Belarus unions discuss privatization in Kiev

30 union leaders from Chemical, Oil and Industries Workers Union of Belarus (Belkhimprofsoyuz), Independent Trade Union of Miners, Chemists, Oil Refineries, Transports Workers, Building and Other Workers (BNP), and REPAM gathered in Kiev, Ukraine, on 15-16 March to discuss privatization and restructuration process in Belarus.

Manfred Warda, an IndustriALL expert and former ICEM General Secretary, joined the discussion, as well as IG BCE official from Germany Michael Wolters, president of the Energy and Electrotechnical Industry Workers' Union of Ukraine Sergei Shishow, Russian Independent Coal Employees’ Union (Rosugleprof) president Ivan Mokhnachuk, president of the Perm branch of the Russian Chemical Workers’ Union Alexei Klein, and the president of the union local at Uralkaliy plant in Russia Irina Kolesnik.

Vadim Borisov, who represents IndustriALL in CIS countries, noted that unions could benefit from the knowledge of the tactics of privatization employed by various governments. He recalled that in Kazakhstan the membership of the chemical workers’ union shrunk almost ten times due to the privatization and its negative effects on the industry.

Alexei Klein from the Russian Chemical Workers Union debunked some popular myths about privatization, for example, ‘government is an ineffective owner’ and ‘after privatization, workers will own the plant’. Irina Kolesnik from Uralkaliy described the privatization of her own plant.

Ivan Mokhnachuk from Rosugleprof emphasized the fact that after privatization each and every new owner starts with restructuration, layoffs and the destruction of social facilities at the plant. Sergei Shishov from the Energy and Electrotechnical Industry Workers' Union of Ukraine described the social responsibilities section in the privatization contract, which he succeeded in making mandatory.

Belarus unions agreed to put forward their representatives in the privatization commission. They also laid out union priorities in the privatization process. Furthermore, the participants agreed on meeting again to develop common position among unions on the privatization of various plants.

Last-minute agreement averts strike by Norwegian oil workers

Other than the oil industry, the threatened walk-out would have brought Oslo international airport to a standstill and could have closed down other key industries. According to Industri Energi (IE), the country’s biggest oil workers’ union and an IndustriALL affiliate, the strike would have closed down Mongstad and Vestbase the two main bases that supply the off-shore oil and gas platforms with food and other basic goods.

The unions said that they anticipated the strike affecting around 17,000 private sector workers if no agreement. The deal, affecting 156,000 union members directly, will set the bar for wage growth in all other sectors.

The Norwegian national trade union centre LO led negotiations with the employer confederation NHO and agreed on an hourly pay raise of NOK0.75 ($0.12) across the board for workers earning more than 90% of the average industry worker salary. Those earning less will get NOK1.40 per hour on top of NOK0.75 for a total increase of NOK2.15.

According to the leader of the LO national union centre, Roar Flaathen: “This is a responsible and fair agreement that takes jobs and employer needs into account and boosts the purchasing power of lower-paid workers”.

Norway is the world’s seventh biggest oil exporter and the second biggest supplier of gas and provides a large proportion of Western Europe’s energy needs. Strikes have become common in Norway over the last year because workers are demanding a larger share of the benefits produced by the country’s economic success.

Seven workers killed at Grupo Modelo plant in Mexico

The company and the Federal District prosecutor's office are investigating the deaths of the workers at the brewery. They were carrying out cleaning and maintenance duties in the tank.

The company's general manager, Francisco Javier López Bravo, issued a communiqué on the same day confirming the deaths.

According to statements by family members of the victims, published in the national media, some of the workers were employed directly by Grupo Modelo and the others were working for a subcontractor company called Sola. They said the company was negligent and that some workers had complained that the team worked in precarious conditions.

IndustriALL regrets the loss of life of the Mexican workers and demands a rigorous investigation into the cause of the accident and payment of fair compensation to the families.

Chilean public and private sector miners unite in national strike

The national copper miners’ strike is a warning to all CODELCO’s divisions, including its head office, and private sector mining companies, that the unions are keen to begin negotiations on their demands.

In a joint press release issued by the FTC, affiliated to IndustriALL and the FMC, the federations said that, for the first time, “we are putting trade union unity in action into practice, and working together to gradually increase the pressure on the employers to respond to demands that are keenly felt by miners and all workers.”

The miners are demanding decent pensions and an end to the current pension funds system; nationalization of copper and lithium mines to generate the national income required to provide free quality education, health services and fair pensions; an end to the ill-treatment of workers; legislation to ensure respect for labour rights and the implementation of International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions; improvements in occupational health and an end to accidents at work.

The unions are also demanding compliance with the law on subcontracting and an end to unregulated outsourcing. "We say no to outsourcing and yes to insourcing in the production and strategic areas of the companies", said the unions.

In addition to the general demands outlined above, the federations and their member unions will bring forward other more specific and local demands from their own workplaces.

They are calling on the government, CODELCO and private sector mining companies to address the just and legitimate demands of miners in Chile. "This action is designed to promote talks and obtain concrete solutions to our demands, whether that involves drafting new legislation, preparing a determined inspection plan or responding favourably to the points raised in relation to the individual companies. If there is no evidence of the employers showing the political will necessary to give concrete responses to our just demands within a reasonable period of time, we will continue to step up our preparations for action” concluded the press release.

IndustriALL Global Union supports the struggle of the Chilean miners’ demands for decent work. It also calls on affiliates in Chile and the rest of the world to offer their solidarity to this unified movement and support its attempts to advance the interests of Chilean workers.

Contract and agency labour: even engineers earn less

A recent study by the trade union-affiliated Hans Böeckler Foundation and the WSI in Germany found that engineers, IT experts and technicians who are employed by third party service providers also earn less than permanent workers, and often they have to work longer hours. Nevertheless they are not all that dissatisfied with their jobs.

The study discovered a clear income gap – the contract workers earn significantly less than the other employees. Engineers earn about 18.4 percent less than permanent workers, technicians 18.5 percent, and for IT experts it is as much as 22.1 percent. In addition contract workers generally receive less holiday pay or Christmas bonuses or profit sharing benefits.

What is important for income is whether the employees are covered by a collective agreement or not. A collective agreement has a positive impact on earnings, both for permanent workers and workers employed by third party services providers. Those with a collective agreement earn between 150 and 900 Euros a month more than those without a collective agreement. On the other hand contract workers do not have a collective agreement. The study assumes that this may have to do with the fact that the rates paid to contract workers are lower than the negotiated rates for the industry. That is why agencies can only get engineers, IT experts or technicians to work for them if they pay more than the rate paid to contract workers.

Actual hours worked are much longer than what is stipulated in the collective agreement. The difference is particularly striking for workers employed by third party service providers. Most of them work more than 40 hours a week.

Contract workers and workers employed by third party service providers are more likely to have short-term contracts. IT experts are the ones most affected by short-term contracts.

Job satisfaction is not reflected in pay, however. 44 percent of contract workers are not very or not all all satisfied with their pay, as opposed to 34 percent of workers who are employed by third party service providers or permanent workers. Only 5 percent of contract workers, 7 percent of workers employed by third party service providers and 8 percent of permanent workers are satisfied with their pay in all respects.

IndustriALL holds lively workshop in Ukraine

An event was dedicated to training techniques for union educators as well as improving collective bargaining skills.

27 people took part in the workshop. They had been given homework after the previous one, to hold (single-handedly or with their colleagues) their own educational events at their plants. The participants discussed this experience. They noted that the workshops were a success, especially the interactive techniques.

The participants said they didn’t expect such emotional reactions and active involvement from young workers who took part in their own workshops. 25-40 people participated in each one of them.

All the participants of the FO Metaux training program developed good connections with each other and helped each other out during their educational events.

During the two days in Dnepropetrovsk the participants also role-played the representatives of employer and the union during collective bargaining. The activity had different scenarios – the employers were sympathetic in one and hostile in the other.

The workshop was conducted by Jean-Ives Sabot from FO Metaux and Vadim Borisov from IndustriALL’s Moscow office. The fourth and final workshop will be held in September 2013 in France.

Indonesian trade unionists jailed fighting precarious work

Employment status issues have arisen for 5,802 members of the Federation of Mining and Energy-Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (FPE-SBSI) at PLN and Pertamina in five locations. The union argues that as state-owned enterprises the government should set an example to other employers by respecting the labour law at PLN and Pertamina, and employing workers on a permanent basis.

Some of the 5,802 have been employed on rolling contracts for up to 20 years, in clear breach of the national labour legislation. Article 59 of Law 13 (2003) sets out the legal framework for contract labour employment in Indonesia. Short-term contract based employment is only legal when the work of the company has a fixed term, including seasonal work, or work related to testing a new product or activity.

The FPE-SBSI is active in Aceh Province, Riau Province, Sulawesi Province and Maluku, attempting to end the precarious work abuses by management of PLN and Pertamina. On the national level the union is targeting the government minister for state-owned industry, but workers face intransigence at that level also.

In Aceh Tamiang FPE-SBSI workers have been sacked by Pertamina EP Rantau, and local management has colluded with local police to arrest and detain four trade unionists named Rusli, Wahyu, Ismed Rizal and Amir. Sackings have also occurred in Sulawesi and Maluku, and are all interpreted as reprisal sackings for trade union activities.

IndustriALL supports its affiliate’s calls on the government of Indonesia to intervene and bring solution through dialogue with the union.

The FPE-SBSI organized an extra 5000-7000 new members in state-owned companies during the period May to December 2012.

Chilean copper workers' dispute worsens

After Nelson Barría’s death, the union convened a meeting that voted for a strike in protest at their colleague’s death. The union called for the dismissal of the Radomiro Tomic division’s general manager. The Copper Workers’ Federation (FTC), affiliated to IndustriALL, gave its total backing to the union at the Radomiro Tomic division.

On Saturday 30 March, the company closed the plant as it remained at a standstill. However, the following day, Thomas Keller, CODELCO’s chief executive officer (CEO) accepted the resignation of Francisco Carvajal, general manager of the Radomiro Tomic division.

The FTC said it called for Carvajal’s resignation because management did not act responsibly in the light of a series of safety warnings made prior to the accident.

FTC president, Raimundo Espinoza, explained that, in the light of the manager’s resignation, the workers had decided to return to work on the opening shift of 1 April. He said that they are not willing to accept the arrogant and over-bearing attitude of CODELCO managers and added that “regrettably we have had four fatal accidents at CODELCO in the last four months”.

“We are not happy about going on strike, but these people don’t understand anything else. The managers do not listen, it’s like talking to a brick wall. Some of the managers in this company ignore the conditions in which people are working and the result is this kind of accident”, said Espinoza.

Regarding the planned national strike, Espinoza explained that “as in 2011, we will continue to prepare for a strike because the managers don’t want to listen” adding that “all divisions” are discussing a date for the strike.

Finally, he called on CODELCO managers “to learn to listen so we can avoid all these problems. The CEO said that strikes don’t solve anything, but some people only understand it if you take action and I want this to serve as an example”.

Mauritian trade unions mobilize against anti-worker legislation

In December 2012 the ministry of labour presented to Parliament for adoption a list of proposed amendments to the Employment Rights Act and Employment Relations Act, undermining the power of trade unions. Strong mobilization of various unions on the island forced the government to postpone the adoption of the bills, and several unions jointly submitted counter-proposals.

The trade union mobilization has continued since December, with several demonstrations conducted in the previous four weeks. The IndustriALL-affiliated CMCTEU distributed letters to MPs to raise awareness and call on them to vote responsibly.

Some amendments proposed by the unions have been included in the new text presented on 26 March to Parliament by the government. The ministry of labour initially attempted to undermine the industrial relations systems by allowing collective agreements to be reached by individual groups of workers without union affiliation, unions succeeding in having this change removed. The new law stipulates that all employees be provided with a contract of employment.

Despite these improvements, trade unions denounce a text that solidifies bargaining power in the hands of employers. The use of contract workers is still legally permitted for permanent jobs. The law fails to establish proper protections against unjustified dismissal. The employer sacks the worker first then justification for termination of employment is sought. The notice-period for termination of a contract is shortened from three months to 30 days. Unions cannot appeal to arbitration without the consent of employers. Solidarity strikes become illegal.

The adoption of this new text is scheduled for Tuesday 9 April. Unions maintain pressure to prevent the adoption of amendments to the detriment of the protection of workers and unions.

IndustriALL supports its affiliates in the campaign and denounces the amendments that target union power and undermine workers' rights.

IndustriALL heralds new IRMA head

The success of IRMA is a key priority for IndustriALL’s mining sectoral activities, as well as for social partners and companies who have worked together for six years to establish the multi-stakeholder dialogue charged with achieving responsible mining. IRMA stands to be the first international certification procedure to include proper worker participation and therefore potentially the first to award reliable certifications on mines with high social and environmental performance.

Pre-existing certification bodies in the sector have long been criticized by trade unions for lacking credibility. When a certification body is set up and run by the companies themselves it is not surprising when irresponsible employers that abuse workers and the environment are still awarded certificates of good practice.

This corrupt practice was vividly shown to the world during the Rio Tinto scandal of 2012, whereby the company supplied the metal for the medals at the London Olympics despite Rio Tinto being renowned for its long history of contempt for labour rights, environmental destruction (including in the communities that sourced the metals that went into the medals), and general opposition to anything that could be defined as sustainable.

The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), an organization of companies in the industry and including Rio Tinto as a founding member, awarded certification to Rio Tinto on 13 July, attesting to the company’s highest ethical, social, and environmental standards. It was the first certification given to a mining company, and was just days before the start of the London Olympics, where pressure was building against Rio Tinto’s role in providing the metals for the athletes’ medals.

The RJC clearly rushed through the process and conveniently made Rio Tinto the first mining company to receive this recognition. The RJC lost all credibility through this action.

Jon Samuel, of mining company Anglo American, on IRMA’s Steering Committee, marked the new appointment:

Matthew has worked with other certification programs that have successfully travelled the same paths currently in front of IRMA. He is therefore extremely well placed to help IRMA develop an effective approach that meets the expectations of the key stakeholder groups participating in IRMA.

Fellow IRMA Steering Committee member Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL’s Director for the mining industry stated,

Organized labour leaders are working for a new economic and social model that puts people first, based on democracy and social justice. It is exciting to bring on a new leader to IRMA who can help us realize that goal.