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.”

Union wins as strike action ends in three-year wage agreement

IndustriALL affiliate NUMSAsigned the agreement with the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA), which represents most of the employers in the sector.

The union wants the agreement to be extended to other employer organizations that include South African Engineering and Founders Association (SAEFA) and National Employment Association of South Africa (NEASA) who the union says are “anti-worker and union bashers.” NUMSA wants these employer associations to sign the agreement and not be “free riders” who implement the wage deal without being party to the agreement. The union says all workers in the industry should benefit from the wage agreement.

On 25 October, Macsteel, a large steel manufacturing company, heeded the call by NUMSA and became one of the first employers from SAEFA to sign the agreement.

The strike began when wage negotiations were deadlocked with the union demanding eight per cent and rejecting the initial employers offer of 4.4 per cent. The union argued that workers sacrificed for the survival of the industries when they agreed to no wage increases in 2020 to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on the sector.
 
Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary says:

“We have taken a conscious decision that as a union we will compromise and accept the current offer from SEIFSA of six per cent on minimums for the sole purpose of settling the current strike in the best interest of our members. It is NUMSA members who have paid a heavy price during the strike, and it is in their interest that the union does everything possible to ensure that we resolve the strike as soon as possible, as each day on a strike is a sacrifice – according to the no-work-no-pay rule. The agreement further safeguards the industry rates of pay and workers will receive their backdated pay from 1 July, 2021.”

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

“We applaud NUMSA on its tough negotiating strategy which resulted in this wage deal that is crucial as it will maintain living wages in the engineering and metals sector for the next three years.”

Myanmar: Trade unions call for immediate withdrawal of EU trade preferences in light of labour and human rights abuses

Today, industriAll Europe and IndustriALL Global Union, on behalf of trade unions across the globe, have contacted the European Commission, European Parliament and European Council, asking them to immediately withdraw Myanmar’s trade preferences under the EU’s EBA scheme.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, says:

“What is happening in Myanmar after the military coup is a black stain on human history. Killing innocent people, torturing and putting them in prison are brutal actions taken against humanity. We all have a responsibility to fight this, and Europe has a special responsibility. The EU gives GSP to vulnerable developing countries to help them alleviate poverty and create jobs based on international values and principles, including labour and human rights. We call on the EU to do the necessary to stop this massacre.”

Workers in Myanmar are living under constant threat of arrest, violence and even torture under the military junta, and trade unions in Myanmar call for tough economic sanctions against the current undemocratic and abusive regime.

Since the coup d’état on 1 February 2021, the military junta in Myanmar has conducted a reign of terror, targeting workers and industrialised zones. Trade unionists and workers trying to raise their legitimate concerns via demonstrations have been hounded by the military and many trade union leaders have been forced into hiding, with several being arrested and many having their passports declared void.

It is established that around 300,000 workers have already been dismissed for joining the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). The restrictions on civil liberties are clear for all to see.

The EU’s General Scheme of Preferences (GSP), of which EBAs are one example, is promoted by the European Commission as a means in which EU trade can be used to create jobs in developing countries. Trade unions support the overarching aims of the GSP, including the goal to increase labour rights and working conditions for those in some of the world’s poorest countries.

However, trade unions insist that sanctions must also be used in light of the dreadful labour and human rights abuses in order for the GSP to have a real impact.

Both organisations support the joint call from Myanmar’s trade union movement – the CTUM and IWFM – on Multinational Enterprises to divest from Myanmar, while ensuring that they treat their workforces responsibly as orders are completed.

Judith Kirton‐Darling, industriAll Europe deputy general secretary, says:

‘’It is absolutely clear that the current military dictatorship in Myanmar is abusing its citizens and violating their basic human rights, as well as breaching a large number of ILO Conventions. The EU’s GSP system is meant to ensure that workers are working in safe conditions with their labour rights respected. Nothing can be further from the truth in Myanmar, and we demand that the EU urgently revokes Myanmar’s EBA in line with the demands of workers in Myanmar.’’

Union win in Indian steel industry

The wage agreement, concluded by the National joint committee for steel industry (NJCS) on 22 October had been pending since January 2017. Permanent employees only will receive a 13 per cent increase of the minimum guaranteed benefit, as well as a 26.5 per cent increase in fringe benefits and allowances.

Wage arrears from 1 April 2020 will be paid in one instalment for SAIL employees. For RINL employees, the date of payment will be decided by unions and management locally.

“As leading steel industry companies, SAIL and RINL have a responsibility to act together with the unions to achieve decent work. We are pleased that a mutually satisfactory settlement has been finalised under difficult economic conditions due to the pandemic,”

said Dr. G. Sanjeeva Reddy, INMF president and member of IndustriALL’s executive committee.

The agreement is expected to be approved by the ministry of steel in November, and workers to get the wage rise in November to be paid in December. The agreement is valid for ten years, as of 1 January 2017.

“The negotiations were tough, but we achieved a positive result through consistent joint work. It was only possible to reach this agreement through strong plant level support,”

said Sanjay Vadhavkar, SMEFI general secretary and member of IndustriALL’s executive committee.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, congratulated the unions on their victory:

“We look forward to seeing the steel unions investing their focus and strength to encourage other private steelmakers to respect and follow these agreements as national guidelines for India’s steel industry.”

The NJCS is made up of SAIL and RINL management and the five central trade union federations in India. NJCS decides on wages and all other social, economic and other terms and conditions.

SAIL is a public sector steel company with numerous plants and around 20 coal and iron ore mines located in India. RINL has a major steel plant in Vishakhapatnam.

Two workers killed in one week at Holcim plants in India

 

A 49-year old loader, Mr Subhash, was found dead at a wagon loading machine platform at ACC Wadi Cement in Karnataka on 8 October. Mr Subhash was a member of the plant-level union of IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the Indian National Cement Workers’ Federation (INCWF-INTUC).

On 13 October, 39-year old cement truck driver Chandra Mani Pradhan was found dead alongside his truck at ACC Bargarh Cement in Orissa after he came to load cement at the plant.

In both cases, the sequence of events leading to the fatal accidents has not been made clear, and the accidents have not been transparently investigated.

Both of the workers were third party contractors who are not employed directly by ACC. Because Mr Subhash had a permanent contract, his family will receive compensation. The family of Mr Pradhan is unlikely to receive any compensation.

Fatal accidents at ACC plants are not uncommon, and there have been numerous incidents in recent years. A major explosion at an ACC plant in Himachal Pradesh in 2020 led to the hospitalization of six workers. In 2019, three workers were killed at an ACC cement plant in Sindra.

Unions claim that this pattern of fatalities shows that Holcim is paying lip service to safety. The growing use of contract workers also undermines safety – in India, there are typically nine contractors for every permanent employee.

Holcim reported good financial results in 2020, and made large payouts to shareholders. But over the past six years, the company has reduced its permanent workforce from 140,000 to just 67,000 globally.

Holcim announced an ambition of zero harm, but the growing use of contractors undermines this ambition. Workers are still unsafe and die at work –  and the vast majority of the victims are subcontractors or third-party workers.

Materials industry director Alexander Ivanou said:

“We are deeply saddened to hear of these tragic, preventable accidents, and angered by Holcim’s continued disregard for the safety of its workforce. We are also disturbed by the fact that the details of these accidents remain murky.

“It is time for the company to recognize global unions as partners, and to start a dialogue on workers’ rights and the safety crisis in its plants. The company must comply with internationally recognized ILO health and safety standards, and allow union safety reps to inspect workplaces.

“The root of this problem is Holcim’s growing use of third-party contractors. This outsourcing undermines safety culture at the workplace, and is a major contributor to the growing list of fatal accidents.”

Deoraj Singh, general secretary of the INCWF-INTUC, said:

“ACC and Ambuja should strengthen the inspection system in all their cement plants and engage with the unions to participate and disclose all meaningful information on safety and health.

“They also should immediately stop engaging unskilled precarious workers and create a system of safety prevention, with no opportunity for shortfall. INCWF and its constituents are ready to work with Holcim management to safeguard the working conditions of cement workers.”

The general secretaries of IndustriALL and the Building and Wood Workers’ International sent a joint letter to Holcim, calling on the company to take immediate action to address the safety crisis.

Korean unions use Squid Game to mobilize for general strike

“You are all on the brink of life. A new game begins to overturn the rules of inequality! The general strike game begins on October 20th.”

In the video, a games master addresses a group of contestants, challenging them on their individual failures to stand up for themselves at work. They will need to play a game to proceed. The game solution is found in a union song, which says:

“If we are fragmented we die, but if we are one, we stand a chance to resist."

The contestants sing the song together, cast off their tracksuits and don union struggle vests. The games master congratulates them for winning the game, and the screen fills with the strike demands.

“Workers of the world, cast off your tracksuits and join the general strike today!

At the end, the games master asks one last question:

“Where did contestant number one go?”

The camera shows the empty office of KCTU president Yang Kyeung-soo, who was arrested on 2 September.

Squid Game is a survival drama that features a contest in which a group of deeply indebted players compete in a series of children's games for the chance to win a large cash prize, with a deadly penalty if they lose. It became the most watched programme on Netflix in 90 countries, reaching 142 million viewers in 28 days.

The series has captured the public imagination, with many saying it dramatizes aspects of life under capitalism and the illusion of choice faced by workers and consumers. It also highlights the devasting levels of personal debt and inequality in Korean society.

The lead character, Seong Gi-hun, is a former auto worker who lost his job after a strike. His story is based on the brutal 2009 SsangYong strike, which culminated in the suicides of thirteen SsangYong workers and family members.

Union win as DOW backtracks on decision to close plant in Argentina

In August, the petrochemicals company announced its intention to shut down the plant in Puerto General San Martín within a year, affecting 4,000 workers. The SOEPU union of petrochemicals workers at DOW launched a campaign to safeguard Argentina's industry and its petrochemicals workers, receiving support from almost all unions in Argentina, international federations and the global network of DOW workers.

As a closure would affect hundreds of companies across the country that would have to import polyurethane higher prices, the Argentinian government also got involved.

On 7 October, Cesira Arcando, a member of the Santa Fe parliament, met with workers to explain the work being done with SOEPU at the provincial and national levels to protect the jobs at risk.

On 13 October, Argentina's minister of productive development, Matías Kulfas, and the governor of Santa Fe, Omar Perotti, met with DOW's CEO for Latin America, Javier Constante, to discuss the competitive conditions needed for DOW to keep running the San Lorenzo plant.

After talks with  national and provincial authorities, DOW announced that the plant would remain open, safeguarding the jobs.

Mauricio Brizuela, SOEPU general secretary, thanked Santa Fe senators for supporting their cause, for treating industry as a tool for national growth and development and for provisionally approving a law declaring the plant a "public utility subject to expropriation".

Polyurethane is a key compound for the automotive industry and the production of white goods and mattresses.

General strike in Korea for workers’ rights and Just Transition

The strike follows the arrest of KCTU president Yang Kyeung-soo after a police raid on union headquarters on 2 September. Yang is the 13th KTCU president in a row to be jailed since the federation was unbanned in 1997. The release of president Yang, who is still in detention, was one of the demands of the striking workers.

Police block striking workers

Despite severe restrictions on the right to assembly, rallies were held in 14 regions across Korea. In Seoul, police blocked off large areas of the city to prevent assembly. Eventually 24,000 striking workers were able to gather at Seodaemun intersection, demanding:

“Tear down inequality!  A great transition to an equitable society!”

KMWU president Kim Ho Gyu addressed the striking workers at the Seoul rally, saying:

“Inequality is a disaster. An industrial transition dominated by the Chaebol conglomerates would spawn deeper inequality, just like the Covid-19 phenomenon.The Korean Metal Workers' Union will treat this plague of inequality by promoting an industrial transition led by the participation of labour.” 

President Kim also shared the solidarity statement from IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie:

“In line with the resolution unanimously approved at our third congress on 15 September, IndustriALL reiterates its demand for the release of KCTU President Yang and for the Korean government to stop immediately the crackdown on freedom of association and assembly.

“We express our support to the October 20 general strike and fight for labour law reform for fundamental trade union rights and the abolition of precarious work, for a Just Transition and for stronger public services and social protection.”

Other IndustriALL affiliates also sent solidarity messages, and the UAW and USW joined a delegation to the Korean Embassy in Washington, DC, in solidarity with the strike.

The unions are demanding labour law reform to give fundamental trade union rights to all workers, the abolition of precarious work, a Just Transition based on social dialogue that includes workers’ voices, with guaranteed employment during times of crisis and transition, stronger public services and for the state to take more responsibility for jobs and care.

The Prime Minister responded by saying the government would take strict legal action against unlawful assembly, and punish the organizers and participants at the rallies. Seoul police announced a special investigation unit to a thoroughly investigate the strike.

Unions are concerned about repression after the strike and expect the police to summon trade unionists for legal harassment. In Korea, the right to take collective action is severely restricted and striking is only legal during certain stages of an open collective bargaining negotiation.

Given the repression of union activists, the KCTU has condemned the nomination by the Korean government of a former foreign minister for the post of ILO director general.

Demonstrators in uniforms from the TV series Squid Game

The hit Netflix series Squid Game has recently highlighted the effect of inequality and personal debt on Korean society. The lead character of the series is a former unionized metalworker who lost his job after a strike.

UPDATE: This article was slightly updated on 22 October to improve the translation of president Kim's statement.

French electricity and gas workers mobilize for their rights

The largest company France’s electricity and gas sectors, the EDF, has continuously highlighted employees’ “remarkable engagement” in the service to clients and in the fight against climate change. In a joint message, the unions demanded that EDF put their words into action and recognize the employees’ commitment to the company by recognizing “employees with hard cash.”

In the action on 19 October, unions called on employers to recognize human capital as the main capital, and demanded:

Also, on the day of the strike FO Energie appealed to the employers representatives in the Permanent Joint Negotiation and Interpretation Committee (CPPNI) of the IEG branch at federal level in a statement to reaffirm their opposition to the draft agreement on the classification and remuneration system offered by employers.

According to the unions, the strike action was a success and employers have agreed to meet the trade unions on 15 November for further discussions.

The electricity and gas industries (IEG) in France includes all companies that produce, transport, distribute, market and supply electricity and natural gas. About 150 companies are part of the sector, characterised by presence of large companies like EDF and Engie that were previously publicly owned.

Employees in the IEG sector do not benefit from a collective agreement but from the Statut national du personnel des industries électriques et gazières, National conditions of employment for workers in the electricity and gas industries.

Negotiations take place in the Commission Supérieure Nationale du Personnel (CSNP), a joint body composed of trade union federation and employer federations appointed by the Minister for Industry.

Unions have criticized the CSNP for allowing employers to undermine workers’ rights. During negotiations in 2021 on national conditions, employers effectively blocked all the workers’ arguments on salaries and avoided debating the matter.

“Energy workers deserve a fair treatment not less than the shareholders of the companies in the branch, we strongly support your demand for higher wages and your fight against social regressions and attacks on pension and unemployment insurance schemes. We wish you all success in your struggle for dignity!”

says IndustriALL Global Union general secretary, Atle Høie.

Unions call for social dialogue in HeidelbergCement

IndustriALL Global Union, the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) and European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW), all of which are organizing workers employed by the German-based cement giant, took the opportunity to strategize for the future on 13 and 14 of October.

The network adopted a joint statement demanding genuine progress in improving the quality of social dialogue. Among other things, the statement calls for HeidelbergCement to:

A solidarity statement was passed in support of more than 150 Teamsters Ready Mix workers in the United States who are demanding to address health and safety issues and stop violating federal labour laws.

Michael Walker, member of Teamsters Local 174 in Seattle explained that despite its record profits, the company did not offer decent increases and even denied full medical coverage to a group of 300 workers after the expiration of their CBA. “This is my fifth time I was in a bargaining table, I’ve never seen anything like this, they want us to strike now,” said Walker.

In HeidelbergCement's operations this year, fifteen people have lost their lives due to COVID-19 despite the company’s introduction of a “zero harm” programme. This year three subcontracted workers have been killed at work in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Bangladesh.

In addition, the deterioration of social dialogue made negotiations more difficult and unions mobilised in various countries.

The challenge for the industry to reduce carbon emissions was also widely deliberated in the meeting. HeidelbergCement needs a roadmap to move from fossil fuel to renewable energy and the implementation of new industrial technologies, and participants stressed that workers’ involvement is crucial to secure a Just Transition.

Tom Deleu, EFBWW General secretary

Tom Deleu, EFBWW General secretary said,

"Climate change is an existential threat to human kind. EFBWW supports green transitionand HeidelbergCement commitment to decrease their carbon emissions because there is no jobs on a dead planet, but just transition and worker engagement at all levels of this process is essential.”

Colleagues from Africa and Asia reported that the company is excessively resorting to non-standard employment schemes, which  undermined  work and pay conditions. They said that workers affected by these schemes, are the same workers whose jobs and incomes were ravaged by the pandemic.

Gavor Kodjo general secretary of the Federation of Wood and Construction Workers (FTBC) thanked BWI and union representatives in Germany for helping his union raise their issues at the CIMTOGO (HeidelbergCement) to the company’s top management in Germany. The Union stressed that CIMTOGO's contractors have repeatedly violated workers' rights and failed to secure healthy and safe working environments. He also mentioned issues like the non-declaration of work-related accidents, non-issue of pay slips to workers and poor hygiene standards.

BWI general secretary Ambet Yuson

For BWI general secretary Ambet Yuson:

"Amidst the pandemic, HeidelbergCement continued to reap profits and paid huge dividends and bonuses, while their workers live in constant fear of losing their jobs. Today, it missed an opportunity to meet with union leaders urging for social dialogue."

Kemal Ozkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary

Kemal Ozkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, commented,

“HeidelbergCement must become a socially responsible company and engage in genuine dialogue with our three organisations. We see a series problems related to health and safety, workers’ rights violations, reluctance of bargaining in good faith and other.”