TURKISH METALWORKERS FIRED FOR UNION ORGANIZING
The IMF and EMF are calling on auto components and sports equipment maker Ekoendustri to reinstate the workers immediately and respect ILO conventions 87 and 98 to which Turkey is a signatory.
TURKEY: New members of Birleşik Metal-Is at the Ekoendustri are under attack by management who have fired 15 active union leaders after the workers applied for union representation to the Labour Ministry. Other unions members face intense harassment and intimidation by the company who have been pressuring workers to resign from Birleşik Metal-Is or face dismissal.
Birleşik Metal-Is, an affiliate of the International Metalworkers' Federation reports that in August and September of 2009, the union began an organising drive inside Ekoendustri, a company that produces, automotive components, white goods components and also sports equipment.
On December 29, 2009 the union applied to the Labour Ministry for bargaining rights after a majority of workers voted for union representation by Birleşik Metal-Is. Soon after on January 25, 2010, nine workers and active union members were fired. Since this date, another six workers have been fired.
In a joint letter to Ekoendustri management, the IMF and the European Metalworkers' Federation reminded the company that Turkey has ratified the International Labour Organizations' Conventions No. 87 (Freedom of Association) and No. 98 (Right to Collective Bargaining) guaranteeing workers the right to join unions and bargain collectively.
"Ekoendustri's actions are in violation of these internationally recognized labour standards as well as contrary to the codes of conduct outlined by your leading customer, Decathlon Group, now Oxylane Group," the letter stated adding "We urge you to immediately and unconditionally reinstate all workers unjustly dismissed, cease and desist from interrogating and harassing union members, and respect internationally recognized workers' rights, particularly the right to join and form unions and the right to collectively bargain."
UPDATE: February 11, 2010 - Birleşik Metal-Is reports that management at Ekoendustri is disturbed by letters sent in by unions internationally, including a joint IMF/EMF letter protesting management's actions. The international response has prompted a government investigation. The IMF is calling on affiliates to immediately send in letters to management calling for the reinstatement of the 15 union members dismissed and demanding that Turkey respects the rights of workers to join unions and collectively bargain.
Please copy IMF ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and Birleşik Metal-Is ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) on all correspondence. Click here for sample letter.
Send letters to:
EKOENDUSTRI
Mr. Egemen Ekrem Demiroz
Mr. Zeki Yondem
Kemalpaşa Organize Sanayii Bölgesi, Ulucak Mevkii 8
Sokak no: 2 KEMALPAŞA - IZMIR
TURKEY
Tel: +90 232 877 10 10
Fax: +90 232 877 10 09
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
DECATHLON GROUP/OXYLANE GROUP:
Yves Claude, CEO
369, rue Jules Guesde
59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq
FRANCE
Tél. : +33 (0)3.62.72.23.82
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it [Feb 03, 2010 – Kristyne Peter]
4th ANNUAL GENEVA LABOUR FILM SHORTS FESTIVAL
IMF call for film submissions from affiliates for the 4th Annual Geneva Labour Film Shorts Festival, taking place on June 15, 2010.
GLOBAL: To promote the development of trade union films, the International Metalworkers' Federation, in collaboration with the International Trade Union Confederation and all Global Union Federations, is hosting the 4th Annual Geneva Labour Film Shorts Festival in Geneva, Switzerland on June 15, 2010.
IMF affiliates are invited to submit copies of short films that they have produced or been involved in producing for possible inclusion in the programme. Submission of films on all labour issues are encouraged, however this year organizers hope to feature films that focus on union and worker responses to the global financial crisis and climate change.
Films to the Geneva Labour Film Shorts Festival need to be submitted by no later than March 31, 2010. Please send copies of your films on DVD with a short paragraph describing the film, why it was produced and how it was used to:
International Metalworkers' Federation
Case Postale 1516
CH-1227 Geneva Switzerland
The IMF will need unfettered rights to show the film and publish it online, of course with full acknowledgement of who created the material. Due to resource constraints for interpretation, the IMF is only able to accept films in English language or with English subtitles. For more information please contact Anita Gardner at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Trade unionists and filmmakers are also reminded that, for the first time ever, LabourStart is sponsoring a Labour Video of the Year competition. Videos submitted to this competition must be on the web, and less than 10 minutes long. They must focus primarily on work, workers or worker's issues. Please submit your nominations before midnight GMT on February 15, 2010.
Click here to find out more about labour film festivals around the world.
This site is sponsored by the DC Labor FilmFest and LabourStart, who also sponsor the online labour film database. The database includes no fewer than 1,465 union films and videos. If you have videos to suggest for inclusion in either of these lists, please send them on to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
[Feb 10, 2010 – Anita Gardner]
ICEM/IMF SURVEY SHOWS PRECARIOUS WORK STILL GROWING
Precarious work on the rise suggesting many companies who have begun hiring again are doing so with fixed-term or temporary workers.
GLOBAL: A second survey conducted by the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) and the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) on precarious work, contract and agency labour shows a continuing increase in the number of workers employed on precarious contracts. The results demonstrate the need to continue to fight against the rise of precarious work.
The rise occurred during an economic crisis that gripped many countries during 2009 and led to massive lay-offs of short-term contract workers, and could perhaps indicate that many companies who have begun hiring again are doing so with fixed-term or temporary workers.
A total of 66 per cent of ICEM and IMF affiliates that responded indicated that there has been an increase in temporary or part-time work in their sectors and in their countries in 2009. Only 22 per cent of affiliates reported that they had seen a decrease, with a further 12 per cent stating that there had been no change.
Two-thirds of the ICEM and IMF affiliates who replied indicated that the wage and benefit gap between direct, permanently employed workers and contract and agency labour workers had increased over the last year as a result of the global economic crisis. This growing wage gap between permanently employed workers and contract workers seems to be more pronounced outside of countries in the OECD area.
Another important factor is that unions are taking action against the proliferation of precarious jobs, with 40 per cent of ICEM and IMF affiliates saying that they are already taking measures to avoid an increase in precarious work once the economy begins to improve. Another 39 per cent are currently reflecting on how to take action on this issue. Only 14 per cent indicated that they had not yet taken any action, and a mere seven per cent of affiliates stated that this is not a problem for them.
Recruiting short-term or temporary agency workers into unions remains a challenge, with only 28 per cent of affiliates reporting that their union has more contract and agency worker members than it did last year. A full 37 per cent of ICEM and IMF affiliates indicated that the amount of members employed as contract and agency workers had remained the same, and 35 per cent said that there had been a decrease in membership of workers employed on a contract or agency basis.
A total of 252 ICEM and IMF affiliates responded to the multilingual survey. Responses were received from all regions, with Africa, Asia, and Europe each being responsible for about one third of all responses and a further eight per cent of replies came from the Americas. A more detailed visual representation of all the results is available here. [Feb 10, 2010 – Anita Gardner]
COURT ORDERS LEONI TO REINSTATE UNION LEADER IN UKRAINE
On January 28 local court ordered Leoni to reinstate unjustly dismissed union leader at Leoni Wiring Systems plant in Lviv area, Ukraine.
UKRAINE: Local union at Leoni Wiring Systems plant in Lviv area won a legal battle on January 28 with the district court ordering the company to reinstate local union leader, Vladimir Shikitka.
Despite company pressure, a union affiliated to Automobile and Agricultural Machinery Workers' Union of Ukraine (AAMWU) was organized at the plant in January 2009. Vladimir Shikitka was elected as the president of the new union.
As local management immediately took an anti-union position, AAMWU representatives met with Leoni in Germany. The meeting was organized by the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) and IG Metall. The company assured union members that it was committed to following the law and didn't intend to violate the International Framework Agreement, but back in Ukraine things didn't change.
Leoni signed a declaration on social rights and industrial relations with the IMF in 2002. This International Framework Agreement stipulates that the company will respect fundamental trade union and worker rights.
Despite assurances from company managers in Germany, the plant management opposed each and every union activity, even installing an information stand. Union leader Vladimir Shikitka, a worker with a perfect record, was accused of "systematic neglect of duty" and fired on July 7, 2009. Not only did this decision violate basic labour standards, but it was clearly illegal in Ukraine, since the national labour code required the company to consult with the union before dismissing one of its leaders.
AAMWU immediately filed a complaint.
It took four court hearings to finally recognize the company actions as illegal. On January 28 the district court ordered Leoni to immediately reinstate Shikitka, pay him an average wage in arrears and compensate all legal expenses.
AAMWU and IMF will continue to watch closely the situation at Leoni Wiring Systems plant. [Feb 09, 2010 – Ilya Matveev]
PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE FAILS TO DO JUSTICE IN RUSSIA
Instead of protecting labour rights prosecutor's office clings to the absurd 'extremist' charges against ITUA. Districk court approves this anti-union and anti-labour attitude, as the February 3 decision clearly suggests.
RUSSIA: On February 3, 2010 a court hearing took place in Tver, Russia. The Interregional Autoworkers' Trade Union (ITUA), an IMF affiliate, tried to hold the local prosecutor's office accountable for its anti-union position. However, the court declined to satisfy the union's demands.
In November 2008 Dmitri Kozhnev, leader of the ITUA-affiliated union at ‘TsentroSvarMash' plant in Tver, wrote a letter to the prosecutor's office, urging the authorities to investigate poor working conditions, lack of health and safety measures and low wages at the plant.
However, several such letters resulted in the prosecutor's office investigating the union instead of the employer. All members of a rather small ITUA organization at ‘TsentroSvarMash' were summoned to the prosecutor's office for questioning.
When the employer decided to get rid of Kozhnev and fired him, the prosecutor's office didn't do anything, even though the management acted illegally and Kozhnev was reinstated later by court's decision.
While the authorities did nothing to protect ‘TsentroSvarMash' workers, pressure on ITUA was gradually increasing.
Several ITUA materials, including an IMF leaflet, were deemed ‘extremist' by the court and joined the ranks of far-right pamphlets and Islamic fundamentalist propaganda, however the court refused even to disclose its full decision to ITUA, citing the fact that the union was ‘not a side of the court case'.
This legal mess culminated on February 3, 2010, when the district court decided that the prosecutor's office's failure to investigate ‘TsentroSvarMash' was justified. Thus the whole anti-union and anti-labour attitude of the authorities received approval.
On January 20, 2010, the All-Russia Confederation of Labor (VKT) and the Russian Labor Confederation (KTR) lodged a complaint to the International Labour Organization's Committee on Freedom of Association regarding mass and systematic violations of trade union rights in Russia. The complaint, which also document attacks on ITUA members, is supported by the IMF, the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). [Feb 09, 2010 – Ilya Matveev]
Strike at Automotive Lighting in Reutlingen
IMF sends letter of solidarity to striking workers at Automotive Lighting, and auto supply company in Reutlingen, Germany.
GERMANY: Fighting for their jobs, 130 workers of the Automotive Lighting Company have been on strike since January 26, 2010. Automotive Lighting is a supplier of the automotive industry.
Following a management decision on November 27, 2009 to relocate production to other sites, IG Metall and the works council have demanded talks with the management to discuss a concept to maintain jobs in the plant in Reutlingen.
To date management has refused negotiations on this issue and are adhering rigidly to their plans of relocation. For this reason, the workers decided to go on strike to fight for the survival of their workplaces.
The strike is ongoing and the IMF sent a solidarity letter to the striking workers in Reutlingen. [Feb 05, 2010 – Helmut Lense]
GLU INVITES MASTERS PROGRAMMES APPLICANTS
Global Labour University (GLU) offers Masters Programmes on sustainable development, social justice, international labour standards and trade unions, economic policies and global institutions. Deadline for applications is March 1, 2010.
GLOBAL: The Global Labour University (GLU) network offers the following labour related Masters Programmes:
- Labour Policies and Globalisation (Germany),
- Labour and Development, Economic Policy, Globalisation and Labour (South Africa),
- Social Economy and Labour (Brazil)
- Globalisation and Labour (India)
The courses will take place in Germany (Kassel/Berlin) at the University of Kassel and the Berlin School of Economics and Law, in South Africa (Johannesburg) at the University of Witwatersrand (WITS) , in Brazil (Campinas, the state of São Paulo) at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) and the course in India (Mumbai) at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
The unique global programmes are the result of a joint cooperation between the aforementioned universities and workers' organizations from around the world and aim at those candidates who have experience with labour and social movements, and who are willing to assist organizations in these fields to engage more effectively in social dialogue, public debate, and policy implementation.
Participants of the courses will analyze and discuss in a multidisciplinary fashion the challenges of globalization from a labour and trade union perspective. The programs offer a multi-cultural and multiregional environment with students and lecturers coming from developing, transition and industrialized countries.
The courses will be given in English. GLU particularly encourages women to apply for participation. A limited number of scholarships will be provided to the applicants upon request. For more details, application rules and conditions, please refer to the GLU website.
Established in 2004 the Global Labour University is supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Hans-Boeckler-Stiftung (HBS), the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ). [Feb 05, 2010 – Alex Ivanou]
EMPOWERING MIGRANT WOMEN IN MUMBAI SHIPYARDS
Women self-help groups in Mumbai support efforts of IMF affiliate MPTDGWU to improve working and living conditions of the migrant workers' families around the ship breaking yards.
INDIA: Women self-help groups met a delegation from the International Metalworkers' Federation in Mumbai, January 2010, to explore ways to improve working and living conditions at the ship breaking yards.
The situation of the workers' families settled around the ship breaking yards in very precarious conditions is completely disregarded by employers and local authorities. No housing facilities, drinking water, sanitation or schooling are provided for the families of the migrant workers who have followed the men of the family engaged in the ship breaking yards. The women, in the minority among thousands of workers, are often harassed, cheated or abused by the local mafias. Small children roam around barefoot and in rags in an extremely hazardous environment. No job opportunities or formal education are available for any members of the families.
The IMF discussed with its affiliate in Mumbai, the Mumbai Port Trust Dock and General Workers' Union (MPTDGWU) how to improve the living conditions of the workers and, in the framework of the current organising project for the ship breaking workers, how to support the women.
A group of over 40 women activists and unionists from self-help groups formed in residential communities near the ship breaking yards met with representatives of IMF and UK affiliate GMB on January 20, to speak about their own experiences and to jointly explore possibilities of creating women's groups among the ship breakers' families. The constituted self-help groups, supported by public funds, seek to build up women's self esteem, teach them basic skills in economic literacy, health, nutrition and childcare. These groups have gained access to micro-credits, thus the opportunity to set up small income generating activities such as preparing food for workers, selling vegetables and tailoring, which improve the families' income.
Ms Manisha Pendurkar, vice-president of the trade union federation Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) in Maharashtra, and Ms.Vrishali V. Rane, president of one the self-help groups, propose to expand the groups to the surroundings of ship breaking yards by setting up basic health care centres for children and pregnant women to attract the interest and support of the workers.
IMF and GMB promised to look for support for this initiative and to maintain close contact with this group of women activists in Mumbai and to develop a programme for the workers' families. [Feb 04, 2010 – Suzana Miller]
GIVE HAITI DEBT RELIEF
International Metalworkers; Federation affiliates make donations to the recovery effort in Haiti as calls for debt relief intensify.
HAITI: In the wake of the earthquake that flattened Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010 and killed up to 200,000 people, injured some 250,000 and made 1.5 million homeless there is a growing movement to forgive Haiti's US$1 billion in outstanding debt.
Haiti's development has been crippled by a painful history with debt. As a result of the less-than-certain commitments by International Financial Institutions and some donor countries to cancel all of Haiti's outstanding debt, several organizations have launched appeals to obtain a rapid write-off of Haiti's remaining debt and ensure that aid is in the form of grants not loans.
The International Monetary Fund is extending an additional US$114 million interest-free loan to Haiti, but the Fund's board did not reiterate the commitment of IMF chief Strauss-Kahn that the "IMF is now working with all donors to try to delete all the Haitian debt, including our new loan".
The largest multilateral holders of Haiti's debt are the Inter-American Development Bank (US$447 million), the International Monetary Fund (US$165 million, plus US$100 million in new lending), the World Bank's International Development Association (US$39 million) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (US$13 million). The largest bilateral loan is held by Taiwan (US$92 million), with Venezuela announcing it is cancelling Haiti's $295 million debt to Petrocaribe, Venezuela's regional energy distributor.
Meanwhile affiliates of the International Metalworkers' Federation have donated money to the recovery effort in Haiti.
See below links to calls to give Haiti debt relief.
[Feb 03, 2010 – Anita Gardner]
ARCELORMITTAL FATALITY RATE UNACCEPTABLLY HIGH
Zero fatalities remain top priority for joint global health and safety committee.
SOUTH AFRICA: The latest meeting of the ArcelorMittal Joint Global Health and Safety Committee (JGHSC) took place on January 27 and 28, 2010. Despite encouraging signs of improvement within the company on health and safety issues during 2009, the number of fatalities remains unacceptably high. The Joint Global Health and Safety Committee of ArcelorMittal are calling for greater vigilance from management, unions and workers to prevent further fatalities. The message is simple: if the job is not safe - don't do it.
Sadly the JGHSC visit to South Africa was given more poignancy by recent fatalities in which four workers were killed, now the subject of an ongoing investigation. The fatalities occurred in the Newcastle plant, which is one of five facilities within ArcelorMittal South Africa. A small delegation from the committee visited the plant to see what lessons could be leant to prevent the possibility of any similar occurrence elsewhere in the group.
As part of the visit to South Africa, a delegation from the JGHSC also took the opportunity to meet with the Numsa leadership and IMF Regional Representative, Stephen Nhlapo. Discussions in the meeting covered important issues such as the need for union involvement in health and safety programs at the outset and the importance of access to training and education for union safety reps. Numsa General Secretary Irvin Jim expressed the national leadership's commitment to play a leading role in improving health and safety conditions for workers throughout South Africa. He also expressed his concerns about the recent tragedy in Newcastle and stated that it must be a priority to assist the families affected by the recent fatalities, including the contractors that were not directly employed by the company.
The following morning the JGHSC carried out a site visit to Vanderbijlbark Steel Plant and took the opportunity to meet with representatives from local unions and management and conduct a safety tour of the plant. The main outcomes from the visit were a generally high standard of cleanliness in the plant, including the use of Personal Protective Equipment. But areas that needed improvement included developing greater cooperation between management and local unions in order to improve transparency and communication. The site also has a high level of contractors (around 40 per cent of the workforce) and greater attention needs to be given to ensure compliance with safety rules.
The JGHSC also reviewed progress from its previous visits and follow up actions had been carried out in Kazakhstan, Brazil, Mexico, Czech Republic and Romania. In some cases further actions were still pending. In addition the JGHSC was informed that all employees returning to the plant after lay off due to the economic crisis would receive refresher training. It was also agreed that a joint approach would be developed for April 28 ArcelorMittal World Safety day (Workers' Memorial Day). Union members of the JGHSC proposed that the focus should be on a worker's right to refuse unsafe work and improving contractor safety, both of which would fit within the concept of shared vigilance, a proposal from the management side. The union side also requested that consideration be given to a global conference for health and safety representatives from union and management.
Future activities for the JGHSC include the development of a union health and safety network across all sites in the company to improve communication. The next meeting is scheduled April 27 to 29, 2010 in Indiana Harbor, USA. [Feb 01, 2010 – Rob Johnston]
WORKERS DENIED DRINKING WATER
Shipbreaking workers' union calls on employers and port authority to supply drinking water at shipbreaking sites in Mumbai, India.
INDIA: A volatile cocktail of manual work and intense sun without access to drinking water is putting the lives of shipbreaking workers in Mumbai at risk, according to unions. The average daily temperature in January is between 26 to 34 degrees celcius. During a project evaluation visit by an international delegation to the Mumbai shipbreaking site January 20, workers explained to union leaders how, despite repeated requests, they are faced with continual water shortages and often work in extremely hazardous conditions for 12 hours a day with nothing to drink.
Previously unorganized and with no union to represent them, the workers had been unable to speak out about the conditions they face. However following a successful union building project workers can now voice complaints to their union, the Mumbai Port Trust Dock and General Employees Union, without fear of recrimination. After hearing the workers' complaints the local union leadership visited several sites in the area and saw that none had drinking water available.
Both the employers and the local port authority are failing to provide enough drinking water for workers resulting in daily shortages. Due to the financial crisis the current volume of work in the shipbreaking industry in very high as ship owners cut capacity to maintain freight rates. Currently there are 12 ships in Mumbai, which has lead to an influx of workers in order to deal with the increased volume of ships being broken. To make the situation worse, not only are workers facing water shortages, but many of the workers' families are situated in the surrounding area are equally affected.
Despite the Indian Factories Act 1948 clearly spelling out that drinking water should be provided to workers this is widely being ignored. The local union leadership has stated that if the situation is not resolved then the only alternative maybe to call for industrial action among the workers. The International Metalworkers' Federation has been working closely with the shipbreaking workers as part of its union building project which has seen 2,500 workers organized in Mumbai, and a further 6,500 in Alang.
Rob Johnston IMF Executive Director addressed the workers at a rally and stated, "The workers in Mumbai have taken the decision to stand up for their rights by joining a trade union. There can be no more basic right than the right to drinking water, that's why you have the full support of the international trade union movement for your struggle."
Conditions in the shipbreaking yards in India are extremely hazardous and organizing workers remains a priority if working conditions are to improve. The union organized has achieved some improvements in personal protective equipment for the workers in Mumbai and Alang, but many health and safety issues are still neglected. IMF is currently developing a program to assist shipbreaking workers in Bangladesh who also face appalling conditions. [Jan 29, 2010 – Rob Johnston]
IMF NewsBriefs is the International Metalworkers’ Federation’s regular international newsletter, containing recent news and forthcoming events published on the IMF website.
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