Trade union confederation in Kazakhstan faces dissolution

The Ministry of Justice in Kazakhstan has recently put forward a legal challenge calling for the revocation of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (KNPRK), and also its affiliated unions representing health and domestic workers. If successful, it would make any trade union activity illegal for the organizations concerned, and leave their members unrepresented.

The KNPRK only received its official registration in February 2016 after an extremely lengthy and delayed process. The Confederation belongs to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

In the letter addressed to President of Kazakhstan, the ITUC says that the delay in KNPRK’s registration is not a unique case. “Trade unions at sectoral level faced similarly lengthy and burdensome registration procedures. Some unions received more than 25 rejections, none justified by law, before their request for registration was granted.”

A recently launched campaign to support KNPRK condemns the restrictions of the freedom of association and calls on the President of Kazakhstan to remove all barriers to the activities of trade unions in the country. IndustriALL Global Union continues to closely monitor trade union rights in Kazakhstan and backs the campaign.

In 2014, IndustriALL Global Union reported of the danger of administrative or even criminal prosecution of free trade unions in Kazakhstan after the adoption of the National act on trade unions. The Act came under severe criticism from the international union movement, as well as the International Labour Organization (ILO), which condemned the Act for limiting opportunities for trade union movement in the country.

“Our support for fundamental trade union rights and freedoms in Kazakhstan will continue,” said Kemal Özkan, assistant general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union.

Dutch union threatens strike action at Shell over failure to agree new collective agreement

Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (FNV), an affiliate of IndustriALL Global Union in the Netherlands, is preparing to take strike action against energy giant Shell after failure to agree a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), despite a year of negotiations.

The proposed CBA covers 1,800 workers at the Pernis and Moerdijk petrochemical plants, and will cover the period from March 2016 to March 2018.

Shell made a final offer, which was rejected by the union. The offer includes a wage increase of a 1 per cent for the first year of the agreement, rising to 1.25 per cent in the second year. This is below industry standard, and lower than other refineries.

The biggest area of contention is Shell’s proposal to slash the budget for merit increases from 1 per cent to 2 per cent. This halves the amount available for salary progression within a pay scale after a certain period of satisfactory work. The change disproportionally affects younger workers, who are more likely to be at the bottom of the scale.

The proposal was rejected by members at a packed meeting on 28 September. Shell made a final counter offer in early November, which was also rejected.

An overwhelming majority of members rejected the offer as an indication that Shell was not serious about resolving the dispute. The members feel that there are irreconcilable difference between the parties, and they are prepared to take action to give an ultimatum to Shell.

FNV members rejected a one off payment proposed by the company as a sweetener, and are demanding a better wage settlement, and the maintenance of the budget for salary progression. They also demand that all workers be given the option of being covered by the CBA.

The FNV has indicated that failure to meet its demands will result in a series of actions, possibly including work stoppages, work-to-rule and strikes.

The FNV indicated that it will take the precautions necessary for shutting down the Pernis site safely and reminded Shell that employing scabs is illegal.

IndustriALL energy director Diana Junquera Curiel said:

“After a year of negotiation with no result, Shell’s loyal workforce are justifiably angry at the company’s intransigence, and it is no surprise that are preparing to embark on industrial action.

“Shell needs to come back to the negotiating table with a reasonable offer, or face strike action.

“The shutting down of the Pernis plant will have a significant impact on the company’s operations. We hope we can avoid that.

CMPC pulp and paper workers call for global agreement

CMPC is the fourth largest pulp producer in the world and one of the biggest companies in Latin America. IndustriALL unions participate in the CMPC network from Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, and Argentina. Over 80 per cent of CMPC produced pulp is exported, to Asia, America and Europe.

The network visited the Santa Fé pulp facility, one of three large CMPC pulp factories in Chile. In a meeting there with senior management the union delegation delivered the message that they are organized regionally and will be seeking recognition and dialogue in the coming period.

The network also joined a workers’ assembly of the Santa Fé union and delivered a strong message of international solidarity and unity to over 100 workers.

Participants exchanged information and experience on achieving good working conditions, health and safety, and shift rotation. A seven-point action plan was adopted and the network will continue its coordinated action, including seeking a Global Framework Agreement.

A representative of Chile’s Ministry of Labour, Carlos Soto, joined the union meeting and explained the tripartite process in Chile covering the forestry and pulp sectors.

IndustriALL research and industry officer Tom Grinter said:
“Together with Arauco, CMPC is a priority company for IndustriALL’s pulp and paper sector in Latin America. We are building union power and seeking recognition of the network by the employer.”

Pirelli trade union network builds joint work

Participating IndustriALL unions came from Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Turkey, UK, and Venezuela. The unions exchanged and compared working conditions at the tyre manufacturer in the different countries. The meeting comes one year after ChemChina purchased the company for 7.2 billion Euros. The meeting analysed the company and the rubber industry as a whole.

In the two main UK plants, Carlisle and Burton, IndustriALL affiliate Unite the Union represents 97 per cent of the 1,170 workforce. While the British colleagues are wary of the increased investment in Pirelli’s Romania facility, demand remains very high for the SUV tyres that the UK centre of excellence produces. Two main concerns are a lack of job security and a lack of investment in the UK factories.

Unite and Pirelli have wage negotiations scheduled for 1 February 2017. The union reports that 7 per cent of the Pirelli workers are on temporary contracts on the same conditions as permanent staff.

The Brazilian Sindicato del Caucho de Sao Paulo (FS) also reports 97 per cent union density, equalling 2,500 blue-collar workers in the Sao Paulo facilities. Pirelli has around 9,000 workers in all of Brazil. The Brazilian union reps explained the complex profit sharing provisions that they have negotiated at Pirelli in coordinated bargaining with the other union CNQ-CUT.

The crisis in the Brazilian economy is leading to job cuts in the country’s rubber industry. Production is forecast to drop and the union challenge in Pirelli Brazil will be to protect jobs. There was a 20-day strike already this year.

In Pirelli Argentina the IndustriALL affiliate SUTNA has 98 per cent union density. The union complains of out-dated machinery in the factories and a lack of investment, and also of health and safety concerns. The union reported on its successful campaign to gain permanent employment for precarious workers at Pirelli.

Three different Italian unions are present in the two main factories in Italy, which employ around 1,200 and 300 workers. Around 80 per cent of the permanent staff are members of a union. The precarious workers are very difficult to recruit in Pirelli Italy. The Italian union CGIL holds the position of coordinator of the Pirelli European Works Council, but reports frustration with management attitude in that body.

In the Venezuelan plant of Pirelli, 732 workers are unionized out of total 800. It was reported that Pirelli does not provide a pension for workers in Venezuela, and there are severe health and safety concerns, outdated machinery. Pirelli Venezuela has stopped buying raw materials so the union is preparing for a tough year 2017.

Turkish affiliate Lastik-Is represents 100 per cent of all 8,000 blue-collar tyre workers in Turkey. Tyre workers are paid well above the average industrial worker in Turkey and there is now no subcontracted work in the industry following a recent union victory against precarious work. Lastik-Is bargains common CBA frameworks across the tyre companies.

The network adopted an action plan which included plans to: increase union density; exchange information on a regular basis; and grow the network with worker participation from USA, Russia and elsewhere.

IndustriALL Auto Industry Director Helmut Lense said:

“The Pirelli network is progressing well and after this second meeting is in a good position to build and grow its work.”

Trade tariff victory for USW paper workers

The remedial tariffs are subject to review every five years; so fair market conditions are assured for coated paper producers in the US. Unfair trading practices by Chinese and Indonesian paper companies included using heavy state subsidies to make it impossible for US manufacturers to compete, and dumping cheap product in the US market to strangle competition.

The important IndustriALL affiliated United Steelworkers originally petitioned for the decision in 2009 with three companies from the sector, NewPage Corporation (since then acquired by Verso), Sappi North America, and Appleton Coated LLC.

Tariffs on imports of coated paper from China range from 3.64 per cent to 135.84 per cent for dumping and from 19.46 per cent to 202.84 per cent for existing subsidies. For Indonesia, dumping margins were assessed at 17.46 per cent and for subsidies at 20.13 per cent.

Coated paper is generally used for printing multicoloured graphics for books, catalogues, magazines and other commercial printing applications.

Jon Geenen, USW international vice president and member of IndustriALL’s Working Group for the pulp and paper sector, stated:

Unfair trade has put at risk thousands of jobs in this sector. This decision will continue the hard-fought battle for relief that has helped save many of these jobs and ensure that our industry can survive. The existing duties authorized to remain in place for the next five years will ensure that the hard work of USW members producing these products won't be jeopardized by unfairly traded products from China and Indonesia.

IndustriALL Global Union Assistant General Secretary Kemal Özkan saluted the USW success:

Working towards achieving fair market conditions for their paper industry has been a priority for our Steelworker comrades for many years. Once again the USW shows that when we fight, we win.

SWU wins better conditions for Siemens India workers.

SWU filed the case in court, noting the importance of improvement of workers’ service condition and job security. The court decided in favour of the workers and in 2013 they became SWU members. Some 215 workers of whom 170 are now union members have been affected by the court decision.

Following the court decision management came forward with a discussion proposal to SWU.

After series of negotiations a wage settlement for the transformer unit was signed on 30 November 2016. The terms of the settlement include among other definition of executive technicians as workmen, they will be paid an inflation allowance and enter in the company incentive scheme and other service conditions.

This settlement is very different and important in the history of both Siemens Workers’ Union and the company itself. The transformer unit workers commenced in 2006 and their employment grew from 2006 through 2012. Initially workers were employed as technicians.

Despite the fact that these employees performed similar work as other workmen, upon completion of their training they were assigned to the status of executive technicians. As consequence, these workers were not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, their wages were lower, and according to Indian legislation, they could not join the union of their choice, in this particular case SWU.

This issue was first raised at the Siemens international meeting organized jointly by Siemens Works Council members and IndustriALL Global Union in 2012.

CUB55 workers to return to work after union victory

IndustriALL affiliate, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) and the Electrical Trade Union of Australia (ETU) announced on 7 December that they have reached agreement to immediately end the dispute with the maintenance workforce at the CUB Abbotsford brewery in Melbourne, Victoria.

Unions say that CUB has agreed to all their demands. The dispute arose after the maintenance workers were fired and told they would have to work for a new contractor, with a 65 per cent pay cut. The attack on the workers, who are members of AMWU and ETU, came ahead of the impending acquisition of Carlton United's parent company, SABMiller, by beverage multinational AB InBev.

More than a thousand IndustriALL members from around the world unanimously passed a resolution supporting the CUB 55 and a boycott of the company’s products at the IndustriALL 2^nd Congress in Brazil in October.

Following the Congress resolution, IndustriALL’s general secretary, Valter Sanches, wrote to CUB calling on the brewery to reinstate the workers and respect labour rights, as well as solidarity letters to AMWU and ETU.

AMWU’s National President, Andrew Dettmer, told IndustriALL that international solidarity from global unions IndustriALL and IUF, as well as trade unions around the world was vital:

“This victory had many contributors. For IndustriALL and the IUF, the 1600 plus messages of solidarity were crucial to maintaining the morale of the 55. Some of those messages of solidarity, and the solidarity actions taken against the owners, really brought home to those 55 union members, as well as their thousands of supporters, the importance of international unionism.

“Just as good were those unions and federations, including IndustriALL, which wrote to SAB-Miller and AB InBev registering disgust at the actions of local management in sacking those 55 maintenance workers and then offering them their jobs back at 65 per cent less pay.

“This reflected the urgency motion, which was so generously and unanimously supported by the IndustriALL 2^nd Congress.

“Australian drinkers (including many workers and trade unionists) can now get back to drinking their beer of choice!”

IndustriALL’s general secretary, Valter Sanches, said:

“The entire IndustriALL Global Union family congratulates AMWU and Australian unions on this great and significant victory. Not only is great show of union solidarity but huge credit must also go to the 55 workers and their families who held out for their demands and refused to be beaten.”

IndustriALL Myanmar affiliates make rapid progress, despite challenges

Coming out of a decades-long period of dictatorship, Myanmar is still very much a developing democracy. Many of the problems faced by unions relate to the use of standard one-year contracts as a substitute for permanent employment. These are frequently used to get rid of union leaders when their one-year contracts end. Countless workers don’t even get this ‘standard’ contract, as they are employed on much shorter-term contracts, with far inferior conditions.

Employers customarily add 50-70 additional rules to the standard contracts, non-compliance with which can lead to dismissal. Examples include: ‘You must follow the orders of your supervisor and agree to do work that you may not have been hired for originally’; ‘you are not allowed to assemble in the workplace’; ‘you are not allowed to talk to workers from other work sections’; or ‘you must reach the production quota’. The latter clause forces workers to do unpaid overtime or leads to dismissal when they don’t reach their targets. Other contract stipulations say that workers cannot work for other plants in the same region or sector after their job ends, or that they do not have the right to join a union.

Dismissals of trade unionists and union leaders are a wide-ranging problem. Employers are known to publish names of dismissed trade union leaders on their websites, in effect blacklisting them from future employment.

Other problems in Myanmar include the lack of health and safety protection, especially in mining, and the difficulties of achieving good collective agreements. As so much is still new for the unions, they continue to need training and knowledge, particularly on wage negotiations since workers are often paid below the minimum wage (currently at 3,600 kyat or US$2.7 per day).

Despite these challenges, the Myanmar affiliates are growing through their numerous successful organizing campaigns, supported by IndustriALL and other trade union organizations including FNV Mondiaal, FES, Union To Union and Australian affiliate CFMEU.

Over the last year the IFWM grew from 11,232 members to 13,486, of which 80 per cent are women and MWFM grew from 3,785 in 2015 to 7,452. A surprising 30 per cent of this mining union’s members are women.

As a result, workers are starting to get access to social security benefits and other entitlements such as paid overtime and redundancy payments. Some unions have been able to convert precarious jobs into permanent ones, up to 500 at once in one case.

Maternity protection has been a high priority and the law now allows for 98 days paid maternity leave, up from 90 but still below the 120 days in ILO Convention 183. While enforcement is still a problem, unions have made other advances including separate toilets for women. Agreements that no women workers will be dismissed as a result of pregnancy now apply in 80 per cent of factories where there is a union.

Tunisian textile and garment union sees strong growth

The organizing programme has resulted in impressive growth for unions in Tunisia and other countries in just one year. Key countries supplying textiles and garments in the region are Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. Organizing campaigns were launched in these countries, with concrete targets, using international tools such as global framework agreements for leverage. IndustriALL conducted an extenisive mapping of the sector before starting the campaign.

In Tunisia, the organizing campaign started in December 2015, with work to support affiliate Fédération Générale du Textile, de l'Habillement, Chaussure et Cuir (FGTHCC-UGTT). It included training, visits to factories and industrial areas, mobilizing women and young people, producing material, and conducting a survey.

The textile and garment sector is one of Tunisia’s main industries, employing about 176,000. It accounted for more than US$2.7 billion in exports in 2014. Eighty per cent of exports go to the EU, and this may grow as Tunisia and the EU are negotiating a free trade agreement.

Tunisia manufactures for major brands like H&M, Zara, Calvin Klein, Benetton, and GAP. Despite the size and importance of the sector, it suffers from low investment, with low value added, and production usually happens in small units. There is very little formal training. Wages are low, with an average of about US$200 per month, not much above the minimum wage.

Eighty per cent of workers are women, many of them young. Short term contracts of just a few months are typical, and turn over is high. There is a high rate of informal and precarious work, jobs are not secure, and firing is used to discipline labour.

The campaign focused on mobilizing women and young workers, with a focus on job security, wages and vocational training. Organizer training was held in Tunis, Hammamet and Mehdia. Trained worker leaders visited workplaces and industrial areas, and recruited workers to the union.

FGTHCC-UGTT general secretary Habib Hazmi said:

“The result of this campaign has been a seven per cent growth in membership over the past year. Crucially, the campaign has done more than recruit: it has provided leaders with new skills, and revitalized the union’s work through regular meetings, coordination, communication, solidarity action and reports.

“It has also led to wider engagement in debates about the future of the sector, its implications for the workplace, and union strategies for the current sectorial bargaining round.”

Houcine Abbasi, general secretary of the UGTT trade union centre, and joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015, attended the session in Hammamet, and said:

“Transnational corporations focus on profit and ignore the social aspect. They consider unions to be external bodies, and fight against them.

“Unionization in the private sector is low, and sectorial agreements don’t cover small enterprises which employ less than 20 workers.

“Unions need to cooperate locally and globally. Expanding our organizing protects our rights and gains. Organizing is an existential issue.”

This success is being replicated in other countries in the region, with many unions reporting significant growth in membership and influence, despite repression.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said:

“IndustriALL’s strategic goal is to build strong unions. At last years’ regional organizing conference, we decided to focus on the textile and garment sector.

“The results after one year of organizing are in: our unions have grown in size and strength. This is excellent work, and we will continue to support our affiliates to build their power and influence.”

IndustriALL calls for urgent ILO action on deadly Chinese coal mines

Thirty-two miners were reportedly killed in a gas explosion at a coal mine owned by the Baoma Mining Company in northern China’s Inner Mongolia region on 3 December. Twenty-one miners were killed in a coal mine blast in the city of Qitaihe in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang on 29 November, while a further thirty-three miners were killed in an explosion at a coal mine in the southwestern city of Chongqing on 31 October.

The fatalities come as pressure mounts on coal mines to increase output during wintertime.

In a letter to the ILO’s director general, Guy Ryder, IndustriALL’s general secretary, Valter Sanches, said:

It is clear that the Chinese coal mining industry remains among the world's deadliest because of poor safety standards. Nevertheless, it is encouraging to learn that the Chinese government has apparently ordered that all of its country's coal mines conduct a safety overhaul. In carrying out its major renovation of the working conditions in the coal mines, it is imperative that the Chinese government inter alia, ratify Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines.

IndustriALL is appealing to the ILO to offer immediate technical assistance to China to help improve health and safety standards in the coal mines. In addition, IndustriALL is offering to provide any necessary political and technical support to the Chinese coal miners by sharing the expertise of its affiliated unions in the mining industry from around the world.

Chinese authorities reported 931 coal mining deaths in 2014. This is actually a decrease in the number of deaths recorded in previous years – more than 7,000 coal miners died in 2002 alone. Thousands more die from pneumoconiosis, also known as black lung, caused by long exposure to coal dust. No official figures have been released for 2015 and 2016 as yet, and many mines fail to report fatalities.

It is estimated that 5.8 million workers are employed in the coal industry in China.