SA Newsletter 20/05: Blood on our clothes - Auckland University Forum Thursday

Kia ora to all members and supporters of Socialist Aotearoa,

More than 1100 mostly female clothing workers wiped off the face of the earth in Bangladesh. Crushed under the rubble of their factory which the day before they had been forced to work in, despite protests about cracks in the walls. The deadliest industrial accident in the history of the garment industry. We are hearing louder voices around the world demanding an eradication of unsafe sweatshops and enforced safety accords that hold multinational clothing retailers to account. [Watch DemocracyNow]

New Zealand retail giant Kmart is refusing to sign a global agreement to ensure workers who make clothes sold in its store are safe at work. Every year $38 million in clothes enters New Zealand from Bangladesh.

Thursday's Socialist Aotearoa forum will discuss the tragedy in Bangladesh, the wave of strikes now shaking the country and what students in Auckland can do to help bring pressure on Kmart to sign up to the global safety agreement.

"How can we stop? We have to win. All these young women and girls like Sumi are working every day, giving their lives for pieces of clothing. We owe it to them and all of us to fight until we win." -Kalpona Akter, executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity [Read interview]

Socialist Aotearoa Forum - Blood on our clothes: How can students & workers fight sweatshops

When: 6pm,Thursday 23 May
Where: Room Eng3403, School of Engineering, Building No. 403., University of Auckland
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/364522160316569

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>>>News and Analysis>>>

Their system is broken - It's time to get organised
The world is in crisis. People are angry and fed up with the capitalist system. We can all see it is broken. But winning change requires the left to get active, to get angry and to get organised. There is a possibility for an upsurge of union protests, environmental campaigns, anti-war and human rights movements right across Aotearoa and around the planet. These movements if built have the potential to end exploitation, ecological plundering and poverty locally and globally. These movements could put revolutionary socialist alternatives to capitalism and war on the agenda for the whole planet.
http://socialistaotearoa.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/their-system-is-broken-its-time-to-get.html

We support the fare dodgers
In a city that keeps growing and with traffic congestion, climate change and a growing cost of living problem now's the time for the city council to give us free public transport. But if they won't then the people should take it themselves. Can't pay, won't pay! Socialist Aotearoa 100% supports all fare dodgers. Buses and trains should be free!
http://socialistaotearoa.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/we-support-fare-dodgers.html

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See you on the streets,

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