Text / Jyrki Raina, IMF General Secretary

2011 will remain in history as a year when people took to the streets. In Europe, trade unions have mobilized against austerity measures which have been used to weaken social protection and union rights. In North Africa and the Middle East, revolutions and uprisings have highlighted the true problems of our world today: poverty, unemployment, inequality, social injustice, lack of democracy and lack of hope for a better life.

The global economic and financial crisis exposed the weakness of our existing systems of global governance and social protection. Tens of millions of jobs were lost as a result of financial speculation, and poverty increased in the absence of social safety nets.
Some lessons should be obvious. Disappointingly, the world’s leaders have not managed to take serious steps to build effective financial regulation and to ensure that people are not left on their own in times of trouble.

Unemployment remains high. Too many of the lost permanent jobs in industrialized countries are coming back as precarious temporary and agency labour jobs. In the developing countries the situation is even worse. Typically 50-90 per cent of the workforce is in the informal sector, with no social security, health care or pensions.

NEW SOCIAL MODEL

There is an urgent need to address these problems both in industrialized and developing countries. Unions have fought to show that austerity packages are not the way out of the crisis. Public finances are a problem in many countries, but in the long term, the road towards sustainable economic growth must be based on investments in the creation of good quality jobs, wage-driven consumption and increased purchasing power.

The global trade union movement has for some time already been arguing for a new paradigm instead of the failed neoliberal model. The new social and economic model has to be based on policies that put people first. We need urgent measures to create jobs, alleviate poverty, promote decent work, enforce labour standards and regulate the financial markets, including the introduction of an international financial transaction tax.

Now our challenge is to channel people’s spreading expressions of anger into a broad progressive movement for change. We need to build political and social alliances and fight not only for the interests of our members, but for a better life for all citizens. That will also enhance our legitimacy and role as a leading voice for those wanting a world built upon social justice.

Trade unions remain the world’s biggest democratic movement, but we are divided and not using all our potential. It is time to reorganize ourselves to fight back. It is time to build a stronger united trade union front worldwide.

ACTION THROUGH STRATEGIC CHAINS

If the decision-making bodies of the IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF so decide, a new unified global union for 50 million industrial workers in more than 140 countries will be founded on June 18 to 20, 2012 in Copenhagen.

The new global union will represent workers from extraction of oil and gas, all types of mining, generation and distribution of electric power, to manufacturing of metal, chemical and textile products. Its power and influence will be founded on uniting workers throughout these strategic chains of production.

Organizing and growth has to be a top priority for the new organization. The global crisis, job losses and increasing precarious work have left the trade union movement weakened. The average unionization rate in Europe has dropped to around 20 per cent. In developing countries, only 3 to 5 per cent of workers are members of a union. In too many countries unions are small and divided. We need to build unified structures so that unions have the necessary resources for fighting seriously for the goals they set.

INDUSTRIAL POLICIES NEEDED

The new global union will advocate strong industrial policies that promote sustainable manufacturing industries as the engine of national economies and provider of sustainable, good quality jobs in both developed and developing countries.

In many countries in Europe and North America, there is no real industrial policy. In Africa, there is no industrial base and almost all countries are exporters of raw materials. The new global union and its affiliates in the South and the North should work together to develop a plan and mobilize support for accelerating industrialization and the creation of jobs through developing infrastructure, transfer of technology, proper training and skills development.

Climate change has not stopped despite the difficulties in global talks, which have been somewhat buried under burning financial problems. But a global treaty that takes into account social implications and promotes the path towards a low-carbon economy, is still needed. There is a lot of job potential in the development of new and renewable energies as well as clean and energy saving technologies. A sustainable and balanced energy mix is also the foundation of industrial production.

UNION RIGHTS

In the majority of countries of the world, it is difficult to join a union freely and to bargain collectively. Each year some 100 union activists, national leaders and local union representatives, get killed, and thousands sit in prisons. Several governments have used the crisis as a pretext to weaken labour legislation, and companies have taken the occasion to attack trade union rights.

International labour standards are essential to the new global economic and social model. The new global union needs to plan systematic action in cooperation with the ITUC against governments that refuse to acknowledge fundamental labour rights. Some progress has been made in including core labour standards in free trade agreements and the World Bank’s loan conditions, but we need to continue pushing for effective implementation.

The new International will be a strong counterweight to transnational corporations that dominate manufacturing industries. We need to continue to create and expand trade union networks for developing solidarity and joint action. Links between mining, energy and metal sectors provide interesting opportunities, especially if combined with strategic action with transport workers. Attacks by companies against union rights will be met with rapid and efficient campaigns, using various available tools.

Around 40 international framework agreements with major corporations have been concluded in industry and mining to guarantee trade union rights for millions of workers and to develop mechanisms for solving problems together. The IMF has reached other global level agreements with a few companies on health and safety. A number of World Works Councils and Global Networks have been recognized by the corporate management as counterparts for discussions. Further agreements on union rights, other topics and recognition will enhance our legitimacy to discuss matters at the global level.

In sectors as electronics and textiles where union density is relatively low, we will increase our cooperation with non-governmental organizations and civil society networks such as Clean Clothes and PlayFair in campaigns for decent conditions of work. Such alliances have already proven their usefulness.

SOLIDARITY ACROSS BORDERS

In times of crisis, racism, xenophobia and nationalism traditionally increase, and this is the case also today. It is the responsibility of trade unions to take determined and visible action in favour of tolerance and solidarity.

We are a movement for democracy and peace. In North Africa and Middle East, our major project will be to help trade unions to become pillars of the new, hopefully democratic societies. We have seen that it is a complicated process, and it will take time.

Transnational corporations are increasing their investments in the manufacturing industry and mining in South and Southeast Asia. Obviously one of our absolute priorities in the future will be to assist trade unions to organize the 90 per cent of workers who are unorganized. There is a potential of millions of workers.

Finally, we will need to get more engaged in China. Last year’s developments especially in the province of Guangdong and at Foxconn, Honda and other companies show that there is change in the air. It is in the interest of the world’s industrial workers to help Chinese workers to develop true collective bargaining and improve their wages and working conditions. China remains a challenge, but I am confident that we will find ways of making our solidarity truly global.

Text / Alex Ivanou

TRADE UNION NETWORKS IN TNCS

Since 2009 the IMF has worked pragmatically to build unity and solidarity amongst workers within TNC’s and in their supply chains. The purpose has been to build effective solidarity and cooperation amongst unions present in TNCs. In order to ensure an equal playing field for workers which goes beyond minimum standards.

Building, developing and managing company union networks is not simply a task but it’s an important activity, as more workers find themselves affected by decisions taken in TNC management boardrooms. With this in mind the IMF has sought to develop strategies and activities to strengthen solidarity between workers across sectors and TNCs.

The IMF’s first step in doing this has been to develop Guidelines on Trade Union Networks in TNCs. Unions have always cooperated but the guidelines and the process of developing them has helped with transparency and understanding amongst affiliates. The guidelines contribute towards better tools, a better exchange of information, and more mutual trust and knowledge between workers. While at the same time recognizing that the guidelines cannot provide a model that fits all but can provide a common platform. The guidelines are now posted on the IMF website.

In addition to the guidelines the IMF has also held a TNC Coordinators meeting in March 2011 in Brazil. This meeting provided the opportunity for participants to come together and to further develop the knowledge and expertise on networking among the IMF affiliates. Also to hear about different experiences in networks that have already been developed such as Tenaris/Gerdau and others such as Caterpillar that are being developed.

The outcomes included a realization that more work needed to be carried out in the regions in order to build the same level of knowledge across all regions. That a case study of different networks would help provide a useful reference point and could act as a training and education tool. Also that an internal guideline on negotiating other global agreements would be useful (these are not International Framework Agreements).

Along with the knowledge building exercise, the IMF has also developed a list of priority companies to build networking activity. There is now a dedicated area on the IMF website for TNC Networks. These different company networks are not the only companies we deal with but are the targets for building networking activities in the future. Networking activity is also integrated into the IMF’s sectoral approach.

TRADE UNION RIGHTS AND CAMPAIGNS

In September 2009, the IMF created a special Trade Union Rights and Campaigns unit working on a concept of reacting in a quick and efficient manner to violations of trade union rights by companies or governments, and conducting campaigns to strengthen workers’ rights in problem countries or companies.

The levels of IMF response stretched from protest letters and news stories on the web site to long-term campaigns concerning individual countries and full-fledged corporate campaigns against TNCs. In each case the IMF sought to mobilize affiliates, develop an appropriate communications strategy, and use different tools varying from union networks and IFAs to the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines and others. The IMF worked in cooperation with other Global Union Federations (GUFs) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and built alliances with NGOs when appropriate.

From 2009 to 2011 the IMF has organized a number of campaigns extending support to affiliates, trade union allies and activists with major activities against violations in Mexico, Colombia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, Russia and the United States.

In Mexico the IMF held an intensive multi-GUF worldwide solidarity campaign in favour of independent trade unions in February 2011, affiliates from more than 30 countries participated.

UNION BUILDING AND ORGANIZING

Building strong national unions continues to be one of the main pillars of the IMF’s work. Strong national unions deliver better wages and conditions for metalworkers around the globe, raising their political influence and ability to counter devastating effects of neoliberal policies such as the extension of precarious work in all IMF sectors. This has become one of the major challenges all trade unions face today. The IMF is convinced that timely and focused support to unions organising workers today, will contribute to building strong unions tomorrow.

IMF union building projects target three priority areas: organizing the unorganized & precarious workers, strengthening national union structures and networking in transnational corporations (TNCs) with a sectoral/regional focus.
In close coordination with affiliates, the IMF Regional offices play a critical role in identifying the strategic areas to concentrate efforts, and the implementation of all union building activities.

The IMF coordinated and collected information about the affiliates’ bilateral activities, mapping out who is working where and disseminating information on the externally funded projects, in order to develop a dynamic union building network. Following affiliates wishes, the IMF also developed a virtual website database, enabling affiliates to record their project work and to find when and where activities take place.

PRECARIOUS WORK

Following the successful Week of Action against precarious work in October 2009, during which 80 IMF affiliates in 50 countries held actions, the question of precarious work has been discussed at all regional and sub-regional meetings in 2010 and 2011 with the intention to further develop the IMF’s strategy against precarious work.

The IMF has cooperated with other GUFs through the Council of Global Unions’ Work Relationships Group. The group developed a set of draft Global Union Principles on Temporary Work Agencies. This document establishes a common trade union position on dealing with temporary work agencies, starting from the principle that the primary form of employment shall be permanent, open-ended and direct employment.

As a result of the union interventions by Global Unions including the IMF, the final versions of both the UN Human Rights Council’s Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights and the OECD’s revised Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) set a much stronger framework for implementing the rights of precarious workers, including in supply chains.

Combating precarious work continues to be a major focus for action by IMF and its affiliates. Increasing pressure is being put on the ILO to support precarious workers through better implementation of labour standards, particularly the right to bargain collectively with the principal employer.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Based on a resolution adopted by the IMF Congress in Gothenburg, the IMF together with ICEM, the two European federations EMF and EMCEF promoted action on “Cutting emissions, transforming jobs: Working in green jobs for a secure future” at the United Nations meeting on climate change in Copenhagen in December 2009.

A section on climate change has been created on the IMF web site. At a joint IMF-ICEM-EMF-EMCEF meeting in Bad Orb, Germany in October 2009 the discussion focused on the Copenhagen process, sectoral concerns, sustainable job creation and green jobs, just transition and joint principles for future work.

Since 2009 the IMF has continued to promote industrial policies adopted in a series of climate change and sustainability conferences in order to achieve a fair, legally binding and comprehensive global agreement ensuring sustainable employment and just transition. The IMF has also extended support to regional studies/policies on the issues, especially in Africa and Asia.

SUSTAINABLE TRADE, EMPLOYMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

From 2009 to 2011 the IMF has focused on monitoring trade policies at the bilateral level with the close collaboration of affiliates, and has been actively involved in the bilateral and bi-regional assessment of the repercussions of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on jobs and development.

The regular annual IMF Working Party on Trade, Employment and Development focused its work on the social and economic impacts of FTAs and their potential challenge to worker solidarity.

In 2011 the Working Party on Trade Employment and Development in Geneva reiterated the strategic importance of keeping dialogue and exchanges between IMF affiliates of the different regions. IMF work at regional level has developed especially in Africa and India. The negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement have been and continue to be followed with the involvement of affiliates in Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

In 2011 the IMF, in collaboration with the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC), played a prominent role in debates around the update of the OECD Guidelines on Multinationals and bringing metalworkers’ problems and interests to the forefront in the OECD debate around corporate responsibilities.

SECTORAL WORK

The IMF’s approach within the Steel and Non-Ferrous sector has been to continue building networks in ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel, Tenaris, Gerdau and Alcoa. In addition to the networking activities The IMF has also continued to participate in the OECD Steel Committee demanding a more sustainable industry from Governments. The IMF has also held a joint meeting with the European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) in order to develop a common approach.

The Joint Global Health Safety Committee in ArcelorMittal also published a review after three years since the global agreement was signed with management. While highlighting progress, the review also questions the introduction of behavioural based safety techniques, unions are against this. The review clearly states that until the company has zero fatalities the goal cannot be achieved.

In the Auto Sector the approach has been to use a range of different tools. As an example the IMF has, alongside the EMF, renegotiated and revised the IFA with Peugeot Citroen PSA. The new agreement includes new sections on the environment and provides for the creation of a new World Works Council (WWC) including representatives as full members from Brazil, Argentina, and also Russia.

A number of network meetings have taken place at the global and regional level in: Bosch, Daimler, Fiat/Chrysler, Ford, Hyundai/Kia, Mahle, Renault, Volkswagen, GM/Opel and Volvo. The IMF’s priority has also been to assist the United Auto Workers’ (UAW) in their efforts to organize workers in US transplants of Japanese, Korean and German companies.

In 2009 the IMF initiated work on collecting and sharing collective bargaining information in the aerospace industry in order to identify the core issues for bargaining in each country. In 2010 a major IMF conference of aerospace unions was held, which recommended the development of union networks in Boeing, Airbus, Rolls Royce and their suppliers.

Industrial developments, impacts of the economic crisis and the continuing rise of precarious work were the focus of the IMF’s work in the sector of ICT, electrical and electronics. A strong emphasis was put on the need to overcome challenges to organizing, and threats to workers’ rights.

In 2010 in the ICT, electrical and electronics sector, affiliates decided to define a list of priority companies where networks in TNCs and their supply chains could be developed. The companies are Siemens, IBM, Nokia, Philips and Hewlett Packard. Organizing attempts in the sector continue to face strong hostility, as was the case in India in disputes at Foxconn and BYD Electronics in 2010.

In January 2011, a significant victory was achieved in Malaysia when the newly registered Electronics Industry Workers’ Union (Southern Region) successfully campaigned to secure union rights at ST Microelectronics in Muar, Malaysia.

With the same idea of building union networks in mechanical engineering one of the most significant developments has been the creation in 2010, of a Caterpillar trade union network aimed at promoting the exchange of information and developing joint action in support of workers’ rights. The network is attracting interest outside the founding members, and efforts to include unions from emerging/developing countries have started showing some encouraging results.

In 2011 the IMF decided that future activities in the sector should focus on the sub-sectoral level, starting with machinery for construction and mining, and agricultural machinery. There are TNCs in these sub-sectors, such as John Deere, Case New Holland and Komatsu, and a potential for network development, building on the experience gained with the Caterpillar network.

After the global financial crisis, economic performance and employment in the shipbuilding sector have been heavily hit. The industry needs to achieve a fair, level playing field in order to create a sustainable industrial base. On the other hand, the volume of shipbreaking continues to increase massively at low-wage labour-intensive yards, which are usually unorganized. Many fatal accidents still occur in this sector all over the world, especially in Turkey (both in shipbuilding and shipbreaking) and in the South Asian region (in shipbreaking).
To render its work more effective and stronger the IMF has concentrated on the biggest concerns of the sector namely on health & safety, organizing issues and promoting sustainable and green industry. Part of this work was done jointly with EMF. The IMF intends to continue to reinforce this cooperation.

The IMF continues to reach out to organize workers, mainly in India, and in 2011 in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The work will now focus on linking shipbuilding and shipbreaking workers in order to seek strategic policy, making the shipbuilding/breaking industry fairer, safer, greener and more sustainable, also providing workers with the skills needed in the future.

For a number of years organizing non-manual workers was one of IMF priorities. In 2009 the IMF started mainstreaming non-manual workers’ issues in all IMF activities and union-building projects. This work continued in 2010 with further focus in 2011, on organizing young non-manual workers, white-collar workers’ and unions that are not yet members of the IMF.

IMF WORK IN REGIONS

The IMF advances its work in the regions following the sectoral priorities set out in the IMF Action Program. Immediately after the IMF Congress in 2009, at all regional and sub-regional meetings, affiliates were involved in discussing trade union rights campaigns, strategic organising, projects and developing the cooperation process leading to the creation of a new International organisation.
In Latin America and in the Caribbean region a substantial program of union building workshops and seminars is implemented in Peru,Chile and in particular Colombia, in order to bring IMF affiliates together to build strong and active national unions.

In Colombia, cooperation with ICEM affiliates has been a reality since 2010, and in Chile, two IMF affiliates have signed Memos of Understanding to merge in 2012. The IMF and ICEM have also been involved in joint campaigns in Chile, for the ratification of the ILO Convention 176 on health and safety in the mining sector. In Peru, a national union for subcontracted mining workers has been formed, with the first collective bargaining negotiations taking place in 2011.

Networking in “Multilatinas” (Latin American-based TNCs), is another joint IMF, ICEM and BWI activity aimed to develop regional union networks in priority companies. The companies selected are related in terms of their production chain, making them relevant for joint action and strategic networking. Organising networks for companies headquartered and operating in Latin America is a relatively new initiative for all 3 GUFs, creating expectations for future integration.

In Mexico, union building programs go hand in hand with the fight for freedom of association. In coordination with the Trinational Alliance formed in 2010 in Toronto, the IMF actively supports the struggle of a coalition of democratic unions against contratos de protección (employer protection contracts). After the strategic planning meetings held in 2011, the IMF is preparing a common union building programme to grow the Mexican democratic union’s membership.

Key focus areas in Central and South Africa from 2009 to 2011 are organizing , union building, education, health and safety, HIV/AIDS and climate change.

In 2010 the office redesigned the regional printed and web based yearly publication Umoja.

The IMF encourages joint work between unions from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Tanzania around the company Metal Box/Nampak. Solidarity support was provided to NUMSA in South Africa and workers in Mozambique to resolve a conflict at BHP Billiton, as well as in a NUMSA’s collective bargaining dispute and lock-out at Bridgestone in April 2010. Union building and gender projects are ongoing with SINTIME in Mozambique.

In Tanzania, while many unions in the region were experiencing a decline in membership, TUICO has been growing continuously. Thanks to the IMF union building project, TUICO reported 80 per cent growth in membership (now representing over 60’000 workers) with 30 per cent of women in leadership positions. The union produces its own educational material and now contributes 20 per cent of its budget to the education of its members. At national level, TUICO is recognized as a democratic and representative union, playing an important role in the main National Centre, as TUICO’s president is currently the President of TUCTA (the National Centre).

In 2011 the office continued to foster cooperation between two metal unions in Angola. In Zambia, the training of shop stewards and women workers is ongoing. A series of missions were undertaken to Guinea, Nigeria and Liberia to explore union building opportunities.
The IMF has extended support to the pro-democracy struggle in Swaziland where NUMSA, with support of the IMF helps SATU with skill development. The IMF is supporting NEWU and other unions in Zimbabwe to merge through an initiative of the ZCTU.

In 2011 the IMF participated in the World Social Forum in Senegal and in the ICEM Sub Saharan Regional Organisation Conference in Ghana.
The main focus of the IMF’s work in Maghreb has been the strengthening of trade union organizing, particularly at local production sites and at supplier companies of TNCs. The IMF has also put efforts into educating women workers who represent a fast growing percentage of the workforce, and strengthening independent and democratic trade unions.

These activities were directed at particular companies signatories to IFAs with the IMF and made part of a four-year programme implemented with the support of Spanish ISCOD-UGT, and with the participation of IMF affiliates in Tunisia, Morocco, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
In 2011 the unprecedented uprising in the countries of North Africa against undemocratic and repressive regimes has gone beyond all expectations and has been able to dismantle corrupt power systems that had been in place for decades. Workers have played and continue playing a key role in this democratic and peaceful movement that began in Tunisia and expanded to Egypt then further to other Arab countries. The IMF has rendered all possible support to the workers in their efforts on rebuilding the trade union movement in their countries with hope to establish freedom of association and build new democratic structures.

IMF activities in Eastern European countries, particularly Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) were focused on organizing, union building, protection of trade union rights and development of communications to oppose the shift to a neo-liberal model in their countries.
The world financial and economic crisis had serious implications for trade unions of the region. Quite often the answer of the state authorities and employers to the crisis has been to increase pressure on workers and trade unions. In many cases interference of the state and employers with unions’ internal affairs took place in Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and other countries.

In January, Russian national centres VKT and KTR, with the support of the FNPR confederation lodged a complaint to the ILO about extensive and systematic violations of freedom of association in Russia. The IMF supported this complaint.

In carrying out the work in South-East Europe the IMF has cooperated a lot with the European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF). Efforts are being made on both sides to synchronize activities.

The priorities for many unions include development of training programmes, improved collective bargaining, social dialogue, occupational health and safety, organizing and the strengthening of trade union structures. From 2009 to 2011 the IMF helped affiliates to build up their capacity in these areas through various workshops and projects.

In 2010, as part of its cooperation with other GUFs, the IMF joined the multi-union two-year project on organizational development in South-East Europe that is partly sponsored by FNV Netherlands. In addition to the ICEM, the IUF and the IMF, two European federations (EFFAT and EMCEF) and the IMF’s Austrian affiliate PRO-GE are also providing financial and technical support. The overall objective is to strengthen union structures and promote regional sectoral cooperation and training. The project is generating a lot of interest among affiliates and has started to produce positive developments.

In South Asia the IMF centred its work around development of collective bargaining, enhancing women’s participation, union building, organizing of EPZ workers, precarious work, health and safety, union networking, improving solidarity and climate change.
In June 2011, the ongoing India Steel Organizing Project reported 15’000 workers recruited in three states and in the Shipbreaking Project in Mumbai and Alang over 10’500 workers are now proud union members. Also in 2011, the shipbreaking project was extended to Bangladesh and Pakistan, aiming to create a regional network of shipbreaking workers.

A number of trade union rights campaigns have been coordinated from India office, including at Bosch, Nokia, Foxconn and BYD Electronics, Maruti Suzuki and others.

In 2011 the IMF continued implementing activities to raise awareness among affiliates, of the urgent need to organize and build strong national union structures, a national union building strategy was developed in Nepal.

To improve communications and information exchange in the region, in 2011, the IMF office in India launched a new magazine publication Metal-Asia Pacific. Initially designed for one region this publication was extended to the whole of Asia and the Pacific. The publication is available both in print and in electronic form on the IMF website.

The period from 2009 to 2011 in the East & Southeast Asia and the Pacific region has been marked with a number of serious struggles of workers for their rights, starting with a global campaign to fight for the unconditional reinstatement of more than 700 workers who were dismissed by Toshiba in Indonesia in 2009. The same year in June about 900 workers at the Kawasaki Motors plant in Thailand went on strike after the management unilaterally changed working hours and then sacked all the 11 shop stewards who opposed the change. In Malaysia workers fought for recognition of their unions at Bosch plants.

In February 2010 the IMF organized a fact finding mission to the Philippines, subsequently two new affiliates joined the IMF family.
Active organizing and building regional solidarity remains a fundamental aspect of the IMF’s commitment and work in the region. A regional strategy workshop was held in 2010 to engage affiliates from Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam to develop sustainable organizing projects and build a strong regional network of metalworkers’ unions. Indonesia started with organizing drives to recruit around 5000 members in 2011, other organizing projects are in discussion with IMF affiliates.

Precarious work has been high on the union agenda in the region. Mass street demonstration and rallies to demand the eradication of precarious work that systematically erodes permanent gainful employment were held each year.

IMF COMMUNICATIONS

From 2009 to 2011, the IMF promoted activities organized both by the IMF and affiliates, reporting on workers’ struggles across the globe. The reports published on the IMF website and in the IMF magazine Metal World, primarily focus on union building, collective bargaining, trade union rights, TNCs and trade union networks, climate change and sustainable development.
In addition to the traditional channels (website, newsletters and printed publications) the IMF tried and mastered some new fields, particularly in 2010 by starting regular updates on Facebook and in Twitter and in 2011 launching IMF-TV, which is based on a YouTube platform for video messaging. The IMF also actively cooperates with union labour news network website LabourStart. All the regions developed their publications.

In 2009 the IMF jointly with the EMF, had a joint Global Communicators’ Forum in Frankfurt. The IMF also cooperated with Global Union Federations and the ITUC within the GUFs Communications Task Force.

Since 2010 the IMF has focused on the development of communications in the regions and held communicators’ forums in all the regions.

Two global Labour Film Shorts festivals have been organized in Geneva in 2009 and 2010 and a DVD was compiled with the selection of labour films in 2011 and launched at the EMF Congress in Berlin.

In 2011 the IMF jointly with ICEM and ITGLWF started a quarterly newsletter Stronger Together. The newsletter has reported on ongoing joint activities and the process of creating a new global International of industrial workers. At the same time the three federations started reviewing their existing capacities and began preparing for the development of joint communications.

Text / Jenny Holdcroft

Alex used to work as a contract worker in the Cavite Export Processing Zone in the Philippines, for CQS Stainless Corporation which produces metals for the automotive industry. Safety equipment at the factory is only supplied to regular employees, who comprise less than half of the workforce. Two months into his employment, the machine Alex was working at malfunctioned and he was hit in the face by a piece of metal the size of a basin. He was taken to the hospital, but when he got there he found out that his employer had not paid any social security contributions for him, so there was no money to pay for his medical care. He was forced to return home against medical advice and when he reported unfit for work he was dismissed.

Sadly, Alex’s story is not untypical. Today, millions of precarious workers all over the world are excluded from social security provisions solely because of their employment status. In Chile, 63 per cent of part-time workers do not contribute to social insurance schemes. When IMF conducted its comprehensive survey of affiliates on changing employment practices and precarious work, affiliates responded that the most common area in which employers use precarious employment to avoid their responsibilities is that of social security and pensions. This exclusion was made evident in the treatment of precarious workers during the financial crisis. Not only were they among the first workers to be laid off, but it soon became clear that many unemployment insurance schemes, which were widely used by governments to respond to the crisis, were unavailable to precarious workers who lost their jobs.

Attempting to extend the scope of social protection to ensure that workers employed under the myriad forms of precarious employment do not miss out is liable to be particularly difficult in an environment where, in many countries, unions are being forced to defend existing social security provisions. Government austerity packages arising from the financial crisis and neoliberal demands for ever smaller government are resulting in restrictions on health care coverage, extension of retirement ages and lowering of unemployment benefits. Even the viability of many contributory schemes is being put at risk as their coverage shrinks. In this context, extending benefits to precarious workers is a massive challenge.

FIGHTING FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION

In Indonesia, trade unions have been at the forefront of a struggle to extend social protection to all workers. Pressure for a comprehensive social security system mounted after Indonesia’s economic crisis in 1997-98. It ultimately resulted in the National Social Security System Law (NSSS) being passed on 19 October 2004. This law would ensure a minimum living standard for all, in accordance with the ILO Social Protection Floor. However, nearly 7 years later, the law has yet to be implemented.

IMF affiliates FSPMI and Lomenik have taken a leading role in pushing for social security provision for precarious workers. Roni Febrianto from FSPMI explains some of the difficulties.

‘After 7 years the social security system cannot run because no law has been passed to regulate the bodies that run the social security system. This is why we request the government and the parliament to approve this law and we request that all these bodies be controlled by a trust fund. Now the situation is that the money is controlled by government so that government can use the money every time and for everything. For example last year they used the money for a political party campaign.’

According to the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, social insurance carriers in Indonesia are run as profit-oriented state enterprises that have to pay corporate tax and dividends to the government. This has resulted in an IDR 10 trillion (US$ 1.1 billion) deduction from social security for private sector workers. To make matters worse, compulsory contributions by Indonesian employers and employees are the lowest among ASEAN countries.

Precarious workers are not the only workers in Indonesia who are not covered by social security provisions. For the 64.84 million informal workers (out of a total workforce of 104.49 million) there is no social security at all. Social security benefits in the private sector are run through a state owned body called Jamsostek which covers employment accidents, old age benefits, death benefits and health services. Despite the system being compulsory, coverage of workers is extremely patchy. All enterprises with a minimum of 10 workers or a salary bill above IDR 1 million must join, but since Jamsostek has no enforcement powers and relies on the Labour Ministry to ensure compliance with the scheme, many companies simply do not comply. Membership is currently at about 20,000 companies.

UNIONS MOBILIZE

Union frustrations with the amount of time that the Government has taken to implement its legislation led to a massive demonstration involving 100,000 workers on May Day 2010. Workers gathered in central Jakarta from the early hours of May 1 to demand changes in the social security laws and system. The size of the crowd was unprecedented in the history of the Indonesian labour movement, with workers travelling from as far afield as Bandung, Tanggarang and Bekasi to join in. Thousands of FSPMI members led the march from the Thamrin area of Jakarta towards the Presidential Palace for a demonstration that lasted till late evening.
For Lomenik and FSPMI, the goal is a social security system that is independent from government and able to deliver social protection to everyone including precarious and informal workers. For Prihanani of FSPMI, protection of precarious workers is essential. ‘Now precarious workers don’t have social security, they don’t have health insurance, they don’t have pension benefits but in our struggle for social security reform they will be covered by the law and it means that they will have the same benefits as permanent workers,’ said Prihanani. ‘They will have health insurance, they will have pension benefits, that’s why the precarious workers have to support our struggle for social security reform.’
Many other trade unions and NGOs in Indonesia share this goal and together set up a Committee on Social Security Action (Komite Aksi Jaminan Sosial, KAJS) to fight for improved social security, particularly health insurance for life and a mandatory pension fund for all.

Eduard Marpuang, President of Lomenik explains: ‘To change legislation we cannot be alone because trade unions in Indonesia are fragmented. We have on average 100 national federations and 5 confederations and 3 bigger confederations. We had the idea to discuss social security implementation with the government because it has been six years that it has not been implemented. We established KAJS together with 64 trade unions and civil society united together to push for implementation of social security law. It has already been one year that we have discussed but the government does not implement the laws so we campaigned to the media and to the public as well as to the government and the employers and also the civil society economists, politicians.’

Actions taken by KAJS have included a series of mass demonstrations and lobbying government and political parties. KAJS also initiated a citizens’ lawsuit against the President and Vice President, Chairman of the House of Representatives, and eight of the relevant Ministers. The claim was that by failing to implement the law on social security, they are violating Indonesia’s Constitution. Represented by Said Iqbal, President of FSPMI, KAJS was involved in 27 hearings at the National Court in Central Jakarta before the case was decided on July 13, 2011. The three sitting judges found that the President and the other defendants were guilty and derelict in their duty. They were ordered to immediately legislate to implement the National Social Security Act and pay court fees.

The President and the parliament agreed to continue discussing the legal drafting. KAJS is closely monitoring the process and held another mass rally on July 22 in front of the parliament building to support union demands for universal health insurance, pensions for the formal sector, and a social security body established as a trust fund and controlled by a tripartite body. A result is expected by the end of October.

TAKING THE FIGHT TO THE ILO

Just prior to this momentous court decision being handed down, in June 2011 Indonesian unions had taken their fight to the International Labour Conference (ILC) where Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was delivering an address on the effects of the global economic crisis. The unions submitted a statement to the ILC, which was supported by IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF and demanded that the Indonesian government comply with the Global Jobs Pact by providing comprehensive social security for all Indonesian people. The statement pointed out that “the people of Indonesia continue to face problems of low wages which are not comparable with the needs of a decent standard of living, unsafe working conditions with the expansion of contract work and outsourcing and the absence of comprehensive social security for all people.”

Their intervention was timely, since the ILC was in the midst of a discussion on the role and importance of social security as a key pillar of decent work. 1952, ILO Convention 102 on minimum standards for social security has set the benchmark for minimum social security coverage for people in employment. However, in 1952 the world of employment was very different and the Convention does not take account of the myriad employment relationships that have developed and which deny workers access to social protection. Neither did it envisage that the majority of the world’s workers would become trapped in informal employment.

For these reasons, the focus of the ILC debate was on establishing a basic social protection floor for all that would provide coverage for health, child benefits, a basic pension and some form of income protection for working age people.

SOCIAL SECURITY UNDER PRESSURE

In many industrialized countries, social security systems have evolved to offer greater levels of protection than the minimum standards of Convention 102. However, these systems are coming under increasing political and financial pressure as a result of ageing populations, increased costs of health care and the ongoing fallout from the financial crisis that has diverted public funds into propping up financial systems. Governments are increasingly taking policy measures to limit the scope of health care coverage, extend retirement ages, restrict eligibility for unemployment benefits and reduce the amounts of those benefits. Under such conditions, precarious workers become even more likely to miss out on social protection. Following the financial crisis, the most common social protection measures taken by governments to respond to the mass layoffs were unemployment insurance schemes. However, these were not extended to the massive numbers of precarious workers who were among the first to lose their jobs.

Unions face a massive challenge not only to defend existing social security systems against these pressures, but to extend their coverage to all workers, including those in precarious employment. The radical transformation of employment relationships threatens not only workers’ wages, conditions of employment and job security, but their access to health, unemployment and retirement benefits. Social security systems need to take account of these ongoing changes to employment relationships in order to ensure that precarious workers do not fall through the gaps.

But precarious workers themselves are not the only ones to suffer the consequences of their exclusion from social protection. For many workers in permanent employment relationships, protection is guaranteed through contributory schemes. The success of these schemes depends on them having enough contributing members to be financially stable enough to be able to withstand financial and political pressures over the long term. As employers continue to replace stable jobs with precarious ones, and increasing numbers of precarious workers become unable to access these contributory schemes, the risk is that the schemes themselves will become less viable as they cover a shrinking minority of the workforce.

SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR ALL

Extending coverage of social security to all workers is crucial. When feasible steps to achieving this objective are debated, as they were at the ILC, a strong emphasis is put on facilitating workers’ transition from informal to formal employment, and with good reason. Once people enter formal employment, they start paying taxes and contributing to enlarging government budgets for social security. Furthermore, with 80 per cent of the world’s working age population with no effective access to comprehensive social protection, social security systems where they do operate tend to be based on the model of Convention 102 and target their protection at formal workers.

It is tempting therefore to conclude that shifting employment from informal to formal will in itself be enough to extend social protection to workers who do not currently benefit from it. Certainly, the importance of formalizing employment and the benefits it delivers to workers and nations should not be minimized. However, nor should the existing gaps in social security provisions be overlooked. In order for everyone to be able to benefit from a shift from informal to formal employment, social security coverage gaps must be fixed. Only then will we avoid the scenario of workers making the move from informal to formal employment, only to find themselves once again without social protection because the only available job is a precarious one.

The discussion at the ILC concluded in a commitment to establishing social security for all as a powerful and affordable tool to promote economic growth, reduce poverty and mitigate the impact of crises, in particular through a Social Protection Floor. The ILC passed a resolution that the next ILC in 2012 should include on its agenda a standard-setting item on the Social Protection Floor with a view to the adoption of a Recommendation. The published conclusions of the discussion, while failing to address the problem of lack of access by precarious workers to social protection, nonetheless referred to the need for Social Protection Floor policies to aim at reducing informality and precariousness. The conclusions also referred to the need for integrated national policies to promote productive employment. Among a long list of suggested policy options are policies to enable all workers including those in atypical (sic) employment to take advantage of social security (union efforts to change the terminology, since precarious work is now more often typical than atypical, were unsuccessful).

Unions must use the opportunity of the 2012 ILC discussion on a Recommendation to push strongly for the ILO, governments and employers to recognize how the growing prevalence of precarious employment denies workers access to social protection, and for any resulting Recommendation to take proper account of the impact of the transformation of employment relationships in proposals for social security reform.

UNION ACTION NEEDED

Every day, unions are seeing more and more examples of employers replacing permanent employment with precarious forms of employment such as contract work and agency work, even outsourcing their entire workforces. It is crucial that trade unions take up the battle for social security reform, to ensure that precarious workers are not excluded from the very protections that they are most in need of because of the insecure nature of their employment. Union action is needed both at national level, as in the case of Indonesia, and at global level to put pressure on governments and employers through international bodies such as the International Labour Organization.

At the next meeting of the IMF Central Committee in Jakarta, Indonesia on 6-8 December 2011, the challenge of ensuring that precarious workers have effective access to social protection will be discussed by delegates. An important contribution to the debate will be an explanation from the Indonesian trade unions on how they were able to mobilize workers on this issue.
As the number of workers forced into precarious employment continues to rise around the world, the struggle must continue towards the goal of social protection for all.

In Thailand, access to social security payments is central to the struggle to gain permanent employment for subcontract workers.
Duangmanee Sopeng has direct experience of the difference permanent employment can make to access to social security. Both she and her husband were employed at Ford/Mazda in Thailand as subcontract workers up until May 2009 when the Auto Subcontract Workers’ Union of Thailand succeeded in winning them permanent status. Subsequently, when Duangmanee’s husband severed an artery in his arm whilst cooking, the 50,000 Baht (US$ 1,400) surgery needed to repair it was covered by their new permanent worker benefits, which includes cover for injuries sustained at home as well as at work. If the accident had happened while he was still a subcontract worker, they would have struggled to pay for the surgery.
According to Yongyuth Menta Pao, General Secretary of IMF affiliate TEAM, one of the principal reasons that employers prefer subcontract workers is because they want to reduce costs by not paying social security contributions.
In 2009 after three years of temporary employment at Ford/Mazda in the Rayong Province, Duangmanee Sopeng is now a permanent employee thanks to the efforts of the Auto Subcontract Workers’ Union of Thailand.

URUGUAY: A national metalworkers’ strike began on 10 October in support of the union’s demand for a collective agreement to be signed. Metalworkers have occupied 40 factories throughout the country and will continue their occupation until their demands are met.

The National Metalworkers’ Union (UNTMRA), an IMF affiliate, said its demands include: "an inflation plus 3.5% pay rise every six months, reduction of the working week from 48 to 44 hours without loss of pay, an end to employer misuse of attendance bonuses to undermine the union, a new job classification structure (the current classification dates from 1968) and two hours pay for union meetings; this will allow us to improve our workplace organisation, including in unorganised factories".

UNTMRA explained that the union had called an indefinite strike because the collective agreement expired on 30 June 2010. The union has been negotiating for months but has not yet reached agreement with employers in the sector. A decree awarded a 1.5% pay rise in January 2011 but the union says a decree is not the same as a collective agreement. "We are not only fighting for a pay rise and a better quality-of-life for workers. We also want to promote development of the economy and the workforce", said a union spokesman.

He added that the employers’ organisation had refused to dialogue. "It has showed a clear lack of interest in meeting our pay demands and also a lack of initiative with regard to industrial development. However, it has increased repression of the workforce, temporarily placing some workers on unemployment pay, threatening to dismiss others and generally acting in a provocative way in order to change the focus of the dispute away from our list of demands".

GLOBAL: The spreading precarious work brings insecurity to workers and their families. It lays a huge burden on their shoulders. The main feature of this issue of Metal World focuses on the trade union fight for social protection for precarious workers, the least privileged and the most vulnerable group of workers.

On the eve of the IMF Central Committee meeting on December 7 and 8 in Jakarta, Indonesia, Metal World reports about the work that IMF and its affiliates have carried out since 2009 when the IMF World Congress took place in Sweden in the most difficult times of world economic and financial crisis. Developments in industrial sectors, campaigns for trade union rights, work in the regions and union building efforts are reported in the special report ‘Building union power for secure jobs and a secure future’.

In June 2012 members of the three global union federations IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF plan to found a new International for industrial workers. Jyrki Raina, IMF general secretary, reflects on a new era of global solidarity that will start with this bold step.

Finally, Metal World publishes a profile of Miriam Chipunza, a young activist in Zimbabwe. She speaks about her union, the IMF-affiliated National Engineering Workers Union, and of its participation in the recent World Day of Decent Work, together with many other unions across the globe.

This will be the last issue of Metal World. Since the year 2000 we have been providing in depth analysis of the trends in the metalworking industries, and reporting on challenges and successes of workers fighting for their rights in the world. Now, after a decade, this magazine’s journey comes to an end. But plans are already being made, and pens are sharpened, in order to take on the challenges of the future. With the advent of a new international organization Metal World too will take new shapes. We look forward to it!

GLOBAL: On October 18-19, representatives of governments, private employment agencies and trade unions exchanged views on the role of agencies in promoting decent work. The discussions revealed that unions and agencies have completely different views on the impact of the growth of agency labour on employment.

The agencies repeatedly insisted that agency work is decent work, that it creates jobs and that it is never used to undermine or replace open-ended, direct employment. All of these claims were rejected by trade union representatives, who presented a catalogue of situations from a variety of industries around the world that demonstrated that agency employment is being used to systematically replace permanent jobs, lowering wages and conditions and leaving workers with no social protection and no possibility of joining a union or bargaining collectively with their employer. Worker delegates insisted that triangular employment relationships by their very nature make collective bargaining virtually impossible.

It rapidly became clear that the representatives of private employment agencies were using the meeting to seek legitimacy for their industry, to grow their markets and to be recognized as the sole counterpart for collective bargaining, at the exclusion of user enterprises. For their part, unions were seeking equal treatment for agency workers and restrictions on the circumstances under which agency employment is permissible, its duration and extent. Unions also wanted action to strengthen freedom of association and collective bargaining for agency workers which included user enterprises and unions representing workers in user enterprises.

At the end of the meeting, a very limited number of potential consensus points were put forward for discussion, but finally the meeting ended with no conclusions when agency representatives showed that they were not ready to negotiate in order to reach agreement.

Unions will continue to work within the framework of the ILO to ensure greater protection for agency workers and to limit the spread of agency work and triangular employment relationships.

BELARUS: On October 3 the lower house of the Belarus parliament adopted in the two readings the bill ‘On Making Addenda and Amendments to Some Laws of the Republic of Belarus’. This bill, among other things, makes  foreign financial support and financial aid to NGOs (including unions) completely illegal. Such aid is treated as a criminal offence. The NGOs are also forbidden to have money on the accounts of foreign banks. The bill also complicates arranging of mass protests and actions.

Another bill introduced to the parliament, ‘On Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law of the Republic of Belarus ‘On mass events in Belarus,’ further criminalizes mass protests and actions.

The upper house of the Belarus parliament will consider both bills on October 21.

A third bill introduced to the parliament substantially widens the authority of the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus. Thus, it allows the officers of the Committee to enter any premises, using physical force if needed, without a court order. When and what version of the bill will be adopted is unknown.

According to some sources, the bills were discussed in the Parliament in secret. Belarus media reports that even the press office of the Parliament doesn’t have access to the notes of the hearing on October 3. It is unknown if there were MPs who abstained or voted against the bills on that day.

Belarus human rights activists strongly condemned the new bills. EU representatives also criticized the new legislation.
 
‘The bills are not aimed at preventing crime and terrorism. They are aimed at intimidating the citizens whose point of view on what is happening in Belarus differs from that of the authority,’ said Gennady Fedynich, president of the Trade Union of Workers of Radio & Electronics Industry, Automobile Machinery, Metalworking Industry and Other Branches of the National Economy (REPAM), an IMF affiliate.

‘Furthermore, these bills will not improve the economic condition of the working people, students and retired workers. I’m convinced that they will not encourage the consolidation of society on the issue of overcoming social and economic impasse in which Belarus is trapped. The effects of the bills will be quite the opposite,’ added Fedynich.

‘I believe there’s no need to tighten the laws on NGOs. The existing laws and the actual legal practices don’t permit the citizens to freely exercise their right to create such organizations and engage in civic, not political, activity,’ said Vasily Levchenkov, president of the Free Metalworkers’ Union (SPM), also an IMF affiliate in Belarus.

USA: The agreement with Ford adds 5,750 new UAW jobs which means that with jobs previously announced Ford will create more than 12,000 new jobs. Many of the jobs will be added by the end of 2012. The agreement also specifies investments of $16 billion to produce more new and upgraded vehicles and components by 2015.

UAW further made important gains in income and benefits in the tentative agreement. Entry-level wages were increased to US$19.28 an hour over the term of the agreement. Workers will get a $5-6,000 settlement bonus depending on seniority, US$7,000 in inflation protection and other lump-sum payments over the term of the agreement. Current health care benefits were maintained and improved.

During the two weeks preceding October 19 Ford workers voted largely in favour of the tentative contract, with 85 per cent of the 41,000 UAW members voting, making the contract the second agreement ratified with the US automakers, after the agreement with General Motors.

Also the tentative agreement with Chrysler, covering 26,000 UAW members, secures current jobs and adds an additional 2,100 jobs during its duration. It also includes a significant commitment from Chrysler to invest in plants, and in engineering and design to bring new and upgraded car models. US$4.5 billion will be invested directly into retooling and upgrading.

At Chrysler too, new hire wages are increased to US$19.28 an hour over the term of the agreement. New hires now earn about $14.65. First-tier workers, as at GM and Ford, receive no raise. A ratification bonus of US$3,500 will be paid, one half in 2011 and one half in 2012. In addition to that, there will be US$1,000 in annual Quality and Performance bonuses and up to US$1,000 in an annual "Upside Bonus" on achieving World Class Manufacturing (WCM) metrics.

GLOBAL: Despite warnings from unions about the volatile conditions facing the steel industry many Governments have failed to act and introduce measures that improve sustainability. While steel demand is still waiting to fully recover in many developed countries unions are facing difficult decisions on how to address employer concerns on fixed costs. The main fixed costs are Raw Materials, Energy, Labour and Distribution. During the recent downturn the main focus of employers has been on labour but despite tough choices taken by workers it appears as if this is not enough.

Rob Johnston Executive Director stated "Unless Governments act by developing industrial policies which support the continuation of steel production more announcements of job losses are likely to follow". "A tripartite approach is critical workers alone cannot save this industry nor should they have to, measures have to be taken to address raw material prices, energy costs and fair trade".

Currently three big raw material companies BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Vale control seventy per cent of the iron ore market and use their dominant position to dictate prices for raw materials. Prices for raw materials have increased by over 100 per cent in the last year.
Also at the same time as record profits for mining companies many treat their workforce badly in attempts to maximize profits and oppress workers rights. The IMF wants Governments to take back some of the power from mining companies on pricing to ensure a more sustainable approach.

As part of this process Government intervention must also be matched by a greater long term commitment from employers. Social justice and long-term employment policies must be an integral part of business strategies. The steel industry must position itself for a brighter future through supporting programs that invest in education, training and vocational skills. Retaining a highly skilled and secure workforce is the foundation for a successful industry, short-termism is not the answer. Industrial change is happening in the industry already workers have to be prepared but also protected as worker participation is key.

Sadly until these measures are taken workers will continue to pay the price for the current crisis. Irresponsible decisions will continue to be made that undermine the future of manufacturing industries and see the closure of plants that have the potential to be profitable if given an equal opportunity by policy makers.

VIETNAM: After the IMF two day Workshop on Organising and Union Building in Halong Bay, October 11-12, twenty-seven participants from the IMF-affiliated Vietnam National Union of Workers in Industry and Trade (VUIT) sought IMF’s intervention to train their members on collective bargaining. Arguments put forth to improve the socio-economic conditions of workers who face a race to the bottom due to economic and employer controlled problems speak for themselves about the dire need to educate and equip Vietnamese unionists on collective bargaining, one of the fundamental workers rights.

The workshop also deliberated on the unions’ needs;

1. Membership development and recruitment
2. Training of organizers to establish more plant unions
3. Training of union officers on mainstream trade union work
4. Training on labour laws, ILO Conventions and advocacy work
5. Better collective bargaining and negotiation skills
6. Mobilizing of grass root unions to strengthen the labour movement
7. An action plan to strengthen the union
8. Better communication, information dissemination and networking
9. Stronger ties with IMF and its affiliates

Ngo Huy Toan, Vice President of VUIT stressed the need to strengthen the union in the face of the challenges of globalization and its impact on Vietnamese workers.

IMF Regional Representative P. Arunasalam referred to news reports indicating that low wages and cost-of-living hikes were major causes for the doubling of the number of labour disputes in Vietnam.