Sri Lankan unions demand constitutional reforms

Workers in Sri Lanka have been struggling to find food, fuel, and essential items necessary for survival since the beginning of the year. The shortages have been exacerbated by the Ukrainian war. According to reports, around 13 people have died waiting for fuel in queues. Shortages have disrupted all kinds of services including public transportation, making it difficult for workers to report to work on time.

Power cuts and shortage of fuel have also led to a considerable decline in export production. Medium-scale production firms have failed to complete their orders. Global brands that place orders in the country have been showing reluctance towards placing new orders.

Despite all these difficulties, the Sri Lankan people have shown enormous courage in demonstrating against the repressive and corrupt government. They have faced teargas shells and police violence in these months.

Sri Lankan affiliates are demanding the abolishment of the executive presidency in the country. Other demands include that the police department is made an independent civil department and is brought under the Ministry of Home Affairs, that changes are made to the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities law, that fuel, gas, and other essential commodities are provided at concessionary rates for workers, that the agreement made with the International Monetary Fund is made public before an official endorsement, and the Prevention of Terrorism Act is repealed.

After the previous President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned and fled the country, Ranil Wikramasinghe was elected President in the election on 20 July. The formation of an interim government is still pending.

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

“The establishment of a stable democratic government is crucial to attract investors and maintain the production process, without which the country will continue to be in the throes.”

Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary, says:

“We support the demands of our Sri Lankan affiliates for constitutional reforms and extend the solidarity of our worldwide membership. We stand with the Sri Lankan workers in this difficult time.”

IndustriALL celebrates ten years of youth work

"This event is an occasion to speak with colleagues who have been involved in IndustriALL Global Union’s youth training projects over the past ten years. Our main projects have been with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) foundation and IG Metall. We have also run youth projects SASK, Union to Union and DGB,”

said IndustriALL’s regional secretary Marino Vani.

Young people were in the meeting in Buenos Aires and several former project participants joined remotely. They spoke about their involvement in IndustriALL's youth projects and how their careers have since then.

Javiera from Chile said:

"In 2012, Industrial Chile-Constramet asked me to take part in the project run by IndustriALL and FES. I’m working in politics now and am still involved in union causes. Much of what I learned during the project and at the union still serves me today.”

Like Javiera, Leticia from the Dominican Republic also took part in IndustriALL's youth projects and is now involved in politics. She works in the Women’s Ministry alongside Minister Mayra Jiménez (former member of IndustriALL Executive Committee) on gender-related policies.

Others said they had continued working in unions, reaching leadership positions. Leandro from Brazil said:

"In 2012 I was the CUT’s youth secretary. Today, I’m president of the metalworkers' unions for Soracaba and the surrounding region. We worked hard to get young people to join and now our members’ average age is 28 years. I’m still involved in the struggle and am now running as a potential candidate to be a state senator for Sao Paulo. It’s really great that IndustriALL will continue with the project for many more years to come."

Like Leandro, Belén from Argentina took part in IndustriALL projects with FES and DGB and now holds a leadership position in her union. She became the first woman leader in the Zárate branch of the metalworkers’ union UOM.

Participants also applauded Perla, a young woman from Nicaragua: she felt empowered by her involvement in youth projects and is now a substitute on IndustriALL's Executive Committee.

Angelica Jimenez-Romo, from the transnational trade union policy department at IG Metall Vorstand, spoke on behalf of the German participants. She said that, despite the pandemic and other crises, the youth projects have been a real success, as many young people continue to work together, laying the foundation for the next generation to continue their work.

IndustriALL's global project coordinator, Sarah Flores, said that the youth projects cultivate future leaders, enabling participants to grow professionally and to take up positions of power in many unions. This had convinced IndustriALL of the importance of investing in youth.

In a video message, IndustriALL President Jörg Hoffman said:

"I would like to send my sincere congratulations on this joyful anniversary. Ten years ago, Latin American trade unions did not have youth policies and did not represent the interests of young people. Much has changed since then, partly thanks to the training projects – most unions now have youth and gender equality policies. I want to thank you all for all your hard work, and I wish you all the best."

Massive job losses reverse union gains in Ethiopia’s Hawassa Industrial Park

The closures began after the announcement by the United States government that Ethiopia would no longer benefit from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)’s duty-free access to US markets from 1 January this year. The reasons given for the termination of the preferential trade benefits are “gross violations of internationally recognized human rights by the government of Ethiopia and other parties” in the war in the northern part of the country.

Most of the factories in Hawassa that were exporting to the US had their orders cancelled leaving them stranded. However, with the on-going peace talks in the country, the union hopes for a peaceful breakthrough that will bring back trade and a new lease of life to the Hawassa Industrial Park which at its peak employed over 35,000 workers.

The IFTLGWTU says Best International Garments, an Indian owned company, with a factory in the park, has retrenched over 3000 workers. Further, the closure of one of the largest factories in the park by Phillip Van Heusen (PVH) in November 2021, is having a ripple effect as over 15 companies in the park received orders from PVH under third party manufacturing contracts.
 
The union says currently, there are plans to scale down production by other garment factories that include Sumbiri Hela Intimates which has put 260 workers on a month paid leave after which there is uncertainty. The factory is jointly owned by Sri Lanka based Hela Indochine Apparel and Sumbiri Intimate Apparel. Quadrant Apparel Group has also put 300 on paid leave while Epic Apparel Plc, a Hong Kong-based Epic Group subsidiary, has retrenched workers after paying six months’ wages. In June, Chargeurs Fashion Technologies, a French company, also retrenched 22 workers.

“In this job losses crisis, workers are anxious because job security is no longer guaranteed in the factories that are still operational. We are trying our best to ensure that workers are paid their terminal benefits according to the labour laws and hope that the end of the conflict will bring back AGOA benefits to ease the plight of the suffering workers,”

says Angesome Gebre Yohannes, the president of the (IFTLGWTU) which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union.
 
Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa says:

“The Ethiopian industrial parks industrialization strategy remains one of the most effective models in creating jobs in the garment and textile sector in Africa. We were hoping for more jobs and not the retrenchments that we are witnessing. However, IndustriALL continues to support the IFTLGWTU in ensuring that employers respect workers’ rights and international labour standards during the retrenchments.”

Notorious labour law adopted in Ukraine

Martial law in Ukraine already greatly restricts workers’ rights, although these restrictions are clearly time limited. Workers are among the hardest hit by the Russian aggression and the ILO estimates that 4.8 million jobs have already been lost.

The adoption of law no 5371 will exclude workers of small and medium-sized companies from legal protection by setting a new "contractual regime for regulating labour relations", where all working conditions are determined by an employment contract instead of by labour law.

Dismissals will be at the employer’s discretion, as the employment contract would determine the grounds for dismissal instead of the current strict list of grounds provided by the labour code.

Trade unions have been excluded from the development of the law. According to the Confederation of Free Trade Unions in Ukraine, the law eliminates the role of unions in representing and protecting workers and labour rights, in direct violation of Ukraine’s constitution and ILO Conventions 87 and 158.

Valeriy Matov, chairman of Atomprofspilka and member of IndustriALL’s Executive Committee says:

“The law makers use insidious tactics not taking into account the proposals and developments prepared by unions, which are the main social partners, and the main experts in the field of practical labour law.

“The law makers have included changes that they failed to adopt earlier and thus distort the law itself, the integrity of labour code, violate international norms, resulting in a deterioration of labour rights for millions of Ukrainian workers."

Mykhailo Volynets, chairperson of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine, says:

"We won’t tolerate disrespect to workers’ rights, international labour standards, and European values.  We insist that the effectiveness of rebuilding Ukraine and its success in the future depends on the level of protection of workforce rights.

We're grateful IndustriALL for solidarity and appeals to Ukrainian authorities on the concerns regarding the promotion of the law N5371.  It helps us to defend workers' rights."

The change to the labour legislation received negative expert opinions long before the war started, including from the ILO. In 2021, the ILO said that the contractual free will is very likely to translate ‘at the employer’s discretion’ in practice.

“This is an appalling development. We find it unacceptable that at a time when the country needs unity and solidarity, the Ukrainian Parliament considers modification of labour legislation as a priority,”

says IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie.

In a recent letter to the European Union, IndustriALL and IndustriAll Europe expressed concern about the recent developments of the labour legislation and stressed that labour and trade union rights are properly respected and implemented in line with the EU standards.
 

REPORT: From manufacturing to mobility – unions prepare for the mobility sector of the future

REPORT

From Global Worker No 1 June 2022

Theme: Mobility

Text: Georg Leutert

The future has already begun with the uberization of mobility; platforms connecting drivers and riders, with precarious working conditions for their drivers and other service personnel. What changes we can expect and what will be the impact on labour and unions?  

The facts

Main elements of future mobility concepts:

  • The quantity of cars in urban areas needs to decrease to get out of the gridlock and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • To maintain or even improve the level of mobility despite an important reduction of individual mobility (mainly by car), shared services have to significantly expand. This relates to both existing forms of public transport (trains, subways, trams, buses etc.), as well as to new ridehailing and ride-sharing services (buses, taxis, motorcycles, bicycles, scooters etc.).
  • Digital platform operators will allow the combination of all kinds of transport modes by introducing flexible intermodal/multioptional transport solutions.
  • The collection and usage of big data in artificial intelligence systems is a key component in all projects to digitize mobility concepts. 
  • The new technology will also allow the introduction of autonomous vehicles (e.g. ‘robotaxis’), requiring the installation of a variety of digital devices (internet, sensors, radar, lidar etc.), allowing proper communication between vehicles and between vehicles and the (road) infrastructure.
  • Autonomous vehicles allow access to rural areas by public transport. The elimination of labour costs would make it more profitable to service customers in sparsely populated regions.
  • Currently, it is mainly tech companies that have entered the mobility market as they have the software, the technology and the products required for the digitization of the sector, and the implementation of new services and transport modes.
  • Those tech companies base their economic action on different business models than traditional mobility providers. The credible presentation of a business concept to get access to venture capital is paramount. Quarterly balance sheets and short to mid-term profitability become of secondary importance.
  • The tech companies will not simply replace traditional mobility providers. There will be multiple forms of cooperation and networks. The open question is who will create most of the value added, who will set the working conditions etc.
  • The reform and digitization of transport systems will lead to job losses in the traditional public transport and automotive industry. It will create new jobs, particularly in IT, the service sector and in digital transport infrastructure. It is highly likely that the amount of new jobs will compensate for the jobs lost.
  • Among the new jobs there will be highly qualified and well paid positions and there will be other jobs, mainly in the service areas, that are often characterized by precarious working conditions.

The challenge

 

 

Although the quantitative analysis of job losses and gains seems to be less of a problem, the skill gap between today’s and tomorrow’s employment is a severe challenge. 

Here are just a few examples:

Arturo, 52

Has been working as a turner on CNC machines in a transmission plant of a large automotive company in Argentina for the past 31 years. His plant is going to close in the coming years as electric vehicles don’t need a (complex) transmission. Over the past three decades, some of the main skills that Arturo has acquired are: high precision metal machining, operation of a numerically controlled machine, maintenance activities, quality control, understanding of a complex manufacturing process, teamwork and shift work.
What will it take to up- and re-skill Arturo so that he can find a new job? How about adding new skills in the field of electronics and mechatronics to enable him to install digital road infrastructure required to the safe operation of autonomous vehicles?

Christine, 43

Has been working as ticket seller and later as station supervisor to ensure safety and cleanliness in a French underground system. She lost her work as ticket seller more than ten years ago to a machine. Artificial intelligence will also make her job as supervisor redundant in the course of the next five years. Her main skills today relate to the supervision of a rather complex transport system, vigilance systems, basic computer skills, teamwork and shift work.
What will it take to up- and re-skill Christine so that he can find a new job? How about some new computer skills so that she can monitor the introduction of robo-taxi fleets in the future?

Kiara, 28

Has been employed by a business-to-business call center in India for the past eight years. She was mainly in charge of book keeping operations for a large US company. A new software will soon make her activity unnecessary. The skills she acquired lie in the fields of book keeping and related computer programmes, basic controlling and customer relations.
What will it take to up- and re-skill Kiara so that he can find a new job? It probably requires some serious and on-going IT up-skilling for her to find a new job with a longer perspective.

The research

 

 

Two German researchers in the field of transport systems, professor Dr. Andreas Knie and Dr. Weert Canzler, have looked at labour impact of future mobility systems. (The related research will soon be made available here)

The discussion

A strategic debate is needed to make sure trade unions are well positioned to defend workers’ rights and to assert decent work and pay going forward.

Some core topics:

The project

 

 

Together with the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), UNI Global Union and the German Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, IndustriALL Global Union is running a three-year project (2021-2023) on future mobility concepts to ensure decent work and pay. 

Mobility – IndustriALL

Main elements of the project:

  • Development of a detailed understanding of the mobility concept/market of the future: structure, transport modes, players, employment, business models, role of union

  • Analysis of the labour impact, the future skills requirements and the training needs

  • Evaluation and inclusion of all genderrelated aspects

  • Set a truly global perspective with equal input from the south and the north

  • Commissioning of studies by external experts

  • Launch of a strategyoriented debate between the unions in the sector

IndustriALL condemns termination of Belarus’ independent unions

Labelled “extremist organizations”, the government resorted to a sham court process to forcefully liquidate the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BITU or BNP) and the Union of Radio and Electronics Workers (REP) on 12 July, after a trial at Belarus’ supreme court.
 
On 14 July, there were hearings in the supreme court on the liquidation of the Free Trade Union of Belarus (SPB). SPB chairperson Mikola Sharakh testified in court and in another outrageous move by the authorities, Sharakh was arrested when returning to his hometown, accused of an administrative violation. The following day, Sharakh was found guilty and sentenced to 15 days of arrest.
 
The Free Trade Union of Metalworkers (SPM) was also in court on 14 July. An official decision has yet to be announced by the supreme court, but it is safe to say that the regime in Belarus has effectively abolished all free, democratic trade unions in the country, with no right to appeal.

“The trials are an absolute scandal and have no place in a state which is governed by the rule of law. Belarus clearly defines itself outside any internationally recognized standard,”

says IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie.

“IndustriALL condemns the rulings in the strongest terms. Our support for Belarus’ independent, democratic unions is unwavering and we will continue to fight for their rightful existence.”

The hearing of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic trade unions (BKDP) is scheduled for 18 July, but with all constituent members being liquidated, there is no legal reason for BKDP’s existence.
 
Acting BKDP chairperson Maksim Pazniakou says that an International Bureau of BKDP will be established.

"With the main goal to re-establish BKDP, the International Bureau is foreseen to maintain the independent trade union agenda, offer worker-friendly ideas to the workers of Belarus about how Belarus should look like, keep contact with workers in Belarus, provide mandatory solidarity support for the repressed as long as it is needed, and keep the work with international organizations."

As reported earlier, at least 15 BKDP leaders have been arrested, some of which are already imprisoned and some are awaiting trial.
 
There was some good news on 14 July, when Aliaksandr Mialeshka, SPB board member of the local union at the Belarusian research center for pediatric oncology, hematology and immunology, was released after seven days in jail.
 
If you haven’t already done so, please help put pressure on the authorities; sign and share the LabourStart solidarity campaign

Young workers in MENA join forces

The network decided to concentrate its effort to demanding and ensuring that youth becomes part of union decision-making bodies, to ensure youth involvement in all negotiations concerning their future and that young workers get equal pay and equal rights.

The young leaders discussed how to best translate the demands into reality. Initial possible strategies were shared focusing on what is feasible and the role of their unions.

The MENA youth network work was launched after IndsutriALL’s 2nd Congress in October 2016, young members intervened, demanding increased youth participation and representation. Since then, the network has met on a yearly basis, exchanging challenges and opportunities in the world of work for young workers in their region.

Initially, the network had a high turnover of participants. But by empowering young leaders through a project funded by Union to Union, young leaders have emerged in most of the participating countries and they are regularly participating in network meetings.

Participants have started working on a platform for young workers that would bring and allow more sustainability in defending and representing the voice of young workers and their interests. A MENA youth steering committee was formed, and nominations have to be submitted by 1 August. Two more meetings will be convened this year to continue and finalize the role and objective of the steering committee, as well as the youth resolution implementation roadmap.

Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary, who joined the meeting and congratulated participants on Eid, said:

“We are looking forward to seeing efficient youth structures that can the influence the policy discussions and the policies themselves.”

Union wins in wage negotiations in South Africa

According to Statistics South Africa, inflation peaked at 6.6 per cent in May.
 
SACTWU signed some of the agreements in the bargaining councils that were set up as part of the country’s industrial relations mechanisms. For instance, in the footwear sector the union settled for 6.8 per cent effective from 1 July to 30 June 2023 after negotiations and a wage dispute. The collective agreement was signed in the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of South Africa on 11 July. Employers were represented by the Southern African Footwear and Leather Industries Association.
 
Similarly, in the leather tanning sector, the union and the South African Tanning Employers Organisation signed a 7.25 per cent wage increase deal in the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry, which will benefit 2500 leather tanning works in 24 factories. The agreement, signed on 8 July is for a year.
 
In yet another agreement on 6 July, the union says it signed for a 7.5 – 8 per cent with the worsted textile employers which will be for two years. The negotiations took place under the National Textile Bargaining Council, with employers represented by the National Association of Worsted Textile Manufacturers.
 
Additionally, the union negotiated for benefits that include the family responsibility leave as per the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
 
SACTWU, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, also sent the agreements to the department of labour for extension to non-unionized factories and workplaces. South African labour laws allow for collective agreements that meet certain requirements to be extended to non-party employers who in turn will pay agency fees.
 
Andre Kriel, SACTWU general secretary says: 

“The signed collective agreements for the footwear sector, leather tanning, and worsted textiles, will be submitted to the minister of employment and labour, with a request for gazetting and extension to non-party employers. Agreements have also been signed in the woven and crochet textile, the cotton textile, and the general goods and handbags sub-sectors.”

“The strategic ways in which SACTWU’s collective bargaining teams approach negotiations allow for the maintenance of living wages and better working conditions in the textile, garment, shoe, and leather sectors and should be emulated by other unions. Extending the agreements allows non-union members to benefit as well strengthening solidarity and building union power,”

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

EU must end preferential trade arrangement with Myanmar military

The EU’s EBA trade scheme provides Myanmar with beneficial trading tariffs, in blatant disregard of the EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences’ (GSP) own regulations, which state that beneficiary countries must respect the principles of fifteen core conventions on human and labour rights.

Most trade unions in Myanmar are banned, union leaders have been arrested or are in hiding. The jobs facilitated by EBA are in no way decent jobs, respecting fundamental labour standards, and IndustriALL’s affiliate, Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM), compares the conditions to modern slavery. Unfortunately, real human rights due diligence is simply not possible in these conditions.

Shockingly, last month, the regime announced its intention to execute political opponents. By maintaining theEBA arrangement, the EU is creating a situation where European companies stand to profit from gross human rights violations and European citizens may unwittingly support the regime by buying products made in Myanmar under these terrible conditions.

“Myanmar is facing profound and well-documented violations of UN and ILO Conventions included in the GSP/EBA regulations, by multinational companies and brands, among which 61 EU well-known fashion brands,”

says Khaing Zar, IWFM president.

“Respect for the Conventions are conditions for maintaining the EBA and the workers’ rights need a prompt and effective response by the EU.”

The garment industry remains a vital source of foreign exchange for the regime. IndustriALL’s campaign demands that brands cease production in Myanmar, pointing out the discrepancy between their immediate withdrawal from Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, and their continued presence in Myanmar.

Despite the dire human rights situation in Myanmar since the coup in February 2021, most garment brands continue to source from the country; we believe often in breach of their own codes of practice. The brands claim their presence does not benefit the military and provides employment, but they provide important foreign exchange, as well as income to the regime in the form of taxes and duties.

“There is no decent work in a country ruled by a military regime and where unions cannot operate,”

says IndustriALL General Secretary Atle Høie.

“There is no way to do business in Myanmar without doing harm to the people and workers. We are urging the European Union to immediately suspend the EBA arrangement with Myanmar.”

Luc Triangle, General Secretary for industriAll Europe added:

‘’The message from garment workers in Myanmar to the EU is clear. Take action, suspend the EBA agreement, and cut off vital funds to the terrible military junta. We expect the EU to act responsibly and to act now.’’

Baseline expectations for asset managers on fundamental labour rights

Global asset managers invest capital on behalf of workers’ retirement savings funds. Pension fund trustees who sit on the boards of these funds and participate in the CWC network expect that their managers will uphold their responsibilities to mitigate adverse labour rights impacts in their investments, and positively address labour grievances when raised. Likewise, other types of asset owner vehicles, including foundations and religious investors, also have growing expectations of their managers.

“Global asset managers can hold sizeable stakes in public and private market investments where fundamental labour rights, such as the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, are violated. Asset owners can now use the Baseline Expectations to drive actions by asset managers to use their influence and ultimately drive impact on the ground for workers whose rights are violated,” says said Paddy Crumlin, president of the International Transport Workers’ Federation and chair of the CWC’s Asset Manager Accountability Initiative Working Group.

The baseline expectations progress from baseline into good practices and are divided in four categories from which to assess an asset manager’s level of commitment to respecting and upholding fundamental labour rights:

(1) Stewardship framework
(2) Stewardship practices in public equities (proxy voting and shareholder engagement)
(3) Stewardship practices in private markets
(4) Policy advocacy

The framework is anchored in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises which lay out investor responsibilities to carry out due diligence and prevent or mitigate adverse environmental and social impacts. 

"Global investors, especially pension fund investors, invest our money and we demand the same respect for basic trade union rights from these investments as we do in our own workplaces. There is no compromise on the right to organize and bargain collectively. These baseline expectation need to be taken seriously by all investors,”

says IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie.

The baseline expectations were developed collaboratively by trade union officials and pension fund trustees affiliated to unions, including: the Australian Council of Trade Unions (Australia), AFL-CIO (USA), Comisiones Obreras (Spain), FNV (Netherlands), the International Trade Union Confederation, UNI Global Union, the International Transport Workers’ Federation and the Trade Union Advisory Committee.