INTERVIEW: Natalia Marynyuk

Tell us how you rose through the union ranks at a male-dominated workplace 

“When I started working, I joined the Trade Union of Metalworkers and Miners of Ukraine (PMGU), affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union. In August 2017, more than 20 years after I first started, I was elected leader of the trade union committee. I became the first, and so far, the only woman elected chair of the local union in it 85-year existence. 

“Even though female workers represent slightly less than 30 per cent of the company workforce, women are far more active in the union than their male colleagues. Out of 114 PMGU activists at ArcelorMittal, almost 60 per cent are women.” 

Kryvyi Rih was a large iron-ore mining and metallurgy centre during the Soviet Union and Kryvorizhstal Steel Works exported products to over 30 countries around the world. 

Producing along the full metallurgical cycle, including mining of ore, production of concentrate, agglomerate, coke, cast iron, steel and rolled products, and with around 57,000 workers, the steel works was an attractive proposition to buyers when it was privatized in 2004. 

In 2005, the company was sold to Mittal Steel for US$4.81 billion, far exceeding the US$3 billion predicted by analysts. When Mittal Steel took over Arcelor in 2006, it became ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih.

What did privatization mean for you and your colleagues? 

“When the process of privatization was announced in 2003, workers and trade unions expressed concerns about the future of their jobs. There was a series of protests demanding what we called a social package to be adopted by the government. It was to protect workers and to be respected by a new owner after privatization. 

“As a consequence, Kryvorizhstal Steel Works was privatized with a compulsory social package, containing 19 conditions to be observed by the new owner. This was a first in Ukraine. However, due attention was not paid to all the 19 points, and the union responded by organizing protest actions and meetings to make the employer deliver on the commitments, including promises of wage increases. 

“Between 2005 and 2018, ArcelorMittal effectively more than halved the workforce, from some 57,000 workers to less than 21,000. The cuts were mainly done through voluntary retirement, although that did not make it easier for those who remained on the job. Despite a drastic reduction in the workforce, the company’s production of cast iron, steel and rolled products has remained more or less the same, even slightly increasing.

“Add to the increasing workload a lack of investment, leading to deteriorating buildings and equipment, and you can see a clear decline in workers’ conditions.”

How did your union handle union-busting from the company management? 

“Conditions for the workers in the plant started to seriously deteriorate when a new human resource director was employed in 2017. There was clear hostility towards unions from the start; the terms of the collective agreement were not respected and union proposals were ignored. 

“The situation deteriorated, there were fake union flyers, as well as social media posts and articles in local media slandering the union. The HR director even developed a special union-busting programme for 2018 called ‘Action plan aimed at reducing unions’ influence’. 

“Appeals from the union were ignored by the management. When we called workers for an assembly, the HR director promoted false information about the venue and agenda in an attempt to stop workers from expressing their collective demands. But the union and the workers managed to hold the rally. They also sent an appeal to the CEO of ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, signed by 12,000 people, demanding higher wages, better safety and improved social dialogue. After getting no answer, the union voted to begin a collective dispute in April 2018. 

“The following month, through mediation during a marathon 26-hour mediation meeting, an agreement was reached between management and the unions. The CEO increased the wage fund to UAH1.1 billion (US$40 million), and also dismissed the questionable HR director who had failed to establish a social dialogue in good faith with the workforce.

“There are still problems, but at least today we have social dialogue with the company.

“Since June 2017, there has been an agreement on visa-free entry with the European Union, making it easier for Ukrainian citizens to travel to Europe. As a result, many people have left Ukraine looking for better working conditions and, consequently, for the first time this year, the company has had problems finding enough skilled drivers. 

“After a roof collapsed in March last year, killing a worker, assessment of the buildings and reparation works have started.

“So, the issue of better wages and conditions remains a crucial question for the company.”

Natalia Marynyuk. PMGU

How important is international solidarity for your union? 

“Recognition of our dispute and international solidarity to support it were important in finding a solution. Already in 2015, with the support of IndustriALL, trade unions at ArcelorMittal in Kazakhstan and Ukraine sent a request to the company CEO, asking to let their representatives become part of ArcelorMittal European Works Council. 

“At a meeting in Luxembourg in July 2018, unions at ArcelorMittal formed a global network and committed to pursue global social dialogue with the world’s largest steel company. And the Ukrainian unions were part of it. 

“This platform has allowed the union to raise its concerns on social dialogue with the top global leadership at ArcelorMittal. I am currently part of the ArcelorMittal Joint Global Health and Safety Council, which has also helped improve local social dialogue.”

PMGU 

PMGU is currently the largest union at ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, representing over 70 per cent of the workers. Around 10 per cent of the workforce is not organized, and the remaining 20 per cent are represented by 10 other unions including IndustriALL affiliate, the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine.

Turkish glassworkers on strike over long-standing union busting

Union organizing campaign by Kristal-Is started in 2015 seeking legal recognition at the three subsidiaries of Okan Group, namely Okan Cam, Düzce Cam (both located in Düzce), and Çetaş Cam (located in Samsun). The Turkish Ministry of Labour issued an official document recognizing Kristal-İş as the legitimate workers’ bargaining representative at Düzce Cam.

However instead of entering into proper dialogue with Kristal-Is, Düzce Cam management challenged the certificate issued by the Ministry of Labour and tried to undermine the union. Two years later, the judicial process ended in favour of Kristal-Is, confirming the union’s sufficient majority for being a party to collective bargaining negotiations.

Dusze Cam glassworkers striking over recognition

In spite of repeated calls by IndustriALL Global Union, the Okan Group has failed to respect the rights of workers to join the union of their choice, and engage in collective bargaining negotiations with their representative trade union Kristal-Is.

Okan Group persistently continued its intimidation and anti-union actions against Kristal-İş members in a way to force them to leave the union. To date management has illegally dismissed around 80 union members, including officially nominated union representatives, for their union membership.

In addition, the Okan Group management failed to attend a mediation meeting facilitated by the Turkish Labour Ministry, categorically refusing any dialogue with Kristal-Is.

Kristal-İş demands from Okan Group to:

On 08 August 2019, over the 14th day of the strike, Kristal-İş organized a press conference in front of the plant of Düzce Cam in Düzce with the participation of the strikers, their families, sister unions’ and NGOs’ representatives and also IndustriALL Global Union.

“This struggle continues for more than four years” said General President of Kristal-İş Bilal Çetintaş. “Together with our global union and all allies, we will keep fighting until the justice is here”.

In his address to the strikers and press, Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary said:

“IndustriALL Global Union, together with its 50-million-strong family, greets this strike and extends its full support and solidarity. We will not stay silent. We will do everything in power to get union recognition in this group”.

Kemal Özkan addresses Düzce Cam glassworkers

Düzce Cam is a growing glassmaker in Europe with two float lines open in 2010 and 2016 in Düzce and the third one to be installed soon. Since the factory produces overwhelmingly for exports, IndustriALL Global Union has already reached out the company’s business partners in the glass sector, including Saint-Gobain, Glaverbel, Pilkington, and Guardian, with a demand to do a proper due diligence over the violations of fundamental rights.

Unions build unity through collective bargaining training in Madagascar

These are the issues that were discussed at a two-day workshop held on 2-3 August in Fort Dauphin, organized by the United Steelworkers (USW) from Canada and IndustriALL Global Union with support from the Steelworkers Humanity Fund (SHF). The workshop fleshed out on what needs to be done by a union to be effective in collective bargaining.

Attended by 26 participants, mostly worker representatives and shop stewards from IndustriALL affiliates Sendika Kristanina Malagasy (Sekrima) and Syndicalisme et Vie des Societes (SVS) with facilitators from USW and IndustriALL, the workshop showed that unions from different continents can work together and exchange learning and knowledge sharing of strategies on collective bargaining.

In the workshop, participants took lessons from the recently concluded negotiations with Rio Tinto's QMM subsidiary and recognized the critical importance of greater communication and engagement with the union members and workers in order to address workers’ needs. This was highlighted as key to achieving stronger collective agreements in the future.

 

Denis Trottier and Guy Gaudette, the USW trainers, shared their experiences on the importance of preparing for negotiations with employers.

“There is need to keep workers updated with information to build support and solidarity in making sure that in the event that the negotiations fail, the workers should decide on the next steps.”

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

“We are working to bring together our affiliates SVS and Sekrima to work together on collective bargaining strategies. When unions are united, they stand a better chance in negotiations with the employer.”

As part of the project to build union solidarity between the SVS and Sekrima, the SHF will support a shared office for the two unions. The office will receive workers’ grievances and identify workers’ priorities on which the unions can build consensus. From this a list of demands will be made for the next round of negotiations.

The IndustriALL union building project will also contribute to this initiative by supporting organizing drives for both unions.

Indian unions hold nationwide protest against anti-worker labour law ‘reforms’

Workers across India, including those from IndustriALL’s affiliates, hit the streets in response to central trade unions’ call for nationwide protests on 2 August as the Modi government introduced the Code on Wages Bill and the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Bill in Lok Sabha in the current parliament session.

 

The Code on Wages, which has now been passed by the parliament, amalgamates four separate labour laws that govern fixing and paying wages. Unions say the new code reneges on progress made in the recent past through social dialogue and undermines the participation of union representatives in the process of fixing minimum wages.

While unions demanded that minimum wages should be revised annually, the new code allows the revision at least once in five years.  The code on wages also grossly dilutes the inspection regime by replacing the labour inspector with an ‘inspector-cum-facilitator’ and introduces a web-based, randomized, computerized inspection scheme, jurisdiction-free inspections and reviewing information electronically for inspection.

Modi is attempting to amalgamate 44 existing labour laws into four simple labour codes.

The code on occupational safety, health and working conditions subsumes thirteen existing labour laws and is yet to be passed by the parliament. These and other two labour codes on industrial relations and social security are part of the Modi government’s attempt to amalgamate 44 existing labour laws into four simple labour codes.

Existing labour laws were originally enacted as a result of workers’ struggles and address specific needs and protections of workers’ rights in a variety of manufacturing, services and construction sectors. Trade unions have opposed the oversimplification of labour laws and contend that both the bills absolutely ignored objections raised by unions.

In a press release, the central trade unions stated that by repealing existing laws, the government, “in their most obedient services of their corporate masters” has grossly tampered with the workers’ rights and excluded a large number of workers from coverage by labour codes.

"Trade unions genuinely are ignored while the principal purposes of the labour code seem to be facilitating ease of doing business."

Dr. G Sanjeeva Reddy, IndustriALL executive committee member and the president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress said that,

“The working class in India is facing the worst ever onslaught on workers’ rights under the Modi government. All social dialogue institutions, traditions and practices that were painstakingly built for over seventy years are undermined. Trade unions genuinely are ignored while the principal purposes of the labour code seem to be facilitating ease of doing business. In coming days trade union movement’s united resistance will be intensified.”

Central trade unions participating in the nationwide action include INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC and independent federations and associations of workers and employees.

Northern Ireland shipyard workers occupy yard that built the Titanic

The 130 workers, members of IndustriALL Global Union affiliates Unite and GMB, are calling for the yard to be nationalized. The yard was put up for sale in December 2018 due to serious financial problems at its Norwegian parent company, Dolphin Drilling, and has so far failed to find a buyer. Administrators are expected to make an announcement this evening, and place the firm in administration on the morning of 6 August. The workers have been given redundancy notices.

Photo: Unite Northern Ireland

In addition to the occupation, workers protested outside Stormont, the Northern Ireland Assembly, and held a family day at the yard on Sunday. Messages of support and solidarity have flooded in from across the UK and Ireland, as well as further afield.

Photo: Unite Northern Ireland

The unions are concerned that the yard will be sold after administration and asset stripped, with the company’s expertise and skilled workforce discarded. Unions are calling for the yard to be nationalized as part of the UK government’s strategy to protect shipbuilding. The closure of the yard could also have an effect on other yards, as Harland and Wolff is part of a consortium which is bidding for a Royal Navy contract.

Photo: Susan Fitzgerald

The Harland and Wolff yard is an iconic part of Belfast’s industrial heritage and landscape. Founded in 1861, the yard employed 35,000 workers at its peak, building the Titanic and many other famous ships.

The yard has not built a ship since 2003, but has remained active repairing and refitting ships and oil rigs, and providing structural engineering to the offshore oil, gas and renewable energy sectors. In 2008, the yard built SeaGen, then the world’s largest tidal energy generator, and has subsequently built components and platforms for offshore wind farms.

Photo: Susan Fitzgerald

Susan Fitzgerald of Unite said,

“There is still time for the Government to put aside its ideological prejudices and re-nationalize Harland and Wolff.  Given the cost – in terms of lost purchasing power and taxes, as well as expenditure on benefits – of losing Harland and Wolff’s jobs, re-nationalization would be a sound commercial decision as well as an investment in Northern Ireland’s future.”

Michael Mulholland of the GMB said:

“Our members have been protesting for almost 24 hours straight – such is the strength of feeling for this famous yard. GMB demands Harland and Wolf is renationalized, securing hundreds of jobs and Belfast’s place as a global centre of shipbuilding.”

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

“This historic yard is part of Belfast’s industrial heritage. But it belongs to the future, too. There is surging demand for renewable energy, and Harland and Wolff workers have demonstrated that they have the expertise and experience to turn the yard around and supply the sector.

“It is deeply irresponsible to allow the yard to close. It must be saved.”

Bangladesh unions organize medical camp for shipbreaking workers

The temporary clinic to provide a basic health check-up and free medical treatment to shipbreaking workers was organized by IndustriALL affiliates the Bangladesh Metal Workers' Federation (BMF) and the Bangladesh Metal, Chemical, Garments and Tailors Workers' Federation (BMCGTWF) as part of the IndustriALL and FNV shipbreaking workers projects.

It was observed that most of the shipbreaking workers face general health issues like body pain, fever and physical weakness, and a few workers presented with intense pain in the legs, knees and bones. Doctors provided prescriptions and advice for follow up diagnostics.

 

Md. Halim (27), a shipbreaking worker, said,

"Doctors at this medical camp were very friendly and they carefully explained my health problem. I am very happy that in addition to some health tips I also received medicines. We hope there will be more such medical camps in coming days, which will be very useful for me and hundreds of shipbreaking workers in this area."

General physicians, orthopedics and skin specialists of Chattogram Medical College Hospital participated in the camp and provided treatment for shipbreaking workers.

 

Kan Matsuzaki, IndustriALL shipbuilding and shipbreaking director said,

 “The health camp was organized to provide some basic medical support to shipbreaking workers in the absence of medical facilities near shipbreaking yards. The government and employers need to take more meaningful steps to create good health infrastructure for shipbreaking workers”.

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary said,

“We commend IndustriALL Bangladesh affiliates for taking this important solidarity initiative with the shipbreaking workers by organizing health camps successively for the second year. We look forward to having similar fruitful interventions in future.”

Four coal miners dead and nine injured in a Coal India accident

Bharatpur is in the Talcher coalfields of Mahanadi Coalfields, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited in the state of Odisha.

So far, nine coal miners have been rescued from the debris and are receiving medical treatment. The bodies of three miners, Papun Biswal (28), a driver, Rashmi Ranjan Behera (25), a supervisor and Raju Mohapatra (37) have been recovered, while one other workers’ body is yet to be recovered.

All the accident victims are precarious workers. According to local trade union representatives, the accident could have been prevented. The union safety committee had raised concerns with management in a meeting, but appropriate action was not taken. 

According to a recent estimate by the Directorate General of Mines Safety, mine accidents claim a large number of miners’ lives every year. From June 2016 to June 2019, a total of 417 miners were killed in fatal mine accidents, with 238 of the victims being coal miners.

Union representatives expressed deep concerns that high production targets, unplanned extraction of coal, outsourcing coal production to third parties, involvement of a large number of untrained precarious workers and management negligence of safety measures continues to result in such avoidable accidents in the mines of Coal India Limited.

Meanwhile, Coal India management has suspended the senior mine manager and announced compensation. For the past seven days, some workers have continued to protest demanding higher compensation and high-level investigation into the accident.

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for the mining, diamond, gem, ornament and jewelry processing sectors said,

“It is unfortunate that management negligence continues to cause avoidable accidents and claim the precious lives of hundreds of miners in India. It is time that the government of India step up its efforts to improve mine safety and immediately ratify and implement ILO Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines.”

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia Regional Secretary, said,

“It is appalling that such completely avoidable ‘accidents’ are occurring in the mines owned by a subsidiary of Coal India, a public sector undertaking. It is high time that safety procedures and practices were overhauled so that workers lives are not constantly endangered.”

Union says corruption main cause of Zimbabwe’s power cuts

The level of corruption is so high that services have been crippled. In the few factories that remain open, thousands of jobs are being lost as there is no power to run machinery and equipment. The power utility is also unable to service its over US $20 million debt to South Africa’s Eskom, which has been supplying the country with power.

The Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union (ZEWU), affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, says corruption has been going on for many years. Said Martin Chikuni, general secretary of ZEWU:

“The corruption can be traced to the time when the power utility was broken into five so-called strategic business units. The semi-autonomous entities, ZESA Holdings, Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company, Zimbabwe Power Company, Powertel and ZESA Enterprises seem to have been created to syphon money from the power utility.”

For instance, millions of dollars were spent on unsuitable meters imported from India and money was paid to companies that never delivered.  Equipment at the power stations is old and not regularly maintained.

According to ZEWU, the management at ZESA has neither experience nor expertise on energy issues and failed to plan for the expansion of power production. Further, executives are overpaid, and funds meant for operations diverted to other issues. ZEWU argues that the five entities should be brought back into one. With no research done on renewable energy, the country continues to rely on hydro and thermal energy sources, says the union.

The power utility also ignores collective bargaining agreements it signed with unions and is being challenged for unfair labour practices in the courts. The utility is losing workers with critical skills because of the violations of workers’ rights and failure to pay living wages.

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

“It is shocking that power cuts can last for more than 18 hours. We call upon the Ministry of Energy and Power Development to find solutions to deal with the energy crisis in Zimbabwe, and for ZESA to respect the collective agreements and workers’ rights.”

ZEWU is part of the Sub Saharan Africa Energy Network, which is campaigning for sustainable energy that includes energy mix and Just Transition policies. The network is made up of 17 IndustriALL affiliates from 13 countries.

Cement unions in India commit to improve occupational health and safety

Trade union representatives reported that despite improvements in OHS in the cement industry and periodic health check-ups in many places, most of the workforce in the industry is not provided with comprehensive safety training.

As a result, a large number of cement industry workers are not aware of the occupational hazards they face due to their exposure to crystalline dust, alternative fuels, heat, heavy burdens, shift work and more.

The network paid special attention to the continuous use of asbestos in India despite its mining ban in 2011. Workers in the cement and other sectors remain exposed to this deadly substance, a situation which many define as a time bomb ready to explode at any moment.

Union representatives highlighted that while fatal and near fatal accidents attract more attention, a large number of occupational illnesses including musculoskeletal, respiratory, skin and circulatory diseases, are often not even recognized as occupational diseases, resulting in a lack of appropriate medical treatment and compensation for victims.

The enormous presence of precarious workers with poor working conditions and lack of social protection continues to pose major challenges in improving OHS. In recent times, almost all fatal accidents in the Indian cement industry have involved precarious workers.

Alexander Ivanou, IndustriALL materials officer said that,

“Indian cement industry employers have the responsibility to cooperate with unions on improving OHS at workplaces. Employers must recognize workers’ right to know hazards involved at work, participate in the decision-making process on OHS issues and refuse work or shutdown with no repercussions for them. A system of effective social dialogue with unions’ participation is the only possible way to improve workers’ safety and protect their health and life in India.”

Apoorva Kaiwar, regional secretary of IndustriALL said,

“It is encouraging to see that due to our continuous engagement, trade unions have increased their attention to OHS issues and in many cases designated OHS union representatives and taken initiatives to form OHS committees in their workplaces. Our efforts to support and build IndustriALL affiliates’ capacity will continue”.

Trade union representatives resolved to intensify their focus on OHS issues, form and improve OHS committees, strengthen the capacity of union members, involve precarious workers in OHS training and organize periodic medical camps. They called for training by IndustriALL in international OHS best practice in the cement industry.

Union representatives continue working on enhanced union membership and regularization of precarious workers. They committed to putting more effort into organizing, solidarity support to precarious workers and improved participation of women and youth in union work.

The workshop also discussed sustainability challenges faced by the cement industry due to climate change and rapid technological transformation, often defined as Industry 4.0. The unions underlined the need to build union power to defend workers’ rights.

Initiatives towards strengthening social dialogue and building union networks in companies such as LafargeHolcim, HeidelbergCement, CRH, Cemex and others were also discussed.

The two-days workshop was organized under the IndustriALL South Asia union building and multinational companies supply chain project.

Young workers discuss strategies for the future of unions in Africa

These are some of the issues that were discussed at the youth activist school in Durban, South Africa, 23-25 July which concluded that the challenges are also an opportunity to transform unions.

The 26 participants at the school were drawn from five IndustriALL Global Union affiliates from Madagascar, Mauritius and South Africa: Union des Syndicats Autonomes de Madagascar-Federation des Syndicats Autonomes des Travailleurs d’Industrie and Confédération des Travailleurs du Secteur Prive from Mauritius participated. The South African affiliates represented were the National Union of Mineworkers, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union, and UASA.

The issues discussed include youth involvement in organizing and building union power. Upskilling young workers for future union leadership, participation of young women in the unions, building union solidarity to confront multinational companies and deal with social issues including xenophobia in South Africa as well as migrant workers’ rights. Unions were also urged to engage governments, through social dialogue, on sustainable industrial policies and youth employment policies. Unions should also organize informal workers such as artisanal miners.

The school said unions should work with community groups on social issues such as land and housing. Abahlali baseMjondolo, a South African housing and land rights activist group, participated and suggested how unions can work with community movements. 

The school was organized by the IndustriALL Sub Saharan African region with support from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) South Africa, and the FES Trade Union Competence Centre (FES-TUCC). The IndustriALL regional office and FES Nigeria and FES Tanzania have conducted similar youth schools in those countries.

Mbuso Moyo, programme manager for labour and social policy at FES South Africa said:

“We commend our partnership with IndustriALL for fighting for the rights of vulnerable workers and for accomplishing a lot with limited resources.”

Iris Nothofer, FES-TUCC added: 

“The formation of youth structures and the involvement of young workers in union activities plays a crucial role in transforming trade unions. If trade unions want to remain relevant actors in shaping societal and political change, they must become more inclusive, representative and democratic.”

Paule Ndessomin

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa said the school is an opportunity for the youth:

“The school is an opportunity for young trade unionists to define the union that they want to see in the future. Unions should adapt to technological shifts and engage governments on sustainability and Just Transition policies.”