Colombian pulp, paper, packaging workers build power

Affiliated union Sintracarcol principally organizes workers at Cartones de Colombia, owned by multinational packaging company Smurfit Kappa. Union leaders from Barranquilla, Bogota, Medellin, and Cali participated and shared experiences of working for Smurfit Kappa.

Working on an action plan from the 2014 founding meeting of the IndustriALL-UNI global trade union network at Smurfit Kappa, Sintracarcol has been building relations with other Latin American unions at Smurfit Kappa. Their aim is to group all IndustriALL and UNI affiliates at Smurfit Kappa in Latin America into a strong regional network that can speak with one voice and gain recognition from the company.

Arturo Cajamarca, part of the Sintracarcol leadership and member of the IndustriALL Colombia National Council said:

“For years our letters to the company headquarters were ignored. But if we speak as one as all Smurfit Kappa workers in Latin America, the company will have to respect us.”

Complaints of the Colombian Smurfit Kappa workers include: aggressive and disrespectful treatment by mid-level managers, repeated breaches of the collective agreement by management, individual contracts for workers that include higher benefits than the collective agreement to discourage unionization, outsourcing of a considerable proportion of the workforce, excessive overtime leading to fatigue and health problems, and a strong culture of discouraging any reporting of accidents or problems.

For this meeting, Sintracarcol invited Smurfit Kappa workers from Venezuela, affiliated to UNI Global Union. However the company reneged on its collective agreement in Venezuela and blocked the travel of 14 union representatives. Sintracarcol reacted to this by using its own money to bring one representative of the union to Bogota.

Tom Grinter, responsible for the pulp and paper sector at IndustriALL Global Union said:

“There can be no excuse for Smurfit Kappa workers in Colombia not enjoying the same fundamental rights as their colleagues in Germany, France and elsewhere. The management violations are serious here and we demand respect and recognition for Sintracarcol so that solutions can be found in bargaining."

Brazilian trade unionists, Sergio Carasso and Daniel Mauricio, who run a successful regional trade union network at Akzo Nobel, shared their experiences and advice on network building.

Carlos Bustos, IndustriALL coordinator for Colombia told the meeting:
“This is a vital event. Each one of you must feel part of a new project, bringing together Smurfit Kappa workers throughout Latin America and the world.”

Ricardo Rueda, Sintracarcol General Secretary, described the creation of a regional union of Smurfit Kappa workers in Latin America as a dream come true.

Indonesia: low wages in the textile and garment industry undermine workers’ rights

IndustriALL’s Indonesian affiliates in the textile, garment, shoe and leather sector, Serikat Pekerja Nasional (SPN) and Garteks, as well as Belgian affiliate SETCA-BBTK, who are supporting the project, participated in the event.
 
The meeting found that the biggest obstacle to enhancing workers’ rights in Indonesia is low wages. There is a perception that Indonesian workers have the highest wages in South East Asia, after China, but the reality is quite different.
 
The minimum wage is legally fixed and resolved at the district level, ranging from US $80 to US $200 per month. However, the minimum wage is not applied in many factories, which request exemption for financial reasons. Many also use second and third tier subcontractors. Workers are hired on a daily basis, and report earning much less than the minimum wage, and far too little to cover their basic needs.
 
Big brands sourcing from Indonesia increasingly use suppliers that subcontract the work to factories that do not comply with legal labour standards, ILO Better Work or the Freedom of Association Protocol that Indonesian unions have signed with sportswear brands and their suppliers. The longer the supply chain, the worst the working conditions in the factories, and the more difficult for unions to reach the workers and bargain for better conditions.
 
Hence, the struggle is focused on increasing the wage.
 
Wages are not the only issue: health and safety is not addressed properly, with factories failing to take measures to prevent the inhalation of dust and fibre, one of the most obvious risks in the sector.

Furthermore, sexual harassment is rampant in the industry. Women workers are pressurized to respond positively to sexual demands for fear of demotion or in hope of a promotion. Many chose to leave their jobs.
 
Women workers in Indonesia are faced with many difficulties, including those forced on them by regulations. For example, they receive a lower tax cut when having a family compared to their male counterparts. The social situation also prevents them from fully engaging in trade union work.
 
IndustriALL affiliates in Indonesia resolved to address occupational health and safety and sexual harassment at factory level. They will pay special attention to women’s issues in bargaining with employers. They also resolved to design a strategy to promote the participation of women and young people, including in union leadership.
 
IndustriALL programmes officer Fanja Rasolomanana said: “Our affiliates in Indonesia are fighting hard for workers in the sector. It is very important to empower women in our unions so they can win better wages and conditions, and to tackle the long supply chains that undermine collective bargaining.”

Thai women launch gender and maternity protection project

The launch was attended by IndustriALL’s Asia-Pacific women committee members and a number of affiliates in Thailand.  A key demand of the campaign will be for Thailand to ratify ILO Convention 183 on maternity protection. The new project will also provide more opportunities for women to participate in union activities and give women the skills to attain leadership positions.

A planning workshop on gender-equality and maternal health among workers took place prior to the project launch.  Women in private companies have less maternity benefits than women working in government enterprises in Thailand. Contract workers have no maternity benefits and sometimes resort to illegal abortion to avoid termination of employment.

Following the launch, IndustriALL led a two-day training workshop from 21-22 June, on leadership development for women. Participants discussed sex and gender, sexual division of labour and how women’s participation in trade unions increases awareness of women’s struggles in the workplace. A commitment to educate and engage family members and other women workers should be prioritized when striving for gender equality.

Members of the Asia-Pacific women’s committee shared their challenges and gains when becoming leaders in their respective unions.  Participants also strengthened their commitment and vowed to put forward their campaign for improved maternity protection in Thai legislation with the support of IndustriALL affiliates in other countries of the region.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Monika Kemperle attended the workshop and talked about Industry 4.0; its advantages and impact on workers, particularly to women. With the continuous digitization, women will be most affected resulting in increased precarious employment, replacement of the workforce by artificial intelligence and issues of lower wages and high prices of commodities.

Kemperle encouraged women to lead and initiate strategic actions to respond to issues and concerns related to digitization and Industry 4.0, saying that actions like social dialogue with companies and participation in tripartite councils are essential factors and campaign for a just transition for workers to be affected.

IndustriALL challenges major lifts and escalators companies over safety

IndustriALL has written to ThyssenKrupp, Otis, Schindler and Kone with a detailed list of objectives to improve safety in the installation and maintenance of lifts and escalators, and an offer for joint talks about how to achieve the goals.

A resolution of demands, adopted by representatives of IndustriALL affiliates from the sector at the Mechanical Engineering Conference in Bern last year, has been developed and now published.  Entitled ‘Work and Technical Security in the Lifts and Escalators Sector’, unions demand employers in the sector work with them to ensure the safety of workers, technicians and customers.

IndustriALL’s mechanical engineering sector chair and chair of Austrian affiliate PRO-GE, Rainer Wimmer, said:

"Safety first, that goes without saying, for lifts and escalators technicians and installers, but also for users and customers. We must do everything in our power to avoid accidents and fatalities in the sector. That is why we are calling on employers for a joint approach. Among other things, we demand that in the future only certified and approved companies and technicians are allowed to install and maintain lifts and escalators. Only professionally trained experts should be employed as technicians. Outsourcing to subcontractors without technical expertise, who then in return employ non-qualified contract workers, has got to stop."

The resolution contains eight core demands from IndustriALL unions in the sector:

1. Installation and maintenance must be done by registered companies that comply with the regulations of the sector. (i.e. the Lift Directive)

2. Workers must achieve the required competences and licenses for carrying out installation and maintenance. Workers should be employed by the authorized contracting companies, and outsourced and freelance labour should be minimized. In addition, companies must report the fulfilment of these requirements to the authorities.

3. Registered companies must report periodically a list of employees to the supervising authorities.

4. It is essential to have transparency and access to information concerning the fulfilment of the safety and service level requirements by authorized companies. We must foster the implementation of tools and systems to guarantee that this information is available for all stakeholders, and also for the customers who contract the services.

5. To study ways to limit and minimize the subcontracting of freelance workers or non-authorized companies in the sector.

6. Authorized companies must sign liability insurance and guarantee that it covers the subcontracting companies used in installation and maintenance activities, and also their workers.

7. To recommend the recruitment of regional safety delegates and demand special procedures for dangerous activities within the sector.

8. To demand that companies with serious and repeated failures have their authorization removed.

Cooperation between management and workers in the Lifts and Escalators sector is crucial to achieve these goals. Management needs the expertise of their employees, while employees and customers need the commitment of management that goes beyond lip service.

The resolution has evolved from a 2014 meeting in Austria, where IndustriALL outlined demands in its Vienna Declaration.

Matthias Hartwich, director in charge of the sector at IndustriALL, said:

“We did not just discuss and adopt another resolution. What we have achieved is an in-depth discussion between trade union representatives and works councils around the world about the future of the lifts and escalators sector as a whole. We know what we want and need. It is a great pleasure having such an active group that has managed over the years to create such a working relationship. Now it’s up to the companies to take up our offer and enter into a social dialogue, to really profit from the knowledge and dedication of their employees and trade unions. I do hope they use this unique chance.” 

IndustriALL condemns attempted military coup in Turkey and calls for full democracy

In the evening of 15 July, the Turkish Prime Minister announced an attempted coup led by a group of army members controlling different military bases, including the headquarters of general staff in Ankara, some public institutions and media buildings.

Gunfire broke out in several places and the Turkish Parliament was bombed. Recent reports talk about at least 160 dead and 1,500 wounded. In addition, nearly 3,000 soldiers have been arrested. 

People took to the streets and gathered in city centers, airports and around military bases demonstrating against coup. All political parties have come together to denounce the attempt in favour of democracy and democratic institutions.

Özkan says:
“Over the last five, six years, democracy and political infrastructure in Turkey has been weakened. Basic human rights like freedom of opinion, of speech, of assembly, of association, and of press have all but disappeared. Good governance has been replaced by arbitrary applications.”

“IndustriALL Global Unions demands full democracy in Turkey according to international norms and standards. Oppressions and restrictions on labour
rights must immediately be lifted.”

“Our global union stands in full solidarity with our Turkish affiliates, the whole Turkish union movement and the Turkish people. Our struggle for democracy continues.”

IndustriALL India women’s committee calls for more women leaders

The meeting highlighted the serious issue of sexual harassment at workplaces across India and resolved to hold training sessions to raise awareness among workers about the issue and on India’s legislation, The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act 2013.

Committee members called for increased efforts to campaign for ratification of ILO Convention 183 on Maternity Protection.  Participants decided to emphasize the inclusion of maternity protection measures in collective bargaining agreements, including paid maternity leave and transfer to lighter work during pregnancy. Committee members also expressed concerns over security of women working on night shifts.

Participating in the meeting, IndustriALL assistant general secretary Monika Kemperle called on the women’s committee to ensure that more women participate and are represented in union activities. Kemperle also highlighted the unions’ role in fighting against increasing violence against women.

India women’s committee members supported the call for a 40 per cent quota for women in IndustriALL leadership positions. To ensure increased women’s participation in IndustriALL Congress in Rio in October 2016, India women’s committee members decided to call upon respective federations and unions to nominate more women representatives to attend.

Participants expressed grave concerns over the lack of occupational health and safety measures for precarious women workers in hazardous industries. Women who handle plastics extracted during the shipbreaking process in the Bhavnagar area of Gujarat work with no personal protective equipment and as a result face severe health problems. Women in wire harnessing and chemical industries experience problems with skin and eyes, as well as complications related to their reproductive health.

On the issue of increasing automation in factories across the world and swift transformation of production activities towards Industry 4.0, Kemperle argued that rapid technological changes at workplaces would see human beings replaced with robots. Such transformation will particularly impact on women workers who are already facing various challenges at the world of work.

The meeting was presided by Devika Singh, chair of India women’s committee.

Georgia: from organizing to collective bargaining

"We have learned to organize and strike; now we need to learn to bargain efficiently,” said trade union activists during the strike at the Ksani Glass Container Factory (JSC "Mina") in February 2016.

The organizing project in Georgia continues for a third year and is run by IndustriALL with the support of its Norwegian affiliate Industri Energi. Previously, workshop participants were trained in organizing methods, including campaigns, actions and strikes.

However, the new project workshops, that took place from 4-9 July in Kobuleti, focused on collective bargaining issues. The two three-day workshops were attended by 40 activists of IndustriALL affiliate, the Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia (TUMMCIWG), with the participation of Ole-Kristian Paulsen, Industri Energi’s international advisor, and Stanislaw Cieniuch, Solidarity Center Georgia programme director. Eduard Vokhmin, trade union trainer, facilitated the workshops.

The workshops revealed that one of the reasons for the lack of the union membership growth is the sometimes unreasonable hostility towards employers from trade union leaders. Most employees do not wish to be in a constant conflict with employers, and it puts them off joining a union. At the same time, the union has workers’ support and not just union members but also many other workers that participate in strike action. This realization enabled the participants to take a fresh look at the situation at their workplaces, and see more ways of peaceful interaction with employers and using collective bargaining and collective agreements as tools to attract new union members.

Years of tough confrontation between unions, employers and the state have in the past always been to the benefit of employer. Consequently, union activists have been perceived as the enemy of employers rather than a social partner. Now that the Georgian state has distanced itself from intervening in collective labour disputes and conflicts, unions have greater capacity to deal with labour issues in negotiations with the employers, especially now that employers have finally recognized unions and expressed their readiness for social dialogue.

According to IndustriALL’s regional secretary, Vadim Borisov, future organizing project workshops will focus on collective agreements, as well as preparing for and conducting collective bargaining.

1,700 jobs under threat at South Africa gold mine

The NUM has said it is shocked and saddened to receive notice from Sibanye Gold of the retrenchments of almost the entire workforce at its operation in Westonaria, west of Johannesburg.

In a statement on 11 July, the NUM called on the Minister of Mineral Resources, Mosebenzi Zwane, to intervene immediately to stop the retrenchments that will leave hundreds of mineworkers and surrounding communities in a dire situation.

"The NUM will fight tooth and nail to make sure that its members are not retrenched cheaply. The NUM remains fearless, committed, dedicated and unshaken in fighting for the mineworkers. The NUM does not want to see mineworkers being retrenched. We will engage Sibanye Gold,” said the union. 

Sibanye intends to shut down the unprofitable mineshaft at Cooke 4 to concentrate on other operations at Cooke 1, 2 and 3. However, the NUM says that the mine has been operating at a loss because of improper planning in terms of labour and production.

NUM says the company has failed to provide proper and adequate equipment needed to reach production targets, and that the operation is pumping out water at a cost of R18 million (US$1.25 million) a month.

However, Cooke 4 could be profitable, argues NUM, if Sibanye recruits new, skilled employees, changes the infrastructure and resolves the geological issues underground.

“With so many jobs and livelihoods at stake, we urge Sibanye Gold to explore all means possible of salvaging the mine at Cooke 4 and dedicate the right people and the right resources to turning it around,” said IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan.

The NUM will have the first consultation meeting with Sibanye Gold on 20 July under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration. The NUM is meeting with all the affected employees.

Turkey: angry coal miners protest against privatization

The rally was organized by IndustriALL Global Union’s affiliate, the General Mineworkers’ Union (Genel Maden-Is), which represents hard coal miners in the region.

It follows another large rally by miners in the centre of Zonguldak at the end of June, protesting against a government study recommending the privatization and possible closure of the Turkish Hard Coal Agency (TTK). The TTK is in charge of state-owned hard coal mines in Turkey. Genel Maden-Is, reiterated its demands to increase production and employ 5,500 more workers for optimizing mining activities in the area.

Zonguldak is the Turkish capital of the hard coal sector, which has been the main economic activity in the North West Black Sea region since 1849.

After the announcement, the Turkish Privatization Agency, run by the Prime Minister’s office, sent a letter to the management of TTK asking to it to send an inventory of its assets, with particular attention to Karadon in the Zonguldak region. Genel Maden-Is believes that this is clear sign of impending privatization and closure of the Karadon mine.

“We will never allow this,” said Ahmet Demirci, General President of Genel Maden-Is. “We will do everything in our power to stop this nonsense and TTK cannot be privatized.”

In times of economic difficulties, Zonguldak and hard coal mines have come under pressure from successive governments. In the early 90s, tens of thousands of miners and communities organized a historic march, which forced the government to withdraw its plans for privatization and closure of pits.

In the Zonguldak area, there are three main coalfields, namely Alacaagzi, Kozlu and Karadon. It is renowned for fatal mining accidents, and reports say that around 5,000 miners have lost their lives in Zonguldak. The most recent deaths were in January 2013 with eight fatalities, and in May 2010 with 30 fatalities. The biggest number of fatalities in a single incident in the area occurred in 1992 in Kozlu when 263 miners were killed.

“In Turkey, Zonguldak means coal mine, and coal mine means Zonguldak,” said Kemal Özkan, assistant general secretary. “Attempts to close the mines would turn Zonguldak into a ghost town. Our global union will continue to extend its solidarity to Genel Maden-Is and its members in this struggle.”

Miners recently staged a hunger strike over unpaid wages in two coalmines in Zonguldak, operating without authorization. 

Finnish company PKC ignores court ruling and fails to reinstate workers in Mexico

Alejandro Ojeda Ramírez, Ana María Méndez, Javier Díaz and María de la Paz Calvillo were dismissed in 2012, along with 118 other colleagues, because of their support for Los Mineros and as a reprisal for their attempts to organize the workforce at the company, which produces cable systems for the automobile industry. After a long legal battle in the federal courts in Mexico City and an international campaign, the authorities ruled in favour of the workers and scheduled their reinstatement for 8 July.

The workers’ lawyer and the professional adjudicator responsible for providing special services on legal matters at the Labour Conciliation and Arbitration Board went to the company on that date but the company’s lawyer did not appear. Instead, a person who preferred not to identify himself prevented the workers’ entering the plant.

This was an illegal act by PKC, which failed to recognize the court ruling. The company is well-known for its anti-union practices and for violating the rights of workers, who are working in precarious conditions, earn the minimum wage and work long hours. The company also works with a protection union.

Los Mineros and its president Napoleón Gómez Urrutia support the workers and has demanded, for a second time, the right to represent the workers for collective bargaining purposes at PKC Arneses y Accesorios. It expects to win the election that is due to be held in the next few weeks to decide which union will represent the workers.

Los Mineros are confident as the union recently won the election at section 265 at the Hercules mine. This result endorsed its position as the union representing workers for the purposes of collective bargaining with the Minera del Norte company.

Meanwhile, the three Finnish unions affiliated to IndustriALL sent a letter to the CEO of PKC Group, Matti Hyytiäinen, asking to reinstate the four workers from Los Mineros who were illegally fired. Furthermore, they demanded PKC to not intervene in the coming election, neither in favour nor against the trade unions involved, and they requested that Hyytiäinen should publicly announce that PKC respects the right to freedom of association.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Fernando Lopes, says on PKC’s anti-union and illegal behaviour:

“I would like to know what would happen to a company in Finland if it did not comply with a court ruling. So why can a Finnish company ignore the law in Mexico? IndustriALL Global Union will support the struggle of Los Mineros until it wins.”