12 April 2013

USi web conference with Krishna, a human rights activist and union organiser at the brick kiln construction site, India. Brick kiln workers have suffered incidences of violence in recent weeks by employers at the site. USi will be following this project for many months to come and will be campaigning for increases in union membership [...]

5 April 2013

In December last year, we heard about the gang rape of a young woman on a bus in Delhi. From this attack, it sparked widespread protests across India to tackle the way in which women are treated in Indian society. Rape is a regular occurrence in many countries around the world. For example, there were [...]

12 March 2013

In the latest of our updates we speak with Sudhir Katiyar of Prayas to discuss the developments including the brick kiln union being registered. Sudhir chats about the latest public meeting held attended by over 500 workers – 10 per cent of workers in the area – and the drive to unionise. Sudhir tells USi [...]

20 February 2013

Date and time: 2:00pm to 9:00pm, 25 February 2013. Venue: Near Bus Stand, Dundigal village, Quthbullhapur mandal, Ranga Reddy district. Every year thousands workers from Bolangir, Nuapada, Titlagarh, Kalahandi, Sambalpur districts of Western Odisha migrate to Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda and Medak districts of Andhra Pradesh to work in brick kilns here. The workers that are involved in [...]

24 December 2012

By Sudhir Katiyar Yesterday a meeting of striking workers was attacked violently by the brick kiln owners. A group of workers was holding a meeting two kms from Haripura chauraha. Suddenly the brick kiln owners came in a group of ten vehicles and attacked the workers and union team from behind. The attack was sudden. [...]

24 December 2012

By Sudhir Katiyar It was an important day as it becomes clear how far the strike call has taken root. From early morning, the cell phones of the Union team started ringing. The workers complain that while they have stopped working, others on their kiln are continuing to work.     The workers gathered in [...]

23 December 2012

By Sudhir Katiyar Today was the D day. The Union team undertook extensive mobilization amongst the workers between 15th and 21st December. It visited all the brick kilns and gave memorandum to the employers. It contacted workers and gave them pamphlet about the Union meeting on 21st. A memorandum was given to the brick kiln [...]

7 December 2012

Children in Brick Kilns of District Bhilwara, Rajasthan A report from our field partners in India, Prayas Labour Centre, which shows how important the union organising programme it.   Brick making is a seasonal industry that begins after monsoons are over in the month of October and continues till June next year. The workers are [...]