GENEVA: Meeting in Geneva on May 25 and 26, the Executive Committee of the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) agreed on the core principles of creating a new International with the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) and the International Textile, Garment & Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF).

The IMF Executive Committee adopted an outline of the proposed rules and financial basis of the new global union federation, with the intention of holding a founding congress in Copenhagen from June 18 to 20, 2012. The IMF will continue to work with ICEM and ITGLWF in joint committees to finalize proposed rules and an action plan for the new GUF for consideration at the IMF Central Committee on December 7 and 8, 2011. The principles were also adopted at a joint meeting (http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=26631&l=2 ) of IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF executives on May 25.

Preparations for the Central Committee are well underway, where one of the themes is looking at ensuring social security protection of precariously employed workers. Members of the Executive Committee called for more sustained work on the issue of precarious employment, both on the World Day for Decent Work on October 7 and beyond this day of action. The Executive Committee heard how new legislation in Russia has been adopted in the first reading in the last week by the Russian parliament against the use of agency labour.

The Executive Committee received a report on the trade union rights situation in a number of countries including Mexico, Korea, Turkey, Colombia, Swaziland and the U.S. The Committee resolved to maintain the momentum of pressure for improved trade union rights in Mexico, following the mass mobilization of unions in February 2011 (http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=24820&l=2 ) , and to continue to work with affiliates and other GUFs on improving the rights of workers in countries such as Korea, Turkey and Swaziland.

The building of trade union networks in transnational corporations (TNCs) was also discussed and a set of guidelines on how to establish other global level agreements with TNCs was reviewed. Plans for training and educational materials on how trade union networks in TNCs were reported. The Committee also debated existing International Framework Agreements and reiterated the need to refer to IMF’s model agreement (http://www.imfmetal.org/files/0505102301487/ifamodel_total_english.pdf ) and negotiating principles (http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=14863 ).

The IMF Executive Committee also took a decision to join the Council of Global Unions. (http://www.global-unions.org/about-us.html ) The next meeting of the IMF Executive Committee will take place in Jakarta on December 6, 2011.

GENEVA: A joint meeting of the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF), International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) and International Textile, Garment & Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) Executives on May 25 considered and adopted a series of proposals on the road to creating a new industrial and manufacturing workers’ global union federation.

The decisions of the joint meeting focused on questions of governance, affiliation fees, regional and sectoral structures and voting rights in the new organisation. It was also decided that a working group would be established to prepare an action plan for the new organisation.

If approved by the decision making bodies of the three GUFs later this year, the founding congress of the new International will take place in Copenhagen from June 18 to 20, 2012.

The Presidents of IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF all expressed their commitment to the new federation that will unite industrial and manufacturing workers as a powerful global force capable of defending workers’ rights.

Earlier in the day, the executive of the ITGLWF elected Klaus Priegnitz of IG Metall as its General Secretary, replacing outgoing Patrick Itschert, who earlier in May was elected as deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

Also meeting in the morning of May 25, the IMF Executive Committee opened with a short report from IMF-JC President Koichiro Nishihara on devastation that hit the people of Japan following the earthquake and tsunami of March 11. Nishihara also expressed his thanks for the support and solidarity received from the IMF and its affiliates at this time.

Tahar Berberi General Secretary of the FGME-UGTT in Tunisia reported on the revolution taking place in his country and the role the union is playing to channel the hopes of the people and ensure that the revolution results in genuine improvements to people’s lives.

The IMF Executive Committee also welcomed Juan Linares a union leader of the National Mexican Mine and Metal Workers Union (SNTMMSRM), who was released from prison on February 24, 2011 after two years. The meeting of the IMF Executive Committee continues in Geneva on May 26, 2011.

GLOBAL: The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) adopted updated and improved Guidelines for Multinational Companies on May 25 with significant improvements on their application to suppliers and for the protection of precariously employed workers.

In its statement on the updated Guidelines, the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD welcomes these and other positive developments and considers them to "significantly increase the relevance of the Guidelines and their potential to raise the standard of responsible business conduct in a global context".

The Guidelines are recommendations addressed by governments to multinational enterprises operating in or from adhering countries. They provide principles and standards for responsible business conduct in areas such as employment and industrial relations, human rights and environment. Trade unions are able to bring forward complaints to the OECD in the event that a multinational company fails to uphold responsible practices as described by the Guidelines.

The revised Guidelines seek to improve the role and functioning of the National Contact Points (NCPs) and an enhanced role for the OECD in implementing the Guidelines.

The improvements to the Guidelines are the result of active negotiations by trade unions through the TUAC.

The International Metalworkers’ Federation joins with TUAC in now calling on adhering governments to implement these new commitments and upgrade their National Contact Points and promote the Guidelines.

The TUAC statement on the updated Guidelines can be found here:
http://www.tuac.org/en/public/e-docs/00/00/08/EA/document_news.phtml

SWITZERLAND: On May 25, the International Metalworkers’ Federation launches IMF TV, a new platform for reporting on activities to support the struggle of metalworkers around the world. IMF TV is a new addition to the IMF website that gives you visual updates on current events, providing a platform for affiliates to directly voice their opinion and for the IMF to keep affiliates up to date on ongoing events and campaigns.

IMF TV is available directly on the IMF website and also on YouTube, the direct link is http://www.youtube.com/user/imfmetal. By accessing IMF TV on YouTube it also allows you to leave comments and share videos. 

BRAZIL: Mónica de Oliveira Lorenço Veloso is the new president of the national metalworkers’ confederation affiliated to the Força Sindical (CNTM/FS), becoming the first woman to lead the confederation.

Since 1990, Mónica has held other leadership positions in the trade union movement. She first joined the Metalworkers Union of Osasco, where she became General Secretary of the union. She became National Officer for Youth, Children and Adolescents In Força Sindical and then National Officer for Human Rights. She was elected to the national executive and is currently International Relations Officer for FS.

She was the first woman to become president of the trade union research organisation DIEESE in 2001 and in 2000 she was made vice-president of the World Youth Committee of ICFTU (now ITUC). Mónica is also on the IMF Executive Committee and has played a major role at the regional level where she has worked hard to promote gender equality in the unions.

IMF is very glad to hear the news that Mónica has been elected president of the CNTM and believes this represents major progress for IMF structures and for affiliated trade union organisations. Adequate representation of women in the new international trade union federation is the subject of discussion at the IMF regional women’s conferences and workshops this year. Affiliates remain aware there is a long way to go but emphasize the importance of equal opportunities and call for more women to be elected to positions of leadership.

RUSSIA: The State Duma approved the first reading of the bill "On amendments to some legislative acts of the Russian Federation, known as the "agency labour banning bill ". The bill was introduced last autumn by members of the Russian parliament Andrey Isaev, head of the State Duma Committee on Labour and Social Policy and deputy chairman of the Federation of Independnet Trade Unions of Russia, FNPR, and Mikhail Tarasenko, chairman of the IMF-affiliated Miners’ and Metallurgical Workers’ Union MMWU and IMF Executive Committee member.

The bill makes a number of mutually agreed changes to the Tax and the Labour Code, the Code of Administrative Offences (CAO), the law on employment in the Russian Federation and the law on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in Russia.

"Labour force cannot be transferred to a third party, that is when the private employment agency acts as an employer and sends employees to the company, bearing virtually no responsibility for them," said Mikhail Tarasenko.

The bill received support of both FNPR and the other trade union center Confederation of Labour of Russia, KTR.

More information about the bill – in a note published in the newspaper "Solidarnost».

PERU: On May 18 and 19, the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) participated in the International Seminar on Health and Safety on Miners held in Tacna-Peru. The seminar was promoted by the Labour Ministry with participation of specialists and trade union leaders from Argentina, Chile and Peru. Hundreds of Peruvians mining workers affiliated to Fena-Peru (an IMF affiliate) and to FNTMMSP (an ICEM affiliate) attended the seminar and debated important issues for the mining workers.

The participants discussed the dramatically high levels of insecurity and fatal accidents suffered daily by the mining workers in Peru and the urgent need to jointly campaign and demand Peru’s implementation of ILO Convention 176, which deals specifically with health and safety in the mining sector.

IMF Assistant General Secretary Fernando Lopes pointed out the need to build a strong national union in Peru with the capacity to improve workers’ safety. "This can only be accomplished by working daily inside the mines, but will also need to be addressed in the political arena in order to defend a fair and efficient public system of inspection, research and implementation of a safety measures," he said.

Lopes also highlighted that the current level of precarious jobs in the sector (over 70per cent of the miners have temporary contracts) is unsustainable and unions must urgently join efforts to concentrate on this issue.

The Minister of Labour addressed the Seminar and she took note of the participants’ demands. Both unions committed to continue to put pressure on health and safety as one of their main priorities.

 USA:  The IMF’s Global Conference on Mechanical Engineering brought together in Cincinnati on May 18-19, 2011 union representatives from 15 countries to debate the challenges facing workers and unions, and formulate a strategy for the sector. Also taking part in the event were delegates of the IAM Tool & Die Conference, which was meeting concurrently in Cincinnati. In his keynote address, Tom Buffenbarger, IAMAW President and IMF Vice-President, stressed the necessity to raise awareness about the importance of mechanical engineering and international relationships between unions which represent workers in this industry.

During the two-day meeting, the participants discussed developments and prospects in mechanical engineering, and the growing role of China, including in the field of green technologies. They shared their experiences of dealing with temporary and agency work as well as organizing in a sector with a high proportion of highly-skilled workers. The discussions showed that there was a need for strengthening global union power to defeat the growing attacks on workers’ and trade union rights, and attempts to undermine wages and social standards. Talking about organizing in the US, UAW President Bob King stated that the National Labor Relation Board "no longer gives workers a democratic right to choose to be represented by a union". 

All the participants concurred that greater attention should be devoted to organizing young people and examples were given on how unions are approaching this issue. It also became clear from the discussions on managing change in mechanical engineering that the type of future energy sources would have a major impact on the sector and unions needed to get involved in the process and influence the direction of change for the benefit of workers. 

Recognizing how big and diverse the sector was, the participants agreed that future IMF activities in mechanical engineering should focus on the sub-sectoral level, starting with machinery for construction and mining, and agricultural machinery. There are transnational corporations in these sub-sectors, such as John Deere, CNH and Komatsu, and a potential for network development, building on the experience gained with the IMF Caterpillar network. The IMF will also continue to work closely with the European Metalworkers’ Federation that has carried out valuable work in this area. A work proposal will be developed along these lines and submitted to the IMF Executive Committee. 

Rudolf Nürnberger, President of the IMF ME Department, welcomed the outcome of the Conference. "So far mechanical engineering had not been as visible as other sectors in the IMF," he said. "This Conference has given us a good foundation for putting mechanical engineering at the forefront of the IMF industrial activities," he added.

URUGUAY: The planning workshop for the IMF project on education and training for young trade unionists, which focused on gender and race, was supported by the German metalworkers union IG Metall and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation of Uruguay, and was attended by Sergio Novais, president of ICEM Latin America and the Caribbean.

Delegates representing regional coordinators of IMF-affiliated trade unions (CNM/CUT, Brazil; Constramet, Chile; Fetramecol, Colombia; and SNTMMSRM, Mexico) participated in the meeting along with IG Metall leaders, who talked about their work with young people in Germany. They explained how they had recruited more young people and described the initiatives they have taken and the benefits to the union of recruiting young workers and encouraging their participation in the union.

Marino Vani, project coordinator at the IMF Regional Office, explained the importance of the workshop, which set guidelines for an action plan to recruit more union members: "We have to prepare the young people who are going to lead the new organization we are building and the trade union movement in general now and in the future."

Many affiliated unions in the region have no policies or plans for organizing young workers. Those that do exist are very general in nature. Company level unions have no recruitment policies or capacity to offer training and education to young people. Their structure and statutes make no provision for working with young people and it is the more experienced workers who are generally elected to union posts.
At the workshop, participants talked about the situation of young people in their unions and countries, covering the issues of outsourcing, unemployment and the lack of policies for attracting young people into the trade union movement. Many young workers are, for example, employed in free trade zones, on outsourced jobs with poor working conditions. Young workers have no clear idea of the significance of trade unions because of outsourcing. Employers are also to blame because they prioritize the recruitment of experienced workers, explained Genaro Arteaga, from the Mexican Miners’ Union.

Unions in Chile do not realize the importance of recruiting young workers because they are too preoccupied with the very survival of the trade union movement. In Colombia, unemployment and anti-union policies make it difficult for young workers to participate. However, Luciano da Silva of the CNM/CUT said that Brazilian unions are concerned about the role of young workers. He added that the CNM/CUT has done a lot of good work on the issue, tries to get young workers involved and has a national department dedicated to working with young people.

Finally, the meeting discussed project objectives and guidelines for organization, education and training and how to take the project forward. The ICEM and the IMF agreed to finalize guidelines by the end of May and discuss them further at a meeting to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, with IG Metall and ITGLWF. The project will also seek further support and more partners from among Latin American affiliates, in order to develop and implement the project.

South Africa: The Madrid Climate Dialogue, an international trade union leaders meeting with the UN Panel on Sustainability in April this year, called for decisive and ambitious climate action in the lead-up to the Durban climate summit at the end of this year, and the "RIO+20" meeting in 2012.

"The current economic model is heading us towards more crises, unemployment and environmental degradation", said Zwelizima Vavi, General Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). "If we are serious about addressing the vulnerability of poor workers and communities, RIO+20 needs to shift from piecemeal commitments and deliver a universal social protection floor, which will ensure dignified livelihoods for all. The climate negotiations in Durban must support this effort through the protection of the poorest from a climate perspective: with ambition in terms of emission reductions and climate finance".

One of the main issues concerning labour is that changes towards sustainable consumption and production patterns can bring opportunities for decent and green jobs and better livelihoods but there also exists a real threat to jobs in sectors that would need to be transformed to lower their carbon footprint.

In addressing climate change, the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) has stood with other global federations and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) to advocate, among other things, a "just transition" seeking protection for workers in sectors that would be negatively affected. Workers and communities affected need adequate social protection and access to new opportunities. In addition, "just transition will require active labour market policies, income protection, retraining, awareness and capacity building for employers and trade unions, and investments at the local level in order to diversify the economy and create alternative income opportunities.

At last years climate change negotiations, COP 16 held in Cancun Mexico, organised labour successfully lobbied for the inclusion of the concept of "just transition" setting an important precedent that has already had positive impact for the inclusion of worker related issues in subsequent negotiations, policy papers and programme development.   

Earlier this year the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) produced a report ‘Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication’ which defines global challenges on climate change and promotes decision making that will bring about a greener future.  The International Labour Organisation (ILO) collaborated in the development of the report to strengthen the analysis of the implications on the labour market of setting and achieving environmental goals.

In a background note on the report, the ILO states "The structural transformation brings along changes  in employment patterns and skills requirements, along with new business opportunities and the need for responsible management practices. It may also cause the contraction of sectors and enterprises which are incompatible with long term sustainable development. The management of this change needs to be fair and must ensure sufficient protection and access to alternative for those negatively affected." The ILO states the need for a "just transition" framework to ensure decent work remains central in the construction of a fairer, greener and more sustainable globalisation.

Organised labour is working hard to incorporate worker issues in global efforts on sustainable development. At the end of March 2011, a trade union delegation met with South African President Jacob Zuma. Included in the delegation was ITUC General Secretary, Sharan Burrow and President Sdumo Dlamini and General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi of COSATU. In the meeting, labour representatives requested President Zuma to use South Africa’s position in COP 17, UN High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability and the G20 to ensure that issues affecting workers are part of the agenda in the three forums.  Issues of concern that were discussed included job creation, social protection, unemployment, health insurance, education, green jobs, green economy, sanitation as well as housing.