John Deere global union network discusses future of social dialogue

10,000 workers at John Deere plants in the USA have been on strike since mid-October. The strike, the first in 35 years, was launched when John Deere offered a below inflation pay deal that amounted to a US$1 per hour wage increase for most workers, and eliminated pensions for new hires, at a time when the world’s largest farm equipment company is making record profits.  
 
In his opening statement, Chuck Browning, vice president of US affiliate UAW, stressed the importance of the solidarity and support from IndustriALL, Brazil and the European Works Council (EWC) for the striking workers.

 

“UAW John Deere members have worked through the pandemic after the company deemed them essential, to produce the equipment that feeds America, builds America and powers the American economy. As a company, John Deere is doing well and workers want their share, not only in the US, but also elsewhere around the world.”

 

“This network shows what networking in multinational companies mean – exchange, support and solidarity among workers in different countries. Not stabbing your brothers and sisters in the back by taking over work that is meant to be done where a strike is going on,”

said Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL mechanical engineering director.

“A successful company like John Deere must treat its workers with respect. We are living in a changing world – and employers need to understand that they depend on a skilled workforce. Digitalization and "greening" mechanical engineering are challenges that will only be successful if the workforce is taken onboard."

The network also discussed collective bargaining around the world, and also the new structure within the EWC. The network agreed to keep all members informed about developments by exchanging information over economic developments and collective bargaining also in the future.

 

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said:

“Our Deere and the Company perfectly functions as an efficient solidarity machine. Network participants have shown a great example in supporting their sisters and brothers in their rightful struggle. The company has to listen the voice of its organized workforce. Respect fundamental labor and trade union rights and recognition of collective voice of workers and their unions are the basis for a meaningful dialogue.”

Algeria: Release jailed unionist Ramzi Dardar

For many years, independent trade unions in Algeria demanding rights and recognition have faced repression, which has now intensified with the emergence of the mass movement for democracy, the Hirak. Mass dismissals of union leaders and members, union offices closed and sealed by the police, harassment and imprisonment make up the ongoing repression which has entered a new and dangerous phase.

On 30 June, Algerian police arrested trade union leader Ramzi Dardar, an auto mechanic and elected leader of the Union Algérienne des Industries (UAI), which represents informal industrial sector workers and is affiliated to the independent confederation COSYFOP. Dardar is accused of terrorism and of undermining the morale of the army and national unity through his publications on social networks.

Global unions IndustriALL, PSI and IUF called on the ILO to intervene and demand that the government releases Dardar and drops all charges against him. The Algerian government responded by transferring Dardar to a prison block for death row inmates. A trial date has yet to be set. Alarming reports indicate that his physical and mental health are deteriorating.

Please sign and share the LabourStart campaign calling on the Algerian government to immediately and unconditionally release Ramzi Dardar and fully respect the trade union and democratic rights set out in international standards, including ILO Conventions.

IndustriALL’s third Congress passed a resolution condemning the repression of free trade unions in Algeria, and calling for the release of all pro-democracy activists, in particular trade unionist Ramzi Dardar.

The resolution, which was passed, says:

Christine Olivier

Christine Olivier was elected as Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union at its 3rd Congress on 14-15 September 2021. 

Christine Olivier is from Atlantis, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. She started working at an electronic factory in 1987 and worked there until it closed in 2015. In the late 1990s, Christine was elected shopsteward at the plant, then became chairperson of the local union branch and in 2003 deputy chairperson of NUMSA Western Cape. Christine became the first woman regional chairperson in NUMSA when she was elected chairperson of NUMSA Western Cape in 2005.

During her trade union career, Christine has also held the positions as COSATU Western Cape Provincial Office Bearer – Treasurer and NUMSA National Gender Chairperson. Between 2008-2013, Christine was 2nd Deputy President of NUMSA, and 1st Deputy President between 2013 and 2016. 

For many years, international relations have been central to Christine’s work, and she is a former Executive Committee member of IndustriALL and has also served as co-chair of IndustriALL’s Women’s Committee and of IndustriALL’s Automotive Committee. 

Since 2017, Christine has worked as NUMSA’s international officer. 

Just Transition declaration adopted at COP26

The Declaration was signed by countries in the Global North with the economic weight to make it a reality, including the US, Canada, UK, the European Commission and a number of individual European countries. Wealthy countries have pledged funding for climate change mitigation and decarbonization efforts in poorer countries, and this funding will now be subject to the Just Transition principle

They will also apply the principles of the Declaration in their domestic Just Transition plans.

The text of the declaration was prepared in close collaboration between the UK government’s Just Transition lead, the ITUC, IndustriALL Global Union and IndustriAll Europe.

The Declaration builds on the Paris Agreement, the International Labour Organization’s  (ILO) Guidelines for a Just Transition, and the Silesia Declaration that was adapted at COP24 in Katowice, Poland.

It recognizes that the effects of climate change and of decarbonizing the economy will fall disproportionately on those in poverty or insecure work, those in carbon-intensive industries, and those in fossil-fuel dependent countries, and that it risks exacerbating gender, racial, age and other inequalities. It aims to ensure that no one is left behind as the world transitions to a climate-friendly economy.

The principles of the Declaration are:

IndustriALL assistant general seceatry Kemal Özkan said:

“All the parties are talking about Just Transition at this COP. This is alone huge victory for us, and it shows our interventions have broken through. But there has always been a struggle over definitions, to make sure we are talking about the same thing. There has also been a lack of detail about how Just Transition will be carried out in practice.

“This Declaration sets a very important precedent. Unions in every country should disseminate it widely and ensure that their governments, companies and other stakeholders understand its contents, and lobby hard to ensure that these principles, as well as the ILO Guidelines, are adhered to.”

IndustriAll Europe deputy general secretary, Judith Kirton-Darling added:

“We are not simply talking about another declaration. We are talking about clear commitments by governments to effective social dialogue with workers and about governments accepting responsibility and accountability for the implementation of Just Transition principles within the reporting process of the Paris Agreement. Unions have high expectations towards these governments and request to be fully involved.”

The Declaration follows intensive lobbying by the labour movement over many years. Last week, IndustriALL Global and industriAll Europe launched a joint declaration, calling on governments to go beyond words on paper and implement a Just Transition with concrete measures with respect for social dialogue and workers’ participation.

Participants at a COP26 Just Transition meeting at the office of Unite the Union

At COP26 this week, unions held a number of side events to promote Just Transition initiatives. At Energy Day on 4 November, the parties announced a decarbonization partnership worth $8.5 billion for the South African energy sector that was cautiously welcomed by unions. Unions will watch developments in South Africa closely, as it provides a good test case for a large scale, international Just Transition process.

IndustriALL Global and industriAll Europe are looking forward to discussing Just Transition further at their joint side event in the EU Pavilion on coming up on Wednesday, 10 November with unions, employers, politicians and the European Commission.

Unions uneasy over South African Just Transition finance deal announced at COP26

However, they say that the multilateral Just Energy Transition partnership agreement announced by United States' President Joe Biden at COP26 on 2 November, lacks details on how the energy transition will happen. The partnership worth US$8.5 billion aims to assist South African plans to close coal mines earlier and move to renewable energy sources.

The partnership, which will provide funds for the energy transition from carbon intensive coal to low carbon renewable energy sources that include solar and wind, was signed by the governments of South Africa and France, Germany, United Kingdom, US, and the European Union. It will be implemented over three to five years. The agreement is the first of its kind and a possible model for other developing countries.

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa described the partnership, which is made up of concessional finance, as a “watershed moment” that will increase the country’s energy security by “creating jobs and harnessing new opportunities for investment, with support from developed economies.”
 
“Climate change is an existential challenge that confronts us all and South Africa is committed to playing its part in reducing global emissions” he said, adding that there will be investments in electrical vehicle manufacturing and green hydrogen.

According to the government, the agreement will benefit coal miners and communities. Unions say over 100,000 coal miners will lose jobs. Another 100,000 people in the communities, who make a living from the coal value chain, will need compensation when the mines are closed. Studies estimate that the just transition cost for coal mineworkers will include compensation, retraining, relocation and rehabilitation of communities and other costs related to regional economic development.

The partnership is also expected to provide funds to power utility Eskom for the decommissioning of coal-fired power stations that are concentrated in the Mpumalanga Province. South Africa is the world’s 12th highest polluter and the highest in Africa.

Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary says:

“We are concerned that this announcement will accelerate a rush to close coal fired power stations before a viable solution for a consistent energy supply is found. Currently renewable energy cannot meet the needs of industry. If there is to be a transition, the government must deliver a social plan to develop provinces and regions that will be affected, with specific pathways on how to replace jobs and industries.”

 

“While funding the transition is key, the process followed is more important to the union. The union needs assurance that workers and working-class communities will not be negatively affected. Presently, it is not clear what this money will be used for, under what conditions it will be accessed, and if a significant part of it will be used to protect workers and communities. The unions remain uneasy about the deal,”

says William Mabapa, National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) acting general secretary.

The country’s energy transition policies include the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that are part of the Paris Agreement. Additionally, the Integrated Resource Plan (2019-2030) outlines how coal will be replaced by renewable energy and gas sources.

Diana Junquera Curiel, the IndustriALL director for the energy industry says:

“This is an important partnership because climate change mitigation needs global cooperation especially between the developed and developing countries. Further, the South African government must further engage with trade unions and negotiate with them to protect the interests of the workers and communities. This can be done through a detailed Just Transition plan which stipulates on fair compensation, training and other benefits for workers, and communities.”

No return on copper for BHP workers in Chile

On 26 October, Chilean BHP unions came together in an online workshop organized by IndustriALL Global Union to explore issues of human rights due diligence in global supply chains, as well as occupational health and safety.

According to IndustriALL mining director Glen Mpufane, copper is the most critical metal for global economies and is much in demand for the energy transition.

“As a result, BHP shareholders enjoy attractive returns, but what are the returns for workers, communities, and the country as a whole,”

asked Mpufane.

According to BHP unions, the only way to seek redress for rights violations is through the courts. This approach fails to consider human rights’ due diligence mechanisms, like the UN Guiding Principles and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, which provide a blueprint for responsible business conduct.

“These mechanisms should be used to the full to hold BHP to account. Environmental, social and governance issues are today seen as the biggest risk to the mining industry. BHP can no longer evade these issues. It must show respect for workers, communities, and the country as a whole,”

said Mpufane.

The workshop, which was organized as part of an FES project, also addressed the issue of health and safety and the campaign for the ratification of ILO C176 on health and safety in mines.

Industriall is conducting a global campaign against BHP against a background of a constant rebuttal of calls by workers for BHP to enter into social dialogue with IndustriALL to address its poor record of ill treatment of workers, communities and environmental degradation across its global operations. 

Electrolux workers reach agreements in Chile and Mexico

In Chile, workers from unions 1 and 2 at Compañía Tecno Industrial (CTI S.A.), owned by Swedish multinational Electrolux, have brought an end to their long fight for the right to collective bargaining.

In a ruling on 14 June, the Santiago employment court unanimously rejected the company's initial proposal, which was simply to maintain the bargaining floor and pay a termination bonus and an additional union contribution. In the ruling, the court expressed its disappointment that it had taken seven months for Electrolux to deliver such a weak proposal, which was also rejected because the multinational had failed to comply with the original collective bargaining deadlines.

Even though company management and the union are still at loggerheads, workers decided to come to an agreement with Electrolux because the process was dragging on and the costs of the legal battle were mounting.

On 26 October in Mexico, a settlement was reached with the six dismissed workers who had refused to accept voluntary resignation and had taken the case to court. This was after 18 months and many meetings between Electrolux management in Sweden and the USA, IndustriALL, and Swedish union Unionen on behalf of the works council. The workers had not received any compensation for their unfair dismissal from Electrolux's plant in Ciudad Juárez in April 2020.

However, Electrolux did not offer the workers full compensation for their unfair dismissal or agree to pay the wages due since the dismissal date. Even though they did not obtain everything they had asked for, the workers signed the agreement in order to at last bring an end to the situation and avoid spending another year in the courts. The six workers received their compensation cheques on 29 October.

"We are happy that settlements have been reached in both cases. We will continue our dialogue with the Swedish unions and Electrolux and seek ways to improve dialogue and  working conditions through our global framework agreement,"

said IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kan Matsuzaki.

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.”