IndustriALL raises Glencore human rights violations with UN Human Rights Council

The UN HRC is currently meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. The statement, titled “Workers’ Human Rights Violations by Glencore around the World”, highlights Glencore’s violations of workers’ human rights in numerous countries, and points to Glencore as an example of why a binding UN treaty on multinationals and human rights is needed.

IndustriALL attended the UN HRC meeting on 27 June and delivered an oral statement. On 21 June, IndustriALL spoke at a UN HRC side event on the need for a binding treaty.

Speaking at the UN HRC meeting, IndustriALL campaigns director Adam Lee said:

“Glencore’s systematic practice of violating workers’ human rights around the world with almost total impunity highlights the urgent need for an international legally binding instrument allowing the regulation of transnational corporations′ activities and their impacts on human rights.
“This instrument would also be an essential tool to guarantee access to justice for the victims and the affected communities.”

The statement highlights instances of rights violations by the company. These include health and safety concerns in Bolivia, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, where Glencore has displayed a pattern of behaviour that shifts the blame for safety violations onto the workforce.

Despite intensifying work pressure and failing to provide adequate training or equipment, Glencore has threatened to close operations if there are accidents.

Glencore’s workforce is increasingly precarious, as the percentage of contractors used by the company grew to 43 per cent last year. In some cases, the company contracts out workers in violation of local laws. Casualized workers have no security, lower pay and worse conditions. They are deterred from joining unions because they risk being replaced if they do.

Glencore actively undermines its workers’ rights to freedom of association by attempting to break unions. In Australia, workers were locked out of the Oaky North mine and placed under surveillance for resisting plans to replace them with contractors.

In Canada, Glencore hired strike breakers during a recent nine-month dispute at the CEZinc refinery, while in Peru, the company fired union members, offering to reinstate them if they left the union.

Because Glencore is Swiss based, the statement also urges the Swiss government to intervene and ensure that the company does not violate human rights in other countries.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said:

“Our affiliates have consistently raised Glencore’s violations of workers’ human rights over the years. However, Glencore has refused meaningful dialogue, forcing us to appeal to the UN HRC.
“We will continue to raise these issues in every forum available to us until Glencore commits to respecting the rights of its workers and working with us resolve the situation.”

Yves Rocher needs to reinstate sacked workers

Pressure is high on Yves Rocher to intervene and order its subsidiary, Kosan Kozmetik, to reinstate the sacked workers in Gebze. However, the only public reaction from the company has been an amateurish tweet regularly sent out by the company’s communication department. The dismissive tweet tries to claim that as the Yves Rocher subsidiary in question is producing under the Turkish brand logo Flormar there is no connection with Yves Rocher.

IndustriALL repeatedly responds calling for more mature dialogue with the company than a basic tweet.

Instead of talking with the union, the factory management has installed barbed wire around the surrounding walls to keep the dismissed workers away.

One of the dismissed workers, Barış Tekin, lies seriously ill with kidney failure, but that did not stop the Yves Rocher subsidiary sacking him. Barış started working in the plant in 2006 and was a dedicated employee, despite being diagnosed with cancer in 2010. He joined Petrol-Is with the majority of the Yves Rocher workers because he was sick of stagnating low wages. And the employer sacked him for it.

Now actions are growing in support of the sacked workers. IndustriALL affiliates have been sending solidarity messages from around the world, especially in France. The general secretary of France’s largest trade union confederation, Laurent Berger of CFDT, used his Congress speech in June to highlight the union busting of Yves Rocher. The Congress was held in Rennes, just a few miles away from the Yves Rocher headquarters.

There is huge community and union support for the sacked Yves Rocher workers. Every day there are numerous actions and manifestations in front of the factory and Flormar stores, calling for the sacked workers to get their jobs back. The workers’ slogan is

No Flormar, resistance makes you beautiful!

All of the workers still in their job who have shown support for the dismissed colleagues are now being sent on compulsory leave.

French media has covered the campaign for a return to work for the sacked union members. IndustriALL has officially asked the French Ministry of Labour to intervene with Yves Rocher in the spirit of the French Bill on the Duty of Care of Parent and Subcontracting Companies (LOI n° 2017-399 du 27 mars 2017).

Now SumOfUs, the large international campaigning group, has taken up the Yves Rocher case as a priority campaign. Thousands of supporters daily are signing the online SumOfUs petition called for Yves Rocher to stop the union busting in Turkey.

Support the workers and join the campaign!

IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary Kemal Özkan said:

We will expand this campaign until Yves Rocher does what is right and gets our sacked sisters and brothers back in their jobs. Our next escalation will be actions at the Yves Rocher buildings in Paris. Yves Rocher must behave in line with its own ethical commitments in this case. Simply reinstate the 124 dismissed people, recognize their right to join Petrol-Is, and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement.

Australia: CFMMEU tells Kimberly Clark to stop holding workers to ransom

The rolling industrial action is indefinite and challenges the constant threat of mill closure and job losses. Kimberly Clark’s Millicent mill is the largest employer in the South Australia South East region, with over 400 workers.

The Construction Forestry Maritime Mining Energy Union (CFMMEU) has been attempting to bargain a new collective agreement with Kimberly Clark management at the Millicent mill since 2014. This has meant a four-year stagnation of wages, which is a pay cut in real terms as cost of living increases.

Denise Campbell-Burns, President of the CFMMEU Manufacturing Division’s Pulp & Paper District said:

“Negotiations have dragged on since 2014, with wages frozen the whole time, but it is the growing uncertainty about the future of the mill and whether people will even have a job next year that is most difficult for workers to deal with.”

The company is best known for its Huggies and Kleenex brands. Despite consistently branding itself as a family company, Kimberly Clark is developing more of a reputation as an anti-union, anti-worker company. The irresponsible announcement from the company in January that over 5,000 jobs would be cut now seems to have been a move to increase the share value of the company.

But as the threat still looms that 10 plants will be closed somewhere in Kimberly Clark’s global operations; all employees face uncertainty. The Australian strikes are pushing for a modest wage increase and improved redundancy provisions in case the mill is shut.

CFMMEU members remain committed to working with Kimberly Clark to reduce costs that will ensure the ongoing viability of the mill. The union has already proposed significant long term saving measures.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said:

“We stand alongside our CFMMEU sisters and brothers at the Millicent mill, as they fight back and refuse to be held to ransom by this never-ending threat of closure. Kimberly Clark is turning its back on dedicated employees in North America, Europe, and Asia, as well as Australia. This is not a sustainable business model, and certainly damages the high-quality family brand that has been build up over the years.”

Successful national strike in Argentina

For 24 hours on 25 June, all services were paralyzed in Argentina. There were no planes, trains, subways, buses, banks or shops open. The empty streets were a testimony of the successful general strike called by the trade union centre CGT, supported by both CTA union centres.

According to an official statement, CGT decided on the strike measure

after a thorough debate, impressing on the authorities the need for changes in the direction of economic policy, to warn about the effects of the brutal economic adjustment on the population, and not receiving responses to the complaints

Workers have rejected the agreement between the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a US$50,000 million loan, arguing that it will have dire consequences on employment, public works, social security systems, regional economies and public services.

Unions have condemned the veto imposed by Macri on a draft law limiting the increase in tariffs for public services. Instead, unions are demanding that the government review the planned cuts in public administration and limit the layoffs in the private sector.

Unions are also asking the government to reopen the tripartite wage adjustment negotiations for 2018, to take full account of the inflation forecast, which already exceeds the percentage calculated at the beginning of the year.

The clear message from the national trade union centres is that Argentina’s government must listen and respond to the demands and engage in social dialogue to help overcome the crisis and prevent new conflicts.

Marino Vani, IndustriALL Global Union regional secretary, says:

We stand in solidarity with workers in Argentina and congratulate them on the general strike against the economic policies of Macri’s government. Only unity, social dialogue and fighting back can bring an end to it.

IndustriALL Anti-Corruption policy

PREFACE

IndustriALL is against all forms of corruption. At IndustriALL, we aspire not only to be compliant with regulations on finance, but also to act in a socially responsible manner.

The IndustriALL's anti-corruption regulations are a guideline for all employees and others who act on behalf of IndustriALL, including the IndustriALL staff outside the Geneva Headquarters in the various parts of the world.

This guideline lists different types of corruption that IndustriALL might come into contact with in connection with, among other, international projects and development cooperation. It also describes the basic provisions and anti-corruption standards that should be met.

The main purpose of the guidelines is to prevent corruption. It is nonetheless important to point out that breaches of IndustriALL's anti-corruption regulations or relevant provisions can entail disciplinary reactions, including termination of contract, dismissal of employees, freezing of financial support, and/or notification to relevant authorities.

1. Introduction

1.1. Corruption

The objective of the anti-corruption regulation is to boost awareness and provide guidance for IndustriALL's employees and others who act on behalf of IndustriALL, as well as IndustriALL’s partners, about what corruption is. The standards in IndustriALL's anti-corruption regulations are comparable to those laid down in national and international anti-corruption legislation.

Corruption can be defined as giving / offering (active corruption), or requesting / receiving / accepting (passive corruption) an undue advantage in connection with a position, office or assignment.

In determining whether corruption exists, one must first consider whether there is an "advantage" and then whether it is "undue". An advantage will usually have financial value; e.g. money, artefacts or services. An advantage can also exist without clear financial value.

An advantage is "undue" when it is obtained through a clearly blameworthy act. What is considered undue depends on a concrete evaluation in each individual case. Relevant elements in such an evaluation include the financial value and type of advantage, the purpose of the advantage, what position the parties involved have and whether there is a breach of internal regulations, contract, etc.

The undue advantage must be related to the recipient's performance of his/her position, office or assignment.

Other types of irregularities can also occur, without corruption being involved. All in all, it can be difficult to decide whether a situation constitutes corruption (intentional breach of the anti-corruption regulations) or a lack of competency (unintentional breach).

1.2. Risk-based approach

IndustriALL is an employees' organisation that cooperates and works with other organisations through processes that involve both the political authorities and business and industry. In this political landscape, particular challenges can arise with a view to transparency and the documentation of decision-making processes. Effective prevention of corruption requires that priority be assigned to areas, situations and issues relative to the risk they represent.

1.3. To whom do the anti-corruption regulations apply?

The anti-corruption regulations are there for all employees, elected officers and others acting on behalf of IndustriALL. This includes elected officers, all employees, contracted staff and others assigned to represent IndustriALL in delegations, on trips and at meetings. It is the responsibility of all employees to comply with the anti-corruption guidelines.

2. Typical cases and special risk of corruption

2.1. Corruption – typical cases

Corruption can be committed by IndustriALL's own employees or by third parties acting on behalf of IndustriALL (so-called middle man corruption).

a. Bribes are the most common form of corruption, entailing attempts to influence someone to achieve something to which one is not entitled by granting or offering an undue advantage in connection with the person in question's performance of his or her duties.

b. One type of bribe is that a supplier gives a buyer a reward (usually referred to as a "kickback") for choosing to buy from the supplier – rather than from a competitor – or, perhaps, choosing a different quantity or quality than what is required by the employer.

c. Favouring friends and family can be corruption when someone, in return for an undue advantage, obtains an advantage (a job or something else) on subjective grounds.

d. Facilitation payments are payments to promote or ensure the implementation of services to which one is already entitled. Typical examples are requests from public servants for relatively small amounts of money to allow a traveller into or out of a country, to get inventory through customs or for permission to initiate an activity, such as training, for example.

e. Trading in influence occurs when a person gives someone (typically an intermediary) an undue advantage to influence a third party's (the decision-maker's) performance of his/her position. Illegal trading in influence can exist even when the decision maker is not aware of either the advantage or the lobbying assignment, and even if attempts to influence are not successful. Hidden lobbying can amount to illegal trading in influence.

2.2. Gross corruption

In addition to dealings with public servants as mentioned above, other elements are also of importance for determining whether corruption is gross or "simple": it is of significance whether the act has or could have entailed a substantial financial advantage or whether there is a risk of substantial damage, and whether the situation also implies incorrect accounting information.

2.3. Situations that increase the risk of corruption

a. Gifts, entertainment and coverage of (private) expenses increase the risk of corruption since it is not appropriate to create or further develop a relationship between parties where the wish to cooperate is not necessarily based on professional factors or needs.

b. Political donations and other sponsorships can increase the risk of corruption because they can entail bribery – where undue advantages are given without any immediate quid pro quo, but where the expectation from the donor is typically that the quid pro quo will arrive at a later date.

c. Hiring processes can increase the risk of corruption – especially in countries with a great deal of corruption.

d. Dealing with cash and inadequate documentation for covering costs engenders an informal, undocumented economy that parallels the official project economy.

e. Procurements shall take place in accordance with a framework agreement or at the best possible market price.

2.4. About conflicts of interest

Employees / elected officers shall avoid conflicts between their own interests and the interests of the organisation. This means that employees and elected officers in IndustriALL should not try to obtain advantages that are inappropriate or by other means can be envisaged to harm IndustriALL's interests.

If a conflict of interest has arisen or is suspected, any employee / elected official needs to report it to her or his immediate superior without undue delay, or the IndustriALL chief financial officer, or to another trusted person.

In connection with especially important decisions, it is to be documented that potential conflicts of interest have been considered.

3. Exposure and follow up

3.1. Raising concerns

If an employee / elected official suspects corruption, she or he needs to raise the concern through the appropriate channels, so that the situation can be followed up. If the employee is in doubt about the right way to raise concerns, the IndustriALL chief financial officer can be contacted to help.

IndustriALL will do all it can to protect the whistle blower(s) from any potential negative impact.

3.2. Responsibility for the anti-corruption regulations

All employees are responsible for compliance with the anti-corruption guideline, and every leader is responsible for ensuring compliance under his/her sphere of responsibility.

Responsibility for anti-corruption work at IndustriALL rests with the chief financial officer. Questions of interpretation and requests for guidance can also be directed to the chief financial officer, who will delegate the questions, if need be.

3.3. Follow up, monitoring

3.3.1. Anti-corruption procedures in general

IndustriALL will follow up on expressions of concern and matters that appear to be unwanted incidents. These routines require that cases be followed up with a view to surveying facts, looking after legitimate considerations for involved individuals, looking after relevant considerations for IndustriALL and other stakeholders, ensuring reasonable progress and a reasonable assessment and decision regarding how the case will be followed up once the facts are presented.

In addition to urging people to raise concerns, IndustriALL performs auditing of all its projects. Suspicions may be raised about possible corruption as a result of such monitoring or audits. In such cases, the case will be followed up in the same way as if it had come to light through a notification or official channels.

3.3.2. Violation of the anti-corruption regulations

Breaches of the anti-corruption guideline can entail disciplinary reactions for IndustriALL's employees. Possible reactions can include warnings, loss of responsibility and position, dismissal or discharge, depending on the severity of the breach.

For those who represent or in one way or another act on behalf of IndustriALL on an assignment, project or business trip, etc., breach of the guidelines could lead to other types reactions, such as claims for financial compensation and consequences for further cooperation (included termination and reimbursement), as well as the "freezing" of funding.

Where there is a suspicion of an unintentional breach of the regulations, it may also be relevant to undergo more in-depth training.

South Africa: Union demands justice for woman worker murdered at electricity sub-station

There are fears that the case might be dismissed for lack of evidence as critical information from surveillance cameras has disappeared. The court heard last year that before the murder, Yende wanted to expose a criminal gang involved in stealing copper cables from power lines for sale to scrap metal dealers.

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA), where she was a member, demands justice and says Eskom is complicit by not assisting in making the evidence available to law enforcement agencies. Says NUMSA in a statement:

“Her body was found in the workplace. It is virtually impossible for outsiders to access the sub-station on their own. She did not kill and lock herself in the office. Therefore, the only logical conclusion is that her killers are either employees or were assisted by employees of Eskom.”

The union wants the case to be treated just like other high-profile cases, and for the South African Police Services and the National Prosecuting Authority “to take gender-based violence seriously by prioritizing investigations into the case.”

In a tribute to Yende, NUMSA says it will not rest until the truth is known.

“She was a hard-working ambitious young woman whose life was senselessly cut down in her prime. Her young son will have to live the rest of his life without the love and care of his mother.”

NUMSA has signed the IndustriALL Pledge in which unions make a commitment to fight all forms of violence against women at the workplace and in the unions.

South African workplaces continue to be unsafe as women face sexual harassment, rape and murder. According to the Statistics South Africa report Crime Against Women in South Africa 2018, the murder rate for women in the country increased by 117 per cent between 2015 and 2016/17 while rape was more than five times the global average.

Caterpillar Union Network shows solidarity with Japanese brothers and sisters

On 25 and 26 June, over 30 delegates from Japan, USA and Europe met to hold their annual trade union network meeting in Caterpillar. In addition, guests from Komatsu trade union attended the meeting in order to exchange experiences.

This year, for the first time, the network met in Sagamihara, near Tokyo, where the plant will be shut down following a management decision in late 2016. Since then, more than 15’000 jobs in Caterpillar worldwide have been lost, while dividends remain untouched.

Many plants have been shut down in the last two years, while others have been significantly scaled down. Sagamihara plant is set to fold and be demolished by the end of this year. Fortunately, the Japanese Caterpillar workers’ union, a JBU affiliate, managed to reduce redundancies to a minimum, transferring many workers to other companies or the Akashi plant. Still, a plant closure is always a sad story for the workers and their families.

Caterpillar workers’ union president, Takei Hideki, said:

“It was a really good experience for me and our members who participated in this meeting to learn about other country's actions and problems. I hope that we succeed and strengthen the solidarity among Caterpillar workers around the world.”

Kenichi Kanda, president of Japan Federation of Basic Industry Workers’ Union (JBU) andKouichi Asanuma, General Secretary of Japan Council of Metal workers(JCM) alsoaddressed the meeting.

Discussions in the network and in the working groups circled around the proposal to demand better dialogue from the company in order to prevent bad decisions and plant closures. The network strives to make Caterpillar a better company and to achieve this though better management-employee relations.

Komatsu employees’ union president also addressed the meeting and described the Japanese style of social dialogue, which is fundamentally different from other regions in the world.

Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL director for mechanical engineering, summarised the meeting, bearing in mind that most Japanese colleagues were not aware that the English word “caterpillar” also describes an insect:

“We know that Caterpillar can become more successful in the future when management sees the workers and their trade unions as partners, not as enemies. The trade union network and its participating members are always open to fair dialogue. This will be good for the workers, but also for the companies. Thus, the insatiable caterpillar might really become a beautiful butterfly.”

The network adopted a joint plan for activities. All participants are determined to continue networking. The exchange between different trade unions and regions is crucial for a good understanding in such a multinational corporation. In addition, it is hoped the latest announcements from corporate management to initiate discussions about human rights will lead to a better dialogue. The caterpillar global union network is ready to enter into this dialogue.

Unions in India and Sri Lanka call for sustainable industrial policy

IndustriALL South Asia Office organized two consecutive workshops “towards sustainable industrial policy” in Delhi on 18-19 June 2018 and in Colombo on 21-22 June. Participating in the panel discussion on ‘challenges to sustainability’ held in Delhi, leaders of India’s national trade union centres expressed serious concern over the government of India’s consistent disregard towards trade unions demands in the recent past. Even though trade unions in India have organized a series of national level protests, including general strikes, the government continues to undermine social dialogue. It is dangerously moving forward with labour law reforms which will rapidly increase precarious work and facilitate hire and fire policies of the employers.

Brian Kohler, IndustriALL director for health, safety and sustainability said:

“The world of work is facing critical sustainability challenges emerging from climate change and rapid technological transformation in the form of industry 4.0. The multinational corporations are frantically transforming production processes while governments are creating policy frameworks to facilitate it. It is essential that such transformation should be sustainable – which includes human rights and labour rights, economic development and environmental protection. In this process, the trade union movement has an important role.”

Dr G Sanjeeva Reddy, President of both the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and IndustriALL affiliate the Indian National Metal Workers Federation, said:

“Indian trade unions have formed a historic national alliance and are working together to defend workers’ rights. We welcome industrial policy that enables industry to cope with rapid technological developments and climate change. However, in this process employment generation and workers’ job security and social security should be given due importance. Government of India’s indifference to views of trade unions, continues to be a major challenge for the union movement.”

Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) said:

“India’s economic growth in recent times has not benefitted the mass of working people. Real wages are shrinking. Precarious work, even in organized sectors, is increasing. Trade union rights are consistently under attack. The challenge of employment generation is looming large. Government of India recent policy initiatives, including demonetization and so-called goods and services tax reform (GST), have in fact aggravated the problem of unemployment. To evolve sustainable industrial policy to fulfil economic, social and environmental needs of the country, the government need to take into account the views expressed by trade unions.”

IndustriALL Indian affiliates from various sectors including steel, energy, automobile, electrical and electronics, garment and textiles, leather, chemicals, energy, mining, cement, shipbreaking and informal sector workers shared their experiences and discussed various sustainability and occupational health and safety issues. They also suggested that IndustriALL’s global framework agreements (GFAs) should contain the principles of ‘Just Transition’. National leaders from trade union centres AITUC, CITU, HMS, INTUC and NTUI participated in the event.

The workshop in Colombo focussed on evolving union strategies to engage with the Sri Lankan government. The unions underlined that a “one size fits all” approach is not suitable for a lower to middle income and developing country like Sri Lanka. In order to ensure sustainability, Just Transition and tackle its urgent needs of employment generation and development, the country needs adequate policy space. The unions resolved to draw a draft sustainable industrial policy for the country and build broad based support in the joint national trade union platform. Further, they decided to consistently engage the government with sustainable policy proposals while creating awareness among union rank and file cadres.

Apoorva Kaiwar, Regional Secretary, IndustriALL South Office said:

“A sustainable approach to industrial policy in the South Asia region is the need of the hour. Strengthening social dialogue at all levels and creating meaningful institutional structures to take trade union views on policy issues on board will contribute towards attaining a Just Transition and sustainable industrial policy.”

New standard for responsible mining released

The Standard for Responsible Mining’s best practice requirements include elements such as health and safety for workers, human rights, community engagement, pollution control, mining in conflict-affected areas, rights of indigenous peoples, transparency in revenue payments from companies to governments, and land reclamation once mining is done.

An online Responsible Mining Map was also launched today that will allow responsible producers and purchasers of minerals to demonstrate their commitment to a responsible minerals value chain and make contact to enable business relationships to develop.

IndustriALL and its affiliate the United Steelworkers have been closely involved in developing the new Standard, which is independent and relies on third-party verification. IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary, Kemal Özkan, says:

“This is a big moment for the mining industry. The Standard seeks to ensure that labour rights are upheld, in particular the question of neutrality and the right of workers to collective bargaining and freedom of association. It puts the protection of workers at the fore and will drive improvements in mining from the bottom up.”

The Standard for Responsible Mining, which has been ten years in the making, is a collaboration between labour, mining companies, downstream businesses like jewelers and electronics companies, civil society, and impacted communities. It has support from leading companies like Anglo American, ArcelorMittal, Microsoft and Tiffany & Co.

“As interest in the responsible sourcing of metals and minerals grows it is important to have standards that meet the needs of the wide variety of customers that mining serves, and address the expectations of society as a whole,” says Jon Samuel, Group Head of Social Performance and Engagement at Anglo American. “We look forward to trialling the IRMA Self-Assessment Tool and to continuing to contribute to the development of IRMA as a demonstration of our commitment to responsible mining.”

IRMA has also worked with host mines and technical experts to conduct two field tests of the Standard for Responsible Mining to test the Standard through simulated mine audits in the United States and in Zimbabwe. The international certification process assesses individual mining sites and not companies as a whole.

“The Standard for Responsible Mining responds to the power of markets to create greater incentive and leverage for protection of the environment and the communities who live closest to mines,” said Aimee Boulanger, IRMA Coordinator. “The Standard for Responsible Mining will offer shared value to corporations who seek to make a profit, while also offering an ethical value chain to their customers.”

Increasing young workers' participation in Philippine unions

In a country where youth (15 -24 years old) make up 19 per cent of the total population of 100 million, the Philippines has a large potential of union membership.

Out of the 7 million youth employed, 9.4 per cent work in the manufacturing sector, like electronics, automotive-related and clothing exports.

Lack of knowledge about unions and workers’ rights are some major obstacles identified as to why young workers are not joining unions. Other reasons are fear of losing their jobs and management threats of company closures if workers unionize. A need to inform young workers on relevant existing laws and policies was identified.

The meeting concluded with a common strategic action plan that focus on four main areas of concern; organizing and recruitment of young workers, policy recommendations, capacity building and gender equality.

Annie Adviento, IndustriALL South East Asia regional secretary said:

Involving young workers in trade unions is a must if we want strong union power. It is a big challenge that need to be addressed with vigor and sustained commitment.
The action plan developed by the young workers is an important step to make it happen and to create a better future for the workers and their families.

The meeting was held with the support of IndustriALL under the Building union power project.