IndustriALL, UNI and ITUC visit Bangladesh

The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh is our strong response to the recent horrific catastrophes in the Bangladeshi garment industry. Negotiated between IndustriALL Global Union, UNI Global Union, and over 40 of the most progressive global fashion brands, the Accord is not just another voluntary initiative. It is a binding agreement with a complaints mechanisms and real consequences for non-compliance.
 
In the last week of May, IndustriALL Global Union, UNI Global Union and ITUC jointly visited Dhaka, Bangladesh. The purpose of the joint mission was to push for progress on trade union rights, decent work, minimum wage raise, and the acceptance and implementation of the Accord. Meetings took place with the Bangladesh Secretary of Labour and the Deputy Secretary of Labour, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), IndustriALL-affiliated trade unions, and a number of non-governmental organizations working to improve conditions in Bangladesh.
 
The meetings confirmed the many challenges faced by Bangladeshi workers: inadequate labour laws, inadequate enforcement, a labour movement that is still in many ways just finding its voice, and a powerful but defensive garment industry. There are thousands of ready-made garment factories in Bangladesh, and the problems are so extensive that implementing the Accord will be a daunting task. Building inspections and fire safety training are both crucial and urgent, but a healthy safe and sustainable garment industry must be built on a solid foundation of respect for human rights, labour rights, and decent work.
 
Brian Kohler, IndustriALL’s director for health, safety and sustainability, reports from Savar close to Dhaka a month after the industrial homicide:

Reading about events such as the collapse of the Rana Plaza building is one thing, but even though a month has passed, seeing the site somehow put the scale of the horror in a different perspective. Something like 4000 people, plus or minus a few hundreds, worked tightly-packed with their machines in a small building in the tropical heat of Dhaka. It is nearly impossible to imagine what working conditions were like. The official death toll is 1129 but there are still many unaccounted for.

Thousands were injured, many maimed for life with horrific injuries. At least two pregnant women gave birth while trapped under the rubble. The site still smells of rotting flesh. The building, built on swampland, was only supposed to be four stories residential – and was improperly built at that – but the owner added four more, then overloaded it with heavy, vibrating industrial equipment and people. It will not be the last building to collapse in Dhaka. On April 24, 2013, at least 1129 human beings paid a very high price for other people's low prices. None of us are innocent, really, 

concludes Kohler.
 
A global levelling up of standards must replace the race to the bottom. The task in Bangladesh is a start. It will not be an easy one, but neither is it an impossible one. Successful implementation of the Accord in Bangladesh will create a model for other parts of the world and other industrial sectors that are equally in need of attention but have not suffered the same headline-grabbing events as Bangladesh. 

Finnish union campaigns relentlessly against unpaid overtime

The campaign was run extensively in the social media, print media, union magazines and newspapers and advertisements in addition to buttons, flyers, mugs and such products. Advertisements were run frequently on the Finnish airline because many executives and managers are forced to travel on their own time and give up Sundays and evenings.

The campaign was a huge success on the union’s website, with a number of visitors never seen before. Members became very active on this issue.

Short videos can be seen on you tube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNTcD3IjJak – in Finnish but self-explanatory.  Actually the point is that if the 8 is tumbled, then it turns into infinity.

The objective of the campaign was to create the members’ awareness for the negotiations that will start in September beginning in the metal and technological industries. The message is that people should not work more than eight hours a day, which was the most traditional demand of the labor movement more than 100 years ago. Or if it is necessary to work more than eight hours, then they should be paid. Moreover unpaid overtime is part of the black economy. Finnish labor law is strict, but there are loopholes that the employers are taking advantage of.

This and other issues of importance to non-manual workers were discussed at the IndustriALL Europe white-collar special working party on 4 June 2013 in Brussels.

IndustriALL joins Global Unions in demanding a stop to violence in Turkey

In their letter to the Turkish Prime Minister, the leaders of Global Unions said “The global union movement is concerned that your Government has turned violent repression into a regular practice. It is still fresh in our minds that this year’s May Day Celebrations, which were supposed to take place in Taksim Square in Istanbul, turned into bloodshed with the attacks of the security forces on demonstrators using tear gas and other repressive methods. According to reports received, there are a number of injured people and thousands in custody.”

Almost for one week, there have been clashes with police and since Friday night 31 May, clashes and mass demonstrations spread to all parts of Istanbul and many other cities including Ankara, Izmir, Samsun and Trabzon.

The initial reason of this mobilization was to block government’s decision to destroy the central park “Gezi Park” in Taksim Square of Istanbul and build a shopping mall in the area. The police tried to oppress this peaceful protest with excessive violence and at 5 am attacked people with tear and pepper gases. This oppression provoked anger of millions and suddenly on Friday night after 11 pm, hundred thousands of people poured to the streets to protest police acts of violence and state terror.

Particularly since the 2011 elections, the authoritarian actions in Turkey have increased. This includes legal and illegal union busting, adoption of laws that discourage rather than encourage the exercise of trade union rights, inaction, at best, against employers refusing to respect workers' rights, abuses in the judiciary system, and violence against trade unionists. Coupled with the limits on freedom of assembly and expression, these constitute attacks on fundamental human rights and democracy.

The CGU members called upon Turkish Government “urgently to take necessary actions to calm the current situation by entering into a real dialogue with your citizens and their representatives. The global union movement urges your Government to take action against those who are responsible for such massive unrest in society and for the violence. We also call on you to ensure that those detained  for participating in peaceful demonstrations be immediately released”.

Full text of the CGU letter to the Prime Minister of Turkey is available on the link.

The website www.labourstart.org has launched a campaign in support of the rights for freedom of expression and non-violence in Turkey which is available on the link http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=1840.

German autoworkers get deal with Volkswagen

According to the agreement reached on 28 May during the second round of negotiations between IndustriALL German affiliate IG Metall and Volkswagen, workers will be able to get their share from the growing profits of the company. The agreement is valid till 28 February 2015.

Approximately 102,000 workers employed at six plants of Volkswagen in western Germany and the financial services unit will get their hike in two stages: from 1 September 2013, there is wage increase of 3.4 per cent for ten months. As of 1 July 2014 workers will have their wages raised by further 2.2 per cent during next eight months. The wages remain the same from July to August 2013.

As part of the compensation scheme the IG Metall enforced an additional bonus: workers will receive a pension credit worth 300 euros. Those who prefer to get cash instead will receive a lump sum of 275 euros gross at the end of August 2013. The agreement improves pension coverage for trainees and students, who will also receive a pension credit of 95 Euros however without an option of cash withdrawal.

The achievement is in line with the earlier reported tariff agreement reached by IG Metall in mid-May.

Russia ratifies ILO Convention 176 on mining safety

IndustriALL Global Union’s Executive Committee meeting on 28-29 May 2013 warmly applauded the victory of the Russian mineworkers’ trade union in achieving this milestone. This Convention was adopted at the ILO Conference in 1995.

The Convention sets minimum health and safety standards at the ratifying country’s mines, including the safety standards for miners working underground and establishing preventive measures. It specifies the rights and duties of the social partners with regard to mine safety.

The ratification of the Convention 176 will not require changes in existing Russian laws. Labour legislation is already fully compatible with the Convention.

Since 1995 the Russian Independent Coal Employees’ Union, an IndustriALL affiliate, appealed several times to the Russian government, urging it to ratify the Convention. The union’s efforts to push for the ratification of the ILO Convention 176 were supported by IndustriALL and its founding organizations under the long standing global campaign “The Stronger the Union, the Safer the Mine”.

“Finally, after 17 years of common struggle the ILO Convention 176 was ratified. This is our great achievement. We thank you for your solidarity, help, and support,” said Ivan Mokhnachuk, president of the Independent Coal Employees’ Union.

Once the ratification passes through each stage of Russia's legislative process, which is now a formality, Russia will become the 27th country to ratify.

Getting it wrong: Walmart and GAP run away from Bangladesh Accord

Not content with snubbing the Accord, they have now produced a code of their own where they will act as judge and jury. Walmart, which has suffered further dents to its tarnished reputation this week with fines and class action suits brought against it, has taken GAP with it along the low road. Shoppers everywhere will be angered that Walmart and GAP are making a concerted effort to misrepresent and undermine the Accord by conspiring to produce their own code, on their terms, in a sorry public relations exercise as they run for cover.

More than forty global companies have shown their commitment to staying in Bangladesh and investing to improve factory safety in the Bangladeshi garment industry, under the Accord. IndustriALL Global Union and UNI Global Union, along with their NGO partners, the Clean Clothes Campaign and the Worker Rights Consortium, deplore Walmart and Gap’s tactics. The household global names who have signed the Bangladesh Safety Deal have shown leadership in a combined effort to avoid a repeat of the Rana Plaza tragedy which claimed more 1,100 lives, mostly female workers. Walmart and Gap should follow suit and sign immediately.

IndustriALL Global Union General Secretary, Jyrki Raina said:

Yet another U.S retailer, Sean John, has today signed the global Accord and companies from all around the world are ready to join this growing group. The kind of voluntary initiative being put forward by Walmart and Gap has failed in the past and will again fail to protect Bangladeshi garment workers. Walmart has cynically refused to pay compensation to the Tazreen factory fire victims and is now undermining the constructive efforts of other companies.

UNI Global Union General Secretary, Philip Jennings said:

Walmart and GAP are revisiting the errors of the past. They are out of step with the public mood. They are ignoring shoppers and letting down Bangladeshi garment workers. Walmart and GAP are blind to the new retail reality that shoppers will not tolerate inhumane factory conditions. How high does the body count have to go for them to do the right thing?

The companies which have already signed up to the Bangladesh Fire and Safety Building Accord are:

Abercrombie & Fitch
Aldi North
Aldi South
Benetton
Bonmarche
C&A
Carrefour
Charles Vögele
Comtex
El Corte Inglés
Ernstings's Family
Esprit
Fat Face
G-star
H&M
Helly Hansen
Hema
Hess Natur
Inditex
jbc
John Lewis
Kik
Lidl
Loblaw
Mango
Marks and Spencer
Mothercare
N Brown
New Look
Next
Otto Group
Primark
PVH
s.Oliver
Sainsbury's
Sean John
Stockmann
Switcher
Tally Weijl
Tchibo
Tesco
V&D
We Europe
Zeeman

Rio Tinto complicit in Grasberg mine accident

IndustriALL Global Union is all the more appalled that Freeport McMoRan, intends restarting operations at the mine, in spite of our collective call with our affiliates in Indonesia, not to do so until an independent and thorough investigation into the cause of the accident has been made and completed.

Rio Tinto controls 40% of the Grasberg mine. IndustriALL Global Union considers a 40% stake significant enough to warrant a comment from Rio Tinto in consonance with its stated Health and Safety values and mission.

IndustriALL Global union reiterates the demand it has made to the CEO of Freeport McMoRan, to delay the resumption of operations pending an independent inquiry to establish the cause of the collapse. Greed and the relentless pursuit of profit at the expense of decent and moral requirements of behaviour are inconsistent with the stated vision and mission of both Freeport McMoRan and Rio Tinto.

Although the accident happened in a training area in a tunnel away from the site of the main operations, restarting operations and ignoring the demands of our affiliate in Indonesia can only be to the detriment of sound labour relations between the company and mineworkers.

IndustriALL Global Union pledges the support of its 50 million members to ensure that both Freeport McMoRan and Rio Tinto are held to account for their operations at Grasberg. 

Egypt – unpaid wages at Bahayra

Workers of Bahayra Company for Land Reclamation, a company employing around 4,200 workers, have not received their wages since November 2012. They have attempted all possible ways to demand their rights and the delayed wage arrears but all their efforts have so far not even led to a response from the government or company officials.

Consequently workers felt they had no alternative other than to organize sit ins and pickets to attract the attention of the wider public. They did this for several days in February at the company's Headquarters and again in front of the Council of Ministers and the Dome Palace (presidential palace) in Cairo on 29 and 30 April 2013. It was here that they were joined by Kemal Ozkan who passed on the greetings and solidarity wishes of IndustriALL and our member trade unions. He committed IndustriALL to make a formal protest and publicise the case of the workers.

Writing to Egypt's Prime Minister Dr. Hesham Qandil, IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina stated:

IndustriALL Global Union calls on you to take the necessary steps to ensure the payment of arrears to the workers of Bahayra Company for Land Reclamation, including profits and bonuses for the past two years and wage arrears since November 2012, as well as the appointment of the new Board of Directors of the Company, in accordance with Resolution 106 of the PM issued in January 2012.

USA: Solidarity with workers at Belshaw

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the International Association of Machinists (IAM) representatives at Belshaw offered a medical plan that saved the company more than $20,000 per month but asked that part of those savings be returned to employees in higher wages instead of a one-time signing bonus.  The company accepted the offered medical plan while refusing to share the cost savings with the employees.

More than 60 members of IAM Local 79 in Seattle, Washington have been on strike since 24 March after voting unanimously to approve the strike.

We extend our solidarity and support to the all the union members involved in this dispute to fight corporate greed.

Said Jyrki Raina, IndustriALL Global Union.

The Local 79 members produce high-quality bakery equipment that is sold around the world. Many of the striking members have been with Belshaw for more than 30 years and have consistently met the challenges of competing in an ever-changing global manufacturing environment.

On 30 April, the employer notified the union that they were hiring replacement workers. On 10 May, the members of the bargaining unit rejected the employer’s latest offer.  The only change to the agreement made by the employer was that the replacement workers be allowed to stay employed after the strike and they strengthened the language the job security of temporary workers.

Since the members' rejection of the company's proposal on 10 May, the employer has continued to hire replacement workers. So far 39 of the 60 bargaining unit jobs have been filled with replacement workers.

The 60 members of the bargaining unit maintain the position that they will not ratify a proposal that allows the employer to keep permanent replacement workers.

Send your messages of solidarity to Belshaw workers.

IndustriALL Executive launches action on sustainable industrial policy

Representing 50 million workers from a range of industrial sectors, IndustriALL Global Union wants to push for recognition of the importance of industry to national economies and as providers of good quality jobs.
 
The Executive Committee endorsed a comprehensive action plan on sustainable industrial policy to:

Robust discussions were held around the issues of trade union networks and global framework agreements (GFA) with multinational companies (MNC). IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary Kemal Özkan reported on newly established trade union networks at International Paper, Sappi, Saint Gobain and Owens Illinois.  This year 21 company and sectoral networks will meet to build solidarity and joint action.
 
Both positive and negative examples of GFAs have been experienced by IndustriALL affiliates.  The Executive decided to set up a working group to monitor the contents and proper implementation of GFAs, and to work on a Charter of Principles to Confront Corporate Bad Behaviour, proposed by Workers’ Uniting.  
 
IndustriALL has concluded over 40 GFAs with major companies.  Recently, a revised GFA was signed with Lafarge, and on 14 June a new GFA with Italian electric power utility Enel will be signed.  The agreements contain improved language on permanent employment over precarious work and neutrality on organizing.  New processes have been initiated with French oil and gas company Total, and the mining giant Anglo American.  
 
The Executive established a working group for developing a new affiliation fee system by the next Congress.
 
The Committee approved the affiliation of the eight unions from Argentina, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Nigeria, Moldova, Tunisia, and the first new independent union from Egypt, the electricity workers’ union.
 
The Executive Committee decided to meet on 4-5 December in Tunis as a show of support for democratic development  in Tunisia after the revolution that launched the Arab spring in 2011.