Deadly fire in electronics factory in India

The fire started on the first floor and spread throughout the four storey building due to the presence of combustible plastic material, used in the manufacture of security cameras, and stacks of packaging cardboard. A short circuit is believed to have started the fire.

70 people were inside when the fire started. The heavy smoke caused by the plastic material made it difficult for people to escape the building because all the floors were connected by only one small staircase. According to media reports, people were forced to break windows to flee the fire.

The building lacked clearance from the fire department and was not equipped with fire safety equipment like extinguishers. According to initial accident reports, both the company owners and the building owner lacked the proper documentation for tenants. The owners of the CCTV manufacturing company have been arrested in connection with the accident, while the building owner has absconded.

The Delhi chief minister has announced compensation of US$13,000 for the relatives of each killed worker, and US$650 for those injured in the fire.

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary, says:

“This tragedy shows the danger of the diluted system of workplace inspections. The labour department needs to conduct proper inspections, which can save lives.”

Union solidarity with Ukraine

Last month, the Swiss trade union confederation (SGB) adopted a message of solidarity with “inhabitants, workers and unions of Ukraine”, demanding an immediate end to the war. The Swiss trade union centre Solifonds has transferred donations of 20,000 CHF (US$20,000) to unions in Kryvyi Rih, and are collecting more money.
 
German steelworkers are supporting colleagues running ArcelorMittal’s steel mill in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. The ArcelorMittal works council in Bremen, Germany has collected money for emergency power generators, power banks and dressing materials. Two deliveries to the Polish-Ukrainian border have already two taken place. In addition, the Belgian unions at the plant in Gent have also sent urgently needed goods.

 

Currently a large part of the male workforce is defending the country and women are keeping the mill running. Together with her colleagues Elena Pantyuch and Tatjana Prizkau, Natalya Marynyuk, president of the ArcelorMittal Kriviy Rih company union, is fighting to get the blast furnaces in the steel plant up and running again as soon as possible as people need work and wages. This is a challenging task, not only as part of the top management has left the country, but also as Kryvyi Rih is full of refugees from the war zone.
 
Says Natalya Marynyuk:

“We have to pitch in and help our people who are drafted. Some of the workers have already fallen. Your help and support give us courage and hope in difficult times. We will not give up."

Moldova is experiencing an influx of refugees from Ukraine. The Council of National Confederation of Trade Unions of Moldova have opened refugee centres in three trade union resorts.

"The sanatorium accommodates mainly mothers with children. We provide them with accommodation, three meals a day, hot water. Security is on duty 24 hours a day and is ready to help if necessary. We are seeing an extraordinary mobilization of the population that is connecting and helping us,”

says the director for one of the refugee centres.
 
IndustriALL affiliate, the Federation of Chemical and Energy Workers' Union of the Republic of Moldova (FSCRE), has offered financial support to the centres for heating, as well as food and clothes.
 
Says Irina, a refugee from Ukraine:

“We are from Odessa. We got there with difficulty. There were long queues at the border. Through social networks, we found a group of volunteers who brought us to this sanatorium. They help us at every step. People are open and friendly. Every second I want to say a big "thank you" to the Moldovans for their warmth in these difficult days for us.”

There are many stories from IndustriALL affiliates in Poland, Hungary and other countries on solidarity action. Eight unions in France have joined forces and are sending supplies such as medical equipment, industrial washing machines, kitchen equipment and 2,600 blankets.

A big number of affiliates have also given substantial financial support, both through IndustriALL and through humanitarian organizations in many countries. IndustriALL has managed to forward a first financial aid package to Ukrainian affiliates.

Global unions call for the immediate release of jailed Belarusian union activists

They face charges under art. 342 part 1 of the Criminal Code of Republic of Belarus and were transferred to the pre-trial detention for the time of investigation. The charges under the art. 342 include preparation of actions which gravely violate public order and are punishable with arrest, or restraint of liberty for two to five years, or imprisonment for up to four years. We demand their immediate release, and the withdrawal of all charges brought by the illegitimate regime of Alexander Lukashenko, who rigged an election in 2020 to stay in power.

Their arrest and treatment have provoked widespread indignation and protest: a politically motivated case directly related to their trade union activities, and an attack on democracy and the independent trade unionism that is a key component of it.

The arrest, even briefly, of trade union leaders for exercising their legitimate right to freedom of association constitutes a grave violation of fundamental human rights, reflected by the fact that the ILO Director General Guy Ryder issued a special communique and addressed the government of Belarus directly. We will use the forthcoming International Labour Conference and the subsequent ILO Governing Body to increase the pressure on the illegitimate regime of Belarus.

Communication with our imprisoned fellow trade unionists is only possible through lawyers and letters: we demand the right to visit them in person and are seeking to send a solidarity delegation to Belarus to that effect.

As global trade unions, we will not stay silent about this unjustified and unacceptable attack on the trade unions of Belarus and, by extension, the workers and trade unions of the world – an injury to one is an injury to all.

Statement by the Council of Global Unions (CGU),13 May 2022

Just Transition prominent at mining indaba discussions

Discussions ranged from climate change impacts with a focus on transition minerals – cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, lithium, zinc, to the future of coal mining in the context of climate change, including implications of the war between Russia and Ukraine, and energy security supply risks.

The Mining Indaba had keynote addresses and an official opening from three presidents: Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa, Mokgweetsi Masisi, Botswana and Hakainde Hichilema, Zambia, who emphasized on the potential of the mining industry to stimulate economic development, industrialization, and job creation.

Speaking at the Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) panel, Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL mining director. raised the twin challenges of greenwashing by the mining industry and the disproportionate attention by the industry and governments on emission reduction over the social impacts.

IndustriALL mining director Glen Mpufane

“The lack of transparency and meaningful consultation, dialogue and engagement, contributes to greenwashing. Meaningful engagement for workers and communities find expression in a truly multi-stakeholder, credible and robust standard system which goes to the heart of governance. The requirement for genuine dialogue must reflect at mine site level as well, where workers through their trade unions and community- based organization are brought into the conversation.

"Engagement tools towards that goal must be developed between global unions and individual mining companies and better still mining associations like TSM and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM).”

The Alternative Mining Indaba (AMI), a parallel forum of the corporate-led Mining Indaba made up of mine affected communities, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, and others, was held under the theme: “A just energy transition for sustainable mining communities in a climate crisis era”.

At the AMI, Mpufane reiterated the trade union position that Just Transition should go beyond reducing carbon emissions.

“The link between energy transition and climate change is not linear and neutral, but political. COP26 forged a climate change mother of all social movements that is committed to a transition that is fair, just, and equitable; and that resists false solutions and greenwash from rich governments and corporations, and solutions that perpetuate poverty and inequality.”

IndustriALL affiliates in the mining sector from Lesotho, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with support from the IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) Regional Office and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Trade Union Competence Centre for SSA, participated in the indabas to discuss decent work, including workers and human rights, and the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining in SSA. In a session on the Kimberley Process, there were calls to include workers and human rights violations by state entities especially in the Marange community in Zimbabwe.

Engaging men in fighting gender-based violence and harassment

The hundred or so women trade unionist and IndustriALL leaders interviewed for the research provide an insight into IndustriALL’s affiliates actions and negotiations to end GBVH. Power inequalities, discrimination, victim-blaming and a culture of impunity exist in all three sectors and are among the root causes of gender-based violence and harassment.

Concrete progresses can be achieved where unions challenge discrimination and inequalities and support the victims. The involvement of unions in complaints mechanisms is key in the fight against impunity. The role of women leaders in unions to build trust with women workers and put GBVH on the union agenda is crucial.

Women are calling for male trade unionists to engage. Training and awareness-raising focusing on changing behaviour among men in the union movement is needed.

USW in Canada have developed an active bystander training. In 2021, USW partnered with the Canadian Football Players Association (CFLPA) to “break the silence” on GBVH through a spokesperson training programme for male union members. This enabled them to give a 90-minute presentation to union members on how to work as male allies to end GBVH.

“We always tell men that we are not asking them to stand up for women, just stand up with them. Be more! It’s a very small number of men who are abusive and we’re trying to get the majority of men who are decent to speak up and help change the culture,”

said a union shop steward participating in the programme.

“This research is powerful and will be critical for IndustriALL’s work in garment, mining and electronics. Reading the testimonies of all these women trade unionists from IndustriALL affiliates you learn about their fierce fight. It shows how the active involvement of unions makes a difference in the daily life of women workers. Mind-sets and behaviours need to change and unions should be agents of this change. They should fight the stereotypes and social norms that perpetuate discrimination against women. They should hold employers and companies accountable for their failure to prevent and address GBVH,”

said Armelle Seby, IndustriALL gender director.

Good jobs and a Just Transition into hydrogen

"There is no single industry that could replace the oil and gas industry, in terms of jobs and in terms of income. We must consider multiple different technologies when thinking about where jobs are going to transition to,”

said Kenneth Sandmo, Head of business and Industry Policy in the Norwegian Trade Union Confederation (LO Norway).

Putting it into perspective, Sandmo explained that Norway’s oil and gas industry employs more than 200,000 workers directly and indirectly. As the hydrogen sector is projected to create approximately 35,000 jobs in Norway, hydrogen technology shouldn’t be the only focus for trade unions.

Hydrogen technology is key for the long-term decarbonisation of energy intensive industries and sectors such as heavy transport. To get a better view of where jobs are and where they could be, the workshop looked at the value chains of oil and gas and hydrogen. Breaking both value chains down to production, processing, distribution, and end use (upstream, midstream, downstream) provided a clearer view of where the jobs are, and where there is a future for workers to transition in the hydrogen value chain.

From Brazil to the US, Germany and Spain to Japan, trade union experts made it clear that transition paths and development prospects for a hydrogen energy system that puts workers first are challenging, but not impossible. With uncertainty, conflicting perspectives, and sometimes opposing interests from multinational companies, governments and workers, unions must ensure that workers are part of the transition from the start.

The German government came up with a hydrogen strategy in 2020 to create strong energy partnerships around the world.

“However, the debate is dominated by technical details, with no worker perspective,”

said Patricia Kraft from DGB.

Engaging trade unionists, works council members, and value chain experts, DGB has produced their own literature on the subject. They carried out interviews with 20 different experts and produced a position paper: Trade union demands for the hydrogen economy – towards a H2 ready workforce.

“A lot of new infrastructure must be built in Germany for hydrogen. Gas infrastructure needs to be repurposed. Transportation issues need to be solved; it is not easy to transport hydrogen around the world,”

said Kraft. Other union experts agreed, noting that there are no commercial solutions yet to the technical challenges of large-scale shipping hydrogen. 

Unions from Spain UGT and CCOO spoke on the conversion of refinery sites to hydrogen. The Repsol group is leading a project to repurpose their five refineries into hubs for hydrogen supply, distribution, and output for small consumers, especially for maritime transport, aviation, and heavy goods transport. 

“There are around 30,000 workers in our oil industry, if you include distribution workers there are about 70,000 more. We don’t know how many jobs hydrogen distribution will offer. Where hubs are created in the petrochemical sector, we see real quality jobs. Hydrogen production outside of these complexes offers lower pay, fewer rights, less negotiating power and this is a concern for unions,”

said Augustin Perez from UGT.

In Japan, the government has established a Green growth strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. 11 out of 14 growth sectors in the strategy are linked to hydrogen.

Although the pandemic and the war in Ukraine have slowed down Japan’s hydrogen strategy, one of the main targets remains to make hydrogen affordable and to expand the hydrogen network in Japan. Major investment is also foreseen between energy companies to expand the growth of the technology.

In the US, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides federal funding for up to four hydrogen hubs. Chris Hannan from the Los Angeles/Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council explained that unions in California are committed to achieving the state’s climate goals. They see a future in hydrogen for today’s skilled tradespeople in the energy sector and are spearheading a coalition to secure federal funding for a green hydrogen hub in Southern California.  

“Hydrogen represents replacement work, it's an industrial process that still uses highly skilled construction workers to make the facilities and maintain them,”

said Hannan.

Anna Fendley from the United Steelworkers explained that she also sees a great national opportunity, which potentially can provide new jobs for workers in US refineries. 

Daniel Gaio from the CUT in Brazil explains that

“Brazil was a pioneer in hydrogen technologies between 2002-2005 with the national hydrogen plan. We were an important player in climate protection, but we have taken a giant step back.”

With interest in investment in cleaner technologies unions in Brazil are optimistic that the trend will change, though a lot depends on the forthcoming election. 

Participants made it clear that unions need to be prepared for the change and must adapt fast. Ensuring a Just Transition for workers in energy intensive industries, guaranteeing labour rights, health and safety and real quality jobs is a priority for unions.

Unions must look at the global picture to see where multinational companies are investing, for example, the German company Siemens has signed an agreement with the Iraqi government to produce Hydrogen in the country. IndustriALL has a Global Framework Agreement with Siemens that can provide unions with leverage to demand workers participation in the transition process.

Three more workshops on energy transition technologies will follow this year as part of the Just Transition initiative in the energy sector:

Repression continues at garment factory in Myanmar

In April three garment workers at Sioen Myanmar Garment were arrested for their involvement in the civil disobedience movement. Among the three is a women union leader, detained after sharing political posts on social media.

According to IndustriALL affiliate IWFM, the three unionists had been released.

IWFM president and treasurer of Confederation of Trade Unions in Myanmar (CTUM) Khaing Zar, says:

“The illegitimate junta regime must stop infringing human rights of union members; everyone has freedom of expression and thought.

“We call on the international community to understand the situation in Myanmar’s garment industry. Not only are workers constantly exposed to the risk of being arrested, but employers are ignoring all regulations and are treating workers like Myanmar is a lawless country by taking advantage of the current political situation.”

After the coup, the employer stopped respecting the collective agreement signed between the union and the employer before the coup. IWFM members at the factory report that the employer hired temporary workers only to terminate them before the end of the three-month probationary period on the pretext of redundancy. After the termination, the employer re-hired the workers.

It is believed that the employer does not want to put the workers under a regular employment contract, refusing to pay the statutory minimum wage of 4,800 Kyat (US$2.6) per day.

IndustriALL South East Asia regional secretary Shinya Iwai says:

"The continued the repression shows that employers cannot protect workers’ rights. Sioen must take full responsibility and find remedies for the workers. ILO and other international bodies should take action on the violation of freedom of association and freedom of expression, and give guidance to its members to review their relationship with Myanmar."

Sioen Myanmar Garment employs over 700 workers in the industrial zone of Hlaing Thar Yar Township, producing jackets and trousers under its own brand.

Sri Lanka: unions fight for peace and democracy

For months, Sri Lankans have been waiting in lines to buy fuel, cooking gas, foo, and medicine, the majority of which comes from abroad. Hard currency shortages have also hampered the import of raw supplies for manufacturing, worsening inflation which reached 18.7 per cent in March. The country is on the verge of defaulting on its foreign debts and payments have been suspended.

The government has so far failed to offer any solutions to the people protesting outside Parliament for over a month. People are demanding that the government demit office, which has added a huge political crisis to the situation. M Rajapaksa resigned as prime minister earlier this week.

On Monday, the tense situation took a new turn when government supporters, many armed with iron bars, stormed an anti-government demonstration, attacking them and setting fire to their tents. Police used water cannons and tear gas, which was followed by the angry mob torching several residences belonging to members of Parliament.

A curfew has been imposed across the country. The government has issued a special gazette notification declaring the essential services order and mentioning some of the industries as the essential services to prohibit trade union actions.

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

“We need to a build broad-based alliance among pro-people organizations to achieve political stability. We won’t be able to address the economic crisis without being politically stable.”

Trade unions, including IndustriALL affiliates, have been demanding that a Special Parliamentary Select Committee, comprising of all parties represented in Parliament, be constituted to formulate a plan to provide required fuel, LP gas, kerosene oil and other essential items to the people, at prices that prevailed in January 2020, and find solutions for the foreign exchange crisis. Funds available should be re-estimated with a new welfare budget presented in Parliament to serve the needs of the people.

While the introduction of organic fertiliser should have a clearly defined programme, a new programme to provide subsidised chemical fertiliser to farmers should be implemented. Dates should be fixed for a general election. Provincial council elections should be held along with parliamentary elections. The proposal to meanwhile set up an interim government is also endorsed by the Bar association.

Atle Høie, IndustriaLL general secretary, says:

“IndustriALL is urging the government to consider the rightful demands of trade unions and urgently implement them. It is imperative to restore peace and democracy in the country to prevent the crisis from escalating any further.”

Unions' role in fighting gender-based violence in the textile sector

An estimated 80 per cent of workers in the textile and garment sector are women, who mainly work in lower paid machine and stitching jobs. Women are often fired when they become pregnant or if they report sexual harassment.

The women union leaders interviewed gave accounts of pervasive sexual harassment and abuse in their factories from supervisors, managers and male machine technicians. Women workers face regular incidents of inappropriate touching, sexualized gestures, verbal abuse and sexual favours.

“Many times if you want to get your contract extended the supervisor will ask sexual favours, it is difficult for women to say no as they want to keep their job…When the machine has a breakdown and the technician comes and touches them, they can’t say no as they want the machine repaired as they have to get their work done and they accept this,”

says a union representative in Indonesia.
 
There is a strong link between heightened risks of GBVH when workers face employment insecurity because of short-term contracts, poor working conditions, a lack of living wages, lack of social protection and being unable to exercise their right to organise and bargain collectively. Unattainable productivity bonuses and unfair piece work systems add to women’s vulnerability to violence and harassment.
 
Living wages, decent work and ending precarious work are of critical importance in to ending GBVH in the garment and textile sector. In addition, strategies to relieve production pressures and ensure women are not forced to work overtime, are essential in ending GBVH.
 
A lack of effective systems for reporting violence and harassment, along with a culture of silence, impunity and victim-blaming, contribute to low levels of complaints.

"I was subject to [sexual assault] in the lift at work, when I made a complaint I was laid off by the head of division, when I complained to the administration they did nothing. I then complained to court and I am waiting for this to be resolved…I have physical problems muscle and leg pain, and psychological problems,"

says a union representative from Morocco.
 
Many of the women interviewed spoke about the positive impact of a union; some women saw significant changes after the union was formed in the factory. Many unions have made training and awareness raising on GBVH a priority, along with workplace negotiations and agreements on the issue. The presence of women in trade union leadership positions has a defining impact.
 
The interviews also show the importance of confidential complaints systems that women trust and trade union representatives who can report incidents anonymously on behalf of a worker.
 
Further recommendations from women leaders interviewed include:

IndustriALL textile and garment director Christina Hajagos-Clausen says:

“We know that gender-based violence in the workplace exists and it is unacceptable. This research shows the importance of union participation when addressing the issue and and finding solutions.”

 

For this chapter, individual and group interviews were carried out with 26 women union leaders and representatives in El Salvador (FEASIES), Indonesia (GARTEKS and SPN), Lesotho (IDU) and Turkey (Deriteks, DISK/TEKSTIL, Öz Iplik-Is and TEKSIF). The chapter also references some of the findings of a parallel research involving 27 women union leaders in Bangladesh (SGSF, BGIW and IBC) and Morocco (SNTHC-CDT, UMT).


Photo: Female workers Bangladesh, ©ILO

Eswatini garment workers continue strike amid intimidation and harassment

The workers determination comes amid attempts to stop the strike through intimidation and harassment by the police and the army. The union says the security forces are going as far as visiting workers homes and demanding that the workers must go back to work or face eviction from their places of residence. According to reports teargas has been fired into some of the residences.

Wander Mkhonza, ATUSWA secretary general says:

“Although we are fatigued – it has been a long five weeks – the strike goes on. We will continue to fight with everything within our power as a union until our demands are met. We are only fighting for living wages for our members, and I would like to emphasize that this is a labour dispute between workers and the employer. However, we are shocked by the threats to our members by security forces who are not part of the wage dispute.”

Contrary to the action by the security forces, the ministry of labour and social security said in its Workers’ Day statement that the government respected the International Labour Organization (ILO) “fundamental principles and rights at work.” Earlier the ministry had said the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland (ATUSWA), affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, should take the grievances to the Textile and Apparel Sector Wages Council which is composed of employers, workers, and the government.
 
ATUSWA, which is leading the strike, says instead of addressing the wage dispute, the employers are colluding with the Government of Eswatini, which is supposed to be neutral, to intimidate and harass the union and the strikers.
 
Around 2,000 workers met on 2 May at Nhlangano industrial area – a hub of textile and garment factories – to reaffirm their commitment to the strike action. Some walked for more than 8 km to attend the mass meeting where 30 workers spoke in support of the strike, which they say must continue until their demands for living wages are met.

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

“We support the ATUSWA led strike and the demands for living wages as the cost of living is going up. As per IndustriALL congress resolution we call on the government of Eswatini to respect workers’ rights to strike and to collective bargaining. The government must respect the workers human rights and stop the intimidation and harassment.”