USA: Kumho Tire workers face crucial union vote

The South Korean multinational tyre manufacturer has hired a union-busting company, created an anti-union website, and forced workers to attend anti-union meetings. Seven “union busters” are now working in the factory, intimidating workers with statements that the plant will close if workers vote for the union.

To be certified as the legal representative of the workers   by the National Labor Relations Board, 50 per cent plus one must vote in favour of the United Steelworkers (USW). The vote, on 12 and 13 October, is seen as a crucial indicator of the labour movement’s ability to organize in the southern states of the US.

The Kumho factory in Georgia started production in 2016. The factory supplies auto manufacturers including Chrysler, Hyundai and Kia and employs 300 workers, 80 per cent of whom are African American. There has been a wave of investment in the southern states of the US by foreign companies taking advantage of the anti-union environment.

Kumho has production, research and sales facilities in the USA, Vietnam, China, the UK, Germany, Turkey, Australia and a number of other countries. The company makes tyres for cars, trucks and aircraft.

The workers’ key demands are:  

The USW organizes a number of other tyre manufacturers, including Goodyear, Cooper, Michelin and Bridgestone. Wages are significantly higher at organized sites.

At the IndustriALL Global Union world rubber conference held in Pittsburgh in September, representatives of unions in the sector made a collective statement of solidarity with the workers in Georgia. In South Korea, 3,700 Kumho workers are organized by IndustriALL affiliate the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU), who sent a solidarity message to the workers in the US, urging them to vote for the union.

“The Kumho Tire workers of Korea are all organized in the Korean Metal Workers’ Union to fight to defend workers’ rights. We support your struggle to organize a union for the Kumho Tire workers at the US plant with the United Steelworkers’ Union.

“We strongly demand that the management of the Kumho Tire Georgia plant in the US respect workers’ just right to freedom of association and collective bargaining.“

Kumho is heavily indebted to financial institutions, who took control of the company seven years ago. Its main creditor is the state-owned Korea Development Bank, meaning the government has a huge influence in the future of the company.

The US and South Korean governments are currently in discussions about the future of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement.  Violations of worker rights by a state-owned company could raise public opposition to the FTA.

IndustriALL has written to the Korean government, insisting that it ensures that the company respect workers’ rights. IndustriALL has also written to the company, and sent a solidarity statement to the workers.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said:

“Workers at the Macon plant should ignore the propaganda from the company and vote for union representation. This is the only way you will be able to achieve and sustain decent working conditions.

“The global trade union movement supports your demands for dignity and respect in the workplace, and we demand that the Korean government act immediately to halt the union-busting campaign.”

Take action

Click the button at the top of the page to send a solidarity message. You can also print a copy of the poster, take a picture of your union holding it, and send it to Kevin Johnsen at the Steelworkers to show your support.

Belarusian trade union leader freed

Both Komlik and Fedynich – the latter REP chairman and a member of the IndustriALL Executive Committee – were detained for alleged large-tax evasion taken place in 2011. In August Fedynich was released after interrogation, while Komlik was sent to a pre-trial detention centre and later moved to a prison in Minsk.

Reportedly, Komlik was imprisoned because he used his constitutional right and refused to testify against himself. Upon his release Komlik explained why he had to recur to his right:

“I was guided by the following rationale. As soon as I got to the investigation office, I immediately understood by some remarks that the case was not directed against me personally, but against the union. Usually an investigator works like this, once he finds a violation, he demands to pay taxes in one or another amount; and the investigator does not care where you would get this money from. As for me, I was immediately told: “Oh, not a big deal that taxes are not paid, you have an office! Just sell the office and pay.” But we all know: selling our office would mean that our organization would fall under the law on legal address (Editorial clarification, in Belarus organizations without legal addresses cannot work). The trade union REP would be closed immediately. And from these remarks I understood straight away where the wind was blowing from. I think that the officials understood that they were dealing with a political case.”

Earlier IndustriALL jointly with International Trade Union Confederation addressed to Belarusian authorities demanding drop of all accusations against Fedynich and Komlik.

So far, the investigation continues, both leaders are now considered as witnesses of the case, but if found guilty they may face up to seven years in prison and confiscation of their private property.

Kemal Ozkan, IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary,

We certainly welcome the release of our brother from the prison in Belarus. However, our initial demands remain unchanged, we still want all these false accusations aimed at undermining our affiliate in Belarus be dropped. We won’t tolerate that trade union leaders in Belarus are treated like criminals. This is not in line with the Constitution of Belarus, nor with its international obligations.”

Zambian union rejects precarious work in copper mines

MUZ, which has organized over 4500 workers at KCM, is against moving decent permanent jobs to precarious working conditions, which will lead to poverty among mineworkers and mining communities in Chingola, Chililabombwe, Kitwe and Nampundwe.

KCM is a subsidiary of the multinational company, Vedanta, which is involved in mining and oil and gas in Australia, India, Ireland, Liberia, Namibia, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

In a meeting with Vedanta Resources, Zambian president Edgar Lungu, said the government was also opposed to the KCM plans. Further, mines minister, Christopher Yaluma, issued a directive to the company to stop the plans and operate according to their 2004 mining licence. The union doubts whether the government will enforce the directive as KCM is also ignoring the Employment Amendment Act (2015) which makes it unlawful to casualize permanent work.

Instead of sacrificing jobs, the union is asking for an improvement in operations by recapitalizing the mines, buying new equipment, and giving more benefits to the workers as motivation. It believes KCM should increase production and extend the life of the mines to 50 years.

Nkole Chishimba, President of MUZ and the Zambian Congress of Trade Unions, said: 

Vedanta has failed mine workers, mining communities, and local contractors and suppliers. The planned outsourcing programme is unacceptable and ill-timed. Although the company claims to have invested over US$4 billion over the 11-year-period, it failed to increase production of copper to 400,000 tonnes due to poor management in procurement of equipment, materials and spares. KCM must surrender the mine back to the government so that a viable investor can take over rather than send thousands of workers into poverty through casualization.

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

We support MUZ’s unwavering stance on saving jobs in the mining sector in Zambia. In our campaigns for more decent and permanent jobs, we must always protect existing jobs against companies that think job security can be removed at will. We will continue to join our affiliates in the fight against precarious work.

IndustriALL statement on Boeing and Bombardier trade dispute

In the case filed by Boeing against Bombardier with the US Department of Commerce, thousands of skilled, decent jobs are being threatened in Canada and in Northern Ireland.

This is not acceptable.

IndustriALL will not permit any corporation to pit workers in one country against workers in another country.

We call on the US, Canadian and UK governments to meet as a matter of urgency with Boeing and Bombardier, taking into account the social impact of their actions, and to resolve this dispute in a manner which protects employment and does not harm workers, their families and communities.

Background

In September, Boeing accused Bombardier of corporate dumping, and filed a case with the US Department of Commerce. This could lead to punitive tariffs being placed on planes made by Bombardier, threatening thousands of jobs.

The dispute threatens workers who are members of IndustriALL affiliates Unifor, Unite the union, GMB, and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Canada, the UK and the USA.

Workers represented by IndustriALL affiliates include 22,000 direct and indirect employees producing components for the Bombardier C Series passenger airliner in the US, 4,000 direct employees and as many as 14,000 indirect employees in Northern Ireland, and 45,000 direct and indirect employees in Canada. The Bombardier factory in Belfast makes wings for the C Series, which is assembled in Canada.

IndustriALL and Inditex celebrate 10th anniversary of GFA

During an event to mark the anniversary at the Madrid head offices of the Economic and Social Council, the Chairman and CEO of Inditex, Pablo Isla, and the general secretary of IndustriALL, Valter Sanches, used the occasion to review the key progress made under the joint initiative.

Valter Sanches, said “the Global Framework Agreement promotes stability in a time of uncertainty. Protecting some 1.5 million garment workers in the Inditex supply chain, it empowers our unions to defend fundamental rights of workers to organize and bargain collectively for better wages and working conditions."

During his presentation, Inditex's Chairman and CEO stressed that the work performed during the past decade bodes for a “future for the Global Framework Agreement as one of the best tools for continuing to enforce and encourage decent labour conditions in the garment sector’s supply chain around the world”. He also highlighted the universalisation of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining as foundation of this policy.

In that sense, both acknowledged the advances promoted by the Global Framework Agreement leads to more ambitious objectives to immediately contribute in the promotion of decent work, as stablished by United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), subscribed to by Inditex. 

Pablo Isla acknowledged besides the work of the three general secretaries who have led IndustriALL since the agreement was signed, as well as praising the representatives of Spain's leading unions, CCOO and UGT, who have helped develop the agreement throughout this time. “Without their commitment to the workers they represent, their knowledge of the garment industry and their proactive and critical spirit, the Global Framework Agreement would not have yielded the results we are applauding here today,” said Isla. 

Valter Sanches commended Inditex for taking a lead in promoting worker and trade union rights: “Inditex recognizes its role as one of the world’s biggest retailers and was the first apparel brand to see the value of good industrial relations, not just in their own factories but throughout their entire supply chain. The Global Framework Agreement makes factory suppliers accountable, enabling labour conflicts to be resolved successfully and greater participation of trade unions in production countries.”  

TRACEABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY

The collaboration between Inditex and IndustriALL dates back to 2002. However, it wasn't until 2007, when the Global Framework Agreement was signed, that both parties began to roll out initiatives designed to empower workers and protect their labour rights throughout the Group's entire supply chain, as symbolised by the sharing of the Inditex's full supplier list since that time.

The more than 1,800 suppliers and 7,000 factories that comprise the Group's supply chain not only apply its Code of Conduct for Manufacturers and Suppliers to all their production but also participate, despite not supplying exclusively to Inditex, in the joint initiatives carried out under the scope of the Global Framework Agreement. It is calculated that close to 1.5 million workers have seen their labour conditions protected and strengthened as a result. 

The Framework Agreement achieved a new milestone in 2012 with the appointment of a General Coordinator and the signature of the Protocol articulating local union access to the supply chain, enhancing the supply chain transparency effort and empowering local workers to pursue their own collective bargaining. This line of initiative was reinforced further in 2014 when the Global Framework Agreement was renewed.

The expansion of the Global Framework Agreement in 2016 marked another step forward in this joint effort and in the supply chain transparency pledge by bringing local union experts into the 12 clusters of suppliers into which Inditex has organized the majority of its suppliers around the world. This protocol has created forums for effective collaboration and exchange in the quest to protect workers' rights and ensure ongoing momentum in the clusters.

Over the last 10 years, the Framework Agreement has facilitated and strengthened a shared approach to the reality encountered in each country by promoting the right to union access in the workplace. Pilot programmes have been carried out in over 80 factories in 12 countries tackling a host of aspects, including the right to organize, decent working conditions and a healthy workplace as well as addressing women's empowerment issues. These pilot programmes have yielded conclusions that are applicable to the entire supply chain. 

IndustriALL signs global framework agreement with ASOS

IndustriALL has signed a global framework agreement with e-commerce brand ASOS, to strengthen the implementation of international labour standards across ASOS’ global supply chain.

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL General Secretary, says:

This agreement provides mechanisms and standards to empower our unions to safeguard workers’ rights across ASOS’ global supply chain. The GFA deepens our relationship with ASOS, and is an important step for supply chain industrial labour relations.

Nick Beighton, CEO, ASOS, comments:

This landmark agreement with IndustriALL is a signal of our intent to ensure that everyone working in our supply chain feels safe and respected by their employers and fellow workers. This can only be achieved if employees have the right to organize and bargain collectively, and the ability to ensure improved employment conditions are consistently implemented.

The GFA between ASOS and IndustriALL recognises the role freedom of association and collective bargaining plays in developing well-functioning industrial relations. Both parties will commit to:

Earlier this year, ASOS made its global factory list public, providing transparency on the 612 Tier 1 factories its uses across 25 countries.

ASOS also participates in Action, Collaboration and Transformation (ACT), an initiative designed to address the issue of living wages.

North American workers mobilize for a NAFTA agreement taking their needs into account

Unifor and a range of trade unions and social organizations held a rally to express their solidarity with Mexican workers in defence of their rights under NAFTA and in sympathy with the consequences of the recent earthquake.

They were calling for a NAFTA that guarantees dignified working conditions, respect for workers' rights and the right to sustainable development for all the countries concerned. Although it had been hoped that representatives of Mexican trade unions would attend, the devastating 7.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Mexico on 19 September made this impossible.

When NAFTA was signed, they told us it would increase pay and lift Mexican workers out of poverty, but this did not happen. We want to show our support, at this difficult time, and help them to build a more prosperous future,

said Unifor’s national president, Jerry Dias, after a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of the earthquake.

The UNT, the Nueva Central and other associated unions in Mexico issued a public statement expressing their gratitude for the solidarity given:

“Workers and trade unions in our three countries are united in the struggle to stop attempts to make work and life more precarious, to reduce the asymmetries between our countries, to recover the purchasing power of our wages and ensure that NAFTA does not go ahead unless it guarantees decent work, respects workers' rights throughout the region and recognizes the right to sustainable development for each nation.”

Unifor and US affiliate United Automobile Workers (UAW), issued a joint statement saying that renegotiation of the agreement must benefit the workers of the three signatory countries. They rejected the flexibilization of labour laws and imposition of lower wages in Mexico and in the south of the United States because they increase company profits on the backs of the workers.

They explained that the auto industry is directly responsible for two million jobs in North America and that the agreement led to the loss of  hundreds of thousands of jobs and the closure of thousands of factories in the United States and Canada. Therefore, the renegotiation of NAFTA will only be successful in the three countries if it leads to an increase in workers’ pay, especially in Mexico where, according to a recent study by the Mexican academic Alex Covarrubias, workers in the auto industry earn an average of US$ 2.3 per hour,. Moreover, the unions want the agreement to help close the trade deficit with Mexico and create new manufacturing jobs in unionized plants in the United States and Canada.

The third round of negotiations on NAFTA ended on 27 September in Ottawa, Canada. The fourth round will be held in Washington in October. Members of the trading bloc will try and reach an agreement by the end of the year, before the presidential election campaign in Mexico. However, negotiations are proceeding slowly with no visible progress.

Fernando Lopes, Director of IndustriALL Global Union, said:

Workers in Mexico, Canada and the United States are opposed to any agreement that does not take into consideration working conditions, freedom of association and the right to engage in collective bargaining. They believe it would be better to have no agreement rather than have a bad agreement. You can count on Industriall Global Union!

Committees implementing GFA with H&M meet to strengthen industrial relations

Pascal Brun, Head of Sustainability at H&M and Jenny Holdcroft, IndustriALL Global Union Assistant General Secretary welcomed participants and looked forward to successful in future collaboration.

"You are the direct link to workers, a crucial part of our social agenda, with this comes the responsibility of all of us to make sure that we have stronger, well-functioning industrial relations. My expectation for the next two days is that we share best practice," said Brun. "You have helped us to become a better buyer. The National Monitoring Committee is an innovative way of working. I wish you all very constructive discussions."

The NMC system’s purpose is to develop the national short term and long term plans and strategies for implementation of the GFA at H&M suppliers, for now it is set up in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Turkey. The Monitoring Committees are composed of trade unions on the ground as well as H&M representatives.

"It has been a short history for the H&M GFA but there have been very positive developments. The National Monitoring Committee system creates a space for our unions not only to develop as responsible social partners but also to increase their organizing and collective bargaining capacity, which is needed for unions to develop and strengthen," said Holdcroft.

Steffan Herrström, Swedish Ambassador to Thailand, Myanmar and Laos addressed the National Monitoring Committees (NMC) on the second day of their meeting.

"What you are doing here, as partners of the H&M GFA to strengthen collaboration and team building, is an important step to improve industrial relations and collective bargaining mechanisms in the countries where you work. It is inspiring to see this happening. I realize that it is challenging and I am strongly convinced that this is the way forward to make social dialogue work, and in that way promote sustainable business that at the end of the day benefits all of us," said Herrström.

The Committees prepared their 2017 annual country reports that they will present to the Joint Industrial Relations Development Committee (JIRDC). Chrisina Hajagos-Clausen, IndsutriALL textile, garment, leather and shoe industries director said: 

“We want to see NMCs set up in more countries and we also want to see more of these types of implementation mechanisms in other GFAs, in order to ensure that we have agreements that work.” 

IndustriALL raises steel workers’ concerns in OECD

During the meeting, the Executive Committee member of the Steel, Metal & Engineering Workers' Federation of India as well the co-chair for the Base Metals section of IndustriALL Global Union Sanjyot Vadhavkar took the floor as a member of the Trade Union Advisory Committee of the OECD delegation.

In her speech Vadhavkar spoke about labour market developments in the steel industry and the necessity to add the voices of steel workers and their unions in order to get a their full understanding.

Despite the recent modest improvements in steel production and pricing reported by the OECD Steel Committee, as well as certain improvements for workers, including fewer plant closures and less job cuts than a year ago, Vadhavkar raised some worrisome labour market developments.

Vadhavkar referred to a memorandum of understanding recently announced by Tata Steel and ThyssenKrupp to combine their European steel operations in a 50-50 venture, which wiould result in the loss of 4 thousand jobs.

She also said, “Many of our unions continue to have members out of work after being displaced by restructuring caused by dumping and other unfair trade practices. We take note that the OECD Steel Committee mandate includes a commitment that governments work to reduce the social costs that arise from capacity reductions in the steel industry. Unfortunately governments have simply not met this commitment. With the sole exception of Sweden, our affiliates report that workers displaced by steel restructuring have little hope of finding comparable employment and income in a reasonable amount of time. Income support and retraining benefits are generally inadequate.”

Vadhavkar also reiterated, “Our unions are aware of reports that China has begun capacity reductions in response to external pressure and in order to reduce pollution. We call on China to take all necessary measures to reduce the impacts of these capacity reductions on Chinese workers. We also urge OECD Steel Committee to use its expertise to guide China on how to effectively reduce these impacts on workers.”

In the same time Vadhavkar expressed solidarity with Chinese steel workers, “We demand that China respect freedom of association and collective bargaining rights, and allow independent and democratic trade unions to operate. We demand this of all countries. This Committee should do the same.”

Besides, Vadhavkar raised concerns over the reports of trade unions from Latin America, where there is a disturbing trend throughout the region of neoliberal governments pushing for greater labor market flexibility, meaning less job protections and less protection of workers’ rights.

Follow the link to read text of the full speech.

After intervention by IndustriALL, the OECD Steel Committee Chairman’s statement from the meeting re-iterated the importance that committee members provide greater support for steel workers displaced by structural adjustment.

Joining union forces in Asia-Pacific’s textile and garment sectors

80 participants from 12 countries met on 29-30 September in Bangkok, Thailand to discuss the sector’s policies and priorities.

IndustriALL’s global brand strategy has resulted in agreements between global labor and brands, such as H&M, Inditex and Tchibo. The Bangladesh accord and the ACT initiative illustrate the promises of collective actions to leverage change.

“This is an important sector for IndustriALL because it is at the forefront of testing some of our supply chain strategies. These are direct agreements between local unions and companies at national and global level. When brands and trade unions work together, real change can be made,” said Jenny Holdcroft, IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary.

“The fashion industry has changed so rapidly and the strategies of the past are no longer relevant today which is why IndustriALL is ready to change our strategy to get our global voice heard, “said Christina Hajagos-Clausen IndustriALL Textile Garment Leather and Shoe Sector Director.

Sector co-chairs Akiko Gono and Athit Kong emphasized the need for the unions to join forces.

"We must have a common vision to fight for workers’ rights to form unions and improve wages and working conditions in the sector, and in our region," said Kong.

"We face challenges, but we are in this together. By sharing our experiences we can develop our sense of solidarity – our most effective weapon is our unified power," said Gono.

A case study on the H&M Global Framework Agreement was presented and brought together the National Monitoring Committee (NMC) representatives from Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Indonesia. They reported on the process of creating well functioning industrial relations through the NMC mechanism in the H&M GFA.

In a growing industry with complex supply chains, transparency is vital. "We want the factories to publish the information on their supply chains,” said Aruna Kashyap from Human Rights Watch, presenting our Transparency Pledge Campaign.

The pledge was fully supported by participants as increased transparency means that violations of labour rights can be identified.

IndustriALL regularly joins forces with relevant actors fighting for a sustainable garment industry. Sarah Ditty from Fashion Revolution spoke about their communication strategies and how teaming up with IndustriALL helps to amplify and share union struggles in the sector by sharing their message to their large audience of consumers, an audience that IndustriALL struggles to reach.

Precarious employment is rife in the garment industry, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Manifesting the fight to STOP Precarious Work on 7 October, participants presented their material for their campaign.