SPAIN/GLOBAL: On June 17,  2011, around 4 am, Raúl Gutiérrez Gonzalez was killed because of his work in the Gerdau plant in Reinosa, Spain. Workers at the plant called a 24-hour strike to remember their colleague. They also demanded an investigation into reasons of the death and better safety.

Raúl Gutiérrez Gonzalez was 40 years old and father of a seven year old son. Less than a year ago another Gerdau worker, Aitor, was killed in the Gerdau plant in Basauri, Spain. 

The Gerdau Workers’ World Council calls on all workers at Gerdau plants around the world to hold a minute of silence on June 20 in memory of brother Gutierrez Gonzalez and all workers killed on the job.

The World Council also calls on the company to accept the creation of a Joint International Committee on Health and Safety to ensure that such situations do not occur again.

The IMF regularly reports on Gerdau and the Gerdau Workers’ World Council here.

INDIA: On June 3 workers in Maruti-Suzuki Manesar IMT plant applied for registration of a new union, the Maruti Suzuki Employees’ Union (MSEU), at Chandigarh. Knowing workers’ initiative for a new union, the management forced and threatened workers to sign on a blank sheet allegedly to state that they will not join the new union. Protesting against management’s action, 3,000 workers started a sit-in strike from June 4, 2011 in the Manesar Plant, demanding recognition of newly formed Maruti Suzuki Employees Union (MSEU). To put pressure on workers, on June 6 the management dismissed 11 workers including MSEU office bearers for allegedly inciting workers to go on strike.

It is significant to mention that Maruti — Suzuki has an in-house union, Maruti Udyog Kamgar Union (MUKU) at its Gurgaon Plant for which elections have not been conducted for a long time. Workers at the Manesar – Industrial Model Township (IMT) plant feel that the MUKU is dominated by the management and is not taking up workers’ issues such as wages, intensification of work and regularisation of trainees and contract workers. However, the management has been maintaining that it will not allow the Manesar plant to have an independent union or a union affiliated with a political party, and they can become part of the existing MUKU union.

All India Trade union Congress (AITUC) is coordinating with other unions, including Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC) and formed a joint action committee. On June 10 more than 2,000 workers from various factories in Gurgaon participated in a solidarity demonstration in front of the Maruti — Suzuki factory. On the same day the Haryana government passed a prohibitory order to ban the strike and referred the matter to the local labour court. Unfazed by anti-labour measures of the government, unions in Gurgaon planned to conduct gate meetings and a two-hour tool down strike in their factories to express solidarity with Maruti Suzuki workers. Subsequently, Haryana Chief Minster requested unions postpone the strike time and sought more time for negotiations. Accordingly, for the time being, unions in Gurgaon have postponed the tool down action.  

However, the management has not changed its stand and in fact retracted from its earlier position that it will accept an Independent union. As the sit-in strike continue into its 13th day, workers’ hardship is mounting. For the past 13 days workers did not change their clothes. Food is supplied from outside through the arrangements made by workers. According to the workers even essential items like tooth paste, brush and soaps are also not allowed to be given to workers. Currently Maruti – Suzuki at its Manesar IMT Plant employs around 3,500 workers among which 900 are regular workers, 1,500 are trainees and 1,100 are contract workers and apprentices. The workers’ salary package, with a low basic salary and substantial amount of incentives /allowances, is designed by the management to control workers.

Union activists say, for workers in Gurgaon, protection of democratic rights of workers in Maruti — Suzuki, will go a long way for upholding trade union rights not only in Gurgaon but all over India. Defeat for union will be a great setback for trade union movement.

Commenting on the situation in India, Koichiro Nishihara, president of IMF-JC, said, "MARUTI SUZUKI should comply with ILO Convention 87 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize. IMF-JC and the JAW-Confederation of Japan Automobile Workers’ Unions, together with Federation of SUZUKI Automobile Worker’s Unions will demand SUZUKI management in Japan solve this case with earnest action."

Update posted June 17, 2011

The 13 day long sit-in strike by Maruti Suzuki workers at the Manesar plant was successfully concluded in the early hours of June 17. An agreement was reached under section 12(3) of Industrial Dispute Act in the presence of Hon’ble Labour Minister of Haryana, Secretary, Department of Labour and senior officials of Labour department. The office bearers of the proposed new union represented the workers side. Broadly the terms of agreements are as follows:

• The 11 dismissed workers are reinstated pending domestic inquiry,
• No work no pay for the period of strike,
• The application filed by the workers for registration of a new union on June 3, 2011 will be duly processed by the labour department of Haryana, and
• Both the parties agreed to cooperate with each other.

BRAZIL:  The strike of the Volkswagen workers in São José dos Pinhais, who are members of the IMF affiliate CNTM/FS, has come to an end after almost 40 days.  An agreement was reached on the evening of Friday, June 10, and this Monday the workers returned to their jobs. 

The workers accepted a package guaranteeing that in the next 12 months they will receive R$21,680.00 and a pay increase of 15 per cent to 20 per cent.  The agreement includes Profit and Result Sharing (PLR) for this year and next year, an increase in base pay, pay bonuses, a new pay scale and early payment of the 13^th salary for 2012.  Hence, the workers ended their strike, which caused more than $1.1 million in losses to the company. 

The proposal was negotiated between the Union of Metalworkers of Grande Curitiba and VW after several rounds of talks and was accepted by the workers assembled at the factory gate. 

The metalworkers’ strike began on May 5, after the company announced that it would only offer to share profits with the workers of Paraná at the rate of 80 per cent of what was paid in São Paulo. 

The amount of the profit sharing bonus for 2011 is R$11,500.00 for 100 per cent of the targets compared to pay in São Paulo.  Payment will be made in January 2012.  The first part will amount to R$5,200 and will be paid by the end of June of this year.

GENEVA: Hundreds of delegates attend the International Labour Organizations’ 100th International Labour Conference this year to debate the application of ILO Conventions, ILO fundamental principles and workers’ rights.

The Committee on the Application of Standards is one of many committees that met during the conference with the explicit mandate to examine specific cases identified by workers and employers where governments are failing to uphold ILO Conventions that they have ratified.

A total of 25 cases were debated over the course of the last two weeks. The International Metalworkers’ Federation has been following many of the cases during the ILC, particularly those involving affiliated unions. The following country reports provide a short summary on what ocurred in a few of the cases.

Belarus
Despite an intervention by the Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Belarus claiming that "anti-union pressure against independent trade unions is simply empty words," the Committee on the Application of Standards called on the Belarusian government to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into allegations of anti-union discrimination and to implement the Commission of Inquiry recommendations, conducted in 2004.

Mexico
The rights of workers to cease work in the event of imminent danger was at the centre of debate regarding Mexico’s commitment to uphold Convention 155, concerning mine health and safety. Mexican workers’ delegate Manuel Fuentes explained that while the government has initiated some measures to improve mine health and safety, the lack of properly-trained labour inspectors, unregulated mining concessions and outsourcing has led to a worsening of the situation, particularly in regards to clandestine mines, or pocitos, where it is estimated some 80 per cent of miner fatalities occur. The employers’ group argued hard against the cease work right claiming a good faith approach had to play an important role.

The tripartite Committee asked the Mexican government to provide further information regarding actions taken to uphold Convention 155 and report back immediately to the Committee of Experts. This is the second year in a row Mexico has come before the committee regarding Convention 155.

Swaziland
The mysterious death of a Swaziland demonstrator in police custody and ongoing police brutality was the subject of a heated discussion on Swaziland’s failure to uphold ILO Convention 87, freedom of association and the right to organize. Workers’ delegates urged the Government to address the human rights crisis, noting workers could not meet, march or use the media freely. "Today we are called to a meeting, tomorrow we are arrested," explained one Swazi worker delegate, adding the social dialogue taking place "is nothing more than a PR exercise organized by the government" to give the impression human and trade union rights violations are being addressed.

Turkey
Turkey’s non-compliance with Convention 87 came before the committee again, the fifth time in the last seven years. Debate lasted well into the night when workers’ delegates argued against the government’s assertion that legislative improvements have been made, explaining that there is a large discrepancy between workers’ rights in law and practice. "The problem in Turkey is not just that the national legislation does not fully conform to international standards, but also the fact that the laws that are in place are often not effectively enforced. Wide-spread anti-union discrimination and failures in the Turkish justice system remain serious problems," argued worker delegate Liisa Folkersma who presented the Sinter Metal case as a classic example of the common challenges workers face when trying to join a union.

"This example is not isolated, but shows that retaliatory dismissal is the single most common way to undermine workers’ rights in Turkey. Anti-union discrimination, especially unfair dismissal, in the absence of speedy remedy is one of the most serious violations of freedom of association as it jeopardizes the very existence of unions," Folkersma added.

Zimbabwe
Frequent offender Zimbabwe appeared before the committee again, regarding ILO Convention 87. Workers from Africa, Europe and China discussed the government’s failure to respect principles of Freedom of Association. In closing remarks, the workers’ group reiterated the need to immediately implement the "unambiguous" recommendations of last year’s ILO Commission of Inquiry. Recommendations include:

• the cessation of attacks on trade unionists,
• the establishment of a Human Rights Commission,
• training in human rights for security forces,
• the strengthening of rule of law, and
• legislation to be brought into line with ILO Conventions.

The Committee called on the Zimbabwe government to withdraw without delay all outstanding cases against trade unionists’ and that all anti-union practices – arrests, detentions, violence, torture, intimidation and harassment and anti-union discrimination – cease immediately. The government is expected to report back to the Committee of Experts on its progress.

GENEVA/INDONESIA: Indonesian unions yesterday criticized their government for not ensuring comprehensive social security for all Indonesian people as mandated in the Global Jobs Pact that was adopted by the International Labour Organization in 2009 and supported by the Indonesian government.

The unions’ criticism was in response to an address given by the President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to a special session of the 100th International Labour Conference (ILC) on June 14, 2011 on the effects of the global economic crisis.

In a statement submitted to the ILC by Indonesian trade unions and supported by the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF), the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) and the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF), the unions demanded that the Indonesian government comply with the Global Jobs Pact by providing comprehensive social security for all Indonesian people.

The statement points 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."

"In the context of social welfare, Indonesia is the most backward country in Southeast Asia in terms of delivering comprehensive social security for their people, in contradiction to the second portfolio of the Global Jobs Pact itself to "build a social protection system"," continues the statement.

The unions argue that the existing Constitution of Indonesia and supporting legislation provides the basis for providing five social insurance programs covering health and accident insurance, pensions, retirement security and life insurance, but require the government to re-orientate the responsible state agencies to function on a not for profit basis.

The statement, signed by nine Indonesian trade union organizations including IMF affiliated Indonesia Federation of Metal Workers’ Unions (FSPMI), are members of the Action Committee for Social Security ( KAJS ) which is actively campaigning in Indonesia for improved social security, particularly health insurance for life and a mandatory pension fund for all.

Adequate provision for social security particularly for the ever expanding number of workers in precarious forms of employment is one of the issues that will be discussed at the IMF Central Committee taking place in Jakarta, Indonesia in December 2011.

SWITZERLAND: Thousands of workers around Switzerland participated in a day of action and a national strike on June 14 demanding equal rights for women workers. IMF affiliate UNIA played a leading role among the more than 45 organizations that held the event, also including IMF affiliate Syna.

The actions featured breakfasts, numerous workplace events and protests at public sites in major cities, culminating in collective whistle blowing and the release of thousands of purple balloons around the country at 14:06. In Geneva over 2,000 people gathered for a picnic of equality at midday, including representatives of the International Metalworkers’ Federation. Later in the day, Geneva’s water jet fountain, the jet d’eau, was coloured purpled as part of the action.

In Switzerland, women earn on average 19.8% less than men in performing the same job. Not only are women paid less than men in Switzerland, but they take on twice the amount of un-paid work, and face a much higher challenge than men to coordinate family and professional life.

The claims of the workers and UNIA are clear – equal wages must be secured. To achieve this, the union is demanding that companies systematically control wages and adapt the wages of women to ensure pay parity. In addition, UNIA is demanding a legal minimum wage be introduced in Switzerland. The precariousness of the work conditions of many women, in the retail sector in particular, but also in industry, is also a particular concern for the union.

"In this era, it is unacceptable for women to earn less than 20 per cent than men," said Corinne Schärer, UNIA secretary for equality, adding, "I find it shocking that women must often accept more precarious work conditions than men."

June 14 marks 30 years since equality of the sexes was enshrined in Swiss law, and 20 years since the first women’s strike in the country.

For more details on the Swiss day of action for equality go to:
http://www.unia.ch/news_aktion_fr.9.0.html?&no_cache=1&L=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=6693&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1&cHash=8a81a9d647

GERMANY: On June 9 and 10, over 500 delegates attended the European Metalworkers’ Federation Congress in Duisburg, at Landshaftspark.  On the occasion of the Congress the EMF celebrated its 40the anniversary. The main topics on the agenda were the election of new leadership, the move towards the creation of a new European Industrial Trade Union Federation, and setting out the political agenda for the next four years – based on their Congress slogan, "Investment – Fairness – Solidarity Now!"

Ulrich Eckelman, Director of IG Metall’s Department of Economic, Technological and Environmental Policy since 1988 in Germany, was elected EMF General Secretary. Congress also re-elected both Renzo Ambrosetti, President of UNIA (Switzerland), as EMF President and Bart Samyn of ABVV Metaal (Belgium) as EMF Deputy General Secretary. President Renzo Ambrosetti on behalf of the EMF Executive Committee thanked Peter Scherer who has served as EMF General Secretary since 2005. (http://www.emf-fem.org/Press/Press-releases/EMF-Elects-New-Leadership)

The EMF Congress voted  in favour of the creation of a new European Industrial Trade Union Federation which will bring together the EMF, the European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers’ Federation (EMCEF), and the European Trade Union Federation – Textiles, Clothing and Leather (ETUF-TCL). The three European trade union federations are already cooperating in various ways and there are hopes of even more effective deployment of resources and greater representativeness. (http://www.emf-fem.org/Press/Press-releases/EMF-votes-in-favour-of-new-European-Industry-Federation)

The EMF’s political resolution dealt with issues of placing social and labour rights at the centre of the new global economic order, social and economic governance and a sustainable industrial policy delivering full employment.

To celebrate the 40 year anniversary of the European Metalworkers’ Federation (1971 – 2011), the EMF has published a book titled Creating a Counterweight and Innovatory Force for European Workers (http://www.emf-fem.org/Press/Publications/Creating-a-counterweight-and-innovatory-force-for-European-workers)  that provides an overview of the history of the organisation.

The Unions in Motion EMF Film Festival took place after the congress from June 10 evening and continued on June 11. The Global Union Film Short was launched at the festival, for more information see Unions in Motion programme (http://www.emf-fem.org/EMF-Congress-2011/Unions-in-Motion)

GLOBAL: To mark IBM’s 100th birthday, IBM union members produced a happy birthday video (www.imfmetal.org/IBMunions) in which they tell the company it should treat its workers better in its next century.

IBM unions from around the world have come together to form the IBM Global Union Alliance through the International Metalworkers’ Federation, European  Metalworkers’ Federation and UNI Global Union to demand that the company respect worker and trade union rights wherever it operates.

On June 14, IBM unions across the world will be uniting in common action to call on the company to recognize the vital role played by IBMers in the company’s success and to respect their rights as workers.

Despite its early history of valuing its workforce, IBM has more recently taken to systematically denying basic rights to its employees. Wherever it can, it fights the right of employees to choose to join a union. It has also denied employees in some countries pay rises that keep pace with increases in the cost of living.

Last year the global unions sent IBM CEO Sam Palmisano a letter alerting him to company management’s violations of the labour code in Bulgaria when it threatened workers who tried to form a union and refused to recognize the union as it is legally obligated to do. The global unions asked him to intervene. To date no reply has been received.

Now the global unions have written to Sam Palmisano again, to remind him that working conditions at IBM vary greatly depending on where you are in the world. We are also asking him to meet with the global unions to discuss how to improve the company’s performance on worker rights. While IBM is in the top league in many international rankings of its business, it ranks near the bottom of the list when it comes to working conditions. This must change as IBM enters its second century of operations.

This June 14, IBM employees and their unions celebrate the contribution made by employees to the company’s success and call upon IBM to reciprocate by fully recognizing the basic rights of its workforce.

GENEVA: In its conclusions about a case on Canadian asbestos launched by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the International Labour Organization (ILO) issued a landmark decision on June 11, 2011, singling out Canada as having a particular obligation to "keep abreast of technical progress and scientific knowledge" because it is one of the world’s main producers of the cancer-causing material.

The ILO Committee on the Application of Standards has told the Canadian government to adopt the "strictest standard limits for the protection of workers’ health as regards exposure to asbestos" and to engage in consultations with its worker and employer organizations on the application of sections of the ILO Asbestos Convention 162 for reviewing national laws and regulations.

The Committee asked Canada to "take into account the evolution of scientific studies, knowledge and technology, as well as the findings of the World Health Organization, the ILO and other recognized organizations concerning the dangers of exposure to asbestos." Both the WHO and the ILO since 2006 clearly recommend a ban on the use of chrysotile asbestos.

The committee heard that Quebec, the Canadian province where asbestos is mined and exported to developing countries, has one of the highest death rates from asbestos in the world. Exposure limits to chrysotile in Quebec are ten times higher than permitted levels in the rest of Canada and one hundred times higher than most European exposure limits. A recent report by the Public Health Institute in Quebec found that of 3,000 samples from air monitoring in the town of Thetford Mines, 43 per cent exceeded the legal limits.

The industry employs around 300 workers in the Quebec Thetford Mines and the nearby town of Asbestos, and now hopes to expand mining and exporting through a government loan guarantee of 58 million dollars.

Canada continues to export the cancer-causing fibres, with the approval and encouragement of the Canadian and Quebec governments, to many countries including India where a few days earlier, on June 8 and 9, the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) and the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) held a two day conference with Indian trade unions to continue work on banning asbestos gobally.

Next week from June 20 to 24, the international campaign for the banning of asbestos faces another challenge at the conference of the Rotterdam Convention, where chrysotile asbestos is high on the agenda for the third time as one of four substances recommended for hazardous listing. Canada has been working for several years to keep chrysotile asbestos off the list of hazardous substances under the Rotterdam Convention, to which Canada is also a signatory.

Today, June 14, the IMF joins with BWI and the Global Unions in supporting a statement on Chrysotile at the Rotterdam Convention meeting. See the statement here:
http://www.bwint.org/pdfs/BWI%20challenges%20Canada%20on%20asbestos.pdf

INDIA: BWI and IMF jointly organized a two day trade union workshop at New Delhi to bring together national trade union centres and GUFs to discuss the OHS implications of asbestos use in India, build sustainable trade union movement involving civil society organizations to influence the Government of India and proactively engage with international organizations namely, ILO and WHO to progressively phase out the use of asbestos leading to its ultimate ban.

The workshop was attended by representatives from central trade unions, namely All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) and Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and affiliates of IMF and BWI. Paul Bastian, President of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU), also participated in workshop.  Officials from Ministry of Labour, International Labour Organisation, medical and environmental professionals, civil society activists and representative from Asbestos Cement Products Manufacturers’ Association (ACPMA) participated in the workshop and informed the participants of the views and position of respective organizations.

Adopting a joint trade union declaration, central trade unions along with IMF and BWI called upon the Government of India to take immediate steps to ban all mining, manufacturing, recycling and use of all forms of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials in India. Unions also called upon the government to establish appropriate diagnostic infrastructure for timely medical treatment and rehabilitation of asbestos victims, ensure proper compensation to the victims of asbestos related diseases, ratify the ILO convention 162 and work towards developing National Plan for the Elimination of Asbestos Related Diseases (NPEAD) with guidance from the ILO and WHO, review its position vis-à-vis the UN’s Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and the listing of Asbestos on the PIC during the forthcoming meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP5), ensure transition of the Asbestos industry workers in alternative industry in a smooth manner and proper implementation of the National Policy on OHS in India.

Paul Bastian, President, Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU), participating in the workshop, shared AMWU’s experience of the ban asbestos campaign and its fight with James Hardies to get compensation for asbestos victims. He congratulated Indian trade union movement for providing leadership to ban asbestos campaign in India in spite of a number of challenges they are facing. He wished them all the best for successful implementation of strategies evolved in the workshop.

Thanking South Asia offices of IMF and BWI for taking this initiative, representatives from central trade unions resolved to take forward the message to their respective unions, rank and file and conduct joint trade union programmes for ban of asbestos.