International Transport Workers' Federation: Breaking News No.1

Australia
The global Action Day was kicked-off in Oceania by members of the Australian Transport Unions Federation (RTBU, TWU and MUA) led by the ITF President Paddy Crumlin (MUA). The group of top union leaders and truck, train and maritime workers protested outside the UPS facility near Sydney Airport. The delegation leafleted some 300 UPS workers' cars after a request to meet with management was refused. Crumlin and Tony Sheldon (TWU) expressed their disappointment towards the company over its appalling behaviour towards workers and its failure to recognise the workers' rights to join a union. Crumlin noted reports that UPS management in Turkey was making new workers swear to God they would not join a union before getting a job. "UPS is guilty of gross civil rights, human rights, and labour rights abuse," he said. "We are not going to go away until UPS gives those workers the respect and decency they deserve." Sheldon told those gathered that the intimidation and bullying by the company would not be tolerated. TWU's UPS workers as well as their colleagues from TNT and Tolls joined the event. (Email report by Zoe Reynolds and phone report by Richard Priest)

Japan
Led by Takayuki Takahashi (Unyu Roren), 18 unionists from Shitetsu Soren, JR Rengo, JSU, Zenkoku Kowan and Koun Rokyo visited the UPS office in Tokyo to hand over their protest messages to the management. The delegation was received by Masato Umeno, President of UPS Japan. In the meantime, JRU has sent its protest letter to the company and has also written to TÜMTIS to advise the union that the JRU will be supporting the workers at the picket-line. More Japanese affiliates are expected to provide their financial support next week. (Telephone report by Yuji Iijima and email report by Mizue Taoka)

Korea
The ITF's national coordinating committee in Korea, KTF sent its protest letter on 30 August. Today, 40 members from the ITF unions of dockers, seafarers, taxi, automobile, postal, aviation, railway and expressway workers gathered at the UPS office in Seoul at 13:30 and met with its director, JK Ma and four other staff but were refused permission to enter their office. The Korean manager promised to convey the KTF's message to the headquarters in USA. The unionists rallied and adopted a solidarity letter signed by all union leaders present. The delegation highlighted that they were there to support the Turkish workers but also the Korean UPS workers. (Email report by HK Kim)

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Hong Kong
This afternoon, transport workers from the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) and its Federation of Transport Workers Organization (HKFTO) held a demonstration in front of the UPS office. The HKCTU's Yu-Loy Wong said "We urge UPS to uphold the core labour standards, especially freedom of association and the right of collective bargaining. It is also our prime concern that UPS negotiates with the Turkish union in good faith and reinstates 157 workers ". Sam-choi Chan from HKFTO, handed a petition to the representative of UPS. However UPS only allowed four unionists to go into the office's reception. (Email report by Yu-Loy Wong)

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Thailand
Members of the ITF-Thai unions visited the UPS Head Office on Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok to protest this morning. Key members of the UPS management were having a conference call when representatives of the ITF affiliates paid their visit. For this reason, only the human resources manager met with the unionists. He acknowledged that their managing director had received the message that ITF-Thai had delivered on 27 August and confirmed that it had been sent to the UPS headquarters in USA. The delegation informed him of the ITF demands and updated him about the worldwide actions that may take place on 15 September if the company does not solve the problem in Turkey. The manager was quite upset and nervous to see the unionists distributing leaflets about ITF-Thai and the UPS dispute in Turkey and talking to the workers. (Email report by Su-angcana Tungworachet)

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Phillipines
This morning, aviation union PALEA delivered a protest letter in support of TÜMTIS to the UPS office in Paranaque City, Metro Manila. The letter was received by the country manager. A contingent of PALEA officers and members accompanied the protest action. A copy of the letter was also mailed to Scott Davis, CEO in the USA. (Email report by Gerry Rivera)

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