ZIMBABWE: In his welcoming remarks, Acting President, Josiah Thwala, explained that the National Council had resolved to hold a special congress as NEWU leadership could not carry their mandate as required from 2006 to 2009 due to factors beyond their control including the hyper inflationary economy which led to the near collapse of the union.

Calling for a unity of purpose, Comrade Thwala said "there is power in working together and it is by working together that we can achieve the union’s goals. It is my wish that we conclude this journey in a calm and sincere manner. I hope and trust we will not allow the 2006 situation to return. I have much trust of this leadership which leads a humble union.

Second Deputy President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) Comrade George Nkiwane, said that the ZCTU takes pride in NEWU because it is one of the few affiliates that are up to date in terms of contributions to the national centre. He also called for worker unity in his speech, saying; "the ZCTU is aware of the challenges that trade union leaders face, such as Exemptions Applications, salaries below the Poverty datum line (PDL), political and economic instability. These challenges present an opportunity to be innovative and enterprising. It is therefore imperative that we should not allow ourselves to be disunited by sugary speeches and phrases about our sovereignty or national autonomy by self serving politicians".  

In his solidarity message to the union, the IMF regional representative, Comrade Steve Nhlapo commended NEWU as "the second biggest union after NUMSA in the Southern Region, a strong union that does not depend on donor funding". He encouraged the merger that is underway between NEWU and the Zimbabwe Metal Energy and Allied Workers Union (ZMEAWU). Comrade Nhlapo also spoke of the merger for greater worker unity between IMF,  International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) and the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) to form one strong international union.

 Article by Miriam Chipunza, NEWU 

SOUTH AFRICA: Workers in the metal sector went on strike demanding a wage increase of 13 per cent, turning down employers’ offer of 7 per cent.  After days of negotiations and worker actions in the streets, NUMSA pushed employers and finally settled on a 10 per cent increase for the lowest grade and 8 per cent for the artisan grade in the first year of the agreement. For the second and third year of the three year agreement, the wage increase will be 8 per cent for the lowest grade and 7 per cent for the artisan grade for each year, if inflation remains below 8 per cent. Should inflation rise above 8 per cent for either year two or year three or both years, then the increase will be the inflation rate plus 2 per cent.

Whilst NUMSA has not been successful in its demand to reduce the wage agreement from three to two years, NUMSA is satisfied with the wage agreement as workers had mandated the union to not accept an increase less than double digits for the lowest wage.

"Wage negotiations should not be viewed in isolation, but treated as one of the tools to be used to address the triple crisis that our country faces," says NUMSA General Secretary Irvin Jim. "South Africa is the most unequal country in the world in terms of income, and the most concrete way to address this inequality is to close the wage gap. Wage negotiations are the most powerful tool we have in acting decisively on this question."

The negotiations also resulted in substantial gains in other areas, especially with regard to the NUMSA’s efforts to combat precarious work. A special National Executive Committee (NEC) held during the strike resolved, amongst other points, that "labour brokers must not be used in the metal and engineering industry because our experience of regulating them in the metal and engineering industry has not resolved the exploitation suffered by workers in the industry."

At the start of negotiations, employers had only been willing to consider regulation of labour brokers but NUMSA has been successful in getting agreement from employers to end the practice of using labour brokers. Workers currently employed through labour brokers will move to limited duration contracts (LDC) of four months, after which a worker will become permanent. Workers under these contracts will enjoy the same benefits as permanent workers. After four months, employers will not be allowed to dismiss one LDC worker in order to replace him or her with another LDC worker.

There have also been positive advances in trade union rights. Employers will allow for four general worker meetings a year at plant level which will be held during working hours. A minimum of five days a year was also agreed to for shop stewards training, and this can be improved through plant level negotiations.

The parties also agreed to take forward discussions on the future development of the manufacturing industry in South Africa and job creation. These discussions will build on a framework that is already in place and be taken forward through the industry policy forum. 

CHINA: Since its foundation in 2000 China Labor Watch, an independent not-for-profit organization, has collaborated with unions, labour organizations and the media to assess factories in China that produce toys, bikes, shoes, furniture, clothing, and electronics for some of the largest multinational companies.
 
From October 2010 to June 2011 CLW investigators posed as factory workers and interviewed a total of 408 electronics workers in the Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces in China about factory conditions. They came to the conclusion that working conditions and labor practices not only violated numerous Chinese labor laws, but also the social responsibility codes of conduct of the multinational electronic brand companies.
 
The majority of the violations concerned overtime hours, wages, labour intensity, labor contracts, and recruitment discrimination.

• Workers were required to work excessive overtime, up to 160 hours per month.
• In nine of ten investigated factories the minimum monthly wage did not cover basic living costs.
• The high working pace exposed workers to long-term occupational illness or injury.
• Many factories signed coercive labor contracts with workers who often were not properly informed about them.
• All ten factories investigated had discriminatory recruiting practices based on age, gender, and medical condition.

CLW concludes that the inhuman working conditions in these factories not only reflect severe problems in China’s electronic manufacturing industry. They also reveal serious systematic problems in the international electronics industry as a whole.  Multinational electronic brand companies promote the ideals of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), but their actions directly contradict them.
 
The findings confirm earlier reports about Apple and Foxconn, reported here.
 
The CLW report points to a number of areas where reform is needed. The full report, Tragedies of Globalization: The Truth Behind Electronics Sweatshops, can be found at www.chinalaborwatch.org.

 

CHILE: The Copper Workers Federation (FTC), which represents miners’ unions at Codelco, held a 24-hour strike on Monday 11 July. The strike affected all divisions of the state-owned company.
In a press release, the FTC, which is affiliated to the IMF, set out the three reasons why it called the strike:       

• To reject the privatisation policies pursued by the company, which involve transferring ownership of the Gabriela Mistral mine and outsourcing development and restructuring projects;         
• To energetically repudiate the arrogant and overbearing attitude of the company, which has disregarded collective agreements and is posing major threats to job security;
• To protest at government under-investment, which involves overloading Codelco with debt and generating conditions favourable to the company’s future privatisation.

The FTC also warned that any repression or dismissal of workers in response to this legitimate mobilization would be met by an indefinite strike.

One of the main reasons for the federation’s action is the privatisation of mineral rights at the Gabriela Mistral mine, which is to become a limited company. "They have already changed the legal status of our mine, but they don’t say so, we are actually now another company but they have said nothing. Neither are they admitting that losses from a 24-hour strike are nothing compared to the losses that will be caused if this state-owned company is sold and privatised", said Emilio Paez, president of the Gaby Miners’ Union.

The IMF’s Regional Office is closely following the struggle of the Chilean miners and has expressed its solidarity with whatever the FTC decides to do in pursuance of its demands.

SOUTH KOREA: Some 10,000 workers and citizens from every part of Korea participated on the night of July 9-10 in the "Hope Bus" march to the Hanjin shipyard in Korea to protest against dismissals in breach of contract and precarious work at the shipyard, and to make a solidarity visit to hunger-striking protester Kim Jinsuk. After a culture festival at Busan the participants started a candlelight march to the shipyard. One kilometer from the yard riot police blocked the road and opened fire on marchers with water cannons and liquid tear gas.

Kim Jinsuk – see previous article – has been denied access to medical treatment since July 5, when her doctor was physically prevented from seeing her. The company has also stopped her from getting necessities and a recharged mobile phone.  

The president of the Korean national trade union centre KCTU is planning on entering a hunger strike on July 13 to call on the Hanjin Corporation to bargain in good faith.

The Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) will hold a press conference on Thursday to announce protest letters to the Korean president Lee Myung-bak to the press.

The IMF sent a letter to the Korean president on July 4, calling for the Korean government to stop all violence against the workers at Hanjin Heavy Industries shipyard and Yuseong Piston Ring factories, push the companies to start collective bargaining and lift the lock-out, stop the persecution of union officials, members and sympathizers, and respect the ILO conventions on freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

The IMF, KMWU and Labourstart have launched a campaign calling on the Korean government to end the violence immediately. Join the effort and send your protest NOW! (Click here)

Protest letters were sent also by AMWU and AWU, Australia, CNM/CUT, Brazil, CGT métallurgie, France, IMF-JC, Japan, FIM-CISL, Italy, NTUI, India, Fellesforbundet, Norway, the Pakistan Labour Federation, the Philippine Labour Federation and Metal Workers Alliance, USW Métallos and CAW, Canada, USW, US and Canada, and IG Metall, Germany – among others.

In a parallel development, the US national union centre AFL-CIO, referring to the events at Hanjin and Yuseong, asked US representatives to refuse consideration of a proposed free trade agreement with South Korea until the fundamental rights of South Korean workers to organize and bargain collectively are respected.

FRANCE: Maritime industries such as shipbuilding, shipping and ship recycling/breaking use materials and manufacturing practices that impact on the environment, cause climate change and have an effect on sustainable development. On July 7-8, the OECD working party on shipbuilding (OECD WP6) organized a workshop on Green Growth in Shipbuilding, in Paris, to share best practices and extend the policy dialogue to non-OECD economies and related maritime industries.

Life-cycle thinking was one of the most important concepts shared in the workshop. For example, the shipping operation phase in an oil tanker’s life-cycle accounts for more than 98 per cent of CO2 emissions. Construction and recycling (shipbreaking) only produce 1.5 per cent of emissions. In order to reduce emissions, it is therefore sensible to focus on the operation phase. The shipbuilding industry and machinery and equipment manufacturers can, however, contribute in all phases to reduce CO2 emissions and their environmental impact by using "green" and recycle-friendly technologies in the shipbuilding process.

On the labour side Kan Matsuzaki, IMF director for shipbuilding-shipbreaking, participated on behalf of TUAC. Matsuzaki raised issues of environmental protection, sustainable job creation, and the situation of shipbreaking workers who have been left behind in the transition to life cycle and "green" thinking. He also underlined the need for a cooperative linkage between shipbuilding and shipbreaking, in order to promote Green Growth in all maritime sectors and for all workers.  

The participants of the workshop realized that co-operation across sectors is crucial. The question is now how to facilitate this. The secretariat of OECD WP6 will prepare a report using the outcome of this workshop.

Documents and presentations of the workshop are available at the OECD WP6 website.

GLOBAL: Last December in Cancun, the international trade union movement led by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) with a considerable effort managed to insert the concept of Just Transition in the final text of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP16). After COP16, a sustainable financial scheme for realizing Just Transition has become a central discussion theme.

On June 6-17, Climate Change Talks took place in Bonn, Germany, in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The parties could not agree on a new, legally-binding framework covering all countries by the coming COP17 in Durban. There seems, however, to be a possibility to agree on a second commitment period (from 2013) of the Kyoto Protocol as a transitional phase. In any case, Just Transition-creating sustainable jobs with a strong financing scheme will be an indispensable element to enable all countries (especially developing countries) to commit to reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.   

At COP16, countries agreed to establish a Green Climate Fund to support the implementation of Just Transition. Its funding is, however, still under debate. The fund depends on voluntary commitments from governments which today face grave financial difficulties. To overcome the problem, the ITUC, together with a wide range of economists and NGOs, has been calling for a tax on financial transactions to support a Just Transition, including job creation and global programs for the least developed countries.  

COP17 is preceded by a series of key meetings:

• First week of October: UNFCCC session in Panama
• October 24-25: 2nd ITUC/GURN/ACTRAV research workshop, focusing on working conditions in green sectors, collective bargaining on environment and green taxation in Brussels Belgium
• November 28 – December 9: COP17 in Durban, South Africa (ITUC will organize the World of Work pavilion.)

More information on recent and ongoing negotiations:
ITUC http://www.ituc-csi.org/climate-change.html and http://www.ituc-csi.org/climate-change-and-green-economy.html.
UNFCCC: http://unfccc.int/2860.php.

IMF will support the international trade union movement led by ITUC and continue to promote a just transition with concrete policies for green technology innovation and a sustainable fund securing the future for workers.

 

Also present at the conference were IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina, COSATU President Sdumo Dlamini, International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) President Senzeni Zokwana, who is also President of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in South Africa, ICEM coordinator Fabian Nkomo, the International Textile Garment and Leather Workers Federation (ITGLWF) Regional Secretary Thabo Tshabalala as well as trade unionists from South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU).

At a women’s workshop preceeding the conference, delegates took stock of what had been done so far in the region to promote ‘equal pay, equal opportunities’. Much of the discussion focussed on an internal reflection of women’s participation and representation in the trade unions, with many delegates giving voice to the need for unions to create space for women. Also discussed was the gender representation in the structures working towards the new global union federation as well as in the new global union federation once it is formed.

In the regional conference IMF General Secretary, Jyrki Raina presented to delegates the rationale for the creation of the new global federation, which is to increase the strength of worker voices internationally to tackle challenges brought about by globalisation. He explained to delegates the work that is being done to set up the new global union federation and what structure it is expected to have. Delegates discussed representation in these structures as well as the practicalities of the regional presence. Also discussed was the need to determine regional priorities that would feed into the priorities of the new international. 

Steve Nhlapo, IMF Africa Regional Representative, reported on the activities of the IMF in the region. Much attention has been focussed on building unity through greater collaboration of unions in countries and work towards mergers. Another core area has been union building activities, looking to strengthen affiliates in the region. Delegates then looked at aspects of the current action programme including MNCs, sustainable trade and development and trade union rights. Reports were given by delegates from Swaziland and Zimbabwe to inform continued work on these two political campaigns. The needs for moving forward on a climate change position and building capacity in this area were identified. Participants were also made aware of the efforts to improve communications in the region and internationally and the role that they play in this.

Participants agreed that it was vital to develop priorities for the region and that these must be taken into the new global union federation. A framework was put together identifying these priorities, outlining the structure and content of a paper. The paper is to be developed by the IMF Africa region in consultation with regional representatives of ICEM and ITGLWF and circulated to affiliates for their comment. This paper will serve to mandate regional representatives in IMF structures and inform participants of regional priorities at the IMF Central Committee meeting in December 2011.

 

MEXICO: Just a day after the death of another miner, Marcos Castorena Reza, on June 29 in the Grupo Peñoles mine of Fresnillo, Zacatecas, another fatal accident occurred due to the company’s negligence, now in its mine of La Cienega, Durango. The latest victim is Roberto Arellano, from Fresnillo, who worked for the construction company Valente Flores, a subcontractor to Grupo Peñoles.
 
Arellano was killed when a steel tube weighing 400 kilograms fell on him from a height of 3.5 meters. Arellano was killed instantly. A regional leader of the National Union of Mineworkers informed on the death, saying Peñoles hid the facts from local media for six days. The mine extracts gold and silver, and 450 workers are employed at the mine and grinding plant.
 
The fatal accident once again highlights Grupo Peñoles disregard for its employees and workers’ life and safety, a behaviour made possible by the permanent complicity of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, led by Javier Lozano Alarcón.
 
The National Union of Mineworkers SNTMMSRM reiterates its demand for legislation to penalize employers who demonstrate criminal negligence and disregard the health and safety of their workers. During the year 2011 alone, 6 workers have been killed working at Grupo Peñoles’ Fresnillo mine. The latest death brings the total for fatal accidents at all Grupo Peñoles installations to over 20 in the past year.
 
SNTMMSRM president Gomez Urrutia and the union’s National Executive Committee expressed their condolences to Roberto Arellano’s friends and relatives, and reiterated that they will stand in solidarity with all miners and metalworkers in Mexico, both in their pain and in their struggle for better living standards and welfare.
 

SOUTH AFRICA: Wage negotiations between the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (Numsa) and the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa (SEIFSA) broke down when employers refused to increase their offer of a wage increase of 7 per cent and to consider a ban on labour brokers in companies with Numsa members employed.

The South African trade union centre Cosatu – Congress of South African Trade Unions – supports Numsa’s key demand of a ban on labour brokers. The national centre estimates that over a third of South Africa’s labour force is employed on contract, with a great number getting their jobs through employment agencies and labour brokerages.

The Numsa strike started on Monday, July 4 after the Labour Court dismissed an application for an interdict to stop the strike, brought by the Plastic Converters’ Association.

SEIFSA has responded to the strike action by giving notice to initiate lockouts at various firms. Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said seven per cent does not constitute a real wage increase for workers. Numsa is calling for an across-the-board 13 per cent wage increase for all workers from July 1 for two years, and better general working conditions.

IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina addressed the striking workers on Monday, saying their demands were reasonable and necessary. "South African metalworkers made sacrifices during the global crisis. Now it is payback time. The IMF fully supports Numsa’s demands for a living wage and decent work instead of precarious jobs."

NUMSA also demands a two-year wage agreement, as opposed to three years, offered by employers, a one-day medical test for all workers, five days family leave, and a 20 per cent night shift allowance.

Cosatu Secretary General Zwelinzima Vavi said, "If you believe that this strike is going to last only three or four days, you are making a big, big mistake. 13 per cent is within the employer’s affordability."

The employers want continued rights to outsource work via labour brokers, new, extremely low entry level salaries, a working week of 45 instead of 40 hours, and rules exemptions for companies with fewer than 50 employees.