The right to strike protects workers

In 2015 the International Labour Organization (ILO) employers’ groups and certain governments challenged ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association, which is ratified by 153 countries, and up-holds the right to strike. Unions around the world protested to protect this fundamental right. 

Even with this convention, the right to strike is still under threat around the world. 

In the UK, the government is bidding to drive laws which restrict strikes for rightful pay demands, despite British workers’ declining wages. The new anti-strike legislation led by, Conservative Party Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, is set to enforce minimum service levels during strikes. 

These laws will be enforced in key public sectors like the National Health Services (NHS) and education. Employers in these sectors will be able to sue unions and dismiss employees if minimum service levels are not met. British unions have called this new strike law, a full-frontal attack on workers’ rights and trade unions. Unions have made it clear that they will defend workers despite the new schemes from government. 

In Zimbabwe ILO conventions 87 and 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining are ratified, yet government passed two laws violating the conventions. 

Among the two laws passed, the Health Services Amendment Act, states that strikes in the public health sector cannot go beyond 72 hours. If unions don’t adhere to this, organizers will be fined and sentenced to three years in prison. Furthermore, the Criminal Law amendment bill will make it legal to arrest and prosecute people for wilfully injuring the state sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe. Unions in Zimbabwe are urging government to amend or cancel the laws. 

In Turkey, a company used a government decree referring to ‘national security’ as a strategy to restrict a strike. Workers and trade unions rejected this and eventually received an increase in wages.  

The right to strike is fundamental and often the last resort for workers. In a capitalist system, withholding labour, is a crucial negotiating tool during the bargaining process, its main objective is to change the balance of power between workers and the employer. 

If the right to strike is removed, governments could ban industrial action. Most strikes are for increased pay and better working conditions, if the right to strike is removed, corporations would make bigger profits and working conditions will worsen. 

IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie says

“industrial action is one of the most important tools that workers and trade unions have which can be used to improve workers’ wages and working conditions. Calling a strike is a hard call, but it is an essential tool if negotiations are leading nowhere.  If this right is reduced workers will be left with very little room for manoeuvre and all talk of democracy will be empty words. We must continue to protect workers and their right to strike.”

Union negotiation wins benefits for mothers

These workers were organized by FSP KEP under their general industry sector. IndustriALL and Union-to-Union provided them with union building training, which allowed them to include the lactation room in the latest collective agreement.

“We thank IndustriALL, Mondiaal FNV and Union-to-Union project training and campaign activities. We were able to develop our demands and negotiate with employers for improved facilities at the workplace especially for women,”

says, Mbajeng Hersan Utami, president of Garudafood Putra Putri Jaya union.

The union building project works with IndustriALL affiliates in Indonesia from different industry sectors, to strengthen and improve collective bargaining and social dialogue. The training focuses on safety and health, maternity protection, trade union rights and others. 

“These project activities have developed a basic understanding on union rights and interests at the workplace. It assists in negotiations and implementation of the collective bargaining agreement by using international labour standards and good labour law as tools for better workplaces.”

says Indah Saptorini, IndustriALL Indonesia project coordinator.

“This is a great achievement that the union was able to obtain by tirelessly negotiating with the company and gathering support of its members. I would like to express our gratitude to Union-to-Union and FNV who supported the project. We hope that the project activities continue to achieve great results not only in Indonesia, but also in other affiliates in other countries,”

said Shinya Iwai, IndustriALL regional secretary for South East Asia.

In November, last year, the Indonesian Ministry of Health awarded Garudafood for its contribution in overcoming the health crisis and strengthening health services by promoting women’s reproductive health.

Global Reporting Initiative draft sector standard for mining released for comment

The release of its draft sector standard for mining for public comment is an important milestone. IndustriALL was involved in the development of the sector specific mining standard as part of the working group.

The draft sector standard for mining was released on 7 February, coinciding with the Investment in Africa Mining Indaba and the Alternative Mining Indaba, in Cape Town, South Africa. There was a workshop on the draft sector standard at the Alternative Mining Indaba, an important forum for collecting feedback on the standard’s contents to kickstart the public comment period, which ends 30 April. 
 

“We welcome the release but are aware that the increasing number of reporting standards risk having an unintended consequence of fatigue reporting burden. To the extent that the reporting of impacts will be transparent and mitigation effective, it will require the involvement and participation of workers and communities, to whom mining companies are ultimately accountable to,” 

says, Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL mining director and OHS lead. 

The draft standard is comprehensive with content topics covering the whole environmental, social and governance spectrum with workers’ issues ranging from tailings, closure and rehabilitation, employment practices, critical incident management, occupational health and safety, child labour, forced and modern slavery, freedom of association and collective bargaining, non-discrimination and equal opportunity and for communities’ issues such as rights of indigenous communities, security practices, local communities, water and sewages, waste, land and resource rights and artisanal and small-scale mining which is an issue also of interest to trade unions.
 
Although the GRI standard is an important addition to existing voluntary mining standards, it is not a performance standard that will require third party independent audits like the initiative for responsible mining and assurance (IRMA). This will require workers, trade unions and communities to step up and hold mining companies accountable, by using the GRI sector report for mining-by-mining companies and comparing against their actual reality, particularly at this critical moment of the demand for low carbon transition minerals required to mitigate climate change. 
 
Glen Mpufane says, 

“The mining standard is an additional resource to call out the greenwashing by mining companies. We urge our affiliates in the mining sector to get involved and comment on the exposure draft during the comment period that closes on 30 April which has an online comment form.”

Nine workers injured at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant

Workers were clearing a track to move the slag pot when the accident occurred. Three workers suffered serious burn injuries, one of who is in critical condition. This incident happened at the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), an entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. 

According to Indian National Steel, Metal, Metalmines and Engineering Employees’ Federation (INMMS&EEF) and Steel, Metal & Engineering Workers' Federation of India (SMEFI), IndustriALL affiliates, the accident was caused due to management’s negligence in ensuring adequate safety mechanisms at the plant. They have also submitted a letter to the management demanding that they invest in the proper training for workers, including contract workers. They must also appoint members from every department to the safety committee. 

Additionally, the steel plant's general hospital lacks the resources necessary to handle such severe injuries.

Rajshekar Mantri, working president of INMMS&EEF, says:

“Visakha Steel General Hospital must be upgraded with necessary resources to prevent the severity of accident-related injuries. Instead of referring workers to super-speciality hospitals, the burn ward should have had adequate facilities to provide treatment beyond first-aid in such an emergency.”

The Indian government is set to privatise the steel plant in the near future. IndustriALL affiliates have voiced concerns regarding this and even staged protest action last year, where they handed management a memorandum opposing the privatisation of this profitable state-owned plant.

Apoorva Kaiwar, South Asia regional secretary of IndustriALL, says:

“Occupational health and safety is the fundament right of workers but in India, workplace safety continues to be undermined. RINL management must ensure that proper safety mechanisms are put in place so that workers’ lives are not lost.”

Ukrainian unions set to fight rights’ violations

Representatives from the ILO and the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission for Ukraine (HRMMU) presented on major rights’ violations, how to detect and report them, and how to use the tools. 
 
IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan, said:

“We are here to discuss human and labour rights violations and receive insights on how they have been committed, and also to strategize the way forward in a way to support and assist our brothers and sisters in Ukraine.”

Ukrainian affiliates reported how the war has caused job losses and destroyed industries. Participants heard about forced labour (e.g. in the nuclear sector), hazardous health and safety standards in mines, and the difficulties of union membership in occupied areas. Keeping track of membership or engaging in social dialogue is reported to be a challenge.  

Natalie Levytska of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine, NPGU, says:

“Mines have been destroyed and thousands of workers have lost their jobs. We need to think about rebuilding and protecting workers’ rights.”

“I commend you on your internal solidarity among the unions in Ukraine, throughout the war you have stood together to fight for workers, we know that you are often in meetings while shelling is happening, yet you continued with the work. We will help you as much as we can, we know you will prevail as an independent nation and create a just environment for your people,” 

said Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary. 

The ILO presented on workers’ rights violations and how to detect them. The importance of reports was provided to the session. ILO conventions are very clear, if any items are contradicted, it is a violation. Reports can be used to file action against perpetrators, and they serve as evidence when addressing violations. 
 
IndustriAll Europe general secretary, Luc Triangle, welcomed the affiliates to industriAll Europe and Ukraine's application to the EU as a future Member State. He pledged that industriAll Europe would do all it could to support the EU process, but also to contribute to the fight against the rollback of Ukrainian labour legislation, including by raising the issue with EU institutions.
 

“We and all European workers have the highest respect for the Ukrainian people. You are fighting for our shared democratic and human values. We stand with you and will support you together with IndustriALL Global Union. In the coming months, the Ukrainian affiliates will be integrated into our European trade union work. This will bring us even closer together,”

said Luc

The UN Human Rights Mission works on developing reports on human rights violations. Reports are developed through confidential interviews with victims or witnesses. Trade unions can be a huge assistance to the development of such reports, by having members share their experiences. 

The next steps, in the joint work of IndustriALL Global and industriAll Europe with Ukrainian affliliates, will include raising awareness of the violations, how to report them and how to safeguard members’ rights.

Union solidarity leads to significant pay rise

Negotiations leading up the agreement have been marked by protests. When buying the mine from the state, the Chinese company had agreed to leave the existing CBA in place. But instead, the employer introduced a unilateral code of conduct. The union tried several times to negotiate a new agreement, but with no response from the employer, the workers took action and launched protests and strikes.

In December last year, IndustriALL Global Union and IndustriAll Europe sent a letter of support to SSMS, GS RIE Nezavisnost and ISS in their negotiations.

But the union and worker persistence paid off. On 8 February, IndustriALL affiliates SSMS and GS RIE Nezavisnost, signed a CBA with management at the mine, with the full support of all unions present in the workplace, including IndustriALL affiliate Industrial Trade Union of Serbia (ISS).

"The trade unions are satisfied with the agreement reached at the end of the negotiations, after several protests due to the arbitrary adoption of the work regulations that preceded the beginning of the negotiations,"

said Časlav Garić, GS RIE Nezavisnost president.

A central issue in the negotiations was the hourly pay. In the new agreement it has been successfully increased by 15 per cent, from RSD177 (US$1,6) to RSD192 (US$1,7) per hour. Working hours were increased and a payment of 4,000 dinars (US$36) is included in the basic salary.

Says IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan:

“IndustriALL congratulates the workers and the unions at the ZiJin Bor copper mine on this important win. It is a strong demonstration of solidarity and shows yet again, that when we come together, we win.”

The collective agreement was signed in the presence of the Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Policy, Nikola Selakovic.

Call for solidarity with unions in Turkey

In the areas hit by the earthquakes, IndustriALL Global and European Trade Unions affiliates have members in the manufacturing, energy, and mining sectors. We are receiving reports indicating that many unions have members that have been killed, or have lost members of their families.
 
The facilities of some of our affiliated unions in the affected region have been seriously damaged.

“Affiliates from all over the world have reached out asking how they can help. To show our immediate solidarity and support, we encourage you to send solidarity messages to our Turkish sisters and brothers,”

says Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary.

"After the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey, thousands of people need our support. IndustriAll Europe stands with our Turkish comrades in these difficult times and encourages everyone to send solidarity messages and any help possible,"

says industriAll Europe general secretary Luc Triangle.

Those unions who wish to assist financially can contribute to the solidarity fund that we have just set up, see details below.

Bank name: Cler Bank

Bank address: 6-8 Place Longemalle, CH – 1204, Genève, Switzerland

Account holder's name: IndustriALL Global Union

Account holder's address: 54bis, route des Acacias 1227 Carouge Genève, Switzerland

Swift code: BCLRCHBB

Iban code: CH70 0844 0145 2523 1139 0

Bank account number: 145252.311390-0

Currency: Euros

Photo credit: Öz İplik İş

Changing the narrative on poverty in mineral rich African countries

Even where artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is formalized through national laws and policies, implementation remains weak. This has resulted in life threatening working conditions with limited health and safety adherence. The miners do not get value for their minerals and continue to live in poverty while digging for high value minerals.

An IndustriALL Global Union panel at the Mining Indaba on 8 February, Artisanal and small-scale mining and stakeholder convergence of interests to mitigate ESG impacts on miners – policy challenges and approaches to formalization, discussed how formalization can benefit the ASM sector and the role that unions play in organizing the miners.

The DRC, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are some of the countries with the minerals needed for the transition to renewable energy. About ten per cent of the cobalt mined in the DRC is from ASM, counting about 200,000 miners, according to PACT DRC.

“ASM is important for the global mineral supply and local job creation. But natural resources governance must improve. The DRC ranks low on Human Development Index with low life expectancy, poverty, sexual exploitation, human rights violations, modern slavery and debt bondage. A country rich in mineral resources with millions living in poverty is unacceptable,”

said Luc Asosa, programme director, PACT DRC.

“ASM can be a game changer, and this means adopting ILO Recommendation 204 on the transition from informal to formal economy. That would allow the sector to deal with environmental, social issues, human rights, decent work, and other deficits,”

said Abdul-Moomin Gbana, Ghana Mine Workers Union general secretary.
 
Fletcher Mushimbwa, Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) national coordinator, said:

“Although artisanal and small-scale miners are illegal, the union sees them as workers creating employment and livelihoods for communities, thus contributing to local economies. We advocate for formalization and have started building union power by organizing the miners.”

Gender expert Bashiratu Kamal explained that the sector’s many women are invisible.

“Although women are involved in buying and processing the ore, there are no bathrooms and water at mine sites, no contracts or fair wages, no maternity protection, no access to newer technologies, no social protection, or laws to protect women. Formalization can help redress this situation.”

“With over nine million ASM miners supporting 54 million people, this is an important sector for job creation and improvement of livelihoods on the continent. Formalization of the sector will further facilitate the organizing of these workers into unions,”

said Tendai Makanza, IndustriALL regional officer and panel chair.

This, and an earlier panel discussion on beyond climate, puts IndustriALL on the global stage with an influential audience that normally lacks access to real experiences of workers, thus opening spaces for further dialogue and collaboration.  

Uruguayan government officials illegally surveil union president

PIT-CNT issued a statement on 1 February rejecting the illegal surveillance of union leader Marcelo Abdala by the former presidential security chief Alejandro Astesiano.

Uruguayan media have published audio recordings of Alejandro Astesiano confirming that he used surveillance cameras from the Ministry of the Interior to follow Abdala’s route on a public highway after he was involved in a traffic accident in February 2022.

The PIT-CNT executive secretariat says that this “violates individual rights and civil liberties, and calls into question Uruguay’s democratic quality”.

In a statement, it described the incident as “extremely serious”, given that state resources and equipment were used for “spurious ends” and in total conflict with the interests that should guide the actions of government officials.

The executive secretariat is considering the possibility of taking political and/or legal action at national and international level to defend democracy, the Republic and freedoms.

UNTMRA also issued an official statement, expressing solidarity with union leader Abdala:

“We condemn the anti-democratic practices conducted by President Luis Lacalle Pou's government. We emphatically reject such practices, which violate individual rights and civil liberties.”

IndustriALL’s regional secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean, Marino Vani, says:

“We stand in solidarity with our fellow metalworker and Uruguayan trade union leader, Abdala, as well as with the leadership of the unions and the Uruguayan trade union centre. This is an attack on the individual and collective freedoms of workers.

We deplore the fact that politicians and officials of the Uruguayan government use the state apparatus for illegal and anti-democratic practices. We hope this will not be repeated and that those responsible, at every level, will be held accountable.”

IndustriALL panel at mining indaba demands decent work during energy transition

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining, chaired the panel, “A conversation with the unions – beyond climate change, what are the other drivers of the impact in the world of work in the current transition, and trade union proposals for a mitigation pathway”, with presenters from IndustriALL affiliates; Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU), National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), and UASA – the Union.

IndustriALL emphasized the important role that labour plays in sustainable mining and environmental, social and governance strategies. The panels are a culmination of the recognition that unions have gained at the mining indaba through IndustriALL engagement with mining companies and conference organizers to recognize labour as a key stakeholder in the mining industry.
 
Phestus Motshabi, NUMSA shop steward said:

“Workers are deeply concerned about the transition. There are fears that mines will be closed because of decarbonization. We demand a Just Transition that is based on decent work and respect for fundamental rights at work in the International Labour Organization conventions. We want a conversation with mining companies where they are transparent and share their plans and strategies. The plans should cover the whole value chain.”

Tebogo Moepeng, NUM shop steward, added:

“The future of decent jobs is dire because precarious unsustainable jobs are expected to replace permanent jobs. But as unions we will continue to stand for decent, permanent jobs.”

Kitso Phiri, BMWU executive secretary, said social dialogue that includes key stakeholders is important.

“Social dialogue fosters consensus among stakeholders and can be used as a risk mitigation tool. To be effective it needs strong workers’ voices. In Botswana there are gaps in the social dialogue processes as workers voices are missing, especially in the high-level consultative forum at sectoral level where decisions are made. Workers are only participating at enterprise level.”

Towards Sustainable Mining – a global standard for sustainability in the mining sector – was mentioned as one of the tools that can be used to promote social dialogue in Botswana.
 
Melanie Roy, research manager for NUMSA’s economic research and policy unit emphasized:

“Union demands must address the dual nature of jobs – job creation and retraining/reskilling for new jobs. The transitioning of jobs in the automotive, energy, and mining sectors, policy cohesion, equity and diversity should be considered. For example, in the automotive sector, workers must acquire skills to produce electric vehicles.”

Franz Stehling, UASA divisional manager, said resources must be made by government to support retraining of workers for future jobs.

“In the case of South Africa, Just Transition should be discussed in the National Economic Development and Labour Council and resources for reskilling can be drawn from the Sector Education and Training Authorities.”

Glen Mpufane, said:

“Labour market sustainability is important in discussions on where the decent jobs will be created. Today's discussions resonated with the recommendations of the ILO Global Commission on the future of work which must be our reference point when we discuss a Just Transition. The commission’s recommendations respond to technological innovations, environmental and climate change, demographic shifts, global inequalities, and other factors.”

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining

The mining indaba was officially opened by the presidents of South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cyril Ramaphosa and Tshisekedi who emphasized on the importance of minerals to socio-economic development in the two countries and cooperation through trade. The countries have minerals that are used in the manufacture of electric vehicles that include cobalt, lithium, manganese, nickel, and other rare earth metals.