Georgian miners continue to struggle

The strikers are supported by the majority of the population of Kazreti town, in the district of Bolnisi, Georgia, where both enterprises are located. Teachers, doctors and even children participate in the street protests. Shops and canteens are closed; schools and kindergartens do not operate either.

On 28 February a demonstration in protection of labour rights took place in Tbilisi in front of the Chancellery of the Government of Georgia. Among the participants were the workers of RMG enterprises in Kazreti, the miners from Chiatura, as well as the workers of the nitric and metallurgical plants from Rustavi, firefighters and rescuers. The participants demanded the revision of the Labour Code as workers' rights are constantly violated, and promised that protests would become more large-scale if the Government of Georgia did not follow workers' requirements.

The workers of RMG Gold and RMG Copper, mining enterprises in Georgia, went on strike on 14 February after the management refused to fulfill their obligations according to the agreement signed back in November 2013 and fired more than 180 employees under the pretext of reorganization in January 2014.

In opinion of the Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers of Georgia (TUMMCIWG), an affiliate of IndustriALL, the management was trying to undermine the strike and block collective bargaining. However, the only management achievement is that now on top of the earlier demands the workers also demand the reinstatement of all workers fired as part of the announced reorganization.

The strike paralyzed the life of Kazreti, where the income of the population largely depends on employment at the RMG Gold and RMG Copper enterprises. The strike developed into daily street protests, and the majority of Kazreti population participates – not only employees of the RMG Gold and RMG Copper enterprises, but also doctors, teachers, school students, members of strikers' families – in total about four thousand inhabitants of Kazreti. On 22 February six workers went on hunger strike; two days later one of them was taken to the hospital. On 25 February the employees of an office building – laboratory workers and the technical personnel – joined workers on strike. Strikebreakers continue to work at the enterprises.

Negotiations between the management and the strikers took place on 26 February, but they did not bring notable results. The management of the enterprises is ready to reinstate around 40 dismissed workers; however, other fired workers might be reinstated only after the operation of the enterprises will be increased. This doesn't conform to the requirements of the strikers; they state that the strike and the street protests will go on until all their demands are completely fulfilled, and all management's promises are confirmed by the relevant documents.

The key demands of the strikers include salary increase, better working conditions and better labour safety, improved health insurance conditions and reinstatement of 184 workers.

Back in November 2013 around 700 miners of RMG Gold and RMG Copper went on strike demanding better working conditions and a salary increase. As a result an agreement was signed between the parties on 23 November 2013; however, until now promises of the management were not kept.

Kemal Özkan, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union says:

Georgian miners demonstrate an exemplary struggle over last couple of months, even under very hard anti-labor environment. IndustriALL Global Union will continue to give all support to this heroic fight”.

28 February is EUROPEAN EQUAL PAY DAY

28 February, on European Equal Pay Day, industriAll Europe issued a strong demand to put an end to the pay gap between men and women in Europe. The wage gap in Europe remains one of the main factors of discrimination against women. On average, women in the EU earn about 17% less per hour than men. In Belgium, Portugal, Slovenia, Poland, Malta and Italy, this figure falls to below 10% but in Estonia and Austria, the difference in pay exceeds 25%.

All of this serves to highlight the limited number of measures being implemented to eradicate these inequalities. For this reason, industriAll Europe and its Equal Opportunities Working Group is strengthening its call for the public authorities to make a greater commitment to eliminate these differences.

Greater equality between women and men would produce benefits for the economy and society in general, contributing to reductions in poverty and increasing women’s income. Businesses can benefit from using the talents and abilities of women more effectively by, for example, assessing the capacities of women and designing policies that reconcile work and family life as well as training and professional development.

There are many reasons for the gender pay gap in the European Union:

Women often work in professions which are not as highly valued as those professions in which men work. And even in male dominated professions, the work carried out by women is often given less recognition and is lower paid.

In addition to shouldering the burden of unpaid housework and childcare, women also make up the majority of part-time workers in Europe. This means that 31.5 % of women work part-time compared with just 8.3 % of men, having a negative impact on the development of their careers, their education, their right to a pension and unemployment benefits.

Women are less represented in managerial positions. Only 12% of women are board members, and just 3% hold positions in management.

The industriAll Europe Equal Opportunities Working Group is putting forward a series of measures and strategies to reduce this gender pay gap, which, far from disappearing, is unfortunately becoming more evident by the day.

Of the various measures and proposals to address the problem, we propose the following:

These measures should be looked at through the framework of Collective Bargaining and local Works Councils, the European Work Councils and Transnational Agreements, by the workers’ representation, so that it is they who monitor new hires, promotions, training, etc. and ensure compliance in all aspects and equality, in the broadest sense of the word.

IndustriALL joins union rally against xenophobia in Switzerland

On 9 February, Swiss people went to the polls to vote on imposing quotas on immigrants. The divisive policy was voted through by a narrow majority of just 50.3 per cent. On 1 March, a delegation from IndustriALL joined members from affiliate Unia and other Swiss unions in a rally in front of the Swiss parliament to fight discrimination.


Trade unions have condemned the segregationist initiative, which strikes at the core of Europe’s liberties and the freedom of workers to make a living everywhere in Europe. Although Switzerland is not part of the European Union (EU), the country is linked with the EU through numerous bilateral agreements, including pacts covering freedom of labour.

Fernando Lopes, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, participated in the demonstration and said:

“We support the Swiss trade unions in their struggle for an open and tolerant Switzerland. Not only are 20 per cent of all people in Switzerland foreigners, more than 30 per cent of all employees are from abroad. Take the IndustriALL office as an example; it is made up of 26 different nationalities."

“As creators of Swiss wealth immigrants have the right to be here and be treated in a non-discriminatory manner. Our support for the 49.7 per cent Swiss voters who said ‘no’ to this initiative, as well as the 20 per cent foreigners living in Switzerland, will continue.”

Together with Swiss Trade Union Confederation and other partners, Renzo Ambrosetti, Unia, and the Swiss trade union movement promises to campaign against all discriminatory legislation on residence permits.

Unia’s co-chairman and member of IndustriALL’s executive committee Renzo Ambrosetti states:

“This decision is a huge setback for immigrants to Switzerland, for trade unions and for all progressive forces. It will lead Switzerland up a blind alley.”

Jyrki Raina speaks about his tour to five Asian countries

All over Asia workers and their unions are mobilizing for living wages, for a better life, for limiting outsourcing and for organizing and growth. We have a great start for another year of struggles and victories in the IndustriALL Global Union family.

Fight against precarious work: a central demand in Rio Tinto Campaign

Fernando Lopes, IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary said: “Most of the time, in the mining industry the majority of the workforce is in precarious employment. In response to this, IndustriALL Global Union has identified three main areas of focus to combat this practice: organise; protect through collective bargaining; improve legislation.”

A Memorandum of Demands has been addressed to the Rio Tinto Chief  Executive Officer (CEO), which includes the need to minimise the incidence of precarious work.

Organising:

Workers in precarious jobs have little chance to join a union or to bargain collectively. Pay and conditions are being driven ever lower by companies, thereby dividing the workforce inside the plants.  Hence it is imperative for precarious workers to be represented together with their comrades. Only with a strong unionisation rate will workers become an unavoidable counterpart for Rio Tinto.

Protect:

One of the reliable ways to protect precarious workers is to include them into the collective bargaining agreement. At Rio Tinto’s operation in South Africa, most workers are contract workers and non-union members. However, during the 2013 collective bargaining round, NUM’s wage demands to the company included contract workers.

Legislation:

Policy protection through e.g. minimum wage or limiting the use of precarious work is one other element. SYNATE in Cameroon has been strategizing on how to deal with  legislation that allows for three categories of workers: permanent workers, subcontracted workers and temporary workers. This has allowed Rio Tinto Aluchem to create an intermediate company of subcontracted employees and these employees can spend all their working years until retirement in that category of employment. According to SYNATE, education and sensitisation of all workers is key in this fight.

After the global economic crisis in 2008, Rio Tinto announced the cut of 14,000 jobs around the world, of whom 8,500 were contract workers. Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL Mining director, stated: “Contract workers have been paying too long Rio Tinto’s race for profit and its liberal employment policy. It is now time for workers all around the world to come together and clearly say: Down Rio Tinto, Down!”

Not so sparkly conditions in Botswana diamond polishing

At a training seminar for shop stewards conducted last month by IndustriALL, in collaboration with Botswana Diamond Workers Union and Botswana Power Corporation Workers Union, participants revealed that companies in the diamond polishing industry are routinely flouting labour laws.

According to the shop stewards, workers are summarily dismissed for minor offences and untested allegations. Furthermore, safety at the workplace is often compromised as workers have to work behind locked doors for long periods. Participants also complained of discriminatory practices where the diamond companies provide more benefits and better treatment for expatriates than locals.

IndustriALL’s director of mining, Glen Mpufane said:

The experiences of our affiliate members in Botswana highlight the plight of thousands of vulnerable diamond workers across the globe who are subjected to dangerous working conditions, low pay and discrimination by employers. IndustriALL is working hard to support mining trade union affiliates across Africa and the world to increase their capacity to protect workers.

Diamonds are the lifeblood of the Botswana economy. They account for one third of the country's total gross domestic product as well as 76 percent of its export revenue and 45% of government revenue. The country is the highest producer of diamonds by value in the world.

And yet, workers in the diamond industry do not share in this wealth, with average salaries for people employed in the diamond polishing industry as low as US$225 per month.

A significant amount of diamond mining in Botswana is done through a partnership between Botswana government and De Beers Mining Company, the merger of which is a company called Debswana Diamond Company. Through a beneficiation policy, some 21 companies have been established and approximately 3200 people are employed in the diamond polishing industry in the country. 

Participants at the workshop on the 7 and 8 February 2014 resolved to strengthen representation in the sector through recruitment and to organize workers to better address their problems and fight for fairer wages.

Cambodian government must urgently restart dialogue with unions

“We call upon the government to urgently restart dialogue with the workers’ unions to avoid an escalation of the conflict and a complete breakdown in relations between unions, the government and factory owners," said IndustriALL’s general secretary Jyrki Raina.

The overtime strike, which began on Monday, has had a noticeable impact on the textile sector in Cambodia. The garment workers are demanding the release of 21 protestors arrested during strikes in January which saw four demonstrators shot dead by police.

The strikers also continue to call for an increase in the minimum wage from the current figure of US$100 to US$160 per month.

Despite a constructive meeting with government ministers, global unions and brands on 19 February, IndustriALL is alarmed by the recent turn of events which has seen the government refusing to register new unions until a new trade union law is passed, which might not be until the end of the year.

The government suspension of the freedom of association is in direct contravention of ILO’s Convention 87, ratified by Cambodia, which guarantees that workers and employers, without distinction whatsoever, shall have the right to establish and to join organisations of their own choosing without previous authorisation.

IndustriALL is also deeply disappointed by the intention of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) to file a US$72 million lawsuit against six leaders of union groups.

Further to the overtime boycott, unions are planning a public forum on International Women’s Day on 8 March in support of better pay for garment workers, 80% of whom are women, and the release of the 21 detainees, who have been denied bail by a Cambodian court of appeal.

A further stay-at-home strike by garment workers is planned for 12 March.

“IndustriALL, the ITUC, ILO and brands continue to work together to resolve the deadlock over the minimum wage and press for the release of the 21 protestors,” said Raina.

41 years of Indian street vendors’ struggle wins legislative victory

Indian street vendors and their IndustriALL-affiliated trade union SEWA are celebrating the new law as the result of 41 years of struggle. The bill was endorsed by the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) of Parliament on 19 February 2014. The bill regulates and protects the livelihood of street vendors. Both houses of Parliament unanimously passed the resolution.

A hunger strike by SEWA in New Delhi from 16-19 February and last minute lobbying and advocating efforts of SEWA finally resulted in the passing of the bill. It is a historic and one of the biggest achievements for the Street Vendors of India.

In India 2 to 2.5 % of the urban population earn their living through street vending. These street vendors provide essential services to the people at large. They are self earners and earn their living without proving a burden on the Government. Still the vendors are misperceived as illegal encroachers, they are beaten up, their goods are confiscated, summons and warrants are issued against them.

The journey for ‘Rights of Street Vendors’ began in 1972:

Thus, the Street vendors’ bill is unanimously passed by both the houses of parliament and currently pending the final approval of the President of India.

The magnificent victory of Street Vendors has brought happiness in the informal economy of the country. SEWA is celebrating the glorious victory with 1.9 million members, across 13 states including 200,000 vendor members and invites others to participate in their celebration.

Bro. Sudhershan Rao, Regional Secretary, IndustriALL South Asia Office stated:

The long protracted and strategic struggle of the street vendors, spanning four decades, led to a successful resolution in this passing of the bill. Now the real challenge begins, the stakeholders must work with devotion and commitment for a successful implementation of the statute to extend the long awaited benefits to the street vendors.

Los Mineros win clear victory in Zacatecas

This was the decisive verdict of the election held on 21 February, which represented a real and rather rare victory for democratic trade unionism.

Voting began at 7am and closed at 5.30pm and was conducted in an absolutely orderly and respectful way according to international observers. Workers were allowed to vote freely in the presence representatives of three levels of government, the Ministry for Labour and Social Welfare and Minera Frisco, controlled by Carlos Slim. The company is the country’s second biggest gold producer. The terms of the agreement to hold these elections were respected.

The union, which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, said that “the SNTMMSRM won a clear victory, despite the cart-loads of money spent by the few supporters of Carlos Pavón, “la Marrana”, the threats and lies they were guilty of in the election campaign and their last-minute attempt to increase their support by forming an alliance with the Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants (CROC) and the CTM”.

The SNTMMSRM received 57% of votes against the 43% received by the other two trade unions in the election and therefore displaced the CROC, which is a “protection union”, as the official representative of the workers. The SNTMMSRM received support from representatives of its other branches. The election was monitored by a neutral group of international observers which included representatives from United Steelworkers, Solidarity Center, PODER, ProDESC and CFO. 

The election was held to determine which union should represent the workers, following a long struggle by the miners’ union to defend the interests of workers at Zacatecas.

On behalf of IndustriALL, Jyrki Raina warmly congratulated Napoleón Gómez Urrutia for this marvellous and fully-deserved victory by the miners:

This victory for the workers’ absolute right to freely choose the union they want to represent them is a massive step in the fight of all Mexican workers and fills us with happiness and hope!

Unions building global power against attacks by Crown Holdings

The meeting was convened by IndustriALL, whose affiliates represent 50 million workers and was joined by IndustriALL’s sister organizations, UNI Global Union representing graphical and packaging sector workers and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) representing workers at the major food and beverage companies that are major customers of Crown Holdings.

Despite doubling its profits in 2012, Crown is demanding a permanent lower wage scale and 42% pay cut for new-hires in its plant located in Toronto where IndustriALL affiliate, the United Steelworkers (USW), represents workers. The demand forced workers to go on strike in September 2013 after a decade of sacrifices that workers in North America made to restore the company to profitability. At the same time, Crown provided lucrative executive pay and pension packages to its top executives.

The USW is conducting an active campaign called Take-Backs No More with a website – www.takebacksnomore.ca

Likewise in Turkey, IndustriALL affiliate United Metalworkers’ Union Birlesik Metal-Is is campaigning to obtain union recognition and improve working conditions at two Crown plants located in the cities of Izmit and Osmaniye. However Crown management has stalled the process of recognition even though Ministry of Labor already issued a certificate giving legitimacy to Birlesik Metal-Is to become bargaining partner. The case is still pending at the Court of Appeals, and workers at Crown cannot enjoy their fundamental rights.

The Geneva meeting included comprehensive reports from the trade unions in Europe that outlined substantial decline in the quality of labor relations and the lack of company transparency.  European participants shared concerns about the future of some of the operations in Europe and the reluctance of Crown to share any information about possible plant closures. The participants outlined an action plan to escalate the campaign against Crown. 

IndustriALL is sending a letter to Crown CEO John Conway with an offer for an immediate meeting to discuss and resolve the current problems.

Unions and global union federations also decided to mobilize at Crown’s upcoming shareholders’ meeting  and contact Crown’s major customers worldwide, particularly in food and beverage sectors through support and solidarity provided by the IUF.

“Our meeting has shown clear and strong determination of our global union family to build a genuine power at Crown operations worldwide” said Kemal Özkan, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union. “Our objective is to make Crown a more socially responsible company.”