INTERVIEW: IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Atle Høie

INTERVIEW

From Global Worker No 1 June 2022

INTERVIEW: Atle Høie

Text: Petra Brannmark

How did your trade union career start? 

“I worked at Norway’s trade union confederation LO after I finished university. After a few years as advisor on European affairs and sustainable development, I moved to Fellesførbundet as international secretary. At the time, Fellesførbundet was affiliated to several global union federations; ITGLWF, ICEM, IMF. I started attending executive committee meetings in all three federations in the 1990s.”

You were elected assistant general secretary in 2016 and then general secretary in 2021 – what made you decide to run? 

“I was very active in the process of merging IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF into IndustriALL. I was on the motions committee at the Congress in Vienna in 2005 when the first resolution on the merger was passed. 

“Ahead of IndustriALL’s Second Congress in Rio in 2016 I felt I wanted to continue to be active, but on a different level. I truly believe that IndustriALL is the right construction and I want to contribute to the work.

“After five years as assistant general secretary, I saw that changes were needed, changes I could help implement. I ran as general secretary on creating a more transparent and inclusive organization. We want everyone to feel involved and to feel responsibility for the action plan.” 

What are your priorities? 

“My main priority is to create the infrastructure needed so that IndustriALL can deliver. It sounds technical, but the whole organization, including the head office in Geneva, the regional offices and the affiliates, need to be united behind strategies and implementation. 

“This means that we need to change the way we operate. We need to be more open and have more in-depth deep discussions in our Executive Committee and with our affiliates. To achieve results we need everyone onboard, and for that people need to feel that they have ownership. 

“The biggest and most important task for IndustriALL is to deliver the infrastructure, basic trade union rights; the right to organize and to collective bargaining. That provides workers with the foundation for everything else, like safe workplaces and freedom from discrimination.”

How will the organization achieve this? 

“Employers and governments must be forced to implement the right to organize and to bargain collectively. Everything we do must have these fundamental rights in mind – we must focus on capacity building, help unions reach out to their members, secure companies’ acceptance of unions, ensure that the right to organize is on the agenda at ILO CAS, in the OECD, the international financial institutions, the WTO, everywhere where trade and industry is discussed. 

“Currently, we do a lot of firefighting, both in terms of individual cases and violations of country legislation. We get messages every day that workers’ rights are violated. We then contact the owner of the factory, the company that sources from the factory, the government to make sure legislation is complied with, and we call on international support. To know that people outside of your country are aware of your case and that pressure is being put on the employer makes a difference. 

“Congress sent a clear message that we must move towards binding and enforceable agreements. Together with UNI Global Union we have developed an arbitration mechanism through the Hague tribunal which is included in the International Accord. It can be applied in other agreements as well, and we will try to implement it into our global framework agreements. We need to make use of the instruments available and be involved in creating new ones, like the International Accord – something no one would have thought possible ten years ago. 

“We have to help people understand how important it is to be a member of a trade union, to join forces and stand up to employers and governments. Through the projects IndustriALL runs, we do an enormous amount of capacity building. In the last Congress period, 75,000 of our members were involved in 1,000 activities on collective bargaining, women, health and safety and youth. Participants go back to their workplaces and use what they have learned and have the possibility to help colleagues to improve. And through the projects we have organized 680,000 new members.”

Has Covid changed IndustriALL’s strategic goals? 

“The strategic goals are as important as ever, but in the wake of the wage theft in the garment industry for example, the need for global social security has become more obvious. 

“People in countries with a social security system came through the pandemic fairly well. However, in poor countries, poor people became poorer when they were thrown out on the streets from one day to the next as workplaces closed. Migrant workers couldn’t get back home as public transport was shut down. 

“The current supply chain model is built on cheap labour and avoiding responsibility; taking production to countries with no labour rights and little social protection. Without social protection, societies fall apart. Social protection is a public issue, but until that is a reality, we need to work with companies on how to push for social security in their production countries. We need bridging solutions, as it is will be very costly for poor countries to set it up. 

What are IndustriALL’s greatest challenges ahead? 

“The greatest challenge for unions it is to make themselves attractive for the workers for tomorrow. Big workplaces with 1,000 people are probably not the workplaces of tomorrow; they will be smaller and more prone to fast changes. People are increasingly individualistic and what attracted people 50 years ago won’t be the same tomorrow. 

“This is an important discussion to have, as affiliates need to adapt, and we can support. The action plan asks us to change the world. This can obviously not be done by the secretariat alone, it has to be done together with the 50 million people we represent.” 

SPECIAL REPORT: Comprehensive sanctions on Russia: why not Myanmar?

SPECIAL REPORT

From Global Worker No 1 June 2022

Country: Myanmar

Text: Walton Pantland

Since the military coup on 1 February 2021, Myanmar’s junta has committed human rights abuses which the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said “may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity”. She added that “the appalling breadth and scale of violations of international law suffered by the people of Myanmar demand a firm, unified, and resolute international response.”

More than 10,000 political prisoners – including union activists – are in detention, and at least 1,800 civilians, including 54 worker activists, have been killed by the junta. 16 unions and federations, including IndustriALL Global Union affiliate the Industrial Workers’ Federation of Myanmar (IWFM), have been banned. 

Despite this, it is still business as usual for many global garment brands. Brands which left Russia within days of the invasion of Ukraine are finding excuses to stay in Myanmar – the most common being that they are a force for good and can protect workers by doing “enhanced due diligence”.

For workers and trade unionists, the situation is very difficult: the ILO estimates that 220,000 garment workers have lost their jobs, and the IWFM estimates that a further 120,000 may have lost jobs and pay due to temporary closures, furlough or reduced production which have not been reported in the unemployment figures.

Unionized workers who were protected by collective agreements before the coup have been fired and replaced by casual workers with no rights. The IWFM has documented numerous cases of workers being dismissed without compensation, and of security forces coming to the homes of trade union leaders to arrest them after being given their personal details by factory managers. There are cases of protesting workers being shot, of workers unfairly dismissed, union leaders whose lives have been threatened and have been targeted by security forces. 

IWFM organizers, educators, negotiators, and leaders are being sought by the military. Most garment workers now earn less than US$1.80 per day, while hundreds of thousands have been fired from the public sector, hospitals, schools, universities, and railways for refusing to work for the military. 

In a letter to the ILO, the IWFM said that it

“cannot properly protect workers’ rights under the military dictatorship, as democratic trade unions cannot operate freely. Nonetheless, we tried to protect workers through 2021 by working with brands through the dialogue mechanism we have built.

“The experience gained during the whole year of negotiation now clearly shows that Western brands cannot protect workers’ rights.”

Many cases have been reported in factories, often Chinese-owned, producing for brands such as Adidas, H&M, C&A, Tesco, Bestseller and Inditex. The IWFM has raised these violations with the brands, and many have been resolved. But because due diligence is impossible in a military dictatorship, factories have denied the allegations and other cases have remained unresolved. The IWFM has documented instances of workers being threatened with dismissal if they don’t lie about conditions, and of the military forcing workers to return compensation at gunpoint.

Because trade unions cannot operate freely and due diligence is impossible, unions in Myanmar believe that the country risks being turned into a vast slave labour camp. In summer 2021, the Myanmar labour movement issued a call for comprehensive economic sanctions, arguing that the priority must be starving the regime of resources, and particularly foreign exchange.

IndustriALL supported the sanctions call at its Congress in September 2021, and wrote to companies operating in Myanmar, calling on them to cease their operations until democracy and fundamental labour rights are restored. Many companies have subsequently left the country, including Voltalia, POSCO, Telenor, Total, Chevron, Shell, Woodside Petroleum and Bridgestone, with Total saying that growing human rights abuses mean it can no longer make a positive contribution to the country.

Myanmar Garment facory 2015

However, most garment producers have remained. While some producers have committed to placing no new orders, the production cycle means many have ongoing commitments through 2022. The textile and garment industry is a significant source of foreign exchange for the country, and unions fear that as time passes, working with the military dictatorship will become normalized. 

Garment brands claim that leaving the country responsibly is a complex task, but the experience of Russia shows that where the political will exists, it is possible to act quickly. In the face of global sanctions and widespread outrage from the general public, H&M, for example, closed all its stores in Russia within days of the invasion of Ukraine. The company is still sourcing from Myanmar. 

One of the biggest obstacles is that, unlike Russia, the international community is divided on the situation in the Myanmar, and the usefulness of sanctions. While the military junta’s State Administration Council (SAC) has been increasingly isolated from international diplomacy – for instance, being denied credentials by the UN– Myanmar’s democratic government in exile, the National Unity Government (NUG), does not have widespread international recognition as the legitimate government. The global trade union movement supports the call of the Myanmar unions for diplomatic recognition of the NUG.

The NUG has stressed the importance of not providing income to the junta, saying in a recent statement that “the NUG would like to remind that all business are instructed NOT to pay any tax or provide any income to the military regime of Myanmar. If it is not possible to avoid payment to the military, then the only option is to suspend the business operation until democracy is fully restored in Myanmar.” 

It's not possible for global brands operating in Myanmar to avoid providing income to the military, in the form of tax, import duties on fabric, utility costs to military-owned companies, and fees at Myanmar’s two ports, both of which are military-owned.

The biggest obstacle to the campaign for sanctions is the EU, which currently gives Myanmar tariff-free access to its markets through the Everything But Arms (EBA) programme of trade preferences. The EBA has been a great benefit to the economy of Myanmar, with the EU receiving more than half of Myanmar’s apparel exports. 

While in the past the EU has used sanctions to nudge Myanmar towards democracy, commercial interests have lobbied against this approach and the current position of the EU is that economic links and constructive engagement is the best way forward. This is the same thinking that led Europe to become heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas. While the existential threat of a war on the European continent, and floods of refugees entering the EU, led the EU to act quickly and forcefully to economically isolate Russia, Myanmar appears to be sufficiently far away to avoid taking equivalent action.

EBA was originally developed as a way to support democracy through trade, but the EU has become addicted to cheap production in global value chains. Myanmar is a very attractive destination for garment brands, which have made substantial investments in the country. The failure to withdraw EBA is at odds with a growing body of legislation, including German due diligence law and an EU directive.

Myanmar unions are concerned that the Ukraine crisis and other issues will result in the world’s attention moving on. If the military can buy enough time, is can strengthen and consolidate its rule through a fake election process, and work on normalizing diplomatic and economic relations. 

As the space for bringing about peaceful change shrinks in Myanmar, many people are joining the armed insurgency. This raises severe environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks for garment brands. By choosing to operate in a conflict zone, they become responsible for demonstrating human rights due diligence and avoiding complicity in violations. Brands risk reputational damage, litigation, OECD complaints and shareholder revolt. There is also a risk of supply chain disruption due to the growing conflict.

IndustriALL Congress 2021

IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie said: 

“The situation in Myanmar risks degenerating into a civil war. After more than a year of armed attacks by the military on civilians, people are now joining armed militias to defend themselves. This is because of the closure of democratic avenues for change. 

“Comprehensive economic sanctions are the non-violent solution to bring democracy back to Myanmar. The longer global garment brands continue to source there, the greater their complicity and longer the agony of Myanmar will continue.”

UNION PROFILE: Paperiliitto wins historic strike

UNION PROFILE

From Global Worker No 1 June 2022

Country: Finland

Union: Paperiliitto

Text: Petra Brännmark, Walton Pantland

Covering nearly all workers in the sector – and managing to maintain the organizing rate – means that Paperiliitto is well represented in the country’s paper mills and is well placed to negotiate and push for its members working conditions. 

The union work takes place mostly in good conditions, with a smooth dialogue with the employers. However, a drawn-out strike which lasted for 112 days and ended in April this year presented an unusual situation for the union. 

The strike was unprecedented in size in the sector in Finland and was caused by the anti-union beliefs of Finnish forest industry company UPM’s executive management, determined to break union power held by its blue-collar employees, members of Paperiliitto.

The build-up to the conflict started in early 2021, when Finnish forest industry company UPM announced that it would no longer negotiate collectively on wages, bonuses, sick leave pay, maternity or paternity leaves thus violating its workers fundamental rights at work. 

As the contract was to expire at the end of 2021 UPM left the industry-wide bargaining that had been in place for decades and refused to sign a single collective agreement with the union. Paperiliitto announced a three-week strike starting in January 2022. The strike however dragged on and 2,200 workers at all UPM business units were on strike, with dockers and railway workers showing solidarity by refusing to handle the company’s goods.

The striking paper workers in Finland received international solidarity, with unions organizing the company’s plants, and the Uruguayan paper workers’ union FOPCU – also an IndustriALL affiliate – writing to UPM’s CEO expressing concern at the company’s retreat from good practice in industrial relations.

IndustriALL, Uni Global Union and Building and Woodworkers International wrote a letter to UPM’s 20 biggest shareholders and investors ahead of the annual general meeting on 29 March, to warn that the company’s anti-union stance was an investment risk.

In April, the conflict was resolved with both parties accepting a final proposal of the National Mediator. Under the proposal, five separate collective bargaining agreements are signed, one for each industrial segment of the company, with a duration of four years and salary renegotiation after two years.

Paperiliitto members at UPM returned to work on 23 April after 112 days of strike that brought the company to a standstill at all sites in Finland. The management attack failed to destroy the union, failed to break the collective bargaining system, and failed in its attempt to set pay and conditions unilaterally without Paperiliitto representing workers.

Petri Vanhala, Paperiliitto president, says: 

“Under these circumstances l am satisfied with the outcome of the negotiation process. Our union stood firm against the employer’s demands; the strike lasted 112 days, but we held the line. Paperiliitto was greatly assisted by the efforts of both international and Finnish trade unions.”

Union reaches wage agreement with ArcelorMittal South Africa

The increase, signed on 25 May, means that housing, retention, compulsory overtime, pension, shift, standby and other allowances will also increase by the same percentage. According to NUMSA, the increases will be backdated by June and workers will also receive ex-gratia once off cash payments of R5000 (US$320) each.
 
The strike started on 11 May with demands for a seven per cent increase. During the strike NUMSA, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, highlighted that the steel manufacturing company had declared high profits in 2021.

ArcelorMittal, with plants in Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging, Saldanha and New Castle, wanted to stop the strike through the courts, but lost. The union argued in the Labour Court that the workers have a constitutional right to strike, protected by labour laws. The court concurred with NUMSA's arguments that the strike could not be stopped because ArcelorMittal had a pending application for workers in some sections of its steel production to be declared essential services – where workers would be barred from going on strike. The strike continued after the court ruling, while negotiations continued.
 
Says Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary:

“We signed a one-year agreement effective from April and expiring on 31 March 2023. The employer started by offering zero per cent, and we have moved significantly to achieve this result. This agreement is a victory for all NUMSA members who made the ultimate sacrifice to fight for improved wages and conditions. They did not do this only for themselves, but also, for future generations of workers. To achieve an above-inflation increase during the Covid-19 pandemic is a major achievement and it would not have been possible without them. We also wish to thank NUMSA officials for working extremely hard to secure this deal on behalf of employees.”

“We congratulate NUMSA for this wage settlement which comes at a time when the cost of living is increasing in South Africa. It is commendable that the union remains resolute and militant when fighting for living wages and improved working standards,”

says Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa.

Philippine unions fight for living wage

Associated Labor Unions (ALU-TUCP) has filed petitions at twelve out of 17 RTWPB to demand an increase to the minimum wage, currently ranging from PHP724 (US$13.9) to PHP1007 (US$19.3).
 
ALU national vice president Eva Arcos travelled across the country to file the petitions and said:

“It is frustrating that our new minimum wages are below poverty thresholds. It is due to an anti-union environment, a low CBA coverage, Covid-19 and the increase of prices on goods.

“Although the new minimum wage rate will increase workers’ budget for basic needs, it has never ever been substantial. We need to use it as a benchmark to push companies to adjust salaries and avoid wage distortions.”

Metal Workers Alliance of the Philippines (MWAP) have organized wage forums and protests to demand that the daily minimum wage rate be increased to PHP 750 (US$14.3) as a national standard.
 
MWAP president Mary Ann Castillo said:

“The government has not approved any wage increase since 2018. Our meagre wages can't cope with the rising prices of commodities. The new minimum wage will only serve as a temporary cushion to the devastating impact of inflation and wage erosion to our livelihood.”

Since Mid-May, RTWPBs have announced the new minimum wage for different geographical areas. In the greater Manila area, the daily rate increased 6.1 per cent, from PHP 537 (US$10.3) to PHP 570 (US$10.9) for non-agricultural workers. The daily rate for the other regions increased by PHP 350 (US$6.7) to PHP 450 (US$8.6) for non-agricultural workers.
 
However, the rates are still far from a living wage. In 2018, the National Economic and Development Authority of Philippines (NEDA) spokesperson said a household income of PHP 42,000 (US$804, or US$26.8 per day) is required for a family of five to subsist.
 
Shinya Iwai, IndustriALL South East Asia regional secretary said:

“Trade unions must be involved in determining the minimum wage. Social dialogue should be established not only in determining the minimum wage, but in all matters related to the lives of workers.”

Photo: E. Tuyay / ILO 

Glencore workers on strike in Canada

A demand for genuine respect from Glencore is a major issue for the union members, who often work eleven-hour shifts, for 21 consecutive days, at the isolated, fly-in/fly-out nickel mining operations in Nunavik.

The increased use of subcontractors, who work under inferior conditions at Raglan Mine, is another key issue in the labour dispute, and on 27 May, the 630 unionized workers went on strike.

“It has reached the point where there are often many more contractors at the mine site than unionized workers. It doesn't make sense. This means fewer economic benefits for the regions of Quebec, while this multinational corporation extracts huge profits by exploiting our natural resources,”

says Eric Savard, president of Steelworkers Local 9449, which represents the striking workers.

In addition to the shameful use of subcontractors, other stumbling blocks in negotiations include vacations, working conditions and wages. Above all, however, workers are demanding respect from Glencore.

“Glencore has been continually pushing the limits. It even balks at providing a proper lunch hour to workers who are working eleven hours a day, 21 days in a row. Living conditions at the mining camp have deteriorated over the years. The employer systematically quibbles over the living and working conditions of employees who are away their families for long periods of time. It’s time for this company to show greater respect for the workers who are generating its profits of tens of millions of dollars each year,”

adds Savard.

The parties met on Friday in the presence of a mediator, without breaking the impasse in negotiations. The union members therefore decided to exercise their strike mandate, which they had approved last week by an overwhelming majority vote of 97.5 per cent.

“IndustriALL fully supports the demands of Steelworkers’ local 9449, which resonates with the wider call for respect for workers and their fundamental rights by Glencore mineworkers around the world, including in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa.

“This is a classic race to the bottom, as Glencore races to supply the critical raw minerals for the low carbon energy transition and meet its multiple long-term supplier agreements with a host of downstream customers, including the auto sector."

Glencore AGM, 2022

The strike comes on the back of false promises by Glencore to enter into meaningful dialogue with IndustriALL, and IndustriALL Colombian affiliates, together with Swiss, Dutch and British NGOs, protesting at the annual general meeting against Glencore’s shameful conduct and treatment of workers, including a refusal to enter into a Just Transition dialogue.

IndustriALL will embark on a global corporate campaign against Glencore to seek redress and to demand meaningful global dialogue.

Cover photo: Glencore AGM, Switzerland, 2017

IndustriALL solidarity visit to Ukraine

IndustriALL affiliates in Ukraine welcomed the first solidarity visit from the international trade union movement. The affiliates have a strong history of international solidarity and participation in the work of the International in mining, energy and manufacturing industries.
 
The union delegation met municipal authorities in Bucha, who discussed plans and efforts to rebuild the city, In Irpen, local authority representatives explained how they defended their city when it was attacked by Russian forces. A decision has been made to leave some war damage unrepaired as a memorial.
 
The solidarity visit continued to Kyiv, meeting IndustriALL’s affiliates, as well as the leadership of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, FPU and Federation of Independent Trade Unions KVPU. They all provided detailed accounts of the current situation where their members are facing extremely complex challenges to maintain trade union activities during wartime.

 

“From the first days of Russian aggression, the FPU member unions have supported the Ukrainians. We are thankful for the support and solidarity from the international trade union movement,”

said FPU chairman Grigori Osovyi.
 
The meetings made clear that the war is creating an urgent need for financial support from financial institutions and the European Union.

“Ukrainian unions have mobilized to help people and defend our country. But we need support for our work to help war victims and preserve jobs, as well as for rebuilding infrastructure, the economy and fair labour and social legislation. Thank you to IndustriALL and its affiliates for the solidarity extended,”

said Mykhailo Volynets, KVPU chairman and member of the national Parliament.
 
IndustriALL is demanding that multinational companies operating in Ukraine take their social responsibility and do not abandon Ukrainian employees. Instead they should provide support, continue to pay salaries, and provide other material assistance. IndustriALL is working with affiliates to ensure financial solidarity payments to Ukraine.
 
Kemal Özkan said:

“The world admires Ukrainians for their courageous defense of their values and sovereignty. Ukraine can and must rebuild and recover. IndustriALL will always stand alongside our affiliates.
 
“We continue to support affiliates against a weakening of workers’ rights when the Ukrainian Parliament moves the deregulation and flexibilization of labour legislation back on to its agenda at a time when unity is needed.”

Valery Matov, chairman of Atomprofspilka and member of IndustriALL’s Executive Committee, said:

“IndustriALL is the first international trade union to visit Ukraine in war time, and affiliates here strongly appreciate not only financial support, but the moral support and solidarity above all.”

Strike continues at ArcelorMittal South Africa after Labour Court ruling

Earlier, ArcelorMittal South Africa had won an urgent temporary interdict which sought to ban workers operating coke batteries, blast furnaces and some sections of steel production from joining the strike arguing that they were part of essential services.

The workers’ cases are before the essential services committee for determination of whether they are essential services or not. Although going on strike is a constitutional right, the Labour Relations Act allows for some strikes to be stopped if there are deemed to part of essential services.

 

 
Kabelo Ramokhathali, NUMSA Regional Secretary for Sedibeng says:

“We argued in court that there is a pending investigation on this matter, and that it is well-established that a court will not interdict a strike based on a pending essential services committee investigation. ArcelorMittal SA was being opportunistic, and the goal was simply to undermine the right to strike. We view this as an attempt to divide workers. The right to strike is a sacred constitutional right which should not be tampered with.”

On 24 March, the workers marched to the ArcelorMittal SA plant in Vanderbijlpark and presented a petition of their demands to the management. In the petition NUMSA cites reports that the company made profits nationally of 6.86 billion rand (US$436 million) and performed well globally. This means the company can afford to pay the wage increases of 7 per cent across the board and cash payments of R5000 (US$318) each to the workers. The union says workers only got a 5 per cent increase in 2020 and a paltry 2 per cent in 2021.
 
On the company’s profits the NUMSA, which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, says in the petition:

“This incredible performance was only possible because workers at ArcelorMittal SA put in the extra effort to ensure that the company makes generous profits. Workers increased production, and it is their sweat and blood that enabled this company, not only to survive during the Covid-19 pandemic but to thrive as well!”

“We are in solidarity with NUMSA in its demands for wage increases at ArcelorMittal SA. Workers must also benefit when multinational corporations make profits. The wage increases that workers are striking for will help to cushion them against high inflation and the increasing cost of living as recently seen in transport and food price hikes,”

says Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa.
 

Democratic trade unions in Mexico can become reality

After 50 days of negotiations, IndustriALL affiliate SINTTIA signed a collective bargaining agreement with GM on 10 May.
 
The new agreement covers all workers at GM’s Silao plant, providing better working conditions and a substantial improvement in wages and economic benefits.
 
Among the main achievements:

María Alejandra Morales Reynoso, SINTTIA general secretary, says:

"United, we achieved changes in working conditions and we must continue to stand strong in supporting the agreement. We need freedom of association and democracy to improve our quality of life."

Mexico’s new labour law states that workers freely decide which union to join and which leaders that represent them through a secret and direct ballot. Prior to the law reform, workers were de facto not allowed to choose freely as voting was done by a show of hands, in front of employers' unions who would be on the company’s side and not the workers’.
 
In addition, it was established that collective contracts must be consulted with the workers, both in the initial contract and in the collective bargaining held every two years. It is also done by free, personal and secret ballot, which helps to eliminate the so-called "employer protection contracts".
 
In April 2021, workers at the GM plant in Silao documented irregularities in the vote to legitimise the collective protection contract signed by the union affiliated to the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) and appealed to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The grievance mechanisms worked and therefore, in August 2021, the workers held a new vote where they rejected the old collective agreement signed by a union affiliated to CTM The rejection of the agreement meant that elections had to be held to elect a new union.
 
In February this year, SINTTIA won a resounding victory in a secret ballot and has since gained union representation at the GM plant.
 
At the time, IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie said that it was an incredibly important victory and proof that the labour reform implemented by the Mexican government in 2019 can indeed have a positive effect for workers as it provides them with a real chance to cast their vote in free and fair elections.

And on this month’s union win, Atle Høie says:

“We hope that others will learn from SINTTIA’s successful struggle. IndustriALL and its affiliates in the region are ready to support similar initiatives. There are still more than 80,000 existing collective agreements that need to be legitimized until May 2023.“

Pakistan’s deadly coal mines

On 19 May, a miner fell through a roof and died at work in the Ghazi mine.

Just two days later, on 21 May, a worker was electrocuted in the Duki coal field, and a landslide killed another miner in the same field. And on 22 May, three miners were injured in a gas blast in a mine belonging to Shakot Charat Coal Company.  

And importantly, the hazardous conditions are made worse by an inherent neglect of workers’ safety by both mining companies and state authorities.

“There is an urgent need to health and safety in our coal mines and we appreciate the steps taken by IndustriALL Global Union to improve working conditions in Pakistan’s mines,”

says Sultan Khan, PCMLF president.

“The poor working conditions pose a real threat to workers’ lives and we need assistance in training, organizing and awareness raising activities for our workers.”

PCMLF estimates that Pakistan’s coal mining sector employs more than 100,000 workers in 400 coal mines. Miners usually start working at the age of 13. By the time they reach 30, they are forced into unemployment due to chronic respiratory illnesses, tuberculosis, loss of eyesight, and injuries.

Poverty and a lack of job opportunities force people to start working in the mines. Workers are often forced to work for more than ten hours a day without adequate safety equipment, in violation of Pakistan’s labour laws. When accidents occur, the first respondents are usually other workers in the mine, as there is no access to well-equipped emergency response teams.

IndustriALL mining and health and safety director Glen Mpufane says:

“The situation in Pakistan’s coal mines is desperate and safety standards must be implemented to stop the continuing loss of lives. IndustriALL is calling on Pakistan’s government to ratify ILO Convention 176 on safety and health in mines.”