What: Documentary, “Working Class Heroes” (57 min)
Where: Cinema Room at the International Labour Organization (ILO), 4 route des Morillons, 1202 Geneva
When: Thursday 13 June, from 13.30 to 14.30 (entry is free)
Working Class Heroes is a dual portrait of trade union leaders, both in Indonesia and in Colombia. The union leaders Said Iqbal and Igor Karel Diaz from IndustriALL affiliated Sintracarbón of Colombia have, for many years and with considerable success, devoted themselves to securing labour rights for their fellow mineworkers.
This documentary was produced by filmmakers, Huub Ruijgrok and Arno van Beest, in collaboration with FNV Mondiaal from the Netherlands.
The right to organize and right to bargain collectively are international human rights, which most countries have signed up to. Countries are also bound to respect these basic rights as members of the ILO. However, trade unions experience great opposition in many countries when they attempt to exercise these rights.
Indonesia and Colombia are two examples of this. Although they are emerging economies, workers benefit little from the economic growth. Unions that want to put union rights in practice meet fierce opposition.
See Working Class Heroes trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9AvGXh_G08