SAPPI trade union network builds worker power

Responding to a common trend throughout SAPPI’s international operations of cuts to employment conditions and attacks on trade union rights, the SAPPI trade unions created the first IndustriALL company network in the paper sector a year ago, in June 2013.

The 3-4 September meeting was conducted in Brussels and hosted by IndustriALL’s Belgian affiliates representing SAPPI workers at the two confederations ACV/BIE and ABVV/FGTB. Twenty-two participants from USA, Germany, Belgium and IndustriALL participated.

The network builds power and solidarity between SAPPI unions through important information exchange and comparisons of company tactics in the respective plants in different countries. 

Common concerns of SAPPI workers regardless of the country include increased outsourcing, retrenchment without reduced workload, increased outsourcing and precarious working contracts, health and safety concerns, and workers being played off against each other by management. An example of a common anti worker tactic is SAPPI’s two-tier contracts that make it increasingly difficult for unions to organise new and young workers.

The network agreed its plan of action going forward continuing its exercise of mapping union strength throughout the company, and continue to build its unity going forward.

The network elected Peter Schuld of IG BCE as its new president for the coming two years.

IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Jyrki Raina stated:

The SAPPI trade union network now stands as an example to others for building power and unity amongst workers inside a multinational.  We will continue to build the foundations and establish a strong counterweight to this company.

Sappi has approximately 13,500 employees in over 20 countries in Africa, North America and Europe. Sappi’s paper production capacity is 5.6 million tons a year, paper pulp production is 3.5 million tons a year, and is the world's largest manufacturer of dissolving wood pulp with production capacity of 1.3 million tons a year.

Sappi’s paper products are used for countless paper products, from magazine covers to confectionary wrapping, from cigarette packets to jam jar labels.

Urgent call to action for Cambodian garment workers!

In early October, the Labour Advisory Committee in Cambodia is to announce a new minimum wage for workers in the garment, textile and footwear industry, which generates US$5 billion in revenue for the country.

At this critical juncture, a coalition of Cambodian garment unions has called for international solidarity to support their demands for a raise in the minimum wage from US$100 to US$177 a month.

IndustriALL, the ITUC and UNI are asking affiliates to take part in the global day of action by organizing mobilizations outside Cambodian embassies and presenting a letter to the ambassador. As there are only a few Cambodian embassies around the world, affiliates can also send a letter directly to the Cambodian government.

Garment workers in Cambodia deserve to live in dignity and receive a fair wage. Poverty wages mean that many workers are undernourished and compelled to work exhausting overtime hours to survive.

Affiliate support for our similar day of action on 10 February was instrumental in helping to release 23 Cambodian wage protestors arrested by authorities during the deadly police crackdown on demonstrators in January.

Please show your support now and help make a difference again.

Email us for more information on how to join your nearest action: [email protected].  

Download this model letter to present to the Cambodian Ambassador.

Download and print the campaign poster (opposite) and take it to your protest, and send us the pictures! 

12 workers in Pakistan acquitted after two-year trial

Charges against the 12 workers were brought in 2012; they were accused of engaging in political activities Under the Pakistani Anti-Terrorist Act. Six of the accused workers were arrested and tortured at the local police station in Karachi. They were later released on bail.

After enduring a long trial with more than 100 hearings, the twelve activists were finally acquitted on 29 August.

IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina welcomes the acquittal:

We are happy to see the end of this struggle after a drawn-out trial. We will support our affiliate and their relentless fight for trade union rights in Pakistan.

Juno Lighting Group workers in dispute for fair wages in U.S.

Juno Lighting Group’s workers are represented by the Local 2565, Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board of Workers United, SEIU, an IndustriALL affiliate, and are bargaining a new collective agreement covering wages and conditions of employment for the hourly employees at Des Plaines, Illinois.  The decision to go on strike has been taken following several months of negotiations before and after the expiry of their current agreement at the end of August.

Juno Lighting Group is a private company purchased by the French multi-national Schneider Electric back in 2005.

Over the last months previous to the expiry of the contract Juno Lighting Group has insisted upon proposals the union believes to be unreasonable, because if accepted workers would be taken away their ability to have a living wage and dignity. Despite the fact that Local 2565 has already agreed to many of the demands put forward by the company, Juno Lighting Group demands for more concessions. The union says the Group has thrived since 1976 and can’t understand why the company needs to deny its workers of just wages.

The union says this is not a fight about worker “greed.” It is about worker justice. Unfortunately, Juno Lighting Group has forced the workers to engage in a labour strike based on Juno Lighting Group’s desire to undermine the union members’ living standards.

To support the striking workers IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina sent letter to the CEO of Schneider Electric France SA. In his letter Jyrki Raina said, “Workers United at Local 2565 are on strike as of yesterday due to the unwillingness of Juno Lighting to accept the reasonable and fair demands of workers for a wage increase. Instead, the company is offering a reduced wage increase to an already underpaid workforce. Workers are rightfully demanding a living wage that would help offset the rising cost of living, including individual healthcare coverage, housing, food, and education.”

In his letter Raina further added, “it is imperative that Schneider Electric guarantee decent working conditions and fair remuneration to the workers at its US subsidiary Juno Lighting, in full compliance with national labour law and international core labour standards.”

IndustriALL also conveyed a message of solidarity to the striking workers.

Juno Lighting Group has been established in 1976, and is engaged in the design, assembly and manufacture of a range of recessed and track architectural grade lighting products. Juno Lighting Group is one of the principal players in the US$12 Billion Lighting Industry.

Striking miners in Iran are released

Nine workers at the Bafgh Iron Ore Mine in Yazd, Iran, were detained when opposing the government’s insistence in privatizing the company, and, as consequence, deteriorating the working conditions of the miners.
 
More than 5,000 miners downed tools in support of the arrested colleagues, but yesterday went back to work when all nine workers were released on bail and authorities promised to stop the privatization.
 
IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary Kemal Özkan says:

We welcome the release of the arrested workers, but the struggle is not over. We continue to support the workers and their fight for the mine not to be privatised.

IndustriALL building power through support for organizing in Turkey

Trade union membership in Turkey has fallen dramatically in recent years. Participants in the two-day workshop identified a connection between declining unionization and an intensification of work, longer working hours and worsening work-life balance. They renewed their commitment to make organizing new members a top priority for their unions.

The workshop included discussions of principles of organizing, getting prepared for and planning organizing campaigns, prior organizing successes and failures, and global campaign strategies and tactics.

IndustriALL affiliate Petrol-IS presented their innovative “Get Unionized” organizing campaign. This campaign focuses on proactive and open communications with workers and the public, and on spreading the message that it is a workers’ right to get unionized.

“Unions in Turkey are under attack from the same neoliberal forces attacking unions around the globe. IndustriALL is working with our Turkish unions to ensure they can respond to these forces and build their power through organizing,” said IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary Kemal Özkan.

The workshop was jointly organized by IndustriALL and sister organisation UNI Global Union for Turkish affiliates of both federations. The two organisations have collaborated extensively on the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, an agreement designed to make all garment factories in Bangladesh safe workplaces. They have used their affiliates’ representation at different parts in the supply chain to pressure employers to join the Accord. IndustriALL has also collaborated with UNI on a joint IBM network. The IndustriALL’s Pulp & Paper sector has on going joint work with UNI’s graphical sector.

Mexican Appeals Court cancels last charges against Napoleón Gómez

In a unanimous decision issued in open court on 28 August, the Fourth Collegiate Tribunal for Criminal Matters of the First Circuit in the Federal District ruled that the government’s criminal charge against Gómez, based on the dissolution of a union trust fund in 2005, was baseless and unconstitutional. 

This is the eleventh time that the Mexican government charged Gómez with the same offense and the eleventh time that the appellate courts have ruled in his favour. The Mexican Attorney General’s office announced that it would respect the decision, which cannot be appealed.

IndustriALL Global Union General Secretary Jyrki Raina welcomes the decision:

“Despite pressure from anti-union companies the Mexican courts have finally dropped the last criminal charge against Napoleón Gómez. It is time to start preparations for Napoleón's return from his eight-year exile in Canada – there is so much trade union work to be done in Mexico!”

Since 2006 and Gómez’ strong condemnation of the industrial homicide at Pasta de Conchos, the mineworker leader has been persecuted by the corporate-government alliance and forced into exile in Vancouver, Canada.

In exile, Gómez has continued to lead Los Mineros and successfully bargain collective agreements improving the working conditions of the union members.

Gómez is a member of IndustriALL’s Executive Committee. However, since sham charges against him from the Mexican authorities have kept him on the Interpol red alert list he has been unable to take his seat as a titular member of the executive.

Jyrki Raina continues:

“This is a triumph for the relentless international trade union solidarity campaign and we look forward welcoming Gómez at our next Executive in December.”

Obituary – Bala Tampoe

One of the great figureheads of the Sri Lankan labour movement, Bala Tampoe, general secretary of CMU passed away on 1 September after a brief period of illness.

An advocate of criminal law, Bala became General Secretary of the CMU in February 1948. His work contributing to shape Sri Lanka’s political and social landscape spans more than 65 years, and under his leadership the CMU became one of the country’s largest trade unions in the commercial sector.

Known for challenging the political decisions of the government, Bala led a strike in the Colombo port in 1963. The struggle escalated into an all-island general strike and defied the government when it invoked its emergency powers.

Linus Jayatilake, President of the United Federation of Labour, and friend says:

“Comrade Bala leaves the CMU and the working-class at a moment of the emerging crisis of the neo-liberal capitalist system on a world scale. But the rich memories of his militancy and the class intransigence will be his sole contribution to the working class; to confront the collapse of this system.”

“His Marxist and left learnings led him to remain steadfast in the independence of the working-class against all forms of class-collaborationist politics.”

Until his death Bala retained the position as General Secretary and participated actively in major negotiations with the government and employers. During the past years he worked to get the Workers Charter implemented, as well as trying to get the unions to join forces and make the government of Sri Lanka ratify ILO Conventions 87 and 98.

IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina says:

“Bala Tampoe was a great man who dedicated his whole life to the struggles of the trade union movement. His achievements resonate with workers all around the world. He will be missed.”

IndustriALL demands release of arrested Iranian miners

Over 5000 miners have downed tools in support of the detained workers who who were arrested for taking part in a 40 day strike at the mine earlier this year.

IndustriALL is also alarmed that there is an arrest warrant for a further nine miners.

In his letter to the President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, IndustriALL’s general secretary Jyrki Raina said:

“We are utterly dismayed at the unlawful arrest of scores of miners and the escalation of the conflict by sending the riot police to the mine in response to the legitimate strike called by the workers on account of earlier illegal arrests on 19 August.

“It is important to note that workers have been detained because of their opposition to the government’s insistence in privatizing the company, and, as consequence, deteriorating the working conditions of the miners… In addition, all arrested workers should be immediately and unconditionally released.”

The miners, who have been on strike since the arrests, are also demanding that 15 per cent of revenue from the mine should be invested in the Yazd region.

The striking miners have received unprecedented support from the citizens of Bafgh who joined miners and their families for a large-scale sit-in outside the governor’s office. 

IndustriALL has also condemned the use of riot police to break up peaceful demonstrations by on 20 August in response to miners’ protests.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports state that one of the arrested miners has been released last night (1 September). 

IndustriALL India women discuss decent work

One of the complaints heard most often from women workers is about violations of their maternity rights. Maternity rights and maternity protection are part and parcel of the decent work agenda. Nevertheless these rights are not always enforced. Moreover in general contract workers have no maternity leave. The employers say, 'no work, no pay.' In 2004 Sangita was a contract worker at L'Oréal in Pune. She had an abortion in order not to lose her right to be a permanent worker. Yazaki in Pune does not abide by the law on crèche either. Sarika works at Yazaki and is now fighting for the rights of the contract workers, together with the SEM union.

SEM demanded 6 months maternity leave in the recent negotiations at L'Oréal. The men also agreed to support this demand. In the end they achieved 4 months, an increase of one month. It was the first time a union achieved this. Now SEM has decided to campaign for six months' maternity benefit until the end of 2014.

Three months ago there was a case of sexual harassment against a contract worker. The union raised the issue in the sexual harassment committee, and the line manager in question was suspended.

In the meantime the contract workers are raising similar demands with their contractors. Now they are more aware, and they are demanding the minimum wage.

In addition to their concerns about maternity leave and sexual harassment the women complained of long working hours and poor wages, especially in the informal economy as well as wage inequality between women and men. Another problem is the level of illiteracy. One point was mentioned again and again, and that was the lack of toilets and rest rooms and clean water. These need to be taken up by the unions in connection with other health and safety issues. Some unions are doing awareness training and peer education on HIV/AIDS.

Violence against women is still rampant. Some unions have created self-help groups to assist the women in standing up to male domination. The women complained about the lack of support and respect for women. Some are doing self-defense training for women.

There was a brief debate on night work for women, but not all the women were sure about their position.

It was agreed that a structure needs to be created, otherwise the work will be left up to the will and pleasure of the men. In addition every affiliate should send a woman to the IndustriALL India committee.

The meeting was called national unity meeting. Indeed the women did their part and made their contribution to unity among IndustriALL affiliates in India.