CHINA: Lakshmi Mittal, owner of the steel giant ArcelorMittal, used the annual conference of the World Steel Association held on October 12 in Beijing, to praise trade unions for the part they had played in helping the company adapt to the recent global economic crisis.  

Mr Mittal took the opportunity to thank steel employees, customers, shareholders and governments for the "flexibility and patience they have shown in enabling us to find solutions to surmount the crisis". Adding, "In particular the unions: who have realized the importance of flexibility to help chart a way through these difficult waters."

"This difficult year has served to demonstrate that the steel industry is now able to absorb some very large shocks. The situation would no doubt have been considerably worse had the industry not significantly restructured over the past decade," Mr Mittal said.

IMF general secretary Jyrki Raina met with Mr Mittal and General Management Board members of the company in September to discuss areas of strategic concern for steelworkers, such as climate change, trade policy and sustainability.  Raina commented that, "It does not surprise me that the unions have been recognised in this way, the same could be said by many companies it’s just that Mr Mittal is bold enough to say it, that’s what sets this company apart."

In June 2008, IMF and ArcelorMittal signed a global agreement to improve health and standards throughout the company. Since then a joint company and union global committee on health and safety meets regularly to find ways for improvement at all sites around the world. The IMF is also continuing to negotiate with the company to look at expanding the agreement into an international framework agreement.

AUSTRALIA: The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) has made significant progress in its campaign for collective bargaining rights for 320 Cochlear production workers. In July 2009, the Rudd Labor Government replaced the neo-liberal "WorkChoices" labour laws. The new legislation requires employers to "bargain in good faith" with unions if a majority of workers support collective bargaining.

The AMWU made an application on behalf of the majority of Cochlear employees to the new tribunal for workplace disputes Fair Work Australia in late July 2009. Following a ballot of all eligible employees, and an intensive employer campaign against a "Yes" vote, the AMWU won a historic victory and the Tribunal issued bargaining orders.

The AMWU will commence bargaining with Cochlear in the first week of November. "I am optimistic that Cochlear management will respect the majority of employees’ decision, but this campaign won’t be over until we resolve a fair collective agreement," said AMWU NSW Assistant Secretary Tim Ayres. "AMWU members are going to work hard to get to agreement, but we won’t hesitate to enforce our new legal rights if Cochlear management frustrate good faith bargaining."

"The AMWU members greatly appreciate the solidarity shown by members of the AMWU in many other workplaces and by unions around the world through the IMF. The name Cochlear became associated with a refusal to respect the workers wishes and to bargaining fairly with the union under Australia’s unfair labour laws. We hope that this will now change. We will keep the IMF informed of progress." said Julius Roe, AMWU National President and IMF Executive Committee member. 

The IMF launched a campaign in August 2007 in support of the workers at Cochlear after the company, a world leading manufacturer of state-of-the-art hearing devices, used Australia’s anti-union industrial relations laws brought into force by the previous conservative government to deny workers the right to be represented by their union.

For further information go to: http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?n=694&l=2

MEXICO: On October 15, more than 100,000 people marched in Mexico City to protest the sacking of 45,000 workers by the national government when it shut down the city’s electrical utility. Earlier, on October 10, thousands of Federal Police seized the plants of the state-owned Central Light and Power Company (Luz y Fuerza del Centro), which provides electricity to Mexico City and several neighbouring states.

Minutes later the government of President Felipe Calderón announced that the company would be liquidated and all its approximately 45,000 workers fired, which would mean the destruction of the Mexican Electrical Workers’ Union (SME) and elimination of its members’ collective agreement and pension benefits for 20,000 retirees.

The SME is one of Mexico’s oldest independent trade union organizations with one of the best collective agreements in the country. It has been playing a leading role in the fight against privatization, proposed regressive reforms to the Federal Labour Law, and other neoliberal policies.

Secretary of Labor Javier Lozano declared in September that SME’s internal elections were invalid and that General Secretary Martín Esparza and other officers would not be recognized by the government. Without legally recognized officials, the union cannot engage in contract negotiations or other activities.

"This act of aggression on an independent union that campaigns for progressive change for Mexican people comes as no surprise to the IMF. The attack on the SME is not dissimilar to the attacks we have seen on IMF affiliate the Mexican Miners’ Union since 2006," said IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina.

"This most recent attack against SME and independent unions in Mexico is truly shocking and will not be tolerated by the international community. The government’s actions, including the use of the police and the military, breaches all international norms and represents a serious set-back to democratic life in Mexico," added Raina.

Together with the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM), the IMF sent a letter to President Calderón on October 14 protesting the breach of international labour standards and calling on the President to "directly and promptly to reverse this decision, restoring the full independence and autonomy of the SME trade union".

AFRICA: The Afrec coordinating committee met on October 9 in Johannesburg, South Africa to discuss with the IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina IMF priorities for 2010 and beyond and to plan for 2010 regional activities. This important coordinating meeting was attended by members of the Executive in Africa’s three sub-regions and their substitutes. Also participating in the meeting were the general secretaries of IMF affiliates in the four countries in the southern Africa sub-region.

The meeting heard from affiliates presenting their country’s challenges and enabled participants to exchange ideas. Three countries were immediately identified as priorities for the next few months. They are:

Kenya: The meeting agreed that there is an urgent need to engage the two IMF affiliates in Kenya to develop an organizing strategy, it became clear in the reports from both IMF regional representative Stephen Nhlapo and the Kenyan delegate that there are more than 100,000 metalworkers in Kenya who are not organized and the situation needs to change. The meeting also tasked the other executive committee members and IMF to work with the two Kenyan unions towards the formation of one union in that country.

Zimbabwe: The meeting agreed to dispatch a delegation of Numsa leadership to meet with the two unions and the national centre to discuss ways of speeding up the merger discussions and to encourage parties to cooperate with the process.

Swaziland: The meeting agreed that IMF regional representative, working with the IMF Executive Committee, should meet with the Swaziland national centre leadership to try and resolve the relationship between our affiliate and the centre. The meeting agreed that it is unacceptable that our affiliate is not part of the national centre in that country.

After the presentation by the IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina on IMF priorities based on the IMF action program and regional priorities based on the consultation document the meeting agreed on the following issues:

• There is a need to add the issue of industrialization of the continent as part of the regional priorities, including the development of an industrial development strategy that can be used by affiliates when they engage the government about development,

• The regional office should develop a strategy to organize and recruit affiliates in west Africa and strengthen the sub-region, this is one of the key priorities in 2010,

• All affiliates need to play a role in IMF activities including making input on the consultation documents,
• That affiliates in the region should meet to re-discuss the regional strategy but before the meeting the region should provide affiliates with a detailed analysis of each affiliate and that country’s economy and politics.

RUSSIA: On September 25, IMF Russian affiliates AFW and ITUA participated in a seminar organized by Volkswagen works council and IMF German affiliate IG Metall. Both Russian unions represent workers at VW plant in Kaluga.

The meeting ended with an Agreement on Cooperation signed by both unions and the Volkswagen-Kaluga management.

In accordance with the Agreement the company undertakes to negotiate in good faith with the unions and provide them with all the necessary information. A joint representative body (works’ committee) will be created at the plant as well as a number of employer-employee committees on personnel matters, organization of production and occupational health and safety. Union representatives, foremen and shift supervisors will be taught Volkswagen "production culture". The agreement allows the unions to organize seminars for their members. Participation in such events will be paid as working time.

The agreement requires the company to provide both AFW and ITUA with offices for daily work as well as to setup information union stands in the workplace. Both unions will participate together in regular meetings with VW management.

A general meeting enabling workers to communicate with the management directly will be held four times a year.

Also the parties agreed that another meeting similar to that of September 25 will be conducted in six months time in order to evaluate the results of joint initiatives.

Volkswagen plant in Kaluga was opened in November 2007. In 2008 62,000 cars were assembled. The management plans to keep the production rate at the same level in 2009. The plant currently employs 1,700 workers.

ITALY: On October 9, 250,000 metalworkers demonstrated in five Italian cities calling for decent jobs, employment and a national contract.

IMF affiliate FIOM-CGIL criticised the optimistic declaration by the government and Confindustria (the Employers’ Association) that the worst of the crisis is over, arguing that workers conditions are worsening and that if they want to stop the crisis they must:

• block dismissals
• stop plants’ closures and relocations
• provide for all the workers – contract as well as permanent workers – a decent  public subsidy for the short term (cassa integrazione)
• invest in industrial sectors in order to create employment, not for speculations

Federmeccanica, the metalworkers’ employers’ association, rejected FIOM’s demands for a national collective contract. On the contrary, they are negotiating and want to sign an agreement with only two of the three unions that represent metalworkers in Italy.

Furthermore, Federmeccanica refused to accept FIOM’s proposal for joint negotiations with the three trade union organisations on a few common points, such as issues relating to the crisis, job security and a transitional wage increase.

Federmeccanica also refused to suspend the implementation of the new "rules" that decrease collective bargaining power and change the timing for the renewal of collective agreements as contained in a separate agreement, which has not been signed by CGIL, the national centre representing six million members.

The FIOM-CGIL and the workers that took strike action in Rome, Florence, Palermo, Milano and Naples believe that the national contract has to be negotiated by Federmeccanica and the three Unions on a consensual basis and submitted to the approval of all workers.

The evidence for global impact caused by human activity is now overwhelming. The IMF is calling for a strong, legally-binding, comprehensive global agreement ensuring ambitious reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and social justice and long-term employment policies as an integral element of climate policy. Through its work on climate change, IMF and its affiliates are contributing to the global effort to cutting emissions and transforming jobs.

GLOBAL: The International Metalworkers’ Federation has joined a global campaign calling on G20 heads of state to protect workers in one of the world’s most dangerous industries – shipbreaking.

A new report produced by the U.S.-based National Labour Committee titled Shipbreaking in Bangladesh & The Failure of Global Institutions to Protect Worker Rights, documents conditions for some 30,000 workers, many of them children just 10 to 13 years old, who break apart massive decommissioned tanker ships, 650 to 1,000 feet long and 20 stories high, which are run up onto the beaches of Bangladesh.  According to the report, the shipbreakers are forced to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for wages of just 22 to 32 cents (USD) an hour, doing one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.  Workers, who often lack even the most minimal safety protections, are injured and maimed every day and on average a worker is killed every three weeks. 

As part of the global effort to raise standards in Bangladesh shipbreaking yards, unions are signing on to an electronic petition (click here) which will be sent to this year’s chair of the G20, Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown, with a copy to U.S. President Barack Obama.

The petition calls for an end to child labour, the enforcement of basic labour law protections in Bangladesh shipyards and the implementation of basic safety provisions.

"The ten countries-many G20 members-and ten shipping companies that dominate global merchant cargo trade must guarantee that all toxic waste will be removed before ships are sent to Bangladesh-or India, Pakistan, China or Turkey-for scrapping," reads part of the petition signed by the IMF.

Click here to sign the petition and join the global campaign.

The National Labour Committee is a human rights advocacy group that focuses on the promotion and defence of worker rights.

GLOBAL: Thousands of metalworkers have taken action this week as part of the global campaign against precarious work; many of the actions occurred yesterday, October 7, on the World Day for Decent Work, coordinated by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

Reports of action received so far include:

• In Bulgaria TU "Metalicy" held their national metalworkers’ sport games from September 30 to October 4, focusing on the  issue of precarious work.
• In Hamburg, Germany 15,000 trainees from IG Metall Küste section released balloons bearing postcards with their wished for the future. With virtually no job prospects, unpaid internships, temping, fixed-term contracts and poor pay seem to have become the rule for young people, not the exception.
• In Hungary VASAS reports they held successful flashmob actions organized in 12 towns and cities all over Hungary on October 7 gaining extensive media coverage.
• In Indonesia IMF affiliates FSPMI and Lomenik held a rally on October 8 of over 6,000 people calling for an end to precarious work.
• In South Africa Numsa held pickets on October 7 carrying posters saying "We fought slavery and labour brokering is no different".
• In Switzerland, IMF participated in a movie night viewing of the latest "Yes Men" documentary on October 7, organized by the UNI global union.

In Turkey and Thailand, IMF joined up with other global union federations to highlight the harmful effects of precarious work and contract and agency labour.  On October 1, a delegation of global union leaders, including IMF general secretary Jyrki Raina, met with Turkey’s Minister for Labour and were assured that the bill giving "Private Labour Offices" broad rights to place temporary workers in enterprises would not be pursued.

On October 3, Raina participated in a rally against the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, before joining a second demonstration that Birlesik Metal and Sinter Metal workers held from Kartal to the concert hall were a Solidarity Event was held. The Solidarity Event began in the evening with a film which was explaining the history of Birlesik Metal and the Sinter Metal struggle.

In Thailand, the IMF and other international trade union federations lent their support to the Thai labour movement’s campaign to protect precarious workers and their demands for the ratification of core labour conventions. Ten thousand workers, including a large contingent from IMF affiliate TEAM, marched to Government House in Bangkok at noon on October 7 demanding the abolition of temporary, casual contract and other form of non-regular employment and calling for the ratification of the core International Labour Organisation conventions to protect workers’ rights in Thailand.

IMF assistant general secretary Fernando Lopes spoke at the rally stating, "Around the world today, unions are taking the fight to governments, calling on them to ensure equal rights for precarious workers and to strengthen legislation to prevent employers from using precarious employment in place of permanent and direct employment."

Reports received from IMF affiliates about actions held during this global week of action will be posted on the IMF website here:

http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=20694&l=2

GLOBAL: "Integrating migration policies in development strategies for the benefit of all" is the theme of the 2009 Global Forum on Migration and Development, the preceding Civil Society Days and the People’s Global Action Events in Athens this November, 2009.

The IMF will join representatives from the International Trade Union Confederation, Building and Wood Workers’ International, Public Services International, UNI Global Union, International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers’ Federation and various national trade union and sector unions from around the world in the debate.

The trade union representatives will be participating in the People’s Global Action Events from November 3-5. IMF will also participate in specific sectoral meetings in the morning and the main Global Unions Forum on Migration and Development in the afternoon on November 4. A delegation of union representatives will then participate in a joint trade union and civil society meeting on November 5.

These events are happening alongside the Global Forum on Migration and Development, which is a state-led, voluntary, informal, and non-binding dialogue focusing on how migration can help achieve development goals. The Forum brings together senior policymakers from around the world to exchange experiences, identify best practices, and foster interstate cooperation in leveraging migration for the benefit of development.

IMF affiliates are encouraged to participate in the People’s Global Action Events on November 3 and 5 in Athens. For more information, please contact Tos Añonuevo, the Education Secretary of the Building and Wood Workers’ International at: [email protected]

The following week, the IMF is holding a workshop on migrant workers as precarious workers on November 11 and 12 in Bangkok, Thailand. In preparation for this meeting, the IMF has published the results of a survey on migrant worker sin the metal industry. For a copy of the survey, available in English and Spanish, go to: http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=20799&l=2