First global network at Saint-Gobain is created

Saint-Gobain calls itself the “reference in sustainable housing”. Although the company commits to social dialogue and good employer-employees relations, a lot of conflicts remain unsolved. Today, the company states that they are always open for dialogue, but insist at the same time on the principle of “subsidiarity”. This is an excuse to not take action if local management does not abide by good practices as being conducted in Europe.

Especially in India, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, delegates report that local management does not respect ILO core conventions but rather harasses and dismisses trade union activists instead of entering into dialogue. Some country managers seem to govern by fear and harassment, which is unacceptable in a company that declares the respect for workers’ rights as one of their core principles.

The company’s labour relations director explained the company’s view on social dialogue. However, this system of regionalized dialogue which the company calls “subsidiarity”is not sufficient in the eyes of the delegates. Also the idea that the company “regionalizes” not only the social dialogue but also the application of labour rights is absolutely not enough, having in mind that in many countries legislation is far weaker than i.e. ILO core conventions.

One of the core demands of the global network is the setup of a global union committee and the establishment of a Global Framework Agreement (GFA) to establish conflict resolution mechanisms that really can help to solve open issues on global scale, when local social partners cannot come to a solution.

Although appreciating Saint-Gobain’s efforts to establish good worker-employer relations, this concept is not sufficient from a trade union point of view. Unilateral declarations of values and principles and principles of conduct will not do, and neither will corporate social responsibility activities without trade union involvement. Partnership needs agreements and involvement,

said Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL director for materials industries.

After the discussion with the management representative, delegates discussed their own work plan for the following years.

The new network elected Dominique Bousquenaud, general secretary of IndustriALL’s French affiliate FCE-CFDT as global network coordinator, and also installed a steering group that will govern the network together with the coordinator and IndustriALL. The network adopted an ambitious agenda and work plan for the next years in order to bring forward workers’ rights and social dialog with real employees’ involvement within an MNC which says in its company statement: “The way we achieve the results is as important as the results are themselves.”

Saint-Gobain was created 350 years ago, as royal glass manufacturer who delivered glass and mirrors for the royal castle of Versailles. Today, Saint-Gobain employs more than 180,000 worldwide. The group is present in 66 countries and reaches an annual turnover of €41 billion per year.

Here you will find more photos on the meeting.

SME victory after a six-year campaign

"The campaign we have conducted through the courts and in the political arena ended in an agreement with the federal government on 7 October 2015. The agreement hands over control of electricity generating capacity to Fénix, a company formed by the SME and the Portuguese company Mota Engil”, explained the union’s general secretary, Martín Esparza Flores.

In 2009, more than 44,000 electrical industry workers lost their jobs after military and police forces violently removed them from their workplaces at the state-owned electricity company Luz y Fuerza del Centro following an illegal presidential decree. Since then, 16,599 SME members have been fighting for their rights.

Finally, after a six-year campaign, the SME has won an important victory after the federal government handed over control of 14 hydroelectric plants and the J. Luke thermal power plant in Necaxa, Puebla, and in Tepuxtepec, Michoacán.

"It was exciting to be back in Necaxa and put my overalls back on. The workers had mixed feelings on going back into the installations we have always operated”, said Flores.

As well as handing over the hydroelectric plants, the government will provide SME with 40 buildings, factories and workshops for maintenance of the electricity generating plants. The union has registered a national collective agreement at the Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Board (JFCA). Beginning operations at Necaxa is an important step but the SME will continue to press for jobs for all those who were involved in the union’s fight.

Fernando Lopes, assistant general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union commented on the SME victory:

The SME’s struggle is exemplary. IndustriALL is proud to have supported the union from the start and so will also celebrate this major victory, which will mean thousands of jobs and the survival of an independent trade union. Long live Fénix, long live the SME, long live the struggle!

IndustriALL chemical workers in LAC stronger together

Workers organized by sector, with strong national unions and sector level or company-wide collective agreements and social dialogue are essential to promote good labour relations and sustainable development

said IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan at the opening of the event.

The meeting took place in São Paulo, Brazil on 8 – 9 October at the offices of IndustriALL’s affiliate FEQUIMFAR. Delegates assessed the sustainability of the chemicals industry and the challenges and opportunities it faces in relation to the trade union movement in Latin America and the organization of the sector at the regional and global levels.

IndustriALL is aiming to establish regular communication between all affiliates in the sector to facilitate the sharing of information on common challenges, solidarity and sector level campaigns in different contexts. Workers face threats to their basic rights, including the right to collective bargaining and many are working in precarious jobs, so unions need to become stronger and negotiate national and global collective employment contracts on the basis of global framework agreements.

Delegates agreed to concentrate on strengthening the sector and creating networks at company level to bring together workers and their unions from the different countries. This will help them understand the diversity of the context in which the movement is operating and encourage them to work together.

Delegates also discussed an Action Plan for the sector including strategies and activities to improve tripartite dialogue with companies, governments and the ILO. They also backed IndustriALL’s Action Plan, which aims to continue organizing the sector and includes a second regional LAC sector meeting in 2016. It was agreed to work towards empowering workers and promoting decent work, justice and social dialogue in the societies in which they work.

We want to discuss the problems that affect us. The sector has very specific characteristics, is very dynamic and developing quickly. This meeting provides an opportunity to get to know each other, see what each other is planning and find out what is happening in each country. We can explain our problems and analyze together the difficulties that we face, exploring the differences as well as the similarities. The most important thing is to discuss what we are going to do about the problems we face

said Jorge Almeida, IndustriALL Regional Secretary.

Numsa strikes on steel

The one day strike was legal after successfully declaring a dispute at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), South Africa’s tripartite social dialogue forum. Demands with respect to the jobs crisis in South Africa related to an impasse in dialogue on the need for protection and support in the steel sector.

Numsa has been demanding locally produced and manufactured steel as opposed to imported steel be used in Government infrastructure builds including state owned enterprises capital programmes. The union wants a strategic approach to steel to be taken in the proposed Government’s Strategic Infrastructure Projects (SIPs) as a lever to drive local procurement.

Numsa also has continued to argue against Import Parity Price (IPP) and for fair pricing based to some extent on a regulated steel price. The union wants the South African government to take forward its beneficiation strategy including banning steel scrap exports as half of all raw material used in steel is currently being imported.

Numsa as called for government to set up a high level tripartite steel crisis committee with all government, labour and industry players to develop short and long term interventions for sustainability of the industry and jobs.

The strike action included demands against corruption more broadly and enjoyed popular support with many people joining in solidarity with Numsa and to draw government’s attention to a range of burning issues.

Organizing workers in Sri Lankan Free Trade Zones

Apoorva Kaiwar, Regional Secretary of IndustriALL’s South Asia Office, began proceedings by explaining the need to organizing women workers, who constitute almost 80 per cent of the workforce in the FTZs of Sri Lanka. Anton Marcus from IndustriALL Sri Lankan affiliate, the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union, conducted a session covering important labour laws related to the rights of women workers.

This was followed by a brief interactive session on the issues related to occupational health and safety (OHS) in the garment and the plastic sector in the FTZs. It was observed that there are many issues related to the women workers that are affecting their reproductive health, anaemia and also menstruation cycles. A session was also conducted to discuss the various strategies to organize women workers in FTZs.

In the concluding session, participants expressed the need for further training on topics including labour law mechanism, OHS, Global Framework Agreements and ILO complaint procedures. Hence the next year’s activities of the project will be planned to cover these topics that are of relevance and would help in the organizing of the workers in EPZ’s.

Colombia: trade union activist Francisco Ramirez Cuellar must be kept safe!

Francisco Ramirez Cuellar is a member of the national executive committee of FUNTRAENERGETICA, and lead the process which condemned US based coal company Drummond for their involvement in the assassination and displacement of thousands of Colombians.

Having already escaped eight attempts on his life, IndustriALL is asking the government of Colombia to protect Cuellar's life and to identify those responsible for the attacks and threats against him. The government should take immediate action to dissolve the paramilitary groups in accordance with repeated recommendations by the United Nations.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Fernando Lopes says:

We demand the highest guarantees to protect the work and the life of Francisco Ramirez, who acts as special advisor on human and trade union rights for IndustriALL, against threats and intimidations by Drummond’s lawyers. His investigations are fundamental for all workers, in particular in the mining sector in Colombia.

IndustriALL is asking the Comisón Interamericana de Derechos Humanos to ensure that the government takes the necessary steps to ensure Cuellar¹s safety.

Drummond must immediately drop the charges of defamation brought against Cuellar and provide guarantees that it will not condone any threats or violence against him.

Help us send the message that Cuellar should be protected by clicking on Take action to the right!

More workers killed in Bangladeshi shipbreaking yard

This latest accident took place in S. R. Corporation, one of the major shipbreaking companies in Bangladesh.

In the process of dismantling a ship, the S. R. Corporation workers were cutting a gas cylinder when it exploded.

The injured workers were sent to the nearby hospital for treatment but doctors could not save their lives as they were all severely burned.

The names of the workers who died were Rusel, Kairul and Aminul. All three were employed as gas cutters.

IndustriALL director for the shipbuilding and shipbreaking sector, Kan Matsuzaki said:

Every occupational death is avoidable. And every time a shipbreaking worker is killed at work it strengthens our resolve to campaign for the ratification of the Hong Kong Convention. When we succeed in making that resolution a reality the lives of workers in the world’s most dangerous job will change.

BMF (Bangladesh Metalworkers’ Federation) and BML (Bangladesh Metalworkers’ League), two major IndustriALL affiliates took up the issue with the employer and local authority to ensure that the families of the deceased workers get an adequate compensation.

Only last month, 5 September, four workers were killed following a gas cylinder explosion in the Shital Shipbreaking yard in Chittagong. Such deadly accidents are the result of a continued lack of proper procedures, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient training and no compliance with safety norms.

IndustriALL and Umicore renew sustainable development agreement

The agreement, which applies to more than 14,000 Umicore employees in 38 countries, covers human rights (including collective bargaining and equal opportunities), safe and healthy working conditions, and environmental considerations.

Umicore's Chief Executive Officer, Marc Grynberg and IndustriALL general secretary, Jyrki Raina signed the agreement in Brussels on 20 October. IndustriALL’s Belgian trade union affiliates were co-signatories.

IndustriALL has carried out numerous missions to monitor Umicore operations since the agreement was first signed by IndustriALL predecessors, IMF and ICEM, in 2007.

Speaking at the signing, Marc Grynberg said:

"This agreement reaffirms our commitment towards sustainability in which the engagement of all Umicore employees is key. Our dialogue with IndustriALL plays an important role in our quest to be a frontrunner in all aspects of sustainability."

Jyrki Raina added:

"IndustriALL Global Union is pleased with our eight-year experience in the context of this global agreement and we look forward to this continuing in the coming years. We find at all the sites of Umicore we visit the same level of commitment to sustainability that we obtain from the company headquarters in Brussels. It is a clear sign for us of the true engagement of all."

Over the past eight years, IndustriALL’s joint monitoring missions with Umicore have included visits to Umicore industrial operations, such as Shanghai (China), Guarulhos (Brazil), Port Elizabeth (South Africa), Tulsa (USA), Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Subic (Philippines).

In February 2015, IndustriALL carried out a joint mission with Umicore to its plant in Subic Bay in the Philippines. The company’s industrial investment in the remote region makes an important contribution to workers’ lives and the whole community. A tour of the plant and meetings with local union representatives confirmed that Umicore was fully meeting the commitments defined in the global agreement to sustainability in the field.

IndustriALL also visited the Philippine capital, Manila, where Umicore has been supporting a project with a Belgian NGO that provides micro-entrepreneurs with much-needed training and funding. The scheme helps people in the Philippines to set up businesses, create local employment and build better lives without depending on foreign aid.

Repsol network meets in Peru

The announcement was triggered by the low oil price. The company claims it can get by at US$45 a barrel, butlower than that divesting would have to be considered. About half of the jobs would be axed in Spain. The company promised that the cuts would be done responsibly over three years. The effects will be much worse on contract workers.

Peru is the country outside of Spain with the most direct workers. Nevertheless 70 per cent of the workers are contract workers. Repsol's health and safety record leaves a lot to be desired. Excessive hours can lead to accidents. And trade union unity in Peru is still a challenge. The Repsol network coordinator, Jenaro Prendes, from FITAG-UGT in Spain, recommended that network call a specific meeting for Peru to deal with the issue. Moreover, Peruvian workers have a hard time getting time off for trade union business, although the right exists on paper.

Repsol acquired Canadian oil and gas producer Talisman earlier in 2015 in an US$8 billion deal. The acquisition created a certain number of synergies. Now the company has three key regions – Latin America, North America and Southeast Asia. Projects will be cancelled in the next two or three years due to the synergies and especially the low crude oil price.

The company presented the strategic plan until 2020 as well as the sustainability program. Repsol is one of the oil companies that does the most for corporate social responsibility (CSR). Still, says Prendes, "CSR cannot just be unilateral action by the company, but rather it should be a joint commitment."

IndustriALL explained the importance of the GFA's and networks in the energy sector. The Repsol network is one of the tools of IndustriALL’s strategic goals to confront global capital to enable trade unions to articulate solutions. It makes it possible to contemplate joint action to achieve sustainable development for the company and the workers.

The network should perform certain functions, such as following how the strategic plan is implemented, how the reorganization is carried out, and how the job cuts are managed.

In addition, especially in the Latin America region, there should be a role for the network to play in connection with indigenous peoples because Repsol's operations affect them.

IndustriALL affiliates from Spain, Peru, Colombia and Bolivia attended the network meeting and will carry on the work between meetings. Isidor Boix, founding member of the Repsol network, commented: "Repsol is a different company from when we founded the network, now it is a global company, and we need a global network, especially after the addition of Talisman."

IndustriALL campaign contributes to Mulberry supplier agreement but struggle continues

Considerable severance payments were given to dismissed workers who SF Leather refused to reinstate.

The IndustriALL affiliated Deriteks is determined to support the SF Leather workers in organizing a union and gaining a voice at the workplace.

A 14 October Memorandum of Understanding between the union and employer brought an end to all court cases filed by both parties, agreed compensation to dismissed workers, and also affirmed SF Leather’s commitment to respecting the ILO Conventions on union organizing.

During break time at the factory on 14 October, Deriteks representatives were introduced by management to inform the full workforce that they have the right to join the union without reprisals.

However, while the commitment was made in the Memorandum of Understanding with Deriteks, management did not make it clear with workers that it supports their right to join a union. The commitment will be put to the test over coming months as workers continue to unionize.

IndustriALL Global Union Assistant General Secretary Kemal Özkan stated:

Deriteks has been recognized by SF Leather as its social partner, able to solve problems at the workplace. SF Leather workers should now be able to join Deriteks without fear of being sacked. We continue to expect Mulberry to ensure all labour rights are respected at SF Leather, and our focus remains on this factory until it is unionized.

Deriteks General President Musa Servi stated:

“Since the beginning of the process, we have always sought dialogue and a peaceful solution. We have a duty to defend and promote the rights of our members. The union’s objective is to ensure protection of the value and dignity of work, and health and safety conditions in a regulated and stable working environment. I call on all our fellow workers at SF Leather to join us in concluding a collective agreement.”

Sign the IndustriALL-LabourStart campaign here and write to the UK-based Mulberry. Well over 11,000 supporters have already done so.

Turkish labour law requires over 50 per cent of the workforce to join a single union before it can be officially registered. There are approximately 190 employees of SF Leather.