Thousands attend funeral of murdered Turkish trade union leader

Abdullah Karacan, the much-revered president of IndustriALL Global Union’s Turkish affiliate, DİSK/Lastik- İş, united the union movement and civil society at a ceremony held at the social facilities of his union in the city of Izmit on 14 November.

The presidents and general secretaries of Turkish trade union national centres, DİSK, Turk- İş and Hak- İş, as well as leaders from all trade unions in Turkey, government officials, political figures and thousands of workers assembled to bid farewell to Brother Karacan.

The crowd listened to eulogies from three speakers: the general secretary of Lastik- İş, Alaaddin Sari, the president of DİSK national centre, Arzu Cerkezoglu and IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan, who said:

“Not just here in Turkey, but across the world, sisters and brothers at international, European and national trade unions are mourning Abdullah Karacan.

“As a good human, wonderful father and courageous union leader, Abdullah Karacan has left a proud legacy of struggle, a strong union and a vision. Now the ranks of Lastik- İş must promise in their final farewell to raise the flag higher.”

The regional president of Lastik-İş Mustafa Sipahi and shop steward Osman Bayraktar were also injured in the attack by the gunman. Both remain in hospital but are out of intensive care. Kemal Özkan visited the two wounded union officials at the hospital to convey messages of solidarity from IndustriALL. He will also visit the family of Abdullah Karacan, who leaves behind a wife and four daughters.

The gunman has been charged with murder and attempted murder and the police investigation continues.

As leader of the rubber and chemical union, Brother Karacan won significant victories against precarious work by persuading multinational tyre companies to end outsourcing at their operations in Turkey.

Abdullah Karacan was also a substitute member of IndustriALL’s Executive Committee.

Congo mining unions unite at Glencore

This is the resolution of a meeting which took place on 13-14 November, in Kolwezi, Lualaba Province. The resolution commits the unions to an organizing target to be met before the next Glencore global network meeting in 2019.

Eighteen representatives, including general secretaries, from four IndustriALL Global Union affiliates CSC, OTUC, TUMEC and UNTC, organizing in the mining sector, formed the IndustriALL Glencore national network which will include unions from the petroleum sector. A provincial network already exists. The meeting agreed that the unions could negotiate with the global mining multinational better as a unified force and through the networks.

The meeting is part of a series of interventions by IndustriALL in the DRC as part of a global campaign to improve working conditions of mine workers at Glencore operations around the world. A joint mission between Glencore and IndustriALL to the DRC, sanctioned by Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg and set to take place early in 2019, is part of these series of interventions to set the course of industrial relations in the DRC on the right path.

The unions agreed to democratize through workers’ control and promote accountability of the union leadership to their members. It was emphasized that the unions should be active at provincial and local levels to ensure that workplace issues were prioritized. Further, the unions committed to building the capacity of leaders and members through worker education and training, using collective bargaining as an instrument to improve workers’ welfare, and developing better financial systems to make unions sustainable.

The unions agreed to strengthen and coordinate their activities including information sharing. Research will be carried out on how the legal system can be used to improve industrial relations and on how to engage with the new mining code adopted by the government of the DRC, despite protestations by the mining industry. Exchange visits will also be made with other mining affiliates in the Sub Saharan Africa region.

Says Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining:

“Unions must work hard to build trade union power in the DRC. It is through this power, which comes from having more members in a union, that unions can stand up against multinational corporations. With power, trade unions can carry the dreams of the workers, and with it the potential to transform society.”

Memorial lecture pays tribute to slain woman worker in South Africa

But her union, Industrial Global Union affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), and the family are not giving up on getting justice. NUMSA accuses Eskom of negligence because when Yende was murdered the cameras were not working and there were no security guards at the power station as is the norm.

On 3 November, The Thembisile Lucia Yende Foundation, which was formed in her honour, organized a memorial lecture in KwaThema. The foundation aims to fight injustice and promote a safer society for women. It’s programmes promote gender equality and its formation is a response to the unresolved murders of women whose cases are often struck off the courts for lack of evidence or sloppy investigations by the police in which sometimes where credible evidence is destroyed.

The memorial lecturer was attended by representatives from the South African Police Service (SAPS), the South African Human Rights Commission, the government department of social development, and civil society organizations. There was consensus amongst the speakers that improving women’s safety and security at work and in the community is urgent especially as it comes after 549 women were killed in Gauteng Province last year according to the SAPS.

Says Ruth Ntlokotse, NUMSA’s second deputy president:

“As workers, women are breadwinners that provide for their families. They are also an important part of the community and society. The enormity of the threat to their lives and the physical harm common in gender-based violence is a call for us to take to the streets to stop the murders and rapes. South African women face gender-based violence every day and we must unite to confront the menace.”

A recent meeting by IndustriALL affiliates in Cape Town called upon employers to end gender-based violence at work by improving security at workplaces. On 25 November, the world day for the elimination of violence against women, IndustriALL is calling on its affiliates to sign The Pledge, to take action to stop sexual harassment and gender-based violence at work.

A few weeks ago, the government organized the National Summit against Gender-based Violence and Femicide, where calls were made to improve the safety and security of women.

IndustriALL and industriAll Europe condemn sentencing of Renault workers in Turkey

The 26 workers have been sentenced to five months in prison suspended for five years. If any of the convicted workers commit a ‘crime’ in that period, they will go to jail. There is no chance of an appeal.

The workers were found guilty of “disobeying the law on meetings and demonstrations" after taking part in protest in front of Renault’s Oyak plant in March 2016, where they were victims of police brutality and unlawful detention.

The declaration states:

“The Government of Turkey, including its judiciary, should stop criminalizing trade union activity. This behaviour constitutes a blatant violation of national and international core labour standards…”

Furthermore, it continues:

“Even though Renault was not involved in the judicial persecution of the workers, the company bears responsibility for having failed to solve the conflict through social dialogue, and having instead called the police to repress the striking workers in 2016.”

The demonstrators were demanding the right to organize and asking for workers to be reinstated after Renault refused to allow union elections to take place, and had fired ten workers including two worker spokespersons. Workers at the Oyak plant were overwhelmingly represented by IndustriALL Global Union's Turkish affiliate, Birlesik Metal-Is.

“It is important to note that Renault’s behaviour at the Oyak plant was in violation of the Global Framework Agreement signed with us in 2013,” reads the declaration from IndustriALL and industriAll Europe. “Both organizations, along with the concerned affiliates, will keep on calling to address Renault’s unacceptable violation of the Global Framework Agreement.”

Read the full declaration here.

Trade union leader assassinated in Turkey

Regional president of Lastik-İş Mustafa Sipahi and shop steward Osman Bayraktar were also hit by the gunman. Bayraktar remains in critical condition after the attack.

“We are shocked to hear that Brother Karacan has been assassinated,” says Valter Sanches, IndustriALL general secretary. “Brother Karacan was a genuinely committed union leader. We expect a thorough investigation into this heinous crime.

“Our sincere condolences go to his familty, his union Lastik-İş, his confederation DISK, as well as the whole trade union movement in Turkey.”

A highly respected union leader, Karacan, who was a substitute member of IndustriALL's Executive Committee, managed to win a significant victory against precarious work by persuading multinational tyre companies to end outsourcing at their operations in Turkey.

Shipbreaking – graveyard for ships or workers?

The latest accident happened at the Golden Recycling Mill on 7 November, when a furnace boiler exploded and injured four workers. One of the workers is in critical condition and is still undergoing treatment.

In another incident on the same day, a gas cutter was severely burnt at the Sagorika Shipbreaking yard, and two of his colleagues received minor injuries.

The previous day, 6 November, there was an accident at Arefin Enterprise where workers were working through the night, pulling iron plates. An end of the iron rope hit a worker so badly that he lost his life.

This accident was one of many, as the rule that no shipbreaking activities can be carried out at night time is often ignored by employers. With no concrete action against these violations, employers continue to flout the rules.

On 5 November, an iron plate hit a worker in the Golden Iron Works Limited ship-breaking yard at Sitakunda. He was rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

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

“The industry is killing and injuring workers, which is wholly unacceptable. The Bangladeshi government should fully implement the 2018 Ship Recycling Act and comply with international standards on occupational health and safety, as well as skills development through training.”

19 workers have been killed in different shipbreaking yards in Bangladesh so far this year. It is the highest number since 2009, when at least 25 people were killed.

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary says:

"Employers and authorities are clearly not learning from past incidents. IndustriALL strongly condemns this apathetic attitude resulting in workers losing their lives. We urge the government of Bangladesh to take stringent action against the culprits and create a safe and secure environment where workers can work without fear."

Unjust verdict against union leaders in Belarus upheld

Some 150 people from unions and civil society organizations as well as foreign embassies’ representatives came to express their support and solidarity for Gennady Fedynich and Ihar Komlik, who are leaders of IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, REP. Due to the size of the room only 100 of them could attend the court hearing.

The appeal hearing was based on a demand by the both unionists to quash the verdict of the Sovetsky district court of the city of Minsk on 24 August earlier this year.

In an unfair trial and the absence of convincing evidence, both leaders were convicted for large-scale tax evasion and have been ordered to pay a large fine of BYN 47,560 (over US$23,000). They must also cover all court expenses along with administrative fines. In addition, they are subject to a four-year suspended imprisonment and a ban on holding senior positions for five years.

The thirteen-day trial attracted considerable public attention and was closely followed inside and outside Belarus. IndustriALL representatives attended the hearings and regular reports from the trial were published on the IndustriALL website.

The entire case is based on accusations of illegal use of international aid supposedly received by the union in 2011-2012. The authorities accused the leaders of non-registration of the aid with governmental authorities and nonpayment of taxes on the income received from the aid.

According to numerous eye-witnesses of that trial, most of the evidence presented in court looked either rigged or collected in violation of legal norms of Belarus, or were not relevant to the period in question. Some witnesses declared they had been forced to make testimonies under psychological pressure.

Even if the accusations against the union leaders could be proven in court, receiving international aid cannot be considered as a violation per se, as the right to donate, receive and use foreign aid falls under articles 5 and 6 of ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize, ratified by Belarus.

In 2002, the ILO recommended to the Government of Belarus to amend the national legislation so that national workers’ and employers’ organizations could receive financial assistance from international workers’ and employers’ organizations in pursuit of their legitimate aims. Unfortunately, fourteen years after the adoption of the recommendations, trade unions still cannot freely use foreign aid in Belarus and suffer interference in their internal affairs.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary, said:

“The decision of the Minsk city court, which rejected the appeal and kept the unjust verdict in force, is a missed opportunity for Belarusian authorities to prove justice exists in the country and re-establish contacts with the international community. The large fines and the ban against both union leaders from holding leadership positions is clearly meant to undermine the work of REP, our affiliated union in Belarus.
“Given the harsh conditions in which Gennadi Fedynich and Ihar Komlik are under, we consider them as political prisoners. We will do everything we can to liberate them and put pressure on the Government of Belarus to stop violating workers’ and human rights,’ until justice prevails.”

Global framework agreements are strategic tools

IndustriALL Global Union currently has 49 global agreements, which are negotiated at a global level between trade unions and multinational companies, and serve to protect the interests of workers across a company’s supply chain.

The GFA working group, which includes representatives from all continents and sectors, reviews IndustriALL’s proposed and current GFAs, and provides comments and recommendations on GFAs to the Secretariat and Executive.

Claudia Rahman, co-chair of the working group, called for more pro-active implementation of the agreements which must have a local agenda. “A GFA should prevent violations of workers’ rights and not simply be a remedy to violations that have already happened,” she said. She called for GFAs “to be integrated into the operational activities of a multinational company and into the management system.”

IndustriALL’s general secretary, Valter Sanches, said company management and unions require training on GFA implementation, while unions must monitor GFAs.

Participants at the meeting recounted how the agreements are being used to assist organizing, with case studies on how to use GFAs in organizing in textile and garment sector in Bangladesh and Turkey as well as using the union power in auto companies in organizing campaigns in supply sectors. An example from Tunisia revealed how the GFA has helped to stop union busting at one particular factory and to improve the union structures, with the aid of German affiliate IG Metall.

The meeting held deep discussions on the strategic use of GFAs in reaching trade union objectives through buzz-groups. Involvement of host unions, organizing in supply chains through GFAs and roles of different actors in GFA processes were elaborated and some conclusions were drawn up.

On the second day of the meeting, officials from the International Labour Organization (ILO), gave presentations about the role of GFAs in social dialogue, which led to extensive debate. It was obvious to all that without freedom of association, a key right, it is impossible to implement GFAs or basic ILO principles.

It was suggested GFAs could make use of strong language on due diligence, outlined in the ILO’s guidelines for multinational enterprises, and present it to companies as language that has already been agreed at the tripartite level. The working group was also called to think about how to better use ILO tools and mechanisms, smartly and politically, to get strong agreements.

The meeting also heard case studies of how GFAs are being used to improve workers’ rights, enable organizing and resolve disputes with examples including chemical company, Solvay, energy giant Total, global fashion brand H&M and German conglomerate, Siemens.

“IndustriALL Global Union has made significant progress in its policies and practices with global framework agreements and the working group has played an important role,” said Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary, who is in charge of the working group.

“However, we still have long way to go in our global mission to advance the rights and working conditions of our members on the ground, particularly at multinational companies. IndustriALL will continue to be a champion in the development of global labour relations, particularly through global framework agreements.”

Auto unions develop value chain organizing strategies

The meeting focused on building union strength across value chains. The auto industry is characterized by long and complex value chains, with a huge number of suppliers – up to 40,000 for a company.

Value chains are a deliberately opaque business secret, and companies are not transparent. The deeper one moves down value chains, the lower the unionization rates, and the worse the terms and conditions. Participants wondered if it would take a tragedy on the scale of Rana Plaza for the industry to be forced to open up about its suppliers.

Instead of getting lost in the complexity of value chains, participants resolved to focus on a few key components, particularly the value chain of batteries. This is an issue that is receiving scrutiny due to concerns about how cobalt is sourced, and there is scope to work with auto companies and develop insights into organizing strategies.

This targeted approach would be extended by identifying other key components, and setting up value chain meetings with key stakeholders to develop relationships and test the usefulness of this approach. Cross sectoral work would be strengthened, for example with leather and textiles for car seats, rubber for tyres and glass for windows.

Two new sector co-chairs were elected at the meeting: UAW president Gary Jones replaces former UAW president Dennis Williams, who has retired, and NUMSA international secretary Christine Olivier replaces Sirijunyaporn Jangthonglang from TEAM who stepped down.

Next year, the expert group will meet on transformation in the automotive industry and focus in particular on best-practice examples on how to manage change. Mexico will be a major focus, due to the anticipated creation of a new independent trade union federation by the end of November 2018, and India where similar preparations are under way.

Czech affiliate OS Kovo helped to set up the meeting and a plant visit on the third day to seat manufacturer Grammer.

IndustriALL auto director Georg Leutert said:

“The IndustriALL auto sector stands united and will redouble efforts to improve working conditions along global value chains. Batteries, the most important future product, will be the top priority.”

Unfair dismissal of union officials by Firestone Liberia condemned

The officials, who are a chairperson and a grievance officer from a local branch, are protected by the law on the right to organize and to engage in collective bargaining. The dismissed union officials are leaders in the campaign for better living and working conditions at Firestone Liberia’s rubber plantations. By dismissing the officials, the company is victimizing the leaders to weaken the union.

The officials from the IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, Agricultural, Agro-Processing and Industrial Workers Union of Liberia (AAIWUL), were dismissed clandestinely, and the union wants justice and for the dismissals to be nullified. The United Workers Union of Liberia, another IndustriALL affiliate, also condemns the dismissals in solidarity with AAIWUL.

Says Edwin Cisco, secretary general of AAIWUL:

“We are currently engaged with the national government through the Ministry of Labour, the House Standing Committee on Labour, the Margibi Legislative Caucus and the Liberia Labour Congress to prevail on the management of Firestone Liberia for the reinstatement of the two union executives. AAIWUL, therefore urges management to desist from carrying out any further action that will be tantamount to inflaming the situation.”

The union urges workers not to be distracted by the intimidation and to focus on the “bigger picture of the upcoming collective bargaining agreement which is crucial for the upliftment of the lives of thousands of workers and their families on the plantations.”

Industrial relations between the workers and Firestone Liberia have been turbulent. In August, workers went on strike to have the wages of rubber tappers increased from US $8.36 to US $12.50 per day. The company is yet to meet the workers’ demands.

In October, the company retrenched 76 workers from its rubber wood factory, who are now struggling to look after their families. Firestone has been producing rubber from Liberia since 1926 and has received support from the government. However, the working and living conditions of the workers have remained appalling.