A new social contract is needed to stop intensifying workers’ rights violations

The ITUC Index, launched online on 28 June under the theme – “Rebuilding trust with a new social contract” ­­– is an annual survey of 148 countries.

Based on the findings, the Index is stressing that trade unions must fight against the push back on workers fundamental rights by employers and governments as seen in murders of trade unionists, violent attacks, arbitrary arrests, and detentions. Human rights and civil liberties are also being violated.
 
The ITUC Index states that trade unionists were murdered in 13 countries: Bangladesh, Colombia, Ecuador, Eswatini, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Iraq, Italy, Lesotho, Myanmar, Philippines, and South Africa.

Further, harassment, arbitrary arrests and detentions took place in 69 countries with worst cases reported in Cambodia, Hong Kong, and Myanmar.

The worst violations of workers’ rights occurred in the Middle East and North Africa while conflicts and coup d’états worsened the conditions for workers.

 

Additionally, restricted access to justice is also increasing in Africa with reported incidences rising from 76-95 per cent from 2021 to 2022. 

The world’s 10 worst countries for workers identified in the Index are Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Eswatini, Guatemala, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Turkey.

These countries are vicious against trade unions. They use regressive and repressive criminal laws, impede union formation, force unions to close, arbitrary and mass arrests of union leaders, anti-union discriminatory measures, union-busting and unfair dismissals of union leaders, violate collective agreements, murders and impunity, prosecution of strikers, violate freedom of assembly, police violence and brutal state repression of strikes and protests.
 
Several speakers narrated what is happening in their countries as confirmed by the ITUC Index.

Maung Maung from Myanmar said despite trade unionists having been killed, arrested, imprisoned, and harassed, “the revolution is holding on.” However, most of the union leadership is in hiding or exile.

“The government of Brazil is hostile to trade unions and there is regression on workers’ rights which are violated daily without limitation, especially against Black women workers,”

said Rosa Souza Fernandes.
 
Maksim Pazniakou said:

“There are unprecedented repressive measures in Belarus characterised by trumped up charges against union leaders. Further, the public prosecutor wants independent trade unions to be banned.”

“There is hostility against trade unions and protesters including workers. Workers have been killed when state security forces used live bullets to disperse protesters,”

said Mduduzi Gina from Eswatini.

“It will take a new social contract with jobs, rights, social protection, just wages, equality, and inclusion to rebuild the trust that has been shattered by repressive governments and abusive companies. The social contract has been torn apart. But together we can write a new one,”

said Sharan Burrow, ITUC general secretary.

She said the new social contract must address precarious work, job creation and the Just Transition. Further, the social contract must find solutions to the high inequality, climate emergency, and the post-Covid 19 economic downturn.

“IndustriALL Global Union welcomes the ITUC Global Rights Index, which mirrors our campaigns against the gross violations of human and workers’ rights in Myanmar, the arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of trade union leaders in Belarus, and the use of violence against striking workers in Bangladesh and Eswatini.

"It is tragic to see that the situation for workers is worsening in country after country. Unions must be firm in their fight back, and IndustriALL will stand with our affiliates to win back the rights that have been taken from us, and to win new ones,”

says Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary.

The ITUC Global Rights Index has 97 indicators, derived from ILO fundamental rights at work, especially Convention 87 (freedom of association and protection of the right to organize) and Convention 98 (right to organize and collective bargaining), as well as international human rights law. The current report is for the period March 2021 to April 2022.
 

Bangladesh launches employment injury scheme for garment workers

The employment injury scheme (EIS) is a social protection scheme including compensation for medical treatment and rehabilitation services, as well as income loss caused by occupational injuries and disease. The pilot project aims to top up the lump sums already paid in Bangladesh for death and permanent disability due to work injury, and to ensure that work-related compensations are line with international labour standards.

The project, which is funded by the governments of Netherlands and Germany, will also gather data on average medical costs for a worker in case of injury, benefits provided in case of temporary incapacity, along with capacity-building on occupational accidents, diseases and rehabilitation, with the aim of fine-tuning what the cost of a fully functioning EIS could be in Bangladesh.

Around 150 RMG factories will participate in the first part of the pilot, which will initially run for three years, with the option of being extended for another two. If the pilot proves successful, it could be extended to other sectors of the economy.

 

Rashadul Alam Raju, general secretary of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council and Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers Union Federation (BIGUF), says:

“This scheme is an important step towards ensuring workers’ safety and well-being in case of a workplace injury, as well as for providing rehabilitation services when returning to work.  Having said this, we need to wait and see how effective the plan will be once it is implemented and the procedures for filing for compensation is made clearer.”

A tripartite committee with representatives from the government, employers’ associations and unions, has been set up, under which the process of paying compensation and ensuring medical care of the injured will be done. International brands and retailers will provide voluntary contributions to cover the top-up payment and administration costs. The injury-related compensation mechanism under the scheme is based on a no-fault and risk-sharing approach and provides for long-term periodical payments instead of a lump sum settlement for economic loss.  

So far seven brands, including Bestseller, Fast Retailing, the H&M Group, KiK Textilien und Non-Food GmbH, Primark and Tchibo, have signed pledges as commitments for voluntary financial contributions.

Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL textile director, says that this is an important first step in developing a strong social safety net for the workers, but more brands need to join to make the pilot sustainable.

“It is part of the responsibility of global brands and retailers to contribute financially to this kind of system. We call on global brands and retailers take responsibility for the workers in their supply chains."

Japanese metalworkers seek involvement in due diligence plans

The Japanese government has been preparing guidelines on human rights due diligence to help companies identify and prevent human rights abuses in their global supply chains.

On 21 June, Akihiro Kaneko, president of JCM, submitted the union’s due diligence request to a member of the house of representatives, Kazuchika Iwata. Iwata is the parliamentary vice-minister of economy, trade and industry. 

JCM’s request contains the following:

  1. specify the involvement of labor unions in human rights due diligence;
  2. ensure that indirect business partners, such as second-tier subcontractors and beyond, are subject to checks and actions related to human rights due diligence; and
  3. if domestic laws do not meet international standards, then companies must comply with international standards that go beyond the level of domestic laws.

Kaneko, explained that

“JCM is actively implementing initiatives and measures, such as including human rights due diligence inits spring labour offensive policy. However, spreading this to small and medium-sized enterprises is dependent on the government’s ability to act. JCM is determined to promote discussions between labor and management going forward, including with small and medium-sized unions.”

The parliamentary vice-minister Iwata reposnded that;

“We will seriously assess the content of the JCM’s request. Human rights due diligence is a major trend in international economic activities, and Japan will also assimilate this and work to promote it. We want to ensure companies can voluntarily work on solving human rights issues and engage in sound economic activities. Concerning guidance, we are proceeding with discussions while maintaining an awareness of international standards, and as METI, we would like to move forward resolutely.”

Although the METI draft guidance has not yet been published, it will be open to public comment soon. JCM is currently discussing the points for labor unions with regard to handling human rights due diligence, which is to be finalized in August.

Tunisian unions urge government to honour wage agreement

The Tunisian government has been stalling on issuing the annexes of an agreement reached with social stakeholders in the textile and clothing sector, in November 2021 for reasons that are unclear. The annexes are key and needed by business owners to raise wages. 

Habib Hazami, the Secretary General of FGTHCC-UGTT, delivered an address during the demonstration stating that the government is halting the issuance of the amendment annexes, although it was not party to the negotiations, but rather a sponsor which makes the agreement official through an article in the Official Gazette. He emphasized that, should the stalling continue, the FGTHCC-UGTT plans to initiate a general sectoral strike, holding the government accountable for the rising tensions.

Several union leaders participated in the demonstration. The UGTT chose a demonstration with the participation of union leaders only as a first step, in order to spare the sector any disruption to production.   

Following the demonstration, FGTHCC-UGTT delegation met with Mr. Malek Alzahi, Minister of Social Affairs, who confirmed his understanding of the sectoral demands, and committed to issue the annexes of the agreement on Friday.

This comes just one week after workers in Tunisia’s public sector had a general strike, after negotiations with the government to protect workers from the rising cost of living in the country failed. While this meeting was positive, the FGTHCC-UGTT is ready to take further actions if the government fails to act on Friday.

First youth meeting in South Asia

Young activists engaged in a lively debate about how the IndustriALL action plan could be viewed in the context of South Asia. Issues like confronting global capital, Industry 4.0, and sustainable industrial policy were discussed.
 
Country reports reaffirmed that workers’ rights’ issues transcend national borders. Workers in the region are grappling with a rise in precarious work, unsafe working conditions, forced overtime, denial of social security including maternity or paternity benefits, gender pay gay, sexual harassment at workplace, and union busting.

 

Post Covid, workers’ situation has drastically changed with higher production targets and increased harassment on the shopfloor. Young unionists extended solidarity to workers in Sri Lanka facing an unprecedented economic and political crisis.
 
Reflecting on the region's trade union movement, participants agreed that union structures are traditionally male-dominated and that more work is needed to promote greater engagement of young people and women, both as members and as leaders. With participants forming a regional working group to further the conversation on youth participation, the meeting set the ball rolling.
 
Young activists unanimously decided to focus on three demands in IndustriALL’s youth resolution, including

Sarah Flores, IndustriALL youth officer, said:

“The meeting was a crucial step towards establishing recognized and institutional youth structures, not just within IndustriALL, but hopefully also in the regional trade union movements.”

Apoorva Kaiwar, South Asia regional secretary, said:

“Our young leaders will take the union movement forward and make trade unions work for young workers.”

South Asia: increased space for women in unions is needed

Women leaders had an engaging discussion on IndustriALL's resolution calling for an end to inequalities, sexism, misogyny and gender-based violence. Leaders reflected on how discrimination against women occurs not only on the shop floor, but also within unions. Participants shared that women are disproportionately underrepresented in unions; even when they are present, they typically serve as members, rather than in leadership roles.

Sectors like steel and mining, with a largely male workforce, see few women union members, let alone women leadership level. The low percentage of women in the workforce will only get worse with the growing digitalization and automation. Some participants suggested an employment quota for women.

The country reports highlighted that women workers throughout the region experience similar problems, like sexual harassment in the workplace, denial of maternity related benefits including day care facility at workplace, neglect of women-specific health and safety concerns and a gender pay gap.

 

Nazma Akter, president of IndustriALL Bangladeshi affiliate, Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation (SGSF), said:

“Gender-specific concerns must be discussed at all levels and in all contexts. We must make sure that not only do women unionists become active members of collective bargaining committees, but also that these agreements incorporate gender-specific demands, including those of transgender people in the workforce.”

The gender pay gap and its implications was discussed. Several women leaders decided to raise the issue in their respective countries and link it to the debate on national living wage.

Sanjyot Vadhavkar, co-chair of IndustriALL’s base metals sector and secretary of the Steel, Metal and Engineering Workers’ Federation of India (SMEFI), said:

“The gener pay gap needs to be addressed by unions in their charter of demands, and more women must be represented in the decision-making bodies of the unions.”

The women leaders pledged to address women-specific issues in the unions, including the priorities decided by IndustriALL’s women’s committee:

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary, said:

“Women’s space in unions, even in male dominated sectors, needs to be recognized by union leadership. Women should be involved in all aspects of trade union work, including strategies, actions and the way forward.”

Green aviation: trade unions demand strong international commitment with social sustainability and a Just Transition

This week, international and European trade unions representing workers in the aerospace and aviation sectors met to discuss a united position ahead of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly in September, at which it is hoped that the future pathway towards sustainable aviation will be agreed by international governments and key industry stakeholders.

At such a critical time, where the aviation industry faces the urgent challenge of responding the continued fallout from the Covid crisis, unions have identified the need for a coordinated industry-wide response from airlines, airports, governments, and unions to rectify capacity shortages, flight delays and beleaguered service levels that have plagued the industry for months.

Workers’ participation is critical, not just in fixing the underlying issues that are currently crippling the industry, but crucially in the addressing the long-term sustainability and decarbonisation of the industry. Workers’ participation will be essential in the social management of such a major industrial change. Climate justice cannot exist without labor justice with decent work being created through freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The meeting organized by IndustriALL Global Trade Union, International Transport Workers’ Federation, and their European counterparts industriAll European Trade Union and the European Transport Workers’ Federation follow successful collaboration on the Toulouse Declaration on the future sustainability and decarbonisation of aviation.

The aerospace and aviation sectors are intrinsically linked. Global trade union federations are particularly important in these processes playing a key role linking common needs and are essential in turning them into an international vision and strategy. Trade unions from both sectors see significant opportunities offered by a combined and cross-sectoral approach, based on a supply chain-wide vision and an international industrial strategy that is built on foundations of sustainability and decent work.

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IndustriALL Global Union represents 50 million workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors and is a force in global solidarity taking up the fight for better working conditions and trade union rights around the world.

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Together with affiliates and other stakeholders, IndustriALL campaigns for better working conditions.

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FEATURE

Union busting, IndustriALL affiliates under attack

App promotes migrant workers’ rights in Mauritius

The Just Good Work Mauritius app is supported by IndustriALL affiliate, CTSP, Bangladeshi migrant workers support organization OKUP, Anti-Slavery International, and ASOS.

The app, which is available in Bangla, English, and Malagasy languages has made it possible for CTSP to organize migrant workers at the Compagnie Mauricienne de Textile (CMT) – a garments and jersey manufacturing factory – which is one of the largest textile companies on the island, with offices in the UK and France.

On 30 May, CTSP had a meeting with 30 migrant workers to explain how to use the app to exercise their rights at work. For the first time the union was granted access to the factory workers.

“We finally got access to CMT – a company that has never allowed trade unions to represent its workers. This is a major step. Workers were exposed to the content of the app and how they can get relevant information on working conditions, wages, and safety issues. Most importantly the app allows workers to send specific queries to the Migrant Resource Centre and other organizations,”

says Jane Ragoo, CTSP general secretary.

Over 35,000 workers, or 17 per cent of the workforce, in Mauritius are migrant workers. The workers are employed in manufacturing sectors that include the garment and textile industries as well as in information, communications, and technology (ICT).

Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL director for the textile and garment industries says:

“Digital platforms like the JGW Mauritius are becoming important tools in union organizing and campaigns for workers’ rights and living wages for migrant workers. We applaud the CTSP for adopting the opportunities provided by digital technologies to improve the working conditions of migrant workers.

"It is commendable that CMT has opened its doors for the first time to CTSP and this shows that the global framework agreement with ASOS is improving working conditions for migrant workers.”

A report made to the International Labour Conference recommends that the government of Mauritius must respect migrant workers’ rights, especially International Labour Organization Convention 87 on freedom of association and protection of the right to organize.

“Regretting that the work permit requirement provided for under the Employment Rights Act (2008) was not repealed by Act No. 21, the Committee reiterates its request to the Government to take all measures in the near future to ensure the recognition of the right to all migrant workers to establish and join organizations of their own choosing. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any developments in this respect,”

reads the Report of the Committee of Experts on Application of Convention and Recommendations.

Although, the Employment Rights Act was amended in 2019 the clause on the work permit which violates migrant workers’ rights remain in the law. The clause says that you cannot join a trade union if you do not have a work permit.

Apple workers join US union

With the assistance of IAM, the Apple employees have formed a union, the Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (CORE). The store in Towson, Maryland, will be the first unionized Apple store in the country.
 
“To be clear, the decision to form a union is about us as workers gaining access to rights that we do not currently have,” Towson organizers wrote in a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
 
The workers want Apple to follow the neutrality requirement from its Supplier Code of Conduct under the section “Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining”, so that they can enjoy their rights to information and collective bargaining.

IAM president Robert Martinez says:

“I applaud the courage displayed by Core members at the Apple store in Towson for achieving this historic victory. They made a huge sacrifice for thousands of Apple employees across the nation who had all eyes on this election. This victory shows the growing demand for unions at Apple stores and different industries across our nation.”

Christine Olivier, IndustriALL assistant general sectary, says:

“We extend our wholehearted congratulations on this important victory. It is a crucial step in achieving decent working conditions and respect for the workers creating the wealth of this major tech company. We hope workers of other Apple stores in the US will follow this path."