GLOBAL: Since 1926, the International Labour Conference (ILC) has discussed the most serious cases included in the annual report of the ILO’s Committee of Experts, a 17-member committee of eminent and independent international jurists. This, year the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) has refused to discuss any cases.

Jyrki Raina, International Metalworkers’ Federation General Secretary, said "In a move that is nothing less than a full political ambush, the employers’ group has successfully shut down the Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) thus undermining an important monitoring mechanism regarding ratified conventions and calling into question the future of tripartite cooperation."

The CAS is a standing committee of the ILC that meets each year to examine specific cases identified by workers and employers on the application of ILO Conventions. A list of 25 priority cases identified by the workers’ group, in consultation with unions and national centres, were being debated with the employers group, which has now blocked all discussion.

Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, said "Employers at the ILO are trying to keep the worst abuses under wraps and avoid the international scrutiny which could help save lives and tackle some of the most appalling attacks on the rights of working people.  Last year, 29 trade unionists were murdered in Colombia, but employers don’t think the ILO should even discuss that, nor the terrible campaign of violence against trade unionists in Guatemala or Swaziland.  Egyptians are in the midst of a battle for their most basic rights to decent work, but employers seem to be siding with the military and fundamentalist forces both of which want to deprive workers of a voice."

"The ILO was established on the basis of social justice and a commitment to respect for the rule of law as it applies to working people.  The world’s most eminent labour law jurists have presented their findings to the ILO Conference, but the IOE is refusing to allow their findings to be examined," said Sharan Burrow.

"Employer groups are trying to undermine one of the most effective human rights mechanisms in the international system. This might help some of their least responsible member companies make some more profit and sustain governments which allow or even encourage violence against working people, but this will be at the cost of lives and livelihoods of some of the world’s most vulnerable workers," said Burrow.

TAIWAN-R.O.C:  Over 80 leaders of metalworkers’ unions in the Asia and the Pacific region gathered together at the 5th Asian Metalworkers’ Liaison Conference (AMLC) on May 29 and 30 in Kaohsiung, to share their experiences and discuss the ongoing process to build stronger unity among affiliates of IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF in their respective countries before and after the creation of IndustriALL Global Union.

Asia and the Pacific is the world’s most diverse region and the new global union to be launched on June 19, IndustriALL will need to cover 172 affiliates with 18 different basic languages. The region is facing serious labour issues such as violation of basic workers’ rights by newly emerging MNCs while more than 100 free trade agreements are under implementation among countries in Asia and the Pacific without ensuring respect of core international labour standards.  To overcome divisions in the union movement and build unity to confront MNCs, it would be very important to create a common platform among affiliates in the same country and regions through alliances, mergers and creation of national and regional councils.

During the conference,  IndustriALL Australia/New Zealand Council, formed in 2011, reported on their activities such as cooperation among the affiliates tackling Asian regional issues and the participation of women representatives, and they are now looking to greater cooperation. The Japanese, IMF-JC reported that they are having regular meeting with ICEM-JAF and UI Zensen at secretariat level at least once a month and hope to step up a top officers meeting to discuss future potential of coordinated joint activities under the flag of IndustriALL Global Union.

The participants also discussed the future of AMLC and confirmed that it will continue as it is within the metal section for the next year and will also continue to seek some possible options to include unions from other industrial sectors in the transitional periods of the IndustriALL by 2016.

AMLC is not an IMF decision-making body, however representatives of the IMF Secretariat attended AMLC meeting and participated in its discussions and debates at the invitation of the IMF affiliate and organizer of the conference, IMF-JC.

On the next day, May 31, all Taiwanese IndustriALL related affiliates met in a round table meeting for the first time, and discussed and exchanged ideas for future cooperation that builds a strong solidarity in both domestic and international activities.

MEXICO: Women workers dismissed by the auto parts company Flex-N-Gate have asked Volkswagen Mexico to apply the Bratislava Declaration to ensure their labour rights are respected by the company.

The Bratislava Declaration is an agreement between Volkswagen in Germany and auto industry workers in Mexico, signed in 2002. The agreement established that the company can compel its commercial partners and suppliers to guarantee respect for labour rights.

Verónica Carreón Leal and Sara Ortega Hernández, who are members of a group of dismissed women workers, say that Volkswagen must ensure compliance with point 1.1 of the declaration, which recognises "the fundamental right of all workers to form trade unions and other representative bodies and join them…".

They say they will continue the fight for recognition of union representatives that have no connection with the PRI-dominated trade union central, the CTM, and its leaders Gonzalo Torres Chetla and Leobardo Soto.

The IMF has expressed its support for their fight "to choose their own, legitimate and democratic trade union representatives" at Flex-N-Gate and joined the workers in asking Volkswagen to ensure compliance with the Bratislava Declaration.

In a letter to the workers, the IMF General Secretary, Jyrki Raina, said that the organisation "strongly condemns all violations of labour rights at Flex-N-Gate, which include heavy workloads and ill-treatment of workers as well as the denial of the freedom of association. We demand that the company complies scrupulously with national and international legislation."

The independent union of Volkswagen auto workers (SITIAVW) asked the IMF to try and curb injustices at other suppliers and announced it would be discussing the matter with managers at Volkswagen Mexico’s Puebla plant and taking the matter up at the World Council.
 

 

NEPAL: IndustriALL Global Union, to be created at its founding Congress in June 2012, has already begun to make a mark on the world through the courageous act of Nepalese trade unionist Dorje Khatri, member of the central committee of the Union of Trekking Travel Rafting and Airline Workers (UNITRAV). His union is affiliated to the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) sharing some affiliates with three global federations IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF, co-founders of IndustriALL Global Union.

On May 25, at six o’clock NST Dorje Khatri accompanied by two co-workers and four climbers from UK Adventure Peaks conquered the top of the world. This was his eighth climb to Chomolungma the highest mountain of the world.

According to the Himalayan Guides Nepal, the expedition supporting agency, the summit has been successful. Dorje went down to the base camp the same day and is scheduled to get back to Kathmandu by June 01, 2012.

During his previous attempts Khatri marked Everest with flags of GEFONT and some of its affiliates; as well as Global Unions including Building Workers’ International (BWI) and IMF. Last year he had hoisted ITUC flag under GEFONT coordinated campaign ITUC @Mt Everest 2011.

Khatri is planning to hand over the flag that made the trip to Everest at the founding Congress of IndustriALL Global Union in Copenhagen in June 19-20, 2012.

GLOBAL: On May 31, the Hong Kong labour rights organization Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM) released a new report "Sweatshops are good for Apple and Foxconn, but not for workers".

The report is an answer to a recent remark by Terry Gou, CEO of Foxconn, who during his visit to Taiwan late in April addressed Chinese workers with a rhetoric question "’What’s wrong with sweatshops?" and later commented on sweatshops as a normal way of working as long as it is in line with laws.

The report of SACOM, member of the GoodElectronics Network which is supported by the IMF, is based on a series of interviews with 170 workers in Zhengzhou and Shenzhen zone that were carried out between March and May 2012. The interviews showed there were no changes at the work floor and that "labour rights violations remain the norm in the Foxconn factories", reads the report.

Despite earlier affiliation of Foxconn to U.S. based Fair Labor Association (FLA), which conducted high-profile research and issued a subsequent investigation report with remedial measures to improve the situation at Foxconn, among others SACOM comes to the following conclusions:

• Workers are not aware of the FLA report or the suggested remedial actions
• Workers are denied freedom of speech
• Workers are denied freedom of association
• Overtime is subjected to the customers’ needs and sometimes reached 60-80 hours/month
• Inhuman treatment is still widespread, including humiliating disciplinary measures such as forcing workers to write and read out ‘confession letters’ and to clean toilets
• Unsafe working environment and inadequate training for workers on health and safety

Follow the link to read the full report "Sweatshops are good for Apple and Foxconn, but not for workers": http://sacom.hk/archives/947 

MEXICO/CANADA:  Communal landowners from Ejido La Sierrita, municipality of Tlahualilo, in the state of Durango, and workers from La Platosa mine in the same state have jointly filed a complaint against Excellon Resources on May 29 with government offices in Ottawa and Mexico City under the Guidelines for Multinational Corporations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The complainants say the company violates labour rights and fails to comply with the land use contract which was signed with landowners of Ejido La Sierrita, on whose land the company operates. The complaint has been co-signed by the Canadian Labour Congress, MiningWatch Canada, IMF affiliates the United Steelworkers (USW) and the Mexican Miners’ Union (SNTMMSRM) and the Project for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of Mexico (ProDESC).

President of Ejido communal landowners group, David Espinoza, explained that the company since signature of the contract with the community in 2008 has not fulfilled many of its obligations under the mentioned contract, including construction of a water treatment plant, food services contracts or preferential hiring of Ejido members. In the same time the company has explored on lands not included in the contract and caused significant environmental damage.

Representative of the SNTMMSRM, Juan Rodriguez shared the frustration of the landowners with Excellon and explained that in 2010 mine workers formed a local union organization at Excellon due to the failure of the company to address workers health and safety concerns and lack of benefits. The company replied with intimidations and dismissals of union leaders and signed a protection contract with the employer controlled association to prevent formation of independent union at La Platosa.

A previous complaint on workers’ rights violation submitted to the Canadian Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Counselor in 2011 did not bring any result as the company refused to negotiate. Now the workers and landowners are back in Canada, hoping that National Contact Point under the OECD Guidelines will take serious steps to urge the company to the table of negotiations.

For more information, including a copy of the complaints, please go to: http://www.miningwatch.ca/news/mexican-workers-landowners-file-second-complaint-against-canadian-mining-company-excellon

GENEVA: The International Labour Conference (ILC) is underway in Geneva, Switzerland at the UN’s International Labour Organization. Issues being discussed include youth employment, social protection floors, and the application of fundamental principles and rights of workers.

The Committee on the Application of Standards is a standing committee that meets each year to examine specific cases identified by workers and employers on the application of ILO Conventions.

A list of 25 priority cases identified by the workers’ group, in consultation with unions and national centres, is currently being debated with the employers group. Delegates hope to reach agreement on May 31 on a final list. Throughout the next two weeks these cases will be discussed in the tripartite committee.

Included in the list proposed by the workers’ group is Belarus, Colombia, Fiji, Swaziland Zimbabwe, Indonesia and Turkey in regards to Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize; Philippines on Convention 182 on Child Labour; Mexico for Convention 155 on Mine Health and Safety; and Korea, regarding Convention 111 on Discrimination.

The cases are based on findings of the ILO’s Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Standards. Each year the experts release a report examining government compliance with ratified conventions. See full report here: http://www.ilo.org/global/standards/WCMS_175675/lang–en/index.htm (available in English, French and Spanish).

Of particular interest this year is the case on Korea, where the experts identified discrimination against workers based on employment status as in violation of Convention 111. It is a rare occasion that the ILO recognizes such types of discrimination, and if the case comes before the Committee it should be a lively debate.

The Conference will also examine the implementation of the ILO’s 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization and discuss the findings of a report entitled Fundamental principles and rights at work: From commitment to action. One of the issues to be considered in this debate is the extent to which precarious work undermines workers’ rights to Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining and what action ILO should take to address this.

For more information about the International Labour Conference and the debates taking place, go to: http://www.ilo.org/ilc/ILCSessions/101stSession/lang–en/index.htm

The conference runs from May 30 to June 15.

RUSSIA: On May 19 the Interregional Trade Union of Autoworkers (ITUA) local at Nissan held a workers’ conference, which adopted the collective demands. On May 24 the management announced the date of the first round of negotiations, May 31.

The demands are as follows:

1. Adjust the wages according to the official inflation figure (6.1 per cent) and raise wages by 25 per cent. Average wage at Nissan is US$1,000 today, the workers want it to be US$1,300.
2. Extend paid breaks to 15 minutes.
3. Change the shifts rotation scheme (night — evening — morning).
4. Extend dental care provisions in the health insurance.
5. Let workers elect shop foremen.
6. Conduct reassessment of individual workplaces with participation of the union.
7. Move all agency workers to permanent positions and terminate contracts with employment agencies.

ITUA reports that the share of agency workers employed by ManPower and Versus is very high at Nissan. They do the same work as permanent workers, but fare much worse in terms of wages and guarantees.

The conference recognized ITUA local as a full representative of workers.

The negotiations will take place from May 31 to June 13. During the negotiations the workers have the right to one-hour warning strike.

Meanwhile, an industrial dispute at Ford in Vsevolozhsk (Saint-Petersburg area) is close to being resolved.

ITUA reports that the key success there was avoiding the so called Kaizen system. The promotion and raising grade levels for workers won’t depend on their ‘innovative suggestions’. Also, the shifts will be cut by five minutes and additional breaks for 10-hour night shift will be introduced.

Some issues concerning work in harmful conditions and high temperature are not resolved, however, the union reports that it will defend the workers’ interests in these matters without going on strike.

“Agreeing with current concessions means avoiding lengthy strike action and saving the strike fund. The latter is especially important since the CBA at Ford expires on February 28, 2013,” noted the representative of the union.

ITUA local at Ford reported on May 22 that the employer made some concessions during the collective dispute. Earlier the union planned to hold a strike, however, now it can be avoided and the strike fund can be saved for February 2013, when the current CBA ends.

The union will hold a vote among workers on the concessions and decide whether to proceed with collective dispute or not.

GENEVA:  On May 29, 2012 following a vote at the session of the ILO Governing Body, Guy Ryder, former General Secretary of the ITUC became the tenth Director General of the ILO since its foundation in 1919. Ryder won the election with 30 votes against 26 for the French Ambassador, Gilles De Robien. Initially there were nine candidates who ran through six election rounds where those who gathered the lowest score gradually dropped out.

Commenting on this decision of the ILO, the current ITUC General Secretary, Sharan Burrow said, "The ILO has made the right choice to lead it in tackling the huge challenges in the world of work in the coming years. With his background in the trade union movement, and the ILO itself, Guy Ryder’s wide and practical experience, and his clear sense of the direction needed, put the ILO in a very strong position The world needs a massive focus on creating decent jobs, and we are confident that he will generate the momentum required to put employment and the rights of working people at the heart of the international economy."

The ILO is the United Nations Specialized Agency which formulates policies and programmes to improve working conditions and employment opportunities, and sets labour standards used by countries around the world. The ILO Governing Body is its executive body which meets three times a year and is composed of 56 members with half seats held by Governments representatives and one half shared in parity by employer and trade union representatives.

UNITED STATES: Lockheed Martin announced on May 24 that it is bringing in temporary workers at its site in Fort Worth, Texas in response to strike action by members of the IMF North American affiliate International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).

IAM District 776 expressed outrage at the company’s decision to use scab labour and concern about the competency of the temporary staff and the quality of the unique aircrafts supplied to Pentagon within the contract with Lockheed Martin at Fort Worth, Texas. The two decades project to supply 2,443 Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters is worth US$397 billion and is the largest Pentagon weapon program.

The IAM, representing 3,300 out of 14,250 workers at the plant, commenced strike action on April 23 after the company refused to extend in a new collective contract the pensions and health care benefits to new hire employees at Lockheed Martin facilities in Texas, California and Maryland.

In a statement published on its website http://www.goiamtexas.com/, giving updates on the strike, the union said, "Lockheed will waste millions to hire unskilled and untrained workers to make a silly show that won’t produce anything", adding that money spent on bringing in the agency workers is much higher than the cost of denied benefits.