Indian unions oppose harmful environmental rules

The Environmental Impact Assessment rules play an important part in India’s environmental regulatory frameworks. The rules are derived from the Environment Protection Act, 1986, which was enacted after Bhopal industrial disaster in 1984. Originally it aimed to ensure that environmental impact of industrial and infrastructure projects are appropriately assessed and project-affected population’s views are obtained before being given approval.

The draft EIA 2020 has received widespread opposition and legal challenges.

Trade unions are calling it a “great departure from rules enacted in 2006”, with the draft seemingly facilitating corporate interests in some sectors like coal and other minerals mining.

The new draft seeks to restructure land use management in favour of corporates, while severely affecting the environment. Vulnerable sections of the society, especially the scheduled tribes will face severe impact of the harmful rules. In addition, the draft EIA 2020 has not been translated into several of the Indian languages.

Dr G Sanjeeva Reddy, president of INTUC and IndustriALL affiliate INMF, says:

“The current draft is not in line with international environmental standards and procedures, leading to catastrophic consequences for people. It is neither good economics nor sustainable development, and Indian unions are unified in demanding the withdrawal of the draft.”

Shortcomings include:

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, says:

“Diluting international labour standards and weakening environmental standards can trigger a race to bottom. With challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and increasing industrial accidents, environmental sustainability should be given utmost priority and the government should reconsider EIA 2020 draft.”

Unions in South Africa slam PPE procurement corruption

The tenders being investigated are worth over five billion rand (US$299 million) and were awarded for cloth masks, surgical masks, face shields, medical gowns, aprons, scrubs, overalls, gloves, sanitisers, and other products.

Had the tenders gone to reputable industries in the chemicals, plastics, and textile, garments, shoe, and leather sectors, thousands of workers would have benefitted.

Instead the tenders were given to politically connected individuals and bogus companies with no proven experience in the supply chain for PPE. These suppliers often inflated prices and imported poor quality products when better locally manufactured products could have been sourced at half the price. The tender process also flouted local content laws.

To make information available on local manufacturers for masks and other products, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) and Brand SA set up a portal where factories and small industries could be contacted. Information is also available on the factories that can produce PPE, but these were ignored by government officials who were not transparent on the awarding of the tenders.

In a report to the South African parliament on 5 August, SACTWU and the Congress of South African Trade Unions said:

“It is a story of the betrayal of the safety of healthcare workers who are being placed at risk dues to the supply of sub-standard products.”

“It is a shameful story of missed opportunities to buy and produce locally many products which are normally not needed in such large quantities by the state which is not doing everything to possible to support factories and workers in a struggling economy.”

Irvin Jim, the general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, said:

“The past three months have seen an unprecedented rise of nationwide public anger against this government because of the massive revelations of corruption involving essential Covid-19 health supplies.”

Joseph Montisetse, National Union of Mineworkers president, added:

“We must guard against corruption in all sectors of our government. It is unacceptable that others arrogantly find an opportunity to enrich themselves with millions of rands allocated to tackle the scourge of Covid-19.”

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

“It is deplorable that funds meant for the Covid-19 pandemic are stolen. These are funds meant to ease the suffering of workers, families, and communities. We agree with the unions that the government must act decisively to end this corruption.”

Accident in Indian shipyard exposes safety crisis

As HSL employees were load-testing a 70-tonne capacity crane it came crashing down, killing ten workers.

The deceased include four employees of Hindustan Shipyard, three of Greenfields corporation, two Lead Engineering company employees and one from EMMS Squad Seven company-employee.

According to reports, the crane was built through a work order to Gujarat based Anupam Industries in May 2009. In 2017, Anupam industries commenced the installation, but during the commissioning, the HSL wanted to fix some defects and perform load trials. However, the company did not complete the work, and in 2019 it outsourced the tasks to Greenfields corporation. The fatal accident happened on 1 August, when the load trials were carried out by the Greenfields corporation.

 

The police has registered a case under section 304A, causing death by negligence against HSL and Gujarat based Anupam industries and Greenfields corporation. Immediately after the accident two investigations were launched, one by HSL and one by the Vishakapatnam district collector. A recently submitted report underlines that design and erection defects caused the accident.

Mr. Ramu, general secretary of Hindustan shipyard staff & workers union, says:

“HSL management announced a compensation payment of Rs 50 lakhs (US$ 68,000) to the dependents of the deceased. The compensation will be paid to both permanent and contract workers who were killed, in addition to the statutory benefits.

“The union is supporting the family members in the process of receiving the compensation. The company also informed that permanent employment will be provided to one family member of  the HSL permanent employee victim.”

Kan Matsuzaki, IndustriALL shipbuilding and shipbreaking director, says:

“HSL is a public sector company and should have the highest standards for safe operations. The defects had been previously identified but not corrected in time, which lead to an avoidable loss of lives. There should be an investigation, and those responsible should be held accountable. And the victims’ families should be paid appropriate compensation.”

The ILO revised code on Safety and health in shipbuilding and ship repair (2018) contains comprehensive guidance on how to improve OSH in the industry and sets out how governments, shipowners, employers, workers and their representatives should work together in doing so.

IndustriALL plans to provide OHS training to the unions based on the code which is also available in Hindi.

Global day of action on 4 September to end union busting in the textile industry

The online global day of action on 4 September will focus on making our collective voice heard to demand that union busting in the textile and garment supply chain must end.

This is how you join

Print out one of the posters attached and fill in the name of the factory you are calling on to stop union busting. If you don’t have a pressing example, you can choose one from the list below:

 
 

Take a selfie holding up the solidarity sign which you can download below, and post it online with the hashtag #GarmentWorkersNeedUnions

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Make sure you tag IndustriALL in the post, and also send it to [email protected] to share.

And join the discussion on Facebook live on 4 September, 1 pm CET, with IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches, textile director Christina Hajagos-Clausen and union leaders Athit Kong from Cambodia and Khaing Zar from Myanmar.

Labour movement in solidarity with people of Belarus

Unions insist that the Belarusian regime needs to know that the world is watching: violence is not an option, and fundamental rights must be accepted

Pressure against Lukashenko continues to rise, and the protests are now reaching a crucial phase. This increases both the chances of success and – as we are witnessing today – the risk of arrests of strike leaders and the risk of violent suppression of mass protests and strikes as the regime is further cornered.

Earlier, Lukashenko made a public statement that miners from Ukraine will come to Belarus to replace striking workers at Belaruskali. This is how unions and workers from Ukraine , Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Poland expressed their support and solidarity with the people’s struggle for justice and human rights in Belarus. The Interregional Trade Union "Workers Association" (ITUWA), an affiliate of IndustriALL in Russia, has made a statement supporting Belarusian unions in the struggle for fundamental worker’s rights to decent work. 

The falsified results of the presidential elections that were held in Belarus on August 9 caused a massive wave of people’s protests. Belarusian authorities responded with unprecedented repression. As a result, workers at many large companies in Belarus have stopped work and held peaceful rallies. Immediately, many workers were threatened with dismissals, and activists were detained.

IndustriALL has called on all its affiliates worldwide to take the following three actions:

  1. Join the global action, coordinated by the ITUC, and to meet this week or next week with the representative of Belarus in your respective countries and/or to organize a peaceful and safe protest action outside Belarus Embassies to draw attention to the situation workers are facing in Belarus and to support their right to strike;
  2. Support the LabourStart campaign on Belarus and condemn all forms of repression against workers exercising their right to industrial action in defence of democracy and human rights;
  3. Send letters of solidarity to our affiliates in Belarus.

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL Global Union general secretary said:

“Our biggest strength as a labour movement has always been solidarity. People and workers in Belarus need our support. Our Belarusian sisters and brothers appreciate all the solidarity letters and videos that have already been sent by our affiliated trade unions and global unions. We look forward to further support.”

Stop union busting in your supply chain in Cambodia, Dunnes Stores told

On 17 June, eleven workers at Greenfield Industry, which produces garments for Dunnes Stores, held a meeting to form a factory level union of C.CAWDU and elected 11 union officials. Three days later, the human resources department summoned the 11 union officials, and informed them that the company could not renew their employment contracts due to a lack of orders and poor performance by the workers.

The local union president, Kosal, disputed this, because the workers had been completing their tasks on time and receiving the daily bonus. The company threatened the union officials, telling them to resign from C.CAWDU or face repercussions.

The local union president, vice president, secretary and treasurer were dismissed as they refused to sign the letter. Six union officials signed the letter and quit C.CAWDU under duress.

C.CAWDU wrote to Greenfield Industry to remind the company that dismissing workers due to their roles in setting up the local union is a direct violation of Cambodian labour law, which protects workers' right to form a trade union and prohibits discrimination against union activists. The company ignored the letter.

The company’s actions also infringe on ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association, which is ratified by Cambodian government, as well as Dunnes Stores’ Workplace Standards Protocol, which opposes discrimination and supports freedom of association.

Mandate trade union, which represents shop workers in Ireland, wrote to Dunnes Stores to raise their concerns. Dunnes did not respond.

The president of C.CAWDU, Kong Athit, says :

"After we lodged a complaint with Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, the ministry ordered Greenfield Industry to reinstate the four union leaders with full back-pay from the date of dismissal. Yet the company refused to accept the order and forbade them from entering the premises.

"We seek the immediate intervention of Dunnes Stores to rectify the serious violations of workers' rights at the company. The reputation of your brand is at stake if this unfair dismissal is allowed in your global supply chain."

IndustriALL sector director Christina Hajagos-Clausen says:

 “Union busting at Greenfield Industry is despicable and unacceptable. We fully support the demands of our affiliate C.CAWDU. We are using our trade union network to find a solution in this unfair dismissal case and thank Mandate from Ireland, who represent shop workers, for standing in solidarity with our affiliate in Cambodia.”   

Photo: Dunnes Stores in Cork, Ireland, by William Murphy

Unions call on BHP to respect health and safety

Union representatives from Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia and Peru met online on 20–21 August, to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on BHP operations and union responses.

IndustriALL mining director, Glen Mpufane, said:

“BHP claims to prioritize safety and that it is introducing protocols, systems and transport measures in response to Covid-19 in Latin America, saying that it has not had a single death linked to the virus. But we have reports to the contrary.”

Participants pointed out that while BHP in Australia and Canada is implementing proper occupational health and safety measures for the Coronavirus pandemic, the same cannot be said of its operations in Latin America.

As reported by Grahame Kelly, general secretary of Australian union CFMEU’s Mining and Energy Division, and its district president for Queensland, Stephen Smyth:

“We haven’t had any cases in Queensland. The apparent success we’ve had so far is thanks to the union, which engaged with the government and lobbied for the introduction of measures and standards. The Australian Government Department of Health, for example, introduced a series of protocols through legislation drawn up for the mining industry.”

However, the situation is very different in Peru.

Sergio Cruz said:

“BHP claims it has had zero deaths. But this is not the case at Antamina Peru (in which BHP is a shareholder), where there has been two Covid-19 deaths so far. The situation is extremely worrying, because the level of transmission is very high in the mining sector. Mining companies are not taking on board the workers’ health and safety requirements.”

The situation is similar for BHP workers in Chile, where the workers staged a 24-hour stoppage when the pandemic broke out, to press for measures and protocols to be able to continue to work.

Marcelo Franco explained:

“The initial measures were very basic, as it was thought to be short-lived and that people could work under those conditions. Unfortunately, it spread quickly and the figures at the Cerro Colorado Mining Company (owned by BHP) rocketed. Contract workers have been hit hard, with 40 per cent of the contractors laid off.”

Like Peru, Chile and Colombia reported that the rate of transmission and deaths was still rising.

Igor Díaz, president of Colombian mining union Sintracarbón, explained that there had been more than 250 cases among workers at the Cerrejón mine, partly owned  by BHP, and that two workers had died as a result of Covid-19 in the mines.

Participants agreed to continue the campaign to press BHP to respect the rights of its workers across the world, urging the mining giant to address health and safety requirements at its operations in Latin America and to ensure respect for contract workers around the globe.

The network will also press BHP to deliver on its promise of a 50 per cent female workforce by 2025 and to implement gender equality throughout its production line, not just at management and board levels, as well as urging the company to introduce measures to tackle gender-based violence.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary, Kemal Özkan, concluded:

“BHP is not responsible for Covid-19 but it is essential that the network of BHP workers join forces and wage a global campaign to defend the right to health and safety at work. We need to expose the shortcomings of the different BHP operations and highlight the disconnect between what shareholders are being told and what is actually happening on the ground.”

Iranian oil and gas strike solid in fourth week

Around 10,000 workers in Iran’s oil and gas fields have been taking part in wildcat strike action since 1 August. Despite attempts at repression, the strike is holding firm, morale among workers is high, and many employers are starting to offer concessions.

Although the industrial action is centred in the South Pars gas fields, the work stoppage has spread to industrial complexes in Mashhad, Tabriz, Urmia, Isfahan and other cities across Iran, affecting petrochemical plants, refineries and power stations.

The workers are employed by agencies who provide labour under contract to major oil and gas companies. These agencies are under tremendous pressure, as they are in danger of breaching their contracts with the oil companies. The dramatic shutdown of production is, in turn, a potential crisis for Iran, which is heavily reliant on the sector to generate foreign exchange.

Some contractors have conceded to the workers’ demands to pay late wages and raise pay, and have also agreed to pay wages on weekly basis. Workers’ representatives have announced that the strike action will continue until all the demands are met, including for representation. The demands include higher wages, secure contracts, and better accommodation and food.

Because independent unions cannot operate openly in Iran, the action is coordinated by an underground strike committee made up of workers. The Iranian government often blames industrial unrest on foreign agitators and exiled opposition groups, and uses this as an excuse for heavy oppression by making it an issue of national security.

The strike committee has been able to resist oppression because it has focused on bread and butter issues. Workers have withdrawal their labour and maintained a dignified presence outside the employers’ offices. The committee distributes weekly strike bulletins through social media, with updates and demands. The most recent bulletin acknowledges the support of IndustriALL affiliate, the Union of Mechanics and Metalworkers of Iran, for the workers’ economic and social demands.

Strike committee bulletin of 26 August

There is industrial action in other sectors as well. At the Haft Tappeh sugar refinery, workers have been on strike for 71 days, and IndustriALL’s sister global union, the IUF, wrote to the ILO to raise their concerns. The ILO responded to say that they had intervened with the Iranian authorities, urging them to ensure freedom of association and workers’ right to defend their interests.

IndustriALL Global Union assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said:

“IndustriALL expresses its full solidarity with Iranian workers. We admire your resilience and courage, because you don’t have the luxury of being defended by free and independent unions. We fully support the demands of the workers for decent wages, paid on time, for direct contracts with the oil and gas companies, and for companies to negotiate with workers’ representatives.

“Iran must recognize workers’ representatives and independent unions as legitimate partners in negotiations.”

Haiti’s garment workers fighting for their livelihoods

The persistent problem of non-compliance with social security payments in the industry has recently come to a head with disastrous consequences.

Two workers from factories in the Palm Apparel Group died after being denied medical care after their employer reportedly failed to pay their social security contributions on time. Sandra René died from complications during her pregnancy, while Lionel Pierre died after being denied dialysis treatment. Workers at both factories downed tools in protest.

Employers are also clamping down against GOSTTRA union leaders who are trying to defend their members’ interests.

Roughly a third of the 57,000 workers in the country’s garment industry are currently suspended or terminated and have yet to receive any compensation from the government in spite of earlier promises. The rest are working reduced hours in unsafe factories that lack even the most basic precautions to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

At the same time, the price of staple foods has increased sharply;  the price of rice and beans has jumped by almost 135 per cent, while propone gas has risen by 50 per cent. In addition, Haiti was hard hit by the recent hurricane Laura and is now in need of humanitarian support.

IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Valter Sanches says:

“Haiti is among the twenty poorest countries in the world. Boosting the garment industry through preferential access to US markets was supposed to kick start an economy on its knees. Instead, the country has pursued a course of deregulation and suppression of labour costs in order to remain attractive in precarious global supply chains.

"The government, with the support of brands and retailers, now needs to take urgent action to protect workers who are facing terrible hardship during this pandemic.”

Haiti is one of eight priority countries for ILO’s Call to action to support the garment industry, although little progress has been made so far. 

IndustriALL has written to the employers concerned and has called on the Labour Ministry as well as on brands and retailers, including Gildan, F&T Apparel, Wal-Mart, and Fruit of the Loom, to intervene to help resolve the conflicts.

Garment employees are seen working in the sewing section of a clothing plant in Haiti. Photo: Marcel Crozet / ILO

Lesotho union demands overtime payment from Gem Diamonds

On 21 August, Letseng mine owned by Gem Diamonds unearthed a 442-carat rough diamond worth US$18 million. But this is not the first one. In February three gems of 183, 89 and 70 carats worth millions were also dug at the mine. Letseng mine, which is 70 per cent owned by Gem Diamonds and by the Government of Lesotho has unearthed over 60 white gem quality diamonds of over 100 carats each. According to diamond experts, this makes Letseng the highest dollar per carat kimberlite mine in the world.
 
According to IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the Independent Democratic Union of Lesotho (IDUL), Gem Diamonds can afford to pay workers overtime. Hence, the union is challenging the exemptions that were given to Gem Diamonds by the government not to pay overtime, which is normally required by law.
 
The mine and sub-contracted companies employ over 1,700 workers some of whom are members of IDUL.

Daniel Teko, IDUL general secretary, says:

"The union appreciates that Gem Diamonds recognises the quality of work that the mineworkers are doing at the mine. However, we want to urge the company to go beyond praises and pay living wages.

"Further, the company must address the workers grievances and pay overtime including for work done during public holidays. Most women workers at the mine are being robbed of their overtime and lowly paid wages of Maloti 1,900  (US$113).”

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL mining director says:

“Mineworkers who dig such valuable gems should earn living wages that improve their lives and those of their families. Diamond mineworkers cannot live in poverty while bringing so much profit to multinational mining companies. Responsible mining entails improving working conditions and paying decent living wages.”

IDUL welcomes the Gem Diamonds’ announcement that some of the proceeds from the sale of the diamond will be used for community development in Letseng.
 
Diamond mines which are mainly in the Maloti mountain range remained open during the Covid-19 lockdown in the country. However, Firestone’s Liqhobong Diamond mine is temporarily closed citing difficult market conditions, and IDUL is fighting for the benefits of its members who lost their jobs at the mine. The union has also raised compliance issues with Lesotho’s labour laws against Liqhobong on the retrenchments with the country’s labour department. 

At Storm Mountain Diamonds, IDUL is demanding that the mining company should provide adequate personal protective equipment to workers in the housekeeping department to protect them from infection with Covid-19.