South African unions come out in support of Mexican workers

Christine Olivier, Second Deputy President of Numsa and a member of IndustriALL Exco led the protest and handed over the memorandum of demands to Ambassador of Mexico, who in turn undertook to ensure that the Mexican government received it.

“We have assembled here in solidarity with our fellow workers in Mexico that are denied their rights as workers as well as human beings to associate and organize themselves into democratic, worker controlled trade unions, free from victimization,” said Olivier. “We demand an end to all anti union activities in your country and the reinstatement of all unfairly dismissed workers for their involvement in unions.”

Protestors called upon the Mexican government to uphold internationally accepted labour standards and to resolve the outstanding ILO complaint against Mexico immediately.

Protestors also demanded justice long overdue to the families of the 65 mineworkers that died in the Pasta de Conchos disaster in 2006 and that Grupo Mexico be held responsible for their deaths.

“Now it is the time for millions of workers around the world to stand up in unison and demand the freedom of the Mexican workers,” said Skhumbuzo Phakathi, International Officer of Numsa. “As called upon by IndustriALL and as per our own culture of international solidarity, we are picketing at the Mexican Embassy in Pretoria to demand that the workers of SME be reinstated and that there be an end to union bashing in Mexico. We further call for the withdrawal of police and army from workplaces. NUMSA’s more than 305 000 members are fully behind our friends in Mexico.”

Patrick Mathabane, International Officer of the NUM spoke of the success of the action; “This shows the strength of international solidarity, we had a NUM shop floor union leader that spoke very well at the event on the importance of unity amongst workers beyond borders. This shows an understanding in our unions for the need to stand up for workers that are being exploited even if it is not in our home country”.

See here the letter sent by IndustriALL-affiliated CEPPWAWU to the Mexican president.

Peruvian unions write to Mexican authorities

See here the letter from the Federación IndustriALL de Peru to Mexican President Peña Nieto.

See here the letter from the Federación IndustriALL de Peru to Mexican Ambassador to Peru, Manuel Rodriguez Arriaga.

See here a letter delivered by UNI Global Union and its affiliates in Peru to Mexican President Peña Nieto.

Electricity workers speak up in Russia

All-Russian Electric Trade Union (ARETU), an IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, held a massive rally in central Moscow on 20 February to demand 25 per cent wage hike and raise awareness about perisistent problems in the energy sector.

ARETU is in the process of signing a national collective agreement for 2013 with the employers’ association, however, the negotiations are stalled.

The wages in the industry have been stagnant for many years, with a sharp decline in real income, sometimes up to 30-40 per cent. Average wage of electricty workers in Russia is just 500-800 USD, contrary to the Ministry estimates of 1300 USD.

Leaders of union locals from different Russian regions — Caucasus, Central and Northern Russia, Siberia, Far East — expressed their anger and frustration over the same problems: inadequate wages, lack of proper equipment repair, constantly rising workload.

"Everyone seems to think electricity is a given, like sunshine. Just plug your lamp and here’s your light," said one speaker.

This is not the first public action for ARETU in the current negotiations round. On 15 November 2012, the union held a rally and two pickets in Moscow, as well as a press conference.

On 19 February IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina wrote to the Energy Minister as well as Prime Minister of Russia, expressing his concern over the problems in the energy sector, extending his solidarity to ARETU’s demands and urging the authorities to act on the problems of the sector.

As a show of solidarity, leaders of the Miners' & Metallurgical Workers' Union of Russia (MMWU) and the Russian Chemical Workers' Union (RCWU), both IndustriALL affiliates, attended the rally.

"Strikes are not prohibited in our sector. In certain conditions, they are indeed a possibility. We are ready to take that step," commented ARETU president Valery Vakhrushkin to the central union newspaper Solidarnost (Solidarity) after the rally.

Egyptian security forces unleash violent attack on workers

The workers were performing dawn prayers when the raid was launched. The workers were severely beaten by the security personnel and attacked by dogs leaving dozens injured and 4 in intensive care. Workers were jumping from the third and fourth floor of the building to escape the dog attacks.

450 workers began the strike action on 14 February demanding the company honour the promises it made in January to provide permanent job contracts and improved pay and bonuses. The workers had already stopped work in one department and were threatening to stop feeding ovens from 17 February.

Almost 100 workers were arrested, 18 remain in detention, including 2 who sustained serious injuries during the attack according to trade union sources. The workers are facing charges of hindering foreign investment and detention of hostages (management) at the factory.

IndustriALL has written to the President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, calling on him to intervene and ensure the immediate release of all detained workers.

“IndustriALL Global Union condemns and deplores the blatant disregard of the human rights and trade unions rights of workers, who were peacefully raising their legitimate demands for decent working and living conditions,” writes Raina.

19 miners died in an explosion in Russia

On 11 February methane exploded at the Vorkutinskaya mine in Vorkuta, Northern Russia. The explosion happened 800 metres deep, 259 miners were present there. 26 of them worked in the section where the accident took place. 19 miners died and 3 were injured in the explosion. One of the injured miners was rushed to the Moscow hospital on the Emergency Control Ministry airplane. Currently his state is stabilized. Two other injured workers will soon be released from hospital, according to the medics.

Representatives of the Russian Independent Coal Employees’ Union (Rosugleprof) were included in the commission to investigate the causes of the tragedy.

Russian authorities allocated 20 million roubles (670,000 USD) from the emergency fund to compensate the families of the deceased. People in Vorkuta held a moment of silence in reverence of the 19 miners who died in the explosion.

On 18 February Russian authorities held a working session on the health and safety in the mining industry, headed by the Minister for Energy Alexander Novak. Representatives of Rosugleprof also took part in this session. As a result of the meeting, various instructions were given to the ministries and coal companies, including the demand to monitor the implementation of the industry agreement in the sector.

IndustriALL General Secretary Jyrki Raina expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased miners.

"Fatal incidents like this call for urgent measures to improve safety in coal mines around the world," noted Raina.

Trinidad & Tobago trade unionists meet Mexican ambassador

We stand in solidarity with Mexican workers in their ongoing struggle for decent work, respect, and trade union representation

OWTU President General Ancel Roget and a small team from the Joint Trade Union Movement were at the Mexican Embassy, Port-of-Spain, on 20 February. The Roget-led delegation addressed an official of the Embassy and requested that he forward their letter to the President of the Mexico demanding justice for trade unions and workers who have been violated.

Russian unions join global days of action through letters to the Mexican president

See here the 18 February letter from IndustriALL-affiliated Rosugleprof, the Russian mineworkers trade union, to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.

Emcocables refuses to negotiate a collective agreement

The company is now refusing to negotiate with the union over its list of demands. The union also says that the company harasses union members and leaders.

By refusing to negotiate, the company is violating the worker’s fundamental rights, which are officially recognised in Colombia and internationally. In response, IndustriALL Global Union in Colombia and other international trade unions have written letters of protest to company management calling for the company to comply with Colombian legislation and demanding that it begins direct negotiations with the union as soon as possible.

Emcocables S.A. produces industrial inputs, mainly steel cables.

ITUC-TUCA protest at Mexican consulate in São Paulo

On 20 February, national and international trade unions demonstrated together at the Mexican Consulate in São Paulo.

See here a letter from CNM-CUT to PKC in solidarity with the Los Mineros attempting to organize there.

See here a letter from 800,000 member CNM-CUT to the Mexican ambassador to Brazil, Alejandro De la Peña Navarrete.

Meeting with Mexican ambassador in Bangkok

On 20 February Thai unionists rallied outside the Mexican Embassy in Bangkok. The trade unionists handed over a letter expressing concerns over labour and human rights violations in Mexico to the Ambassador. The Ambassador was aware of the issues raised by the Thai labour movement and promised to convey the messages to the Mexican government.