Russian unions getting ready to merge

Among the merging unions are the Russian Aircraft Industry Workers’ Union (Profavia), the Automobile and Farm Machinery Workers' Union of Russia (AFW), the Engineering Workers’ Union of Russia (Rosprofmash), the Shipbuilding Workers' Union of Russia, all affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, as well as the All-Russian Defense Industry Workers’ Union and the Interregional Union of Shipbuilding and Ship Repairing Workers. IndustriALL discussed the initiative with the chairmen of three merging unions.

Speaking about the merger prospects, the Profavia chairman Nicolay Solovyev said: "The merger is inevitable. All the unions that are getting ready to merge are working under one ministry, the Ministry of Industry of Russia. We have one federal authority. So why conclude five or six sectoral agreements, if we can have one for all of us?"

There are several reasons for the merger said Solovyev: "First of all, there is a reduction in union membership. Our industries are shrinking for a number of reasons, therefore the union membership is going down too. Secondly, there are many forces in the society that are against the unions. In order to resist this pressure, the union has to be large and strong. It is time to speak not just about an aircraft industry workers’ union, a shipbuilding workers' union or an engineering workers’ union, but about one metalworkers’ union. All our union members are doing something with metal, making products from metals.”

The chairman of Rosprofmash Nicolay Shatokhin said: "Since 2008, performance in the mechanical engineering sector been erratic. There was a downturn in 2008-2009, a rise in 2011-2012, and we have been stuck in another recession since 2013. This has been aggravated by sanctions and the drop in oil prices last year. If the enterprise has no clear stock of orders to ensure production, then jobs are no longer guaranteed. The enterprise has to optimize production and non-production costs, including salaries, staff numbers, and the social guarantees specified in the collective agreements".

Shatokhin told about his previous experience of union merger: "Rosprofmash was formed by a merger of two unions: the Union of Heavy Mechanical Engineering and the Union of Engineering and Instrument-making Workers in 1995. We were the first to merge based on our independent decision, as earlier it had been happenning under pressure from the party and government authorities. Already at that time the need to strengthen the territorial unions was the main reason for merger. Our country is huge, and it is difficult to solve all the problems from Moscow.”

"Now the desire to merge is also based on the necessity to strengthen the territorial unions, it will also allow to strengthen the central union body that will make the union more powerful in negotiations with our social partners. For example, the Russian Engineering Union, the employers association, does not have branches in every region of Russia that could cooperate with our territorial unions. Now we have concluded the industrial agreement in cooperation with two more unions, AFW and the All-Russian Electric Trade Union. In 11 regions of Russia, our territorial unions conclude regional bargaining agreements also teaming up with other unions. It works well and allows us to solve social problems.”

The chairman of AFM, Andrey Fefelov, said: "In last ten years we have lost 50 percent of our union members, there were 800 000 of us, and now only 390 000 remained. We need to consolidate the finances; the Russian unions won't be able to exist without it.”

Speaking about the coming merger Fefelov added: "We have to understand that we will work for a common goal. We need to cast out all the emotions and personal ambitions to make the decision because it is directed on further consolidation of all efforts and the strengthening of our union. Without it I don't see the future."

IndustriALL considers the willingness of six Russian unions to merge as a wholly positive step and hopes that the unions will make a decision to create the joint union at their respective congresses.

Electronics industry challenged over use of toxic chemicals

On 16 March, the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), an industry association representing over 100 electronics companies, will meet in Brussels to discuss chemical management strategies.

Civil society groups, led by the GoodElectronics Network and the International Campaign for Responsible Technology (ICRT), are using the occasion to deliver a formal Challenge to the electronics industry urging it to improve chemical safety and stop endangering workers with exposure to toxic substances.

The Challenge emphasizes the importance of disclosure, substitution of hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives, protection of workers, freedom of association, participation of workers in workplace monitoring, environmental protection, and the need for compensation of workers, communities and the environment for harm done.

Brian Kohler, Director of Health, Safety and Sustainability at IndustriALL, said:

“Health and safety is a matter of workers’ rights. Workers have rights and employers have responsibilities. It’s as simple as that. It’s time for the electronics industry to stop hiding behind ineffective auditing systems and weak regulation and take real action to stop workers being poisoned on production lines.”

There is growing evidence of illnesses and cancer among electronics workers. Trade unions and NGOs report hundreds of cases of electronics workers who have fallen ill over the past five years from exposure to benzene and other highly toxic chemicals used in manufacturing.

IndustriALL and its trade union affiliates in the key electronics production areas of Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and the USA have joined the call for electronics employers to heed the challenge.

Click here to read the Challenge and see its supporters.

Mexico to ratify ILO Convention 98 on Collective Bargaining

Navarette pledged to act after meetings with the ITUC, its Regional Organisation for the Americas TUCA, and IndustriALL Global Union whose sector is especially hard hit by the use of protection contracts that deny workers a say in their terms and conditions of work or their union.

Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, said “Protection contracts leave industrial relations wide open to corrupt practices, and represent a severe violation of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. Workers’ rights to fully and democratically participate in setting wages and conditions of employment are fundamental, and the practice of corrupt protection contracts has been allowed to continue for far too long. We welcome the Minister’s commitment to look to discuss further legal reforms which we hope would put an end to this violation of workers’ rights which affects large numbers of working people in Mexico”.

Fernando Lopes Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union said, “Despite concrete steps being made at the meeting, there is still a long way to go before we can talk about positive changes. Our affiliates and other independent Mexican trade unions are constantly undermined in their daily work because of the unfair system of protection contracts. Ordinary workers and the Mexican economy are being held hostage to this rotten system which manipulates workers’ rights and obstructs any progress in working and living conditions”.

The undertaking from the Mexican Minister follows a campaign by international and Mexican trade union bodies to outlaw protection contracts, culminating in a meeting in Mexico City last week where the unions set out their concerns in detail and called for the government to act.

Minister Navarette has also committed to look for timely resolution of a range of other issues raised by the unions.

To read the letter from Minister Navarette (in Spanish).

Uganda mattress factory fire claims six

“We have been assured that there will be an intensive investigation into the deaths of these workers,” said Catherine Aneno, General Secretary of Uganda Textile Garments Leather and Allied Workers Union (UTGLAWU).

Despite having signed a recognition agreement with Crest Foam in 2009, the company has refused to negotiate with UTGLAWU, which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union. In Uganda members only pay dues once a bargaining agreement has been reached with the company.

“We have met with the Minister of Labour and told him how uncooperative the company has been with the union in the past,” reports Aneno, who also expressed concern for the 250 workers at the factory. “Workers have been sent home with no information on what is to happen to their jobs, so we are organizing them; having them sign updated membership forms and calculating what is due to them should the company close.”

The six workers that have died are burnt beyond recognition. The union will assist their families to seek compensation once DNA tests confirm their identity. Compensation will also be sought for two more workers that have been hospitalized.

“Investigations are ongoing but it is clear that health and safety legislation is only worthwhile if it is implemented, monitored and enforced, which requires all stakeholders to actively play their part to ensure the safety of workers,” said Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of IndustriALL. “Our deepest sympathy and solidarity goes out to the families of the workers that lost their lives and all those affected by this tragedy.”

At least seven people die under collapsing building in Bangladesh

At the time of collapse there were about 70 people working in the building, many of them on top of the roof. At least seven bodies of the dead workers have been recovered, more than 60 people were rescued and many hospitalized with different level of injuries. Rescue operations concluded.

The collapsed structure has been recently built and is owned by the Bangladeshi military welfare organization “Senakul Sansathan”. The factory where the warehouse was located is producing Elephant Brand cement, and has been involved in production since 1995.

The construction company building the roof was a local agent of China National Building Material Company Ltd., which received its contract through an international bidding.

Bangladesh has a poor record of building and fire safety standards. The collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka took away more than 1,130 garment workers’ lives on 24 April 2013.

Following this tragedy under the international public and union movement pressure over 180 global brands and retailers have signed the historic Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh with IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union, launching a major project to make the garment industry of Bangladesh safe and sustainable.

Jyrki Raina, IndustriALL General Secretary says, “The Accord made an immediate effect and decreased the risks in the garment industry of Bangladesh, even though there is still a long way to go before we can claim the Bangladesh garment industry is safe and sustainable. The new tragedy at Mongla proves that the Bangladesh government must start immediately building similar safety arrangements for all sectors of Bangladeshi economy. Workers have the right to return home after their shift alive and healthy, no matter whether employed in construction, garment, cement or any other sector.”

Cambodian garment workers exposed to gross violations, says NGO report

The investigation by Human Rights Watch (HRW) into labour conditions in 73 factories for the report ‘Work Faster or Get Out’, interviewed 270 workers as well as a number of IndustriALL Global Union’s eight garment affiliates in Cambodia, government officials, labour rights activists, and the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC).

The report accuses brands of failing to protect and promote workers’ rights at both direct and indirect suppliers in their supply chains. It also criticizes brands for a lack of whistleblower protection and pulling the plug on factories where there were problems rather than correcting them, putting workers jobs at jeopardy and making it less likely for labour violations to be reported.

Human Rights Watch also found wide scale abuse of short-term contracts, which are unlawfully used by employers to make it easier to fire and control workers, avoid paying maternity or other benefits, and discourage union participation or formation.

“The report is further evidence that so-called corporate social responsibility practices, which only serve to polish brands' reputations, are failing to prevent abuse of workers,” says Jyrki Raina, general secretary of IndustriALL.

“New approaches are urgently needed and IndustriALL is working hard to make the global garment industry safe and sustainable. The HRW report shows we still have a long way to go.”

The report also singles out Marks and Spencer, Gap and Joe Fresh (Loblaw) for its secrecy about suppliers, making it difficult to monitor labour conditions in those factories.

Forced overtime

Workers at both contractor and sub-contracting factories reported being threatened by factory managers with contract dismissal or wage reductions if they sought exemption from overtime. Beyond the standard 48-hour week, overtime in Cambodia is legally limited to an extra two hours a day (12 hours a week). However, most of the workers interviewed did overtime far exceeding this 12-hour weekly limit.

Pressure to meet production targets meant workers found it difficult to go the bathroom, rest or drink water. Some said they were physically intimidated for being ‘slow’.

Discrimination against women

Workers reported that they were sacked for being pregnant and not having their contracts renewed.

“They would call workers in and would get upset when they found out someone was pregnant and then they would fire those who were pregnant,” said Nheoum Soya, a worker in Phnom Penh. “I decided to abort my baby so that I could go back to work, so that I could be a good worker and maybe they would be happy with me.”

Factory managers also failed to make allowances for pregnant women such as more frequent bathroom breaks and harassed pregnant women for being unproductive.

Sexual harassment was found to be common in the form of sexual comments and advances, and inappropriate touching and pinching from managers and male co-workers.

Anti-union discrimination

Human Rights Watch found evidence of union-busting activity in at least 35 factories in Cambodia since 2012. This included keeping workers on short-term contracts, dismissing or harassing newly elected union representatives, and encouraging pro-management unions.

Trade unions said that as soon as workers tried to organize, factory management would dismiss union office-bearers or coerce or bribe them into resigning to prevent union formation.

Subcontracting factories

Conditions at subcontractors were usually found to be worse. In these factories, workers said they were forced to work for less than the minimum wage, received no maternity pay and in some cases, had been made to work Sundays and public holidays without extra overtime. At these factories, workers said they were afraid of forming or joining a union.

More alarmingly, some workers said that subcontractor factory where they worked employed children and hid them when there visitors. In a factory subcontracting for H&M, children below the legal age of 15 were made to work as hard as the adults.

Failure of government accountability

Human Rights Watch cited the Cambodian government’s “abysmal” enforcement of the country’s strong labour law. It spoke to two former labour inspectors who independently talked of an “envelope system” where factory managers paid bribes to visiting inspectors in exchange for favourable reports.

Of the thousands of inspections conducted between January 2009 and December 2013, only ten fines were imposed on factories violating labour inspections, according to government data.

In 2014, Cambodia’s garment exports totaled US$ 5.7 billion, with women making up an estimated 90 to 92 per cent of the industry’s 700,000 workers.

Unions celebrate women’s courage and determination

Women gathered in India, Pakistan and Bangaldesh to pay tribute to their achievements and demonstrate for their rights.

IndustriALL’s Asia-Pacific region called for maternity protection to be the slogan for this year’s 8 March activies. Affiliates in Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Myanmar rallied to the call for maternity protection as well as work to be done on women’s health.

Unions in Switzerland and Zimbabwe demonstrated for equal pay for men and women.

In Turkey Petrol-Is and Birlesik Metal-Is rallied in various cities and factories. Petrol-Is did a women’s school on women’s stories and against violence.

Violence was also the theme at activities in Brazil, where FEQUIMFAR and the FS metalworkers had mass meetings. There it was also a question of zero tolerance for bullying and sexual harassment and discrimination.

Anti-discrimination was also the slogan for the demonstration in Chile by CONSTRAMET, where the women called for equal treatment and the freeing of abortion.

In Colombia the women took advantage of the 8th of March to demonstrate for water rights, participating, training and organizing.

Across the world women are proud of overcoming discrimination and ready to take up the fight to meet further challenges. IndustriALL is with them all the way!

Metalworkers mobilize against redundancies at Tenaris Dalmine in Italy

The strike started at 6 a.m. and continued till the end of the day. It was organized by the IndustriALL Global Union affiliates Fim-Cisl, Fiom-Cgil and Uilm-Uil to oppose plans announced on 25 February to cut 406 jobs, including 120 apprentices, with whom the company did not prolong the contracts. The factory currently employs around 1850 workers.

“All the workers at Tenaris understood and shared the reasons for the strike," commented Eugenio Borella, provincial general secretary of Fiom-Cgil, "For our part, we hope that negotiations can now begin on all outstanding issues, starting with the confirmation of apprentices, but also, if the situation persists, on production difficulties in light of the proposal about use of a solidarity contract.”

The redundancies represent an extremely heavy social cost for the workers and their families, as well as the local community. According to the unions, the company's reasons for the dismissals, in particular the fallen oil prices and a lower demand on pipes for the oil industry, do not justify the reduction of the production capacity at Tenaris Group in Italy or other parts of the world.

The unions' alternative proposal to the company is to use solidarity contracts, which were legally introduced in Italy in 1984. Since then solidarity contracts serve as an indispensable tool for maintaining employment in the face of economic crisis through decrease of working hours while maintaining the level of employment.

"With our mobilization we ask that the company change their position about apprentices and rapidly start the negotiations," says Emanuele Fantini, Fim-Cisl Bergamo. "Otherwise the dispute will only escalate. After removal of the redundancies, we ask for a discussion on the elements that brought about this crisis. We are aware that there are difficulties, but we want to be involved in the process of how to tackle them."

Worried about their colleagues' future at Dalmine and potential repercussions for themselves, workers from other factories of the Group at Costa Volpino, Arcore (Monza and Brianza) and Piombino (Livorno) also participated in the action. At Costa Volpino, a two-hour strike has been organized at the end of every shift.

"It was a very important step to be able to resume a dialogue with the leaders of Tenaris, said Emilio Lollius from union, Uilm Bergamo. "The workers, jointly, gave their signal. Now we need to sit down and discuss the future starting with a basic precondition: the apprentices are the heritage of the company that should be protected."

The unions say management has been surprised by the level of mobilization and the unions expect an invitation for a discussion on how to tackle the drop in orders and activities without structural reductions of employment. If the discussion does not start, further mobilizations will follow.

Solvay sets up global forum for better labour relations

The very first meeting of the Global Forum took place on 4-6 March 2015 at the central offices of Solvay in Brussels. The objective of the Forum is to strengthen social dialogue within the group at a global level. The three-day meeting included Solvay top management and employees’ representatives from Europe, Asia, North America and Latin America. IndustriALL Global Union was also present.

Solvay management considers the Forum an important opportunity to assess the company’s results, understand strategic challenges, create a common culture and coordinate actions in a global context.

The Forum gives a platform for union representatives to get mutual knowledge and meet top level company managers, including the Chief Executive Officer Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, to raise their problems, share their views and establish genuine global-level social dialogue.

“IndustriALL congratulates Solvay with this Global Forum as it sets the bar higher for industrial relations in the chemical industry at international level” said Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL Global Union’s Assistant General Secretary, who was present in the first meeting. “In the globalized chemical sector such benchmarks are critically important for our members worldwide and IndustriALL will continue to widen these practices with our industry-leading companies.”

Having celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2013, Solvay employs around 26,000 employees in 119 sites in 52 countries.

Egger Group continues union busting at its Turkish plant

When IndustriALL Global Union’s Turkish affiliate, Lastik-Is, began to successfully organize the majority of the workforce at Roma Plastik at the end of last year, local management reacted by dismissing union members. A total of 14 people have been sacked so far.

Furthermore, local management carries on threatening workers with dismissals and punishments if they join the union. If union members leave Lastik-Is, Roma Plastik says they will be awarded with an extra bonus equivalent to three-months’ salary.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Security has issued an official certificate confirming that Lastik-Is has the sufficient legal majority to make the union eligible as a bargaining party at Roma Plastik.

In a letter to the company chairman, Michael Egger, in Austria, IndustriALL’s general secretary, Jyrki Raina, said:

“I urge you to use your authority over the local management of Roma Plastik to immediately withdraw from any kind of pressure over the union members in their free choice of trade union membership, and enter into a meaningful dialogue with Lastik-Is to establish fair labour relations and working conditions.”

In response, central management claimed that it is a local matter not related to Egger Group’s headquarters in Tirol, Austria. For IndustriALL, this answer is not credible.

Lastik-Is continues its actions at the plant while IndustriALL and its Austrian affiliate, PRO-GE, in cooperation with the Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) and its affiliate GBH, keep pressing Egger Group to reinstate the dismissed workers and recognize Lastik-Is.

“If Egger Group insists on ignoring the labour violations in Turkey, we will escalate our campaign by reaching out to their customers in the construction sector,” said Kemal Özkan, Assistant General Secretary at IndustriALL.