There is a need to attract more young workers actively involved and joining trade union movement. Trade unions need to adapt new organizing ways and adjust their services: a first step in attracting young people is working with them to find out what they need. One initiative introduced by AUPE (Amalgamated Union of Public Employees, Singapore) is fun games and outdoor activities in order to reach out to their young members. Young AUPE was launched in December 2005, one of it goals it to cater to the needs of younger members in the union and serve as a beacon to attract more young workers to join the union.

One activity just recently held by the union was paintball games. Playing out in the open field on Saturday, 15^th November 2008, it was not just about paint ball battle but on how the team’s ability to cooperate, plan and motivate challenges of the battle field. For more information, please contact Young AUPE Chair, En Shyang TAN: TAN_En_Shyang@nparks.gov.sg or Stephanie Lee: Leesy@aupe.org.sg

 More photo, click here

The report, “Unions and Upward Mobility for Young Workers,” found that young unionized workers - those age 18 to 29 - earned, on average, 12.4 percent more than their non-union peers. In addition, young workers in unions were much more likely to have health insurance benefits and a pension plan.

“Unions make a big difference for younger workers,” said John Schmitt, a Senior Economist at CEPR and the author of the study. “There is no economic theory that says young people have to be poorly paid or go without benefits.”

According to the study, unionization also strongly benefited young workers in typically low-wage occupations. Among young workers in the 15 lowest-paying occupations, union members earned 10.2 percent more than those workers who were not in unions. In the same low-wage occupations, unionized young people were 27 percentage points more likely to have employer-provided health insurance and 26 percentage points more likely to have a pension plan than their non-union counterparts.

The full report can be found here.

From 25 November to 10 December 2008, PSI will again be participating, along with the ITUC and other Global Union Federations in the 16 days of activism to end violence against women.PSI has produced a range of materials to assist affiliates in their work on this very important topic including a booklet that sets out the facts and suggests actions unions might take a series of posters, “Say NO” postcards and white ribbons.

All materials are available in English, Spanish and French. You can also find information and access materials on the PSI dedicated web pages, from which you can send an electronic white ribbon.

Do you thing that you and your youth network in your union could organize something? It does not have to be big, it can be a symbolic event. It would be great if you can plan some activities. Check the facts that Women aged 15 - 44 are more at risk of death and disability through domestic violence than through cancer, motor accidents, war and malaria; Between 20,000 and 50,000 women and girls were raped in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the war in the Balkans. Please do join the campaign by holding events to end violence against women. Please send your planned activities or report to: indah.budiarti@world-psi.org