GENEVA: The International Labour Organisation (ILO) met to devise a new code of practice for health and safety in the iron and steel industry from February 1 to 9, 2005. The previous code was produced in 1983 and a new version was long overdue.

The ILO code acts as a guide to best practice on health and safety within the sector and serves as an international instrument that trade unions can use when developing approaches to health and safety in the national arena. The meeting had participants from governments, employers and unions. The workers group comprised of IMF affiliates from the UK, Germany, South Africa, Russia, Japan, USA and Brazil.

The employers group which included representatives from Canada, Australia, Spain, Mexico, Russia, Germany and Luxembourg, took a very negative approach to the whole process.

Commenting on the negotiations IMF health and safety director Rob Johnson said that even at a time when there has been an increase in the number of fatalities within the sector the employers were refusing to accept text that was already established in previous codes of practice. "For the employers the inclusion of international agreements, employer’s duties and the environment were all contentious issues," he said.

"Thanks to the hard work and expertise provided by the technical experts in the workers’ group, the obstacles were overcome and on the last day a new code was agreed," said Johnson. Once available, the new code will be published on the ILO website.

Did you know that a metalworker in the USA has to work 1 minute to be able to buy 1 litre of unleaded petrol? Whereas he or she has to work 5-6 minutes to buy 1 litre of petrol in France, South Africa or Sweden. In the Czech Republic, he or she has to work 12 minutes, in Brazil about 25 and over 1.5 hours in Belarus.

Source: The IMF publication “The Purchasing Power of Working Time – An International Comparison.” Sector: Basic Metals.

Did you know that a metalworker in Hungary, Italy or Japan has to work 10-15 minutes to be able to buy 1 kilo of rice. Whereas he or she has to work over half an hour to buy 1 kilo of rice in Latvia, Uruguay or the Philippines.

Source: The IMF publication “The Purchasing Power of Working Time – An International Comparison.” Sector: Motor Vehicles.

Did you know that a metalworker in Australia, France or Ireland has to work 3-4 minutes to be able to buy 1 kilo of potatoes. Whereas he or she has to work 25-30 minutes to buy 1 kilo of potatoes in Colombia, Croatia or Malta, and almost one hour in the Philippines.

Source: The IMF publication “The Purchasing Power of Working Time – An International Comparison.” Sector> Electrical Machinery and Apparates.

Did you know that a metalworker has to work 1,480 hours to be able to buy a new medium-size car if he or she is living in Spain, 1,425 hours in the USA and 1,630 hours in France, whereas he or she has to work more than 5,000 hours to buy a new medium-size car in Argentina and South Africa. He or she has to work nearly 20,000 hours to buy a new medium-size car in Indonesia.

Source: The IMF publication “The Purchasing Power of Working Time – An International Comparison.” Sector: Machinery and Equipment.

Did you know that a metalworker in Austria, Japan or Great Britain has to work 5-6 hours to be able to buy a pair of shoes? Whereas he or she has to work 26-27 hours to buy a pair of shoes in Guatemala, Romania or Bangladesh, and 41 hours in Ukraine.

Source: The IMF publication “The Purchasing Power of Working Time – An International Comparison.” Sector: Motor vehicles.

Did you know that a metalworker in Germany or Norway has to work 12-15 hours to be able to buy a refrigerator (100-250 litres)? If he lives in Belgium, Italy or Great Britain he has to work about 50 hours to buy a refrigerator. In Russia, he has to work about 250 hours and in India over 400 hours.

Source: The IMF publication “The Purchasing Power of Working Time – An International Comparison.” Sector: Building and repairing of ships and boats.

Did you know that a metalworker in Belgium, Canada or Great Britain has to work 3-4 minutes to be able to buy 1 litre of fresh milk? Whereas he or she has to work 25-30 minutes to buy 1 litre of fresh milk in Ecuador, Zambia or Honduras.

Source: The IMF publication “The Purchasing Power of Working Time – An International Comparison.” Sector: Basic Metals.

Did you know that a metalworker in Canada, Finland, Germany or the USA has to work 3-4 minutes to be able to buy 1 kilo of sugar? Whereas he or she has to work ten times as long to buy 1 kilo of sugar in Bulgaria, Colombia or India.

Source: The IMF publication “The Purchasing Power of Working Time – An International Comparison.” Sector: Machinery and Equipment.

GENEVA: IMF’s budget and programme of activities for 2005 were approved by the Executive Committee at its meeting on December 15 and 16, 2004. Lively discussions took place on a number of topics during the meeting including the issue of trade and development, China, congress preparations and the recent US elections.

A report from the Ad Hoc Working Group on Trade, Finance and Development Policies outlined issues such as promotion of workers’ rights, strategies to influence government policy and international institutions and the establishment of fair rules to govern globalisation. Jean Ziegler, Professor of Sociology at the University of Geneva, also addressed the Executive on globalisation, transnational companies (TNCs) and the role of financial institutions. “The one hundred largest TNCs increase sales and profits each year, but create fewer and fewer jobs,” said Zeigler, arguing that the neo-liberal capitalist system destroys jobs rather than creates them and that it undermines the sovereignty of nation states.

Göran Johnsson, Swedish Metalworkers’ Union, reported from the Ad Hoc Working Group on China, including information on what activities IMF affiliates are currently engaged in with Chinese workers and trade unions. The report led to a lengthy debate about how IMF should position itself in relation to China. While all were in agreement on the importance of the issue, counter arguments were presented on whether to work with the existing unions or to focus attention on supporting independent worker organisations.

The 31st IMF World Congress was also on the agenda, including proposed changes to IMF Rules and Motions. The changes were supported by the IMF Executive and will now be taken to Congress for consideration. Presenting the Secretariat Report, IMF general secretary Marcello Malentacchi discussed International Framework Agreements, the recent ICFTU Congress, reported on recent events that have occurred around the world and mentioned IMF’s involvement at the next World Social Forum.

At the meeting the following new members were welcomed to the IMF Executive:

• Kjell Bjørndalen (Fellesforbundet, Norway) replacing Max Baehring, retired.
  
• Sanjay Wadavkar (SMEWFI, India) replacing K.S. Samantrai, deceased.
  
• Nobuaki Koga (IMF-JC, Japan) replacing Katsutoshi Suzuki, retired.

Erkki Vuorenmaa was elected President of the IMF Shipbuilding Department, replacing Kjell Bjørndalen.

The IMF also welcomed the following newly affiliated members, whose applications to join the IMF were unanimously supported by the IMF Executive:

• Finnish Electrical Workers’ Union, with 31,203 manual worker members in the electrical installations, energy and telecommunications sector, of which 2,443 members are in the metal sector.
  
• Swaziland Amalgamated Trade Union (SATU), a manual workers’ union which has 3,500 members in sectors such as automobile, engineering, electrical, non-ferrous metals, construction, mining, water and security guards.

The next meeting of the IMF Executive, focusing on the draft Action Programme and other Congress matters, will be in Geneva on February 22, 2005.