Garment workers in Bangladesh continue to suffer

With inflation hovering above nine per cent, purchasing power of working people in Bangladesh continues to decline. Last year in November, the government increased the minimum wage of an-entry level garment worker from BDT8,000(US$67) to BDT12,500(US$ 105) half of what unions demanded.

In response to the wage increment which was more in line with what the owners of garment factories had proposed, workers and their unions organized massive protest in Dhaka. Workers’ protest was met with brutal police action where at least four workers were killed and several others gravely injured. Police also filed criminal cases against protesting workers and trade union leaders.

IndustriALL’s affiliates inform that at least 43 criminal cases were filed against 20,000 workers and more than a hundred workers were incarcerated in the aftermath of the minimum wage protest. Many of these workers have lost their jobs and employers have blacklisted them making it harder for them to find new employment.

Trade unions, including IndustriALL’s affiliates, are demanding that the continued harassment against workers be stopped immediately, all criminal charges be dropped, and workers be adequately compensated, including the families of those workers who were killed during police action.

Unions are also raising the issue of workers being unable to maintain a decent standard of living given their poverty wages combined with high prices of essential commodities. Last month, IndustriALL’s affiliates organized a press conference to demand that government allocate resources to provide a food ration to garment workers which provide essential food items at cheaper prices. The conference was held after the budget session of the parliament in which a ration was not allocated for garment workers despite promises made by the prime minister last year.

Shahidul Badal, general secretary of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council, says:

“The declared minimum wage for the RMG sector should be implemented throughout the industry without any delay and all the criminal cases filed against workers must be immediately dropped.”

IndustriALL’s affiliates are also demanding that the revised minimum wage be strictly implemented across all garment factories in the country.

Photo credit: Crozet M. / ILO

Empty seat at the table highlights the plight of women in the energy transition in Latin America

But one participant was conspicuously absent: Colombian union and community activist Greyci Solano Pérez had to pull out at the last-minute following credible death threats and acts of intimidation. She is now lobbying the prosecutor for protection, with the full support of SINTRACARBÓN and IndustriALL Global Union.

Greyci works at Cerrejón, the biggest open-cast coal mine in Latin America owned by the mining giant Glencore. She is a rank-and-file leader of IndustriALL affiliate SINTRACARBÓN. She is also the chair of her local community action, which has been harshly impacted by the mine. She heads up a municipal group that has been vocal in demanding that mining royalties contribute to lift local communities out of poverty and in calling for popular involvement in the municipal budgeting process. The group also spearheaded demands for Cerrejón to provide employment opportunities for local youth.

This did not sit well with oppressive municipal authorities or with the armed groups that routinely use violence to silence anyone who gets in their way.

Speaking by video link during the meeting, Solano Pérez said: “If we allow royalties from the mine to be misused while the mine is still operating, how much worse will it be when the time comes for the mine to close. This is a social catastrophe in the making.”

Greyci is right to be concerned. Glencore’s track record in the north of Colombia is appalling. When coal prices dropped in 2020, Glencore put its nearby Prodeco mine on care and maintenance, later closing it without putting a proper social plan in place. The mine closure left thousands workers jobless, failed to made reparations for its environmental devastation, and turned local communities into ghost towns.

Participants at the Bogotá meeting expressed their full solidarity with Greyci Solano Pérez and reiterated demands for the prosecutor to investigate and take all necessary measures to preserve her life and her integrity.

African trade unions to adopt strategies on critical transition minerals

Unions are advocating for the implementation of human rights due diligence and responsible business practices in the mining of critical minerals. Their goal is to mitigate the adverse impact of the transition on human rights and protect the rights of workers and communities. These were key issues discussed at the Just Transition and Human Rights Due Diligence forum in Lusaka, Zambia, on July 15-16.

The forum was hosted by the SSA regional office in partnership with the United Federation of Denmark (3F). Trade union leaders from IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe agreed to use evidence-based strategies in their Just Transition plans. Labour research organizations also participated at the meeting.

To assist trade unions in formulating their strategies, the IndustriALL SSA regional office has commissioned research entitled: Mapping of green jobs, skills development, and the just energy transition which will look at the job creation potential in the renewable energy value chains and critical transition minerals with examples from South Africa. The research will be conducted by the Sam Tambani Research Institute (SATRI) – a research arm of IndustriALL affiliate, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

Another research, which will be conducted by the Labour and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe (LEDRIZ), will focus on: Mapping the impact of investment flows in the labour and trade union rights in transitional minerals and renewable energy sectors in Zimbabwe. There will also be a research paper on the African Mining Vision (AMV) to analyze linkages between the AMV, critical transition minerals, and Just Transition.

Unions in the energy sector agreed to cooperate on how to engage on the privatization of state-owned power utilities as the processes were similar across countries as they involved unbundling of the entities into generation, transmission, and distribution units.

Rhoda Boateng, program coordinator for climate change at ITUC Africa, said the main recommendations for trade unions at the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) were to:

“Actively mobilize at sectoral and national levels for enhanced climate action, and to engage policy makers on the integration of Just Transition plans.”

Bjorn Haar, 3F regional coordinator and representative said:

“The aim is to ensure that during the transition workers and communities do not suffer due to job losses or declining economic activity within their communities, and that inequalities and adverse impacts are addressed. As trade unions we are obligated to make sure that real social dialogue is going on and that we have a well-organized labour market, that includes the informal sector.”

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for SSA said:

“This forum is part of continuous dialogue for unions on the Just Transition and business and human rights in the energy, mining, and manufacturing industries, that will be affected by the transition to low carbon renewable energy sources.”

“This forum is vital because companies must respect International Labour Organization fundamental rights at work and exercise due diligence across critical minerals supply chains. Further, unions must use collective bargaining as a key strategy to the transformative agenda,”

said Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL mining director.

The critical transition minerals found in SSA include copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, bauxite, graphite, rare earth elements, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, zinc and silicon.

New IEA report on fair and inclusive clean energy transitions

On July 10, 2024, the IEA hosted a webinar to officially launch their new report, , and the creation of the Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transitions. The event brought together global experts to address the critical issue of making clean energy transitions both equitable and cost-effective.

The webinar highlighted the primary concerns of policymakers: how to ensure that investments in clean energy are affordable and increase access to energy services for all, particularly marginalized communities. The discussion revolved around making policies fairer and ensuring that the costs and benefits of clean energy transitions are equitably distributed across different population segments.

Javier Pamplona, Energy Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge in Spain, shared experiences with its just transition strategy, particularly the coal phase-out initiative. Spain has achieved a 90 per cent employment rate and successfully restored territories impacted by the transition to renewable energy. Pamplona underscored the importance of engaging stakeholders, especially in rural areas, and highlighted economic growth through wind, hydrogen storage, and industrial activities.

André Dias, the director of the department of social policies and universalisation of access to electricity at Brazil's ministry of mines and energy spoke about their program, which has connected over 10 million homes to electricity, prioritizing vulnerable communities. He shared on the complexities of planning and coordinating energy transitions and highlighted Brazil's efforts to install off-grid renewable systems in remote Amazon areas. Dias emphasized the necessity of public consultation and social dialogue for effective policy implementation, using Spain’s approach as a model.

Diana Junquera, director of ernergy and Just Transition at IndustriALL and Co-Director of the Just Transition Centre (JTC) at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), stressed the importance of a just transition in the energy sector to reduce inequalities and secure stable, quality jobs. She highlighted the importance of assessing the social impact and invest in infrastructure in the transition to new industries.

“It is essential that energy transitions do not leave anyone behind. We must ensure that new jobs created in the renewable sector are stable, quality jobs that reduce existing inequalities. We need comprehensive energy frameworks and inclusive decision-making processes involving all stakeholders,”

said Junquera.

Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President of the Regional Plan Association in the US, discussed New York City's clean energy investments and the importance of affordable, reliable transportation for lower-income communities. She highlighted the challenges of political opposition to congestion pricing and emphasized the need for partnerships and directing congestion pricing revenue to marginalized areas to address environmental justice concerns.

The webinar highlighted the urgent need for inclusive and fair energy transitions. Experts stressed a holistic approach, strong government support, and long-term partnerships to attract new industries and ensure that transitions benefit all societal segments. Some of the key approaches discussed included making clean energy technologies more affordable, engaging in public consultation, and implementing just transition strategies that mitigate socio-economic impacts on vulnerable communities.

For more details on the IEA’s report and the new Global Commission, visit the IEA’s Strategies for Affordable and Fair Clean Energy Transitions and IEA’s Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transitions: Designing for Fairness.

IndustriALL Global Union and IndustriAll Europe condemn recent Russian attack on Ukraine

During the Russian combined missile attack on Kyiv, the city's oldest and main children's hospital Okhmatdyt was hit.

Among those killed were ten mining workers from the Northern mining and processing plant in Kryvyi Rih, where two member organizations, the Independent Trade Union of Mineworkers of Ukraine and the Trade Union of the Metalworkers and Miners of Ukraine, are present.

IndustriAll Global Union and industriALL Europe express their deep condolences and reiterate their strong solidarity with all those affected by this attack, and with the families of those who lost their lives.

People in Ukraine are fighting for their dignity, freedom and rights. We will continue to stand in shoulder-to-shoulder with the Ukrainian people and to advocate for their struggle on international and European platforms. We will continue to draw the attention of the UN and the EU to attempts to weaken workers' rights in Ukraine.

The new European Parliament will constitute itself this week and hold a strategic debate (17/7/24) on the need for continuous support for Ukraine: IndustriAll Europe and IndustriALL call on MEPs to strengthen political support for Ukraine, while insisting on the need to respect Ukrainian workers’ rights.

Unity at national and international level is needed at this very difficult time of war and occupation, and trade unions have a vital role to play in rebuilding the country through social dialogue.

SEWA India provides members with heat wave insurance

Crippling heat waves that swept through south Asia this year posed enormous challenges to working people in the region. Workers who had to labour in sweltering heat were confronted with extremely harsh conditions which had a negative impact on their health, and sometimes even forced them to quit work. A majority of these workers are employed in the informal sector and lack access to social security programmes.

SEWA (Self Employed Women’s Association) which organizes women workers in the informal sector, including home-based workers in the garment industry and workers engaged in the downstream shipbreaking industry, launched a heat wave insurance programme for its members to mitigate the effects of harsh weather. As part of this pilot insurance programme, the union provided financial assistance to workers so they could use the extra money for their health needs.

Home-based garment workers and downstream shipbreaking workers have to work long hours in rooms without provisions for managing rising temperatures resulting into heatstroke and heat cramps. Under the heat wave insurance programme, SEWA monitored the daily temperature. In urban Ahmedabad, for example, where home-based garment workers are based, when the mercury rose to 43.6 degree Celsius for three consecutive days, the union transferred INR250 (US$3) into these workers’ bank accounts. If the temperature remained the same on the fourth day, the workers again received INR250 (US$3). For Bhavnagar, where downstream shipbreaking industry is located, the threshold temperature was 44.68 degree Celsius.

Manali Shah, national secretary of SEWA, says:

“This year, we did a pilot programme and more than 46,000 of our members across 22 districts in three Indian states, received benefits under the programme. This enabled women workers to not compromise on their health without having to choose between protecting their health or feeding their families.”

Ashutosh Bhattacharya, south Asia regional secretary of IndustriALL, says:

“We applaud SEWA for taking this initiative and setting an example for other unions and also the government to start thinking on how to safeguard workers’ health in the wake of climate change and rising heat across the region.”

Photo credit: SEWA

Australian unions welcome Anglo American response to Grosvenor mine accident

Mining inspectors are conducting investigations amid fears by the Mining and Energy Union (MEU), affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, that the mine owned by Anglo American and produces steel making coal might permanently close.

The mining incident is a test case for the commitments on occupational health and safety in the memorandum of understanding between Anglo American and IndustriALL which were reiterated recently at the Anglo American global dialogue meeting. However, the union stated that Anglo American is cooperating better during this incident than before.

“I have to say the approach by the Australian Anglo management team is something I have not experienced in the past. They have been upfront and transparent. This is due to the last event and our pressure. But they have been working hard with us on the safety of the workers and future of our members jobs,”

said Stephen Smyth, MEU general vice president. According to a statement, workers will be paid until 31 August while Anglo American attempts to recover the mine. Some workers will be reassigned to open-cut operations whilst others will be transferred to the corporate office in Brisbane. During the last incident in 2020 five workers suffered extensive burns following a similar explosion and methane levels at the mine have remained high.

Jeff Scale, district vice president, MEU Queensland District added:

“It is apparent that Anglo American is walking the talk at least at the Australian operations but the true test lies in extending this to its other global operations as workers face an uncertain future that can be managed by full transparency and social dialogue.”

“Coming up with amicable plans as a response to the incident at Grosvenor mine represents the essence of the global dialogue that Anglo American is implementing that we agreed upon in the memorandum of understanding with regards to occupational health and safety. Having dialogue with unions on workers welfare after the evacuation of the mine is important especially with job security at stake,”

said Glen Mpufane IndustriALL director for mining and the lead in health and safety.

Grosvenor is one of Anglo American’s coal assets that are on sale after a failed hostile take-over bid by BHP. However, reopening the mine might take several months because of the explosion which ignited a fire.

Photo: Anglo American

Samsung electronics workers announce indefinite strike

The collective bargaining between NSEU and Samsung Electronics reached a deadlock earlier this month as the company refused to agree to the majority of the union’s demands. The demands include 3.5 per cent of base rate increase, paid leave for the date of union establishment, and compensation for loss of wages during the strike.

Ignoring all the union’s strike demands, Samsung Electronics unilaterally set a 3.0 per cent base rate increase with some workers. Plant managers have been intimidating striking workers, saying they would be disadvantaged.

NSEU, affiliated to the Federation of Korean Metalworkers' Trade Unions (FKMTU), has 30,000 members at Samsung Electronics, roughly 24 per cent of the total workforce and is recognized as the representative bargaining union. In response to the uncompromising attitude and union busting, NSEU announced an indefinite strike, urging all members to continue the struggle until its victory.

FKMTU president KIM Junyoung says:

"At Samsung, significant changes are stirring. Five years after the collapse of its no-union management policy, union members are beginning to make their presence felt. Although the struggle is still in its early stages, it signifies the practical collapse of Samsung's no-union management. Solidarity and support are essential at this moment. We will fight together until the end of this struggle."

IndustriALL ICT, electrical and electronics director Alexander Ivanou says :

“IndustriALL supports the NSEU members in their fight for decent working conditions at Samsung Electronics. The company’s operating profit was KRW 6.57 trillion (US$ 4.79 billion) in 2023; it has a moral obligation to share profits with their workers who create revenue and value for the company. We call on Samsung Electronics to return to the negotiation table and engage in genuine social dialogue with NSEU and FKMTU.”

Tanzanian unions engage on the national action plan on business and human rights

The organizations discussed the demands during the youth and business and human rights workshop which was organized by the IndustriALL's Sub-Saharan Africa regional office in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Tanzania office.

Tanzania Mines, Energy, Construction and Allied Workers Union (TAMICO) and Tanzania Union of Industrial and Commercial Workers (TUICO), who are affiliated to IndustriALL, the Legal and Human Rights Centre, and Vibindo – an umbrella organization for informal sector associations, and trade union federations, the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) and the Zanzibar Trade Union Congress engaged with the commission for human rights and good governance (CHRAGG) which is facilitating the NAP processes. They discussed how to make their submissions towards the NAP.

The unions, which organize workers in manufacturing, mining, commercial, and construction activities, want labour clauses to be included in the NAP to protect workers' rights. Other issues that should be promoted are conciliation and mediation, inclusion of women, youth and people with disabilities, and clauses that refer to the International Labour Organization's conventions such as Convention 190 to end violence and harassment in the world of work. Further, the NAP should promote gender equality, accountability of multinational companies including those from China, tax justice, and living wages.

Vibindo said they wanted the state to provide social protection, basic health insurance, accessible infrastructure and better trading areas for informal economy workers.

An online presentation by Maria Garcia Torrente, associate human rights officer, office of the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, highlighted how civil society organizations and trade unions can utilise special procedures.

Paternus Rwechungura, TAMICO general secretary said:

“The NAP process is an opportunity for trade unions to remind the government of its duty to protect workers by enforcing business compliance with labour laws.”

Economic policies also impacted on business and human rights. For example, investment banks and international institutions including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), African Development Bank, and European Development Bank should be part of the conversations on business and human rights in Tanzania because they sometimes contribute to states' disregard for human rights through conditionalities that discourage social spending.

Elizabeth Bollrich, FES director for Tanzania urged unions to “bring their chairs to business and human rights conversations” to amplify workers’ voices and improve accountability.

“NAPs on business and human rights are emerging strategies that can be used to demand fundamental rights at work and decent working conditions. They are a crucial step towards compliance to human rights due diligence laws. It is therefore critical for unions and civil society organizations to be involved in the NAP policy processes,”

said Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sub-Saharan countries that have developed the national action plans are Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda. The national action plans are based on the United Nations guiding principles on business and human rights, and the African Union is developing a continental policy on business and human rights.

Workers confront sexual exploitation at Ugandan cardboard manufacturing factory

One such testimony was narrated by Mukyala Nambi* on 15 June. She works at Riley Packaging factory in Mukono – about 22 km from Kampala. The factory makes corrugated cardboard boxes for packaging. Nambi has worked at the factory for nine years. Riley Packaging employs over 600 workers, 120 of whom are women, and exports its products to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan.

Nambi recalls:

“It is knock-off time after our long working day which starts at 7 am and ends at 7 pm. I am preparing to go home when the production manager summons me to his office. The manager does not explain why he wants to meet me alone in his office after the factory had closed for the day. I am suspicious of his motives and refuse to meet him. The manager is furious. The next day he began sexually harassing me.
“The manager intimidated and verbally abused me. He yelled at me on the factory floor threatening me with dismissal unless I agreed to his advances.”

Without fear, Nambi, a shop steward at the factory, stood firm against the harassment and told the manager that workers had rights protected by the labour laws and Uganda’s constitution. Further, she started to conduct investigations on the manager’s behaviour and found out some cases of sexual abuse of young women workers especially those employed on short contracts who were promised permanent jobs.

The wages at the factory are low. Nambi earns 300,000 Uganda shillings (US$80) per month while contract workers are paid 200,000 shillings (US$53).

“Once I had gathered enough evidence, I immediately reported him to the director and the human resources department. The manager was dismissed after disciplinary action,”

said Nambi. Further, the manager was reported to the immigration department resulting in his deportation from Uganda back to India for violating the conditions of his work permit and forgery.

Nambi attributes her courage in confronting the perpetrator to the gender-based violence and harassment training that Ugandan workers from IndustriALL affiliated unions received from a project supported by the Danish Trade Union Development Agency (DTDA) and the IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa regional office. She says the training empowered her to stand against sexual harassment at her workplace. The training covered topics on the implementation of International Labour Organization Convention 190 to end violence and harassment in the world of work that Uganda ratified in 2023. Other topics were on the inclusion of clauses to curb gender-based violence and harassment in collective bargaining agreements.

“We applaud Nambi for her bravery in confronting the perpetrator. One of the core issues in our GBVH training is an emphasis on strengthening reporting mechanisms and the development of the workplace policies that commit to ending sexual harassment. To achieve this, the affiliates in Uganda are working with the factory owners to have gender policies in place and we commend these efforts,”

says Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa.

IndustriALL affiliates that benefited from the training included the Uganda Printers, Paper, Polyfibre and Allied Workers Union, Uganda Textile, Garment, Leather and Allied Workers Union and Uganda Hotels, Food, Tourism, Supermarket and Allied workers Union.

*Please note that the name has been changed to protect the person's privacy.