Unionists come to aid of victims

Norwegian Peoples Aid (the aid arm of the Norwegian trade union movement) assist in Sri Lanka.

A trade union fact-finding mission has revealed tragic losses to education communities hit by the tsunami on December 26.

At the initiative of Education International (EI), an international trade union fact-finding mission visited Indonesia and Sri Lanka on January 16-22. The mission was led by EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen. He was accompanied by representatives of EI member organisations and of the international trade union movement. The mission obtained key information for the provision of further support for teachers and children in the countries affected by the disaster and for the re-establishment of local education facilities.

Teachers unions in the region hit by the tsunami suspect more than 75,000 teachers have been affected by the disaster. EI chief regional coordinator in Asia Aloysius Mathews said: "It is going to take possibly months to get a true picture of the destruction in the education sector especially in the far flung islands in Indonesia which till today [January 18] have not been reached by government or humanitarian aid organisations."

According to the latest union sources, more than 2000 teachers are missing and about 50 per cent of the schools are destroyed in the province of Aceh in Indonesia. 103 lecturers of the Syah Kuala University (the biggest university in Aceh) have been killed, and 92 are missing. In total, it is feared that the university has lost more than 1000 under graduates (killed and unaccounted for). 144 children of the lecturers were also reported missing.

In Sri Lanka, more than 80,000 children and 3,000 teachers are displaced. 59 schools are completely damaged and 110 schools partially damaged and all school furniture and equipment destroyed. In Malaysia, the teachers union NUTP reports that 800 school children have been affected in four states.

The aid provided by teachers unions worldwide, channelled through EI, will prioritise Indonesia and Sri Lanka. EI member organisations in the region mobilised immediately in response to the disaster. Union members provided humanitarian relief in the immediate aftermath of the disaster and are now working to re-establish the education services. On December 28, EI launched an urgent action appeal to member organisations for donations to the EI Tsunami Relief Program. EI allocated immediately from its solidarity fund 30,000 euros in aid for affected teachers in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and India. Donations to the relief fund are being received daily from member organisations.

Trade unions in the affected countries mobilised immediately in response to the disaster. Union members are providing humanitarian relief and health care and are working to re-establish supplies of power and other services.

With trade unions around the world raising millions of dollars for tsunami relief efforts, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and its global union partners launched an international trade union initiative to channel funding to sustainable rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the areas affected by the disaster. The initiative will identify reconstruction work where trade unions have a specific role to play and where union expertise is most needed, including rebuilding trade union infrastructure, and will help ensure cohesion in the trade union movement's reconstruction activities.

Union website LabourStart facilitated donations to be passed on to the wood and forestry workers union in Indonesia via the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers. The wood and forestry workers union issued an urgent appeal for funds for the Aceh and North Sumatra regions.

LabourStart has reported many unions making contributions for tsunami relief. These include the Canadian Media Guild, the Canadian Auto Workers, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Canadian steelworkers, All-China Federation of Trade Unions and Iceland unions.

Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union members have been asked to contribute one month's salary to tsunami victims.

Visit the Education International website at www.ei-ie.org/tsunami/ to learn more about Education International's initiative.

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005