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Unions mobilizing against precarious work

2 September, 2009Unions around the world are mobilizing and preparing for the global week of action from October 3 to 10 in the campaign against precarious work. Posters and leaflets in support of these actions are now available on the IMF website.

GLOBAL: Across the world IMF affiliates are making plans to participate in the global week of action from October 3 to 10 in the campaign against precarious work and the World Day for Decent Work on October 7.

The impact of the global financial crisis on precarious workers is the theme of IMF's action this year. Affiliates are taking the fight to governments, calling on them to ensure equal rights for precarious workers and to strengthen legislation to prevent employers from using precarious employment in place of permanent and direct employment.

In Thailand, TEAM is planning in conjunction with unions from other sectors a massive demonstration in the heart of Bangkok on October 7. In Indonesia IMF affiliates Lomenik and FSPMI will be in the streets on October 4 and in Australia actions will take place in all capital cities around the country on October 7.

To kick off the action, on September 5, IG Metall is holding a rally in Frankfurt as part of their campaign "Gemeinsam für ein gutes Leben" (Together For a Good Life). The rally will call for policies that reflect the concerns of the majority of people, the most important of which is job security, according to a survey carried out by IG Metall to find out what people expect from a 'good life'.. For more information go to: http://www.gutes-leben.de/

To support these and other efforts elsewhere in the world, this week the IMF released a new poster and leaflet, in conjunction with the International Trade Union Confederation, Global Union Federations and the European Metalworkers' Federation, which can be downloaded from the IMF website here.

This October, IMF and its affiliates around the world are calling on governments to:

  • Restrict temporary and contract work to cases of genuine need
  • Guarantee equal pay for precarious workers and their right to join a union
  • Require long-term temporary jobs to be converted to permanent jobs

Details of actions being taken by IMF affiliates will be reported on the IMF website at: www.imfmetal.org/precariouswork