Colombian coal workers discuss the need for a just transition

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL’s global director of mining, told the meeting that unions need to discuss what will happen when coal mines close down in Colombia. He said it is important for workers to be involved in discussions in order to demand a just transition, pointing out that IndustriALL’s new trade union guide for a just transition contains a number of practical recommendations in that regard.

Sintracarbón’s Igor Diaz said that Glencore has already relinquished the mining concessions held by Prodeco, one of its subsidiaries in Colombia, while the concessions held by Cerrejón, another Glencore subsidiary, expire in 2035. He said that Glencore had called for talks on a just transition for Prodeco workers but nothing had happened.

"We were forced to look into diversifying production techniques so that the coal workers still had employment options. The fact is that Glencore has done nothing to ensure a just transition and now 1,200 Prodeco workers no longer have jobs."

Diaz also said that Glencore is required to maintain the Prodeco mine until it is handed over to its new owners. But unfortunately, Glencore is using outsourced workers for this rather than its own employees.
He called on Glencore to sit down with the workers to discuss the closure and ensure that resources are set aside for them to be retrained.
Glencore's business model includes both the extraction and sale of raw materials. Claudia Blanco from Sintracarbón pointed out that Prodeco relinquished the mining concessions but would continue to operate the railway and port, and the union found out that Prodeco is still moving coal by boat:

"The employer representatives then admitted that they were buying coal and exporting it by boat. They confessed that they were hiring other workers to do our work, outsourcing it to people who were not entitled to the benefits secured by the union.

"Almost all unionized workers are in redundancy proceedings. It is not fair that the company wants to evade its responsibilities and refuses to hold a dialogue with the union in order to reach an agreement. Glencore clearly has double standards and is uncompromising in its discourse."

Meeting participants agreed that it was necessary to press ahead with initiatives to retrain and prepare coal workers for a just energy transition. They will continue to work on a proposal for a just transition, based on the experiences of other countries. This will enable them to push for an inclusive dialogue in talks on mine closures.
Participants also said that they would seek a dialogue with the new government to promote policies aimed at creating decent jobs to replace coal jobs and to provide incentives for companies to ensure a just transition and not leave ghost towns behind when they leave.

IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said:

"Colombia is in the process of creating a new society. There are discussions about the future of the economy, and we need to be part of those discussions. The trade union movement must demand a just transition that ensures high-quality jobs for workers.
Coal mining brings many challenges. It causes pollution and drives climate change, but shutting down all coal mines is not the solution. We need to make sure that Glencore is held accountable and demand fairness in the company’s operations.”

Sri Lankan unions continue to fight against crisis

Several political parties, progressive organizations and trade unions took to the streets in Colombo on 2 November demanding that the government stop using the police and armed forces to suppress peaceful protests emerging across the country.

Since the new President Ranil Wickramasinghe was elected, the government has detained university students and arrested protestors under false charges. The police deployed at protest sites regularly use tear gas and water cannons to intimidate protestors.

Last month, trade unions organized a public meeting in Colombo, presenting a 13-point resolution. In it, the unions strongly condemned the government’s anti-people and anti-worker policies.

“We strongly condemn the manner in which the Sri Lankan government is handling the current crisis. Putting protestors behind bars is not the solution. We demand that draconian laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which is used to crush citizen protests, be immediately abolished. The government must engage in a social dialogue with unions and other organizations,”

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

Trade unions, including IndustriALL’s affiliates, have written extensively to the government demanding that the government engage with unions to discuss labour issues and summon the meeting of the National Labour Advisory Council, the tripartite mechanism established as per the Convention 144 of the International Labour Organization.

According to reports, the minister of labour arbitrarily increased the overtime service limit of 60 hours per month for female workers up to 75 hours ,and the limit of ten night shifts per month up to 15 days per month. Employers and the government have used the economic crisis to take steps to curtain the rights and privileges of the workers who are currently living under extremely difficult conditions with skyrocketing inflation and poverty wages.

In their resolution, trade unions put forth the demand that the government provide a monthly economic relief allowance of LKR10,000 (US$27) to all workers, and every two weeks, provides a pack of essential goods to each family generating an income less than LKR 50,000 (US$136) per month, irrespective of their employment status.

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL south Asia regional secretary, says:

“IndustriALL extends solidarity to the working people of Sri Lanka. We call on the Sri Lankan government to seriously consider the demands of trade unions and to take concrete steps towards improving the living conditions of workers in the country. The government should immediately call for a meeting of the NLAC and resume dialogue with trade unions.”

Unions prepare for COP27

IndustriALL has developed a series of building blocks to fight inequality, and a Just Transition is one of them. The purpose of the webinars this week is to share IndustriALL’s position on Just Transition and ensure that demands are clear ahead of COP27. 

“COP27 will focus on finance and implementation, we have to make sure that our workers’ voices are reflected in the Just Transition processes,”

said Kan Matsuzaki, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

The first webinar focused on union demands at COP and the work around the transition, such as the initiative launched by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) , LO Norway and IndustriALL on Just Transition in the energy sector.

Bert De Wel, ITUC policy officer, explained that Just transition is about decent work and quality jobs.

“It is based on social dialogue between workers and their unions, employers, and governments. A plan for Just Transition provides and guarantees better and decent jobs, social protection, more training opportunities, and greater job security for all workers affected by global warming and climate change policies.” 

Link to first webinar:  Just Transition – COP27 and our demands

The second webinar focused on the fight for Just Transition throughout supply chains and in regions.

“What happens in supply chains globally affects all IndustriALL’s unions and workers and is important in the whole scheme of Just Transition,”

said Kemal Ozkan IndustriALL assistant general secretary. 

Today's exploitative business model is unsustainable. Voluntary corporate social responsibility commitments have failed to address abuse and violations, as we see respect for workers' rights in the supply chain decline.

IndustriALL mining director, Glen Mpufane, explained that there is a need for increased supply chain responsibility for companies and governments with accountability, traceability and transparency.

“The green economy fuels new metals and an energy super cycle, where battery production will be one of the fastest growing industrial activities in the years to come. The extraction of raw materials needed like cobalt, lithium, copper and nickel, is often associated with gross human and workers' violations and unacceptable environmental consequences.”

Global unions are calling for a gender transformative and inclusive Just Transition, that will tackle the root causes of inequality. The transition must include decent work for all, formalization of informal work, universal access to social protection and equal pay for equal value.

Link to second webinar: Fight for Just Transition throughout supply chain and in the regions

The last webinar was on Just Transition in the mobility sector – developing cross sector cooperation. The focus was on maritime sectors. "We need to build solidarity among workers and make a plan for a Just Transition,"

says Kan Matsuak,i IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

The requirement to decarbonize shipping by 50 per cent by 2050 will impact the maritime sector, and working together across sectors to ensure just transition for workers is imperative. David Heindel from ITF global union provided an overview on what sustainable shipping is and what is needed for a just transition. “We need strong actions on climate change,” said David.

IndustriALL’s director of shipbuilding and shipbreaking, Walton Pantland, focused on the trends in the sector and what this will mean for workers.

“Shipbreaking is an essential part of the circular economy – but it is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. With the Hong Kong Convention and strong unions in the yards, we can transform the industry and create high quality, unionized recycling jobs,” 

said Walton.

Link to third webinar: Just Transition in mobility sector – developing cross sector cooperation

Just Transition needs unions at the table

“This initiative has made it clear that in many places the transition is happening without our contributions, and it’s our responsibility to engage. The jobs of tomorrow must be better than the jobs of today. Action on a Just Transition is not going to come from the employers or government. But if we push for Just Transition, we will have it for workers throughout the supply chain,”

said Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary.

Ten meetings were held between April and October 2022, with experts, energy unions and national confederations, focusing on what net zero means for energy sector jobs. Participants came together from all over the world to exchange information on emerging technologies, what the transition looks like in different parts of the world, as well as union strategies for ensuring good jobs and a Just Transition.

Technology and country workshops in 2022:

“Unions have an important role to play in the transition to a climate friendly future. That means we need to step up our core business to organize workers in both existing and in new sectors.  At the opening day of LO Norway’s Congress, the government presented their decision to establish a tripartite Just Transition council with the government and the social partners, something we have demanded for quite some time. It really helps to work on these issues and not give up,”

said Peggy Hessen Følsvik, LO Norway president.

One recommendation to come out of the workshops was that the initiative should continue in 2023 to continue to provide a platform for exchange across borders, sectors and unions. In the next phase additional topics will be explored, such as Just Transition and the oil and gas sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and nuclear technology. 

Since clean jobs are for everyone, the next phase will include gender and racial justice, making sure that women, racialized and young workers are represented in our movement and get good jobs in clean energy.

The initiative’s focus will shift from sharing information to supporting unions in getting social dialogue. Global Just Transition agreements anchored in the United Nations are an important aspect of this initiative and can be useful in promoting social dialogue. However, to be effective they will need unions on the ground to organize workers in multinational energy companies, the engagement of the UN at its top  and a strong tripartite process through the ILO.

“After more than 15 years, we see the commitment to Just Transition in the Paris climate agreement. We now see that people will pay lip service to Just Transition, but we are not seeing unions at the table. That's why Just Transition mechanisms, councils, committees, commissions and authorities are so important.

“We must be optimistic, though not every industry will create the same number of jobs. But for heavy industries that must transition, for every ten jobs in renewable energy we get 5-10 in manufacturing. If they are good jobs, there is a multiplier impact that will give you 30-35 jobs in the broader ecosystem. We build and sustain communities by ensuring that all these workers are organized,”

said Sharan Burrow ITUC general secretary.

Young unionists from Central Asia demand attention to youth policy

A need to include a section on youth policy in the collective agreements was highlighted during the meeting. To promote and protect the social and labour rights of young workers, trade unions need youth councils and ensure representatives are engaged in discussions on collective agreements.
Eldar Tadzhibaev, president of the Mining and Metallurgy Trade Union of Kyrgyzstan (MMTUK), shared experiences of successful youth organizing.

The union invites non-union members from the industry to sports events, youth seminars, concerts and actions.

“To make union membership even more attractive, MMTUK members are offered wide range of legal services, preferential banking conditions, discounts in shops, cafes, hotels, fitness centres etc., good mobile phone conditions,”

said Eldar Tadzhibaev.

Over the past year, thanks to the active involvement of young workers in organizing, four new trade union organizations were created with around 1,000 members, including at the Kyrgyz-Chinese gold mining company Makmal Gold Company LLC, where management kept ignoring the union. 

However, by the end of 2021, when the absolute majority of workers joined the MMTUK local union (400 members out of 450 workers), management signed a collective agreement and began fulfilling its obligations to transfer membership fees.

 

The issue of struggle between the old and new generations in the trade union has been another major topic. Retired workers who continue to work block young activists from opportunities, hence there is a need forhigher wages and higher pensions to ensure a decent life after a timely retirement.

Also, there was a discussion regarding large-scale amendments to labour legislation initiated by the employers of Kyrgyzstan, which supposedly should improve the investment climate.

IndustriALL regional secretary Vadim Borisov spoke on international experience on this issue:

“When discussing any amendments, it must be considered that attempts to cut the rights of workers often lead to socio-political upheavals. Not a single serious company will come to the country if there is a danger of such upheavals.

“In addition, reducing social standards to attract foreign capital leads to the consolidation of miserable wages for workers. It is necessary to create jobs with decent wages in the country and develop the economy of Kyrgyzstan.”

Summing up the two-day youth forum, Vadim Borisov said:

“We hope that the days of fruitful discussions will set the main priorities for union action with a focus on youth. IndustriALL will continue to support those who take action.”

Participants decided to continue the discussion and scheduled the next online meeting for 4 November.

Getting ready for industry 4.0

Kan Matsuzaki, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, opened the meeting, saying

“We are indentifying our status regarding the trends of industry 4.0, to confirm our progress, and to propose the next steps of our activities including the creation of an expert group that will develop tools and technologies to assist affiliates through this transition.”

Participants discussed the research report that was presented by, Syndex, IndustriALL’s research partner. Affiliate’s engagements developed a variety of content and methods. 

Delegates expressed their uncertainty about how to tackle changes and to ensure that workers are protected. Additionally, there is trepidation about the future of jobs. Affiliates voiced the need for collaboration to develop skills and tools to guide trade unions and workers through the already visible transition, although speed varies from country to country and company to company.

Challenges are identical, globally. It is important to develop tools and techniques to ensure that trade unions have a seat at the table to discuss workplace changes and be capable of shaping the changes to suit trade unions and workers’ demands and needs.

IndustriALL’s director of mechanical engineering, Matthias Hartwich, said

“We must embrace changes that comes with digitalization. Simply trying to stick to that what we have will not do. Once new technology and changing production and service patterns are visible we need to try to make the best of them for workers. Securing jobs, re- and upskilling will be key to a just transition that keeps trade unions and workers on board. Trade unions play a pivotal role in piloting workers through this process.” 

In this context, participants also discussed existing tools, presentations and research reports that IndustriALL provides for its affiliates: More information can be found here:  Industry 4.0 | IndustriALL (industriall-union.org)

In closing, Kan Matsuzaki called affiliates to

“Come together, send your experts in and then let us develop strategies and tools within the framework of the Strategic Goals as decided in our 2021 congress. We all have a duty and task to offer guidance for affiliates. I am positive that we can make a change here and prove that IndustriALL is a strong and reliable partner when it comes to achieve a Just Transition for all workers.”

Court rules that Zheng Yong Swaziland must deduct and remit union dues

It seems that Zheng Yong took this step as retaliation after workers went on strike to demand living wages. But ATUSWA, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, took the employer to the Industrial Court, which ruled on 31 October in the union’s favour.
 
The court heard that since May, Zheng Yong has not been deducting union dues from the workers and remitting them to the union as required by the Industrial Relations Act. By so doing, the employer was denying the workers, their freedom of association, and the union was being unfairly deprived of the much-needed revenue. Workers were even puzzled why the deductions had stopped when they were still members of ATUSWA.
 
The court stated in the judgment that by not paying the dues to the union the employer was resorting to unlawful “self-help” which violated the Industrial Relations Act which states that the employer has an obligation to deduct the dues from union members and to pay them to the union without delay.

Zheng Yong, which is cited as 1st respondent “is interdicted and restrained from unilaterally deciding to stop remitting monthly subscriptions to the Applicant as and when it wants to” reads the judgment in which ATUSWA is the Applicant.
 
Wander Mkhonza, ATUSWA secretary general says:

“After Zheng Yong unilaterally decided to stop deducting and remitting union dues, ATUSWA took the employer to court. Further, we engaged the membership of the union on the action we were taking and prepared them for likely outcomes."

"Fortunately, we ended up winning the matter in court and the employer has been ordered to pay even the subscription arrears.”

He commended the unity that the workers showed during the court case as they showed up in large numbers during the hearings. This took place amid intimidation and violence from the police, with support from the employers, who teargassed the striking workers.

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary says:

“This is a welcome ruling because it strengthens the struggle of the workers in Eswatini for living wages and for the respect of their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Employers must engage with unions and the government to promote social dialogue and to build an industrial relations system that benefits workers.”

After the strike in May, over 300 workers were dismissed at Zheng Yong, FTM Garments, and Ho’s Enterprises. For instance, at Ho’s Enterprises, the union lodged a dispute over the unfair dismissals which led to most workers remaining at work after the company reversed the dismissals.
 
 

IndustriALL Asia Pacific committee stands firmly with struggling workers

About 50 members from IndustriALL affiliates in the region participated in the meeting, chaired by the Asia Pacific vice president Akira Takakura along with co-chair Prihanani Boenadi.

“These are very challenging times. The effects of the war in Ukraine are being felt by the working class around the world. In the Asia Pacific region, the situation is particularly bad in Myanmar and Sri Lanka. IndustriALL stands in solidarity with our affiliates in the region who are putting up a strong fight in the face of growing attack on workers’ rights,”

said Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary.

Participants discussed the enormous pressure that workers are under in light of a soaring inflation, energy crisis, food insecurity, attack on democracy and climate change, particularly focusing on the precarious situation of workers in Myanmar, Ukraine, and Sri Lanka.

“Economic crisis, climate change and suppression of democracy are increasing inequality across the world. We are seeing a rising attack on trade union rights in the region; activists are persecuted in Myanmar under the military regime. It’s important that we continue to take united action as IndustriALL to defend workers’ rights,”

said Akira Takakura.

Sri Lankan affiliates shared that while food inflation has hit 94 per cent, workers’ wages have stagnated. Workers are struggling to pay for utilities that are now thrice as expensive as they were before the economic crisis hit the country. Trade unions have written several petitions to the government demanding that the national minimum wage be raised and that workers must be given economic relief allowance, however the government is unwilling to engage with unions.
 
IndustriALL is urging global brands to discontinue operations in Myanmar as due diligence cannot be fulfilled under the military regime.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan focused on the actions that IndustriALL is undertaking globally in accordance with the action plan adopted by Congress in September last year.

On activities undertaken by IndustriALL in the region, progress was reported on the increasing participation of women and youth in trade union activities.
 
The executive committee called for an immediate resolution of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine which has global consequences.

Discussion begins on responsible exit from Myanmar

 
Representatives of IndustriALL and of the Myanmar trade union movement met with representatives of garment brands to discuss a framework for a responsible exit, as required by the UNGPs and the OECD.

This follows a disinvestment campaign by IndustriALL, and a report, commissioned by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), that concluded that due diligence and freedom of association are not possible in Myanmar, and that trade unions cannot function. Following the release of the report, IndustriALL wrote to garment brands inviting them to meet to discuss the principles of a responsible exit through the lens of the OECD Guidelines. A number of brands have announced their intention to cease production in Myanmar, while others responded to the invitation to discuss possible exit requirements in more depth.

IndustriALL is calling on brands to place no new orders in Myanmar, and to wrap up unfulfilled orders, ensuring that workers receive all outstanding wages and all legal entitlements as well an additional payment to support their transition. A challenge is that without a functioning social security or legal system, it is difficult to ensure that workers are paid what they are owned.

There are also a number of outstanding cases of workers’ rights violations, including the targeting of trade unionists, wage theft and forced overtime, that need to be resolved.

IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie says:

“Too many brands maintained production in Myanmar, some possibly out of a genuine conviction that it was the right thing to do.

“However, the ETI report was unequivocal: it is not possible to do business ethically and responsibly in Myanmar. We welcome the fact that the discussion has moved to exiting from the country, while meeting responsibilities to suppliers and workers.

“Our campaign for comprehensive economic sanctions and the release of political prisoners, including more than 60 trade unionists, for the isolation of the junta and the restoration of democracy will continue.”

IndustriALL calls on Bangladesh government to implement roadmap

In 2019, several workers’ organizations made a complaint under Article 26 on the non-observance of Conventions 81, 87 and 98 by the government of Bangladesh (GoB) to the International Labour Conference. Following the complaint, the ILO Governing Body (GB) requested the GoB to develop a time-bound roadmap of actions with concrete outcomes to address the issues outlined in the complaint.

The latest progress report submitted by the GoB in September highlights the actions undertaken by the government on labour law reform, trade union registration, labour inspection, anti-union discrimination, unfair labour practices and violence against workers.

The progress has been sluggish and in some instances anti-worker. The new labour rules have reduced maternity benefits. Pregnant workers will now receive a 6.5 per cent lower monetary compensation than they did previously.

The report boasts about the helpline service and the online database to track the complaints filed by workers and unions. In reality, however, neither the helpline number nor the online database are properly maintained.

The trade union registration process continues to be cumbersome, both online and offline. In 2022, a total of 26 unions affiliated to IndustriALL’s Bangladeshi affiliates, filed for union registration, out of which only nine were approved. The online database of registered trade unions is poorly maintained and does not reflect the actual number of existing unions.

IndustriALL Global Union calls on the government of Bangladesh:

“It’s appalling that instead of improving workers’ situation in the country, the new labour rule undermines workers’ rights by cutting down maternity benefits. This will have a huge adverse impact on RMG workers who are mostly women,”

says Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary.

“It is high time that the government of Bangladesh takes serious steps to implement the roadmap and actually work towards improving the situation of workers in the country. We urge the government to consider the demands of our affiliates and other unions while implementing the roadmap. It’s important that workers’ voices are included in this process,”

says Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.