Myanmar and Korean workers strike to commemorate 1988 uprising

The strike was organized by the general strike coordination body with the slogan “the blood debt from ’88 must be settled in 2021”. The theme reminds people of the unfinished pro-democracy struggle after 33 years and the strong commitment of the current generation.

Members of the Confederation of Trade Unions in Myanmar (CTUM) and Industrial Workers’ Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) shared photos of themselves wearing red shirts and raising the eight-finger salute, with the hashtags #8FingersStrike and #RedCampaign.

The Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) and other civil society organizations in South Korea mobilized workers and citizens to join solidarity actions with Myanmar.

Demonstrators in South Korea

The groups held nationwide pickets at Korean companies with investments in Myanmar, including the POSCO International steel company, the Korea Gas Corporation, the National Pension Fund and Inno Group, which is involved in construction projects with the Myanmar military.

The KMWU urged the military junta to end the massacre, demanding that the Korean government recognize Myanmar’s National Unity Government and that Korean companies break ties with companies linked to the Myanmar military.

The KMWU has consistently held daily pickets in front of the office of the military attaché of the embassy of Myanmar in Seoul since the coup.

Khaing Zar, the president of IWFM, said:

“It's important that the new generation of Myanmar people and workers continue the pro-democracy struggle. We must reject the military dictatorship and restore power to the civilian government. I call on the international community to support the initiative of comprehensive economic sanctions to remove the military junta effectively and quickly.”

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL general secretary IndustriALL, said:

“The message from the labour movement of Myanmar is clear and unambiguous: there can be no engagement with the military junta. The regime must be isolated diplomatically, politically and economically. This means that international organizations and the world’s governments should recognize the National Unity Government and refuse to engage with the regime. Since the coup, we have called for comprehensive economic sanctions from governments, investors and companies to limit the resources for the illegitimate military junta to attack the Burmese people”.

Six months after the military coup d’etat, 965 people have been killed by the regime, and 5,534 people, including former state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, are still under arbitrary detention.

Belarus: fight continues for democracy and labour rights

Since last year’s elections, the Belarusian regime has cracked down on core civil liberties: freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of association. Today’s anniversary shows the need for stronger intervention and solidarity by the international community.

Independent unions in Belarus have always been at the forefront of the struggle for fundamental rights and democracy and have been hit hard by the repressive regime. Since August 2020, independent union leaders, activists and members have been intimidated, detained, sentenced to lengthy administrative arrests and fined. Union offices have been raided by police, homes of union leaders and activists have been searched, and some have had to flee the country.

Under the threat of liquidation, authorities are forcing private companies to establish pro-governmental unions, in violation of the ILO Convention 87.

Workers have been laid off for joining an independent union of their choice, for attempting to strike, or for participating in peaceful protests. Some workers have received heavy prison sentences for exercising their fundamental rights.

For their fearless struggle in such harsh, undemocratic conditions, three IndustriALL affiliates, Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BITU), Free Metal Workers’ Union (SPM) and Belarusian Radio and Electronic Industry Workers' Union (REP),  were awarded the Arthur Svensson international prize for trade union rights, as part of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP).

As part of its  support and solidarity with its Belarussian affiliates, IndustriALL has taken initiatives vis-à-vis  Belarussian authorities, demanding the release of unlawfully detained unionists and calling for an end to the intimidation, pressure, violation and imprisonment of independent union leaders and striking workers. IndustriALL has interacted  with employers demanding an end to the intimidation and unfair dismissals of workers and to re-instate workers.

Together with other global unions, IndustriALL has compiled a list of companies doing business in Belarus and urged them to conduct due diligence on violations of human and labour rights.

IndustriALL has called on the ILO,  the European Union and intergovernmental agencies for their urgent intervention to protect freedom of association and stop repression against independent trade union leaders and activists in Belarus. The European Union has imposed sectoral sanctions on Belarus, and the USA is about to unveil new sanctions against Belarus .

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan says:

“We reiterate our commitment to fight for workers’ rights and democratic values and our support for Belarus’ independent unions and civil society. The regime  in the country must respect fundamental rights and freedoms and comply with international obligations. We will continue to struggle until the justice has arrived.” 

Take action for eSwatini!

Unions in eSwatini are urging the government to undertake democratic reforms. Tomorrow, 6 August, unions in the country are marching to parliament. Join our day of action together with the ITUC and send letters to the eSwatini government, as well to your own government, supporting the protestors and calling for urgent pressure on the eSwatini government.

The protests began in May as the government refused to accept petitions for democratic reforms that included reducing the powers of the monarchy and allowing the Prime Minister to be democratically elected. Currently the Prime Minister, ministers and some Members of Parliament and Senate are appointed by the king.

“Global solidarity can make a difference, and we urge you to take action supporting our fellow unionists in eSwatini. IndustriALL calls on the government to engage in an inclusive dialogue to resolve the situation,”

says IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches

IndustriALL affiliates in eSwatini, ATUSWA and the Swaziland Electricity Supply, Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (SESMAWU), call

“upon the government to open the political playground and be accommodative to dialogue on dissenting political views”.

 

Union in South Africa prepares for strike over deadlock in wage negotiations

Although NUMSA commits to further negotiations, the union says it will call for a strike and solidarity strikes in other sectors that includes automotive, energy, mining, and tyre manufacturing if the wage negotiations remain deadlocked. Another IndustriALL affiliate, UASA, is involved in the negotiations.
 
The union, which wants an 8 per cent increase, rejected the 4.4 per cent offer made on 12 July by the Southern Africa Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA) on behalf of the engineering employers. There were no wage increases in the sector in 2020 after an agreement was reached with the union and the employers not to increase the wages because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary says: “We reject government and business hiding behind Covid-19 to advance their consistently adopted attitude, which is to refuse to give workers their deserved wage increases and accord workers a living wage. It is important to state that just like businesses and government, workers carry the same burden in facing the tough socio-economic conditions. Workers provide for extended families, and in a stagnant economy, that further erodes their own buying power.”
 
“We signed the standstill agreement to secure the future of the industry amid economic lockdowns and challenges to suppliers and value chains. Together with our members, we ensured the smooth operation of businesses which are now breaking even, and some are making profits. We made such compromises being very clear that preservation of companies should translate to job security.”
 
NUMSA says it is disappointed that despite the workers’ sacrifices the companies “retrenched workers to strengthen their balance sheets and to make profits as they always see workers as the weakest link in the chain to be attacked.”
 
Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa says: “Engineering employers should commit to paying living wages that are above inflation and to consider the NUMSA demands for an outcome that benefits the workers. The Covid-19 pandemic should not be used as an excuse to pay low wages.”
 
Reports by the South African Revenue Service indicate that the economy is beginning to recover because of the current high prices of metals and precious metals exports that include platinum, gold, and iron ore as well as vehicle and transport equipment, chemicals, and other exports. The engineering supply chain is an important part of mining’s upstream and horizontal linkages and is benefiting from the high commodity prices.

Indian unions protest privatization of Visakhapatnam steel plant

The Visakhapatnam steel plant (VSP), operated by the corporate entity Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), is one of the major public sector steel plants in India. On 27 January 2021, the government of India’s cabinet committee on economic affairs decided to proceed with the 100 percent privatization of the government’s shareholding in RINL, along with RINL’s stake in its subsidiaries and joint ventures. The government initiated the process by appointing a transaction adviser, legal adviser and asset valuer. The government maintains that throughout the share purchasing agreement and business transfer agreement it will protect workers’ interests.

Workers' representative deliver their demands to the finance ministry

All trade unions and officers’ associations of VSP workers and non-manual employees, and political parties from the state of Andhra Pradesh, launched a mass movement protesting the privatization of VSP. The Andhra Pradesh state legislative assembly also passed a resolution demanding that the privatization not proceed. The privatization will affect about 35,000 employees and their families. A total of about a hundred thousand people who directly and indirectly depend on this plant for their livelihood will be affected by the privatization.

The Visakhapatnam steel plant as a public sector enterprise fulfils various strategic public objectives through its activities. The VSP was at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 and saved countless lives, as it produced 18,000 MT of liquid medical oxygen in a short span of time and supplied it throughout India. Its timely action stabilized liquid oxygen prices in the market.

Trade unions argue that the VSP was established after a great sacrifice by people from 60 villages who vacated 22,000 acres of their land. Private ownership’s primary focus will be profit and it will not pursue the social and economic developmental objectives currently served by VSP for the benefit of local people and the country’s economy. The VSP promotes the constitutional values of social justice through affirmative action by recruiting from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, which private ownership is likely to discontinue.

IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Valter Sanches, in a letter to the Prime Minister of India, called on the government to immediately stop the privatization.

Raghunath Pandey of the Indian National Metal Workers Federation said,

“We jointly with all trade unions and workers have intensified the protest against privatization. We will not allow the Modi government to sell this precious national asset. The VSP can be turned profitable through important business decisions. Trade unions have been demanding that the government should allot captive iron ore mines so that the plant can get its raw materials at cheaper cost. The government should convert the short term and long-term loans into equity so that VSP’s repayment and interest burden can be reduced. As the plant has already started earning quarterly profit in its operations, if it continues its present it will fully become profitable.”

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary said,

“The public sector plants’ crucial role in fulfilling the country’s economic and social objectives with public purpose should be safeguarded. Workers and trade unions who played a central role in developing the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant should have a say in the corporation’s decision-making process. We call upon the government of India not to proceed with the privatization of VSP, hold genuine consultation with trade union and give a chance to the turnaround proposal put forward by the union.”

Major victory for Singapore unions in lift and escalator sector

The negotiations were conducted through the Tripartite Cluster for Lift & Escalator Industry (TCLE), an initiative of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). The TCLE was formed in 2020 with the Metal Industries Workers' Union (MIWU), United Workers of Electronic and Electrical Industries (UWEEI), Singapore Lift & Escalator Contractors & Manufacturers Association, service buyers and managing agents, town councils and government agencies as members.

The tripartite committee assessed various challenges confronting the industry, for example the fact that half of the workforce are more than 50 years old and young workers are shunning the industry due to long working hours and an unconducive work environment and wage stagnation as a result of competitive outsourcing contract price.

The Singaporean government accepted the TCLE recommendations on a progressive wage model (PWM) for lift and escalator workers, which will substantially increase the baseline wage of an assistant specialist from SGD 1,480 (US$1,097) in 2021 to SGD 1,850 (US$1,371) in 2022, and will gradually increase to SGD3,080 (US$2,283) by 2028.

According to the ministry, a mandatory annual bonus will be introduced from January 2023. The PWM will be made a compulsory requirement for lift and escalator maintenance companies registering with the Building and Construction Authority next year.

Tong Dickson, an executive council member of MIWU, says:

“The latest PWM review will see more lift and escalator maintenance workers earning progressive wages that commensurate with their skill sets. The key to this is ensuring that our workers take up relevant training so that they can move up the career ladder.”

Dickson and Nadesen

Tamil Maran Nadesen, executive council member of UWEEI, says:

"The PWM will be helpful in attracting more local talent by developing their confidence in the sector. The new baseline wage has enhanced the prospects of L&E occupations by promoting greater wage security and job progression, and challenging employees to develop themselves professionally through skills upgrading."

The union members work at Hitachi Elevator Asia, Fujitec Singapore, and other lift and escalator companies. Common brands that are being used in Singapore include OTIS, Mitsubishi Electric, Schindler, KONE, Thyssenkrupp (TK).

Annie Adviento, IndustriALL South East Asia regional secretary, says:

“I congratulate the big success achieved by our affiliates MIWU and UWEEI. The labour movement in Singapore have been playing a vital role in protecting the rights and benefits of low-wage workers through effective tripartite mechanism.”

Main photo credit: NTUC Singapore

Malaysian union files ILO complaint against HICOM

In February 2016, HICOM dismissed 32 NUTEAIW members for attending a union briefing after working hours, outside of company premises. The briefing was about a deadlock in the collective bargaining, and the company accused the workers of “tarnishing the image” of the company and “drawing unwanted public attention”.

After mediation meetings at the industrial relations department, 27 union members were reinstated. However, the company refused to reinstate the remaining five local union leaders. NUTEAIW has exhausted all domestic legal avenues, all courts have failed to uphold the unionists’ right to participate in legitimate union activities.

“HICOM has no right to regulate workers’ personal activities after working hours. The Malaysian government and courts are failing to protect our members’ freedom of expression and assembly enshrined in the Constitution,”

says NUTEAIW general secretary N. Gopal Kishnam.

"The government has violated article 1(2)(b) of ILO Convention 98, stating that workers shall enjoy adequate protection against dismissal because of participating in union activities outside working hours.”

HICOM has a notorious record of union busting in Malaysia. In 2013, HICOM and its sister company Isuzu HICOM dismissed 18 NUTEAIW members for exercising their political rights.

The unionists were punished by the company for submitting – after working hours with their company uniform – a memorandum on workers’ rights to an opposition candidate during the general election. The workers won termination compensation in court, but failed to gain reinstatement.

Annie Adviento, IndustriALL South East Asia regional secretary, says:

“We stand in solidarity with NUTEAIW by taking up the case to ILO’s Committee on Freedom of Association. IndustriALL calls on Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi to convene dialogue with HICOM to facilitate reinstatement of the 5 local union leaders.”

Bangladesh garment workers suffer as factories reopen during Covid-19 lockdown

With a lack of transportation, workers returning to work after Eid holidays faced immense hardships and Covid infection risk.

Workers were forced to hurry back to work using whatever transport they could find

On Friday 30 July, government officials issued a notice allowing garment export factories to resume operations on 1 August, following constant pressure from garment manufacturers and exporters to allow factories to function. The sudden announcement created panic among workers as the majority had left Dhaka and returned to their villages and small towns for Eid holidays and subsequent lockdown.

Workers were forced to hurry back to work using whatever transport they could find

The government announced resumption of transport services only on the evening on 31 July.  By this time, garment workers had already embarked upon a difficult return journey to report to work, fearing job loss and the non-payment of wages. Ferries, trucks and goods transporters which were only operating for emergency services transported thousands of garment workers in overcrowded and dangerous travel conditions. News outlets reported that around 90 percent of garment workers reported to work. However, garment workers continue to suffer with lack of access to transport services and are paying more than the normal price for their commute to work.

On 2 August, 15,989 new Covid cases were reported in a country with 150,407 active cases. The pandemic situation continues to be a cause for  concern in Bangladesh, and the country’s directorate general of health services recommended the extension of the lockdown across the country. Strict movement restrictions are still in place across the country.

Salauddin Shapon, senior vice president of the IndustriALL Bangladesh Council said,

“We are disappointed that hundreds and thousands of workers were forced to return to work in unsafe travel conditions. The government and employers should ensure strict safety measures and health guidelines are adopted the workplaces to safeguard from the infections.

"In the current circumstances, no worker should be laid off for not reporting to work. All workers should be paid their wages for the lockdown period. We will continue to raise our demand for Covid risk allowances for garment workers.”

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary said,

“It is not acceptable that garment workers are forced to take such risks in order to meet business targets. Opening factories during the lockdown and asking workers to report for work when all transport was suspended is inhumane.

"The government of Bangladesh and employers should ensure that workers don’t face wage losses if they haven’t been able to report for work in the middle of the pandemic. Factories should continue to follow all preventive and protective measures. Global brands should ensure that their suppliers do not undermine workers right to occupational health and safety and workers should not be forced to work in unsafe working conditions.”

Albanian cement workers celebrate signing a collective agreement in Elbasan

The agreement considerably improves the working conditions and pay of all 560 cement workers at the factory in Elbasan district of Albania. The agreement is valid for two years.

The SPMSH president Gezim Kalaja who together with the shop steward Skender Ndregjoni signed the agreement from the union side, said:

“This victory is the result of the power of collective bargaining and the power of our trade union in Albania. By signing this collective bargaining agreement SPMSH tackles the financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Gezim Kalaja emphasized some key elements of the collective agreement, including:

Elbasan Cement Factory’s major shareholder is the Lebanese transnational cement trading company Seament Holding via its Albanian subsidiary.

Tanzanian union addresses gender-based violence in textile and garment factories

During the visit, the union learnt from workers that supervisors were targeting young women workers for sexual harassment leading to stressful conditions that affected performance. To bring this to an end, TUICO organized a five-day conference, 22-26 July, at Sunflag in Arusha to sensitize workers on how to stop GBHV at the factories.

The conference was attended by 101 participants, of whom 53 were women. The training programme emphasized that workers’ rights were protected by national labour laws, and international labour standards. These included the rights to maternity protection which were the most violated as workers were denied maternity leave.

Discussions emphasized the importance of the International Labour Organization Convention 190 on eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work, as one of the tools to fight GBVH. The workshop discussions and group work defined forms of harassment that included inappropriate language, gender discrimination, threats, and inappropriate jokes. Further, C190 and Recommendation 206 broadened the world of work to include hotels where meetings took place, changing areas at workplaces, training venues, marketplaces and during travelling to work.

TUICO is campaigning for the ratification of C190 by Tanzania. In Sub Saharan Africa the convention has been ratified by Namibia, Mauritius, and Somalia.

TUICO says it has set up mechanisms for reporting GBVH which includes encouraging affected workers to inform their colleagues, report at the union branch office at the workplace, investigations by the gender desk, reporting to the police, and taking the matter to courts or for mediation.

“It is powerful to talk to workers about sexual harassment and gender-based violence. We are expecting big changes to be made at this factory so that the grievances by workers are addressed. The union targeted this factory after receiving reports of abuses. We met with workers, forepersons, supervisors, heads of units and departments of Sunflag,”

said Maria Bange, TUICO’s head of women, the disabled, occupational health and safety and the environment.

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

“Sensitizing workers to demand their rights and demand workplaces free of GBVH is important especially in the garment factories where sexual harassment is common. IndustriALL will support TUICO to extend the training and awareness campaigns to other manufacturing sectors.”

The conference was held with support from the IndustriALL regional office for Sub Saharan Africa and the NITO project. NITO is a Norwegian trade union organization for engineers and technicians and supports IndustriALL Tanzanian affiliates through an organizing project that addresses gender, youth and union building efforts.