COVID-19 – an existential crisis for the garment industry

IndustriALL has written to all its affiliates that organise garment workers, asking for information on the numbers of factories that are being closed down, the number of workers affected, and any measures being taken by governments and employers to mitigate the impacts.

The picture that is emerging is devastating. Social distancing measures taken in countries currently most affected by COVID-19 are driving wholesale closure of thousands of garment factories with millions of workers being laid off without a social safety net. As the virus spreads within the garment-producing countries themselves, more factories will be forced to close, putting potentially millions more workers out of work.

While garment retailers are shutting up shop in affected countries, garment workers are expected to pay the price for the clothes they have already made.

Not only are major brands and retailers cancelling future orders, they are refusing to take responsibility for garments that have already been produced, using emergency provisions in contracts to stop shipments and avoid paying for the goods they ordered. This leaves factories holding the goods, unable to sell them to the customer that ordered them, and in many cases unable to pay the wages of the workers who made them.

Measures announced by companies to protect the wages of retail and other direct workers are to be welcomed, but the security and wellbeing of the workers in their supply chains, who have made the products on which their business is built, must not be ignored.

There are three critical stages for which interventions are needed, and many countries have already reached stages 1 and 2:

1.    Payment of wages to workers now for orders that have been filled, but will not be paid for by the brand customers

2.    Payment to workers during periods of factory closures, either from lack of orders or from government measures against COVID-19

3.    Support for restarting production

Once the crisis has passed and global brands and retailers are able to start trading again, how many factories will still be in business and have a workforce ready to restart production?

Unless measures are taken now to protect factories and workers to enable them to survive the crisis, the short-term decisions being taken by brands and retailers to renege on existing contracts will end up destroying the very businesses they are seeking to protect.

Brands, employers and governments must come together urgently with trade unions to find ways to support garment workers during this unprecedented period to ensure the future viability of the industry once the crisis has passed.

Kazakh union leader Erlan Baltabay released

IndustriALL and the ITUC have repeatedly denounced the charges, intimidation and persecution, as acts of retaliation for Erlan Baltabay’s trade union activism and principled position in support of other leaders of the now dissolved Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Kazakhstan (KNPRK), condemned to different limitations on their freedoms.

Baltabay was sentenced to seven years in prison and banned from any public activity, including trade union activities, in July 2019, after being convicted on bogus charges for misappropriation of union funds.

The sentence came a month after the ILO called on the Kazakhstan government to ensure that the trade unions “enjoy the full autonomy and independence of a free and independent workers’ organization, without any further delay”.

Although Baltabay was released from prison under a pardon decree issued by Kazakhstan president in August 2019, following a massive international union campaign for the liberation, his rights were not reinstated.

The status of a convicted criminal remained, together with a ban on trade union activities. The remaining time of his seven-year prison term was replaced by a fine, which Baltabay refused to pay. Baltabay refused to recognize the presidential pardon and wanted to appeal his initial sentence, to prove his innocence and restore his fundamental rights.

Instead, in October, Baltabay was given a new prison sentence of five months and eight days for failing to pay the fine. He served his new prison term in full, but is still banned from any public activity, including trade union activities, for the next seven years.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Ozkan says:

“Erlan’s release is good news, even though it is too late. This does not mean that everything is resolved; our campaign will continue until the repression against independent and democratic union leaders ends in Kazakhstan, a country with some of the harshest labor rights’ violators in the world.”

Peru’s government puts economic interests before miners’ safety

On 15 March, Peru’s government declared a 15-day state of emergency and introduced restrictions on movement in response to the health crisis caused by the coronavirus. 

Two days later, the Ministry of the Economy and Finance said that the measures do not include the mining sector, since it is considered an essential industry. It would therefore ensure that "critical operations continue with a skeleton staff and all the necessary health and safety precautions." The companies concerned can determine which employees and contractors constitute the skeleton staff.

However, IndustriALL affiliate National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union (FNTMMSP), say that large mining companies and other private companies are requiring their employees to work without the necessary health and safety measures, despite the risk of infection.

FNTMMSP secretary general Jorge Juárez say that hundreds of people working in the mines have yet to be evacuated:

"A number of employees are still at work because they have received financial incentives from employers in the form of bonuses. The big mining companies have not brought in safety measures and don't want to evacuate workers. On mining sites, there are no controls – nobody checks that these companies are being responsible and complying with the measures."

According to Juárez, many miners have pre-existing illnesses because they work in high temperatures, at altitude and are exposed to dust and contamination. This means that if infected, they are a high-risk group and should not have to keep going to work.

In a letter to Peru’s President, Martín Vizcarra, IndustriALL Global Union's general secretary Valter Sanches, raises concerns over the lack of health protection for miners during the spread of the coronavirus.

"We call on your government to take the necessary measures to help and protect your country's miners. They – like workers from various essential sectors around the world – are ready to play their part and make a huge effort. We want the miners to be able to return home safe and sound once the pandemic is under control."

Tyre workers sent home as Covid-19 closes factories

Japanese tyre giant Bridgestone is sending home all employees of its 15 plants in North and South America, phasing out production from 21 March until or before 12 April. This company will use existing stocks to fill orders.

"As the company carefully monitors the coronavirus situation, it is continuing to take action in all aspects of operations to ensure the health and safety of our employees while also addressing the needs of customers and the market,"

Bridgestone said in a statement.

"They're really looking out for their employees. We hope other facilities follow their lead and do what's right to contain this virus,"

says Steve Vonk, president of USW Local 310, which represents workers at the plant.

IndustriALL’s annual health and safety event on Bridgestone has been cancelled for this year due to the pandemic.

French tyre manufacturer Michelin has also announced plans to idle its factories in Europe for at least one week. In an announcement on 18 March, the company said it is an effort to “safeguard the health of its employees, in close cooperation with local authorities in every host country.”

One of the 25 European factories to temporarily close is the plant in Dundee, Scotland, which will be closed from 27 March until 13 April. After talks with management, Unite the Union agreed to the closure, during which workers will continue to be paid.

The first meeting of the newly established global works council has been cancelled.

US based tyre maker Goodyear is suspending its eleven European manufacturing operations and all its 17 production sites in North and South America until at least 3 April. This affects nearly 12,000 workers in Europe and 17,000 workers in the Americas.

Goodyear says the measures have been taken in full agreement with the social partners, planning for an effective restart of production when the health crisis passes and the demand returns. The company is also following strong social-distancing measures in the warehouses that will remain open to maintain service to customers.

German Continental announced this week that it would stop production at its factories, with details to follow.

Pirelli, headquartered in Italy, has been especially hard hit, with an early case of an employee with Covid-19 at its plant in northern Italy.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan says:

“Workers must have income security during this health crisis. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that health is protected and that plans are respected without exception; that workers are fully paid as agreed through collective bargaining; and that any worker exposed to COVID-19 has guaranteed sick leave for as long as it takes to be fit to return to work.”

Sintracarbón announces possible strike action at Cerrejón Colombia

“With a vote strongly in favour of industrial action, the members of the Sintracarbón union have just declared a strike at Carbones del Cerrejón Limited, owned by the multinationals Glencore, Anglo American and BHP”, the union announced in an official message on 16 March as it was counting the final ballots.

The union added that 3,586 members voted in favour of the strike. Only 25 workers said that they preferred to settle differences with the company through a court of arbitration.

Talks aimed at reaching a direct settlement as part of the collective bargaining process with Cerrejón began on 27 Janaury and ended on 6 March. Sintracarbón explained that before Cerrejón had tabled its first offer, the union's negotiating commission had already agreed to modify its list of demands. However, the company refused to change its original position.

As a result, negotiations reached a critical point at which stage it was decided to call a general assembly in order to vote on whether or not to hold a strike. The vast majority of workers came out in favour of industrial action because they believed that the company intends to reduce, eliminate and freeze the benefits provided in the current collective bargaining agreement.

Igor Diaz, the president of Sintracarbón, had the following to say:

“The strike will go ahead if we don't get a positive response to our demands from Cerrejón. We expect them to come to the negotiation table with a proposal that will significantly improving miners' working conditions. If they don't, the responsibility for the strike will be theirs entirely.”

The strike will be organized jointly with a second union called Sintracerrejón whose members also voted in favour of strike action. The two organizations have agreed that within the next ten days they will decide on the time when all their members go on strike. During this time, the company and the workers' representatives will continue to hold meetings in order to make an honest attempt at settling their differences and reach an agreement which would allow the strike to be called off.

For his part, Marino Vani, regional secretary of IndustriALL Global Union for Latin America, said:

“We congratulate our fellow workers, their families and the leaders of Sintracarbón for their show of unity, and their commitment to defend and value jobs.  We are following your struggle very closely and are mobilizing to promote international solidarity throughout the entire coal production and distribution chain.

We ask the company to reconsider its offer and to seek conciliation rather than confrontation and the imposition of a settlement. I know what the workers are thinking: they want you to stop taking advantage of the very people who generate your profits.”

Union educates on COVID-19 as South Africa confirms more cases

In the last two weeks, the union held COVID-19 awareness campaigns in the Western Cape, Durban, Johannesburg and Mpumalanga. Tests have so far confirmed 150 positive cases nationally.

South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, declared the COVID-19 pandemic “a national state of disaster” on 15 March, and announced a raft of measures to control its spread. These included flight bans and restrictions of visitors from countries with high COVID-19 cases, limitations on public gatherings to only 100 people, and school, border and ports closures. Other preventive measures are campaigns to frequently wash hands and other public health measures to halt COVID-19.

The National Economic Development and Labour Council – a social dialogue forum for labour, government, employers and communities – meeting recommended adoption of customized workplace responses to COVID-19.

Andre Kriel, SACTWU general secretary said:

“The union has issued a directive to its 2,800 shop stewards in the 1,500 workplaces where we are organized to immediately engage employers to formulate a customized response plan, specific to each workplace. Difficult as this may be, a response plan should include matters such as the managing of short-time, shift work, and changing working hours and lunch breaks to reduce many workers assembling in one place. We are implementing awareness training of workers on specific concrete prevention interventions. These include making available hand and industrial sanitizers, safety work wear, safe and hygienic clocking stations and canteen protocols, as well as reviving health and safety committees at workplaces.”

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL Global Union general secretary said a collective effort is needed to contain the COVID-19 global pandemic:

“As trade unionists, we want to actively contribute to slow down the spread of the virus, protect the most vulnerable groups and give time to the public health institutions worldwide to get ready, avoid being overwhelmed, and thus assist those most in need.”

SACTWU wants the customized workplace response plans to neither prejudice workers nor undermine national and collective bargaining agreements.

According to South African labour law, employers have an obligation to protect workers from the coronavirus disease. Failure to do so makes the employers liable to a breach of employment obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Further, if the employers fail to pay workers who they ask to stay away from work because of the coronavirus, they will be in breach of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.

The awareness campaigns benefit from experiences gained from the union’s worker health programme that was developed to deal with the HIV-AIDS pandemic. The knowledge from the programme on prevention, treatment and support to workers, their families and communities is being used in the COVID-19 campaigns. The programme also included home-based care and emphasized peer education. 

Union president fired in Serbia

Dalibor Antanasijević, president of the Magna Seating union, member IndustriALL affiliate Industrijski Sindikat Srbije, ISS, and main negotiator of the collective agreement was barred from entering company premises and given indefinite paid leave.

For a short while, Antanasijević could only work 45 hours a month to perform his union duty, under the surveillance of a member of the security team, until he received the letter of dismissal.

The employer, Magna Seating who produces seat trim covers for customers including Ford, Skoda, Audi and Renault, has conducted campaigns of intimidation and coercion at the factory, and obstructing the collective bargaining process.

According to the union, a “consent paper” has been circulated among workers, stating that they do not want that the union fee be deducted from their salary any longer.

Serbia has ratified core ILO Conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining, and Magna’s own code of conduct talks about respecting “the right of employees to associate freely and to be represented” and “work constructively with legally recognized representatives to promote the interests of our employee.”

In a joint letter with industriAll Europe to company management, IndustriALL Global Union says:

“Dalibor Antanasijević has been fired over his trade union activities and performing his work as the democratically elected union president. His dismissal goes against all the fundamental principles that Magna management claims to respect and promote in its official documents and statements.

“Therefore, we strongly urge you to stop union busting and interfering in trade union activities, and truly respect international labour standards. We also urge you to annul the dismissal decision and reinstate Mr. Antanasijević without delay.”

Union picket breaks deadlock in Malaysia

350 workers gathered outside the company gates to protest against the deadlock and against management’s proposal of a zero wage increment. According to EIEUNR, the proposal is unfair as the company has made a net profit of RM479 million (US$111 million) from 2016 to 2018.

“We suggest a three to ten per cent wage adjustment based on years of service, unlimited medical benefits, a RM1,200 (US$280) maternity subsidy and a RM200 (US$46) shift allowance. These are reasonable demands, given the company’s sound financial situation. The union is opposing reducing bonuses and other workers’ benefits,”

says Firdaus Saad, EIEUNR vice president.

“The employer must improve health and safety conditions in the factory. Workers are forced to walk through hallways and stairs full of gas and chemical piping every day. Management has promised to tackle the problem but so far nothing has happened.”

The picket ended after Infineon technologies invited union leaders for a meeting and agreed to resume negotiations on 30 March. Management reaffirmed its commitment that the new collective agreement would be concluded by end of April and would back pay all arrears from 1 January 2020.

IndustriALL Global Union regional secretary Annie Adviento is urging the company to respect the social dialogue and resume negotiations in good faith with the union.

“Profit-sharing is a basic principle of collective bargaining; Infineon Technologies should seriously consider EIEUNR’s demands because electronics firms are generally in good shape in Malaysia,”

says Annie Adviento.

BP pricing arrangement causes job losses in Trinidad & Tobago

The union has said that the new arrangement, will cause prices to rise by 100 per cent. Many companies that use natural gas will have to close down plants, as they won’t be able to afford the higher prices. The shutdowns will result in mass layoffs and wreak economic and social havoc on thousands of workers and their families.

"This will generate a series of plant closures. YARA International has already closed one of its plants and will have to close another two, which will affect hundreds of workers. The entire Point Lisas Industrial Estate, the heart of the country’s petrochemical sector, is also facing imminent closure,"

says Ancel Roget, president of OWTU and the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM).

"The natural gas is a resource that belongs to the people of Trinidad and Tobago, who are clearly not benefitting from their country's wealth. We can safely say that the total shutdown of this key sector will only bring more unbearable pain and suffering to our people."

IndustriALL sees energy as one of the major issues on the political agenda and advocates for a model that both protects the environment and recognizes energy as a prerequisite for the modern economy, as a source of decent work and as an essential component of a fair and equitable society.

In a letter to he CEO of BP Global Group, Bernard Looney, IndustriALL's secretary general Valter Sanches, calls for a new pricing arrangement in Trinidad and Tobago:

"In light of the unintended social and economic effect the new pricing formula has had on workers, industrial sectors, and the economy of the country as a whole, IndustriALL Global Union urges BP to reconsider and renegotiate its new pricing formula with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago."

Indian Saint-Gobain worker dismissed for occupational illness

The company fired him in 2016 after years of service. In addition to his job, he lost his health insurance, which also covered his dependent parents and wife. Jayaraj, who is 35 years old, has kept fighting for his rights and demands reinstatement and compensation for lost health.

Jayaraj first joined the company in August 2008. He started as a trainee, and after three years was employed in February 2011 as a production technician in the quality control department.

Jayaraj’s job was to check some 300-400 cadmium crystals per day. Transparent under normal conditions, cadmium tungstate crystals emit light when exposed to gamma rays and x-rays, and are used to make scintillation detectors. To test and calibrate the detectors, workers used Caesium-137, a radioactive element. Cadmium and Caesium are extremely hazardous and must be handled with great care.

From 2012 onwards, Jayaraj noticed a serious deterioration in his health. He suffered headaches, pain and numbness in his legs. He informed the management of his health issues but no action was taken. He sought medical treatment, and tests revealed the cadmium level in his blood was three or four times the acceptable limit. He had a high red blood count, high lymphocytes, abnormal glucose levels, and low levels of vitamin D and calcium. The doctors also found that he suffered from bronchitis, muscle cramps and bone softening.

Although it is difficult to prove that all these conditions are work-related, many can be caused or exacerbated by cadmium toxicity and radiation. Jayaraj has been in treatment until the present, but he was fired in 2016 on the grounds of long absenteeism.

In 2012 workers set up a union at the company. The newly created organization tried to address the health and safety situation, including Jayaraj’s case. Management dismissed workers who were part of the union, while others were offered slight pay rises in exchange for a written renunciation of any future union activities. Workers at the company remain without representation.

The situation has not improved in the absence of a union or joint health and safety body representing workers’ interests. Eventually, the company managers were convicted by the Bangalore court and fined, following state inspections in 2009 and 2016. The inspection report referenced Jayaraj’s case and confirmed that excessive levels of cadmium were found in the blood of many workers in the cadmium processing department.

The national Atomic Energy Regulatory Board inspector noticed that workers were handling sealed lead containers of radioactive materials with their bare hands, and recommended the use of forceps. Jayaraj reports that during the inspection only safety conditions related to the radiation sources were checked. These had recently been improved, based on his earlier complaint. The inspector did not visit the quality control department to see the poor safety conditions there.

In their General Principles of Conduct and Action, Saint-Gobain commits “to take particular care to adopt all measures necessary to ensure the best possible protection against health and safety risks in the workplace”. Saint-Gobain Group companies “must scrupulously ensure that employees’ rights are respected. They must promote an active dialogue with their employees.” None of these principles were applied at Saint-Gobain Crystals and Detectors in Bangalore.

IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches issued a letter to the group demanding a proper investigation into the problems identified and adequate measures to repair and improve the situation, including but not limited to: