The following statement for May Day 2010 has been endorsed by socialist, trade union and progressive organisations in the Asia-Pacific region, including groups in Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan and the Philippines. Full list of endorsements.
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All over the world workers are organising…
We are organising to demand a living wage. For health and safety at work. For compensation and rehabilitation. For the rights of migrant workers and refugees, for citizenship rights for migrant workers and their families. For the right to employment on equal terms.
Workers are organising against deportations, against racism, against discrimination. Workers are organising against wars that are a disaster to millions of workers.
Workers are organising for secure jobs. Against casualisation, contracting out and outsourcing. Workers are organising for the rights of women workers.
For better working conditions, to stop work becoming harder, faster, more stressful and dangerous. For shorter working hours, for paid leave and paid holidays. For affordable housing and health care. For free education and welfare, against child labour and poverty and inequality.
Workers are organising for the rights of indigenous communities who have been stripped of their land and resources. Workers are organising to fight discrimination against minorities, women, lesbians and gays.
While we struggle against these problems, we see that our planet is being ruined through reckless, wasteful and unsustainable production for profit.
Workers can fix these problems. Workers can reorganise all industry to produce for peoples’ need instead of profit. Resources can be distributed to people and places that need them so our children will have a future.
To do this workers have to dismantle imperialism and the capitalist system. We need to make decisions together in our own workplaces, unions and political organisations about the way production and sharing need to be restructured.
We need this. We have the numbers. We control production. Capitalists will be defeated.
Signed:
All Pakistan Federation of United Trade Unions
Anadolu Kultur Merkezi (Anatolian Cultural Centre, Australia)
Australia Asia Worker Links, Australia
Bangladesh Saniukta Tanti Samity (National Organisation of Self Employed Handloom Weavers Workers, Bangladesh)
Chennai Metro Construction & Unorganised Workers Union Tamilnadu, India
ChinaWorker
Committee for Asian Women, Thailand
Committee for a Workers' International, Malaysia
Communications Union CEPU (T&S Vic), Australia
Disability Support Pensioners Australia
Ejaz Ul Haque Siddiqui (Pakistan Workers Federation)
G.R.S.E. Workmen's Union, India
Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union
ITGLWF Philippines council
Jatio Garment Sramik Federation (National Garment Workers Federation, Bangladesh)
Jatiyo Sramik Jote (National Workers Unity, Bangladesh)
Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja-Pekerja Perusahaan Alat-Alat Pengangkutan Dan Sekutu (National Union of Transport Equipment & Allied Industries Workers, Malaysia)
Konfederasi Kongres Aliansi Serikat Buruh Indonesia - KASBI (Confederation Congress of Indonesia Unions Alliance)
Korea Federation of Construction Industry Trade Unions
Latin American Solidarity Network - LASNET, Australia (Red de Solidaridad con los Pueblos Latinoamericanos)
Migrant Workers Solidarity Network, Bangladesh
Migrants Rights Council, India
New Trade Union Initiative, India
Pakistan Labour Federation
Partai Rakyat Demokratik - PRD (Peoples Democratic Party, Indonesia)
Parti Sosialis Malaysia - PSM (Socialist Party of Malaysia)
Partido Lakas ng Masa (Strength of the People Party, Philippines)
Partido ng Manggagawa (Labor Party, Philippines)
Peace and Justice for Colombia, Australia
Perhimpunan Rakyat Pekerja (Working People Association, Indonesia)
Progressive Labour Party, Australia
Revolutionary Socialist Party, Australia
Socialist Alliance, Australia
Socialist Alternative, Australia
Socialist Party, Australia
Socialist Worker, Aotearoa New Zealand
Solidarity, Australia
Textile Garments Workers Federation, Bangladesh
Trade Unions of the Philippines and Allied Services
Unite, Australia
Workers' Liberty, Australia
Working People's Association, Indonesia (PRP, Perhimpunan Rakyat Pekerja)
Workers' Rights Coalition, Australia