Napoleón Gómez awarded Arthur Svensson prize

IndustriALL general secretary Jyrki Raina congratulated Napoleón after having marched with Los Mineros on May Day and delivered solidarity greetings to the historic Zocalo Square in Mexico City together with Los Mineros and other independent unions.

IndustriALL Global Union congratulates Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, the leader of Los Mineros union in Mexico, for winning the Arthur Svensson International Prize for Trade Union Rights 2014! As the jury writes, "Gómez Urrutia plays a leading role in the struggle for democratic unions, free of government and employer control in Mexico. He is the target of a vicious anti-union campaign by the government and major mining companies, in response to his loud and persistent demands for workers' rights, decent wages and safe working conditions."

Napoleón was nominated for the prize by IndustriALL following an Executive Committee decision in December 2013. Napoleón was able to take his seat at that Executive Committee meeting, his first international travel since going into exile in 2006.

The International Prize for trade union rights was established in 2010 by Industri Energi (IE), IndustriALL’s energy affiliate in Norway, with the aim to promote and strengthen trade unions and trade union rights internationally. Arthur Svensson was one of the most prominent trade union leaders in Norway (1930-2008). The prize is granted annually based on proposals from trade unions around the world. The prize is worth NOK 500,000 (approximately US$87,000).

Since 2006 and Napoleon’s strong condemnation of the Industrial Homicide at Pasta de Conchos, the mineworker leader has been persecuted by the corporate-government alliance and forced to lead the union from exile in Vancouver, Canada.

The travel ban has been imposed by the Mexican authorities as part of a savage crackdown on Los Mineros. Sham court cases brought by the Mexican authorities have put Napoleón on the Interpol red alert list since 2006. Los Mineros repeatedly beats the sham cases just to see the authorities appeal and abuse the Interpol mechanism to maintain the exile.

See further details of Napoleón’s struggle on the website of his book Collapse of Dignity.

Support striking paper workers in Indonesia

In March, members of the Pindo Deli Paper Workers' Union at one of the APP – Sinar Mas factories in Karawang district of Indonesia, went on strike to demand that management return to negotiations, and to discuss the minimum wage rate established in the district by the Governor of West Java. Four rounds of negotiations failed, and management subsequently declared the strike illegal and used police force against the strikers. All union leaders' salaries were illegally deducted. In April the workers began a second strike. Show the striking workers at one of the world's largest paper mills need your support by joining the LabourStart campaign.

FUP Women’s Network at Petrobras meets in Salvador

Women make up just under 16 per cent of the work force at Petrobras, and the number is rising. Five per cent of the workers on the oil rigs are women, and 10 per cent at the refineries. The rest of the women work in offices. The importance of Petrobras for the overall development of the country cannot be stressed enough. In addition, Petrobras is one of 80 companies in Brazil which received the seal of quality in racial and gender equality.

One of the aims of the meeting was to prepare for the forthcoming FUP Congress where the women are demanding a quota for women. Up to now there are no women in the FUP leadership. Still it is tougher for women in the FUP than for men – men are not as challenged as women are by the system requiring them to stay two weeks at the Petrobras headquarters in Rio de Janeiro and two weeks at their home base. The women expect the Congress to approve the establishment of a women’s section of the FUP.

One of the items on the agenda concerned women’s health, and the HPV virus in particular. It was decided to demand more research on the HPV virus, which affects many more women than men. Many of the women present at the conference started out as trade union activists in workplace health and safety committees. Women at the conference were urged to get elected to these committees in order to combat such practices as bullying which is rampant at Petrobras. The women need to create alliances with the contract workers at Petrobras who are bullied and humiliated even more than the permanent workers – FUP and the women contract workers need to speak with one voice. Women also need to fight for the health systems to provide vaccinations for all against the HPV virus which is only given freely nowadays up to the age of 26.

The women are keen to involve men more in the debate on gender issues. One possibility is to do a flyer on sharing responsibilities at home. Since people who work at Petrobras earn more than average workers in Brazil, it is possible for one person out of the couple to stay home to look after the family chores. That is why the women would like to challenge the men to debate on men who stay at home.

The experience from this network will hopefully help get more networks going in other predominantly masculine enterprises.

Fatal accident at Holcim plant in India

Holcim claims to have very strict occupational health and safety standards, yet this is not the first fatal accident in one of their operations. The accident again highlights the plight of contract workers, who are routinely given dangerous jobs with minimal safety precautions. Last year five workers died under a collapsing silo in another nearby Holcim plant.

In 2010 two workers including one contract worker were killed and two contract workers injured by melted coal while repairing the coal hopper in the power plant of ACC-Jamul.

More than 50 per cent of all fatal workplace accidents happen in Asia, and most of them in India. The majority of the dead and injured are contract workers. IndustriALL Global Union affiliate PCSS represents contract workers in the Indian cement industry, and have lodged a complaint with the OECD over the treatment of contract workers in India.

In 2013, Holcim started talks with global union federations IndustriALL and the BWI on a global occupational health and safety agreement. These talks were never finalized

IndustriALL Director for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Industries Matthias Hartwich says:

“We appeal to Holcim to take their responsibility towards their workers, regardless whether they are permanent or contract workers. One killed worker is one too many, and Holcim’s track record shows that something is fundamentally wrong.”

IndustriALL demands that Holcim to not only start proper negotiations regarding health and safety, but also start negotiations on a global framework agreement in order to improve workers’ participation. The time is now!

Dis-connecting people – raising the voice of workers at Nokia India

In 2005, Finnish Company Nokia set up its largest mobile phone assembling plant in Sriperumbadur Taluk, Tamil Nadu. Attracted by the tax concessions offered under the Special Economic Zone Act 2005, resource subsidies and an army of cheap labour, Nokia made profits by assembling the phones in India and sell them globally. In just five years the plant produced 500 million phones, and hired more than 12,000 workers, majority young women.

After eight years of profits, the company now faces charges of tax evasion by the Indian Government. The threat of imminent closure of the factory and loss of employment looms large for thousands of workers.

The film documents the voices of workers that have remained largely muted in the tax battle between the company and the state. The workers share there experiences of working for Nokia; the happy times of being 'connected'; of building dreams of becoming middle class; their fears, anxiety and anger of suddenly being 'dis-connected' by the company that they helped become profitable with their hard work; and their resolve to fight for their employment.

Global May Day celebrations

In Madagascar, Fisema Fort Dauphin marched with fellow trade unions, before organizing a debate on the importance of social partnership for a sustainable company development.

In Bangladesh the National Garment Workers Federation rallied on the streets of Dhaka together with thousands of textile workers. The IndustriALL affiliate demanded compensation for the dead and injured of the Rana Plaza and Tazreen tragedies, and a safe workplace for everyone in the ready-made garment sector in Bangladesh.

To mark May Day, Bangladeshi trade union BGTLWF marched in one of Savar’s industrial zones.

Members of IndustriALL affiliate Sommelito demonstrated on May Day.

In Pakistan, secretary general Haji Muhammad Saeed Arian and chairperson Atiua Saleem Chairperson were among those addressing the audience in the WFTU-PLF National Seminar on May Day.

In Berlin, IndustriALL marked the day alongside LabourStart and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Association (IUF).

Switzerland saw IndustriALL Global Union staff march on the streets of Geneva and Bern, together with affilated union Unia.

In Mexico City, Mexico, IndustriALL general secretary Jyrki Raina and assistant general secretary Fernando Lopes rallied along side fellow trade unionists.

Chilean affiliates rallied to celebrate the international workers' day.

Tell AB InBev to respect ruling for reinstatement of dismissed workers in Mexico

On 26 January 2008, Industria Vidriera del Potosí, a subsidiary of Grupo Modelo-AB InBev, sacked 220 workers including the entire executive committee of the IndustriALL-affiliated glass workers' union SUTEIVP. They did so following the negotiated agreement of a 19 per cent wage increase by the independent union.

This success infuriated the local authorities and employers in San Luis Potosi industrial areas who joined forces to get rid of SUTEIVP and to send a signal that no democratic union would be tolerated in the area. Because of the sacking of the 220, the union filed a strike notice with the local labour authorities to protest against the dismissals, which were a violation of the collective agreement. The authorities declared that the union demand was not valid, and prevented the union acting in defense of the sacked workers.

Since June 2013, AB InBev owns 100 per cent of Grupo Modelo and is responsible for the actions of Grupo Modelo's management. These actions are a clear attack on ABInBev/Grupo Modelo workers' fundamental rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining; rights recognized in a number of international standards that AB InBev claims to subscribe to.

Workers currently face huge hardship as a result of the company's actions. This hardship is compounded by "company blacklisting" and by complicit local labour authorities making it practically impossible for the dismissed workers and their families to find work locally and in other regions of Mexico. Despite this substantial hardship, and having refused a financial settlement blatantly aimed at persuading the workers to give up their fundamental rights, 33 workers continue to insist on reinstatement to their former jobs and their rights fully restored.

These 33 workers who have been fighting for justice since 2008 won reinstatement at Vidriera de San Luis Potosí as a result of the ruling of Conciliation and Arbitration Board at the beginning of April 2014.

In addition to ordering the reinstatement of members of the independent trade union, the Board ordered the defendant company VIDRIERA to reinstate workers to their posts under the same terms and conditions of employment that existed prior to their dismissal, and to pay them an amount corresponding to outstanding unpaid wages which will continue to accumulate until they are reinstated in accordance with this ruling.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Fernando Lopes says:

"For more than six years, our affiliate has been dedicated to defend all the Grupo Modelo workers' right to freedom of association. IndustriALL fully backs their struggle in reclaiming a decent job for all.”

Act now to tell AB INBEV to respect the ruling for the reinstatement of the dismissed workers in Mexico!

Fighting inequality

One of the main themes of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in January 2014 was inequality. Now the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank voice concerns about the same problem, but the elite has presented few solutions.

The gap between rich and poor is widening in almost every nation. An increasing amount of the money of the richest people is inherited wealth. French economist Thomas Piketty talks about “patrimonial capitalism” and points out that the ten wealthiest Americans are already heirs, rather than self-made entrepreneurs.

These oligarchs contribute little to the national economy. The Republicans cut the top rates on dividends from 39.6 per cent (taxed as ordinary income) to 15 per cent, and eliminated the real estate tax. A new right-wing road map calls for the total elimination of taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains. Nice life without any taxes; who cares about the poor!

Nobel-prize winning economist Paul Krugman adds that income from capital is concentrated in the hands of a few people in the US. In 1979, the top 1 per cent of households got 17 per cent of the business income. In 2007, the same small group enjoyed 43 per cent of the business income and 75 per cent of the capital gains.

The US is not alone. In Russia in the 1990s, oligarchs took control over national oil, gas and mineral resources at ridiculous prices during murky privatizations. Even in China, a new business elite is rising, joining billionaires in Indonesia, Thailand and other Asian countries which have low taxes.

The problem for democracy is that these oligarchs wield considerable power. They have the money to buy the necessary influence for them to contribute to the common good as little as possible.

Yet part of the solution is that the coupon-clippers, heirs and companies have to take their fair share of financing infrastructure, education, social protection and quality public services. There is no reason why they should pay less taxes than ordinary wage-earners.

In a borderless world, capital moves easily from a place to another. IndustriALL supports the international campaign for tax justice and against tax havens. Despite some modest measures taken by governments, wealthy individuals and major multinational companies are actively dodging taxes.

Improving the conditions for the poor effectively reduces inequality. IndustriALL is actively supporting action to continue to increase minimum wages in countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia, where the lives of tens of millions of people have been improved during the last two years following 50-80 per cent raises. More mobilization will follow to reach the level of a living wage.

Universal social protection is equally as important. According to the ITUC Global Poll 2013, people around the world want affordable health care (97 per cent), education (97 per cent), decent retirement income (96 per cent) and affordable access to childcare (92 per cent). Yet, almost 80 per cent of the world’s population does not have adequate social protection.

Reducing inequality is a question of political will, values and struggle. Let us build union power together and mobilize for economic and social justice!

Jyrki Raina

General Secretary

Indonesia: 363 workers suspended for demanding an end to precarious contracts

In 2008, 500 workers at Pertamina formed a union affiliated to the Federation of Mining and Energy (FPE-SBSI). With increased knowledge on the Indonesian labour law and the ILO Decent Work Agenda, workers and the FPE-SBSI demanded that they be moved from precarious employment to permanent workers. Some of the workers had worked at Pertamina for more than 20 years.

The Aceh Industrial Court supported the demand and ruled that Pertamina should give the workers permanent contracts. Ignoring this decision, Pertamina brought the case to the Supreme Court in Jakarta in an attempt to nullify the verdict and simultaneously suspended the 363 workers indefinitely.

The result of this suspension has been dramatic for some workers and their families. Four workers have died as they were denied medical care facilities, and many young children have been forced to leave school, as their parents can’t afford it.

Together with the IndustriALL National Council in Indonesia, the FPE campaigned at the Indonesian Parliament. In October last year the campaign resulted in 12 recommendations concerning employment in state owned companies (SOCs):

1. SOC Minister is obliged to respect this decision

2. To eliminate all types of outsourcing in all SOCs

3. It is prohibited for all SOC to intimidate the unions and its members in SOC

4. No termination of employment because of this decision

5. SOC should pay all the rights of workers that already have been dismissed

6. All workers under the process of termination of employment should be reinstated

7. SOC should pay the salary for workers under the process of employment termination

8. Normative rights should be respected

9. SOC director cannot use the SOC budget for dispute settlement

10. Request to the Labour Department and Police to follow-up violation of labour law in SOC

11. These recommendations should be effective 15 days since the decision was taken on 22 October 2013

12. IX Commission will set up Working Committee with Labour Minister and Representatives of Unions

IndustriALL Global Union continues the fight to end precarious working conditions and to ensure strict limits on the use of precarious work. IndustriALL strongly encourage its affiliates to send letters of solidarity to support the struggling workers to engage Pertamina in a meaningful dialogue with the FPE-SBSI.

With 1 May approaching, remember to mobilize your members and join the global fight to STOP Precarious Work!

Turkish government bans May Day celebrations in historic Taksim square

When national trade union centres DİSK and KESK and their affiliates, together with the Chamber of Medicine and Chamber of Engineers, declared their intention to celebrate May Day in Taksim Square, the Turkish Government simply banned the celebrations. The famous square has been the scene for excessive force against activists before; during May Day in 2013, police violence against trade unionists culminated with hundreds of severly injured people, including a 17-year old girl.

May Day celebrations represent important milestones for Turkey's labour movement, and the Taksim square in Istanbul is of special significance for Turkish trade unions. The first massive May Day celebration took place at the Taksim Square in 1976. Led by the national centre DİSK, hundreds of thousands of workers participated. The celebrations in 1977 drew more than 500,000 people to the same place. In a tragic turn of events, 37 people were killed by unknown gunmen.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the government of Turkey violated Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, on the right to freedom of association, when it used repressive measures against members of DISK and KESK to prevent the 2008 May Day rally in Taksim Square.

Likewise, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has underlined the importance of May Day to trade unions, and the right of trade unions to carry out activities on this day. As the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association has explained: “the right to organize public meetings and processions, particularly on the occasion of May Day, constitutes an important aspect of trade union rights”.

“We are deeply concerned about the Turkish Government's attitude towards trade unions and civil society who want to organize peaceful demonstrations on May Day,” says Jyrki Raina, general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union.

We support the legitimate demands of the Turkish trade unions to celebrate May Day in Taksim Square without repression, detention and violence.

Please sign Labourstart's campaign for the right to celebrate May Day in Taksim Square in Turkey.