Pakistani workers demand housing and pensions

Trade union activists including from the IndustriALL Pakistani affiliate National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) participated in the rally organized jointly by NTUF, SITE Labour Forum and Trade Union Action Committee.

The protesters demanded eviction of illegal tenants from 4,000 flats that were allocated to the workers five years ago as part of the Government program. Despite all sort of deposits paid out by the workers the flats were occupied by illegal tenants controlled by the local land mafia, and because of the Government inactiveness 4,000 workers and their families so far cannot get access to their housing.

Workers also demanded the Government to release PKR 40 billion (276,3 million euros) promised to Sindh Workers’ Welfare Board in order to maintain workers’ welfare schemes including financing of the educational scholarships for the children of workers, dower and death grants etc.

Other demand regarded the situation in the hospitals, which are paid through the workers’ contributions to the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI). According to the union activists they are in deplorable state and in some cases workers were even provided fake medicines there. Still almost 90 per cent of workers are so far deprived access to SESSI welfare schemes because of unfair treatment by the SESSI officials who in conspiracy with the employers do not issue workers the cards entitling them to the above mentioned benefits.

Other speaker paid attention to the problem of embezzlement of a billion of rupees by the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institute (EOBI), which creates hurdles in providing pensions to the workers. In fact the Supreme Court of Pakistan is already dealing with this unfair practice.

Precarious employment, making it impossible for majority of workers to access even the scarce welfare system and small minimum wage pushing workers to work 12-14 hours a day, were among other problems mentioned by the protesters.

In the joint declaration the protesters demanded registration of all the workers with EOBI and SESSI and a strict action against the owners of industries who fail to act on this. They also demanded to raise pension up to the level of the minimum wage.

Violent end to Indonesian strike

Strikes took place throughout Indonesia, gathering a total of 1,5 million workers demanding, among other things, an increased minimum wage. Despite pleas for peaceful demonstrations violent clashes occurred. 17 protesters were injured; one still remains in critical condition.

“We wanted safe demonstrations, but paramilitary forces attacked workers with beams and knifes. They were allegedly paid by the government and employers,” says Said Iqbal, President of IndustriALL Global Union affiliate FSPMI and the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI).

After the two-day strike, the Govenor and employer’s association agreed upon a minimum wage for Jakarta. According to trade unions the new minimum wage is still too low, arguing that the nine per cent rise is lower than the inflation and a return to a low wage system. 

IndustriALL Global Union General Secretary Jyrki Raina says:

“We support our members in Indonesia and their struggle. They have our relentless support in continuing to build unity among trade unions and stopping the government and employers from using this division against workers.”

Enough is enough, say Hialpesa workers

The 136 workers took the drastic decision to refuse to sign the contracts after the labour authorities issued a landmark ruling in September invalidating 1,008 short-term employment contracts.  Legally, this means the workers automatically become permanent, but the company kicked the decision into the long grass by engaging in yet another round of endless and pointless legal appeals.

After pursuing their case through legal and government channels for four years, the workers, who are members of IndustriALL Global Union affiliate FNTTP,  told their employer they were not prepared to sign away their newly-acquired rights through dud short-term contracts. The company’s response was a blunt: ‘if you don’t sign, you don’t work’!
 
Some of the brands sourcing from Hialpesa were among the companies that took the unusual step earlier this year of asking the government to repeal the labour legislation governing ‘non traditional exports’, which they said poses an obstacle to the proper implementation of their codes of conduct.

IndustriALLis now seeking the urgent intervention of Peruvian Labour Minister Nancy Laos and of brands and retailers sourcing from Hialpesa to ensure that the union members are allowed to return to work and that the ministry ruling is upheld.
  

 

United Autoworkers organize Faurecia in Kentucky

The election took place on 25 October 2013. According to the union the agreement gives a union voice to 172 workers at the plant.

The Faurecia Kentucky facility opened in 2011 and produces automotive interiors for vehicles manufactured at Ford Motor Co.’s Louisville Assembly Plant and the General Motors Co. Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City.

The successful drive in Kentucky came after the union organized workers at another Faurecia plant in Cottondale, Alabama. There in July 2012, workers who make seating for Mercedes-Benz M-Class sport utility vehicles, successfully organized and voted more than 2-to-1 to join the union.

With the workers affiliated to UAW at the Faurecia facilities in Louisville and Cottondale as well as Johnson Controls outside Tuscaloosa, Alabama UAW keeps on building its stronger presence at Southern auto plants.

Gary Casteel, UAW Region 8 Director, greeted the new members saying, “We are pleased to welcome these new members into the UAW family,” said. “Workers everywhere, but especially in Southern auto plants, are showing a strong interest in democracy in the workplace and they know the decision to join a union is the right step. These are men and women who work hard and realize that joining a union not only gives them job security, but also helps support their families and communities. Faurecia also deserves recognition for agreeing to use the majority recognition process, forgoing the approach of anti-union employers who force their employees into a divisive, disruptive and outdated election process.”

Ethiopian textile workers union empowers women

Mainly of the textile factories have women’s desks. In their introductions the women stated that they wished to fight to solve women’s problems, they wanted to make the most and upgrade women’s skills and organize them. Organizing women in their communities was also a concern.

The workshop worked on the basis of body mapping, work mapping and life mapping. The body mapping showed that the women suffered from ailments that they developed on the job, such as dust. The dust affects their eyesight and their breathing. The women got headaches from the noise and the chemical fumes. They had trouble picking up heavy loads. The factory union needs to learn to take women’s health issues seriously and find a solution with management.

In most cases men and women work together on the shop floor. In general the machines that are more sophisticated are run by men. The women felt that they were receiving the same pay as the men. The women  accumulated their working skills through training and also experience. Because of this a seniority bonus is paid. Often the women were forced to work overtime. This is more a problem for women since women’s time is hard to break down between working time and family time. The women have the impression that nowadays the husbands are starting to help their wives, for example by taking the children to school or picking them up.

The women did a series of role plays. They learned about negotiations and convincing the husbands to spend more time at home in one role play. Another one focused on sexual harassment. The third one concentrated on how trade unions decide on what to prioritize in negotiations, whether they should go for more maternity pay or for higher wages for the men. In another role play the women acted out how women’s committees work on women’s leadership.

There was an extensive discussion of sexual harassment. This is a rampant problem in the textile industry in Ethiopia. It has to be emphasized that sexual harassment is first and foremost an abuse of power, it has little to do with beauty or attraction. In general the women realized that when they had unity and openness, when they went to the union with their problem, it was easier to come up with a solution. Strength and solidarity are determining factors in overcoming the problem. In certain cases IndustriAll can also put pressure on multinationals to put a stop to harassment throughout the supply chain.

The women committed themselves to passing on what they learned to their work colleagues and to the women around them. They want to agitate and translate what they learned. They understood that solidarity would help them achieve their goals. They appreciated the method because it can be used anywhere and even during power cuts. The women returned to their homes and workplaces feeling more empowered as leaders.

7000 South African mineworkers to strike

The NUM demands an increase of R2,100 for core workers and R2,000 for non-core workers. The company has responded with a meagre 6,5 per cent for non-core and 7 per cent for core workers. The NUM has rejected these offers.

“We reached a dispute, went to the CCMA [Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration] and failed to find an amicable solution. We went further to propose another facilitator, the renowned labour lawyer Charles Nupen, but we still failed,” says Ecliff Tantsi, the NUM ’s National  Secretary for Education and Chief Negotiator at Northam Platinum.

The NUM further demands that the current living out allowance be increased to R3718.

“We are now determined to strike at Northam simply to deal with the company ‘s arrogance” says Tantsi.

Austrian metalworkers reach 2.85 per cent wage increase

After several bargaining rounds between the biggest metal organization, the Association Machinery & Metalware Industry FMMI, and the DPA-dip trade union and IndustriALL Global Union affiliate PRO-GE, with little or no results, unions announced a strike for the end of October. It was called off at the last minute when an agreement was reached, covering 120,000 workers of the total 180,000 workers in the metal sector. Depending on the category, wages will increase by between 2.6 and 3.2 percent. 

The question of flexible working time, which has been under discussion for the last two years, remains unresolved. Negotiations on this are expected to commence when all bargaining rounds are concluded.

IndustriALL Global Union Assistant General Secretary Monika Kemperle says:

The raise in wages between 2.6 and 3.2 per cent in the metal and mechanical engineering industry in Austria was only achievable because works councils and members in this sector were ready to stand up for their collective bargaining agreement. Our colleagues in Austria prepared the strike; their readiness to fight led to this breakthrough and hence this success."

Spanish miners mourn six dead co-workers

IndustriALL and affiliates mourn the terrible loss of the workers’ lives in what is described as the worst mining accident in Spain for the last 18 years, and extend the deepest condolences to the families of perished mineworkers.

The fatal accident occurred on 28 October at the mine of Pozo Emilio del Valle in the north-western Spanish city of Pola de Gordón owned by the company Hullera Vasco Leonesa.

Reportedly eleven miners were working 694 meters underground in the gallery 740 of the coalmine when poisonous firedamp, highly inflammable gas formed in mines by decomposition of coal mainly consisting of methane, quickly spread across the gallery and exploded not leaving people the time to put on their protective masks.

The accident happened only 20 days after other three mineworkers gave their lives in an accident in potash mineshaft near the town of Unterbreizbach in Germany. They also were 700 meters underground when a controlled blast provoked sudden massive release of a big amount of carbon dioxide and did not have enough time to put on their oxygen masks.

"It is unbelievable and unacceptable at this age that miners still lose their lives, even in Spain and Germany," said Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union. "While mourning for Spanish and German colleagues, our global union will continue to champion the struggle for safe mines worldwide".

IndustriALL joins its affiliates in Spain FITAG-UGT, FI-CC.OO. and FI-USO as well as IG BCE in Germany and calls on the authorities to start an urgent investigation into the accidents’ reasons and to take all necessary steps and measures in order to prevent from happening similar tragedies in the future.

Sri Lanka Actions

IndustriALL affiliate in Sri Lanka, The Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees' Union (FTZ&GSEU) launched its campaign against precarious work in a number of factories and workplaces on 2 October in alliance with 14 other private and public sector trade unions.

On 7 October the unions concluded the campaign by signing a public petition in front of the Colombo Fort railway station addressed to HE Excellency the President of Sri Lanka in the presence trade union leaders and worker activists. The petition demands included:

See full trade union statement here

Burkina Faso Actions

In Burkina Faso, IndustriALL affiliate, the Fédération Nationale des Travailleurs du Textile, de l'Habillement et du Cuir – FNTTHC, took action against precarious work in SOFITEX, one of the largest companies in the textile sector in Burkina Faso.

SOFITEX employs more than 4,000 workers and 2100 are seasonal and work in precarious conditions with temporary contracts of 5 months. In addition 1,000 workers employed through an external agency work without a contract or a decent salary.

The FNTTHC has sent a list of demands to the company requesting enter into meaningful negotiation with the worker representatives and to regularize the growing number of precarious workers in SOFITEX.