Labour leaders lay down demands to G20

In a statement handed to German Chancellor and G20 President Angela Merkel, the L20 leaders demanded an alternative economic policy model, which includes investment in public infrastructure and services, tax reform, and economic policies in line with the transition to a low carbon economy.

IndustriALL Global Union general secretary, Valter Sanches, said:

“The L20 is a chance for workers to come up with a united voice. We want to achieve fairer international trade that respects workers’ rights. The G20 must take a united stand on inequality and the concentration of wealth. Respect for trade union rights, in particular ILO Conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining, is the starting point for better wages, better conditions, and fairer working hours.”

The L20 statement to the G20 labour and employment ministers’ meeting that took place from 18-19 May in Bad Neuenahr, outlined the low growth trap as economic performance stagnates:

“High and rising inequalities are leaving many people behind, fuelling public mistrust and a popular backlash against governments and institutions portrayed as promoting the interests of the ‘elite’. Wealth concentration and brakes on public spending contribute to this mistrust.”

In addressing the L20 leaders at the Berlin meeting, Angela Merkel said that companies must respect workers’ rights and take responsibility for their supply chains, so that tragedies such as the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh can never happen again.

The German Chancellor also recognized the role of global framework agreements and praised the L20’s contribution to fairer growth: “Only together can we work for and shape fair globalization,” she said.

Angela Merkel heard testimony from Jyotiben Macwan, of IndustriALL Indian affiliate, the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), who defended the rights of informal workers’ in the global economy.

The L20 meeting is convened by the International Trade Union Confederation and the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD. Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, said:

“When international labour standards are respected, workers are able to organize and bargain for decent wages and safe work, and with the right macro-economic settings, the inequality and insecurity which characterize today’s failed model of globalization can become a thing of the past.”

IndustriALL and global brands take ACT to G20

Highlighting initiatives and policies contributing to decent work and creating sustainable global supply chains was one of the themes of the G20 meeting on 18 – 19 May.

Presenting ACT alongside Tchibo CEO Thomas Linemayr, IndustriALL Global Union Assistant General Secretary Jenny Holdcroft told G20 labour ministers how the ACT process represents the best chance of achieving living wages in garment global supply chains by introducing industry-wide bargaining and linking it to brand purchasing practices.

She highlighted the need for higher wages to be set across the entire industry in order to prevent individual factories and brands from negotiating lower prices based on lower wages.

In the context of global supply chains, where the buyers at the top of the supply chain have the greatest power to influence where value is distributed along the chain and how much of it ends up in the hands of workers, reform of purchasing practices in support of industry bargaining is essential.

By linking national industry-level collective bargaining between unions and employers to the purchasing practices of brands, the ACT process creates a framework for genuine supply chain industrial relations. Through industry bargaining, workers can get a wage that is enough to properly support themselves and their families, and at the same time the specific nature of the industry, working hours, productivity and other issues that have bearing on wages, can be addressed.

Following the presentation of ACT made by IndustriALL and Tchibo, the ACT initiative was recognized in the final declaration of the G20 Labour Ministers as an example of the essential role of social partners in reducing inequality, eliminating poverty wages and achieving sustainable wage growth.

For the first time, the ACT process aims to create a system that, by addressing the structural barriers to living wages, has a genuine chance of increasing garment workers’ wages in a way that is scalable, sustainable and enforceable,

said Jenny Holdcroft.

ACT allows Tchibo to join forces with other large brands and IndustriALL, creating leverage and a strong voice to move living wage on industry and governmental agendas,

said Thomas Linemayr.

As ACT, we have taken on a great commitment and we know this will take time and patience. So we ask for as much support we can get from governments and in-country stakeholders on this path. We can only do this together.

John Ruggie, Former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Business and Human Rights said on ACT:

It illustrates the promise of collective action to leverage change. Importantly, initiatives like ACT are not just about voluntary philanthropic contributions to development, but also the product of a recognized responsibility of companies to address severe human rights risks in their supply chains.

In meeting this responsibility, ACT makes a critical contribution to sustainable development as well.

Mass rally in support of effective labour inspectorate in Georgia

At midday on 15 May in a concert hall in Tbilisi, the Georgian ruling party ‘Georgian Dream’ conducted public debates about constitutional amendments. There is general concern about the way the debates are currently held in many cities, suggesting that the ruling party is trying to manipulate public opinion rather than receive real feedback about the proposed amendments.

Representatives of the student movement "The Audience 115" and the youth organization of trade unions of Georgia present in the hall demanded a minute of silence in memory of the Tkibuli miners killed during the accident on 9 May.

Among other questions, the young union activists and students asked the chair of the Parliament leading the debates whether the law "On safety and health at workplaces" would be ever adopted and whether Georgia would finally ratify the ILO Convention 176 on Health and Safety in Mines. Previously the article about health and safety labour inspection was removed from the Constitution as part of neoliberal changes aimed to attract foreign investments.

In reply to an awkward and insulting statement from the chair, the youth started chanting and whistling and disrupted the official event.

Two hours later IndustriALL affiliate the Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia (TUMMCIWG) and other unions of Georgia, including angry participants of the public debates, gathered in the city and embarked on a protest march to the Parliament building. The police behaved in a provocative manner, blocking the central avenue and trying to provoke physical clashes between people with the aim of arresting them for public disorder.

The protesters managed with difficulty to reach the Parliament building, and repeated the earlier demands.

TUMMCIWG chair, Tamaz Dolaberidze, stated during the rally:

“Now all the responsibility will be with the President of Georgia, Prime Minister of Georgia, chair of Parliament and all members of Parliament for the death of every person at the workplace, because they know exactly how to save people from losing their lives at work, but do nothing”.

IndustriALL slams deregistration of energy union in Algeria

The decision to deregister the union comes just days before a planned nationwide strike by Sonelgaz workers from 21 to 25 May.

In a letter dated 16 May, the Minister said the union had disrespected the Algerian law 90-14/1990 without detailing how.

The very act of deregistering the union flies in the face of the same law, which stipulates that the decision to suspend or dissolve a trade union cannot be authorized without proper judicial process.

Equally, Raouf’s dismissal is contradictory to Algerian law and constitutes a grave violation of ILO Conventions 87 and 98, which were ratified by Algeria in 1962.

In the letter to Mohamed El Ghazi, IndustriALL’s general secretary, Valter Sanches, protested at the decisions against Mellal and SNATEGS:

“We urge you to immediately restore the registration of SNATEGS. In the meantime, we will be keeping a close eye on the situation and if all their rights are not entirely reinstated before the next meeting of the International Labour Conference, we will file a complaint with international institutions against the Algerian government for the violation of human and trade union rights, as well as abuse of power.”

Mellal is currently in a court battle to appeal a six-month prison sentence, handed down in abstentia in December, after he blew the whistle on wide-scale corruption at Sonelgaz. The company had inflated electricity bills to more than eight million customers over a ten-year period.  A court decision on his appeal has been set for 25 May.

SNATEGS, which represents around 30,000 members at Sonelgaz, has organized a series of nationwide strikes and demonstrations against the company’s anti union policies in recent months.  In retaliation, Sonelgaz has suspended 93 SNATEG members and launched judicial proceedings against more than 600 trade union members, according to the union. 

SNATEGS leaders and members face ongoing physical harassment and persecution as evidenced by the recent wave of arrests following peaceful demonstrations held between 21-23 March, when over 240 trade union leaders and members were arrested and 30 women physically assaulted.

Save Dave: Australian miner sacked after leading underwear protest

More than 50 miners arrived for work at South32’s Appin Colliery in New South Wales on 7 March 2017 wearing their helmets, boots, jackets – and underpants. After 10 minutes, the miners put their old, dirty clothes back on and returned to work.

The novel protest was a humorous attempt to highlight the fact that South32 has for a year failed to honour its legal obligation to provide new work clothes. The company has also failed to provide a laundry service.

But instead of responding to the issue, South32 sacked McLachlan, claiming he brought the company into disrepute after pictures of the protest were posted online.

For ten years, McLachlan has been the rank and file union president on site for the CFMEU Mining and Energy division, an IndustriALL Global Union affiliate. He has worked at Appin Colliery for 16 years and has an unblemished work record.

McLachlan is a 30-year veteran of the coal mining industry and hard working family man. His family and his work mates are devastated by South32’s vindictive and callous attack.

The CFMEU has launched a campaign in support of McLachlan, and national president Tony Maher has written to CEO Graham Kerr, to urge the company to reinstate him.

Maher stressed that the issue would not go away, and that the company’s social license to operate is at risk. IndustriALL is supporting the campaign, and urging international solidarity to reinstate McLachlan.

In a letter to the company, IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches said:

“Dismissing Dave McLachlan for having participated at a short protest—which did not result in any lost time or impediment to coal production—and that was highly justified by the failure of the company to provide the laundry service and work uniforms that it is legally obliged to provide, constitutes a blatant violation of his fundamental labour rights.”

Take Action:

Stand with Dave and demand that South32 immediately reinstate him:

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#SaveDave: @South_32 must reinstate Dave McLachlan, sacked for protesting against the company’s failure to provide work clothes.

DNO continues to evade responsibility as court rules in favour of Yemeni workforce

DNO ended its operations in Yemen and fired 198 workers in April 2015 by text message and email. The company gave no notice and paid no redundancy, in violation of Yemeni labour law. It also violated the joint venture production sharing agreement with the government. 

Both the union and the government sought dialogue with the company about alternatives. When the company refused to negotiate, the DNO Yemen Union – part of IndustriALL Global Union’s Yemeni affiliate – took the company to the labour court. In August 2016, the court ruled in favour of the workers, confirming that the dismissal was illegal, and ordered the company to pay outstanding wages or have its assets seized.

In Yemen, if a company is granted a license to operate an oil field, it must pay wages and social obligations for as long it has the license. According to the company, the licenses were returned to the government in December 2016. The company is liable for wages and redundancy pay at least up till that point.

Instead of complying, the company appealed the ruling. The appeal court also found in favour of the workers. The company left Yemen without a proper handover of assets, in violation of its operating license. On 20 February 2017, the Yemeni court confirmed an order to seize the company’s assets.

In January, an international union campaign was launched, and more than 9,000 people wrote to DNO executive chairman Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, condemning the company’s behaviour.

Instead, the company appealed again in April 2017, this time to the Supreme Court. In a victory for the workers on 2 May 2017, the Supreme Court requested the Yemeni oil and mineral ministry not to release DNO from its obligations until it has paid its workers.

However, the union is concerned that the ministry is not prioritizing compensation for the workers. The union held demonstrations in front of the presidential palace, asking for the government to intervene, directly employ them and reopen the oil field.

They fear the company’s strategy is to wear down the workers’ resistance through attrition.

In the meantime, workers are struggling to feed their families.

At a recent oil and gas union network meeting in Beirut, Anees Alhatari of DNO Yemen Union said:

“For 23 months now, DNO workers have faced very harsh circumstances because of the war. There are no jobs and the security situation is deteriorating. This puts a lot of emotional stress on these workers.

“I have noticed a lot of mental issues amongst the employees because of the war and because of what DNO has done.”

The Norwegian union Industri Energi filed an OECD complaint against DNO, on behalf of the Yemen union, for failure to comply with OECD guidelines on respecting international labour standards. Although the company argued that the OECD had no jurisdiction because Industri Energi does not organize the affected workers, the OECD upheld the complaint, which is now being considered.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said:

“The courts in Yemen have now found in favour of the workers on three occasions. The global trade union movement is also pursuing a complaint at the OECD, and will also consider other avenues.

“It is time for DNO to stop running from its responsibilities, and to pay the money the courts have ruled they owe to their workforce.”

Norwegian unions are also pressurizing shareholders to divest from DNO.

Ukrainian miners continue to protest, demanding better pay

On 16 May, a group representing workers of Evraz Sukha Balka launched negotiations with management. Miners insist that their wages increase by at least 20 per cent from 1 May, with a further a gradual increase of 30 per cent by the end of August. Management proposes to raise wages by 12 per cent from 1 May. Neither side wants to make concessions at the moment.

More than a thousand workers of the steel plant ArcelorMittal-Kryvyi Rih held a peaceful rally on 11 May, in solidarity with the miners of KZRK and Evraz. In addition to the wage increase demands, they also want to stop the ongoing outsourcing of employees and operating units, to renew the employees' housing programmes, to provide annual financial assistance for leave and recuperation, among others. The column of protesters marched to the administration building of the enterprise, where 12 representatives were elected for negotiations. They were unable to find either the general director or his deputies, so the protesters went inside and occupied four floors. They are seeking a meeting with the management to hand over their demands. Some workers are ready to start a hunger strike.

Previously, on 10 May, miners from the Juvileyna and Frunze mines of enterprise Evraz Sukha Balka, owned by Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich among others, started an underground protest following the example of miners from KZRK. Management forbade the provision of food and water to the protesters and only went down to the pit a day and a half later to begin the conversation.

The families and workers of the mine building unit of Evraz Sukha Balka showed their solidarity with the miners protesting underground and blocked access roads to the enterprise as well as stopping all shipments.

The workers of Kryvyi Rih enterprises decided to create a joint strike committee to coordinate their actions. Yuri Samoilov, chair of the Kryvyi Rih branch of the NPGU became a chair of this committee.

Mychailo Volynets, president of the NPGU says:

“There is information that the employers of various companies have also joined together to delay the process of negotiations with the miners. This can destroy the faith of workers and trade union activists in achieving justice by peaceful protest. Unfortunately, social dialogue exists in Ukraine only formally, and this significantly complicates the fight of the miners for their rights”.

According to Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine, the demands of the miners to raise wages can be fulfilled, so the struggle continues.

Georgian union calls for effective labour inspection after deadly accident

A freight elevator fell into the pit while repairs were carried out. Mechanics on the roof of the elevator fell 400 metres. The bodies of the four victims were found by rescuers on 10 May. Two of the who lost their lives were members of TUMMCIWG, including Aleko Cheishvili, a founder and a member of the TUMMCIWG Tkibuli miners’ committee.
 
TUMMCIWG says that on the basis of preliminary information safety standards were violated during the repair works' preparation. A commission investigating the tragedy will be created and will include union safety inspectors. 
 
24 people have been killed in Tkibuli mines since 2010, and an additional 19 have received serious injuries.
 
Tamaz Dolaberidze, President of the TUMMCIWG said:

“All those who have been blocking the establishment of labour inspection and the ratification of ILO Convention 176 on Health and Safety in Mines are responsible for this accident.”

Labour inspection is a sort of a centre, monitoring accidents in the workplace. It collects statistics, but does not conduct inspections and has no actual work in the field of labour protection at the enterprises.
 
In September 2015, the IndustriALL's leadership held a press conference in Tbilisi, where it raised this issue and emphasized the necessity of rebuilding the system of state labour inspection in Georgia with all their functions. 
 
IndustriALL Global Union's General Secretary Valter Sanches writes in his letter to the President of Georgia:

“Once again IndustriALL Global Union urges the government of Georgia to ratify ILO Convention 176 on Health and Safety in Mines, as well as ILO Convention 81 on Labour Inspection. It is essential to set up a proper enforcement mechanism of labour legislation in the country. In contrast to the nominal structure that operates now, the primary task of the Labour Inspection should be to prevent accidents rather than simply keep statistics of accidents.”

Russian autoworkers seek compensation for harmful labour

ITUWA has currently collected 180 individual claims. Each worker is demanding between 70,000 and 100,000 RUR (US $1,200-$1,700). Since April, the union had been receiving collective claims for a class action lawsuit from the workers. There were about 300 people in "the case of harm", as it was called by activists of the ITUWA. In general, about 1,000 workers have the right to compensation. Judges suspended the trial, citing incorrect paperwork. The union had to re-collect claims from workers.

Sergey Topolov, the chair of the shop committee of ITUWA says:

“We were faced with the fact that the administration, especially line managers began to frighten workers with dismissal. As a result, people who previously were ready to participate in the case collectively refused to apply individually.”

The union will support workers at all stages of the proceedings. Claims will be grouped and an ITUWA lawyer will represent workers’ interests.

The debt of the company to workers has accumulated since the end of 2013, when the Federal law "On special assessment of working conditions" was adopted. The law required AvtoVAZ management to immediately assess working conditions at each workplace and to set compensation depending on the degree of harm. However, the assessment was only conducted in July 2015, and its results were not officially announced until 6 February 2017. The company insists that compensation will be paid from that date on. Trade union activists are certain that it is necessary to pay for all the period since the adoption of the law, and are ready to fight for their rights.
 
AvtoVAZ is the largest manufacturer of passenger cars in Russia, and is owned by Renault-Nissan Alliance and the Russian state company Rostec.
 
According to Sergey Topolov, the trial will last until the end of the year.
 

Pharmaceutical unions strengthen international solidarity

Union delegates joined the fourth meeting of the IndustriALL global pharmaceutical union network on 6-7 April 2017 in Tokyo, at the invitation of the Federation of IndustriALL Japanese Affiliates in the Chemical and Energy Sectors (IndustriALL-JAF).

The meeting welcomed interventions from the Economic Affairs Division Health Policy Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and the Japanese Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association, about current developments in the industry and labour relations in the country.

Participants analyzed the global pharmaceutical industry, which is currently volatile, but expected to continue to grow in 2017.

Healthcare spending is rising and the need for medicine grows. As the middle class expands in developing countries and the global population ages, the industry shows huge potential. In the meantime, due to the high prices of many drugs, there is a rising demand for generics.

Organizing and bargaining policies were among the main items discussed in the meeting.

Japanese participants underlined current challenges, such as pressure on drug expenditure, reduction in staff and decline in employment. They pointed out the need for policy coordination, membership awareness, unity building, and organizing non-union plants with concrete targets as their union strategy.

In Brazil, union density was reported to be around 25 per cent, one of the highest, bringing quality social dialogue between unions and employers. Brazilian participants reported achieving through collective bargaining a 40-hour working week, 180-days maternity leave, particular provisions for access to medicine and opportunities for union representatives for access to workplaces.

As part of IndustriALL’s sustainable industrial policy programme, innovation and the effects of digitalization and Industry 4.0 were debated. The meeting noted digital transformation in the sector, particularly with a shift towards global inventory management and the unlocking of artificial intelligence, big data and cloud technologies.

Participants evaluated the impact on employment as industry changes with new methods of utilization of medical records, creation of different business networks and a new phase of ICT implementation.

The Swedish experience showed that automatization does not mean that jobs disappear. The consequences of digitalization for labour appear to be extended tasks, compressed schedules, seamless work and greater autonomy, while requiring significant skills development.

In France, digitalization brings both richness and illusion. The acceleration of research cycles is expected to bring a new era to research and development, which is an important segment of the pharmaceutical industry. Personalized medicine and focused therapies, and their potential impacts on employment, will be on the agenda of unions in the coming period.

Repression and pressure against unions in South Korea, Turkey, and Brazil was discussed in the meeting, and participants expressed their support and solidarity with ongoing struggles.

Outsourcing and agency work was identified as a major problem, particularly in countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan, where 90% of the workforce was reported to be precarious. Access to medicine, and unions’ responsibilities, were underlined by the participants.

Global and regional level company networks were explored, and the examples of Sanofi and Takeda were analyzed in detail. Participants from France, Japan and Brazil shared their experiences of union networks, with exchange of information and experience and solidarity at times of difficulty in different countries.

The meeting applauded the determination of creating a global union network for Sanofi, following the positive experience with regional networks in Asia Pacific and Latin America. The first global Sanofi network meeting is planned to take place in December 2017.

“Commitment, determination and energy of our global pharmaceutical union network has begun to produce its result for global solidarity in this sector,”

said Kemal Özkan, assistant general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union.

“Given the particular difficulties in the sector, our efforts will continue to build union power in the pharmaceutical sector worldwide with more organizing”.