Rio Tinto global union network welcomes commitments from company

In a letter sent to the unions with membership at Rio Tinto operations on 11 April 2017, the company expressed a commitment to a series of fundamental principles and structures for its labour relations. This message was confirmed by Rio Tinto’s head of employee relations, Rick Willmott, who was present at the meeting. He said that the company was motivated to improve perceptions on labour relations. The union network adopted a resolution recognizing this.

The commitment is seen as highly significant. Rio Tinto is the second biggest mining group in the world, and its practices are precedent setting. Industrial relations in the mining industry are frequently strained, and IndustriALL has campaigned for a number of years for social dialogue.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary said:

“IndustriALL welcomes the commitment, and we will invest in developing and monitoring this new relationship.

“Rio Tinto has made a policy decision to change the culture of the company. This is a groundbreaking development, and it is long overdue for this global giant to recognize the role and importance of trade unions. “

The joint steering committee, made up of representative of Rio Tinto and union representatives from different continents, will meet twice a year to develop the relationship and monitor compliance with the policy. Regional platforms have also been established in North America, Sub Saharan Africa and Asia, and country reports will be systematically collected.

IndustriALL mining director Glen Mpufane said:

“We are very pleased with the results of our global campaign, however we remain vigilant to ensure the commitments we have received are put into place."

A major focus of the new relationship will on contracting and precarious work, and efforts will be made to bring contractors into collective bargaining agreements.

The network discussed the appalling working conditions of Malagasy contract workers at Rio Tinto. IndustriALL will facilitate a global fact-finding mission to Madagascar. Rio Tinto will be asked to be part of the mission.

The meeting adopted an action plan laying out the next steps in implementing the new relationship with Rio Tinto, and growing and strengthening the network.

Health and safety, especially occupational respiratory diseases, will be part of the network’s activities. Campaigns to highlight the devastating consequence of non-compliance by the mining industry, like the CFMEU campaign on the re-emergence of black lung in Australian coalmines, will be carried out.

There will be demands to co-design and participate in inspections and monitoring protocols. The network will contest the undue influence of the International Employers Organisation on the ILO concerning the uncritical acceptance of the ISO standards.

The network will focus on gender equity across Rio Tinto’s global operations to address discrimination against women, and encourage the setting up of constitutional women’s structures in unions.

The network will build unity and collaboration within national trade unions and facilitate solidarity within and across borders at Rio Tinto operations, and encourage youth recruitment and participation within the global network.

A resolution was passed condemning the dismissal of more than 4,000 workers in Indonesia by PT Freeport, the local subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan, in which Rio Tinto has a 40 per cent stake. A high-level solidarity mission of IndustriALL affiliates will travel to Indonesia in early August.

In conclusion, Andrew Vickers, co-chair of IndustriALL Mining Section and chair of Rio Tinto Global Union Network said:

“I am very pleased the Rio Tinto has made the commitment to change its stance on industrial relations. We hope this sets a precedent in the mining industry, and that other players, such as Glencore, recognize the legitimacy of trade unions.

“We will continue to share information throughout the network, to report non-compliance with the confirmed principles and agreed processes, and to re-energize the global campaign at short notice if required.”

Ukrainian miners return above ground after pay promise

More than 50 miners returned to ground on 21 and 22 July at the two mines owned by state enterprise, Lysychanskvugillya, after enduring seven days of dangerous conditions underground. Four people became ill during the protest and needed to be raised to the surface.

Workers are set to receive their first payment on 2 August, and have been promised that there payment of wage arrears for 2017 by the end of August, and arrears for 2015 and 2016 by 1 April 2018.

On 20 July, IndustriALL affiliates, the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine (NPGU) and the Trade Union of Coal Industry Workers of Ukraine, met with the representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Coal and the administration of Lysychanskvugillya in the capital Kiev, where negotiations led to the approval of the salary payments.

According to the NPGU president, Mykhailo Volynets, workers will continue to protest if the debt isn’t paid:

“The miners are in difficult conditions and under psychological pressure from the administration. In addition, the miners’ town of Lysychansk is located near the area of military conflict, and this also psychologically affects people. We are concerned that in a tense emotional state the miners could take radical or inappropriate action.”

Miners will hold a rally on 28 July in the front of the Lugansk region administration building in the city of Severodonetsk, demanding the fulfillment of obligations made by the minister of Energy and Coal Industry.

In August 2016, Victor Trifonov, the chair on NPGU in the towns of Selidovo and Novogrodovka, set himself alight to force the payment of unpaid wages and attract authorities’ attention to the workers’ and their families’ predicament.

IndustriALL General Secretary, Valter Sanches, stated in his letter to the President of Ukraine on 25 July:

“This situation is untenable, preventing workers access to healthcare and pension benefits, and driving workers and their families to the brink of extreme poverty. We stand in solidarity with our affiliates in their struggle for decent and better working conditions, and we also support the continuation of the strike if the first payment is not made on 2 August.”
 

Algeria: 5,000 police used to stop energy workers’ march

Hundreds of trade unionists from IndustriALL Global Union’s electricity and gas affiliate, SNATEGS, had gathered in the Mediterranean port for the March of Shame against state energy company Sonelgaz.

However, they were met by an extreme and unwarranted police operation. Bejaia was effectively closed off by police barricades and more than 50 vehicles and anti-riot trucks blocked access to the city.

SNATEGS President, Raouf Mellal, was one of the hundreds of people arbitrarily arrested in a strategy to prevent the trade unionists’ right to peaceful assembly.

In light of the extraordinary police provocation and not wishing to endanger its members, SNATEGS called off the march advising its members to comply with the security forces and avoid any clashes or disturbances that could harm public safety. SNATEGS said it issued the advice in order to safeguard its image as a responsible and peaceful organization.

“We deplore the excessive behaviour on the part of the security forces, which aims to hide our actions and prevent the world from seeing the true extent of our support and strength as workers' representativeness in the SONELGAZ group,” said SNATEGS in a statement on 24 July.

SNATEGS members had travelled from across the country to take part in the march, which follows a series of well-supported strikes demanding better wages and improvements in health and safety at Sonelgaz. However, in retaliation to the mobilizations this year, 92 SNATEGS members have been fired, 29 workers have been charged with criminal offences, while more than 900 workers are facing civil charges for going on strike.

Furthermore, the government deregistered SNATEGS on 16 May, breaking not only Algerian law but also ILO Conventions.

The trade union oppression of SNATEGS and its members, the only independent union at Sonelgaz representing some 35,000 workers at the company, follows the ongoing persecution of its President Raouf Mellal.

Mellal was sentenced in absentia on 16 December 2016 to six months in prison and a fine of 50.000 Algerian Dinars (US$455), after being accused of illegally obtaining documents. These documents, which were freely available online, exposed the illicit inflation of electricity bills by Sonelgaz over a ten-year period affecting eight million customers.

Mellal has already lost one appeal against his sentence and will be allowed one final chance to clear his name in the courts.

IndustriALL has again written to Algeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations to condemn the anti-union oppression of SNATEGS and its leaders, demanding that the country comply with ILO conventions on freedom of association and assembly, and that it reinstates all the union members who have been sacked for their union affiliations.

Attacks on trade unions in Algeria are intensifying and the country was examined by the Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) at the International Labour Conference in June for failure to comply with the ILO Convention 87 on freedom of association. IndustriALL gave testimony to the CAS on behalf of SNATEGS.

In its draft conclusions published on 15 June, the CAS called upon the Government of Algeria to:

Sonelgaz employs 86,000 people and is the country’s second largest enterprise. 

South Africa: Union victory over precarious work

NUMSA brought the case to court for its members placed by a labour broker, Assign Services, who were working for Krost Shelving and Racking, a company that manufactures storage products including steel racking, shelving and lockers. Of Krost’s 90 workers, 72 were organised by NUMSA, and these included temporary and permanent workers.

The court ruled that a labour broker contract for temporary employment was only for three months. Beyond that, the worker had to be confirmed as permanent by the employer where they were working.

The court victory was welcomed by over one million workers employed under labour broking conditions in most sectors of the economy, including those organised by NUMSA.

Unions have campaigned relentlessly for an end to this casualisation and outsourcing of labour. They argued that labour brokers did not create jobs but instead devalued them through reduced wages and benefits to increase employers’ profits. There were no benefits such as medical aid or pension.

Employers were also known to use labour brokers as a front to dismiss workers. In such cases workers were transferred to a labour broker who then terminated their contracts.

Brokers also ignored union demands for equal pay for work of equal value, and were union bashers who trounced collective bargaining rights. Some of their tactics included employing scab labour to break strikes, and they also reduced workers ability to gain skills when they moved them from one workplace to another on short contracts.

NUMSA’s long campaign against labour broking focused on the need for equal treatment of workers. The union says:

“The case also confirmed that once permanent, contract workers must be treated the same as permanent employees, and be given the same rights and benefits”.

Fabian Nkomo, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa, says:

“Working under labour broking conditions, which treat workers as disposable commodities, makes life difficult for the worker as they can lose their job at any time. When that happens, they have no benefits at all to fall back on. Therefore, we call for an end to precarious working conditions and support decent work and living wages.”

Electrical sector in Latin America builds unity and strength

The third meeting of the regional network of the electrical sector in Latin America began in San Salvador by hearing the anthem of the Electrical Industry Union of El Salvador (SIES), affiliated with IndustriALL Global Union.

“We are greatly honoured that it was decided to hold this event here, since it enables us to exchange experiences with colleagues from other countries.  There are many similarities in the problems we confront as workers in the sector.  For example, in the spread of outsourcing,” said SIES general secretary Joselito Costa. 

Over the two days, the participants discussed the situation of the sector in each country of the region, how to confront precarious employment and help those suffering from its effects, as well as future prospects for the sector based on the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0.

The meeting was attended by the minister of labour of El Salvador, Sandra Guevara, who praised the initiative and expressed her support for the unity of the labour movement:

“I encourage you to work together to strengthen union organization and ensure that the work you do will lead to progress.  Today we must be more united than ever, both at the country level in Latin America and at the global level,” said the minister. 

Aside from discussing the situation in the various countries of the region, IndustriALL energy director Diana Junquera addressed the global situation of the sector and of the labour movement.  Other topics affecting workers throughout the world were also discussed, such as alternative energies, change in the energy matrix and technological advances.

“One of the main subjects discussed was the loss of jobs due to technology and Industry 4.0.  This sector is particularly affected.  For example, the use of smart meters to monitor energy consumption has led to a considerable loss of jobs,” Junquera explained.

Later there was a very interesting presentation by the economic and political advisor of SIES, Francisco Martinez, on the future of energy, employment and the labour movement.  Based on data from various reports, he described what the electrical sector would be like in 2040. He noted, for example, that total global demand for energy will increase by 30%, and that most of it will be consumed in developing countries.  In addition, he discussed climate change and its impact on the electrical sector. 

The participants agreed to strengthen the unity of the labour movement in the context of globalization.  To that end they would establish unified positions of solidarity and support at the regional and global levels.  They would also seek to include more unions in the electrical sector in various countries in the Latin American network, with a view to building a solid network with a common position on the situation of the sector in the region.

“Now more than ever, our unions must be united for the struggle ahead.  We must strengthen the ties among brothers in the region, because we are all affected by the same disease of neo-liberalism.  Thanks to all, the struggle continues.”

The meeting was concluded by IndustriALL Global Union executive committee vice-chair, Raúl Enrique Mathiu, who was also present at the meeting.

Miners in Peru call national strike against labour reform

More than 50 miners’ unions took strike action on 20 July, as proposed by the National Federation of Miners, Metalworkers and Steelworkers (FNTMMSP), affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union.

The union opposes legislation put forward by the government of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski that, for example, facilitates collective redundancies and reduces redundancy pay by 50 per cent. The miners say the reform will also restrict their control over health and safety conditions, attack collective bargaining rights and the right to strike and promote the temporary employment of young workers.

The miners are calling for the repeal of regulations that allow the persecution of trade union leaders and outsourcing. They say that the government is encouraging precarious work by introducing these measures.

In addition to the strike, the FNTMMSP and its affiliates organized a march through the centre of Lima on 21 July. They then held a rally outside the labour ministry, where they requested talks on workers’ concerns.

The president of the congressional labour commission has agreed to meet the mining federation’s leaders, and workers hope to get a positive response that will allow them to end the strike.

Fernando Lopes from IndustriALL Global Union, says:

“Peru is following the path taken by many governments in the region, trying to reform legislation to make working conditions more precarious. The workers’ response is to fight this, which IndustriALL supports.”

Peru is the world’s second biggest producer of silver, third biggest producer of copper and fifth biggest producer of gold. Mining is key to the economy and accounts for 60 per cent of Peru’s exports.

Tanzania – new communication structure to increase union power

From 10 to 12 July, a project monitoring and planning meeting was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania at the head office of TUICO, (Tanzania Union for Industrial and Commercial workers), to follow up on the project’s advances and challenges.

Despite many plant closures and job losses, TUICO continues to grow, thanks to a union culture of permanent and strategic organizing. TUICO has become one of the most important unions in Tanzania and East Africa with over 80’000 active members, some 35’000 of these which belong to IndustriALL sectors. The union’s influence also extends to the National Centre TUCTA, where several TUICO leaders hold important positions.

Organizing is a priority

As Boniface Nkakatisi, General Secretary, and Samuel Lyimo, Education Secretary reported, at the beginning of each month the Regional Secretaries report back to head office on the number of workers organised, versus the number of workers targeted.

However, all union membership records are administrated on paper, which is extremely cumbersome, time consuming and bureaucratic. The union’s internal communication system was very slow, as it took more than two weeks to send information between the regional offices and the national head office. The project seeks to address these issues, hence equipping the head and regional offices with electronic communication infrastructure and  building a union membership database.

Since 2015, Shahmez Khimji, Unifor Director for Information Technology, has been assisting the union and working directly with the project committee team in TUICO head office to shape up their IT structures. TUICO is now organizing basic IT training for all their staff members.

The project has a two-fold objective, targeting internal and external communication structures. At the internal level, an infrastructure for rapid exchanges of information is being built. This will help members to get information from the union to improve essential organizational functions; handling of labour disputes and case handling, providing education to members, organizing new members, and sharing information to conclude collective agreements.

The second objective is to develop Tuico’s external communication structure, to develop outreach and alliances with civil society, connect with other unions in the region and improve access to IndustriALL’s sectorial networks and activities. The meeting last week addressed these next steps.

Both Unifor and TUICO presented their union structures, and Mohamad Alsadi, Unifor’s  Director for Human Rights and International Department, explained how the Social Justice Fund functions.  TUICO was particularly interested in the way UNIFOR reaches out to their members and communities to keep them involved and active in nation-wide political struggles understood as union issues.

Suzanna Miller, IndustriALL project and rights officer, said:

"As the communication project progresses, IndustriALL looks forward to supporting and hearing more about workers’ struggles and successes in Tanzania."

Locked out – Glencore moves to replace Oaky North miners with contractors

As workers ended their legally protected industrial action following a 99 per cent No vote on Glencore’s proposed workplace agreement, they attempted to return to work only to be met by company guards at the gate and refused entry to their own workplace.

Chris Brodsky, District Vice President of IndustriALL Global Union affiliate CFMEU, say workers are being punished and intimidated in their community for taking a stand:

“We’ve had workers and their families followed by security guards in their home town Tieri and other intimidating behaviour. Our guys don’t scare easily, but they are concerned for their families.

“At the end of the day, we’re a tiny little mining town in the middle of nowhere and Glencore is a huge international corporation. The odds are stacked against us but we’ll fight the good fight all the way. The 99 per cent No vote shows how united this community is.”

The proposed agreement would remove workers’ basic rights:

The union has offered a two-year roll over of the existing agreement with a zero per cent pay increase.

Chris Brodsky continues:

“We believe Glencore’s end game is to replace the permanent workforce with casual contractors ahead of their plans to shut the mine as a strategy for minimising their financial responsibilities to workers.”

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary, says:

“It is shameful and unacceptable of Glencore to replace the permanent workforce with contract workers, and we cannot accept it. Glencore uses fancy language publicly, but what is going on at the Oaky North mine shows the complete opposite. We will continue to fully support our affiliate CFMEU in this fight.”

 
 

Bangladesh: workers win termination benefits

In December 2016, Bangladesh garment workers demanded an increase in minimum wages. Employers and the government responded with repression on trade union activities, incarceration, and terminations for thousands of workers.

IndustriALL and its affiliates launched a global campaign against the repression. Based on the GFA, IndustriALL called on the Swedish clothing giant H&M to intervene and urge its suppliers to reinstate terminated workers, withdraw criminal cases filed by its suppliers and take steps to create an environment conducive to well-functioning industrial relations. Subsequently, H&M issued three conditions to its suppliers from the Ashulia area:

The national monitoring committee (NMC), set up to monitor the implementation of IndustriALL’s GFA with H&M in Bangladesh, worked together with brand representatives and held series of meetings starting in March,with its six suppliers including Artistic Design (Ha-Meem Group), Windy Apparels, Rose Dresses Ltd., Sharmin Apparels Ltd., Fountain Garments Ltd., Dekko Design Ltd. Representatives of BGMEA, the garment factory owners’ association, also participated in the process.

Following hard negotiations during the meetings it was agreed by all attendee factory management that they will withdraw charges and call for the disposal of pending cases in accordance with legal procedure. Respective legal advisors of workers and factory management will hold time-to-time consultations to expedite the process.

Factory management will be open to reinstating workers, and where it is not possible, the worker will be paid termination benefit and owed wages. Suppliers also agreed to continue to engage with NMC in order to create well functioning industrial relations.

Out of 1,074 dismissed workers from the six suppliers, a total 984 workers (92 per cent) have received their compensation. 76 workers who have not responded so far, can visit the respective factory anytime within this year to claim termination benefits. On the criminal cases filed against workers, the court dismissed four out of seven cases. About 11 cases of reinstatement are expected to be resolved soon.

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

It is an important achievement that a large number of workers received termination benefits. The NMC worked hard to implement IndustriALL’s GFA with H&M in Bangladesh, and we congratulate them for their successful efforts.

Union bashing in Ivory Coast’s oil sector must end

Libya Oil, which operates in 18 African countries, the Island of Reunion, and the United Arab Emirates, cited economic reasons for the recent retrenchments of eight workers. IndustriALL affiliate SYNTEPCI says that Libya Oil is not only ignoring but refusing to update an agreement signed in 2008. Workers’ rights were also ignored, and the reasons given for the retrenchments were unjust and misleading.

SYNTEPCI has approached the Minister of Labour, Jean Claude Kouassi, and the National Council of Social Dialogue, for the retrenchments to be reversed.

A three-week strike, the third in two years, against privatization at the state owned National Oil Company of Ivory Coast, Petroci, ended on 18 July. With no social plan to protect jobs, workers feared that Petroci’s proposed privatization would leave them worse off.

However, an agreement was reached, and wages for workers with more than ten years experience will be reviewed and the rights of the 13 workers transferred to a private company, Puma Energy, after the sale of petrol stations, protected. Working conditions for precarious workers will be discussed, as well as health insurance, pensions, and housing for workers. Packages paid to 48 workers retrenched in 2016 will be reviewed.

At Klenzi, a fuel distribution company, there were blatant violation of the rights to organize, and shop stewards were not recognised. Management, which refused to meet the union, openly harassed workers and threatened them with dismissals if they remained union members. Other grievances included the company’s failure to pay overtime, health insurance and pension benefits.

SYNTEPCI has written to the government, expressing its disappointment on how the labour ministry was dealing with the union bashing and trampling of workers’ rights.

Said Jérémie Wondje general secretary of SYNTEPCI:

“We wrote to the Directorate General of Labour on how badly they were managing workers grievances that we have brought to their attention. We told them that their failure to act was weakening our union.”

Diana Junquera Curiel, energy director at IndustriALL, says:

“We are calling upon Libya Oil, Petroci and Klenzi to stop attacking unions, and to instead engage in good faith dialogue and to work with them to resolve their grievances. Workers’ rights are protected by labour laws and international conventions that the Ivory Coast has signed.”