PAKISTAN: APTUF Holds Conference Against War & Exploitation on Jan. 12; Please Add Your Name to Sign-On Greetings!


Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Over the past 25 years, many of you have gotten to know and appreciate the courageous and tenacious work of Sister Rubina Jamil and the All Pakistan Trade Union Federation (APTUF), of which she is the general secretary. Sister Jamil spoke at various conferences organized by U.S. Labor Against the War and has consistently supported the work of the U.S. labor and antiwar movements. In turn, trade unions and community organizations across the country have endorsed the multiple campaigns organized by APTUF in defense of Pakistani workers -- particularly women workers -- but also against the wars spreading across that region.

I write this letter to ask all friends of APTUF; all supporters of labor and democratic rights; all antiwar activists to please add your names to the Sign-On Greetings to the January 12 conference hosted by APTUF "against war, exploitation and precarious labor -- a message we will forward to Sister Jamil by January 10 so that it can be translated in time into Urdu for the 800 delegates attending the conference.

It is very important that the January 12 conference receive the widest possible support from unionists and activists in the United States. The entire nine-person delegation slated to attend the Mumbai World Conference Against War, Exploitation and Precarious Labour was denied visas by the Indian government and were unable to attend the conference. Their country is being torn apart by sectarian wars and policies aimed at smashing the trade unions and popular movements -- wars and policies all fueled by U.S. imperialism.

We -- who live and struggle in the belly of the best -- owe it to the comrades in APTUF and to all the delegates attending the January 12 conference to let them know that they are not alone, that we have their backs, that we will promote their conference resolutions and support their solidarity campaigns. The greetings will be sent to <[email protected]> with a copy to <[email protected]>.

Please read their Conference Call below and after that please sign the brief Greetings at the end of this message. If you can, please list your organizations and titles - adding "for id only" if necessary. Also if you or your union / organization are able to make a financial contribution to help ensure the success of their conference -- as they need to help delegates attend from all across Pakistan, no easy task in these troubled times -- please send your contribution to: IBAN: FR76 3006 6106 7700 0202 5300 111 Account : SUCCES CONFERENCE MONDIALE MUMBAI.

Many thanks, in advance, for your support,

In solidarity,

Alan Benjamin
Member, Mumbai Conference Continuations Committee
Editor, The Organizer Newspaper
Delegate, San Francisco Labor Council (for id. only)

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PAKISTAN -- CONFERENCE CALL

APTUF Holds Conference Against "War, Exploitation and Precarious Labour" on January 12, 2016

The All Pakistan Trade Union Federation (APTUF) is holding a National Conference "Against War, Exploitation and Precarious Labor".
We are holding this conference in a very critical situation because of terrorism. Terrorism is not only an issue in Pakistan, it is spreading widely all over the world. In three months, four suicide attacks took place in Balochistan, and in Peshawar these attacks are increasing in which thousands and thousands of people, including women and children, have lost their lives.

Our children in school and colleges are not safe. Even the lives of activists are not safe, because we are struggling for peace and against extremism.
Imperialism does not want peace in Pakistan, Afghanistan and all over the world. War suits them. They want our weak governments. They want to intervene in our political matters. They want our rulers according to their own interests. That's why they are using our rulers to make anti-worker and anti-people policies, which suit them -- not the Pakistani people.

Today our lives are not safe. To secure the lives of the rulers, they recruit security guards, with police security forces full of arms and spending millions of money. The Pakistani people and working class are against the sectarian riots, which are spreading all over Pakistan.

Imperialism does not want the unity of the people marching in the streets for the acceptance of their demands -- to reduce the prices of basic commodities, against load shedding, for the implementation of labour laws, no to IMF/World Bank, no to war. In this sectarian violence, sunnis are putting the blame on Shiites, and shiites are putting the blame on sunnis.

Precarious labour is increasing. Only 3% of workers are unionised; the rest of the working class is working in very harsh working conditions, getting less salary, more working hours, no leaves, no EOBI, and no social security. They have no right to unionisation. The contracting and sub- contracting system is increasing. The workers are working in very bad conditions, their jobs are not secure, and they are working like bonded labour. Their basic rights are violated, 62% of women are working as home-based worker and domestic workers; no labour laws are applicable.

Pakistan's foreign policy is not very successful. We have not good relations with Afghanistan, India and Iran too. Recently tensions between India and Pakistan started, and it ended in cross-border firing in which people lost their lives. The negotiations process stopped. Afghanistan is blaming that terrorists are coming from Pakistan, and Pakistan is blaming them.

The trade union movement is not only struggling and fighting to secure the rights of workers, they are struggling for peace, unity, and for an end to exploitation.

To discuss how to overcome the situation and to make some strategies, and to struggle in unity for peace, APTUF is organizing a National Conference "For Peace, and Against War, Exploitation and Precarious Labour".

We are inviting trade unionists, politicians, youth, lawyers, women, teachers, and journalists to openly discuss about their views on how to put pressure on the government to take measures to stop war, and end precarious labour and exploitation - and who share their views on how to struggle in unity against all kinds of exploitation against the working class.
The conference will be held in Lahore on January 12, 2017 in the Punjabi Complex. More than 800 activists from all over Pakistan will participate.

We request you to kindly send messages of solidarity to <[email protected]> and also to financially support us to hold this conference successfully.

Thanks for all your support.

In solidarity,
Rubina Jamil
General Secretary, APTUF
President, APWC

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PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THESE GREETINGS TO THE JAN. 12, 2017 CONFERENCE HOSTED BY APTUF

[ ] Add my name to the greetings below from the United States to the January 12, 2017 Conference in Lahore, Pakistan "Against War, Exploitation and Precarious Labour"

[ ] In addition to the greetings, I will be sending a contribution of US$ _____ to help ensure the success of the conference.

NAME

ORG & TITLE (list if for id only)

CITY

STATE

EMAIL

(please fill out coupon and return it to <[email protected]> with a copy to <[email protected]

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GREETINGS FROM U.S. LABOR AND PEACE ACTIVISTS TO THE JAN. 12 CONFERENCE IN LAHORE, PAKISTAN -- HOSTED BY APTUF -- "AGAINST WAR, EXPLOITATION AND PRECARIOUS LABOUR"

Dear Sister Rubina Jamil,
Dear Officers and Members of APTUF,
Dear Delegates attending the January 12 Conference Against War, Exploitation and Precarious Labour

We, the undersigned trade unionists and activists in the United States, have read your conference call and fully support your efforts to build a powerful united-front movement in your country against war, exploitation and precarious labor -- a movement that is part of the broader international fightback effort against the imperialist-imposed scourges of war and exploitation. In that sense, we were dismayed to read that you were denied visas to attend the Mumbai World Conference last November 18-20.

We were alarmed to read about the growing violence in Pakistan and the increased attacks on the trade unions and on the Pakistani people as a whole. Living as we do in the belly of the beast, we are fully aware that these wars -- be it in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria or Pakistan -- are all Made in the USA; they are all fueled and promoted by the warmakers in our own country.

As such, we wish to tell you that in the face of the increased war escalation by the U.S. government, we will redouble our efforts to stay the hands of the warmakers by building the broadest and most powerful antiwar movement here in the United States.

Over the past many years, many of us have gotten to know and appreciate the courageous and tenacious work of Sister Rubina Jamil and the All Pakistan Trade Union Federation (APTUF). Sister Jamil spoke at various conferences organized by U.S. Labor Against the War and has consistently supported the work of the U.S. labor and antiwar movements. We salute Sister Jamil and APTUF for their defense of Pakistani workers -- particularly women workers -- but also against the wars spreading across that region.

Please receive our greetings and our wishes for a successful January 12 conference in Lahore. And please send us a report on your deliberations and decisions so that we, in turn, can support your efforts and your campaigns in every way possible.

In solidarity,

[follows list of endorsers]


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poster of January 12 conference