Ansell workers in Sri Lanka on strike for justice

The dispute between IndustriALL Global Union’s Sri Lankan affiliate the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union (FTZGSEU) and Ansell Lanka, one of the leading producers of latex rubber goods worldwide, is only the latest in the long history of a company that has fled its native Australia to exploit vulnerable workers in developing countries.

The most recent provocations began when the company management unilaterally decided to increase production targets and the use of contract workers. Around the same time one of the branch union leaders was harassed by physical threats, and a number of charges related to his union activities, being brought against him. He was then suspended from work.

In a response to this flagrant violation, the workers at Ansell have gone on strike on 11 October. After FTZGSEU's complaint to the Commissioner of Labour, Ansell was asked to withdraw the suspension. However, a few days later the company responded by terminating the branch union’s employment. Ansell has since taken steps to fire further leading union officers.

IndustriALL Global Union continues to its campaign together with FTZGSEU. Over the last attack, Ansell management has received a protest letter from IndustriALL over its continuous anti-union behavior. Ansell is also reported to be in same kind of anti-union actions in Malaysia.

"This is not the sort of behaviour that we expect of a company that claims to respect high standards of corporate social responsibility” said Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL Global Union’s Assistant General Secretary. “We will hardly continue to campaign against Ansell until a fair solution is found.”

Campaign against Crown Holdings escalates with actions in Europe

On 18 October 2013 activists of the local section of UNIA at Zug together with USW representative Mike Cruttenden and IndustriALL Global Union carried out a protest in front of the European Headquarters of Crown Holdings in Baar.

During the protest the IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary Kemal Ozkan said, “We told today representatives that we cannot accept any longer, any more cut backs, we want to have our proper share from the profits that were doubled last year, and we don’t want to work with lower salaries and lower pensions, and in Turkey we have demanded the company to recognize the union as soon as possible.”

Ozkan pledged that IndustriALL Global Union would continue the mobilization throughout the world at the Crown operations until the two problems are not resolved with justice.

Mike Cruttenden, striking employee of Crown and active member of the USW said, “We asked for fair and honest contract, you asked us, Crown Holdings, for relief, the workers gave you relief nine years ago, but you’re still asking for relief, even though you’ve doubled your profits, you want more from the workers to just make more profits, all we want is just fairness, our fair share of how much money we have made for you.”

He added, ”We are not taking back, not anymore, we are not believing in a two-tier wage system, that divides the workplace to such a point where there is a terrible atmosphere in the workplace.”

The campaign “Take-backs no more” is continuing, on Monday 21 October Cruttenden joins his colleagues in Turkey, where IndustriALL`s affiliate Birlesik Metal-Is is preparing series of protests against Crown Holdings.

Regarding the company’s behaviour in Turkey Cruttenden said: “They have only asked to join a union which they democratically voted to join, but yet the company holds them back from joining the union with collaboration of the government. We ask that you recognized that union immediately and bargained a good and fair first contract.”

Mauritius Actions

To mark the World Day for Decent Work, on 7 October, the Government Services Employees Association (GSEA) of Mauritius organized a one-day workshop on the theme “Precarious Work-Our Concern”.

The workshop was held at the GSEA in Beau Bassin and included around 75 participants from the GSEA and of IndustriALL’s affiliates, the Agricultural and General Workers Union (AGWU) and the Electrical and Mechanical Workers Union (EMWU).

The presidents of the 3 unions addressed the meeting and highlighted the various situations of precarious working conditions in their respective sectors, this included workers on short term contract, casual workers, agency workers, enlistment of young graduates on short term contracts, resorting to services of retired employees to temporarily cater for unfilled vacancies and migrant workers.

Participants formed small groups on concrete actions that can be initiated in the short run to address the issue of precarious work in Mauritius and after discussions, the participants came up with the following resolutions:

IndustriALL women take action on 7 October

Following the Indonesian meeting, on 22 September, of the IndustriALL council where a Women’s Committee was created, the participants took the opportunity to plan their activity on 7 October to go to the Ministry of Manpower with a delegation of 100 women and demand decent work and to demand that more attention be paid to women's issues.

The Women Committee of IndustriALL Indonesian Council, took action on 7 October to mark the World Day for Decent Work. Together they marched to the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration in Jakarta.

Around 100 women workers from IndustriALL affiliates joined the rally. Their main demands were to:

Precarious work continues to be the main challenge to unions in Indonesia. One of the most crucial issues with that is maternity protection, because as a rule precarious workers have no maternity protection, maternity leave or maternity pay. Women cannot get married and keep their job if they are contract workers, and if they get pregnant, their contract is cancelled.

Peabody locks out mineworkers in midst negotiations

The lockout by the US-based company is in an apparent retaliation to a protected industrial action by the union to push for an acceptable enterprise agreement. In an effort to resolve the dispute the workers had already made huge concessions in the negotiations, an effort towards which Peabody Energy Australia displayed total indifference.

Workers had agreed to a 12 months’ pay freeze in line with Peabody Energy Australia’s wage reduction demands, as well as undertaking mine stabilisation during the industrial action in the interest of safety.

CFMEU National President Tony Maher says:

"Mining companies like Peabody have been making fat profits for years during Australia's biggest-ever mining boom, yet at the first sign of a slowdown in commodity prices they attack jobs and wages to prop up shareholder returns.”

The lockout is aimed at forcing the trade union to accept an agreement "which reflects current market conditions, lifts productivity, reduces costs, enhances safety and provides greater job security for Metropolitan mine employees," according to a company spokesperson.

Tony Maher has a different take on that:

“It's a shoddy way to treat loyal workers. After all, Peabody can afford to do the right thing. A lockout is a copout and with Peabody a worker is a nobody." 

Peabody Energy Australia’s parent company, the US based Peabody Energy, has recently been forced into a settlement over retirees benefits after a year of protests, rallies and court battles with the United Mineworkers of America.

Nigeria Actions

On 7 October, IndustriALL Global Union marked the World Day for Decent Work. For IndustriALL Global Union, the day of Action provided a critical platform to further strengthen the Stop Precarious Work Campaign and remind employers and Governments to act responsibly on workplace issues for workers and also mobilize and call workers to action against all forms of violations of the rights of workers.

The National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, CANMPSSAN, and National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non Metallic Products Employees, NUCFRLANMPE. Civil society allies under the Joint Action Forum, JAF, Democratic Socialist Movement, DSM, and Campaign for Workers Democratic Rights, CWDR were all part of the protest.

The protesters were led by IndustriALL Global Union, African Region Chairman and General Secretary of NUTGTWN, Comrade Issa Aremu alongside civil society allies in a road show, calling for a stop to all forms of precarious employment in Nigeria.

The protesters marched from Acme Road through Aromire Avenue, Oba Akran, Niwil Close to Allen Avenue in Ikeja. They carried various placards with inscriptions such as "Stop casual and contract work"; "respect workers rights"; "Equal pay for equal work", "Just and humane conditions of work", "Improved health and safety conditions. 'There should be respect for freedom of association", "Respect for collective bargaining", among others.

Addressing the gathering at the Textile Labour House on ACME Road, Ogba Lagos, before the mass rally, Comrade Aremu, reminded the gathering that the struggle for decent work was historical.

He recalled that workers in colonial employment in the mines, railway and colonial public service were not only poorly paid, they were discriminated against and denied the right to unionize. He stressed the sacrifices of the heroes of the trade union movement like Pa Michael Imoudu, H.P Adebola, S.U. Bassey, Wahab Goodluck and others, in negotiating freedom, improved pay and the right to form unions during brutal colonial record.

Bangladesh Accord appoints its leadership team

Sean Ansett, the Accord’s Interim Executive Director, announced the appointments of Brad Loewen as Chief Safety Inspector, Alan Roberts as Executive Director of International Operations and Rob Wayss as Executive Director of Bangladesh Operations. All three appointees will start work within the next seven weeks.

Of the new appointments, Mr. Ansett said:

“The quality of candidates has meant that we have been able to bring an incredible depth of experience to these key roles. The appointments provide the Accord with strong leadership to move forward quickly on the vital work of factory inspections and remediation.”

Monika Kemperle of IndustriALL Global Union spoke of the major development of appointing a Chief Safety Inspector:

“Brad Loewen’s task is central to all that we want to achieve. Under his experienced leadership, the Accord will establish and apply safety standards to all factories that supply to Accord member brands. It is a mammoth task but one in which Brad will have the capacity and authority to make decisions that will make direct, positive impacts upon the safety of Bangladeshi garment workers.”

Lisa Fairclough of Debenhams welcomed the new Directors, citing the drive and vision that they will lend to the Accord’s goal of improving worker safety in Bangladesh:

“Given the scale and breadth of the Accord’s aims, we are pleased to be able to appoint two Executive Directors. Alan Roberts will take up an international role, setting up our head office, raising funds and enlisting new signatories and will be the first point of contact for the Accord. Rob Wayss will be in Bangladesh, where he will liaise closely with local actors, including the government and employers’ organisations, whose cooperation is essential to the Accord achieving its aims. Rob will train the Accord’s local teams, work closely with the Chief Safety Inspector and be a link to garment workers. Both of these executive directors will be instrumental in implementing the work of the Accord on the ground in Bangladesh and in raising the profile of the Accord and its work, to stakeholders and the public

Notes to editors

Brad Loewen joins the Accord as Chief Safety Inspector, from the City of Winnipeg where he is Administrator of Commercial Plan Examination and Inspections. He has previously worked in roles related to fire safety, workplace safety and health, mediation and conciliation, and engineering for organizations including the Canadian Government, the University of Winnipeg, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Province of Manitoba and Steinbach Fire Dept. He will take up his post on 1 November.

Rob Wayss joins the Accord as Executive Director of Bangladesh Operations, from the International Labour Organisation where he is Chief Technical Advisor in Bangladesh. He previously worked in several capacities for the American Center for International Labor Solidarity, an organisation with close ties to U.S. trade unions, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations, the United States Agency for International Development and the US Peace Corps. He will take up his new post on 15 November.

Alan Roberts joins the Accord as Executive Director of International Operations, from Sancroft International where he is Associate Director, Ethical Trade. He was the former Chair of the Ethical Trading Initiative and has worked in corporate social responsibility and supply chain roles across companies such as Apparel Group, Pentland Group, Speedo, Otto UK Ltd, Skillsmart Retail Ltd, Burberry and Littlewoods. He will take up his post on 2 December.

Sean Ansett was appointed Interim Executive Director of the Accord in August 2013, bringing considerable international experience in the field of ethical trade to the Accord’s organisation. He will play this role until a permanent Executive Director is on board.

– The Accord for Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh was signed on 13 May 2013, in response to the Rana Plaza factory building collapse on 24 April 2013.

– The Accord’s website address is www.bangladeshaccord.org

– The Accord’s Twitter feed is @bangaccord

Unions demand minimum wage in Indonesia

On 17 Spetember members of the Confederation of Indonesian trade union congress alliance (KASBI) and IndustriALL's Glen Mpufane rally in Jakarta, urging the government to immediately implement appropriate minimum wage for workers.

Photo: IndustriALL

Youth Meeting in Brazil

On 10-11 Septembers, a meeting was conducted for youth union affiliates in Brazil on union formation, a project supported by IndustriALL affiliates  in Finland and SASK. With enthusiasm, and with great presence of women and youth had discussions on union structures and collective bargaining in Germany and Spain, and also discussed their proposals for national action plans in terms of gender and youth in union structures. 

Photo: Marino Vani

Youth Meeting in Colombia

Young Colombians participated very enthusiastically in a union training meeting, as part of one of the projects supported by IndustriALL,  IndustriALL affiliates in Finland and SASK. On 6 and 7 September they discussed union structures and collective bargaining in Germany and Spain, and especially how youth and women organize in the two countries.

Photo: Marino Vani