Unions in Colombia march against violence

IndustriALL affiliates Sintracarbon, Sintraelecol and USO have been involved in various campaigns organized by Colombia's central union of workers (CUT) to condemn the Duque government's measures, which include a cut in the minimum wage for young people and an increase in the official retirement age.

The unions are also protesting against the fact that the government has not taken steps to arrest those responsible for the killing of hundreds of human rights campaigners and indigenous leaders.

On 25 November, an 18-year-old activist died after being injured by a teargas canister fired by anti-riot police. The young activist, Dylan Cruz, became a national symbol of the repression of protestors and the excessive force used by police against human rights campaigners.

The CUT called a general strike on 27 November, with the aim of achieving the same impact as on 21 November, which was the biggest day of protests in Colombia's history.

Protestors once again called for the ESMAD anti-riot police force to be dismantled and for police corruption to be ended; they also condemned the tax reform and paid tribute to Dylan Cruz.  

On 25 November, the ITUC released a report on the on-going and increasing violence against union members and human rights activists.

Between 1 January 2016 (11 months before the Peace Agreement was signed) and 8 September 2019, a total of 777 union leaders and human rights campaigners were killed in Colombia.

The report states that the Duque government is facilitating the extermination of union leaders, human rights activists and former fighters by ensuring ongoing impunity.  It also says that the Colombian government has declared war on employment and union rights in order to bring in its labour and pension reforms, all of which goes against the country's international committments.

IndustriALL's regional secretary, Marino Vani, says:

"We support the national strike and the actions by our affiliates to combat violence and protest against the harmful measures announced by Iván Duque's government.

"We call on the government to withdraw these measures and to take steps to guarantee union leaders and human rights activists' right to peaceful protest."

Swedish and Zambian unions tackle gender issues

These are some of the recommendations from a gender workshop whose goal was to identify ways to develop policies to stop sexual harassment in unions, to educate women workers, and come up with procedures to prevent unwanted behaviours.
 
The 18 participants who attended the workshop in Lusaka on 26 November were from the IndustriALL Global Union Sub Saharan Africa regional office, Zambian IndustriALL affiliates, and Swedish unions. 

The workshop discussed norms and gender roles, linking them to power analysis, which is important in sexual harassment cases. Gender inequality was discussed as one of the drivers of sexual harassment.

Issues discussed included definitions of feminism and patriarchy considering similarities and differences in the Zambian and Swedish contexts. Other concepts discussed included empowerment and disempowerment and structural oppression.

The concept of intersectionality and how different systems of power, like age, gender and nationality, interact in oppression and how this shaped gender was discussed.
 
Karin Ström, international policy officer, and Lina Andersson, gender policy officer from Unionen and Fanny Högrell, trade union officer, IF Metall, explained their unions systematic work on gender equality, the long struggle for recognition on these issues, the battles won and the challenges ahead.
 
Paule France Ndessomin IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa, said:

”Global solidarity is important in building the capacity of unions to confront sexual harassment and gender based violence. The campaign for countries to adopt ILO C190 on violence and harassment in the world of work is gaining momentum. We are calling on our affiliates to put pressure on their governments to ratify the convention.”

COP25 blog – 3 December 2019

At the trade union morning meeting, Just Transition was top of the list. Our guest speaker from the ILO indicated that the ILO is taking the issue more seriously and making a greater effort to get member states to commit to a Just Transition, using the ILO’s guidance. This is welcome news.

In mainstream discussions, as pointed out in yesterday’s blog, resolving member states’ differences on Article 6 will prove difficult. As is often the case when so-called “market mechanisms” are under debate, the social dimension – what happens to workers and their communities, for example – are easily forgotten. There is no market without people. I will be watching this issue closely.

I will try to capture, below, a few interesting snippets from subsidiary and side events.

Women: The gender dimensions of sustainability (and climate impact) are not being taken seriously. Not only will women frequently be the earliest and most seriously affected by climate change, but because of lower educational opportunities and more precarious work, will have less resilience to deal with it. Given that women are under-represented in the political process of most countries, it is also less likely that their plight will be addressed.

Just Transition: In a side event on energy issues, IndustriALL affiliate Joie Warnock of Unifor Canada spoke on the efforts made to craft a Just Transition for coal miners in Western Canada, and how a change in the Provincial government was undoing much of what had been agreed upon. 

Rising production of fossil fuels: At the same side event, another interesting and worrisome aspect of the global crisis was highlighted. Many people are aware of the emissions gap – the difference between global greenhouse gas emissions and what they need to be if we are to maintain global average temperature increase to less than 1.5 Celsius degrees. The other gap, however, is the production gap. While the world makes too-slow efforts to reduce fossil fuel use, energy companies continue to explore and drill furiously, finding more reserves of fossil fuels that are worthless unless extracted and burned. To recoup their investment they must then lobby governments to allow the resources to be extracted and burned. Many resource-rich countries are planning increased production in the years to come. This is impossible to reconcile with any real effort to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions.

Minorities: Other events highlighted the climate-related issues facing indigenous peoples, and disabled persons.

Oceans: More alarming science was revealed, this time about the climate stress and acidification already affecting the world’s oceans.

COP25 blog – 2 December 2019

It is difficult to get a feel for the mood of a conference such as this on the first day.

The usual formalities were observed, along with solemn statements about the urgency of what is increasingly being referred to as a climate crisis, or climate emergency, rather than simply climate change. The youth movement, led by Greta Thunberg, has had an impact. No-one who has paid any attention to the science doubts that the world indeed faces a crisis.

This COP was supposed to be held in Santiago Chile, until at the last minute President Piñera decided that the unrest in Santiago meant he could no longer guarantee the safety of delegates, as if the Chilean demonstrators were violent and not the police who already killed 24 people and hurt over 2,200. The situation in Chile that led to this shift should not be ignored – political instability is a symptom of the inequality and unrest generally being felt around the world, which is itself made worse by climate change and certainly will complicate any efforts to deal with the climate crisis. Spain stepped in, and the COP is being held on its originally-scheduled dates. This was a remarkable feat, given the short length of time available to Spain to organize such a massive event, and they should receive kudos for doing so.

The need for a Just Transition was mentioned in the remarks of Carolina Schmidt of Chile, but much of the first day was taken up with procedural issues.

The unresolved question of “cooperative measures”, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, will be a fairly big topic. Article 6 speaks to the use of voluntary cooperation and implies carbon emissions trading. Obviously, for a global emissions trading scheme to work, the rules must be clear and full transparency must be observed.

Trade union delegates started to arrive, but due to restrictions on registration time at the COP, more of us will be on hand tomorrow.

It is interesting to see how the language of Just Transition is now being incorporated even in the public relations of Parties to the COP, as you can see in the attached photo. This is both a compliment, and a challenge. Obviously I am pleased that Just Transition has become part of the mainstream discussion at these conference – it is the result of many years of work by the labour movement. However, the danger is that the phrase may be co-opted and re-defined by others according to their priorities. We must be vigilant to keep the message of Just Transition clear.

IndustriALL demands climate action with Just Transition

What does IndustriALL Global Union hope will be achieved there?

COP21, held in Paris in 2015, achieved the Paris Agreement on climate change. The mechanism by which the world agreed to try to limit global warming to less than 1.5 Celsius degrees was Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Initial NDCs were set in 2015 and are to be reviewed every 5 years; therefore they will be reviewed at COP26, to be held in 2020.

COP 22, 23, and 24 could be considered the conferences at which many of the detailed implementation rules governing the Paris Agreement were hammered out. Particularly important to the trade union movement was COP24 last year in Katowice, Poland, which resulted in a so-called Katowice rule-book, and at which the Silesia Declaration on Just Transition was adopted. Just Transition already appears in the Paris Agreement, but the Silesia Declaration was a very important step forward in winning the commitment of all Parties to considering the impact of climate change measures on working people, their families, and the communities and cultures that depend on them.

There remain some ground rules to be negotiated, particularly those governing a global emissions trading scheme, and finance arrangements for (particularly) the world's least developed countries to deal with the climate emergency. However, this year’s COP25 could be considered the conference at which the emphasis will shift from designing a framework to facilitating its implementation.

Importantly, the data that countries will report next year, for example, will determine how much the NDC ambition will need to be increased to meet the Paris Agreement goals.

There is no doubt that the present level of commitments in NDCs is inadequate. Therefore, member states will agree to a revised and more ambitious set of NDCs in 2020 at COP26. That is why the labour movement is focused this year on pressuring the parties to integrate the language of Just Transition into their revised NDCs. This would give us much greater power to insist on Just Transition measures in national discussions. Closely related to this effort will be a push to get parties to sign on to the “Climate Action for Jobs” initiative announced at the United Nations Climate Summit held in September of this year.

As was discussed at IndustriALL's recent executive committee meeting, there are many positive signs. Just Transition is now a mainstream talking point. The ILO has engaged in the climate debate in a more effective way. Several good examples of Just Transition programmes now exist around the world.

However big challenges await many of IndustriALL's affiliates. There is no doubt that there is a climate crisis and there is no doubt that serious corrective and adaptive actions need to be taken, and soon. On 28th November, the European Parliament correctly declared a climate emergency. The labour movement's task is to ensure that workers are not simply cast aside in the process.

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL's general secretary, stated:

“Renewable energy sources are getting cheaper and more competitive, which is a good thing. However we’re seeing a massive wave of closures of coal mine sites all over the world with no proper reconversion for companies, jobs and the communities. Left to the so-called free market, workers are paying for climate solutions with the destruction of their jobs and their communities.

"There must be a future for people, as well as the planet – an optimistic future, a future that workers will want to embrace. That's what a Just Transition is all about.”

Brian Kohler will be reporting from COP25 in Madrid with short summaries of the events. Watch for them here.

– Photo: Becker1999

Deilmann-Haniel fires workers demanding safety in Belarus

In August 2019, workers wrote to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection with a collective complaint asking for safety certification of their workplace. Although the certification took place, the employer failed to comply with its results. Four months after the workers’ complaint, the employer changed the company name to Redpath Deilmann and started concluding new contracts with workers. However, about 20 people who signed the complaint received notifications about non-renewal of their contracts.

According to IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BITU), mine shafts at the Nezhinsky Mining and Processing Plant have been drilled for the LLC “Slavkali” by the German company Deilmann-Haniel GmbH since 2017.

The union has also received complaints of workers about wage discrimination at the company who say that workers of the same qualification get different pay for the same work, depending on their nationality. German nationals are paid the most, followed by Russians, while the local Belarusians are the lowest paid.

At the meeting with BITU leaders, the German employer noted that the company was only worried about putting the facility into operation on time. Other issues were of no interest. And now, when one third of the work has been completed, the company is dismissing highly skilled workers and replacing them with new ones, as it appears from the job advertisements for Redpath Deilmann.

Maksim Pazniakou, BITU chairman, said: “On behalf of our members at Redpath Deilmann, BITU demands that the company complies with Belarusian legislation. Our most fundamental and urgent demand is to keep jobs for Belarusian workers, who exercised their legal right in our country to demand justice in their workplace, just like the German workers in the homeland of this German employer.”

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL mining director, said: “This is a bad example of violation of workers’ rights when the employer is trying to use the short-term contract system in Belarus and get rid of workers who try to defend their rights. We urge Deilmann-Haniel to stop persecuting workers in Belarus and apply all legal safety requirements at their operation in Belarus, in cooperation with BITU representatives.”

Michael Wolters IG BCE international department said: "It is a very unusual unsocial behavior of a German mining company. Ending the contracts of workers because they signed a complaint to the state authorities as the company refused to explain, why it is not following the occupational safety rules of Belarus. I am pretty sure the works council won‘t be happy to hear about this bad record, which is not helpful for a company, who is depending on contracts abroad.“

India ratifies Hong Kong Convention

Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan and Turkey are world’s the top five shipbreaking countries, accounting for more than 98 per cent of the global shipbreaking by gross tonnage.

On 28 November, the largest one, India, ratified the International Maritime Organization-IMO’s the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe Recycling and Environmentally Sound of Ships.

The Hong Kong Convention will only enter into force when:

With India's ratification, the number of states required has now been reached.

Approximately 10 per cent of the tonnage and 0.4 per cent of the recycling volumes need to be added before the Convention can enter into force.

IndustriALL has intensified the campaign to clean up shipbreaking, often labelled the most dangerous job in the world, lobbying major maritime states. The industry has a responsibility to provide, and workers have a right to expect, safe, healthy, clean and sustainable jobs.

Kan Matsuzaki, IndustriALL director for shipbuilding and shipbreaking, says:

“The Hong Kong convention sets out a minimum and is a first step towards creating a level playing field for a sustainable future. India is taking its responsibility; now it’s time for China, Bangladesh and Pakistan to ratify the convention.”

V.V. Rane, Vice Chairperson of IndustriALL’s Shipbuilding and Shipbreaking Sector as well as leader of India's largest shipbreaking union, ASSRGWA, says:

“ASSRGWA has organized workers at the world's largest ship recycling yard in Alang. With the ratification, workers' rights will be protected and there will be room for social dialogue. The industry will also aim to be sustainable.

“We congratulate the government of India for ratifying the Hong Kong Convention.”

IndustriALL stands in solidarity with the people of Iran

The protests started on 15 November, after the government tripled the fuel price overnight. What began as an economic protest soon turned into a broader series of protests against government corruption and mismanagement.

The government responded with brutal repression, shooting and beating protesters. Many of those killed were young people, who were allegedly shot by snipers. Protesters subsequently erected road blocks and barricades, and burnt banks, government buildings and other symbols of the regime. President Hassan Rouhani blamed the US and other foreign elements for organizing the protests.

The Iranian regime blocked the Internet from 16-27 November, making it is difficult to get accurate information. Due to the internet shutdown, IndustriALL was unable to make contact with its Iranian affiliate Union of Metalworkers and Mechanics of Iran (UMMI). The internet was restored on Wednesday this week.

IndustriALL expresses solidarity with the Iranian people in this dark period of repression, and supports them in their struggle for peace, human and democratic rights, and social and economic justice.

IndustriALL calls on the Iranian government to:

Strike in Chile calling for social change

The more than 200 trade unions and social organizations that make up the Social Unity movement held a general strike across the country to protest against the policies put in place by Sebastián Piñera's government. They say that the solutions proposed by the government do not meet their demands for social change.

Horacio Fuentes, president of Industrial Chile-Constramet, which is part of the Social Unity movement, said:

"The government has not withdrawn its regressive agenda, and its solutions don't go far enough. Its proposals are in line with the neoliberal model that has caused this crisis in Chile. We think we need to stay out on the streets."

The protests in Chile have been going on for more than six weeks. Protestors are calling for structural changes to the economy and public policies in order to bring an end to the widespread social inequality. Protestors also want the Constitution amended to guarantee social justice.

Although the government has acted on the calls for a new Constitution, it has not involved union leaders in the process.The union movement says that the so-called "Agreement for social peace and a new Constitution" reached on 15 November does not meet the real needs of the Chilean people.

Unions are also saying that they will continue to fight against impunity, given that protestors have been violently repressed by state security forces.

Chile's Ministry of Justice and Human Rights confirmed that the death toll has risen to 24, while the National Human Rights Institute reported that 7,259 people have been arrested and 2,808 injured.

IndustriALL Global Union's regional secretary, Marino Vani, said:

"We once again call on the authorities to respect people’s right to freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration.

We urge Chile's government to work with all sectors of society, including the union movement, to change the Constitution to guarantee social justice and provide solutions to the deep-rooted problems affecting Chilean society."

Precarious workers occupy Honda factory in India

HMSI, one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world, employs about 4,000 workers at its Manesar plant. About 2,500 of them are precarious contract workers, most of whom have worked for the company for more than a decade through contractors without being regularized. Citing a decline in sales, the company started retrenching workers this year.

In August, around 800 contract workers were retrenched. On 4 November, another 200 workers were put on unpaid leave and told that they would be rehired after three months. However, due to the volume of retrenchments, workers feared that they would not be recalled at all.

 

The next day, management refused to allow 400 contract workers to enter the plant, and those inside started a sit-in strike. Later, other shifts joined the action, until more than 1,000 precarious workers had occupied the factory while a large number of retrenched workers protested outside. After several days the company stopped all production. For fourteen days until 18 November, workers occupied the factory despite numerous challenges.

The workers did not eat for many days as no food was allowed into the factory. Many workers fell ill and were hospitalized, as access to clean drinking water and toilets was restricted. The desperate workers were persuaded to vacate the factory premises on the pretext that their issues would soon be resolved.

 

The HMSI union of the permanent workers has been working in solidarity and representing precarious workers in the negotiations. Meanwhile, the company has suspended six workers, including the president and general secretary of the permanent workers’ union.

Valter Sanches, general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, in a letter to the president and CEO of the HMSI stated that,

“The peaceful fourteen days’ sit-in protest exemplifies the workers’ anxiety to protect their livelihood to support their families. Most of these young workers have spent their prime youth for the benefit of HMSI.

“We call upon HMSI, as a principle employer, to take responsibility for ensuring fair working conditions at the plant. Therefore, we urge HMSI to follow the rule of law in letter and spirit and regularize the workers, who have been working for the company for a long period of time, and pay appropriate compensation to those who were retrenched in the recent past.”

The letter also called on the HMSI management to revoke all vindictive suspensions of HMSI union members, who supported the fair demands of contract workers, and engage in genuine social dialogue with the union to resolve outstanding issues.

On 25 November the company resumed production and called on the permanent workers to return to work after signing a good conduct undertaking. All contract workers joined the retrenched workers and are continuing to protest outside the factory.