Strengthening the digital capacity of IndustriALL affiliates

With the Covid outbreak, unions faced a new challenge and were in dire need to develop their digital capacity. Being increasingly reliant on technology has uncovered a divide where not all unions have access to the equipment; in many parts of the world, information technology infrastructure is poor and underfunded, resulting in reduced connectivity.

“The contact between members and union officials is crucial, especially as we see workers’ rights under attack around the world and there are health and safety emergencies every day. With limited resources, equipment is often not made a priority. As IndustriALL, we wanted to support coordinating information sharing between affiliates and their membership, as well as between affiliates and IndustriALL,”

says IndustriALL assistant general secretary Atle Høie.

Last year, IndustriALL conducted a survey which showed that 117 unions had serious difficulties in participating in our activities due to a lack of digital capacities. IndustriALL has since provided those affiliates with laptops, tablets, smart phones, multi-media projectors, cameras, printers/scanners, broadband/internet connections, Zoom licenses, as well as training on how to use the equipment and Zoom, depending on the needs and providing affiliation fees are paid in full.

"We have faced intensified attacks on worker’s rights, so activities around joint central trade union movement’ struggles and building international solidarity, internal union meetings and collective bargaining negotiations have been held online.

"As the pandemic continue to limit our physical movements, the support of IndustriALL by providing hardware and software tools have further strengthened our capacity to carry out day to day union activities over online and serve our members more effectively,”

says Sanjay Vadhavkar, general secretary of Indian union SMEFI and IndustriALL executive committee member.

“In addition to the challenges imposed by the economic crisis and the spread of Covid-19, our office was severely damaged by the Beirut blast last year, and this has significantly impeded our work. IndustriALL’s support has had a positive impact in enhancing our capabilities to improve digital communication skills and resume our work remotely during this critical period,”

says Sleiman Hemdan, president of Professional union of syndicates for workers & employees of chemical materials and alike, Lebanon.

Wander Mkhonza, general secretary, ATUSWA, E-Swatini, welcomes and appreciates the support which has eased communication during these difficult times.

“Virtual meetings are becoming the new normal and without the necessary gadgets it would be almost impossible to run trade unions.”

Reginald Lafontant, coordinator of IndustriALL Haitian affiliate GOSTTRA, says that since the outbreak of the pandemic, Haitian garment workers have faced greater challenges than ever before. The situation became even more dire in February when President Jovenel Moïse refused to leave power at the end of his term and protests erupted.

“The support we have received has allowed us to operate and address these problems as best we can. Our executive is now able to meet via zoom, and we have been able to work with our national centre in developing a trade union response to the constitutional crisis in coordination with many other unions.

“We are also in regular contact with our affiliates, receiving regular updates from them and providing information on health and safety and other issues. Namely, since the outbreak of the violence, we have been able to alert workers who are on their way to work about police raids or gang attacks.”

The digital support has enabled affiliates to optimize the use of various online platforms and social media for promoting programmes, campaigns and organizing workers. Technology has enabled unions to intervene in conflicts related to collective bargaining, using remote meeting technology to negotiate with the employers and reach solutions.

Khaing Zar, IWFM president, Myanmar, says:

“With the support, IWFM has set up a hotline for both members and non-members and held online meetings to give updated information of Covid-19. Many of our members have been laid-off, temporarily or permanently, due to factory closures and employers have been union busting. We have been able to connect, provide protection and overcome difficult issues for our members during pandemic.”

Youth leaders and young union members have played a crucial role in covering technological gaps. This has given youth more visibility in union work and provided them access to union work at a different level.

"The effectiveness of trade union activities is due to lively communication with its members, but due to the restrictions in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic, the way we work has completely changed. With IndustriALL’s support, we have been able to successfully overcome this challenge. Now staff can carry out their activities and we can maintain communication with trade union leaders,”

says Tamaz Dolaberidze, president of Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Workers of Georgia.

434 Indonesian paper workers reject poverty wages

The workers are affiliated to Indonesia Federation of Pulp and Paper Workers Union (FSP2KI) through two local unions, PTTEL security union (SPS) and PTTEL care and service union (SP3). The unions have been negotiating a new collective agreement with management since early February. The company has offered only 500 IDR (US$ 0.03), equivalent of a 0.2 percent wage increase.

The unions rejected the offer, declared a deadlock and announced a three-day strike beginning 15 March. However, FSP2KI says that if PTTEL still refuses to accept their demands, the strike can be extended to seven days.

 

FSP2KI general secretary M. Fatkuroji says:

“There has been no wage increase for nearly two years, and we are also fighting for a couple of other benefits such as food and attendance allowance for workers. The wage increase must be based on inflation and performance appraisals, the workers are entitled to a decent living wage.”

FSP2KI and PTTEL has been at loggerheads over employment of outsourced workers by its subcontractors since June last year. The previous subcontractor PT Kaliguma Transindo discontinued contracts of 38 workers. FSP2KI demanded the outsourcing company PT Kamigumi Indonesia to re-employ all the workers.

As a result, the union staged a picket in front of the company for more than six months. On one occasion, the unionists and supporters were violently dispersed by the police. IndustriALL has condemned the violence and initiated a global campaign against the company.

IndustriALL Global Union regional secretary for South East Asia, Annie Adviento, says:

“IndustriALL stands in solidarity with the striking FSP2KI members. We call on the company to negotiate in good faith and accept the reasonable demands of the workers.”

Please send a solidarity message to the striking workers through the FSP2KI president Hamdani Almedani and general secretary Fatkuroji

PTTEL is wholly-owned by Japanese multinational Marubeni Group. The company employs 830 permanent workers, in addition to 734 contract workers. PTTEL produces pulp products and exports to Japan and Europe.

Diamond and gems unions call for resilience under Covid-19 disruptions

The meeting discussed that the DGOJP sub sector, like the mining sectors, is facing the severe adverse impact of Covid-19 including job losses. In Botswana, for instance, 277 jobs were lost with over 51 workers retrenched at Signet Jewellery.

Suspension of mining activities when mines were put on “care and maintenance” in Canada, Lesotho, South Africa, Namibia, India, and Zimbabwe, also led to job losses. De Beers, the largest supplier of gemstones’,  reported a decline in sales. In India, the import of rough diamonds fell steeply.
 
Further, there have been drops in sales of diamonds – both rough and polished – with subsequent ripple effects on jewellery sales for most diamond stores in the United Kingdom, France, USA, Canada, Russia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. Diamond hub Antwerp slowed down.

Some companies were forced into discussions with creditors. These include Petra Diamonds (South Africa and Tanzania), and Rio Tinto’s cash call on junior partner, Dominion Diamond ULC at its Diovak Mine in Canada. These developments adversely affected the diamond value chain: exploration and valuation, mining, and processing, grading and valuation, rough diamonds, and sales, cutting, polishing, and trading, and jewellery manufacturing and sales.
 
Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining and DGOJP, is optimistic that the sector will recover by 2024 through a V-shaped recovery that he describes as – “a quick and sustained recovery in measures of economic performance after a sharp economic decline.” He points to evidence provided by some mining companies that have shown that a quick recovery is possible.
 
Glen Mpufane, said unions have shown signs of resilience during Covid-19:

“IndustriALL is building union resilience in the sector. An example can be drawn from the international solidarity shown in the building of union offices by the Independent Democratic Union of Lesotho (IDUL) in the mountains of Lesotho to improve the union’s access to workers in the diamond mines. In this project, IDUL got support from IndustriALL, Belgium’s ACV – Transcom and South African unions.”

Further, globally trade union have continued to fight for workers’ rights and living wages in the sector. Engagement is also taking place through social dialogue.
 
Unions have continued to fight for the rights of women miners against gender-based segregation. Armelle Seby, IndustriALL Gender Coordinator said:

“Diamond cutting, and polishing is dominated by men. According to estimates, in India women constitute less than five percent of total workers in diamond cutting and polishing. When women are present, they are more commonly found in diamond polishing, which is lower-skilled work relative to cutting.”

Trade unions called for attaining highest levels of occupational health and safety, the right to refuse and shut down unsafe work and recognition of Covid-19 as an occupational health and safety issue were some of the highlights of the meeting.
 
Kemal Ozkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary said:

“Covid-19 is the largest global crisis in our generation.  The pandemic has caused serious implications for economic, social, and political systems. The social and economic crisis has now, turned to become an existential crisis for humankind. Vaccine nationalism takes us nowhere and trade unions need to work towards the right of universal access for Covid-19 vaccines based on cooperation, solidarity and justice.

"For trade unions occupational health and safety is crucial to tackling Covid-19. IndustriALL and global union federations are urging the ILO to declare occupational health and safety as a fundamental right. We are working towards mandatory due diligence for all multinational corporations regardless of their size and structure, and companies in the DGOJP supply chain should commit themselves to ensure protection of labour and human rights and the environment.”

Photo credit: De Beers diamond mine in Jwaneng, Botswana, Esther Dyson, Flickr

IndustriALL virtual meetings

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Workers locked out of Thai lingerie factory

Lingerie factory Brilliant Alliance Thai Global shut down on 10 March without notice. Workers arrived for the nightshift and found the factory closed, with a notice on the factory gates announcing its permanent closure. They received no notice or redundancy payment, which is illegal under Thai labour law. Employers are legally required to give one month’s notice, and settle their financial commitments to the workers, including wages, severance pay, unpaid bonuses and unused annual leave.

Workers found the gates shut when they arrived for work

Brilliant, which is owned by the Hong Kong-based Clover Group, took over the factory from Body Fashion in 2019 in a transfer of undertakings. Brilliant failed to transfer employment conditions, indefinitely suspending the payment of bonuses, and paying only half the amount needed for medical cover.

The factory level union, which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union via the Confederation of Industrial Labour of Thailand, sought to meet with the management of Brilliant to address concerns about working conditions on a number of occasions, but meetings were delayed due to the pandemic.

In January 2021, union representatives met with the Hong Kong-based company owner via Zoom. They were told that there were not enough orders to keep the factory operational. On 3 March, company management informed the union that due to the cancellation of orders, the company could only continue to operate if there was a change to the collective agreement, with workers accepting a four-month furlough at 50 per cent of their salaries.

The union informed the labour department and the arbitration office, and a vote was taken. 88 per cent of workers voted to reject the company’s offer. However, the union remained open to negotiation, and had a meeting scheduled with management on 9 March. In the intervening period, trucks were seen removing material from the factory.

On 6 March, the company announced a four-day vacation. When workers arrived for work on 10 March, they found the factory locked, with a notice on the gate saying it had permanently shut down.

In a letter to Clover Group, IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches said:

“It is unacceptable that the company unilaterally and unfairly laid off workers without the legal notice of period and legal payments. The behaviour of the management clearly violates the Labour Laws in the country as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as workers’ compensation is a human right. It is clear that this violation also contradicts your customers’ codes of conduct, such as Victoria’s Secret, Torrid and Ascena Group.

“Therefore, we call on Clover Group International Limited to act in full accordance with national labour law and international core labour standards and to respect workers’ rights immediately by establishing a constructive dialogue with the union and by paying legal compensations of the unfairly dismissed workers.”

IndustriALL and H&M Group reinforce cooperation to support recovery of global garment industry

Since the beginning of the crisis, H&M and IndustriALL have acted in different forms, both bilaterally and in multi-stakeholder initiatives. This cooperation has been integral in supporting the supply chain and sector through this period.

IndustriALL and H&M have had a close cooperation on both global and national levels, not least within the national monitoring committees established in six countries under the global framework agreement first signed in 2015.

In order to minimize the impacts of the global Covid-19 pandemic and strengthen the cooperation beyond, H&M and IndustriALL now publicly reaffirm and strengthen their commitments to work together with the suppliers.

“Manufacturing suppliers need stability and predictability to preserve the conditions for employment and income; that is the kind of commitment this joint statement brings. We are working together to help the industry develop strength to recover from the crisis, save jobs and preserve the rights and income of workers.

“This clear sign from H&M to its suppliers is crucial so that our affiliated unions can fully exercise their role to defend jobs, rights, wages and working conditions of the workers along H&M’s supply chain,”

says IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches.

Yosef El – Natour, head of production H&M Group, says:

“The importance of meaningful and close collaboration between companies and trade unions has become even more evident during the pandemic. Only by joining forces – in particular at the factory floor – we can efficiently use our combined leverage and expertise to tackle challenges when it comes to safe-guarding workers’ fundamental rights in the wake of Covid-19.”

The joint agreement includes:

“This joint declaration confirms H&M’s genuine engagement to continue and reinforce our close cooperation based on the global framework agreement. There are challenges ahead, but improved working conditions and a sustainable garment industry can only be achieved through cooperation,”

says Marie Nilsson, president of Swedish union IF Metall, co-signatures of the agreement.

Photo 1: Shutterstock

Photo 2: Virtual signing ceremony on 15 March, 2021

Migrant Resource Centre protects migrant workers in Mauritius against exploitation

Over 50,000 skilled migrant workers are currently working in Mauritius and employed mainly in the garment and textile industries, and other sectors. About 35 per cent are from Bangladesh.

According to IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, Confédération des Travailleurs des Secteurs Publique et Privé (CTSP), some agents claim that for workers to make it in the paradise island all they must do is “lift rocks and they will find gold.” CTSP says this fake information is misleading as the workers end up working in hazardous conditions and are paid low wages during their three-year contracts.

This makes it difficult for the migrant workers to pay back huge loans they would have incurred to fund the journey to Mauritius. Saving enough money to send to their families becomes hard and the workers often return to their home countries with little to show for the three years in Mauritius.

 

There are also cases of debt bondage when a worker is forced to work to pay off a debt. In such cases the workers come to Mauritius to work for the debt they would have incurred in their home countries. According to Anti-Slavery International the value of the work becomes greater than the original amount borrowed.

According to ASOS, which sources garments from suppliers in Mauritius, and participated in planning meetings for the setting up of the MRC, workers should only pay the travel cost and not the expensive recruitment agencies’ fees which can be as high as US$800. There is ongoing work to engage other brands in supporting the centre.
 
The violations of migrant workers’ rights include confiscation of passports, being beaten up by employers, being forced to work long hours, non-payment of wages and overtime, being paid below the minimum wage, being forced to live in squalid conditions in dormitories, failure by employers to provide transport, being asked to do work without prior training, and language barriers.
 
To counter this exploitation of the migrant worker, CTSP, IndustriALL and Anti-Slavery International set up the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) in 2018 to raise awareness on the violation of migrant workers’ human and workers’ rights which are protected by Mauritian laws.

The MRC, which provides support to migrant workers by encouraging them to join a union and to know their rights, has carried out 16 awareness campaigns that have reached over 700 workers. Information is also provided on the cultural diversity in Mauritius and how to keep safe in the country. The MRC also houses workers who are unfairly dismissed by employers and has produced pamphlets in different languages to address the violations.
 
Most migrant workers joined the CTSP members after getting information from the centre and have filed complaints with the Ministry of Labour.

IndustriALL, CTSP and ASOS have developed a smartphone app where workers can file complaints and grievances without risking repercussions from employers.

Reeaz Chuttoo, President and Jane Ragoo, general secretary of CTSP said:

“The MRC is an important tool for the migrant workers and has so far been of great help. Further, the CTSP is engaging with the Minister of Labour so that a migrant workers house be set up that can also be used as a refuge centre.”

Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL director for the garment and textile industries, says:

“The MRC is a model of international solidarity that can help to stop the violation of migrant workers’ rights and international labour standards and ensure that remedy is found. We commend the CTSP for continuing to defend the rights of the migrant workers in Mauritius.”

IndustriALL urges companies to guarantee fundamental rights in Myanmar

In an interview with Workers’ Liberty, Khaing Zar, president of IndustriALL affiliate IWFM, says that the previous economic sanctions towards Myanmar are what allowed more democratic elections in the first place.

“We are asking the international community and governments to start comprehensive economic sanctions, to stop all the financial flows to the military. We are asking the international financial institutions to freeze all activities within Myanmar,”

says Khaing Zar. 

Earlier this week, the United Nations Security Council condemned the violence in Myanmar and called on the army to show restraint. The US imposed sanctions on two children of Myanmar’s commander in chief and six companies they control.

IndustriALL has reached out multinational companies having operations in Myanmar urging them to actions in protecting fundamental human and labor rigths conducting due diligence. This included energy companies such as Shell, EDF, Engie, Total and Eni.

“Companies must ensure that their business activities and suppliers do not contribute to or aggravate human rights violations, and no worker or union leaders be punished for joining peaceful demonstrations against the coup,”

says Valter Sanches, IndustriALL general secretary

Last month, on the initiative of IndustriALL, global brands sourcing ready-made garments from Myanmar released a joint statement affirming their commitment to democratic standards, declaring:

“as businesses, we are committed to fully respecting human rights and labour rights in our operations and supply chains, in particular, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of opinion, and freedom of association under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

Valter Sanches says:

“We support the call of Myanmar’s citizens for a global campaign to "Stop buying junta business, and call on companies to use their leverage to secure the release of detainees, restore democratic institutions, and guarantee the human and labour rights of all Myanmar workers, especially freedom of association, right for peaceful demonstration and freedom of speech.”

Haiti: unions demand return to democracy

38 trade union organizations in Haiti have signed a joint statement calling for respect for the 1987 Constitution, and restoration of the rule of law and democracy in Haiti. The unions accuse President Jovenel Moïse of extending his mandate in violation of the constitution.

CGTP, the union centre to which IndustriALL affiliate GOSTTRA belongs, is among the signatories. GOSTTRA coordinator Reginald Lafontant says:

“The situation for Haitian workers is intolerable. It is the duty of the union movement to commit to the respect of the constitution."

The Higher Council of the Judiciary of Haiti stated that Moïse's five-year presidential term ended on 7 February this year. Moïse has governed by presidential decree since 2020 after dissolving the parliament. No elections have been organized and Moïse has declared his intention to stay in office until February 2022.

There have been numerous protests demanding that Moïse respect the constitution and resign. People protest against living in poverty and hunger, under a corrupt government unable to provide basic services.

According to the unions, the presence of armed gangs supported by the government is growing. The gangs started by attacking people who protested to demand better living conditions, but have moved on to arson, kidnapping opponents, threatening union leaders and even raping women.  

Trade unionists face systemic repression, with a wave of dismissals, arbitrary arrests and death threats directed at the few sectors where workers have been able to organize, like in education, the public sector and in the Export Processing Zones.

Moïse has said that he considers the current constitution to be too liberal and has decided to change it on 25 April. Trade union centres in Haiti stress that those who dare to say “no” will be under threat, especially trade unionists.

Global unions have issued a joint statement and have launched a solidarity campaign with the Haitian people, sending letters to governments to withdraw support for Moïse.

In a letter to Gosstra, IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches says:

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Haiti in their struggle to establish democracy, rule of law and respect for human and trade union rights. We are outraged by the systematic violation of rights by the government. We strongly denounce the damage caused at all levels by the people in power in Haiti."

Interim win against Kyrgyzstan’s anti-union draft law

Together with other global union federations, IndustriALL launched a LabourStart campaign in November 2020 to support the demands of Kyrgyz unions. With a broad, worldwide support base, the campaign showed the Kyrgyz authorities the international community’s concern for Kyrgyzstan’s democratic union movement.

The draft law is in breach of ILO Conventions 87 and 98, ratified by Kyrgyzstan. If adopted, the draft law would deprive workers of freedom of association and unions of independence by significantly restricting union activities, dictating internal structures and putting unions under state control.

The anti-union draft law is being pushed by the ex-chair of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kyrgyzstan (FTUK), who was dismissed in February 2020, but has refused to resign and held a fake election in December 2020, proclaiming himself the chair.

Eldar Tadjibaev, chair of the Mining and Metallurgy Trade Union of Kyrgyzstan, says that personal interests are behind the draft law that violates freedom of association by giving absolute power to the chair of FTUK. The law would complicate the procedure for electing and removing the chair, and would put all unions in the country under FTUK^s total control in terms of staff, finances and information.

The draft law also threatens economy of Kyrgyzstan, as the country may lose trade preferences granted by the European Union in return for implementation of core international conventions, including the ones related to labour rights.

“IndustriALL stands in solidarity with and offer our full support to unions in Kyrgyzstan. We urge authorities to immediately reject the draft law on trade unions, which is in breach of international conventions and would have serious consequences for the labour movement,”

says Kemal Özkan, assistant general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union.