Industrial Unions Demand Jobs Focus at G20 Meeting
Industrial GUFs, ITGLWF, ICEM, IMF, demand jobs focus from this week's G20 Meeting
Three Global Union Federations (GUFs), representing 55 million industrial workers, call on G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Pittsburgh, USA, this week to prioritise the global jobs crisis in their deliberations, and to create real measures that stop the epidemic of job losses throughout the world.
The GUFs, the International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF), the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine, and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), and the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), stress the immediate need for economic ministers to recognise that true recovery can only happen if job retention and job creation become the priorities.
The three workers' federations join to state that the full ripple effect of the year-old crisis is only now being felt as tens of millions of jobs are cut, with a forecast of more job losses to occur in 2010 and 2011. The ITGLWF, ICEM, and IMF stand staunchly behind the International Trade Union Confederation's (ITUC) statement last week that "any talk of recovery has little meaning until people are getting back to work."
The federations call attention to the "Pittsburgh Declaration," a statement by the ITUC, the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD, and all GUFs that demands a changed mindset by international financial institutions regarding jobs, human and trade union rights, and more stringent financial governance and market regulation.
The declaration, found here, calls on the G20 to implement the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Jobs Pact, developed in June 2009, as well as adding the ILO's Decent Work Agenda to the G20's Charter for Sustainable Economic Activity. Such adoption would effectively incorporate workers' rights, social protections, and meaningful social dialogue between business, labour, and government to economic and social decision making.
The "Pittsburgh Declaration" also calls for the G20 to prioritise the creation of green jobs and protecting workers who are unfairly affected by actions related to climate change.
Stated Neil Kearney, General Secretary of ITGLWF, "For workers in textiles, where nearly 13 million jobs have been lost in the past year, the global crisis is deepening, not bottoming out. Stimulus packages must be continued and extended to promote sustainable manufacturing that provides decent work and a living wage, leading to a consumer-demand recovery."
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda added, "Talk of recovery now is not only premature, but inhumane in view of unemployment rates rising into double digits in many countries. A new social model must take hold, starting with this G20 meeting, and it must begin with serious reforms to the neoliberal financial model, as well as a sustainable social plan that addresses the needs of millions of people that have been negatively impacted by this crisis."
"What has occurred thus far," said IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina, "is that huge sums have been poured into financial institutions, while these same institutions have failed to manage their fundamental task - to finance a viable industrial economy. We demand that governments address the critical issue of employment, particularly the human adversity brought on by precarious labour, a form of work that undermines the industrial structures of the global north and destroys equitable development opportunities in the south."
The G20 meeting in Pittsburgh is scheduled for 24-25 September. The ITGLWF is the global voice for 217 trade unions in 110 countries; the ICEM represents 467 trade unions in 132 countries; and the IMF covers over 200 trade unions in 100 countries. [Sep 21, 2009 – Anita Gardner]
A to Z: Action Against Precarious Work
From October 3 to 10 metalworker unions from Australia to Zambia are taking action against the use of precarious employment.
GLOBAL: From Australia to Zambia affiliates will take action in countries around the world as part of the global week of action against precarious work starting on October 3.
The impact of the global financial crisis on precarious workers is the theme of IMF's action this year. Affiliates are taking the fight to governments, calling on them to ensure equal rights for precarious workers and to strengthen legislation to prevent employers from using precarious employment in place of permanent and direct employment.
Some of the actions that are planned to take place include:
- Protest actions in capital cities in Australia
- National metalworkers' sport and games in Bulgaria
- Development of a second common demand against precarious work across Europe
- Seminar in Finland
- Film night in Geneva
- Petition and actions in Germany
- Flash mobs in Hungary
- Mass demonstrations across south-east Asia
- Solidarity event in Turkey
- Pickets and demonstrations in Zambia
In all cases these actions include the distribution of the global campaign leaflet and poster with the unified message of calling on governments to:
- Restrict temporary and contract work to cases of genuine need
- Guarantee equal pay for precarious workers and their right to join a union
- Require long-term temporary jobs to be converted to permanent jobs
The massive growth of precarious employment has brought negative social and economic consequences for people everywhere. That's why workers throughout the world are uniting against precarious work.
Click here to find out more about the actions being taken.
Please send photos and reports on any actions that your union takes as part of this campaign to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it [Sep 23, 2009 – Anita Gardner]
GM Workers Across Europe Mobilise in Antwerp
Workers rally at Opel plant in Antwerp demanding no to the closure of plants and no to forced redundancies.
BELGIUM: Between 3,000 and 5,000 European workers rallied at the Opel plant in Antwerp on September 23 in response to a call from the European Metalworkers' Federation for mobilisation and solidarity in the light of the current restructuring of GM Europe and the threat of closure of the Antwerp plant.
EMF general secretary Peter Scherrer welcomed trade unionists from Spain, England, Germany, Poland, Hungary and France to the rally as well as the workers in Belgium.
"We will address management again and again regarding our principle demands, which are: no to the closure of plants and no to forced redundancies!" said Scherrer.
"We all know that when we do not fight for Antwerp today, tomorrow it will be Bochum, Luton or Zaragossa. We all know that if we do not stick together as firmly as possible we all will lose this fight," he said.
"We need responsible behaviour from the governments and politicians. We will not accept that workers are the hostages of political games. We want effective co-ordination of help, support and aid given to companies at European level," argued Scherrer.
Other speakers at the rally include Klaus Franz, the Chairman of EEF (the GM European Works Council) and trade union leaders of the Belgian trade unions. [Sep 23, 2009 – Anita Gardner]
Bosch and Brembo Workers Remain United
Bosch and Brembo workers in Pune, India continue to strike despite pressure tactics from management.
INDIA: Permanent and temporary workers remain united at the Bosch and Brembo plants in Pune, India, after 66 days of being on strike and despite pressure tactics from management and employers in the region.
The workers went on strike on July 18 demanding the implementation of pay rises stipulated in the 2007 collective bargaining agreement. Significantly the workers' demands also include equal pay for equal work with precariously employed workers, trainees and permanent workers in unity in the fight, which is being lead by the Bosch Chassis Systems Kamgar Sanghatana (Employees Union) and supported by IMF affiliates and independent unions in the region. Prominent social workers are also supporting the strike.
In recent days management at the two companies proposed a settlement, subject to the condition that not a single contract worker or trainee will be taken back. The union did not accept the proposal and stated that all contract workers (131) and trainees (43) should be taken back in three batches with improved wages and conditions of employment.
The management is holding talks with the union in the presence of the commissioner of Labour and has threatened to close down its operations in Pune if the union fails to accept its proposal on contract workers. Various petitions by management to the industrial courts to deem the strike illegal have been denied. Meanwhile the union is continuing to pursue legal measures to prevent the use of strike breaking labour at the two plants.
"The companies in the region are employing all kinds of pressure tactics to ensure that the strike fails, as it will break down the morale of contract workers not only in Bosch & Brembo, but the whole industrial area," explained IMF regional representative Sudharshan Roa Sarde, adding, "As such, all unions are collectively doing their best and coordinating efforts to sustain the strike".
IMF and its affiliates organized in Bosch in Germany and Brembo in Italy are offering solidarity support to the workers.
From October 3 to 10, IMF affiliates around the world are taking the fight to governments, calling on them to ensure equal rights for precarious workers and to strengthen legislation to prevent employers from using precarious employment in place of permanent and direct employment. [Sep 23, 2009 – Anita Gardner]
A Path to Permancy
The latest issue of Metal World, published online September 23, features the Thai labour movement's struggle for permanent work, shines a spotlight on the IMF Action Programme and profiles Sinter Metal striker Lale Balta in Turkey.
GLOBAL: To coincide with this year's global mobilization against precarious work, the latest issue of Metal World, out now, features the struggle for permanent work in Thailand and the work of IMF Thai affiliate TEAM.
With a rich history of struggling to improve the lives of working people, the Thai labour movement is campaigning to move temporary workers to permanent jobs. IMF affiliate TEAM is playing a leading role and will also be an active participant in this year's global week of action against precarious work.
IMF general secretary Jyrki Raina provides a summary overview of the IMF's work over the next four years as set out in the IMF Action Programme. Organizing, collective bargaining, trade union rights, union networks and sustainable development are key areas of work as decided by the IMF Congress in May 2009.
Sinter Metal striker Lale Balta talks about her hopes that an eventual victory will inspire workers throughout Turkey to stand up and defend their right to join a union. [Sep 23, 2009 – Anita Gardner]
IMF: Building Strong Unions
IMF holds 2nd seminar on Union Building and Collective Bargaining aimed at strengthening union building efforts around the world.
GENEVA: A group of IMF affiliates actively engaged in supporting union building work around the world met in Geneva with IMF regional officers, industrial officers and head office staff on September 17 and 18 to examine how to join forces to strengthen IMF's work on union building and collective bargaining.
During the meeting IMF started by giving a report on the background and priorities of the world wide union building and collective bargaining projects that IMF is currently implementing through its regional offices. The externally-funded IMF projects have mainly focused on organising the unorganised workers in IMF industries, including precarious workers, and on building strong national unions.
Participants at the seminar made a commitment to improve the coordination of IMF union building projects, sharing information about the very diverse bilateral union building activities that many IMF affiliates are currently implementing and seeking to identify focal points on which to jointly concentrate future efforts. Participants also reiterated the importance of using the IMF Action Programme as the political framework for all work, centred on organizing and education to strengthen unions and their collective bargaining capacity.
The second day of the seminar addressed the issues of collective bargaining in the context of the financial crisis and the priority of building strong national unions, taking into account that enterprise unions prove inadequate to respond globally to the situation. A panel of affiliates and regional officers discussed recent merger experiences in our industries sharing views about the different co-existing national union structures in the IMF. The debate followed by highlighting the need to clarify political principles and objectives before launching merger initiatives, aiming to build commonality of action and strategies and avoid pitfalls such as merging for purely financial considerations. IMF affiliates re-affirmed their commitment to continue working together to strengthen trade unions presence in our industries and to press for national collective bargaining and unity of action..
Recommendations of the meeting included:
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IMF coordinating and collecting information on the affiliates' bilateral activities, mapping out who is working where and disseminating more information on the externally-funded projects, in order to develop a union building network;
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To identify priority countries where synergies can be developed during a two year period and evaluated in 2011;
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On a longer term basis, IMF should identify principles and guidelines for union building and assist national unions organising in transnational corporations to set up union-building networks; and
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To continue sharing experiences and perspectives about building strong national unions, through mergers or common action and collective strategies at national level.
Affiliates from Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom and a representative from the EMF participated in the seminar. [Sep 23, 2009 – Anita Gardner]
Global Support to Vale Workers in Canada
Canadian Nickel Strikers Receive Support from Labour Leaders from Around the World
CANADA: Some 3,000 people crowded into the Sudbury, Ontario, ice hockey arena on September 19 and enthusiastically greeted global trade union leaders in what was billed as an "International and Community Rally in Support of Sudbury's Strikers".
International union leaders, including IMF general secretary Jyrki Raina, Manfred Warda, general secretary of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), Sharan Burrow, president of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, joined others to tell striking miners of the United Steelworkers (USW) that their nine-week strike against Vale has gained worldwide attention, and brought trade union pressure on Vale in all its global operations.
The strike started on 13 July after USW Locals 6500 in Sudbury and Local 6200 in Port Colborne, joined in a common labour contract, gave the world's number two nickel producer a ten-week extension back in May. But instead of reaching agreement, based on Vale's vast profit margins despite the global downturn, managers of nickel entity Vale-Inco pressed ahead with concession-ridden proposals that would deflate the livelihoods of 3,500 workers and their families in Sudbury and in Port Colborne.
Those concessionary proposals, still on the table, include retirement reductions, a two-tiered pension scheme, steep downgrades to a production bonus, and loss of value in cost-of-living adjustments. As well, Vale-Inco is seeking greater flexibility on outsourcing, standing as a serious affront to job security.
On August 1, 450 workers of USW Local 9508 in Voiseys Bay, Labrador, struck. Saturday's rally by the USW was to show strikers - as well as the rest of Canada and the world's mining industry - that global labour will stand together to prevent a prosperous metal-mining house from boosting its profit sheet at the expense of workers.
More coverage on the strike. [Sep 22, 2009 – Anita Gardner]
Leader of Colombian Union Sintratucar Receives Death Threats
The president of the union at Tenaris Tubos del Caribe has received death threats in the middle of a labour dispute with the company. Sintratucar is seeking company recognition of the union and demanding that the company protects the lives of union leaders.
COLOMBIA: Members of the Sindicato de Trabajadores de Tubos Caribe (SINTRATUCAR) union at Tenaris Tubos del Caribe Ltd are going through a difficult time. The company has refused to recognize the union and the union president has received death threats.
On August 31 of this year, Jairo del Río, union president, received a letter threatening himself and his family with death. The union said that its president "does not and has never had problems with anyone and the only dispute he has been involved in is the one with the company about the creation of the union and its presentation of a list of demands."
The union is currently involved in a dispute with the transnational company Tenaris Tubos del Caribe Ltd after presenting a list of demands. The union says that the threats received by Jairo del Río "aim to frighten the workers into halting the fight in support of their just demands and against the disgraceful working conditions to which workers at Tenaris Tubos del Caribe are subjected."
The union is asking union leaders at other Tenaris plants to demand protection of the lives of Sintratucar union activists and to write to Álvaro Uribe, President of Colombia, with the same demand.
The IMF has closely followed the situation of union leaders in Colombia who have been threatened and persecuted and we know that more than 5,000 union leaders have been killed in Colombia during the last 20 years. The IMF therefore offers its solidarity to Sintratucar, in its fight for the freedom of association and its pursuit of the demands made to the company. It condemns the intimidation of the union president and the threats received by him and calls on the Colombian government to ensure the trade union leader's safety. [Sep 17, 2009 – Anita Gardner]
Jobs Saved At Fiat Plant
Italian metalworkers reach an agreement securing the future of the Fiat CNH plant in Imola.
ITALY: On September 9, 2009 at the Ministry of Labour, an agreement was reached by the Italian metalworker trade unions about the CNH plant, avoiding closure of the plant in Imola that the Fiat group had announced a few months ago.
The workers, organized by FIM, FIOM and UILM, assembled and approved the collective agreement, which was reached after 81 days of picketing the plant and eleven days of hunger strike by an employee.
The agreement was reached in co-operation with the local union structures and the regional government. The Agreement provides for:
- keeping in Italy all the productions for construction equipment machines. CNH in Lecce will build backhoe loaders and wheel loaders,
- use of "Cassa Integrazione (public subsidy) for crisis" (12 months). Imola workers will not be dismissed,
- establishing a working group with the participation of CNH-Fiat Group at the Ministry of economic development, in order to find industrial solutions for Imola plant.
Through the action of the unions the closure of the Imola plant was prevented and Fiat was obliged to take social responsibility towards the workers and their community. Now, a new phase will start, when there still will be a need of workers' participation and unity. [Sep 18, 2009 – Anita Gardner]
Subcontracting in Brazil
A new publication on subcontracting in Brazil explains how it is a fundamental cause of lower wages, conditions and job insecurity and explores how trade unions are responding to subcontracting and precarious employment in Brazil.
BRAZIL: As in many parts of the world, subcontracting in Brazil has resulted in widespread precarious work. Although described as modern and competitive, in practical terms subcontracting has meant a reduction of wages and benefits, an increase in the hours of work and has created job instability.
Terceitização en Brasil (Subcontracting in Brazil), a recent publication of the national trade union centre CUT, brings to light all the consequences of subcontracting in Brazil. Written by university professors and trade union activists, the publication explores the impact of subcontracting in eight sectors of the Brazilian economy and also looks at the important contribution Brazilian unions are playing in responding to the practical reality of subcontracting.
In a section on the metal sector, Valter Sanches General Secretary of IMF affiliate CNM-CUT, speaks of the a historical changes caused by the implementation of subcontracting in the sector, citing examples of how metalworkers are trying to prevent subcontracting through collective bargaining agreements. Sanches also explains how international framework agreements can be important instruments in the fight against precarious work.
The book also sets out the project of regulating subcontracting through the law, elaborated for CUT after a vigorous internal debate, and recommends a debate in the National Congress, making it obligatory reading for all that are fighting for a better life. [Sep 17, 2009 – Anita Gardner]
Mexican Miners Reach Agreement With ArcelorMittal
Striking workers have returned to work after the company agreed to an eight per cent pay rise.
Mexico: Members of Section 271 of the National Miners' Union, on strike since August 8, have returned to work after reaching agreement with ArcelorMittal.
The agreement included an eight per cent pay rise and a benefits package worth a further seven per cent, including two more days holiday, two more days pay added to the Christmas bonus and 15,000 (US$1,100) pesos in social welfare benefits for each one of the 3,500 union members. Agreement was also reached on an increase in annual profit sharing (from 20 to 25 days).
All increases are backdated to May 1 and the company will pay 100 per cent of wages and credit vouchers lost during the strike. The value of vouchers has been increased from 150 to 170 (US$13) pesos. Other benefits included increases to company contributions towards educational grants and school equipment for workers' children, life insurance, sports, funeral expenses and much more.
The union said "the agreement discarded the company's initial plan to make the negotiations for a collective agreement conditional on making more than 700 union members redundant (20 per cent of union members). Nobody will lose their job."
The union added that the outcome of the negotiations showed the leadership of comrade Napoleón Gomez Urrutia "who worked closely with Section 271 leaders to reach the agreement. The workers are agreed that the outcome showed the capacity, experience, intelligence and commitment of comrade Gómez Urrutia and the correctness of his negotiation and conciliation strategy in pursuit of the miners' demands." [Sep 14, 2009 – Anita Gardner]
