Los Mineros demand union representation at LafargeHolcim Mexico

A total of 12 workers at LafargeHolcim Apasco cement plant have lost their jobs for executing their right to join a union of their choice, in 2017 and more recently in April 2019.

Los Mineros are appealing to the labour authorities to allow a vote on the basis of a free secret ballot, to allow workers to elect a union of their choice.

For many years, the CTM was the only bargaining agent at the LafargeHolcim Apasco plant through a protection contract signed with the company in absence of a proper consultation with workers. It prevented independent unions such as Los Mineros from organizing workers in the factory and expressing their demands.

Tired of the CTM never defending them and always negotiating behind their backs, workers want Los Mineros to represent them instead, and they are demanding that the company respects the ILO Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, and ILO Convention 87 on the right to Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize.

Los Mineros believe that the recent approval of the labour reform in the Senate will help to finally eliminate the existing protection contract at the Apasco plant. It will also be a test for LafargeHolcim to start respecting workers’ rights:

“The amendment to the Federal Labour Law includes important sections on the right of workers to democratically elect their union leaders. The Government is laying the foundations to guarantee union democracy and the freedom of organizing. We sent our message of support and total solidarity to all the workers of Holcim Apasco,”

said Luis Valdez, Los Mineros spokesman.

IndustriALL general secretary, Valter Sanches, said:

“What we demand is respect, and this implies talking to the unions which truly represent the workers and abandoning the protection contract system in order to hold fair and satisfactory labour relations.

“IndustriALL reiterates our support to Los Mineros as a legitimate representative of LafargeHolcim workers in Mexico. We demand that LafargeHolcim’s management respects the ILO fundamental conventions, whether in Switzerland, Mexico, or anywhere else in the world.”

Unions bring progress and stability to Middle East and North Africa

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Tahar Berberi, Hashmeya Alsadawe and Abdelmajid Mataoul

Bringing together 85 union leaders, the statutory regional conference was opened by regional co-chairs Hashmeya Alsadawe of Iraq and Tahar Berberi of Tunisia, and IndustriALL vice president Abdelmajid Matoual of Morocco. They noted that the region is living in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, which is still unfolding in Sudan and Algeria. This great political awakening brought progressive change to some countries, but the backlash fuels conflict and repression.

Despite this, MENA unions have great optimism for the future. The affiliates, united by IndustriALL Global Union, are a major stabilizing force, turning social demands into a struggle for greater rights.

IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches stressed the importance of the region to the global economy because of its oil and gas reserves. Workers globally face challenges of conflict, precarity, uberization, and the fourth industrial revolution. Only by standing together can we change things.

"Despite repression and conflict, unions are bringing change to the countries of the region"

Valter Sanches

According to the ITUC Global Rights Index 2018, the MENA region was again the worst in the world for the treatment of workers, and conflict in Libya, Palestine, Syria and Yemen has led to the breakdown of the rule of law and the denial of the workers’ rights. Peaceful protests were violently repressed and attempts to form an independent labour movement were crushed by the authorities in various countries.

One country experiencing severe repression is Algeria, as the old guard struggles to hold onto power. A solidarity message was sent to SNATEG president Raouf Mellal, who was arrested shortly before the conference started.

An unexpected bright spot is Iraq, which until recently was mired in conflict, with many areas occupied by Islamic State. Unions have had a progressive effect on society, campaigning for the ratification of ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association, winning permanent contracts for precarious workers in the public sector, and helping to block the regressive Jaafari law that would have allowed girls as young as eight to marry. Unions fight sectarianism, with the Iraqi oil union network bringing together workers in Sunni, Shia and Kurdish regions to defend public ownership of the country’s energy reserves.

Rihab Bahroom of Palestine was one of many strong women leaders

Another encouraging sign was the level of women’s participation and evidence of powerful women leaders emerging across the region. Reporting from the MENA women’s network meeting that concluded the previous day, women expressed their determination to achieve gender equality and access to decision-making power.

Assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan and Ahmed Kemal reported on progress made in the region, praising the concrete examples of work done as part of the building union power programme to organize and retain members, strengthen networks and use international instruments in national union strategies. The participants agreed that IndustriALL’s work in the region contributes to boosting women and youth, and to society generally.

The conference welcomed union representatives from France, Italy, Spain and Norway to develop solidarity between the two sides of the Mediterranean. Union leaders from MENA and Europe committed to cooperating, particularly in strengthening the coordination of regional company networks with European Works Councils, global framework agreements and other instruments towards establishing genuine social dialogue.

As the meeting closed, delegates sang Lebanese singer Marcel Khalife’s “Walking Tall”:

“I'm walking tall
I'm walking with my head held high!”

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Mexico's labour reforms set to bring greater union democracy

The House of Deputies passed the reform on 11 April, and the bill was approved by the Senate on 29 April.

The new act represents a complete overhaul of labour relations and will give workers better access to labour justice and greater freedom of association; it will also make it easier for them to form democratic unions.  

Under the reforms, workers will be free to choose which union to join and will be able to elect their union leaders through an individual, free, secret and direct ballot.

For many years, when elections did take place, the vote was by show of hands. This meant that workers were often forced to vote in front of corrupt, pro-employer unions that had their henchmen at the ready. This put a lot of pressure on workers and prevented them from freely electing their leaders.

Workers will have to be consulted both when the collective agreements are drafted and during the re-negotiations that will be take place every two years. This will also involve an individual, free and secret ballot, which will help to eliminate the so-called employer protection contracts.

Furthermore, a federal office for conciliation and union registration will be created. This decentralized public entity will be tasked with keeping a national register of all collective agreements and all trade unions.

For many years, the federal government, employers and corrupt unions used the conciliation and arbitration boards to decide which unions should be included in the register. As a result, political and economic interests took precedence over those of workers. These boards will now be replaced by labour tribunals within the judicial branch, and proceedings should be shorter, more open and more efficient.

Despite this progress, the labour reform has been the subject of much debate within unions, as it does not take into account certain issues that are crucial for Mexico's workers.  In particular, there has been no amendment of the provisions concerning outsourcing, which are especially problematic for workers and their rights.

According to Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, Mexican Senator, leader of IndustriALL affiliate Los Mineros, as well as IndustriALL regional co-chair, the Senate intends to review these outstanding issues in consultation with business and union leaders, lawyers and other experts.

"We would like to stress to our affiliates throughout the world that this is a huge opportunity to bring democracy to the union movement in Mexico. With this reform, it will be practically impossible to set up employer protection agreements, as all collective agreements will have to be voted on by workers,"

said IndustriALL Global Union's general secretary, Valter Sanches.

IndustriALL condemns DowDuPont lockout of USW in Texas

Local 13-1 members of IndustriALL affiliate, United Steelworkers (USW), have been locked out since 22 April after negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement were abruptly ended by the company.

The USW members have twice voted to reject the company’s poor contract offer. The main three problematic areas for Local 13-1 are wages, overtime distribution and arbitration provisions. The company’s proposals were rejected in worker ballots, first by 96 per cent and second by 98 per cent.

However, instead of negotiating in good faith with the union to reach a fair contract agreement, the company ruthlessly locked the workers out. The USW has filed a complaint to the National Labor Relations Board, identifying the dispute as an Unfair Labor Practice. Rohm & Haas Texas Inc is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DowDuPont, the giant market-leading chemicals conglomerate.

“The company’s decision to lock its doors on these hard-working union members is reckless and irresponsible,” said Ruben Garza, Director of USW’s District 13, which includes Texas and three neighbouring states. “These workers have been bargaining with this company in good faith to reach a fair agreement, and now, through no fault of their own, they find themselves on a picket line.”

USW Local 13-1 and leadership from the Deer Park plant met on 30 April in the presence of a federal mediator. However, according to USW, there was no meaningful movement made by the company towards an agreement. Both parties have agreed to meet again next week to continue dialogue. The USW has consistently stated that they are fully committed to bargain in good faith and reach a fair agreement.

The members of USW Local 13-1 object to the company’s wage proposal of a 1.8 per cent wage increase each year for five years, which is not in line with local industry standards and likely won’t keep up with the cost of living.

They have also rejected a new system of overtime, which attempts to deal with concerns about safety and fatigue. The union argues that the company should fix the problem of understaffing rather than replace an overtime system that works.

In addition, the union is opposed to a new arbitration process that would give management the freedom to discipline employees up to the point of termination without any recourse mechanism for workers.

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IndustriALL is a long-standing member of the DowDuPont North American Labor Council, which extends to trade unions around the world

In a letter to Leo Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers, on 29 April 2019, IndustriALL general secretary, Valter Sanches, wrote:

“We call on DowDuPont to bargain in good faith and reach an agreement with Local 13-1 so that work can restart under a fair contract. IndustriALL Global Union sends our warmest solidarity greetings and support to Local 13-1’s picket line and union hall in Pasadena. Stay strong, you are not alone.”

African textile, leather and garment unions meeting strategizes on AGOA

A strategy workshop organized by the Solidarity Centre Kenya in Nairobi 16-17 April, attended by 27 participants that included IndustriALL Global Union affiliates from Ethiopia, Eswatini, Kenya and Lesotho, confederations from the four countries, and regional bodies, EATUC and SATUCC, discussed how workers’ rights can be protected using the US trade law, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

AGOA, from which 40 African countries are beneficiaries, and 26 enjoy duty free garment exports to the US, has provisions to protect workers’ rights including freedom of association and collective bargaining. Eswatini’s removal and restoration of AGOA benefits was discussed as a case study on how the trade law can be used to protect workers’ rights. 

The US law also aims to promote industrialization through economic policies that reduce poverty, develop infrastructure and provide social services as well as support private enterprise. The integration of African economies into global trade through building trade capacity and linking African to US businesses are some of the goals.

However, the law is silent on women workers’ rights, the environment, and Just Transition issues. It doesn’t also adequately cover supply chains and brands that are sourcing from the AGOA benefiting countries. For instance, targeting brands and supply chains is important for the living wage campaign that unions are carrying out. Most AGOA benefitting countries are not paying living wages and regrettably promoting a race to the bottom on wages. For instance, in the garment sector in Ethiopia wages are as low as US$30.

The AGOA Forum, a civil society grouping that includes trade unions, criticizes the trade law for missing an opportunity to stimulate the transformation of African economies and for using a discredited economic model based on oil and mineral extraction with very little value addition. The Forum says AGOA can do better on women and historically marginalized communities instead of becoming yet another elite project.

Speaking at the workshop Jeffrey Vogt, Solidarity Center’s director for the rule of law department said:

“Recognizing that AGOA has failed to promote trade, the US government included a requirement for beneficiary countries to develop a utilization strategy on a biennial basis as to how more effectively and strategically they will utilize benefits available under AGOA.”

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

“International trade laws such as AGOA are important to Africa’s industrialization, which is lagging behind other continents. AGOA’s support for regional integration is in line with the African Union Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area. By boosting exports, through duty-free access to US markets, AGOA has potential to create jobs in Sub Saharan Africa.”

ILO Convention 176 is key for the mining industry

Several geographically dispersed calamitous events around the world in the mining industry have focused the attention of the world on health and safety on the global mining industry. The dramatic rescue of 33 trapped miners from the depths of a mid-sized copper mine in Chile, the gruesome deaths of 29 miners at the Pike River coal mine in New Zealand, the death of 29 miners at the Upper Big Branch mine in the state of West Virginia, Mexico, Turkey, Pakistan, China, Afghanistan etc. come to mind.

Beyond these calamitous events, almost hidden from the world, mineworkers continue to die in the course of their work from a slow painful and imminent death resulting from occupational diseases. The re-emergence of black lung disease recently, a disease proudly proclaimed by the mining industry as a disease of the past – completely eradicated from the face of the earth – is an indictment on the industry, confirming the lack of meaning in their sound bites and press statements.

Though the adoption of The Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No.176) by the International Labour Organization (ILO), was a welcome development, with a concomitant decrease in the rate and frequency of fatalities in the mining industry, a worrying upward trend in fatalities is emerging, with Pakistan and China as the epicenter of this upward trend. South Africa, another important mining country indicator of occupational health and safety performance has seen a downward performance trajectory in mining fatalities in the recent past.

The Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No.176) is central to achieving the ILO’s decent work agenda and a decent future of work, and is the key to resolving the challenge of occupational safety and health in the mining industry. Global Trade Union strategies on Occupational Health and Safety have proven to be effective contributors to the achievement of the decent work agenda of the ILO and they stand ready to contribute to the future of work. Global trade unions have proved that “Trade Unions Save Lives” with their strategic approach to occupational health and safety in the mining industry. These global trade union strategies are best guarantors of the future of work agenda with their insistence on the link between occupational health and safety and sustainability underpinned by the “Just Transition” concept.

The resolution of the inherent tension engendered by the future of work imperatives such as accelerated technological advances, as in industry 4.0 or the Internet of things (IoT) that best describe the future of work must of necessity be resolved by considering the impacts of the future of work on workers, their families, and the communities that depend upon them. A trade union proposal exists to address the implications of new technologies for labour – the Just Transition concept. This must become central when policy options are adopted by governments on the question of the implementation of new technologies and the mitigation of their social impacts, particularly in the mining industry.

Trade unions have an organic relationship with workers, who are mostly alienated from the production process in a globalised work environment – an alienation that is likely to become more acute as Industry 4.0 transformations play out. The intimate relationship that workers have with the trade unions facilitates the critical role played by trade unions in health and safety in the workplace, the decent work agenda and the future of work.

Read the whole article on the ILO website.

28 April – mourn for the dead; fight for the living

28 April of every year has been designated by trade unions worldwide as a day of sadness, anger, and public mourning to commemorate all workers who have died as the result of their work: whether as the result of a sudden violent accident, a slow wasting diseases, or even an act of suicide brought on by workplace stress. In 2018, IndustriALL's Executive Committee reaffirmed its commitment to recognize and renew the spirit of 28 April as a trade union day of mourning worldwide, for workers killed, injured, or made ill as the result of their work.

We will never compromise or cease in our demand for workers’ rights to:
• know fully about workplace hazards
• refuse or shut down unsafe work without fear of reprisals
• participate fully in all health and safety decision-making

All of our sectors, and all of our regions, are called upon to commemorate 28 April. Please let us know about any events you have held!

This article relates to IndustriALL's ongoing campaign for the ratification of ILO Convention 176 on safety and health in mining, is just one example of our activities.

Global unions target safety at work in pulp, paper, graphical and packaging

(1) The Right to Know – workers must know the hazards and risks in their workplace 

(2) The Right to Act (commonly known as the Right to Refuse Unsafe Work Without Punishment) 

(3) The Right to Participate in the safety programs and structures that manage safety in the workplace. Each of these Rights will be highlighted with action by workers across the global pulp, paper, graphical and packaging sectors.

May and June 2019 will focus on a Worker’s Right to Know. Current Right to Know laws typically focus on a worker’s right to know the hazardous substances and dangerous chemicals they work with, but workers have the right to much more information on dangers at work. Workers require:

“We invite the global pulp, paper and packaging sectors to work with workers and their representatives to fully facilitate the right to know and by doing so build safer and healthier workplaces,” said Joaquina Rodriguez, President, UNI Graphical and Packaging.

“All health and safety standards exist because of trade union action and we invite the pulp, paper, graphical and packaging industries to share information and build safety programs together with their workers who know the work and its hazards better than anyone one else,” said Leeann Foster, IndustriALL Pulp and Paper Working Group Co-Chair.

Similar international mobilizations will be conducted in September/October 2019 around the Right to Act (commonly known as the Right to Refuse Unsafe Work Without Punishment); and focusing March/April 2020 on the Right to Participate, culminating with Workers’ Memorial Day 2020.

Workers’ Memorial Day, observed by unions across the globe on April 28 of each year, is a day dedicated to remember those who have suffered and died on the job and to renew the struggle for safe jobs. Worldwide, each year more than 380,000 workers die tragically at work and another 2.4 million die from work-related illness. 

The pulp, paper, graphical and packaging sectors are extremely dangerous, with a number of fatalities and even more life altering injuries occurring across the globe annually. Transparency with workers on information relating to their health and safety and employer engagement with workers and their unions is fundamental to address loss of life and limb in the industry.

The two international unions, IndustriALL Global Union and UNI bring together unions on all continents across these four industries. 

Please contact Tom Grinter at [email protected] for more campaign materials. 

Russia: trade unions prepare for wage dispute at Volkswagen

At an IndustriALL workshop on 19 and 20 April, representatives from the Interregional Trade Union Workers Association (ITUWA) and the Automobile and Farm Machinery Workers' Union of Russia (AFW) at Volkswagen plant in Kaluga discussed ways to conclude a strong collective agreement, which is currently being negotiated with the employer. 

Unions insist on a 20 per cent increase in wages, arguing that Volkswagen workers' purchasing power has declined by 22 per cent in recent years due to inflation, and labour intensity has increased by at least 30 per cent. For example, currently two shifts at the plant produce the same output as three shifts three years ago. However, Volkswagen is offering a wage increase of only 2.9 per cent. 

The parties will not agree on fundamental issues until 11 May, when the three-month period provided by Russian legislation for collective bargaining expires. After that, the pending paragraphs of the collective agreement will be included in the protocol of disagreements, and a collective labour dispute will go into process. It means employees are allowed to carry out collective action in support of the negotiators' demands. 

Chair of the primary organization of AFW at Volkswagen Group Rus Alexander Abrosimov, said: 

“We have planned several scenarios of collective action in a collective labour dispute, from working precisely by the rules to a fully-fledged strike. We have also developed an information campaign, which consists of a communication strategy within the plant, as well as an external communication plan, targeting consumers.”

The trade unions have put aside their differences and now have a joint organizing campaign. As a result, both affiliates doubled their membership, covering more than 50 per cent of workers at the Kaluga plant. This allowed trade unions to initiate collective bargaining. 

ITUWA president, Dmitry Trudovoj, said,

“We found ways to bridge the gap between our trade union organizations. The workshop showed there is no fundamental difference in the ideology of trade unions at Volkswagen and allowed us to bring our positions closer together.”

Vadim Borisov, regional secretary of IndustriALL, commented:

“Here is an excellent example of how two trade union organizations, which had been in conflict for a long time, have managed to find a common language and moved from confrontation to real solidarity. We believe that joint coordinated actions will help the ITUWA and the AFW to defend workers’ just demands."

Kyrgyz unions oppose anti-union law

The bill was submitted on 12 April for public discussion on the website of the Kyrgyz parliament. However, it was prepared without participation of trade union representatives and does not include any of their proposals.

If adopted the bill will severely restrict the rights of trade unions to independently determine their organizational structure, type of association, trade union membership, as well as the right to establish union leadership bodies, time-frames for their election, and other constraints. All these issues have so far been successfully regulated by trade union statutes.

Furthermore, according to the bill, all trade unions will have to be subordinate to the Federation of Trade Unions of Kyrgyzstan, which will be the only union association recognized as a social partner for the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic at the national level. Thus, all regional and sectoral trade unions will be structural units of the Federation, and no other trade union would be able to operate in the country.

Eldar Tadzhibaev, president of the Mining and Metallurgy Trade Union of Kyrgyzstan, said:

“Labour legislation in Kyrgyzstan has been under attack for over the past seven to eight years. There were attempts to abolish the law on labour protection, change the labour code and so on. This process is influenced by the IMF and other international structures that lobby for the liberalization of legislation in favour of business. The purpose of the new bill is to make unions obedient and then easily change labour laws. We are under attack from different sides, it is important for us to resist them.”

The bill is in clear violation of the ILO Conventions No. 87 on freedom of association, No. 98 on right to organize and collective bargaining, No. 144 on tripartite consultations to promote the implementation of international labour standards as well as the Constitution and the labour code of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Eldar Tadzhibaev, is a member of the working group, created to study and make suggestions on improving legislation on trade unions. The working group was officially established on 20 March 2019 by the order of Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, but has not yet begun work.

Almabubu Zharkynbaeva, president of the trade union of textile, light, paper and related sectors in the Kyrgyz Republic, said:

“About 70 per cent of Kyrgyz workers are in the informal economy. Parliamentarians represent the interests of the business community, so they are not interested in legalizing workers and try to weaken trade unions.”

Vadim Borisov, IndustriALL regional secretary, stated:

“IndustriALL Global Union will use international instruments to help our affiliates to withdraw this bill, which is harmful both to workers and their trade unions. The purpose of the bill is to put independent trade unions in Kyrgyzstan under strict control, while centralizing unions and depriving them of any independence at industry and enterprise.”

IndustriALL condemns brutal arrest of Algerian union leader

Raouf Mellal, president of gas and electricity workers’ union, SNATEG, was violently arrested by police on Tuesday 23 April at a peaceful student demonstration in Algiers.

While in detention, he was handcuffed to an iron chair and interrogated by police before being strip-searched and sexually harassed.

“They took me to the police station and asked me to provide my phone’s code in order to check my mail and personal info. I refused to comply, as there was no judicial ruling ordering me to give it to the police, which made them start psychological torture,” says Mellal.

“I was handcuffed in a fixed iron chair and they started interrogating me by fabricating many charges, such as I stole my phone and that I exploited power and influence, and many other charges. When they realized that I was ready to go the prison, they searched me and took off my clothes in a very humiliating way. I was sexually harassed by one of the agents who tried to touch me on the pretext of searching.

"What happened to me yesterday was horrible and terrifying."

Raouf Mellal, president, SNATEG

Mellal was released later that evening but is now facing jail on charges of impersonating a trade unionist and slander against a director at state-owned gas and electricity provider, Sonelgaz. He is due in court on Sunday 28 April.

“It is very probable that I will be imprisoned on trumped-up charges, maybe because of my trade union activities, and because of our repeated calls for strikes and protests that have alarmed the regime,” says Mellal. “It is obvious that we are experiencing a counter-revolution led by the military and its followers.”

IndustriALL’s general secretary, Valter Sanches, says:

“We vehemently condemn the brutal treatment of Raouf Mellal, who as president of our independent Algerian affiliate, SNATEG, has been fearless in defending workers’ rights, exposing state corruption and calling for regime change. The charges against him are clearly fake and should be dropped at once. The Algerian government must respect the right of its citizens to peaceful protest and form democratic trade unions.”   

IndustriALL affiliates from the Middle East and North Africa, who are currently meeting in Beirut, have expressed their support for the SNATEG leader and for free and democratic unions in Algeria.