SKF trade union committee adopts resolution on precarious work

Within SKF precarious work is something that the World Union Committee (WUC) monitors and ensures to follow-up on regular basis in order to take action and reduce unnecessary use of precarious work wherever it might occur in the company.

Therefore, on 7 October the SKF WUC undertakes to join the global union fight against the spread of precarious work and demands:

Mexican lawyer wins top human rights award

Ancheita is the founder and executive director of Mexican organisation Proyecto de Derechos Economicos, Sociales y Culturales (ProDESC), helping local communities to stand up for their rights. She has spent the past 15 years working to protect land and labour rights from the ruthless greed of transnational mining and energy companies, often putting her her own life at risk in the process.

“It is a huge honour, not only for the recognition of my work and the work of my organization, but also in recognition of the dangerous conditions that human rights defenders are facing in Mexico,” she said on receiving the prize. “It is also a great responsibility,” she added.

The individuals and communities she helps often face violent attacks. Ancheita has been a pioneer in seeking justice in Mexican courts when companies failed to take local communities’ rights into account.

“Alejandra Ancheita’s selection by the jury highlights the array of forces facing human rights defenders,” says Micheline Calmy-Rey, the former Swiss foreign minister who chairs the Martin Ennals foundation.

“In Mexico, there is a clear pattern of attacks, threats, criminalization, and murder of human rights defenders. Ms. Ancheita and ProDESC have been subjected to surveillance, a defamation campaign in the national media, and a break in at their offices.”

IndustriALL Global Union assistant general secretary Fernando Lopes says:

We are happy and proud to continue working with ProDESC, to strengthen the democratic unions in Mexico. Alejandra Ancheita’s commitment to human rights is remarkable and we warmly congratulate her for the award. Her work is very important in a country where trade union and people’s rights are often blatantly disregarded at the expense of big corporations.

The Martin Ennals Award, named after the former secretary general of Amnesty International, is given to human rights defenders who show deep commitment to their cause despite huge personal risk.

The award was created in 1993, two years after Ennals died. The jury is composed of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists and seven other international campaign organisations.

The laureate receives a prize of 20,000 Swiss francs (USD 20,700).

The December issue of the Global Worker will contain an in-depth article on Alejandra Ancheita. 

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

The Seminar brought together unionists from several unions in Trinidad and Tobago to discuss precarious work, with a key focus on contract work and its implication on the working class.

Contract work is the enemy of permanent labour

said Ancel Roget, OWTU President General, at the STOP Precarious Work Seminar commemorating World Day of Decent Work.

BULGARIA

The unions together sent an alarming message to the IndustriALL European Trade Union, concerning an incorrect transposition of EU Parliament and Council Directive 2003/88/EC, dated from 4 November 2003 in the Bulgarian legislation.

Particularly the unions are worried by the fact of application of the above-mentioned Directive to the organization of working time, since in its present form it would lead to limitation of the social and labour rights of the Bulgarian workers.

The necessity of some immediate amendments in the legislation concerning working time, night work, etc was also discussed.

Legal advisors of the different Federations participated in the PODKREPA campaign and distributed vouchers for free legal services in the field of industrial matters, labour market, education and training, youth activities,  health  and safety at work.

Information about the events was transmitted in the websites of the organizations as well as by the Bulgarian media.

SOMALIA

The World Day for Decent Work was a great opportunity for the tripartite partners (trade unions, employers and government) to stress their cooperation to achieve a decent work agenda. Success comes through partnership, participation and negotiation, and this joint position of tripartite partners is a strong cooperation.

MOLSA, SCCI and FESTU believe that the notion of decent work is based on the belief that work is not merely a source of income but is essentially a source of personal dignity, family stability, peace in the community, and economic growth for the entire nation that expands opportunities for productive jobs and employment.

For the first time on this occasion of the WDDW, MOLSA, SCCI and FESTU have come together in a spirit of social dialogue and consultation so that the goal of decent work for all becomes a reality in the Federal Republic of Somalia.

Somalia needs rights-based and people-centred development. Workplaces and working people are the essence of the social pillar. It is through opportunities for decent work that many of those today trapped in poverty can have access to sustainable livelihoods. It is also by making workplaces safe and healthy that Somali people can meet their needs in acceptable conditions.

MOLSA, SCCI and FESTU collectively call for an end to precarious work and reform of labour code of Somalia in compliance with international labour standards.

The tripartite partners sent a strong message that decent work is the foundation of a decent life and a strong and equitable Somalia.

CZECH REPUBLIC

All the documents are available on: http://www.oskovo.cz/specializace-mezinarodni-cinnost-industriall-glogal/globalni-kampan-stop-rizikove-praci

To mark the World Day for Decent Work, OS KOVO participated in a Demonstration organised in Budapest by their Hungarian Colleagues in the framework of the IndustriAll European Trade Union's Eastern Regional Meeting, which took place on 7 October 2014.

Some members of OS KOVO also took part in the activity organized by IndustriALL affilaite OZ KOVO union in Zilina, Slovakia.

OS KOVO Presidium will also include the issue of Precarious Work into the agenda of its meeting which will take place on Ceske Budejovice in mid October.

CROATIA

During the press conference the union brought to the public knowledge the fact that most of the newly employed in Croatia in the last year have been employed on short term contracts.

GEORGIA

Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia (TUMMCIWG) organized a human chain near Zestafoni ferroalloy plant. Some 100 metallurgists and miners from Zestafoni, Tkibuli and Chiatura cities participated in the rally aimed to attract public attention to the problem of precarious work in Georgia.

The Trade Union of Energy Workers of Georgia (GTUEW) held a community action at a hydropower station to mark the World Day for Decent Work. IndustriALL affiliate the GTUEW held a community action with their members to mark the World Day for Decent work in front of Chitakhechesi hydropower station where litter at the plant was cleaned and thrown away.

Successful Thunderclap campaign to STOP Precarious Work

A total of 1,592 supporters signed up to Thunderclap, reaching a massive 1,194,792 people. At the same time, unions all over the world are taking action today to demand secure jobs. Take a look at our STOP Precarious Work page to see what went on during the World Day for Decent Work, 7 October.

BELARUS

On 7 October activists of the IndustriALL affiliate Belarusian Radio and Electronic Industry Workers' Union, REP held actions on the World Day for Decent Work.

The protesters handed out leaflets and union newsletters in different cities of the Belarus including Minsk, Gomel, Brest, Vitebsk, Grodno, Mogilev, Bobruisk, Baranovichi, Zhodino, Smalyavichy and Borisov.

To raise the public awareness on the issue of precarious work and the Global Day of action against it union activists distributed leaflets and other materials near the factories, in the markets, at bus stops and other public places.

IndustriALL affiliate Free Trade Union of Metalworkers, SPM tried to organize pickets in five cities of the country. Unfortunately despite their declared peaceful nature the authorities denied them all. Notwithstanding the obstruction of the authorities SPM together with other independent trade unions held a number of actions dedicated to the World Day for Decent Work.

SPM activists in Minsk distributed a special edition of the newspaper ‘Rabochee slovo’ (Worker’s word) describing the situation of workers at Belarusian enterprises where administrative arbitrariness rules and where stranglehold of short-term contracts almost turns workers into semi-slaves, limiting their rights, freedoms and seeding fear everywhere.

At the gates to the Minsk Automobile Factory (one of the biggest in the country) the entire edition of the newspaper ‘Rabochee slovo’ has been distributed among workers in 15-20 minutes. Some of them while picking up the newspaper regretted that these actions are not often taking place. Others made quite strong statements against the management of the factory.

Another Belarusian affiliate of IndustriALL, the Independent trade union of Miners at JSC Belaruskali, held a meeting of the Council of Representatives on the World Day for Decent Work. Valery Kiryenka, General Director of the potash producing company Belaruskali took part in the meeting focused on discussion of the working conditions and wages at Belaruskali. The enterprise is one of the biggest producers and exporters of potash fertilizers in the world.

For more details, follow the link on the union website.