¡Saludamos a la mujer trabajadora y sindicalista!

En Brasil, el departamento de la mujer en la CNTM/FS realizó este 8 y 9 de marzo un encuentro llamado Marzo Mujer Metalúrgica, donde la idea es debatir el día a día de las compañeras en sus puestos de trabajo y en las luchas generales de la mujer brasilera en la sociedad, sus conquistas sociales, políticas y económicas. Asimismo realizarán una actividad con las familias, puesto que pretenden promover una conexión importante entre la familia y el sindicato.

En Chile, Constramet participó de una marcha  el viernes 7 en conmemoración del día de la mujer,  que tiene como fin  llamar a la unidad de las mujeres, reivindicar el rol que la mujer cumple en nuestra sociedad, demandando el fin a la violencia de género, igualdad de salario, mejores condiciones laborales, cumplimiento del pre y post natal, terminar con el machismo, entre otras.

Asimismo otra afiliada en Chile, Consfetema, realizó un seminario el día 6 de marzo sobre derechos de la mujer, protección a la maternidad e igualdad de salarios. Para Consfetema, es importante que exista una formación sindical, por ello este año trabajarán arduamente en la creación de escuelas sindicales, así lo explicó Paula Rodriguez a cargo del departamento de la mujer.

Marli Mero, secretaria de la mujer de la CNM/CUT, señaló que este mes es oportuno para reflexionar del rol de la mujer en la sociedad, “nosotros como metalúrgicas queremos reafirmar la participación efectiva de las mujeres en la ampliación y consolidación de la democracia brasilera a través de nuestras luchas diarias en todos los espacios que ocupamos”.

Para las organizaciones sindicales colombianas, lo principal en tema de género en estos momentos de campañas políticas en el país, es demandar políticas de equidad salarial, formalización del empleo, políticas de acciones afirmativas para las mujeres en el trabajo, y ratificar el convenio 189 de la OIT.

IndustriALL está poniendo énfasis en la equidad de género, en la presencia de mujeres en las reuniones sectoriales. Cabe señalar que este año se celebrarán conferencias regionales en las diferentes regiones de IndustriALL. El tema de las conferencias es “Mujeres trabajadoras: Trabajo seguro con dignidad”. En América Latina se realizará el 6 de mayo en Bogotá, Colombia, donde se espera una importante representación femenina de los afiliados, instancia que podrá determinarán acciones a favor de la lucha por la igualdad de género.

Rana Plaza brands must pay compensation by 9am on 24 April

The total fund needed is US$40 million for correct levels of payments to be made to the families of those 1,138 workers crushed to death at their workstations in Rana Plaza, and also to the survivors, hundreds of whom lost limbs and their ability to work when the factory fell.

An inclusive process has been conducted under the stewardship of the ILO during the second half of 2013, achieving a final agreement in December 2013 with the signed commitment from all parties. The Arrangement set out to build the Donor Trust Fund Cosigning partners of the Rana Plaza Coordination Committee and the Arrangement framework include the Bangladeshi government, Bangladeshi unions, Bangladeshi manufacturers, IndustriALL Global Union and the Clean Clothes Campaign, as well as four key brands.

The Fund is open for anyone to make a humanitarian contribution, and all clothing brands sourcing Bangladesh are encouraged to do so.

However this long list of brands connected with Rana Plaza MUST pay their share as a matter of urgency. 

Adler, Auchan, Benetton, Camaieu, Carrefour, Carrona, Cato Fashions, Children’s Place, JC Penney, Kids for Fashion, Lee Cooper, Manifattura Corona, Mango, Matalan, NKD, Premier Clothing, Primark, PVT (Texman), Store 21, Yes Zee, Walmart.

Support IndustriALL Global Union, UNI Global Union and the Clean Clothes Campaign in ensuring all these brands pay. Sign the LabourStart campaign here and tell the Rana Plaza brands:

If your company is still on this list on 24 April, the one-year anniversary of the disaster, your message to consumers everywhere will be clear regarding conditions in your supply chain.

You and your organization can also make a solidarity payment into the fund by following the instructions on the dedicated website of the Rana Plaza Arrangement.

Act now for Rubén Darío Montoya Obando!

In July 2002, when working for a contractor in the Tenaris – Tubos Caribe plant, Rubén suffered an accident in the workplace. A pipe pierced his chest and he lost three ribs and was incapacitated to work.

Since 2002, Rubén has been in and out hospital, twice reinstated to his job only to be fired again. The insurance company still denies any compensation.

In September 2013, the court ordered the reinstatement of Rubén in a position suitable to his disability, a payout of salaries since the day of the accident, as well as a partial pension.

But Tenaris – Tubos Caribe and the insurance company have appealed the court decision to pay past wages and grant a pension. This move will postpone a solution for months, perhaps years.

In order to incite action, Rubén went on a hunger strike in February.  His condition has deteriorated and he is now hospitalized as result.

Walberto Marrugo, president of IndustriALL Global Union affiliate Sintratucar who organizes the workers of Tenaris – Tubos Caribe, said:

“There is no serious program of safety and health at work in Tubocaribe. The Labour Ministry has not taken strict measures with respect to this issue.”

Sintratucar is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union affiliate FETRAMICOL.

Fernando Lopes, IndustriALL assistant general secretary says:

“The actions of Tenaris – Tubos Caribe demonstrate that their words about health and safety are void. Sintratucar and IndustriALL Global Union demand a prompt resolution and that Rubén is paid the compensation he is entitled to.”

Workers at the Tenaris plant in Italy have shown their support, now we call upon workers around the globe to do the same.

Cambodian riot police prepares to attack women’s march tomorrow

Government officials have explicitly warned IndustriALL affiliates not to mobilise the mass Forum on Labour Rights, and this morning released ominous photos in the local press of riot police in the Olympic Stadium preparing for an attack on the peaceful demonstration.

An elite military group under the leadership of the Prime Minister’s son is also gearing up for violence tomorrow. This group was responsible for the brutal attacks on IndustriALL member unions at the Sabrina factory last year that killed two unborn babies of striking workers.

IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary Monika Kemperle stated:

We are immensely concerned for the safety of our Cambodian sisters tomorrow, facing heavily armed government forces on International Women’s Day. But we are even more inspired and proud to stand with them in solidarity. Their campaign is for a minimum wage increase to US$160, trade union rights and the release of 21 activists jailed in the previous mobilisations around 5 January. IndustriALL affiliates will lead tomorrow’s demonstrations, and we remain in constant communication.

IndustriALL trade union affiliates are responding to the call for messages of solidarity to be sent to the Cambodian women worker leaders. One of the main organisers of tomorrow’s action is Mohn Nihm, President of trade union affiliate NIFTUC and Chairperson of the IndustriALL Women’s Committee in Cambodia. See the photo of this inspiring leader opposite. Prominent unions taking support action include IG Metall of Germany, UA Zensen of Japan, and the TCFUA of Australia.

The three IndustriALL affiliates central to tomorrow’s action are CCAWDU, NIFTUC and FTUWKC.

Next week, from 12 to at least 19 March, garment workers will carry out a stay-at-home strike action as the next step in the campaign for a decent increase to the minimum wage. This follows last week’s boycott of overtime. The government of Prime Minister Hun Sen has set up a special committee to conduct research and make recommendations on the wage increase. But workers demand change now.

Long working hours, poor health and safety conditions and malnutrition led to mass fainting of women in the factories in 2013 and the violations continue unabated.

Write to the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen using the messaging tool opposite, and send your direct message to the head of the Cambodian garment manufacturers association Ken Loo here [email protected].

Global unions mobilizing to stop Crown Holdings from exporting union busting

More importantly, they developed a plan of action to defend workers in Canada and Turkey and to prevent the spread of the company’s anti-union behavior, often practiced by North American employers, to other areas where Crown operates.

Using the “Take-Backs No More” campaign (www.takebacksnomore.ca) of the United Steelworkers union in Canada as a start, a new global network of unions at Crown is emerging along with a global campaign.  The campaign is being bolstered by participation from two other global union federations, UNI Global Union and IUF whose affiliates represent other Crown workers and as well as those of key customers.

“Our effort to not only link together various unions at Crown but also incorporate supply chain unions is meant to provide a more equal balance of power in dealing with the enormous power of this multinational corporation,” said Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of IndustriALL. “The arrogance displayed by Crown Holdings in refusing to even acknowledge offers by global unions to meet demonstrates that we need real actions and not just words.”

Ron Oswald, IUF General Secretary says, “The IUF has successfully fought for formal international recognition from a number of major food and beverage companies all of whom would claim to respect human rights standards for their workers. Those companies’ responsibility for ensuring similar standards for human rights through their supply chains is equally clear and we therefore cannot allow a major supplier of packaging to those same food and beverage companies to flout human rights standards the way Crown does. We stand shoulder to shoulder with IndustriALL members fighting for their rights at Crown".

Christy Hoffman, Deputy General Secretary of UNI Global Union says, "We can win these fights with global corporations when we stand together, share strategies and coordinate across the entire supply chain. Crown will not be able to continue its anti-union treatment of employees in Canada and Turkey once the facts are known to workers across the world. UNI has worked in successful partnership with IndustriALL in a number of campaigns and will fully support its efforts to vindicate the human rights of the brothers and sisters at Crown Holdings".

Crown is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of food, beverage and aerosol cans.

Included among Crown’s belligerent acts and thoroughly discussed at the meeting are:

a decade of cuts forced on union workers in North America
an on-going six-month strike in Canada prompted by Crown’s demands for a permanent lower wage scale for new workers that would reduce pay by 42%

using legal barriers to delay full recognition of a union in Turkey
a lack of transparency and consultation over possible closure of plants in Europe in violation of the EU legislation.

On 5 March 2014 the 500,000-member Congress of Union Retirees of Canada (CURC) has endorsed a boycott of Carnival Cruises to protest the role of Carnival's chief executive, Arnold Donald, who as a director of the U.S. based Crown Holding is accountable for the six-month labour dispute in Toronto.

Plans are already underway to mobilize for Crown’ shareholders meeting in Philadelphia. Other actions are also planned.

Ceramic workers strike in Suez

Workers of Ceramica Cleopatra have been at the forefront of struggle in Egypt, leading a wave of protests as early as 2006 when they demanded the right to organize and increased wages. 2011 and 2012 saw workers again protesting for similar demands.

There appeared to be a resolution of the problems and industrial action was halted in 2012 following the signing of a collective agreement with the owner of the factory, Mohamed Abu Elenin. However despite the fact that the agreement was signed in the presence of the then Minister of Labour,  the company failed to implement the agreement and continued to seriously violate workers' rights. By the end of 2012, workers of the company had  met with the Egyptian President as well as the  Ministers of Labor and Investment and  the employer again promised to accede to the workers' demands.

However over recent weeks the dispute has again erupted following the factory owner pressuring the trade union committee of the company to agree on decreasing workers' wages. When the union unanimously stood up to the pressure and rejected these demands the owner’s response was further threats, intimidation and threatened legal cases. Under this tremendous pressure the trade union committee were forced into signing letters of resignation.

Together with their reinstatement workers demand the payment of outstanding profit shares for 2012 and 2013, the payment of hazardous work allowances, the provision of occupational health and safety equipment, – as well as improved health care and the establishment of a workers' fund to be paid at the ending of service.

IndustriALL Global Union Assistant General Secretary, Kemal Özkan, in a message of support to the workers stated,

We fully support their struggle for trade union rights and as well as demanding that the employer fully implement the collective agreement and reinstate the trade union committee members we are urging the government to intervene and protect workers from these outrageous threats and fully meet their obligations under ILO Conventions".

The company is located in Suez City at the southern entrance to the Suez Canal. Suez witnessed early and intense clashes between protesters and security forces during the uprising that ousted Mubarak in 2011.

Ukraine needs a peaceful way-out

IndustriALL Global Union’s affiliates in Ukraine report that the situation changes from bad to worse. The country faced political instability, which resulted in the deaths of more than 100 and over 500 injured people at Kiev’s famous Maidan square. Now the mass media are drenched with reports and different views about continued escalation of the situation around Crimea bringing a potential danger for further division in this country.
 
In these difficult times IndustriALL Global Union expresses, together with its worldwide family, deep solidarity with its Ukrainian affiliated-trade union organizations, who by all means are trying to prevent further escalation of conflicts. IndustriALL supports all those who find solutions that aim at keeping peace and stability for ordinary workers and their families.
 
There is a high risk that in wrangles between different groupings both inside and outside the country the economic achievements of Ukrainian workers will be victimized. This is why, IndustriALL Global Union is supporting peace and integrity in Ukraine, however the price for it should not be the deterioration of working and living conditions of the people of labour.
 
IndustriALL Global Union appeals to the Ukrainian authorities demanding them to wage all their efforts in order to maintain and improve living standards, and not to allow the impoverishment of workers and their families in Ukraine.
 

Ansell continues to defy Supreme Court instruction

The 294 workers were fired in October last year when striking in support of 11 sacked colleagues and trade union representatives at Australian multinational Ansell, maker of surgical and industrial gloves. With lower courts ruling in favour of reinstating the dismissed workers, the Supreme Court ordered Ansell to negotiate a settlement with IndustriALL Global Union affiliate FTZGSEU.

But when the Supreme Court again took up the case on 3 March it was clear that Ansell had no intention of trying to find a viable solution. The Supreme Court had proposed the reinstatement of the 294 workers, but Ansell claims to have filled the vacancies.

The Chief Justice has now ordered that the Sri Lankan labour tribunal should hear all the cases, except for 35 workers who have received severance payment. If still unresolved, the Supreme Court will hear the case again.

IndustriALL general secretary Jyrki Raina, recently travelled to Sri Lanka on a mission. As well as meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss the Ansell case, he also met and talked with some of the dismissed workers.

“Ansell were instructed by the labour ministry not to fill the vacancies until this industrial dispute was resolved. Claiming to have done so shows total contempt for the workers, the unions and the legal system.”

“It seems everyone but Ansell wants to see an end to this conflict. The people out of work are suffering, and we are now getting reliable information that the quality of the production has decreased, in the end resulting in surgical risks. Ansell needs to step up and take responsibility.”

International Asbestos Conference

Asbestos is the biggest industrial killer of all time, but it is still not banned worldwide. It kills thousands of people every week – every five minutes at least one person dies from asbestos diseases. Two million metric tons of asbestos are still being produced every year, and more than 90% of the production is used in cement products for the construction sector.

Even where asbestos has been banned, workers are still exposed to existing asbestos during maintenance, renovation and demolition work. Millions of tons of asbestos were used in the fireproofing, insulation, and structural components of buildings, machinery, and ships  in the past. Much of this asbestos is still there and it cannot be easily identified from its appearance. Workers and the community can be exposed to this asbestos and breathe it in without realising it.

The Building and Woodworkers International and IndustriALL Global Union are committed to promote the elimination of the use of all kinds of asbestos and asbestos containing materials, and the elimination of diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. 

This Conference aims to exchange experience and promote the objectives of the Global Asbestos Campaign:

  1. The need to stop using asbestos world -wide as soon as possible
  2. Alternatives to asbestos and transition of the asbestos cement industry to use alternative materials.
  3. Prevention of exposure to installed asbestos
  4. Supporting those affected by asbestos diseases

A range of trade unions are invited to participate: from producing and exporting countries, countries which still use a lot of asbestos, countries phasing out asbestos and countries who did use a lot of asbestos and have now banned all use.

Please, click on the link to download the registration form to register for the meeting.

We look forward to seeing you in Vienna.

Indonesian paper workers striking for fair wages and rights

FSP2KI’s branch level union the Pindo Deli Paper Workers Union SPKPD began a one-month strike on 27 February to protest the breakdown of collective bargaining due to company intransigence and the escalating tension caused by deployment of local army and police to the factory.

APP is a market leader worldwide with a history of anti worker tactics at its PT Pindo Deli’s twin mills in Karawang, West Java, one of the world’s largest paper mills. IndustriALL affiliate FSP2KI organizes well over half the 13,000 employees there, and had to strike to win the current collective agreement two years ago.

Management has rejected all union proposals during four failed bargaining rounds, with troops intimidating workers since before the first round in December 2013.

IndustriALL Global Union sent a protest letter to APP management urging them to sit down at the negotiating table and stop using military forces against the participants of the strike. The company was urged to fulfil the regulations concerning the principles of negotiations in the district of Karawang, and withdraw the troops from Pindo Deli territory. IndustriALL has also protested the use of scab replacement workers brought in to undermine the strike.

“IndustriALL will monitor the situation and continue to support our sisters and brothers in their fight for their just demands,” said Anatoly Surin, IndustriALL pulp and paper director.

The strike will continue until 28 March. Letters of protest can be sent to the APP Indonesian management, using the petition tool attached to this page. Join the international trade union support for striking FSP2KI workers and tell the company that these workers deserve fair wages and basic rights at work.