Inditex supplier unions meet in Hanoi to boost industrial relations

On the first day of the meeting, representatives from global brands Inditex, H&M and 11 local suppliers also joined the meeting for a session on improving social dialogue and industrial relations.  The meeting is part of a series of national meetings supported by FES, IndustriALL and Inditex in the implementation of the Global Framework Agreement.

Ngo Duy Hieu, Presidium Member and Director of Industrial Relations Department at the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), opened the meeting saying his organization “highly appreciates such network meetings and that working in such a system brings new experiences and ideas to the Vietnamese labour movement.  The VGCL is committed to supporting the operation and expansion of the network.”

Kevin Bui, Inditex Sustainability Manager, and Candy Nguyen, from H&M Sustainability office, gave detailed interventions on the importance of the global framework agreements and their role in promoting well-functioning industrial relations. A panel discussion took place with suppliers, brands and trade unions on improving industrial relations. The focus of the dialogue was how to improve workers’ rights.

Sister HA, Deputy Director of the VGCL Industrial Relations Department, added that the network was important for improving trade union activities and workers’ rights within the supply chain. She urged local union leaders to focus on increasing wages within the scope of local CBAs.  Internal discussions took place around the role of local unions, upper level unions and core worker groups in the network.  Participating members worked on a check list of guaranteed rights under the GFAs and discussed the importance opening the network to more global brands.  It was further discussed that the network needs to work both on the local factory level but also on a sectorial level.

Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL’s director for the textile and garment sector, added:

“Such networks are an important platform for textile and garment unions to engage with global brands and retailers, specifically to ensure workers’ rights on a factory level and to develop grievance mechanisms.”

On 7 October, the World Day for Decent Work, the trade union network members took action to stop precarious work.

India: Young trade unionists resolve to intensify union organizing

45 young trade unionists participated in the two-day youth meeting in Mumbai organized by IndustriALL South Asia office. The key subjects discussed at the meeting were:

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary, addressed the meeting and said,

“Indian young workers are alienated from trade union movement and this scenario has to change. The struggle against precarious work can never be successful without young workers fighting it, as most of the precarious work is performed by young workers. We call upon our Indian affiliates to renew their focus and extend resources to increase youth membership in their unions.”

Sarah Flores, IndustriALL youth and project officer addressing the participants over teleconference said,

“Youth constitute 65 per cent of the Indian population and represents a major share of labour market in India. The youth is not only the future, they are the present. Their voice and fair representation should get due space in trade union movement. I call on young people to dare and try to be more creative in demanding their rights.”

The participants of the workshop decided to target young and precarious workers in their union organizing drive. They also decided to form youth committees in respective unions and strengthen them where they are already present. Enhancing internal and external communication, taking advantages of social media, internal youth network to share information, union rights awareness creation among youth through workshops and seminars were some of the key future strategies emerged at the meeting.

Participants also took the pledge not to discriminate anyone based on their caste, religion, region and gender and conduct themselves as progressive trade unionists.

Fahimuddin Pasha, IndustriALL South Asia programme officer and Ashutosh Bhattacharya, IndustriALL Asia Union building project coordinator lead the proceedings of the youth meeting.

IndustriALL affiliates mobilize to #STOPrecariousWork

Take a look at all of the photos of the global actions here.

Unions take action against precarious work at Shell

IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in Ghana, Nigeria, Iraq and Pakistan organized activities and demonstrations against precarious work at Shell, while the United Steelworkers in the USA canvassed local unions to raise awareness of precarious work as a threat at the company.

FNV union in the Netherlands distributed a pamphlet to its members at Shell calling on the multinational company to apply European standards at its operations worldwide, and to practice what it preaches when it comes to workers’ rights and sustainability. The Dutch union also wrote to the CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, Ben van Beurden, as well as Jeanine van Barlingen, who is HR Manager Manufacturing at Shell in the Netherlands.

In Ghana, the IndustriALL and Chemical Workers’ Union joined forces with IndustriALL affiliates in the country to campaign against precarious work, and this year included Shell as a target. Each year the unions submit new legislation to combat poor agency issues, contract work and temporary work. They also carried out interviews for radio, TV and press.

The unions agreed to take part in IndustriALL’s campaign to Stop Precarious Work following the Shell Global Union Network meeting which took place in the Netherlands on 25 and 26 September. The meeting highlighted the increasing use of precarious workers and contracts, particularly in countries such as Nigeria, Argentina and the Netherlands. In Nigeria, studies have shown that Shell employs more than 50,000 contract workers compared to only 4,500 permanent employees.

In Brazil, the Federation of Rural Employees in the State of São Paulo (FERAESP) demonstrated in São José do Rio Preto, where the Brazilian Congress of Rural Labour Law was taking place. Labour reforms taking place in the country at present, are set to sharply increase the precarity of work.

Italian union, FEMCA CISL, used the occasion of the World Day for Decent Work to call for a stop to precarious work at Shell on social media, where it was distributed and shared widely.   

IndustriALL’s energy director, Diana Junquera Curiel, said:

“We are pleased so many participants at the Shell Global Union Network meeting went on to take action on 7 October to demand an end to precarious work at the company. We are confident from these actions that we have the basis to form a strong and unified global campaign against Shell in the future.”

Georgian workers beaten by security guard

On 4 October, three workers were violently beaten by security guards after a visit to the head of monitoring service, asking for a review of the calculation of their wages.

Workers downed their tools as a sign of protest. During the protest, security staff acted provocatively, swearing at them, and calling the police.

On 6 October, the employer's representative beat one more protester following a brief conversation, an incident recorded by a supervisory camera.

Police launched an investigation, and the workers contacted IndustriALL affiliate Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia. The union informed the Georgian Trade Union Confederation, the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia and provided legal advice to the workers.

Tamaz Dolaberidze, President of Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia, says that in his labour union experience this is the third time management representatives beat up workers.

“It is unacceptable that employers believe they can use violence against workers in total impunity. Our union supports the workers’ demands to ensure safety in the workplace.”

After a protest rally at the company entrance on 7 October, the workers and the union were invited for negotiations, which resulted in:

After announcing the agreement, workers decided to resume operations and to collaborate with the union in future.

Albatross manufactures windows and doors, and has four branches in Tbilisi with about 250 employees.

India: Tata Steel subsidiary workers face police attack

Workers and their families were protesting in front of the gate of the TATA steel plant in Jamshedpur, when they were beaten up by a group of police officers, who also used a water cannon. About 40 protestors were injured in the attack.

Police have also filed trumped-up charges against many workers.

The protesting workers are demanding:

IndustriALL Global Union regional secretary Apoorva Kaiwar says:

Police attacking workers is wholly unacceptable. IndustriALL calls on management to enter into negotiations to resolve the issue. They should also take immediate steps to withdraw the police cases against the protesting workers to safeguard the interests of workers and their families.

In September 2016, Tayo Rolls Limited (TAYO), subsidiary of Tata Steel Limited, filed a closure application seeking permission from the government to close the unit. At this time, the company employed around 399 permanent workers, along with about 700 contract workers.

At the same time, the company offered a voluntary separation scheme (VSS) to the workers, as a compensation for voluntarily agreeing to end employment. While many workers accepted the VSS, about 284 regular workers did not, arguing that the compensation 18 months basic wages and dearness allowance initially provided through VSS was insufficient.

The workers challenged the closure, and filed a petition to the labour, employment and training department, seeking the government to reject the closure application. Workers argued that corrupt practices of company officials had led to company losses, and that the company should be revived and employment should be provided to all workers. As the company is a subsidiary of TATA steel, there is capacity to provide alternative employment to workers in other units.

On 27 October 2016, the principle secretary of the labour department of Jharkhand passed an order rejecting the closure application.

The company stopped paying wages in October 2016. Workers are demanding that the company continue to pay wages according to Payment of Wages Act, as the government rejected the closure application.

Workers have not been paid for the last 11 months. In June 2017, workers filed a case in labour court, seeking the court to direct the company to pay wages. The issue is under review.

Meanwhile, the company has appealed to the high court regarding the closure, with proceedings currently in process.

Rakeshwar Pandey of the Tayo workers union says:

We condemn the police attack on peaceful protestors. The issue is in courts at various levels. However, such harsh action is not expected from the TATA management and the government. TATA management should come forward to resolve the issue through democratic means.

IndustriALL issues investor briefing on Freeport

Freeport is in protracted negotiations with the government of Indonesia over control of the Grasberg mine. The government wants a 51 per cent stake in the mine, and suspended Freeport’s export licence to force the company to divest shares.

Freeport responded by laying off workers, triggering a strike. Workers have been on strike since 1 May, and 4,200 have been fired by the company.

Workers most recently took action on World Day for Decent Work, 7 October, highlighting the ongoing problem of precarious work at Grasberg, and demanding that the fired workers be reinstated.

The investor briefing draws attention to the situation, highlighting clashes that have taken place, and fact that the workers who have been fired have no income, and have been denied access to credit, accommodation, education or medical care for four months. Several people are believed to have died as a result.

The briefing highlights the risk that the situation poses for investors, and calls on shareholders to:

The government of Indonesia is reportedly close to agreement with Freeport over divesting shares. It is unclear which party will have operational control over the mine, and what the implications of the settlement will be for the workforce.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said:

“Freeport investors need to be aware of the volatile situation created at Grasberg, and to demand that the company resolve the situation.

“Freeport’s reckless disregard for workers’ rights has caused a human rights crisis at Grasberg. IndustriALL will continue to fight until all those fired have been reinstated.”

Ukraine: new wave of protests against unpaid wages

On 9 October, 70 miners from Volynvuhillia held a protest action at the Yahodyn international check-point near the Polish-Ukrainian border. The protesters blocked the road from 11:30 am, disrupting traffic. Later workers agreed to allow cars to pass one by one, however, truck traffic was blocked until the evening.

Earlier, 1,600 miners from Buzhanska and Novovolinskaya no.9 refused to go down the mine for almost a week, demanding to be paid wage arrears. As a result, the Ministry of Energy and the Coal Industry paid salaries for July, but only to the underground workers.

On 8-9 October, more than 40 miners from the Kapitalnaya mine, belonging to the Myrnohradvugillya state enterprise, refused to return to the surface. They had been paid only 17 million UA (US $640,000) of an outstanding 49 million UA (US $ 1,8 million).
 
Mychailo Volynets, chair of NPGU, stated:

“One of the miners felt bad and lost consciousness. Difficult conditions and stress affects the health of people who seek justice. The miners decided to protest underground in shifts, not more than one day in a row. Union activists provide protesters with food and water”.

Valery Mamchenko, deputy chair of the Coal Mining Workers’ Union of Ukraine, said:

“The main problem is late payment of wages, the total debt is 340 million UAH ($ 12,8 million US) at the moment. We do our best to help the miners got paid”.

Previously, a major strike was held in July 2017 at the state enterprise Lysychanskvugillya in the Lugansk region of Ukraine. 91 miners from two mines stayed underground, protesting salaries in arrears since 2015.
 
According to Valery Mamchenko, a special working group on the settlement of crisis situations in the coal industry was created thanks to the efforts of the trade union in August 2017. It will continue its meetings. Besides, the union is conducting a social dialogue with representatives of the Verkhovna Rada, which is partially successful, and is preparing for the general action on 14 November.

Ternium CEO not yet fit for Steelie award

Ternium CEO, Daniel Novegil, is one of four candidates nominated as ‘Industry Communicator of the Year’ at the 8th Steelie Awards, which will be held in Brussels on Monday 16 October.

However, Novegil’s company has repeatedly ignored and refused to communicate with Sitraternium, the union representing Ternium workers at its plant in Guatemala.

On 14 September 2017, IndustriALL, Sitraternium and the United Steelworkers filed an OECD complaint against Ternium for its violations of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises concerning workers’ rights in Guatemala.

In a letter to Edwin Basson, worldsteel’s director general, Carlos De Sanctis of the Tenaris Ternium Workers’ World Council, said the council “has raised our concerns and sought dialog with the company multiple times, however it has received no response from Mr. Novegil or anybody else at Ternium. Although courts have ruled on multiple occasions that the company has acted illegally to prevent workers exercising their fundamental rights, the CEO has made no public statement on the matter and the company has continued their illegal rights violations”.

He added “we believe that under the current circumstances Mr. Novegil does not ‘present the best face of the steel industry to the world at large’, which this award is said to recognize.”

Over the past four years, Ternium International Guatemala has fired labour leaders and only rehired them following a court order; denied the payment of union leave even when the Guatemalan law calls for it; and rejected all efforts of the union to negotiate a collective agreement, even when the vice-minister of Labour of Guatemala offered his services as a mediator.

Nominations for the award for ‘Industry Communicator of the Year’ are chosen by worldsteel and voted for by members of the media. Daniel Novegil is a board member of worldsteel, while Paulo Rocca, who is Chairman of Ternium, is on the Executive Committee.

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

“We urge Mr Novegil to live up to his nomination as Industry Communicator of the Year and strike a dialogue with his employees in Guatemala as soon as possible. As CEO of Ternium, he has a responsibility to communicate with, as well as listen, to workers. We again call on Ternium to recognize and negotiate with Sitraternium.”

Ternium, which is headquartered in Luxembourg, is one of the biggest steel companies in Latin America with more than 19,000 workers at production facilities in Guatemala, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia, as well as the United States.   

Sitraternium is affiliated to IndustriALL through Guatemalan union federation, FESTRAS.

 

Thailand: auto parts maker Y-Tec fires workers for unionizing

Y-Tec monitored union members with CCTV, submitted them to random drug tests, dismissed some and forced others to resign, and laid a defamation charge against the union president over a social media post.

The auto parts manufacturer in Prachinburi, Thailand is owned by Yamashita Rubber. It employs about 2,000 workers, and produces hose tubes, engine mounts, suspension bushings and dynamic dampers for Daihatsu, Isuzu, Suzuki, Sanyo and a number of other companies. It has two plants in Prachinburi, opened in 1997 and 2013.  

The Prachinburi plants are part of an industrial complex with a number of interrelated companies operating in the same supply chains. There is no union recognition, but workers sometimes stage protests and wildcat strikes against working conditions.

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate the Confederation of Thai Electrical Appliances, Electronic Automobile & Metalworkers (TEAM), had been helping the workers to form and register a union.

At the beginning of December 2016, workers grew unhappy after not receiving a promised bonus. The situation escalated after a physical provocation by the HR manager, and police, the military and security guards were called in to settle the situation.

Seven workers were appointed as bargaining representatives, and they formally registered the Prachinburi Automobile Part Workers Union on 26 December, recruited members and sought recognition from Y-Tec.

The immediate response from the company was to separate the union members from the rest of the workforce by putting them on night shift. About 90 workers who had been involved in the protest were called to a meeting and asked to resign for “destroying the working relationship”.

After they refused, the company forced 32 members to resign due to “restructuring”. The workers were offered payments and told they would be fired if they did not accept them.

Although 22 workers accepted the company offer, the union submitted a complaint to the government employment arbitrator, the Labor Relations Committee (LRC). The company increased its pressure on the union, offering bribes to the president if he dissolved the union, setting up video cameras to record union members, and conducting drug tests on them.

The company also attempted to bribe some of the union members to encourage others to resign. When this failed, the company increased the payout to US$ 6,000 each. Four workers accepted the offer.

At this point the LRC made a decision in the workers’ favour, and ordered their reinstatement. The company has failed to comply with the order, and has filed a legal appeal.

The union president, Ruangsak Klaimala, was transferred from his supervisor’s position to a newly created manual job at a lower wage. After he submitted a complaint to the LRC, the company laid a defamation charge against him for a post he wrote on social media, and then dismissed him because he had criminal charges against him.

The company has also laid defamation charges against an academic who wrote an article criticizing their practices.

IndustriALL has written to Yamashita calling on the parent company to intervene.

General secretary Valter Sanches wrote:

“IndustriALL Global Union urgently calls on Yamashita Rubber to intervene at Y-TEC to create the necessary structures of dialogue and cooperation between management and the union, fully cooperate with the Thai Labour Relations Committee in the mediation process, and ensure the full respect of fundamental workers’ rights.”

In 2015, IndustriALL made a complaint against Thailand to the ILO for failing to uphold labour standards.