Free trade, imprisoned workers

13-12-2013

While workers in China continue to be arrested and imprisoned for organizing strikes and protests, big business in Switzerland has successfully lobbied for a free trade agreement (FTA) between Switzerland and China, approved without modifications by the Lower Chamber of the Swiss Parliament. The FTA has been swiftly condemned by the Geneva Community Trade Union Action (CGAS) and Hong Kong based Labour Action China (LAC) as a threat to Swiss democracy and a further setback in the struggle for the observance of universal human rights in China. These workers’ organizations call on Swiss and Chinese companies taking advantage of the FTA to respect trade union rights and they will regularly inform populations in both countries of the state of human rights for employees of Swiss and Chinese multinationals. You can read more in French here [1]

The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) is an international federation of trade unions representing workers employed in agriculture and plantations; the preparation and manufacture of food and beverages; hotels, restaurants and catering services; all stages of tobacco processing. The IUF is composed of 394 affiliated organizations in 126 countries representing a combined membership of around 2,6 million.

How to contact the IUF:
Email: [email protected]
Post: Rampe du Pont-Rouge, 8, CH-1213, Petit-Lancy (Switzerland)
Phone: + 41 22 793 22 33
Fax: + 41 22 793 22 38

Links:
[1] http://www.cgas.ch/SPIP/spip.php?article2578