Jugendliche aus Lateinamerika und Deutschland entwickeln gewerkschaftliche Aktionspläne

Die Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer des Jugendprojekts von IndustriALL Global Union, IG Metall und Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) stellten Ideen für die Umsetzung der gewerkschaftlichen Aktionspläne (planes de acciones sindicales, PAS) vor, die sie in ihren Ländern entwickeln.

Die „PAS“, auch „Projekte“ genannt, reichen von Vorschlägen für den internationalen Gewerkschaftsaustausch über Solidaritätsfestivals bis hin zu organisations-, bildungs- und sozialpolitischen Maßnahmen, um mehr Jugendliche in Gewerkschaften zu organisieren und sie stärker in gewerkschaftliche Strukturen und Aktionen einzubinden.

So erklärte die junge Nisan von der IG Metall, dass es in ihrem Projekt um den Austausch von Jugendlichen der Gewerkschaften aus Deutschland, Spanien und Argentinien gehe. Das Ziel wäre es, verschiedene Themen zu beleuchten – etwa die Elektromobilität, Umweltfragen oder die Situation der Gewerkschaftsbewegung in den verschiedenen Ländern – und darüber nachzudenken, wie die Arbeitsrealität bei Volkswagen verbessert werden kann.

Phelipe von der Chemiegewerkschaft ABC-CNQ/CUT aus Brasilien sagte, in seinem Projekt gehe es um ein Solidaritätsfestival für junge Menschen:

„Mein PAS ist Teil eines sozialpolitischen Rahmens. Ich habe mit unseren Stadträten gesprochen und wir haben beschlossen, ein Jugendfestival zu veranstalten. Wir wollen junge Menschen zusammenbringen und über die ernsten wirtschaftlichen Probleme reden, mit denen sie zu tun haben. Die Idee ist, dass jeder auch Lebensmittel beisteuert, um den Bedürftigsten in unserer Gemeinschaft zu helfen und so die Gewerkschaft näher an die arbeitslose Arbeitnehmerschicht heranzubringen."

Mehrere der Aktionspläne zielen darauf ab, junge Menschen stärker in die Gewerkschaften einzubinden. So erklärten Deisy von der mexikanischen Bergarbeitergewerkschaft und Jony Acevedo von der honduranischen Textilarbeitergewerkschaft, dass jeder von ihnen in seinem Land Gewerkschaftsschulen mit verschiedenen Aktivitäten und Workshops einrichten werde, um jungen Menschen zu erklären, was Gewerkschaften sind und wie wichtig es ist, für ihre Rechte zu kämpfen.
Joseleine die junge Präsidentin der südbrasilianischen Textilarbeitergewerkschaft CNTV/CUT, erklärte, dass es in ihrem PAS darum gehe, ein Büro des Arbeitsvermittlungssystems des brasilianischen Arbeitsministeriums in die Stadt zu holen, um eine Berufsbildungspolitik zu entwickeln und Arbeitsplätze für Arbeitslose, insbesondere für junge Menschen, zu vermitteln. Sie sagte, dass sie bereits Gespräche mit dem Arbeitsministerium und dem Bürgermeister der Stadt geführt habe, die beide Interesse an ihrem Vorschlag bekundet hätten.

Marino Vani, der IndustriALL-Regionalsekretär, gratulierte den Jugendlichen zu ihren Fortschritten bei der Ausarbeitung der Projekte und PAS und stellte die Tagesordnung für den nächsten internationalen Austausch vor, der vom 10. bis 16. Juli in Argentinien stattfinden wird:

"Wir werden in Argentinien einen Raum haben, um Erfahrungen über die Fortschritte der 35 an den Projekten und PAS beteiligten jungen Menschen auszutauschen, damit wir gemeinsam lernen.
Auf der Tagesordnung dieser Austauschwoche steht: das Kennenlernen der jeweiligen Gewerkschaftskulturen und -strukturen, Informationen über den Tarifverhandlungsprozess der Industriegewerkschaften in Argentinien, der Besuch von Gewerkschaften, das Kennenlernen der Zusammenarbeit mit der sozialen Bewegung in Argentinien und eine Debatte über zehn Jahre Arbeit in diesem Jugendprojekt von IndustriALL, IG Metall, FES und Industriegewerkschaften aus neun lateinamerikanischen Ländern.“

Turkish women fight for increased wages

“It’s getting harder and harder to exercise your rights as a woman worker in Turkey. Because of traditions, women are viewed as second class citizens – this is why we rise up. I am proud to see women rising up today because of inflation. Women strive to get a job, to keep it, to get organized. But when workers are dismissed, women workers are the first ones,”

says Selda Tekman, IndustriALL Executive Committee member and president of the Bursa branch of Turkmetal.

On 8 March, Petrol-is organized an activity to support the women workers picketing outside the PAS South East Europe Factory in Çerkezköy. The workers are protesting after management forced them to resign their union membership. In addition, PAS South East Europe terminated the employment contracts of 20 union members, 17 of which are women, in February.

Women workers are also at the forefront of similar labour conflicts in Technomix or Farplas, where workers were dismissed over joining a union. In some cases, women picketing outside factories have been beaten up and arrested by the police.

The combination of the Covid-19 pandemic and inflation means women workers in Turkey are getting increasingly poor. The conflict in Ukraine is further worsening the economic situation, leading to a lack of raw materials for production. With a decrease of purchasing power, women are increasingly excluded from social life and activities.

The national IndustriALL women network met on 3 March, with 15 participants from Birlesik Metal-Is, Deriteks, DISK/TEKSTIL, KRISTAL-IS, Öz Iplik-Is, PETROL-IS, Cimse-Is, Belediye-Is, Tes-Is and Turkish Metal Workers’ Union, and Teksif.

In the context of the crisis, trade unions are reporting an increase in women membership. But women trade union leaders say unions need to be more inclusive.

The burden of unpaid care work carried by women has increased during the pandemic, preventing them from entering labour market and having access to good quality jobs. The need for childcare services and crèches, specifically in economic zones is more important than ever.

The leaders highlighted the urgent need for women workers to organize to reach powerful collective agreements. The women union leaders are demanding more nurseries, an increase to the minimum wage and severance payment to women during the crisis. They have also identified combatting violence a priority and have started educating on violence and harassment in the workplace using the train the trainers C190 booklet.

Trade unions report that clauses on gender-based violence, ILO Convention 190 and gender equality are included in collective agreements.

The women leaders denounced the structural barriers and the gender-based discrimination that prevent women from benefitting from equal pay and equal opportunities in the world of work.

Proposed due diligence legislation must be strengthened

On 24 March, IndustriAll Europe’s company policy committee debated with the rapporteur of the European Parliament on the review of the proposal.

In 2021, the MEP’s report on corporate due diligence and corporate accountability was adopted with an overwhelming majority in the European Parliament. The report made far-reaching recommendations to the Commission on making responsible business conduct a reality in Europe. Recommendations included mandatory rules on preventing, monitoring, reporting and remedying violations of human rights and environmental norms by multinational companies and their subcontractors, as well as deterrent sanctions and effective civil liability mechanisms, among other things.

The proposal for a directive put forward by the European Commission in February represents a big step forward, but falls short of initial expectations. Only large companies would be subject to binding rules, enforcement mechanisms would be weak, and there would be no proper involvement of trade unions and worker representatives in the design and implementation of due diligence policies.

“We want to see more companies covered by the Directive and better access to justice for victims of human rights violations and environmental catastrophes,”

said Lara Wolters.

IndustriAll Europe is advocating for a paradigm shift in the way multinational companies are governed: moving away from a short-term, financial perspective aimed at purely serving shareholders’ interests, to one that embraces a long-term, sustainable strategic management of companies that benefits all.

Judith Kirton-Darling, industriAll Europe deputy general secretary, said:

“We support Lara Wolters in saying that we need a change of mindset where executives, investors and shareholders will eventually put people and the planet before short-term profits. This new mindset must apply to the operation of companies as well as their upstream and downstream subcontractors all around the globe.”

Trade unions will not cease to push for legislation that ensures that companies operating in Europe are managed in a sustainable, fair and socially responsible way, with the full involvement of workers and their trade union representatives.”

In the context of a war that is forcing companies to search for alternative suppliers and business partners globally, for instance in the energy sector, a floor of minimum social, environmental and human rights standards is more important than ever.

Due diligence does not stop at European borders. Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL Global Union Assistant general secretary, recalled that trade unions are fighting for compliance and enforcement of workers’ fundamental rights in all continents. Different types of instruments exist and chances to be protected, seek redress, and claim damages from violations of workers’ fundamental rights are very uneven.

“There are several different systems and legal frameworks for due diligence. We need to fit them together to create an overall coherent picture that improves working conditions in all sectors, all countries, and for all workers.
”We need strong binding EU rules on due diligence and at the same time the EU’s firm commitment to push for the UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights, which still awaits adoption.”

Union signs collective agreement with ArcelorMittal Liberia

The three-year agreement (2022-2024) is the fifth collective bargaining agreement to be signed with the company, and the union says this brings harmony between the workers and the employer. The agreement includes education allowances for workers’ school going dependants, housing allowances, and permanent jobs for contract workers. Further, the union also welcomes the grading of workers to address salary disparities.

The ministry of labour, which facilitated the negotiations, says the collective bargaining agreement is in line with Liberia’s Decent Work Act, which regulates conditions of employment, occupational health and safety, collective bargaining agreements and industrial action, and workers compensation among other labour issues.

The ministry says negotiations are key to building better industrial relations, and that implementation of the agreement is important.

Dave Seneh, the general secretary of UWUL, which organizes workers in the mining and steel sectors, says:

“The agreement will bring industrial peace and provide job security to the 400 contract workers who will become permanent. The conversion of the contracts from temporary to permanent employment, which will take place in 2023, will bring joy to the workers.
"It is important to emphasize that UWUL has always demanded permanent jobs since ArcelorMittal started operations in the country. We have been arguing that since the workers are doing the same work as others, they should also be offered permanent contracts.”

“We congratulate UWUL for negotiating this collective bargaining agreement which gives permanent contracts to precarious workers. This comes with benefits and better working conditions and should be applauded. It is crucial for unions to fight for permanent jobs and workers’ rights especially for workers in non-standard forms of employment,”

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

ArcelorMittal Liberia mines and processes iron ore and is also involved in shipping and rail infrastructure development in the country. Last year the ArcelorMittal signed an agreement with the government to expand its operations in Liberia and is the country’s largest foreign investor.

Unions in Malaysia win increased maternity leave

After the lower house of the Malaysian parliament passed the Employment Bill 2021 on 21 March, Malaysian women workers will now enjoy 14 weeks maternity leave and their husbands will be entitled to one-week paternity leave.

“We welcome the increased maternity leave and introduction of paternity leave. The government should also ratify ILO Convention 183 on maternity protection since domestic law will soon be in compliance with the international standard,”

says Idawati Idrus, co-chairperson of IndustriALL Malaysia women committee.

The bill also introduced new provisions on prohibition of forced labour, discrimination in employment, prohibition of termination of pregnant women workers, sexual harassment at the workplace and flexible working arrangements. The weekly hours of work have been reduced from 48 to 45.

N. Gopal Kishnam, IndustriALL Malaysia council secretary, says that the success is also the result of close collaboration of global union affiliates in Malaysia, women and migrant worker organizations through the Labour Law Reform Coalition (LLRC).

The LLRC, which consists of 58 trade unions affiliated to IndustriALL, BWI, PSI, IDWF, EI and NGOs, has engaged the Ministry of Human Resources to reform the Employment Act, Trade Union Act and Industrial Relations Act since 2019.

“I congratulate the unions on winning the campaign on maternity protection. We will continue to support our affiliates in advocating for better labour laws and trade union rights,”

says Shinya Iwai, IndustriALL South East Asia regional secretary.

Trade union harassment continues in Belarus

On 21 March, the union office at oil company Naftan was searched and turned upside down. Equipment, including union computers, documentation and union flags were seized by the police.

Union activist Nina Barysava was detained for a night, her home was searched and her phone was taken by the police. The apartment of Gennadz Vorona, BITU vice-chair at Naftan, was also searched.

Volha Brytsikava, chair of BITU at Naftan, is in prison after receiving three terms of 15 days arrest for her anti-war position.

According to reports, the searches and arrests are carried out by the police to scare the union into disclosing the lists of remaining members at Naftan, as demanded by the prosecutor’s office.

Last month also saw police cracking down on trade unions. 67-year old Aleksandr Yevdokimchik, deputy head of IndustriALL affiliate SPM, was detained on 24 February when he came to work in the union office. At a trial four days later, Yevdokimchik was convicted for hooliganism, allegedly committed at the police station, and spent 17 days in jail.

Says IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie:

“As long as the brutal harassment of trade unions continues, IndustriALL will continue to fight for our unions. The violations must stop and Belarus must respect the obligations of ILO Convention 87, which the government has ratified.”

Strong solidarity in North American cement network

Two labour conflicts were discussed at the meeting. A group of 150 members of Unifor local at Joliet Ash Grove (owned by CRH), Quebec, Canada, have been locked out since May last year. And as the employer prepares to shut down two out of four kilns, dozens of members are at risk of losing their jobs.

330 truck drivers in Seattle, US, went on strike in November last year when a group of employers, including multinationals HeidelbergCement and Taiheiyo cement and two local cement producers, refused to bargain in good faith. Since then, a big part of US$23 billion Seattle construction business has been on a standstill.

A few days after the network meeting, on 14 March, more than 40 ready-mix concrete drivers and support staff at Cadman’s ready-mix concrete facility on East Marginal Way and Salmon Bay’s ready-mix concrete facility in Ballard agreed, as a good-faith gesture, to return to work. However, Cadman (owned by HeidelbergCement) has refused to return the mixer drivers in a timely manner or provide them with a return date. So continued support for the Teamsters on strike is still important.

The meeting adopted a solidarity statement with the Teamsters on strike in Seattle. A similar solidarity statement will be prepared for Canadian and US colleagues at Ash Grove Joliette.

The human and economic consequences of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine reverberate beyond the region. Eight out of 12 cement in Ukraine are owned by multinational cement companies including Irish CRH, Italian Buzzi Unicem and Russian Eurocement. CRH has already suspended production and declared assistance to employees and their families to escape the conflict. The company has also stopped all operations in Russia. Buzzi Unicem announced the deployment of a contingency plan in order to guarantee the safety of its employees and their families in Ukraine. So far there is no information about Eurocement's operations and employees in Ukraine.

Delegates discussed industry transformations on the global and regional levels. The cement industry is under pressure to neutralize its carbon emissions by 2050 in order to achieve the UN sustainable development goal on combatting climate change and its impacts on the industry. In order to make the union voice heard in this process, IndustriALL is initiating work in line with the Just Transition declaration adopted at COP26 in Glasgow last year.

Alexander Ivanou, director of materials industries, says:

“Our network continues to build strong solidarity, and both Teamsters and Unifor can count on us. We raise our voice against the war in Ukraine and express full solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Those who can contribute, please follow this link.

“Our networks will apply more efforts on Just Transition in the cement sector, which is extremely timey now.”

Lockout at Canadian Rolls-Royce site

The 530 aircraft engine maintenance workers have been without a collective agreement since March 2020. Negotiations had been progressing slowly, and at the meeting, workers voted 94 per cent in favour of giving their union a mandate to call a strike at the appropriate time. During the meeting, the president of the company declared a lockout. The union responded by exercising its mandate immediately, and called a strike. The workers have been picketing outside the factory gates since the beginning of the lockout at 1pm that day.

The workers are represented by IndustriALL Global Union affiliate the Syndicat des travailleuses et des travailleurs de Rolls-Royce Canada (CSN). The union wants a five-year contract. Among other things, they are demanding the elimination of orphan clauses in the pension and group insurance plans, improved wages and work schedules, and enhanced leave.

“For months we have been arguing at the bargaining table for the needs of Rolls-Royce workers to be taken into account,” explains union president Frédéric Labelle.

“The employer's response has been disappointing. The more dismissive they are, the more our sense of belonging erodes. We are the core of this business. Without our work, which is recognized in the industry as being of outstanding quality, Rolls-Royce could not call itself a leader. We want to be treated with respect again.”

Prior to yesterday's strike vote, the union organized a number of actions to make it clear to the employer that the workers are committed to their demands. There was strong participation by the membership. There have been 25 bargaining sessions over the past few months, and members have followed the progress closely. There is strong support for the bargaining committee.

IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie sent a message of support to the union, saying:

“We find it unconscionable that the company in the middle of negotiations opted for a lockout rather than a social dialogue, particularly bearing in mind that the 530 specialized workers at the Côte-de-Liesse factory have been without a collective agreement since March 2020.”

^{Photos: CSN}

Successful union building in Morocco

IndustriALL Global Union has been running a union-building programme in Morocco for eight years. In February, the two new unions, Fédération Nationale des Travailleurs de Sidérurgie et des Industries Synthétiques de la Métallurgie et de l'Electronique (FNTSIME-UMT) and Fédération Nationale des Travailleurs du Textile, du Cuir, des Chaussures et de L'habillement (FNTTCCL-UMT), held founding conferences in Casablanca.

The two conferences were held under a unified slogan "For a strong union in which rights are preserved and freedoms are protected". Hundreds of delegates and leaders attended the two conferences, as the administrative committee and national offices were elected.

FNTTCCL-UMT elected 72 members for its administrative committee and 25 members for its national offices. FNTSIME-UMT elected 91 members for the administrative committee and 23 members for national offices. A number of women and youth leaders who have been active within IndustriALL networks and training programmes over the past years were elected.

Both unions belong to Morocco’s largest national centre, UMT. During the opening session, UMT general secretary Miloudi Moukharik praised the struggles of the workers in the face of the systematic attack on the rights and gains of the working class. He criticized companies restricting union work and called for more unity and labor solidarity in order to anticipate the future in an organizational framework that unifies and supports the sector's struggle.

"We are establishing these unions to meet the challenges, enhance solidarity and build union strength in the sectors. IndustriALL’s support and solidarity have been vital in accomplishing this important achievement."

Abdelmajid Matoual, far right in the picture, from UMT and IndustriALL’s vice president of the MENA region, also attended the conferences.

"After years of work, we now see the birth of two new unions with many challenges ahead. We congratulate UMT and the comrades from the textile and metal sectors and renew our commitment of solidarity with the two unions.”

Kemal Özkan IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said:

"The two new unions represent an important addition to the union strength in the sectors at regional and global levels. The cooperation with UMT in accomplishing this initiative represents a model of international solidarity that’s based on the committed work of our Moroccan sister and brothers."

Eswatini police disperse workers petitioning for living wage

Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland (ATUSWA) says this action by the police violates national and international labour standards that include Convention 87 (freedom of association and protection of the right to organize) and Convention 98 (right to organize and collective bargaining).

ATUSWA is rejecting the 6 per cent wage increase being offered by the employers, with support from the Textile and Apparel Wages Council (TAWC). The union wants minimum wages of E2923 (US$194) per month.

ATUSWA, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, says there is over-reliance by the employers and the government on the Wages Council to determine wage increases. The union says this is beyond the Wages Council’s role which is to regulate minimum terms and conditions of employment as opposed to negotiations and collective bargaining.

Further, in the last three years, the TAWC has failed to reach consensus on the workers’ demands for living wages. Unfortunately, the council always seems to rule in favour of employers, who have become arrogant while workers continue to earn low wages, says ATUSWA in the petition.

Wander Mkhonza, ATUSWA secretary general says:

“After intense consultations with our members and those workers who are yet to be organized; the workers resolved to reclaim their fundamental rights and demand decent wages and better living conditions in and outside their workplaces.
“What worsens the problem is that collective bargaining has been actively stifled by government through the department of labour which is neglecting its oversight responsibilities. This neglect makes it possible for employers to suppress the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining.”

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

“We commend ATUSWA members for their courage to stand up for workers’ rights in a hostile environment in which workers live in fear and are dispersed by the police for picketing for living wages.”

IndustriALL’s 3rd Congress passed a resolution for democratic reforms on Eswatini and for the government to respect “freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of opinion and expression which are essential for human and trade union rights and that the government of Eswatini must adhere to United Nations Conventions including the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights.”

IndustriALL has written letters to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights and the Southern African Developing Community to call upon the Eswatini government to protect workers and human rights.

ATUSWA and other trade unions are campaigning for democracy and an end to the country’s absolute monarchy under King Mswati III. Proposed dialogue by the government towards a constitutional democracy is yet to take place.