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07.08.11

Palesinian Workers' Strike at the Salit Quarry – After 1.5 Months:
"we will not look backwards! The strike will continue until an agreement would be signed"

1. The Labourstart Campaign
2. Salit Workers Participate in WAC-Ma'an's Safety Conference
3. The Amount of Donations Received

The Salit workers' strike is on its 48th day. With the beginning of Ramadan the striking workers are facing a challenge. The management believed that with the feast of Ramadan ahead the workers will give up the fight. But in the spirits in the tent are high. Workers insist that they will not go back (see interview with the strike leader). Due to supporters from the union movement all over the world WAC was able on August 1st to distribute a sum of NIS 34,000 (NIS 1000 per worker) to the 34 striking workers. This is the sum that we've managed to raise so far, but the fundraising continues (see below). WAC activists visit the strikers every day at the protest tent that the workers set up outside the quarry. Their sit in begins every day at 7.00am. This is in addition to the many solidarity visits to the tent.
1.The LaborStart campaign
At the end of July the international internet site of the Trade Union Movement began a protest letter campaign concerning the Salit strike. During a period of 10 days, 3800 people from around the world sent protest letters to the managers of Salit and to the Readymix Cement Production Co., the Salit Quarry's major customer. In a letter sent at the end of July by WAC to Mr. Yitzhak Bajerno, the CEO of Readymix (the largest company for the production of readymade cement in Israel), the organization called on the company to cease all business dealings with Salit as long as it continued to violate the rights of its workers: Up to the time of writing this update no response has been received from Readymix.
For signing the letter: http://http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1057
2. Salit workers participate in safety conference in Nazereth – On July 23rd, the striking workers participated in the safety conference organized by WAC in Nazereth. This was made possible by WAC, which arranged for entry permits to Israel for the workers. Israeli law does not permit residents of the Palestinian Authority to enter Israel without an invitation by a recognized Israeli body. Some of the striking workers were nevertheless not allowed in. For report on the conference:www.wac-maan.org.il/en/article__216

3. Donations campaign for the Salit workers goes on – The donation of NIS 1000 per worker, or NIS 34,000 for all the striking workers, was collected after a concentrated fundraising effort for the strike fund by WAC. Among the donors were:
•Trade Unions in Denmark – AIF-Silkeborg , 3F-Palæstine Network, 3F Silkeborg ,3F- Rymarken- Aarhus, Global Solidarity 14,000 DKK (1,830 EU) and 1,000 $
•The Dutch Trade Union FNV – EU 2000
•The Belgian Centrale Generale FGTB – EU 1000
•The Canadian CSU Ontario Solidarity Fund – CD 1500
•The Canadian Postal Workers' Union – CD 300
• Norwegian Graphic trade union activists - $450
•The USO Workers' Organization, Spain – EU 300
• Private donations in Israel – NIS 13,630 (EU 2,787)
•Total: NIS 37,507 (EU 7,670 or $10,903). As can be seen we have still not reached our target of EU 10,000.
The Salit workers thank all the organizations and unions that supported them and say: "If the management thinks that our spirit will be weakened by the Ramadan fast they are wrong. We intend to bring our after-the-fast meal to the protest tent and to celebrate here, in order to show our determination to continue the struggle until an agreement is signed."
WAC calls on all trade unions and individuals who have not donated to the strike fund to do so, and to help the workers stand their ground until the Salit management reverses its position and agrees to sign a collective labor agreement.
How to contribute to the strike fund? See: www.wac-maan.org.il/en/article__202
For an interview with the strike leader Haj Muhammad Fukara see here:
www.wac-maan.org.il/en/article__214
We continue to recommend that you publish an item on the strike in your union newsletter, and request your continuing help in raising money for the striking workers.
Sincerely,
Assaf Adiv, Asma Agbarieh-zahalka, and Roni Ben Efrat
E-mail contact: