Workers at General Motors' Silao plant condemn threats after elections

Despite 54 per cent of the workers voting against the collective agreement in August, workers are still being harassed by General Motors (GM), violating ILO Convention 98 on right to organize and collective bargaining. Workers who support the new union are pressured by CTM to vote in favour of the agreement to be put forward by the Miguel Trujillo López union in the next round of voting.

The national union of automotive workers (SINTTIA) – the new union seeking to represent workers – has condemned GM for refusing to recognize the union or to meet with its representatives before 3 November, when the current collective agreement ends.

In addition, GM has added to the uncertainty and created a "legal limbo" when announcing that the current agreement would be terminated after the vote.

However, authorities announced one month later that the agreement would remain in effect until 3 November, three months after the ballot. This could alter the legal framework under which the new agreement is negotiated. Even though it lost the ballot, the CTM union is required to continue to fulfil its obligations under the current agreement until the agreement comes to an end. Yet it has refused to provide funeral assistance and other economic benefits even though it is still receiving union dues.

When an employee from Irapuato fell ill at work, GM refused to take her to hospital, arguing that it could not do so because the union was not operational, as it no longer represented the workers.

Alejandra Morales Reynoso, secretary general of SINTTIA, said:

"Nobody wanted to do anything to help our colleague. She had to make her own way to the hospital. The union has nothing to do with the medical services provided by General Motors.”

SINTTIA has announced that it will lodge a complaint under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement and with the labour ministry.

Mario Vani; IndustriALL regional secretary, said:

"IndustriALL is concerned about the uncertain situation at GM's Silao plant and about the harassment and bullying of workers supporting SINTTIA. We call on the labour authorities and GM to ensure that the workers' fundamental rights are respected and that there is no discrimination against SINTTIA, which is an independent union.

"Rejecting the employer-protection agreement was the first major step. Now, we have to make sure that there is union freedom in Mexico and that the workers at the Silao plant can elect their union freely and without intimidation."

Farmindustria union in Peru signs first collective bargaining agreement

In the last meeting between the union and the company at the Department of Labour, the company committed to evaluate proposals for an agreement which would benefit workers and the strike was halted.

The collective bargaining agreement valid for two years was signed on 4 October. Although a wage increase was not directly included in the agreement, given that the company had already raised wages for the two years, workers attained other benefits. The company showed itself open to various items which benefit workers.

The union’s advisor Gilmer Ibáñez Melendrez, general secretary of FETRIMAP-CGTP, played a crucial role in reaching the agreement. 

During the strike, the union was supported by unions affiliated to the Manufacturing and Related Services Workers Federation of Peru (FETRIMAP-CGTP), the General Workers Confederation of Peru (CGTP) and IndustriALL Global Union. FETRIMAP-CGTP unions carried out a fundrqising campaign to cover the strikers' expenses.

The union, which has 67 affiliates at the company with more than 1200 workers, thanked the 43 union branches of FETRIMAP, CGTP, IndustriALL Global Union and FNV for their support and solidarity.

FETRIMAP CGTP's secretary of economy and finance Julián Alfaro, said:

“The effort of the workers of Farmindustria-Abbott has paid off. This is their first collective bargaining agreement, which improves their working conditions. I salute and congratulate the collective bargaining team, Gilmer Ibañez Melendrez and all the members of the union of Farmindustria workers for this achievement. Without a fight, there are no victories.”

Strong growth in ICT, electrical and electronics is opportunity to organize

The meeting was opened by sector co-chair Masahi Jimbo. IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Atle Høie reported on the recent IndustriALL Congress, and spoke about how IndustriALL’s four strategic goals related to ICT EE.

“Five years have passed since the second world Congress, but looking around the world, there are still many issues unsolved, such as gender equality and precarious workers with low wages. This sector needs to deepen solidarity among unions to implement the new action plan,” said Jimbo.

Atle Høie said:

“We need to confront global capital. We need to ensure that workers get their fair share of profits. Even during Covid, the big companies – including ICT companies – got richer.”

“This sector has a crucial role to play in a Just Transition to a greener economy. We need to make employers understand that workers need a pathway to green jobs.”

Assistant general secretary Kan Matsuzaki spoke about trends and developments in the sector, which is performing well, with many of the top companies among the best performing companies in the global economy.

Covid-19 has increased reliance on ICT and sped up digitalization. Major companies are making huge investments and huge profits. Demand for semiconductors is high, with pandemic-driven working from home boosting demand for telecommunications equipment and home appliances. There is also strong growth in vehicle components powered by memory chips.

In developing countries, the number of workers in electronics manufacturing service (EMS) companies is growing rapidly as brands outsource manufacturing processes. The top ten EMS companies employ about 1.5 million workers. However, there is very low union density in the sector, particularly in the largest companies.

“Our challenge remains what it has always been”, said Matsuzaki.

“To organize this sector until we have the critical mass we need to influence the balance of power between workers and these powerful corporations.”

There is a struggle for dominance between Western-headquartered tech giants – such as Alphabet, Amazon and Apple – who design products and build software, and the mostly Asian companies like Huawei who build the infrastructure. Ninety per cent of manufacturing takes place in Asia, where assembly jobs typically pay between $200 and $500 per month. Recently, there has been significant expansion into Latin America, and particularly Mexico.

A positive development over the past few years is that many more countries, particularly those in the sector’s manufacturing supply chain, have ratified core ILO Conventions.

Anne-Marie Chopinet and Jan Brauburger of IndustriAll Europe gave a European perspective. Supply chain disruptions and component shortages have affected production and jobs in Europe, leading to a call to reindustrialize, and particularly to invest in semiconductor manufacture. IndustriAll has developed an action plan demanding a holistic industrial strategy.

IndustriALL gender coordinator Armelle Séby and academic Dr Jane Pillinger presented research carried out into the experience of women workers in the sector.

Women make up on average 50 per cent of the workforce, though these jobs are unevenly distributed around the world. Women make up the majority of the workforce in countries manufacturing basic components, and tend to perform low-paid, precarious, assembly-line and quality control jobs. There is a high level of gender-based job segregation, with few women in highly skilled, well-paying jobs.

Matsuzaki introduced a proposed plan for sector activities for 2022. Major focuses will be:

ILO Meeting of Experts adopts first-ever Code of Practice for textile and garment industry

The ILO Code of Practice adopted on 8 October is the first for the textiles, clothing, leather and footwear industries. The code sets out how governments, employers and workers can improve safety and health for the more than 60 million workers in the industries.

“This is an important achievement since ILO Code of Practices are reference tools that set out principles that can be reflected in the design and implementation of policies, strategies, programmes, legislation, administrative measures and social dialogue mechanisms for the sector,”

says IndustriALL textile and garment director Christina Hajagos-Clausen.

Based on international labour standards and other sectoral codes of practice, the Code provides comprehensive and practical guidance on how to eliminate, reduce and control all major hazards and risks in the industries. This includes chemical substances, ergonomic and physical hazards, tools, machines and equipment, as well as building and fire safety.

“We want to ensure that Rana Plaza will never happen again. If everyone commits to translating the provisions in this Code into action, we can ensure that no worker – in Bangladesh or any other country – will ever have to risk her life in a garment factory again,”

says Kamrul Anam, worker vice-chairperson of the meeting and president of IndustriALL affiliate Bangladesh Textile and Garments Workers League (BTGWL).

The workers’ delegation was also comprised of Manuel Alejandro González Muiño (CCOO/Spain),  Peter Frövén (IFM/Sweden). Botayeb Bouchkhachakh (CDT/Morocco), Dr. Lilanie Daschner (SACWTU/South Africa), Athit Kong (CCAWDU/Cambodia) and Leonardo Nelcino da Silva (CNTVCUT/Brasil and supported by OSH advisor Rory O’Neill, from the ITUC and Cristian Valero, from the IndustriALL South America regional office.

The code of conduct will be come into force after approval by the ILO governing body in March.

The textiles, clothing, leather and footwear industries have been hit incredibly hard by the Covid-19 crisis. Thousands of enterprises have had to stop production and millions of workers have lost their livelihoods for shorter or longer periods, and many remain without a job.

The Accord agreement was renewed in September, broadening the coverage to general health and safety, rather than only fire and building safety. The International Accord on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Sector preserves and advances the fundamental elements that made the Accord successful, including: respect for freedom of association; shared governance between labour and brands; a high level of transparency; safety committee training and worker awareness program; and a credible, independent complaints mechanism.

Over 135 global brands and retailers have signed the new agreement.

IndustriALL calls for Omnibus law to be cancelled

Since the Omnibus law was introduced, the sectoral minimum wage is eliminated, an excessive use of outsourcing is allowed, and the nominal severance pay is reduced.

In a letter to the Indonesian President Joko Widodo, IndustriALL calls for the Omnibus law to be cancelled.

IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie says:

“We urge president Joko Widodo to take our message seriously, this demand was a key resolution passed in the IndustriALL third congress on 15 September. More than 3,000 delegates representing 50 million manufacturing workers worldwide unanimously called for the cancellation of Omnibus Law.”

IndustriALL calls on its affiliates to support the campaign by sending the model letters to the Indonesian president and Indonesian embassies.

Indonesian trade unions have been protesting against the Omnibus law for nearly two years.

On 2 September, the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI) mobilized thousands of members at 1,000 companies in 24 provinces to against the law. Five IndustriALL affiliates participated in the rallies.

Said Iqbal, National council chairperson of Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers' Union (FSPMI), says:

“We are asking for international support. The Omnibus law is detrimental to workers' constitutional rights and the Indonesian labour movement will continue the fight until the law is repealed.”

Currently, the Indonesian constitutional court has consolidated all six proceedings related to Omnibus Law into one, including three cases filed by KSPI and KSPSI, All Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSBSI) and the National Welfare Movement (GEKANAS).

During court proceedings on 23 September, it was revealed that academics and government agency leaders were not given the Omnibus bill and relevant academic papers during the focus group discussions.

The Omnibus Law has also proved to be a catalyst of change in Indonesia’s political landscape. On 4-5 October, more than 50 federations of trade unions and confederations rejuvenated the Indonesian Labour Party. Said Iqbal was elected as the new party chairperson, the vice president of KSPSI and CEMWU Ferri Nurzali was elected secretary general.

GM workers in Brazil continue to strike

After the union's decision to launch the strike, a conciliation hearing was held at the regional labour court. However, no agreement was reached between the parties.

"We had no alternative but to halt operations, as their proposal did not meet our demands,"

says union president Aparecido Inácio da Silva.

Among other things, the workers are calling for a wage adjustment based on the national consumer price index (NCPI) over the past 12 months, a real wage increase of 5 per cent, a wage floor with an inflation-adjusted correction for the 2016–2021 period, and food vouchers.

They are also demanding that the social clauses set out in the current collective employment agreement be maintained, particularly clause 42, which ensures job stability for workers with occupational illnesses.
In an attempt to end the strike that began on 1 October, the company put forward another proposal, which the workers unanimously rejected in an assembly on 4 October.

GM offered a retroactive adjustment of 10.42 per cent (total NCPI increase) from 1 September, a merit raise every six months for workers on the new pay scale, and for clause 42 of the collective employment agreement to be maintained with a change in wording. This proposal had been suggested by the regional labour court in the conciliation hearing on 1 October.

The union is still ready to negotiate and is looking for a solution to end the deadlock.

"We will stand firm until the company puts forward a satisfactory proposal that meets our list of demands,"

says Aparecido Inácio da Silva.

IndustriALL regional secretary Marino Vani says:

"We stand in solidarity with our colleagues and the union in their decision. We have to set limits or working conditions will continue to come under attack, as they have in Brazil for the past five years. We hope that the company will show a minimum of dignity towards its workers and provide concrete and satisfactory solutions so that we can bring an end to this dispute."

Building union power in Oman’s industrial sectors

The GFOW was established in 2010 and has six sectoral unions in oil and gas, education, construction, industry, tourism and electricity.

The workshop was the first step towards deepened cooperation with the union movement in Oman.

Ahmed Mubarak, GFOW general secretary, said: 

"We value the cooperation with IndustriALL and believe that this joint work is of added value to us in Oman, especially with regards to strengthening sectoral work, our sectoral unions and developing collective agreements."

Participants discussed a number of issues, including the impact of the Corona pandemic on private sector workers, the non-Omani workforce and the informal  sector. During the pandemic, GFOW has addressed workers’ challenges and violations with the respective parties. GFOW is a member of the national committee dealing with layoffs, composed of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment Promotion, the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labor and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Industry 4.0 and the digital transformation has started to have an impact in Oman as around 700 workers have been laid off from the meter reading sector in the electricity sector. However, as GFOW intervened, laid-off workers have been reinstated and trained for other jobs within the company.

The webinar included presentations Oman’s national legislation and collective agreements,  experiences of social dialogue and collective and sectoral agreements from the Middle East, North Africa and Europe and IndustriALL’s global framework agreements.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said:

"We congratulate GFOW for taking practical and serious steps towards strengthening sectoral work. International union solidarity is an important pillar in order to confront the impact of Industry 4.0, climate change and energy transition on workers, especially with regards to decent work."

No decent work without social protection

When Pavi* lost her job two years ago, everything changed. Beforehand, she had been working as an operator in a garment factory in Bangladesh for over a decade. Now she has lost her income and is struggling to provide for her three children.

“I have three kids. My husband is paralysed – very sick. I’m the only source of livelihood for the family. My kids are studying in school. I have to pay the doctor’s expenses. There is so much expenses. I just can’t bear it. The children are going to school. I need a whole lot of money, but I’m not getting anything.”

The global south’s garment production countries provide big brands with low taxes and loose regulation, but few brands are meeting their obligations to factory workers.

Pavi is not an isolated case. Few garment workers have a safety net. Illness, pregnancy or redundancy can catapult families into near destitution.

The Covid pandemic has exposed and amplified the vulnerability of this labour force.

Shayan* was told to leave his job after his wife fell ill and he failed to come to work. He had worked there for almost five years. His wife was a cancer patient and was hospitalised after she contracted Covid.

"When I went back to the factory they said don’t come to work tomorrow. They used very abusive language.”

Shayan’s wife did not recover. He is now raising his 9-year-old son alone, supporting his extended family and working as a rickshaw puller to make ends meet. The factory didn’t pay him the benefits he was entitled to. With help from his union and IndustriALL, he managed to secure some of the money he was owed, but not everything.

“I’m trying to educate my son, trying to do my best for the family. If the factory gives my dues, then I think I will be able to put my son in a better position.”

Aside from those directly impacted by the virus itself, Covid has stripped thousands of their income due to factories closing or losing orders.

Manabi* wept as she told us that the factory where she worked as a finisher for the last five years closed six months ago. Unable to pay her rent or buy food, she’s been forced into crippling debt and now faces eviction.

“I’m in debt. But I’m not able to pay it back. Now nobody’s ready to give us money. If my son is asking for something to eat, I’m not able to give him anything.”

IndustriALL textile and garment director Christina Hajagos-Clausen says that the global apparel industry is failing these workers with many brands still clinging to voluntary initiatives and individual factory audits.

"If we want to achieve decent work in the garment sector, supply chain commitments must be legally enforceable. Voluntary gestures don’t cut it. We need binding agreements between brands, manufacturers, and unions that provide workers with the safety net they deserve. The newly negotiated International Accord on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry provides the model for how modern-day supply chain industrial relations should look like."

Strengthening union power within the sector is key. Organising workers locally will create greater leverage to put these safety nets in place. By joining forces internationally, and participating in IndustriALL’s global campaign, unions can help transform the whole sector.

*Names have been changed to protect workers’ identity, but workers’ quoted here are all from Bangladesh.

What is social protection?

Social protection is a set of policies and programmes designed to reduce and prevent poverty and vulnerability throughout the life cycle. Social protection includes benefits for children and families, maternity, unemployment, employment injury, sickness, old age, disability, survivors, as well as health protection.

Social protection can be provided by the state, through contributory schemes or tax-financed benefits, or by other stakeholders such as employers.

About the apparel industry

Almost 80 per cent of jobs in the apparel sector are held by women, while women make up only a third of the manufacturing workforce globally. Jobs where the majority of the workers are women tend to have low wages, long working hours, exposure to occupational health and safety risks as well as violence and harassment.

Government import data for the United States and European markets shows a US$16 billion gap in clothing imports for 2020, largely due to cancelled orders.

Unions in South Asia to intensify campaign for ratification C190

Jane Pillinger, researcher, presented the findings of a study on gender based violence. A predominately female workforce, most often young and migrant with precarious employment contracts, a low level of unionization and weak implementation of laws are major risk factors for gender based violence in the garment sector.

The ICT electronics and electricals sector have the same risks as the garment sector, in addition to a low awareness on the issue and minimum support.

As an initial conclusion, Jane Pillinger said that social dialogue and the positive effect of women leadership in unions play key roles in bringing the issue to light. Though there are some inspiring women paving the way, unions need to recognize the gravity of the issue, integrate it in to union  activities and collective bargaining. They also need to ensure that workplace policies on gender based violence are present and monitored.

Rose Omamo, general secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Kenyan Metal Workers and member of IndustriALL Global Union’s  executive committee, was invited to the webinar and said that trade unions played a leading role in Namibia, Mauritius and Somalia that have ratified the convention.

“C190 is very close to my heart and I was part of the negotiation process. I feel it is my responsibility to make sure it is ratified and implemented to  gurantee especially women and young workers are protected and have a safe and secure work place.”

Rose Omamo encouraged all unions to make a pledge at every meeting and event that ‘sexual harassment must not happen neither in my work place nor in my union’.

Among others, she cited a campaign by South African union NUMSA calling for justice for a murdered energy worker, gender audits in Zambia and Zimbabwe where outdated policies were updated, formulating sexual harassment investigative tools, establishing gender champions in a group of young men and women in Zimbabwe and Kenya that look into all gender based violence cases and issue.

 

Union leaders agreed that there is a need for joint action not only for the ratification, but also for addressing violence harassment at the workplace and the unions.

“With South Asia having a high number of cases of violence and harassment against women, I hope that the unions will take this issue forward together at the national level and regional level to amplify campaign activities around ‘16 days of activism against violence against women’, which starts on 25 November,”

said IndustriALL regional secretary Apoorva Kaiwar.

The discussion highlighted some important issues; this is a problem of men and unions need to address it and influence the world of work. Union leaders agreed to accelerate awareness campaigns to reach out all workers, including non-permanent and contract workers.
Efforts should be made to increase women's participation in unions, including male-dominated sectors.

“This is not a women’s issue but a men’s issue, as they are the perpetrators. And it is not a regional issue but happens all over the world. We will use the tool kit in trainings in the mining, garment and ICT, electrical and electronics sectors. We urge you all to actively participate in the campaign and training activities planned by IndustiALL and also to do your part locally and nationally,”

said IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie.

South African engineering workers on strike for living wages after failed negotiations

In Johannesburg, the workers marched to the Metal Engineering and Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC) offices where they presented a petition of their demands. Employers represented in the MEIBC include the National Employers Association of South Africa (NEASA), Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA), and the South Africa Engineers and Founders Association (SAEFA).

Bargaining councils are part of South Africa’s industrial relations system and their responsibilities include resolving disputes and facilitating collective bargaining agreements between trade unions and employers.

The workers went on the indefinite strike after negotiations failed to award them a wage increase of 8 per cent that they are demanding. Instead, the employers offered 4.4 per cent which IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) says is an “insult” to the workers. Initially, NUMSA wanted a 15 per cent wage increase.

 

“The employers cannot offer us 4.4 per cent when last year we got nothing because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Workers lost jobs through retrenchments, and others were put on short time work in which they lost income as they were paid less than their regular wages. Hence, we are firmly behind our union in the demands for higher wage increases,” argues one of the strikers.

Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary says:

“We are on an indefinite strike until our demands are met. We will not allow the super exploitation of labour in the engineering sector to continue unchallenged. The decision to strike was arrived at after the failure of protracted negotiations in which employers tabled a pitiful offer, thus frustrating the workers."

“Through this strike action we are demanding living wages for the engineering workers. This is the time for unity in action. We are not going to beg for living wages; we are demanding them,”

reiterated Andrew Chirwa, NUMSA president.

“Workers in the engineering sector made significant contributions to keep the industry afloat during Covid-19, enduring wage cuts and short working hours. Sanity must prevail upon employers to improve on their current offer,”

says Mawonga Madolo, metals sector coordinator, from another IndustriALL affiliated union, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), in a solidarity message for the strike.

“Covid-19 has caused retrenchments and created precarious working conditions which impoverished workers in the engineering and metal sectors. With workers facing these hardships, employers must be sensitive to their plight and ensure that the workers do not further lose the value of their wages. The employers must pay wage increases towards living wages,”

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

NUMSA is arguing that with workers being part of economic recovery, they deserve to be paid living wages. With the South African Covid-19 lockdown regulations being eased to Alert level 1 which has the least restrictions for industrial activities, the economy is expected to start recovering after an annual growth rate of 4.6 per cent in the first quarter which further increased in the second quarter according to Statistics South Africa.

The country is following global trends in which the recovery in the sectors has been far stronger and faster than expected at the beginning of the pandemic. Additionally, high global commodity prices of metals that include platinum, gold and iron ore are also contributing to the economic recovery.