415 Cambodian Nike workers sacked for striking

The workers at the Sabrina factory in Kampong Speu province, west of the capital Phnom Penh produce for Nike, Wilson Sports Apparel and Lululemon Athletica. The latest development in the concerning case is the mass-sacking of 415 workers identified by Sabrina management as participating in the strike.

Sokny Say, General Secretary of the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia, reports that arrest warrants were issued for 16 workers identified by the Sabrina management as instrumental in the trade union campaign. Eight of the 16 are in jail and the others are in hiding.

The arrested trade union activists must be released immediately without prejudice. They have been transferred to the provincial prison.

Sokny Say reports that management are forcing workers to give their finger prints in a continued effort to intimidate and dismiss those supporting the strike and calling for the release of the eight imprisoned trade unionists. Hundreds remain mobilized at the plant gates demanding their release.

Brother Sun Vanny President of the Sabrina factory FTUWKC Local has informed IndustriALL of the background to the dispute whereby an agreement signed on 30 January 2013 between management and the union was never honoured by management. The agreement covered a number of improved employment conditions.

Following six months of increased intransigence from management, FTUWKC demands put forward on 9 May included the monthly salary increase of US$14 onto the previous US$74 level, in line with the 1 May national increase to the minimum wage. The other key union demand is for workers employed on temporary contracts to be automatically converted to permanent employment status.

Without a positive management response to these demands, FTUWKC led a seven-day strike from 21 May and again from 3 June. Approximately 4,000 of the total 5,300 workforce took strike action. Negotiations to end the strike were supported by the Labour Ministry, but no counter proposal was put forward by management. Chea Mony, national President of FTUWKC took part in the failed negotiations.

During the strike workers have been aggressively dispersed by over 1,000 riot police wielding stun batons on numerous occasions. Over 30 workers have been injured including two pregnant women who lost their babies when pushed to the ground by police on 27 May.

IndustriALL supports its affiliate’s demands for settlement to be reached, justice for the two women who lost their babies, the eight arrested workers to be released immediately, all 415 dismissed workers to be reinstated and for local Sabrina management to enter into good faith dialogue and positive industrial relations going forward. It is IndustriALL’s expectation that Nike, Wilson and Lululemon strongly intervene to ensure these demands are met.

IndustriALL supports global campaign for tax justice

Working together across borders, Global Alliance for Tax Justice partners support each other in a variety of tax justice campaigns, including to end tax havens, tax avoidance and corruption, and to bring in progressive tax systems that are enforced, including financial transactions taxes that curb speculation.

Join with the world’s foremost labour, NGO, faith, environmental and other civil society organisations in the growing global campaign for tax justice. Please sign the pledge now to support this campaign, and send a strong message to world leaders about the united strength and commitment of our organisations in working together to achieve tax justice. Sign now at www.gatj.org.

The full list of signatories will be publicized next week in connection with World Public Services Day (23 June), and be shared with government leaders at upcoming G8 and G20 meetings. 

People around the world, from the south to the north, are raising their voices in a united demand: it’s time for tax justice.

Italian unions protest against 1,425 layoffs at Indesit

IndustriALL affiliates FIOM-CGIL, FIM-CISL and UILM organized a series of protests against the company plans to reorganize production at the Indesit plants in Comunanza (Ascoli Piceno), Caserta and Fabriano (Ancona) by closing two plants in Melano (Ancona) and Teverola (Caserta).

Implementation of the announced plans will mean additional 1,425 redundancies, one third of the company total workforce, on top of the 330 layoffs resulted from the restructuring conducted by the company in 2010 and 2012 in Brembate (Bergamo), Refrontolo (Treviso) and None (Turin).

The company announced of a 70 million euros worth plan to reshape its production in Italy from 2014 to 2016 by leaving only high-end appliances manufacturing in the country and concentrating low-cost appliance production in Poland and Turkey.

The unions believe the plan is not acceptable in its present shape and organize a number of protest actions. The unions demand from the company to hold assemblies of information and discussion at all factories as well as the involvement of conciliatory institutions dealing with labour disputes.

Zewu challenges the dismissal of their President in Labour Court

In July last year, 135 electricity workers were suspended without pay and benefits on charges of a threatened strike when the, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa), claimed that it could not afford to give workers the wage increase in the collective agreement reached in January 2012.

After a protracted battle in which Zesa attempted to use the suspensions as leverage to have the Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union (Zewu) abandon the collective agreement, all but three workers were reinstated by November last year.

Zesa has victimised these three remaining workers because they are union leaders. Dickson Nyika, a Zewu branch secretary has not been granted an appeal hearing by Zesa. The union secured an external arbitration process for Dennis Mukote, a national executive member of Zewu and the award is pending.

Angeline Chitambo, President of Zewu and IndustriALL Executive Committee Member is challenging her dismissal in the labour court. Chitambo was dismissed at a hearing that took place in her absence on allegations that Chitambo disclosed confidential information at a press conference damaging the image of the company.

The situation for workers has not improved for workers as Zesa has not implemented the collective bargaining agreement, despite an arbitration award instructing them to do so and a criminal court ruling that Zesa must comply with the agreement. Workers have still not received wage increases which entitled workers of the lowest pay grade to a wage increase from US$190 to US$275 in 2012.

“We need to continue to mobilise on this campaign because workers have still received nothing despite arbitration awards and court rulings,” says Mbonisi Sibanda, Acting General Secretary of Zewu. “This is serious beyond our issue with Zesa, showing that the rule of law does not prevail in Zimbabwe. Today this is against workers but tomorrow it may be against someone else, undermining much needed investor confidence in Zimbabwe.”

IndustriALL General Secretary, Jyrki Raina has appealed to the Zimbabwe Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai to urgently intervene and compel ZESA to reinstate Chitambo immediately. Raina also asked the Prime Minister to instruct ZESA to implement the collective bargaining agreement, engage with the union for renewed dialogue and to stop victimisation of union leadership.

“We will continue to support ZEWU and Angeline Chitambo until this matter is successfully resolved and would like to contribute to restoration of harmony and fairness,” said Raina.

International premiere of “Working Class Heroes”

What: Documentary, “Working Class Heroes” (57 min)

Where: Cinema Room at the International Labour Organization (ILO), 4 route des Morillons, 1202 Geneva

When: Thursday 13 June, from 13.30 to 14.30 (entry is free)

Working Class Heroes is a dual portrait of trade union leaders, both in Indonesia and in Colombia. The union leaders Said Iqbal and Igor Karel Diaz from IndustriALL affiliated Sintracarbón of Colombia have, for many years and with considerable success, devoted themselves to securing labour rights for their fellow mineworkers.

This documentary was produced by filmmakers, Huub Ruijgrok and Arno van Beest, in collaboration with FNV Mondiaal from the Netherlands.

The right to organize and right to bargain collectively are international human rights, which most countries have signed up to. Countries are also bound to respect these basic rights as members of the ILO. However, trade unions experience great opposition in many countries when they attempt to exercise these rights.

Indonesia and Colombia are two examples of this. Although they are emerging economies, workers benefit little from the economic growth. Unions that want to put union rights in practice meet fierce opposition.

See Working Class Heroes trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9AvGXh_G08

Textile workers reach sectoral agreement in Jordan

The agreement stresses the right to organize and non-discrimination of trade unionists at the workplace. It supports the creation of a positive environment for social dialogue.

The agreement also insists on the strengthening of health and safety at the workplace with union participation. The rights of contract workers and migrants who compose the majority of the garment workforce in Jordan are specified in the contract.

Fathallah Omrani, President of the General Trade Union of Workers in Textile, Garment & Clothing Industries said,

this is a historical achievement and will help secure the continuity of textile and garment industry in Jordan while providing better working conditions.

He also said that workers in other sectors should aim at getting similar agreements.

In light of the recent tragedies in garment factories in Bangladesh where the lack of freedom of association and the rights to collective bargaining prevented the unions from denying entrance of workers in unsafe building, this is a timely development.

Honda Mexico must stick to its Agreement

Honda Mexico, located in the El Salto industrial corridor, Jalisco, dismissed five workers on 7 May and another six on 14 May after participating in a strike held on 16-18 April this year. The action was taken in protest at the company’s refusal to pay a fair share of company profits to workers.

The Honda Mexico United Workers’ Union (STUHM) has taken a series of actions in support of its demand for the reinstatement of the 11 dismissed workers. The union lodged a complaint with the Federal Labour Protection Office (PROFEDET).

At the demonstration held on 4 June, the STUHM demanded immediate government intervention to end the company’s intimidation of the workers, which violates the workers’ right to join the union of their choice. The protest was also attended by PRD and PT federal deputies and representatives from several unions including STUNAM, SITUAM, SME and the Telephone Workers’ Union, who expressed their complete solidarity with the auto workers’ demands.

The unionists called on the company to stick to the settlement agreement stipulating that they will not take repressive measures against the workforce; demanded to reinstate the dismissed workers and to negotiate an end to the dispute. They also called on the Conciliation and Arbitration Board to order the company to comply with its ruling to respect the workers’ right to join STUHM; confirm the union’s registration; resume consideration of representation rights (titularidad) and set a new date for workers to vote for the union they want to represent them (recuento).

The dismissed workers were members of the committee formed to negotiate with the company after the strike on 16 April. The company agreed to pay each worker 17,000 pesos and to not undertake any reprisals against the workforce. However, the company began to dismiss workers only two weeks later.

The STUHM thinks it is clear that Honda intends to punish the workers who took action in defence of their rights and thereby hamper the workforce’s attempts to organize to obtain decent working conditions and a genuinely representative union. José Luis Solorio, STUHM general secretary, denounced the company for holding workers in a room and threatening them with dismissal if they join STUHM.

For the last three years STUHM has been victim of constant attacks, threats and harassment by the company, the complicit “yellow” union, and the labour authorities. However, it has continued to fight for the right to organize and its membership has grown considerably in line with workers’ increased support. 

IndustriALL Global Union welcomes Unifor

The new Canadian union being formed by the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP) will be named Unifor. The name and logo were unveiled on 30 May during a packed press conference of 200 local leaders, members, community supporters and allies.

“All together, Unifor will be: 800 local unions, 3,000 bargaining units, in more than 20 different sectors, and we're here to show that we will be a strong voice and a positive force for change for working people across this nation,” said CAW National President Ken Lewenza.

“Today, we are proud to introduce our new union as Unifor, a union that will fight for working people in every sector of the economy and in every community in Canada,” said CEP National President Dave Coles. “Unifor will be a union for young workers, those struggling to piece together part-time work and contract jobs, and other precarious working conditions. It will be a union for everyone.”

Unifor Canada was chosen as a name that is expressive, dynamic, and symbolizes the two unions’ aspirations as a new organization: to be united, strong, modern, forward-looking. The name was picked after a process that spanned several months and involved members, union leadership, communications advisers and community allies.

“We have a new union with a new name, and today we will begin to build the next chapter in the future of the labour movement in Canada,” said CEP Secretary-Treasurer Gaétan Ménard. “This new union identity –the name and logo – expresses our aspirations for all Canadians, at work and in our communities. This new union will take our movement forward, to a new era of engagement and action.”

“This is an historic moment for our two unions, and the Canadian labour movement, another concrete step in the direction of creating Canada’s largest private sector union,” said CAW Secretary-Treasurer Peter Kennedy. “Collectively, we will represent over 300,000 members and plan to grow to represent many more.”

The Founding Convention of Unifor will take place over Labour Day weekend in Toronto (August 31- September 1). At that time, CEP and CAW delegates will vote to create Unifor as an entity, and then will hold individual vote to merge with the new union.

Freeport operations halted after fatal accidents

PT Freeport Indonesia's Big Gossan underground training facility at its Grasberg mine in easternmost Papua province collapsed on 15 May, killing 28 workers. Freeport restarted open-pit mining production just over a week later.

Once another death occurred after a truck driver at the mine died in hospital after liquid ore material flowed into his vehicle on 1 June, the mining ministry told Freeport to stop until after its investigation was completed.

The length of stoppage would almost certainly hit Freeport's ability to meet its contractual obligations.

“After IndustriALL Global Union condemned Rio Tinto’s complicity and called for production at the mine to remain suspended, t took another death for Freeport to finally agree to delay the reopening of operations on the orders of the Government.”

Said Glen Mpufane IndustriALL Director for Mining and DGOJP.

South African solidarity support for Nissan Mississippi Workers

Delegates from the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) including IndustriALL executive committee member Bob King and substitute member Kristyne Peter were joined by a worker and organizer from the Mississippi plant as well as a civil rights organization and community organization lending support to the campaign. But it was actor and activist Danny Glover, committed to raising awareness of the situation of US workers at the Nissan plant, that stole the show.

Hugely popular in South Africa, Danny Glover was well received by the public and media. He met with South African President Jacob Zuma and together with the rest of the delegation, was received also by several other government officials as well as those from the ruling party, the African National Congress.  

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) hosted the delegation in South Africa and organized several opportunities to engage with unionists and workers. Accompanied by Numsa, the delegation met with management of the Nissan plant in South Africa.

They spoke positively of their relationship with Numsa and said that they would put our concerns to the company in Japan,

said Peter.

Peter said that they had encountered this around the world, where Nissan has good relations with unions that organize at their plants. All except in the United States.

Whilst in Cape Town the delegation met with IndustriALL affiliate, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union. "What made the Cape Town trip extra special was that President of the Australian Workers Union, Paul Howes, also an IndustriALL Exco member, made the effort to come to our press conference where he reaffirmed Australian workers’ solidarity to Nissan workers in Mississippi.”

Numsa organised a picket outside the Japanese Embassy on 4 June to call on the apenese government to reach out to Nissan and ensure it behaves as a good global corporate citizen. Demands of protestors included that Japanese owned car manufacturer Nissan must end union bashing in Mississippi, respect worker rights and end exploitative conditions including the lack of job security for its temporary workers.

“Nissan employs a high percentage of temporary workers who for years receive less pay, have limited benefits and have no job security,”

Said Numsa spokesperson, Castro Ngobese. 

Nissan can do better!