Atle Høie: Welcome to Global Worker (#2 2022)

GS corner

From Global Worker No 2 November 2022

Welcome: from general secretary Atle Høie

If we push for a Just Transition, we will have a Just Transition. This issue’s Report focuses on how the energy crisis may provide unions with an opportunity to achieve a Just Transition sooner.

The debate on human rights due diligence is gaining momentum on both national and international levels. The shocking rise in rights violations makes mandatory due diligence a top priority for trade unions. The Special report focuses on how workers’ rights along the supply chain are safeguarded.

The world is changing, and the Union profile on Los Mineros in Mexico shows tells of as the union celebrates its 88th anniversary, labour law reform is being phased in across the country, slowly changing the so-called employer protection contracts.   

In the Interview, Swasthika Arulingam, president of CIWU in Sri Lanka, talks of the importance of young, women leaders in unions and the challenges she faces in her role. She also talks of the current economic crisis in her country, which is diluting labour laws, eliminating social protection, paying starvation wages, and busting unions, and how the unions are fighting back. 

It's been more than nine months since Russia invaded Ukraine. In the Union profile, you can read about howthe Nuclear Power and Industry Workers of Ukraine works to maintain union activities for members during the war, in a shrinking space as their members are losing their jobs. 

We are nearly at the end of 2022.  A lot of important and good work has been done during the year in every corner of the world. As trade unions, we must continue standing up for our members and guide them through a Just Transition, along the supply chains and relentlessly promoting global solidarity. But first you will hopefully be able to enjoy some time with your loved ones. I wish you a wonderful end of 2022.

Difficult circumstances – IndustriALL meets with family of unfairly jailed unionist in Madagascar

Sento is 25 years old and had been working at E-Toile S.A for six years when he was sentenced to jail over reporting on union elections, the poor food quality at the company, as well as workers’ rights to holidays and sick leave. His union, SVS, says Sento is a wrongly and unjustly imprisoned shop steward, whose rights to freedom of opinion, expression and association have been seriously violated.

Sento’s parents-in-law told IndustriALL about how they have had to indebt themselves to be able to hire a lawyer. Despite regular visits to the court, this has yet to result in any positive news on Sento’s urgently awaited release. The family describes his time in prison as very difficult, with Sento feeling deceived and disappointed.  

 

The family, including his children 3-year-old Alvin and 12-month-old Aticia, try to visit Sento in prison once a week, bringing much needed food. According to an overview of the world’s toughest prisons, the Antanimora prison, a correction facility with a horrible reputation has been found to provide only one meal per day of only boiled cassava, leading to chronic malnutrition for many prisoners.

During IndustriALL’s visit to Sento’s family. SVS handed over a food package to the family to alleviate some of the difficulties.

The day before the meeting with the family, SVS and IndustriALL tried to see Sento’s wife, who has been working at the same company for five years. However, the company informed that she could not come out during lunch time as she was busy.

SVS has appealed to the Ministry of Labour and the Prime Minister in Madagascar, reporting a clear violation of ILO Conventions 87 and 98. Many other organisations, including IndustriALL, ITUC and ITUC Africa and the ILO have approached the Malagasy government for Sento Chang’s unconditional release, so far without success.

Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary says:

“We are appalled by this conviction and jailing of a trade unionist for reporting to co-workers about discussions at a meeting with management. This is unacceptable, and we would like to remind E-Toile management and the government of Madagascar that they must respect national and international labour standards on freedom of association and trade union rights. The employer and the government should engage in social dialogue with trade unions instead of intimidating workers with trumped up charges and imprisonment.”

New ILO agreement on the future of work in the oil and gas sector

Late on Friday, 2 December, negotiations between representatives of workers, governments and employers concluded in an agreement on the future of work in the oil and gas sector after a week-long technical meeting at the ILO headquarters in Geneva.

Meetings of this kind provide guidance on how to address issues in a sector. They are particularly important as new sectors arise, or existing sectors face major changes due to the twin transitions of climate and technology. Oil and gas, as a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, will be very heavily impacted by the need to decarbonize. For unions, it is essential that this happens in a planned and structured way, so that new jobs can be created before old jobs disappear.

The union delegation were experts from the oil and gas sector, democratically elected to represent unions from the USA, Brazil, Colombia, Nigeria, Iraq, Norway, Australia and Indonesia. They were supported by the ITUC, IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll European Union. 

The ILO office developed a report that served as a basis for discussion. At the beginning of the week, questions about challenges, opportunities, good practice and demands were raised. The negotiators presented their points of view and main demands. Based on these inputs, the ILO office drafted the first text, and the parties negotiated amendments over the course of the week.

For the workers’ representatives, the key demands were:

The union delegation was unsatisfied with both the process of the meeting and the outcome. An opportunity to address many pressing issues was missed, particularly the problem of outsourced workers. This was due to a lack of commitment by the employers. None of the major companies in the sector attended the meeting, and the employers’ chief negotiator, from the International Organization of Employers (IOE), had no specific sector experience, since the IOE negotiates agreements in tourism, education, agriculture, transport and energy and other sectors. 

Because the outcomes were not as prescriptive as unions had hoped, the possibility of developing a sector-specific just transition guide will be raised after the ILO governing body meeting next summer. 

IndustriALL energy and just transition director Diana Junquera Curiel said:

“When it comes to just transition in this industry, the concerns of workers include the financing of the transition, social protection and the quality and number of decent jobs that will be available. If the transition doesn’t happen through social dialogue, with social protection, collective bargaining and inclusiveness, the future will be unsustainable for all.”

In a closing statement, the chair of the workers’ group, Mike Smith of the USW, said:

 “We are pleased to have reached agreement on this document after a week of robust negotiation. We trust that the conclusions will be a step in the long road to a just transition in the oil and gas industry, with the maintenance of a healthy and productive industry that facilitates the creation of decent work to replace any jobs lost with jobs of equivalent or better value.

“We regret that no reference is made to outsourced workers in this document. It is a great concern to us that outsourcing is prevalent in the oil and gas sector, that this practice undermines conditions, and that outsourced workers lack an institutional voice to address their concerns. 

“We will continue to work to ensure that all those working in the oil and gas industry, whether direct or outsourced workers, enjoy freedom of association, health and safety at work, and good working conditions won through collective bargaining agreements.”

International Safety Accord that made history in Bangladesh expands to Pakistan

See below the statement from IndustriALL and UNI:

“We have managed to successfully expand the Accord to a second country. Pakistani garment workers will now face a safer future in their workplaces – preventable deaths and accidents will rapidly decrease as the programme is implemented, workers will receive training on occupational health and safety, which will empower them and hopefully they will see the benefit of joining a trade union to fight collectively for their rights,”

says Atle Høie, General Secretary, IndustriALL Global Union.

“It has long been our goal to expand the successful model established in Bangladesh to other countries. With the Pakistan Accord, we will improve safety and save lives and increase our reach from the garment sector to home textiles and accessories. International retailers and brands that source from Pakistan that want to be committed to safety should sign up and take responsibility for the workers in their supply chains,”

says UNI Global Union General Secretary, Christy Hoffman.

Signatories to the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry are establishing a comprehensive workplace health and safety program in Pakistan covering signatories' garment and textile suppliers. The new Pakistan Accord on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry is a legally binding agreement between global unions, IndustriALL and UNI Global Union, and garment brands and retailers for an interim term of three years starting in 2023.

Building on widespread safety improvements in Bangladesh, the Pakistan Accord includes all key International Accord features: independent safety inspections to address identified fire, electrical, structural and boiler hazards, monitoring and supporting remediation, Safety Committee training and worker safety awareness program, an independent complaints mechanism, a commitment to broad transparency, and local capacity-building to enhance a culture of health and safety in the industry.

“I am pleased to see the International Accord signatories reach agreement to establish a workplace safety program covering the signatories’ garment and textile suppliers in Pakistan. We are committed to working closely with Pakistani stakeholders to ensure our collective efforts are beneficial to the industry and its workers,”

says Joris Oldenziel, Executive Director, International Accord Foundation.

The successful experience in Bangladesh prompted the signatories to expand the workplace safety program to at least one other textile and garment producing country. Through signatory surveys, extensive research, and local stakeholder consultations, the Accord Secretariat assessed the feasibility of expanding based on key factors. Pakistan emerged as a priority country, in part because of its importance as a garment and textile sourcing country for the Accord brands.

The International Accord has undertaken extensive engagement in Pakistan with federal ministries and provincial governments, industry associations, suppliers, trade unions and civil society organisations. The Pakistan Accord programs will be implemented in phases, in close collaboration with these key stakeholders and through the establishment of a national governance body.

The Pakistan Accord covers Cut-Make-Trim (CMT) facilities, namely Ready-Made Garment (RMG), home textile, fabric and knit accessories suppliers (including vertically integrated facilities). Fabric mills within the supply chains of the signatories are also covered, with implementation scheduled for a later stage in the program. The program aims to incrementally cover more than 500 factories producing for more than 100 Accord signatory companies throughout the Sindh and Punjab provinces, where most of Pakistan’s $20 billion in garment and textile exports are manufactured annually.

The decision to expand to Pakistan was announced during a signatory brand caucus meeting held on 14 December 2022. Brands will receive an information package on the Pakistan Accord and will be invited to sign from 16 January 2023.

Background

The International Accord, devised by global unions together with international garment brands after the Rana Plaza industrial homicide in 2013, has been instrumental in making Bangladesh’s garment and textile industry safer. Nine years and thousands of factory inspections later, close to 200,000 potentially deadly traps in 1,600 factories have been fixed.

Photo: Garment workers in Pakistan © ILO

Pakistan’s mines have killed at least 150 workers this year

According to data compiled by IndustriALL Global Union, unsafe mining in Pakistan has claimed the lives of more than 150 workers and injured more than 20 others this year alone.

Most accidents are caused by mine collapses, gas leaks, and flooding. Mining continued throughout the disastrous rains that struck the country earlier this year, killing numerous worekrs. Unregistered mines and unregulated work further add to the hazardous working environment.

Miners work in dangerous conditions that lack proper warning systems to alert workers of gas leaks or flooding. With only a dim light affixed to their helmets, miners are forced to work in almost complete darkness. Effective supervision is also lacking at mining sites, and workers receive little to no training on safety precautions to take in an emergency. And as there is no proper attendance register, it is unclear how many workers are present in the mine when accidents occur.

The law requires one doctor and an ambulance at each mining site, but this is not implemented, and several deaths occur on the way to hospitals. In case of death or serious injuries, workers’ families do not receive adequate compensation.

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL south Asia regional secretary, says:

“Neither the employers nor the government are enforcing adequate safety measures at mining sites. Most of the time, miners are dying in accidents that can be prevented by regulation.”

While safety mechanisms are not being enforced at the workplace, occupational diseases are neglected even further. Silicosis, lung fibrosis, lung cancer, asbestosis, mesothelioma, and other debilitating diseases frequently result in death or permanent disability.

It is challenging for workers to access healthcare because of their extremely low wages and lack of social protection. Employers take no responsibility to provide care and treatment to these workers.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, says:

“The Pakistani government must ratify ILO C176 immediately and fulfil its responsibility towards providing workers engaged in mining with a safer workplace. The government must effectively implement the safety to protect miners’ lives.”

NXP Thailand must reinstate sacked workers

The NXP Manufacturing Workers' Union’s congress in October 2019 passed a resolution assigning a representative to act on the company’s failure to respect the collective agreement. In August 2020, the union filed a lawsuit over NXP’s non-compliance with the collective agreement at the central labour court.

In February this year, the union’s case was dismissed and the court ruled that the union did not have the right to sue.  

Focusing on improving the relationship with the employer, the union decided not to appeal the ruling. In return, NXP accused the union members of having falsified the congress minutes, a serious violation of company regulations, and dismissed 13 members of the union committee.  

“NXP Thailand should respect the workers' right to take the dispute to court, a grievance procedure protected under the Labour Relations Act 1975. Since the union had withdrawn the lawsuit with the aim of maintaining a harmonious relationship, the company should act reciprocally,”

says Prasit Prasopsuk, CILT president.

IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie sent a letter to NXP in October, calling on the company to immediately reinstate the 13 union leaders with back pay and seniority.  

“Industrial harmony is only possible when employers are willing to negotiate in good faith. This trade dispute could have been prevented if NXPThailand had respected the collective agreement.” 

In November, participants at the NXP South East regional network participants expressed full solidarity with their colleagues in Thailand. The network members will address the Thai management and urge them to find a fair solution of the conflict, including reinstatement of the dismissed activists.

NXP Semiconductors is headquartered in Netherland with over 30 production facilities across the global, and specializes in processors, microcontrollers, interfaces, peripherals and logics. Customers include Apple, Bosch, Denso and Delphi.

Dutch cement workers strike for new agreement

As the time for response to the collective bargaining demands issued by IndustriALL affiliate Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (FNV) to the Heidelberg Materials companies Mebin (concrete mortar plants) and ENCI (cement plant) expired in November, the union warned of potential strike.
 
Among the union demands are automatic price compensation, travel expenses scheme, as well as changes to the pension scheme. Mebin has introduced a pension scheme that would result in higher contributions from workers, while reducing those of the employer. 
 
Employers did not make it clear why they rejected the demands; Heidelberg Materials is still turning profits in the current economic situation and providing generous dividends to their shareholders.

FNV construction & housing director Margreet Pasman says: 

“It is incomprehensible that employer at Mebin are is really pushing us to industrial actions and strikes. Their final offer was so bad that we were out of negotiations and had to issue an ultimatum.”

Earlier this month, union members at ENCI agreed to a bid from the employer, while members at the Mebin plant voted strongly against and launched their first strike on 6 December at the Mebin mortar plants in A’dam, Hoorn en Alkmaar. 
   
IndustriALL cement director Alex Ivanou says:

"It is unfortunate that ENCI and Mebin employer is are reluctant to negotiate in good faith. In Heidelberg Materials code of conduct the Group committs to honest and fair interaction with employees’ representatives, but this is neither honest nor fair attitude of the company. ENCI and Mebin management must return to the negotiating table and negotiate a collective agreement that provides a fair and just solution to the FNV demands.”

Heidelberg Materials produces and sells cement and mortar for the Netherlands’ construction industry. In total, its subsidiaries Mebin and ENCI employ 700 people in the Netherlands.
 
 

Unions must be part of LGBTQI+ dialogue

“We have a lot of work to do to make sure that workers feel safe in their workplaces, in their communities and in their unions.”

said James Cavoluzzo from PSI and Global Unions LGBTI+ project coordinator.

National union representatives expressed that so many unions are working hard to ensure that they are developing workplace policies inclusive of LGBTI+ rights in the aim to build a more inclusive movement.

“But how do we connect this work to the work on global level? How do we create networks to share the good practices and valuable tools and resources?”

Unions globally are at very different stages when it comes to including and protecting LGBTQI+ workers and advancing their rights. The main objective of this roundtable was to take stock of the work done and to set a strategic plan. Working with allies and connecting union LGBTQI+ activists with one another is going to be valuable in amplifying workers voices on these issues. Global Unions present were keen to facilitate this.

“It matters that unions support LGBTQI+ communities. Why? Because their issues matter, and while some union members are not from the community, their kids or grandkids are, and they want to see their union take it seriously.

An injury to one is an injury to all,”

said Michele Kessler from the UFCW in Canada.

Nthabi Maine ,“Chris”,  from, IndustriALL affiliate, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) shared her experience of coming out as gay in her union. She described the types of discrimination that she experienced as she moved up in her union role. For Chris, speaking to people about who she is and educating them on her sexuality was key. Her experience led to LGBTQI+ rights at work being taken more seriously by her union and more importantly it led to more union members feeling safe to come out in their workplaces and in their communities.

Intersectionality and decolonization are terms used frequently today when we speak discrimination. A session led by the South Feminist Futures group explained the concepts and clarified how it can be an essential tool for trade union work on social justice. 

When addressing LGBTI+ discrimination, Intersectionality is a crucial and essential tool, which help to see and understandthe multiple and overlapping structures of oppression that impact people. Coloniality is the continuation of western imperialism even after the end of political colonialization it is the imposing of Eurocentric thinking values and control over key aspects of life. It’s more, imposition of racial and gender classification of the global population is in fact the corner stone of that model of power.

“Trade unions have an important role to play in building an inclusive world free from discrimination and intolerance. In the trade union struggle for social justice, intersectionality reminds us that there are inequalities within inequality and oppressions within oppression,”

said Nancy Kachingwe from South Feminist Futures.

Understanding the complexity of societies and how social inequalities are historically constructed is key if trade unions are to be representative of their members and potential members. Understanding how different forms of discrimination work together to oppress and perpetuate social inequalities in society and the workplace is an important tool for trade unions to contribute in building an inclusive world free from discrimination and intolerance  on national and international level. 

“We face serious pushback when it comes to the promotion of gender equality and LGBTQI+ communities’ rights worldwide, unions must play a role in resisting to the progression of discrimination and hate speech.

Our organisations should be agents of change and promote inclusion.  IndustriALL understands that to be inclusive we must practice lifelong learning. We need to learn about the types of discrimination that our members face 

Listening to trade unionist stories about their journey to be themselves within their families and their movement is inspiring. 

Discrimination due to sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, is unacceptable. IndustriALL must act and take a leading role in promoting LGBTQI+ rights in its sectors. 

We will continue our work with our affiliates and with GUFs to strengthen our fight against all forms of discrimination” 

said Armelle Seby, IndustriALL gender director.

The organisation of online global unions joint meetings/trainings and webinars on LGBTQI+ rights, increased engagement of, exchange with, affiliates in the work on LGBTQI+ communities, and development of a manual on best practices, are among the actions that have been identified under the project for 2023. 

Background:

GUFs representing workers throughout all sectors formed this working group in 2018, following a CGU decision to exchange, build on good practices and strengthen existing networks, cooperation and visibility of TU initiatives on LGBTI+ workers’ rights. With the aim of educating on LGBTI+, building structures, and strengthening existing structures. 

This website shares the global union work in promoting LGBTI+ rights at work at national, regional and international levels. On the website, affiliated unions can share their work onpromoting LGBTI rights at work across the world. The website also provides a dedicated space (forum) where trade union members all over the world can discuss LGBTI issues, and what they and their unions are doing to build a more tolerant and discrimination-free world.

IndustriALL stands in solidarity with working people in Sri Lanka

Food inflation has been at an all-time high and there has been an 80 per cent increase in the prices of imported goods. This, along with the devaluation of the Sri Lankan currency, has been devastating for the working people.

Swasthika Arulingam, president of the Commercial and Industrial Workers Union (CIWU), says:

“While food prices have skyrocketed, wages have seen a sharp decline. Workers are unable to afford even two meals a day. Malnutrition has become a serious cause of concern in the country. There are reports of children fainting in schools due to insufficient food intake.”

Ahilan Kadirgamar, a senior lecturer at the University of Jaffna, said that the economic crisis has been brewing for a long time. The Sri Lankan government’s economic policies since the country opened up its markets are primarily responsible for the current situation. Even during these a difficult times, the government has not shown any intention to change its policies, as reflected in the budget for the upcoming year. There is no attempt to address the food crisis or provide any relief to the country’s working people.

Earlier this year, peaceful protests over the food and fuel crises were suppressed by the government using military force. Democratic and trade union rights are under severe attack in Sri Lanka.

Akira Takakura, IndustriALL vice president, said:

“Workers’ rights are under threat in Sri Lanka. Employers are taking advantage of the economic crisis to undermine trade union rights. We stand in solidarity with our affiliates in Sri Lanka who are at the forefront of the struggle to protect workers’ rights.”

IndustriALL affiliates said that the government has refused to engage with unions on labour-related issues. Despite the unions’ repeated requests to the government to convene the meeting of the National Labour Advisory Council, it has yet to happen.

Anton Marcus, general secretary of IndustriALL affiliate Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union, said:

“Workers and unions are putting up a strong fight. The country needs a union-led social movement bringing together all working people. We have to stand united if we want to safeguard our democratic and trade union rights.”

Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary, said:

“Workers have seen many hardships since the start of the crisis. IndustriALL firmly stands with unions and workers in Sri Lanka in these difficult times. We call on the Sri Lankan government to immediately look into the unions’ demands.”



 

Top photo: Demonstration against the cost of living crisis earlier this year. 

Myanmar military arson attack leaves garment workers homeless

The workers are employed in garment and textile factories in the region, and they say that the military destroyed the houses following a list of people involved in the civil disobedience movement.

NGO Data for Myanmar reported in August that as many as 28,434 civilian houses had been burned down by the military. Sagaing region is the most affected region.

News website The Irrawaddy cited a source from the Civil Defence and Security Organization that there was no clash between the resistance movement and the military in the villages. The purpose of the arson attack is to cut off the villages' support to the resistance movement.

“I believe more IWFM members' houses could be burned as we have about 900 members from two textile factories in those areas. IWFM calls on the international community to stop feeding the military with business profits, workers are suffering, and their lives are at stake under the military regime,”

says Khaing Zar, IWFM president.

“The merciless arson attacks again show that it is just not possible to do business ethically in Myanmar. The multinational companies still operating in the country should accelerate their divestment and make a responsible exit from Myanmar,”

says IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie.
 
In September, Ethical Trading Initiative published a report that it is impossible to conduct responsible business in Myanmar. IndustriALL is engaging garment brands on a responsible exit from Myanmar.

Photo credit: Nway Oo Naing