GLOBAL: The IMF is deeply saddened to learn of the demise of Neil Kearney, the General Secretary of the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF). Kearney died of a heart attack in his sleep in the early hours of Thursday November 19 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Kearney was a brilliant and passionate defender of the rights of workers. He tirelessly advocated the end of sweatshop practices around the world, child labour in its worst forms and the terrible working conditions he saw throughout the developing world.

Kearney, 59, became the General Secretary of ITGLWF in 1988. Born in Donegal, Ireland, he started his trade union career with the Irish National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers in 1972. In 1998, he received the "Il Natale, La Notta della Vita" International Award for his work on the elimination of child labour worldwide.  A year later, he received the "Work and Environment Award" of the Associazione Ambiente e Lavoro for his work to improve working conditions in the developing world.

The IMF mourns the loss of an indefatigable champion of workers’ rights and expresses its deep condolences to Neil’s family, friends and colleagues. "We have lost a courageous defender of the rights of workers worldwide, an effective organizer and a dear friend. I never stopped admiring Neil’s energy and passion," said IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina. "He will be sorely missed," he added.

He is survived by his wife, Jutta, and two daughters, Nicole and Caroline. Funeral arrangements are pending.

KOREA/SPAIN: Some 50 trade unionists took action on November 16 in front of the office of Brazilian mining giant Vale S.A. in downtown Seoul where members of an international delegation from Canada and Brazil shaved their heads to protest Vale’s attack on workers in Canada and the company’s unfair treatment of workers worldwide.

About 3,500 members of the United Steelworkers (USW) have been on strike at Vale mining operations in Canada for over 120 days while Brazilian workers at Vale operations are denied the most basic labour rights. The international delegation included striking USW members Tim Kiley and Nick Larochelle and Sergio Guerra of the Sindimetal-ES, CNM-CUT of Brazil.

The head-shaving ceremony is an intensely emotional and honored tradition in Korea and signifies one of the highest forms of protest. Those who performed the shaving were also union members on strike involved in different struggles of differing lengths of time.

During the protest union leaders read a letter delivered to Korean Nickel, which is 25% owned by Vale, and as a customer of Vale, receives metal from the operations in Canada. "We are sending a message to Vale that the company cannot hide from us," said Sergio Guerra, Secretary General of a section of the Brazilian union CNM-CUT. "We will go as far as it takes for as long as it takes to ensure justice for workers at Vale."

The action was organized by the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU), an affiliate of the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) and supported by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), Korean Chemical and Textile Union, Korean Federation of Construction Industry Trade Unions and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM).

On November 18 in Madrid a delegation of representatives from the IMF and Spanish unions from UGT and CC. OO descended on Madrid’s Castellana Intercontinental Hotel where Vale CFO Fabio Barbosa was addressing a senior-level investment conference. Aiming to impress on the company the determination of the IMF and its affiliates to continue to support Vale workers, the delegation distributed information pamphlets to all conference participants. When Mr. Barbosa arrived to address the conference, IMF’s Jenny Holdcroft told him that the company must expect more actions in different parts of the world, while it continues to trample workers’ rights and asked him to convey this message back to Vale’s management.

For more information go to: www.imfmetal.org/Vale

SPAIN: European metal unions came together at the 6th European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) Collective Bargaining Policy Conference in madrid on November 17 and 18, to debate and endorse a second Europe-wide common demand for more secure employment against precarious work.

The 1st EMF common demand on training, launched four years ago, saw the issue being raised in a large majority of the relevant collective bargaining rounds that took place across Europe, and in many cases concrete results were reached.

The 2nd EMF common demand on precarious work commits all 75 unions affiliated to the EMF to pursuing for the next four years a bargaining agenda that addresses the negative consequences of precarious work.

The demand is based on the following points:

• secure employment, avoiding plant closures and redundancies;
• an active wage policy aimed at a strong increase in real wages and income support,
• for only with a secure income can internal demand within the EU be stabilized and risks of deflation rejected;
• stronger European coordination of collective bargaining since the undercutting of wages must be avoided at all costs;
• stronger European cooperation at company level;
• stabilizing lowest incomes by minimum wages where relevant; and
• enlarging and defending the coverage rate of collectively bargained wages.

"The International Metalworkers’ Federation welcomes this important strategic step against the growth of precarious work throughout the world," said Jenny Holdcroft, IMF Director for ICT, Aerospace and Equal Rights.

"In the continuing fallout from the global financial crisis, millions of workers in precarious employment have lost their jobs. For employers, cutting temporary and agency jobs has proven to be a cheap and easy way of reducing their workforce. Unions are working towards reversing this situation through fighting for changes to legislation and, as in this case, through collective bargaining," said Holdcroft.

For more information see: http://www.precariouswork.eu/Campaign-Activities/6th-EMF-Collective-Bargaining-Policy-Conference

GLOBAL: Over 50 participants from all continents of the world met in Frankfurt at the first European and International Metalworkers’ Federations’ Communicators’ Forum hosted at IG Metall head-quarters on November 17-18.

The work of the Forum was organised around six sessions and provided opportunities for communication professionals and union officials representing IMF and EMF affiliates to share their experience on application of new media techniques, to review and strengthen union campaigns based on an effective communicators’ network and to consider union organizing tactics and focus on the important issue of climate change.

The Session on Applications of new media and outcomes with participation of Valter Bittencourt (CNM-CUT), Rick Sloan (IAM) and Eric Lee (LabourStart) together with the insight provided by Marte Ingul, Communications’ adviser of the Norwegian Labour Party, on effective web-based campaign strategies during the latest Parliament Elections in Norway, gave the participants a unique opportunity to understand how FaceBook, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn and many other modern web-based  resources can be effectively used by trade unions in their daily work.  

The Session on Organizing trade union members in the metalworking industry based on presentations by Vonny Diananto (FSPMI), Olga Masson (ITUA), Diana Petrova (Metalicy) and Caroline Jacobsson (EMF) as well as the next day related sessions on reviewing recent metalworkers’ campaigns and Forum discussion on how to strengthen trade union rights campaigns helped participants to find out potential ways of organizing metalworkers, especially young people. The discussion also look at how to carry out effective global trade union campaigns on different issues of workers’ concern across the globe and to discuss the most effective ways of distribution of information among the trade unions in order to protect trade union rights when and where it is needed.

The Forum also examined the issue of Climate change and the upcoming trade union participation in the Copenhagen meeting, and discussed ways of Building communication network and survey based on the European experience provided by Mans Martensson, multimedia manager of Eurofound, a European Union agency focused on improving the living and working conditions in Europe by managing research, gathering information and communicating its findings.

The Forum served as a successful basis for further improvement of joint global campaigning aimed at protecting labour rights and improving organising.

The presentations and other Forum materials are published on the IMF website at: www.imfmetal.org/communicators2009

TURKEY: Sinter Metal workers who have been fighting for reinstatement since December 2008 after they were fired for joining the union, Birlesik Metal – IS, choked back emotion after news was delivered that they must wait another four long months before a court will rule on the legality of their dismissals.

This is the third time the court has illegally stalled in making a decision that will greatly impact the lives and livelihoods of some 350 workers. Under Turkish labour law, such court cases must be resolved within two months however often industrial disputes such as the Sinter Metal case, are drawn out for years. The recent delay of the court ruling, which all parties anticipate will be in the favour of the workers, highlights the ongoing failure of the Turkish justice system to protect workers’ rights.

"What took place in that courtroom today was outrageous," said Kristyne Peter from the International Metalworkers’ Federation who was invited by the union to serve as an international court monitor. "It is equally outrageous that while the Turkish government claims to support democratic principles, basic democratic freedoms such as freedom of association are denied workers inside the country’s factories and on the streets of Taskim on May Day. Basic labour rights must be afforded workers if Turkey wants to be a part of the European Union," Peter said addressing a crowd of union members across from the courthouse.

On the morning of November 13, some 150 Sinter Metal workers, their families and union colleagues marched through the streets of Istanbul on their way to the courthouse chanting "Justice delayed is Justice denied!" and "We are not alone! We will win!". People clapped from balconies and shop store fronts in support. Outside the courthouse, tension was palpable as workers held vigil waiting for the decision. They now face the prospect of another long cold winter at the company gates where workers have kept protest action eight hours a day, five days a week.

The IMF and European Metalworkers’ Federation are actively campaigning in support of Sinter Metal workers and are urging affiliates to contribute to the Sinter Metal solidarity fund to help support the workers whose unemployment and health care benefits have been cut off since June.

For more information about the IMF/EMF joint campaign, please go to: www.imfmetal.org/SinterMetal

THAILAND:  An IMF conference on ‘Migrant Workers as Precarious Workers’ held in Bangkok examined the situation of migrant workers in the metal industry with the aim of developing union strategies to improve their rights.  Participants from three continents agreed with the broad findings of the IMF survey conducted earlier this year, that migrant workers are most likely to end up in precarious employment, be paid less than local workers and face obstacles to accessing their rights, including the right to join a trade union. 

There was clear consensus on the number one obstacle to organizing migrant workers, namely the workers’ fear of joining a trade union. Speaker after speaker told the same story, of migrant workers losing their jobs, and even being deported, for attempting to exercise their rights.  Undocumented migrant workers face an even more difficult situation, and are effectively forced to accept whatever pay and conditions their employer is willing to give, in order to avoid instant dismissal and a high risk of deportation.

In Thailand, migrants from Burma and Cambodia are scared to have contact with trade unions, which they perceive as part of the authorities. Finding ways to approach migrant workers and convince them that unions are there to help is crucial to organizing.  Korean unions have had some success at organizing migrant workers and have found that this leads to decreased discrimination and better working conditions for migrants in plants where they are unionized. Similarly in Malaysia, migrant worker salaries are reasonable where there is a union, but most migrants work in non-unionized areas.

Recent legislative changes in Australia have significantly improved the conditions under which temporary migrant workers are employed. Now employers that want to bring in foreign workers must first consult with the relevant union. The AMWU has recruited many migrant workers and helps them to secure permanent residency.

A comprehensive survey conducted by Italian affiliates on the situation of workers in the metal industry has provided a wealth of information about migrant workers. For example, migrant workers have higher levels of education than Italian workers, but are concentrated in lower paying classifications. They are more likely to be precarious workers, putting them at great risk of expulsion since in Italy, residency status is tied to the employment contract. A harsh legislative regime is forcing increasing numbers of migrant workers into irregular situations and subjecting them to detention and deportation. Strong parallels were drawn between the legislative regimes and actions by governments in Italy and South Korea.

Affiliates agreed on a range of practical strategies for cooperation by unions at national and international level to improve the rights of migrant workers.  These include:

• Developing networks to share strategies to inform migrant workers of their rights and examples of collective agreement clauses on migration
• Assisting unions in other countries with translation of materials for migrant workers
• Increasing cooperation and exchange of information between unions in sending and receiving countries, including placement of organizers in the receiving country
• Cooperating on campaigns to remove restrictions on migrants’ rights to join trade unions
• Fighting against racism and xenophobia and promoting the positive contribution made by migrants to society
• Cooperating with other groups that support migrant workers, for example NGOs and community groups.

Click here for a full list of strategies from the meeting, in English only.

Presentations made at the meeting are published on the IMF website, in original language only.

USA/ CANADA: On October 27 the IMF affiliated United Steelworkers (USW) and MONDRAGON Internacional, S.A. signed an agreement on collaboration in the U.S. and Canada aiming at adapting USW collective bargaining principles to the Mondragon cooperative model and worker ownership principles.

The agreement stipulates that, "the goals of this collaboration are to develop and grow manufacturing jobs in the United States and Canada, to improve the quality of life of workers and to create sustainable jobs in a sustainable economy that supports stronger communities and sustainable environmental practices."

The company advocates management model principles based on people working in cooperatives over joint projects and using participative organization for their implementation. In its turn each cooperative is based on the principles of instrumental and subordinated nature of capital, democratic organization, open admission, participation in management and wage solidarity.

Commenting on the nature of the agreement USW International President Leo W. Gerard said, "We see Mondragon’s cooperative model with ‘one worker, one vote’ ownership as a means to re-empower workers and make business accountable to Main Street instead of Wall Street."

Full text of the agreement can be found on the USW website.

Modragon corporation employs approximately 100,000 cooperative members in more than 260 cooperative enterprises producing white line domestic appliances, office and home furniture and sport equipment in over forty countries.

UK: Some 20 members of Unite the Union and the United Steelworkers (USW) in Canada took picket action outside a Deutsche Bank meeting where Vale executives were making a presentation to current and potential investors.

The protest is one of many global actions organized with the support of the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF), CUT Brazil and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) to protest Vale’s failure to negotiate with 3,500 Canadian miners on strike as well as improve conditions and basic labour rights at the company’s Brazilian operations.

In 2008, Vale made over US $13 billion in profits and paid its top execs $33 million. Still, the company wants to impose drastic cuts to pensions and other benefits of the Canadian miners and refuse workers in Brazil a living wage, basic rights and minimal health and safety standards.

Unite Joint General Secretary, Derek Simpson said, "Vale Inco is a greedy multinational backed by Wall Street cash.  Their mining operation in Canada is hugely profitable, yet they are putting the squeeze on our brothers and sisters in Workers Uniting to satisfy the insatiable appetite of the financial institutions that gave us the credit crunch.

"The message we are here to deliver to would be investors is that Vale Inco isn’t only fighting their workforce they are fighting the global union too."

USW International President Leo W. Gerard: "Mining natural resources has been a profitable enterprise for generations in Sudbury, Canada for both the company and the workers. For a multinational company to now attempt to slash living standards while enjoying sky-rocketing profits is totally unacceptable.

"Workers in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States and around the world understand this, and the workers’ solidarity and actions send a powerful message."

For more information see the IMF campaign for Justice at Vale: www.imfmetal.org/Vale

For the World Day for Decent Work The Metalworkers’ Trade Union of Croatia (SMH) joined in organizing  with their Croatian umbrella organization – Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of Croatia (SSSH/UATUC).

Activities included:

•        SMH complaints before the Constitutional Court regarding the "crisis tax": around 10,000 copies of complaints of SMH members were submitted to the Constitutional Court, demanding the evaluation of constitutionality hence withdrawal and cancellation of the controversial so-called "crisis tax" which the Government introduced on wages and all forms of income in Croatia, as of 1 August 2009.

•        SMH demonstration and petition organized including demands to the Government of the Republic of Croatia to postpone the privatization of Croatian shipyards, in order to ensure better quality of preparation for the privatization and better economic and social timing.

•        Postcard bombardment (UATUC and NHS): 10,000 postcards were sent to 31 addresses: the Government of the Republic of Croatia, ministries, members of the Parliament and Croatian Employers’ Association. The postcard included demands of the trade unions ("We want to work and live of our work"); logos of the ITUC, WDDW, UATUC and NHS, mention of the World day for decent work 07.09.09., The back of the card also included demands, reminding the Government of the need to adopt and implement policies which lead to decent work and decent life of Croatian citizens. We demand the adoption of a clear economic policy, with strategic outlooks and reform of the current system ("Greetings from Croatian workers deprived of their rights, who have been working for years on fixed-term contracts, on minimum wage, without paid overtime… Return dignity to our work, also by the forthcoming amendments to the Labour Code!").

•        Press conference (UATUC and NHS): a press conference was  held on 6 October 2009 – UATUC President Mrs. Ana Knežević, NHS President Mr. Krešimir Sever, and Dijana Šobota, head of UATUC International Department and Youth Officer, informed the public on the planned activities and on the situation in Croatia with regard to decent work and decent wages, especially the consequences of the crisis. Postcards were distributed to the media representatives. A letter was sent to the Government of the Republic of Croatia.

•        Youth sections (UATUC and NHS): continued with the campaign of the so-called Complaints book. A protest letter was sent to the Prime Minister Mrs. Jadranka Kosor, with the demands of the young trade unionists.

•        Women’s section (UATUC): demands for the ratification of the ILO Convention No. 183; rally of women trade unionists on the Main Square of Zagreb, with banners and T-shirts, with messages (gender pay gap, respect for work of women, etc.); distribution of a leaflet with information on gender pay gap and other problems affecting women at the labor market; pantomime with a sketch on female and male work; a badge lacking 16% – emphasizing the wage gap in Croatia.

•        UATUC LGBT Project "Together against the discrimination at the workplace": cooperation with the lesbian group Kontra, Iskorak – Centre for the rights of sexual and gender minorities and M.I.A. – Institute for mobilization, intervention and action: a series of seminars for trade union representatives, shop stewards etc. on discrimination at workplace based on sexual orientation; creation of a manual.

RUSSIA: Recent months have seen the intensification of war against ‘extremism’ in Russia. Vague definitions of the Federal Law ‘On measures against extremist activity’ allow government authorities to persecute independent organizations, intellectuals and activists, placing justified social demands on the same shelf as expressions of animosity and hatred.

One of the forms of fighting ‘extremism’ is making lists of forbidden materials. All items in such lists ‘share one feature – hatred of people’, states the official newspaper ‘Rossijskaya Gazeta’ (‘The Russian Gazette’).

One may wonder if there is any ‘hatred of people’ at all in such ITUA leaflets as ‘Against precarious work’, ‘Bring back night work premium!’, ‘New union was created’. Why these leaflets were deemed illegal and joined the list of ‘Extremist Materials’, full of anti-Semitic pamphlets and white supremacist propaganda?

The list is composed by Federal Registration Service. A person distributing or even just keeping materials from the list may face administrative or criminal charges.

‘Citizens of Russia should know the sources of extremism, this dangerous threat to stability and welfare of society’, claims FRS head Sergey Vasiliev (quoted by ‘Rossijskaya Gazeta’). Since when is fighting for decent work a ‘threat to stability and welfare of society’?

Declaring justified workers’ demands as ‘extremist’, persecuting independent unions in courts is a blatant violation of basic labor and union rights, which are recognized by Russian labor laws. The IMF stands against labeling independent unions as ‘extremist’.