4 December, 2019IndustriALL and other global unions are taking action on Human Rights Day, 10 December, in support of the people of the Philippines, where trade unionists and activists are met with increasing repression and violence.

Workers’ rights are being denied in the Philippines and global unions and their affiliates are coming together to urge President Duterte to respect the human and trade unions rights of workers and to enable trade unions to function in the country.

The persistent anti-union attitude is causing workers, civil servants, unionists and activists to fear for their safety, privacy and civil rights. Union leaders and members, human and indigenous rights’ activists have been spied on, profiled, portrayed as terrorists, arrested and even killed by police and paramilitary groups.

To date, 43 trade unionists have been killed.

Following up a Council of Global Union mission to the Philippines in July, and in accordance with a decision taken at the Executive Committee in November, IndustriALL Global Union is calling on affiliates around the world to show solidarity with the people in the Philippines to help put an end to extrajudicial killings in the country.

On Human Rights Day this year, 10 December, we encourage you to join us and take action:

Send a letter of protest to the government and if possible deliver it to the Filipino representation in your country. Download a model letter here.

Take a photo with one of the posters and publish on social media.

Make sure your action is visible by using the hashtags #StopTheAttacks and #HandsOff. Make sure to tag IndustriALL so that we can re-share it.

Sign the LabourStart petition, initiated by Education International.

Visual material is available here for download and use.