In Bogota the three national centres the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia (CUT), the Confederación de Trabajadores de Colombia (CTC) and the Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) as well pensioners’ associations, students, and Global Union Federations (GUFs) (UNI, ITF, BWI, IUF, PSI and IndustriALL), participated in a rally gathering around a thousand people from Bolivar Square through avenida 7.
Two tier contracts, that set in place lower salaries and benefits for future hires, are becoming prevalent in North America as employers see two advantages: firstly to reduce staff costs going forward; and secondly to weaken the union as new hires will resent the previous bargaining unit that voted to maintain their own pay but reduce new hires’.
Staunchly rejecting this attempt by NGF Canada, Workers United Local 2641 were supported by the local unions, students and community in Guelph to stop work at the glass plant. Strike action started on 30 September. Management was forced to the negotiating table on 11 October, after the allies together blocked the company’s attempt to bring in scab workers on 9 and 10 October.
The union and company initiated talks on 11 October and arrived at a tentative agreement. The following day the agreement was discussed, voted and ratified.
The new five-year contract includes wage increases of 1 per cent graduating to 2 per cent in years four and five. An increase in the signing bonus was also included. But most important were the retraction of the two-tier contract and the limiting of part-time student employment to academic holidays.
Susan Taylor, President of Local 2641 stated:
We fought the good fight. We are a small local but we stood up for respect and the next generation of workers. Our local has been invigorated by this experience and by the solidarity and generosity of the labour movement in Guelph, internationally and the community as a whole. We will never be the same. We will never forget.
Workers United gave special thanks to IndustriALL for the quick message of solidarity and support that was read out at the picket line. IndustriALL general secretary Raina also wrote to the general manager of NGF Canada.
Belgian affiliate FGTB Centrale Générale also sent a solidarity message.
NGF is a subsidiary of the Nippon Sheet Glass group, one of the four largest glass multinationals in the world, headquartered in Japan.
To mark the World Day for Decent Work (WDDW) a community action took place, at the Harare central bus terminus, where union members cleaned-up the littered area. The clean-up was followed by a march across town with workers singing songs of solidarity and holding banners demanding decent work and decent wages.
The action came at a time when according to a ZCTU survey, a total of 4,172 people have lost their jobs, between January and September 2014, compared to about 9000 jobs lost and 75 company closures in 2013. Most of these job losses were recorded in the security, engineering, motor, clothing and textile, and printing industries.
The fight against against precarious work continues as workers who still have jobs struggle get their salaries paid on time. 2014 has seen workers from various sectors taking to the streets in protest.
For years now, the ZCTU has been fighting for wages that are linked to the poverty datum line which is currently at USD$500.00, we have also been fighting the rot in public institutions for the betterment of our country
said the ZCTU’s President George Nkiwane in his speech whilst addressing workers.
Whilst delivering his solidarity message, IndustriALL Global Union Country Coordinating Committee Chairperson in Zimbabwe, Cde Wise Garira said
workers are an important resource and should be treated with dignity.
He added that
precarious work is associated with death and we all should fight it.
Wise also gave a brief history of IndustriALL Global Union and encouraged same sector unions to merge because there is power in unity.
CFMEU
CFMEU circulated the global flyer to workers at all Rio Tinto mines sites with CFMEU members.
At these sites, CFMEU also circulated a new report it released on 7 October which exposes the anti-union philosophy behind Rio Tinto's 'direct engagement' management strategy.
Bradon Ellem, the author of the report, argues that the long-held policy sounds innocent but is really code for a ruthless effort to exclude unions from playing a meaningful role in its workplaces.
In Mackay, CFMEU did a training for CFMEU members employed by Rio Tinto about the global day and Rio Tinto’s history of labor disputes around the world.
CFMEU in the north near mine sites drove a trailer pulling a sign with the Rio Tinto The Ugly Truth logo and a variety of messages about the need for less precarious labor at Rio Tinto. It was part of the effort to build awareness among union members and communities about the global campaign at Rio Tinto and Rio Tinto’s bad employment practices.
ABC News Australia extended interview: CFMEU National Vice President Andrew Vickers speaks to Ticky |
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AMWU
AMWU leadership attended the event to launch CFMEU’s report which exposes the anti-union philosophy behind Rio Tinto's 'direct engagement' management strategy.
AWU
AWU participated in the global day of action at Rio Tinto by promoting the day to its members at Rio Tinto through social media.
Leadership of IndustriALL affiliate NUM including Acting President Piet Matosa met with the Rio Tinto branch committee at the Rio Tinto Richards Bay operation to explain why the company was being targeted by unions around the world. NUM also distributed the global flyer to its members at the mine.
From the initial inspections of 1,106 garment factories in Bangladesh, the Accord’s inspectors have identified more than 80,000 safety issues needing to be resolved.
“We have found safety hazards in all factories, which was to be expected. The safety findings have ranged from minor to significant. The Accord team is now working intensively with factory owners, brands, and labour colleagues to ensure the safety findings are corrected,” Brad Loewen, the Accord’s Chief Safety Inspector said in a statement.
Issues range from corrective measures like reducing weight loads and adhering to load management plans, to more substantial safety requirements. These include installing fire doors and automated fire alarm systems, establishing fire protected exits from factory buildings, and strengthening of columns in the buildings, have also been identified.
In 17 building inspections, the Accord inspections found that the structural integrity of the building fell below an acceptable level of safety. This led the Accord to submit its inspection results to the Government of Bangladesh’ Review Panel and recommend a temporary evacuation of the building.
IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Jyrki Raina welcomes the completion of the initial inspections:
Thanks to the inspections the repair work has already started – the journey towards a safe and sustainable garment industry in Bangladesh is well and truly under way. We will continue to organise the factories to build strong unions capable of securing workers’ rights.
The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh came into being after the tragedy at Rana Plaza in April 2013. Pioneered by IndustriALL and UNI Global Union it covers garment factories and is signed by companies who source from them in Bangladesh. The signatory brands have committed to support the Bangladeshi garment sector with continued sourcing commitments and support for remediation where needed
USW
Activists from USW Local 9490 took action at Rio Tinto Alcan in Alma during the World Day for Decent Work (WDDW) on 7 October.
A special edition of USW Local 9490 at Rio Tinto Alcan in Alma Quebec newspaper «Le jaseur express» in French, was distributed to 800 members of the local on the WDDW. The message is clear, "Rio Tinto must change and end precarious work!"
One of the main issues of the Alma struggle was to garantee quality jobs for the next generations. It was a major struggle against subcontracting, against precarious work.
USW Local 7493 at at Rio Tinto Poudres Métalliques in Sorel Québec distributed in lunchrooms a place mat in French on october 7th to its 200 members. Text on the place mat documents Rio Tinto unsustainable behavior across the world and gave way to good discussions between workers and the members of the Union executive comitee on the need for example to build more solidarity to face the challenges in Rio Tinto facilities all across the world. They also put on all the boards the copies of the IndustriALL material for the action day.
Ron Thomas, president of the USW Local at Rio Tinto iron ore mine in Labrador City spoke to a reporter from the Aurora newspaper about the attacks on workers by the company. The USW local also distributed the global flyer to its members in Labrador.
UNIFOR
IndustriALL affiliate UNIFOR, at UNIFOR Local 2301 in Kitimat, British Colombia, held a march and rally protesting the treatment of Kitimat workers by Rio Tinto. They also distributed the global flyer to all their members at the Rio Tinto aluminum smelter there and to all the residents of Kitimat.
The action was part of a global "day of defiance" against Rio Tinto happening in more than 20 countries, coinciding with the World Day for Decent Work.
FIM-CSN
IndustriALL affiliate, the Fédération de l’Industrie Manufacturière de la Construction des Syndicats Nationaux (FIM-CSN) distributed the global flyer to its 1200 members at the RioTinto Fer et Titane worksite in Sorel, Quebec
The activities in Nigeria had the full support of the Nigerian Labour Congress with the active participation of Congress’ anti casualization committee.
More than 200 workers and their children rallied in support of the fired Ansell workers. Striking for justice for their wrongfully dismissed colleagues, workers are paying a high price through financial difficulties and social problems. But the clear message is that a year later, the struggle to reinstate the workers continues at full force.
The conflict at the Ansell factory, where they produce surgical and industrial gloves, in one of Sri Lanka’s free trade zones has seen 294 workers out of a job for a year. The workers were fired when striking in support of eleven sacked colleagues and trade union representatives.
The Supreme Court has instructed Ansell to negotiate a settlement with the trade union FTZGSEU, which the company blatantly refuses to do.
IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Jyrki Raina says the support for the struggling workers remains unwavering:
IndustriALL is committed to achieve a fair resolution which sees the nearly 300 workers reinstated. It is high time for Ansell to step up and end these people’s plight.
