GLOBAL: A global electronic petition in favour of the financial transactions tax addressed to G20 leaders is currently underway. Many trade unionists in different countries have signed on and the International Metalworkers’ Federation urges its affiliates to sign on today.

The petition can be accessed in 12 languages and signed through the following web site: http://www.makefinancework.org/

The petition is part of the "Make finance work for people and the planet" campaign supported by a diverse group of Europe-wide civil society groups. The petition states:

Dear Members of the G20,

The financial sector has caused the current historic crisis. The exponential growth of the financial sector with a focus on short-term speculative gain has created a ‘casino economy’. With the bursting of the most recent bubble, millions of men and women have lost their jobs. People all over the world have been plunged further into poverty and a hundred million more people are hungry today.

You have mobilized hundreds of billions of dollars to save the banks and the financial system. At the same time, neither the social nor the climate emergency is being addressed with the political urgency it deserves and with the necessary financial resources to back it.

Financial services corporations benefited for decades from the absence of meaningful regulation and are largely responsible for the crisis. We believe it is time for them to pay their fair share of the costs of recovery. A Financial Transactions Tax would be the most effective instrument to secure this. It would:

• Generate funds to pay for the social costs of the crisis, to fight global poverty, to fund global public goods such as health care and to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
• Contribute to greater stability of the financial system by reducing speculation and excessive liquidity.

Business as usual is not an option. We urge you to decide at your next meeting in Toronto, Canada (26-27 June 2010) to introduce a tax on financial transactions. Back your words with action.

TUNISIA: On March 1 and 2 a two-day workshop on "Communication for trade union action" was held in Tunis, organized by the International Metalworkers’ Federation together with its affiliate in Tunisia, Fédération Générale de la Métallurgie et de l’Electronique – UGTT, as part of an ongoing project aimed at supporting the trade unions in Morocco and Tunisia in organizing workers at multinational companies.

The participants received basic training on existing Internet-based information and communication technologies enabling them to set up a permanent communication network among themselves in Tunisia as well as at the international level, primarily with their colleagues in Morocco.

During the seminar a demonstration of a Skype-based conference was organized with participation of the union activist Boutayeb Bouchkhachakh from the IMF affiliate in Morocco, Syndicat National des Travailleurs des Industries Métallurgiques, Mécaniques, Electriques et Electroniques – SNTIMMEE-CDT, who described problems faced by SNTIMMEE-CDT in Morocco, and the IMF General Secretary, Jyrki Raina, who in his intervention explained to the participants what IMF does for consolidation of networks in the region.

As earlier reported on the IMF website the initiative is targeting in particular the TNCs and their suppliers that are signatories to International Framework Agreements with the IMF in order to monitor their implementation. It is part of a broader programme implemented with the support of the Spanish development agency, ISCOD – UGT, and with the participation of metalworkers’ unions in Tunisia, Morocco, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

GENEVA: Based on the IMF Executive Committee decision last December, the International Metalworkers’ Federation will hold in Geneva on May 11 and 12 the first meeting of a Working Group on Trade Union Networks in Transnational Companies.

This meeting will take place as part of a bigger strategy on building a counterweight to transnational companies, which includes the creation and maintenance of functioning networks and mechanisms to ensure regular exchange of information, development of joint initiatives and common platforms, building solidarity, organizing unorganized plants, joint union action and contacts with the real decision-makers within the enterprises.

The IMF Working Group will develop a proposal on guidelines for the constitution of trade union networks, their main tasks, coordination, resources, handling of International Framework Agreements and other possible global level agreements. It will also discuss contents in a guidebook and training material.  IMF’s Executive Committee is expected to define a number of priority companies in different industry sectors, including supply chains when appropriate.

IMF’s activities on union networks in 2010 include a number of company meetings such as Caterpillar, Gerdau and Tenaris. In addition, networking priorities and strategies will be discussed at regional conferences and sectoral meetings in the aerospace, ICT, electrical and electronics, automotive and mechanical engineering sectors.

Over the last few decades, IMF has formed 42 World Company Councils, funded by the IMF and its affiliates.  However, the majority of World Company Councils have met occasionally, but mostly not at all.  In addition, there are four World Works Councils (Volkswagen, Daimler, Rolls Royce and SKF) funded by the companies, based on an agreement.

As background to this work, the IMF produced a critical evaluation of the existing Company Councils, World Works Councils and other networks. The copy of the evaluation is available on the website here in English and German.

For further information about the development of this work, please contact Rob Johnston, IMF Executive Director for Industrial and TNC policies, [email protected].

LUXEMBOURG:  Over-represented in precarious and low paid employment, women in manufacturing jobs have been badly hit by the financial crisis concluded women participating in a metalworker meeting on March 10, 2010.

Participants at the meeting heard how manufacturing workers in general have found themselves victims of a crisis far from their making. The particular impact on women workers is especially hard since women belong to the group of workers least paid and most often precariously employed. More and more families today rely on women’s incomes to survive and when women lose their jobs the impacts are felt by those they support. Massive numbers of male job losses have increased the pressure on families and therefore on the women who perform the majority of caring and support work.

The meeting also heard how jobs created via stimulus packages launched by governments are more likely to go to men as they are largely focused on construction and infrastructure improvements.

Seeking to highlight the situation of women in the metals and manufacturing sectors during the crisis the meeting examined what has happened to women’s employment and discussed what strategies should trade unions adopt to tackle these issues.

The meeting concluded by making the following recommendations for union action. In order to address the disadvantage experienced by women as a result of the crisis, unions should:

• Improve recognition of the overwhelming role played by women’s existing lack of economic power and participation in power structures in the disadvantage that women are experiencing during the crisis
• Demand that governments make an assessment of the impact of the crisis on women as well as analyze to what extent measures taken in response to the crisis are specifically benefitting women
• Demand that stimulus packages are designed to also benefit women workers and that measures be taken to ensure that women have a say in the development of responses to the crisis
• Maintain a strong focus on addressing existing discrimination and equal pay gaps and improving minimum wages despite the crisis
• Strengthen actions against precarious work now and in the future
• Make policy recommendations that promote the positive contribution to economic recovery that is to be gained by putting more money into women’s pockets
• Focus on training and education, especially for women
• Exchange strategies and experiences internationally

The meeting held in commemoration of International Women’s Day and was organized jointly by the European Metalworkers’ Federation and the International Metalworkers’ Federation.

GLOBAL: A short film on the International Metalworkers’ Federation’s campaign against precarious work was announced as a runner up in the LabourStart labour video of the year competition on March 10.

"Precarious work affects us all" was produced as part of IMF’s global campaign against precarious work and was released at the IMF Congress in May 2009. The four minute film features workers from IMF affiliates in Indonesia, Mozambique, South Africa, Ukraine and Australia and elsewhere who are engaged in the struggle to stop the rise in precarious employment and regain power and justice for working people.

The IMF video was one of two runners up in the competition. Online voting for the best of the six short listed films for labour video of 2010 commenced on March 10. The six short-listed films include entries from UK, Canada, and Australia, plus a joint Sustainlabour/ITUC video "A call to action".

To check all finalists’ submissions as well as to cast your vote, go to: http://www.labourstart.org/lvoty/vote.shtml

March 31, 2010 is the deadline for submission of films to the 4th Annual Geneva Labour Film Shorts Festival. IMF affiliates are invited to submit copies of short films that they have produced or been involved in producing for possible inclusion in the programme.

Films to the Geneva Labour Film Shorts Festival need to be submitted with a short paragraph describing the film, why it was produced and how it was used. For more information, go to: http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?id=622&l=2&cid=22025

CANADA: Mediated discussions between the United Steelworkers and Vale Inco broke down on Sunday March 7, despite the Union’s repeated and unprecedented attempts to reach a settlement.

"Over 11 consecutive days, our bargaining committee presented several new proposals and made genuine, significant compromises on the key issues," said USW District 6 Director Wayne Fraser.

Vale’s bargaining intransigence again stood out, after a flicker of hope late last month when the company agreed to sit down with an independent mediator for exploratory talks to end the strike. Those talks began at month’s end, but failed on March 7 when mediator Kevin Burkett declared, "I am disappointed to report that agreement is not possible at this time. I have therefore broken off discussions."

The mediation did produce an unprecedented offer by the USW to return to work in Sudbury and Port Colborne, with a three-member binding arbitration panel to hear the unresolved issues. The USW proposed that Burkett chair the arbitration panel, with the union and Vale each selecting the other two panel members. Vale adamantly rejected the proposal.

Now, global trade unions will ramp up strategic plans on behalf of the USW, visiting Sudbury, Canada, in two weeks time to reinforce support to striking nickel miners of the USW. A two-day "Bridging the Gap" manifestation, March 22-23, will bring trade union leaders from the Brazilian mining company’s world-wide operations to northern Ontario province.

The unionists, to include representatives from the International Metalworkers’ Federation and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions, will join the strikers of USW Local 6500 and their families in a march down Sudbury’s main street on March 22, with a global strategy forum scheduled the next day. That forum will include plans for "Global Days of Action" against Vale, due to occur April 5-11.

This strike is now likely to surpass the longest mining strike in Canadian history. That occurred from September 1978 to June 1979 – 267 days – between the USW and Vale’s predecessor in Sudbury, Inco Mining. The one distinction between this strike and several skirmished between the USW and Inco, however, is that Canadian-based Inco never attempted operate the mines and smelting operations with replacement workers as Vale is now doing.

GLOBAL: On March 8, people gathered in Geneva under the banner of International Metalworkers’ Federation’s Swiss affiliate UNIA calling for equality between men and women. At the event, held in commemoration with International Women’s Day, women and men expressed opposition to the raising of the retirement age for women and against the bill that will increase store opening hours affecting women in the largely feminized retail sector. Those gathered also call for wage equality and the effective application of the law on equality in Switzerland.

Elsewhere, French affiliate FGMM-CFDT released the results of a new study which shows continuing wage differentials between men and women in the metal industry in France. The average pay gap between men and women is reported to be 21 per cent. When factors such as breaks in career progression because of maternity, age and variations in functions are excluded, there still remains an average salary discrimination of some 5 per cent, which can only be explained as sexist. For women, this represents several years of missed salary increases and has serious consequences for women’s retirement pensions which end up being on average nearly 40 per cent lower than those of men.

French unions have responded by negotiating an agreement that aims to do away with salary differences between men and women. The agreement give a basis for negotiations at enterprise level by providing for increases reserved for women to eliminate salary differences, a best practice guide and changes to the gendered image of metalworking jobs. The FGMM-CFDT points out that the agreement will only be successful if unions and management at enterprise level really engage with it. As women have been particularly affected as a result of the economic crisis, negotiations should prioritize women’s employment.

Later this week on March 10, affiliates of the IMF and the European Metalworkers’ Federation will meet in Luxembourg to examine the impact of the economic crisis on women in the metalworking industry.

SOUTH KOREA: A coalition including IMF-affiliated Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) launched a global campaign on March 1 calling on Samsung and the Korean Government to accept responsibility for occupational deaths and provide safe and decent working conditions.

The call has come in response to growing evidence of a cancer cluster among electronics manufacturing workers at Samsung in Korea who are exposed to toxic chemicals. The pattern of cancer deaths bears a striking resemblance to the pattern of cancer deaths among IBM "chip" workers in the U.S., the National Semiconductor cases in the UK and the RCA cancer cases in Taiwan.

March 6 is the third anniversary of the death of Yu-mi Hwang, a Samsung semiconductor factory worker, who died from leukemia at age 22.  Her death – and similar coworker deaths – has motivated people to demand that Samsung:

• accept responsibility for the hazards of semiconductor manufacturing,
• compensate those harmed, and
• prevent future suffering and mistreatment of workers by making Samsung a toxics-free model workplace where workers are treated with dignity and respect.

Supporters for the Health And Rights of People in the Semiconductor industry (SHARPs), joined by KMWU, Asian Monitor Resource Centre (AMRC), Asian Network for the Rights Of Occupational Accident Victims (ANROAV), and International Campaign for Responsible Technology (ICRT) launched a petition on March 1 asking people to tell Samsung that people around the world to endorse the following demands:

• The Korean government must determine that Samsung is responsible for causing the worker’s illnesses and fair compensation must be paid when workers get sick or are injured on the job
• The Korean government must protect the workers and give voice to the victims and their families who have suffered and bring accountability to Samsung
• Samsung Electronics must disclose to the workers and the public the truth about the hazards of working in the semiconductor industry
• Samsung Electronics must stop suppressing workers in their struggles for a safe and fair workplace.

To support the campaign and sign the petition, please go to:

http://www.petitiononline.com/s4m5ung/petition-sign.html

SHARPS has also produced a video about the issues, you can see it at:

http://dotsub.com/view/6147f3b8-99fc-48c2-acbe-d95be38eddd1

TURKEY: Protracted court hearings resumed on March 1 and were supposed to decide the fate for 350 Sinter Metal workers who have been fighting for reinstatement since December 2008 after they were fired for joining the union, Birlesik Metal – IS, an affiliate of the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF). A representative of the IMF attended the court hearing in the capacity of an international monitor.

Immediately after the hearings began on March 1, the company’s legal team brought forward arguments saying their witnesses did not show up and requested a new court date. Emotion and outrage forced one of the union witnesses, the organizing director for DISK, to shout his frustration. Following his forcible ejection the company lawyer demanded to stop proceedings as he felt unsafe. The proceedings however went on and lasted only 30 minutes. Having listened to some witnesses and company reactions the judge claimed she needed to hear more testimony and scheduled the next hearing in six months on August 4, 2010.

The court has repeatedly delayed its decision, despite Turkish labour law requiring such cases to be resolved within two months. The long delay came as a surprise for the union legal team, who thought the case would carry on into next month with a decision within a few months. The union has serious reservations regarding judge’s objectiveness.

The company claims the workers were terminated for economic reasons, however the company has hired replacement workers to fill the jobs and an investigation conducted by the Turkish Labour Ministry ruled in the workers’ favour arguing that it was clear the dismissals were not due to the financial economic crisis.

The country’s deteriorating labour rights and human rights record has sparked outrage and mobilisation efforts by the international labour community. On February 26, a delegation of six Global Union Federations, including IMF, and the International Trade Union Confederation visited the Turkish mission in Geneva to deliver a statement protesting the government’s treatment of workers.

The International Labour Organisation is also sending a mission to Turkey to discuss the erosion of labour rights there. The mission will take place in the beginning of March.

For more information about the IMF/EMF joint campaign, please go to: www.imfmetal.org/SinterMetal

MEXICO: Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn dismissed 75 workers during the last week of February 2010 and warns of a further 300 job losses following a protest of the workers at the computer assembly plant in Juarez Santa Teresa, Mexico.

According to press reports in Mexico approximately 300 workers on night shift began protesting in response to demands from managers to work extra time after midnight, cancelling the buses that would take the workers home. A dining room and dormitories of managers were damaged during the protests by the workers who were being detained against their will.

Despite company assurances that there would not be any retaliation against the workers, the company dismissed all the workers who were on night shift, claiming that due to a cancelled contract they no longer needed the workforce.

About 70 workers protested the dismissals outside the company on February 25 and warned of strikes if the workers’ rights were not respected.