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Page context: International Women's Day 2006 > 8th March campaign activities, 2006
Argentina
The Argentine cabin crew union, Asociación Argentina de Aeronavegantes (AAA) will call a meeting for all members to debate eight different topics covering labour issues for women cabin crew, the role AAA plays in encouraging women’s participation in other unions, role of women in society and strengthening the links between union and family life. The case of Patricia Bengtsson will also be discussed as will the role of union women in the fight to save the national carrier Aerolineas Argentinas. The union will also be using the 8th March to form a permanent women’s commission and to plan an annual work programme for women.
Australia
Occupational health and safety is the primary focus of the Australian Services Union campaign. The union will also be campaigning to raise the profile of women trade unionists in the transport industry, particular in the road transport and aviation sectors.
Bangladesh and India
The All India Railway Workers' Federation, Port Unions in Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai and the Bangladesh Biman Shramik Union, Bangladesh Railway Employees League, Bangladesh Biman Officers Association and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation Workers' Union have planned a joint seminar to mark International Women's Day. The seminar is being held in Kolkata on 7-8 March and bring together women delegates from both countries to discuss their common issues and rights. Women representing Civil Aviation, Railways, Inland Navigation and Port and Docks will be participating in this programme.
Benin
On the 8th March, the Syndicat des Travailleurs Air Afrique Bénin (SYNTRACAAV) will be organising a seminar at the International Airport in Cotonou on the unionisation of female workers and union gender perspectives under the slogan of Strong unions need Women.
Brazil
The road and rail union, Confederaçao Nacional dos Trabalhadores em Transportes Terrestres (CNTTT) is organising five days of activities to mark International Women's day, these include lectures and debates on the political role of women in society, union programmes for women and HIV/Aids awareness, the union estimates the participation of 80 - 100 women transport workers.
Burkina Faso
Various activities including a conference and film will be organised by the railway union, Syndicat Libre des Cheminots du Burkina on the 8th March. These activities are designed to get both women and young transport workers together to discuss their labour issues. The union plans to use the media highlight their discussions; the union envisages the participation of between 60-100 people.
Cambodia
The Trade Unions of Sihanouk Ville Port will be inviting women workers, trade union leaders, trade union members and the employees and management of Sihanoukville Port to an open meeting on the 8th March. The meeting is organised in order to raise issues concerning women workers, and will be addressed by the Director of Sihanoukville Port.
Cameroon
The Syndicat National des Chauffeurs du Transport Urbain et Interurbains du Cameroun (SYNACTUICAM) will be marching in Douala and Yaounde and will distribute campaign materials in order to encourage women transport workers' to become active union members.
Chile
The cabin crew union, Sindicato de Tripulantes de la Empresa Lan Chile S.A is planning a huge rally on the 8th March to highlight the importance of women in the workplace and to encourage increased participation of women in the union.
Colombia
The local Cartagena community and trade union movement will be invited to meetings, forums, seminars and rallies to mark the 8th March by the Sindicato de Conductores de Taxis de Cartagena to highlight the importance of women’s participation to strengthen trade union organisations.
UPDATE:
On 6 March, women members representing road transport and maritime workers of ITF affiliated unions Sincontaxcar and Unimpescol met with their respective union leaderships and the ITF Inspector in Colombia about a project proposal presented to the ITF entitled ‘Strong Unions in the transport sector need women and to inform them about the joint activities organised to commemorate Women’s Day. Activities in the first stage will commence with workplace visits and surveys of transport companies in Cartagena. On the 8th March, a joint meeting will take place and include all unions affiliated to the National Trade Union Centre, CUT Bolivar, where ITF materials will be distributed and a film, ‘Bread and Roses’ will be shown by SINCONTAXCAR about the women workers in the USA and their struggle to have their right for decent work recognised.
Congo, Democratic Republic of
The 8th March activities planned by the Confédération Africaine des Travailleurs Croyants include HIV/Aids awareness, organising drives, negotiation of better working conditions in Congo Railways for train drivers, whilst increasing the degree of awareness and participation in the ITF railway day of action.
In order to increase their female membership and encourage women to run for leadership positions, the Fédération Nationale des Travailleurs du Transport will target all trade union branches in order to raise awareness, motivate and schedule preparatory meeting to organise campaign activities for 8th March.
The Solidarité Syndicale des Travailleurs et Cadres du Congo - SOLIDARITE will target their existing structures and their cross-sectional networks to organise activities to mark 8th March in order to get the women closer to the union and increase their involvement in ITF activities.
Ethiopia
In order to promote women’s participation in transport workers' unions, the strengthening of the union, solidarity and women’s rights, the Transport & Communications Workers' Trade Unions Industrial Federation will be organising activities to highlight the 8th March.
France
Men and women members of the Fédération Générale des Transports et de l'Equipement - CFDT will be dressed in pink, with balloons and handing out CFDT & ITF materials in front of 4 railway stations in Paris to SNCF railway workers. These activities are planned to organise female members.
The Fédération Syndicaliste FO des Cheminots hopes to reach a maximum number of women workers at SNCF by organising one hour meetings with women railway workers organised by each shop steward in each work place and friendly brief actions carried out by FO women members.
Great Britain
In order to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinian women and raise profile of women's issues, the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) will target TSSA women members, UK women cabinet and shadow cabinet members and use the union journal to publicise fundraising efforts for Palestinian women.
The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen (ASLEF) will continue campaigning to make International Women's Day a national holiday, they will also raise funds for the sandblast campaign (supporting women in the western Sahara). The union is organising a beach party - a joint event with the Fire Brigades Union, FBU and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association,TSSA. Everyone will be encouraged to wear beach clothes; there will be a musical event, speakers, a collection for sandblast and the evening will end with a disco.
Guatemala
The Union Sindical de Trabajadores de Aeronautica Civil will be organising an equal opportunities workshop on the 8th March for transport workers, to attract new members and promote the participation of women in the union.
Hungary
Independent Trade Union of Aviation Workers (Légiközlekedési Dolgozók Független Szakszervezete) are planning to mark the 8th March by establishing a working women’s section in the union to activate women members.
India
The Cochin Port Staff Association is planning to organise campaign activities with a seminar on the 8th March for women working in the organised and unorganised sectors including rural areas. The seminar inform about women’s rights, how react and fight against injustice and torture, the role of the union and the ITF and how to strengthen solidarity between unions and their members.
The Indian National Transport Workers' Federation plan to contact women workers employed in the road transport industry to hold meetings and organise discussions on the issues faced by women road transport workers.
The All India Railwaymen's Federation will observe the 8th March by distributing campaign posters and stickers. Though trade union education and cultural programmes they plan to encourage women workers to participate actively in trade union activities to make the union strong.
A march in front of the railway station on 8th March is being organised by the East Central Railway Karamachari Union, Hajipur to campaign for equality for women transport workers, they will also focus on organising young women transport workers.
Trade union members of the West Central Railway Employees' Union will be approaching young women workers on the 8th March to encourage them to join and participate in the union. Various awareness and educational activities will be conducted too.
Ivory Coast
The Syndicat de la Météorologie et de l'Aviation (SYMA) will be organising activities on 8th March to raise awareness amongst women workers to encourage increased participation and awareness of their rights.
Jordan
All Royal Jordanian Airlines workers will be invited by the General Trade Union of Workers in Air Transport and Tourism to join the 8th March campaign. The union will arrange seminars regarding the rights of woman and distribute a key holder to mark the occasion.
UPDATE: On the 6 March, the Women’s Committee met the president of Royal Jordanian airline and successfully negotiated the following rights for women workers in Royal Jordanian:
Lithuania
The Lithuanian Transport Workers' Federation is organising meetings in locals all over Lithuania in bus depots to discuss women's issues to mark the 8th March. A joint meeting with the women from the Latvian merchant fleet will be held in Riga on 7th March.
Malawi
A one-day workshop on promoting women in leadership and organising is planned by the Transport & General Workers' Union. A rally will also take place on the 8th March, where union members will march through the commercial city of Blantyre where ITF posters and pamphlets will be distributed.
Nepal
The Women’s department of the ITF affiliate, the Nepal Transport Labour Association (Nepal Yatayat Mazdoor Sangh) participated in a huge rally in Kathmandu organised by three major national trade union centres
New Zealand
The National Distribution Union will be placing campaign posters on lunchroom walls and union members will be wearing stickers to mark the 8th March and talking to women workers, with the aim of increasing the awareness of women in the transport industry.
The Rail & Maritime Transport Union Inc will be sending out a campaign pack comprising campaign posters, stickers, pens, & a survey to all union members. The responses to the survey, will serve to identify active women members and the issues raised by them prior to 8th March. A women’s website chat group will also be set up.
Women of the Maritime Union of New Zealand, MUNZ will be celebrating International Women’s Day with a rally in Wellington outside Victoria University, Pipitea Campus. Where there will be speakers and free sausage sizzle with donations going towards the First MUNZ Women's Conference on 01 September 06.
Nicaragua
The Sindicato Nacional Héroes y Mártires del MTI plans to coordinate activities with their affiliates and promote work teams in order to call meetings and distribute campaign materials to mark the 8th March.
Niger
The Syndicat National des Conducteurs Routiers Voyageurs du Niger plan to distribute information on the 8th March to their female members regarding health and safety at work.
Nigeria
Leading up to the 8th March, the women’s executive of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN) is planning a programme of activities for all aviation workers, including those from local and foreign airlines. Activities will culminate a in major rally by women and men members.
Palestine
The General Union for Transport Workers will be carrying out work place and home visits on International Women’s day to raise the awareness of women workers about trade union issues.
Paraguay
SEODINAC affiliated to the Paraguayan transport workers union, USTT is launching a campaign in defence of women workers rights in the Civil Aviation sector. The union plans to distribute campaign materials and organise a discussion group on 7th March. On the 8th March workers of the DINAC, the national civil aviation authority will be petitioning their employers over labour conditions issues.
Peru
The woman’s structures of the port union FENTENAPU will be placing a banner at the entrance of the Port of Callao to greet women workers. Leaflets will be distributed and a mass will take place organised by the port company, ENTENAPU to mark International Women’s Day. The union will also be taking part in an equality rally on the 8th March, organised by the General Confederation of Workers of Peru - CGT, the first in a series of activities throughout the week.
Philippines
The Philippine Seafarers' Union, due to a lack of women members, will be targeting the wives of seafarers, and running awareness seminars about their rights and relevant legislation concerning women.
Portugal
The Sindicato Nacional do Pessoal de Vôo da Aviaçâo Civil - SNPVAC plan to exert pressure on employers, government and the national union confederations, to demand for specific cabin crew regulations regarding maternity, breastfeeding and childcare. The union hopes to extend the specific regulation included in TAP (national carrier collective) agreements, achieved as result of their 2005 campaigning, to other air companies. Campaigning activities will commence with meetings with national women's organisations.
Senegal
The campaign objectives of the Syndicat National des Travailleurs de la Marine Marchande (SNTMM) include raising awareness regarding women transport workers rights and HIV/Aids and STDs.
Spain
On the 8th March, ELA will be calling on regional government to recognise the role of carers and their dependents. The union states that women carry out 80% of this work, without any economic, social or political recognition and contrary to equality and health and safety laws.
Swaziland
The Swaziland Transport & Allied Workers' Union have set up a steering committee to organise for the 8th March campaign, consisting of women and gender activists from the transport sector. They plan to organise, recruit and mobilise women workers in the transport sector and highlighting safety in the workplace for women. The height of the campaign will be marked by the mass rally on the 8th March, gender policies will be translated into programs and action, the union will encouraging shop floor activism and women’s participation in union activities through shop floor visits, lunchtime union meetings and holding regional and sectoral workshops for women.
Tanzania
The Dock Workers Union of Tanzania will be distributing campaign materials to encourage active participation of women in union activities at branch level, branch seminars for women leaders and a ITF national committee workshop will follow. The union will also participate in an International Women's day rally.
As part of their campaign efforts, the Tanzania Seamen's Union (Zanzibar) will be reaching out to non-unionised women seafarers, to raise awareness on the importance of women joining trade unions. The union plans to network with other transport sector unions in Tanzania and carry out a joint rally.
To improve union capacity on organising and recruitment of women members, the Communication and Transport Workers' Union of Zanzibar will carry out visits to the department of aviation and the Zanzibar Port Authority on the 6th March. A union delegation will also visit all women communication and transport ministers on the 7th March; activities will culminate on the 8th March with a mass rally through Zanzibar.
Thailand
The ITF Thai Womens group joined over 500 women in a march on Womens day to protest at Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for ignoring the plight of female workers and neglecting their rights., in particular for failing to endorse initiatives to improve safety requirements at hazardous workplaces and establish childcare centres in industrial zones. They then issued a joint statement calling on Thaksin to step down and never to run in an election again.
Togo
A conference and picnic to mark the 8th March will be organised by the Syndicat des Travailleurs des Compagnies de Navigation Maritimes, Aériennes et de Transit du Togo (STRANAVITTO) to encourage the unionisation of both men and women workers and especially young workers.
Turkey
To reiterate the message that unions need the participation of women, the Turkish Civil Aviation Union Hava-Is will be holding education seminars on ‘How we can act together for specific demands in collective negotiation’, distributing health brochures and organising workshops on equality and sexual harassment.
Zambia
The National Union of Transport and Allied Workers (NUTAW) will be participating in a national 8th March rally and will distributing ITF campaign materials to sensitise women on the need to join the union so that they can be protected at their place of work.
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