IndustriALL calls on companies to divest from Myanmar

A delegate from Myanmar introduces the resolution as participants show support

The interventions were made in a series of meetings and communications with multinationals in the energy, steel and garment industries as well as multistakeholder initiatives.

The actions taken are a consequence of a resolution in support of democracy in Myanmar, unanimously adopted at IndustriALL’s Third Congress on 14 and 15 September 2021, with the participation of 434 trade unions from 111 countries. The resolution calls for comprehensive economic sanctions against the military junta. The decision to call for sanctions was made by the labour movement of Myanmar and supported by trade unions and activists around the world.

IndustriALL’s core message is that human rights violations in the country make it impossible to trade ethically, as companies are not able to guarantee the safety of their workforce. The message to companies reads:

“…on 1st February 2021, a coup d’état by the military in Myanmar led to the detention of democratically elected leaders of National League for Democracy (NLD) Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi and of many other political leaders, hours before the swearing-in ceremony of new parliament and the formation of a new cabinet. The military junta has since carried out arrests, killings and other forms of violence against politicians, activists and workers in Myanmar.

“At least 1,088 people have been killed by the military, over 8,100 people have been arrested and 1,984 arrest warrants have been issued.

“Hundreds of thousands of workers already lost their jobs. Trade unionists and workers taking part in peaceful demonstrations are being hounded by the military. People in military or police custody are brutally tortured, often leading to death. Many workplaces and industrial zones such as Hlaing Thar Yar and Shwepyitha have been violently attacked by the military.

“It is imperative to act now to strengthen and support democracy in Myanmar and thus help to end the blatant violations of human rights and trade unions rights.

“We strongly believe that the support and strict adherence of brands to enforcing comprehensive economic sanctions will greatly contribute to restoring the free exercise of the fundamental rights of people in Myanmar.”

A UN human rights expert recently warned the General Assembly that “Myanmar could be on the eve of an even greater human rights catastrophe and loss of life amid reports the military junta is deploying tens of thousands of troops and heavy weapons to northern Myanmar”.

United for a sustainable maritime industry

 

The meeting, held on 29 October, was attended by around 50 trade union representatives from 18 countries. Sector co-chair Kenichi Kanda opened the meeting, saying:

“Our sector has been seriously disrupted by Covid-19. There have been supply chain shortages and a drop in shipping due to lockdowns. We still have excess tonnage. The environmental challenges are becoming more serious, and we also face safety issues and digitalization – but if we ride this wave of change, we can prosper in safe and green workplaces.”

Eileen Yeo Chor Gek, sector co-chair said:

“Our sector is in a better position than it was this time last year, with new ships being built, and the introduction of new technology, including hydrogen fuel propulsion, maintenance drones and autonomous systems. Green shipping is the future: we need to prepare our members for this, to protect jobs and enhance safety.”

The world’s first autonomous, zero emissions ship, the Yara Birkland, has been built in Norway and will have its maiden voyage later this year. Plug-in hybrid passenger ferries are already in operation.

Elspeth Hathaway of IndustriAll Europe said European unions had been very active in pushing Just Transition, with some success. The newly established EU Pact for Skills for the maritime technology sector aims to provide training to 200,000 workers across the industry over the next five years, and is planning to recruit 230,000 new workers over the next ten years. Although the sector – particularly the cruise industry – was hit hard by Covid, the European Union has ambitious plans for green shipping. While the International Maritime Organization has set a target for reducing emissions by 50 per cent by 2050, the EU is aiming for net zero by 2050.

Assistant general secretary Kan Matsuzaki gave an overview of the global trends facing the sector, mentioning concerns about the ongoing contested merger between Hyundai Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering. The Korean Metal Workers’ Union said that if the merger is successful, the new company will dominate the global ship building industry, creating massive consolidation around poor labour practices.

Matsuzaki spoke about progress made towards ratifying the Hong Kong Convention for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships. 17 countries have now ratified the Convention, passing the threshold of 15. However, because such a large proportion of shipbreaking happens in Bangladesh and Pakistan, ratification by these countries is important.

Vidyadhar Rane of India demonstrated the difference the Convention would make. Since India started complying with the standards of the Convention, facilities have been upgraded and safety has improved. The joint IndustriALL-FNV shipbreaking project has produced a safety manual for workers and succeeded in recruiting thousands of new members.

Matsuzaki also stressed the important of Just Transition, sharing as a model example a Just Transition clause for collective agreements from the Electrical Trades Union of Australia. He introduced the plan for sector activities for 2022. This includes lobbying the governments of Bangladesh and Pakistan to ratify the Hong Kong Convention, and improving women’s participation in the sector and its unions. The sector will also focus on promoting Just Transition and green recovery.

The sector activities for the next twelve months were endorsed by the meeting.  The main focus will be:

Photo: © Yara / Knut Brevik Andersen, Wilhelmsen Ship Service

Saint-Gobain global union network promotes social dialogue

37 participants from 17 countries joined the annual online meeting on 27 and 28 October to discuss demands and goals for Saint-Gobain workers.

The coronavirus represents an important challenge for workers and their families all over the world. Access to vaccination in the Global South remains a problem and unions are pushing hard to solve the issue of fair distribution of vaccines.

Saint-Gobain has fully restarted activities, but the Covid-19 crisis continues to impact how work is organized.

Dominique Bousquenaud, general secretary of IndustriALL French affiliate FCE-CFDT and coordinator of the Saint-Gobain union network, noted that although the company’s financial situation overall is in good shape, a lack of raw materials means some factories have been put on hold.

Saint-Gobain went through a major organisational transformation between 2018-2020, labelled Transform & Grow, to boost synergies, divest less profitable activities, focus management on profitable and potential activities. The company has announced its new strategic plan called Grow & Impact, aimed to accelerate growth and to minimize the group’s environmental impact. Saint-Gobain’s head of social dialogue, Regis Blugeon, joined the meeting, giving delegates the opportunity to express concerns and debate social dialogue at a global level.

Participants noted that social dialogue at the local level needs to be further developed, and that a global context is important, especially when local legislation does not provide good protection for workers.

In Colombia, the company does not recognize the union and all union proposals on health and safety, or temporary work are rejected. Dialogue is possible only within the framework of existing legislation, not sufficiently protecting workers.

In Indonesia, under the disguise of an early retirement program, workers were encouraged to retire and later rehired on lower pay and worse conditions through outsourcing schemes. Young workers are not given sufficient training and risk their health. The employer successfully uses the Omnibus law, allowing exploitation of workers.

Precarious conditions, including lower salaries and worse health protection, demotivate workers in India.

In Germany, the glass plant in Manheim with 150,000 employees, was moved to Poland, where there is to date no workers’ representation. Many Glassolutions factories have been sold to to other companies in the last 18 months. The Saint-Gobain Sekurit division, supplying glass to the automotive industry, faces problems as less cars are produced due to a shortage of raw materials and semiconductors.

Given the obsolete equipment and lack of clarity on the future investment plans, workers in Spain and Belgium are concerned for the future of their jobs.

Alexander Ivanou, IndustriALL materials industries officer, says:

“This meeting was opportunity to get a clear picture of different problems faced by Saint-Gobain workers worldwide and express our solidarity. Delegates’ reports show the necessity of global social dialogue, a proven tool for helping and solving issues and conflicts. We once again invite the company to genuinely engage in social dialogue.”

Coal unions in Colombia, Spain and South Africa meet to exchange ideas

Following the collapse of international markets, the situation at Cerrejón, a mining company owned by the multinational Glencore, has become very difficult. The union is now working to foster a dialogue with the company, the government and local communities about the future of the coal mine.

Sintracarbón has around 5,000 members at Cerrejón, the world's largest open-pit coal mine, and Prodeco, which is also owned by Glencore.

Sintracarbón's president, Igor Díaz, said:

"There's no one-size-fits-all solution. You have to take account of what’s happening on the ground in each country. But we can learn a lot from unions that have had similar experiences in other countries. We know that we're going to have to fight to ensure that workers' voices are heard in this process, and we want to be well prepared."

At the meeting, participants spoke about the shutdown of coal mines and thermal power plants in Spain, and the leaders of Spain's Federation of Industry, Construction and Agriculture Workers (UGT-FICA) highlighted the importance of thinking ahead. Ambrosio Arias said:

"It's not easy to get everyone around the same table to find local solutions each time a mine or thermal power plant is shut down. They're complicated processes, but thinking ahead is key. We can't stress that enough."

Martin Kaggwa, from the National Union of Mineworkers' Sam Tambani Research Institute (SATRI) in South Africa, added:

"The energy transition is inevitable. But what we can't be so sure about is whether it will be a just transition. To ensure that it is, we need a structured approach, and we need to ask the right questions. Does coal have a future in the energy mix? What other options are there? What jobs will be created and where will they be located? How do we ensure that no worker is left behind? What role does technology play in the energy transition?"

At the end of the meeting, IndustriALL's assistant secretary general, Kemal Özkan, spoke about the role that multinationals should play:

"These companies come to Colombia to exploit the country's natural resources and its workers. They need to sit down with us so that we can reach an agreement on what the fundamental principles of a just transition are."

Engineering technology for a Just Transition

The conference had over 80 participants – 69 delegates and 12 staff – from 29 countries, representing 45 trade unions

This was the message of sector director Matthias Hartwich to participants at a GreenTech in Mechanical Engineering conference held on 27 October. Opening the conference, Rainer Wimmer, president of IndustriALL Global Union’s Austrian affiliate Pro-Ge and sector co-chair, said:

“Like many sectors, we suffered during the pandemic, and our future remains uncertain. But embracing the change before us gives us the opportunity to engineer the future.

“We started this journey in Gothenburg in 2018, decided to focus on GreenTech at our world conference in Stuttgart in 2019, and last year we launched our visionary manifesto. It is now time to make this vision a concrete reality.”

The Paris Agreement on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals make clear commitments to decarbonizing the global economy and building sustainable solutions, with obvious relevance for mechanical engineering. But a major issue identified at previous meetings is a lack of specific intelligence on how this transition will take place, and how best to influence it.

To address this, in 2021 IndustriALL commissioned research, funded by the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung and carried out by the Syndex think tank, which provided essential detail of the likely trajectory of the transformation.

The research, which was presented at the conference, shows very powerful drivers of GreenTech, including commitments to the Paris Agreement, Covid-19 recovery plans, carbon pricing initiatives and growing public pressure on multinationals. There is significant funding available: the EU, for example, will spend €1,000 billion by 2030, and the US, after rejoining the Paris Agreement, will also spend large sums on green infrastructure. Although the global picture is uneven, all regions have made major commitments in what amounts to a global Green New Deal in all but name.

The major growth areas will be:

All these areas will show significant growth, creating millions of jobs. Many of these jobs will be created in China, because of that country’s longstanding industrial policy to develop the sector, but significant employment will be created across the world, including in the US, EU, Brazil and India.

The quality of that employment will depend on the extent to which trade unions are able to influence industrial policy through social dialogue around Just Transition. Most participants at the conference felt trade unions would have enough influence to ensure that there would be new, green jobs, and that these jobs would be union jobs.

Participants' views on the development of GreenTech

The research also stressed the return of policy as an instrument after a long period of minimal state intervention in the economy, and made clear that unions have a unique window to influence that policy.

Wolfgang Lemb of IG Metall closed the meeting by saying:

“The clear need for transformation, and the levels of funding available, provide us with a unique opportunity to reindustrialize, to transform mechanical engineering, and through this, our society.

"The key ingredient is industrial policy: if we want to make sure this transformation benefits us, we have to engage our governments and employers in social dialogue now.”

Nothing about us, without us: unions head to Glasgow for COP26

COP26 – the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties – will meet in Glasgow, Scotland, from 1-12 November. At this meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, governments will negotiate their commitments to the international environmental treaty to combat climate change.

At COP26, governments will present their updated climate plans – Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – to reach net zero by 2050, after committing to do so as part of the Paris Climate Agreement at COP21 in 2015. Net zero is the point at which global warming stops because greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere are balanced by those being neutralized.

Achieving net zero means a fundamental reorganization of the world economy – and if the COP talks go well, there will be funding available to achieve this. Countries also have targets to meet for the Sustainable Development Goals, many of which overlap with net zero targets. Rich countries have also committed funding to decarbonize the Global South.

Trade unions recognize that this transformation is necessary to preserve quality of life on this planet, and demand that this transition be just: working people must not pay the price.

Trade unions have been admitted as observers since COP14 in 2008. Unions campaigned for the inclusion of Just Transition in the Paris Climate Agreement, and at COP24, in Katowice, Poland, in 2018, the Silesia Declaration on Just Transition was adopted. This was an important victory for unions.

ILO principles on Just Transition specify that Just Transition plans need to integrated into NDCs with the active contribution of trade unions and other social actors. However, participants at a recent webinar, ‘On the Way to COP26 – Industry, Energy and Mine Workers Demand Just Transition’, jointly hosted by IndustriALL Global Union and IndustriAll Europe, pointed out that there is a mismatch between the rhetoric and the reality.

Many identified concrete examples of current or projected losses of millions of jobs due to mines closing, the shift from fossil fuels and changes in manufacturing. Politicians promise a bonanza of millions of green jobs to replace those that are lost, but there are no specifics: there is no clarity on where they will be, or who will get them. Governments have not developed credible plans for these new jobs, or started training people to do them.

Speaking at the conference, Kate James, who leads on Just Transition for the UK government, acknowledged the problem, and said that the key was for local trade unions to engage actively with policy development, and to use their collective power to hold governments and employers to account.

“Transformation is coming”, she said. “It is better to design your future than have it imposed on you.”

Bert de Wel, climate policy officer at the ITUC, said that the UK government is trying to lower expectations of the meeting, focusing on what is politically palatable rather than scientifically necessary. However, we need ambitious climate targets now if we are going to bend the emissions curve in the right direction. De Wel introduced the global labour movement’s key priorities for COP26: Climate ambition with Just Transition, human and labour rights, climate finance and industrial policy and investment.

The conference adopted a joint declaration, saying that the response to the Covid-19 pandemic showed that coordinated global action, with adequate funding, was possible, and calling for Just Transition to be made a reality.

IndustriALL energy director Diana Junquera Curiel said:

“The world is going through a tremendous transformation. Huge sums of money will be spent to radically transform and decarbonize our economy. Used correctly, this is an opportunity to reindustrialize with new, green infrastructure, and create millions of good union jobs. Unions need to play an active role in policy development, both at global and national level.

“We are going to Glasgow to make sure that our voice is heard.”

South African mine workers union commits to recruitment and better service to members

The conference was attended by over 400 delegates and the issues discussed included strategic organizing and improving services to members, including representation in conciliation and mediation, union engagement on mining policies, the mining charter, energy policies, cement manufacturing, gender-based violence and harassment, and updates on processes to adopt International Labour Organization Convention 190. Health and safety and Covid-19 vaccination were the other issues discussed. There were calls to include more women and young workers in the union’s activities and decision making.

On workers welfare, there were discussions on living wages through negotiating for collective bargaining agreements that maintained decent wages and working conditions that the union has organized over the years. So far, the union has signed wage agreements with 13 mining companies. There were also discussions on retirement benefits and plans to trace retired workers who have not yet claimed their pensions. The union discussed models that can be adopted to provide decent housing to the workers. Additionally, the conference debated the importance of building the capacity of the union shop steward in a changing world of work and to provide skills to counter precarious work through union organizing.

The conference heard that mining continued to contribute to the country’s GDP and that it is amongst the sectors leading in the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Most NUM members are from the mining sector including gold, platinum, coal, and other metals. The union is against the mothballing of mines, which has led to tens of thousands job losses resulting in the union losing members.

The union said it is opposed to the privatization of the public power utility, Eskom. Instead, it favours the involvement of the state-owned enterprise in the renewable energy sector currently dominated by independent power producers and the protection of jobs.

On the Just Transition, one of the most discussed topics at the conference, William Mabapa, NUM acting general secretary said:

“The debate on the abandoning of coal and moving to renewable energy without considering the interests of the coal mineworkers and power station workers is dangerous. Abruptly stopping coal mining will destroy the economy of the Mpumalanga province which is dependent on the fossil fuel. In that sense, navigating the energy transition is important for miners and communities. Further, we must secure the energy supply before moving to renewables and therefore need an energy mix policy that includes nuclear.”

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

“Trade unions, like most organization go through a life cycle. As it approaches its 40th anniversary, the NUM is maturing as a strong union and the discussions that took place at the policy conference reflect this. It is strategic that the NUM is discussing the future of work and redefining its role as a trade union in the current digital age.”

Confronting global capital in the garment industry

In his opening statement, IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie said that although the textile and garment sector is big in numbers of workers employed, it is small in terms of union membership.

“There is room to grow, and we need to come together and fight for organizing more members. And we should use the global framework agreements (GFA) we have in the sector more actively when organizing.”

IndustriALL has signed GFAs with five textile and garment manufacturers. The GFA with Japanese brand Mizuno was renewed last year.

Systemic solutions are needed to create a level playing field in the industry. This year has seen an important development of the live-saving Accord into an International Accord, extending the scope to new countries and beyond fire and building safety. Linking multinational companies’ purchasing practices to supply chain working conditions, ACT is a vehicle towards industry-wide bargaining.

The garment industry and its workers have been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. In countries without, or with weak, social protection, unpaid wages have had devastating effects on workers.

In accordance with the Charter of solidarity, IndustriALL has been working with affiliates to identify brands and retailers that have failed to pay for orders or exercise due diligence in managing their supply chains, resulting in violations of human rights and core labour standards. Affiliates are demanding that brands sign binding agreements with unions in their home countries and IndustriALL to commit to transparency on:

Participants in the meeting endorsed the PAY RIGHT NOW! Brands and Suppliers pay unpaid wages during the pandemic to the world’s garment workers.
 
Khaing Zar, IWFM president, raised the fight for democracy in Myanmar and the need for comprehensive economic sanctions to freeze out the ruling military junta.

“The industrial zones where textile production takes place are under martial law and many workers risk their lives. Workers are killed and imprisoned, and we need your solidarity and support.”

IndustriALL has heeded the call from affiliates in the country and are calling on companies operating in Myanmar to stop placing new orders and to withdraw from the country.

“Although the textile and garment industry is plagued by many challenges; job losses, wage theft, health and safety hazards, together with our unions we work towards setting new standards in the global supply chain,”

said Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL textile and garment director.

“We need to continue to fight for union density, for decent working conditions and social protection. The exploitation in the industry can only be stopped by organizing and collective bargaining.”

Negotiations on binding treaty on business and human rights

Together with the ITUC and other global unions, IndustriALL Global Union have set out their position on the negotiations in a joint position paper. This week’s meeting is dealing with a revised document, the third version of the text.

Key priorities for the trade union movement include:

The instrument represents an important step in establishing the accountability of corporations in international law and would improve access to remedy for people affected by human rights violations.

The action plan adopted at IndustriALL’s 3rd Congress in September reads:

IndustriALL Global Union will continue to fight for binding legal instruments to protect people from human rights abuses by multinational companies, including support for a Binding UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights that is supported by effective remedy systems and campaign for human and labour rights’ compulsory due diligence be regulated at international and national levels through binding legislation.

“IndustriALL is committed to a UN binding instrument on business and human rights to end impunity for corporate human rights abuses. Ending corporate impunity must be at the heart of a sustainable recovery,”

says Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

Binding regulations at national level, like the German Supply Chain Act, and the discussions on corresponding regulations at European level are important steps. However, they require a global framework that could provide an important link to existing agreements between unions and companies.

To that end, IndustriALL and Geman affiliate IG Metall is hosting a side event to the negotiations on 28 October on how self-regulatory corporate approaches and a binding UN treaty on business and human rights can lead to a fairer global economy.

TK Elevator – social dialogue benefits both union and company

Improving and strengthening social dialogue in the recently created TK Elevator was the main focus for the more than 50 delegates from Europe, North and Latin America, and from South East Asia, who discussed opportunities to translate the existing and possible future structures into a global social dialogue system.

“With its more than 50,000 employees worldwide, TK Elevator needs a global social dialogue. I am happy to see a general agreement on this and the support and readiness to build this global network among IndustriALL’s affiliates,”

said Susanne Herberger, head of Group Works Council and member of the supervisory board.

“Making international solidarity a common goal and a reality is already our permanent commitment. To make a stand for the rights of all employees worldwide – that is our joint commitment in and with this network,“

said Wolfgang Krause, speaker of the International Committee at TK Elevator.

During the second day of the virtual meeting, company management, represented by Phillip Voet van Vormizeele, member of TKE Group management board and chief human resources officer, participated.

“At TK Elevator, we highly appreciate the engagement of our employees and welcome and enjoy the exchange and discussions with employee representatives and unions. I am really looking forward implementing a global dialogue,”

said Phillip Voet van Vormizeele.

TK Elevator employs more than 50,000 men and women, with major operations in over 50 countries. In late 2020, the company signed a global framework agreement (GFA) with IndustriALL Global Union.

“I think it is a good GFA that the parties signed at TK Elevator. However, with the new and additional body that we are about to create, we hope to send a signal which shows that global social dialogue is more than just talk. We hope to set new standards with this type of dialogue and make the exchange between  unions and companies fit for the future. The network has just taken off, but I think you are on good course. IndustriALL will support you on your journey,”

said IndustriALL director for mechanical engineering, Matthias Hartwich.

“It is only when we speak with one voice and join forces that the weight of TK Elevator employees come into its own,”

said Yusuf Tüfekci, chairman of the European Works Council at TK Elevator.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said:

“It is IndustriALL’s strategy to establish and maintain global union networks to build union power and the formation of TK Elevator global union network is a perfect example. The global network will be the principal body to develop a framework for global industrial relations with TK Elevator management.

"We want a genuine social dialogue with respect and recognition of fundamental workers’ rights with grievance mechanisms at all levels and remedy and enforceable implementation of the global framework agreement. IndustriALL will continue to support this process.”