GERMANY: After a three week strike workers, their union IG Metall and the Works Council at Automotive Lighting in Reutlingen, Germany secured 130 jobs.

The strike began on January 26 in response to a management decision on November 27, 2009 to relocate production to other sites.

Initially the management refused to negotiate on this issue, but under pressure from the strike action they changed their position and the conflict ended successfully.

The key terms of the agreement includes:

• No lay-offs until the end of 2015
• Continued use of one production line
• The creation of a joint working group to elaborate a sustainable concept for the future of the site in Reutlingen
• Agreement to strengthen competence in becoming the leaders in developing future technology in the field of light conductors

IG Metall and the Works Council believe the outcome is very positive for the workers and is the result of the combined efforts of the nearly 100 per cent unionized workforce.

KAZAKHSTAN: On February 27 and 28, 30 activists representing both traditional and newly created independent trade unions and public associations of Kazakhstan participated in a seminar organized by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung foundation and the International Metalworkers’ Federation regional office for the Commonwealth of Independent States. During the seminar participants discussed principles and possible forms of consolidation of labour and the trade union movement.

According to participants the world economic and financial crisis has had a very strong impact on workers in Kazakhstan as the country has became a testing ground for neoliberal experiments with many components of the social protection system removed.

At some enterprises, following liquidation of trade union organizations, the remaining activists decided to form public associations. Some of the participants stated the reason for this action is that such associations are absolutely independent of employers, and unlike trade unions are not obliged to declare their membership. They unite workers at different enterprises and enable them to support each other. In addition, according to the national law "other organizations" have the right to represent the collective interests of labour, if this decision is accepted at a conference or if the necessary quantity of individual powers of attorney is collected. Such practice however undermines traditional position of trade unions regulating labour relations.

Natalia Tomilova, the chairman of the public association called Miners’ family (Karaganda), formed by miners’ widows, told the participants about her organization undertaking trade union functions. Having received powers of attorney from miners who did not trust their existing trade union, she took part in collective negotiations with the employer of the coal division of enterprise Arcelor-Mittal.

The transnational companies (TNCs) coming to Kazakhstan often forget about principles of social dialogue they used to follow in their home countries. For instance participants of the seminar gave the example of the trading service network of the German company MAN where in August 2009 a trade union was formed and Evgeny Singer, the elected trade union leader notified the employer about it. The reaction of the management was fast: the following day the chairman of the union received his first penalty, and on September 1, 2009 the second one. Pressure was put upon all members of the trade union which resulted in four withdrawals from membership bySeptember 2, 2009. The newly formed union organization decided to seek help from the IMF asking it to assist in establishing contacts with their German counterparts.

Ainur Kurmanov, the leader of public association "Talmas", also took part in the seminar. According to his estimations, also supported by many of the participants at the seminar, the financial crisis has resulted in a growing mood of protest in the society, which has included numerous protest actions by deceived shareholders and workers who lost their housing investments.

GERMANY:  About one-third of IG Metall’s local organizations have identified non-manual workers as one of their main lines of action for 2010.  Structural changes in industry require that decisive action be taken to consolidate the union presence among this occupational group. White-collar workers can enhance union work but they also need to be better represented in union structures at all levels. 

Whereas its overall membership has declined, IG Metall was able to strengthen its position among white-collar workers last year and it expects this trend to continue. Non-manual workers, who used to think that their education and qualifications guaranteed them a certain amount of protection, now realize that layoffs and outsourcing affect them in the same way as manual workers. Moreover, the fact that the white-collar workforce has increased in size and importance in many plants means that it now represents a major "cost block" for corporations. The growing uncertainty about jobs, wages and benefits is changing attitudes among white collar workers. During recent conflicts, IG Metall has been able to recruit new members in this occupational group who have experienced in a concrete way the benefits of union membership and solidarity.

Non-manual workers represent a diversified group of employees. Therefore, a tailored approach is needed that takes into account their different interests and expectations. Many IG Metall local organizations have integrated engineers and technical experts in their structures and are developing activities that address issues relevant to them. At the union’s headquarters, there is a special task force that helps to shape IG Metall’s agenda for engineers (see Flyer information for engineers). White-collar workers’ forums have been set up in several places that offer a platform to discuss common issues and participate in policy-making. These forums can be a tool not only to retain members but also to attract new ones.

Today’s students are tomorrow’s qualified workers. In some plants as part of projects with technical schools, IG Metall has been able to win over new students who have become active members. Like other unions in other countries, IG Metall is present in many technical schools and universities in Germany through its offices which provide information and services to students and graduates, and help to raise the union profile. These offices give them the opportunity during their studies to link theory and practice, and to establish contact with enterprises. There is also a magazine dedicated to student members "Schnittstelle" with  background information on studies, science and the world of work. For an overview on the technical schools and Campus offices, click the link: http://www.hochschulinformaionsbuero.de/  and http://www.students-at-work.de/

THE NETHERLANDS: In a time of crisis many workers and their families often have to accept wage freezes or even cuts in order to keep their jobs. Philips workers are no different and were convinced by their directors to agree to some unpopular measures including redundancies.

In the last year Philips cut 5,474 jobs with many workers transferred to other jobs inside and outside the company forcing families to face a gloomy future. The workers agreed to the measures hoping one day the situation would change and the company would invest the economised resources to secure the future of the company and benefit those who create its wealth, providing them with better protected jobs and new opportunities.

Alas, their hopes were in vain as the top managers at Philips decided otherwise, reports the European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF). While announcing unchanged basic salaries for everybody else they preferred to fatten their own wallets. The annual incentive bonus for 2009 paid to the Philips CEO G.J. Kleisterlee reached 962,720 Euros, four times bigger than in 2008, when he got 220,000 Euros paid in addition to his annual salary of 1.1 million Euros. The total cash amount paid to the board of directors grew from 830,720 Euros in 2008 to 3,082,892 Euros in 2009.

The EMF has called on its affiliates to protest against the outrageous behaviour of Philip’s management. See here for details: http://www.emf-fem.org/Press/Press-releases/Outrageous-Bonuses-for-Top-Management-in-Philips

The company annual report can be downloaded on the company web site here: http://www.annualreport2009.philips.com/downloads/pdf/PhilipsAnnualReport2009_FullVersion.pdf

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 116,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide.

During the subregional project meetings and 2004 evaluation of the IMF Copper Project, strong recommendations were made to develop a new project for the mining unions in Latin America. The Planning workshop took place in Mexico in November 2004 with the participation of some 10 IMF affiliates, including Steelworkers of Canada and USA. It is foreseen that special emphasis will be placed upon the setting up of networks and action groups of unions belonging to the same TNCs. A full project for this sector should follow. In April 2006 no follow up proposal has yet been received from LACRO

INDIA: As the importance of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) increases during this crisis of multilateral mechanisms, trade unions must ensure that bilateral agreements do not become a dangerously divisive issue and a cause of weakness for workers, concluded a meeting of the International Metalworkers’ Federation’s Working Party on Trade, Employment and Development (WP).

Meeting in New Delhi, India, on February 10 to 12, 2010, WP members from all regions urged the IMF and its affiliates to further develop joint work and a transparent debate on possible FTA-related conflicts of interests between countries/sectors, with mutual consultation between the concerned unions.

Among various examples, the possible EU/South Korea FTA was seen as a potential step in the right direction, but without real monitoring and implementation tools on workers’ rights. Serious doubts are raised about the potential development benefits and the repercussions on democracy in South Korea with the possible undermining of regulations on transnational companies. In this and other FTAs, the lack of transparency and of consultation of social actors, as well as of adequate assessment of the potential impact on jobs in different industries and countries, especially in labour intensive sectors, were identified as major risks that require much stronger trade union commitment.

At a round table with the Indian Joint Secretary of Commerce, the trade policy of India was discussed from a labour perspective and concerns were raised about the loss of good jobs while trade generated employment, mostly under Export Processing Zones’ poor conditions, can hardly promote sustainable development.

The WP unanimously rejected the possible ratification by the European Parliament of an EU/Colombia FTA as unacceptable on the grounds of the tragic Colombian record on human and trade union rights.

A joint seminar of the IMF and the International Textile, Garment & Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) followed the WP meeting, with the participation of the leadership of Indian unions that organize workers in the metal and textile sectors. The impacts of trade liberalization and investments on jobs, development and workers’ rights in India were analysed. Recommendations were agreed upon for closer systematic collaboration between the Indian affiliates of the two Global Union Federationss and with Non-Governmental Organizations to jointly voice the workers’ concerns on India’s trade policy.

Copies of all the presentations made by participants at the meeting of the WP are posted in the right hand column of the page on the IMF website here.

COLOMBIA/GLOBAL: A delegation of the International Metalworkers’ Federation, composed of Tenaris delegates and union representatives, will travel to Colombia to offer solidarity support to the workers and their union at the Tenaris facility in Cartegena, Colombia from February  26 to March 2, 2010.

The Tenaris Workers’ World Council decided at its meeting in Bergamo, Italy in September 2009 to take this action after hearing a report from Jairo del Rio, the President of SINTRATUCAR a new company level trade union formed in Colombia.

At the September meeting, Rio reported on the difficult situation the workers face with company management at the Cartegena plant and the many death threats received by the SINTRATUCAR union board members.

To express active solidarity with the Colombian workers and the union at the Tenaris plant in Cartegena, the delegation will participate in a march called by trade unions in all the big cities in Colombia on February 26, meet with the trade union SINTRATUCAR and seek to present to the local Tenaris management their reasons for their visit.

The delegation includes union and workers’ representatives of Tenaris plants in Canada, Argentina, Brazil and Italy and a representative of the IMF from the Latin America and the Caribbean region.

USA: The International Metalworkers’ Federation joined leaders of mining and maritime unions representing workers in Canada, United States, Australia and South Africa on February 16 and 17 to examine ways to strengthen efforts and coordination to take on transnational corporations attacking fundamental workers’ rights globally.

The strategic alliance, organized by the Mining and Maritime Initiative, committed to working together to counter massive violations of workers’ rights at mining giants Grupo Mexico, Vale and Rio Tinto where all three global union federations, the IMF, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM), have affiliates.

Grupo Mexico’s violent war on workers is a long-standing one. The Mexican government has allied itself with Grupo Mexico in a more than four-year campaign of repression and abuses of power to eliminate the National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union of Mexico (SNTMMSRM). The SNTMMSRM, which is that country’s strongest independent union, is an IMF and ICEM affiliate and its leader, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia sits on the IMF Executive Committee. See more here.

In September, IMF and ICEM with the help of ITF launched a global effort to highlight rights abuses at Brazilian-owned Vale worldwide, and show solidarity for 3,500 members of the United Steelworkers (USW) in Canada who have been on strike since July 13 after workers refused to agree to a drastic reduction in conditions and increased job insecurity. See more here.

The meeting took place in Palmdale, California, near a Rio Tinto borax mine and plant where some 600 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) have been locked out by the company in an attempt to force workers to accept an extremely concessionary contract that includes:

• The conversion of full-time jobs to part-time jobs when deemed necessary by management
• Authority to reduce employee pay, when company deems necessary, regardless of contract wage rates and without any right of the worker to file a grievance
• If Rio Tinto violates any state or federal labour laws, workers would be required to pay for the company’s legal penalties, fines, damages and attorney fees

Meeting delegates marched with locked-out Rio Tinto workers to the plant gates demanding that the company "Let us Work!" and vowing global solidarity until justice and fair treatment is won for all Rio Tinto workers worldwide.

See Mining and Maritime statement here.

EUROPE: More than 1,000 Bosch workers in seven countries at 30 production sites participated in a European action day on February 22, 2010 to defend their jobs.

The action, coordinated by the European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) and the European works council from Bosch was in response to the closure of the Cardiff plant in the UK producing starters and generators where 900 workers are laid off in a structurally weakened region.

The metalworkers called for a coherent and consistent industrial policy and for socially responsible actions from Bosch.

Together with the European Works Council of Bosch, the EMF considers that 15 plant closures in Europe alone over the past 24 months have already caused hardship for thousands of workers.

Around a common slogan, "Enough is enough! Bosch workers in Europe defend their jobs", the workers took actions ranging from worker information sessions, to flyer drops and solidarity letter writing in Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands.

After plant closures the workers and their unions have vowed to make their fight visible and no longer just accept bargaining for severance packages.

For addition information go to: http://www.emf-fem.org/Press/Press-releases/European-action-day-at-Bosch-Europe  or http://www.bosch.igm.de/

GERMANY: IMF affiliate IG Metall and the employers’ federation Gesamtmetall reached a pilot agreement for the metal and electronics/electrical sector in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany on February 18, 2010.

The new collective agreement, called "future in work", includes a joint call on the German government to extend provisions adopted in response to the financial crisis beyond the end of this year for workers already on short-time work. Workers in these plants get a 12 month job guarantee and have the possibility to reduce the normal weekly working time of 35 hours to 28 hours with a partial compensation in terms of wages.

The new agreement saves thousands of jobs in the metal and electronics/electrical sector. In addition there is a joint call from the union and employers’ association on the German government to continue subsidising the provisions for job security.

The agreement provides a lump-sum payment for the period of May 2010 to March 2011 of 320 euros per worker (apprentices 120 euros), which will be paid out in two payments on May 1 and December 1, 2010.

A 2.7 per cent wage increase will take effect for April 2011 to March 2012, with Works Councils given the mandate to negotiate that sum within two months prior or two months after that date.

The content of the pilot agreement reached in North Rhine-Westphalia has already been agreed between IG Metall and employers in the region of Baden-Württemberg and it is expected to reach a similar conclusion in other regions.

IG Metall President Berthold Huber termed the job protection provisions of the agreement, "a good result in securing jobs in the biggest economic crisis in 80 years." He added that the government must now do its part to supplement the agreement with extended social insurance benefits.