Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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Myanmar military junta: never in fashion
The unions' message is clear: if international clothing manufacturers are serious about human rights and democracy, they must take their factories out now — or risk funding the the dictatorship, writes LAURA WATSON
Anti-coup protesters flash the three-finger sign of defiance during a demonstration in Yangon, Myanmar, April 23 2021
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
Special report by PEOPLE’S WORLD
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AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
ON THE first anniversary of the military coup, over 170 organisations from over 20 countries around the world released a joint statement in support of a call by Myanmar unions for international fashion brands to pull out of Myanmar.
Signatories include trade unions from Britain, Europe and the US, among them the TUC and the ITUC, Unite, PCS, CWU, BFAWU, UCU, TSSA, Aslef and the AFL-CIO.
The statement launched a new international solidarity campaign, Myanmar Military: Never in Fashion, set up in response to the All Burma Federation of Trade Unions (ABFTU) and the Federation of General Workers Myanmar (FGWM).
In September 2021, these unions, which are two of the largest in Myanmar and are part of the Myanmar Labour Alliance, accused employers of working with the military to undermine workers rights and hand over protesters to the police. They called on international brands to stop sourcing their products from Myanmar suppliers.
Their call is now supported by a growing number of trade unions and civil society organisations from around the world, including women’s groups and is part of the wider call for comprehensive economic sanctions to help oust the military regime.
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