Vale Strike Enters Seventh Month

USW files bad-faith bargaining complaint against Vale, unions around the globe call for a Fair Deal NOW.

CANADA: The United Steelworkers (USW) filed a bad-faith bargaining complaint against Vale Inco, challenging the company's refusal to engage in genuine, good-faith negotiations to end the six-month strike by 3,500 Canadian workers.

USW officials filed the complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board in Toronto, marking the strike's six-month anniversary which was honoured in Sudbury on January 13 by a rally and parade.

3500 USW members in Sudbury and Port Colborne, Canada have been on strike since July 13, 2009 after the company would only accept to renew their collective agreement if workers agreed to a drastic reduction in conditions and increased job insecurity. Despite having made US$13.2 billion profit last year, Vale is insisting on creating a two-tiered pension plan, slashing the nickel bonus and seriously damaging seniority rights, while bringing in replacement workers to continue production. USW members at Voisey's Bay joined the strike on August 1.

"The Ontario Labour Relations Act requires that employers and unions make every reasonable effort to reach a collective agreement," said USW lawyer Brian Shell. "At the minimum that means meeting with a union committed to a full exploration of all issues and together endeavoring to find an acceptable way forward."

"Vale Inco's behavior indicates it is not interested in any meaningful negotiations," said John Fera, President of USW Local 6500 in Sudbury. "It is using its massive wealth to try to bring Canadian workers and our communities to their knees."

The strike has gained massive support worldwide in recent months, thanks in part with the help of affiliates from the International Metalworkers' Federation and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions. Vale workers from Canada and Brazil have traveled around the globe sharing their experience with fellow miners and metalworkers at Vale operations and investments events as well as steel mills and smelters that purchase Vale products. Unions have been calling on Vale to return to the bargaining table and reach a Fair Deal NOW.

"We believe Vale is trying to destroy its strongest collective bargaining agreement for the purpose of setting a precedent to weaken other collective bargaining agreements throughout the world, a move the IMF and our global affiliates and partner organizations will not accept, and will fight," wrote Jyrki Raina, IMF general secretary in a solidarity message for the occasion.

"Until Vale changes its practices, the IMF will continue to oppose Vale operations and investment through mobilizing IMF affiliates around the world and we will actively encourage companies and governments to stop doing business with Vale until a resolution is reached," Raina added.  [Jan 14, 2010 – Kristyne Peter]

Rebuilding a Worker-Friendly Steel Sector in 2010

IMF's work in the steel sector will focus on organising, networks, precarious work and climate change in 2010.

GLOBAL: As the steel sector recovers from the financial crisis the International Metalworkers' Federation will be working with affiliates in 2010 to build a more sustainable and worker-friendly industry.

"For many workers in the steel industry last year was a bad one, as companies tried to translate a fall in demand into a fall in wages, conditions and job security," writes Rob Johnston, IMF Executive Director for Industrial and TNC Policies, in a statement on the outlook for the steel sector in 2010.

"This year will be critical for the union movement within the steel industry. We will have plenty of opportunities to reshape the industry but must not let the industry benchmark be the lowest standards rather than the highest," he writes.

The statement outlines MF's strategy in the steel sector in 2010, which includes:

• Organising workers as jobs return to the industry
• Strengthening collective bargaining through union networks
• Tackling precarious work to stop the exploitation of workers and increased health and safety risks
• Actively seeking to address climate change issues in the industry

A copy of the IMF statement on the outlook for the steel sector in 2010 can be viewed here.  [Jan 14, 2010 – Anita Gardner]

Working Towards a Binding Agreement at COP16

IMF set to continue working with affiliates on climate change after a flimsy non-binding agreement was reached in Copenhagen last year.

GLOBAL:  The International Metalworkers' Federation will continue to raise the profile on climate change and offer opportunities for debate on the issue with affiliates in 2010, after a flimsy non-binding agreement was reached at Copenhagen last year.

In a statement reflecting on the outcome of the COP15 negotiations, Rob Johnston, IMF Executive Director for Industrial and TNC Policies, writes that while a weak agreement is better than none at all, it is now time to focus union efforts on achieving a binding agreement at COP16 in Mexico in 2010.

"The COP16 in Mexico will offer an interesting opportunity for unions to package a number of important issues surrounding trade union rights under the climate change umbrella," he writes.

"Many of the barriers to a binding agreement stem from the fear of the impact emissions targets would have on industry, trade, development and subsequently jobs. Building a comprehensive policy on issues that raise questions about the north-south divide are key. Natural areas for trade union involvement are issues such as the responsibilities of transnational corporations, education, training and skill development," he adds.

IMF and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) will continue to develop a joint program to address areas of mutual interest. In June 2010, ICEM and IMF will hold a joint conference in Toronto which will address three main topics: the impact of the Global Economic Crisis; sustainability and climate change; and, financial markets and global governance.

The main outcomes from the conference will be presented to the G20 shortly afterwards and taken forward to the COP16.

A copy of the statement prepared by Rob Johnston can be viewed here.  [Jan 14, 2010 – Anita Gardner]

Save Saab in Sweden

Thousands of Saab workers demonstrate outside plant in Trollhattan, Sweden in protest of GM's moves to close the plant.

SWEDEN: Around 4,000 employees at Saab stopped work and held a protest at the plant in Trollhättan on 12 January 2010 in protest of GM's moves to close the plant, despite potential bidders for Saab Automobile AB and the brand Saab.

"The best economical solution to save money and avoid costs is for General Motors is to sell Saab, rather than to wind-down the company," stated a leaflet produced by the four local unions taking action at Saab.

"The owner General Motors is acting irresponsibly when giving signals in two different directions - initiating liquidation of Saab at the same time as potential purchasers are bidding," said IF Metall President Stefan Löven in support of the workers' protest.

"This is not only a question of a business transaction, but also a question of the future and quality of life for a large number of people," said Löven.

GM has been trying to sell Saab since January last year. Saab employs 3,400 people in Sweden and was founded in 1937. Saab was bought by GM in 1989.   [Jan 13, 2010 – Anita Gardner]

IMF Delegation Meets with Shop Stewards from Sonasid/ArcelorMittal Production Units in Morocco

Respect of the right to collective bargaining and of the national labour law was the focus of the meeting.  Shop stewards were saddened at the news that one more worker, the sixth since the beginning of this year, died at an arcelorMittal production site in Spain.

MOROCCO: Shop stewards and trade union delegates from the production sites of the ArcelorMittal controlled SONASID in Nador and El Jadida, Morocco met in Casablanca with a delegation from IMF HQs on January 7-8, 2010.

Concerns were expressed about a serious deterioration of the industrial relations. Shop stewards indicated that, contrary to what used to happen until a couple of years ago, the local management does not seem to be interested in constructive social dialogue and even refuses to listen to unions. Since the last elections of workers' representatives in May 2009 management has refused to enter into negotiations with a union that is legitimately entitled to collective bargaining according to the national law. The SNTIMMEE-CDT has in fact received at each of the two production sites more than 35 per cent of votes, which is the threshold set by the Moroccan labour code for that purpose.

Cases have been reported of discrimination against SNTIMMEE members who were on strike, and of non-implementation of a signed collective agreement at the El Jadida site. The shop stewards asked for IMF support against discrimination by management and to resume a dialogue and negotiations in good faith with the company's management.

While the meeting was taking place information reached the participants of another tragic fatality that took place at an ArcelorMittal production site in Spain. The participants expressed deep concern for the dangerous working conditions and the recently increased number of fatalities at the production sites of ArcelorMittal around the world. In particular, they pointed to the risks involved in the increasing management's practice to replace senior, more experienced workers with young ones. These in most cases are employed under precarious employment arrangements, with a lower level of protection.

This activity is part of the IMF ongoing work, particularly in Maghreb, to monitor the respect of fundamental rights by TNCs around the world, and to promote trade union coordination and networking between unions organizing the employees of a same TNC.  [Jan 11, 2010 – Carla Coletti]

Unions in Belgium Increase Their Strength Through Merger

IMF affiliated CSC-METAL (CCMB) and ACV-CSC TEXTURA join forces and form ACV-CSC METEA a new strong union in the industrial sector.

BELGIUM:  IMF affiliate in Belgium, Centrale Chrétienne des Métallurgistes de Belgique - CCMB and the textile union ACV-CSC TEXTURA decided to merge on December 12, 2009 into a new single strong union ACV-CSC METEA.

The new union is created in order to effectively meet future challenges and will operate in the industrial, technological and related sectors. ACV-CSC METEA is primarily designed to defend workers' interests and deliver excellent services to members as well as develop dynamic activities at the shop floor and sector levels.

The new organization unites in its ranks 250,000 members and 12,500 shop stewards, representing the largest number of workers in its sectors in Belgium.

At the national level the new union is affiliated to the Belgian Christian confederation of trade unions ACV-CSC. At the European level the union affiliates to the European Metalworkers' Federations. At the international level ACV-CSC METEA affiliates to two global union federations: the International Textile, Garment & Leather Workers' Federation ITGWLF and the International Metalworkers' Federation IMF.

Marc De Wilde was elected as President of the new organization.

Contacts details of the new organization:

ACV-CSC METEA
Avenue Pagodes 1-3
1020 BRUXELLES
Belgium

Tel.: +32 2 2449911
Fax. : +32 2 2449990
Email : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website:  http://www.acv-csc-metea.be/

[Jan 10, 2010 – Alex Ivanou]