Category: Solidarity Actions
Open Meeting: Coordinating Global Week of Action for “Blood Money Campaign” Myanmar
We – a local alliance consisting of the grassroot unions FAU and IWW in Hamburg as well as individual activists – invite to an open meeting to plan actions in context of the „Blood Money Campaign”, which aims to support the resistance against the military junta in Myanmar.
The Blood Money Campaign was initiated and designed by activists and union leaders on the ground in Myanmar. Among others the Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM) is involved, which consists of grassroot factory unions across the country – mostly in textile factories. The campaign aims to pressure companies that keep doing business with the military junta – be it directly or indirectly. Various labour unions such as FGWM as well as the Confederation of Trade Unions of Myanmar (CTUM) as a whole call on all companies to halt investments in Myanmar. With any business done the military and its repressive regime benefit – through taxes, fees or direct cooperations.
More information on the Blood Money Campaign: globalmayday.net/bloodmoneymyanmar
To coordinate a global week of action in context of the Blood Money Campaign together, we invite to a meeting on August 27th 2021 at 2:30 p.m. (UTC). Check out following link for your local time: time.is/en/compare
Virtual room: meet.jit.si/BMCnetworking
Please enter your name (preferably incl. your location) when entering the room.
You can access the room on your computer, tablet or smartphone. You should accept access to your microphone. Activating your webcam is optional.
Hope to see you at the meeting!
Students in Dhaka support CDM in Myanmar
Cultural activists as well as students organized with the Bangladesh Student Union (BSU) rallied today in Shahbag, a district of Dhaka. The protest was held against the military junta and its attacks on the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). A particular focus was on the recent killing of poet Khet Thi.
The action also took place in the context of Call for International CDM Solidarity.
Myanmar poet Khet Thi, whose works declare resistance to the ruling junta, has died in detention and his body was returned with the organs removed, his family said.
source: theguardian.com
A spokesperson for the junta did not answer calls to request comment on the death of Khet Thi, who had penned the line “They shoot in the head, but they don’t know the revolution is in the heart.” His Facebook page said he was 45.
Among others the following speech was held in Bangla:
The people of Myanmar continue to fight for democracy in the face of intense repression. Those fighting against the dictatorship are killed in the streets every day. At least 750 people have been killed so far in the protests. But still the movement continues. They died for democracy. The military junta is not stopping and keeps using lethal violence in the streets. Every day organizers and activists of the movement disappear, including journalists, intellectuals, poets and writers who inspire the struggle for freedom. One of the latest victims is Khet Thi, a poet dedicated to the democratic movement in Myanmar.
The barbaric acts of the military junta is captured in the media emerging from various sources, both reliable and unofficial, in the midst of extreme repression. Nowhere in the recent past has there been so much loss of life for democracy in the world – as right now in Myanmar. However, the movement against the barbaric position of Myanmar’s military junta and the killing of people is far from over. Regional politics, regional interests, diplomacy is actually for whom? For the people or for the oppressive regime? If the rulers have the last word; if the issue of man and his freedom becomes secondary, then what are the United Nations good for?
The Civil Disobedience Movement in Myanmar is also a motivating force against fascism and dictatorship in Bangladesh. The martyred poet Khet Thi of this movement is our nephew. Let us make clear our position against the brutal repression in Myanmar by demanding justice for Khet Thi’s murder. We sympathize with the struggle of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar. At the same time, we unite our forces against all kinds of undemocratic, fascist forces at home and abroad.
#Call4InternationalCDMsolidarity
#WhatsHappeninginMyanmar
#1world1struggle
Hamburg: Starbucks, stop funding #TigrayGenocide!
As part of the Global Week of Action in solidarity with the population in the Tigray region shared by the collective Horn Anarchists and originally published by the Indigenous Anarchist Federation comrades of the Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Hamburg and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Hamburg rallied at a Starbucks in the city center.
Leaflets (see .pdf below) were distributed to passers-by and customers. The branch manager was not present, therefore workers inside confirmed to forward a copy of the leaflet to the manager.
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CALL: Starbucks, don’t fund #TigrayGenocide
The following call was originally published by Indigenous Anarchist Federation. The collective Horn Anarchists shared it with the Global May Day list and calls on grassroot organisations worldwide to join the call for a Global Week of Action (May 1 – 7th, 2021):
Since November, Ethiopian federal and allied military forces have carried out a genocidal campaign of political repression in the Tigray region. Indiscriminate bombings, mass executions, rape as a tool of war. Food supplies devastated adding starvation to the arsenal. Refugees are prevented from fleeing these horrors. Communications and outside aid have been cut off.
Outside the region, Tigrayan people have faced escalating discrimination and violence due to their ethnicity. They have lost jobs and had passports canceled. Social media is filled with a cocktail of propaganda standard for modern genocidal regimes: open government hate propaganda mixes cleanly with legions of unquestioning supporters and puppet account networks.
Responding to calls from Tigrayans and other groups facing violent repression from the Ethiopian state, a decentralized, global effort is underway to stop this genocidal conflict. This means building real solidarity, beyond borders and nations.
We must also dismantle the Ethiopian state’s ability to wage this war. One way is to cut into the state’s biggest source of direct funding and foreign currency revenue: coffee. A major buyer around the globe is Starbucks. The corporation regularly engages in direct negotiations with the Ethiopian state, whose direct control of trademark licensing and access to markets puts millions into the government’s coffers. Those in solidarity around the world must take action to cut off this flow while the genocide continues.
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Aufruf zur Internationalen Solidarität mit dem Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM)
Der folgenden Aufruf wurde von den Basisgewerkschaften Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM) und All Burma Federation of Trade Unions (ABFTU) sowie dem Kollektiv Food Not Bombs Myanmar – mit Unterstützung der Arbeitsgruppe Asien der Internationalen Konföderation der Arbeiter*innen (IKA) – verfasst und eingereicht. Dieser kann auch hier als .pdf-Datei heruntergeladen werden.
Übersetzungen: Englisch | Spanisch
Aufruf zur internationalen Solidarität mit dem Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in Myanmar
Liebe Genoss*innen von der Internationalen Konföderation der Arbeiter*innen, dem Global May Day Netzwerk und anderen emanzipatorischen Gruppen weltweit,
seit Anfang Februar gehen wir – zivile Basisgruppen und -organisationen in Myanmar – auf die Straße um gegen die Militärjunta zu kämpfen, die sich mit einem Putsch nach den Wahlen im vergangenen November wieder an die Spitze der Regierung gesetzt hat. Der Putsch hat massive Konsequenzen für uns: Unter anderem werden Freiheiten, die in den vergangenen Jahren und Jahrzehnten erkämpft worden waren, wieder zurück genommen. Von Anfang an haben wir in den Fabriken die Arbeiter*innen mobilisiert und maßgeblich die CDM Bewegung geprägt.
Wir kämpfen gegen die Militärregierung und ihr faschistisches Regime, für eine neue Verfassung und eine föderale Demokratie. Alle politischen Gefangenen müssen sofort frei gelassen werden!
Continue reading Call for International Solidarity with CDM in Myanmar
The following call was written by the Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM), All Burma Federation of Trade Unions (ABFTU) as well as Food not Bombs Myanmar – with the support of the Asia Working Group of the International Confederation of Labour (ICL). It can also be downloaded as a .pdf.
Translations: Deutsch | español
Call for International Solidarity
with Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in Myanmar
Dear comrades with the International Confederation of Labour (ICL), the Global May Day network and other emancipatory groups worldwide!
Since February, we, grassroot organisations in Myanmar, have been taking to the streets to resist the military junta, which forced itself back into authoritarian power with a coup after elections in November last year.
The coup has severe consequences for us, among others resulting in a roll-back of liberties achieved in the past few years and decades.
From the start we have been mobilizing inside the factories and shaped the CDM across the country.
We fight for the abolition of the military leadership and its fascist regime as well as a new constitution implementing full federal democracy. All political prisoners must be released immediately!
Continue reading
#UnitedAgainstTheDragon: International Day of Action (Reports)
All reports related to the International Day of Action in Solidarity with former Textile Workers at Dragon Sweater (Dhaka) and against Excessive Consumerism on Black Friday (Nov. 27th, 2020) are listed below.
Open letter to Dragon Group management
This open letter was sent to the Dragon Sweater Ltd./ Dragon Group management on November 1st, 2020:
In cooperation with the Garment Workers’ Trade Union Center (GWTUC) the following open letter was initiated and is herewith officially delivered to the management of Dragon Sweater Ltd.
___
Dear Deagon Sweater Ltd./Dragon Group management!First of all we welcome the fact that an agreement between the textile workers and the Dragon Sweater management was finally reached. At the same time we have to acknowledge that the owners got away cheaply, since by far not all payments were agreed on that the workers are entitled to.
We will continue to observe future developments closely. In case we realize that you deviate from the agreement – for example by not paying your dues on the given days – we are ready to become active again by confronting your customers (e.g. New Yorker, Lidl and Walmart). The campaign #UnitedAgainstTheDragon would become even bigger.
Kind regards,
International Confederation of Labor (ICL)
National Confederation of Labor (CNT) Aranjuez (Spain)
Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Bielefeld (Germany)
FAU Bonn
FAU Freiburg
FAU Hamburg
FAU Leipzig
FAU Sektion Mönchengladbach
FAU Münster
FAU International Committee
Feministische Gruppe Realitätenwerkstatt Freiburg (Germany)
Federação das Organizações Sindicalistas Revolucionárias do Brasil (Brazil)
Federación Obrera Regional Argentina
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Bristol (UK)
IWW Hamburg
IWW Ireland
Central Organization of Workers in Sweden (SAC-Syndikalisterna) Fairdruckt eG
Root of Compassion eG
#UnitedAgainstTheDragon: Bicycle Rally in Dresden
Dozens of people joined Tour de Classe – a bicycle rally in Dresden – on September 22nd. In solidarity with the textile workers at Dragon Sweater they stopped at three Lidl and two New Yorker stores in the city.
Both, Lidl and New Yorker, had business relations with the Dragon Group at least until 2019. Therefore we expect a public statement from them announcing to blacklist the Dragon Group as long as wages and severance pay are owed to the workers.
The tour was organized by the local syndicate of the Free Workers’ Union (FAU).
#UnitedAgainstTheDragon: Picket at New Yorker store in Mönchengladbach
On September 19th members of the Free Workers’ Union (FAU) Section Mönchengladbach in Germany rallied in front of the shopping center Minto in the city center.
Today we held a rally in front of the New Yorker branch of the Minto shopping center in solidarity with the 6000 workers laid off and cheated for wages at the Dragon Sweater factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
source: duesseldorf.fau.org
In February/March this year they were dismissed under the pretext of corona incisions. More realistic is the assumption that union involvement there should be destroyed. For the vast majority of the workers were part of the Garment Workers‘ Trade Union Center (GWTUC), a union of sewers and others.
In the factory of the Dragon Group clothes were produced, which were and are sold profitably in Germany by LIDL and New Yorker.
We stand in solidarity with the exploited workers in Dhaka and their struggles! That is why we are trying to build up pressure here on the spot – as in many other cities and regions of the world through different grassroots unions.
Because we are convinced that we as workers, who have to sell their labor every day to satisfy our needs, are all confronted with the same problem. No matter how different the concrete situations of workers in Dhaka or Mönchengladbach may be, we are ultimately cost factors for our bosses. And they have to be kept as small as possible in capitalist competition.
There is no use in moaning, only our collective organization and the fight for better working conditions and ultimately a world in which we manage the production and all other areas of life ourselves according to our needs.
So what can you do concretely now to support the exploited workers? Here are a few possibilities: globalmayday.net
#1world1struggle
#SolidarityFromMönchengladbachToDhaka
#ItsTimeToOrganize 🏴🚩
