South East Asia youth calls for integration in union training

They stressed the importance of capacity building in eliminating gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH), including GBVH and the Convention 190 provisions in collective agreements and union policies.

The recommendations were part of the action plan produced by the South East Asia
Youth Academy on 11-14 September which were:
• conduct youth survey and mapping of youth density
• organize more young workers into trade unions
• establish youth committees at factory, local union and federation levels
• reactivate existing IndustriALL national youth committees
• build youth leadership to ensure union sustainability
• formulate union policies on 20 percent youth training quota including organizing and GBVH training
• inclusion of GBVH and Convention 190 provisions in collective agreements
• advocate for gender equality in wage and fair promotion opportunity
• create a youth activist networks
• include youth in decision-making body and in affiliates’ meetings
• set up social media accounts to increase youth visibility

The co-chair of the IndustriALL youth working group in South East Asia, East Asia and Pacific (SEA2PAC-Y) Jean Faye Daguman reviewed the 2023 youth academy action plan.

She said SEA2PAC-Y has accomplished part of the action plan, such as establishment of national youth committees in Indonesia and Cambodia, active participation of young workers in regular SEA2PAC-Y meetings and a virtual organizing training in collaboration with ITUC organizing academy. The youth also developed three resolutions on: restoration of democracy in Myanmar, more training resources and statutes amendments through SEA2PAC-Y platform.

The youth academy was attended by 22 youth from Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

In the four day meeting, the participants discussed a variety of issues such as youth as the agent of change, social justice in a globalized South East Asia, climate change and just transition, gender equality and inclusion of LGBTQI workers, informalization and decent work.

In addition, the youth visited the Bantayog ng mga Bayani (Monument to the Heroes) and the museum in Quezon city, learning the history of anti-marital law movement and people’s revolution four decades ago, exchanging views with former youth activists and connecting their experience with their own national histories.

IndustriALL youth officer Sarah Flores said :

“Brining young leaders to debate trade unions practices in a rapidly changing world of work is key if we expect this generation to take over. Understanding the different dynamics in the region, past and present, will contribute to improving their actions.”

IndustriALL regional secretary for South East Asia Ramon Certeza said :

“We appreciate the contribution of young unionists in this important meeting that debates the mega trends that we are confronted with in the globalized economy. We envisage lasting change for the young workers’ movement that will increase the organizing strength. The future of the trade union movement lies in the hands of young unionists.”

This is the beginning of the second cycle of IndustriALL Global Union – Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung South East Asia Youth Academy, which will last from 2024 to 2026.

33,000 Boeing workers on strike

An overwhelming 94 percent voted to reject the offer, with 96 percent voting in favour of striking. Workers are frustrated over years of stagnant wages and concessions made on pensions and healthcare to keep jobs being outsourced.

In a statement, IAM vowed to:

“Continue fighting for a contract that meets workers’ needs, with strong solidarity across North America backing the strike. Workers are saying, our future our fight.”

IndustriALL aerospace director Georg Leutert said:

“We stand in solidarity with the workers at Boeing.Co, it is their right to strike and demand better lives for themselves and their families. We stand behind them during this challenging time and hope that an acceptable and beneficial agreement can be reached.”

Photo: International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) website.

Smurfit Kappa workers in Peru strike for a living wage

After failing to reach a satisfactory agreement with the company, the National Union of Smurfit Kappa Peru Workers, part of FETRIMAP, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, brought an end to the collective bargaining process on 16 July, saying that the pay rise proposed by the company was ridiculous.

On 24 July, the union held a peaceful protest at the Paramonga headquarters of Smurfit Kappa Peru, a subsidiary of Smurfit Westrock, a world leader in sustainable packaging. Union members told media that their aim was to secure the benefits requested in May, which included a pay rise, so that a better collective bargaining agreement could be signed for the workers.

On 11 August, the union approved an indefinite general strike, which was ruled lawful by the Regional Labour Directorate of Lima Province on 3 September. A day later, the Regional Labour Directorate summoned the parties to an extra-procedural meeting to try and come to an agreement on the union’s claims for 2024 and 2025.

However, Smurfit Kappa Peru failed to attend the meeting, which the union interpreted as a lack of interest in resolving the workers' demands and preventing the strike. As a result, the National Union of Smurfit Kappa Peru Workers went on strike on 6 September.

In a statement, the union says:

“This is a historic day for our colleagues working at Smurfit Westrock Peru. We needed to reach this point, to face our fears and stand up for ourselves – we needed to take action. The company is trying to stoke fear and conflict among our colleagues by spreading lies. Today, we are ready to fight and to show that we’re standing together. We are united in our struggle and our strength. And with our fists raised, we are demanding change in the face of such indifference.”

FETRIMAP's deputy general secretary, Julián Alfaro, says:

“As a union, we reject the company's position that there are ‘no negotiations while there are strikes’. This policy, which was recommended by the law firm Vinatea & Toyama, is exacerbating the labour dispute, both at Smurfit Kappa Peru and in other private companies with unions. But we will continue to lend our support to union members and to provide legal assistance so that their list of demands for 2024 and 2025 can be met.”

The Smurfit Kappa Peru workers’ struggle to defend their labour rights and ensure a living wage has also received support from IndustriALL’s network of Smurfit Kappa workers in Latin America. The regional network has organized campaigns in support of the workers and is following the negotiations closely. The aim is to demonstrate the importance of empowering unions, not only nationally but also regionally and globally.

Says IndustriALL deputy regional secretary, Cristian Alejandro Valerio:

"The company must respect the workers’ right to strike and foster a dialogue in order to respond to the demands of the Smurfit Peru workers and reach an agreement.
"We are concerned about the rise in anti-union practices within the human resources departments of both local and multinational companies. These are encouraged by local law firms and consultants who seek to hinder the industrial dialogue that should naturally take place between employers and workers.”

Worker at ArcelorMittal Brazil suffers electric shock

Other accidents have been reported in September at ArcelorMittal’s plants around the world, including a worker who died from electrocution in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, and another who lost his life after being crushed at a rolling mill in Venezuela.

For IndustriALL, ArcelorMittal is systematically failing to prioritise health and safety, as shown by the tragic loss of 314 lives across its operations between 2012 and 2023, with many more incidents going unreported.

Patrick Correa, IndustriALL base metals director, said:

“This latest tragic accident again sends a clear message: health and safety of ArcelorMittal workers can no longer be neglected. It is unacceptable that human lives continue to be put at risk in the name of profit. We demand immediate and concrete steps be taken by the management to ensure a safe and respectful working environment. On 13 September, trade unions around the world will rally together to make workers’ voices heard, demand change and remind all concerned that no worker should have to risk their life for a job.”

In light of the mounting death toll at the company’s sites, on 13 September, IndustriALL came togehter with industriAll Europe and affiliated unions from around the world for a global day of action to say enough is enough!

Deadly explosion at shipyard in Bangladesh

The explosion occurred at the SN Corporation shipbreaking yard, in the pump house of a scrap ship as workers were engaged in pipe cutting. IndustriALL affiliates reported that just a few days prior to the explosion, a fire broke out on the same ship when workers were cutting pipes. Management decided to stop the work in that section, but the work was resumed again, this time leading to a devastating incident.

This is not a stand-alone incident at the SN Corporation shipbreaking yard. According to unions, there has been at least four incidents this year alone due to safety lapses. News reports reveal that the probe committee formed to investigate the 7 September explosion has identified both technical and management lapses leading to the explosion.

SN Corporation Unit-2 got its Hong Kong Convention (HKC) Compliance certificate in March 2023, becoming the second shipyard in Bangladesh to be compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s Guidelines for Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling. HKC Compliance requires the company to have a ship recycling plan.

The guidelines clearly state that the ship recycling facility must ensure that no hot work commences in these spaces until certified ‘safe-for-hot-work’:

(i) enclosed spaces that potentially contain dangerous atmospheres

(ii) within, on, or immediately adjacent to spaces that contain or have contained combustible or flammable liquids or gases

(iii) within, on, or immediately adjacent to fuel tanks that contain or have last contained fuel

(iv) on pipelines, heating coils, pump fittings or other accessories connected to spaces that contain or have last contained fuel

(v) bilges, cargo holds, engine room spaces and boiler spaces not containing dangerous atmospheres.

Walton Pantland, IndustriALL’s director for shipbuilding and shipbreaking, says:

“This shipyard has a compliance certificate, but was clearly not following the correct procedures, which make it clear that flammable material must be removed before cutting starts. Did the company prepare a ship recycling plan? Why wasn’t it followed? Why was no one monitoring it? Workers have lost their lives due to this unforgivable lapse.
“This shows that the Hong Kong Convention on its own is not adequate. It requires an independent government inspectorate and strong unions on the ground to ensure it being adhered to. In addition, ship owners should monitor the compliance of the yards they sell too.”

IndustriALL’s affiliates have demaded compensation for the victims and rehabilitation of the injured workers. According to news reports, the department of environment has suspended the environmental clearance of the SN Corporation Unit-2.

Says Ashutosh Bhattacharya, IndustriALL south Asia regional secretary:

"We stand in solidarity with our shipbreaking affiliates in Bangladesh, mourning the tragic loss of workers' lives in the explosion at SN Corporation’s ship recycling yard. This devastating incident, along with previous accidents, highlights the urgent need for stricter enforcement of safety regulations and stronger protections for workers in hazardous industries. Workers’ lives should never be compromised due to negligence and the failure to follow safety protocols. We demand immediate action to ensure that these tragedies are not repeated.”

The article was updated on 19 September to reflect the number of deaths.

Photo: SN Corporation shipbreaking yard, Bangladesh

ArcelorMittal trade union global action day: stop deaths at work NOW!

With a dramatic increase of deaths at ArcelorMittal’s global sites, trade unions across the world stand together in solidarity to demand that the company puts workers’ lives and safety above profit. With at least 314 deaths reported between 2012 and 2023, and thousands more estimated to have suffered from accidents and injuries in the workplace, workers are at the mercy of a real health and safety crisis at the global steel and mining giant.

The accident earlier this week, where a young worker at the ArcelorMittal plant João Monlevade in Brazil was electrocuted and lost an arm as a result, has served as a stark reminder of the dire need a global day of action to call attention to the health and safety situation.

Since 2012, there has been a dramatic increase in deaths at ArcelorMittal sites across the globe: 113 in the multinational company’s mines, and 201 in its steel plants, in Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Spain, France, Morocco, Ukraine, Poland, the USA and elsewhere. In 2007, in the wake of an accident that killed 41 miners in Kazakhstan, ArcelorMittal unions around the world joined with the company to form a joint global health and safety committee, with the intention of addressing safety concerns at a global level, conducting site inspections, and fixing urgent issues.

However, this committee has not met physically since the COVID-19 pandemic and there have been no site inspections. In 2021, unions expressed alarm at the growing death toll at ArcelorMittal workplaces and demanded that the company reconvened the safety group and complied with ILO safety standards, this had not happened.

Today, trade unions across the globe are taking part in a global action day. In Brazil, with general assemblies, flyer distributions and a demonstration; industrial action and meetings with shop stewards took place in France, and in Spain workers demonstrated at the plant gates calling for change. Trade unions across the globe from Argentina to Mexico, North America, South Africa and Liberia demonstrated workers’ anger at the state of health and safety in the company to say enough is enough.

Convening outside’s ArcelorMittal’s offices in London today, IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll European Trade Union demanded urgent action.

Christine Olivier, assistant general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union said:

‘’Hundreds of workers went to work at ArcelorMittal sites and never returned home to their families. What more needs to happen for management to take health and safety seriously? Occupational health issues can only be resolved properly if they include workers’ representatives, and management must work with trade unions to urgently reconvene the Joint Global Health and Safety Committee. We need to work towards zero deaths at work. Every life matters.’’

Judith Kirton-Darling, general secretary of industriAll European Trade Union added:

‘’Workers crushed, electrocuted, burnt, asphyxiated, killed in an explosion, the horrendous list of reported deaths and injuries goes on and on. There can be no more delay, ArcelorMittal must engage with trade unions and invest in their sites and their workers now. Workers' lives over profit!’’

ILO report highlights IndustriALL C190 work

The report highlights how IndustriALL and its affiliates have been addressing violence and harassment in the workplace, particularly since the adoption of ILO Convention 190 (C190) in 2019. The landmark Convention, aimed at eradicating gender-based violence and harassment, (GBVH), has fueled a transformative wave in workplaces worldwide.

The report states that IndustriALL’s work is anchored in promoting the ratification and implementation of C190. It has mobilized affiliates across continents to integrate anti-gender-based violence and harassment policies into collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) and foster safe work environments for all workers.

For instance, IndustriALL has been instrumental in helping unions in Nigeria, Argentina, and the Philippines push their governments to ratify C190, while also supporting Indonesian unions in establishing zero-tolerance policies against workplace violence and sexual harassment. These efforts represent a growing global movement towards work environments rooted in dignity and safety.

IndustriALL has also made significant strides through its "Not in our Workplace, Not in our Union" pledge, which calls on its affiliates to actively combat violence against women and promote the elimination of GBVH. This pledge has become a catalyst for unions worldwide, pushing them to prioritize gender-based violence and harassment in their internal structures and external negotiations.

In addition, IndustriALL’s groundbreaking resolution adopted at its Third Congress calls for zero tolerance for sexism, misogyny, and GBVH, further embedding these principles into the fabric of global labour movements, the report notes. This resolution then led to the development and adoption of the new IndustriALL policy on GBVH, Sexism and Misogyny.

The expanded International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry, signed by global unions and garment retailers, includes measures to prevent sexual harassment, creating safer environments for millions of workers. Additionally, the MoU signed between IndustriALL and Anglo American, a global mining company, marks a pivotal moment in addressing workplace safety and gender-based violence in the mining sector.

IndustriALL's focus extends to comprehensive training programmes, equipping union leaders with the tools to address GBVH. Its global training initiative targets sectors like mining, garments, and electronics, fostering awareness and negotiating better workplace policies.

“IndustriALL’s collective efforts, alongside its affiliates, have set a strong precedent for combating violence and harassment in the workplace, including GBVH. The organization’s commitment to ratifying C190 and embedding its principles in global labour practices is a powerful testament to the role unions play in creating workplaces free from any forms of violence and harassment for all. Through social dialogue, strategic partnerships, and unwavering advocacy, IndustriALL is transforming the world of work for generations to come,”

says Armelle Seby IndustriALL gender director.

“The report highlights the crucial role that unions play in preventing violence and harassment and in advocating for the ratification and implementation of ILO document C190. We collected over 200 examples of union initiatives, strategies, initiatives and negotiations at national, regional and global levels aimed at preventing violence and harassment, including gender-responsive approaches in collective bargaining, in occupational safety and health, and through workplace policies that workers trust. It is impressive to see such union commitment and activism at so many different levels,”

says Jane Pillinger gender expert and author of report.

Photo: Shutterstock

Coal mine workers demand a just energy transition

IndustriALL convened a virtual meeting of its coal mining union affiliates to discuss the critical challenges and opportunities facing coal miners in the rapidly changing energy landscape, focusing on the critical question of the imminent job losses and the implication thereof. The social cost of an unfair and unjust energy transition were laid bear with discussions based on two research reports, the International Energy Agency’s Coal 2023 and the global energy monitor’s Global Coal Mine Tracker (GCMT), including country reports from participants.

IndustriALL ‘s call for a just transition that considers the social cost on coal mine workers’ jobs and communities’ livelihoods caused by the imminent closure of coal mines and the retirement of coal powered stations has been amplified by a ground- breaking frightening and sobering comprehensive research by the GCMT.

According to the report, about 1 million jobs in the coal mining industry will be lost, translating to 100 jobs a day, underlining the urgency of action to prevent widespread social and economic strife.

This report found resonance with the real-life experiences of coal mineworkers beyond the rhetoric of a just transition offered by the coal mining industry as they lay off coal mineworkers, in the face of some governments’ failures to reign in these companies, particularly in the global south.

While the research job loss figures were appreciated, the unfolding scenario will not be a linear process…

“…these figures do not tell the whole story, each country’s situation will depend on whether it is an entirely domestic industry or largely export country,”

said Tony Maher, president of Australia’s Mining and Energy Union.

Faced with the prospects of the quantum and magnitude of the job crises the urgency of just transition plans that put skills road map at the core and center of an urgent just transition plan cannot be overstated. This is illustrated by the energy skills roadmap South Africa 2030’, which finds that while

“…coal miners often have the skills necessary to shift into other careers within the energy sector or other low-carbon industrial sectors, the shift will affect management and professional, process operators, maintenance personnel and artisan, truckers and clerical personnel working in these sectors, … coal miners and process operators will be the most affected and/or unlikely to find like-for-like positions”.

It is on this basis that

“worker involvement, consultation and dialogue is critical in developing and implementing a Just Transition that must provide guard rails for protecting coal miners jobs,”

said Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL mining and DGOJP and OHS lead.

“A fair and just energy transition must consider, amongst other policy interventions, the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) agreed upon at COP28, the ILO Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all, such measures of which will provide bridge to future employment for coal mineworkers,”

said Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

The virtual meeting was attended by IndustriALL coal mining union affiliates from Germany, Hungary, Ukraine, Indonesia, Malawi, Pakistan, Poland, Spain, Australia, Colombia, South Africa, India, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe, who all called for maximum solidarity, global and bilateral amongst each other, including with Ukraine, whose coal mining sector come under attack in the war with Russia.

Solidarity in Malmö as Ford workers join Tesla picket line

The conflict between Tesla and Swedish workers, represented by IndustriALL affiliates IF Metall and Unionen, began just over eleven months ago when Tesla refused to sign collective bargaining agreements, which are a cornerstone of Sweden's labour model. In Sweden, unions play a crucial role in negotiating fair wages, working conditions, and benefits for employees. Tesla’s refusal to engage in these agreements has led to protests and strikes by IF Metall at Tesla’s service centers. The struggle has drawn widespread attention as it challenges Tesla’s labour policies in a country known for strong union rights.

The German delegation was led by Benjamin Gruschka, Cologne plant works council chairman, German general works council, and Ford European works council, and included David Lüdtke, IG Metall chairman at Ford Cologne; Dennis Klein, Chairman of the youth representation at Ford Cologne; Sabine Lawitzke and Thomas Süther, both members of the Ford Cologne works council; and Hans Lawitzke, Secretary of the Ford European Works Council and Deputy Chair of the IG Metall at Ford Cologne.

The delegation joined the picket line at the Tesla Service Center, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the striking workers who are currently covering the center’s opening hours in two shifts. The delegation had the opportunity to engage in conversations with the workers, many of whom shared their personal experiences and challenges in dealing with Tesla’s practices.

"It’s clear that Tesla’s treatment of its workers isn’t just a local issue, it’s part of a larger pattern we see across borders. Today, we’re here to support our Swedish friends and let them know they are not alone,"

said Benjamin Gruschka

The delegation joined the public demonstration organized by IF Metall, which drew a crowd of supporters from across Malmö. The demonstration saw speeches from various union representatives, all calling for Tesla to respect workers' rights and engage in good-faith negotiations with its employees.

”This manifestation is an important signal to Swedish Tesla management. There are no signs of weakened resolve amongst our members, despite being on strike for more than 10 months. On the contrary – more and more Tesla employees are joining IF Metall and choose to join the strike. We call for Tesla to sit down at the negotiation table and find a resolution to this dispute. Our members at Tesla deserve long-term fair and safe working conditions, just like everyone else in the Swedish labour market,”

says Marie Nilsson IF Metall and IndustriALL president.

“As Tesla continues to expand its operations across Europe, the struggle for workers’ rights is far from over. Unions like IG Metall and IF Metall are committed to ensuring that multinational corporations are held accountable, and the events of 10 September 2024 serve as a reminder that the power of solidarity can cross borders and languages,”

says Georg Leutert IndustriALL auto director.

Photo credit: Hans Lawitzke

Labour inspection exposes sexual exploitation at Dharm Cutting Works Botswana

Dharm’s whose head office is in India which is its top sourcing country for the diamonds.

After a complaint was made by Botswana Diamond Workers Union (BDWU), an IndustriALL affiliate, to the ministry, labour inspectors carried out an investigation at Dharm and interviewed six women workers who were sexually harassed. The inspectors also interviewed three women, who have since left the company because of the sexual harassment by the manager who has since been suspended pending an investigation.

According to the inspectors’ report, the forms of sexual harassment brought against the general manager included rape, inappropriate touching and quid pro quo sexual harassment – which happens when employment, pay, and benefits are promised on condition of submitting to unwelcome sexual advances. In one of the incidences, cited in the report, the general manager sexually harassed some diamond polishers after asking them to clean his house. The inspectors said this violated the National Industrial Relations Code of Good Practice (Models Procedures and Agreements) 2006 which defines sexual harassment as “persistent, unsolicited, and unwanted sexual advances or suggestions by one person to another. There is a clear case of sexual harassment, and the perpetrator is the general manager.”

The inspectors wrote that the manager used his financial power to sexual harass the workers in violation of even the company’s human resources manual. The manual, which aims to stop sexual harassment, states that “sexual harassment includes conduct of a sexual nature, including unwelcome jokes, touching, comments, pornographic displays and the like which unreasonably interferes with an employee’s ability to perform his or her job because of the hostile environment.”

Further, the inspection condemned the inclusion of the general manager in the investigation of the sexual harassment and questioned how an alleged perpetrator can play a dual role as “player and referee.” “By sitting through the proceedings of an investigation against him he pre-empted the findings of the investigation and rendered the process null and void,” states the report which was sent to Dharm.

Beside sexual harassment the inspection report also mentioned that Dharm had restored workers benefits that it had withdrawn without engaging with the union.

Dominic Obusitse Mapoka, BDWU chairperson said:

“While we welcome the action taken by Dharm against the general manager, we look forward to the adoption of workplace policies to curb sexual harassment. As a union, we are hoping for an amicable solution on other issues that we have raised with the ministries of labour and home affairs.”

“It is shameful that a general manager who is supposed to provide oversight on sexual harassment is the perpetrator. We applaud the BDWU for standing up for the rights of women workers against sexual harassment and for taking up this issue with the ministry of labour and social protection,”

said Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Photo: Shutterstock