Vorpoing
18-05-2004, 20:50
The People's Republic of Vorpoing urges its colleagues in the United Nations to support the Labor Union Protection Act. We proposed this act to combat the scourge of sweatshops and union busting that is a product of global free trade.
Here is the text of the proposal, as submitted:
Description: Global free trade has led to a rise in abuses of worker protections worldwide. Gross offenses such as child labor, forced overtime, and physical abuse on the job are reported on a daily basis from countries whose labor standards are not up to a level of basic human dignity.
Further exacerbating the problem is the fact that in many of these nations, when workers try to address these problems by organizing themselves into a union, they are intimidated, fired, even killed. In many cases, local authorities are powerless or indifferent to the plight of these sweatshop workers.
To address these problems, be it hereby resolved that:
The United Nations shall codify the right to organize a union and bargain collectively as a universal right.
To that end, all countries who are part of the United Nations shall enact strict laws governing worker treatment, including, but not limited to:
1) Abolishing "right to work" laws that undermine the power of labor unions and encourage scabbism.
2) Prosecuting companies who engage in union busting. For the purposes of this resolution, "union busting" includes, but is not limited to:
a) firing workers who engage in organizing activities,
b) causing workers not to support a union organizing drive through acts of intimidation, deception, or harassment,
c) refusing to recognize a union once ratified by the workers,
d) refusing to bargain collectively with the union in good faith, and
e) using scabs to replace union workers during strikes.
3) Enacting strict laws that protect the right to bargain collectively, the right to a living wage, and the right to free association.
This resolution will take effect upon ratification by the member countries of the United Nations. All nations shall pledge to enact its provisions within one year of the date of ratification.
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The People's Republic of Vorpoing cannot emphasize enough the urgency of this problem. Global labor protections are being eroded on a daily basis, as companies in rich countries move factories to poorer countries to benefit from lax or nonexistent labor standards. Only by codifying the right to organize and demanding that all nations comply will we start to solve this problem and level the playing field for global trade. Please support this proposal.
Here is the text of the proposal, as submitted:
Description: Global free trade has led to a rise in abuses of worker protections worldwide. Gross offenses such as child labor, forced overtime, and physical abuse on the job are reported on a daily basis from countries whose labor standards are not up to a level of basic human dignity.
Further exacerbating the problem is the fact that in many of these nations, when workers try to address these problems by organizing themselves into a union, they are intimidated, fired, even killed. In many cases, local authorities are powerless or indifferent to the plight of these sweatshop workers.
To address these problems, be it hereby resolved that:
The United Nations shall codify the right to organize a union and bargain collectively as a universal right.
To that end, all countries who are part of the United Nations shall enact strict laws governing worker treatment, including, but not limited to:
1) Abolishing "right to work" laws that undermine the power of labor unions and encourage scabbism.
2) Prosecuting companies who engage in union busting. For the purposes of this resolution, "union busting" includes, but is not limited to:
a) firing workers who engage in organizing activities,
b) causing workers not to support a union organizing drive through acts of intimidation, deception, or harassment,
c) refusing to recognize a union once ratified by the workers,
d) refusing to bargain collectively with the union in good faith, and
e) using scabs to replace union workers during strikes.
3) Enacting strict laws that protect the right to bargain collectively, the right to a living wage, and the right to free association.
This resolution will take effect upon ratification by the member countries of the United Nations. All nations shall pledge to enact its provisions within one year of the date of ratification.
--
The People's Republic of Vorpoing cannot emphasize enough the urgency of this problem. Global labor protections are being eroded on a daily basis, as companies in rich countries move factories to poorer countries to benefit from lax or nonexistent labor standards. Only by codifying the right to organize and demanding that all nations comply will we start to solve this problem and level the playing field for global trade. Please support this proposal.