Bangladesh: IndustriALL calls for reinstatement of terminated Chevron workers

Chevron, one of the world’s biggest oil corporations and the largest foreign direct investor in Bangladesh, terminated 148 workers in the past two years.

Chevron kept them as precarious workers for more than a decade, and terminated them when they demanded permanent jobs and the right to form a union.

Challenging Chevron’s unjust termination, over a hundred workers filed cases in the labour court seeking reinstatement.

Workers are deeply concerned as Chevron is now in the process of selling its assets to Himalaya Energy. Chevron has also threatened to fire its present staff, who demand that the company address employees’ concern before proceeding with the deal. Chevron’s exit without addressing workers’ concerns will have a major impact on the lives of workers and their family members.

To defend workers’ interests, IndustriALL Global Union has called on the state-owned Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation (PETROBANGLA) to make use of its right of first refusal over the sale of Chevron Bangladesh to Himalaya Energy, until Chevron settles all pending matters. This includes court cases, reinstatement of all dismissed workers, back compensation payments, and job security, for at least three years, in the new company.

Valter Sanches, general secretary of IndustriALL said,

“It is essential that PETROBANGLA intervene to guarantee that Chevron Bangladesh act in full accordance with national labour law, and international core labour standards.  In this regard, Chevron Bangladesh should fully inform and consult the workers, as well as engage in collective negotiations with the representative union to ensure a fair transition.”

The letter urged PETROBANGLA to help safeguard the fundamental rights of workers at Chevron Bangladesh, regardless of the future ownership of the company.   

IndustriALL sets priorities for ICT, Electrical & Electronics sector

Fourteen unions from Australia, Brazil, Denmark, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, UK and Vietnam were present, with women making up 41 per cent of participants.

Prihanani Boenadi, co-chair for the sector stated in her opening speech: “We are facing new challenges in a fast-changing industry. We need to develop an effective strategy against companies behaving badly, like Samsung and others exposed in the ITUC’s End Corporate Greed Campaign.”

IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary, Jenny Holdcroft, reported on IndustriALL’s updated Statutes and Action Plan 2016-2020 which were adopted at the Rio Congress in October 2016. She also said the sector needs to focus on supply chain strategy and could learn from the textile and garment industry on how to gain union leverage in dealing with multinational companies (MNCs).

Global trends and sectoral activities

In the ICT, Electrical and Electronics sector, 70 per cent of the world’s top 20 MNCs (by annual revenue) originate from three countries namely USA, South Korea and China where freedom of association (ILO Convention No.87) and the right to collective bargaining (ILO Convention No.98) are not respected. They continue expanding their business all over the world without the presence of democratic trade unions.

Meanwhile, labour intensive production in the sector continues shifting into ASEAN countries and India, where wages are low. The ratio of precarious workers in the workplace keeps rising throughout the supply chains in these countries. Changes to manufacturing such as Industry 4.0 are already having a massive impact on employment and the industrial relations, resulting in an increasing number of unorganized white-collar workers who are not protected by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Creating and developing trade union networks in MNCs is becoming more important tool for tackling these issues and to increase the power of unions vis-à-vis the MNCs at national, regional and global levels.

Anne-Marie Chopinet, chair of ICT at industriAll European Trade Union, provided an overview of the situation in Europe, highlighting political turmoil and increase in poverty. She also reported on industriAll Europe’s political demands concerning the digital transformation of industry and potential risks and opportunities for the workers. 

Judy Winarno, president of SPEE FSPMI, spoke about their current activities and challenges in the ICT EE industry in Indonesia, particularly precarious workers and the social security system. Unions in Indonesia have set clear organizing targets and want to increase the number of CBAs.

Organizing and building union power

A five-year organizing project supported by the European Commission is in its fourth year. In the last three years, 1,671 trade union activists and workers (of whom 30 per cent were women) have participated at training sessions under the project in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. It has achieved positive outcomes in reaching out to unorganized, precarious, migrant, women and young workers, in order to include them in the protection of a collective agreement. More than 12,000 new members joined IndustriALL affiliated unions and the number of CBAs has been increased.

The EIEU Northern Region also reported on success of an organizing drive and training scheme under the EC project. VUIT, Vietnam, and CNTM, Brazil, spoke about the situation of workers in the industry in their countries, while JEIU, Japan, reported on their efforts to promote long-term employment for short-term contract workers

Precarious work and supply chain strategy

The ICT EE industry is highly competitive, innovative, fast changing and operates with short production cycles. At the same time, it is fuelling a rise in precarious work. Permanent workers has been pressured into precarious positions. Unions are struggling to reach out to the rapidly increasing numbers of agency, contract and outsourced workers, as well as migrants, who have little or no chance to bargain collectively on their terms and conditions of employment.

Lomenik, Indonesia, and TEAM, Thailand, reported on their struggle against precarious work, which focuses on supply chain workplaces. ETU, Australia, reported on issues of precarious work and the current building code from a construction/contracting perspective as electrician. (See Section 3 ETU, Australia presentation)

GoodElectronics explained their relationship with IndustriALL and shared their experiences and opportunities to jointly address precarious working conditions and workers’ rights issues.

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), responsible mining and e-waste are also big challenges in the sector, especially due to the lack of corporate responsibility by multinational companies throughout the supply chain.

Future manufacturing and promoting sustainable industrial policy

Unions shared their activities on sustainable industrial policy and the issues and challenges that they face to encourage it. The future impact of Industry 4.0 was a big focus for the discussion as smart technology and systems could also lead to extensive control and monitoring of workers’ behaviour and performance. Unions must be prepared for the massive impact on employment, working conditions and workers’ rights, and concentrate on activities towards a Just Transition.

Unite the Union, UK, and Co-industri, Denmark, spoke of the speed and complexity of the current technology changes and addressed issues and challenges on the future of manufacturing. UWEEI, Singapore, shared their structure to develop economic strategies for the future, such as the Committee of Future Economy, which includes unions, business chambers, public agencies, companies, and educators.

Creating and developing trade union networks in MNCs

As stated in IndustriALL’s Action Plan, unions in the sector need to engage in active dialogue with MNCs to build strong industrial relationships that enable union concerns to be raised at all levels of the company and promote cross-border exchange and coordination of workers at locations worldwide. This sector needs to focus more on developing and advancing the processes of creating strong trade union networks at all levels, and strengthen solidarity among affiliated trade union organizations.

Siemens Workers Union, India, reported on their activities to expand the company trade union network in India and to tackle the issue of precarious workers by using the Global Framework Agreement with Siemens and the network.

Follow-up sector action plan and future activities

The Steering Committee agreed on the strategic planning for 2017-2018 and the areas that needed strengthening in order to meet the Action Plan adopted at the World Conference 2015, such as the fight against precarious work, supply chains, trade union network, OHS, cooperation with NGOs, and sustainable industrial policy

Takahiro Nonaka, co-chairperson for the sector, insisted in his closing remarks:

“The ICT, Electrical & Electronics industry has an important role and mission to contribute to a better life for people. Therefore, the leading global companies of this industry must earn the respect from citizens the world over. Companies need to change their mind-set from ‘win global competition’ to ‘put people first’ by eliminating precarious work and poor working conditions.” 

The meeting was followed by a plant visit to PT Honoris Industry, which employs sector co-chair Prihanani Boenadi. The company makes various products such as LED lights, printed circuit boards and plastic injection products. The delegation met with the local union leaders and the management and learned the history and constructive relationship between the union and the management.

IndustriALL expresses concern at US withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement

This has global implications, and is against the interests of workers, their families and their children, and the communities that depend on them.

The USA's leadership, by slowing progress in addressing climate change, have put the entire future of humanity at risk.

Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement will not bring back coal mining jobs.

Technological change has ensured it does not take as many workers to produce a tonne of coal in 2017 as it did in the 1950s. The economics of energy have shifted. It is already cheaper in many cases to produce electricity from wind, or solar. Most investors are not interested in sinking their money into a “sunset industry”, and would rather invest in renewable energy projects that have a more certain future.

The USA will no longer be committed to the Paris Agreement's expectations that governments create a Just Transition for affected workers in coal mining communities. This will weaken the ability of trade unions to negotiate good deals for affected workers when faced with the industrial transformations that are inevitable.

The USA is ceding leadership in tomorrow's technologies to countries that are actually prepared to invest in research and development, for example in the Asian region, and particularly China. China already owns key technologies in renewable energy.

On climate change, the science is clear, and irrefutable. The scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have probably understated the problem. Urgent action is required.

Reaching the Paris Agreement was the culmination of over 20 years of difficult negotiation. It is an imperfect document but still a major step forward. Many of the compromises that it contains were put there by the USA, with reluctant acceptance by other countries to keep the USA in the Agreement.

Already, other countries have indicated that they will sideline the Trump administration, and work with each other, and with US corporations and local politicians, to implement the agreement.

US President Trump has apparently not considered that other countries might impose a countervailing tariff on American goods for being unfairly subsidized by lower carbon costs. Trump has also not considered the size and importance of the green economy to the US, or the fact that across the US, corporations, as well as politicians at state and city level, have pledged to honour climate commitments.

At the Executive Committee meeting in Frankfurt in May 2016, IndustriALL Global Union adopted an ambitious policy document, committing the organization, and its affiliates, to work towards a Just Transition. IndustriALL Global Union is committed to leading the trade union struggle for a just and sustainable future. In practical terms, this means supporting the move away from fossil fuels through programmes that ensure jobs, skills and communities are maintained, and that workers are not forced to pay the price.

“IndustriALL Global Union and its affiliates will continue to demand sustainable industrial policies and Just Transition programmes from companies, local authorities and national governments”, said Valter Sanches, general secretary of IndustriALL.

“The broad coalition of interests who recognize that climate change threatens our existence on this planet will work together despite the decision of the US leadership.”

“There are no jobs on a dead planet.”

Iraqi parliament urged to reject illegitimate trade union law

Trade unions in Iraq made 28 legal observations on The Draft Law on Professional Federations and Unions, which was drawn up by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs without consultation with unions.

However, all their observations were ignored and it has now been ratified by the Council of Ministers and submitted to the Council of Representatives (parliament).

As part of the 28 observations, unions say the draft law fails to give a proper description of a union. Neither does the draft law indicate any legal protection for organizations and individual members to exercise their union work, nor does it mention the prohibition of discrimination against union members.

Hassan Juma, President of IndustriALL affiliate, the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions, says:

The Ministry's disregard for the position of the trade union movement and the insistence on submitting such a draft, which contravenes Iraqi laws and international conventions, is motivated by some political forces that do not want the independence of trade union organizations and do not believe in trade union pluralism, especially in the public sector. We strongly reject any interference in trade union affairs and restrictions on trade union freedoms.

Instead, IndustriALL and its Iraqi affiliates are calling on the parliament to consider a draft proposal called Trade Union Freedoms, which was submitted earlier by the Iraqi unions to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

In a letter to Iraqi members of parliament, IndustriALL’s general secretary, Valter Sanches, said:

“IndustriALL Global Union calls on the parliament of Iraq to reject the draft bill on Law of Professional Federations and Unions, and instead adopt the trade unions sponsored draft, including the 28 observations from December 2016. In addition, we take this opportunity to call on the parliament of Iraq to accelerate the process of ratification of Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize.

“We strongly urge the parliament to move forward on the basis of the input from the trade unions to ensure that any new legal framework affords workers their legitimate and fundamental rights under national and international law.”

IndustriALL has nine trade union affiliates in Iraq, and Hashmeya Alsaadawe, President of the General Union of Electricity Workers and Technicians, is a member of IndustriALL’s Executive Committee.

Kazakh trade unions at ArcelorMittal strengthen their position

The participants represent workers of  the metallurgical company ArcelorMittal in their countries. The German delegates will help colleagues from Kazakhstan to become participants of the meetings of the ArcelorMittal European Works Council.

Metallurgical Workers' Union Zhaktau and Miners' Union Korgau at ArcelorMittal Temirtau are IndustriALL affiliates through the Trade Union of Workers of Mining and Metallurgical Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, whose leaders also participated in the meeting.

Currently the unions are negotiating the collective agreement at the plant, which employs about 29,000 workers. The local currency KZT lost more than half of its value over the past two years, after Kazakhstan switched to a free floating exchange rate for its currency. The union members reasonably demand a wage increase of 30 per cent.

Excellent company results this year allow the demand to be fulfilled. According to the official report of ArcelorMittal for the first quarter of 2017, the plants in Dofasco, Canada, and in Temirtau are the best enterprises in the sphere of production, where record levels have been achieved. Kazakhstan workers produced 1,222 million tons of iron and 1,296 million tons of steel from January to April 2017.

The unions also support their Ukrainian colleagues, who demand a wage increase of 50 per cent at ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih. 

Agency work was identified as a common problem for Kazakh and German workers. It is the most common cause of labour disputes with ArcelorMittal Temirtau. The unions hope that the law on banning agency work in Kazakhstan will be adopted in the near future. Michael Bach, coordinator of ArcelorMittal, said that the number of employees with precarious work was 30 per cent in Germany. However, wages of agency and permanent workers are the same. 

IndustriALL regional secretary Vadim Borisov stated:

“The Labour Code and new law on trade unions have weakened the role of unions. On the other hand, there was an one-sided strengthening of the employer’s position in Kazakhstan. Therefore, we are interested in strengthening the position of trade unions through the development of direct contacts with unions around the world”.

The participation of Zhaktau and Korgau union members in the meetings of ArcelorMittal European Works Council, at least as observers, will be a critical step in this direction. The same position was expressed at a similar meeting by the leaders of the Trade Union of Workers of Metallurgical and Mining Industries of Ukraine at ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih. Michael Bach will appeal to German colleagues from ArcelorMittal and the members of the European Works Council to resolve this issue.

Earlier the trade unions of Kazakhstan and Ukraine appealed to the management of ArcelorMittal with a proposal to conclude a regional framework agreement, but have not received an answer. In light of the recent change in the leadership of the company, and particularly the designation of a new general director of the Kazakhstan and Ukrainian enterprises, there is an opportunity to raise a question of a common agreement one more time. 

Finally, there was an idea about further exchange of delegations. The German side will consider the issues of preparing a future visit and will return to Kazakhstan with a larger delegation.

Turkish glassworkers fight strike ban by remaining in factories

This remarkable action comes after the Turkish government banned legitimate strike action in a dispute over wages and other working conditions. Şişecam has increased its profits by 164 per cent, but not made a serious wage offer.

When IndustriALL affiliate Kristal-İş announced its intention to strike on 24 May, the Turkish government issued a decree banning the strike, on the grounds of national security. The union believes the banning comes at the request of the company, which refuses to come to the bargaining table for serious negotiations.

Nine Şişecam factories across Turkey are organized by Kristal-İş, and union members are taking the action of not leaving their workplaces in all the nine.

The workers are not breaching legislation with their conduct. By working to rule, slowing down production from time to time, and not leaving their factories, they are sending a strong message of resistance to the company and government, and building popular support.

The factories run three shifts. At the end of each shift, instead of going home, the workers hold demonstrations and meetings before sleeping on site. Workers have erected tents in the factory grounds, or bedded down in the canteen.Workers’ families and communities are showing full support for the actions. Small business owners in the workers’ districts have expressed their support, and mosques have provided food. Opposition political parties and local politicians have also backed the occupation.

Workers at other enterprises have taken solidarity action, including other IndustriALL affiliates, because the growing repression of unions in Turkey affects all workers.

Kristal-İş general president Bilal Cetintas said:“Just because we asked for a wage to live, this global giant wants to punish and deny us our share of the company that we created, that exports goods to hundreds of countries.

“We didn't bow, we went on strike, and they knew we had the right. The went to the government behind our backs to use anti-democratic methods to suppress our rights.”

IndustriALL Global Union and IndustriAll Europe general secretaries, Valter Sanches and Luc Triangle, have written to the Turkish government to condemn the banning of the strike, as well as to Şişecam, calling on the company to negotiate with the union.

They said:

“We call on Şişecam to address the legitimate demands of the workers, refrain from any acts of intimidation, harassment, or retaliation, and, rather than using the government's ban decree as an excuse, you should instead engage in good-faith bargaining with Kristal-İş.”

Şişecam was founded in 1935, after Kemal Atatürk proposed the establishment of a glass industry in Turkey. The company has become one of the biggest glass producers in Europe.

“Glassworkers in Turkey have built a strong militant union tradition over the decades. These remarkable actions put their stamp on the agenda of Turkey today, uniting workers and communities,”

said Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

“IndustriALL expresses its determination to the world that Turkish glassworkers are not alone.

“They should continue to resist.”

Take Action

Take a picture of yourself holding a solidarity banner and share it with the striking glass workers' on Twitter: @cam_iscileri_ or Facebook: Cam İşçisinin Grevi Engellenemez, using the hashtag #direnşişecamiscisi.

Freeport Indonesia’s abuses continue at smelting plant

More than 300 workers at PT Smelting, which is jointly owned and operated by Freeport-McMoRan’s PT Freeport Indonesia and Mitsubishi Materials, have been laid off after taking strike action on 19 January 2017. 

PT Freeport Indonesia supplied almost 90 per cent of PT Smelting’s concentrate requirements in 2016.

As with the 2,000 workers sacked at the massive Grasberg gold and copper mine in West Papua, PT Smelting claims that the 309 workers voluntarily resigned by taking part in the strike. None of the striking workers have been paid since then. The company has also refused benefits and rights to the family of one of the strikers who since died.

The dispute arose after PT Smelting contravened the collective bargaining agreement over wages without consulting unions. IndustriALL affiliate, the Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers' Union (FSPMI), is one of the independent unions representing workers at the plant.

PT Smelting has failed to meet the local labour requirements for mediation and has referred the dispute regarding the layoffs to the industrial relations court in Gresik. The 309 workers, who include union leaders and members, have now been summoned to court for a trial beginning on 31 May.

PT Smelting has also refused an offer of mediation from the National Commission of Human Rights of Indonesia.

Unions are calling on the Japanese President Director of PT Smelting, Hiroshi Kondo, to enter into dialogue to solve the conflict. They want the company to reinstate 309 workers who have been unlawfully dismissed and comply with the Collective Agreement and Joint Working Agreement. The union is also demanding that PT Smelting provide benefits due to the wife and children of deceased worker Agus Setiawan.

IndustriALL’s general secretary, Valter Sanches, said:

We urge PT Smelting to immediately drop the court proceedings against more than 300 workers and reinstate them. The government of Indonesia must also intervene to prevent the dispute from escalating further and stop the callous termination of workers’ contracts, which is in complete violation of international labour standards, including the right to strike.

Facts:

Workers in Australia celebrate victory at Fletcher Insulation

The 90 glass wool workers, who are members of IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), will return to work on 1 June 2017. They managed to win key improvements in their working conditions after their employer threatened to strip benefits, force redundancies and bring in labour hire contractors.

Throughout the strike action, the Dandenong plant management threatened to dismantle workers’ previous enterprise bargaining agreement and force all employees back on an agreement that would halve wages and remove almost all their entitlements.

IndustriALL has expressed solidarity with Fletcher Insulation workers since the strike began on 17 February. IndustriALL’s executive committee adopted a special resolution in support of AWU members on strike at Fletchers Insulation in Australia at its meeting in Geneva, Switzerland in April.

Commenting on the results of the strike action Daniel Walton, National Secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union representing Fletcher Insulation workers said:

“Holding out for 96 days is an incredibly hard thing, requiring real solidarity and real bravery.

“I know the support these workers received from around Australia and the globe gave them the energy and hope they needed to continue during this testing period.

“By holding tight these workers were able to shift management from a range of extreme positions that were being proposed. Our whole union has nothing but respect and admiration for their courage.”

In commemoration of the Fletcher workers’ victory AWU produced a short video with the results of the strike https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyJaFzN3v08.

IndustriALL General Secretary Valter Sanches said,

“We congratulate wholeheartedly all the Fletcher Insulation workers with this victory. Thanks to their unity, resolute efforts and courage, the solution of this conflict has been in favour of employees and their families. We are very glad that the global solidarity actions, carried out by IndustriALL and our affiliates worldwide, contributed to this victory.”

Attempts to form unions met with violence in Bangladesh

On 27 May, local goons threatened and physically attacked workers and leaders of a proposed union in front of the factory gate. The violence continued the following day as workers and union leaders were again beaten and warned that, if they continue to organize unions, they will be killed. The local police force present watched as union leaders were assaulted.

The attackers even went to union leaders’ homes and threatened family members. One union leader's wife was threatened at knifepoint and another leaders’ brother was kidnapped and later released.

Many union leaders have taken refuge in the union office, out of fear of further attacks exposing their families to violence.

IndustriALL affiliate, the Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers Union Federation (BIGUF) has been trying to form a union since early 2016 at the Orchid and Savar factories, located in the same building.

In March this year, workers filed a fourth registration application for Savar Sweater Ltd. Sromik Union with the membership of 2,200 workers, and in April for Orchid Sweater Ltd. Workers Union with 1,760 membership. The application for the Savar factory union was again rejected by the labour administration on flimsy grounds and a decision on the Orchid factory union is expected soon.

The Azim Group has a long history of interference with workers’ rights to form union. In 2014, a similar pattern of violence took place at the Global Garment/Trousers factory.

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL General secretary, calls for swift action to end the violence:

“Azim Group’s interference with workers’ attempts to exercise their freedom of association is a clear breach of national labour legislation as well as international core labour standards.

“We demand that the physical attacks must end immediately and that the Azim group engage in genuine negotiations with BIGUF.”

Although Bangladesh has ratified the International Labour Organizations’ Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize, and Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, the government and factory owners have recently been cracking down on the labour movement.

BASF workers protest in India

BASF, one of the world’s biggest chemical companies, has adopted a code of conduct binding all employees of the BASF group worldwide. It incorporates globally applicable standards of conduct including human rights, and labour and social standards, which govern BASF’s dealings with employees and other stakeholders.

However, BASF’s Mangalore plant employees are discriminated against in violation of standards espoused in the code of conduct. Non-union employees who perform similar tasks to union employees, are promoted to posts with higher salaries, better employment benefits and fewer working hours. Such actions violate the principle of equal pay for equal work and encourage workers to disassociate themselves from union membership.

Over a period of time, management’s anti-union strategies have led to a reduction of employees under the worker category from 138 to 78. If a worker demands their rights, they are issued with false warning letters.

Following various accidents at the plant, the local union, which is affiliated to IndustriALL through the BASF India Worker's Federation, is calling for transparency and consultation on the details of the accidents and remedial measures taken by the management. Requests for information have been refused by management.

Union members are also concerned about the recruitment of large numbers of causal and daily hire migrant workers in the production department, where hazardous chemicals are used. The union has called on the company to stop deployment of short-term precarious workers in dangerous work and demanded the company recruit more permanent workers. Allowing precarious workers who are not adequately trained and have less experience to handle hazardous chemicals, lead to accidents and precarious workers often become victims.

Raghuram P C, Vice President of the Mangalore plant BASF workers’ union said, “We are holding a peaceful protest without affecting production at the plant. We demand the BASF management stops discrimination against unionized employees and comply with the BASF Global Code of Conduct. The management must be transparent and hold consultations with the union in good faith.”

BASF workers in other plants located in Thane (Mumbai) and Ankleshwar (Gujarat) also raised similar issues and called on the BASF management to comply with the code of conduct.