Sustainable energy policies vital, say electricity and nuclear unions

Yury Ofitserov, president of the All-Russian Electric Trade Union, welcomed more than 100 participants from 25 countries to IndustriALL’s global meeting of electricity and nuclear sectors.

Energy policies need to be consistent and cannot change with every government, said unions at the meeting.

Electricity consumption has more than doubled since 1990 and there are still 1.1 billion people without access to power. However, despite the growing demand for electricity, it will require fewer workers than before. Many participants said securing a Just Transition for workers whose jobs are threatened is a major challenge.

Union representatives debated the impacts of deregulation, privatization and market liberalization on employment and unions. Before privatization there were only ten companies in the electricity sector in Japan, now there are 500, while electricity prices have increased 16 per cent for households and 21 per cent for industry.

In Mexico, 44,000 workers lost their jobs when the public electricity supply was privatized in 2009.  Unions have been fighting this decision every since. Elsewhere, in Zimbabwe, 30,000 workers have been laid off following privatization and the people who are kept on are mostly young and inexperienced with low salaries.

The second half of the meeting was devoted to nuclear energy, which generates 10.6 per cent of the world’s energy supply. However, in some countries, nuclear energy dominates, such as in France where 220,000 workers are employed in the sector. Nonetheless, funding and investment is needed to maintain plants and jobs, and France is looking to decrease its reliance on nuclear energy.

While Turkey is to build three new power plants, elsewhere, countries are phasing out nuclear power. For example, in Belgium, 7,000 jobs will be lost when its three power plants are decommissioned by 2025.

Igor Fomichov from the Russian Trade Union of Nuclear Power and Industry Workers said workers in the entirely state-owned sector are highly skilled and paid above average. The industry also generates many jobs in the building of infrastructure for plants. He said that the government has to make sure that nuclear power plants are safe because humankind would never forgive another catastrophe.

Ryouichi Hagiwara from Denryoku Soren union in Japan, said there had been considerable progress in the clean up seven years since the Fukushima nuclear disaster. He highlighted the need to design and build better power plants and have a proper decommissioning process.

In a discussion about INWUN – the International Nuclear Workers’ Unions Network, IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary, Kemal Özkan, said that its work needed to be scaled up to include the whole supply chain of the nuclear sector, including countries where uranium is produced.  There is also a need to exchange information between countries who have nuclear power and those that are starting out in nuclear, such as Turkey and Kazakhstan.

Reflecting on the meeting, which was held on the eve of IndustriALL’s world energy conference, also in St Petersburg, Kemal Özkan, said:

“It is IndustriALL’s strategy to build union power in the energy industry’s sub-sectors through networks. Our affiliates in the electricity and nuclear sectors demonstrate clear commitment towards international cooperation and solidarity in these important parts of the energy industry. Following the high quality inputs and debates today, we have now a clear way forward in advancing global solidarity in nuclear sector and its supply chain.”

Benin unions agree to cooperate

IndustriALL Global Union affiliates, FENOTHAC and FESYNEME, who organize in the garment and textile, and energy and mining sectors respectively, met in Cotonou as part of a programme by IndustriALL to build union strength in the country.

They agreed that the right to strike must be defended in all sectors, and that the unions will campaign against the government’s intention to ban the right to strike in  oil and gas and electricity, which it says are essential services. Further, workers' participation in union activities should be increased, a national council formed, joint activities carried out, and communications improved.

The garment and textile sector has been in decline with most former factory workers now employed in the informal sector, where more than 90 per cent of the workers in Benin eke out a living. So, most of the FENOTHAC members are in the small-scale traditional tailoring sector. On the other hand, mining is picking up and exports for gems and precious stones have begun.

Most petroleum and energy workers work in the distribution of petroleum products and electricity, and work for the state-owned SONACOP which employs 995 workers. However, 700 of the workers are employed under precarious conditions of low pay and no benefits. Permanent workers earn 300,000 CFA ($532) as compared to contract workers who earn 44,000 CFA ($78).

Charles Kumbi, IndustriALL project officer for Sub Saharan Africa, who was at the meeting said:

“We welcome collaboration amongst affiliates because it builds union strength, and also support union joint actions aimed at improving working conditions and ending precarious work.”

Benin is amongst the top cotton producers in Africa, with the crop’s exports contributing up to 40 per cent of foreign exchange receipts, and 12 per cent of GDP. Additionally, 60 per cent of the national fabric is made from the local cotton. With over 300,000 cotton producers supporting over two million people, cotton has the potential to reduce the high levels of poverty. For instance, if the cotton-to-clothes supply chain is promoted through government policies this can lead to investments in textile and garment factories with potential to create thousands of jobs and spur industrialization.

BASF: South American workers analyze impacts of Industry 4.0

Before meeting with the company, IndustriALL Global Union’s South American regional trade union network met on 9 and 10 July to prepare. The network members expressed their solidarity with the former president of Brazil, Lula da Silva, and supported the campaign to demand his freedom.

BASF is a leader in the global chemical sector in the implementation of cybernetic technologies, which are already a reality for its employees worldwide. The network discussed what industry 4.0 will bring to the company's workers in South America. Great changes are expected, but the network wanted to better understand and articulate the issues and their impacts.

The network noted that the new industrial revolution completely changes the distribution of jobs, social roles in different countries, and union organization. They agreed to continue networking and promoting strategies to work with new technologies.

Sergio Novais, one of the founders of the network, as well as the national network in Brazil, and secretary of administration of CNQ/CUT said:

"A union network of workers is a great form of solidarity. One of the challenges is to try to organize those who work from home, teleworkers, due to the digitalization of employment”.

Network coordinator and political coordinator of Fetquim, Airton Cano, said:

"In addition to including potential threats to the world of work and to all countries involved, the discussion on Industry 4.0 should have a focus on social dialogue".

The participants agreed to establish productive social dialogue to ensure that the transformations of digitization and industry 4.0 are carried out fairly for workers.

At the expanded social dialogue meeting on July 11-12, BASF high level officers from headquarters in Germany, as well as South American regional and country managements, were present. IndustriALL German affiliate IG BCE and the chief of works council from the company’s home in Ludwigshafen joined the meeting.

The agenda included developments at BASF globally and regionally, with perspectives for the future. An intensive debate was held on digitalization, considering the company’s recent practices.

Sinisha Horvat, chair of the works council and member of the supervisory board of BASF, explained how Industry 4.0 is handled in Germany, with joint union-management committees working together to prepare workers and tackling the challenges.

Francesco Grioli, IG BCE board member, underlined the importance of supply chain management given the developing international norms and standards. Grioli referred to the cooperation with the unions in corporate social responsibility practices.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary said:

“It was impressive to see such high quality and mature discussions on Industry 4.0 by the network, as well as the level of social dialogue with the company.

"New challenges and opportunities need to be handled at company level and this example of BASF in South America is important”.

US: locked out National Grid workers denied healthcare

National Grid, which distributes electricity and gas, locked out union members in Massachusetts on June 25 after contract negotiations broke down, and cut off workers’ access to healthcare.  The workers maintain natural gas supply lines to private homes, businesses and public buildings across the state.

When the existing contract expired on 24 June, the workers offered to continue to working under the same conditions while negotiations continued, but instead the company locked them out. The company is using managers and contractors to maintain gas supplies, a practice which the union has denounced as dangerous, as gas work requires experienced professionals.

After three weeks of lockout, councilors in a number of towns and cities across the state have voted to suspend non-emergency gas work due to public safety concerns, after more than twelve safety violations by inexperienced managers and contractors were reported to public authorities.

Despite making tremendous profits and benefiting from recent tax cuts, National Grid is determined to introduce changes that will make workers pay significantly more for their health coverage and cut benefits for new staff. The company recently received a tax cut from the Trump administration, and will raise additional income with a rates hike for consumers.

Brian Harvey, a member of Local 12003, recently found out that his young son had been diagnosed with stage three cancer. He was locked out of his job and his family’s healthcare insurance was cut off in the same week his son was scheduled for his first chemotherapy treatment.

He said:

“You’re basically just a number to them. What I would say to National Grid is, ‘how greedy can you be? And is it worth it to you, the more money you put in your pocket, is it worth it to hurt all these people?’”

IndustriALL Global Union energy director Diana Junquera Curiel said:

“Cutting health insurance is despicable behaviour by the company. They are threatening family health in an attempt to force their employees to accept worse conditions.

“This is a terrible example of heartless corporate greed and reckless disregard for public safety. National Grid needs to reinstate health insurance, end the lockout and negotiate in good faith with its workforce. IndustriALL and its affiliates will remain firm in their support for these workers.”

IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches sent a solidarity letter to the USW.

National Grid was formed when UK electricity generation and distribution was privatized in 1990. The company is listed on the London (LSE) and New York (NYSE) stock exchanges. In the US, it provides gas and electricity to communities in the North East after acquiring a number of regional utilities companies.

South East Asia cement unions call for sustainable future

The 35 trade union representatives compared their economic situation, built their network and developed joint strategies to strengthen workers’ voices. They shared that the Indonesian cement industry is characterized by oversupply: although the market shows annual growth of up to 6 per cent, margins and profits decline due to rapid expansion and aggressive market entrance of new competitors.

The situation is different in the Philippines, where an infrastructure investment boom soaks up supply. Thailand is between these two markets. Although the economic backdrop is different, all workers and their unions share some similar interests and face some joint challenges.

They discussed three burning issues in the cement industry:

  1. Carbon dioxide emissions and possible reduction (i.e. use of alternative fuels)
  2. Sustainable industrial policy in the face of economic challenges and digitalization
  3. Health and Safety and fair share of workers in wealth, also for precarious workers

The participants developed and adopted action plans, with concrete organizing and recruiting goals for each union. They also held dialogue with global and local management. HeidelbergCement reaffirmed the freedom of association for white collar workers as well, while LafargeHolcim was not able to respond to the rumours of a divestment from their Indonesian operations.

Although cement is a male-dominated industry, there was broad participation by women, who made up almost 40 per cent of participants.

Regional office secretary Annie Adviento summarized the meeting:

“Change in the cement sector is inevitable. As IndustriALL, we will work hard with our affiliates to ensure that these changes bring improvement to workplace conditions and that workers’ rights are duly respected. Building union power is a key element in the process.”

Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL director for the materials industries, added:

“As there will be nine billion people living on our planet in 2050, it is crucial that the supply of cement is created sustainably, with low-emissions. Cement cannot be substituted, so everything depends on how it is produced.

“Respect for the environment, for economic needs and for workers in the industry is key. Cement is the future, cement is sustainable industrial production if workers and their trade unions are respected. We are willing and able to contribute.”

Directly after the cement network meeting, the FSP-ISI opened their fifth congress, with over 100 Indonesian delegates and guests from the employers’ association, government and cement company representatives. FSP-ISI president Widjayadi stated in his opening:

“The cement industry in Indonesia will not survive with “cheap-cement” or “wage dumping” strategy. Sustainable cement production requires joint efforts from government, employers and trade unions: FSP-ISI is open to dialogue for the sake of the cement workers and their industry.”

KSPI president Said Iqbal said in his opening speech:

“Why can only the rich send their children to the best universities in Indonesia? Indonesia is among the G20 economies in the world, in Asia only China and Japan are stronger economies. At the same time our average wage is lower than in Vietnam. This will not do, and we will fight for justice and better working conditions! We fight for decent wages!”

Deadly Georgian mine closed after multiple fatalities

IndustriALL affiliate the Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia (TUMMCIWG) reports that on 16 July, the ceiling of a the tunnel in the Mindeli mine collapsed, apparently due to a methane gas explosion. Four miners were killed on the spot as a result of serious injuries. Six miners were burned and taken to hospital. Two are in a particularly serious condition.
 
A criminal investigation has been launched against mine owner Saknakhshiri GIG, the coal subsidiary of Georgian Industrial Group (GIG), under the second part of Article 240 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which implies a violation of safety rules in mining, construction or other works. The offence is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years. Mine management was summoned to the police station for questioning.
 
The Prime Minister of Georgia declared 16 July a day of mourning due to the tragedy. All production sites of the two mines in Tkibuli will be closed until the investigation is completed. Miners' salaries will be paid during the downtime.
 
Previously, on 5 April, the collapse of lateral rocks of a tunnel at the Mindeli mine lead to the death of six miners, while three were injured. TUMMCIWG engaged international engineering expertise, inviting specialists from Ukraine. According to them, the accident was mainly caused by the wrong organization of work and the health and safety systems.
 
Tamaz Dolaberidze, TUMMCIWG president, stated:

“The Prime Minister’s statement about the government decision repeats the demands made by the Georgian trade unions after the tragedy of 5 April. We demanded a temporary stop of operation at the mines, studying the risks and dangers with the involvement of foreign experts, taking preventive measures on the results.

“We also demanded that the miners are provided with a salary for the period of forced downtime. If the government had taken this decision immediately when the unions asked, we would have avoided the accident on 16 July”.

There are no alternative jobs in Tkibuli, and local residents are forced to work in mines with high risk of danger.
 
According to the Georgian Trade Union Confederation, 18 people were killed in workplace accidents in Georgia in the first quarter of 2018.
 
Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, says:

''We mourn the dead and wish a speedy recovery to all those affected by this terrible tragedy. We share the concerns of our affiliate about health and safety issues and call on the Georgian government to take effective measures according to the results of the investigation, which is currently underway.''
 

South Africa: Six workers die in underground fire at copper mine

On 15 July, when the mine was supposed to be on shut down, management sent 200 workers underground to increase production. According to IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the fire could have been caused by high underground temperatures. Workers say switching off the fire suppression system, including the water supply, because of the shutdown, is what made the fire difficult to control.

The conveyor belt is also suspected to have been sub-standard. Regulations stipulate that a conveyor belt should be fire resistant and self-extinguishing which was not the case at Palabora.

For these reasons, the union wants the management “to tell the truth” on the cause of the fire, and why workers were exposed to such dangerous working conditions.

The NUM is also calling upon the department of mineral resources to investigate the incident and play its oversight role to ensure that the mining company complies with mining health and safety regulations. According to the Mines Health and Safety Act the employer must ensure that the mine provide “conditions for safe operation and a healthy working environment” and this applies to the mine’s construction activities and equipment as well. Failure to do so can result in the employer being charged of “negligent failure” for not providing a safe working environment for the workers.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary said:

“It’s unacceptable for mining companies to be negligent on health and safety issues especially when workers continue to die from avoidable mine accidents. Workers’ rights to life must be respected and cannot be traded at whatever cost.”

Minister of mineral resources Gwede Mantashe said in a statement:

“It is unfortunate that, as a country we have lost so many lives in this disaster. These deaths add to an already high number of lost lives in the industry since the beginning of the year.”

Since January 55 mineworkers have been killed in mine accidents. With the increasing deaths and injuries, the Mining Health and Safety Council’s goal of achieving “zero harm” is becoming elusive.

Bangladesh Accord arbitration cases – resulting in millions-of-dollars in settlements – officially closed

The brands have met all terms of the settlements, including paying more than US$2.3 million towards remediating unsafe conditions in Bangladesh ready-made garment factories. The Accord will distribute the money to eligible factories.

“These cases prove the Accord’s power to hold companies accountable and make work safer across the supply chain,” said Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union. “Because of the legally-binding nature of the Accord, tens-of-thousands of potentially deadly hazards have been fixed and more than one million workers have been trained. That is why we will continue to rigorously enforce the Accord and continue to look at innovative, effective ways to resolve disputes with brands.”                         

The arbitrations were filed in July 2016 and October 2016 to bring recalcitrant brands into compliance with the terms of the Accord. The brands did not require the contracted factories to remedy hazards in a timely manner—leaving thousands of workers in dangerous conditions. The unions also charged that the brands did not ensure that contracted factories had the financial resources to fix ongoing safety issues.

The first brand reached a settlement in December 2017, and the second, in January 2018.

“Prior to the Accord, a settlement of this size and scope on supply chain worker safety was unthinkable,” said Jenny Holdcroft, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union. “The Accord has the power to fundamentally change the way garments and textiles are produced.”

Both settlements were made possible by pro bono representation provided to the two global unions by Marney Cheek and her team at Covington & Burling. 

The Accord, which covered 2.5 million workers in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry, was established by IndustriALL and UNI in 2013 following the Rana Plaza disaster that killed over 1,100 garment workers and injured more than 2,000. It was the first agreement with a legally-binding mandate requiring fashion brands to require their contractors to eliminate fire, structural, and electrical safety issues. It expired on 31 May 2018.

A second agreement with nearly 200 brand signatories, the 2018 Transition Accord, went into effect June 1 of this year. It extends the Accord’s protections until 31 May 2021, unless a joint monitoring committee (comprised of Accord brand signatories, Accord trade union signatories, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, the International Labour Organization, and the Government of Bangladesh) unanimously agrees that a set of rigorous conditions for a handover to a national regulatory body have been met prior to then. 

More information about the Accord’s progress can be found here: www.bangladeshaccord.org. Read the PCA’s release here: https://pcacases.com/web/sendAttach/2435. More about the case is available here: https://pca-cpa.org/en/cases/152/. 

South Africa: Footwear strike for a living wage enters second week

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) and the National Union of Leather and Allied Workers, who organize the 10,000-plus workers in the sector, called for the national strike to demand living wages.
 
Instead of engaging with the unions, some employers are resorting to intimidation which the unions have rejected as “illegal, provocative and not conducive to the promotion of sound industrial relations”. This came after Allie Kramer, a chargehand at Bagshaw Footwear factory in Port Elizabeth, fired live ammunition at close range to where the striking workers were gathered. The unions have since called for his suspension and sanction thorough disciplinary action for putting the lives of workers in “serious danger”.
 
Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL director for the textile and garment industry said:
 
“We support the workers’ demands for living wages and for employers to consider the increasing cost of living that is eroding workers incomes. Labour peace and social dialogue will not be possible if the employer opts for intimidation. We strongly condemn the use of guns to intimidate workers.”
 
Clothing, textile, footwear and leather are a labour absorbing sector which employs more workers than any other manufacturing sector in South Africa. According to SACTWU, the sector makes an important contribution by reducing unemployment and poverty as well as providing jobs mainly to women who make up about 82 per cent of the workforce. The women are employed especially in small towns where there are fewer jobs thus promoting gender equity. Therefore, living wages will make a difference to workers and their families.
 
Upskilling and further training of workers is important for the sector. However, SACTWU, says the sector faces threats from customs fraud in which duty for imported goods is avoided and evaded when goods are imported through a third country among other illegal schemes sometimes even with the involvement of government officials. The goods are then smuggled into the country and sold at low cost undercutting local factories and threatening jobs.
 
The sector also suffered from global competition which has seen local production being displaced by imports. However, the government-supported Clothing and Textile Competitive Programme boosted the sector and brought some stability.

Fiat Chrysler/CNHi Union Network adopts three-year work plan and calls on the company to recognize the trade union body

On 11 and 12 July, over 70 delegates from 12 countries from all of the business units of FCA/CNHi (Fiat, Chrysler, Case, New Holland, Iveco, Magneti Marelli and others) met to hold their annual trade union network meeting at the ILO Training Center in Torino, Italy.

This year the group focused on elaborating a new three-year plan. The plan re-confirms the relevance of the Global Network as a fundamental tool to protect jobs and workers’ rights everywhere on the globe. This includes the ability to deal with the uncertainty related to the future structure of the group and the on-going process of transformation in the automotive industry and in the manufacturing sector in general.

Core elements of the plan are:

The outstanding lack of recognition of the network and the missing input by the company was the single most mentioned issue at the meeting. The unions therefore decided to send a further communication to the top FCA/CNHi management urging them to enter into meaningful discussions with the trade union group toward future cooperation.

The group also discussed global trade and related agreements. Delegates concluded that trade agreements are setup for business purposes and rarely reflect the interest of workers such as decent income and working conditions and the freedom of association.

The group finally analyzed latest business announcements of the company and exchanged country reports.