A tale of two factories: union representation in Mexico’s tyre industry

Currently, workers at Goodyear are ‘represented’ by infamous Senator Tereso Medina, a CTM union leader known for signing ‘protection contracts’ with employers behind workers’ backs.

Says a young operator at the plant, Francisco Javier Cuestas:

We’ve never seen these so-called representatives. They don’t know the first thing about us. Because we have nobody to speak for us, the company gets away with paying very low wages – less than a dollar and a half per hour – for what is very dangerous and difficult work

Conditions are so bad that the entrance has become a revolving door. Says Pablo Reyes Medina Hernández, who also works at the plant:

It just doesn’t make any sense. The company invests heavily in training, but within weeks new recruits have already quit because the job is so bad. It’s not like Goodyear can’t afford to provide decent wages and conditions. It does elsewhere, so why not here?

After reading a newsapaper article about how independent unions at Audi, Bombardier, Bridgestone, General Tire, Nissan, Volkswagen have come together as part of an IndustriALL-driven initiative to protect workers' rights in the auto sector, the young workers decided it was time for change. When the company refused to listen, they stopped work to demand the right to genuine union representation.

A short distance away, at the Continental Tire plant, things are very different. Says Federico González, general secretary of the independent union at the plant, SNTGTM, an IndustriALL affiliate:

We do the same job, using the same technology. We have a democratic union that engages in negotiation, and as a result, we have much better wages and working conditions, as well as a stable and committed workforce. We all work for world class companies, and there is no reason they should earn so much less than we do. That’s why we’re supporting them in their struggle.

IndustriALL and some of its affiliates with members in Goodyear or its supply chain, including USW in the US and Canada and CNM-CUT in Brazil, as well as other independent unions in Mexico, have written to the company demanding that it respect the fundamental right of its workers to form the union of their own choosing and that it honour its pledge of non retaliation against the striking workers. 

Bangladesh Accord will continue until government is ready to take over its functions

At the press conference, the BGMEA expressed its gratitude for the work the Accord has done to make Bangladeshi garment factories safer and gave full support for the Accord to continue until it can be replaced by a competent government authority.

BGMEA president Siddiqur Rahman said:

Though our entrepreneurs have undergone a lot of pain in the remediation process, we appreciate the efforts of ACCORD in helping to raise the compliance level of our industry to international standards. Without their support it would have been difficult for us to achieve the progress we have made so far.

Extraordinary progress has been made in the five years since the 2013 Accord was signed in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza collapse, and millions of workers now work in safer factories:

Bangladesh’s garment factories also benefit materially, as buyers recognize that a factory that has completed its safety work presents far fewer risks for them.

Crucial to the success of the Accord has been its unique features: the labour-corporate partnership that is at the heart of the agreement, the Accord’s recognition of the need to ensure that factory owners are able to afford the cost of safety improvements, and the binding nature of the agreement.

Speaking at the joint press conference alongside representatives of IndustriALL’s Bangladesh affiliates, IndustriALL assistant general secretary Jenny Holdcroft, underlined the positive change that has taken place in building and fire safety through the work of the national actors – the factory owners, trade unions, workers, and brands.

The Accord is a unique opportunity for factory management, workers and their trade unions, global brands and global unions to combine their forces and thus remedy the systemic problem of building and fire safety deficits that has plagued the Bangladeshi garment and textile industry.

While many lives have undoubtedly been saved, there is still more work to be done. Life-threatening safety hazards such as inadequate fire exits, fire alarms and fire protection systems are still present in hundreds of factories, and the remediation rate remains at 85 per cent.

Also speaking on behalf of the Accord Steering Committee, brand representative Ted Southall said:

Fire and building safety involves not just the renovations to make factories safe, but also rigorous and on-going factory inspections. As of today, there is not yet a fully resourced national regulatory body in place to take over this work. Therefore, the Accord signatories took the decision to sign the 2018 Transition Accord to ensure this vital safety work continues.

This week, the Government of Bangladesh confirmed it would extend the permission of the Accord to work beyond May 2018. A joint Transition Monitoring Committee (TMC) has been established by the Government for the purpose of determining when the agreed conditions for a handover of the Accord work to a fully functional and competent national regulatory body have been met.

The TMC, which is comprised of Accord brands, global trade unions, Bangladeshi Garment Manufacturers’ Association (BGMEA), ILO and the Bangladesh government, met on May 6 and determined that the criteria agreed by the Accord and the BGMEA and recognized by the Government of Bangladesh have not yet been met.

These criteria include: demonstrated proficiency in inspection capacity, remediation of hazards, enforcement of the law against non-compliant factories, full transparency of governance and remediation progress, and investigation and fair resolution of workers’ safety complaints.

We are pleased that the BGMEA supports the start of the 2018 Transition Accord on 1 June and for the work to continue until these criteria are met,

concludes Jenny Holdcroft.

Ethiopian textile unions campaign to end poverty wages

To end poverty wages, IndustriALL Global Union affiliate the Industrial Federation of Textile, Leather and Garment Workers Trade Unions (IFTLGWU) is amongst the unions leading the campaign for better wages, workers’ rights to organize, and collective bargaining.

The campaign targets the industrial parks set up by the government including Bole Lemi in Addis Ababa where South Korean garment manufacturer, Shints, employs 4,300 workers, of whom 3,800 are union members. Other parks targeted by the campaign are Hawassa and Mekele.

Unions see minimum wages as a starting point in reversing the low wages and are demanding that they be included in the new labour laws under consideration. Eventually the unions want to shift the campaign to living wages.

Unions are campaigning for minimum wages above 3,373 Birr (US$121). These wages can be pegged using the official minimum wage, 1,800 Birr (US$64), or the consumer price index, 2,400 Birr (US$86). Current wages average below US$50.

Meetings have taken place between the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU) and various stakeholders including the ILO. There were also meetings with the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to discuss minimum wages.

IndustriALL director for the textile and garment sector, Christina Hajagos-Clausen, who will speak at a workshop on organizing in the supply chain in Addis Ababa later this month says:

We support Ethiopian unions on the introduction of minimum wages to set at a level of a living wage. We demand further that workers be paid what other garment workers earn globally.

Therefore, we are promoting global framework agreements in the sector to stop global brands from exploiting cheap labour in developing countries. Living wages can lift workers out of poverty.

Machinists strike continues in West Virginia, USA

Thirty skilled trade members of IAM Local 818 embarked on the strike on 9 April at the global metal lid and cap company, after Tecnocap made unilateral changes to the terms and conditions of employment. By law, the company should have negotiated with IAM as the collective bargaining representative.

“Tecnocap, which is based in Italy, recently locked out the other union (GMP) at the plant and now unlawfully negotiated in a manner with the IAM that left its members with no other recourse but to unanimously vote to strike and file unfair labor practices against this employer,” says T. Dean Wright Jr from IAM.

Tecnocap’s illegal proposal would subject the loss of one third of IAM’s bargaining unit members, and healthcare premiums would increase to fifty per cent of the total cost of an employee’s plan option.

The company has begun using replacement workers from their other locations in Italy and Spain, who are now working in the West Virginia location on work visas.

“IAM Negotiators remain ready and willing to meet with Tecnocap officials at any time they are ready to enter into lawful bargaining,” adds an IAM spokesperson.

In a letter to IAM president, Robert Martinez, IndustriALL general secretary, Valter Sanches, expressed solidarity for the striking workers at Tecnocap:

“IndustriALL Global Union demands that Tecnocap sit down at the table and bargain with the IAM in good faith to reach a fair and equitable agreement.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with the sisters and brothers of Machinists Local 818 at Tecnocap in Glen Dale in their struggle to negotiate a fair contract.”

Trade union network opens doors at Deere

The global union network was founded in 2012 in Switzerland, and for the first time the network succeeded  have an exchange with top management. It took the affiliates of IndustriALL Global Union, namely the United Auto Workers (UAW), a lot of efforts and discussion to win management’s trust for such a step, showing the company's strong commitment to a further dialogue with its employees and their unions around the world.

The meeting at the headquarter of Deere & Company in Moline, Illinois, USA, started with a farm visit, where the Deere workers were able to see their products in use, and how their work facilitates the work of the final customer, the farmer.

The company provided a guided tour of its facility in Davenport, Iowa, where mostly construction and forestry machinery is assembled. Following the tour, a joint session with senior management and trade unions took place. During this session, Max A. Guinn, John Deere president of worldwide construction and forestry, gave a presentation and answered questions from the unions.

At a joint dinner with management, Samuel R. Allen, company chairman and CEO, joined delegates and spoke about the long lasting process of creating mutual respect and trust between company management and union leadership. He mentioned the long lasting good working relations with soon retiring UAW president Dennis Williams, who also attended the event.

Dennis Williams, said:

“For me to see the success of this network today, in how much it has grown, gives me happiness. Everybody is here, my Brazilian colleagues and other colleagues from around the globe. John Deere is hosting this meeting and I think it will be very successful.”

Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL director for mechanical engineering said:

“For some companies, squeezing labour is the easiest way to generate profits. These companies think that workers‘ income is always too high and must be lowered, hence they try to keep trade unions out. This is not the case at Deere.

I do hope that we can continue with the process that was initiated this year. Building trust between unions and management is always a long journey, but I think this year we made a huge step forward.”

Participants unanimously demanded that the network should continue its regular annual meetings and expressed their unions' commitment.

Deere and Company is one of the leading multinational companies, producing agricultural, building and forestry machines, with the main brand name of John Deere

Kazakhstan: independent leader expected to be freed soon

The chairman of the OCC workers’ trade union, Amin Yeleusinov, and labour inspector Nurbek Kushakbayev were arrested and tried in early 2017 following a peaceful mass protest and hunger strike of workers, demanding the restoration of their independent trade union centre Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (KNPRK) which had been dissolved by the authorities on 4 January 2017.

In May 2017, Yeleusinov was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted for alleged embezzlement of union funds, as well as public insult, assault, and refusal to follow police orders.

In July the same year, Larisa Kharkova, FNPRK former chair, was also sentenced, on false charges, to four years of restriction of her freedom of movement, 100 hours of forced labour, and a five-year ban on holding any position in a public or non-governmental organization. Kharkova’s appeal to justice was rejected by the authorities.

Sentenced to two and a half year of jail for instigation to the illegal workers’ strike, the other independent leader Nurbek Kushakbayev so far remains imprisoned. Reportedly a court hearing regarding his potential release would take place on 10 May 2018.

The court order on release of Yeleusinov took place right before the annual International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) which is taking place in June 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland. Kazakhstan was subject to strong criticism at the last ILC for forced dissolution of unions, arbitrary arrests and criminalization of protests in Kazakhstan.

In April, the independent trade unions of Kazakhstan, represented by Larisa Kharkova, Nurbek Kushakbaev and Amin Yeleusinov, were awarded the Arthur Svensson International Prize for Trade Union Rights. The prestigious award, known as a trade union Nobel prize, was established by IndustriALL Norwegian affiliate Industri Energi, and includes both a cash prize and support for union projects. The motivation says: “The three union leaders have shown great courage in continuing their involvement. The precarious situation of the laureates is only an example of the fierce reality faced, by not only workers in Kazakhstan, but also many the working people all over the world.”           

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary says:

“The news about the release of brother Amin Yeleusinov is encouraging, and we hope that authorities will take further steps to remove all false accusations against independent trade union leaders and activists and also release Nurbek Kushakbaev.”

“However, we are still concerned about the further attacks on independent unions, in particular the attempt to dissolve the OCC workers’ trade union. We are following this and other labour related developments in Kazakhstan closely, and will make sure the international community stays informed.”

Indian auto unions resolve to fight precarious work

Union representatives of automotive and tyre companies from Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune, NCR Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand came together in a workshop in Pune on 3-4 May to discuss the challenges.

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia Regional Secretary said that the enormous amount of precarious work in India’s automotive industry has deep implications for sustainable development.

There is a profound wage gap and difference in working conditions between permanent and precarious workers in Indian automotive industry.

Representatives from IndustriALL German affiliate IG Metall, participated and explained the extent of precarious work in the German auto industry, and the strategies adopted to reduce the use of precarious workers to acceptable levels.

Georg Leutert, IndustriALL automotive director said on the global perspective on precarious work in the industry:

Automotive companies use precarious workers to gain flexibility, cost reduction and to bypass employment protection laws.  Precarious workers mostly perform similar tasks as that of permanent workers, but are denied equal wages, working conditions and union rights.

Unions must fight precarious work and organize all workers to achieve sustainable development, strengthen union bargaining power and build unity among workers. All attempts to fight precarious work in the automotive sector in India sends a powerful message that cannot be ignored.

Participants decided to build solidarity to defend the rights of precarious workers. They agreed to discuss precarious work in union committee meetings and document good practices of tackling it to increase awareness and find ways to fight back.

It was agreed to take steps to bridge the gap between permanent and precarious workers through social, cultural and sports activities. Possibilities of forming branch union for contract workers in respective companies will be explored.

Union representatives agreed to intensify solidarity efforts to defend precarious workers’ rights and take steps to convert agency/contract workers into company employees, with the long-term objective of making them permanent employees.

Further, it was also agreed to enhance active participation of women and youth in union all activities.

Ukraine: ArcelorMittal workers fight for their rights

After 26 hours of negotiations, the union and the company management signed an agreement to create a conciliation commission on 4 May. The stumbling block was the issue of public reporting. Management wanted the discussions to be held behind closed doors, which the union refused. When the union instead demanded a meeting with the CEO of ArcelorMittal-Kryvyi Rih, they were stopped by security and police.

Around 400 workers gathered in front of the plant management building to support the union. Both parties agreed to include a pledge to make a joint statement at the end of each meeting in the agreement. Otherwise, the media is to publish the two statements side by side so that employees can see the differences.

The conciliation commission will hold its first substantive meeting in six days.

Natalia Marinyuk, chair of the PMGU trade union committee at ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, says:

“We are not asking for illegal action to fulfil our demands. Therefore, I urge the employer to stop evading conciliation procedures and to start negotiations with the union to develop and to make a joint decision on the labour collective demands”.

According to the current collective agreement, negotiations on salary increase were to begin in the fourth quarter of 2017. However, the management has so far evaded them.

Moreover, on 27 March, management tried to disrupt a union general assembly by announcing another venue. However, the conference managed to approve the employees’ demands, as well as the structure of the body authorized to represent their interests in dispute.

Workers are demanding wage increases from 400 to 1,000 euros per month. Currently, an appeal to the CEO has been signed by almost 12,000 people; more than half of the employees.  

The workers also insist on carrying out a detailed inspection of all buildings and constructions because of the tragic incident on 3 March when a roof collapsed, killing a 25-year-old contractor employee.

In addition, they demand an end the to anti-social and anti-union policy implemented by the management, especially by the HR-director. 

IndustriALL Global Union and affiliated unions representing tens of thousands of ArcelorMittal workers around the world sent a solidarity letter to PMGU in support of their struggle.

Valter Sanches, general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, and leaders of these unions stated:

“We fully support PMGU’s demands that ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih management end its union-busting, replace Olena Pylypenko as head of human resources, end its bad faith negotiations over wages and other issues, improve safety and enter into genuine social dialogue.”

Unions demand LafargeHolcim keeps its word and respects workers’ lives

IndustriALL Global Union, the Building and Wood Workers’ International, the European Federation of Building and Wood Workers and Swiss affiliate Unia were joined by representatives of LafargeHolcim workers from Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Uganda and the USA.

In 2017, LafargeHolcim agreed to sign a global framework agreement guaranteeing workers’ rights, with occupational health and safety as an integral part of the agreement. However, in January 2018 the company broke its word and returned to the practice of putting profit first and workers’ rights and lives second.

Since the merger in 2015, LafargeHolcim has shed 35,000 jobs and hundreds of workers have lost their lives. In 2016, 86 workers were killed, with another 65 killed in 2017. As the workforce has shrunk, the fatality rate per 100 million hours worked has increased. There have been further deaths in 2018.

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

“Several workers have already lost their lives in 2018, among them at least two in India and one in Belgium. How many more need to die before LafargeHolcim engages in genuine social dialogue?

“Shareholders’ high annual dividend of CHF 2 is paid with workers’ blood, sweat and tears.”

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said:

“The company signed a memorandum of understanding over a global framework agreement with us in July 2017. Now it is high time that they keep their word and create functioning structures to save workers’ lives and improve social dialogue.”

Lena Yuliana, a LafargeHolcim worker from Indonesia, sector co-chair and member of the Federation of Indonesian Cement Workers’ Union FSP ISI, was able to enter the meeting and address shareholders. She told them:

"Safety becomes an issue that scares workers. Instead of helping them, if an accident happens, the management blames the area manager or the workers, giving a warning letter without any proper investigation or involving the trade union. Safety and health is not only behaviour related; it must be developed jointly between management, trade union and workers. A top-down approach will not do.

"We, the workers in most of LafargeHolcim’s operations are united in trade unions. We were happy when management announced last year that there would be a global framework agreement between the global unions and LafargeHolcim as new company.

"But then we learned in early January 2018 that management had changed their opinion unilaterally to renege on its commitment to sign the global framework agreement. This was a shock."

Unions are demanding that LafargeHolcim:

Young workers forum launched in South Africa

Conditions for the South African youth are dire. According to Statistics South Africa’s 4th Quarterly Labour Force Survey for 2017, 2.3 million youths aged 25-34 years are unemployed while a further 2.4 million are “not economically active”.  Some have become discouraged work seekers who can’t find jobs or are unable to find work requiring their skills. Not surprising that some have “lost hope in finding any kind of work.” This means most of the youth live in poverty in one of the most unequal countries in the world. However, of the 4, 9 million employed there is a huge responsibility which includes providing for siblings and family members. In some instances, they do so while raising their own families.

COSATU reasons that for the youth’s ideas to be effective, they need their own forum which is linked to the federation. This would deal with issues including how to integrate the youth into the union through worker education, involvement in collective bargaining, and health and safety training among other aspects of union life.

Says the young workers forum:

Young people constitute a large section of the poor, the unemployed, the underemployed and those confronted by precarious work. They are exposed to informal and insecure work arrangements with limited possibilities for career development. They are the ones who are trapped in part-time and seasonal employment, and the most exposed to unsafe workplaces with limited rights under international labour standards.

Explains Sarah Flores IndustriALL global youth projects officer:

Recognizing the critical role played by the youth in the future of unions is important. Whilst previous generations of union leadership laid the foundations for strong unions, young workers must now take the responsibility of shaping the union into the future.

With support from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, IndustriALL will conduct workshops to further develop the capacity young unionists in South Africa, and a Southern African regional conference will take place later this year.