Global unions demand IKEA respect workers’ rights and stop anti-union activities in the USA

Employees at an IKEA store in Stoughton, Massachusetts, are trying to organize a trade union and seeking representation by the United Food and Commercial Workers' Union (UFCW). Despite the fact that a large majority of the workers have clearly voiced a desire to have UFCW as their representative, the company is not recognizing the union and are demanding an election by the workers.

IKEA Global Management had guaranteed that workers would be able to “enjoy a healthy environment to participate in the election process and freely exercise their right to vote in the union election”.

But leading up to the elections, IKEA USA is using union-busting methods like misinformation and scaring workers into believing that union representation may lose them existing benefits and pay, refusing to let the union talk to workers to prevent trade union organizing, defying IKEA's code of conduct and values.

IndustriALL general secretary Jyrki Raina says:

The workers' freedom of association needs to be respected. A company that wants to be a leader in social issues should rectify this immediately and let the workers choose their own representation.

The statement points out that although IKEA has well-functioning labour relations with unions in many countries around the world, the company is falling a long way short of its avowed high standards on labour relations.

The statement calls on IKEA Global Management to take immediate action to ensure that:

Hyundai: stop union busting at your suppliers

Han, an elected union official for a branch of IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU), suffered five years of intimidation, repression and attacks in retaliation for his trade union activities at YooSung Enterprise, a key supplier for Hyundai Motor Company.

In January this year, evidence revealed that Hyundai conspired with YooSung Enterprise and labour management-consulting firm, Changjo, to crush the union at the factory. Their extensive and aggressive anti-union campaign began in 2011 and continues to this day.

Just days before he took his own life, Han received yet another summons for questioning from YooSung prior to a disciplinary committee. It was just one of the many ways the company retaliated against him for his legitimate trade union activities at the plant. Between July and December 2013, YooSung filed 11 charges against Han with the police. When he killed himself, two bogus criminal charges against him were still pending.

YooSung’s ongoing anti-union campaign has included: establishing a management-friendly union; degrading and discriminatory disciplinary measures against union members; filing criminal and civil lawsuits against union activists; and routinely monitoring and observing union members.

The treatment of KMWU workers at YooSung’s plant became so poor that a mental health survey showed that 43 per cent were at high risk of serious depression, compared to the general population in South Korea of 7 per cent.

According to documents obtained in a separate investigation by the Korean labour ministry in January 2016, Hyundai Motor Company received daily reports of the union-busting activity at YooSung and held regular meetings with YooSung’s CEO and management from Changjo consulting.

Korean unions say Hyundai has led union busting campaigns at major suppliers including Valeo ESK, Bosch Electrical Drives, Continental, Mando and Sang-shin Break.

Union leaders and representatives from KMWU will be holding a memorial ceremony for Han in front of the Hyundai-Kia Motors head office in Seoul on Friday 24 June to commemorate 100 days since his death.  

Demand #JusticeForHan and please sign the LabourStart petition calling on Hyundai to stop union busting at Hyundai suppliers. 

Trade unions in the Philippines develop organizers

Twenty eight organizers, eleven of them women, from 13 labour federations affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union participated in an intensive organizing workshop held from 20 to 22 June 2016 at the highlands of Tagaytay City. The training was designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of field organizers to enable them to effectively carry out organizing campaigns in a challenging environment.

Most of those who attended are organizing at target sites and factories, where they encounter problems and concerns regarding workplace organizing. In a training needs analysis conducted prior to the workshop to identify skills and knowledge gaps, the top three needs were skills on organizing strategies and tactics, the trade union organizing process and a refresher on the basics of unionism.

Seasoned trade unionists and educators were invited to supplement the skills of the participants by explaining the concepts and principles of trade union organizing in the context of globalized economy. The different steps in the organizing process were presented, and strategies and tactics based on actual experiences solicited active discussion and exchange among the participants. The IndustriALL Philippine coordinator emphasized that organizing is a top priority in everything that IndustriALL does, and a key component in the union building project for the Philippines.

Indeed, the participants gave positive remarks on the importance of further developing their capacity. One young women organizer said:

 “We have learned a lot from the experiences of other organizers, we learned new things that were unknown to us before and this learning will be very useful in our every day organizing work in the field”.

To conclude, organizers presented their organizing plans and the status of their work, based on existing targets and complemented by presenting additional targets.

From contract to permanent employment – fighting for workers in the supply chain

IndustriALL affiliate FSP2KI represents 21,000 workers in the pulp and paper industry in Indonesia, including workers in Kaliguma’s and Tanjungenim Lestari’s supply chains.

Contract company West Point Security Agency supplies Tanjungenim Lestari with security workers in the Lampung port. In May 2016, the company fired eight workers for joining the Port Tarahan Lampung Union (SPTT TL), affiliated to the FSP2KI. A further four workers were transferred to different positions.

According to West Point management, security workers had no right to join the SPTT TL, a union which organizes both port and security workers.

The FSP2KI launched a rally on 15 June, calling for the reinstatement of the dismissed security workers. Following a meeting with the management of Kaliguma which manages the Lampung port (for Tanjungenim Lestari), all 12 workers were reinstated and are now employed directly by PT. Kaliguma.

Muhammad Ikhsan Prajarani, FSP2KI general secretary, said that the FSP2KI's aims to unionize all workers in the supply chains of the pulp and paper industry in Indonesia:

“We will continue to fight for the workers' human and labour rights, improve their working conditions and their human dignity. Our organizing campaigns will never stop."

On 8 June, the FSP2KI concluded negotiations at Pindo Deli Pulp and Paper Mills in Karawang, Indonesia. Pindo Deli employs 1,000 contract workers and 5,000 permanent workers. The new collective agreement guarantees the same wages for the directly employed contract workers, working side by side with the permanent ones. As a result of the negotiations the contract workers are now joining the union, and the new monthly salary of 3.8 million Rupiah (US$300) applies to all workers.

Another 6,000 contract workers employed by six different companies are working at Pindo Deli mills. They are on two-year contracts even though some have worked for longer periods at Pindo Deli worksites. The FSP2KI has been helping them to form a union of their own, and 150 of the contract workers are now joining a union.

FUP Brazil takes action to defend Petrobras

The demonstration against the privatization of the biggest oil company in Latin America took place on 14 June in front of the National Congress and Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia. Protestors stood up against the interim foreign affairs minister, José Serra, promoter of congressional bill PL 4567/16, which proposes removing Petrobras’ exclusive rights over exploitation of the Pre-Salt oilfields. The Oil Workers Federation (FUP), affiliated to CNQ-CUT and IndustriALL Global Union, helped to organize the initiative, and a range of social movements supported the action.

Petrobras is mired in corruption scandals and crisis and stands at a crossroads, which is why the government is trying to sell its shares in the company at a knock-down price. Recently, the new Petrobras chief executive officer, Pedro Parente, assured the Wall Street Journal that he aims to return the company to “greatness” and that his strategy is “selling non-core assets and cutting costs to reduce the oil industry’s biggest debt load”. He also alluded to possible changes in the company and did not discount another round of dismissals.

The FUP/CUT is opposed to this strategy as it would mean the loss of jobs and national sovereignty over the energy sector. At the demonstration and rally held on the day of action, FUP coordinator, José María, said that it is the responsibility of the entire Brazilian public to defend Petrobras and the Pre-Salt oilfields:

"Our resistance must be greater with every day that passes. Oil industry workers have the duty to be the spearhead and make a difference, but we must be clear that we will not win this battle if we act alone,” he said.

IndustriALL has issued several statements calling for Petrobras to remain in public ownership in order to guarantee energy sovereignty, economic development and social progress.

Fernando Lopes, IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary said:

“IndustriALL has signed a global framework fgreement with Petrobras. We believe that keeping Petrobras in the public sector is crucial for development, not only of Brazil, but also to maintain the balance of power with the sector’s major private multinationals. IndustriALL Global Union will always support the fight against the privatization of strategic state companies.”

Colombia – IndustriALL demands guarantees for assaulted USO union leader

On 27 May 2016, Quintana, Secretary for Peasant and Women’s Affairs at the SUO Pipelines union branch, visited Barrancabermeja refinery but was unable to gain entry because her access card had been blocked. When she tried to enter the refinery for trade union business, she was physically and verbally assaulted by the security supervisor and national police officers.

She was hospitalized and had to take thirteen days sick leave. The USO described the assault as “unacceptable” and “brutal aggression”. USO organized a meeting at Ecopetrol’s main entrance to denounce the attack and called on national and international trade unions to show solidarity by demanding that Ecopetrol show respect for women, especially trade union leaders, provide redress and prevent this type of incident happening again.

We demand that the national government and Ecopetrol’s board of directors and management comply with our collective agreement and national and international laws, which state that companies must not place restrictions on trade union freedoms,

said the union in a press release.

Jyrki Raina, IndustriALL Global Union General Secretary has written to the Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, demanding redress and guarantees for Quintana:

We request your immediate intervention to take the measures necessary to guarantee that the country’s judiciary take action against the individuals or companies responsible for the violence at Ecopetrol and provide redress for the injury suffered by Dibeth Quintana Duarte (…).

It is open to question whether your government and leading Colombian state companies respect the free exercise of trade union activity and the women workers of Colombia. We therefore request that you take action to provide redress and prevent this kind of thing happening again.

Finally, Edwin Castaño, USO press secretary, said that the union has written to the labour ministry to denounce “violation of the rights of trade unions and their leaders and activists, who are being denied access to installations at the new refinery plants”. Castaño said that the union had decided to initiate grievance procedures against the officials who interfered with the right to conduct trade union work.

Young workers discuss Chilean IndustriALL union policies

“We discussed policies relevant to young workers in the trade union movement. We hope that they will use what they learn to make their unions stronger. The most important thing is that they get the opportunity at the workplace to raise all the ideas that were discussed here. The struggle continues, training will also continue,” said the national president of IndustriALL Chile-CONSTRAMET, Horacio Fuentes.

Participants learned about the Chilean labour market and problems like outsourcing. They also exchanged ideas on workers' rights and duties, collective bargaining and strikes.

IndustriALL Global Union was represented by the assistant regional secretary and youth projects coordinator, Marino Vani, who made a presentation on IndustriALL’s global youth strategy.

He pointed out that the resolutions approved by IndustriALL affiliates in Latin America and the Caribbean suggest there is a need to prioritize the training and education of young workers. It is therefore indispensable to develop ongoing policies that link education, organization and unionization projects and allocate resources to develop these policies.

Vani added that the unions must provide opportunities for young workers to get involved, such as forming youth departments and groups. He insisted that unions must involve young workers in the formulation and development of union policies and actions in order to promote equal opportunities for young workers and women in the labour market.

“This meeting achieved its aim, which is to involve young workers in social, political and economic issues. They have and will have a role in influencing social change and acting as society’s conscience. Young workers can achieve political change by going out on to the street and speaking up for all those who cannot,” said Blanca Carreño Elgueta of IndustriALL Chile at the meeting.

The seminar, which was supported and funded by Swedish trade unions as part of their Union Strengthening Project, also included presentations by trade union leaders Horacio Fuentes, Miguel Soto, Jorge Murúa, Luis Salfate and Nicole Flores. They drew on their experience in the trade union movement to provide practical advice to the young workers who attended the seminar.

Finally, IndustriALL Chile’s National Youth Secretary, Victor Salfate, highlighted the needs of young workers in IndustriALL Chile and the work that still remains to be done. Seminar participants formulated a plan of work, actions and activities aimed at strengthening trade union youth’s role in IndustriALL Chile/ CONSTRAMET.

Marino Vani said, “I congratulate IndustriALL Chile-CONSTRAMET and young workers affiliated to this union for implementing the important and strategic policy of strengthening youth, as approved at IndustriALL Global Union’s regional conference in 2014 in Bogotá”.

Caterpillar network meets UAW president Dennis Williams in Detroit

Caterpillar is the market leading US multinational manufacturer of construction and mining machinery, engines, agricultural machinery and equipment and other mechanical engineering products. Because it is a major player in this sector, coordinating trade union activity within this multinational is very important. The delegates evaluated work done previously, and agreed on a future programme.

The Caterpillar trade union network was addressed by UAW president Dennis Williams, and vice president Norwood Jewell, who also chairs the network. Dennis Williams spoke very directly. He emphasized the UAW´s commitment, but made it clear that he expects the network to create added value for the global workforce within this strongly anti-union corporation.  

As a consequence of a restructuring plan which was announced in September 2015, mass redundancies have occurred in a number of countries. Especially alarming is the situation in Japan, where the management partly abandoned the longstanding social partnership with the IndustriALL affiliated Caterpillar union when executing the restructuring plans. In Europe, another wave of redundancies led to several thousand job losses, only partly caused by the restructuring.

Delegates agreed to improve the cooperation between the European Works Council and the global network, particularly on a mapping exercise which will lay the groundwork for future organizing activities.

The Japanese delegation offered their help and knowledge in making the network more efficient and flexible in the future, by introducing an alert system that will allow for faster reaction in cases of company announcements that affect different countries and regions. Tim Bressler, as network chair on behalf of Norwood Jewell, and Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL´s director for mechanical engineering and materials industries, were asked to develop a structure accordingly.

The political situation in some of the countries present was a major cause of frustration and debate: the threat of Brexit – Britain leaving the EU – and also the political and economic crisis in Brazil. Both affect the economy and business situation for Caterpillar, and as consequence for Caterpillar´s workforce in the affected countries and beyond.

The meeting was overshadowed by news of the murder of British Labour MP Jo Cox, who was killed on 16 June. A moment of silence was held, and a message of condolence was sent on behalf of the network, at the request of Tony Murphy of UK affiliate Unite. After this moment of silence the network continued with its work in a very focused and serious manner.

Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL director, states:

“Whether Caterpillar corporate management accepts it or not, we have initiated a global exchange and will take joint action in the future when necessary. We offer a hand for fair dialogue, but we are not afraid of conflict when necessary.“

John Deere unions meet to strengthen cooperation

Affiliates agreed to take concrete steps to improve collaboration and strengthen the network at the US based, globally active manufacturer of agricultural, construction and forestry machinery.

Participants from India were unable to attend, due to visas difficulties. Finland was also not able to participate, but the Finnish metal union expressed its commitment to the network.

Participants shared information about the challenging economic climate and the state of collective bargaining with John Deere in their countries. United Auto Workers (UAW) representative Tim Bressler, who also chairs the network, gave insight into the American and global market for John Deere products.

As agreed at the previous year’s network meeting, the discussions focused on specific issues, particularly a comparison of the industrial relations systems in the countries present at the meeting. This year, participants looked more deeply into the trade union systems of Spain and Germany. There was also a major focus on Brazil, where a political and economical crisis is the biggest challenge for IndustriALL affiliates in the sector.

Participants reconfirmed the joint working platform – the IndustriALL John Deere Network Guidelines and Principles – adopted the previous year, which defines the objectives of the network. By executing this working platform, the network will work on a further broadening its regional footprint and help trade unions to organize in their respective countries.

UAW vice president Norwood Jewell visited the network and confirmed the commitment of UAW to support and strengthen the network. Tim Bressler (UAW), Torsten Jann (IG Metall) and IndustriALL’s director of mechanical engineering and materials industries, Matthias Hartwich, will take care of the network´s progress and further activities. The network also decided to conduct another physical meeting next year.

Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL director, confirmed:

“IndustriALL Global Union is highly committed to fostering the John Deere network. It is one of the most important trade union networks in IndustriALL´s mechanical engineering sector. It is important that we stand together and show trade union solidarity within the sector, and also the company specific networks, especially with our struggling brothers and sisters from Brazil and also our dear brothers and sisters in India, although they could not attend this time.

"At the same time, we must do more to encourage women to take an active role in the John Deere network.“  

Worker rights violations under spotlight at the ILO

ILO’s Committee on Application of Standards (the Standards Committee or CAS) dealt in June with a number of complaints on violations of workers’ rights, with special focus on countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Cambodia and Mexico.

Bangladeshi union representatives told the Committee that while there was progress in improving safety in the major garment industry, freedom of association remained a problem.

In the immediate aftermath of the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013, many new unions in the Bangladeshi ready-made garment sector were registered. In the last two years, union registration has become increasingly difficult with about 70 per cent of new registrations being rejected, in particularly those filed by independent unions.

IndustriALL regional secretary Apoorva Kaiwar told the Standards Committee that aggressive union busting by management has led to a reduced number of active unions, leaving workers with little or no protection against employers. In addition, trade unions are completely banned in Bangladesh’s export processing zones.

As a result of the increasing anti-union climate in the country and the feeble efforts taken by the government to ensure workers’ rights under ILO Convention 87 on freedom of association and the right to organize, the ILO Standards Committee noted the country as a “special paragraph”.

Worker representatives from Indonesia testified about violent attacks on workers by police and armed thugs.

Prihanani Boenadi, from IndustriALL affiliate FSPMI, called on the government to stop violations against workers and that state security is not used to suppress the right to freedom of association, as happened in November 2015 when 25 demonstrators were arrested in Jakarta for protesting against being shut out of the wage-setting process.

The Standards Committee “expressed deep concern regarding the numerous allegations” and urged the Indonesian government to ensure that workers are able to engage freely and that those responsible for the violence are charged.

Ath Thorn from Cambodian IndustriALL affiliate CCAWDU told of violence against trade union leaders, illegal terminations of union leaders, political interference, short term contracts and discrimination against pregnant workers.

The Committee decided to send and ILO Direct Contacts mission to Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Swaziland, Kazakhstan and Mauritania, to assess progress related to conclusions from the CAS.

Mexican mining union Los Mineros’ president and IndustriALL Executive Committee member Napoleón Gómez addressed the Standards Committee on the widespread use of protection contracts made between yellow unions and companies without workers’ consent, and the intimidation and threats to trade unions. Gómez called for an immediate finalization of a labour law reform, based on proposals made in April 2016.

The Mexican government had brought a delegation of 70 representatives from government, business and trade unions to the ILC. However, only one single trade union representative in the delegation was from a democratic union.

The Standards Committee urged the government to fulfill legal obligations and ensure that “trade unions are able to exercise their right to freedom of association in practice".