Celebrating 14 weeks maternity leave

As a result of a campaign run by the IndustriALL Women’s Committee in Indonesia, around 18 companies have signed collective agreements increasing maternity leave to 14 weeks and more.

An award was given to unions and employers who had improved maternity protection, especially prolonging maternity leave from 12 weeks to 14 weeks more.

Together with the employer, unions at Glaxo Wellcome Indonesia, Takeda, Honda Parts Precision Manufacturing, Omron Indonesia, Ciba Vision, Asahimas, Reckitt Benckiser, Johnson&Johnsons, Absolute Services & Target Sekurindo, and Unilever all received the award.

When receiving the 14 weeks award for having introduced 3,5 months maternity leave, the employer representative from Takeda Indonesia said that employers and unions share the concerns for improving maternity protection in collective agreements.

We will continue our campaign for better maternity protection and hope that the award will encourage more unions to follow,

said Iwan Kusmawan, IndustriALL Indonesia council chair.

Through a project funded by Mondiaal FNV, the Indonesian women’s committee has campaigned for increased maternity leave on a national level, working with the government and parliament on the ratification of ILO Convention 183 on Maternity Protection, as well as on a federal level through collective bargaining agreements.

The women’s committee has set up a model CBA on better maternity protection, containing provisions like 14 weeks leave, menstruation leave, breastfeeding time, protection for pregnant workers, and a lactation room.

Unions from Glaxo Wellcome Indonesia said that they will continue to fight for maternity leave to be increased from four to six months as “better maternity protection means a better future for our children”. 

Coal mining unions demand Just Transition

IndustriALL coal mining affiliates from Australia, Botswana, Bulgaria, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Spain, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam took part in the meeting held on 11 and 12 October 2018. 

Unions held frank discussions over the implications of an alarming IPCC Special Report that calls for limiting global warming to 1.5ºC, as well as union strategies towards 24th Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 24) to be held at Katowice, Poland. 

Participants expressed frustration over governments’ and employers’ failure to develop social plans to protect coal workers’ interests in climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.

However, Michael Vassiliadis, president, German Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers’ Union (IG BCE) said:

“In Germany, even though we have plenty of coal reserves, a political decision has been taken to end industrial coal mining by this year. The IG BCE always considered this decision to be wrong, nevertheless we supported it and we guaranteed that not a single mine worker is left at the bottom of the pit without employment. IG BCE and the entire German public are interested in implementing Paris Climate decisions and outcomes of forthcoming COP 24. This debate is directly about jobs and the livelihood of our members and their families. And it is also about affordable supply of electricity to the population and for the industry.” 

Unions emphasized that a Just Transition, which ensures strong social protection programmes and sustainable industrial policies, is the answer to ensure coal workers’ jobs as part of measures to meet carbon emissions targets. Participants said governments and employers must invest and deploy adequate resources in research and development of clean coal technologies. 

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL’s director for mining, said: “Climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts should be fair and take into account the capabilities and vulnerabilities of countries with different levels of economic development.”  

Unions underlined the need to assess the technological transformation that is already underway in the coal industry to better guard workers’ interests.

Union leaders reported deplorable health and safety conditions and fatalities in the industry. Many employers and governments remain indifferent and negligent towards health and safety, and workers continue to face treacherous working conditions in coalmines around the world. 

Underlining IndustriALL’s global campaign for safe mining in Pakistan, the meeting issued a statement in solidarity with unions in Pakistan in their struggle. The meeting also called for intensifying the campaign to ratify ILO C 176 in more countries. 

Addressing the participants, IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said: “The coal mining industry is facing massive transformation with major social, economic and political challenges. A strong global coal mining unions network is needed to influence policy decisions, strengthen international solidarity to defend coal mining workers’ rights and to ensure Just Transition.”

Unions also expressed discontent over privatization of public sector coal mines in India and elsewhere. Almost every case of privatization around the world has resulted in the exponential increase of precarious work and criminal disregard to occupational health and safety in coalmines leading to accidents and loss of workers' lives. 

IndustriALL renews global agreement with German multinational, Rheinmetall

The new agreement was signed between Rheinmetall and IndustriALL at the company’s headquarters in Dusseldorf on 12 October 2018. The agreement builds on worker and trade union protections across the company’s global supply chain.  

IndustriALL is now an equal partner to the agreement and it includes improvements such as: 

The Rheinmetall European Works Council and IndustriALL’s German affiliate, IG Metall, initiated re-negotiation of the GFA more than two years ago, and over the past year there have also been intensive negotiations with IndustriALL. 

In the new agreement, IndustriALL and Rheinmetall commit to increase cooperation in the years to come. 

IndustriALL’s general secretary, Valter Sanches, said: 

“The renewal of the global framework agreement with Rheinmetall underlines the willingness of both parties to deepen their relationship and intensify efforts to ensure Rheinmetall’s high social standards are adhered to at all their plants worldwide, and across the supply chain.”

Rheinmetall has more than a 125 history and employs 24,000 people. In 2017, it generated sales of nearly Euros 6 billion and is represented in 39 locations in Germany, a further 39 in Europe (excluding Germany), 13 on the American continent, 17 in Asia, six in Africa and three in Australia.

The original global framework agreement with Rheinmetall was signed in 2003. 

Trade union leaders beaten and arrested during Zimbabwe austerity protests

In an attempt to stop a march from taking off in Harare, the police surrounded the offices of the ZCTU, beating up and arresting the federation’s president Peter Mutasa and secretary general, Japhet Moyo, according to unions. About 20 protesting workers were arrested in Mutare and 13 in Masvingo.

Five IndustriALL Global Union affiliates took part in the marches in solidarity with other unions.

Recently, the Zimbabwean government announced monetary and fiscal policies to remedy the economy arguing that the reforms were “painful and necessary”. But the opposite happened as the economy nose-dived. The austerity policies are wiping out the value of wages and workers can no longer afford basic necessities

Following announcements to increase taxes on mobile money transactions to two per cent per dollar, and that bank deposits made in US dollars would now be converted to local currency, people went into panic mode buying basic goods out of fear of the return of hyper-inflation. Food prices skyrocketed as goods disappeared from the shelves. Businesses closed for “stock taking” and “renovations” or simply increased prices for their goods and services. 

While the government maintains that the exchange rate for the local currency to the US dollar is 1:1, the reality is that on the parallel market one US dollar is 4.85 Zimbabwe dollars, called bond notes. This makes the panic understandable. In 2008 workers lost wages including pensions when their retirement benefits and savings could not even buy a loaf of bread due to hyperinflation.

Says Christian Ranji, secretary for the IndustriALL Zimbabwe Youth Committee: “Workers have no option but to fight austerity. We can’t be taxed to fund wasteful government spending. Companies are closing, and workers losing jobs. The announcement caused instability as grocery shops increased prices and citizens started buying in bulk to get value for their money.”

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL General Secretary, says:

“We call upon the government of Zimbabwe to respect the rights of workers to protest against the austerity measures and condemn the acts of violence and intimidation. The arrest of the ZCTU leadership, comrades Peter Mutasa and Japhet Moyo, and the protesting workers is unacceptable. We call for their immediate release, and for the government to seek social dialogue with the unions.”

Death toll rises to 12 in Indian steel plant blast

It is yet another fatal accident in the Bhilai steel plant, exposing the safety crisis at Indian public sector steel plants. According to official reports, the blast occurred at around 10.30am on 9 October, as maintenance work was underway in the gas pipe line of Coke Oven Battery Complex No 11.

About 23 employees were working in the area at the time of the blast. The bodies of nine employees who died on the spot were burnt beyond recognition. Employees’ families are demanding that DNA testing should be done to identify the bodies. Three employees died at hospital. 

It is feared that fatalities may increase as many workers are still battling for life; one worker is on a ventilator with 100 per cent burns, while others are receiving treatment with 70, 50, and 40 per cent burns.  Even though firemen were present at the spot, they did not get a chance to react. Victims of the accident include managerial staff, technicians and fire fighters. 

The Bhilai steel plant has a deplorable safety record – one worker died on each day in consecutive accidents on the 8, 9and 10May 2018. The management till this day has not implemented the safety committee’s recommendation, which was submitted after another major accident in 2014. 

In Bhilai steel plant alone between 2014 to till today about 31 workers were killed in fatal accidents. According to information provided in the parliament by the minister of steel, 74 workers were killed between 2014 -2017 in the fatal accidents in various SAIL plants across the country. During the same period the company suffered 205 reportable accidents. 

Sanjay Singh, Chhattisgarh state president of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) said:

“Lack of safety measures, failure to learn from past fatal accidents, and increasing number of precarious workers, are the primary reasons for the safety crisis. We condemn the accident in the strongest terms and it must be probed, while the people responsible should be punished. We stand in solidarity with victims’ families in these difficult times.” 

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia Regional Secretary said:

“It is appalling that management’s negligence continues to claim workers’ lives in one of the premier steel manufacturing plants in India. This is a public sector undertaking and the government should take strong measures to ensure safety for workers.”

The government authorities have announced formation of an internal committee to investigate the accident. The latest tragedy comes after the Bhilai steel plant completed its modernization and expansion programme in June, which was dedicated to the nation by the Indian Prime Minister. 

Global labour movement condemns seizure of union property by government of Afghanistan

IndustriALL answered the call to ITUC affiliates by sending a letter to the country’s president, after the government ignored repeated calls for dialogue.

This follows a decree issued by the government of Afghanistan on 31 August 2016, mandating the seizure of all property of the National Union of Afghanistan Workers and Employees (NUAWE), the Afghanistan Farmers’ Cooperative Union, and the Youth Union, and the transfer and registration of it as state property.

In April this year, the ITUC and NUAWE – Afghanistan’s only national trade union centre – filed a complaint with the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association against the decree. Instead of opening dialogue, the Afghan government sent armed police and military to raid and seal NUAWE property in Kabul and 16 districts. One of the buildings has been taken over by the Ministry of Defence.

The union’s bank accounts have been frozen, its certification has not been renewed, and freedom of expression has been hindered. All offices of the union remain closed, and staff have not been paid for five months.

In the letter, IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches echoed the ITUC call, saying:

“We call on your government to immediately withdraw the decision to seize union property and to allow for appeal against any court order to confiscate union property, as well as against the pertinent Government Decree.

“In light of the ILO’s centenary and its commitment to universal ratification of core labour standards by 2019, we also call on your government to ratify ILO Conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, as a matter of urgency. “

Indian electronics unions resolve to fight precarious work and develop network

The 14 trade unionists came from six companies: GE, Siemens, Ever Electronics, LEONI Wiring, ELANTAS Beck and NCR. They reported that employers in the sector rapidly replace permanent workers with agency, contract and outsourced workers who are challenging to organize, and resolved to intensify their organizing and fight against precarious work.

They discussed the challenge of Industry 4.0 to workers and the union movement. Unions emphasized the importance of building union power, developing trade union networks and engaging with government and employer associations to face the challenges.

The unions produced a work plan to fight against precarious work and to strengthen their organizing and collective bargaining, and committed to building a strong union network of by proposing a regional and national structure.

Apoorva Kaiwar, South Asia regional secretary, said:

“This is the first meeting of electronics and electrical unions in India. This is an important sector for us, and we will need to build IndustriALL’s influence in the sector.”

Kan Matsuzaki, IndustriALL director for ICT, Electrical and Electronics said:

“Workers in this rapidly growing sector in India face a double challenge: an increase in precarious work, and changes to the production process brought about by Industry 4.0.

“These issues cannot be addressed in isolation. We need to build a strong network, and this meeting is a good first step.”

SKF IndustriALL world union council drives discussion about Industry 4.0, flexibility and health and safety

SKF, a world leader in the bearings business, is one of very few multinational corporations that have not only a world works council but a world union council (WUC). This group represents trade union leaders worldwide within SKF. Delegates and observers find the exchange to be very important for all employees in SKF, especially when it comes to challenges for traditional social dialogue structures in the group.

Kennet Carlsson, Swedish chairman of the WUC, said with respect to the discussions with top management:

“This is a unique opportunity to raise the questions that we have towards the management – and we must use it – for the sake of our members and of all employees in SKF.”

The WUC spent a whole day in dialogue with SKF top management, including group president and CEO Alrik Danielson, about the company’s development, strategy and activities. Since SKF is very advanced when it comes to digitization, this was one of the top priorities in the discussions, including skills management and training programmes. 

In addition, exchange over other important issues like health and safety programmes, well-being and other company-specific programmes took place.

On 4 October, a joint visit to SKF’s Biasca plant was the most important topic on the agenda. In the Biasca plant, the WUC not only visited the production lines and the logistics centre, but also had the chance to discuss upcoming changes in production and logistics with plant management. The Italian trade unions who hosted the meeting, together with SKF’s local HR team, did their utmost to arrange an interesting and fruitful meeting.  

Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL’s director for mechanical engineering, assists the WUC and its steering committee to drive the discussion forward. In his presentation, he encouraged all delegates to increase cross-border dialogue, improve global coordination and overcome borders, especially when politicians in many countries intend to build walls. With respect to the dialogue between top management and the WUC, he summarized:

“I see very mature and open dialogue between top management and trade union representatives to jointly shape the future of SKF. Maybe this can become a showcase for social dialogue in the 21st century.”

Global unions condemn anti-union violence in Colombia

A delegation made up of representatives from TUCA, CTC Colombia, CUT Colombia, BWI, PSI, ITF, UNI and IndustriALL Global Union held a number of meetings with the Colombian government from 12 to 14 September.

During a meeting with the Minister of Labour, Alicia Arango Olmos, the delegation expressed concern about the safety of social and union leaders in Colombia. They also condemned campaigns run by the national police force and members of the new government to systematically criminalize union and other social protests.

They made specific reference to recent statements by the Minister of Defence, Guillermo Botero. At the Confecamaras Congress held on 13 September in Cartagena, Botero told Colombian radio station Caracol that gangs linked to drug trafficking and the international mafia were financing the social protests.

Ms Arango Olmos, who also served as secretary to former president Álvaro Uribe and has been director of the Central Democratic Party since 2014, surprised the delegation by totally discrediting its claims.

She claimed that international unions were not aware of the problems in Colombia and were in no place to talk about what was happening there. She accused us of laying blame without the proper facts. Killings, threats and attacks against social and union leaders are on the rise in Colombia. Protection mechanisms don't work and are often not available at all, and any assistance provided often comes too late.

We are very concerned about the government's statements, which only serve to incite more violence and further criminalize the social protests and the right to freedom of association. The international union movement will continue to support workers in Colombia. We will seek to strengthen unions and social organizations by working together to bring sustainable development to the country.”

said IndustriALL's regional secretary, Marino Vani.

IndustriALL workshop boosts collective bargaining skills in Madagascar

The workshop follows a strained relationship between the unions and the local management and comes on the eve of the commencement of collective bargaining at the ilmenite operations. 

The workshop was run together with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) of South Africa, who provided collective bargaining expertise to about 16 shop stewards from the two affiliates. Led by Thomas Ketsise, the production unit head at NUM, and Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL’s director of mining, came amidst growing frustration by the local unions at what they consider as local management’s increasing hostile attitude towards unions. 

This hostile attitude, the unions claim, manifests in the daily industrial relationship experience of workers and contractors, and they regard this attitude as being at odds with Rio Tinto and IndustriALL’s global employee relations’ principles. 

Eugene Chretien, regional secretary of SVS, said:

“The training allowed participants to understand the power of QMM as a Rio Tinto Subsidiary and that they need to be better prepared before collective negotiations.”

Anthony Randrianandrasana is regional president of Sekrima, the most representative union for QMM’s direct workforce. He said:

“This is the first training for the newly elected shop stewards. The knowledge they gained from the trainings gave them the technical skills and confidence to enter into collective negotiation."

The workshop follows the recent mission in early February 2018 by IndustriALL and a senior-level delegation from Rio Tinto led by Michael Gavin, Rio Tinto’s head of global employee relations. The joint mission was in response to industrial relations challenges at the operation and to set in motion processes to address them. A subsequent strike by the union over unfulfilled collective bargaining commitments by management underscored how fractured the relations were.

The decision to include the NUM follows the union’s recent signing of a collective bargaining agreement at Rio Tinto’s Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) in South Africa, where the union is organized. Rio Tinto’s QMM and RBM operations mine the same mineral, ilmenite, using the same mining methods.

The workshop was held as part of the Sub-Sahara union building project, supported by Swedish union donor organization Union to Union.