Iraqi judiciary used to persecute trade union

IndustriALL Global Union is angry about this persecution of trade union freedoms in Iraq. Hassan Juma’a was summoned before the Basra Court on 20 March and will now face trial accused of organizing a strike and demonstration by SOC workers in February 2013.

The February mobilizations by SOC workers, members of the IFOU, were valid. Workers had been pushed to take strike action as management had repeatedly rejected calls for dialogue regarding non-payment of benefits from 2010, 2011 and 2012; the right to housing; permanent employment contracts; and an end to corruption at the company.

The workers, who work in the fields of al-Ramlia north and south, al-Berjesia, Gharb al-Karna, and Bab al-Zubair, gathered in front of the main door of the South Oil Company in Basra calling for the expulsion of corrupt employees and the dismissal of the company director. The manifestations were held on 13 and 19 February.

Hassan Juma’a did not organize the strike but has now been targeted for being an active trade unionist as part of a government effort to slander and undermine him and the unions. The 20 March court hearing postponed the case until 7 April due to the absence of a witness, and to enable Hassan to hire a lawyer. If found guilty Hassan would face up to five years in prison.

Eight other workers at SOC were also targeted by the General Inspector’s Office in the Ministry of Oil in order for the Ministry to investigate their role in recent demonstrations in Basra.

The Iraqi constitution guarantees freedom of association and peaceful demonstrations, yet over the years, the Ministry of Oil has repeatedly taken disciplinary action against union activists. These attacks on freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively reflect the government of Iraq’s intention to hold on to repressive laws and policies issued under the Saddam Hussein regime.

The South Oil Company (SOC) produces more than 80 per cent of Iraqi oil and is responsible for the oil in the south of Iraq.

It is essential that a fair and just ILO-compliant labour law that respects workers’ rights and guarantees freedom of trade union organizations, assembly and demonstration and strike is enacted as a matter of urgency and that all unions in Iraq are involved in any discussion relating to such a law.

IndustriALL Global Union extends its support to the Iraqi trade union movement and calls on affiliates to condemn all attempts of the Iraqi Government to trample on trade union rights.

South African Unilever workers’ solidarity for Dutch colleagues

The Dutch workers, including cleaners, catering workers, security and receptionists, are members of fellow affiliate of IndustriALL Global Union, FNV Bondgenoten. The Anglo-Dutch food and chemical giant Unilever signed a deal with Sodexo in 2012 over the outsourcing of the company’s facility management services in Europe. Unilever rejected key demands of the Dutch workers being transferred to Sodexo to maintain core benefits including pensions and work guarantees.

South African workers at Unilever, members of the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union, CEPPWAWU, stopped work in Boksburg from 1pm on 15 March and all day on 18 March urging Unilever management to negotiate a reasonable transfer agreement with FNV Bondgenoten.

The other reason for the Boksburg action is that a draft recognition agreement has recently been proposed by the local Unilever Boksburg management to be implemented, bringing serious changes to job classification and re-evaluation of the general operator position.

A CEPPWAWU shop steward at Unilever stated:

Also the solidarity action was an opportunity to show management our strength and unity given the current challenges that we are facing in South Africa. Amongst our challenges are concerns of salary cuts being implemented as part of restructuring efforts which effectively is a demotion of certain grades of workers, who carry on doing the same job as before.

Kemal Özkan, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union conveyed the International’s full support to the Boksburg workers’ strike action.

Unilever is a giant global conglomerate of consumer products, whose profits continue to rise. However trade unions throughout the world are being targeted with increased pressure from the employer, in a concerning global trend. International trade union networking of Unilever workers is acting to respond to this new aggression.

Dutch electronics multinational NXP locks out Thai workers

Since October last year the union and management had conducted negotiations in which NXP was pushing the union to accept a continuous production schedule which requires workers to work four consecutive days with two days off which can fall on any day in a week; no overtime pay for weekend work; compulsory overtime without advance notice; the reduction of annual holidays from 12 days to eight days; the elimination of a negotiated pay structure and positions of daily wage workers, to be left in the hand of management alone to decide.

The union president at NXP Manufacturing, Thailand, Wanlop Chujit, said the company has been interfering in union collective bargaining by threatening and forcing workers to accept the new work schedule:

NXP Manufacturing workers in Thailand were told that if they do not accept the new system, they would lose their jobs as the company would move production to other countries. We were furious to hear of management forcing out workers from the factory in the middle of the night with total disregard for their safety, particularly of the women workers, some of whom were pregnant.

NXP are threatening to move production to facilities in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines.

A woman worker at the factory stated:

This factory has been operating for 38 years. Most of us have worked here for more than 10 years. Most of the workers have families. The new work schedule proposed by the company means we lose weekends and time with our families.

On 1 March, union members went on strike and demonstrated outside the plant gate to voice workers’ problems including forced overtime, reduction of wages and the company’s discriminatory practice against daily wage workers.

On 13 March, the unionized workers demonstrated outside the Netherlands Embassy in Bangkok together with the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee under leadership of Chalee Loysoong.

NXP Manufacturing in Thailand employs 3,200 workers, the majority of whom are women. The average wage at the factory is 345 Baht (9 Euro) per day. NXP is the world leader in the design and manufacturing of integrated circuits used in smart labels, and supplies Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Dell, GM, BMW, Ford, Mercedes, Audi, and a number of airlines.

The Thai NXP Manufacturing Workers’ Union will soon officially become part of the IndustriALL Global Union affiliated TEAM, Confederation of Thai Electrical Appliances, Electronic, Automobile & Metalworkers.

Retrenchment deal softens the blow at Rio Tinto Rossing

“We have raised the bar in Namibia on how retrenchments should be handled with this case at Rossing” said acting General Secretary Jackie Karumbo. Management at Rossing embarked on the retrenchment exercise with the involvement of the union through a transparent process. Once workers accepted that retrenchment proposal due to affect almost a quarter of the workforce was a last resort measure, the union was able to negotiate favourable settlement packages, improving on the initial offer made to workers.

The final agreement exceeds legal minimum requirements for retrenchments in Namibia that only stipulates severance pay of one week wages for every year of service. Retrenched workers will receive three weeks wages for every year served as severance pay plus three months notice pay, pro rata thirteenth cheque, commutation of leave and a farewell donation. Medical aid benefits will remain in place for a period of four months after the retrenchment date.

In addition, retrenched workers have been offered three months training at a local technical college paid for by the company to improve skills that will hopefully assist workers when seeking future employment. They will also be entitled to remain in company housing for six months or receive six months housing allowance if they choose to leave immediately. Retrenched workers will be receive two months pay to assist with relocation on their departure.

Currently a voluntary separation exercise is taking place at Rossing and the union is assisting workers to understand their individual packages so that they can make an informed decision. MUN hopes the exercise will drastically reduce the number of workers that will be involuntarily subjected to retrenchments.

Karumbo says that MUN has learnt valuable lessons from negotiating the retrenchments. “We are not advocating retrenchments but one can not deny that retrenchments will happen in tough times. As unions we need to be proactive and ensure we have negotiated proper retrenchment policies in companies during good times. Companies need to put money away as part of their risk management for when the day comes that the company has to retrench, we hope it never comes but if does then the burden on workers is lessened.”

Unity and cooperation encouraged in Zimbabwe

The main objective of the workshop held over three days in March 2013 with senior leadership was to understand the union building project and establish common areas of work for the Zimbabwean affiliates. Project coordinator, Paule Ndessomin discussed with participants the IndustriALL 10 point plan and how this could be adapted to the work that would be done with affiliates under the union building project.

The workshop also incorporated training on the principles of financial management. Whilst participants understood the importance of building financially strong organizations, they all face challenging financial issues. There were robust discussions on the survival of trade unions in Zimbabwe in the worsening economic situation. Many employers are under financial stress and have not been paying deductions of membership dues to the union. Unions are receiving as little as 20 per cent of dues owed to them making it difficult to operate at full capacity.

Several of the Zimbabwean affiliates are working towards mergers as an opportunity for unions to build financial and organizational strength. This will aid them in representing workers and defending worker rights in a politically and economically strenuous environment.

Petrotrin workers forced back to work after strike

On the second day of the strike, OWTU leadership attended the demonstration. Union president general, Ancel Roget, said the company had agreed to fill 800 vacancies, make casual workers permanent, make the work environment safe and settle outstanding payments for the period 2009-2010. These commitments have not been enacted by the company.

Roget regretted that the press has only focused on the payment arrears. He said:

This struggle is not mainly about money, although that is important; it is about honouring the collective agreement.

The workers say that Petrotrin, which supplies petrol and oil to Caribbean and Central American countries, is not honouring its agreement to pay them a percentage of the profits generated by the industry. The company said it did not make a profit in the last financial year and so there were no profits to share with employees.

Workers are calling on the company to comply with the terms of the collective agreement and other bilateral agreements reached with the union one year ago.

After one week on strike and several unsuccessful attempts to negotiate, Petrotrin's lawyers have won an injunction against the OWTU forcing the workers to return to work.

Ancel Roget said that the court action would not solve the crisis at Petrotrin: “Workers will go back to work feeling demotivated and demoralized. An injunction doesn’t take care of poor management and nepotism.” He added that workers will continue to fight for a safe working environment.

IndustriALL Global Union salutes the strong campaign of OWTU in demanding respect for the collective agreement at Petrotrin and decent working conditions for its members.

Sustainable unionism discussed in Cote d’Ivoire

This was Ndessomin’s first visit to Cote d’Ivoire, one of the 11 countries involved in the HIV and AIDS project. The purpose of the visit was to discuss the objectives and implementation of the project.

Ndessomin stressed the importance of HIV and AIDS workplace policies and encouraged leadership involvement as a key component to the success of these initiatives that can contribute to organizing efforts. She also emphasized the need to build strong and sustainable unions that fight for workers’ rights at the workplace and are financial viable entities that can pay their dues to IndustriALL.

The meeting was attended by 15 leaders of affiliated unions SYNTEPC, SYNTRACUMPRA and SYNTTHACI. Also attending the meeting were other unions interested in joining IndustriALL. Ndessomin spoke about how the IndustriALL merger came about and practical matters of affiliation. She also spoke of unity that has been created through the merger at International level and how unity could also be achieved in Cote d’Ivoire, encouraging affiliates to set the pace for possible mergers.

Workers defend Colombian steel industry

On 11 March, workers blocked the bridge at Boyacá to demand that the government slows down steel imports and stops signing free trade agreements that harm the steel sector.

It is not only the workers who are protesting. Steel industry companies are also calling for measures to stop unfair competition from foreign companies.

According to the metalworking chamber of the Colombian employers’ association (ANDI), smuggling is responsible for reducing the country’s steel production by 20%. It also warned about the poor quality of the steel entering the country illegally, which does not comply with seismic resistance standards.

They all want the government to activate free trade agreement safeguard clauses to protect national industry, increase customs duties on steel imports from Mexico (currently 0%) and exclude steel from the free trade treaties with South Korea and Turkey, who are among the world’s leading producers. These were the demands put to the vice-president of the republic, Argelino Garzón, at a meeting on 15 March, by union and steel company representatives.

Mauricio Castro, president of the SINTRAMETAL union, which is a member of ULTRAMMICOL, affiliated to IndustriALL, said that the meeting discussed “the problems of the Colombian steel sector; the need for a new customs regime with countries like Turkey, Trinidad and Tobago and China; and the need to revise the free trade agreement with Mexico. Imports from Mexico are causing chaos in the sector because of the quantity of steel involved and its exemption from customs duties. More seriously, it is cheaper than Colombian steel”.

The figures show that 58% of steel consumed in Colombia is imported. Imports grew by 46% between January and September. National steel production fell by 24% in the year to October 2012. The situation is having a major impact on the sector’s more than 2,500 workers, causing an increase in unemployment and poverty.

Chilean copper workers announce national strike

At the end of an extraordinary congress of the federation on Friday 15 March, Raimundo Espinoza, FTC president and IndustriALL executive committee member, announced that the strike will take place within the next 30 days. Meetings to plan the strike will start on Thursday at the Chuquicamata division and will continue with meetings at other units in the country.

The FTC issued a communiqué stating that it was suspending relations with the company administration because it was tired of company management’s overbearing, arrogant and shamelessly inefficient attitude to its workers and the country. The union is unhappy about mistakes made by company management, privatization of its health system, outsourcing of some jobs and the company’s failure to develop the potential of its mines.

Espinoza said the union will not backtrack on its decision about the strike, which will last 24 hours and will be extended depending on the company's response. The unions communiqué states:

We demand a new authentic mining and energy policy for Chile. We demand full respect for our rights and agreements, especially the fundamental right to health. We demand that CODELCO management reverses its decision to secretly embark on a bid to privatize health services.

The FTC will now focus on developing its action plan and maintaining a united front with the trade union central CUT, the federations and unions in the strategic mining, energy and manufacturing sectors, and with the international trade union movement through IndustriALL Global Union. They will also coordinate action with sectors of civil society, including students, regional movements, environmentalists and pensioners’ associations.

USW rubber workers in action for fair contracts

The unity of USW Local 164 in Des Moines, Iowa; USW Local 745 in Freeport, Ill.; and USW Local 890 in Bryan, Ohio members at Titan plants held firm through difficult negotiations. Talks ended with worker ratification of four-year agreements, each including wage and benefit improvements and improved language on contract labour, notably around the issue of forced overtime.

USW District 7 Director Jim Robinson who chairs the USW negotiations with Titan stated:

We were able to address important issues at all three locations and satisfied a majority of the men and women whose unity and solidarity never wavered throughout the process.

However elsewhere in the industry in the US, USW Local 13-836 went on strike at noon on 18 March at Firestone Polymers LLC in Orange, Texas, as management intransigence on issues of salary and health care benefits stopped the bargaining process. The plant manufactures polymers for use in the production of a number of rubber and plastic products.

Bargaining between Local 13-836 and Firestone management had reached solution on many issues, but the company’s efforts to shift health care costs onto the workers ultimately forced workers out on strike.

Management has also pushed for the union to give up its right to bargain over changes in the health care plans.

Local 13-836 members are concerned about their health care costs because they are exposed to highly hazardous chemicals and work in a dangerous environment. They are more likely to need medical care because of their workplace exposure.

Richard “Hoot” Landry, USW staff representative said:

The union is prepared to return to the table at the earliest opportunity so the parties can address the open issues. Until then, we will remain united in our quest for a fair contract.