ROMANIA:  After a three-week strike workers at the Renault-owned Dacia plant in Romania agreed to a 34 per cent wage increase.

The agreement provides for a 300 lei (80euros) increase as of January 1, 2008 and a 60 lei (16euros) increase as of September 1, 2008. In addition the workers will receive a monthly bonus for 2007 results amounting to 20euros.

Some 10,000 workers went on strike on March 24 for a 50 per cent increase in wages and improved benefits and conditions. The strike follows a March 14 walkout, when 4,000 workers downed tools in a two-hour protest.

Management has attempted to intimidate workers by threatening to move production to other countries.

Dacia-Renault reported record sales in 2007 of 230,000 vehicles sold in Romania and abroad, up 17.4 per cent from the previous year.

MEXICO: The First Appeal Court on Labour Matters of the First Circuit has rejected Grupo Mexico's request for a review of the legality of the eight-month-old strike at section 65, Cananea, Sonora.

In a communiqué, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, General Secretary of the Miners' Union, Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores Mineros, Metalúrgicos y Similares de la República Mexicana, said: "As usual, Grupo Mexico intends and intended to ignore the law, because it is used to being able to do what it wants and nobody has demanded that it comply with its duties to workers and the law. And in the last few days, this has led workers at Cananea to defend their Collective Agreement by preventing replacement workers, paid thugs and strike-breakers gaining access to the installations".

He added that, "on Monday 7 April, in a paid newspaper announcement, we affirmed that Germán Larrea and Grupo Mexico are desperate, because their illegal and outrageous behaviour is not producing results. The decision by the Appeal Court is once again in the union's favour, and this clearly shows that not everybody is corrupt when it comes to applying the law and that these judges are a credit to themselves. They have simply reaffirmed what the law says, and this is a credit to these judges, who have not allowed themselves to be pressured, and much less bribed, by Grupo Mexico".

"The important thing is to resolve the strike, with an agreement that is satisfactory to the workers, and then get back to normalising the situation at the workplace. The National Miners' Union has always been and always will be ready to use legal means to reach a comprehensive agreement that is satisfactory for both sides. Our people have not become desperate or discouraged despite the length of the dispute", said Napoleón.

Finally, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, sent a message of encouragement, support and solidarity to workers of section 65 at Cananea, Sonora, section 17 at Taxco, Guerrero, and section 201 at Sombrerete, Zacatecas, who have been on strike for eight and a half months.

PAKISTAN:  Workers in Pakistan welcomed an increase in the minimum wage announced by Prime Minister Syed Youssuf Raza Gilani on March 29. The minimum wage was increased from Rs4,000 (US$63) per month to Rs6,000 (US$95) per month.

Workers also welcomed the establishment of the National Employment Commission, which will look to increase employment opportunities for young people and the workforce, and the repeal of the anti-labour Industrial Relation Ordinance 2002, which imposed undue restrictions on trade unions.

The Pakistan Workers’ Federation stated to the press that the repeal of the law restricting trade unions was necessary as it was in violation of conventions of the International Labour Organisation. The union also stated that the rise in the minimum wage was insufficient, but the increase would provide some relief to workers.

BRAZIL: Two national metalworkers’ confederations, both IMF affiliates, the Confederación Nacional de los Metalúrgicos (CNM) affiliated to the CUT trade union central and the Confederación Nacional de los Trabajadores Metalúrgicos (CNTM), affiliated to the Força Sindical (FS) central, are organising a Unified National Campaign for a reduction in working hours, without a reduction in pay. The campaign will also call for ratification of ILO Convention 158 (against the unjustified termination of employment), as the turnover of workers in the metalworking industry climbed to over 30 per cent in 2007.

Metalworkers also scheduled a calendar of activities that includes demonstrations and strikes in all the country’s states, in order to pressure the National Congress to approve a reduction in working hours.

The campaign was approved at a meeting held at the Sao Paulo Metalworkers Union offices, attended by Eleno Becerra, CNTM president, Carlos Alberto Grana, CNM president and leaders of metalworking federations and unions in all states in which the confederations have affiliates.

The calendar of activities will be announced on April 14, at a press conference called by both confederations.

"Companies are hitting record production levels, meanwhile the prices of cars, for example, are the same throughout the country, but pay and working hours are not. So we have to take joint action to end these inequalities. If the price is national, pay rates should be the same," said Grana.

"The fight for a reduction in working hours is a major battle. Our demand for a reduction in working hours is only the beginning and we shall intensify this campaign," said Eleno Becerra.

TURKEY: Birleşik Metal-Is members at Bosal Mimaysan who fought hard for union representation two years ago are again facing attacks by local management who are pressuring workers to resign from their union and join the company-supported union, Turk Metal.

Birleşik Metal-Is , an affiliate of the International Metalworkers' Federation, reports that for the past three months local management at the plant has harassed and coerced workers to leave Birleşik Metal-Is and join Turk Metal. In January, Birleşik Metal-Is members occupied facilities in protest of this harassment and in defence of their fundamental rights including representation by the union of their choice. Discussions between Birleşik Metal-Is and Bosal Group Human Resources in Istanbul on March 22 failed to bring a resolution to these violations.

In recent days, Turk Metal buses have been stationed outside the plant in an effort to further intimidate workers. Under Turkish law, unions must seek authorisation every two years. It is clear that local management is using intimidation tactics to undermine the re-authorisation of Birleşik Metal-Is, which will take place on April 5.

"Local management's actions are in direct violation of a worker's right to freedom of association guaranteed by Turkish law and the International Labour Organisation's Convention 87 ratified by Turkey," said Marcello Malentacchi, IMF general secretary in a letter to Bosal management. "As a signatory of the UN Global Compact, your company is committed to ensuring that the workers in its plants have the right to be represented by the union of their choice free from threats and retribution."

Bosal Mimaysan, an auto parts producer,  is a supplier to major automotive companies. Many of these companies are signatories of agreements with the IMF that commit them to fully respect worker and trade union rights and to ensure decent terms and safe conditions of work in their own operations and those of their suppliers.

The IMF is asking affiliates to send letters of solidarity to Birleşik Metal-Is and to voice their concern to Bosal management.

To send letters to Birleşik Metal-Is:

• Please email: [email protected]

To send letters to Bosal management:

• Please email Michel Geerts, Bosal Group Human Resources: [email protected]
• Please email Bosal Mimaysan A.S.: [email protected]

Please keep the IMF informed of all actions taken on behalf of Bosal Mimaysan workers, send copies of letters to: [email protected]

ROMANIA: Some 10,000 workers at Romanian automaker Dacia, the country’s largest carmaker owned by Renault, went on strike on March 24 for a 50 per cent increase in wages and improved benefits and conditions. The strike follows a March 14 walkout, when 4,000 workers downed tools in a two hour protest.

Management has attempted to intimidate workers by threatening to move production to other countries. The company has challenged the legality of the strike and a court said it would deliver a ruling on April 2.

The average gross monthly salary at Dacia-Renault is about 1,064 lei (US$446), however some 2,500 workers with no seniority rights are paid much less, at a monthly rate of 780 lei (US$327). Workers are demanding raises of 550 lei (US$231) per month for all employees.

Other worker demands include participation in profit sharing, improved Easter and Christmas bonuses, equal rights for workers, a reduction and limit on use of fixed-term contracts, and a vehicle discount for purchases of Logan Dacia, Renault and Nissan cars.

Dacia-Renault reported record sales in 2007 of 230,000 vehicles sold in Romania and abroad, up 17.4 per cent from the previous year.

INDIA:  Trade unions participating in the IMF meeting on the Indian steel industry in Kolkata from March 24 to 27 agreed on developing a strategy to ensure that the forecasted growth of the Indian steel industry results in better development outcomes for the people of India.

A report released by the IMF at the meeting on March 24, argues that trade unions have a significant role to play in ensuring that the expected growth of the Indian steel industry benefits working people.

The IMF Indian Steel Report provides an overview of the global and Indian steel market and points to the significant increase in foreign investment and the rapid expansion taking place in the steel industry in India today.

The report also shows that of organised metalworkers in India, much of the existing membership is employed in the steel industry. The report states that this strong base should be used to ensure that as the steel industry grows and the number of transnationals corporations participating in the market increases, the lives of steel workers and their communities are improved.

Participants at the meeting also resolved to develop an IMF steel policy to tackle issues such as climate change and the environment, and that the IMF needs to engage with other organisations such as the OECD and the ILO on developments in the Indian steel industry.

A copy of the IMF Indian Steel Report is published in English on the IMF website.

COLOMBIA: Workers at Cerro Matoso, Colombia’s biggest nickel mine, owned by the multinational BHP Billiton, have ended a strike that began more than one month ago, on February 27.

The agreement between the workers’ union, Sintracerromatoso, and the company will benefit more than 600 workers, and meets the union’s demands on pay, safer working conditions and open-ended contracts for subcontracted temporary workers.

The agreement includes an eight per cent pay rise for 2008. Pay rises in the following two years will be the same as the rise in the Consumer Price Index plus two per cent. The pay rise will be backdated to February 1, the annual date for the collective agreement, and a further bonus will be paid for January.

The company also agreed to offer open-ended employment contracts to 35 workers who are currently employed on a temporary basis by a subcontractor.

The company will pay another bonus of nine million pesos to all union members covered by this collective contract.

URUGUAY: As all IMF affiliates are aware, the IMF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean has been moved from Santiago in Chile to Montevideo, Uruguay.

The office opened on Monday 31 March 2008.

Do not hesitate to contact the office for any information you require. The address is:  Avenida 18 de Julio Nº 1528 Piso 12 unidad 1202. Montevideo. The phone and fax number is: +59-82-4080813.

To contact the office by email, write to [email protected]  or to Jorge Almeida at [email protected], or Ana María Perez at [email protected]

The Regional Office would like to thank Latin American and Caribbean affiliates for their cooperation in this period of change.

ROMANIA: Some 10,000 workers at Romanian automaker Dacia, the country’s largest carmaker owned by Renault, went on strike on March 24 for a 50 per cent increase in wages and improved benefits and conditions. The strike follows a March 14 walkout, when 4,000 workers downed tools in a two hour protest.

Management has attempted to intimidate workers by threatening to move production to other countries. The company has challenged the legality of the strike and a court said it would deliver a ruling on April 2.

The average gross monthly salary at Dacia-Renault is about 1,064 lei (US$446), however some 2,500 workers with no seniority rights are paid much less, at a monthly rate of 780 lei (US$327). Workers are demanding raises of 550 lei (US$231) per month for all employees.

Other worker demands include participation in profit sharing, improved Easter and Christmas bonuses, equal rights for workers, a reduction and limit on use of fixed-term contracts, and a vehicle discount for purchases of Logan Dacia, Renault and Nissan cars.

Dacia-Renault reported record sales in 2007 of 230,000 vehicles sold in Romania and abroad, up 17.4 per cent from the previous year.