SARAJEVO, BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA:  The IMF started implementation of a two-year occupational health and safety project for its affiliates in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. A planning meeting had been held earlier this year in Belgrade, Serbia to identify the problems and work out a programme that would meet affiliates' needs and help them develop their own capacities.

This project targets the steel and non-ferrous sectors and aims at training health and safety shop-stewards and promoting health and safety at the workplace. Generally in this region awareness about health and safety risks is low, accidents are frequent and labour inspection is weak or non-existent. Non-compliance with legal provisions is another major problem that workers and trade unions are confronting continuously.

The first phase of the project was carried out in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina at the end of September. It focussed on the legislative framework and the relevant European and international instruments concerning occupational health and safety, including international framework agreements (IFAs) which contain provisions in that field. Experts from the International Labour Organisation, the European Trade Union Institute for Research, Education, and Health and Safety, as well as from Spain participated. The next step will deal with risk analysis and prevention techniques. Health and safety material in the local language will also be produced.

This project is carried out in cooperation with the IMF Spanish affiliate MCA-UGT and the Trade Union Institute of Cooperation for Development, and with the support of the Spanish Agency for Development Cooperation.

BRAZIL:  On September 1, workers at the Volkswagen-Audi factory in the city of Curitiba began a one-week strike. Workers at the Volvo and Renault/Nissan plants in the same town also went on strike on the same day.

During that week 24-hour strikes occurred at Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Mercedes Benz and Scania in cities in the interior of Sao Paulo state.

The first workers to reach an agreement were those at Volvo, on 4 September and Renault/Nissan, on 5 September. The unions accepted a 2.66 per cent real increase in pay plus 7.15 per cent in line with the increase in the National Consumer Price Index (INPC) over the last twelve months, making a total pay rise of 10 per cent. They also negotiated a one-off payment of R$ 1,500 (about US$863).

Meanwhile, the dispute continued at VW-Audi in Curitiba where workers demanded a 12 per cent pay rise. On September 9, workers ended the strike after accepting an 11 per cent pay rise starting in November (3.6 per cent real increase plus 7.15 per cent in-line with inflation). Workers also negotiated a one-off payment of R$ 2,000 (about US$ 1,150).

The strikes forced the companies to improve their offers, which were initially very low. The increase in real wages in addition to the inflation-linked pay rise, together with the one-off payments, represent a major victory for metalworkers. "This is why we say it is worth putting up a fight. Now we are going to get ready for the next round of pay negotiations, for auto parts in October and metalworking and machinery in December," said Sergio Butka, President of the Curitiba Metalworkers’ Union and of Força Sindical in Paraná state.

 

The ABC – centre of the auto industry

The CUT-SP Federation of Metalworkers’ Unions reached a good agreement for all auto workers in the state on September 6. The ABC Metalworkers’ Union, representing workers in the country’s main auto industry centre, had threatened to call a strike, but this was not required, with workers accepting the employers’ proposal two days before the date set for the strike. The Taubaté union also accepted the proposal after bringing Volkswagen and Ford factories to a halt.

The São Paulo federation agreement consisted of an 11.01 per cent pay rise (3.6 per cent real increase plus 7.15 per cent in line with inflation) for workers on wages of up to R$ 7,500.

Workers with above R$ 7.500 received a 7.15 per cent pay rise in line with inflation plus a fixed amount of R$ 289.30. The minimum wage for the sector was increased from R$ 1,110 to R$ 1,250, an increase of 12.6 per cent.

Similarly, ABC and Taubaté auto workers received a one-off bonus of R$ 1,450 (US$ 845) on September 22. Including this payment, the pay rise was five per cent, a historic victory for the union.

The President of the ABC Metalworkers’ Union, affiliated to CNN/CUT, Sergio Nobre, said that after 18 hours of meetings, an agreement was reached "worth a significant amount". He added that the growth of the auto industry in recent years created the conditions for workers to seek these pay rises.

GLOBAL:  Increasing numbers of workers around the world are faced with job insecurity, low wages and an uncertain future.

In a week of mobilisation taking place around the world from September 30, metalworker trade unions affiliated to the International Metalworkers’ Federation are holding a series of actions at the local and national level calling for an end to precarious employment.

Actions include information campaigns, work place meetings, meetings with company management and major demonstrations in countries including Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Spain, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

Nine out of 10 unions affiliated to the IMF have reported an increase in the prevalence of precarious work in recent years.

"Together we must take action to stop the spread of precarious work," said IMF general secretary Marcello Malentacchi. "Good jobs are what trade unions bargain for. Around the world, unions are mobilising, organising and bargaining for better, more secure work."

Details and reports on actions being taken by metalworker unions around the world are available on the IMF website. On October 7, IMF and its affiliates will also participate in a global day of action in conjunction with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and all other Global Union Federations (GUFs).

Precarious work affects us all is a global union campaign to stop the rise in precarious employment and regain power and justice for working people.

To find out more about trade union efforts against precarious work and the week of mobilisation go to: www.imfmetal.org/precariouswork

 

 

China: The world’s leading foreign companies operating in China must unionise by September 30 or face penalties says the country’s official trade union body, the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU).

The ACFTU predicts that by the end of the month, 80 per cent of the top 500 global corporations operating in China will have unions. The 200-million strong union body announced the organising directive in June. At that time, less than half of the so-called "Fortune 500" subsidiaries in China had recognised trade unions, compared with more than 73 per cent for all foreign-owned firms in China. The Fortune 500 is a list published annually by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 US corporations according to their gross revenue.

Most recently IBM and Volvo announced that they would allow workers to organise in their Chinese manufacturing operations. The two join other multinationals such as Wal-Mart, Sony, Canon, FedEx, Intel, and Toyota, many of whom actively oppose and undermine union organising at their operations in other parts of the world.

Some see this as another positive step the government has taken to improve conditions for workers. In January 2008 a new labour law addressing the needs of contract workers went into effect limiting the use of temporary labourers and forcing employers to put all work contracts in writing. Sceptics however are concerned that while workers have increasing rights on paper, enforcement of these rights and true representation of workers’ interests may still be years away.

Unions outside of the ACFTU are illegal and workers who have attempted to organise independent unions have often paid dearly facing two to three year sentences at forced labour camps or heavy jail time, including life imprisonment.

While the real gains for workers remains to be seen, one thing is clear- by 2009, China’s labour movement will have grown enormously.

UK: British metal union Unite joined forces with Canadian USW members outside Potosh Corporation's 2008 Analyst Meeting in London on September 23 in an effort to urge the company to return to the bargaining table. USW members in Canada have been on strike at PotachCorp since August.

The strikers are fighting for a fair share of the company's enormous profits as a result of the record prices being paid for the mineral fertiliser potash.

The steelworkers handed out leaflets outlining PotashCorp's performance since the strike began and informing analysts and investors about the dispute – placing responsibility on PotashCorp's President, Bill Doyle and Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer Wayne Brownlee, who were at the meeting.

On July 2, USW and Unite announced plans to merge the two unions to create, Workers Uniting, a transatlantic global union representing over three million working people from every industrial sector in Britain, Ireland, the USA, Canada and the Caribbean.

SOUTH KOREA: With the recent arrest of Hyundai Motor Branch First Vice-President Kim Tae-gon on September 16 and the arraignment of Jung Gab-deuk, president of the Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU), on September 18 on charges of obstructing business, members of the KMWU are bracing for more assaults. Leaders of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions have also been targets of arrest.

Arrest warrants were issued on July 24 for KMWU President Jung Gab-deuk, KMWU Vice-President Nam Taek-gyu, KCTU President Lee Suk-haeng, KCTU First Vice-president Jin Young-ok, KCTU General Secretary Lee Yong-shik, and all six of the top elected officers of the Hyundai Motor Branch namely; Yoon Hae-mo, Kim Tae-gon, Kim Jong-il, Jung Chang-bong, Joo In-koo, and Jo Chang-min. Search warrants were also issued for their homes.

Reports from KMWU indicate that Vice-President Nam Taek-gyu and the remaining five Hyundai Motor Branch elected officers are currently in hiding, while another 70 of KMWU's national, regional and local leaders are targeted for investigation. KMWU President Jung Gab-deuk has been held at Youngdeungo Detention Center since his arrest on August 20. On July 27, KCTU First Vice-President Jin Young-ok was arrested and held before being released on bail in the first week of September.

Meanwhile, police forces have surrounded the building where KMWU headquarters and the headquarters of the KCTU are located. All visitors to the building are searched and interrogated. The government has also announced audits of the two legal centers used by the KMWU and KCTU.

The government crackdown stems from the union's participation in a July 2 general strike called by the KCTU and the KMWU's strike action in demand for national-level industrial collective bargaining.

The International Metalworkers' Federation is urging IMF affiliates to join the International Trade Union Confederation, KCTU and KMWU in denouncing the South Korean government's actions and demanding that basic internationally recognized labour standards and worker protections are respected.

USA: A new four-year labor agreement between the United Steelworkers (USW) and U.S. Steel covering some 16,000 union members at 14 U.S. plants was ratified by the membership in a mail-in secret ballot vote of 10,571 to 2,670. The contract is retroactive to September 1.

Contract gains include:

• Wages: Workers will receive a $6,000 cash payment and a $1 an hour increase. Four percent wage increases will come in years two, three and four.
• Profit sharing: Beginning in 2009, if profit sharing payments for any quarter are more than $10 per hour due to the company’s European operations, the excess money will be banked and if profit sharing exceeds $20,000 a year per member, the excess will be contributed to the trust account designed to help offset the union’s future health care costs.
• Pensions: The minimum pension formula multipliers will be increased for current U.S. Steel Employees who are covered under the U.S. Steel Carnegie Pension Fund. For U.S. Steel Employees covered by the Steelworkers Pension Trust (SPT), the contribution rate will be increased from $1.80 to $2.65 per hour, resulting in a $100 monthly pension multiplier.
• Health Care: The Agreement improves the existing medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance and Sick and Accident (S&A) benefits for all eligible employees.  Prescription drug co-pays are unchanged.

In addition to economic gains, the agreement requires the company to make significant capital investment in its domestic plants and provides for an "Energy Efficiency and Carbon Emissions Task Force" where the union and company will work together to protect and benefit the industry and the environment.

MACEDONIA: IMF’s Macedonian affiliate SIER is considering organising demonstrations or strike actions with other unions in Macedonia to protest against new changes in labour legislation.

These changes have been adopted by Parliament in an expedited way without consultations with the social partners and under pressure of the International Financial Institutions. Government has argued that these changes would make labour market more flexible and help create more favourable conditions for business and attract investors.

Among these changes:

•Employers no longer have the obligation to re-hire dismissed workers in case of an upturn in business and improved financial conditions in the enterprise;

•A new shift system preventing workers from rotating shifts;

•The number of holidays has been reduced to 20, instead of from 20 to 26 days previously;

•The period a worker can be on short-term contracts without securing employment protection has been extended from 4 to 5 years.

USA: The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) announced strike action on September 6 after intense negotiations with Boeing Company, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, broke down over issues of outsourcing, health care and pensions.

The strike impacts 27,000 Machinists at U.S. Boeing facilities in Kansas, Oregon and Washington.

"The absence of job security language was a key reason why members rejected the company’s earlier offer and it is why Boeing is now facing the second major strike in three years," said IAM international president Tom Buffenbarger. "We’ve learned it’s not enough to have a good-paying job if that job can disappear at any time."

Trade unions and Global Union Federations around the world have voiced protest over Boeing’s unwillingness to bargain in good faith and have vowed full support for the IAM.

The International Metalworkers’ Federation, on behalf of the 25 million metalworkers it represents, affirmed its support and solidarity with IAM and Boeing workers on strike. In a letter to the union, Marcello Malentacchi, IMF general secretary, said "it is hard to understand that a company that posted USD 13 billion in profits over the past five years and having full order books is not willing to give its hard working employees a fair share of the profits. It is the hard work of Boeing employees that has led to the company’s economic success and remarkable profits."

David Cockroft, general secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) that represents 4,500,000 transport workers in 148 countries told IAM members: "Sadly Boeing has not reciprocated the IAM’s willingness to draw up a package that reflects every working man and woman’s need for security and freedom from fear should he or she fall sick. In support of our colleagues in the union we entreat the company to reconsider and pursue such a settlement. However, we must also advise them that the IAM is a union with a history of international solidarity, and one that can, rightly, expect to look to its friends at moments like these. We in the ITF are proud to offer our help, and promise that until the management returns to the bargaining table and draws up a fairer offer, you can count on us for our support."

In addition to taking strike action, IAM has filed an unfair labour practice complaint with the federal labour board charging the company with engaging in an illegal strategy to avoid the union and deal directly with employees. According to the union, Boeing has been holding illegal "one-on-one" interviews with employees about specific contract proposals.

For strike information and updates go to: http://www.iam751.org/

GLOBAL: Behind the heavily guarded Export Processing Zones of Indonesia’s Batam Island contracted and outsourced workers are joining unions, organising fellow employees, and changing the rules of hire. Indonesian metalworker unions FSPMI and Lomenik have adopted a national strategy to organise EPZ workers and have met much success where most unions have failed. In this issue of Metal World, the feature, "Organising Precarious Workers in Indonesia", gives us insight into the little known lives of EPZ workers and provides strategies that can be applied by unions throughout the world.

Metal World’s special report, "Leveraged Buyouts in the Metal Sector", provides an in-depth analysis on how metalworkers, already challenged by restructuring in an increasingly global market, face additional problems when private equity firms use leveraged buyouts to make quick and excessive profits, often at the expense of workers.

As a long standing member of Solidarność, Stefan Przybyszewski, this issue’s profile, is no stranger to trade union struggles. These days he is focused on the fight for equal rights for all workers, whether permanently or temporarily employed.

Metal World also includes all the latest news and photos from the IMF and its affiliates around the world.

The magazine is available as a pdf download on the IMF website in English (Russian and Japanese editions will follow) and is available in print by sending subscription details to: [email protected]