Miners trapped underground at Impala Platinum in South Africa

Nine workers were trapped after a shaft collapsed at the Impala Platinum mine on Tuesday 17 May 2016. Seven were successfully rescued. Mining has been suspended, and the rescue operation is ongoing.
 
Four miners died in an underground fire at the same mine on 22 January this year.
 
The missing miners are rock drill operators, who do one of the most dangerous jobs in mining. South Africa’s mines are among the deepest and most dangerous in the world.
 
Three miners also remain trapped underground at the Lily gold mine in South Africa, after a collapse on 5 February. Mining operations were suspended, and miners were encouraged to accept a very poor voluntary severance package, leading to mass pickets at the site.
 
IndustriALL is concerned at a spate of mining accidents across the world this year. The global commodity crisis has hit mining profits, leading some producers to cut corners to reduce costs.
 
Livhuwani Mammburu, spokesperson for IndustriALL affiliate the National Union of Mineworkers’ said:
 
“Major multinational corporations like Impala Platinum which should be industry leaders in creating a safety culture are doing far too little to prevent fatal accidents. And the situation will not get better by itself.
 
We call on the department of mineral resources inspectorate to hold the mining industry fully accountable for its failures and adopt a no-nonsense approach when it comes to injuries and fatalities in the mining industry.”
 
IndustriALL mining director Glen Mpufane said:
 
“Mining remains one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, because mining companies put profit before the safety of miners. A voluntary approach won’t help: we need countries to ratify and implement ILO Convention 176 on safety and health in mining.
 
“Implementing this convention will create a strong safety culture from the ground up, and introduce serious sanctions for companies that fail to take safety seriously”.

14-second video considered act of public disorder in Belarus

On 17 May, 40 members of IndustriALL affiliate, the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BITU), and local sympathizers attended a municipal court hearing in Salihorsk to support the BITU activists who are accused of violating the law on mass events.

The accusation is based on a video message recorded by activists in front of the BITU‘s headquarters on 19 April 2016 in Salihorsk against an increase of the retirement age by three years in Belarus, announced by presidential decree in 2016. The video was posted both on the union’s YouTube channel and website.

Soon after posting the video, the eight activists, who are all from the women’s network at a fertiliser company, JSC Belaruskali, were summoned to the Salihorsk police station. Protocols on administrative violation were drawn up against them for violation of the established order on holding mass events.

A senior district police officer tried to establish whether it was a planned picket or a spontaneous action. When women asked who made a complaint to the police and initiated the case, the officer mentioned “special organs”, which is unofficially how the committee for state security is referred to in Belarus.

When the women went to the Salihorsk police department on 13 May, they were convoyed directly to the court. They were held for one hour in the court lobby and later informed of their case hearing scheduled on 17 May.

During the hearing the women explained that they never imagined that their action could be considered a picket, as all the participants have been union activists for a long time and had a clear idea of what a picket was.

The judge found the women guilty of violating articles of the Belarusian administrative code. Recording of video appeals in public has been regarded by court as an unauthorized picket. According to the judge, if the video-appeal was recorded indoors there would no charges against the activists.

Seven women union activists received a warning as administrative penalty. A similar decision was also issued in regards to Viktoryja Yarashevich, whose case was considered by another judge.

Monika Kemperle, IndustriALL assistant general secretary and women’s director said, “IndustriALL is shocked and outraged by the attitude of the Belarusian authorities towards these women, whose only guilt is to have the guts to fight for their rights. We condemn the acts by the police and the judge’s decision, who are trying to muzzle women activists and shut them up. We express all our solidarity with union activists in Belarus fighting for women and human rights."

Advancing trade unions in Vietnam

Every two years since 2006, the meeting brings together the VGCL and its international cooperation partners to exchange information and coordinate activities to protect and promote workers’ rights in Vietnam.

The 2016 coordination meeting focused on the trade union reform agenda expected to take place in the coming years in response to challenges of international integration. The partners agreed in principle to adopt a joint platform on partnership for trade union development cooperation in Vietnam.

The joint platform provides common principles for partnership aiming to facilitate effective cooperation in Vietnam with the VGCL, as well as new emerging labour unions in the coming period.

Annie Adviento, IndustriALL regional secretary, says that IndustriALL participates in the meeting to promote effective cooperation with the VGCL and coordination between GUFs and TUSSOs:

“We appreciate the VGCL’s proactive approach to initiate changes in their structure, action plans and strategies in the years to come.

“IndustriALL will continue to work with the VGCL and our three affiliates to build strong, democratic and sustainable unions in Vietnam.”

The meeting took place at a time when significant reforms in industrial relations are planned. Participants listened to cases of new organizing methods and collective bargaining from VGCL. These achievements have been assisted by the close collaboration with international partners as VGCL adapts to the needs of workers in the context of the market economy.

IndustriALL is currently operating a union building project in Vietnam, providing training on collective bargaining for shop stewards or workplace union representatives.
 

Spanish federations merge to build strength

The Federación de Industria, Construcción y Agro (FICA), representing workers in industry, construction and agriculture, was founded on 13 May 2016. It follows a decision made by Spain’s national centre, UGT, at its Congress earlier this year to reduce its affiliated federations to three, namely in the sectors of: industry, public and private services.

Commenting on the creation of the new federation, Pedro Luis Hojas Cancho, elected as FICA’s general secretary, said:

“We do this to improve our internal structure and provide a better service to our members through a better use of resources. Our goal is to reach all workers, employed at large production facilities and especially small ones, where workers are the most disadvantaged. That is our challenge and that is why UGT took the decision to reorganize."

Pedro Hojas Cancho started his career as a ceramic worker at Roca. His original union was FEMCA-UGT, which was one of constituents of MCA after the merger with metalworkers’ union.

FITAG’s general secretary Antonio Deusa Pedrazo was elected as vice-general secretary and external area coordinator, which includes international affairs, while MCA’s general secretary Carlos Romero González was elected as president.

At the international level, the new organization will keep its affiliation with IndustriALL, BWI and IUF as well as relevant European organizations.

IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary, Kemal Özkan, attended the FICA founding congress and welcomed the creation of the new federation,

“We all are witnessing a historic moment right now. We welcome and salute the new organization. I would also like to congratulate all the leaders who initiate and finalize this process with a great success. We are looking forward to working with the new federation very closely in the period to come.”

Oil unions in Kuwait resume negotiations over demands

The meeting resulted in the immediate development of a mechanism sponsored by the prime minister's office for discussing workers' demands. In addition, a tripartite committee composed of the cabinet, the state owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and the OPIWC was formed. 

Following the intervention by Kuwait's political leadership, as well as promises made for negotiations with unions on their demands and guarantees of no sanctions against the striking workers, the strike ended on 20 April. 

The committee met for the first time on 25 April, and the meeting resulted in: 

Saif al-Qahtani president of OPIWC said:

“We appreciate the efforts of Kuwait's political leadership to end the current dispute and look forward to genuine negotiations to guarantee the rights of oil sector workers, putting an end to this legal dispute."

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary said: 

"IndustriALL is closely following how the negotiations develop and stands in solidarity and support with to brothers and sisters of OPIWC, as well as all workers in Kuwait's petroleum sector."

Settlement reached for state oil workers in Ivory Coast

After a series of strike actions and four months of negotiations with Petroci and the Ministry of Labour, SYNTEPCI trade union has succeeded in reinstating two workers and securing a redundancy settlement worth around US$2 million for the remaining 48 workers.

A deal finalized on 1 May makes provisions for:

  1. The reinstatement of a pregnant worker and worker representative
  2. A redundancy package of 15 months’ gross salary for all 48 workers
  3. 12 months of health insurance for the laid off workers
  4. A social reintegration package for the 48 workers through a work-training programme.
  5. The Petroci Foundation to pay for the medical treatment for a sick child and sick wife of two of the laid of workers.

The total package for the 48 workers is worth more than 1.2 billion francs (US$2 million).

SYNTEPCI general secretary, Jeremie Wondje, said:

“We are proud and grateful to all the workers in our union for their actions and support for the 48 workers laid off by Petroci.

“I would also like to thank our national centre, the UGTCI, as well as IndustriALL Global Union for their support.

“Together we have refused to allow workers’ rights to be violated and we thank you for your individual and collective actions that have restored workers’ dignity.”

Petroci had illegally laid off the workers and went to offer damages and compensation that was far lower than required under national labour law.

IndustriALL’s energy director, Diana Junquera Curiel, said:

“We congratulate SYNTEPCI on its hard-won victory in securing a fair and just settlement for workers. Petroci has learnt that it cannot trample over workers’ rights and that the nation’s labour laws have to be respected by all.”

USW cement workers in Canada reach agreement with LafargeHolcim

On Tuesday 10 May, affected workers voted by majority of 84 per cent of in favour of a preliminary agreement concluded between the United Steelworkers Local 6658 and management at Ciment Lafarge, part of the LafargeHolcim group.

Workers will keep their pension plan, which was one of the main triggers for the strike that began on 6 February 2016. The USW opposed management’s plans to axe the defined benefit pension plan and introduce a two-tier system less advantageous for newly employed workers, even though the plant is productive and profitable. Sixty-eight workers have remained without a collective agreement since 30 November 2015.

The full details of the agreement are yet to be revealed, but union representatives said that the company has agreed to maintain the current pension scheme, while the union will withdraw all legal cases against management for violating the Quebec Labour Code by illegally using scab workers during the strike.

"Thanks to the determination of our members and the strong support we received, we were able to conclude this agreement," said Éric Boulanger, president of the Steelworkers’ (Metallos) Local 6658.

Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL director for mechanical engineering and materials industries, was asked to organize a direct line of communication between locals union and corporate management. Hartwich said:

“IndustriALL was informed by our brothers about the strike and immediately got in touch with global management at LafargeHolcim. The use of scabs is not in line with company policy. We extend our gratitude to the global management for their quick reaction, and we salute the determination and strength of our Canadian brothers and sisters whose courage won this battle. We are glad that we were able to assist in paving the way for a new dialogue.”

UPDATE: According to the USW press-release the new agreement provides for wage increases totalling 13.75 per cent over the contract’s term, as well as benefits improvements. Modifications to the defined benefit pension plan will include an employee premium contribution equal to 3 per cent of hourly wages. Full text of the release is available on the link http://www.usw.ca/news/media-centre/articles/2016/victory-steelworkers-win-pension-battle-at-ciment-lafarge.

Building sectorial union work in Bahrain

According to the Labour Market Regulatory Authority in Bahrain, total employment in the country reached 725,113 workers at the end of 2015, of which 60 per cent (566,785) are migrant workers.

Oil production and the aluminum industry constitute leading export products as key to the country’s national gross-domestic-product (GDP).  The Aluminum Bahrain (Abla) Company owns one of the largest smelters in the world employing around 2,800 workers, including migrant workers. Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) is the largest oil company in Bahrain with about 2,400 workers while Arab Shipbuilding & Repair Yard (ASRY) hires up to 2,000 workers. 

The Bahraini union leaders representing workers in several companies said they faced a lack of cooperation from employers with GFBTU’s independent and democratic unions, as well as challenges on organizing workers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are most prevalent in the country.  

Union leaders emphasized the importance of more integration in global union work and exchange, as well as the key priorities of developing unions’ sectorial work in the energy and metal sectors. 

Despite active women participation at the IndustriALL meeting on 3 March, union leaders attributed the low participation of women in industrial sectors due to the nature of the industries as well as economic and social changes in Bahrain over the past decades. Union leaders prioritize enhancing woman and youth participation in union work and leadership positions.

The participants were introduced to IndustriALL’s work progress at regional and global levels. Global Framework Agreements and operations of MNCs were also discussed particularly with regard to French-based Engie (formerly GDF SUEZ) operations in Bahrain.

The struggle of Bahraini workers goes back several decades to before oil was discovered in the country in 1932. In 1938 Bapco workers demanded: a workers' union; improved working conditions; that employers stop favouring foreigners; and job provision for Bahrainis. In 2004, this struggle culminated in the foundation of the GFBTU that organizes both Bahraini and migrant workers.

Kemal Özkan, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL said:

“Despite the fact that it is relatively a young organization, our sisters and brothers at GFBTU demonstrate exemplary democratic unionism in the MENA region. IndustriALL Global Union will make every effort to support GFBTU and its impending sectorial organizations, which represent the genuine voice of workers in Bahrain.” 

Heavy metal in Myanmar

Yangon’s South Dagon Industrial estate (Zone 3) is a labyrinth of metal workshops, stores and small factories. Nobody even knows the number of workers employed there. Some say 10,000 people, others 20,000.

The estate is an anvil of heat, dust and heavy metal, which is cut, machined, welded and hammered to order. From bolts, to plates, pylons, rigs and pipes, it is a testament to Burmese industry and ingenuity.

But it is also a paradigm of the herculean task facing the country’s nascent trade union movement: led by trade union centre the Confederation of Trade Unions of Myanmar (CTUM), formerly the Free Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB), who were only officially recognized in July last year after 24 years in exile in neighbouring Thailand. IndustriALL Global Union has two affiliates in Myanmar, both affiliated to CTUM; the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar (IWFM) and the Mining Workers Federation of Myanmar (MWFM).

To say that workers are ruthlessly exploited in Myanmar would be an understatement.

Add six decades of brutal military rule and repression in the south east Asian nation, formerly called Burma, and this, one can only surmise, is the result.

But, remarkably, the people – no doubt inspired by the advent of democracy following Aung San Suu Kyi’s electoral victory last November – appear happy.  

Certainly, Ko Khin Zaw, a 45-year-old metalworker at South Dagon Industrial seems contented enough with his wages of 5,000 Kyat for nine-hours labour a day – the equivalent of just over US$4.

“I earn enough money to eat and sleep. Of course it would be good to get more money. But it’s enough. I’m happy,” said the 45-year-old.

“My two sons are also working. The eldest Htein Lin, who is 22, earns 130,000 Kyat as a cleaner at a car showroom in town and my other boy, Lumin Khant, who is 16, is a metalworker here like me and earns 5,000 Kyat a day. So altogether we make enough to get by.”

Yet Ko Khin Zaw, like most of the workers I spoke to over a recent four-day assignment for IndustriALL at the South Dagon Industrial estate had barely any concept of his worker rights or trade unionism.

What about health and safety? I asked him. The battered bamboo topi he wore stylishly on his head offered a measure of protection from the burning sun overhead, yet it would hardly stop a chunk of flying metal.

Was he supplied with safety helmet, gloves, work boots? The answer came back: “No. No.” And “No.”

What happens if a worker gets injured or falls ill, I continued.

“Oh, the boss takes care of that,” he replied with finality.

The streets where the metalworkers live are littered with rubbish. Trash is piled high at the top and bottom of each lane, waiting for eventual collection. The putrid smell of decomposing vegetation, human faeces, even dead animals, pollutes the air.

Mosquitoes breed unchecked in pools of still-dead water. The workers’ homes are shacks made of latticed bamboo, with reed matting as roofing or scavenged metal sheeting, even asbestos.

Small children play amongst the detritus. Women do their household chores, washing clothes, sweeping, cooking on wood or charcoal, waiting for their men to return home from work.

The thud of heavy machinery drones across the fence demarcating the industrial estate.

If there is electricity it has been illegally tapped from nearby electricity poles. A few stalls sell a sorry and limited selection of fruit and vegetables.

Entertainment, such as it is, means television in a large open plan “tea shop” that serves tea, coffee, soft drinks, fried rice and noodles.

Child labour is widespread on South Dagon Industrial. Every young worker of “questionable” age I spoke to told me they were 16-years-old, a co-incidence too good to be true.

One youngster I interviewed finally admitted he was in fact aged 12.

Kyaw Zaw Hein told me he went to school for five hours in the morning and then came to work in the machine shop for four hours every day, earning just over US$2 a shift.

“I want to know all about mechanics. I like it here better than school. My handwriting is very bad and the teacher is always going on at me. I’m happier here on the job,” said the little worker.

Earlier, I had seen the workshop owner, Sein Myint, surreptitiously try to shoo his child worker out of camera sight, until he admitted: “Families send them here to learn the job. By 18-years-old he will be a skilled worker. That is their ambition.”

Across the industrial estate, I saw scores of child workers beavering away, doing the work of adults.

Soe Min Hewe squatted on the sidewalk spraying machine parts with toxic paint. He wore no gloves, goggles or mask.

Moe That Mying, his face smeared with dirt and grease, walked bare footed among the jumble and chaos of flaming gas cutters, powerful pressing machines and crash of metal on metal.

“Health and safety is a big, big issue, as you’ve seen,” CTUM President Maung Maung, a 63-year-old trained geologist, told me.

“We’ve already helped establish 650 local affiliates. But we know we’ve still got a great deal of work to do.

“We’ve made some inroads in the larger industrial plants but these small scale workshops are much harder to organize. A lot of focus, perhaps too much focus, has been placed on the garments industry.

“There are only 70 labour inspectors in the Ministry of Labour and you can’t just concentrate on one industry. Conditions within workshops remind me of Thailand 20 years ago.

“Sixty years of dictatorship has resulted in a compliant and cowed labour force, who do what they’re told and don’t know their labour rights.”

Annie Adviento, regional secretary for IndustriALL in South East Asia, said:

Work in the industrial zone of Myanmar is difficult and dangerous, and living conditions are terrible. Years of repression mean that many workers accept the situation. Our affiliates are fighting to show workers that it doesn’t have to be like this, and IndustriALL will support them all the way. These workers deserve safety and dignity at work.

Feature by David Browne in Yangon

Unions in Belarus report new violations

Leaders from the Belarusian Radio and Electronic Industry Workers' Union (REP), the Free Metalworkers' Union and the Belarusian Independent Trade Union of Miners, Chemical workers, Oil-refiners, Energy, Transport, Construction and Other Workers revealed the difficult conditions that activists from independent trade unions are facing in Belarus. The union leaders have also called for solidarity support to the workers persecuted by the management for their trade union activity.

One of the recent cases concerned Natalya Anikeyeva, a painter at the Minsk Tractor Plant and a REP union member. In February 2016, Natalya Anikeyeva established a local REP union at the Minsk Tractor Plant.

Workers relied on union support in achieving a salary increase and better working conditions. The newly formed local union asked the management to start collective bargaining to amend the collective agreement in terms of salary payment and health and safety issues. When the management refused to negotiate, the local union sent a letter to the Ministry of Industry.

Workers’ wages depend on the quantity of painted pieces at the factory.  If painters strictly followed the technical process rules, they would only earn an equivalent of 77 euros per month. So in order to increase production and wages, workers are encouraged by management to violate the process rules, consequently decreasing the quality of the product.

The Ministry of Industry inspected the plant, and now the employer is trying to get rid of the union activist by transferring her to another workplace. Her colleagues are being forced to sign a letter blaming Anikeyeva for a revolt. But Anikeyeva believes that the real goal is to fire her for her union activities. She is afraid that all the workers who supported her will be also fired.

Another case concerns Mikhail Soshko, a union activist who had worked at the Slonim Worsted-Goods Factory for 30 years and was fired three years before his retirement, in violation of the collective agreement. Those who dare to express their support for Soshko have also become subjects to repression.

REP wants a fair attitude towards workers from management; respect for workers' right to freely join the union; and a just solution to the issue of salaries.

Gennady Fedynich, chairman of the REP, said: "We need to put pressure on the management, for instance by contacting Minsk Tractor Plant’s customers abroad. The employer should be charged for violating international labour standards.

Monika Kemperle said, “It can’t be that enterprises ignore workers’ rights and show such little respect for labour law. IndustriALL will use all possible tools to put an end to the workers' rights violations at both enterprises.”

Kemperle visited Belarus on 28-30 April at the invitation of the Belarusian Trade Union of Chemical, Mining and Oil Industries Workers, another IndustriALL affiliate. She took part in the international conference "Interaction of Employers, Authorities and Trade Unions on Prevention of Occupational Diseases, Injuries, Accidents and on Creation of Healthy and Safe Working Conditions", where she made a survey report on world practice of health and safety for women.

Belarus is expected to come under scrutiny by the ILO at the International Labour Conference in Geneva in June.