Goodyear Mexico fires workers for setting up their own union

The multinational, which specializes in the manufacture of tyres, announced the mass dismissals of around 50 people on 9 July. The workers claim that the company’s action was an act of revenge to punish their decision to set up an independent trade union at the plant.

“The company’s legal counsel, José María de la Garza, came to my house and, assuming a despotic air, told me that I was going to be fired. When I asked him for the reasons, he said it was in retaliation for my actions to promote a genuine workers’ movement,” explained a Goodyear worker to the press.

The workers decided to down tools at the plant in protest against the dismissals. Goodyear, with the backing of the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) – a corrupt and yellow union at the company, allowed thugs to enter the factory in order to intimidate the workers and monitor their behaviour. 

Other thugs went round the factory armed with sticks and rocks, while the company management called in a large federal police force to guard the outside perimeter of the plant. 

CTM, is headed by Senator Tereso Medina, a union leader known for his willingness to sign ‘protection contracts’ –  sham collective agreements entered into without the knowledge or consent of workers.

In a letter to Richard Kramer, CEO of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Valter Sanches, general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union wrote:

Apart from being a shocking breach of ethics and labour legislation, this is also a breach of the written commitment signed by Goodyear on 25 April 2018, under the mediation of the Mexican labour authorities. That agreement ended the workers’ demonstration at the plant and clearly stated that the company would take no reprisals against the strikers.

The workers set up the Independent Union of Workers at Goodyear Mexico to ensure that the company would respect their fundamental rights and to rid themselves of the protection contract signed by the employer-backed union CTM. 

“We are not looking for a fight or a conflict, all we are asking is that we be granted the right to negotiate directly with the company,” said one of the representatives of the new union at a press conference which took place in the presence of the Secretary of Labour in San Luis de Potosí on 10 July.

The workers claim the management of the plant has been manipulating them since 2015 when it signed a protection contract with CTM, i.e. two years before operations actually started at the plant. At the time there was not a single worker actually employed by the US company. They also affirm that they never had an opportunity to meet the so-called leaders of the union who signed a very unfavourable collective agreement with the employers in their name.

“As far as IndustriALL is concerned, the behaviour of the local management is totally unacceptable and shatters the hopes for change that emerged during the recent presidential elections. We shall continue to support the Goodyear workers and monitor the situation very closely,” concluded Sanches.

GEA management concedes to talks after strike at Italian plant

Workers at the plant, who are members of IndustriALL Global Union Italian affiliate, FIOM-CGIL, went on strike in protest at the proposed sale on 10 July. The union wants to safeguard jobs and production at GEA’s sizeable plant outside the northern city of Bologna. 

The union is furthermore concerned that a GEA food refrigeration business, also based at the Castel Maggiore factory, might be affected by the sale. 

During the four-hour work stoppage, union members demonstrated outside the Bologna City Council building, where discussions were taking place about the sale between local government, GEA management from Italy and trade union representatives. 

As a result of the strike action, the parties have agreed to another meeting on 17 July, that this time will include representation from GEA management in Germany, in order to write joint terms of reference on how the sale will take place and how employment can be maintained.

Stefano Maruca, Head of the International Department at FIOM-CGIL said: 

“This result has been achieved because of the struggles and mobilizations of GEA workers who went on strike and demonstrated outside the Bologna City Council, receiving great solidarity from workers at GEA Procomac in Sala Braganza, GEA Equipment in Parma and Ima Forni in Verona, to whom we give a big thank you.”

The refrigeration business in Castel Maggiore can trace its history back to 1898, which became known as Technofrigo in the 1970s. It became part of the GEA group in 1994.

Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL director for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Industries, said: 

“Decisive action by GEA workers at Castel Maggiore is paying off. We support our Italian affiliate in their fight to save jobs and production at this important refrigeration factory which has a long history of employing people in the area.”

German multinational, GEA, is one of the largest suppliers for the food processing industry and a wide range of other industries that generated revenues of approximately EUR 4.6 billion in 2017. 

Turkey: Striking workers at Mayr-Melnhof demand dignified conditions

Selüloz-Is members at MM Süperpak Ambalaj are entering their fourth week of strike action at the company’s operations in Izmir, Karaman and Gaziantep after the union’s demands were not met. 

Before the strike started on 20 June, management made an offer of a zero per cent wage increase in exchange for employment security, and there are 24 contract articles related to wages, benefits, and administrative procedures with which the union disagrees. Nevertheless, the union is committed to finding a solution in bargaining with the employer.

“One of the main disagreements is the method of the salary payment in the collective bargaining agreement. We demand that all the payments should be net but the employer proposes gross payments, especially with salaries,” said Ergin Alsan, General President of Seluloz-Is.

The company has refused to enter into negotiations to solve the conflict.

IndustriALL and affiliates from around the world have demonstrated their solidarity by sending letters of support to the workers on strike at the company’s three operations in Turkey. In its own letter of solidarity, IndustriALL said:

“IndustriALL Global Union fully supports your demands and the industrial action, and we expect the company to return to the negotiating table with your union to find a just solution to the conflict.”

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

“It is shameful for a multinational company to relentlessly propose to its counterpart union to give up all the gained rights. These courageous workers and their union refused to accept this and are fighting back. We are behind them and our solidarity actions will continue until they get a fair contract”.

Ukrainian miners protest to get paid

Members of IndustriALL Global Union affiliates, the Coal Mining Workers’ Union of Ukraine, and the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine (NPGU), from across the country gathered outside the parliament, known as the Verkhovna Rada, in the capital Kiev, holding placards proclaiming: ''Stop destroying the coal industry'' and ''The hungry miner is a shame on Ukraine’’.

Salaries have not been paid for two-and-a-half months, totaling UAH 1.1 billion (US$41.7 million). The miners’ families are driven to despair and many workers are forced buy food on credit, writing the amount in special books.

On 4 July, the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine reallocated UAH 324 million (US$12.3 million) saved for restructuring, including mine closure payments, to the miners’ salaries. However, these funds will only be enough to pay for one month.

Besides wage payments, miners are demanding that the parliament adopts draft law № 8362 that allocates financial support to the coal industry owned by the state. This financial assistance will prevent the closure of state mines and the decay of mining towns. 

Viktor Turmanov, president of Trade Union of Coal Industry Workers of Ukraine, stated:

“We need 226 votes in parliament, so the draft law was adopted and the industry received UAH 2.8 billion (US$106 million). This amount will be enough to pay the salary until the end of the year. We will continue to protest in support of the draft law until we succeed”.

Mychailo Volynets, president of NPGU, said:

“Miners see a systemic reduction in coal output and a significant increase in coal imports. They don’t understand why there is no clear and effective programme for the development of the coal industry in Ukraine. Another problem is the appointment of incompetent people, as well as overseers, at key positions in the state-owned enterprises of the Ukrainian coal industry.”

NPGU  has formulated the miners’ demands as follows:

On 2 July, miners started an underground protest at the №10 Novovolynskа mine in the Volyn region of Ukraine. Miners are demanding payment of wages and allocation of funds for the completion of the mine.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, says:

“Ukrainian miners are fighting hard for their rights. Only last month they held a mass rally in front of the Verkhovna Rada, and again they are forced to protest. We support all our affiliates’ demands and call on the Ukrainian government to resolve the critical situation as soon as possible.” 

Conference sets path for Asia-Pacific textile and garment sector

Unions tackled issues such as protecting workers’ rights in the supply chain, developing women leaders within unions, youth and effective implementation of global framework agreements with H&M, Inditex, Tchibo and ASOS.

Participants also looked at ways of taking advantage of international instruments such as the ACT initiative on living wages, the Bangladesh Accord, ILO complaint mechanisms, as well as OECD due diligence guidelines.

Akiko Gono, IndustriALL Co-Chair of the TGSL sector, said:

“Workers in the TGSL sector face many challenges. Millions of women workers face harsh working conditions and receive low wages. Companies that won’t pay appropriate wages to workers, don’t have the right to exist. Unions must also prepare themselves to face the challenges emerging from technological transformation in the form of Industry 4.0.”

Athit Kong, IndustriALL Co-Chair of TGSL sector, said:

“We have very important global instruments including GFAs, the Accord in Bangladesh and the ACT initiative which can be used to improve workers’ lives. However, we are facing major challenges in implementing these instruments at the national level. We need to work more to build union power on the ground and find ways to effectively implement international instruments to bring change for workers.”

Jenny Holdcroft, IndustriALL’s Assistant General Secretary, provided an overview of IndustriALL’s initiative in building global instruments to defend workers’ rights and said:

“ACCORD and ACT are setting new standards in global supply chains. The settlement of two cases filed against global brands at PCA in the Hague is a historic victory for trade union movement. Legally-binding agreements can hold multinational companies to account. IndustriALL’s global agreement ACT will facilitate industry-wide collective bargaining and link multinational companies’ purchasing practices to supply chain workers’ pay and working conditions. Importantly, it will promote freedom of association and ensure the protection of more workers.

“We made significant progress, but it is important that we need to address massive challenges in implementing these tools. We need to strengthen our union structures and develop capacity to effectively use these international instruments. We need to eliminate competition among unions and build unity. We need to reduce the gap between plant level unions and leadership and bring more women and youth into the union fold.”

The conference included a presentation from an H&M representative on sustainability and stakeholder engagement, while other GFA brands Inditex and Tchibo gave presentations underlining their commitment to work with unions and improve industrial relations in the global supply chain.

IndustriALL South Asia and South East Asia regional representatives and affiliates from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Myanmar and Philippines presented on the situation of women workers in their respective countries and various actions taken by unions to improve wages, social security, working conditions and women’s representation in unions.

The conference also explored challenges faced by young workers. Young unionists called for more efforts to address issues affecting them, such as precarious work, low wages, lack of understanding and negative information among youth about unions, long working hours, lack of opportunity for youth in union structures and lifestyle issues.

Youth representatives also called for innovative youth education and empowerment strategies, effective use of social media to create awareness of union participation, and organizing sports and cultural events to enhance youth participation.

IndustriALL’s General Secretary, Valter Sanches, who attended the conference, said:

“It is our duty to ensure that workers’ rights are protected and they receive due wages. We are facing formidable challenges posed by the pro-business approaches of the governments in the Asia-Pacific region. They seem to believe that the only way to generate employment is to offer cheap labour and create special economic zones bereft of labour rights. Every day workers’ rights are trampled on and workers are being sacked and persecuted. Governments are afraid of the brands’ economic clout and predatory sourcing practices. We need to strategically use international instruments including IndustriALL’s GFAs and ACT initiative to strengthen unions and stand up to these challenges.”

Zambian unions petition Dangote on violation of workers’ rights

By so doing, the company is denying the unions freedom of association.  Even with the involvement of the ministry of labour, through current and previous ministers and labour commissioners, the cement company has not budged. Dangote’s attitude towards unions is aptly captured in the contract with one of its labour brokers, Silondwa Engineering, which says the “contractor shall ensure that its employees are not involved in union activities and strikes that leads to stopping of work.”

At a meeting in Ndola on 5 July, three IndustriALL Global Union affiliates, the Mineworkers Union of Zambia, the National Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers and the National Union of Building, Engineering and General Workers met with representatives from Dangote and presented them with a petition demanding that the company stops violating workers’ rights. They reminded the company that it is in violation of the Constitution of Zambia, the Industrial and Labour Relations Act Chapter 269 and the ILO conventions. 

The unions also called for living wages of Zambian Kwacha 4 000 (US$408) as the current wages of K1800 (US$184) for general workers, for instance, were too low. They also wanted health and safety to be improved by providing a clinic on the cement plant. 

Also, of concern to unions is that Dangote employs only 15 permanent workers and has outsourced over 1,000 workers to different subcontractors. According to the labour laws, the workers employed through contractors were doing core work that required permanent contracts. Therefore, the company, through the contractors, is promoting precarious work through short term contracts, no benefits including pension and medical insurance, and low wages.

After the meeting the unions drove to the Masaiti plant where they picketed. Workers, who joined the picket, gave testimonies on how bad the wages and working conditions were.

Kenny Mogane, IndustriALL regional officer for Sub Saharan Africa, said:

“As a multinational company, Dangote should respect workers’ rights, pay living wages and ensure the health and safety of the workers. It is unacceptable for the company to openly violate Zambian laws by not signing recognition agreements with the unions.”

Court ruling criminalizes right to strike in Belgium

A second trade union activist was cleared of charges. 

The ruling on 29 June 2018 against Bruno Verlaeckt, President of the Antwerp branch of IndustriALL Global Union’s Belgian affiliate, ABVV- FGTB, came despite the peaceful protest on 24 June 2016 that included picket lines on some access routes to the port. 

In a statement following the court decision, ABVV-FGTB said:

“For us unions, this conviction is a real slap because such actions will become almost impossible in the future on the grounds that they would be threatened by criminal prosecution. The defense of workers' interests must apparently give way to the absolute freedom of motorists to circulate without hindrance and in all circumstances.”

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

“This court ruling is completely unacceptable and sets a dangerous precedent. The right to strike is sacrosanct for trade unions, and if this right is taken away in Belgium, at the heart of Europe, it can happen anywhere.”

The ruling follows a creeping crackdown on the right to strike in Europe as witnessed at Airbus in Spain, when eight trade unionists were jailed for striking, among other cases in France and Greece.

ABVV-FGTB plans to appeal the decision.

Hunger strike at Tenaris Colombia called off but struggle continues

The Sintratucar union leader began his hunger strike on 26 June in protest against anti-union persecution at Tenaris. At the same time, many members of the union organized a demonstration outside the company's plant on 1 July.

In the early morning of July 4, after he had been on hunger strike for over a week, del Río was taken to hospital suffering from severe chest pain, very low blood pressure and a sharp drop is in his blood sugar level. He was discharged from hospital and released into home care, as a result of which he called off his hunger strike. However, the union has confirmed that the fight to gain recognition of Sintratucar by Tenaris-TuboCaribe will continue.

"The effect of the strike has been positive because of the international solidarity we received and the fact that some senators are starting to take up the issue. What we are demanding is that our right to represent workers be reestablished without us being suspended. We will continue our protests until the company commits to work with us or until somebody can provide us with a guarantee that we can represent the workers," said the President of Sintratucar, Walberto Marrugo.

The workers claim that Tenaris TuboCaribe has not negotiated in good faith and has not signed a collective agreement. The company suspended seven trade union leaders for 15 days for having distributed flyers in which they explained the company and union position during the negotiations.  Moreover, Marrugo was also suspended for 42 days for having been part of the group that distributed the flyers.

IndustriALL general secretary, Valter Sanches, has written to Paolo Rocca, chief executive officer of the Techint group (to which Ternium and Tenaris belong), asking him to intervene and find a just solution to end the conflict at the steel plant of Tenaris TuboCaribe in Colombia and Ternium in Guatemala.

The Tenaris Ternium Workers' World Council sent a letter to the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos and unions in Canada, USA, Guatemala, Italy and Mexico also sent letters of solidarity.

"We express our full solidarity with the workers of Sintratucar, especially with its Vice-President Jairo del Río, for the bravery he showed when he went on a hunger strike. We urge Tenaris TuboCaribe to call a halt to its anti-union persecution and to promote a strong and robust dialogue which allows us to defend workers' demands".

Building power to make a difference

Unions in Asia Pacific have achieved great things, like using global framework agreements on the ground to safeguard workers’ rights, and the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.

But these achievements must be grounded in our organizing work,

said regional co-chair Michele O’Neil from Australian union CFMEU at the opening.

Having a process in place is good, but it must deliver direct change for the workers on the ground. As a region and as IndustriALL we must come together to put pressure to produce change.

Delegates highlighted major struggles and victories in the region, underlining the importance of swift global solidarity.

Anne Donnellan, from Australian Manufaturing Workers Union, spoke about the 180 days of strike action and 200 days of negotiation at Griffin Coal, which resulted in a win earlier this year.

PT Smelting, owned by Freeport Indonesia and Mitsubishi Materials, produces more than 40 per cent of the world’s copper. In 2017, some 300 workers were laid off and Said Iqbal, president of Indonesian union FSPMI, said that international solidarity helped to fight back.

We need to teach the greedy capital a lesson. We need to take joint action, we can’t do it on our own.

The regional conference adopted a solidarity resolution, supporting the CFMEU members at Kimberly Clarke’s Millicent site in Australia.

In a region where many industries operate within highly complex supply chains, Pakistan’s unsafe mining industry, the issue of working hours in Indonesia, shipbreaking in South Asia – often called the world’s most dangerous job – and the government in the Philippines trying to minimize right to bargain, there are many challenges ahead.

Unions in Malaysia told of a low interest in joining a union, especially among young workers. Unions are calling for an easier registration process to counter the issue, as well as calling for a stop to the exploitation of foreign workers.

IndustriALL moving its regional office to Kuala Lumpur will show employers that global unions are keeping an eye on them,

said Gopal Khrisnan, general secretary of NUTEIAW.

Delegates were asked to show solidarity with workers at Samsung operations in South Korea, who are not free to join a union.

Valter Sanches IndustriALL general secretary reminded the conference about IndustriALL’s Charter of solidarity and said:

One of most IndustriALL’s most important role is to mobilize our members to international solidarity, and that is how we win. And the unions in the countries where the company is headquartered has a special role.

Stronger together

Affiliates in the region are leading the way in developing supply chain strategies to organise workers and hold global companies accountable for violating the rights of workers whose labour contributes to their profits,

said Jenny Holdcroft, IndustriALL assistant General Secretary.

Unity among the unions affiliated to IndustriALL is fundamental for building power. Delegates shared examples of coming together in national councils throughout the region, sometimes despite political differences.

The Japan liaison council told of how improved activities are a result of the national council.

IndustriALL has 20 affiliates in Bangladesh, 16 in the garment sector, which can make for competition between unions. However, the IndustriALL Bangladesh Council has managed to achieve consensus on their demand for a new minimum wage in the country. The unions are now united in demanding 16,000 taka (US$189)/month.

The regional conference was preceded by a women’s conference, raising the issue of how to improve women representation at both IndustriALL and union levels. Discussions about securing spaces for women issues in the respective unions continued during the regional conference.

Unions in the Philippines reported that implementing laws and resolutions that deal with women participation and representation is sometimes a challenge. Add to that needing to change perceptions and make a predominantly male leadership see women as erstwhile partners, equal in rights. 

Affiliates in Singapore pointed out that employers are part of the problem of low women representation; they need to start considering women as a source of power.

IndustriALL unions in Japan have adopted Agenda 2020 to promote work-life balance with numeric targets to achieve.

We need this if we are ever to reach IndustriALL’s 40 per cent target of women representation in the union,

said Mikkiko Yasuhara from JEC-RENGO.

Building union power must imperatively include organizing young workers, who do not always see the greater benefit of being organized. Youth unionists from the region gave the conference a lively presentation on their pressing issues, as well as submitting their demands for IndustriALL’s Congress in 2020.

This regional conference gives us a platform to discuss and exchange information on our priorities from various points,

said Akira Takakura, regional co-chair.

We need to continue to organize to strengthen the organization, and we need to develop activities in our unions and industries.

Trade and industrial policy

With neoliberal capitalism on the rise, there is a need to ensure that global trade and investment benefit workers and society. To that end IndustriALL is to campaign against trade and investment agreements that do not meet minimum standards, and instead develop an alternative, transparent trade policy.

A draft policy paper on issues important for global unions is in the making and will be presented to the Executive Committee in November this year.

Asia-Pacific is the region where IndustriALL has the highest number of affiliates, representing the highest number of workers, but it is also where we see some of the most excesses in terms of company greed and violations of workers’ rights.

This regional conference has really shown the combined strength of vibrant unions  committed to make a change,

concluded Valter Sanches.

Los Mineros wins right to represent workers at Teksid Mexico after 4-year struggle

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, Los Mineros, defeated the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) led by the corrupt Tereso Medina, by 238 votes to 145, thereby winning the exclusive right to negotiate a CBA with Teksid Hierro based in Monclova in the state of Coahuila.

This is one of the most important victories achieved by Los Mineros because they won in spite of the fact that the Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Board tried to set a trap for the union which would have caused its election bid to fail. The Board announced that the elections would take place with just 24 hours' notice, thinking that this would lead to the defeat of Los Mineros just before the presidential elections were due to take place.

Moreover, the president of the Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Board allowed in a list of members entitled to vote which had been altered. Instead of 703 workers from the Mineros union, the Board agreed to another list submitted by the company and CTM that contained the names of 401 trusted employees and contractors.

Workers at the Italian-owned company, which is part of the Fiat Chrysler Group, have been asking for los Mineros to represent them since 2014. Over the last four years, there have been many attacks perpetrated by thugs from the CTM against workers just because they expressed their preference for los Mineros. At the same time, it appears that many of the 100 workers who were laid off during this period lost their jobs because they organized strikes protesting the lack of democratic representation by CTM, which has a protection contract.

"Things were not easy. We were subjected to four years of repression, threats and suffering. Many workers were fired without just cause.  Workers displayed bravery and dignity as they tried to assert their rights and continued the struggle that began in 2014 when they demanded to be allowed to join Los Mineros,”

said Mineros shop steward, Manuel Alfonso Prince, at a press conference.

Prince also added that now his union had won the representative elections, it would try to have the almost 100 workers who were fired for defending their rights reinstated, and that they would elect the new leadership of the local committee.

"We congratulate the workers at Teksid for their tenacity and their capacity to fight and stand firm. This victory in the auto parts industry represents new hope for thousands of other workers in the state of Coahuila who have demanded their right to be represented by the union headed by Napoleón Gómez Urrutia.  IndustriALL will continue to support the just struggle of Mexican workers for their rights,"

said Kemal Özkan, assistant general secretary of IndustriALL.