Global union leaders affirm support for Palestinian trade unions and the Palestinian people

The delegation, which included the General Secretaries of the ITUC and the GUFs as well as a number of top union leaders from across the world, met with representatives of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) as whell as union leaders representing workers in the West Bank and Gaza.

The delegation had the privilege to meet President Abbas. They also met Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Samah Abou Oun, and several government ministers during the mission on 28-30 May 2024. Several global unions are already deeply engaged with their Palestinian colleagues, all committed to supporting and sustaining the struggle of Palestinian workers.

The delegation made clear that

“we express our solidarity with Palestinian trade unions and workers in these difficult times. We are deeply concerned by the grave humanitarian crisis faced by the people of Gaza, and we stand with Palestinians, Israelis and people the world over calling for peace, equality and justice.”

Urgent priorities must include an immediate and permanent ceasefire with full respect for international humanitarian law, immediate access to humanitarian assistance, the release of all hostages and others held without due judicial process and enabling the safe return of all workers trapped by the conflict.

The delegation recalled the ITUC and other global unions’ long-standing policy for a two-state solution, and the call for a just and durable peace through the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 to facilitate a real economic future for an independent Palestine. This involves ending the occupation of the West Bank, dismantling all illegal settlements, and recognising the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.

The delegation urged governments to resume and increase funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

“UNRWA's role is vital in providing essential services and supporting Palestinians at a time when they are most in need.

“We came here to reinforce the depth of our commitment to Palestinian workers and their unions – we are all part of the same family. Our goal is a democratic and sovereign Palestine, living in just and lasting peace and security, alongside a secure Israel. We know that trade unions are an essential element of any democracy, and that strong and democratic independent unions will be a key building block towards that end in Palestine.”

The delegation reported hearing moving testimony from Palestinians who have paid a terrible price during the current war.

On top of the distressing reality of destruction and loss of life in Gaza, we have heard about settler violence, restrictions on human rights such as freedom of movement and economic hardship in the West Bank. What shines through nevertheless, is the commitment to trade unionism and its potential to help deliver a just settlement in the broader chaos of this conflict.

“Our responsibility as global trade unionists is to nurture that sentiment and we call upon the global labour movement to deliver on its principles of peace, humanity, democracy, and solidarity. This includes continuing to invest in a constructive dialogue with trade unions in both Palestine and Israel which recognises their critical role in their respective societies.

Global unions will neither forget nor forsake our sisters and brothers in Palestine. We will redouble efforts to support your unions and support you. Trade unions have remained a constant – democratically, rooted in their communities, and well equipped to provide concrete support during the reconstruction, which should embed the principles of decent work and quality public services.”

Many of the global unions have already provided significant aid to workers through unions in Gaza and the West Bank. Education International has provided financial assistance for more than 1,000 teachers in Palestine, and shelter for more than 5,000 children in Rafah. The International Federation of Journalists provides direct support for reporters in Gaza and operates a solidarity centre with workspace and equipment in Khan Younis. The International Transport Workers’ Federation and Public Services International have both launched solidarity funds to provide immediate relief and longer-term support for Palestinian transport and public service workers and their families. Building and Wood Workers' International has provided humanitarian support and shelter for construction workers and their families.

The delegation concluded:

“Trade unions are part of the global peace movement. We stand for peace alongside such important values as democracy and humanity. That’s why we are here.”

Understanding living wages

The workshop began by clarifying the concept of a living wage and distinguishing it from the minimum wage. Participants were trained to develop strategic actions to elevate minimum wages to match living wages at the company level.

A presentation of Autoliv's union strategy showcased their transition from minimum to living wages. Autoliv, employing over 5,000 workers at its factories in Fahs and Nador, has set a precedent by signing the only enterprise-level collective bargaining agreement in Tunisia's textile and garment sector.

An outcome of the workshop was the formulation of a preliminary strategy on living wages, aligning with FGTHCC-UGTT's trade union strategy, which prioritizes living wages until 2030. The living wage is seen as a cornerstone for improving workers' conditions and ensuring fair compensation.

Martin Jefflén, international secretary at Swedish union Unionen, highlighted the importance of international cooperation.

"We came to here to learn from the Tunisian experience, to exchange experiences and expertise and to discuss ways to support. We are keen to ensure that decent work conditions are respected in Swedish companies in Tunisia. The mission of the Swedish unions is to improve the situation of workers not only in Sweden but in other countries, especially within Swedish multinationals and their supply chain."

Mongi Smaali, an economics professor at the University of Tunisia, provided a critical insight, noting that the living wage for a family of four in Tunisia should be at least 1,850 dinars (US$617). This figure underscores the significant gap between current wages and what is needed for a decent standard of living.

Habib Al-Hazami, FGTHCC-UGTT general secretary, emphasised the importance of international trade union solidarity.

"This workshop is an opportunity to establish strong ties with the Swedish unions, which is vital for serving the interests of workers."

Ahmed Kamel, IndustriALL MENA regional secretary, praised FGTHCC-UGTT's action plan on living wages and emphasised the need for collective efforts.

The workshop, supported by IndustriALL's Swedish affiliates and Union to Union, represents a significant step towards achieving fair wages and improving working conditions for employees of Swedish multinationals in Tunisia.

Finnish government restricts right to strike

Despite several protest strikes earlier this year, the Finnish coalition government in power since last year, has persevered with an agenda which includes limiting the role of union representatives in the workplace and cuts to social security.

Under the new laws, trade unions will now have to pay considerable fines if they organize a strike which the court later deems to be illegal. Individual workers will be subjected to fines of more than US$200 if they continue a strike after the court has ruled it to be illegal. The fine is to be paid directly to the employer.

The newly enacted laws are in violation of international labour standards, including ILO Conventions 87 and 98, ratified by Finland. The government has dismissed recommendations from the ILO to the Minister of Labour, calling on the government to renegotiate the statutory reforms in consultation with the social partners, which is something the Finnish government has not done.

Says IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie:

“These laws clearly infringe on fundamental labour rights and are not only in violation of core labour standards, but also sharply contradict the Nordic model that fosters social and economic fair policies and practices. We support our unions demanding that these laws are rescinded as they curtail the voices of workers, setting strict limits on political strikes, work stoppages, and industrial strikes, as well imposing fines on workers participating in an “unlawful” strike even when the union has called for it.”

Judith Kirton-Darling, general secretary of industriAll Europe says:

“The vicious attacks on workers’ rights in Finland have sparked outcry among trade unions. And rightly so. This limits the right to strike, promotes decentralised bargaining, gives access for non-unionized workers to negotiate collective agreements and weakens protection against dismissals. This is a blatant breach of workers’ fundamental rights and collective bargaining!  IndustriAll Europe stands firmly behind Finnish workers and their unions in this struggle! An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us!”

The right to strike is under attack in many countries around the world. For the last ten years it has also been under attack from the employers at the International Labour Organization (ILO), which sets global standards on labour rights. Late last year the question was referred by the ILO Governing Body to the International Court of Justice.

The International Labour Conference, the annual meeting of ILO member states, starts early June. Together, let’s remind delegates of their duty to support the right to strike and democracy at work.

Sign and share the ITUC petition, which will be delivered to delegates in Geneva in June.

Cambodian and Philippine youth fight against precarious work

Youth leaders in Cambodia are concerned that the uncontrolled use of fixed duration contracts by employers is severely undermining young workers’ job security and willingness to join trade unions, with contracts were either terminated or not renewed after the formation of a union.

“The IndustriALL Cambodian Youth Committee (ICYC) will meet regularly to monitor cases of violation, we will organize a campaign on anti-union discrimination involving young workers and fixed duration contracts. We will also work together with the federations to provide labour law training on workers’ rights to young workers,”

said ICYC president Phorng Bunthim at the IndustriALL Cambodia Youth Leadership training on 7-8 May in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The ICYC was established and is helmed by Phorng Bunthim and vice president Tuon Saren. The leadership training was supported by Union to Union and Swedish affiliates.

In a separate IndustriALL Philippine youth leadership meeting on 15 May in Manila, Philippines, 19 youth representatives from IndustriALL affiliates identified rampant contractualization and subcontracting as among the top reasons for low union density in the Philippines.

“We call on the Philippine government to tackle the issue of contractualization that does not guarantee young workers stable employment and income. The IPYC will send letters to the Congress president and related committees to express our support to the Security of Tenure Bill tabled by some Congress representatives. The despicable contract practice must be eliminated permanently,”

said Jean Faye Daguman, co-chair of IndustriALL youth working group in South East Asia, East Asia and Pacific (SEA2PAC-Youth).

Said Ramon Certeza, IndustriALL South East Asia regional secretary:

“IndustriALL is committed to empower young unionists including young women as part of the transformative agenda. The regional office will continue to strengthen young unionists’ capacity, build camaraderie of young workers and bring a new energy to the labour movement.”

Georgia’s new law is a setback for democratic values

Despite the President’s stance against the proposed law after it was approved by Georgia’s parliament earlier this month, and a growing pressure from US and the EU to drop it, the governing party declared that they would persevere.
 
On 28 May, Georgia’s parliament voted to override the veto from the President on the law obliging any organization receiving more than 20 per cent of their funding from sources outside of Georgia to register as "bearing the interests of a foreign power" became reality. The law, dubbed “foreign agent law” or the “Russia law” by its critic, aims at controlling, even stigmatizing and limiting democratic space for trade unions, civil society and the media. The proposal is reminiscent of a controversial law in Russia.
 
The law will have a huge impact on workers’ rights as unions are considered as NGOs under Georgian legislation. The main objective of this law is to attack workers’ basic rights and silence trade unions and civil organizations about the violations of rights and interests of workers.
 
IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie says:

“This is a setback for democratic values in Georgia and will have a massive impact on trade unions. The legislation seriously undermines human and trade unions rights and creates obstacles for the proper functioning of civil society organizations receiving funding from overseas in conducting their legitimate activities in defence of democracy.
 
“It is a clear barrier to trade unions activities as the solidarity they receive from international and European organizations contributes to conducting trainings, capacity building, providing legal services, and organizing and attending conferences and events."

Says industriAll Europe, general secretary, Jude Kirton-Darling:

“We are very concerned about the adoption of this controversial “foreign agent” law in Georgia which goes against fundamental principles of EU rules of law such as the protection of human rights including by implementing an ambitious human rights strategy and the freedom of assembly and expression. The adoption of this law would be a serious setback to democratic rights. It will torpedo Georgia’s chances of joining the EU bloc, just six months after it was granted candidate status.”

Bangladesh’s Employment Injury Scheme to include commuting accidents

After a unanimous decision in the Governance Board of the Employment Injury Scheme (EIS) Pilot, accidents that may occur while workers commute to and from work will be included as workplace accidents as of 1 July.

In the meeting with the Governance Board, made up of employers’ organisations, government officials and workers’ representatives, on 13 May, it was also agreed that the around 75 workers who have filed claims for commuting accidents from 21 June 2022 when the pilot scheme was formally launched, will also be compensated.

Towhidur Rahman, IndustriALL Bangladesh Council’s representative on the EIS Board, says:

“It was important to get commuting accidents included in the injury scheme. We must ensure that garment workers are safe in their world of work which includes not just factories but also their daily commute, and if any incident happens then it must be compensated for. Hopefully when this pilot scheme becomes a law, we would have achieved better social security for garment workers.”

In 2022, Bangladesh’s ministry of labour and employment launched a pilot for an employment injury scheme in collaboration with the International Labour Organization.The scheme includes compensation for medical treatment and rehabilitation services, as well as income loss caused by occupational injuries and disease.

The pilot project will run for three years and includes export oriented RMG factories that are members of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

The EIS pilot has two components:

Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL textile director, says:

“This is a major breakthrough that will ensure the extension of the social safety net to include more vulnerable workers. We urge brands and retailers to continue their financial contributions to the scheme as part of their responsibility for the workers in their supply chains.”

Brands doing business in Bangladesh should join EIS pilot

Last week, IndustriALL co-hosted, with the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF), a webinar on “Social protection for garment workers: The Employment Injury Scheme (EIS)”. The webinar aimed to bring investors and other attendees up to date on what the pilot has achieved in its first two years.

More than 50 brands have become signatories; they make voluntary payments to top off the fund and bring it up to international standards. A brand’s contribution constitutes just 0.019 per cent of its total export value from Bangladesh – a very small proportion to pay – but as one of the webinar speakers noted, the programme provides workers with the security of knowing that their families will not be helpless in the face of workplace injury or death.

For brands, the benefits of joining include contributing to a program that improves conditions for their supply chain workers – and those of the whole RMG sector – and reducing the reputational, legal and operational risks that come from emerging legislation requiring brands to carry out effective due diligence on their supply chains.

The EIS pilot is a functioning example of a multi-stakeholder program that rests on collective responsibility: of the government, employers, workers and sourcing brands, and even of investors, who have an important role to play in engaging their companies to become signatories.

“It is crucial that other brands doing business in Bangladesh join the EIS pilot. This time-bound, bridging solution addresses a pressing need in the RMG sector, and although social protection is a government function, the shared responsibility of other stakeholders has been, and will be, crucial to the initiative’s success,”

said Christina Hajagos-Clausen.

Photo: Bangladeshi garment employees leaving a clothing plant at the end of their working day. Credit: Crozet M. / ILO

IndustriALL call on mining companies to sign global framework agreements

The forum provides for strategic engagement to influence policy responses to these challenges.   IndustriALL Global Union participated in a plenary session.

Security and social license to operate: preventing tensions from escalating into conflict, where IndustriALL mining director Glen Mpufane questioned the absence of trade unions in the voluntary principles on security and human rights. Workers and their unions face violence, injury and death at the hands of private and public security forces deployed to break legitimate strikes and harass mine workers for exercising their legitimate organizing and collective bargaining rights.

Glen Mpufane stressed that unions are indispensable for successful non-state-based non-judicial grievance mechanisms and that global framework agreements and transnational global networks can facilitate and resolve security and human rights related disputes thereby avoiding conflict and violence.

“It is however unfortunate that global mining companies largely continue to reject global framework agreements and global networks, except for one large -scale mining company, Anglo American,”

said Glen Mpufane.

Anglo American is currently the target of hostile takeover bid by BHP Group, a move that IndustriALL rejects on the basis of clear founded concerns about BHP’s workers’ rights credentials.

IndustriALL Global Union participated  as a panel speaker in an OECD Forum partner led session – Make rightsholders’ voices heard: enhancing effective grievance mechanisms in mineral supply chains.

Blake Harwell, senior policy advisor at the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC), stressed the point about how responsible business conduct due diligence has always been about businesses managing risks to make money:

“Businesses need to guarantee they are implementing ILO core conventions, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises in agreed frameworks with IndustriALL and other global unions. These frameworks are the only way to promote positive workers’ rights.”

The Forum also saw the launch of the Business and Human Rights Resource Center’s 5th edition of the BHRRC Transitions Minerals Tracker. In the foreword, Glen Mpufane reflects on the importance of the minerals tracker as a resource for workers, unions and communities.

Credit cover photo: OECD
 

Rieter India workers on strike for a third time

In January 2023, the union went on strike after management refused to address the union’s concerns. A complaint with the labour department on the unlawful employment of contract workers which led to an inspection of the company, was filed. 

Since then, management has been threatening union officials with suspension, transfers and termination if the cases are not withdrawn. 30 members were suspended after being implicated in false charges by the management, like provoking contract workers against the management and threatening them. In addition, 24 workers were sent to various far-off locations under the pretence of training purposes.

In July the same year workers went on strike again, opposing management’s union busting actions. As soon as the strike notice was issued, twelve workers, including office bearers, were abruptly dismissed. RIEF called the strike off after 57 days when the labour commissioner told management to recall the 24 employees and to conciliate the matter with the twelve terminated workers.

However, months later, the situation has yet to improve and workers have been forced to again resort to strike action. 33 of the 350 union members have been terminated, including the office bearers, while 27 workers remain suspended pending an inquiry against alleged rallying outside management official’s house.

In addition, Rieter India management has filed cases against union members in a civil court for holding a hunger strike outside the factory gate in July last year and for allegedly causing a US$1.2 million loss during the first strike in January last year.

Management is now offering voluntary retirement schemes to union members.

“Rieter India management is out to destroy the union. We have asked several times to cordially resolve the issues, but management is not engaging,”

says Rohit Pawar, general secretary of Shramik Ekta Mahasangh.

Ashutosh Bhattacharya, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary, says:

“IndustriALL expresses solidarity with the striking workers at Rieter. This anti-union behaviour is unacceptable. We call on management to immediately end the unfair labour practices, and urge management to initiate a dialogue with the unions and workers in a constructive and good faith manner.”

Empowering women in Tunisia: a workshop on health and safety

A significant concern is the mismatch between occupational diseases and the state-recognised list of such diseases, leaving many workers without adequate protection or recognition.

Mounia Ramili underscored the emergence of new occupational diseases not recognized by the official sickness insurance fund and the need to update their list, particularly to safeguard women workers, ensuring ailments are duly classified and treated.

Rawda Cannon stressed the importance of continuous training to keep pace with evolving occupational health and safety standards. She advocated for enhanced training programmes for women trade unionists, enabling them to effectively manage and respond to crises.

Mounia Ben Abbas highlighted the dire conditions faced by workers exposed to chemicals without adequate protection, leading to work-related diseases that remain unclassified as occupational. This lack of recognition forces workers to endure unsafe working conditions without proper rest or protection.

Lubna Al-Sudairy addressed the necessity of ongoing worker education. Women in industrial sectors, who, despite suffering from occupational diseases, are often pressured by employers to maintain productivity, facing exploitation and blackmail.

Nabila Barhoumi pointed out the non-recognition of certain occupational diseases, such as cardiovascular conditions. She called for comprehensive worker education on health risks and the amendment of labour laws to include detailed occupational health and safety manuals.

Mounira Al-Harabi advocated for the expansion of the recognised list of occupational diseases to include ailments affecting the neck, shoulders, and hands. She said that many women who complain of symptoms in the hand or wrist hide the symptoms as shoulder and neck pain to avoid their conditions being dismissed.

Amal Trabelsi critiqued the current legislative system as being unjust to women and workers. She argued that transferring a worker to a more suitable job post-disease often leads to further exploitation, underscoring the need for legal reforms to protect vulnerable workers.

Yamina Mbarki, coordinator of the IndustriALL Tunisian women’s network, called for a stronger role of unions in ensuring decent work conditions, particularly focusing on occupational health and safety for women in industrial sectors.

The workshop is part of the IndustriALL MENA union leadership academy, aimed to empower participants on trade union issues, like collective bargaining, social protection, just transition, living wages, organizing, precarious work, communications and the involvement of women and youth. Supported by FNV Mondiaal, this initiative is a commitment to increase trade union competencies among women in the region.

IndustriALL and global brands sign legally-binding agreements supporting collective bargaining and improvements in wages

The individual, legally-binding, agreements that IndustriALL has been finalizing with global brands ensure brand support for collective bargaining agreements at their suppliers. In a global sector often marred by low wages and precarious working conditions, the agreements mark the first supply chain industrial relations approach – brands, employers and unions working together to address wages and collective bargaining. The CBA process, between the unions and the employers, is ongoing in parallel, and the commitment by brands will come into force as soon as a CBA is achieved.

Says IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie:

“These individual agreements that we now have with brands to support collective bargaining in Cambodia’s textile sector are innovative and groundbreaking. Brands have legally committed to uphold their production volume in Cambodia no matter the outcome of the new collective agreement, and have committed to ringfencing labour costs.
 
“This means that the brands will bear the costs of the collective agreement, and that there is no risk for our affiliates or the production sites in signing the agreement. We have worked on this for many years, and we finally see the result. This shows that when you take time to build trust and understanding you can achieve great things.”

These legally-binding agreements are the result of a collaborative process with brands, employers and unions in Cambodia. Setting a new standard in supply chain industrial relations, these agreements foster sustainable structural transformation and support for sound industrial relations. It is an approach which combines investor and human rights due diligence expectations on in-country outcomes and addresses brand obligations on meaningful stakeholder engagement.

Cambodian union leaders welcome the agreements and the brands commitments.

Says Athit Kong, president of CCAWDU:

“This is a significant breakthrough supported by the Cambodian unions that will bring sustainable development to everyone in the industry. The agreement will hold everyone responsible and promotes social dialogue, which will mean increased competitiveness, better wages and better working conditions.”

Says Sokny Say, FTUWKC vice president:

“ACT is a good initiative but more importantly these support agreements are enforceable. We welcome the brand support. Cambodian workers suffer from hunger and debts; these agreements give priority to support improvements in workers’ well-being and to protect their rights.”

Says Pav Sina, CUMW president:

"The support from brands is crucial for workers and employers in Cambodia. The agreements can also benefit employers by retention of orders placed. This shows that all relevant stakeholder have a mutual interest in building industrial relations by implementing social dialogue."

IndustriALL is calling on all global brands and retailers sourcing from Cambodia to sign these individual agreements to support collective bargaining and improvements in wages and working conditions in Cambodia.

Contact IndustriALL textile and garment director Christina Hajagos-Clausen for more information.

Photo credit: Sang Min factory, Cambodia @ILO