India: cement unions determined to protect precarious workers

The three-day meeting was convened to discuss the implications for workers following the merger between cement giants Lafarge and Holcim in July 2015.

IndustriALL affiliates, the Indian National Cement Workers’ Federation (INCWF) and Pragatisheel Cement Shramik Sangh (PCSS) have decided to intensify their efforts in organizing precarious workers in cement plants in India, including those owned by LafargeHolcim.

Union organizers also told of the difficult situation faced by precarious workers at LafargeHolcim’s Ambuja and Jamul cement plants. The majority of precarious workers remain employed for years in the core production of the company in violation of national labour laws. They receive meager wages and live in abject poverty. They have no job security and receive inadequate training in safety and health issues. Often precarious workers work for long hours and do not get any benefit of welfare measures provided in statutory provisions.

The INCWF expressed its discontent with the wage settlement process and non-participation of LafargeHolcim in the national cement wage board. The wage board sets wages in the cement industry and is of utmost importance for a fair wage and better working conditions in India´s cement industry.

The unions unanimously adopted a joint plan of further activities including a mapping of the cement sector in India. They also resolved to take measures to increase trade union membership and start organizing all categories of workers.

At the end of the meeting the participants had a teleconference with LafargeHolcim representative Feliciano Gonzalez, head of labour relations and social policies, and were able to bring their concerns directly to global level management of the company. Gonzalez is planning to visit India and potentially IndustriALL and Building and Wood Worker’s International regional offices in the near future.

Apoorva Kaiwar, regional secretary of IndustriALL’s South Asia Office and Matthias Hartwich, director of IndustriALL’s materials industries and mechanical engineering led the workshop.

Kaiwar noted that, although cement companies in India including LafargeHolcim are increasing their capacity, production volumes and exports, benefits of the growth have not permeated down to workers.

“It is not acceptable that companies are no longer regularizing contract workers who are working at the plants for long periods, as they should be according to national legislation,” said Kaiwar.

She expressed concern that more than 70 per cent of the workforce in cement plants in India work under precarious conditions.

Matthias Hartwich provided an overview of LafargeHolcim merger and its consequences for rights of cement workers around the world. He said that since the merger, thousands of workplaces have come under threat and IndustriALL and the Building Workers´ International, have decided on a global campaign in support of workers´ rights at LafargeHolcim.

Hartwich said: “In the years prior to the merger, poor health and safety provisions at both Lafarge and Holcim plants resulted in accidents leading to the deaths of around 70 workers a year. Some 90 per cent of them were precarious workers.”

Hartwich called upon unions in India to cooperate and contribute to international efforts to reach a Global Framework Agreement with LafargeHolcim, so that it would prioritize health and safety at its plants and improve respect for workers’ rights.

Alexander Ivanou, IndustriALL’s communications officer presented various activities globally undertaken by unions demanding that LafargeHolcim protects workers’ rights during and after the merger. He also presented organizing and campaigning issues within IndustriALL.

PCSS union representatives reported of the recent victory achieved by the PCSS union jointly with IndustriALL through the OECD complaint submitted in 2012 and numerous consequent negotiations with the management, which finally resulted in the great victory for the union and its members at the ACC Jamul cement plant.

Workers in Argentina face lay-offs

Sixty workers are at risk of losing their jobs in the clothing sector after the Kevingston company announced it will stop making clothes in the country and will import them instead Workers have taken action in response to the threat of dismissal.

Workers at Felsom, which makes clothing for Kevingston, went out into the streets to protest. They are members of the tailors’ union, the Unión Cortadores de la Indumentaria (UCI), affiliated to IndustriALL:

We held a successful demonstration against Kevingston. It outsourced work to other companies but when the crisis came, it tried to cut its links with them without paying wages or anything else. The demonstration forced the company to accept responsibility and incorporate these workers into its workforce with full rights,

explained the UCI’s general secretary, Heraldo Mage.

Oil industry workers are also on the alert after the Chamber of Special Oil Industry Operations Companies (Cámara de Empresas de Operaciones Petroleras Especiales, CEOPE) asked the government for authorization to lay off 5,000 workers in Neuquén because of the crisis in the sector.

Alberto Roberti, general secretary of the Oil, Gas and Biofuel Union Federation (F.A.Si.Pe.G. y Bio) affiliated to IndustriALL) commented:

At this stage, the unions are on the alert given the likelihood of dismissals. As yet, no workers have been dismissed in the sector, which is good news. My feeling is that the companies are not going to be able to do that. However, we are in a state of expectancy and are very concerned about the situation,

he said.

Most unions are getting ready to negotiate at sector pay negotiating forums but are prioritizing jobs.

In the private sector, 20,000 to 24,000 jobs are in the balance, according to reliable data provided by the unions. There have been very few jobs losses in the metalworking sector. UOMRA will prioritize maintaining employment levels during the negotiations, while trying to maintain the purchasing power of wages,

explained the Adviser in the Secretariat of international relations of the metalworkers’ union (UOMRA), Eduardo Paladín.

Meanwhile, 28,000 public sector workers lost their jobs in December when the government announced it would not renew their contracts, which it considered to be temporary. The civil service union (ATE) intervened and managed to secure the reinstatement of more than 5,000 workers.

The Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA) has rejected the Argentinean government’s adjustment policies, dismissals and repression, claiming that it is “suppressing the labour rights recovered during the last twelve years”.  

Jorge Almeida, IndustriALL Regional Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean commented on the current situation in Argentina:

IndustriALL Global Union is closely following the situation in Argentina and is ready to provide solidarity to its affiliates who are fighting for their jobs, fair wages and decent working conditions.

Georgian glass factory workers on strike

Since September 2015, IndustriALL affiliate Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia (TUMMCIWG) has tried to convince management at the Ksani factory to start negotiations over a collective agreement and salary increase. But the months’ of attempts have not yielded any results.

Ready to go on strike, the union initiated a conciliation procedure required by Georgian law to take place before a strike. Two meetings were held between union and management, with the participation of a mediator from the state.

On 30 November, management agreed to provide feedback by 15 January 2016 on the workers’ and union’s demands:

The next meeting was scheduled to take place on 15 January, but the company postponed it until 28 January. When the General Director ignored all pending issues that had been agreed on in November, the union launched an indefinite strike.

The glass container factory in Ksani (JSC MINA) is owned by the Şişecam Group, a Turkish company operating in 13 countries with a workforce of over 20,000 employees and exports to 150 countries.

IndustriALL Global Union assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan says:

“We support the demands of our Georgian affiliate and urge the company to engage in a result-oriented social dialogue with the union as soon as possible, and to sign a collective agreement to ensure sustainable factory operations.”    
 

Stalemate continues at Morocco’s only oil refinery

IndustriALL Global Union has written to management at the SAMIR refinery calling for production to resume and asked the government of Morocco to intervene to find a solution. 

Shortly after the shut down, Morocco’s tax administration seized SAMIR’s assets in pursuit of US$1.3 billion in unpaid taxes and social charges.

In October, a billion-dollar rescue package agreed by the company's general assembly could not be raised.

The SAMIR refinery, situated near Casablanca, produced 200,000 barrels per day. It is controlled by Saudi-owned Corral Petroleum Holdings, which has a 67 per cent stake in the plant.

The workers have been receiving their salaries up until now, but how long this can continue for is uncertain. Meanwhile, 5,000 people whose jobs depend on the oil refinery are suffering as Morocco resorts to importing all its petroleum.

IndustriALL affiliate, Syndicat National des Industries du Pétrole & Gaz Naturel (SNIPGN-CDT), is the key union at the refinery. General secretary, Hussien Elyamani, said:

“We are worried about the future of the workers at SAMIR and call on the Moroccan state to enter into serious negotiations with the owner of the refinery in order to settle this dispute for the best interest of all parties, especially workers.” 

In 2015, Corral’s CEO, Sheikh Mohamed Houssein El Amoudi, was listed by Forbes as Saudi Arabia’s second richest man with a personal wealth of US$10.8 billion.

LafargeHolcim contract workers achieve fair settlement in India

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, PCSS, which represents the majority of contract workers at the LafargeHolcim-owned ACC Jamul cement plant, has reached a deal with management following a long-running dispute over redeployment and rehabilitation of the workers.

Now, more than half the workers will keep their jobs. According to the 22 January settlement, 259 contract workers will be working at the new Jamul plant and 277 at the old Jamul plant. The two plants are located next to each other in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.

The settlement also provides for the progressive readjustment of the salaries of the contract workers to reach the national wage agreement for the cement industry.

The remaining 458 workers who are losing their jobs will benefit from a severance package and be given support for rehabilitation.

PCSS, with assistance from IndustriALL, has been in constant negotiations with local management since the beginning of 2015. The talks came in part as a result of an OECD complaint in Switzerland submitted against Holcim by PCSS and IndustriALL predecessor ICEM in 2012.

The complaint, which also concerned another of the company’s Indian plants, Ambuja Cement Ltd, focused on three main violations committed by Holcim against OECD Guidelines on Multinational Companies:

Contract workers are protected by Indian law and by a sectoral agreement prohibiting employment in core production work, with all work paid at the same rate as permanent workers.

Swiss multinational Holcim merged with French-owned cement giant Lafarge in July 2015 to become the biggest cement producer in the world.

Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL director, said

“IndustriALL wholeheartedly sends congratulations to PCSS. This was a long struggle but we are glad to see this settlement for our colleagues in India. I hope that this is a good sign for social dialogue with the new LafargeHolcim group for the future. We are especially glad that the settlement brings justice to vulnerable precarious workers. IndustriALL will continue working and supporting PCSS and all other cement unions in their efforts to settle the dispute at the Ambuja plant. We urge LafargeHolcim to minimize the use of precarious work and respect the India Cement Wage Board for all their workers.”

IndustriALL and ITUC support Indonesian living wage struggle

The visit of the two global union leaders followed the Indonesian government regulation No.78/2015 on Wage Determination signed in October 2015, which effectively denies workers a collective voice in the annual wage negotiation process. The regulation limits minimum wage increases to an accumulation of the annual inflation rate and GDP growth figure.

Trade unions opposed the decision, with strong support from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and IndustriALL Global Union. Police used tear gas, water cannons and beatings to stop protests in October-November last year.

Addressing the press conference on 4 February in Jakarta, Sharan Burrow, ITUC general secretary, said she was shocked and disappointed at the government’s decision to sideline the unions from a democratic process and to instead impose a unilateral decision.

“We urge the Indonesian government to reconsider and bring back trade unions into the minimum wage setting process. Without decent living conditions for workers, and wages on which people can live with dignity, economies will not grow."

Jyrki Raina, general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, stressed that the current minimum wage ranging from US$ 103 to 224 per month was too low to cover the basic needs of workers and their families. Inequality is increasing, which could lead to more social unrest.

“A living wage is a win-win solution both for the workers and their families, and for the economy through increased purchasing power, economic growth and the creation of new jobs.”

KSPI president Said Iqbal and KSBSI general secretary Eduard Marpaung added that the GINI coefficient measuring inequality has risen from 0.30 in 2000 to 0.41 in 2015. This shows that the fruits of economic growth have been unevenly distributed for the benefit of the wealthy.

At ITUC’s minimum wage forum held the same day in Jakarta, Indonesian workers testified of their hardship and pledged to do whatever it takes to win a decent life for their families. As much as 75 per cent of the workforce toils on a minimum wage.

Unions in Indonesia say that wage councils have been crucial for building economic and political citizenship at the local level. They have provided one of few places where workers can meet with employers and the government, and where their needs are addressed through an institutionalized mechanism. Replacing the councils with bureaucratic procedures preventing meaningful participation will destroy that, leaving unions with no choice but to resort to mass actions.

IndustriALL and ITUC have declared their support for the union demands, urging the government to:

15,000 protest against TPPA in New Zealand

Joining the march was IndustriALL Global Union’s New Zealand affiliate, FIRST Union, which has been at the forefront of a six-year campaign to stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

The far-reaching free trade deal was agreed upon in October last year between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam after years of covert negotiations.

“Now that the text of the agreement has been made publicly available, it is clear that the deal is designed to serve the interests of large corporations and powerful states, not the interests of people or the planet,” said Robert Reid, First Union’s general secretary.

The deal’s controversial investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions give multinational corporations the ability to seek billion dollar damages from states in cases where domestic laws or policies affect their profitability.

“The TPPA undermines national sovereignty and poses a severe threat to democracy, the environment and workers’ livelihoods,” said IndustriALL general secretary, Jyrki Raina.  

“TPPA will lead to higher inequality, lower wages and increased precarious work as trade barriers are removed and the pressures of competition take a bitter toll.”

Across the Pacific Ocean, IndustriALL affiliate Unifor, has serious concerns about the impact TPPA will have on Canada’s auto industry. During the TPPA negotiations, Canada’s former Conservative government gave major concessions on tariff eliminations and other matters, which will leave the country’s car industry vulnerable to job and investment losses.

Following the signing, the agreement must be ratified at the national level by the 12 states within two years. However, if at the end of these two years, the agreement is ratified by six nations representing 85 per cent of the combined GDP of the original signatories, it can still enter into force. If the United States, which represents the largest share of combined GDP does not ratify, the TPPA is unlikely to go ahead.   

IndustriALL affiliates in the US are also taking action. The United Steelworkers is organizing a series of town hall meetings about TPPA as part of their campaign, while IAM is also putting pressure on Congress to reject the trade agreement.

See the joint statement of the Asia-Pacific regional offices of four global unions. regarding TPPA.

Read the resolution on TPPA adopted by IndustriALL’s Executive Committee in December.

See the ITUC statement on TPPA. 

Bangladesh garment factories still not safe

The fire at Matrix Sweaters broke out early in the morning on 2 February, before the 6,000 workers had started their shifts. Media reports that ten to 15 people were injured when fighting the blaze.

According to media in Bangladesh another fire had broken out, and been extinguished, in the same factory five days prior to the blaze on 2 February.
 
Accord signatories H&M and JC Penney are among the confirmed buyers from the factory, which was inspected by the Accord in October 2015.
 
Inspecting the factory after the fire, the Accord found the factory “behind schedule on a number of other life safety items such as installation of sprinkler and automatic fire alarm system, removal of all lockable gates, and electrical items”.  
 
Jyrki Raina, general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union and one of the architects of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, says that the fire highlights the race against time to make Bangladesh’s garment factories safe.
 
“It has been nearly three years since the Rana Plaza collapse and factories are still unsafe – the factory owners and brands are not doing enough to undertake the corrective action needed.
 
“We will continue our relentless campaign to ensure that garment workers are not risking their lives when earning a living.”

UNI Global Union Deputy General Secretary Christy Hoffman says:

"The inspection work of the Accord has been completed for some time and – as this fire makes clear- the time for full remediation is long overdue. 

"The brands must step up to their responsibility to ensure that their garments are produced in safe factories. UNI, together with IndustriALL, will do all in our power to make sure that this takes place.”

IndustriALL demands release of Iranian workers

The workers from Khatton Abad Copper Mines, were seized after taking part in a peaceful demonstration demanding the reinstatement of 170 contract workers who had been promised permanent positions.

There has reportedly been no news on the detainees since their arrest a week ago.

Khatoon Abad Copper Mines, owned by the National Iranian Copper Industries Company, is part of a major industrial complex controlled by the State. In a letter to President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, IndustriALL’s general secretary, Jyrki Raina, said:

“IndustriALL Global Union urges your administration to help secure the prompt and unconditional release of the 28 workers. Furthermore, we call on you to instruct the National Iranian Industries Company, which owns the Khatoon Abad Copper Mines, to reinstate the 170 contract workers, who were recently dismissed.”

Many Khatoon Abad workers have been on temporary contracts for several years and their efforts to achieve better job security and wages have led to minimal results.

“It is also imperative that the National Iranian Industries Company grant the contract workers their promised permanent positions. Workers should not be subject to precarious working conditions. Therefore, we call on the Government of Iran to enforce fundamental labour rights at the company,” added Raina to the leader of the Republic of Iran.

Workers in Iran are particularly vulnerable to attack as trade unions are outlawed in the country. 

USA: 18,000 steelworkers approve 3-year contract

Earlier this month USW members voted by a greater than 2-to-1 margin to approve the contract, which will take effect immediately. The parties had reached a tentative agreement in December last year after six months of often difficult negotiations during an extremely challenging environment for steelmakers across the country.

While the new agreement includes modest changes to active and retiree health care coverage, the union was able to fight off the company’s demands for significant premium contributions, as well as other large-scale out-of-pocket increases.

The contract keeps wages at their current level, but includes an increase in the USW’s profit-sharing percentage, which will allow workers to receive payments when the company bounces back from the current crisis. The agreement also resets supplemental unemployment benefits for laid-off workers.

Over the past year, illegally low-priced imports from China and elsewhere, along with global overcapacity and a decline in oil and gas drilling brought on by lower fuel prices, drove prices and demand for steel down and led U.S. Steel and other companies to idle plants and lay off workers at factories around the country.

“The past year has been a difficult one for the steel industry, for USW members, and for manufacturing towns all across this country,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “The key to weathering this crisis is not to attack each other, but to work together to find solutions to our common problems – namely the severe imbalance and unfairness in our trade system. This must be our shared goal as we move forward.”

“This is a great victory and shows determination and competence in defending union members,” says IndustriALL Global Union assistant general secretary Fernando Lopes. “Now it’s time to overcome the intransigence of Arcelor-Mittal and conclude the negotiations on a new and fair contract.”