GERMANY/GLOBAL: The 3rd Bosch World Meeting, gathering more than 60 worker representatives from 34 countries around the world including for the first time from India, Malaysia and China, took place on March 21 to 23 in Abstatt, Germany.

The participation of union representatives from Malaysia was made possible after the local union successful organized the Bosch plant in Malaysia with support from the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) and the Works Council in Germany.

At the meeting the Board of Management once again committed to guaranteeing worldwide the right of all employees to join a union of their free choice and their commitment to negotiate collective agreements with these unions. A very important task of this World Meeting is to support each other in ensuring that this commitment will be realized at all Bosch sites worldwide as expressed in the International Framework Agreement with the company.

Delegates at the meeting issued an International Declaration of Solidarity for the members of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) who are currently in conflict with the South Korean Bosch management. The local union president was dismissed after workers did not show for work on the last day of the year. The management claimed it was an illegal strike, whereas the workers believed it was a negotiated day off.

"The delegates of the Bosch World Meeting express their highest respect and their deep appreciation of the courage, the determination, and the unity which our South Korean colleagues have demonstrated in their conflict. We support the colleagues in their efforts and their struggle to defend workers’ and trade union rights," reads the statement.

During the World Meeting the main issues addressed in the country reports dealt with investment and employment and the need to guarantee a future and secure jobs. Several delegates at the meeting were able to directly ask the Board of Management about specific issues and receive better information than they would have got locally. "This access to information and the exchange of experiences was a crucial element of the meeting," said IMF Automotive Director Helmut Lense.

A very important part of the discussion addressed the impacts of the financial crisis on employees. Especially in Germany dismissals were avoided by creating several instruments of flexibility. These examples could provide a basis for managing similar situations in the future without mass layoffs also in other countries.

At the conclusion of the meeting, all delegates agreed to continue with the world meetings and expressed their commitment to start negotiations with management on an agreement for holding the regular world meetings, which would also be an important step forward to building and strengthening a work with all Bosch workers.

GLOBAL: What the union busters cannot explain is that in the most recent Fortune 1000 list of the world’s most admired companies 9 out of the top 10 companies are organized in the metal sector. According to CNN Money the most admired list is the definitive report card on corporate reputations. A total of 698 companies from 32 countries were surveyed, and the result is a ringing endorsement for unionization. Not only are many of the companies most admired by executives, directors and security analysts organized, but they have some of the highest unionization rates around. The survey looked at nine criteria from investment value to sustainability.

Trade unionists believe, and that seems backed up by these facts, is that as a member of a union, workers have a real say in what happens on the job and that’s a good thing. Working together and having a strong voice in workplace decisions makes for better communications. Arguing that unionization means workers and management can no longer function as one team without outside influence just does not hold up to scrutiny. Tata Steel one of the companies listed has been working with its local union in Jamshedpur India since 1920. In recent times this plant has won World Steel Dynamics award for the World’s Best Steel Plant four times as a result of a team working culture.

Rob Johnston IMF Executive Director said, "Telling the whole story about unionization is important and if more companies put as much effort into working with unions in a proactive way rather than spending millions on preventing unionization the results would be evident."

A company’s response to organizing activities often demonstrates its true motivation and the role that it sees workers having in its decision making processes. When a company is open to unionization and open to the workers decisions then there is a good foundation for success. When it hides behind misinformation or fear tactics and relies on intimidation it cannot believe in teamwork or the rights of its workforce to chose. How can it be a team if one of the partners makes all the decisions and won’t allow the other a choice?

USA:  Having a corporate goal is all well and good, but turning that into a reality on the ground is the challenge facing management and unions at ArcelorMittal’s Vinton Steel Works in El Paso, Texas. Building the relationship between both partners sounds easy but when it comes to the reality it can be a tough challenge.

During the visit on February 27 and 28 the experts found that the main area of focus needs to be on building the relationship between the union and management on safety issues. Despite improvements in this area a consistent and credible joint approach still needed work and further commitment. In particular a priority must be improving the effectiveness of the local joint health and safety committee as set out in the JGHS Agreement. The JGHS Agreement sets out the minimum requirements for all of ArcelorMittal operations but the best practice examples in the company are beyond them. This only happens when both parties full embrace the idea which didn’t seem the case for some participants.

In the plant there was a visible improvement in conditions and 18 of the actions out of 30 identified during the last visit had already been carried out. These included improved elevated working platforms, steps being repaired and in good condition, construction of a wellness/facility and introduction of Spanish safety signs. The areas that need further attention included: the developed of an inspection program of burning hoses, gauges and torches, improvement of the eyewash stations in some areas, and a focus on the number of sub contractors used, which represents nearly a quarter of the workforce.

Al Long from USW Local 6787 and one of the experts commented, "We can see that a lot of work has taken place since our visit and we welcome that. The issue of developing a better functioning Joint Safety Committee is frustrating because the potential is here. We just need more buy-in."

The Vinton plant operates a mini mill and has two electric arc furnaces and is the largest steel maker in West Texas and New Mexico. Since the first visit carried out by a small group of experts from the JGHSC in 2011 regular contact has been maintained with the plant to ensure progress. Another visit will take place to continue to monitor and report on the situation.

KYRGYZSTAN: On March 23 trade unions of Kyrgyzstan held a protest meeting in Bishkek in front of the Government House against the hasty adoption of the new Labour Code considerably limiting workers’ and trade union rights. After negotiations with representatives of trade unions, including IMF affiliate Mining and Metallurgy Trade Union of Kyrgyzstan (MMTUK) the consideration of the new labour code is prolonged to June 1.

Earlier it was announced that the Government will adopt the new Labour Code on March 23, despite the fact that the bill was proposed for public consideration only on March 9 and according to the national law it must last not less than one month.

"After appeals, comments and proposals forwarded to the Government and Ministry of economy from labour collectives, trade union organizations, federations, international unions, International Confederation of Trade Unions and other organizations the decision of the issue has been postponed until, April 7," commented Eldar Tadjibaev, MMTUK president.

IMF and ICEM sent a joint letter to the Prime-Minister of Kyrgyzstan Omurbek Babanov urging him not to consider the bill without prior consultation with unions.

"On March 23, after the protest meeting and negotiations with representatives of the authorities took place the consideration of the bill was prolonged till June 1," added Eldar Tadjibaev.  The interdepartmental working group developing the new Labour Code will include five representatives of trade unions, two of them from MMTUK. The decision is also taken to submit the text of the bill to the expert consideration of the International Labour Organization."

MEXICO: The multinational Johnson Controls has announced plans to close its plant in Puebla, threatening the jobs of around 400 workers. In response, the National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union, led by Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, announced its opposition to the decision at a press conference on March 21. Workers at the plant joined the union last year, forming branch 308. The union said that the collective agreement is still in force and "the company does not legally have the right to cancel it unilaterally."

The union explained that if the company succeeds in proving in the courts that it needs to close the Puebla plant on the grounds that it is financially unviable to keep it open, even though we believe the operation is in fact viable, the union will agree to negotiate and, as signatory of the collective agreement, it will fight for adequate compensation in accordance with the agreement.

The union has always told the company that it should seek other ways of solving its problems in order to avoid closure of the plant. It said that any agreement to terminate employment contracts would be dependent on the company agreeing to re-employ its current workers if it reopens the plant after closure, in accordance with Federal Labour Code articles 154 and 438 which state that redundant workers must be given priority in such circumstances, and recognise workers to be full members of the union, in accordance with the collective agreement in force. 

The union added that the plant has been very profitable during the last year "according to the company’s own internal reports, which indicate that sales and profits increased by 15% in 2011, in line with the same increases in sales and profits in the United States auto industry, to which Johnson Controls supplies parts. The company’s unilateral intention to dismiss more than 380 of the plant’s 440 workers is therefore an arbitrary action and a violation of workers’ basic rights."

If the company makes the workers redundant, the union will continue to fight until they are all reinstated with full rights. "We know that Johnson Controls resents the fact that its workers, of their own free will, democratically expressed their wish to join our union as branch 308 because our union never allows workers to be exploited, unlike the previous situation when they were in a yellow union controlled by the company." The union added that "unilateral closure of the Puebla plant by Johnson Controls is really an attack on independent and democratic trade unionism."

The IMF is closely following the situation at Johnson Controls Puebla plant and supports the demands of the National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union.

RUSSIA: At workplace meetings on March 26 and 27, General Motors announced a wage raise of 10.5 per cent starting from April 1, partly meeting the demands of the local union of the IMF-affiliated Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA).

On February 1 the ITUA launched a campaign at GM with three demands: a 15 per cent wage adjustment for inflation in 2010 and 2011, extending the night shift bonus from 20 per cent to 40 per cent and introducing a monthly record of working time instead of an annual general record.

The ITUA states that despite the fact that the management refused to negotiate with the union, mass discontent of workers forced the management to make concessions.

In the early February the union began preparing for an industrial dispute. In one month more than 1,200 out of 2,400 workers signed the list of collective demands. According to the ITUA, the managers interfered in the collection of signatures, confiscated several signature sheets and put pressure on union activists.

On March 19 the union committee handed the signatures to the administration and offered to begin negotiations. On March 21 the management refused, citing formal reasons.

According to a letter from management, some workers who signed the demands had already left the plant, and other workers "wrote to the administration that the signatures were not theirs. At the same time the workers complained to the ITUA that the managers forced them to withdraw their signatures, threatening them with disciplinary action and lack of promotion.

In response to these measures the union began preparing for collective action. From March 20 to 27 shift meetings were held at the plant with several hundred workers present.

"The management’s decision to raise wages was a response to the possible industrial action," states the ITUA representative. "Bearing in mind the workers’ attitude, GM management could face a partial or full stoppage of production already in the early April."

"Unfortunately, the administration’s refusal to negotiate with the union shows that it still takes exceptional measures instead of resolving the issues at the bargaining table. This recent wage hike doesn’t even cover inflation level. The real wages continue to decrease, not to mention the extreme sweatshop-like work schedule and unacceptably low pay for working the night shifts," claims the ITUA union representative.

PAKISTAN: Etehad town, Baldia Karachi is the hub of power looms and towel manufacturing units established by the big textile exporters like Al Karam. Thousands of small and medium size factories have been operating without being registered under the Factories Act. As a result, hundreds and thousands of workers working in theses factories are denied legal protections. They are working under miserable conditions without appointment letters, social security, weakly off and work for long hours with low wages.  Workers of power looms and towel industries formed a union Al Etehad Mazdoor Union, which is registered with labour department in Sindh Province and affiliated to National Trade Union Federation of Pakistan (NTUF).
 
For the past two months the union has started peaceful campaign to register the factories under the Factories Act, increase wages along with other demands to improve working conditions. In response, employers engaged in anti-workers acts and retrenched hundreds of workers and declared unlawful lock-outs.

The union launched complaints against the illegal closure of the factories and retrenchments in the labour department. On March 21, 2012 the labour department officials called on the factory owners to a meeting to discuss and resolve the issue. However, employers disregarded the call and started harassing workers through the police.
 
In this backdrop, the police and the Ranger Force came in dozens of vehicles and raided the houses of union activists on March 21 and arrested 6 workers on the charges of terrorist act. All arrested workers were severely tortured and later produced in the Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) No.2 at Karachi on March 24. The judge warned the police against the torture of the workers and ordered the investigation officer (IO) to provide proper medical treatment to the tortured workers. The court also ordered the police to produce workers in the ATC on March 29.
 
The police filed first information report (FIR) against a total of 12 workers including office bearers of Al Etehad Power Looms Mazdoor Union out of which, six are under arrest. Union activists allege that the police severely tortured workers in Machko police station and forced them to accept before the media of their involvement in extortion (Bhatta) activities in the industrial area. However, workers stood firm and did not give-in to the pressures of the police.
 
Union representatives met Sindh Labour Minister, informed Labour Department and appealed to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of Sindh High Court for their immediate intervention to protect workers’ rights. On March 23, NTUF workers held a protest demonstration at Karachi Press Club, demanding the immediate release of arrested workers. Nasir Mansoor, Deputy General Secretary of NTUF says that “it is an attempt to crush workers’ struggle for their rights”, and called up on the international workers to extend solidarity and exert pressure on the Government of Pakistan to respect workers’ rights.

GLOBAL: In a joint statement issued today, March 22, unions and NGOs called on Apple to rely on workers themselves to monitor the labour conditions in the manufacture of its products, not a top-down auditing approach.

"Give Apple workers a voice in their future", the joint statement from International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Good Electronics, MakeITFair and Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM) was released in anticipation of the likely publishing of results next week by the Fair Labour Association (FLA) of the audit it is conducting in one of Apple’s final assembly suppliers, Foxconn.

"Once the audits are over and FLA has gone home, the workers in the factories will again be left to deal with the brutal labour conditions that are imposed on them," reads the statement.

"It is the workers themselves who are in the best position to monitor whether their labour rights are being respected and to push for remedies when they are not."

The unions and NGOs argue that Apple must allow workers to conduct elections to democratically elect their own representatives in the workplace who can negotiate with management on the pay and conditions of the workforce, which are fundamental rights recognized by the International Labour Organization.

Apple and Foxconn must immediately establish a schedule of negotiations which will lead to a genuine collective agreement that covers all aspects of work including wages and working hours, overtime, and health and safety.

Given the situation it is also clear that outside scrutiny of conditions in Apple’s supply chains is urgent and will need to continue for the foreseeable future. For this to be possible, Apple must be more forthcoming about the identity of its suppliers, not just releasing the company names, but the countries and factories in which all the components that go into its products are made.

A copy of "Give Apple workers a voice in their future", the joint statement can be seen here.

CANADA/GLOBAL: Unions launch a full-scale international campaign to shine a light on the Rio Tinto’s systemic attacks on workers, communities, and the environment. Meanwhile, talks between the United Steelworkers’ Union (USW) and Rio Tinto Alcan have resumed after a three month silence which has resulted in the lock-out of 780 workers.

The government-appointed talks come just days after a delegation Canadian union leaders representing Rio Tinto workers returned from a national tour of Rio sites in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand that was led by the Mining and Maritime Initiative, a coalition of unions representing workers in the mining and maritime industries in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Workers have been locked-out since January 1 after refusing to accept a dramatic increase in the use of precarious work. The plant has been operating with non-unionized workers at about one-third of capacity since early January.

International pressure has begun to mount as unions representing Rio Tinto/Alcan workers around the world, including the Rio/Alcan European Works Council and affiliates of the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers Unions (ICEM) are revving up actions in support of the locked-out workers in Alma.

On March 31, union leaders representing Rio/Alcan workers, the IMF and ICEM, labour activists and community groups will come together in a show of might and solidarity. Other international events and actions are planned for the coming months.

"While we were gone, many people accused us of traveling the world to tarnish the company’s image. Even if this was our intent, it would have been impossible because RTA’s image with regard to respect for workers has already taken hits from all sides. From Boron, California – where Rio Tinto locked out its workers in 2010 – to our fellow members in New Zealand or the Maritime Union of Australia, which represents a number of Rio Tinto employees, people were already aware of how far this company’s anti-union practices have gone," explained Marc Maltais, head of USW Local 9490.

"The men and women of Alma have chosen to resist the erosion of their jobs, while deciding to demand respect from this multinational, which benefits from our electricity to run one of the most profitable manufacturing plants in the world. Unionists from all over know that, if Rio Tinto manages to beat us down here, this will embolden the company to attack all the other unions on the planet. From the U.S. to Australia, the entire union community realizes how important it is that we stick together. And this solidarity will surely be felt in Alma on March 31," said Guy Farrell, Assistant to the Quebec USW/Syndicat des Métallos Director.

For more information about the campaign visit: http://www.almasolidarite.org/ (French) or http://www.justiceforriotintoworkers.ca/. (English).

ZIMBABWE: The six Munyaradzi Gwisai, Tafadzwa Choto, Tatenda Mombeyarara, Edson Chakuma, Hopewell Gumbo and Welcome Zimuto, received a fine and 420 hours of community service on March 21, the best possible outcome, given the circumstances.

The activists, four of whom work as labour activists, were arrested a year ago, together with 39 other people, at the Zimbabwe Labour Centre for discussing the Arab Spring and viewing video footage on the popular uprising in Egypt. What was merely an academic political debate was presented as plotting to overthrow the government.

The six had initially been charged with treason, but during the course of the court process, the charges were reduced and the other 39 people cleared. In his ruling Judge Kudya said the state prosecutors had failed to prove that the activists were a threat to Zimbabwe’s safety and added "I see no iota of evidence that any Zimbabwean ever contemplated any Tunisian- or Egyptian-[style] revolution."

The six activists remained in prison, before bail was granted a month after their arrest. These activists were subjected to physical and mental torture and have brought charges against government officials for their experiences at the hands of state security agents. They were also prevented from access to prescription medication and treatment. Conditions were particularly hard for the only woman amongst the six, Tafadzwa Choto, who suffers from ill health and requires constant medical attention after three brain surgeries. 

The General Secretaries of IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF sent a joint letter to the Zimbabwean government calling the arrest, torture and prosecution of these six activists unconstitutional in their country and in violation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The letter states; "We are disturbed that these six activists have been treated as criminals for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and we call on your government to unconditionally pardon these six activists. We also urge your government to release all political prisoners and drop charges against others that are awaiting trial. We ask that your government take all necessary measures to guarantee that the rights and freedoms of all Zimbabweans are respected in accordance with international human rights standards."

The conviction criminalizes activism and gives the Zimbabwe government a green light to persecute and silence activists. It also serves to further repress and intimidate ordinary people, creating fear and deactivating political citizen engagement ahead of national elections scheduled for 2013, which the Zimbabwe government wishes to bring forward to this year.