THE PHILIPPINES: The delegation consisting of Rob Johnston, IMF executive director for industrial policy, Glenn Thompson of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) and Arunasalam, IMF regional representative for South East Asia met with Hans Cacdac, Under Secretary of the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) on September 30. During the meeting the IMF delegation urged the new administration to address the increase in trade union and human rights violations under the previous administration.

IMF raised concerns related to extra-judicial killings and the fact that labour law and practices in the Philippines fall below universally accepted international labour standards as noted by the IMF Executive Committee in June.

Under Secretary Cacdac responded by outlining a 22 point labour plan that the new administration hopes to adopt, including improving protection of workers’ rights and establishing social dialogue mechanisms to encourage a greater respect of labour rights. One example would be the development of tri-partite industry or sector councils that trade unions would be part of.

In response, the IMF outlined the need for DOLE to ensure that both trade unions and the Commission on Human Rights play an active role as part of the process. Both have experience in dealing with trade union rights abuses and would be able to assist in ensuring that the new plan addressed the most relevant issues. The current labour law acts as a barrier to freedom of association and some foreign investors exploit the situation by preventing the formation of unions, or abusing workers who do join. With this in mind the delegation requested that DOLE consider training multinationals on how to respect both national and international laws.

Under Secretary Cacdac also stated that the government would be launching a new efficiency drive and are aiming to resolve 98 per cent of outstanding and previous cases across all departments by April 2011.

IMF  raised the issue of precarious work faced by migrant labour both in the Philippines and by its citizens abroad. Under Secretary Cacdac replied that the administration is developing a network to assist its citizens particularly in the middle- east and Asia. He stated that the government would also try to encourage other countries in the region to adopt similar approaches.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Rob Johnston stated, "We look forward to seeing the evidence of the reforms discussed to establish basic human and trade union rights in the Philippines. IMF’s aim is to support and defend the ordinary men and women who would like to be a union member free from fear."

Earlier, IMF’s national workshop on building sustainable union structures in the Philippines took place on September 28. The MWAP, PMA and ALU Metal, three Filipino unions requesting affiliation to the IMF, attended together with representatives of the IMF Executive Committee members from Australia, Japan and Indonesia. At the meeting the unions discussed organizing targets, collective bargaining training and national trade union solidarity.

GLOBAL: With the shared belief that quality public services provide the essential foundation for decent work, democracy, equity, and quality of life for all citizens, the conference will chart innovative strategies to improve and expand quality public services around the world.

There will be about 400 conference participants including trade union, civil society and government representatives from across the globe who will contribute to a charter and action plan for a new Global Unions’ campaign that promotes investment in quality public services as the best way to protect and create jobs for economic recovery, address poverty and inequity, and build environmentally-sustainable, secure and democratic societies.

IMF director for Trade and Development, Carla Coletti, will host a workshop on October 13 called "Working on the edge" where she will talk on how the economic crisis is being used as an excuse to further erode the quality of work and how precarious working conditions are fast becoming common for women, young people and migrant workers.

For further information, see: www.qpsconference.org

 

BELGIUM: "This shows how shamefully General Motors has thrown dust in the eyes of the Antwerp workers," says Belgian IMF affiliate ACV-CSC METEA in a statement released on October 5, after GM’s announcement.

The union says with this announced rejection of a potential buyer for the plant the workers of Opel and its suppliers have received a fatal blow. ACV-CSC METEA believe that since GM  announced on January 21, 2010 its intention to close down the plant in Noorderlaan, it was immediately clear the company would do everything to wreck a takeover deal.

It took until May 17 to set up a working party with trade unions on the potential sale of the plant. This working party was supposed to find a buyer by September 30, 2010 at the latest, in order to effectively take over the plant in 2011. Negotiating a serious deal within four months was clearly not likely.

Antwerp is a region which has already been badly hit by the crisis and where thousands of jobs have disappeared. Because of this, the union proposes GM gives the plant to the region and its workers for a symbolic Euro.

Metalworkers want to help the local Government to launch a new industrial project based in the industry and anchored in industrial employment. "We call upon the Flemish Government to suit the action to the word and help us start a real reconversion project with a real team," says the union.

ZIMBABWE: The Special Conference of the ITUC was the largest international trade union delegation allowed into the country since 2002. Amongst the delegates who attended the conference were representatives from Zimbabwe trade unions, solidarity support organizations, national centres from Africa and abroad, Global Union Federations, ILO and ITUC.  

The ILO Commission of Inquiry is the second in Africa and the 12^th since the ILO was formed 90 years ago. The Commission of Inquiry confirms the veracity of the ZCTU’s allegations of repeated and severe trade union rights violations over a number of years.

The Commission of Inquiry recommends that Zimbabwe’s laws be brought into full conformity with the ILO conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining and that anti-union persecution must be brought to an immediate end. The Commission also recommends the establishment of an effective Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission; the full restoration of the rule of law; and rights awareness training for social partners and officials in key institutions such as the courts and security sector.  

The conference noted that whilst the Zimbabwe government had accepted the findings and recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry, the labour movement would have to keep up pressure to ensure that the recommendations are implemented.

Addressing the conference the President of ZCTU warned the delegates that whiles it seems as if there are changes in the current government/system the situation for the workers has not changed at all, many workers are still not paid their wages and collective agreements signed last year are yet to be implemented.

Key outcomes of the conference are:

• Call for the withdrawal of all court cases against the ZCTU and demanded immediate halt to further harassment of trade unionists.
• Call for an employment-driven growth model with decent work at the heart of government policies with action that must be taken to reduce wage disparities and increase transparency in the economy to counter corruption and the misappropriation of national resources. 
• Pledges of international solidarity to stand firmly alongside the ZCTU and support its capacity to fully play its role as a leading force for justice, democracy and nation building. 
• Appeals to national governments, regional and international bodies, such as the African Union and SADC, to play their part in helping Zimbabwe achieve a peaceful, prosperous and democratic future.

Zimbabwe’s independent trade union federation, ZCTU also appealed to the international community to continue its support to the Zimbabweans and to continue to put pressure through their government on the Mugabe’s regime.

A statement on the conference declares: "Success in bringing justice to Zimbabwe would be a major milestone in the struggle for democracy and workers’ rights in Africa and beyond. The courage and determination of the trade union movement in Zimbabwe remain an example and inspiration for working men and women around the world." 

The purpose is to build effective solidarity and cooperation among affiliated unions present in transnational corporations in the metal industries to ensure an equal playing field for workers, which go far beyond minimum standards.

Trade union networks in TNC’s bring together unions cooperatively and strategically as global partners, to advance workers’ rights throughout a company and supply chains. The IMF uses trade union networks to build greater capacity for working together in defence of workers’ interests across national boundaries.

Each network has its own goals that may include regular exchange of information, development of joint initiatives and common platforms, building solidarity, organizing unorganized plants, joint union initiatives and contacts with the real decision-makers within the enterprises. 

MOROCCO: A seminar held in Casablanca on September 28-30, 2010 has brought together workers’ representatives from some of the ArcelorMittal production sites in Europe and from the plants in Nador and Jorf Lasfar of SONASID, the Moroccan steel company with an important participation of ArcelorMittal.

The initiative was part of the broader IMF strategy to build networks between trade unions organizing the employees of a same multinational in different countries and to coordinate their joint efforts for the respect of fundamental rights at work.

The participants shared their collective bargaining experiences and voiced their concerns in particular with regard to health and safety conditions at ArcelorMittal plants. Concerns were expressed in particular for the inadequate safety measures at the site of Jorf Lasfar in Morocco where there have been three victims recently and the shop stewards denounced an overall deterioration of the situation since 2007.

Increased subcontracting and externalization of parts of the production process – with the employment of workers at much lower conditions and without adequate training – were indicated by all the participants as one key reason behind work accidents. Contrary to the company’s stated culture of prevention, its actual policy was reported to increasingly focus instead on sanctions and repressive measures against the workers who are victims of work accidents. The shop stewards underlined changes in the work organization in recent years that appear all oriented to the maximization of profits at the expenses of safety, of working conditions and of employment security, with a fast increasing share of precarious contracts.

Common objectives were identified for coordinated trade union action among the participating unions; key priorities include demands for improved safety conditions through effective prevention and for reduced use of subcontracting. The equality of treatment for subcontracted and other non permanent employees are common priority goals as well as close collaboration in the area of health and safety through the sharing of experience and knowledge between European and North African countries’ unions.

All participants strongly supported the reiterated request of the Moroccan trade unionists for the urgent monitoring of the concrete implementation of the ArcelorMittal Global Agreement on Health and Safety.

UKRAINE: Union leaders from CIS countries met at the IMF Sub-Regional Committee meeting on September 29-30 to discuss the current state of union movement in the region.

IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina opened the meeting by highlighting the most important points of IMF’s strategic agenda: trade union networks and organizing in TNCs, building stronger unions, improving union communications and defending trade union rights.

Union leaders discussed the economic situation in their respective countries with special focus on precarious work. Most of the countries in the region were hit hard by the crisis, with production slashed by up to 80 per cent. As usual, the employers tried to use the crisis as a pretext for weakening employment guarantees, however due to the consistent efforts on the part of national unions, some of the effects of the crisis were reduced.

Precarious work emerges as a serious issue in such countries as Moldova, in Russia it becomes more widespread and in Belarus it is used – in a form of temporary one-year contracts – to undermine trade union rights and persecute union activists.

Another point of the agenda was the project of establishing a new global union federation uniting industrial workers of the world on the basis of IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF. Union leaders identified a number of challenges; however the overall commitment to the project was high.

Participants of the meeting also discussed communications and climate change, organizing and trade union rights. Situation with union rights in the region is especially grave, with two separate complaints filed to the ILO (on the rights abuses in Belarus and Russia). This topic led to a lively debate.

There was a general consensus on the importance of organizing. More and more unions in the region plan to or actually establish mobile teams of organizers to improve unionization in the metalworking sector and support new union locals.

CIS unions showed true unity in approving a joint letter of protest to the management of Kumtor, Canadian-based TNC with an operation in Kyrgyzstan where workers plan to go on an indefinite strike for better wages.

GERMANY: The diploma in "Labour Policies and Globalization" is  designed to help labour activists and trade unionists acquire additional knowledge and tools that enable them to take an active part in public debate and the process of policy formulation and implementation.

For further details on the programme, fees, scholarships, and the application procedure, visit the website here or send an email to: [email protected]. The courses run each year from April 1 at the Berlin School of Economics and Law and will continue at the University of Kassel from mid-May until mid-July.

The diploma in "Labour Policies and Globalization" consists of a 3.5 month academic program and a two month internship. The program addresses the request of many trade unions to offer an academic program for trade unionists who cannot commit to the full year for a masters program.

The course of study includes five modules focussing on global wage policies, global finance, global trade, development economics, and participation in global governance.  Courses will be taught by experienced teaching staff at the University of Kassel and the Berlin School of Economics and Law in Germany, which are both part of the Global Labour University, and international guest lecturers.

The eight week internship will take place between mid-July and the end of September depending on the needs of the welcoming institution and the intern.

GERMANY: A 3.6 per cent wage increase from October 1 for 13 months, equality between contract and permanent workers, and one-off payments for September for 85,000 steel workers in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Bremen are the results announced on September 29 of the negotiations between IG Metall and employers in the steel sector.

Just before the start of negotiations 700 steel workers went to Dusseldorf where they made their demands known by holding an imaginative rally in front of the hotel where the negotiations where taking place.

After a period of conservative pay demands, reflecting concerns about job security during Germany’s sharpest post-war recession, the recent signs of recovery have emboldened unions to push for increases and steel workers are leading the charge.

IG Metall president and IMF president, Berthold Huber, evaluated the collective results in the northwestern German steel industry positively. "This result is fair and equitable," he said.

The main companies included in the agreement are ThyssenKrupp, Salzgitter and ArcelorMittal. The agreement includes:

More money: The wages and salaries increase by 3.6 per cent from October 1, 2010 for 13 months. All workers will receive a one-off payment of €150 for September 2010. The salaries for apprentices will increase by €40 from now until October 31, 2011.

Fair hiring: Contract workers in all enterprises in the steel industry will receive the same money as the permanent staff from January 1, 2011 for a period of two years. If the agency supplying the labour does not pay the worker to an equal level, the steel company is liable to the employee.

IG Metall is recommending that its members accept this agreement, which will be considered by the membership on October 12, 2010.

While only directly employing one per cent of the world’s workforce, indirectly through complex supply changes and extensive subcontracting, transnational corporations (TNCs) exercise vast control over employment standards in metalworking sectors around the world.

Cost reductions sought by TNCs frequently include a shift from secure to insecure forms of employment, fragmentation of collective bargaining, corporate restructuring, and abuse of human and workers’ rights.

There is an urgent need for international solidarity and cooperation among metalworkers in TNCs and along the TNC supply chains to reverse these trends.

IMF seeks to challenge the power of TNCs through two main interrelated streams of work:

• Trade Union Networks in TNCs
• International Framework Agreements