TORONTO, April 11, 2013 /CNW/ - "The situation in Mozambique is dire," said Ken Neumann, United Steelworkers (USW) National Director and President of the Steelworkers Humanity Fund.
"The Steelworkers Humanity Fund is contributing $20,000 toward emergency aid for communities affected by unprecedented flooding in the low-lying areas of southern Mozambique" Neumann said.
The Steelworkers Humanity Fund contributions will be channeled via Oxfam, he said.
Oxfam reports that, "we have a joint Oxfam response to the Mozambique flooding. Four districts of Gaza province - Chokwe, Guija, Chibuto and Xai-Xai - are the most seriously affected by the flooding. About 150,000 people have been affected and we estimate that 110,000 hectares of crops have been lost. The main harvest expected in March and April has been wiped out."
The Steelworkers Humanity Fund is a registered charitable organization that focuses primarily on development projects and emergency aid in developing countries. The Fund also supports Canadian communities in crisis.
Steelworkers union members contribute to the fund through clauses negotiated into collective agreements. In some cases, matching contributions come from employers.
In addition to humanitarian relief, the Steelworkers Humanity Fund has funded projects with trade unions in Mozambique for many years, These projects are designed to build the capacity of union committees at the workplace level to bargain for and defend their members. In recent years the training activities and worker exchanges have focused in the extractive sector.
SOURCE: United Steelworkers (USW)
Ken Neumann, USW National Director, 416-544-5951
Doug Olthuis, Steelworkers Humanity Fund, 416-544-5957, [email protected]
Bob Gallagher, USW Communications, 416-544-5996, [email protected]
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