FBU Siren â¢ Spring 2009 - Fire Brigades Union

More documents

Recommendations

Info

See for more on 10 years of the NWCdifferLooking back over more than a decade of women organising women can be very proud.within the FBU, internationalism has played a pivotal role We are few and we have limited resources. But we do not considerin how we integrate with and relate to workers globally. that ‘doing nothing’ is an option. Through determination and effectiveThe links we have made have ensured that we have been organisation we have and can continue to make a difference.able to count on the support and knowledge of our sisters Of course, there is still so much to do. And so we remain asworldwide and returned that support and mobilised when called upon committed as ever to highlight, inform, forge links and most importantly,with all our ability fight against violence, injustice and humanin the name of progress.Many of the causes the NWC has championed – issues affecting the rights violations, wherever they occur.lives of many women across the globe – would not have been highlightedor even begun to be addressed without us. And for that FBU tenHere we chart some key international solidarity work over the lastyears.Making aCuba2000/2001: links were secured anddeveloped with the FMC (Federacionde mujeras cubanas, or the CubanWomen’s Union), alongside ongoingwork with the Cuba SolidarityCampaign. Alicia Gonzales, FMCwomen’s officer, attended our nationalwomen’s school in what would turnout to be the first of four visits fromour good sister. Alicia’s visit wasdoubly important as it allowedour Cuban sisters to get access tolarge numbers of unions directly:that year we secured a speakingcommitment from the platformat TUC Women’s conferencein Scarborough, providingthe trade union movementwith an insight into theprogress made by womenunder the revolution butalso the impact of the decades longUS economic embargo on Cuba onCuban women, from a Cuban woman;and Alicia and her Cuban colleaguesalso took the opportunity to attendpolitical meetings, meet women’sorganisations and make other links.We have since moved motions at FBUconference, TUC women’s conferenceand TUC congress in support of ourCuban comrades, and in May2008, Scotland women’s rep,Denise Christie visited Cubaon an FBU delegation.10 years on, the NWC in 2009will, on the occasion ofthe 50th anniversaryyear of the Cubanrevolution, returnto the FMC asa focus for ourschool.Colombia2002: trade unionist-turnedSenator Gloria Ramirez, visited theannual National Women’s School,giving us an understanding of thedangers of fighting for workers’rights in what is still the mostdangerous place in the worldto be a trade unionist. We thenmoved motions at FBU and TUCconferences in support of actionfor Colombia. Our then president, Ruth Winters met withher and women activists on a TUC delegation to Colombia’scapital Bogota, visiting women’s prisons and upon herreturn helped publicise the horrendous conditions andfictitious crimes for which these women were incarceratedOur support continues with our affiliation to Justicefor Colombia, and securing a platform speech for ourColombian sister Gloria at the TUC Women’s conference.This was the first time that a motion regarding women inColombia had been passed at the TUC women’s conferenceand it widened the debate and raised awareness.jess hurd/reuters/empicsCaption hereCaption hereCaption herePalestine2002: Vera Baboun from the Universityof Bethlehem spoke at a NWC meetingto give us an update on the horrendoussituation in Palestine – a situationwhich has worsened over the years tothe slaughter in Gaza today.2003: The FBU’s Ghada Razukiand Linda Smith attended the FBUwomen’s school, recounting theharrowing events from their visit toPalestine.FBU women subsequently organisedlocal meetings and galvanised theirbranches and FBU women’s structuresto affiliate to Palestine SolidarityCampaign.These initiatives helped FBUwomen communicate the issue atforums beyond the Union, such asthe TUC women’s conference and TUCCongress, increasing awareness of theneeds of Palestinian workers and theirfamilies.14 Siren Spring 2009
GLOBAL SOLIDARITYenceWestern Sahara2005: the NWC provided essential support to the Sandblastcampaign against the Moroccan occupation of the WesternSahara, the last colony of Africa. General secretary of theSaharawi women’s union Fatima Mehdi gave our women’sschool a first hand account of life in the Saharawi campsfor Saharawi women and their families. FBU women alsolobbied their MPs to pressure Government to take actionagainst human rights abuses and a just settlement for theSaharawi people.Kurds2006: Sohila Naseri from the Kurdish Women’s Associationspoke at our women’s school, highlighting discriminationand other issues facing our sisters in Iraq, Kurdistan andSyria. The NWC continues to provide support.Zimbabwe2007: The Dignity Period campaignwas our focus, with sister LuciaBatibenga, a key Zimbabwean tradeunionist attending our annual women’sschool. The school students madea fantastic collection towards thesupply of dignified sanitary provisionsfor women in Zimbabwe. FBU sistersthen ensured that the NWC, and theFBU at a national, regional, brigadeand branch level: affiliated to thecampaign; lobbied their MPs to signtwo Early Day Motions on Zimbabwe;and put motions forward to bothFBU conference and TUC women’sconference to support this campaign.Successful efforts were then madefor the TUC’s General Council to securea Zimbabwean woman speaker toCongress that year: Tabitha Khumaloof the Zimbabwe TUC (since elected tothe MDC) was given a live, televisedplatform and the full support ofthe TUC. This further embarrassedPresident Robert Mugabe’s regime.The FBU maintains the link with ZTUCand ACTSA, in particular those sisterswho bravely exposed to the world theinjustices that are being experienced.Afghanistan2006: FBU women tabled a motion regarding the plightof women in Afghanistan to TUC Women’s Conference.Supported unanimously, it called for the TUC and affiliatesto get involved with women’s issues there and to supportthe association of Afghan women, RAWA. The TUCinternational department has since highlighted the issueand the work of local women’s NGOs among TUC affiliates.Iraq2008: Existing FBU links with Iraq were bolstered bymaking contact with the Iraqi Women’s League (IWL)and a representative of the organisation, Dr ShathaBeserani, spoke to FBU sisters at the women’s schoolabout the harrowing impact of the war, the situationfor women and children, in particular in Basra andwhat we, as British trade unionists can do to assistin rebuilding an infrastructure and a future forwomen and children, including education of boys and girls amongst theruins of their towns and cities.The school that year collected £570 for Shatha, which the IWL will use towardsthe re-building of a library and schoolroom in Basra town on her return. This is justone example of real people making a real difference with just some information,awareness and a will to do something. Be sure that links with the IWL willcontinue. FBU branches, brigades and regions have since affiliated and the TUCwomen’s committee also remains in contact.Spring 2009 Siren 15
Page 2: Inside4 Campaign newsWelfare packs
Page 7 and 8: Top to bottom: Women reps inworkgea
Page 11 and 12: in the workplaceat regional and bri
Page 13: 10 years of NWCisedservice. “I li

FBU Siren â¢ Spring 2009 - Fire Brigades Union

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?

FBU Siren â¢ Spring 2009 - Fire Brigades Union