The YCW Calls for Action Against Violence Aimed at Women

The IYCW is calling on all national movements around the world to build awareness of women's rights, and to take action that will empower women to achieve equality and participate fully in action for social justice.

This is an issue very close to the heart of Geethani Peries, the international president of YCW. As a national worker in Sri Lanka, as a regional coordinator in the Asia-Pacific and now as international president, she has experienced at first hand what it means to be a woman in a man’s world.

‘I have met many women who have experienced violence – not only physical violence, but also mental and psychological violence from men who believe that they are superior to women and who dishonour them in word and action,’ says Ms Peries.

  YCW Demands Decent Work as a Sure Way of Fighting Global Poverty

As part of its resolutions from the WORLD DAY FOR DECENT WORK on 7th October, IYCW has urged its members around the world to heighten their efforts to raise awareness and take action in this critical area for workers internationally.

‘Decent work for all is part of our fundamental vision,’ said Geethani Peries, International President of YCW. ‘Economic and social protection for all workers is at the heart of YCW’s struggle for human dignity and equality for all. We have been proud to join with the International Trade Union Confederation to promote its themes: rights at work and solidarity, and decent life for women.

‘Of course, as a young woman worker I have a particular passion for the rights of women for decent work and a decent life. Equality for all, just work and conditions, are part of our international campaign of Social Protection for all, and so in joining with the mobilisation and thematic and electronic activities of WORLD DAY FOR DECENT WORK, we have been proud to endorse the resolutions of the ILO and the Trade Union confederation.

IYCW Bringing Young Domestic Workers Demands to the 99th Session of the ILC 2010

“My name is Rebecca and I am 23 years old. I come from Arequipa, a rural town in Peru. I have been working for almost 10 years as a domestic worker in different places in Lima without any contract. I am a single mother; I have a 7-year old child. I earn a very low salary; it is just enough to cover my personal expenses. It is very difficult to save any money with that salary. I have to work long hours without getting paid for my overtime hours. Over my 10 years’ work I have had very bad experiences, like most domestic workers. I was sexually abused by my employers.”- Peru YCW

The International Young Christian Workers will bring the demands of young domestic workers around the world to the 99th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), 2010.

The ILO will hold its annual conference in Geneva on 2-18 June 2010. The conference is a tripartite meeting gathering representatives of the employers, the governments and the workers. The items placed on the agenda of the conference are of particular importance to the IYCW:

• Decent work for domestic workers (standard setting, with a view to the possible adoption of a Convention supplemented by a Recommendation)
• Elaboration of an autonomous Recommendation on HIV/AIDS in the world of work (standard setting, second discussion)
• A discussion on the strategic objective of employment (first in the cycle of recurrent discussions to follow up on the 2008 ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization)
• Review of the follow-up to the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

Young Workers Fighting for Social Protection

Young workers across the world are becoming more united in their struggles for just work, says the International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) president, Geethani Peries.

‘Young people are making a difference because they are one in their vision of just work for all,’ asserts Ms Peries. The IYCW campaign for Social Protection for all is continuing to attract support right across the world, in both rich and poor communities, in many diverse religious and human rights groups, and among people of goodwill everywhere.

‘We must build this spirit of solidarity if we are to change the conditions of young workers such as Isabel Alvarez Rivas and the young isolated laborers in the Philippines,’ says Ms Peries. Their stories can touch us all.

“The YCW opts for the education of young workers. This is the specific and primary task of the YCW if it is to reach the objective of liberation of the mass of people.” - ToE

The IYCW held its international council in 2008 where it defined its campaign for social protection: just work, quality education for life and work, and the establishment of gender equality in social and labor relations for all young workers.

We also defined a series of activities which are included in our international plan of action as entertaining and conscious means to give shape and color to our campaign. These activities include the International Week of the Young Workers which takes place from April 24th to May 1st.

A bit of history

The International Week of the Young Workers celebrated by the IYCW from 24th April to 1st May has its origins in Brazil where it started some 40 years ago. “The Week first took place in 1970 and was institutionalized at the national council which was held the same year.” In other words, the Brazil YCW, though in the middle of a military dictatorship, was carrying out activities to draw attention from the mass of young workers.

Based on this positive experience of the Brazil YCW, the IYCW established the International Week of the Young Workers. And so the National Week of the Young Workers launched in 1970 became an international week in 1985 upon decision of the world council which was held in Madrid, Spain, in 1984.

Ever since, the IYCW has chosen a specific theme every year on young people’s reality and for each theme, it organizes debates and looks for solutions through countless activities.

Sarah is 18 years old and she finished her last year of secondary school in 2008. She is 4 months pregnant and lives with her boyfriend. After her studies, she registered at the VDAB (employment office) and after that in all the temporary work agencies (around ten of them) in her neighborhood. “I was offered a job at Cleandienst. Before I started they told me it was a permanent job but when I started it was only temporary work. I had a few jobs, always short term, not permanent work. They always require experience but how can I get any experience if I cannot work?” Sarah - Flanders YCW - Belgium

Each year around the world, the International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. Hundreds of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

Organizations, governments and women's groups around the world choose different themes each year that reflect global and local gender issues.

In the IYCW we are also carrying out a campaign for gender equality as a part of our Social Protection campaign. Gender is one of the main aspects we focus on in our campaign. In the IYCW there are many actions happening in relation to this campaign.

As you know, a major earthquake (of magnitude 7.3 on the Richter scale according to agencies) hit Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, on January 12 in the evening. The epicenter was located at some fifteen kilometers from that city which is the most populated of the country. The earthquake that rocked the island is the strongest in many decades. Fifty to hundred thousand people are feared dead.

The IYCW would like to express its sympathy and solidarity with the Haitian people after this terrible natural tragedy.

Over the past few days, the International and JOCA Secretariats have tried to get in touch with our YCW friends in Haiti but of course communications with the country are extremely difficult.

Several movements expressed their solidarity and support in prayer, and some, together with other organizations, are trying to organize support campaigns.

As an international movement, we would like to express our support to the Haitian people as well as our faith in them. We know the strength they have shown in their struggle, in particular the working class, to overcome natural, political and economic crises and we hope that this disaster they have to go through today will only reinforce the values of struggle which characterize them.

We urge all the members of the movement to send support messages, to be unified with the Haitian people through their prayers and, if possible, to assist in the organization of support campaigns.

The international team of the IYCW will continue to try getting back in touch with our Haitian friends and will let you know if we get any information.

We would like to convey to the Haitian people the positive energy of all young workers around the globe, who are “worth more than all the gold in the world” and show solidarity each day of their lives.

The international team  

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

The 25th of November is very important day for all men and women all around the world. International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

In Nicaragua, the majority of workers in manufacturing factories (FTZ) are women. There is a high rate of turnover, health problems, and a high level of dissatisfaction among workers due to bad working conditions. One situation that women have to face is the abuse of power by supervisors, sexual harassment as well as verbal, and even physical, abuse. It is also clear that the male labor force is valued more than the female labor force. If women want to get better posts, one condition is that they don’t get pregnant.

Cucu, a domestic workers in Cimahi, West Java, Indonesia, has been living under pressure since she became a victim of rape by a Government worker in her city earlier this year. The police have not given serious attention to her case which was reported by 17 organizations (including Indonesia YCW) to the police on May 29th, 2009. Domestic workers are the most vulnerable to violence and usually they will keep their mouths silent because of strong threats by the perpetrator. Cucu is working almost 24 hours a day with very limited time to sleep. She has no time for her self and her family. She receives the salary Rp. 300.000 or USD 35 a month. It is very far away from the minimum wage set up by the government in Indonesia.

“Young Workers need Social Protection, now more than ever”

Everyone should be able to have a job that enables them to live a good life in which their basic needs are met. World Day for Decent Work (WDDW) is an opportunity for us to bring forward our demands and campaign as young workers.

The millions of women, men, young people and migrants who work or who are looking for a job need governments that take adequate measures to:

• ensure that social protection and workers’ rights are fully respected in labour laws and in practice. Living standards and economies need productive employment to develop.
• create millions of meaningful jobs for women and men. Jobs are only improved if they are linked to standards and rights. Social protection gives workers the security they need to face the future with confidence.

Young Workers for Gender Equality take their demands to the ILO

The International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) want "gender equality" to form a central part of any decent work campaign, and will present this demand to the 98th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva which starts at the beginning of June.

Geethani Peries, IYCW President, Ludovicus Mardiyono, IYCW Team member from the Asia-Pacific region, together with Fanny Sanchez, YCW member from the national movement of Peru, will form the delegation of the IYCW movement for the conference.

"Through our delegation, the IYCW wants to bring the demands and real life testimonies of young workers to the centre of this international forum", says Geethani Peries, newly elected International President and former employee from the Free Trade Zones of Sri Lanka.

"There were 600 workers in our factory producing garments for European countries and 99% were girls aged 18 to 28. I would start work at around 7:30 a.m. and would normally finish at 10 p.m. for a basic salary of around (US$ 18). My overtime hours were not paid. There were no official records saying that we were working. We just received our salary in hands", recalls Ms Peries. "In addition, conditions were very unhealthy. My nose was filled with very dark dust. I realised that I was losing weight and I felt so tired."