Gareth Morgan, through his Morgan Foundation, has agreed to match every dollar UnionAID raises up to $30,000 a year for its latest South India project.

“This is a very generous offer and I am confident unionists will meet his challenge and donate to UnionAID.” said UnionAID chairman Ross Wilson.

Mr Morgan has put his support behind the UnionAID project, in partnership with the Tamil Nadu Labour Union, to organise and fund five cooperative-based businesses and more than 120 micro-enterprises among Dalit (untouchable) and Tribal (indigenous) people. The UnionAID project will also train 155 key representatives to deliver basic vocational and business skill training to 1,045 participants from local communities to increase their earning capacity and employability.

Mr Wilson says: “This exciting new project is an international model for union-led local economic development. I’m delighted that Gareth could see its potential and provide us with such a challenge.”

The urgency for UnionAID now is to raise $30,000 itself to qualify receiving Gareth Morgan’s contribution.”

The Tamil Nadu project builds on UnionAID’s work of the past three years, which has organised more than 30,000 people in Dalit and Tribal communities. It will help them achieve economic independence.

UnionAID is the only development agency with a focus on workers’ rights and which spends 100 percent of its donations on project funding. You may join UnionAID through their website: www.unionaid.org.nz or email: admin@unionaid.org.nz