TUC and WDM role the dice for trade justice

Trade unionist from developing countries affected by unfair trade rules joined the Trades Union Congress and World Development Movement to stage a bizarre giant game of snakes and ladders as one of the first events of '24 hours for Trade Justice'.

Delegates to the TUC's Gender and Globalisation, from South Africa, Zimbabwe, The Phillipines, Malawi and Sierra Leone were pitched against rich countries in a giant, rigged game of 'unfair trade' snakes and ladders outside the TUC's London HQ. The game was overseen by the less than impartial World Trade Organisation. Giant loaded dice, movable snakes and ladders and the dodgy WTO refereeing ensured that just like the unfair trade rules in the real world - the poor countries aways lost.

Vuyo Ngwaxaxa from South Africa, Miriam Mukutuma from Zimbabwe, Jessie Chingoma from Malawi, Annie Geron from The Phillipines and Gladys Branch from the Sierra Leone were joined by TUC Assistant General Secretary, Kay Carberry. She said: "The trend towards globalisation is hitting women particularly hard. This event highlights the problems women in developing countries face, and will encourage UK trade unions to help their overseas colleagues fight exploitation and discrimination."

WDM's Marlene Barrett said "This was a great, fun way to kick of WDM's 24 Hours for Trade Justice and show that the rules of international trade are rigged against the world's poor and in favour of multinationals and rich countries. We need the UK Government to act to rebalance trade in favour of poor communities worldwide instead of pushing more free trade agreements that no one wants. The focus of WTO negotiations in Cancun must be reviewing and reforming the existing unfair and unbalanced WTO rules."

WDM 24 Hours for Trade Justice site

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Photos courtesy of Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk