Volkswagen: job security until 2025 despite cuts

Months of discussions between German IndustriALL affiliate IG Metall, the VW Works Council and company management on the future of VW, new technology and an efficient production system, have resulted in what the parties call a "pact for the future".

The accord includes agreements about early retirement and the promise to exclude dismissals until 2025. Although a high number of job losses, 23,000 of which will affect German operations, the auto giant hopes to create 9,000 new jobs in growth areas like digitalization and electric cars.

Helmut Lense, IndustriALL auto director says:

Cutting 30,000 jobs is a lot. But between now and 2025, workers will not be affected by dismissals. The result of the negotiations show what unions and work councils can achieve with high union density and well-functioning social dialogue.

Ending violence against women at work

A UN study found that one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives. However, less than 40 per cent who experienced violence sought help of any sort. Only 10 per cent of those went to the police. 

Early this year, IndustriALL and global union IUF made an agreement with Unilever to help prevent sexual harassment in the workplace and make it easier for employees to report it.

IndustriALL and IUF’s joint agreement with consumer product multinational, Unilever, covers 168,000 people worldwide. Not only does it provide a clear definition of sexual harassment for management and employees but it also sets out procedures for employees to raise an issue and report any abuses in confidence.

“Trade unions have a vital role to play in stopping violence against women in the workplace. Clauses to tackle sexual harassment and violence against women can be included in collective bargaining agreements. Organizing more women in unions and having more women as leaders will mean that women’s voices and concerns will be better heard,” said IndustriALL assistant general secretary Jenny Holdcroft.

“We must work harder to prevent violence against women in the workplace and act when it occurs, including when trade union members are the perpetrators. More trade unions need to adopt strong policies against violence in the workplace, which can be used to educate all their members about what is and what is not acceptable treatment of women,” added Holdcroft.  

This year, the International Trade Union Confederation is calling on trade unions to join their campaign for an ILO Convention to stop gender-based violence at work. Find details of the campaign here. 

Tell us about your actions to stand up against violence against women by emailing: [email protected] 

"We will fight for our jobs" declare unions amidst steel crisis

IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Valter Sanches stressed that Duisburg, in the industrially important Ruhr area, was an important symbolic choice of meeting place: a major steel city that had seen a decline in the industry, and managed a Just Transition.

Delegates were welcomed by mayor Sören Link:

“We thought our fires would never go out, but they burned low, and we lost many thousands of jobs. With innovation and commitment, we have been able to transform our city.”

Two issues overshadowed the conference: the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, and the overcapacity in the steel market due to Chinese dumping.

Valter Sanches said:

“We have political polarization and the rise of the populist right: Trump and Brexit, the coup in Brazil, and worrying signs for the next election in France.

“We need to build the strength and unity of our unions to face this threat.”

The conference discussed a powerful declaration on the global steel crisis. Steel is the world’s second largest industry, and has driven 100 years of industrial development. Many other industries depend on it, and steel consumption is projected to increase.

And yet the industry is in its worst crisis in a generation. Chinese steel production, with state support, has increased five fold in 15 years. As the Chinese economy slows and domestic demand weakens, excess steel is being dumped on the world market, severely distorting it, and creating a crisis of sustainability in the industry.

The declaration calls on global institutions and governments to develop strategies to prevent dumping. China should not be granted market economy status while it refuses to play by global rules.

The declaration also notes that Chinese workers suffer from the economic contraction, and calls on China to allow free trade unions. Instead of a downward spiral of unfair competition, the declaration calls for massive investment in infrastructure and in training, so that the industry can meet the demands of the future.

Section co-chair Thomas Conway of the United Steelworkers was clear:

“State support for Chinese producers means they are able to sell steel at below cost. This distorts the market. There is a fundamental overcapacity, and we are losing thousands of jobs as a result.”

In a powerful sessions about how strong unions are able to bring about change, Jörg Hofmann, president of IndustriALL and IG Metall, spoke about how IG Metall have defended jobs in the base metals sector.

He stressed the importance of well organized, strong unions being in a good bargaining position to work with employers to manage changes to the sector.

The solution is to embrace innovation and the rising productivity it brings. Unions should fight for industrial investment and vocational training to provide new jobs for highly skilled workers.

“A powerful union can influence policy and co-determine the future of the sector.
“Innovation is key. It's a golden opportunity. And it needs qualified labour. Vocational training is very important.”
“We need stable and rock solid union organizations. There are challenges ahead."

The importance of having a strong bargaining position internationally was reinforced in a session on global framework agreements introduced by assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan.

“These are not just paper agreements: workers' rights are a red line. And creating trade union networks is the key to building that strength internationally.”

The conference adopted an action plan calling for unity in the face of the challenges ahead, and commitments to fight precarious work and for a Just Transition. The plan involves strengthening trade union networks, and calls on the base metals sector to work more closely with the mining sector to develop better coverage of the supply chain.

Unions will lobby international institutions for a just global framework on steel producers, free of market distortions.

Thomas Conway and Sanjyot Vadhavkar of SMEFI in India were elected co-chairs for the next four-year period.
 
To see photos from the conference, please go to our flickr page.

Wave of support as Korean workers prepare for general strike

As the #KoreaGeneralStrike approaches, solidarity actions are pouring in. Hundreds of unionists from Kyrgyzstan, Brazil, Germany, India, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, France, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine, the USA and Sweden have taken action, taking pictures of themselves holding signs in support of the general strike for workers rights and sharing the images on social media.

 

South Korean President Park Guen-hye has received dozens of letters from trade unions demanding her resignation.

On 30 November, unions in Brazil have planned protests at a Hyundai Auto plant in Anápolis and a Hyundai equipment plant in San Léopold while IndustriALL together with other Global Union Federations (GUFs) will march to the Korean mission in Geneva to deliver their protest letter.

Korean Metalworkers Union (KMWU) members met on 21 November to prepare for the general strike and expressed their gratitude for the solidarity shown by unions all over the world.

On the days leading up to the general strike you can continue to show your support in many different ways. Here is what you can do:

Pakistan: fair compensation urgently needed for victims of Gadani blaze

Nineteen-year-old Khuda Bux Gadani suffered severe burns and a broken leg in the disaster: 

"I was working on the top of the ship when all of sudden there was an explosion and within no time the ship caught fire. I could feel my left leg burning and I thought I was going to die. I decided to jump into the sea but it was too shallow, so when I jumped from around 100 feet high (30 metres), I broke my right leg.  I was lying in the water for about an hour until some workers came on a boat and rescued us and took us to hospital, where there were many workers," he said.

Khuda was initially taken to Karachi Civil Hospital, but was later asked to leave and he was taken to a government hospital in Hub city, where there is no burns unit. He lies inside a net to protect his wounds from flies and mosquitoes. There is no air conditioning in the hospital and the windows are left open. Already very poor and helping his father to support a family of ten, he has had no assistance in paying for treatment.

At least 26 workers lost their lives, 50 were wounded and more are missing, believed dead. At the time of the incident, workers were reportedly draining oil from the tanks when sparks from a welding torch set off a massive explosion. The inferno on board the ship raged for two-days with rescue services unable to get close to the ship due to the immense heat.

An investigation by IndustriALL Global Union has also found that dependents of those killed are suffering.

Muhammad Hassan’s 18-year-old son Sanaullah burnt to death in the oil tanker blaze. He was supporting a family of eight as a worker at the Gadani shipbreaking yard.

"He was the only breadwinner and after his death we feel angry that the government is not doing anything to probe into the matter and also not providing any help to us," said Muhammad Hassan.

“I am devastated after the death of my son,” said Sanuallah’s mother, Azeema Hassan. “I sent him to work, not to die, there should be an inquiry and those responsible for the fire should be punished.”

In a visit to the scene of the tragedy, which happened on 1 November, the Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping, Hasil Khan Bizenjo, promised to assist and support the victims.

According to IndustriALL affiliate the NTUF, which represents workers at Gadani, the government has announced compensation of PKR 1.5million (US$14,000) for deceased workers and PKR 100,000 (US$950) for injured workers. However, which the union has rejected the offer and demanded PKR 3 million (US$28,000) for deceased and PKR 0.5million (US$4,700) for injured workers respectively.

In the meantime the shipbreaker and the ship owner, which is ultimately responsible for the safety of the workers, has offered nothing. Tax officials in Pakistan estimate that that each vessel that is recycled creates an average revenue of US$4.5 million on average. Pakistan has the largest shipbreaking industry after China and Turkey.  

The government shut down the yard following the explosion. There are around 12,000 workers at the yard in total, all of whom are unregistered. They too are struggling without work.

NTUF general secretary, Nasir Mansoor, said:  “It’s high time the government recognizes the need for implementation of safety and health standards at yards. It’s very important to register workers with social security and old age benefit institutes, and to allow unionization and right to choose collective bargaining agent democratically. The government should immediately withdraw the order stopping the dismantling of ships and legislate on a shipbreaking code, in consultation with workers representatives and in accordance with the Hong Kong Convention for the safe recycling of ships and ILO guidelines for South Asia.”

National campaign on precarious work in Uganda

The theme “Social dialogue is a key driver to realization of living wage and fight against precarious work in Uganda”, focused on how social dialogue can be used to stop precarious work and promote a living wage in Uganda.

IndustriALL National Coordinating Council Uganda presented a paper on the situatiion of precarious work in Uganda and how it is affecting the welfare of workers. This raised a number of discussions from worker’s leaders, government, members of parliament for workers and the general participants at large as Uganda is gearing for the middle income economy by 2021.

The Ministry of State for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations were invited as guest of honour. A promise was made to organize a seminar for all CEO’s of major industries and factories to discuss the issue of precarious work and follow up on implementation of employment regulations in the country by employers.

Key discussions and resolutions:

Sacked Schneider Electric workers in Pakistan demand reinstatement

On 22 November, the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) rallied in Karachi, protesting against Schneider Electric’s dismissal of 17 workers when they demanded a wage increase.

All are precarious workers, in direct violation of national law, as they had worked for Schneider for between three and 12 years, without becoming permanent employees.

Under the constant threat of losing their jobs and deprived of various benefits, workers received salaries between US$113 -151.

NTUF’s demands include:

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL Global Union general secretary says:

We ask Schneider Electric to take immediate action and engage in a constructive dialogue with the NTUF.

Turkey: Six miners dead, ten still trapped in landslide

The incident at the Madenköy copper mine, located near to the town of Şirvan in Siirt province, occurred on the night of 17 November after heavy rains. Around 100 rescue workers are working with machines to remove the tonnes of soil that buried the workers, but hopes of finding them alive are fading.

The Madenköy mine is owned by Park Elektrik A.Ş., which is part of the Ciner group that has other mining operations in different parts of Turkey. The mine is non-unionized and reports say there are four different sub-contracting companies in place. 

An investigation into the landslide has been launched, and the authorities arrested a Park Elektrick employee on charges of criminal negligence.

In July this year, there was another landslide at the mine without loss of life, but workers said safety conditions were inadequate and there were no proper inspections.

After a long campaign by trade unions and IndustriALL Global Union, Turkey ratified the International Labour Organization’s Convention No.176 on Safety and Health in Mines in December 2014. The standards set out in the Convention would go a long way to improving safety conditions in Turkish mines. However, pressure from mining companies has postponed its implementation until June 2017. 

“As the government stalls, miners are dying needlessly. We cannot wait any longer. The government must immediately implement the health and safety recommendations set out in ILO C176 before more lives are lost,” said Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary. 

COP22 Marrakesh Blog – Day 11 Thursday 17 November 2016

On Thursday night, Parties (governments) at COP22 adopted the Marrakech Action Proclamation for Climate and Sustainable Development, immediately tagged with the acronym MAP.

COP22 was meant to provide a map for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Indeed, it has made progress on a number of fronts. However governments still need to show more ambition on meeting the 2 Celsius degrees or less target. Climate finance is still inadequate.  Although pledges for adaptation funds are now coming in from member states, scientific estimates of the amounts needed are increasing even faster. Ironically, governments spend much more money subsidizing the fossil fuel industries than is demanded by the climate fund.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) must be verifiable and open to input and scrutiny by trade unions as well as other civil society groups. On that subject, it is disturbing to hear that a number of governments are relying on the private sector, or public-private partnerships, to reach emissions targets. While we all hope that members of the private sector will step up to the plate, the so-called free market alone cannot be relied on to deliver a sustainable future. Public policies in the public interest; particularly sustainable industrial policies and Just Transition programmes, are needed.

There is much to be encouraged about in the MAP. COP22 has really had a good conversation about economic diversification, transformation and Just Transition. While details remain to be defined, it is a very positive sign.

Just Transition has become one of the most-used phrases of this COP but we still need to make sure that the full social dimension of sustainability, is respected. The MAP says that “the transition in our economies required to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement provides a substantial positive opportunity for increased prosperity and sustainable development”. This is quite a strong statement. Trade unions will have to be very active and vigilant to make sure that Just Transition means what we need it to mean, and is not used merely as a label for other priorities.

Solving the sustainable energy question is the key to solving the whole climate problem. We shall see how the implementation of the Paris Agreement evolves over the next year, and what effect the election of Donald Trump in the USA will have on global efforts to stabilize the climate.
 
COP23 will be held in Bonn under a Fijian Presidency.
 
 

Caterpillar workers rally in Geneva

About 200 representatives from metalworkers’ unions from Belgium, Northern Ireland, France, Italy and Germany braved inclement weather today to rally outside the United Nations buildings in Place des Nations, Geneva before marching on Caterpillar’s headquarters.

They are protesting restructuring plans announced by Caterpillar in September, which will see the closure of the Gosselies plant in Belgium, and the Monkstown plant in Northern Ireland.

The protest was organized by industriAll Europe.

About 2,500 jobs are directly affected, with many thousands more indirectly affected. The restructuring will also affect other plants across Europe, and unions are concerned about the company’s long term commitment to its workforce on the continent.

Caterpillar’s restructuring plans also affect plants in Japan, the US, Australia and Brazil. During the IndustriALL Congress in Brazil in October, a world meeting of the Caterpillar union network was held. The United Steelworkers and the Confederation of Japan Automobile Workers’ Unions sent messages of solidarity, pledging to fight with European unions.

Speaking at Place des Nations, IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Valter Sanches said:

“I bring you the support and solidarity of our 50 million members around the world. We stand with you against this assault on your livelihoods and your communities, and we support you in the struggle against the deindustrialization of Europe.”

Union representatives met with Caterpillar managers at the company’s headquarters in a bid to stop the social and industrial catastrophe.

The unions developed a joint set of demands, which they put to the company: