Uniting Asia-Pacific MNC unions across chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Despite Asia Pacific dominating chemical manufacturing and continues growing, trade unions face pertinent challenges such as unsatisfactory wage and collective bargaining agreements, job losses, contractualization, violation of workers' rights, weak enforcement of labour laws and safety and health regulations.

The participants call on governments to take steps to enhance skills, improve working conditions including wages and benefits. Trade unions must strengthen workers solidarity and union network and oversee implementation of human rights due diligence in the global supply chain.

Drawing on experiences from BASF, the participants agreed to strengthen company networks such as Syngenta and Unilever. They further agreed to conduct a mapping of working conditions of both unions and companies in the region and to develop an online database to consolidate and share this information.

They also reflected on the IndustriALL Congress debates held on 4–7 November, noting that several of the themes discussed at Congress closely align with the priorities of the chemical and pharmaceutical sector. Participants agreed that the outcomes of this meeting will help advance the follow-up actions identified during the Congress.

In a separate Asia Pacific BASF union network meeting, trade unionists from India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam followed-up on the progress and outcomes from the 2024 meeting. 

The BASF unions united to push for a global framework agreement and proposed a social dialogue with employers in the Asia Pacific region for recognition. A communication platform will also be created for regular information-exchange. Other action points of the meeting included empowering and recruiting women to be more active in unions, organizing more BASF workers including those in the supply chain. 

The network welcomes Nadya Miranti, a woman union leader, of BASF Indonesia as the subregional co-coordinator of the network to work hand in hand with Raghuram T.C. of BASF India. A meeting in Malaysia and a site-visit at the Kuantan plant is planned to be held next year.  

Tom Grinter, IndustriALL director of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, rubber sectors said:

“The progress achieved by chemicals and BASF union networks is inspiring. IndustriALL will continue to strengthen trade union networks in the region including Sanofi, Takeda, and Unilever. Trade unions must be alerted of the development of artificial intelligence, the importance of map supply chains to identify areas where leverage can be exerted.”

Ashutosh Bhattacharya and Ramon Certeza, regional secretaries for South Asia and South East Asia, said: 

“A trade union network is an important strategy to ensure human rights due diligence in the global supply chain. We will pay extra attention on building and strengthening the union networks in chemical and pharmaceutical sectors in the regions. The regional offices will work hand in hand with our affiliates in carrying out mapping activities and fostering solidarity among our affiliates along the supply chain.”

The meetings were supported by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

Employment in the circular economy

The study is the first global analysis of employment in the circular economy and shows that most circular economy activities are concentrated in the Global South. The Americas and Asia and the Pacific regions report the highest shares of circular employment, at 6.4 percent and 5.8 percent respectively. 

More than half of all circular economy workers—over 74 million people—are employed in the informal economy, where jobs are not regulated and lack state protection. This is particularly prevalent in the Global South, leaving many of the workers driving sustainable development and caring for our planet among the most disadvantaged. They often face precarious working conditions, unstable incomes, and low wages. 

“This report is a strategic tool for trade unions. It provides solid evidence to anticipate the impacts of the circular economy on employment and will empowers us to demand industrial and labour policies that ensure a real Just Transition. Now it is time for changes in production and consumption models, but those have to be built with and for workers,”

says Diana Junquera Curiel, IndustriALL director for Just Transition and member of the advisory board for the Circular Employment Global Baseline. 

Titled Employment in the Circular Economy: Leveraging circularity to create decent work, the study aims to equip policymakers and decision-makers with data and practical tools to accelerate a just and job-rich transition to the circular economy.

“With this report, we are casting a new light on the businesses and workers that every day in every country and every sector of our economies provide essential services for our societies and planet,”

says Casper Edmonds, head of the extractives, energy & manufacturing Unit at the ILO.

“Some are at the forefront of innovation. But for many, circularity is not a choice, but a way of getting by. If we combine investments in circularity with measures to advance decent work, we accelerate a just and job-rich transition to the circular economy.”

A selection of sectors dominate circular economy employment. Repair and maintenance account for nearly half (46 per cent), followed by manufacturing (24.5 percent) and waste management (8 per cent). By contrast, industries that are crucial to advancing the circular transition—such as construction and mining—have a very low share of circular employment. The report stresses the need for targeted policies to ‘green’ jobs in these sectors and accelerate their transition toward a circular economy. 

The findings call on policymakers to integrate workers’ rights and social protections into circular economy strategies. Too often, environmental legislation prioritises climate goals while neglecting the social dimension and the people driving the transition.

To ensure a just transition to the circular economy, the report recommends:

Photo credit: ILO, Limpopo Province, Waterberg District. Mokopane, South Africa.

Yves Rocher must be held accountable over workers’ rights violations in Türkiye

Kosan Kozmetik, a subsidiary of the Yves Rocher group from 2012 to 2024, manufactured Flormar-brand beauty products for global markets. Workers there faced very low wages, exposure to harmful chemicals, imposed overtime, management intimidation and systemic gender discrimination. In early 2018, Petrol-İş launched a membership campaign within the factory.

Union representatives, dismissed workers and lawyers presented testimony in court, arguing that Yves Rocher failed to meet its obligations under the French Duty of Vigilance Law law to ensure respect for fundamental labour rights throughout its supply chain. Former employees, Petrol-İş, Sherpa and ActionAid France are asking the court to recognise that the Yves Rocher Group failed in its duty of vigilance and to award compensation for the harm suffered.

A ruling is expected on 12 March 2026. The case is widely considered a test of whether parent companies can be held accountable for violations in their global operations. It is the first time foreign employees of a French-affiliated company have sought damages from the parent company under this law.

What’s at stake:

IndustriAll Europe and IndustriALL global union call on Yves Rocher, and on all multinational companies to adopt robust, enforceable due-diligence policies that protect fundamental labour rights throughout their global supply chains. We call on Yves Rocher Group to uphold the same fundamental rights for its employees everywhere.

Judith Kirton-Darling, industriAll Europe’s general secretary says:

“This case shows why Europe must uphold strong and enforceable due-diligence rules. Workers should never be dismissed or intimidated for exercising their fundamental rights, whether in France or Türkiye. European companies must respect the same standards across all operations. We stand in solidarity with Petrol İş and all workers fighting for their rights, including the right to organise.”

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL Global Union assistant general secretary, adds:

“The case of Flormar (Yves Rocher) is a clear case of violations of fundamental rights, and puts forward the need for holding capital accountable. It is an important test case if the French Due Diligence Law is instrumental in protecting workers, and we do expect that the judiciary process in France brings justice to the members of Petrol-Is, who want to exercise their guaranteed freedoms”.

Photo: Picket outside Flormar factory in Gebze, Türkiye on 9 August 2018.

Rubber and tyre workers discuss the future of the sector in the Americas

The opening was attended by Victor Martinez Hernandez, general secretary of the SNTGTM – National Union of General Tire Workers of Mexico; Marino Vani, IndustriALL regional secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean and Tom Grinter, IndustriALL director for the rubber sector. The event was also attended by representatives of IndustriALL affiliates in Brazil (CNQ CUT and Sintrabor), the United States and Canada (United Steelworkers) and guest organizations from the sector in Mexico.

The first day examined the situation of the sector in Mexico, focusing on the historic contract law for the rubber industry, which is still in force but has not been renewed since 2017 and which the federal government intends to replace with a contract law for the tyre industry. Specialists and trade unions warned that, although this new proposal could incorporate some tyre companies currently outside the agreement, it would exclude hundreds of companies producing other rubber products, which could presently be included under the current contract.

They also expressed concern that the proposal does not guarantee labour and wage improvements for tyre workers and could be detrimental to the rest of the rubber sector. Following the discussions, a call emerged to reject the new contract, review the current one and, based on that review, negotiate addenda or additional chapters to the existing contract law.

Trade union representatives from Continental, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Pirelli and other companies then gave presentations on the current situation in each company, highlighting achievements, production challenges and trade union priorities in Mexico and the region.

The second day focused on the global challenges. Tom Grinter, presented an overview of the global and regional rubber and tyre industry and explained how IndustriALL is working to help affiliates coordinate policies and actions to address the issues in the sector. Marino Vani, highlighted the importance of building networks of workers from the same company or corporate group and of signing global framework agreements to strengthen collective action.

He also stressed the importance of the workers in the sector coordinating not only at national and regional level, but also with those in the mobility industry:

“Only in this way will they be able to build union power and influence economic, production and industrial policies, which are largely determined by the big companies in the mobility sector, together with governments, and determine the future and quality of employment in the rubber sector.”

The unions from Brazil and the United States presented a detailed report on the situation in the sector in their countries and the work being done by their organizations. They were joined by a number of Mexican colleagues and the discussions also covered issues such as health and safety at work, working methods and standards, mental health, the labour market, etc.

Cristian Alejandro Valerio –head of the sector for IndustriALL in Latin America – assessed the event very positively:

“We were able to bring together several unions from the sector in Mexico, to discuss and draw valuable conclusions on a crucial issue for workers: the future of collective bargaining, the contract law in Mexico, and a strategic agenda. The aim is to organise across unions in Mexico and Latin America, to build greater union power and solidarity among the workers in the sector and the mobility industry in the Americas over the next four years.”

African trade unions want critical minerals revenues to fund development

The declaration, by 35 trade unionists from 14 countries, was made at a colloquium to celebrate Africa Industrialization Day under the theme: “Empowering workers in the AGMS: Balancing industrialization with human rights due diligence.”
 
The colloquium heard that Africa sits on more than 30 per cent of the world’s reserves of the minerals that will power the energy transition: cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, copper in Zambia, nickel in Madagascar, manganese in Gabon, graphite in Mozambique, lithium in Zimbabwe and rare earths scattered from Namibia to Burundi. Yet the continent’s share of the value created from these resources has barely changed since the colonial era.
 
The declaration, jointly adopted by the IndustriALL Global Union Sub-Saharan Africa regional office and ITUC-Africa, shows that organized labour wants workers and communities to benefit from critical transition minerals (CTMs). “There can be no green transition without decent work,” the unions insist, demanding permanent contracts, living wages, sector-wide collective bargaining and enforceable supply-chain accountability for Western and Chinese multinational corporations.
 
According to McKinsey estimates meeting global net-zero targets by 2050 will require US$3.5 trillion of investment in critical minerals, with Africa potentially capturing US$1 trillion of that if it moves up the value chain. At present, the continent exports almost all its output as ore or low-grade concentrate. For instance, a smartphone battery that retails for US$50 may contain Congolese cobalt worth less than ten cents at the mine gate. The rest of the margin accrues in refineries in China, battery plants in South Korea or Germany and assembly lines in California or Shenzhen. Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo earned just US$1.2 billion in cobalt royalties in 2024 despite exporting material worth over US$20 billion on world markets.
 
Further, the unions’ demands are that the AGMS must mandate local processing and manufacturing. For example, batteries can be manufactured in Kolwezi, cathodes in Kitwe, precursor chemicals in Johannesburg backed by binding local-content rules and social clauses in new investment packages. They insist that the strategy’s proposed 5 per cent of payroll for skills funds and 1 per cent of sales for research and development be co-governed by unions. They also demand renegotiation of existing contracts to stop profit-shifting and illicit financial flows, with revenues channelled into sovereign wealth funds rather than externalized to tax havens.
 
The unions want environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards to be implemented with explicit labour protections including freedom of association, occupational health and safety, and decent work.
 
The colloquium emphasized that Africa’s working-age population will grow by about 450 million people by 2050 but without industrial jobs on a massive scale, that demographic dividend risks becoming a social catastrophe.  “Resource-for-security” deals, unions warn, risk turning mineral provinces into new arenas of proxy conflict.
 
“Africa is rich beneath the ground but poor above it and this must change,” said Martha Molema, ITUC-Africa president.
 

“Critical minerals must power African industrialization and decarbonization, support manufacturing industries and create jobs for the youth. Further, women in mining must be given licences and financial support to mine critical minerals,”

said Rose Omamo, IndustriALL vice president and ITUC-Africa deputy president.
 

South Africa declares gender-based violence and femicide a national disaster

For the first time, GBVF will be treated under the same legal and administrative framework as natural disasters, unlocking additional budgetary resources, improved inter-governmental coordination and a structured approach to prevention, response and recovery.
 

GBVF statistics in the country are shocking. According to the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) 7.3 million women have faced physical violence while 2.1 million have survived sexual assault. Femicide stands at five times the global averages.
 

The declaration follows a decade-long campaign by trade unions and women’s rights organizations, which had repeatedly highlighted the failure of prior legislative measures including the 2018 National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide) to translate into effective implementation. Despite the enactment of stronger laws on domestic violence, sexual offences and workplace harassment, conviction rates remained extremely low and reporting was discouraged by systemic inaction by the police.
 

Public mobilization reached a peak during the G20 Summit with the “G20 Women’s Shutdown” action, in which women workers led a 15-minute silence in honour of women who have been killed or injured and, in many cases, absented themselves from work. A petition bearing more than one million signatures was presented to the government, amplifying long-standing demands from the Labour 20 (L20) engagement process. Trade unions had argued at the July 2025 L20 Summit that sustained GBVF imposes substantial economic costs through lost productivity, absenteeism, healthcare expenditure and the erosion of female labour-force participation.
 

The economic toll is particularly acute in sectors with high concentrations of women workers. Fatalities have occurred both in domestic settings and at the workplace. Notable cases include the 2017 murder of Thembisile Yende at Eskom’s premises and the killing of Pinky Mosiane underground at an Anglo -American Platinum mine in Rustenburg, both of which were taken up by IndustriALL affiliates, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) respectively. While the Yende case remains unresolved, in the Mosiane case the perpetrator received two life sentences according to court records.
 

By classifying GBVF as a national disaster, the state gains access to the integrated policy framework foreseen in Section 7 of the Disaster Management Act: prevention and risk reduction, mitigation, preparedness, rapid response and post-disaster recovery. This is expected to translate into ring-fenced funding, the establishment of a dedicated national coordination structure and mandatory reporting and performance metrics across provinces and departments.
 

The decision also strengthens the domestication of the International Labour Organization Convention 190 (Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019), which South Africa ratified in 2021. Accompanying Recommendation 206 provides detailed guidance on risk assessment, prevention measures and remedies in the world of work, areas where implementation had previously lagged.
 
IndustriALL assistant general secretary, Christine Olivier, said: 

“This is an important step towards effective action to curb GBVF especially when cases were getting cold and women being frustrated and discouraged from reporting violations because nothing would happen to the perpetrators. Further, this is also an important development towards implementing national laws and ILO Convention 190 and Recommendation 206.”

Picture: NUMSA 

Indian unions slam unilateral labour code rollout; 21 November declared black day for workers

On 26 November, Indian trade unions across the country, except the government-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, mobilized in powerful protests denouncing the unilateral labour-code notification, demanding immediate genuine dialogue and withdrawal, declaring that working people will not accept labour-law reforms imposed without consultation. 

The joint CTUs condemn this government action as these labour codes violate fundamental constitutional rights and undermine the principles of democracy and federalism. They argued that the codes are structurally flawed, legally unsound and designed to dilute workers’ protections.
 
The joint CTUs criticized the government for bypassing established tripartite mechanisms and pointed out that the Indian Labour Conference, the country’s apex tripartite forum, has not been convened since 2015. 
 
IndustriALL affiliates have raised strong concerns that India’s new labour codes weaken key worker protections, particularly on working hours, contract labour and occupational safety and health (OSH). Union representatives warned that the changes are likely to increase precarious work and further erode workers’ rights at a time when stronger safeguards are needed. In response, IndustriALL has written to the government, urging it to withdraw the codes and open meaningful dialogue with trade unions to ensure to uphold workers’ rights and safety standards.
 
Union leaders called on the government to halt implementation of the codes and initiate transparent, inclusive consultations with trade unions. IndustriALL Global Union expressed full solidarity with Indian workers and affiliates, supporting their demands for social dialogue, freedom of association and the protection of fundamental labour rights.
 
Sanjay Vadhavkar, general secretary of SMEFI (HMS) said: 

“The government’s unilateral notification of the labour codes is a direct attack on workers’ rights and on democratic labour governance. Workers cannot be excluded from decisions that shape their lives. By bypassing consultation and long-standing tripartite practices, the government has undermined constitutional values. We stand firmly with the united trade union movement in demanding the withdrawal of these notifications and the restoration of genuine social dialogue.”

Sanjay Singh, general secretary of INEWF (INTUC) said: 

“These labour codes weaken essential protections, especially on freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, limits on working hours, occupational safety and health and social security—and will push more workers into precarious conditions. We urge the government to halt their implementation and engage with trade unions to ensure that any reforms safeguard, not erode, workers’ rights.”

IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie, said:  

“We continue our full solidarity to the Indian trade union movement and call upon the Government of India to engage with trade unions through transparent and inclusive consultations. We firmly reiterate that any reform of labour laws must strengthen, not weaken, workers’ protections and must fully comply with international labour standards.”

Historic win for Italy’s metal workers

In June 2025, FIOM, FIM and UILM staged an eight-hour strike accompanied by regional demonstrations across Italy, calling out what they described as the employers’ irresponsible refusal to negotiate. Workers across the sector, including those in small and medium-sized enterprises, joined the strike action and additional measures, such as overtime and flexibility blockades, were enforced. Demonstrations sent a clear and unified message: workers would not accept stagnation, wage erosion or further delays. The strike movement strengthened union resolve and demonstrated to employers that metal workers were mobilized, united and prepared to continue the fight to defend purchasing power and secure fair working conditions.
 
Union negotiators have described this as a crucial victory that ensures long-term wage defence at a moment when many families are facing mounting financial strain. The revised wage structure maintains a system designed to safeguard purchasing power through inflation. The agreement also includes an additional salary quota and a safeguard clause should inflation surge beyond forecasts during the contract period.
 
General secretaries Ferdinando Uliano, Michele De Palma and Rocco Palombella, from Fim, Fiom and Uilm, said the contract represents not only a negotiation victory, but also the defence of Italy’s national collective bargaining system itself. They emphasized the unity and resolve of the unions throughout the process:
 
“It was a very hard negotiation, but we closed the gap and signed a strong contract. We protected the purchasing power of metal workers and strengthened rights and protections. The wage increase, the start of a working-time reduction trial and the stabilization of precarious work were our pillars and we achieved them. Today, we can say we saved the national contract, which has never stopped being challenged. This agreement ensures dignity for those who build the industrial heart of Italy. Metal workers are once again writing the history of this country at a time when it needs stability, courage and lasting solutions.”
 
The contract delivers significant gains in the fight against job insecurity and precarious work, issues that have been central to the unions’ platform. Employers will now be required to stabilize a share of fixed-term workers after 12 months if they wish to extend temporary contracts under specific conditions. Workers employed through staffing agencies will gain the right to permanent employment at the host company after 48 months, an important shift toward fairer and more secure employment for thousands of metal workers.
 
The agreement also introduces forward-looking changes, including a structured trial to reduce working hours under the guidance of a dedicated commission. Additional improvements include stronger health and safety protections, expanded rights to workplace training, enhanced safeguards for seriously ill and disabled workers and new provisions specifically aimed at preventing violence against women.
 
IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie, praised the agreement and the determination of the Italian unions:
 

“This is an important victory not only for metal workers in Italy, but for workers everywhere who are fighting against insecurity, declining wages and the erosion of fundamental rights. By securing real wage protection, pathways to stable employment and groundbreaking progress on working-time reduction, Fim, Fiom and Uilm have shown what strong, united unions can achieve. This agreement sends a clear message: collective bargaining remains one of the most powerful tools workers have to build fairer, safer and more dignified workplaces.”

COP30 in Belém: a more open COP delivers a new step on Just Transition

A different political landscape

Brazil entered COP30 with ambition. Its priorities included stronger global commitments on emissions reduction, a significant increase in climate finance and clearer pathways to implementation. While not all proposals got full support, the overall process was more constructive than previous years and negotiators reported a willingness to avoid steps backwards.

Countries remained divided on several issues, especially climate finance. While language encouraging increased financial support was included in the final text, no binding targets were adopted. The gap between what is needed and what is currently committed remains large, particularly for adaptation and just transition measures.

Just Transition: a shift toward implementation

One of the most closely watched discussions at COP30 was the future of the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP). Throughout the summit, Parties engaged in extensive dialogue on how to move from conceptual discussions to concrete implementation.

The proposal for a Belém Action Mechanism (BAM) generated intense debate over the past year. Many countries saw it as a way to accelerate implementation; others expressed concerns about financial implications, duplication of existing institutions and ensuring adequate space for workers and other non-state actors.

In the end, the outcome reflected a compromise. Rather than establishing a separate mechanism, Parties agreed to develop a "Just Transition mechanism” under Article 25 of the JTWP, with a first draft due by June 2026 at the UNFCCC meeting in Bonn. The Bonn Climate Change Conference is an annual United Nations Climate Conference that serves as the mid-year meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice. The text emphasises international cooperation, capacity-building, technical assistance and knowledge-sharing and specifies that the mechanism must build on and complement existing work under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement.

For labour, this outcome keeps the focus on practical and near-term steps while maintaining the relevance of established institutions, particularly the ILO and its Just Transition Guidelines, as essential reference points for operationalizing Just Transition.

Workers and rights gain visibility

Across negotiations, references to workers became more prominent. The final version of the JTWP highlights the importance of decent work, social dialogue and the inclusion of both formal and informal workers in transition processes. Although “trade unions” are not mentioned explicitly, workers’ issues had stronger visibility than in past COPs since they were mentioned in several Presidency speeches.

The Gender Action Plan, initially uncertain, was ultimately adopted, including language on women workers and gender-responsive Just Transition. This represents one of the clearest advances of COP30.

The closing statement delivered by the labour constituency also underscored the importance of anchoring Just Transition in rights, participation and decent work. As highlighted in the Trade Union and NGO (TUNGO) statement:

“For the first time ever, workers and their unions, women and gender groups, communities will get a dedicated place at the UNFCCC to work on our issues and rights. Trade unions have called for this for many years because protecting and promoting labour rights, organizing workers’ participation and genuine social dialogue to deliver decent work and quality jobs, pensions, health and safety, in concert with universal social protection systems are essential enablers for accelerating climate action.”

Technology, trade and institutional reform

The adoption of a new technological cooperation framework focused on supporting developing countries, advancing endogenous technologies and advancing inclusive and gender-responsive implementation. This framework will begin in 2025 and undergo a review in 2034.

Discussions on trade did not advance, as Parties reiterated that trade-related matters should remain within the WTO. Talks on institutional reform of the UNFCCC also did not progress, reflecting the challenge of reaching consensus on procedural questions.

Looking ahead: Bonn and COP31

The next important step will take place in June 2026, when the subsidiary bodies are mandated to present the first draft for operationalizing the new Just Transition mechanism.

The negotiations will then move toward COP31, co-presided by Turkey and Australia, where political conditions will shape how workers’ priorities are integrated into the agenda.

For IndustriALL, the direction remains consistent:

“COP30 did not resolve every challenge, but it opened new space for dialogue, strengthened the visibility of workers and set clearer expectations for the next stages of Just Transition. This gives us a foundation to keep advancing labour rights and decent work at the heart of climate action,”

says Kan Matsuzaki, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

PHOTO: shutterstock Belem, Brazil- COP30- NOV 17, 2025- Marina Silva, COP president Correa do Lago, Activists and indigenous people handcrafts at the COP30 activities

Indian government commits to support social dialogue in ship recycling

The round table was attended by representatives of the ILO, IndustriALL, the directorate general of shipping, SMEFI, the ship recycling union ASSRGWA, and their confederation, Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS). Opening the meeting, IndustriALL regional secretary Ashutosh Bhattacharya spoke about the progress made in improving ship recycling, which was achieved through cooperation and social dialogue between unions, employers, federal and local government.

ILO deputy director Satoshi Sasaki described the entry into force of the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) as a transformative moment for the decent work agenda. He noted that the HKC does not exist in isolation, and that to successfully transform the industry, it needs to be considered in conjunction with an eco-system of international instruments, including the Basel Convention, ILO Core Conventions, ILO guidelines on shipbreaking and the newly created guidelines on recycling.

Harbhajan Singh, the general secretary of HMS, spoke forcefully about the ongoing problems still faced by ship recycling workers. Although safety has improved, very few yards are providing health checks, and occupation illness remains a major problem. Another serious issue is the precarious nature of the work, which also affects workers’ housing. Since accommodation is provided by the employer, many workers find themselves homeless when there is no work.

Union representatives spoke about the need of the different departments of the Indian government, including the labour and environment ministries, and the directorate general of shipping, to coordinate better, and to create a structure that includes unions in decision making about the industry.

Although there is good level of consensus-based social dialogue between the union, the employers’ federation SRIA, and the local authority the GMB, there is a need to formalize this through an industry-wide agreement covering wages, time off and other terms and conditions.

It is also important to extend protections to the estimated 500,000 informal workers in the downstream industry.

The union side submitted policy suggestions for improving the industry:

  1. Ratification of ILO Conventions 155 and 187. This would give workers the right to refuse unsafe work, and create a framework for joint health and safety committees.
  2. Develop a national Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) programme for ship recycling. A standardized OSH programme, benchmarked against the HKC and environmental standards, would strengthen yard-level joint health and safety committees.
  3. Create a digital OSH and worker welfare platform. This would capture data about accidents and near misses, and maintain a record of workers’ health, providing the data needed to manage workers’ welfare.
  4. Social protection for informal workers. Workers in the downstream industry are not protected by the HKC and have no employment protections. There should be a pathway to formalization, with the development of a social security scheme being an important first step.

Minister Mandaviya, who was born in Bhavnagar near the ship recycling port of Alang and is currently a member of parliament for the region, responded that he had a deep commitment to improving conditions for the workers.

He committed to visiting Alang and holding meetings with all stakeholders to address the issues faced by workers.

Says IndustriALL director for shipbreaking and shipbuilding Walton Pantland: 

“India has the potential to be a beacon for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships. But there is still work to be done: the Hong Kong Convention must be fully implemented, and workers must be involved in decision making at all levels. An industry wide collective agreement would be transformative in creating decent work.”

Cover photo: Downstream steel industry, Alang, 2022.