KENYA: Negotiations started on August 3 and were concluded in the month of November. The Collective Bargaining Agreement covers terms and conditions of employment.

Despite long discussions and other problems during the negotiations, eventually both parties came to an agreement. General Motors East Africa Limited has signed the outstanding Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metalworkers (AUKMW). The Union has successfully negotiated a 31% wage increase for workers, taking effect from January 1, 2011. The agreement shall remain in force for a  period of two years.

The strong participation of workers and Union made the agreement possible. The CBA was signed after both parties agreed on key issues such as a house allowance, transport allowance and basic salary. Both parties are glad that the negiations have finally come to a successful completion.

The agreement also enhances the company’s commitment to promote the creation of productive and sustainable employment opportunities as well as the social protection for all Union employees in the organization.

BRAZIL: Metalworkers at the Caterpillar plant in Piracicaba, in the State of São Paulo, have secured a 9.5 per cent pay rise at this annual round of negotiations. Given the inflation rate in Brazil, this means a real wage increase of three per cent, thus bringing the average monthly wage to BRL2,800 (US$1,520). The wage floor was also increased by 9.5 per cent to BRL1,064.80 (US$576) and the monthly meal allowance rose by a similar percentage to BRL180 (US$98).

Other improvements include an extension of the maternity leave from 120 to 180 days on full pay and two food vouchers — the first one amounting to BRL100 (US$54) will be given in April 2012 and the other one of BRL400 (US$216) in December 2012. The profit-sharing clause has been maintained in the new agreement and discussion on its amount will start in 2012.

The Union’s President José Luiz Ribeiro welcomed this agreement, stating that industry has everything to gain from motivated workers. “Appropriate wages promote the economy, removing the possibility of a crisis,” he added.

The agreement was concluded in November 2011 and is valid for a year. It is part of wider negotiations carried out between the Metalworkers’ Union of Piracicaba and the Employers’ Association SIMESPI of which Caterpillar is a member. The union had threatened to resort to strike action if management had not agreed to a fair wage outcome.

The Caterpillar’s manufacturing site in Piracicaba employs about 5,000 workers. In October 2011, Caterpillar Brazil opened a new plant in Campo Largo, Paraná State, that will produce backhoe and wheel loaders for the domestic market and for export, with a focus on Latin America. The new facility has created 260 direct jobs that are expected to reach 1,000 in 2013.

GLOBAL: On November 30, 2011 The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) signed its 16th Global Framework Agreement since 1998. The agreement was signed at the Brazilian company’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro by ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, and Petrobras Director for Gas and Industry, Maria Das Gracas Silva Foster, Executive Director for Human Relations, Diego Hernandes, and Joao Antonio de Moraes, General Coordinator of FUP (the Oil and Gas Workers’ Unified federation of Brazil).

“This is ICEM’s fourth such agreement with an oil and gas concern,” said Warda, “and it embodies many of the social principles that we expect companies in extractive industries to adhere to.” The ICEM has previously negotiated GFAs with Statoil of Norway, Eni of Italy and Lukoil of Russia.

The agreement was signed with approval from ICEM Brazilian trade union affiliate, the Oil and Gas Workers’ Unified federation (FUP), whose leaders were present at the signing together with ICEM Latin America/Caribbean Regional Vice President Sergio Novais of Brazil. Support from both FUP and Sergio Novais was important in reaching the agreement.

The agreement commits Petrobras to recognizing the right of freedom of association and to bargain collectively for all employees, as well as establishing formal dialogue channels between staff and management. It also promotes working conditions that are favorable to a balance between work, personal, and family life.

The GFA states that Petrobras “will strive to get all service providers to comply” with nine labour relations points contained in the agreement, including health and safety and providing necessary equipment, permanent institutionalization of negotiation channels, and equal opportunities and promotion of training opportunities.

The agreement also recognizes global standards contained in the ILO Tripartite Declaration on Principles for Multinational Corporations and Social Policy, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Corporations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the UN Global Compact.

Warda and Petrobras CEO José S. Gabrielli de Azevedo initiated talks on the ICEM-Petrobras GFA as board members of the Global Compact some three years ago.

Petrobras, 56 per cent owned by the Brazilian government, has 80,500 employees and operates in some 30 countries. The company is a leader in exploration and production of oil, and operates 16 refineries as well as numerous petrochemical, biofuels, pipelines and other installations. The ICEM is composed of 255 national trade unions operating in 94 countries.

Fore more information visit ICEM website http://www.icem.org/en/77-All-ICEM-News-Releases/4795-ICEM-Signs-16th-Global-Agreement-with-Petrobras-of-Brazil.

GLOBAL: In October 2011 workers of the Mexican company Atento Mexico tried to vote for a democratic trade union, Sindicato de Telefonistas de la Republica Mexicana (STRM). Instead of respecting their choice the company, using thugs and a protection union, tried to influence the process and undermine the voting.

UNI contacted Atento’s Spanish parent company Telefonica, with which it has a global agreement, to ensure that Atento management would not interfere with the election. However, the election was rife with such interference. Workers who wanted to vote for STRM were denied a fair chance to cast their ballots.

To support workers at Atento Mexico in their fight for a democratic and independent union UNI Global Union released a video. There is also a special page on Facebook.

IMF is actively fighting against the corrupt practice of protection contracts in Mexico. In February 2009 IMF submitted a complaint against protection contracts to the Committee on Freedom of Association of the International Labour Organization. Later, the complaint received support from International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and four Mexican unions including STRM.

In 2011 the ILO Governing body ruled on this case and demanded that the Mexican government conduct a social dialogue and redress the arbitrary functioning of the labour courts which makes it possible to manipulate workers’ rights through the use of protection contracts.

INDONESIA: The rally started early in the morning at 5 am on November 23 and lasted for three days. A large column of people went from the industrial area Muka Kuning, Batu Ampar, Tanjung Uncang, and Batam center towards Batam mayor’s office. The rally paralyzed traffic on a distance of ten kilometers. 80 per cent of the industrial area and special economic zone (SEZ) was shut down.
 
Indonesian unions jointly decided to hold the protest rally to demand that the government addresses an unfair gap in minimum wages for Batam workers. The current minimum wage in Batam amounts to US$124 per month, which represents 93 per cent of the KHL (national Standard minimum living cost) equal to US$137. In comparison, the minimum wage in Jakarta is set to US$163, and US$179 in the metal sector. In Bekasi it is US$157 and US$192 respectively. Batam workers demand a minimum wage of US$185.

In the afternoon the police tried to disperse the workers with tear gas and gunfire. Four workers, including two members of IMF’s Indonesian affiliate FSPMI were hit by rubber bullets. Many got injuries and had to be hospitalized.

The Government has so far ignored workers’ claims. FSPMI (Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers’ Union) has taken the following initiatives:

• To establish a Decent Wage Action Committee (KAUL-Komite Aksi Upah Layak).
• To demand a minimum wage for Batam Riau Islands in 2012 at the level of IDR 1,760,000 (US$193) and IDR 1,848,000 (US$203) for the metal sector.
• To demand the resignation of Batam’s mayor for ignoring labour claims, leading to riots in Batam.
• To demand dismissal of the police chief of Riau islands and vice police chief of Balerang for their repressive police action (tear gas use and shootings) in result of which four workers were shot.
• To urge the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights in coordination with the police chief to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of the shooting and those who ordered them.

IMF has sent a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to support the demands of the Indonesian workers.

ARGENTINA: 800 delegates to the fifth Congress of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) on November 24-26 in Buenos Aires unanimously approved a resolution to dissolve the federation and to found a new global union organization together with the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) and the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) in June 2012 in Copenhagen.

By acclamation, Senzeni Zokwana was re-elected president and Manfred Warda general secretary. Zokwana is the president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) of South Africa. Delegates also elected 20 vice-presidents and a 59-member Executive Committee to serve until the dissolution and founding congress in June next year.

The Congress adopted an Action Plan which details the priorities in different regions and sectors such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paper, energy and mining.

Resolutions were passed on furthering the ICEM’s work in the MENA region, particularly with Iraqi and Palestinian unions, on an active response to the financial crisis and support for a financial transaction tax, labour rights in Colombia, repressive postures of governments in Hungary and other European countries, European-based companies hampering trade union rights in Turkey, electric energy, the Trans-Pacific trade partnership agreement, and on support to the striking PT Freeport Indonesia Workers’ Union in Papua Province in their courageous struggle against the multinational Freeport-McMoRan.

The lessons, best practices and future strategies of ICEM’s Contract and Agency Labour (CAL) campaign were debated at a conference before the Congress.

Congress news and documents can be found and downloaded at http://www.icem.org/en/219-5th-statutory-congress.

CHINA:  Organizing, collective bargaining and trade union networks were debated at a seminar between the International Metalworkers’ Federation and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) on November 29-30 in Shanghai. 30 Chinese national, regional and local level representatives attended, together with IMF delegates from Germany, Japan, United States, Brazil, Sweden and the IMF head office.

ACFTU officials reported on a considerable increase in trade union membership as a result of focus on organizing. Following success at Wal-Mart, a campaign had been carried out to reach an 85 percent unionization rate in major multinational companies on the Fortune 500 list. ACFTU now has over 240 million members, of whom 27 million in the metal industries, organized by the Chinese Machinery, Metallurgical and Building Materials Workers’ Union (CMMBMWU).

A lively debate took place on the growing number of labour disputes in China, including suicides at Foxconn and strikes at Honda and its suppliers in 2010. Workers need to have channels to express themselves through workers’ participation and democratic management, said ACFTU officials.

Strikes and increased focus on collective bargaining have led to considerable wage increases. The Chinese government and ACFTU support the rise of purchasing power. Minimum wages have been raised by 10-30 percent in different provinces.

IMF delegates explained how unions around the world were building power as a response to globalization. They gave examples of trade union networks and the use of different tools such as international framework agreements (IFA), OECD guidelines and ILO conventions for organizing and enforcing global labour standards.

Chinese local level union leaders offered their cooperation as Chinese companies are boosting investment in industrial companies abroad, such as Geely’s takeover of Volvo Cars.

IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina suggested continued exchange on organizing, collective bargaining, workers’ participation, networking, health and safety, climate change and trade. Chinese delegates are already participating in IMF’s World Works Councils and networks in companies such as Volkswagen, Siemens, Bosch and SKF.

EUROPE: In its "Rosyth Declaration for a new industrial policy strategy" the EMF demands that the EU and EU states support European shipbuilders. The move comes after more than 50,000 shipyard workers in Europe have lost their jobs and entire regions their industrial foundation since 2008.
 
The EU is urged to also systematically "explore new, additional areas of work and innovation as alternatives to the shipbuilding market characterised by over-capacity". In particular the EMF mentions marine engineering and the onshore and offshore wind industry as promising avenues for the shipbuilding industry, to develop the industrial structure in the shipbuilding and associated marine supply industry.
 
A new industrial strategy for shipbuilding should safeguard jobs and prevent industrial erosion – the disappearance of shipbuilding would mean the loss of an industrial pillar for entire regions and countries in Europe, for instance in Poland or Malta. The EU should also ensure that ‘Green Growth’ pays off, by encouraging ship owners to order new environmentally friendly and energy-efficient ships, and dismantle or retrofit outdated ships.
 
Ship financing should be safeguarded in Europe, and there should be fair global competitive conditions.
 
Finally the EMF calls for safe and sustainable conditions when old ships are scrapped. The demand for scrapping of old and hazardous ships has increased because of sluggish growth and overcapacities in the maritime transport sector. This scrapping often occurs under precarious condition for workers and the environment. The EMF will, in close cooperation with the IMF, monitor these activities and call for action wherever universal worker’s rights or environmental legislation is disregarded.
 
The IMF has a long record of fighting for the rights of workers in shipbreaking. For more information, see the IMF website.

TURKEY: "If GEA has enough courage, then let GEA go to Germany and do the same to German workers ─  dismiss the German workers because they are unionized," challenged Adnan Serdaroglu, leader of the Turkish metal union Birlesik Metal-IS referring to the German company’s illegal and anti-union behavior in Turkey.

Serdaroglu spoke to a crowd of over 100 on Novermber 18, including some 60 international trade union representatives from 20 countries, gathered outside of GEA Klima Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., a subsidiary of GEA Group, to protest the company’s illegal lock-out of 62 workers, all members of Birlesik Metal.

The protest was part of this year’s Labourstart annual world conference, held in Istanbul November 18-20 and themed, "From Social Networking to Social Revolution."

"The WORKERS, UNITED, will never be defeated" chanted the crowd in Turkish and English amidst a backdrop of heavy police presence in riot gear inside the company gates. "You don’t often see the police on the other side of gate," commented Derek Blackadder from the Canadian Union of Public Employees, "I guess it really tells you just how powerful this company is."

At the center of the struggle is GEA’s open hostility and aggressive attacks on members of Birlesik Metal employed at its Turkish plant. The company’s blatant anti-union behavior runs contrary to GEA Group’s professed respect for Freedom of Association and a 2003 Code of Conduct agreement signed with the IMF and renewed in 2007.

Watch GEA video on IMF TV:

"We are outraged by the trade union rights abuses that are occurring here, we are outraged that the company refuses to meet with the union," said IMF Director for Trade Union Rights & Campaigns, Kristyne Peter. "The unions and the workers we represent around the world are here to say that we are not going to let GEA get away with this. We are Turks, we are Germans,  we are Australians, we are Norwegians, we are Americans. We are everywhere this company operates and everywhere it wants to operate," added Peter.

Both ITUC, ICEM  IUF and ITF have expressed their support to the GEA workers and urged management to enter into meaningful dialogue with Birlesik Metal-Is representatives to find a resolution.

The IMF in partnership with Labourstart has launched an international campaign in support of GEA workers fighting for reinstatement and the respect of fundamental rights for GEA workers worldwide. Get involved and join the campaign!!

CLICK THROUGH TO LABOURSTART CAMPAIGN

For more photos visit Flickr

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SOUTH AFRICA: The strike commenced on October 24, 2011 after negotiations which began in September 2011 deadlocked. Workers demands include a ten per cent wage increase across the board with the intention to close the existing wage disparities between Rustenburg plants and Lion Tubatse plant, a housing allowance of 3,500 rand and a reduction of the number of grades from eight to five.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) was unable to settle the case, leaving the union with no option but to exercise its right to strike. Irvin Jim, NUMSA General Secretary argues, "We strongly believe that these demands by workers can be achieved by Xstrata, given the fact that Xstrata has bloated millions in rewarding its executives. "

NUMSA says that the strike has been prolonged because Xstrata management has applied delaying tactics, straining industrial relations and deepen antagonism between management and the union. On November 15th, 2011, NUMSA members applied further pressure on the company, marching to Xstrata offices in Johannesburg and handing over a memorandum of demands from workers.

NUMSA has negotiated favourably on the wage and housing allowance demands and made other gains such as securing a fulltime health and safety representative. However the matter of wage disparities still needed to be resolved, in particular workers in Xstrata Lion plant, Mpumalanga, are getting higher wages than their counterparts in Rustenburg.

Xstrata explanations to NUMSA of the wage disparities are that the Lion plant in Mpumalanga is more productive than the Rustenburg plants and Lion is located in a remote area, requiring higher wages to be paid in some grades to attract skilled workers. Addressing workers gathered at the march in Johannesburg, NUMSA President, Cedric Gina said, "It is not our problem that workers in Mpumalanga are paid more because the Rustenburg plants are using advanced technology to produce ferrochrome. We want workers to be paid equally for the same quality work they do.”

In order to resolve the impasse, both parties agreed to an immediate investigation into the matter by a joint management and union team with the intention of ultimately establishing wage harmonisation in all plants. Workers today have accepted this as the way forward and the strike has been called off.