Cement workers launch global union network at HeidelbergCement

Forty delegates from Europe, Middle East and North Africa, North America, Asia-Pacific and South Asia gathered on 1 and 2 November in Bremen, Germany. It is the first time employees of HeidelbergCement  have gathered for a global discussion of challenges faced by workers at the company.

The meeting was organized by IndustriALL Global Union with support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, also involving IndustriALL‘s sister organization Building and Wood Workers‘ International.

Despite a repeated invitation, global company management did not attend the meeting and hence missed the opportunity to talk to workers in this forum.

The recent developments in the cement sector, including technological advances, company expansion and restructuring, are accompanied by a rise in precarious work, occupational health and safety problems and deteriorating working conditions. Workers are under increasing pressure; in France a subcontracted worker of HeidelbergCement reportedly tried to take his own life due to overwork.

The delegates expressed a strong opinion on the urgent necessity to reinforce their ranks through organizing efforts and improved ability of the unions to attract a bigger number of young and women workers.

Because of its enormous size, the company’s impact on nature, CO2 storage and utilization is significant and also needs to be properly addressed. If the company is serious about their aim of mitigating the impact on nature and about HeidelbergCement sustainability goals for 2030, it can only be done with the direct involvement of workers, unions, shop stewards and works councils.

During the conference, the delegates also discussed what has been done in other sectors. They paid special attention to the experience of global and national unions interacting with management at another big cement giant company, LafargeHolcim.

At the end of the meeting, delegates unanimously adopted a Bremen declaration and elected a steering committee for the network, which will coordinate the work in between its global meetings.

Matthias Hartwich, director for materials industry at IndustriALL said,

“With the creation of the HeidelbergCement union network, we open the door to social dialogue if management is willing, and we hope union activists will contribute seriously to the promotion of workers’ rights and interests in the company. To this end, the steering committee will be in close interaction with the national unions. Finally, we strongly believe that HeidelbergCement will only win through workers’ active participation and engagement.”

Photos from the network meeting are available at IndustriALL Flickr channel.

Shipbuilders and shipbreakers pledge solidarity in Rotterdam

The meeting was hosted by the Dutch affiliate of IndustriALL Global Union, FNV Metaal, and held aboard the SS Rotterdam, an ocean liner moored in Rotterdam harbour. Formerly flagship of the Holland America line, the SS Rotterdam has been converted into a hotel and meeting venue.

The meeting brought together activists from shipbuilding and -breaking unions to build solidarity over the lifespan of a ship. The shipbuilders come from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, UK, and USA.

Shipbreaking workers were represented by the Steel, Metal and Engineering Workers’ Federation of India, and the National Trade Union Federation of Pakistan.

IndustriALL sector director Kan Matsuzaki gave an overview of the industry. Overall, there has been a slump in shipbuilding since the 2008 financial crisis. Output has begun to pick up, but there is a shift in production from Europe to Asia.

There is also a slump in shipbreaking because of the steel crisis. However, there is a bulge of ships at sea now that will need to be broken in the future.

Many shipbuilding delegates spoke of the challenges of the industry response to the slump, which has included layoffs and casualization. Tae Jung Kim of the KMWU spoke about the difficulty in organizing irregular workers at Hyundai Heavy Industries, while Marry van der Stel of FNV Metaal stressed the exploitation of East European migrant workers in The Netherlands.

Reskilling and industrial redeployment are importand, said Thomas Søby of CO-industri in Denmark. When the Lindø yard closed, 3,000 jobs were lost. But many workers were retrained and redeployed, and now produce wind turbines in a new industrial park built on the site.

Thorsten Ludwig explained that in Germany, IG Metall had bargained for a 6 per cent wage increase along with a shorter working week, while Elspeth Hathaway of IndustriAll Europe spoke of the need for skills development. This point was reinforced by a plant visit to Royal IHC in Kinderdijk, a company that uses bespoke high tech product development to remain competitive.

Health and safety standards in the industry are outdated, said Caspar Edmonds of the ILO, and a committee of experts will meet in Geneva in January to develop a new Code of Practice.

1 November is the one year anniversary of the explosion at the Gadani shipbreaking yard in Pakistan, which killed 28 workers – just two days after they held a protest demanding better safety measures.

An international standard is necessary to make ship recycling safe and environmentally sustainable, and unions are campaigning for the implementation of the Hong Kong Convention – the International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships – developed by the UN shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization.

The Hong Kong Convention will come into force when it is ratified by 15 countries, representing 40 per cent of gross tonnage and 3 per cent of recycling facilities. Currently it has been ratified by 6 countries, with Turkey expected to ratify soon, representing 21 per cent of tonnage.

The Japanese government has provided support in improving conditions in shipyards, and India in particular has progressed well, with 29 yards now compliant with the Convention, and 31 in the process.

The delegations from India and Pakistan spoke about progress made in unionizing shipyards, though Bangladesh remains a real challenge, because sector or cluster wide organizing is not allowed, meaning each yard must be organized into a separate union.

Kan Matsuzaki said:

“This has been a challenging period in shipbuilding, but the industry should stay strong and we, the unions, will focus on sustainable policy to protect our jobs for the future.

"We need to strengthen our strong unions’ solidarity action to push for the ratification of the Hong Kong Convention, to secure the shipbreaking workers’ safety and jobs.”

Bangladesh: Garment unions trained for effective implementation of GFAs

IndustriALL Global Union organized a three-day training on ‘Implementation of the GFAs in Textile, Garment, Leather and Shoe Industries in Bangladesh’, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 20, 21 and 27 October.

The training of the plant level union leaders working in the supplier factories was organized with the objective to build capacity and raise awareness towards an effective implementation of GFA.

The training discussed key features and benefits of the GFAs and various procedural aspects, involving role of plant level union leaders and IndustriALL when raising issues related to workers’ rights, and how to address them through GFAs.

Through creative sessions and a participatory approach, the training aimed to provide union leaders with a better grasp of the complex contents of GFAs, as well as the  implementation mechanisms and communication channels.

Christina Hajagos Clausen, IndustriALL director for textile and garment Industry, said:

It is always a challenge to translate the principles of GFAs to bring change at the plant level. Informed and committed participation of union leaders is crucial in this process. The training programme enables union leaders to take advantage of GFAs to protect workers rights of create better working conditions for union members.

Ms Sabrina Akter of Natural Denims Ltd. Sommilito Sromik Union said:

This training is very useful for us. Knowing that the GFA is an important tool, we will use it when negotiating with the management. We also recommend that this training should be provided to management representatives, so that they understand their responsibilities towards workers.

Georgian glass workers create their union after beatings

On 18 October, a group of 50 workers from the Tbilisi-based company, held the founding assembly of a local branch of the Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia (TUMMCIWG). The workers elected their chair, deputy and 17 committee members at the assembly, which was held in the conference hall of the Georgian Trade Union Confederation.

The first challenge for the newly-created union will be to prepare for collective bargaining with management of the company. The union intends to address the issues of employment contracts, paid vacation and temporary disability, which the company has so far handled to the detriment of workers’ interests and in violation of national legislation.

The workers appealed to the national union at the beginning of October after three co-workers were violently beaten by security guards, and one more worker suffered from the actions of the employer’s representative. In an act of protest the entire workforce put down their tools and contacted the TUMMCIWG which helped to resolve the conflict situation.

TUMMCIWG chair, Tamaz Dolaberidze, stated:

“Now Albatros is avoiding negotiations and there is the difficult process of recognition of the union. The management considers this as something alien; they cannot even imagine that workers have right to association. Although we haven’t faced any open opposition, the company is still not agreeing to dialogue.”

TUMMCIWG is participating for the fourth year running in the organizing project run by IndustriALL with the support of its Norwegian affiliate Industri Energi. During this time, activists have been trained in organizing methods, including campaigns, actions and strikes as well as collective bargaining and collective agreements. The training has already brought notable results.

Albatros is one of the largest manufacturing companies of metal, plastic and aluminium windows and doors in Georgia and employs around 250 workers.

IndustriALL sets strategies for Industry 4.0

The conference heard from a broad section of IndustriALL affiliates on how Industry 4.0 and digitalization is impacting affiliates in different countries and sectors, and set an action plan to tackle the challenges ahead.   

“Industrial change is not new but the pace of change with Industry 4.0 is unprecedented,” said IndustriALL general secretary, Valter Sanches, in his opening remarks. “Our sectors are going to change, and we are going to have to adjust.”

The future of production and work and the impact of Industry 4.0 on society at large were of key discussion at the conference.

“It cannot be left to the most wealthy to reap the benefits of Industry 4.0,” said Brian Kohler, director for health, safety and sustainability at IndustriALL. “The driving force behind Industry 4.0 is cutting costs and that means jobs will be at risk. If we don’t have a seat the table, we will be on the menu,” said Kohler in stressing the need for trade unions to be involved in decision-making for setting sustainable industrial policy.

“Even the most exploited worker cannot compete with a robot,” warned Kohler, adding that women are particularly vulnerable because many female-dominated jobs are precarious and low paid.

Francisco Betti from the World Economic Forum said the 850 million jobs in production worldwide need to be safeguarded. He added that most companies are failing to successfully implement digitalization because workers are not involved at the early stages.

Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation highlighted the need for solidarity across industrial sectors in the face of Industry 4.0. She also called for a Just Transition for workers, saying companies need to be held accountable for workers and their impacts on society at large. “Businesses need a social licence to operate – to ensure they pay tax, provide secure employment and contribute to social protection systems.”

The conference included a key-note speech from Deborah Greenfield, deputy director-general of the International Labour Organization (ILO). “Optimism lies in our ability to develop policies for the future of work,” she argued. She outlined positive developments in recent decades such as a drop in the extreme poverty rate, increased women in the workforce and improved ratification of ILO conventions. However, she underlined that gains in productivity are going into profits and short-term investments (i.e. speculation) that neither benefit workers nor increase wages.

Industry 4.0 needs Labour 4.0 said Wolfgang Lemb, from German affiliate, IG Metall, with a right of access to education and life-long learning. Only a qualified workforce will be able to react to changing markets, said Lemb. He also said increasing union membership was key to meeting the challenges of the future.

At the end of two days of informed discussion, participants approved IndustriALL’s action plan, which calls for “a future of work that embraces the positive impacts that Industry 4.0 may bring for all of society while making sure that workers aren’t left to pay the social debts of companies, with governments unwilling to make this transition socially responsible.”

Included in the plans are:

Read the full Action Plan here.

ILO to adopt a new code of practice on safety in opencast mines

In a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, from 16 to 20 October, experts in opencast mining from the workers’ group, the governments’ group and the employers’ group at the ILO were able to reach consensus on the new code of practice which will be put forward for adoption by the Governing Body in March 2018.

IndustriALL, under the auspices of the International Trade Union Confederation, coordinated the trade union experts’ participation, drawn from the following six countries; Canada, Colombia, India, Indonesia, South Africa and Zambia.

The approach of the worker’s group was based on a fundamental principle that the draft code should raise the minimum occupational health and safety floor for all mineworkers in opencast mines, even in mining jurisdictions or countries with poor health and safety legislation or countries that had not ratified ILO Convention 176.

According to Canadian affiliate, Steve Hunt, USW District 3 Director: “The draft code, which provides general principles and specific guidelines to prevent accidents and protect mineworkers’ occupational health and safety in opencast mines, will lift that minimum floor when it will support the fundamental rights and responsibilities of workers.”   

These principle rights of workers include (1) the right to KNOW about the hazards of their work – fully and completely – and to receive the necessary training and education to do the work safely; (2) the right to REFUSE OR SHUT DOWN unsafe work without fear of repercussions; and (3) the right to PARTICIPATE fully in the development and implementation of health and safety policies, programmes, procedures and including risk assessments.

The task of reviewing the draft code, meant to revive the existing code of practice adopted in 1991, was daunting, given the opposing interest of the parties, who had to find each other and reach consensus.  No one group was certain of the support of either of the two groups and agreement was often elusive on issues important to the parties. The fundamental principle of negotiations was that the text or language agreed or proposed could not undermine principles of the ILO Convention 176 and its recommendation.

The workers' group is indebted to the great leadership of its nominated spokesperson, Steve Hunt, USW District 3 Director for his invaluable insight and knowledge and for his passion for mineworkers.

The meeting of experts was held following a decision of the Governing Body of the ILO at its 329th Session in March 2017 in order to review and adopt a revised code of practice on Safety and health in opencast mines. The ILO’s sectoral policies department prepared the draft code for review and adoption.

Union busting continues at Rustavi Azot in Georgia

The primary organization of IndustriALL affiliate the Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia (TUMMCIWG) has lost more than 1,000 members since February 2017, and the pressure on workers intensifies.

On 25 October, youth and trade union activists held meetings at the entrance to the enterprise with the workers, explaining their constitutional rights and the reasons for the company’s anti-union campaign. The workers agreed that the union is vital at Rustavi Azot.

TUMMCIWG has been trying to establish a format of negotiations with the administration of the company since March 2017, but has failed. Foremen are put under pressure from company management to force workers to leave the trade union. Membership decreased from 1,450 to 630 between February and April 2017. A further 300 workers left the union between June and September, and 100 workers in October.

The union busting is a reaction to the protests against the illegal dismissals of 350 people at the beginning of 2017, and signing new contracts with the remaining workers which seriously undermine their working conditions. 

The trade union has repeatedly asked the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia for help. The Ministry was unable to fulfill its commitment and to take the parties to the negotiating table.

TUMMCIWG’s chairman, Tamaz Dolaberidze, stated:

“One particular company has established in Georgia its own legal order, and the government looks the other way. We did our best to maintain a constructive relationship with management, and now the union will inform the world community about all of the above”.

According to Dolaberidze, the International Labour Organization, the European Union, the US State Department, and the Trade Union International Confederation will receive the information in the near future. The union calls on IndustriALL affiliates to provide solidarity support and to send a photo holding the attached sign by e-mail to [email protected].

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL General Secretary, wrote in his letter to the President of Georgia:

“IndustriALL Global Union condemns in the strongest terms the attacks on the trade union and urges you to intervene immediately to resolve this untenable situation”.

IndustriALL makes progress on gender work in Latin America and the Caribbean

Members of the Regional Women’s Committee, delegates from Colombia and observers drafted a work plan for presentation to IndustriALL Global Union structures.

Some key points of the plan are: the importance of researching the location of women in industry and the trade union movement; determining women’s aspirations; identifying the barriers that prevent women from enjoying equal opportunities; and occupying positions of responsibility in the national and regional trade union movement.

The roadmap also aspires to give a feminine face to the trade union movement, address issues of concern to women, take measures to facilitate the appointment of women to 40 per cent of IndustriALL Global Union executive committee posts at the next Congress in 2020; and promote solidarity and the exchange of ideas between women in the region.

Women members of IndustriALL-affiliated mining and energy unions in Colombia shared the preliminary results of research into gender and youth. The study used a research-action-participation methodology, with the aim of finding out why few women and young workers join unions, and to seek solutions to this problem.

The next step for the three unions will be to discuss the conclusions of the research with their executive committees and implement an action plan to overcome the obstacles that exist, and assure that the results of the research are used to formulate a gender and youth policy.

The research was conducted as part of IndustriALL’s trade union strengthening project, with the support of the Swedish unions IF Metall and Unionen. Three of the researchers talk here about the process (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5PU4IfirRI).

“It was a very positive meeting that has created a lot of expectations. Now we all have to comply with the established objectives,” said Mónica Veloso, co-president of IndustriALL’s women’s committee:

As a result of the meeting, a Facebook group was created to share information on implementation of the gender action plan in the region. 

Moroccan unions to march to demand oil refinery reopens

The demonstration will take place from the head office of the trade union confederation, CDT, to the Commercial Court in Casablanca. Other unions affiliated to the CDT from many sectors will join the march in solidarity.

SNIPGN-CDT held a previous demonstration on 14 October when more than 350 vehicles drove in convoy from Mohammedia to the Commercial Court.

The union is demanding the government acts immediately to end the impasse surrounding the SAMIR oil refinery, which stopped production in August 2015 after being unable to pay a US$1.3 billion debt to the Moroccan tax authorities.  

More than 1,000 workers at the refinery have been left in limbo, on an income that has declined by 45 per cent, no contribution to their pensions, and without health coverage for themselves or their families for more than a year. 

The crisis has also led to the loss of thousands of jobs in related industries, an increase in prices of fuel to the general public, as well as a decline in the commercial prosperity and development of Mohammedia city and its subregions, according to the union.

SNIPGN-CDT is calling on the government to either take over SAMIR, which has capacity to produce 200,000 barrels a day, or enter into a joint venture with a private enterprise to get the refinery back up and running as soon as possible. The union is also demanding that workers are provided with healthcare coverage and paid their due social protection contributions.

The government has continuously refused to consult with SNIPGN-CDT regarding the future of the workers or the future of the refinery industry in Morocco. The government has also failed to hold SAMIR to account for failing to respect an agreement it made with the government to invest in the refinery, safeguard jobs and make social security contributions. 

A commercial court of appeal in Casablanca ordered the liquidation of Morocco’s only oil refinery in March 2016. Since 2017, the government has been taking bids to take over the beleaguered operation. However, the stalemate continues and the government has done nothing.

IndustriALL has written to the Head of the Government of Morocco, reiterating its call for the government to protect the rights of workers at the company, and redouble efforts to find a durable solution for the refinery and its employees, with the active participation of SNIPGN-CDT. 

The Moroccan government estimates that SAMIR’S total debt amounts to around US$4.5 billion and growing. Up until the court ordered liquidation proceedings, SAMIR was controlled by Corral Holdings, which had a 62.26 per cent stake in the company. Corral Holdings is owned by the second richest man in Saudi Arabia, billionaire Sheikh Mohamed Houssein El Amoudi.

SAMIR failed to raise a cash injection of US$1.4 billion in 2015 and the court rejected a debt-restructuring proposal from the company, which came without guarantees.

Council meets to improve health and safety at ArcelorMittal

IndustriALL Global Union, the United Steelworkers, IndustriALL Europe, and ArcelorMittal met with the overarching goal of transforming ArcelorMittal into a fatality-free company by supporting the efforts of the local joint health and safety committees. The council was formed in 2008 and it remains the only one of its type in the global steel industry.

Henri Blaffart, executive sponsor of the JGHSC and executive officer, EVP, group head of HR and corporate services, ArcelorMittal, opened the meeting saying:

“Responsibility for a safe workplace lies with management and it is one I take very seriously, not only because safety is our top priority as a group, but also because taking care of our people is the right thing to do. Ensuring a safe workplace, however, is a job for every single one of us at ArcelorMittal. That’s why this collaboration between all levels of management, our health and safety teams around the world and the unions is so important.”

Since its inception, the council has visited 26 steel facilities throughout the world to meet with local health and safety committees, share best practice and encourage strong and seamless cooperation. During these onsite meetings, the council focusses on developing and maintaining a strong dialogue between unions and senior management.

Important outcomes of the meeting included a mutual understanding on the importance of collaboration between ArcelorMittal management and the unions to effectively handle health and safety issues; the need for continuous dialogue between the parties to ensure health and safety strategies align; and a confirmation of each organization’s sponsorship of the JGHSC at the highest level.

The council also acknowledged the importance of jointly managed incident investigations and key performance indicators; and renewed its commitment to promoting reporting and finding better ways to remove people from risks.

Looking forward, the JGHSC proposed three meetings next year and defined its roadmap for 2018, which will support and empower local health and safety committees to tackle the potential root causes for fatalities and severe injuries through meaningful, high-quality dialogue.

 IndustriALL’s Brian Kohler stated:  

“We view occupational health and safety as a matter of rights and responsibilities. Getting these understood and respected by everyone in the ArcelorMittal organization will go a long way towards preventing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Everyone has a role, even if not everyone has the same role. That’s why good dialogue between the workplace parties is essential to identify and create the systems necessary to protect everyone – whether a worker, manager, contractor or visitor – at ArcelorMittal, every day.”

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

“We’re pleased the health and safety council is back on track with a renewed commitment from all sides. It demonstrates that IndustriALL and ArcelorMittal are ready to collaborate on important issues facing workers. We look forward to developing a global network of unions at ArcelorMittal next year and will seek to expand our collaboration with ArcelorMittal at the global level to cover broader industrial relations issues.”