Historic victory for CUT metalworkers in Brazil

The Confederación Nacional de los Metalúrgicos (CNM), the metalworkers’ confederation affiliated to the CUT, has fought for the introduction of profit sharing plans since it was founded 22 years ago. The agreement will apply to 49% of Thyssen employees and will be valid for two years. The remaining 51% of the company’s employees are members of other trade union centrals.

Paulo Cayres, president of the CNM/CUT, said it was a major reason to celebrate: “Since the confederation was founded, we have fought for benefits for all workers and against regional variations. If workers are doing the same job, they should have the same rights”.

The agreement demonstrates the scope for improving the relations between labour and capital at company and sector levels and shows that a national agreement is both advantageous and possible.

Previously, only bank and oil industry workers had national collective agreements. The agreement shows the importance of making workers the main reference point in the world of work and of guaranteeing equal rights to all workers employed by the same company at all its units. The agreement strengthens the industry and promotes decent work.

Q&A with Jyrki Raina one year after Rana Plaza

Q&A with Mojtaba Kazazi

Mojtaba Kazazi is the Executive Commissioner of the Rana Plaza Arrangement Coordination Committee which is administering the claims process for 3,600 victims, survivors and families struck by the Rana Plaza tragedy on 24 April 2013.

Protests against Crown Holdings scheduled across the globe

The protests scheduled in the U.S., Canada, France, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey are taking place in conjunction with the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting in Philadelphia, U.S. on 24 April. IndustriALL joins its affiliates across the globe in demanding that Crown Holdings stops building profits through violations of fundamental workers’ rights at company sites in Canada and Turkey.

In September last year, Crown Holdings forced their workers, who are members of IndustriALL affliate United Steelworkers Local 9176, to go on strike at the plant in Toronto, Canada by imposing drastic wages and other benefits cuts while forcing new employees into a two-tier system. After seven months of industrial action, Crown used local legislation to further abuse the striking workers by obliging them to vote on an even worse contract proposal. The company’s miserable offer was rejected and the workers are now eager to continue their struggle.

In Turkey, Crown's behaviour is no better. IndustriALL affiliate Birlesik Metal Is is facing continuous union busting from the company. Using all possible legal loopholes in Turkish legislation, the company persistently tries to avoid collective bargaining and recently, under false allegations, has even fired four trade union leaders who were leading trade union organizing at Crown Bevkan plant in Izmit.

By staging protests, workers of the world stand shoulder to shoulder to address Crown Holdings and demand that they:

Stop efforts to destroy USW Local Union 9176 in Toronto by refusing to return to the bargaining table
Stop attacks on the next generation of Crown workers by ending the practice in North America of insisting on dramatic and permanent decreases in wage rates for new workers, aimed at creating divisions in the workforce and weakening the union
Negotiate a fair and equitable contract and a back-to-work protocol which ensures that union members will not be targeted for their legal union activities and will return to their jobs after the strike ends
Reinstate the fired members of the Birlesik Metal Is union in Turkey and negotiate in good faith a new collective bargaining agreement with the union, as has been ordered by the High Court in Turkey

IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary, Kemal Özkan, attending the Crown shareholders meeting in Philadelphia said, “Respect towards workers’ rights is a precondition of a loyal workforce building any company welfare. Crown is trying right now to build their profits on workers’ backs, showing no respect towards their own employees and we will not tolerate this. Be it in North America or Europe, we will fight for respect of workers’ rights by Crown Holdings and we will not stop until justice is restored.”

Mexican Teksid workers ambushed and beaten up for organizing by CTM thugs

Workers at Teksid Hierro in Monclova, Ciudad Frontera, Coahuila, Mexico, part of the Fiat Chrysler Group, are fighting back against abusive reprisals for organizing. Three workers, Marisol Ruiz Moreno, Orlando Mendoza Guardiola and Oscar Arturo Rodríguez Ponce, were sacked on 18 April and 11 more were savagely and cowardly assaulted by 80-100 hired thugs, while coming out of a meeting with management and labour authorities on 21 April. These attacks are in direct response to workers organizing to join the Los Mineros union, rejecting the CTM, and conducting a brief work stoppage on 16 April to protest disgracefully low wages and benefits.

Local Teksid management has arrogantly employed a number of union busting tactics to block the 600 Los Mineros supporters from establishing a democratic union at the workplace. The yellow CTM “union” was rejected after failing to defend workers’ interests.

Police or other authorities have not investigated the 21 April attack. Between 80 and 100 assailants surrounded the Teksid workers, insulted and attacked them with kicks, punches and sticks and iron pipes, constantly threatening them to abandon their protest movement for decent pay and their demand to affiliate with Los Mineros. Among the attackers were people from the local CTM branch.

Join the international trade union action to protest these violations of workers’ rights in Teksid, Mexico, and ensure no further reprisal sackings occur.

Writing to the Teksid president and CEO today, IndustriALL general secretary Jyrki Raina stated:

The right of workers to choose their collective bargaining representative in a democratic manner, without employer or government interference, is a fundamental right guaranteed by ILO Conventions 98 and 87. IndustriALL demands that Teksid immediately reinstate the three fired workers. We further demand that Teksid assume a position of strict neutrality in this conflict and that it communicates publicly to the workers in Ciudad Frontera that they can choose their union without fear of reprisals by management.

The global FIAT-Chrysler trade union network, meeting in Turin, today issued a message of full support to the Teksid workers in Moncloa, Mexico, battling to organize a democratic union sectional to affiliate with Los Mineros.

IndustriALL Everest hero killed in avalanche

In addition to being one of the world's very elite mountain climbers and guides, he was a union leader for the Sherpa guides, who he had helped organize to achieve decent wages and employment rights, and a passionate advocate for action on the environment, especially climate change.

IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Jyrki Raina mourned the passing of friend and comrade Dorje Khatri,

Our Nepalese brother who took IndustriALL to the top of the world was a strong and courageous trade unionist who will always be remembered both in Nepal and throughout our global family.

Dorje was a Central Committee member of the Union of Trekking Travel Rafting and Airline Workers (UNITRAV), affiliated to the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), a Nepalese IndustriALL affiliate.

Dorje Khatri, who conquered the highest mountain in the world and set an IndustriALL Global Union flag on top, was heartily applauded by the IndustriALL Founding Congress three weeks later in June 2012.

Khatri also marked Everest with flags of GEFONT, the Building Workers’ International (BWI) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

The avalanche hit a group of more than 60 support staff and guides, mostly Sherpas, at 5,900m when they were heading towards Camps I and II carrying necessary equipment and logistics for the Everest climbers at around 6:30am on 18 April.

A day to fight for the living; and mourn for the dead

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that some 2.3 million workers die as the result of their work every year. Of these, about 80 percent die as the result of occupational diseases. Only about 20 percent of worker deaths are the result of the sudden violent accidents – burned, cut, or crushed - that dominate our conversations when health and safety is discussed. Worse, it is only when a significant number of deaths occur at once, say from a mine explosion or a building collapse, that the mainstream media pay any attention.

Over two million deaths each year is a shocking total. Yet IndustriALL believes that these numbers are nevertheless gross underestimates. Fatality statistics are based on what national governments report, which in turn are usually based on accepted workers' compensation cases. Large numbers of workers are not covered by workers compensation systems and their deaths are therefore not counted. Deaths due to occupational disease, despite the ILO's estimate, are systemically under-diagnosed and under-recognized.

Of course, not all accidents and diseases are fatal. Our sick and injured colleagues are important to us, and we work every day to help them and to prevent others from suffering. Unfortunately the statistics quoted for these non-fatal categories are almost meaningless because of programmes that discourage reporting.

IndustriALL views occupational health and safety as an issue of worker's rights. Workers must have the right to know - fully - about the hazards of their work and how to do their jobs safely. Workers must have the right to refuse to perform, or to shut down, unsafe work. Workers must have the right to fully participate in decision-making related to workplace health and safety: the only people with the moral authority to assess a risk, are those who must eventually accept it. In addition, we demand that governments accept their responsibility to protect people at work, with strong, enforceable, and enforced systems of legislation and regulatory standards.

Jyrki Raina, IndustriALL General Secretary, says: "Workers have rights, employers and governments have responsibilities. It really is that simple".

Since workers rights are almost never delivered without a strong trade union, IndustriALL knows that unions make work safer. This is as true in developed countries, as it is in countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia.

28 April is a day to pause and remember our fellow workers who died or have suffered, trying to make a living. Make it our day to renew our fight for safe and healthy working conditions.

Energy unions worldwide back UWUA in struggle against FirstEnergy: “One Day Longer, One Day Stronger”

The IndustriALL World Energy Conference adopted a strong resolution on 11 April to take action calling on the company to end the attack and treat its workers with dignity. The UWUA represents 3,200 FirstEnergy workers in the U.S. states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

See the IndustriALL letter to the company CEO here.

The 142 UWUA members at FirstEnergy’s Penelec subsidiary in central Pennsylvania held strong through a vicious lockout that started three days before the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday and lasted four months through a record cold winter, but still face malicious concession demands designed to undermine customer service and fair labour standards.

View the international solidarity video attached to this article that sends a united boost to workers battling against aggressive cuts to their employment conditions and trade union rights.

IndustriALL general secretary Raina told the union:

Your great union, the Utility Workers of America has informed us of the outrageous and anti-worker tactics of FirstEnergy, including a lock-out, and cuts in jobs, wages and benefits. As you can see from these messages from colleagues from around the world, at our recent World Energy Conference in Spain, you are not alone.

FirstEnergy is still demanding similar concessions from more than 700 additional UWUA members across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, and these workers’ collective agreement is scheduled to expire on April 30.

In West Virginia, FirstEnergy has refused to agree to a fair, first union contract for UWUA members at a power generating plant, even though these workers voted for representation by UWUA more than three years ago in October 2010.

Writing to IndustriALL general secretary Raina, UWUA national president Michael Langford said,

I wish to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude for the solidarity shown by IndustriALL affiliates with our members in struggle with FirstEnergy. IndustriALL affiliates have demonstrated time and again that international solidarity is a powerful force for justice. We are convinced that, with the support of IndustriALL and its affiliated trade unions worldwide, we will prevail against FirstEnergy’s unfair assault on the rights of UWUA members.

IBM unions agree new global strategy to fight job cuts

The Global Union Alliance @IBM, alongside UNI Global Union, IndustriALL Global Union and IndustriAll European Trade Union, will issue a series of demands to IBM management designed to protect the firm’s loyal workforce at a time of huge upheaval for IBMers.

The demands include:

A company strategy focused not solely on earnings per share but also on the appreciation of IBMers’ contribution to the cause.
Improved working conditions, fair evaluation systems and appropriate participation of all IBMers in the success of the corporation by salary increases and other benefits for its employees.
Worldwide recognition of trade unions as partners in social dialogue and partners for collective agreements.

Since the announcement of IBM strategies known as “Roadmaps” in 2010 and 2015, unions say the company has mutated into a machine focused solely on profit. Earnings-per-share became the corporation’s most important goal and a lack of appreciation of its own workers now threatens to undermine the corporation from the inside out.

The unions, meeting at UNI Global Union's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, will elect a brand new global steering group to lead the coordination of IBM union matters in future.

“IBM workers worldwide are facing increasing difficulties in the workplace – everything from job cuts and declining wages to poor working conditions," said Head of UNI ICTS Alan Tate. "This meeting was a unique opportunity to bring IBM workers and unions together to discuss ways to protect workers and help ensure a better future for IBMers too.”

The job count at IBM dropped for the first time in a decade this year when the company cut costs in attempts to meet ever-higher profit targets. Thousands more jobs are expected to go soon, with employees at IBM’s struggling hardware business thought to be particularly vulnerable to cuts.

“IBM is trying to take away jobs and to outsource them which means workers are being pressured into precarious positions," said Kan Matsuzaki, Director of ICT, Electrical and Electronics at IndustriALL Global Union. "We need to gain our negotiation power by organizing in the workplace and that's why this alliance is so important.”

Since launching its so called "workforce rebalancing" drive in which thousands of jobs are expected to go, IBM has played down the importance of its own employees. The global workforce policy of IBM is increasingly focused on reduction resulting in a lack of motivation and a climate of fear in the workplace.

“The IBM Global Union Alliance is saying to IBM that you need to treat us with respect, with dignity, and listen to employees when they discuss the situation within IBM. We want to make a better IBM, we want to make a better future for IBM employees worldwide,” said Lee Conrad, the long-time coordinator of the IBM Global Alliance.

Please also see UNI Global Union website at: http://www.uniglobalunion.org/news/ibm-unions-agree-new-global-strategy-fight-job-cuts

Workers donate blood in solidarity for struggling Paharpur workers

On 3 April, GRSE Workmen’s Union organised a Blood Donation Camp at their union office. The blood was sold to a Blood Bank and the money will go towards the struggle fund of the Paharpur workers.

Management of Paharpur has dismissed the five trade union activists speaking up on the company’s gross violation of workers’ rights. There had been no wage increase for the last 15 years and the canteen facility had been discontinued.

On 4 April, Workers’ initiative, a common platform of independent trade unions in Kolkata, organised a meeting with the striking workers. The gathering was addressed by Petra Brännmark, communications director IndustriALL Global Union, Sudhershan Rao Sarde, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary, S M Fahimuddin Pasha, education officer and Shahnaz Rafique, coordinator, both from IndustriALL South Asia, as well as Kamal Tewary, president of Paharpur Cooling Towers Mazdoor Sabha. Speakers supported the cause of the struggling workers.

Sudhershan Rao Sarde, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary, stated:

“I will raise the struggle of the workers in the India Committee of IndustriALL Global Union for solidarity action, and also appeal to all fraternal organisations to extend solidarity for the struggling workers.”

A two day strike planned for 9 and 10 April has been deferred to 22 and 23 April, to provide the management of Paharpur with more time to find a just resolution for the workers.