
Issue No 108		24 August 2001

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News

Bras Burned for Burma

A rally outside a Sydney retail outlet this week will launch the consumer phase of the campaign to force the Burmese military junta to comply with core global labour standards.

Supporters of Burmese workers will gather on Tuesday at 12.30pm outside Grace Brothers in the Pitt Street Mall to launch the "The Support Breasts Not Dictators" drive.

They will be asking consumers to boycott Triumph bras produced ion Burma - the nation found by the ILO to be in breach of core labour standards for their use of bonded labour.

The protest will centre around a giant bra and the ritual burning of Triumph products.

Triumph and retail outlets like Grace bros that stock its brands are defending their production on Burma on the grounds that they comply with the law and pay above minimum wages.

These defences have been rejected by the TCFUA as "propaganda", organizer Barbara Jensen pointing out that the Burmese law has been imposed by a Military dictatorship and that the on-going trade is in breach of the ILO recommendation.

The rally is being sponsored by the FairWear Alliance of trade union and church groups.

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Issue 108 contents

Interview: The Man from Manusafe
Manusafe chief Andrew Whiley explains why employers have nothing to fear from the entitlements trust fund.

E-Change: 2.4 The Skeptic’s Response
In this round-table discussion, Noel Hester leads the charge against the argument that globalisation and change are inevitable.

Politics: No Hand Idle
Whitlam Institute director Peter Botsman finds much to agree with in John Howard's social coalition for welfare delivery.

Unions: Slavery and Struggle
A battle with all the elements of the infamous waterfront dispute is being played out in Charleston, South Carolina:

International: Postcard from Santiago
The CFMEU's Phil Davey meets up with Communist Party cadres in Chile who led the underground resistance to Pinochet.

History: Race and Australian Labour.
Australian unionists have long been questioning notions of a “White Australia”, even before the colonies united with it as the central feature.

Economics: Global Regulation
Public sector unions from around the globe are taking the first steps to work internationally against the deregulation agenda.

Satire: Niche Identified in Left-Wing Publications Market
A marxist-feminist activist has discovered a gaping hole in the lucrative left-wing publications market.

Review: The Fight for Equal Pay
In this extract from her new book, Zelda D'Aprano looks at the contribution Kath Williams made to the struggle for equality.

» Entitlements Just Tip of the Iceberg

» State-Wide Push for Entitlement Protection

» Support Builds for Industrial Manslaughter Laws

» Organiser Assaulted – Police Called In

» Young Casuals Not Paid Overtime

» Commonwealth Hit With Criminal Conviction

» Back Door Bob Does Wollongong

» ABC IR Memo Draws More Fire

» Unions Warn of More Deaths in Construction

» Big Brother Hits Rail Workers

» Libs Dodge Public Education Forum

» Westfield Squeezes The Extra Dollar

» MP's Staffers Fume Over Pay Deal

» Mat Leave Win for Country Energy

» No Wonder Wonderland Workers Unhappy

» Qld's First Major Review of Awards

» Unions Buck Online Ambush

» Bras Burned for Burma

» Two Capps To Cancel Debt

» Australians Work Too Much, Too Long

» Activists Notebook