Olympic 2020 partner Mitsubishi Electric humiliates workers in Thailand

In December 2017, 1,800 members of IndustriALL Global Union affiliate the Confederation of Thai Electrical Appliances, Electronic Automobile and Metalworkers (TEAM) were locked out by Mitsubishi Electric Consumer Products Thailand. The union and company then reached an agreement through collective bargaining on 29 January 2018, ending the dispute.

Mitsubishi Electric agreed to reinstate all the locked-out workers, which is also a legal requirement. However, before reinstatement, workers were called into a meeting to “check their attitudes” and pressurized to disclose compromising information about union leaders.

The company forced the locked-out workers to attend a four-day camp at a military base to “learn discipline and order”, undergo five days of training by an external human resources firm, where they were expected to “reflect on their wrong doing”, one day of cleaning old people’s homes to “earn merit”, and three days at a Buddhist temple, with no regard for their religious beliefs. The workers were also made to post apologies to the company on their personal social media accounts.

Despite undergoing this process of deliberate humiliation, not all workers have been reinstated. The company even began advertising new job openings. Mitsubishi Electric subsequently laid off 24 workers waiting for reinstatement, including ten members of a new union committee elected in June 2018, and filed for permission with the labour court to dismiss two others.

The company requires workers who have been called back to sign individual contracts to replace the collective bargaining agreement that expired at the end of September 2018. It includes a clause where the worker must agree that they are not members of a union – and if they are, wage increases and benefits additionally gained from the individual contract will be returned to the company.

Mitsubishi Electric has used intimidation and harassment to weaken the union, and attempted to humiliate union members. This constitutes a clear violation of fundamental workers’ and trade union rights, including national labour law and international core labour standards.

The company is an official partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, which is committed to “Consideration of Human Rights, Labour and Fair Business Practices.”

IndustriALL has written to the company on three occasions, demanding that the dismissed workers be reinstated, but there has been no response from the company up to now.

IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches said:

“IndustriALL Global Union calls on Mitsubishi Electric to respect international labour standards, immediately reinstate the 26 union leaders and members, and stop violating fundamental trade union rights.”

During the lockout, workers lost access to all benefits, including health cover. After a worker died during this period, health cover was reinstated for pregnant women only.

Unions unite to defend workers’ rights

The meeting was an important platform for exchanging of information and experiences, with participants united in defending and advancing workers’ rights. One whole day was devoted to discussing gender issues and how the unions can work together to improve women’s rights and participation.

Discussing developments since the last meeting in Yerevan, Armenia in 2017, many delegates spoke about the difficulties they face, including falling living standards, low level of wages and attacks on trade union rights.

There were alarming reports on worsening trade union rights is in Kazakhstan and Belarus.
In Kazakhstan, worrying developments were reported on freedom of association and direct government intervention in internal union affairs.
In an attempt to criminalize trade union work, Gennady Fedynich and Ihar Komlik, leaders of the IndustriALL Global Union’s affiliate Belarusian radio and electronics industry workers’ union (REP) were convicted for alleged tax evasion in August. Fedynich was able partly attend the meeting via conference call since as he cannot travel outside the country.
Unions in Russia have been fighting against an announced increase of retirement age since last summer. Russia was the last country where women could retire at the age of 55 and men at 60. The new retirement age is set for 60 for women and 65 for men.
In Georgia, unions use mediators as a new way to solve labour disputes.
IndustriALL continues supporting campaigns of organizing in the region, including very successful organizing efforts in Kyrgyzstan.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said:

“I believe this was a very good and productive three days of work. Like in many other countries, our affiliates here are facing serious challenges, but we are confident we can cope with them.

“The alarming trade union rights’ violations in Kazakhstan and Belarus are upsetting, but with the support of our affiliates we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in these countries.”

As part of a strengthened relationship between the countries in the region and the European Union (EU), IndustriAll Europe general secretary Luc Triangle, reported on the EU, its institutions and social policies.

Industry 4.0 will soon impact the region, and unions are preparing themselves for challenges that will affect production and work in the industries dominating the economies in the region.

The meeting’s third day was dedicated to gender policy and future actions in the region to implement decisions taken during IndustriALL’s Congress in Rio in 2016, according to which, “all affiliates should strive towards a minimum of 40 per cent women representation in their delegations”. The unions welcomed the opportunity for men and women to come together to better understand the challenges faced by women in unions and in the workplace. Affiliates agreed that the best way to make improvements is through addressing the issues at a leadership level with the participation of women and men.

Jenny Holdcroft, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said:

“I was very pleased to be part of a stimulating discussion that highlighted the different perspectives of men and women of the situation of women workers. It is through discussions like these that we can reach a better common understanding a drive change in our unions.”

What is precarious work?

People in precarious work lack job security and generally have lower salaries, limited social protection, and few, if any, benefits.

Precarious workers face more difficulties to exercise their rights, notably to join a union and bargain collectively for better wages and working conditions. Injury rates are higher for precarious workers, often due to a lack of on-the-job training given to permanent employees.

People in precarious work have little or no choice in determining their working hours and pay, even if they are freelance or independent contractors. Many work on rolling contracts, doing the same job month after month or year after year. For all intents and purposes they are permanent employees but have no rights to holiday pay, paid sick leave or redundancy payments.

Indirect workers can find themselves trapped in triangular employment relationships, when they are officially employed by a subcontractor or agency, but actually working for another company, with neither taking responsibility for workers’ rights.

Bogus self-employment, where independent workers have just one employer, is another form of precarious work. This particularly applies to the gig economy – for example, delivery workers or taxi drivers who take on one job or gig at a time for a single company.

Find out more:

The International Labour Organization’s report on non-standard forms of employment around the world

The International Trade Union Confederation’s report on precarious work in Asia-Pacific.

The rise of non-standard employment in selected ASEAN countries – by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung foundation.

Improved cooperation means better conditions for 600,000 workers

A year ago the European Commission decided to support a 2-year industriAll Europe project in 2018-19 under the title “Strengthening the capacity of trade unions in South-East Europe to improve wages and working conditions in the garment and footwear sectors”. The project targets six countries in the region: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia.

A mapping carried out as the first phase of the project earlier this year revealed that there are more than 600,000 garment and footwear workers in South-East Europe. Their unionisation levels are as low as 3-4%, there are few collective agreements, and workers’ salaries in some countries are around 200 euros per month, or only half of those for garment workers in China.

industriAll Europe and IndustriALL Global Union agreed to work closely together to address the problems and focus on achieving four important results in the years to come:

Growth of union membership through strategic organizing, training and capacity-building
Increase collective agreements (CBAs) at company level
Rebuild industry-level collective bargaining
Develop paths towards living wages through brand cooperation, minimum wage increases and CBAs

Interaction with the key garment and footwear brands sourcing from South-East Europe is important for facilitating progress on the central goals of the project. Therefore, IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll Europe met on 28 September in Istanbul with three leading brands that have signed global framework agreements (GFA) with IndustriALL Global Union, namely Inditex, H&M and ASOS.

The three brands confirmed their support for freedom of association and collective bargaining in South-East Europe, seeing it as part of their strategic cooperation with the global and European unions. Western European trade unions have committed to helping on contacts with other leading brands in Italy, Germany and other countries.

“We are looking for win-win solutions for the workers with good conditions, companies with sustainable business, and governments in the form of economic growth and more equal societies. South-East European countries need to create domestic demand through the payment of living wages”, said Luc Triangle, general secretary of industriAll Europe.

“We see this project and cooperation with the key brands as part of our global broader strategy to profoundly change the garment and footwear industry and make it sustainable worldwide. Global framework agreements and the ACT living wage initiative are essential tools in this process”, said Kemal Özkan, assistant general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union.

IndustriALL Global Union has signed GFAs with six garment and footwear brands, Inditex, H&M, ASOS, Tchibo, Esprit and Mizuno, covering millions of workers throughout the supply chains. ACT is an expanding, ground-breaking agreement to achieve living wages for workers through industry-wide collective bargaining linked to the brands’ purchasing practices and freedom of association.

The project will now continue with six national seminars, with focus on capacity building, putting together action plans in each country, and interaction with other stakeholders such as employer associations and governments.

Workers in South Africa strike against union bashing at Lanxess mine

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), says Lanxess, which is listed on leading sustainability indices, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good, is intimidating and harassing its members. For example, the workers are being threatened with dismissals and retrenchments for joining the union.

Lanxess’s specialty chemicals and plastics global value chain employs over 19,000 workers in 25 countries. The chrome mine, which is in Rustenburg, North West Province, supplies organic leather chemicals and chrome tanning salts to the company’s leather operations in China, Germany, Italy, and South Africa. The company is also not cooperating with a request by the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration to finalize the numbers of workers belonging to the union. NUMSA says it will fight against the deplorable behaviour that is meant to continue the abuse and exploitation of workers.

Furthermore, Lanxess mine is failing to respect health and safety standards by not reporting incidents and accidents. To force the company to comply with the law, NUMSA has written to the Department of Mineral Resources to act against the mine.

The Mokhukhwini (shack dwellers) community around the mine has joined the workers’ protest and is demanding that the mine fulfills its promises to build houses. Instead of listening to the workers and the community demands, Lanxess mine management resorted to bullying tactics by closing electricity and water supplies to the community as “punishment for joining the protest”.

Says Jerry Morulane, Hlanganani regional secretary for NUMSA: “We condemn the backward management at Lanxess and will continue to expose the abuse of workers. Their threats will not stop us from demanding our rights.”

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa concurs with NUMSA: “Workers’ rights are protected by the Labour Relations Act and other laws. It is shameful that Lanxess mine chooses to ignore workers’ rights and continues to bash unions. We commend NUMSA for sending a clear message to the mine management that this unacceptable bullying will be resisted.”

Implementing global agreements with brands in the garment sector

The meeting, from 26 to 29 September 2018, was joined by IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in Bulgaria, who are currently using GFAs in their recruitment campaigns, as well as global brands that have signed GFAs with IndustriALL (Inditex, H&M, ASOS, Tchibo and Esprit).

Participants evaluated the role of GFAs in developing strong industrial relations in the global supply chain. The sessions focused on the role of the GFAs in organizing, collective bargaining, and the elimination of gender-based violence in the workplace.

Participants discussed how GFAs are becoming a stronger tool for improving labour relations in the supply chain, and there was a call for IndustriALL to negotiate agreements with more global brands.

Several organizing tactics were identified as important for enabling freedom of association. These include setting up protocols that guarantee neutrality and access to the workplace between the supplier and the national union; brand support for social dialogue between unions and their suppliers; and joint brand, union and supplier training on freedom of association for both workers and management.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said:

“Global framework agreements are a very important tool for building union strength across supply chains. But they are not a magic wand. They are only effective when they are implemented and monitored. That is why it is so important for us to share our experiences.”

Unions from production countries also exchanged experiences on the best ways to monitor GFAs, and there was strong support for the continued development of national monitoring committees. IndustriALL affiliates said they played an integral part in ensuring that national unions can ensure GFAs are implemented in the global brands’ supplier factories.

There was a technical session on the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector,followed by a discussion on how to use the recommendations on worker involvement in the due diligence process with global framework agreements.

“The recommendations set forth in the guidance, such as jointly developing programmes that involve on-site assessments, development of corrective action plans, verification, validation and monitoring of impacts and design of operational-level grievance mechanisms are key components to stronger GFA implementation,” said Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL’s textile and garment director.

The meeting is part of the IndustriALL programme on GFA implementation, which is supported by DGB Bildungswerk.

Victory as the Philippines passes expanded maternity leave law

In 2014, IndustriALL kicked off its campaign on maternity protection throughout Asia. In the Philippines, IndustriALL affiliates pursued 120 days maternity leave, with ILO Convention 183 as benchmark. During the early period, the now Senator Risa Hontiveros committed to pursue a 120-day maternity leave, supported by IndustriALL Philippines. Since Hontiveros became senator in 2016, one of her priority bills is the 120-day expanded maternity leave which passed the Senate in March 2017.

The IndustriALL Philippines Women’s Committee has been at the forefront of the campaign; lobbying in both Houses of Congress, providing legislators with IndustriALL's publication on maternity protection, writing to the President of the Philippines, canvassing the media and working together with other labour and women's groups.

Research has played an important role during the campaign, gathering facts on maternal health, childbirth mortality and related statistics in the Philippines, the existing maternity leave law and international standards, and the country’s international commitment under the sustainable development goals. evolving during the campaign. An IndustriALL survey providing a comparative analysis of maternity benefits of some countries in South East Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar & Philippines) also played a key role, as it was part of materials distributed to legislators in both Houses of Congress.

In addition to the 105 days paid maternity leave, the bill also includes:

Grant of the aforementioned benefit to all female workers regardless of civil status
Prohibition of employment discrimination against women due to maternity benefits
Monetary penalties and nonrenewal of business permit of non-compliant enterprises
An additional 15 days of paid maternity leave for solo parents
An option to transfer at most seven of the 105 days to female worker’s identified alternate care giver
Reiteration that private employees must receive their full pay for the 105-day period—with a clause requiring employers to pay the differential between the employee’s full pay and what the Philippine Social Security System currently provides

The bill also grants 60 days of paid leave for female workers who will suffer from miscarriage or medically-approved termination of pregnancy.

“Extending paid maternity leave affirms the right of women workers in the Philippines. I commend the Philippines Women’s Committee, the legislators, their support staff, women advocates, our labour and women's groups, and everyone else involved in making this a reality. United we win,” says IndustriALL Executive Committee member Eva Arcos.

Black Day: unions in Pakistan protest mine deaths

The IndustriALL Pakistan Council – made up of Pakistani affiliates to IndustriALL Global Union – were protesting the failure of the government to act to stem the carnage. IndustriALL affiliates estimate that 98 coal miners have been killed this year, with 70 injured.

The most recent incident was 30 September, when four mine workers were killed in the Sanjdi area of Balochistan, after a methane gas explosion. Five workers were rescued by their co-workers. At least 23 workers were killed in two incidents in the past month.

Demonstrations were held in the cities of Quetta, Sharigh, Loralai, Hub, Karachi, Islamabad, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Multan, Lahore, Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan.

Carrying black flags and balloons to a press conference outside the Quetta press club, unions adopted a resolution calling on the Chief Justice of Pakistan to sanction mine owners guilty of negligence.

They called on the government to implement and ratify ILO Convention 176 on safety and health in mines, and to update Pakistan’s Mining Act of 1923. The demanding training in health and safety and labour law, social security coverage for mine workers, and higher compensation paid to victims’ families.

Speakers at the event said:

“Owners and mine managers don’t care for poor workers, because for them money is more important that coal miners’ lives. At every accident, local people, union members and other miners have to rescue the victims themselves, because of the belated response by officials.”

They added that between 100 and 200 workers die in coal mine accidents every year, but these are under-reported in the media, because powerful mine owners are able to suppress stories.

Workers are employed through contractors and sub-contractors, who not only exploit the workers by paying them a pittance, but also do not provide proper safety equipment. Most mine workers are paid between Rs 7,000 (US $57) and Rs 12,000 (US $97) per month, lower than the minimum wage of Rs 15,000 (US $122).

Workers are employed on a seasonal or temporary basis through agents, and do not enjoy benefits such as annual leave, available to regular workers.

Unions allege that labour inspectors and the government are complicit with mine owners and contactors, and turn a blind eye to the plight of the workers.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said:

“The terrible carnage in Pakistan’s mines needs to end immediately. So far, the government has not taken the issue seriously, and powerful mine owners have been able to stop action being taken.
“IndustriALL will continue to fight until this terrible suffering ends.”

IndustriALL conducted a mission to Pakistan earlier this year, and met with government officials, who pledged to work on mine safety. However, recent elections brought a change of government, meaning dialogue must be re-established.

Malawi: union negotiators learn Mandarin Chinese to deal with errant employers

Five IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in Malawi, part of a union building project supported by SASK, took this decision after facing difficulties communicating with the Chinese employers.

It is common for the employers to say they don’t understand English whenever workers put forward their demands for better wages and working conditions. Besides low pay, the companies are not complying with labour laws on conditions of employment. Most of the workers are employed on precarious conditions of short-term contracts that come with no benefits. Health and safety standards are also being ignored at their factories and operations.

To remove the language barrier, five shop stewards from energy, engineering, mining, and textile sectors are on a nine-month Mandarin Chinese course in Blantyre and Lilongwe. It is hoped that when they finish the course in March 2019, they will be able to negotiate with the employers in their own language.

With China committing to over 60 billion dollars for Africa during the recent Forum on China Africa Cooperation, of which over 100 million dollars will go to Malawi through investments by Chinese companies, the Mandarin lessons are a worthy investment for the unions. Further, China is involved in infrastructural development including road construction, and in the energy sector especially the construction of the Kammwamba coal-fired power plant. However, questions are being asked on why China is investing in coal instead of renewable energy.

Generally, China is supporting Malawi’s economic development programmes that are aimed at reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development. Yet, the balance of trade favours China which sometimes exports labour to Malawi instead of employing locals.

Says Amos Chasowa, the IndustriALL project coordinator for Malawi:

“Unions concluded that they had to learn the Mandarin Chinese language because negotiating with the employers was increasingly becoming difficult. Besides English, the Chinese do not speak any local Malawian languages. The dilemma was that whilst the employers did not understand the workers grievances, unions still had to push for these demands at the workplace”.

Bangladeshi unions call for new minimum wage to be doubled

The council – made up of IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in Bangladesh – said that the Taka 8,000 (US $95) per month minimum wage is inadequate to meet the living costs of Bangladeshi garment workers. The council pointed out that rent has increased by up to 50 per cent, and other living costs have also increased.

The new minimum wage was announced on 13 September, and is due to be implemented in December. It is a 51 per cent increase on the current minimum wage, which was set in 2013 as part of the government’s response to the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory that killed 1,130 people.

Unions reject the proposed wage, saying it should be doubled to Taka 16,000 (US $190). Currently, state-owned factories pay this amount, and unions expect the minimum wage to at least match the state baseline. On 26 September, workers held a rally in Dhaka to protest against the wage, and demand the intervention of the prime minister.

No other wage rates have been announced yet, but the minimum wage is crucial because it is a baseline for all other wage levels, covering millions of factory workers. Workers rely on overtime and other supplements to survive. Overtime pay, festival bonus, service benefits and retirement benefits are all determined by the minimum wage.

Unions are calling for a wage settlement that outlines wages for other grades, as well as the reduction of grades from seven to five. They want a policy to promote workers to a higher grade after two years, an increase in the apprentice wages from Taka 4,180 (US $49) to Taka 10,000 (US $118), and a reduction of the training period from six to three months. Piece rate wages should be decided before work commences, and there should be a ten per cent annual increase in the minimum wage, to keep pace with inflation.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Jenny Holdcroft said:

“This decision once again shows the inadequacy of the minimum wage system to support living wages for Bangladesh’s garment workers. Sectoral collective bargaining between employers and trade unions is urgently needed to enable wage increases to be agreed for all categories of workers that take proper account of rising living costs.”

Last year, Bangladesh produced US $30 billion worth of garments for major global retailers. The industry accounts for 80 per cent of the country’s exports, and employs mostly women. Bangladeshi factory owners say that they are squeezed by global retailers who have not increased what they pay.

In December 2016, the Bangladeshi government brutally cracked down on a workers’ wage protest, arresting many union leaders.