GENEVA: The International Labour Organisation Bureau for Workers' Activities ACTRAV encourages trade unionists to apply for a new masters program on labour and globalisation launched by Global Labour University in 2009.

The trade unionists from all over the globe are invited to participate in four courses, which will take place in Brazil, Germany, India and South Africa. 

The deadline for applications for courses organised in Germany and India is April 1, 2009. Unionists who want to enroll to the courses in Brazil and South Africa should submit applications before September 1, 2009.

The courses are given in English. Detailed information about the programs and the application forms are  available at http://www.global-labour-university.org/.

The Bureau for Workers' Activities and its project partners will award a limited number of scholarships to applicants from developing and transition economies. Applicants need to have the endorsement of a trade union to apply for a scholarship.  Applications for scholarship should be sent to the Global Labour University. Contact details are available at the GLU site.

AUSTRALIA: The world's first dedicated asbestos research centre is named after long-time anti-asbestos campaigner Bernie Banton, who succumbed to mesothelioma in late 2007.

Mr Banton was a key advocate for workers in the fight waged by unions against the James Hardie company, which attempted to avoid its legal and moral responsibilities to asbestos sufferers by deliberately moving assets worth US$1.3 billion from Australia to the Netherlands and out of legal reach from claims for compensation.

After a six year battle, James Hardie shareholders approved a $4 billion compensation deal in February 2007.

AMWU National President Julius Roe said the role of the new centre needed to extend beyond Australia.

"The opening of this centre is a victory for IMF Affiliates and other unions in our campaign for a global ban on asbestos.

"Unfortunately, workers all over the world continue to be exposed to asbestos every day.

"Despite a national ban and estimates that that over 50,000 Australians will contract asbestos-related disease by the year 2020, the Australian Defence Force continues to use the deadly substance.

"There is no ban at all across most of Asia and producers in Canada and Russia are pushing for greater use of asbestos.

"The AMWU want to work with other IMF Affiliates to ensure the work of the Bernie Banton Centre is of benefit for all workers in our region."

The AMWU will attend the Asian Asbestos Congress in Hong Kong in April and call for the establishment of an Asian Network of clinicians, researchers, unions and victim support groups to promote research, prevention and treatment of asbestos related diseases.

EUROPE: Trade unions, works councils, the European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) have called for a Day of Action on 26 February demanding a sustainable and viable future for their companies in Europe, which means one:

• without site/plant closures,
• without forced redundancies,
• with environmentally-friendly, dynamic and innovative vehicles, and
• with the full participation of European governments, trade unions, dealers and employees.

The Day of Actions therefore calls for:

• European government loan guarantees / stakes,
• A search for new partners, investors and shareholders,
• The introduction of a new corporate organization and management structure, and
• Strong European co-ordination by all stakeholders.

For more information, contact Tony Murphy, EMF Company Policy Director.

 

INDONESIA: Workers at a Batam EPZ  company have succeeded in regaining the majority of their unpaid wages by auctioning all of the factory’s moveable assets.

Minutes after announcing the abrupt closure of the electronics components company, all of PT Livatec’s managing directors absconded by ferry to nearby Singapore.

They left owing around US$2.5 million in unpaid wages and severance pay to the 1600 mostly women workers.

But with the assistance of IMF Affiliate FSPMI, the workers defied bank claims by occupying the factory and auctioning everything they could, including three Mercedes Benz cars left by the managing directors.

While the bank retained ownership of the land and other fixed assets, the workers succeeded in regaining around $1.5 million or 60% of what they were owed.

“The workers were successful because they stayed united in the face of adversity,” said FSPMI President Iqbal Said.

IMF South East Asia Representative Arunasalam said the case should serve as a warning for other companies trying to evade paying workers their rightful entitlements.

GENEVA: During the Extraordinary Executive Committee meeting of the International Metalworkers’ Federation, delegates discussed the impact of the financial crisis on the automotive sector. A resolution adopted unanimously by Committee stressed the obligation and responsibility of employers to negotiate, inform and consult with trade unions and employee representative bodies on terms, conditions and impacts in advance of any decisions that may impact workers and their livelihoods.

"Metalworkers and their trade unions face severe restructuring challenges globally due to the spreading financial crisis and deepening worldwide economic slowdown. The financial and market factors that led to and compound the very grave situation have been outside the control of workers. Yet it is workers who have disproportionately suffered the adverse consequences of the systemic crisis," stated the IMF resolution.

The resolution calls for General Motors and all employers to"…ensure that any restructuring process first considers alternatives, and if restructuring does occur, that it is done in a socially acceptable manner." It calls for urgently needed coordinated government policies around the world that include:

• Prompt adoption of stimulus programs that benefit and protect workers economy-wide.
• Protecting employment and income support, along with skills development.
• Addressing company solvency and restoring credit lines, ensuring that if any sacrifices are unavoidable, that the burden is equitably and justly shared.
• Stimulating demand for motor vehicles including restoring liquidity for vehicle financing.
•  Progress on cleaner vehicles and fuels.

The IMF’s Automotive Department Director Ron Blum presented a preliminary evaluation of the global crisis and restructuring in the motor vehicle sector. Key trade union challenges cited include maintaining solidarity when conditions have heightened already existing risks of divisions between workers, blocking attempts by companies to substitute precarious jobs for permanent ones in the aftermath of the crisis, and needing to broaden and deepen trade union efforts to organize workers during a period of deteriorating economic conditions.

GENEVA: Executive Committee members of the International Metalworkers’ Federation held an Extraordinary Executive Committee Meeting to prepare for the upcoming 32^nd IMF World Congress to take place in Gothenburg, Sweden on May 24-28.

The Congress theme, Secure Jobs for a Secure Future, was approved by executive committee members and delegates debated Congress agenda items and programme details.

The previous day the Action Programme Committee finalized the draft of the 2009-2013 Action Program which will be distributed to affiliates for review in the coming weeks. Affiliates are requested to send all amendments for review by the Action Programme Committee by  April 15. Any amendments submitted by April 15 that are not adopted by the Action Programme Committee can be raised at Congress. Once endorsed, the Action Programme will set out the IMF’s activities for the next four years.

INDONESIA: A company manager has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for discriminating against union members in a court case brought by the Federation of Indonesian Metalworkers Union (FSPMI).

Fathoni Prawata, local manager of electronic component manufacturer PT Kim Jim Pasuruan (KJI), was imprisoned after being found guilty of a number of union-busting tactics including unfair dismissal of union members.

KJI is a subsidiary of Japanese company King Jim Co Ltd.

According to FSPMI President Said Iqbal this is the first time Indonesian courts have found management personnel guilty of violating ILO Convention 98 and Indonesian labour law 21 and sentenced them appropriately.

FSPMI lodged the court case after Prawata unfairly dismissed FSPMI members and refused to pay wages, bonuses and leave to workers who demonstrated during negotiations for a collective agreement.

The case sets an important precedent. FSPMI hopes the decision can assist other unions to take similar action and serve as a disincentive for other anti-worker employers.

FSPMI is an affiliate of the IMF.

RUSSIA:  The International Metalworkers' Federation and its affiliates remain seriously concerned about the safety of trade union leaders and activists in Russia following a series of attacks and threats.

In the most recent incident, violent threats were made against Eugeny Ivanov, leader of the ITUA local union at the GM plant near St. Petersburg. One week after the trade union organization at the facility was founded on 12 January 2009, Eugeny and his family began receiving anonymous phone calls threatening aggression if he continued his trade union activity.

Despite having notified police of the threats, on February 8 Eugeny was assaulted near his home, requiring treatment for concussion.

This is not the first time threats were followed by reprisals towards ITUA union activists. In June and July 2008, Alexei Gramm and Sergey Bryzgalov were attacked in Taganrog and in November 2008 the union leader Alexey Etmanov in Vsevolozhsk was assaulted following similar threats.

So far the IMF has not received any clear indication that the authorities have commenced proper and thorough investigations in any of the cases. The IMF joins with its affiliates in an appeal to the Russian authorities and heads of law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation, urging them to carefully, thoroughly and promptly investigate all threats and attacks on our brothers and sisters, union leaders and activists, and to punish those who ordered and carried out these acts.

GENEVA: The International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) has lodged an unprecedented complaint against the Mexican Government to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Switzerland.

Submitted by IMF President Jürgen Peters, the complaint calls on the ILO to condemn Mexican laws which prevent freedom of association and contravene ILO Convention 87, which guarantees core labour standards to all workers.

Under Mexican law the vast majority of collective agreements are so-called "protection contracts" which force workers to join unions nominated by company management rather than one of their own choosing.

In practice, the laws mean only unions that have the support of companies and government can operate in Mexico.

At the same time, the law does not require any democratic structures in which collective contract demands are discussed and decided or where collective contracts concluded are submitted to a vote by the employees. 

When such structures do exist, the votes are usually conducted with a show of hands at a meeting and not by secret ballot, although workers won the right to have secret ballot voting in September 2008.  However, existing contracts do not have to be published or made accessible, not even to members of the union. 

"The IMF’s complaint urges the ILO to condemn a systematic violation of freedom of association, to call upon Mexico to properly transpose ILO Convention 87 into national law and to promote democratic structures in the industrial relations of that country," said IMF President Jürgen Peters.

IMF General Secretary Marcello Malentacchi said protection contracts are used in many countries to prevent unions and workers from mobilizing to secure better rights and conditions.

"The pressure generated from official action by the ILO would send an important message to governments and companies globally that protection contracts must not be used to take away workers’ rights to freely organize," said Mr. Malentacchi.

Mr Peters concluded: "Mr. Tapiola, we hope that in judging the significance of this complaint, the ILO will agree with our view and that the competent fora will conduct a detailed, but hopefully rapid discussion and take a clear position, so that in the future in Mexico as in other countries freedom of association will exist not only on paper, but also in practice. 

EUROPE: On February 10 a delegation of workers and unions will march from the headquarters of the European Metalworkers Federation (EMF) to the ArcelorMittal office in Brussels to protest job cuts. 

ArcelorMittal has announced plans to cut 6000 jobs across Europe despite posting third quarter profits of €8 billion in 2008. 

Unions say the company is not in crisis and have criticised it for failing to consult with workers and for using global economic conditions as an excuse to execute unjustified restructuring plans.

Workers from Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Italy, Romania, Poland and the Czech Republic will join the delegation.  

The multi-union effort will request an urgent meeting with ArcelorMittal management to discuss the creation of a European negotiation platform to deal with the proposed job losses. 

Other protest activities at plants and ArcelorMittal offices will also be organized throughout Europe. 

Affiliates of the International Metalworkers’ Federation will take part in the day of action.