Guatemala Ternium union wins major victory

Following a court decision ordering Ternium to reinstate the workers with the payment of lost wages, nine dismissed union leaders of the SITRATERNIUM union entered the plant on 22 August. The workers were accompanied by the court officer and staff from the United Nations office in Guatemala. Two of the dismissed workers have yet to be reinstated as a result of an error in the spelling in their names and the union is remaining on the alert to ensure the mistake is put right and that the workers receive their back wages.

The workers were illegally fired in 2012 after forming a union to stand up for their rights. Company management had constantly bragged that it could do whatever it wanted with its workers and that it didn’t care about government regulations. Abuses at the company included denying workers the right to take sick leave and forcing them to work seven days a week.

For the past two years the union leaders have endured major hardship in their struggle to uphold their rights. The members of the Sindicato de Trabajadores de Ternium de Guatemala (SITRATERNIUM), which is a member of IndustriALL affiliate FESTRAS, have been buoyed in their efforts by the unconditional support of the Ternium union network as well as by the solidarity of many other unions both nationally and internationally.

According to the ITUC Global Rights Index released in May 2014, Guatemala is ranked as one of the world’s worst countries for workers, who effectively have no access to the rights spelled out in their country’s legislation and are therefore exposed to gross unfair labour practices. As a result of decades of repression, fewer than 2 percent of Guatemalan workers are union members

The leading Latin American steel company Ternium has production centers in Argentina, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia and the United States. The company manufactures steel and value-added products.

Building union power in Latin America's textile sector

The FES-funded workshop brought together forty-five union leaders from Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Mexico and Uruguay.

The workshop gave the participants the opportunity to learn the workings of global framework agreements and networks, and to dive into the many challenges of confronting global capital in a constantly changing global garment supply chain. Participants discussed the merits of strategic organizing and engaged in a hands-on mapping exercise.

Isidor Boix, from IndustriALL Global Union Spanish affiliate CCOO de Industria and coordinator of the global framework agreement with Spanish retail giant Inditex, joined the meeting via skype. Union leaders from Argentina and Brazil outlined the advances that have been made in their country to organize the Inditex plants in their respective countries.

The workshop was followed by a one-day regional textile conference, which gave delegates the opportunity to drill down into IndustriALL’s strategic plan for the region and to discuss how to implement it in the textile clothing and leather sectors.

Participants also engaged in a discussion with CSI/TUCA representative Bulend Karadag on how to use the Playfair campaign to ensure respect for the rights of workers employed in the supply chain of mega sporting events such as the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Australian unions protest denial of visas to dismissed Ansell workers

The visas were denied to the Sri Lankan head of the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union (FTZGSEU), and two workers recently employed at Ansell’s manufacturing operation in the Biyagama Free Trade Zone in Sri Lanka. Ansell fired these and nearly 300 other workers when they struck in support of 11 sacked colleagues and trade union representatives in October 2013.

The Australian government’s official decision records state that the visas were denied for failing to have sufficient personal wealth.

AMWU National President Andrew Dettmer said that it is clear the Australian Government led by anti-union Prime Minister Tony Abbott has refused entry to the Sri Lankans on political grounds.

We have a federal government denying lawful entry into Australia based on ideology and wealth. Is it any wonder that three Sri Lankan workers, two of whom were recently sacked by Ansell, have ‘insufficient’ personal funds by Australian standards?

Michele O’Neil, National Secretary of the TCFUA, said the head of the FTZGSEU, Anton Marcus, is an international trade union figure and has been to Australia four times previously and it has never been a problem before now.

These union delegates planned to come to Australia to talk about the anti-worker tactics implemented in Sri Lanka by Ansell and to seek international solidarity. We will continue to protest with or without our honoured guests to expose this company’s harsh and unjust treatment of workers in Sri Lanka.

The FTZGSEU is pressuring for a fair settlement in Sri Lanka as the case against the unfair dismissal slowly winds its way through the Sri Lankan judicial system.

IndustriALL continues its campaign in support of the nearly 300 Sri Lankan workers unjustly dismissed by Ansell. It has included outreach to Ansell customers, 11,000 protest emails sent to Ansell management, a support mission to Sri Lanka, and an OECD Complaint.

“We commend our Australian affiliates CFMEU, TCFUA and AMWU for their support and we condemn the Australian government for siding with Ansell in blocking this union delegation,” stated IndustriALL Global Union General Secretary Jyrki Raina.

“The best way to resolve this dispute is through good faith dialogue with Ansell, not in the courts or in the streets. However until Ansell shows a willingness to work toward a fair settlement, we’ll continue to do everything we can to support FTZGSEU in this struggle,” added Raina.

Capacity building in Egypt

Following industrial actions in the workplace, the last few years have seen an increase in the number of independent unions in Egypt.

During the first half of August, IndustriALL Global Union organized four capacity building seminars for industrial unions in Egypt. The 80 representatives from affiliates and potential affiliates in metal, petrochemicals, textile, oil and gas unions, were introduced to strategic organizing skills.

Egypt has among the highest numbers of multinational companies (MNCs) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It is also one of the top four MENA countries hosting MNCs signatories to global framework agreements (GFA).

IndustriALL's program focused on introducing international tools on organizing and defending workers' rights in MNCs and their supply chain. The sessions discussed strategies on the implementation of GFAs and the application of OECD Guidelines for MNCs, as well as company level networking.

Experts shared their input on international labor standards and ILO conventions with relation to the current draft Labour Law presented by the Egyptian government. Participants emphasized that the absence of union freedoms law is a key challenge for the development and growth of the independent union movement and workplace democracy in Egypt. They called on the government and Egyptian authorities to urgently adopt the draft discussed and introduced by unions.

Intense discussions and insights at industry and national levels enabled representatives to identify common objectives and develop strategies for the respective industries. Union growth, adopting fair labour and trade union laws, organizing and industry level coordination are the main objectives for joint work in the future.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL Global Union Assistant General Secretary says:

Despite the serious challenges faced by our Egyptian colleagues in the independent unions, strong will and enthusiasm still constitute the major drive of workers struggle for better future. IndustriALL is happy with the progress of cooperation and will continue the efforts to include more our Egyptian colleagues in our global family.

Trainees win equal treatment at auto parts producer in India

In July 2014 Plastic Omnium Auto Exteriors India Pvt. Ltd., an Indian division of the French multinational automotive supplier Plastic Omnium and workers represented by the trade union Plastic Omnium Varroc Kamgar Sangathna arrived at an amicable settlement for the company trainees. The matter is that despite of doing the same work the trainees were lower paid than their permanently employed colleagues. To revise the situation and obtain justice for the workers in June 2014 the Union submitted their Charter of Demands on behalf of the 48 trainee workmen employed by the company.

Series of meetings, discussions, dialogues were held between the union representatives and the company, which resulted in an amicable settlement. It is agreed by and between the parties that all the trainees shall be made permanent and permanent workers’ conditions shall be extended to them.

The existing settlement for permanent workers is valid for one year and next agreement applicable to all workmen shall be concluded from 1 July 2015.

During this one year, the trainees who have been made permanent shall be given monthly rise by Rs. 4,000 (50 Euros), so that their total wages shall be Rs. 12,000 (150 Euros) per month, their gross salaries with all the benefits will equal to Rs. 15,000 (185 Euros) per month. The settlement will hopefully serve a benchmark for other companies in the area.

Madagascar: IndustriALL supports drive to organize, educate and fight back at Rio Tinto

The workshop and organizing drive form part of IndustriALL’s global campaign to build union power at Rio Tinto plants around the world. Through increased unionisation in the workplace, the campaign aims to make the mining giant recognise fundamental workers' rights, such as the right to organise and collective bargaining.

QMM, which is 80 per cent owned by Rio Tinto, employs 500 workers directly. Another 1500 workers are servicing QMM through its subcontractors. Their work largely depends on QMM renewing contracts.

IndustriALL is assisting FISEMA in organising the mining industry in Madagascar, with a particular focus on Rio Tinto. Even though working conditions at QMM are considered to be better than many other mines in the country the bar is low and there is a lot to be done; not least as many workers are afraid to join unions.

Local union leaders have committed to organizing all workers at QMM, both direct and indirect. Participants at the workshop devised strategies to strengthen FISEMA and build a network of Rio Tinto workers regionally, nationally and internationally. Plans on educating members and improving leadership training have also been devised. Furthermore, membership targets have been set and monitoring strategies put in place.

Global day of action to fight back

The establishment of Rio Tinto in Fort Dauphin has increased the cost of living in the region and despite the fact QMM workers are paid approximately four times the minimum wage, many still need a second job to be able to survive.

As the extractive industry is new to Malagasy workers, they rely solely on information provided by employers when it comes to operational health and safety.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL Assistant general secretary, says:

IndustriALL is committed to bringing FISEMA together with the global network of Rio Tinto workers to strengthen the fight for freedom of association and better safety and working conditions at Rio Tinto sites worldwide.

Together, IndustriALL and FISEMA are preparing for the global day of union action at Rio Tinto on 7 October, a day in which IndustriALL affiliates around the world take action as part of the IndustriALL STOP Precarious Work campaign.

Organizing in Bangladesh – changing the dynamics

1,300 garment workers in Gazipur, Dhaka turned to their union federation, IndustriALL Global Union affiliate the Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers Federation (BIGUF) and the Solidarity Center for support. By working to develop a constructive relationship with the employer, Masco Cotton, both sides have been able to sit down and negotiate and resolve issues in the factory.

Despite being faced with serious challenges when some workers lost their jobs and one union application being rejected three times before the Joint Director of Labour (JDL) registered it, workers persevered.

“They worked hard to demonstrate to the employer that overall if both sides sat down and negotiated, worker empowerment through a trade union could be beneficial for the factory,” says Rashedul Alom Raju, acting general secretary of the BIGUF.

“I am very happy that we have established a good relationship with our employer, but it hasn’t been a smooth path,” says Faruk, president of the Masco Cotton Ltd. Workers Union. “At first, I was suspended along with three other workers for trade union activity, and it was two and a half months before we were reinstated.”

Faruk continues:

“It took a lot of hard work for us to make the employer understand our problems. The training we received from BIGUF helped a lot. They trained us how to talk to and negotiate with the management.”

Through the process of negotiation, workers in the union factories have bargained with the employer to ensure they receive their salaries on time, and to increase attendance and other bonuses as well as night-shift differentials. The unions and management now meet monthly to discuss routine labour disputes and other issues. A recent negotiation was on the leave for the religious holiday Eid and to increase the number of fans on the factory floor.

Organizing for a sustainable garment industry

IndustriALL is supporting a major organizing project aiming to build a comprehensive union presence in the Bangladeshi garment factories. And the results are already showing. In 2013, the Bangladeshi government agreed to facilitate the registration of new local unions and in the last 12 months IndustriALL affiliates have organized more than 100 factories and 40,000 workers.

IndustriALL General secretary Jyrki Raina says that the aim is to beat those numbers in 2014.

Increasing union membership is a pivotal part of the long march towards a safe and sustainable garment industry in Bangladesh.

"The next step is then to provide the needed training to build the new union leaders’ capacity for collective bargaining, health and safety, and for solving problems.“

Mahbubul executive director of the Masco factory group says that training for both the management and the union can play an important role in developing a constructive relationship and maintaining industrial peace:

“The potential benefit of having a union in the factory is that we hear the voice of all the workers. Management can then understand the workers’ issues and work to solve those problems.”

Sanjida Akhter, worker and president of Masco Industries Ltd. Workers Unity Union, one of three union factories affiliated with BIGUF in the five-factory group, says:

“Before we formed a union in our factory, workers had no way to communicate with the employer. But now things are different. Management will even approach the union to work out and discuss issues in the factory.”

Credit: Solidarity Centre

Two-month UWUA strike defeats subcontracting attack

Members of UWUA System Local 537 ratified the new four-year agreement on 16 August. The almost 150 UWUA workers’ eight-week work stoppage paid off with solid job protections in the contract. The agreement covers four Pennsylvania-American Water worksites through the Pittsburgh area, USA.

The new agreement also drops management’s earlier attempt to heavily curtail employee sick leave benefits, and awards workers significant “catch up” salary increases after four years without a raise. But the major priority for the UWUA members was to block the subcontracting language that would have allowed management to replace their jobs with outsourced contractors.

Kevin Booth, System President of UWUA Local 537 saluted the new agreement:

We can now return to work delivering essential public services to our customers without fear that management will destroy working families’ jobs through unfair subcontracting.

The previous collective agreement expired in May 2011 and the union struggle for this new labour agreement was hard-fought.

IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Jyrki Raina congratulated affiliate UWUA:

When we fight, we win. This is the sort of standard setting victory against the global trend of employers using precarious work to weaken trade unions and the rights of all workers. UWUA’s members deserve job security. We salute this win.

Honeywell Once Again Locks USW Members Out in the US

The facility converts milled uranium, known as yellowcake uranium, into uranium hexafluoride (UF6) that is used in nuclear fuel enrichment. The potentially dangerous process requires the experience and knowledge of the now locked out Steelworkers, and the irresponsible corporate decision is putting local communities at risk.

The last time, three years ago, that plant management attempted to continue production during a 14-month lock out, there were two near-miss tragedies due to mishandling of dangerous chemicals, and management was cited by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for helping replacement scab workers to cheat on exams that ultimately allowed them to operate the facility.

The previous lock out was the precursor to a three-year collective agreement, ratified by USW members on 2 August 2011. At the start of that lock out, Honeywell was intent on taking away pension benefits, the accompanying health care benefits, as well as union-protection provisions. But Local 7-669 members won the decent collective agreement that is now up for renewal.

This time around, Honeywell is going all out in an attempt to bust the union. The company proposal in bargaining with USW includes language that would allow management to systematically replace permanent, union workers with contractors. The unskilled contractors cost Honeywell more than the permanent USW workers already at the plant.

At approximately 11:45 pm August 1, Honeywell management entered the bargaining room and offered a virtually unchanged proposal, despite the union offering a comprehensive counter proposal 4 hours earlier. When the union’s negotiating committee declined to take the offer to the membership for a vote, the company notified the union that they would be locked out of the plant effective immediately.

Sign the petition here – https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/dont-put-our-communities-at-risk-end-the-lockout-and-bring-back-the-experienced-usw-workforce

IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Jyrki Raina told Honeywell CEO Cote today in a letter:

What a message to send to your workforce and local community, that your company would rather risk a nuclear accident than bargain in good faith with their Local 7-669. This is disgraceful corporate misbehaviour and we will continue to support the USW members at Honeywell until they get a fair collective agreement they deserve.

Another round of bargaining will take place at 10 a.m. on 18 August. The job security issue is not the only company attack that management is refusing to address. The present company proposal is a cut to workers’ health care equaling a 10% cut in wages. Honeywell workers are exposed to increased radiation so justifiably propose proper safety checks.

See the full details of the bargaining committee’s proposals on the Local 7-669 website here – http://usw7-669.com/story/what-we-are-fighting

Future still uncertain on AGOA

Trade and investment, specifically the extension of AGOA, topped the agenda at the US Africa Leaders Summit from 4 to 6 August 2014 in Washington DC. AGOA is a non-reciprocal preferential trade programme under which products from eligible sub-Saharan African countries have duty-free access to US markets. It was first passed by US Congress under the Clinton administration in 2000 and is due to expire in September 2015. The uncertainty over its extension is having an increasingly negative impact on orders placed with African based suppliers.

As a result, IndustriALL Global Union is calling for AGOA to be a permanent programme to encourage longer-term and higher capital investment, which may also lead to increased diversity in exports from the region.

Tens of thousands of jobs in the garment sector are dependent on exports under AGOA, which make up one fifth of non-petroleum exports under the trade agreement. However, there are poor working conditions in many of these garment factories.

There are many examples; most recently Jane Ragoo and Reaaz Chotoo of Mauritian union Chemical Manufacturing and Connected Trades Employees Union reported that “Workers' interests are the least priority of AGOA and thus the US. The wages are so low and the job so precarious that a vast majority of Mauritian workers do not want to join the textile sector. Consequently, more than 50 per cent of the workforce in the textile sector is made up of foreign workers and month after month this number is increasing. So the competitive edge of the textile sector in Mauritius is geared towards the exploitation of foreign workers.”

IndustriALL has also recommended that the special provision given to Lesser Developed Countries, which allowed fabric from a third country to be used in the production of garment exports under AGOA, be extended to all AGOA eligible countries, such as South Africa.

“South Africa’s apparel exports to the US have collapsed since the early 2000s partly due to the fact that it has been displaced by exports from mainly Asian countries and because the South African textile sector has shrunk with fewer spinning, weaving and knitting mills,” reports Etienne Vlok, researcher at the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union. “This has meant it has been very difficult to comply with the current AGOA rule of using local yarn and fabric in order to benefit from AGOA.”

IndustriALL hopes the need for redress on exploitative conditions and other issues will result in a revision of AGOA that strengthens the protection of workers and jobs. Due consideration of the recommendations from labour, including the largest federation of unions in the United States – the AFL-CIO, as well as from other stakeholders may increase the time it takes to draft the reauthorisation. When AGOA will be addressed by Congress is anyone’s guess, with some holding little hope that the extension will happen before 2015.