F companies, looking to ma(imise profits b$ undermining labour standards, safet$ procedures and regulations& To combat this the ITF began a ne campaign in E--, on 0=orts of Convenience0, reconvening the solidarit$ bet een seafarers and dockers that underpinned the FCC proBect, to challenge a >uartet of dominant 45Cs (A=), @=@, #=4T, =/#)& Their 0global net ork terminals0 are central nodes of the modern global econom$ and its elongated suppl$ chains, choke points here labour can potentiall$ e(ercise ne strategic po ers& In the ords of =add$ Crumlin, from the ITF dockers section6
Multi-national Global et!or" Ter#inals o!n $%& of cargo ter#inals !orld!ide. If !e do not organise these strategic hubs' !e have no chance of organising the !hole su((ly chain. )nd this should be our ulti#ate goal

The ultimate goal here is to achieve a decent set of orking conditions across all ports and terminals in the orld econom$& To this end the ITF is prioritising the signing of IF#s ith companies here no collective bargaining agreements e(ist+ securing rights of freedom of association+ and halting dangerous trends to ards privatisation and the use of casual labour& True to their heritage the ITF recognise the need for global organising and campaigning to tackle the po er of multinational capital, uniting orkers in G5Ts and other ports, organising the unorganised and effectivel$ supporting each other&

'all on the same ocean': Hong Kong oc!ers

Glance at the events o" 2013####

$ %or!ers at D&bai Port Worl too! coor inate 'rotest action in (ctober) to 'ress&re their em'loyer to &'hol &nion rights an recognition* $ in +n ia) &nions %on a ne% agreement %ith DPW at a terminal in Kerala# 11 &nions %or!e together to 'aralyse the 'ort "or 10 ays* $ the Port o" Hong Kong %as str&c! "or ,0 ays in the s'ring) as the -HKD &nion 'ress&rise H&tchison Port Hol ings to eal %ith its eman s on 'ay an con itions*

Protest against DPW (WDDW 2013)

$ over in .nt%er') a / ay stri!e er&'te over the &se o" non0 oc!%or!er agency sta"" in %areho&ses# .s +12 a""iliate .34 1ranscom 'oints o&t) this attem'te instance o" 'ort labo&r 'liberalisation' is an all too real threat#

5oli arity +ntervie% %ith 6obin .le7an er

=obin 5le! nder is the intern tion l director o" the &nited 6lectric l workers o" 5meric / #he &6 h +e been in+ol+ed in cross<border solid rity pro;ects "or couple o" dec des/ We sked her to re"lect on her e!periences @our lli nce with 1e!ico3s '5# is the best<known e! mple o" &6 inter< n tion lism/ Wh t other pro;ects A p rtners re you working on A withB )e have ver$ close relationships ith unions in other parts of the orld, but much of our ork involves the countries closest to us geographicall$& Given the increased attack on unions in 4e(ico, several $ears ago e formed the Tri-5ational /olidarit$ #lliance or T5/#& This effort involves a ide range of unions in 4e(ico, the U/, Canada and Muebec&

@ou h +e m de good use o" online c mp igning in your intern tion l work/ Cow do you weigh up the pros nd cons o" 3+irtu l solid rity3B I believe that it is ver$ important and particularl$ commend "abourstart for their e(cellent ork in this area& #s corporations become more intert ined and global, e must be able to link orkers together internationall$ as ell& @o ever, the danger is that people ill come to believe that the click of a computer ke$ is enough hen, at best, it is onl$ one piece of a larger campaign that must have at its heart the orkers in struggle on the ground

&6 D '5# 1ur l

%r ss<roots e!ch nge nd lli nces re centr l to the intern tion l work o" the &6/Cow import nt is building solid rity 3"rom below3B I believe that the most important thing e have done is to create a culture of solidarit$ that e(tends not onl$ to orkers ithin U' and other unions in the U/, but to orkers and unions in other countries& It is imperative that e globali7e solidarit$G

T5/# :engages in solidarit$ ork around the demand for freedom of association ith an internationalist vision of union struggle&&&& I)e recogni7e that the structural causes of our oppression are the same in 4e(ico, Canada and the United /tates& Together ith the Global Union Federations and the ITUC, e denounce the attack on the orking class, and strive to resist and repel the forces that are orking against our interests and to promote a decent standard of living and ork ith dignit$ for orking people in all of our countries&I

#he '5# isn3t ;ust tr de union < it h s other component p rts2 gi+ing it more o" the ch r cter o" soci l mo+ement/ Wh t h s been the &63s rel tionship to this bro der gend B <ecause the U' also has a broad vision and a commitment to fight for all of the rights and needs of orking people, our first proBect ith the F#T as to ork together in opposing 5#FT#&

Unfortunatel$, our prediction regarding the devastating impact on orkers in all three countries as on point and e ere unsuccessful in stopping it& @o ever, e continue to ork together on a variet$ of issues& Cne of our most interesting recent e(changes ith the F#T has been ith orkers in our co-op sectors& "ast Fall, members from U' co-ops -- including the co-op that as formed b$ orkers of the former %epublic )indo s and Aoors -ere hosted b$ F#T co-ops in and around 4e(ico Cit$& In Cctober, U' co-ops in 4assachusetts and Nermont hosted four representatives from co-ops linked to the F#T& It as a fabulous trip, and this e(change has been reall$ useful to both of our organi7ations& It has generated a lot of ideas and energ$ and I am ver$ optimistic that this ill result in the gro th of both of our organi7ations and further Boint ork in the co-op sector&

-8 9 2.1 s&''orting los mineros

.nd wh t h s surprised you most bout

the solid rities th t &6 h s builtB That although both U' and F#T are organi7ations that are ver$ modest in si7e, e can have a large impactG #nd that is simpl$ a reflection of the principled commitment of both of our organi7ations to fight together ith man$ other allies for the rights of orkers& #lone e can do ver$ little& Together e can move mountainsG

U8 an 2.1 3o0o' elegation 4ooking b ck o+er lmost two dec des o" the &6 < '5# lli nce2 wh t h s been its gre test chie+ement7s8B #lthough e can point to organi7ing victories and e(citing educational programs, for me the biggest achievement is that the U'0s international ork has come to be vie ed b$ our members as an integral part of hat e do&

+nternational Women 9 5.D5.W:ast time %e 'ro"ile the +nternational Domestic Wor!ers ;et%or! an its e""orts to gain %or!er<s rights "or over =0 million omestic labo&rers# With the 'assage o" +:( 3onvention 1>? on Decent Wor! into 'olitical reality in 5e'tember) an the str&ggle o" +DW; a""iliates to get this rati"ie by nation states) real change is coming thro&gh collective action# /o let0s probe a bit deeper and focus on the /outh #frican branch of the IA)5, /#A/#)U, for hom E-1* has been >uite a $ear& )ith their government being one of the earliest signatories to C123, /outh #frican domestic labourers stand to gain immediate benefits from its introduction& In the ords of /#A/#)U leader 4$rtle )itbooi6 :For too long, the value of our ork asnHt recognised;& C123 changes this+ domestic orkers no have the same rights as others&

That doesn0t mean ever$thing has been achieved& /#A/#)U continues its ork tackling the e(ploitation of foreign migrant domestic orkers b$ recruitment agencies& Nulnerable and desperate to find ork, these omen are placed in vile conditions, here the pa$ is pitiful, b$ these agencies& /#A/#)U is orking ith a local ne spaper to e(pose this scandal& The union also has a long a$ to go in getting its members educated to kno their rights and utilise their freedom to Boin trade unions&

. continental movement

Cn a ider canvas /#A/#)U has been at the heart of setting up a ne #frican domestic orkers net ork this $ear& 38 domestic orker representatives from 1? organi7ations in 1? countries, ith a total membership of 388?E, participated in the founding Conference& Check out the progress of domestic orkers0 groups across the continent via the #frican pages of the IA)5 ebsite6 http6OO &id n&infoOregionsOafrica

There could be as man$ as 1 million domestic orkers in the countr$& 5ational labour la s ere alread$ providing some protection for domestic labour+ the introduction of C123 fills in the missing gaps around health and safet$, maternit$ leave, and rights to collective bargaining&

#he =ight to St y Come D - +id B con

With many than!s to the -5 %ebsite 1r&tho&t) %e re'ro &ce a recent intervie% %ith Davi @acon abo&t his ne% boo!# (3o'yright: 1r&tho&t#org# 6e'rinte %ith 'ermission)
Aar! Karlin: *hen (eo(le beco#e econo#ic (a!ns instead of loo"ed u(on as hu#an beings !ith dignity' they often lose their +right to stay ho#e'+ you argue. Given the #assive govern#ent' cor(orate and global trade forces that create dire econo#ic circu#stances in Me,ico and -entral )#erica - (articularly !ith indigenous (o(ulations - !here does resistance begin as you discuss in your last cha(ter. Davi @acon: It begins in the ho#e co##unities of #igrants the#selves. The boo" describes one of the #ost i#(ortant organi/ations that is calling for resistance and the right to stay ho#e - the 0inational 1ront of Indigenous 2rgani/ations. They !ere able to get the first non-34I 5do#inant (olitical (arty6 governor of 2a,aca to #a"e a co##it#ent to develo(#ent that could give (eo(le so#e alternative to forced #igration. 0ut this de#and is also no! being (ut for!ard by #igrant' es(ecially indigenous #igrant organi/ations throughout 7atin )#erica' in the 3hili((ines' and !ere no! hearing it in the alternative 3eo(les Global )genda on Migration gathering that !ill ta"e (lace in e! 8or" ne,t #onth during the U s highlevel dialogue on #igration. AK: 8ou are #asterful and indefatigable in detailing ho! various neoliberal econo#ic (olicies have devastated (articularly those (oor in Me,ico !ho relied on a subsistence agrarian e,istence. 9o! did )1T) !ound the i#(overished but liveable rural indigenous econo#ies' forcing efforts to #igrate to US.

D@: )1T) allo!ed the du#(ing of corn' #eat and other agricultural (roducts in Me,ico at lo! (rices by huge cor(orations !hose costs in the US are subsidi/ed by the US far# bill. They did this in order to ta"e over the #ar"et' and today one co#(any' for instance' S#ithfield 1oods' sells :$ (ercent of all the (or" in Me,ico. That #ade it very difficult for Me,ican far#ers to gro! cro(s or raise ani#als and sell the# at a (rice that !ould (ay the cost of (roducing the#. *hen they couldnt survive as far#ers' they had to leave ho#e loo"ing for !or". AK: 8ou detail ho! the guest !or"er (rogra#' no! "no!n as visas 9:) and 9:0 ;to continue in the (ro(osed i##igration +refor#+ in another guise - for#erly the largescale bracero (rogra#< e,(loits basic hu#an rights and for#ali/es the use of sub-liveable !age !or"ers fro# Me,ico. I "ne! this continued feature of +i##igration refor#+ !as bad !hen George *. 0ush fully su((orted it. Tal" a little about the injustices of the various guest !or"er (rogra#s over ti#e and !ho they have benefited. D@: There are today !or" visa (rogra#s for agricultural !or"ers ;9:)<' lo!er-s"illed nonagricultural !or"ers ;9:0< and higher-s"illed !or"ers li"e nurses' teachers and high-tech !or"ers ;9=0<. )ll of these visas re>uire so#eone to !or" in order to stay' so losing a job #eans having to leave the country. )nd they all are based on e#(loyers recruiting !or"ers in other countries. ?#(loyers li"e these (rogra#s because they all allo! the# to hire !or"ers at lo! !ages' lo!er than !hat theyd have to (ay if they hired (eo(le already living in the US' !hether citi/ens or i##igrants. )nd by (aying lo! !ages and "ee(ing those !or"ers insecure' they also (ut the# into co#(etition !ith !or"ers already here. 1or the guest !or"ers' there is a long history of e#(loyer abuse' including cheating on the ter#s they (ro#ise !or"ers !hen theyre hired' and not (aying legal !ages or (roviding the legally re>uired conditions. The Southern 3overty 7a! -enter calls the# close to slavery.

AK: 9o! are the e,traction' agricultural and food (rocessing industries e,(loiting !or"ers !ithin Me,ico and also (olluting indigenous lands ;ejidos<' #a"ing it #ore difficult to e,ercise the right to stay ho#e. @0A The boo" begins !ith one of the biggest e,a#(les - the huge co#(le, of (ig far#s in the 3erote Balley built by S#ithfield 1oods. The !aste fro# the one #illion ani#als raised each year there #ade the valley al#ost uninhabitable because of the stin"' flies' the (ollution of the !ater table' and disease. Many residents believe that the s!ine flu of a fe! years ago began because of the huge concentration of (igs. 0ig -anadian #ining co#(anies' also (rofiled in the boo"' have had a si#ilar devastating i#(act on the environ#ent in other rural indigenous co##ittees. The conta#ination itself is a factor (ushing (eo(le to leave. 0ut the !ay the econo#y has been refor#ed in order to +!elco#e+ foreign co#(anies by violating land rights' (aying lo! !ages and fighting unions have dee(ened (overty and dis(laced #any (eo(le. MCA 0eginning !ith corru(t Me,ican 3resident -arlos Salinas during the George 9erbert *al"er 0ush (residency' just (rior to the ratification of )1T) under -linton' Me,ico started to #ove to!ard beco#ing (art of the neoliberal global juggernaut. I define neoliberalis# as creating a !orld consisting of four grou(s of (eo(leA consu#ers' lo!-!age !or"ers' the ultra-!ealthy and the dis(ensables. The (eo(le (rofiled in your boo" a((ear to fall into the second and fourth categories. Is that right. @0A The (eo(le are dis(laced in Me,ico' and the boo" describes this (rocess' then beco#e #igrants. Their need to !or" and the (overty of their fa#ilies forces the# to acce(t lo! !ages' both in Me,ico and in the US. The boo" then describes the !ay US i##igration la! is used against the#. In #any cases' li"e the union drive at S#ithfield 1oods in Tarheel' orth -arolina' !hen the i##igrants #a"e co##on cause !ith !or"ers here and try to organi/e unions or (rotest bad !ages and

conditions' e#(loyers then fired the# !ith the coo(eration' and so#eti#es at the orders of' the US govern#ent. So in that sense they beco#e dis(ensable' at least to their e#(loyers.

AK: I canDt hel( but thin"ing in reading The 4ight to Stay 9o#e and the last boo" of yours that !e featured' Illegal 3eo(le' of ho! slavery treated hu#an beings as co##odities' and although there is no longer o!nershi( of (eo(le' in so#e !ays there still is through strategically (lanned control over the econo#ic circu#stances of those !ithout (o!er. D@: 8es' Illegal 3eo(le' and no! The 4ight to Stay 9o#e' trace the develo(#ent of the idea of illegality - ho! !e got the idea that a hu#an being could be +illegal.+ The roots are clearly in slavery' because the status of a slave' the (ro(erty of another (erson' #ade the slave illegal - the #ost terrible and brutal for# of illegality. 0ut after slavery !as for#ally abolished' these sa#e ideas of ine>uality and illegality !ere a((lied to others - the -hinese' Ea(anese' 1ili(inos and Me,icans. I##igration la! has beco#e one i#(ortant !ay in !hich that illegal status is forced on (eo(le.

AK: @oesnDt the US econo#ic de(endency on Me,ican lo!-!age labor go hand in hand !ith the anti-union #ove#ent in the United States. D@: ?#(loyers !ant to (ay lo! !ages and loo" for the tools that !ill "ee( !or"ers vulnerable and force the# to acce(t these conditions. The dis(lace#ent of Me,icans by refor#s and trade agree#ents creates a huge nu#ber of (eo(le !ho have no alternative to #igration' and then to acce(t !or" on !hatever ter#s an e#(loyer offers. There are so #any #igrants fro# Me,ico that agriculture' #eat(ac"ing and other industries de(end on these !or"ers' and e#(loyers rea( high (rofits fro# the lo! !ages they (ay. *hen those !or"ers organi/e unions to (ush their !ages u(' e#(loyers fight those efforts out of the si#(le desire to "ee( (rofits high and to control their !or"force. That antiunion (olicy is used by e#(loyers against !or"ers in general' not just i##igrants' and (art of that (olicy is the effort to "ee( i##igrants and (eo(le already here insecure and (it the# against each other. The boo" describes this (rocess' but also describes so#e of the ti#es !hen (eo(le have been able to successfully resist it. AK: Given the financial i#(act of billions of dollars sent bac" to Me,ican fa#ilies by relatives !or"ing in unsafe and lo!-(aying (ositions in the United States' doesnDt the Me,ican govern#ent have an incentive not to try and i#(rove the econo#y for the (oor. D@: 8es it does. )nd #ore than that' it uses the re#ittances sent ho#e to #a"e u( for the cuts in the budget for social services in order to #a"e debt (ay#ents' !hich go over!hel#ingly to US ban"s. 8ou could say that the re#ittances also indirectly subsidi/e US ban"s. This is a labor e,(ort (olicy' and other countries are also doing it. AK: It doesnDt a((ear that 2ba#a has i#(roved the li"elihood of +the right to stay ho#e+ in ter#s of creating living !age jobs in

Me,icoF his role in getting Me,icans ho#e has been as de(orter-in-chief' and heDs brea"ing records for crac"ing do!n on undocu#ented #igrants. Given that 2ba#a is an advocate of neoliberalis#' is there #uch ho(e that he !ill do anything to return dignity and econo#ic viability to (roviding an econo#ic incentive for #igrants to stay in their co##unities. D@: I thin" the (ush for that !ill co#e fro# (eo(le the#selves. 2ba#a is a su((orter of trade agree#ents and has negotiated several during his ad#inistration. This is a bi(artisan (olicy. So to change the#' !e need a (o(ular #ove#ent that is strong enough to enforce other (riorities' li"e renegotiating or si#(ly scra((ing )1T). The fact that the ad#inistration de(orts G%%'%%% (eo(le a year' fires thousand fro# their jobs' and then negotiates trade agree#ents that dis(lace (eo(le' forcing the# to #igrate' #a"es no sense unless youre deliberately trying to create a huge nu#ber of very vulnerable' lo!-!age !or"ers. It is an inhu#an' brutal (olicy. AK: Is the US (olicy and (olitical +debate+ over undocu#ented !or"ers re(resentative of a larger global injusticeA the e,(loitation of #igrant !or"ers on a global scale. D@: The 4ight to Stay 9o#e loo"s at Me,ico and the US not because these t!o countries are e,ce(tional' but because by loo"ing at the# closely !e can understand a (rocess that is going on all over the !orld. There are over :=H #illion (eo(le living in countries they !erent born in' $I #illion #ore than :% years ago. *hile about G$ #illion live in the US' you can see this is so#ething ha((ening on a global scale. So the forces driving it are global' and unfortunately the "inds of (olicies (ushed in the US debate - es(ecially cri#inali/ation and guest !or"er (rogra#s have beco#e global ones also.

1he e7tras
:abo&r 5tart's introduction to the global labour #ove#ent can be bought fro# their !ebsite htt(AJJ!!!.labourstart.orgJ:%=HJ(ublication s.ht#l 2n the 5ochi Winter (lym'ics see this shoc"ing video of construction !or"ers acco##odationA htt(AJJ!!!.the#osco!ti#es.Jne!sJarticleJs ochi-oly#(ic-!or"ers-un(aid-for#onthsJG%=K::.ht#l The #ost recent H&man 6ights Watch re(ort can be do!nloaded fro#A htt(sAJJ!!!.hr!.orgJre(ortsJ:%=HJ%:J%KJrac e-botto#-% 1or organising and educational !or" a#ongst #igrant !or"ers see the +-2 an @W+ 'roBectsA htt(AJJc#s.iuf.orgJ.>LnodeJ:GIK and htt(AJJconnect.b!int.orgJ.(ageMidL: To source info on the +12 see their !ebsiteA htt(AJJ!!!.itfglobal.orgJ ) good revie! of their 2lags o" 3onvenience ca#(aign can be found in the e! Unionis# (roject on global unionsA htt(AJJne!unionis#.!ord(ress.co#J:%=HJ%$J =:Jglobal-unionis#-the-seafarers-#odelJ The -8 has its o!n International !ebsite !here you can find #ore info on their solidarity !or"A htt(AJJ!!!.ueinternational.orgJ 1or the 1ri0;ational 5oli arity .lliance seeA htt(AJJ!!!.trinationalsolidarity.orgJ The joint !or" on 3o0o's is featured atA htt(AJJ!!!.ueunion.orgJue-ne!sJ:%=HJcoo(-!or"ers-fro#-#e,ico-visit-ue-northeastco-o(s 5.D5.W- have their o!n !ebsiteA htt(AJJ!!!.sadsa!u.co#Jinde,.ht#l and the +DW; site contains additional ne!s storiesA htt(AJJ!!!.id!n.infoJ Davi @acon has a nu#ber of articles about #igrant labour on the Truth 2ut !ebsiteA htt(AJJtruth-out.orgJinde,.(h(. o(tionLco#McontentNvie!LarticleNidLIN>Ld avidObacon