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6 December, 2016IndustriALL South Asia office held a series of events in November 2016 to build union organizing initiatives and inform women trade union leaders on legal processes related to sexual harassment at the workplace.
The unity meeting of affiliates in India, held on 22 November 2016 in Delhi, focused on sharing information about various union organizing initiatives undertaken by affiliates in shipbreaking, steel, mining, energy, textile, garments, shoe and leather manufacturing sectors in India.
Affiliates shared organizing strategies and practices to learn how to best tackle problems in union organizing. The meeting also reinforced the understanding among affiliates to follow the principle of non-competitive and mutually complimentary efforts in organizing initiatives.
At the IndustriALL India council (IIC) meeting, held on 23 November 2016, Dr. G Sanjeeva Reddy, who is also president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and an IndustriALL Executive Committee member, underlined the importance of organizing more precarious workers across the country to build union power.
He said, “Trade unions cutting across political affiliations need to fortify collective trade union actions to defend workers’ rights and to defeat anti-worker policies of the government of India.” The national council also expressed solidarity with the Korean general strike that took place on 30 November.
Women leaders from IndustriALL affiliates participated in the India Women’s Committee meeting held on 24-25 November 2016, which was organized with the objective to train women leaders on legal provisions of anti-sexual harassment laws and procedures.
Many of the India Women’s Committee members are part of the internal complaints committee at their workplaces and other establishments. The training focused on the implementation of sexual harassment laws, appropriate implementation of sexual harassment laws to protect workers against sexual offence, and discussed the role of unions in making the internal complaints committees function effectively.