“Hyundai violates fundamental rights”, reports the Company Union Network

The report entitled “Unfair Play” is an initiative of the international Hyundai/Kia trade union network. For IndustriALL affiliates in the network representing Hyundai workers local complaints and problems had become a common trend throughout the company.

Over recent years it had become clear that Hyundai’s company policy was to restrict trade union activities in the company’s operations everywhere, from Germany to Korea to the US. Regardless of the legal protection workers had from national labour law in their country, Hyundai management consistently used a range of tactics to impede its employees from exercising their right to freely organise and bargain collectively.

Today’s report authored by Carsten Hübner, jointly edited by IndustriALL and IG Metall, explains in depth the union response to Hyundai exporting its anti-democratic management culture throughout the world.

IndustriALL general secretary Jyrki Raina states in the report’s foreword:

Cooperation in a spirit of trust, to the benefit of the company and the employees, will never come about on this basis of blatantly disregarding workers’ rights. It is time for a paradigm shift at Hyundai! Launching negotiations on a global framework agreement at Hyundai and Kia could be the start of such a process.

All the unions in the network are fighting back to protect their members rights and working conditions at Hyundai. The trade union network jointly calls on Hyundai to negotiate in good faith with its social bargaining partners and begin a process of building constructive industrial relations together with the unions.

IG Metall will tomorrow lodge an OECD complaint with the German OECD National Contact Point. The complaint will be filed in defence of its members at Hyundai’s Rüsselsheim operation, HMETC, who have been targeted by a company smear campaign, intimidation and outright pressure to operate without a trade union or Works Council. The treatment is a clear breach of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

Darmstadt Local IG Metall president Jochen Homburg explains the name of the report “Unfair Play”:

As an official partner of FIFA’s football World Cup 2010 Hyundai became very well known in Germany. And Hyundai will once again be a prominent sponsor of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil. However, a positive link between the brand image and such a sporting event can be created only if alongside the willingness to compete, the idea of fair play can also be put over convincingly.

Metalworkers of Kazakhstan prepare to fight for their 13th salary in court

“The company ArcelorMittal  everywhere positions itself as socially oriented , however the reality is totally different – nowadays the owners are increasingly trying to economize on workers’ backs. The trade union and the workers are close to losing their patience, but the hope to receive the well earned money only gets stronger”, says the union appeal to the workers of ArcelorMittal Temirtau.

It is emphasized that recently the question of payment of the 13th salary has become one of the most important for workers. «As long as the desire of the people to receive their well-earned money is growing, the more persistent is the employer in his denial», notes the trade union committee. The trade union leaders say the recent negotiations did not bring any result.
The representatives of the management were not even ashamed of resorting to an open blackmail. At the beginning of the year they suggested to the trade union to make a choice between the thirteenth salary or layoff of 2.5 thousand people! When these threats did not work, they simply reverted to delaying tactics.

The board of directors insists that the company has no financial possibilities to pay the 13th salary. The management of the company say that employees did not earn this money. The trade union of metalworkers «ZHAKTAU» offered three solutions to the problem, but the company did not accept any of them.

The JSC ArcelorMittal Temirtau is a part of the multinational company ArcelorMittal and is the largest enterprise in the mining and metallurgical sector in Kazakhstan. It consists of the iron and steel works in Temirtau, eight coalmines in the Karaganda region, and four mines extracting iron ore in Karaganda, Akmolin and Kostanay areas.

Recently the Trade Union of Mining & Metallurgy Workers of Republic of Kazakhstan and the trade union of miners of Korgau signed the Agreement on consolidation of efforts. The large trade union of miners , which affiliates more than 17 thousand members and has a 13-year history of independent activities, declared about their free will to join the sector trade union. This consolidation will give the chance to negotiate with the employer and to solve problems of workers at a higher level of mining industry.

Ethiopian Unions Form Women’s Committee

Women representing IndustriALL affiliates in Ethiopia, the Industrial Federation of Textile, Leather and Garment Workers' Trade Unions IFTLGWTU and the National Industrial Federation of Energy, Chemical Petroleum and Mine Trade Union decided to create a national women’s committee at a meeting held on 19 and 20 March 2014. Women from the textile, garment, shoe, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, glass and paint sectors attended the meeting.

The women were trained in easy to use methods for working with women, such as body mapping, workplace mapping and life mapping. They understood that such methods can be used anywhere without any sophisticated technology to talk to women and explain to them why a trade union is important. Women’s health concepts and sexuality were introduced briefly. These issues are important particularly in working on self-esteem in women. Two concerns were highlighted in particular – most women have limited access to toilets during working time,  and secondly, many women faint at work either due to overwork and/or overheated workplaces. These two problems need to be taken up as trade union issues as a matter of urgency.

Themes involved in trade union democracy were discussed. The women understood that they have to make trade unions listen to women and take their demands seriously. This is more easily achievable if the women form a committee; women by themselves just represent themselves, and there is strength in numbers.

The women contemplated their dreams. One of the common points that came out of their dreams was that the women wanted to help other women grow.  And finally women’s leadership qualities were strengthened.

The women gave some thought to why they needed a women’s committee. They decided that the committee should do the following:

The women felt that they needed activities focused on women. This would also strengthen the union. They asked for more training on gender issues and a forum for women to exchange experiences.

The committee’s work program should include the following:

3,600-strong oil worker strike in Jordan averted with remarkable agreement

The agreement was signed by Khaleed Elzyood, president the General Union of Petroleum & Chemical Workers, and the management of the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company, in the presence of IndustriALL general secretary Jyrki Raina, following international trade union support for the strike, mobilised by IndustriALL.

The new two-year collective agreement brings, on top of the 30 per cent pay increase for all workers, improvement to the retirement benefits, health and medical services for all workers and their families including pensioners.

The ministers of labour and energy, together with relevant parliamentarians, also observed the signing of the new agreement. Clearly the Jordanian government had intervened to ensure the positive settlement to the labour conflict.

The General Union of Petroleum & Chemical Workers in Jordan had spent several weeks trying to get the government to respond to the demands raised by workers representing the total workforce of Jordan's only oil refinery.

IndustriALL general secretary Jyrki Raina, speaking from the signing ceremony stated:

Once again genuine social dialogue, supported with international solidarity, delivers a positive solution to all concerned. We celebrate this trade union victory of our Jordanian affiliate, and look forward to many more in this priority region for IndustriALL.

MENA unions build power by strengthening cooperation

More than 70 union leaders from 17 countries attended IndustriALL’s MENA regional conference which was held on 24-25 March 2014 in Amman with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES). The hosts welcomed affiliated unions from the region including Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Kuwait and Yemen. Potential affiliates from Bahrain, Somalia and Egypt, as well as partner unions from Spain, France, Germany, Norway and Turkey were also present.

Discussions focused on the ongoing fundamental political changes that are taking place in the region and IndustriALL Global Union’s goals and key strategies until the 2016 Congress, as endorsed by the executive committee in December.

Delegates evaluated actions taken since the regional conference held in March 2013, and looked at how to build union power and confront global capital in the region. Specific attention was given to active campaigns in Egypt and Iraq.

Trade union freedoms and rights including equality were subject to considerable debate. The delegates agreed to actively work on gender issues with creation of a women’s network in the region. Many panelists voiced concerns about problems with migration, as security problems in countries such as Syria and Iraq force people to move to other countries in the search of proper jobs. Jordan has around two million migrant workers, of whom 1.2 million are from Syria, 500.000 from Egypt and 200.000 from Iraq. A sizable portion of migrant workers are employed in the textile and garment industries.

The conference exchanged experiences on building strong, democratic and sustainable trade union structures, as the backbone of democratic societies. Growing population, mass unemployment particularly among the youth, inequality between men and women, lack of education, health and public services and unhealthy economic structures were indicated as major barriers to building sustainable economies and industries.

The participants welcomed IndustriALL’s worldwide initiative on sustainable industrial policy. Textile, garment and oil sectors were identified as targets for strengthening union capacity and social protection, particularly to guaranteed decent work with a living wage.

Trade union networks and global framework agreements were recognized as important tools for building solidarity. Unions from the MENA region need to be involved to facilitate organizing and collective bargaining.

At the end of the conference, the delegates discussed priorities and actions in the region, and endorsed a plan for the future.

General Secretary Jyrki Raina said:

IndustriALL Global Union is excited about the expansion of its family in MENA region into new countries such as Libya and Somalia. Our actions and campaigns will help our  affiliates grow stronger.

Strikers say ‘No’ to Crown’s miserable offer in Canada

On 24 March 117 members of Local 9176 of USW, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, voted against and only one for the offer made by the Crown Holdings Inc, one of the biggest metal container companies in the world producing cans for beverage and food products in 149 countries. According to the Ontario legislation, striking workers were obliged to vote on the contract offer made by Crown.

During negotiations for a new collective agreement in October 2013 the company arrogantly demanded to impose unacceptable conditions to the workers at its plant in Ontario. The workers had nothing to do rather than to go on strike against the proposed deterioration of their conditions.

The company so far rejects the possibility for a fair solution of the conflict, at the same time tried and appealed to the local legislation with the idea to force workers to agree to even worse than originally proposed conditions through a vote on 24 March.

The company behavior is no different in other parts of the world. Only recently the Turkish subsidiary of Crown Holdings, Crown Bevcan, dismissed four trade union leaders with false and groundless allegations while the real reason was the fact that they had led union organizing at the company plant located in Izmit, Turkey.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary commented, “IndustriALL salutes the courage and solidarity of Crown workers, those who years after years generated profits for this company deserve a fair treatment. Our congratulations in this victory to Crown workers, together we can’t be defeated.” 

Union members go on hunger strike in Belarus

Mikhail Kovalkov, the chairman of SPB union and the leader of the SPB local at BZTDiA, holds the hunger strike at the factory gate in reply to the factory management failure to fulfill their promises given two months ago and to start collective bargaining. The union leader is denied access to the territory of the enterprise. According to him since 25 March four more workers have been supporting the hunger strike at their workplaces. On 26 March, the second day of the hunger strike, three more people joined them, including two colleagues dismissed because of their union SPB membership.

The discrimination of union members still persists at the enterprise. "Members of the Free Trade Union of Belarus get neither any benefit payment to recover their health during holidays, nor benefit payments when retiring, although these are paid to the members of the official union, the Belarusian Automobile and Agricultural Machinery Workers’ Union", – Kovalkov said. Labour contracts are not renewed with SPB members. The union local is gradually destroyed. For the time being around 130 factory workers are members of SPB.

Back in January the union leader demanded the management to stop persecuting and firing union activists and to start bargaining with SPB local union. In return the management first demanded to re-register the local union, since the factory was reorganized as a joint-stock company. However the unionists could not get the recurrent registration of their local union, because they needed a legal address, which the management refuses to provide.

"The management has many times promised that all union problems will be settled, but they have never kept their promise. We did not have any other way out", – Kovalkov explained his decision to go on hunger strike.

The chairman of the local union hopes that the management will take the decision during the three-day hunger strike of the workers. "If the management refuses to cooperate, we have plans to hold a more significant action some time in April,” – said the trade union leader.

Georgian miners win after long strike

On 25 March around 3,000 workers of RMG Gold and RMG Copper, mining enterprises located in the town of Kazreti, district of Bolnisi in Georgia ended their indefinite strike that began on 14 February.

As a result of negotiations between the Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia (TUMMCIWG), an affiliate of IndustriALL, and the management it was agreed that 87 fired workers should be reinstated on 25 March, another 50 workers should be back at work within the next two months.

It is expected that new health insurance contracts will be concluded for every worker, and the TUMMCIWG and management will sign a collective agreement.

A salary increase was also agreed. The salary of the 1,000 lowest-paid workers will be increased by 15-20 per cent by March and April – at the moment these workers earn 90-170 USD per month. In autumn 2014, if the economic situation does not get worse, the same increase of 15-20 per cent will be made for every worker of the enterprises.

IndustriALL Global Union congratulates its affiliate TUMMCIWG and all workers of RMG Gold and RMG Copper on this victory and expects the management to thoroughly fulfill all commitments as agreed.  

Labour conflicts deepen at Glencore Xstrata subsidiary

On 24 March, workers at the Antapaccay company, a Glencore Xstrata subsidiary, began a two-day stoppage in protest of the failure to pay legally-mandated profit sharing; the violation of the collective bargaining agreement; the use of fixed-term contracts, and the illegal dismissal of employees for forming a union of technicians and administrative staff.
 
The Antapaccay mining company first came to the attention of IndustriALL Global Union in December last year, after its shameless attempts to destroy the newly formed union of white-collar staff.
 
Unions at the plant say that the positive industrial relations’ climate that prevailed at the company for eighteen years under a succession of different owners, came to a brutal end when Glencore Xstrata acquired the company less than a year and a half ago.  Since then, Glencore Xstrata has closed several unionized operations and has resorted to the widespread use of precarious employment and unfair labour practices.
 
The job action at Antappacy has been taken jointly by the two unions at the plant, the Sindicato Unico de Trabajadores de Xstrata Tintaya Antapaccay and the Sindicato Unificado de Trabajadores de Xstrata Tintaya Antappacy. It is supported by the Sindicato de Trabajadores Funcionarios de la Compañia Minera Antapaccay, whose leaders are currently demanding reinstatement. IndustriAll’s affiliate the Federación Minera is actively supporting the action.

IndustriALL Indonesian Council intensifies organizing and campaigning for a better future

The meeting was chaired by Sjaiful D Patombong, IndustriALL Indonesian Council Chair who is also the president of FSP-KEP.  One day before the meeting took place IndustriALL Indonesian Council organized a visit of the union representatives from 11 national federations and IndustriALL South East Asia Office to PT Pindo Deli Paper Mills Karawang – Asia Pulp and Paper – which is one of the largest paper mills in the world.  The national federations leaders jointly signed a letter to the management of Asia Pulp and Paper demanding that it stops union busting, reinstates 17 union leaders, pays the workers fair wages , stops using the police to intimidate the workers  and returns to the negotiation table.

Pindo Deli Paper Workers Union (SPKPD) walked off the jobs on 27 February 2014 in response to the breakdown of collective bargaining negotiation. 

“Although they have worked at this largest paper mill for a long period, Pindo Deli workers work under low wages.  The strike is also supported by agency workers who work side by side with the regular workers at the paper mill. Agency workers in the pulp and paper industry in Indonesia are forced to work under low standards of safety, low wages, and are intimidated when joining the union,”  said Nelson F. Saragih, General Secretary of Indonesian Federation of Pulp and Paper Workers Union (FSP2KI)  

Among the highlights discussed at the Indonesian Unity Meeting, state owned companies contract workers are also at the heart of the concerns. 

“The situation of state owned companies’ contract workers is not better than their fellow workers in the private sector. Although the Indonesian government has ratified the Core ILO Conventions, including the right to organize and collective bargaining, contract workers in the state owned companies still have difficulties joining the trade unions due to threats of dismissals.” Said Nikasi Ginting, General Secretary of Federation of Mining and Energy-Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (FPE-SBSI) who is also member of IndustriALL Executive Committee. 

See also http://www.industriall-union.org/indonesian-trade-unionists-jailed-fighting-precarious-work

The Indonesian union representatives actively engaged in the discussions and in planning aiming to unionize millions more workers and curb precarious work in the country.   An example is the organizing initiative of FSPMI, which aims at unionizing 400,000 precariously employed workers in the state owned companies in the electronic and electric sector. 

Another issue that was highlighted by the Indonesian women leaders concerns maternity protection.

“Indonesia is the leading country in Asia-Pacific in terms of maternity related laws which protect all women workers in the country; these protections include 3 month maternity leave, full cash benefits paid by the employer, health protection for pregnant employees, employment protection, and breaks for breastfeeding and childcare provisions; in reality precariously employed women workers have not been able to enjoy this right and protection.”  Said Indonesian Women Committee  

The Indonesian Council is soon to launch the national campaign on maternity protection for all women workers in Indonesia.  In the campaigning process, union shop stewards and activists at the plant level will be trained to collect concrete information on the issue as well as educate precariously employed workers about their maternity rights.      

The National Unity Meeting also opened a discussion around the controversial Regulation on Social Conflict Settlement UU 12/2012.  The said regulation allows intervention in industrial relations by military, paramilitary and police.  IndustriALL Indonesian Council members are monitoring closely on the use of the regulation and are in the process of documenting cases and analyses for further discussions at the ILO level.