IndustriALL and Solvay renew and improve benchmark GFA

The agreement content was strengthened around several important areas, including:

The four-year agreement includes serious commitments on due diligence along the supply chain. Taking note of the different international standards on this issue, including the upcoming EU Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence, the agreement establishes a new working group of workers and management to investigate respect of core labor rights in suppliers and seek remediation where problems are found. Solvay commits to suspend contracts with suppliers that fail to remedy human rights and environmental abuses following warnings.

 

Signing the new agreement, IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie said:

“Several years of joint work between our organisations has built something special. This is a benchmark agreement in content, implementation, and spirit. We will continue to build and improve with a constant drive to progress workers’ rights and conditions throughout the company and its supply chain.”

Solvay CEO Ilham Kadri said:

“Social dialogue is precious to me and the company. The year 2020 was tough for this company, but together we built trust and came out stronger. Good social dialogue and being profitable go hand in hand. Thank you for your collaboration and for making us stronger.”

A total of three agreements were signed during the ceremony, including a renewed Memorandum of Understanding for Labor Relations in the USA, and the Solvay Global Forum Agreement signed by the CEO and Solvay Global Forum Coordinator Albert Kruft.

These agreements come as an important restructuring of the company has been announced, with a split into two new entities to be completed by the second half of 2023. One will cover the soda ash, peroxides, silica, and Latin American solvents businesses. These mostly commodity operations generated sales last year of US$4.5 billion.

The second new company will encompass Solvay’s faster growing and more profitable businesses, including specialty polymers, aerospace composites, consumer product ingredients, and aroma chemicals, which last year reported sales of US$6.6 billion.

The negotiation was supported by an inclusive consultation process of key Solvay unions. An important role was played by the Solvay Global Forum which is a consultative body of key worker reps from the company’s operations around the world, established in 2015.

Trabajadores de Natura Brasil reclaman mejores condiciones laborales

Los trabajadores de la mayor multinacional brasileña de cosméticos, Natura, (afiliados al Sindicato de químicos unificados) le entregaron a la empresa un listado con reclamos de mejores condiciones laborales y le solicitaron una reunión para debatirlos. Ante la falta de respuesta de la compañía, la organización sindical desarrolló una protesta en la puerta de la empresa el 25 de marzo.

Luego de la medida de acción, Natura accedió a negociar con el sindicato el 29 de marzo. En el encuentro, los trabajadores también explicaron que, debido al despido de numerosos trabajadores en el último año, los empleados restantes se vieron sobrecargados para alcanzar las metas. Por ello, consideran que la empresa les debe pagar los montos adeudados en el reparto de utilidades.

La trabajadora de Natura y líder sindical, Ivani Souza, dijo:

“La demanda de trabajo aumentó, pero hay menos personas trabajando y eso nos termina perjudicando. Hay sobrecarga de trabajo y muchos trabajadores se lastiman. Por eso pedimos un beneficio digno.”

Tras 4 horas reunidos, Natura se comprometió a tomar medidas para solucionar algunos problemas en la fábrica y mejorar así las condiciones de trabajo. Algunos puntos debatidos incluyeron:

En relación a la solicitud del pago de utilidades y a la contratación de personal para las líneas, la empresa propuso una nueva reunión para el 8 de abril, en la que pretende presentar una contrapropuesta de compensación económica.

“No hay duda de que la presión ejercida sobre Natura ha dado sus frutos. Aún así, no es momento de relajarse y dejar que la empresa actúe en beneficio propio.

Nos tenemos que mantener atentos y organizados para evaluar las soluciones que presente la empresa en la reunión del 8 de abril, o si simplemente está ganando tiempo para los trabajadores se sienten amenazados y se den por vencidos en su lucha”

señaló el Sindicato en una comunicación oficial.

Finalmente, el secretario regional de IndustriALL, Marino Vani, expresó:

“Felicitamos al Sindicato de químicos unificados por luchar por mejores condiciones laborales. Esperamos que la empresa Natura cumpla con su compromiso y que presente una propuesta acorde a las necesidades de los trabajadores en la reunión del 8 de abril.

Seguiremos atentos a los avances y solidarios con los trabajadores, el sindicato, su federación y con nuestra afiliada CNQ/CUT, la cual también acompaña esta lucha.”

OECD Steel Committee: workers’ delegation stands in solidarity with steel workers in Ukraine

On this sad occasion, TUAC, industriALL Global Union and industriAll European Trade Union, took to the floor to jointly express their full solidarity with steel workers, and the wider population of Ukraine, and to call for an end to the war as soon as possible.

Addressing the Committee, Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL director for base metals and mechanical engineering, said:

“IndustriALL has affiliates both in Russia and in Ukraine. The Putin administration started this war on February 24, 2022, and it is their responsibility. We demand an end to the war and the withdrawal of Russian troops. We must not allow for workers and their families to pay the price. While we talk, Ukrainian men, women and children are trying to escape the war. In Kryvyi Rih alone. 26,000 steel workers, miners and their families are fighting to survive and to protect their steel plant.

“IndustriALL is asking its affiliates to make donations to support the affected trade unions directly. Our goal is to continue to help those affected and refugees with concrete solidarity in the form of donations and aid deliveries. We are in constant dialogue with our Ukrainian affiliates to provide financial and organizational support during this dark period in Europe. We stand with Ukraine.”

The OECD Steel Committee focuses on the global steel market situation, steel demand and steel trade developments. As such, international sanctions and their impact on the international steel sector were discussed with various countries raising their concerns about the impact of sanctions on trade flows, the cost of energy, and access to raw materials.

Judith Kirton‒Darling, deputy general secretary of industriAll European Trade Union, said:

‘’We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and call for the immediate withdrawal of the Russian armed forces. We urge policy makers from Ukraine, the Russian Federation, the USA, the EU and international organisations, including the OECD, to redouble their efforts to focus the process towards one of dialogue and political solutions to ensure a stable and peaceful outcome for a united Ukraine.
“We also call for sanctions not to impact ordinary workers noting a reported case in Romania at TMK Artrom, makers of industrial pipes, with workers having their wages frozen due to their company being owned by an oligarch. We must prevent the terrible actions of Russia from punishing ordinary workers.’’

Furthermore, on 1 March , TUAC promptly suspended the associate membership of its Russian affiliate, the FNPR, following its statement in support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Therefore, from henceforth, representatives of the FNPR are no longer invited to attend the OECD Steel Committee, or any other OECD committee.

Marc Leemans, TUAC Acting President, concluded:

TUAC condemns the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation as a violent and barbaric act against a sovereign nation, its people and workers, and  calls on OECD governments to deploy all possible efforts to bring an end to the suffering of the people of Ukraine and Russia. The attack on workers and their families, production facilities and cities in Ukraine by the Russian army is unacceptable and must be stopped. To this end, we fully support the OECD Council’s decision to formally terminate the accession process with Russia.
“The TUAC has further ceased collaboration with the main Russian trade union confederation, the FNPR, after its public support of Putin’s operations in Ukraine, halting all invitations to the OECD.’’  

Kenya: union calls for improved safety standards as worker dies in furnace accident

According to the Kenya Engineering Workers Union (KEWU), Caleb Otieno, a health and safety shop steward for the union, is said to have fallen into the open furnace on 25 March during his normal work routines as one of his hands got stuck as he pushed metal bars into the furnace. The family was given only his ashes for burial.

Kenya’s Occupational Safety and Health Act outlines the responsibilities of the employers and the workers on health and safety at workplaces. For example, employers are responsible for ensuring that plant and factory procedures reduce the risks to health and safety. This contributes to accident prevention. Further, employers must provide a safe working environment and conduct regular risk assessments. The law also states that employers must provide information and training on OHS as well as personal protective equipment.

Rose Omamo, IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa regional co-chairperson says:

“This is an unfortunate and preventable, horrific accident. The steel manufacturers must adhere to health and safety standards as set out in the laws. We commiserate with the family which is going through the trauma of the death of their relative and pass our condolences. As trade unions we will continue to demand safety at work and compensation for the employer’s negligence.”

“We call on the government of Kenya to investigate this accident and to deploy OHS inspectors to conduct compliance visits aimed at improving safety standards and saving workers’ lives. The implementation of national and international standards is crucial to the elimination of accidents from the factories and in making them safer for workers,”

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

IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa region has set up an online health and safety platform to discuss how unions can demand better demand health and safety standards at work as part of the decent work agenda. The platform will assist workers to deal with OHS challenges at the workplaces, conduct training and policy development, revive and strengthen trade union structures, and improve social dialogue on OHS matters.

File photo: steel plant in Egypt, 2008

Copyright : Marcel Crozet / ILO

Turkish union signs CBA with auto parts supplier after international solidarity

On 24 March 2022, Safe Demo Plastik signed a CBA with Petrol-İş after global action against union busting at the Turkish subsidiary of French auto parts supplier Safe Group. Petrol-İş first won legal recognition at Safe Demo Plastik in Bursa, Turkey, in 2019, after years of organizing, by recruiting a majority of the 400 workers. The labour ministry certified the recognition, but the company responded by challenging the certification in court and firing union members.

IndustriALL organized supply chain solidarity action, targeting Demo Plastik customers. Demo Plastik supplies Toyota Boshoku, Autoliv and Faurecia, all of which are organized by IndustriALL affiliates. Toyota Boshoku, a Japanese company which makes auto interiors, is organized by JCM-JAW, Autoliv, a Swedish company that makes car safety systems, is organized by IF Metall and Unionen, and Faurecia, a French company that makes interiors and exhaust systems, is organized by FCE-CFDT. These unions were able to provide useful leverage in the campaign.

At the same time, the union maintained a strong presence in the workplace. The determination of the workers and the commitment by the union to pursue the case through the courts all kept up pressure on the company.

The union submitted a new application for recognition in November 2021, which was again granted by the labour ministry and challenged by the company. In December 2021, IndustriALL wrote to the director general of Safe Group, raising concerns about union busting. After exhausting all avenues for defeating the union, the company recognized Petrol-İş and signed the CBA.

Petrol-İş president Süleyman Akyüz wrote to IndustriALL to thank the global labour movement for its support, saying:

“We are very well aware that the organizing activities of the company took so much time. At the end we had a great victory with the support and solidarity of our international family IndustriALL Global Union. The involvement of the IndustriALL made a great difference in this regard. Thanks to global solidarity.”

The CBA brings tremendous benefits to the workers at Demo Plastik. Before the organizing campaign, workers were paid close to minimum wage. The new, two-year CBA provides a substantial increase in wages and social premiums. Workplace issues, including overtime and health and safety, have been addressed with the participation of the union.

Erhan Yakışan, formerly the local union president in Bursa and now a Central Executive Committee member for Petrol-İş, said that the supply chain strategy had been key:

“We clearly saw that the attitude and behaviour of the local company management changed with the involvement of the unions which organize in the company’s customers. Long live international solidarity.”

Tom Grinter, IndustriALL director for the sector, said:

“This case took far too long: the company’s stubborn refusal to follow the law and recognize the union was damaging to them. But this case shows that global solidarity, especially when applied strategically along supply chains, makes a crucial difference in winning for workers.”

Main image: a 2019 image of Demo Plastik workers. Petrol-İş

Unfair treatment of union members at Molex Malaysia

In response to the union busting at Molex Malaysia, IndustriALL affiliate Electronics Industry Employees’ Union, Northern Region (EIEUNR) lodged a complaint with the Industrial Relations Department (IRD), where cases of unfair treatment of workers are settled in the first instance.
 
IRD informed the union that they would carry out interviews with workers in the plant as part of the investigation. EIEUNR believes the interviews will cause the workers undue stress as they will be conducted in the workplace, meaning it will be easy for the employer to identify the interviewed workers.
 
EIEUNR has a recording where the human resources (HR) director is voicing threats to cut benefits if workers decide to vote for the union. The union has also received another recording with similar threats, where the HR director instructs managerial and supervisory staff to convince operators to vote against the union.
 
The audio recordings have been submitted to the IRD. The union believes these recordings represent sufficient evidence for IRD to recognize the unfair treatment of workers and demand that the employer carries out a secret ballot for union recognition without external interreference.
 
Giant technology company Apple is one of Molex’ major customers, and Molex’ behaviour towards its workers is in clear violation of Apple’s code of conduct:
 “Supplier shall freely allow workers to associate with others, form, and join (or refrain from joining) organizations of their choice, and bargain collectively, without interference, discrimination, retaliation, or harassment."
 
“The unfair treatment of workers at Molex is in clear violation of fundamental workers’ rights and trade union rights, guaranteed by core ILO conventions, and which should be respected by Malaysia. Apple and Molex’ other major customers must be made aware of the serious workers’ rights violation in their supply chain,” says Kan Matsuzaki, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

Millions of workers join nationwide strike

Trade unions have been campaigning for workers’ rights that are under severe attack in India’s current anti-labour policy regime. The joint platform called the strike to protest against the privatization of the public sector, the national policy of monetising public sector land assets, the new labour law reforms promoting precarious employment and the attacks on workers’ constitutional and democratic rights.

“Thousands of workers have lost their jobs and lives in the pandemic and the government’s policies are further increasing precarious employment with unsafe working conditions. The two-day strike shows that India’s workers are angry and dissatisfied with current policies,”

says G Sanjeeva Reddy, president of Indian National Steel, Metal, Metalmines and Engineering Employees’ Federation and IndustriALL executive committee member.

 

Unions across the country organized joint rallies, gate picketing, roadblocks, rail blocks and public meetings in support of the strike. Bank services and public transportation was severely affected. Workers from various steel, coal, oil and metal factories downed tools. A large group of coal workers participated in the general strike, showing their dissatisfaction against the government’s policy to privatize coal mines.

 

Some unions, like the electricity workers in Maharashtra, were unable to participate, as the state government barred employees of state-run electricity companies from joining the protest.

“The government has failed to address the trade unions’ charter of demands, which includes scrapping the labour law changes, increasing minimum wages, end privatization of public-sector enterprises, as well as an end to casualization of permanent work. Workers have been forced to strike as the government refuses to talk to trade unions,”

says Sanjay Vadhavkar, IndustriALL executive committee member.

Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary, says:

“IndustriALL Global Union stands in solidarity with India’s trade union movement, fighting to protect workers’ rights and to protect and strengthen democratic institutions and practices. We call on the Indian government to engage in genuine social dialogue with the unions.”

IndustriALL Global Union is looking for a content-driven communications officer

Strategic communications is key in telling the story of the 50 million workers in the 140 countries our affiliated unions represent. We are now looking for a communications officer whose main task will be to create content worth following. In addition to being passionate about content, you are also interested in exploring the best platforms to disseminate it on.

Tasks include

Requirements

This full-time position is based in Geneva and involves some travel.

Applications by Tuesday 12 April 2022

Please send your application including a CV and motivation letter by e-mail to IndustriALL’s communications director Petra Brännmark at the latest by Tuesday 12 April 2022. We will interview short-listed candidates and complete the application process so that the new communications officer can start work in Geneva as soon as possible.

IndustriALL Global Union is a global trade union organization, which represents 50 million workers in mining, energy and manufacturing sectors in 140 countries. IndustriALL focuses on building union power all over the world through organizing and campaigns, fighting for an economic and social model that puts people first, based on democracy and social justice.

Unions demand wage increase amidst Sri Lanka’s economic crisis

Protestors across the country have demanded that the government change its economic policies to bring the situation under control. IndustriALL Global Union affiliates, also members of National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC), have warned the government of the disastrous economic situation demanding financial assistance for precarious workers in private sector.

Unions are demanding that all households with an income of less than LKR75,000 (US$258) should be able to buy fuel, kerosene, bread, wheat, rice, etc at January 2020 prices. There should also be a wage increase LKR10,000 (US$34) for  workers whose monthly salary is below LKR60,000 (US$206). In addition, the minimum wage should be raised from LKR16,000 (US$55) to LKR26,000 (US$89) per month.

“The country is in a dire situation. People are dying while standing in long queues to procure fuel. We are submitting a petition to the government highlighting our demands. We have also laid out ways how the government can meet the demands raised, but the government must act now,”

says Anton Marcus, joint secretary of IndustriALL affiliate Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees’ Union.

A shortage of fuel has led to daily power cuts hampering the supply chain and global brands sourcing from Sri-Lanka have expressed concerns. Owing to a scarcity of raw materials and power cuts, factories in export processing zones have been badly affected, making for a precarious employment situation.

Exports generate steady inflow of foreign exchange to the Sri-Lankan economy, but with the country facing the worst economic situation in decades, millions of workers stand a chance to lose their jobs and livelihoods. In some factories workers have been told that they will be offered work for four days but pay will be given for six days; however, the attendance bonus paid every month will be deducted.

Apoorva Kaiwar, South Asia Regional Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, said:

“Our affiliates had raised the skyrocketing inflation and worsening living conditions with the government before the last budget was presented, but their demands remained unmet. IndustriALL calls on the government of Sri Lanka to look into the unions' demands so that more lives are not lost.”

Global unions warn UPM shareholders of investment risk

A global meeting of pulp, paper and packaging unions shows solidarity with UPM workers

The letter, sent on 25 March to the company’s 20 biggest shareholders, warns that an ideological attack on trade union rights by UPM management has escalated to the extent that it threatens the long-term reputation of the company.

Workers at all UPM sites in Finland have been on strike since 1 January against plans by UPM to demand more work without an increase in pay, break decades of collective bargaining practice, and deny sections of the workforce – represented by IndustriALL affiliate Ammattiliitto Pro (Trade Union Pro) – the right to union representation.

The strike is costing the company an estimated €20 million per week, and is forcing it to break its contractual obligations to its customers. UPM is claiming force majeure due to the strike, in an attempt to evade its responsibilities. However, the letter warns that in a 2021 judgement, the European Court of Justice ruled that force majeure was not applicable in cases of legal industrial action.

Unions representing workers at UPM’s customers are writing to their employers advising them to reject UPM’s claim of force majeure and hold the company liable.

The strike by Paperiliitto (Paper Workers' Union) has been extended until at least 16 April. Teollisuusliitto (Industrial Union) – which also organizes at UPM but is not currently on strike – has given €2.2 million to Paperiliitto’s already substantial strike fund. The unions, which are affiliated to IndustriALL, believe they have the resources to resist the company attack.

IndustriALL director for the pulp and paper sector, Tom Grinter, said:

“This strike is rock solid. The level of international solidarity and support has been very impressive to see. This is an ill-considered, ideological assault on trade union rights. We have held a series of global meetings with paper unions from around the world, and they are all absolutely committed to ensuring the union prevails.”

Photo: Paperiliitto