GERMANY:  The Global Labour University (GLU) invites trade unionists and labour activists to apply for specialized Masters programmes on Labour and Globalization. The final deadline for applications for the German-based programme is April 1, 2011.

The GLU provides a unique opportunity to study and discuss the challenges of globalization together with a global group of fellow trade unionists. Internships  with trade union organisations and labour research institutions offer the chance to engage in labour movements in different countries and at international level.

The courses are taught in English. More detailed information of the programme and the application form are available at http://www.global-labour-university.org/ 

The Bureau for Workers’ Activities of the ILO and its project partners will award a limited number of scholarships to applicants from developing and transition economies. Applicants need to have the endorsement of a trade union to apply for a scholarship.

For the Master program in Germany participants from EU member states can apply for scholarships provided by the Hans Boeckler Foundation. More detailed information about the specific profiles of the programs and the application form are available at:  http://www.global-labour-university.org/

AUSTRALIA: Historically women have played a vitally important role in shaping the trade union movement and they will continue to do so in the future. This is why on International Women’s Day 2011 the International Metalworkers’ Federation calls for greater inclusion and involvement of women in all trade union structures. In celebration of International Women’s Day the IMF interviewed two active women from the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), Peta Thomson and Stephanie Eastcott who made the step from union members to workplace representatives
It is important to encourage greater participation of women in union structures. Although some women make the step from union member to workplace representative, sadly it’s not enough. Examples of two such women that did and that are playing an active role in their union are Peta Thomson and Stephanie Eastcott of the Australian Workers’ Union, an IMF affiliate. They are committed and passionate trade unionists. Although neither feels that there are barriers to women becoming union representatives, both are the only women union representatives in their workplace.

Peta and Stephanie work for Alcoa in Western Australia: Peta at the Wagerup Refinery and Stephanie at the Kwinana Refinery. Peta is a single mother and blue collar shift worker for 16 years and has been a shop steward for over 10 years. Stephanie is a delivery driver for 10 years and has been a shop steward for the last 12 months. They explained that their decision to become active in their union movement came about as a desire to be more involved in company decisions and also to raise issues with management on behalf of fellow workers.
Peta explained that she enjoys being a union representative and although she is the only female representative on a site of 700 workers she feels empowered to raise issues on behalf of her members. She feels that in order to encourage more female representatives it’s important to build confidence among women workers. One way in which to do this is by encouraging women’s participation in meetings beyond local issues. As a long standing representative she also feels that it’s important to not conform to a male stereo-type.. Peta takes great pride in the fact that she is an elected representative in her own right saying "it shows I’m good enough to do the job and shows confidence in me as an AWU representative."

Stephanie begins by describing how her mother once attended an interview and was turned away because of her gender, this has clearly given her a sense of social justice. As a fairly new representative she explains that it’s important that women don’t only deal with women’s issues but also contribute to the everyday work of the union. She expresses this view by saying "Plenty of women are only represented by men, so it’s important as women we feel confident to represent men." Her most recent activities have included a recently concluded enterprise bargaining agreement (collective agreement). Her role as a delivery driver allows her to move around the site and this helped with the communication among the workforce.
Both recently attended their first AWU National Conference in February 2011, following a decision by the union’s national executive to encourage women’s participation. The conference has had a profound effect on them as they explain that the opportunity to meet successful women leaders such as the Australian Prime Minister and to network with other women representatives has been a great inspiration.
Stephanie believes that exposure to female role models is an important way to build confidence and that it’s important to hear about women’s victories. Peta adds that the conference had given her confidence that if needed the union had got her back.  They explain it’s not been easy to attend the conference as management took a long time before agreeing to their participation.

Alcoa has developed an internal women’s network and although originally it was only open to management grades it now involves all workers. The network allows women to use their combined voice to improve women’s conditions. One benefit of being female union representatives means that the union now has a voice in the women’s network but also that the broader union is aware of the discussions within the network. Last year on International Women’s Day the network planned a charity and awareness day for breast cancer and plans are being made for something similar this year.

In the future both Peta and Stephanie would like to expand their knowledge and participation in the union movement and they feel that their union is open to this. They are interested in getting involved in issues outside Alcoa. Both feel they have limited knowledge of international work but the national conference had given them the confidence to find out more.

Stephen Price Western Australian Branch Secretary praised both saying, "We are proud to have these women as representatives of the AWU, they are reps not just because of their gender but elected in their own right, that shows the respect they have."

These women show the importance of taking steps to encourage greater participation and exposure to union structures. Empowerment is about considering how to encourage greater involvement of women activists. 

GLOBAL: March 8 marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day and an important milestone in the continuing struggle for gender equality. This year IMF regional meetings will hold  half day meetings on gender issues, particularly women’s participation and representation in union bodies and the representation of women in the new global union federation for industrial workers being considered by affiliates of the IMF, International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) and International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers Federation (ITGLWF).

In celebration of International Women’s Day the IMF interviewed two active women from the Australian Workers Union (AWU), Peta Thomson and Stephanie Eascott, who made the step from union members to workplace union representatives. Following a union decision to encourage women’s participation, Peta and Stephanie attended the union’s national conference in February this year and were able to meet other women and hear about women’s victories.

However, both Peta and Stephanie feel that empowering women and ensuring their participation is not only about dealing with women’s issues. "Plenty of women are only represented by men, so it’s important as women we feel confident to represent men," said Stephanie. For the full story see (http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25879&l=2).

Elsewhere today, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) released a new report for the occasion of  International Women’s Day. The report, "Living With Economic Insecurity: Women in Precarious Work" (http://www.ituc-csi.org/living-with-economic-insecurity.html) shows that while the initial impact of the economic crisis was equally detrimental to men and women, increasing numbers of women are now either losing their jobs or being forced into more precarious, temporary, and informal forms of work.

The ITUC also launched a new video promoting the campaign on "Decisions for Life" which has already organized tens of thousands of young women workers in 14 countries:

Unions around the world are holding events today, for instance in Germany, Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund DGB and affiliated unions, including IMF affiliate IG Metall, are organising under the banner of "laying the foundation today for a better tomorrow" ("Heute Für morgen Zeichen setzen" http://www.dgb-frauen.de/aktuell/politik/100-jahre-internationaler-frauentag-kleine-geschichte/ ). Women from IG Metall in cooperation with political activists, associations and other unions commenced with a series of events since  March 5 (http://www2.igmetall.de/homepages/emden/).

International Women’s Day has been observed since in the early 1900’s. Following the decision agreed at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1911, International Women’s Day (IWD) was honoured for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination.

Now each year on March 8, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements.

KOREA: Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC) workers at the shipyards in Busan and Ulsan have been on strike since December 20, 2010, against a mass dismissal plan conducted by the management. On February 14, the company suddenly locked out workers at the plants without informing the union. Three union officials, Kim Jin-suk, Moon Chul-sang and Chae Gil-young are staging aerial sit-in protest on a 50-meter-high crane at the Yeongdo shipyard in Busan.

The strike started in December because the management violated the local collective bargaining agreement signed on February 26, 2010, which stated "the company stops, as of today, its mass restructuring redundancy development started from December 18, 2009." Despite this agreement, the management has been ignoring the union’s demands and conducting mass dismissal plan without having any agreement with the union, the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU). The management is also claiming compensation of damages caused by the strike from the union leaders and officials.

The union’s demands are:

• withdraw voluntary redundancy-mass dismissal
• distribute performance-related pay of 2009 and 2010
• secure the proper quantity for production to maintain workload
• withdraw all accusing and charging to the union leaders and officials
• stop unfair suspension of works
• follow the CBA on the union activity

HHIC has also been violating workers’ and trade union rights, as well as health and safety standards, at shipyards of the Subic Freeport Zone in Philippines, since it began its operation in 2006. Please also see here an article published on the website of the Building and Wood Worker’s International (BWI) who is supporting and organizing HHIC-Philippines Workers Union.

KMWU believes that the mass redundancy conducted by the management in Korea is anti-union tactics aimed at moving the production to the place where there is no protection of trade union rights.

The IMF calls on its affiliates to support a solidarity message to the striking workers by sending your message of support to the KMWU international department at: [email protected] & [email protected] copied to IMF at [email protected]

COLOMBIA: Sintrametal, a Colombian union affiliated to IMF affiliate Utrammicol, has worked for almost two years to unionize the workers in the new Gerdau plant located in Tocancipá.

Gerdau detected the interest of the workers to joint the union and, on February 21, Gerdau fired three key internal organizers.

The Gerdau Workers’ World Council has written to company CEO Andre Gerdau asking for his immediate intervention to ensure that the company respects the right of the workers to freedom of association. A copy of the Council’s letter is published on the IMF website in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

The International Metalworkers’ Federation joins with the Council in asking all unions belonging to the Council and with membership in Gerdau plants around the world to deliver the letter to their plant managers, informing them that anti-union activities shall not be tolerated.

Please, print a copy of the posted here letter and deliver it to your plant manager.

ARGENTINA: The ArcelorMittal Joint Global Health and Safety Committee (JGHSC) met on March 1 to 3 at the Acindar Steel Plant. The plant produces 90 per cent of Argentina’s long product consumption and has 2675 direct employees. There are two unions present ASIMRA and UOM and between them the union density is 85 per cent of the workforce. The purpose of the visit was to see how the local joint health and safety committee functions and also to see safety standards during a site visit.

The impression of the JGHSC was that the both unions and management had taken the commitment to health and safety issues very seriously and that a good dialogue existed with issues being raised and dealt with by the local joint health and safety committee.

Local union representatives explained that in the two years that the committee has existed they have been able to build mutual respect with management and a joint approach to safety. The local unions took pride in the fact that shortly after the joint committee was formed in ArcelorMittal the Sante Fe state government also passed legislation for other companies to follow suit.

During the site visit it was clear that the standard was high but that some capital expenditure was needed in particular in the steel plant. This investment would help tackle pollution in the plant and also build on the good work already carried out. Another area for improvement included the length of time union representatives can serve on the local Joint Committee, currently each representative has a one year term.

Rob Johnston, IMF Executive Director, stated, "Acindar is one of the best Joint Health and Safety Committees we have seen in the group, it is certainly the benchmark for Latin America and can still improve to become the global standard."

Tony Murphy European Metalworkers’ Federation added, "Unlike, the situation in Brazil were unions and management are working against each other  it’s refreshing to see the Acindar approach. My message would be to send management from ArcelorMittal Brazil to learn from Acindar plant’s progress."

The next Joint Global Health and Safety Committee will take place in Vittoria, Brazil March 28 to 30, 2011.

MEXICO: On March 2, 2011 a delegation from the European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) and International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) met with Mr. Cortes Lastra, Member of the European Parliament, Chairman of the Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee at the European Parliament in Brussels. The EMF and IMF had requested a meeting with Mr. Cortes Lastra in connection with the ongoing global campaign concerning labour right violations in Mexico.

The meetings of the EU-Mexico Committee focus on trade policy, political dialogue and cooperation between the European Union and the Mexican Government. The Committee meets twice a year; once in Mexico and once in Brussels.

Fernando Lopes, IMF Assistant General Secretary, presented the campaign, its activities around the world and the four demands.

1. Hold employer and government officials accountable for the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion that killed 65 miners on February 19, 2006.

2. Abolish systemic violations of workers’ freedom of association, including employer-dominated "protection contracts" and interference in union elections.

3. End the use of force by the state or private parties to repress workers’ legitimate demands for democratic unions, better wages and working conditions, and good health and safety conditions.

4. End the campaign of political persecution against the Mexican Miner’s Union and the Mexican Electrical Workers’ Union.

The EMF representatives presented the campaign from a European perspective, putting an emphasis on the fact that European trade unions have been actively engaged in labour relations in Mexico since 2006 including contacts with the former chairwoman of the European Parliament Committee on Mexico, Erika Mann. The EMF also emphasised that the campaign receives support from Stephen Hughes, Member of Socialist Group in the European Parliament.

Since 2006 the Mexican government has escalated its illegal and violent attacks on the Mexican Miners’ Union (SNTMMSRM/Los Mineros), the union that demanded justice for the death of 65 miners at Pasta de Conchos and the recovery of the miners’ bodies. The Mexican government has systematically and repeatedly violated Mexican law and international standards in an attempt to crush the Mexican Miners’ Union.  The Mexican Miners’ Union is not alone. The few other genuinely independent trade unions seeking to improve the lives of Mexican workers have also found themselves increasingly under fire.

After a review of the European Parliament Resolutions on Mexico that have been adopted in the past few years, it can be concluded that the Committee is not a stranger to speaking out for human rights. The Resolutions include harsh text against organised crime, drug trafficking, persecution of media workers and also against violence against women. However, no specific mentioning exists in relation to general labour rights or the ongoing labour violations.

The EMF and IMF representatives suggested that such a Resolution would be most welcome by the global labour movement. Mr. Cortes Lastra is a former head of office of the Spanish Workers’ Socialist Party and shows great understanding and compassion for labour rights and current wrong doings in Mexico. Mr. Cortes Lastra encouraged the inclusion of labour violations in the discussions at coming Committee meetings and said that an improved information exchange with trade unions was welcome. The Committee enjoys positive relation with the Mexican Government, which could mean that there is a momentum to discuss labour issues.

The EMF and IMF also suggested that the next Committee meeting taking place in Mexico would include talks with trade union representatives and the EMF and IMF offered to put together a proposal of such talks.

GERMANY: On February 22 and 23, in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the IMF invited participants from all major GM/Opel sites to the IMF GM/Opel Meeting. The topic for discussion was the revitalization of the former Network, the need for an IFA and the expansion of the European Works Council (EWC) to a World Employee committee (WEC). The United Auto Workers (UAW) President, Bob King participated in the meeting, showing his real commitment to international work.

After extensive discussion participants agreed to:

• demand GM to convert the European Works Council (EWC) to a World Employee committee (WEC)
• prepare a draft for an IFA
• write a letter to GM management with the above mentioned demands

Participants also agreed that the network will start immediately. Information from different sites will also be collected in order to share information on violations of rights to be covered in a future IFA  in order for GM management to know that the GM Network is active.

The day before the meeting a lecture was given by Opel management about future technologies, particularly electronic transmission and fuel cell technology, a plant visit to Opel in Rüsselsheim followed.

EUROPE: The European Metalworkers Federation (EMF) calls for an end to the oil transit from Belarus to the Netherlands. The political situation in Belarus is deteriorating rapidly, softer sanctions against the Belarus regime don’t work, so "stopping the oil flow to the Netherlands would be the most effective measure at this stage", claims the EMF in its statement.

After the December 19 elections the level of political repression in Belarus grew quickly. Independent unions have also come under fire – we’ve already reported on the search of the Minsk office of the Union of Workers of Radio and Electronics Industry (REPAM) conducted by the State Security Committee and questioning of union officials in Minsk and Brest, as well as an inquiry of the Ministry of Justice into the Free Metalworkers’ Union (SPM). Both REPAM and SPM are affiliated to the IMF.

In this context EMF joins the Belarus opposition in demanding the introduction of economic sanctions against Belarus. The Netherlands’ share in Belarus exports is 11,1 per cent, roughly 97 per cent of which accounts for oil products – in total, 2,38 billion USD. Belarus basically delivers Russian oil to the Dutch. "The Netherlands is a key player in Belorussian trade and, aside from Russia, the only country that can initiate an effective economic boycott," states the EMF.

On January 25 Belorussian opposition leaders visited the Dutch foreign minister Rosenthal. During the meeting Rosenthal declared that the Dutch government is in favour of the sanctions – a visa ban and asset freeze of the regimes’ agents – approved by the EU, however it could not meet the opposition’s request for economic sanctions claiming that this would be a European matter.

IMF is deeply concerned with the violations of human and trade union rights in Belarus. Recent elections and the followed repressions against individuals and independent organizations, trade unions among them attest to the rapid deterioration of political situation in Belarus.

Since ending the oil transit from Belarus to the Netherlands is a European matter, EMF could play a strategic role in it, effectively supporting the Belarus civil society and independent trade unions.

MEXICO: Since December 3, 2008 Juan Linares Montufar, a union leader of the National Mexican Mine and Metal Workers Union (SNTMMSRM) had been imprisoned without bond in the Reclusorio Norte, a large prison in Mexico City. Linares was released from jail in the early morning hours of February 24, 2011. He was met outside the gate by some 100 Los Mineros members cheering.

News of Linares’ release comes just days after some 50,000 union members and activists in 40 countries world-wide took action in support of labour rights in Mexico as part of the Global Days of Action, organized by the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF), International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM), and UNI Global Union, and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

Linares is the President of the Oversight and Justice Council of the SNTMMSSRM, and a key member of the union’s leadership.

"We are celebrating the news of Juan Linares’ freedom but we cannot forget that two of our brothers remain illegally imprisoned," said Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of the International Metalworkers’ Federation, referring to Miguel Marquez Rios, union leader from the Mexican Electrical Workers Union (SME) who has been imprisoned since 2010 and Martin Salazar Arvayo, a member of the SNTMMSRM who has been unjustly imprisoned since September last year.

"The Mexican government continues to try to destroy independent unions such as Los Mineros and SME, but we have shown our strength and solidarity, particularly in the past few weeks, and we will continue the fight, locally and globally until those responsible for the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion are brought to justice, political persecution of independent union members stops and the Mexican government recognises and honours workers’ rights, including and specifically the fundamental right to freedom of association," Raina added.