Trade union rights under global attack

The claims were made in a report published by War on Want based on information provided by the ICFTU (International Confederation of Trade Unions.

It highlights abuses across the world, often in export sectors and export zones with dozens of shocking stories and statistics. More than one trade unionist was killed each week in Colombia, while many more were imprisoned or received death threats.

In Turkey, a dock workers’ union official was arrested, stripped, beaten and forced to lie on ice. Two days later he died in police custody. In China striking workers were sent to labour camps without trial. While in Guatemala, armed thugs held hostage union members on banana plantations owned by the multinational Del Monte. Some trade unionists have even been attacked at their own Annual Congresses. Steve Tibbett, Senior Campaigner at War on Want said: "These are shocking stories for the 21st century. They mean that globalisation isn’t the boost for poor people that it could be. Without basic global standards for workers these kind of abuses will continue."

War on Want is calling for ILO core labour standards to be implemented at an international level, utilising trade incentives to achieve that end.