Landless peasants in Brazil occupy food trucks, banks, farms
Members of the Movement of Landless Rural Workers (MST) confiscated seven trucks carrying food and occupied two farms and a bank in the northern state of Pernambuco, Brazil, July 27. The MST actions are part of their "tasks of struggle" to protest the government's lack of attention to the hunger in the region due to severe drought since the beginning of this year. "People are starving and the only solution they have is to loot the trucks that carry food," said Jaime Amorim, MST coordinator in Pernambuco, one of the states most affected by the drought and the loss of harvest. Amorim said MST members briefly occupied the branch of a Banco do Brasil in Quipapa to demand the financial institution provide more flexible credit to small peasant farmers. Some 140 families of landless peasants have also confiscated two unoccupied farms in Pernambuco, according to Amorim. The MST represents some 200,000 peasant families that have no land to work and organize occupation of farms that have been abandoned.

Mexico inmates on hunger strike
About 83 indigenous prisoners in the Mexican state of Chiapas began a hunger strike August 1 to demand their freedom. The prisoners are being held in the towns of Yajalon and Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Aurelio López Ruiz, a spokesman for the prisoners, said the men believe they are imprisoned because they sympathize with the Zapatista National Liberation Front, an armed organization in Chiapas fighting for indigenous rights.

Chemical workers strike in South Africa
About 5,000 members of the Chemical Workers Industrial Union (CWIU) went on a nationwide 24-hour strike July 30 as part of a fight by 40,000 unionists for a 10.5 percent pay increase. The CWIU workers joined the South African Chemical Workers' Union (SACWU), who have entered their second week on strike. An "all-out strike" has been called by the CWIU for August 3.

Meanwhile, the 21,000-strong National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) announced July 31 that they may strike the following week over wages.

Senegal: protests demand release of union activists
Police used tear gas against a demonstration organized by the National Union of Free Trade Unionists of Senegal (UNSAS) July 31. The trade unionists and others were demanding the release of union leaders from jail, particularly Mademba Sock, secretary-general of the Electricity Workers Union, and 25 others who were arrested July 20. Sock was accused of collaborating with others to sabotage equipment of the electricity company during a sit-down strike, which had been called to protest the sell-off of the state-owned electrical company.

Russian miners demand pay
In the town of Partizansk, in Russia's Maritime Territory, miners blockaded the Nagornoye mines offices and began a hunger strike July 28 over owed wages dating back to November. Within four days, the number of hunger strikers rose to 61 miners. Since May miners throughout the eastern part of the country have been occupying offices, blocking railways, and conducting strike actions demanding back pay.

Meetings and rallies took place at Avangard and Uglekamenskaya coal mines July 31, with practically the entire adult population of Partizansk and surrounding towns participating. Decisions adopted at those meetings included calling for the resignation of Russia's president and Cabinet of Ministers.

Protests by miners also include a strike on the island of Sakhalin in Russia's far East; 300 in Chelyabinsk who have shut a Trans-Siberian rail line for almost a week; and 200 miners camping outside the Kremlin in Moscow demanding back wages.

After Russian prime minister Sergei Kiriyenko threatened to use force against the miners, the 600,000-member coal miners union promised to block entrances to foreign embassies if force is used by Moscow. One union spokesman said that if wages are not paid by this autumn, the miners will block all rail traffic in and out of Moscow.

Ireland: rail workers strike
Rail transportation ground to a halt in the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland July 12, as only four of 155 rail workers in the National Locomotive Drivers Committee (NDLC) turned up for work. The one-day strike was held to protest the refusal of the larnro'd Éireann bosses to meet with the drivers to discuss wages, working conditions, passenger safety, and other issues. Currently, workers put in an average of more than 60 hours a week and can work up to 35 Sundays a year. The company has broken five promises to meet with the drivers since last August, when drivers presented larnro'd Éireann with their position on these issues.

Prison guards indicted for abuse
Four prison guards were indicted July 29 on charges of violating the civil rights of three inmates at Brazoria County Detention Center, just south of Houston, Texas. The indictments accuse the jailers of hitting, kicking, shocking with a stun gun, and goading dogs to bite the prisoners, creating a mock riot in order to produce a training video. The video was made in 1996, and became public last year during court proceedings on a lawsuit brought by inmates, including the three who were in the video.

N.Y. restricts prisoners' rights
The Democratic-controlled New York State Assembly passed a bill July 29 that sharply restricts the right to a parole for inmates with first-time convictions of violent felonies; extends the period of time of parole after being released; and requires that those who brought charges against the inmate be informed when a prisoner is released, escapes, or is placed on "post-release supervision." The bipartisan bill, which has already been approved by the State Senate, ends early releases, requiring the prisoner to serve at least 85 percent of the maximum sentenced. Previously, the state was required, in most cases, to grant parole after prisoners served two-thirds of the maximum sentence. The new bill, would also establish a three-to-five-year "post-release supervision" period past the maximum sentence. Parolees convicted of sex crimes would be subjected to lifetime supervision.

- MEGAN ARNEY  
 
 
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