World at a Glance As you are aware "Construction Worker" has covered many international issues as our union has strengthened links with different workers' and community organisations around the world. Railway Workers Struggle in Pakistan Railway Workers Union is affiliated with All Pakistan Trade Union Federation is the biggest union in Pakistan Railway. PSA Security people's Resentment in Mauritius Public Security act introduced by government of Mauritius has evolved wide repercussions throughout the country.

As you are aware "Construction Worker" has covered many international issues as our union has strengthened links with different workers' and community organisations around the world. In the last few months you would have seen articles about the situation in Canada, Cuba and most recently East Timor.
The Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) on an a national level has been involved in solidarity with "Third World" countries, currently we are part of a world campaign against the child labour and the conditions in which children of different countries (India, Pakistan, Colombia etc.) are forced to live. For example 500 million children live on the streets worldwide with 200 million of these forced to work and take on other adult responsibilities. Some of these children are as young as four years old.
Some of you might remember that we recently had a visit form Rubina Jamil the Chairperson of the All Pakistan Trade Union Federation/ Coordinator Asia Pacific Workers Solidarity Links (APWSL). She addresses workers at Carousel and Subiaco Oval sharing the experiences of the workers of Pakistan whom works and lives under terrible conditions and face military repression every day. Days after her visit a military coup hit Pakistan, worsening the conditions for unions and other organisations.
Her speech was delivered with such an inspirational courage that many workers at both construction sites asked many questions and cheered her for her bravery and defiance.
She spoke about how the Pakistanis are responding to these conditions, organising themselves in trade unions and community groups. She also encouraged the workers in Australia to become active in their own unions here, as the only way to defend and improve on the hard-won conditions that the current Liberal Governments is trying to take away. It is a time to build regional as well as international solidarity among working class.
We may think that conditions in Australia are so good compared to what happens in Pakistan, however today there is an attack on workers all over the world and we are part of that world. If we don’t fight we lose and what happens in Pakistan today will be our future.
Now it is not strange to see police and the Task Force on construction sites. While they are not using guns against us, the fact that they are even there is a form of violence, because, it intimidates workers and interferes with the basic human right to belong to a union.
You might ask, why address all these international issues. The reason it is important is because a worker is a worker wherever we live in the world-in Australia, East Timor or Pakistan. In today’s world, we are even working for the same bosses; with multi -nationals having operations in many countries. An example of this is Rio Tinto. If workers can organise internationally, our strength against the boss increases.
To help union members keep up with issues facing workers around the world, the ACTU and CFMEU have launched an initiative to provide cheap computers to every member. For more details contact your organiser.
If you want to know more about what happening is our industry and in other parts of the world such as Pakistan visit the CFMEU webside at www.cfmeu.asn.au <cfmeu.asn.au> or the ACTU at:www.actu.asn.au