Korean metalworkers demand reforms and respect of their rights

Local union leaders and members gathered in Seoul to hold pre-rally demonstrations in front of the Korean Development Bank, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, Hyundai Kia Motor corporate headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, and KB AutoTech (Kabwool) corporate headquarters in Seoul before amassing in front of the National Assembly to call on the Moon Jae-in government to enact the three reform bills.

The protesters also marched to the Party Headquarters of the Minjoo Party (Democratic Party of Korea), the Liberty Korea Party, and the People’s Party to deliver letters calling on the parties to enact the three reform bills.

In the opening speech at the demonstration, KMWU President KIM Sang gu stated: 

“There was a flurry of expectations of a changed world after the election of President Moon Jae-in; however, the lives of workers have not changed at all. The aerial sit-in protest of precarious shipbuilding workers continues, and the YPR (Yoosung Piston Rings) and KB Autotech (Kabwool) workers are still fighting union busting…Though the government has changed, our struggles continue."

The union leader referred to the exploitation by large-family owned business conglomerates, known as chaebols, of supply-chain workers and union busting at suppliers like YPR (Yoosung) and KB Autotech (Kabwool) used to reap easy profits. Kim Sang gu demanded to look at the root source of all existing problems and put an end to the exploitative Chaebol structure.

The trade union leader pointed that newly-elected President Moon faces countless areas that need reform but the top priority must be chaebols.

In April, the KMWU carried out a several regional demonstrations demanding reform, which took place in Ulsan, Daegu, Busan, Cheongju, Incheon, Changwon and Cheonan.

In a letter to the new Korean leader, Valter Sanches, IndustriALL General Secretary, congratulated President Moon Jae-in on his election and said: 

“The Korean unions affiliated to IndustriALL have jointly called on your new government to reverse the accumulated abuses of the old regime. We wholeheartedly agree with our Korean affiliates that reform of the chaebol and a ban on union-busting activities committed by chaebol conglomerates in collusion with the previous government are central to this reform, and IndustriALL and its affiliated unions worldwide have been standing in solidarity with the Korean unions on these issues for years.”
 

While on a mission of solidarity to South Korea, the International Trade Union Confederation General Secretary Sharan Burrow paid a visit to Han Sang-gyun, president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions imprisoned for three years on politically motivated charges.

Delivering a message of hope from Han Sang-gyun Burrow said: 
 

“At the end of the candlelight revolution both the leader of the union and the corrupt president are in jail, but while one is embittered the other is full of hope for a new era of rights, just wages, corporate reform and decent work for Korean people.”

Palestine and Israel: increased union cooperation and solidarity

The visit in Palestine covered a lot of ground with the PGFTU, Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions and IndustriALL affiliates in metal, mechanical engineering, petrochemical, textile and electricity sectors.

In addition to the affiliates’ meeting, the mission included visits at checkpoints, plants, refugee camp, meeting with Minister of Labour and observations the Separation Wall, settlements and industrial zones around Nablus, Ramallah and Qalqilya. An industrial exhibition in Nablus also provided an opportunity to meet with Palestinian entrepreneurs.

At a press conference in Nablus, Shaher Saeed, PGFTU general secretary said:

This international solidarity visit from IndustriALL Global Union is important for us.

IndustriALL's Assistant General Secretary Kemal Özkan said:

Together with the global union movement, IndustriALL re-affirms its commitment for a fair, lasting and immediate peace consistent with United Nations Resolutions 242 and 338. A two state solution is essential for long term peace.

Özkan also referred to the 2014 ITUC Congress Statement, which denounces the occupation of Palestine, and pledges to mobilize for a just and sustainable peace agreement between Israel and Palestine, in accordance with international law.

The mission observed frustration, disappointment and despair due to the delayed peace process. The construction of new settlements increases tension. Economic activities and working conditions in the settlements were identified as important problems. In the international community, there is an increasing trend to support actions impeding the expansion of illegal settlements and to restrict access to financial support when used for their growth.

The economic and social conditions for Palestinian workers are quite harsh in the West Bank and Gaza. Mamoun A. Abushahla, Ministor of Labour of Palestine, particularly referred to difficulties for those living in Palestine and working in Israel. According to his report, 140,000 people work behind the green line; 50,000 with permits while the overwhelming majority rest is employed illegally and lacks protection.

New trade union legislation is under way, with the support of the International Labor Organization (ILO). IndustriALL Global Union expressed its support for this important development based on demands from PGFTU.

At the end of the mission, it was agreed with affiliates that IndustriALL will continue its support in capacity building, union growth, and encourage broader participation in IndustriALL’s campaigns and actions. The affiliates decided to create a national affiliates’ council under the auspices of PGFTU, focusing especially on women and youth networks and social protection.

In Israel, IndustriALL met with the General Organisation of Workers in the Land of Israel (Histadrut), who were preparing to elect a new presidency. The Histadrut president is directly elected by the rank-and-file-membership, and these elections are the second largest elections in the country after the general elections.

Established in 1920, before the state of Israel was founded, Histadrut supports the peace process and promotes co-existence in the region. The organization supports workers across all communities in Israel and fight for their rights. Histadrut believes that a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine, living side by side with secure and recognised borders is the only way to end the ongoing conflict.

In 1995, Histadrut and PGFTU signed an agreement where fifty percent of all dues from Palestinians employed by Israeli employers are remitted to the PGFTU. Histadrut and PGFTU are co-operating at confederation and union levels. There is extensive cooperation especially in the construction sector.

During the visit IndustriALL met with its Israeli affiliates Publishing, Communication, Artists, Energy & Tour Guide Workers’ Union; Textile Workers Union and National Union of Metal, Electric & Electronic Workers. Over the last couple of years, IndustriALL has supported several campaigns in Israel, such as the cases at Natural Gas and Israeli chemical companies.

IndustriALL also met with the National Union of Pharmaceutical and Food Workers and the Chemical Workers Union, representing among others workers at Teva, the world's biggest generic drugs producer. IndustriALL affiliates represent workers at Teva in many countries.

At the end of the mission, it was agreed with Israeli affiliates to work on a number of different topics, starting with precarious work, as rampant phenomenon in Israel as in the rest of whole world.

It was a moving, emotional and constructive mission,

said Kemal Özkan.

IndustriALL Global Union will continue to work with the ITUC and other global unions on general policy matters. In the meantime, we will reinforce our cooperation with affiliates in Palestine and Israel and encourage dialogue and cooperation between our affiliates belonging to PGFTU and Histadrut.

South Africa – Numsa demands fair deal for GM workers

A planned retrenchment of 589 out of 1,500 workers will have dire effects.

An employee who has worked at GM's Struandale plant in Port Elizabeth for more than 25 years, said it will be difficult for him to look after his four school going children if he loses his job.

“This employer is brutal. We are devastated. Our morale is down. It’s difficult to go to work knowing that soon you will be out of employment.”

The metalworkers’ union is “disgusted” by the American automotive company’s “devious and underhanded” treatment of workers. It wants “full disclosure” of the deal with the Japanese carmaker, Isuzu, which is buying the manufacturing plant in Port Elizabeth.

Numsa said thousands of jobs are at risk in this job-loss bloodbath. Losses will also be felt along the supply chain which included tyre manufacturing and motor vehicle components.

Other jobs under threat were in GM’s 132 dealerships, of which only 90 will be taken over by Isuzu.

The union points out that GM is not acting in “good faith” as it neither consulted Numsa nor the government on its decision to retrench as required by the law.

To ensure a better deal for workers, Numsa is discussing the retrenchments with GM. The Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration will mediate in the talks.
Numsa, which attributes GM’s action to global capital’s attack on workers, has written to the company about possible alternatives to the retrenchments. These include skills training and placement of workers in other jobs.

Said Numsa:

“This is a plan which is fully supported by the new federation – the South African Federation of Trade Unions – as well as our global union, IndustriALL."

Fabian Nkomo, IndustriALL Regional Secretary for Sub Saharan Africa said the proposed plan should ensure fair compensation to the affected workers.

Pakistan: mine accidents kill seven coal miners

Pakistan coalmines are some of the most dangerous workplaces in the world as frequent accidents kill large number of workers. Four workers were killed in the accident at the mine number 98 in Sor Range coalfield mine run by the state-owned Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) on 24 May 2017.

At the time of the accident about 100 miners were working. A portion of the coal mine caved in entrapping four coal miners under debris. Victims of the accident were identified as Abdul Qayyum, Muhammad Irfan, Ali Rehman and Kashmir.

The next day, three workers lost their lives in yet another accident at the Lakhra coalfield in Sindh province, operated Al-Gharib and Company, a contractor of the PMDC. According to news reports, the deceased mineworkers Madad Ali Baloch, Wahid Baloch and Ali Sher Baloch hail from Khanote, Jamshoro district, and are related to each other.

The Lakhra mine had reportedly been closed for few months and poisonous gases had accumulated inside it. No safety check was conducted before entering the mine. Without realizing the impending danger, workers entered the mine to resume work and died from asphyxia due to the gases.

Glenn Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining said:

“We are pained to note that mineworkers in Pakistan continue to lose their lives at work. We strongly condemn the negligence and lack of action by the authorities to improve safety in the mining sector. We call upon the government of Pakistan to immediately ratify ILO Convention 176 on Health and Safety in Mines and implement the ILO Code of Practice on Safety and Health in Underground Coal Mines.”

Sultan Muhammad Khan, the Secretary General of the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation said, “Punitive actions should be taken against the officials and private operators whose negligence caused these accidents. The government must wake up and take immediate actions to improve workers’ safety at the mines in Pakistan.” 

Improving safety in the African oil and gas industry

IndustriALL Global Union was invited as an observer to the workshop, which was organized by the International Labour Organization and included tripartite delegations from Angola, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria.

Participants acknowledged that while oil and gas are essential resources, they are also a major contributor to environmental problems, inequality and conflict.

Workers in the industry face numerous hazards, and consequently fatalities, injuries and occupational diseases are high, according to the ILO.

Some of the dangers include:

Many workers do not have proper protective equipment and other equipment to perform their duties in a safe working environment. One of the biggest challenges in the industry is precarious work, which often puts workers in insecure jobs without any recourse to justice or social security.

Participants remarked that due to poor governance, corruption, lack of equipment and specialized training, and inadequate human and financial resources, they needed independent labour inspectors and more information on occupational accidents and diseases.

Participants added that it is critical to empower national labour administrations and inspection systems to ensure full compliance with laws and regulation as well as access to appropriate and effective remedy and complaints mechanisms.

In trying to solve these problems, the workshop participants with input from IndustriALL, produced key recommendations for promoting health and safety in the industry, and action points for the ILO and its members. They include calls for:

Speaking at the workshop, IndustriALL energy director Diana Junquera Curiel, said:

All workers worldwide deserve to be safe in their workplaces and to return home every day unharmed. Training is crucial to prevent accidents from happening. The key to improving occupational safety and health in the oil and gas industry is to share responsibilities between governments, employers and workers.

IndustriALL raises labour matters at Glencore annual shareholders’ meeting

"We raised all of our concerns at the annual general meeting on the on-going issues at a number of Glencore’s operations, in Canada, Peru, Australia, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo. We called for transparency, and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders particularly, with trade unions everywhere and at all levels," said Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary.

A number of shareholders and civil society representatives raised different issues, particularly health and safety, during the meeting. It was made clear that it is a major concern that they want Glencore to take seriously.

One shareholder pressed the chairperson on demanding to know the level of accountability that Glencore takes for these fatalities, and how is it reported to shareholders. He also demanded to know what level of responsibility Glencore takes with regards to compensation for the families of the deceased workers.

“IndustriALL wants to know whether the strategies to mitigate and ensure that such fatalities do not occur again involve consultations and negotiations with trade unions” said Özkan.

“Sixteen workers were killed in 2016 is unacceptable,” added Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL mining director. “The reports of the causes of the fatalities have not been disclosed, IndustriALL insisted that they be disclosed officially.”

Around 86 workers have been affected by occupational diseases, yet Glencore has not made any effort to find a fair and just solution for these workers.

IndustriALL met privately with Glencore’s CEO, Ivan Glasenberg, after the shareholders’ meeting. It was made clear that unions want to establish a genuine meaningful dialogue with the company management. The company officials and IndustriALL should meet in the near future to discuss modalities of the intended dialogue.

A side meeting was also set up between Glencore officials and the local 6486 of the United Steelworkers local 6486 about the situation at the CEZinc refinery in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada. 371 union members were provoked to strike by a demand by the company for major pension concessions; despite the fact their pension plan is over-funded.

Freeport fires 2,000 workers as Grasberg strike enters second month

Workers at the mine commenced strike action on 1 May against the company’s furlough policy. The union announced on 24 May that the strike would continue for another month. The company has now terminated the contracts of 2,018 striking permanent workers.

After a longstanding dispute with the Indonesian government over export licenses, PT Freeport Indonesia, the local subsidiary of Phoenix, USA-based Freeport-McMoRan (FCX), placed about 10 per cent of its workforce on furlough – long term leave – to save costs. Freeport employs 12,000 permanent workers, and 20,000 contractors. The union believes the terminations are part of the company's negotiating strategy with the government.

Management has said workers on furlough have no chance of returning to work. 1,100 workers accepted a voluntary separation programme.

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate the Chemical, Energy and Mines Workers Union (CEMWU SPSI PTFI) embarked on strike action against the unilateral imposition of the furlough policy, which is a violation of the collective agreement.

Freeport refused to recognize the legality of the strike, and announced that it would consider striking workers absent without leave. Workers absent for more than five days will be deemed to have accepted "voluntary resignation". So far, Freeport has issued 2,018 “voluntary resignation” notices, with a final payment of just one month’s salary, regardless of length of service. Some workers received negative amounts, as they have outstanding debts to the company.

Dismissing workers for taking strike action is a violation of ILO core labour standards.

The terminated workers include 634 Papuan workers, and 1,384 non-Papuan workers. The situation is volatile. A union activist described it is as a “human tragedy for the Timika-Papua area", with a “big possibility to initiate civil unrest, due to the socio-economic impact”.

The status of West Papua is contested, with an independence movement accusing Indonesia of plundering resources. The Indonesian army has been paid by Freeport to provide security for the mine, and violence has broken out in the past.

IndustriALL is concerned that the volatile situation may result in an outbreak of violence that will be difficult to contain. Referring to the massacre of striking mineworkers in South Africa in 2012, Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL mining director said:

“The situation is very tense. We need to intervene urgently to prevent another Marikana.”

IndustriALL wrote to the CEO of Freeport-McMoRan earlier in May, but the company dismissed the contents of the letter. General secretary Valter Sanches wrote to the company again today, alerting the company to the crisis created by its subsidiary:

“I am compelled to launch an urgent appeal to you to intervene at PT Freeport Indonesia in Grasberg to help avert a social disaster in the community, resulting from the dismissal of more than 2,000 workers, and prevent any violence that might erupt, as a direct result of the callous and intransigent stance of your subsidiary.

“PT Freeport Indonesia must reinstate immediately the 2,018 permanent workers that were unlawfully dismissed on 22 May, in addition to the 1,100 previously dismissed workers.

“PT Freeport Indonesia should address the legitimate demands of the workers at Grasberg as a precondition for the workers to discontinue the strike.”

IndustriALL also wrote to the Indonesian President, asking for urgent intervention and raising the prospect of raising violations of workers' rights at this years' International Labour Conference in Geneva, saying:

"We  hope that it will not be necessary  to draw attention to the gross violations of workers’ rights at Grasberg to the more than 4,000 delegates attending the International Labour Conference in Geneva from 5 to 16 June 2017.

"In consequence, we urge you, in your capacity as President of the Republic of Indonesia, to intervene immediately to facilitate and ensure a fair, sustainable, and peaceful resolution of this conflict, which is severely."

CEMWU met with the US Embassy in Jakarta today to urge them to intervene and encourage Freeport to agree to the union proposal to set up a Special Arbitration Panel. CEMWU also met with the Manpower ministry.

Take Action

IndustriALL is asking affiliates, particularly those in the mining and base metals sectors, to send a letter of protest to the Government of Indonesia. Please send the attached protest letter. Put it on your union’s letterhead, insert your union’s name in the first sentence, add a signature and send it to the email addresses listed at the top of the letter.

Turkish government bans glass sector strike

The strike action, which was due to commence on 24 May, covers 5,700 workers at nine factories. The government banned the strike on the grounds that it is “prejudicial to national security”.

The strike is over wages. Şişecam has increased its profits by 164 per cent, but offered a derisory pay increase.

The Turkish government issued a decree under Act 6356 on Trade Unions and Collective Labour Agreement banning the strike. The decree is followed by a 60-day ‘postponement period’ for negotiations, where the parties have to agree. In practice this means that there is no chance to continue the strike after the 60-day period.

The current administration has banned a series of strikes in the rubber, glass, mining and metal sectors arguing that they are “prejudicial to national security”.

The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association has ruled that suspending a strike on the pretext that the strike would be a threat to national security is in violation of the principles of freedom of association.

IndustriALL believes that this is a misuse of the labour law that does not have any rational or legal grounds, and demonstrates that the government is favouring business interests rather than protecting the rights of workers.

In a defiant statement, Kristal-İş said:

“The strike is a vehicle we will not hesitate to use when it is necessary to defend decent wages and working conditions. We have not entered into any illegal activity, neither have be taken action that would ‘threaten national security’.

“We have warned the government and employer many times before: do not try the glass worker's patience. Glass workers have created many traditions in the past, and today, if necessary, we will create a new tradition against strike bans.”

In a joint letter to the Turkish Prime Minister, IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Valter Sanches, and IndustriAll European Trade Union general secretary Luc Triangle said:

“Banning the strike in the glass sector constitutes yet another breach of international core labour standards.

“We urge you to withdraw the decree banning the strike in the glass industry, and create a proper environment whereby free collective bargaining negotiations between Kristal-İş and the managements of Şişecam can take place.”

Global unions speak up for Kazakh trade unions

The sentence is the latest in a long list of violations of trade union rights committed by the Kazakh authorities, pushing IndustriALL Global Union and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) to submit a joint complaint to the Committee on Freedom of Association of the International Labour Organization.

Amin Yeleusinov is one of the leaders of the dissolved Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KNPRK), affiliated to the ITUC.

Before the trial, the authorities put a lot of pressure on Amin Yeleusinov, forcing him to confess to accusations of embezzling union funds. According to Yeleusinov, during an entire month of pre-trial investigations he was quarantined. In quarantine prisoners remained in a very damp cell. From 6 am to 10 pm they were not allowed to lie or sit on beds. They could only sit on a stool without a backrest. Due to bad detention conditions, Yeleusinov developed a heart condition and joint problems.

Finally, Yeleusinov was blackmailed into making a false confession, which was drafted by the prison staff and videotaped without the presence of his lawyer. Later he retracted this confession.

In addition to two years imprisonment, Yeleusinov has to pay an amount of more than KZT 8 million (US $26,000) in financial compensation for the harm caused to the company. Part of his property and funds have been confiscated. He is banned from any union and public activities for five years. 

Previously, on 7 April, Nurbek Kushakbayev was sentenced to two-and-a-half years imprisonment and fined KZT 25 million (US $80,000) for his calls for an illegal strike.

Almost 300 oil service workers started a peaceful hunger strike in January to protest against the dissolution of their national union centre. Many of the workers were arrested and were made to pay fines and compensation to Oil Construction Company in amounts exceeding the local average monthly salary.

The proceedings against the two trade union leaders were held with serious violations. Upon detention, both leaders were transported from Aktau to Astana despite the fact that according to the local legislation the trial should have been conducted at the location where the alleged crime had been committed. Police did not inform family members and lawyers about the arrests. Journalists were not permitted to attend the trial.

In addition, there was declassified material from the National Security Committee in the Mangystau region and the Office for Combating Organized Crime in the indictment against Kushakbayev. This material proves that the phones of the union and its leaders have been tapped since 9 October 2015.

The International Trade Union Confederation, with the full support of IndustriALL, filed a complaint to the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association on behalf of its affiliate KNPRK. According to Kazakh law, acting on behalf of non-registered union organization is a crime. Therefore the members of the dissolved Confederation cannot make their complaint themselves.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said:

“IndustriALL Global Union fully supports the ITUC complaint. The continuing crackdown on trade union rights in Kazakhstan is shameful and inadmissible. We express our solidarity with KNPRK member unions and their leaders and will render our support to all workers and leaders fighting for trade union rights in Kazakhstan.”

Workers Uniting driving paper sector solidarity

The two unions’ alliance called Workers Uniting was formed in 2011 to jointly challenge anti-worker governments and employers. Workers Uniting has a strong voice inside IndustriALL, and both Unite and the USW are represented on the IndustriALL Pulp and Paper Work Group that acts as a steering committee for global activities in the sector.

Meeting in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA, on 17-18 May, the Workers Uniting paper sector and IndustriALL analysed current trends across the industry and held company councils for SCA, Graphic Packaging and Kimberly Clark.

These three companies employ paper workers organized by IndustriALL affiliates around the world.

The SCA group discussed the announced split to form two separate companies, and the issue of maintaining the Global Framework Agreement with Essity. As well as Workers Uniting, the key unions at SCA are Pappers in Sweden and Paperiliitto in Finland. Other IndustriALL affiliates at SCA include CFMEU in Australia, as the company is the largest shareholder in Asaleo Care.

The vast majority of Graphic Packaging manufacturing sites are located in the US and UK. The IndustriALL affiliated AMWU organizes workers at Graphic Packaging owned sites in Australia.

Kimberly Clark has a wide global footprint, and IndustriALL has raised cases with the company on behalf of affiliates in Australia, Israel, Switzerland, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The Australia case is especially serious as the company is destroying positive industrial relations with the CFMEU that were built up over 30 years.

Kimberly Clark Workers Uniting Council send a solidarity message to struggling CFMEU.

Each of the three company councils conducted a plant visit in Neenah and Wausau, near to Appleton. The region around the Fox River in Wisconsin is a hub for the pulp and paper industry, with around 100,000 people employed. While salaries are high compared to other manufacturing jobs in the US, rampant overtime is the norm

IndustriALL Pulp and Paper Sector Co-Chair Leeann Foster said:


“There have been five fatalities this year in the USW paper sector, and a staggering number of life altering injuries. Our sector is again the most dangerous USW sector this year. That is why we are working to enact the Making and Converting Paper Safely policy that our sector conference adopted last year.”

Unite’s Tim Elliott said:


“The industry is stabilizing in the UK, and there is quite a lot of work in the mills. Digital printing is growing though and digital printers are receiving up to 30% lower salaries. Our strategy is to bargain for job transfers to digital printing when jobs are cut, with the higher salary red circled.”

Priority issues for the local unions include confronting a growing outsourcing trend, and dealing with the “Grey Tsunami” that refers to a crisis of an aging workforce due to years of poor training and hiring practices in the sector.

IndustriALL research and industry officer Tom Grinter presented around the issues of digitalization and China:


“Only through international solidarity can we take on these challenges and build union power in the sector. In the same spirit that Workers Uniting was established, we are working to join forces throughout the sector and its supply chain.”