Global mining unions demand BHP Billiton resume negotiations at La Escondida mine in Chile

Workers Uniting (formed by the United Steelworkers (USW) of the U.S.A. and Canada and Unite the Union of the U.K. and Ireland), the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) of South Africa (NUM), CFMEU Mining & Energy of Australia, together with IndustriALL Global Union, urged La Escondida management return to the negotiation table with the" Sindicato Nº1 de Minera Escondida" union.

"Mineworkers around the world are united in solidarity with the La Escondida workers and support for their just demands," said Piet Matosa, President of the National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa.

2,500 workers at La Escondida went on strike on 9 February after the company suspended negotiations with the union. Management boycotted a government-sponsored mediation session with the striking workers on 15 February.

"It is unacceptable that a global company like BHP Billiton is refusing to sit down and negotiate in good faith with their workers," stated Tony Burke, Assistant General Secretary of UNITE.

Despite a 30 per cent productivity increase over the past two years, the company is trying to slash wages 14 per cent, increase working hours to more than 12 hours per day, and impose a two-tier benefit system for current and future workers. La Escondida has illegally withheld last year's bonuses in order to pressure the striking workers.

Leo Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers, said: "BHP Billiton's shameless exploitation of its Chilean workforce gives the company a bad name and threatens its long-term value for short-term profit."

During a demonstration held on 1 March, special police forces shot tear gas grenades into the crowd, injuring three workers. It appears that in the absence of proper industrial relations procedures aimed at promoting good faith collective bargaining, the state is now resorting to police violence to resolve labour conflicts.

“Given the severity of the situation, we demand that BHP Billiton intervene immediately to re-start negotiations with the Sindicato Nº1 to achieve a fair collective agreement for all the workers at La Escondida," said Andrew Vickers, General Secretary of CFMEU Mining & Energy and co-chair of IndustriALL's mining section.

Moldovan miners demand restoration of early retirement

Pension reform legislation came into force in Moldova on 1 January 2017. It includes a gradual increase in retirement age of women and men to 63 years. This measure is one of the conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund according to the Memorandum of Cooperation concluded with authorities of Moldova in 2016. The change took place despite critical remarks about low life expectancy in Moldova, and claims that many workers will not survive to their retirement age.
 
According to the new legislation miners lose their right to early retirement at the age of 54, and will retire with the same conditions as other workers. The changes affected about 1,000 miners, 218 of which are members of the union.
 
Chair of the FCBMTU Viktor Talmach states:

“These people deliberately chose to work in difficult and harmful conditions, because the legislation provided them with the right of early retirement. Now they are collecting signatures and writing to state officials demanding a change to the law to restore their benefits”.

The miners appealed to the FCBMTU and started collecting signatures against the increased retirement age based on a preferential list of jobs entitled to benefits including early retirement. In its turn, the Federation appealed to the National Confederation of Trade Unions of Moldova and sent a letter to the government of the Republic of Moldova.
 
Currently, the Federation is negotiating with the Ministry of Labour over a meeting with representatives of the employer and employees to clarify the circumstances of the issue. The miners are preparing to hold protests with the coordination of their trade union.  

New collective agreement at Volkswagen in Russia

The workers' side was represented by IndustriALL Global Union affiliate the Interregional Trade Union "Workers Association" (ITUWA), as well as the Innovative New Interregional Trade Union of Automotive and Related Industries and the works council.

The new collective agreement was signed at the Volkswagen plant on 22 February, the day before the expiration of the statutory three-month period. Negotiations started in November 2016. During this period, the ITUWA suggested more than thirty amendments to the agreement to improve workers’ positions. The employer was reluctant to adopt them, but after negotiation, agreement was reached. 

The union managed to keep all social benefits and guarantees which were part of the previous agreement. In addition the unions managed to obtain the the following results:

“We managed to agree about the increase in the size of the salary to 5.4 per cent, and, considering the average wage, to translate it into a fixed amount. This is in the spirit of crisis time”, said ITUWA activist Anatoly Demidov.

The next objective for the union is to conclude an agreement on legal and labour relations in the next six months. The union will take as the basis the document adopted by Volkswagen in Germany. According to it, there are three levels of employee’s participation in decision-making: information, consultation and approval. In the case of approval management should receive permission from employee’s representatives, which will be the workers council at the plant in Kaluga.

Dmitry Trudovoj, chair of the Kaluga regional organization ITUWA, stated:

“Now we have signed an agreement of intention and have accepted the status quo. It is essential to conclude an agreement regarding legal and labour relations before August. Approval with employee’s representatives will become obligatory on all the questions except financing and investment. These issues will be discussed as part of consultations”.

Mining: initial study shows trade unions save lives

New research has found strong evidence that health and safety representatives supported by a trade union were more effective in getting important safety matters addressed and resolved than health and safety representatives acting on their own.

The comparative research project, led by Professor David Walters from Cardiff University, was based on the experiences of worker health and safety representatives in five countries: Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia and South Africa. The research involved interviews with trade unions nationally and regionally, miners, and government inspectors, as well as other key parties.

The research also showed that mine management is not playing its facilitation role, and as a result health and safety representatives are denied the benefits of that support.

“This welcome research reinforces our message that trade unions play a critical role in health and safety awareness and training. We believe that workers have rights, employers an obligation and governments a responsibility to improve safety in mining,” said IndustriALL’s Mining Director, Glen Mpufane.

The present global research report, which is the first of a two stage research project, represents an initial scoping study concerned with the role of worker representation in mines in a range of national economies and how that role is supported or constrained locally, nationally and globally.

The study seeks to determine how the four basic health and safety worker rights contained in International Labour Organziation’s (ILO) Convention 176 are encouraged or restricted. These four basic worker rights are:

  1. The right to refuse to do dangerous work.
  2. The right to education and training.
  3. The right to information.
  4. The right to representation and participation.

The authors of the research, Professor Walters, and Professor Richard Johnstone from the Faculty of Law at Queensland University of Technology/Australian National University delivered the preliminary findings at an FES funded workshop on 7 March held in Johannesburg, South Africa. The workshop, organized by the University of the Witwatersrand’s Centre for Sustainability in Mining and Industry, together with IndustriALL, was attended by health and safety representatives and officials from the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), the ILO’s East and Southern Africa Office, the Chamber of Mines of South Africa, and health and safety training practitioners. 

Help us stop the asbestos trade

Hundreds of thousands of workers die every year from diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. It is the world’s worst industrial killer.

For years, many countries have been trying to list chrysotile asbestos as a toxic substance under the Rotterdam Convention, a United Nations treaty that requires dangerous substances on the list to be traded with prior consent and full knowledge of their hazards. 

However, these efforts have been repeatedly blocked by a handful of nations that still benefit from the asbestos trade, notably Russia and India.

IndustriALL is asking trade unions to write to their governments as soon as possible to support a proposal to amend the Rotterdam Convention so that no single country has the power of veto to stop a dangerous substance being on the list.

The proposal, submitted by 12 countries in the African region, would mean that in the absence of a consensus, a substance could be listed as hazardous if a majority of 75 per cent of parties supported that action.

The proposal will be addressed at the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention, taking place from 24 April – 5 May 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Two million tonnes of asbestos is still being mined, sold and used across the world every year.  And the deadly consequences will endure for decades to come.  If countries have to give prior informed consent to import chrysotile asbestos, it is expected to reduce the trade in the fatal mineral. 

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL’s General Secretary, said:

Every five minutes someone dies from exposure to asbestos and millions more suffer disability and pain. So long as any one party can exercise a veto over good science and common sense, the Rotterdam Convention is discredited. We count on your support to correct this.

Download the letter to send to your government on this page and help us in the fight for a global ban on asbestos. Please don't forget to tell us when you have a sent a letter at [email protected]. 

India: 117 workers acquitted and 31 convicted in Maruti Suzuki case

A violent incident at Maruti Suzuki on 18 July 2012 resulted in the death of a manager. Subsequently, the company fired 546 permanent workers and 1,800 contract workers. Scores of workers were arrested and 139 workers were jailed for more than three and a half years, while eleven workers never got bail.

At the conclusion of the trial, the verdict of the court acquitted 117 workers of all charges, and found 31 guilty.

The sentencing of the workers found guilty will be announced on 17 March. In the absence of conclusive evidence linking workers with the death and arson, the verdict finding all union office bearers guilty sent shock waves among workers and their families.

Jitendar Kumar, one of the acquitted workers who spent two years and nine months in prison said,

“We were subject to repression just because we demanded our rights. We were arrested without an iota of evidence. The jail term turned our life upside down. I am the sole breadwinner for the family. In my absence my family has undergone indescribable suffering.  Now that we are acquitted of all charges, I hope to get back to normal life. All I need is a job to sustain my family and two girl children.”

Vasudev, an acquitted worker who joined the factory just 18 days before the violent incident, spent 33 months in jail. Similarly, Sunil Kumar, a casual worker who worked for five months in the factory, and Vijendar Kumar, an apprentice who worked for just three months also spent 33 months in jail term. Every arrested worker and their family have undergone painful experiences since July 2012.

Ram Niwas, of the provisional working committee, a workers’ body which handles legal issues of workers said,

“It is unjust that 31 workers were held guilty and 13 of them have been convicted for murder. During the trial the prosecution placed no substantial evidence to link workers with violence and arson. Even the prosecution did not provide CCTV footage at the trial. We appeal to all workers to extend solidarity and support the families of convicted workers and join our effort to get all of them released in future.”

Workers’ lawyer Vrinda Grover stated:

“The acquittal of 117 workers of all charges has unequivocally demolished the foundation of the prosecution case.  Eighteen workers have been convicted only for grievous hurt and trespass. Thirteen workers have been convicted for murder.

“What is important to understand is that these 13 are the office bearers of the union and main leaders. They have been implicated in the case and management witnesses have deposed against them because they stood for rights of workers.

“They are paying the price for championing the cause of workers. One man very regrettably lost his life in the fire at the Manesar plant. But there is less than tenuous evidence to link any of these 13 workers to the fire. The legal defense team for the Maruti workers is confident of mounting a very strong challenge to their conviction in appeal before the High Court.”

During the trial, defense lawyers argued that the police conducted a dishonest investigation. The defense pointed out that the investigation was tainted and biased on several crucial aspects, such as the police changing the weapons of offence during the trial, about 88 of the 148 accused were roped in alphabetical order and the witness in the test identification parade identified none of them.

No worker or security personnel was made prosecution witness, no evidence of weapons of offence withstood judicial scrutiny, the entire recovery of weapons is bogus as were many of the medical legal certificates procured by witnesses who initially said that they did not suffer any injury.

After the verdict, workers and union representatives from various companies in the National Capital Region including all Maruti Suzuki plants, Honda, RICO Auto, Bellosonica gathered in Gurgaon and expressed solidarity with the convicted workers.

They expressed deep discontent over the conviction and decided to support workers families and take collective actions. As a mark of protest they decided to boycott lunch on 16 March in all factories in the region.

Korea: victory for unions as President Park is ousted

Multiple mass demonstrations, led by IndustriALL affiliates and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), were a key factor in the parliament’s decision to impeach President Park, which was upheld by judges on 10 March.

In the capital Seoul, people gathered outdoors to watch the court proceedings live on large screens and there will be a rally tomorrow in support of the court’s decision.

A spokesperson for IndustriALL affiliate, the Korean Metal Workers’ Union, said:

“After months of weekly massive public protest and a drawn-out court process we are glad the Constitutional Court was unanimous in finalizing the impeachment.”

IndustriALL and its affiliates across the globe have supported Korean unions in their demands to remove Park, whose reign in office saw trade unionists imprisoned, union offices raided, and labour policies attacking worker rights.

In reaction to today’s court decision, IndustriALL’s General Secretary, Valter Sanches, said:

“We congratulate our Korean trade union affiliates who have fought a relentless campaign to have President Park removed. We also extend our thanks to our many affiliates around the world who took action to support our Korean brothers and sisters in their struggle. With Park gone, we urge her successor to immediately release jailed trade unionists and respect labour rights going forward.”  

Trade unions in Korea are calling for reform of the corrupt system of family-owned companies, known as chaebols, that dominate politics and business in the country.   

A spokesperson for the KCTU, said:

“The court’s decision shows that the struggle organized by trade unions was just. KCTU will now appeal to the new government to release all imprisoned trade unionists and uphold Korea’s obligations to international labour standards and labour rights.”

KCTU President, Han Sang-gyun, is serving three years in prison for leading a protest against Park.

Park, as an ordinary citizen can now face criminal charges in relation to the corruption scandal. Samsung, Hyundai, and other powerful Korean conglomerates are accused of paying massive bribes to foundations controlled by Park’s close friend Choi Soon-sil.

IndustriALL has given extensive backing to Korean unions during the Park administration, with numerous solidarity missions. In November 2016, IndustriALL marched with one million Koreans demanding labour rights and democracy, and IndustriALL General Secretary, Valter Sanches, spoke to a crowd of hundreds of thousands in a rally organized by the Korean Metal Workers Union. 

Following a resolution at IndustriALL’s Congress in October 2016, IndustriALL affiliates supported the Korea general strike on 30 November by taking action at Korean embassies and companies, sending protest letters to Park, and showing solidarity for Korean trade unionists on social media.

South Korea now has 60 days to elect a new president. 

Philippines: textile and garment workers trained in negotiation skills

Supported by Japanese union UA Zensen and in cooperation with IndustriALL Philippines, the training aimed to equip skills and enhance the capacity of plant level union officers to negotiate for better working conditions. Twenty five local union officers and shop stewards were equipped with negotiation skills and collective bargaining strategies and techniques.

Participants expressed the view that in challenging times where trade union and collective bargaining rights are under attack by corporate globalization, new approaches to collective bargaining are needed, and it is necessary for trade unionists to acquire adequate skills and innovative negotiation strategies.

“We are pleased to participate in this training, as a newly organized union it is timely that we adapt to this new learning so that we can immediately apply in our coming negotiation,” said George Otayde, vice president of Lamitek labour union, organized under the IndustriALL union building project.

Union density and collective bargaining coverage are low in the Philippines, leading unions to look at different types of collective bargaining so that more workers can be covered by collective agreements.

“Real changes happened in our workplace. In the past almost all workers were covered by our collective bargaining agreement, but today contractual workers outnumber regular workers, and those contractual workers are excluded from our collective bargaining agreement”, said Roland Vicencio, a union officer from Frankhaus International Corp.

“Now that we are aware that this situation will eventually lead to the loss of our bargaining power and weaken the union, it is a challenge for the union to exert our collective effort to negotiate for inclusive provision of all workers regardless of their status,” he added.

Lockout at LafargeHolcim Texada in Canada ends with agreement

The agreement concluded on 2 March ended an eighteen week-long lockout and brought hope to 70 USW members and the entire Texada Island community. USW members on 8 March ratified the agreement by a slight majority of one vote.

The details of the contract have not yet been disclosed. However according to information received so far, the USW concluded an agreement with no concessions and most importantly maintained seniority rights for its members. Other results of the negotiations include a secured wage and benefit increases similar to other collective agreements in the sector.

From the very beginning of the conflict IndustriALL and the LafargeHolcim world union committee closely followed the developments at Texada mine through permanent contact with the USW. At every opportunity IndustriALL raised the issue of the Texada lockout with global management of the company. Time and again, the network expressed solidarity with their Canadian colleagues.

Earl Graham, USW staff representative said, “Local 816 thanks community members, other Steelworker locals and unions in the region for their support as well as the important global solidarity from IndustriALL and its allies.”

Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL director of industrial materials and mechanical engineering, comments: “We congratulate our colleagues in the USW and their families on the agreement they achieved. Your dedication, firmness and courage inspire us in our daily work. We recognize all the difficulties and hardship you and your families faced during the lockout. We are proud of your achievement and honoured that we were able to contribute to this struggle.”

IndustriALL project in Sub-Saharan Africa boosts women’s representation

IndustriALL’s union building programme in Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DRC, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe is aimed at developing democratic and transparent trade unions and organizing new members. The project, which was funded by trade union solidarity organizations, Union to Union and FNV Mondiaal, promotes greater participation by women in decision-making and leadership positions.

Women made up an average of 38 per cent of all union building activities, which is above the 25 per cent target that had been set for the region.

In 2016, the Zimbabwe Chemical & Plastics Workers Union and the Nation Union of Clothing Industry (Zimbabwe), amended their constitutions to include women structures, and appointed women to their national executive committees for the first time.

In addition, the Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union appointed a female president and increased women on its national executive committee by 8 per cent. It also achieved 30 per cent women’s representation target in recruitment, 50 per cent women in the collective bargaining team, 67 per cent on the finance committee and 50 per cent women on the union’s steering committee.

In Uganda, the Chemicals Petroleum and Allied Workers Union established national women’s structures, while the Textile Garments Leather and Allied Workers Union increased women negotiators from three to six.

Elsewhere, IndustriALL Women's Committees were formed in Ghana and Cameroon in 2016, and IndustriALL affiliates developed organizing drives for increasing women members in Cameroon and Burkina Faso.

“The challenges for trade unions in Africa are significant but greater participation by women, particularly in leadership positions, will strengthen unions and lead to a better future for men and women,” said Tendai Makanza, Project Coordinator, IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa.