A number of national and multinational enterprises are waging a systematic campaign to rid themselves of trade unions. The Spanish multinational Union Fenosa and its Colombian distribution company Electricaribe, for example, are deploying a strategy of harassment, persecution, repression and illegal actions against its workers in a bid to oust the union

“…(A) little beauty from the Irish Times. It tells us that the average Irish worker produces 48,500 euros of profit per year for the owners. These figures were produced by the Unite union to disprove the idea that profits for Irish capitalists are somehow ‘too low’ or being squeezed by unjustifiably higher wages. Actually, it suggests an extraordinary rate of exploitation. According to the Industrial Development Agency [pdf], the average wage in Ireland was 627.24 euros per week in 2007, which is just over 32,000 euros per year. This figure is offered by the IDA as an instance of how competitive the Irish labour market is for foreign direct investors. It boasts of a skilled, educated labour force capable of the production of a great deal of value at lower cost than German or Dutch workers (but, interestingly, a bit more expensive than the average UK worker). According to Unite: “In total terms, profits in the sector increased by over €5.6 billion in the five-year period [2000 - 2005], while total wages - despite a substantial increase in employees [over 50,000] rose by well under half”. Some industrial sectors experienced a rate of profit as high as 40%, which is well above average, comparable to the UK Continental Shelf (north sea oil) in recent years.”

Omer was abused and assaulted by Israeli security personnel at the Allenby border crossing into Israel from Jordan as he tried to return to his home last week in the Gaza Strip.

Below is an interview with Charles Kernaghan, you may remember him from the documentary “The Corporation.”

Interview

Ottawa - The Council of Canadians is calling on the Harper government to respect the will of Parliament and the Canadian people. Despite strong public support for war resisters who want to stay in Canada, the Harper government has remained silent, apparently content to let deportation proceedings continue, the organization says.

“The war resisters seeking refuge in Canada have shown tremendous courage in refusing to participate in an illegal war, and it is time the federal government let them stay,” says Maude Barlow, national chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “It is shameful that the Harper government, so fond of telling us to support the troops, is trying to send these heroic soldiers back to persecution in the US or redeployment in Iraq.”

Stephen Harper’s adherence to the policies of George Bush is at odds with the views of the majority of Canadians who oppose the Iraq war and who have been supportive of refuge for U.S. war resisters. On June 27, Angus Reid published its poll results showing three in five Canadians (64%) are in favour of giving U.S. soldiers the opportunity to remain in Canada as permanent residents. A recent Strategic Counsel poll has revealed that 82% of Canadians oppose the Iraq war.

“Canadians support the war resisters. Parliament supports the war resisters,” says Dylan Penner, Media Officer for the Council of Canadians. “Over one million civilians have perished in the illegal war in Iraq and Canada made the right decision not to participate. How can we punish the war resisters for making the same decision?”

The Council of Canadians joins the War Resisters Support Campaign in calling on the federal government to respect the democratic decision made in the Parliament of Canada. On June 3rd, the House of Commons passed a motion calling for an end to deportation proceedings against Corey Glass and other war resisters.

The Council of Canadians is Canada’s largest citizens’ organization, with members and chapters across the country.

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For More Information: Dylan Penner, Media Officer, Council of Canadians Office: 1-800-387-7177 ext. 249

canadians.org