Tenaris workers agree on global action plan

BRAZIL: More than twenty trade unionists, representing workers in six countries, met in Pindamonhangaba from November 23 to 25 in the 3rd international meeting of the Tenaris Workers’ World Council. Most of the debates at the meeting centered on the emergence of Tenaris from the international crisis and the company’s utilization of precarious work schemes to reduce its labour costs.

The event was host by the metalworkers’ union of Pindamonhangaba, Sindicato dos Metalúrgicos de Pindamonhangaba, Confederação Nacional dos Metalúrgicos (CNM/CUT), and the International Metalworkers’ Federation and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Brazil (FES-Brazil).

After an analysis of the current financial situation of the company and the situation in each plant the meeting developed an action plan for the next year. The action plan considers, among other points:

• The continued support to the workers in Cartagena, Colombia to obtain a negotiated collective agreement and ensure the physical security of their leaders,
• Pressure on Tenaris and Paolo Rocca, CEO of Tenaris, in any forum possible to ensure the recognition of the Tenaris Workers’ World Council,
• Research the legislation, trade union activities and other variables that impede free trade union representation to other workers of Tenaris around the world,
• Look for mechanism to involve in the Tenaris Workers’ World Council contract workers and other workers precariously employed,
• Share all clauses protecting and promoting union activities in the workplace and in the community present in the current collective agreements of the union members of the Council,
• Declare April 28 as a Day of Action for Health and Safety in Tenaris,
• Develop a database of current Tenaris ‘collective agreements,
• Explore the possibility to develop and share an economic analysis of the company per trimester,
• Study the current methods by which Tenaris paid their productivity bonus and look for a common model to apply internationally,
• Improve the e-mails communications by adding Portuguese, Italian and Romanian to the languages utilized; use more effectively the web page and develop a bulletin to be published twice a year, and
• Participate again in the yearly shareholders meeting to raise the needs of the workers of Tenaris.

The next meeting of the Tenaris Workers’ World Council will be in Romania in September 2011.