"every tuesday" starts today with a text about the UN-convention for the protection of the rights of migrant-workers. the article is written by Corinna Genschel, Thomas Hohlfeld and Dirk Vogelskamp from the comitee for basic human rights and democracy (Grundrechtekomitee) in Germany and it refers in its later parts to the european and german context. But the text touches mainly general estimations and questions concerning the conditions of migrant workers all over the globe and of course, this UN(!)convention could be seen as a catalysator for discussions about migrant workers rights in all continents.

On the first day of the mobilization to protest the Bush Agenda at the Republican National Convention in New York City, 500 people attended the Speak Out! organized by the Immigrant Solidarity Network. The program was designed to lift the voices of grassroots Immigrant organizations and workers, raising awareness of the many varied issues and struggles being led from within immigrant communities themselves in the U.S.

At the 92nd session of the International Labour Conference, which was held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 1-17 June, migrant workers and their advocates addressed the tripartite Committee on Migrant Workers, the committee of the Conference that is tasked to lead the general discussion on migrant workers. A Plan of Action was adopted at the end of the Conference: http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/2078.html

The Sixth Section is a documentary that blends digital animation, home video, cinema verité, and interview footage to depict the transnational organizing of a community of Mexican immigrants in New York. The men profiled in the film form an organization called ‘Grupo Unión,’ which is devoted to raising money in the United States to rebuild the Mexican town that they’ve left behind. Grupo Unión is one of at least a thousand “hometown associations” formed by Mexican immigrants in the United States, and they are beginning to have a major impact in the politics and economics of both the U.S. and Mexico.
http://www.sixthsection.com

Workers packing produce for supermarkets suffered series of abuses and shocking conditions
An employment agency involved in a government-backed initiative to clean up the gangmaster industry has been supplying debt-bonded labour to pack fresh produce for British supermarkets, the Guardian has learned. The South African workers supplied by Staffmasters Ltd to pack fruit and vegetables at a packhouse for Tesco and other leading retailers held legitimate work permits but were subject to a series of abuses and breaches of employment legislation.

Migrants in Italy appeal for MayDay 2004: Go out and participate in the manifestations of precarious workers on the May Day in Milan and elsewhere. May Day, they argue, is the occasion to make clear and evident the central and undeniable role of migrant labour within the more general processes that are summed up as precarization. The appeal is signed by the Migrant Board of Italian Social Forums and other migrant and antiracist organizations. The communication is reported by Global Project ("Appello per l’adesione alla Mayday").

"Refugees can make positive contribution to current and projected labour market needs." This is the result of a report of a European wide research project called RESOURCE (Refugees’ Contribution to Europe), carried out by a partnership of fourteen agencies and funded by the European Refugee Fund. The project analysed elements, practices and policies, which have contributed to refugees’ participation in the European labour market from refugees’ point of view. It focussed on how refugees’ prior skills, qualifications and working experience are being utilised in sectors of the labour market that are currently experiencing skills shortages.

There are about three million people who live illegally in Moscow. They work and live in the city without a special permission, called "propiska", since in Russia there is even internally no freedom of movement. NELEGAL.NET provides advice for them. After the appartment bombings in 1998 and a significant raise of repression against illegals the website has been started by Alexander Milovanov, a young computer programmer and part-time journalist, who has been a nelegal — or illegal — since he arrived from Krasnodar twelve years ago. Attracted by the buzz of the big city, Milovanov refused to be intimidated by the whim of bureaucrats and law-enforcement officials who often make registering in Moscow far more complicated than federal law suggests it should be.

In South Korea the Equality Trade Union (ETU) is an umbrella union for female factory workers, victims of workplace accidents, casual and contingent workers, disabled pedestrians, and migrant workers.  The following interview is with Kabir Uddin, an illegal migrant worker from Bangladesh, at the forefront of the ETU. The interview was conducted by Jamie Doucette. It is reproduced from Znet.

Free Immigrant Farm Workers From Fear: A broad-based national coalition of farm worker organizations, labor unions, agricultural employers, immigrant advocates, and supporters are urging the U.S. Congress to enact the historic AgJobs legislation. It would allow undocumented farm workers to earn the legal right to permanently stay in this country by continuing to work in agriculture.