Pharmaceutical unions support universal access to COVID-19 vaccines

Meeting online on 25 May, union delegates representing pharmaceutical workers in 42 trade unions from 27 countries addressed the challenges faced by their members from the pandemic. The group took a strong stand and adopted a statement on universal access to vaccines, tests, treatments, therapies, and drugs to fight COVID-19, and other aspects including:

“Demanding a common commitment by countries to not hoard or stockpile large numbers of vaccine doses; and calling upon all vaccine-producing countries to allow exports and to avoid measures that disrupt supply chains.”

Tackling the extreme global inequality of vaccine access, that sees 75 per cent of vaccines so far administered in only 10 countries, and only 2 per cent of people in Africa vaccinated, the meeting heard expert contributions from the WTO and Third World Network. This group meets biannually and consistently follows the policy line of universal access to medicine.

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL Global Union general secretary said,

“This is an emergency, only through solidarity can we get the vaccines and treatment to all regions at the necessary speed. The pharmaceutical workers of IndustriALL are ready to contribute, to reconvert production, to transfer technology and skills. We must lift the barriers that block most of the world from receiving what is needed to stop this pandemic.” 

10,000 people are dying and at least 500,000 new cases of infection are registered every day now, with Brazil and India among the worst affected.

Just prior to the meeting, IndustriALL leadership met WTO Director General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and discussed trade barriers for universal access to COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies, and discussions around a temporary waiver of WTO intellectual property rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The network also conducted a session on building union power in multinational companies in the sector, addressing union activities in Takeda, Sanofi, Fresenius, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Novartis, AstraZeneca, and B. Braun. Differing levels of recognition and dialogue have been built in these priority companies, with all unions involved committing to continuing its ambitious plan of international solidarity and coordination.

The IndustriALL Philippine pharmaceutical union network was showcased as a strong example of building union power in the sector, following years of work the group has achieved government recognition for its demand for sectoral bargaining.

In conclusion of the conference Masato Shinohara, chair of the IndustriALL Global Union global pharmaceutical unions’ network said,

“What is really important is that we work together to be able to create a safe working environment. COVID-19 is an important topic, and we must work hard to overcome the pandemic so that all workers around the globe regain safe working life in a safe society. Vaccination for everyone is a vital objective globally to improve public health around the world, and this is our common objective.”

CIS unions demand improved health and safety in mines

IndustriALL is campaigning for the ratification of ILO C176, as well as for making health and safety a fundamental right at work.

Four countries out of the total 34 that have ratified ILO Convention 176 are found in the CIS region: Armenia, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.

Belarus ratified C176 in 2020. Unions are calling for an improved public control mechanism, as injury rates are still very high and official statistics often underestimate the numbers.

Unions from Ukraine reported a lack of social dialogue and noncompliance with C176, ratified in 2011. There is a law restricting labour inspections and a shortage of personal protective equipment. As a result, injury and fatality rates are very high. Unions are demanding that the government and employers take full responsibility for health and safety in the mines, including proper funding to make it a priority.

IndustriALL mining director Glen Mpufane says:

“While some countries have good national legislation, C176 will always be the highest standard and all countries should ratify it. However, ratification does not automatically mean a reduction in injuries; implementation and control need to be ensured to keep injury rates down.”

Although Armenia ratified C176 in 1999, it has yet to be implemented. There is a lack of control mechanism and risk prevention, labour inspections are rather a punishment than an opportunity for prevention and training.

Unions from Georgia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan spoke on health and safety in their countries, and the absence of C176, which would help to modify national legislation to decrease injury and fatality risks at mines. 

Ivan Mokhnachuk, president of Russian Independent Coal Employees' Union (Rosugleprof), was part of the team that developed C176 in 1994 and later fought for its ratification in Russia in 2013, said that all mines in the country can be inspected at any time by the designated state authority, as well as by a union technical inspector. This gives the union an opportunity to identify problems, collect and distribute information and organize local unions. Mine inspections are held twice a year. Every miner has to pass a medical check before the shift. As a result, fatality rates are low and on a par with the USA and other developed countries.

ILO representatives in the meeting, Lejo Sibbel and Gocha Alexandria, spoke about implementation and compliance with C176 in the region. Ratification is promoted via country programmes for decent work (in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan), national general agreements and strategic plans of actions of triparty committees (Georgia). Although a weakening of labour inspections in the region, there are positive changes in Georgia with the expansion of the labour inspection mandate.

Participants were reminded that unions can report to the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, a powerful tool for unions to raise non-compliance of implementation.

Norbert Maus from German union IG BCE shared the experience in reducing occupational accidents from 25 per million working hours in 2005, to 3.5 from 2014 and onwards. Vision Zero aims to avoid all occupational accidents, and the union promoted the vision through health and safety trainings and posters with slogans like “safety starts in your head” and “safe behavior is my insurance”.  

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan says:

“ILO C176 is an important tool to protect miners’ health and safety, although ratification itself is not a solution. However, national legislation following the requirements of C176 is a good start.  
There needs to be strong unions with well-trained health and safety representatives active in the mine. We know that union presence, which allows workers to speak without fear, is the bedrock upon which implementation of C176 is possible.”

The meeting was organized by IndustriALL with the support of FES.

Philippine pharmaceutical unions form tripartite social dialogue mechanism

In an online meeting on 11 May with the Philippines’ labour secretary, Silvestre Bello III and undersecretary Benjo Benavidez, the labour secretary accepted the proposal to establish a tripartite mechanism to discuss industry trends, standards, workers and social issues.

Seventeen delegates from IndustriALL’s pharmaceutical union network, who subsequently formed the Alliance of unions in the pharmaceutical industry, attended the meeting, including leaders of Trade federation 3-federation of free workers (TF3-FFW) and unions from Pfizer, Takeda, Johnson and Johnson, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Sanofi, Novartis and others.

The alliance urged the Department of labour and employment (DOLE) to look into issues like the absence of safety and health committees, unjustifiable layoffs and redundancies during the pandemic, and violence and discrimination at workplaces.

Cecile Villarama, of Takeda union-TF3-FFW, says:

“DOLE’s greenlight is the first achievement; we will continue to work towards the tripartite mechanism. Let us join hands with other social partners to ensure our safety and health at work.”

DOLE will invite pharmaceutical companies for an exploratory meeting. The department has also committed to conduct labour inspections to ensure full compliance with the occupational safety and health standards.

IndustriALL Global Union was present at the founding meeting of the network and has supported it throughout. But the progress is down to the work of the Philippine unions who have succeeded in building a social partnership at the industry level.

Tom Grinter, IndustriALL director chemicals and pharmaceuticals says:

“This is an example to be replicated elsewhere showing that long-term action plans can be achieved with commitment to solidarity at the national and international levels.

“We look forward to the tripartite dialogue that will bring benefits to the workers, unions and companies in the sector. Congratulations to all those involved in this inspiring trade union work.”

Union busting, tax avoidance, corruption: International trade unions sharply criticize Fresenius ahead of annual general meeting

Ahead of the annual general meeting of Fresenius and Fresenius Medical Care (FMC), the Fresenius Global Union Alliance—representing trade unions in countries around the world—is accusing the company of violating basic employee and trade union rights worldwide. In addition, there are repeated cases of corruption and systematic tax evasion via well-known tax havens such as the Cayman Islands.

"Maximizing profits on the employees’ backs, shifting the profits to tax havens and passing them on to shareholders in the form of ever-increasing dividends – Fresenius' top management is showing a clear pattern of behavior: profits come first, even if working conditions and quality of care suffer as a result,"

says Cordula Kiank of German union ver.di.

Fresenius management reported earnings before taxes totaling €4.6 billion for the past year, and the company announced its highest dividend ever for the annual general meeting on 21 May 2021. The trade unions say that this transfer of wealth to shareholders comes at their expense. They are asking how this massive sum—totaling nearly €500 million—can be paid to investors while workers endure enormous structural cuts. For the union alliance, this affront to workers shows why a global framework agreement, establishing a real worker voice and the observance of trade union rights, is needed.

In Colombia, Fresenius has not taken adequate steps to protect threatened workers. Unions there report that over 1,000 union and community leaders have been assassinated in the last two years, and in this context, a union president and Fresenius employee received an anonymous death threat.

"Even after repeated requests, Fresenius has refused to publicly condemn the threat made during negotiations with the company. Nor has Fresenius spoken out or taken measures that guarantee not only my safety but that of any Fresenius worker who wants to exercise the right to freedom of union association,”

said Claudia López Hernández, president of Sintraclínica Medellín Union, Colombia.

At another Colombian facility, Fresenius did not comply with a Supreme Court order and refused to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. Workers report that their conditions continue to violate government regulations and terms of existing collective agreements.

In Brazil, conditions are also dire. The trade union CNTSS has documented poor working conditions, lack of materials and equipment, excessively long work days, low wages, unpaid overtime and disregard for collective agreements at FMC clinics.

The grievances are not limited to South America. In California, Fresenius did not inform its employees at the beginning of the pandemic that they were treating Covid-positive patients, although the company was aware of it. Several caregivers and patients became infected. Local management also said it would terminate workers if they spoke to the union about Covid-19-related problems at FMC clinics.

In Poland, a union was formed in 2015 at FMC facilities over the systematic violation of workers' rights. Since then, management has used various tactics to block unionization. Despite several instances being verified by regulators, management has not changed its behavior.

In the United States, the company had to pay $231 million in fines because federal investigations proved numerous bribes in 15 countries and the group did not keep its books clean in other countries. In 2019, this resulted in FMC's managerial and supervisory boards receiving only 56.8% and 52.3% endorsement in a vote of the shareholders.

About the Fresenius Global Union Alliance

Over 50 trade unions from all over the world have joined the Fresenius Global Union Alliance, coordinated by Public Services International – PSI, UNI Global Union, and IndustriALL Global Union. German trade unions ver.di and IG BCE are members of the alliance. In Germany, the Fresenius Global Union Alliance provides information about the controversies surrounding the German medical group through the "FreseniusWatch" initiative. The unions hope to negotiate a global framework agreement with the company to uphold employee and trade union rights for 280,000 workers in 100 countries.

Malaysian union wins collective agreement after nine years

Since setting up a worksite committee at the manufacturer of aluminium electrolytic capacitors in 2012 and winning a secret ballot on union recognition, the company immediately filed legal challenges against the union.

Nichicon questioned the validity of the secret ballot result, saying that the ballot papers prepared by the industrial relations department were not in foreign languages, in spite of many Myanmar, Indonesian and Philippine migrant workers in the factory. The union won the court case.

In a second attempt, the company filed another suit against the union president Wan Noorulaazhar bin Mohd Hanafiah, arguing that he could not represent union members as he was purportedly an executive-level worker. The case was thrown out of court.

In 2019, the union sent the first collective bargaining proposal to Nichicon. However, the company delayed negotiations by rejecting most of the union’s proposals.

The union held a Valentine picket on 14 February 2020. The collective action forced the Ministry of human resources to swiftly refer the dispute to the industrial court. The company and the union reached an out-of-court settlement and signed the first collective agreement on 7 May 2021.

“This success is the result of a collective struggle over nine years and I thank all union members who fought together since day one. After signing the collective agreement, our members will enjoy a four percent wage rise, one-month contractual bonus, a variable bonus and other additional allowances,”

says Bruno Pereira, the general secretary of EIEUWR.

“I congratulate EIEUWR for successfully signing their first collective agreement. Many electronics companies in Malaysia use legal challenges as delay tactics to deny workers’ fair share of corporate profits. We call on them to stop denying workers their right to bargain for decent wages and benefits,”

says Annie Adviento, IndustriALL South East Asia regional secretary.

Global unions to challenge legitimacy of Myanmar junta at ILC

Since the coup d'état in early February, the military’s bloody repression has killed more than 750 people participating in the civil disobedience movement. Around 3,000 elected representatives, activists, workers and students have been arbitrarily detained and tortured.

Speaking at a webinar on trade unions' fight for democracy in Myanmar on 12 May, International Trade Union Confederation general secretary Sharan Burrow said that global unions will put forward a resolution at the ILC in June to challenge the legitimacy of the junta in representing Myanmar.

In 1999, the ILC banned the military regime from participating in any ILO meeting due to the widespread use of forced labour by the regime. The sanction was lifted in 2012 after Myanmar’s democratization process had started. 

“We must take concrete action at the upcoming ILC. The military doesn’t care about resolutions, but they fear sanctions. 20 years ago, after the ILO imposed sanctions on Myanmar, the military started to change its tune,”

said Maung Maung, president of Confederation of Trade Unions in Myanmar (CTUM).

The crimes against humanity have triggered solidarity actions from international actors, including targeted government sanctions against businesses linked to the military, withdrawal of investment of multinational companies, solidarity campaigns and donations, and the mediation of ASEAN countries by releasing a five-point consensus.

The Council of Global Unions (CGU) urges unions around the world to pressure individual governments to recognize Myanmar's National Unity Government, lend support to the struggle by donating to the CGU strike fund and demand multinationals to join the coordinated economic sanctions.

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL Global Union general secretary, said:

“We will stand with our brothers and sisters in Myanmar until we win. IndustriALL is putting pressure on multinational companies to put an end to business links to the junta, particularly those in the oil and gas, garment and textile sectors. This illegitimate government must be held accountable for these serious crimes against humanity and foreign companies should not entail any form of cooperation with it.”

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews called on the international community and trade unions to step up actions, saying it is crucial to organize a movement outside Myanmar and take bold action to demand comprehensive sanctions against the regime.

REPORT: Why telework needs institutional regulation and collective bargaining

FEATURE

From Global Worker No. 1 May 2021

Text: Armelle Seby

Theme: guidelines for negotiating telework

Telework has expanded massively during the pandemic and is here to stay. For some workers it has been a positive experience but working remotely over a long period has also revealed limitations and risks. Trade unions have to react quickly to make sure that workers can benefit from teleworking while avoiding potential pitfalls.

Telework did not start with Covid-19 lockdowns: it is a consequence of the development of new technologies and digital tools. According to the OECD, in 2015, 25 per cent of workers in the manufacturing industry worked remotely at least some of the time.

However, the use of telework exploded globally during the pandemic. According to figures from the European Union, whereas as of 2019, only 5.4 per cent of workers in the EU usually worked from home, close to 40 per cent of EU workers began to telework fulltime as a result of the pandemic.

This has major implications for how work is organized in the future. Research shows that both employers and workers would like to continue teleworking on a regular basis once the health crisis is over. According to a survey of the World Economic Forum (WEF), more than 80 per cent of employers plan to make greater use of telework and to digitize work processes.

This development may be uneven in the different regions of the world, as, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the share of jobs that can be performed remotely has been estimated at 38 per cent of jobs in high-income countries, compared to 13 per cent in low-income economies.

With appropriate regulation and negotiation with trade unions, Telework may have many advantages for workers, including greater autonomy and flexibility. The time saved by not commuting can be devoted to leisure and personal life, hence a better quality of life and greater job satisfaction.

However, telework is not always good for workers. Workers should be able to choose to work remotely or not. Telework should be voluntary, and workers should be able to change the arrangement.

Several elements of remote work are challenging for workers' and trade union rights. When negotiating agreements on telework, unions need to define baselines for protecting these rights.

National labour laws were largely designed for work performed in a workplace under the direct control of the employer. This also applies to occupational health and safety regulations. However, with remote work, work is performed in a place over which the employer has no direct control.

The pandemic has confirmed that the prolonged and ad hoc use of telework generates risks for workers’ health and safety. Workers report aches and pains due to poor ergonomics, and feelings of isolation due to reduced contact with colleagues. Employers’ obligations to protect the health and safety of their employees and guarantee workplaces free from violence and harassment remain, even during remote work.

Solutions to overcoming employers’ lack of control of the working environment, and to address the health and safety risks of telework, should be negotiated with the respective trade union.

Working from home blurs the line between professional and private life. It is more difficult for workers to limit their work to statutory hours and to disconnect when not working. Legislation on working hours and overtime should apply to teleworking. Teleworking should also be an opportunity to promote the right to disconnect – not only for remote workers, but for all workers. In addition, the use of digital surveillance tools such as webcams or intrusive software threatens workers’ right to privacy. This is especially true when working from home. Abusive use of surveillance tools must be prevented by all means. Telework requires a management style based on mutual trust and autonomy, and not on the intrusive control of work.

Teleworking also raises issues of equality. Not all workers are equally able to access teleworking. Not all workers have suitable space at home for teleworking. Solutions, including the use of a co-working centres or hubs, should be negotiated so that workers with small and busy houses, or with precarious living conditions, are not penalized.

Not all jobs can be done remotely.

To broaden access to telework, employers and trade unions should identify which tasks can be performed remotely. A worker who is required to be physically present at the workplace for some tasks should have the option of telework for tasks that can be performed remotely.

Furthermore, employers should guarantee equal treatment for all workers. Remote workers risk being less visible. Employers need to provide the same opportunities for training and career development to remote workers.

In terms of gender equality, teleworking should not be seen as a solution to the unequal division of domestic unpaid work by allowing women to reconcile professional life and domestic work. Teleworking should promote co-responsibility, leaving more time for all workers to reconcile family and professional life. Telework should not be an excuse to fail to implement equality policies, as well as the development of good quality public childcare.

Telework also presents challenges to the central role of the workplace in the organization and development of trade unions. Our current model of trade unionism arose by organizing workers at the workplace, and through taking a collective approach to work and the relationship between workers and their representatives. Teleworking risks increasing the individualization of work, isolating workers at home. Unions should guarantee a minimum compulsory physical presence by workers in the workplace to maintain social bonds with colleagues and workers' representatives. Employers must also ensure that unions have secure access to company communication tools to maintain regular communication with workers.

Trade unions should act quickly and work towards regulating telework through social dialogue and collective bargaining, particularly since employers have realized the potential benefits of telework by saving real estate costs and seeing the productivity gains of workers working longer hours. Teleworking could also become an excuse for increased outsourcing and a digital offshoring of work.

Teleworkers must not carry the burden of any extra costs related to home working. Employers should provide workers with all suitable space and equipment – technical and furniture – necessary for them to perform their contractual duties. All costs incurred by the workers while teleworking, including internet, insurance, heating, electricity, rent of workspace or mobile phone service, should be covered, reimbursed or compensated through allowances by the employers.. The savings and gains associated with this growing form of work organization must be shared with workers.

Collective bargaining and institutional regulation can make it possible for workers to benefit from a greater flexibility in organizing their work while ensuring an optimal level of protection and the respect of their rights.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Atle Høie says that telework can be an opportunity, but also a curse.

“Spending the time of your daily commute with family is an appealing thought, and the flexibility that comes with it is inspirational. But the positive sides may wear off if you are not adequately ergonomically equipped, when you realize that you are bearing the brunt of the costs of the arrangement and when you start missing your colleagues. For those reasons, it is important to regulate telework through collective agreements and legislation.”

IndustriALL Global Union has developed key principles, as well as practical guidelines for social dialogue and collective bargaining on telework. This material intends to give trade unions the means to ensure that telework benefits workers. They also set the base that will guarantee that remote work becomes a right for workers, and not a privilege that can be granted arbitrarily to some categories of workers, in return for which the worker would give up some of these rights.

Unions in Vietnam build capacity on labour relations

Around 25 unionists met on 22-23 April to learn about the history of labour relations and international labour standards, key roles of trade unions and collective bargaining processes. 

Participants shared challenges, including the need for bargaining capacity and skills, awareness raising among union members on collective bargaining agreements, employers’ negative attitudes towards unions and registration problems with local authorities.

Thai Quynh Mai Dzung, director of the international department of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) said:

“Collective bargaining and social dialogue are top priorities for Vietnamese trade unions. Sharing international experiences in how to apply ILO standards and negotiation models is important.”

 

Participants committed to improve their knowledge about benefits and working conditions for workers, and to enhance their practical skills in negotiation and  dispute resolution mechanisms.

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

“We are glad to see positive developments in labour laws in Vietnam that have to be in line with  ILO standards. IndustriALL is commited to provide  capacity building support on collective bargaining, industrial relations, safety and health in mines to Vietnamese affiliates through training programs.”

On 1 January 2021, new Vietnamese labour code came into force. Wages are now to be negotiated between employers and workers at company level, in addition to the minimum wage rate decided by the National wage council.

In addition, independent trade unions are allowed to be formed at company level. The new labour code prohibits employment discrimination and sexual harassment.

Union fights sexual harassment at Hippo Knitting garment factory, Lesotho

Taiwanese-owned Hippo Knitting in Maseru, Lesotho, supplies workout wear to Fabletics, a brand co-founded by actor Kate Hudson.

Three women workers and members of IDUL, confirm that sexual harassment and verbal abuse is common at the factory, taking many forms, including being asked to undress during searching. Verbal abuse including comments on the women’s bodies and other derogatory remarks are a daily occurrence.

The management also snoops into the women’s private lives including their relationships and uses the information when deciding who should report for duty during the weekend for overtime work.

Mathabiso Moshabe, a shop steward at the factory says:

“The company asks women workers to undress during searches when they knock off work and justifies this by saying they suspect that the workers are stealing from the factory. But we are refusing the body searches which are humiliating, disrespectful and against our dignity.

“One of the human resources managers teases workers that since they undress for others to take photos; why not undress for body searches. The manager also makes fun of their bodies, mocks how they dress, and the shoes they wear.”

Of the 1,000 workers at Hippo Knitting, 538 are IDUL members of whom 479 are women. With more than 50 per cent members at the factory, the union is preparing to sign a recognition agreement with the factory as per labour laws as more members continue to join.

 Workers meeting at Hippo Knitting, Maseru

However, Hippo Knitting has cancelled the stop order agreement for union dues following recent action by workers demanding the gazetting of new wages by the government.

Mamahlomola Ntikoane, IDUL treasurer and a shop steward at Hippo Knitting says: 

“A woman was sexually harassed by a supervisor, but the human resources department did not act. Instead, the perpetrator was transferred to another factory. The managers are also involved in sexual harassment. One female manager followed a worker into the toilet and attempted to grab his genitals.”

Hippo Knitting is not the first factory where IDUL is fighting sexual harassment. At Nien Hsing, IDUL together with other unions and international partners, campaigned for an agreement to be reached to end sexual harassment at the factory.
 
Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL textile director says:

“We condemn sexual and gender-based violence at Hippo Knitting which is a violation of human and trade union rights and the dignity of the women workers. We support IDUL in its campaign to end the abuses in Lesotho’s garment factories.”

Lesotho’s garment sector employs over 40,000 workers, 70 per cent of whom are women. The factory supplies the garments under the African Growth and Opportunity Act which allows duty free exports from Lesotho to the US.

Photo credit: Lesotho garment factory, Enhanced Integrated Framework, Flickr

Garment workers shot demanding extended Eid holidays

Extended holidays for garment workers have been a tradition in Bangladesh and workers spend the festival time with family and friends. The government had announced three days for Eid holidays this year, but IndustriALL Bangladesh Council, which brings together affiliates in the country, reached an agreement with the factory owners’ association BGMEA to jointly call on employers to announce a minimum of five to ten days.
 
When the Ha-meem group of factories announced just three days of holidays, a spontaneous protest at the Creative Collection factory in the Gazipur district erupted.
 
A large number of police met the protestors with tear gas and rubber bullets. At least 22 workers were injured by the pellets, some suffering over 50 projectile injuries.
Only after the violent response to the workers, did the company extend the Eid holidays.
 
Saluddin Shapon, Acting President of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC) says:

“We strongly condemn the police shooting protesting workers. This issue should have been resolved through social dialogue with the workers. A trade union in the factory could have maintained the industrial peace and found a solution through discussions.”

Since the recently imposed lockdown measures in Bangladesh, workers have been facing major problems. Garment factories are allowed to stay open during the lockdown and workers risk Covid infections at the workplace and in transit from their homes to work. In the absence of the public transport, workers are spending a higher portion of their income on transportation and left with meagre wages for household expenses.

“We are shocked to see such violent and strong-arm tactics used by the police against workers. The violent response goes against internationally established standards of human rights and workers’ rights. Respecting workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining at the Hameem group of factories and in Bangladesh will go a long way in avoiding repetition of such incidents in future,”

says Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary.