25 November – “Zero Tolerance for Violence against Women”

The events were kicked off with a rally at Taksim Square, where women from the Women’s Coordination Platform in Turk-Is trade union confederation set balloons free with the slogan, We Are Trade Unionists, We Condemn Violence.  And the days of action ended on Sunday evening when thousands of members of women’s organizations, trade unions and political parties gathered in Taksim Square.

The women’s platform also supported actions carried out by the Airlines union Hava-Is to reinstate the 305 workers fired by Turkish Airlines for fighting for their rights. Two-thirds of those dismissed were women.

Violence against women takes many forms. It can be violence in the form of being fired for fighting for rights, it can be denying maternity leave, it can be poverty, it can be women dying in a textile factory burning to the ground in Bangladesh, it can be battering, beating, harassment, murder.

Women’s rights advocates in Turkey have calculated that the number of murders of women rose by 1400 percent from 2002 to 2009. A recent survey revealed that 42 per cent of women in Turkey suffer physical or sexual violence at the hands of their husband or partner.  Violence against women is a near-daily phenomenon in Turkey, with spouses, boyfriends or husbands regularly beating or killing the women in their lives.

Nevertheless Turkey does not need to be singled out. Every 9 seconds in the US a woman is assaulted or beaten. Domestic violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the US alone—the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs. In Brazil domestic violence affects four out of ten women and in Spain one woman dies each week, mostly at the hands of her partner. Evidence shows that the violence is going up in the wake of the crisis, but the crisis is not its only cause.

In the meantime trade unions are taking up violence against women as a trade union issue, not only in the fight against sexual harassment and bullying at work, but also to eliminate domestic violence. Women who suffer from violence are not likely to participate in trade unions, nor are they likely to get involved in trade union struggles. That is why more and more trade unions are taking a stand against violence against women on 25 November and every day.

IndustriALL affiliates in Cambodia sign unity agreement

Meeting on 25 November, all seven IndustriALL affiliates: CLUF, TUWFPD, CLWLFU, CUF, CIFTU, NIFTUC, CCAWDU sought to identify major common priorities of their members. The country has 80 trade union federations, and IndustriALL’s affiliates in Cambodia see disunity as an immediate challenge to overcome.

Under the leadership of IndustriALL and the support of IF Metall (Sweden), the affiliates collectively signed an agreement where they endeavour to work together and in unity to address the following issues:

  1. Short term contracts: garment workers have three-month contracts that are renewed for a period of two years. After one year in the factory, the worker receives a seniority bonus. When the contract has been renewed for two years, the next contract offered considers the worker as a new employee; therefore the seniority bonus is lost. Apart from the work precariousness, workers who are 80% women cannot get paid maternity leave unless they have worked for one year, and a contract for three months does not guarantee this even if the workers have been in the same factory for more than a year.
  2. Organizing and Collective Bargaining: the law stipulates that collective bargaining be negotiated by the union who has the Most Representative Status (MRS), which is 50%+1. Given the number of unions in the same factory, this is very difficult to reach and then to maintain. Indeed, due to short-term contracts, union members leave the workplace, and the unions lose the MRS. Competition among unions affiliated to IndustriALL will be addressed to strengthen and support the work of each affiliate.
  3. Occupational Health and Safety: fainting of workers is common in Cambodia and the affiliates felt that it has not been addressed properly, neither by the government, nor by the factory managers. While employers suggest that fainting is caused by bad nutrition habits and because workers are wearing warm clothes despite the weather, workers identified bad ventilation and lack of oxygen circulation due to the number of workers inside small workplaces. Other OHS issues will be addressed such as chemicals in the textiles industry.

IndustriALL will continue to support the efforts of its affiliates toward unity. With the assistance of affiliates such as IF Metall, IndustriALL will provide support to strengthen affiliates’ expertise in issues mentioned above and those who will affect positively the workers’ condition. 

International Works Committee established at Indesit

An agreement was signed according to which on 1 January 2013 the European Works Committee of Indesit will expand its geographical scope and become an International Works Council, including representatives of workers and trade unions of the sites manufacturing in countries outside the European Union.

The new agreement is signed by IndustriALL Global Union, IndustriALL European Trade Union and a number of their affiliates representing workers at Indesit Company sites in France, Italy, Poland, UK, Russia and Turkey.

The decision is based on the union strategy to build global union networks (and international committees) in transnational companies with the aim to promote worker unity.

In December 2001 the former-IMF, one of three predecessor organizations of IndustriALL Global Union, represented by its affiliates in Italy FIM, FIOM and UILM, signed an International Framework Agreement with Indesit, then Merloni Elettrodomestici S.p.A.

In signing the agreement, the company committed to comply with and promote the fundamental principles and rights at work established in conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). To supervise compliance with the undertaken obligations special monitoring has been put in place to for violations not only of the company's own production units and activities, but its suppliers as well, with the risk of having their contracts cancelled in case of grave violations.

The company has also undertaken to report on the implementation and status of the agreement at the annual meeting of the European Works Committee (EWC) and at the national information meetings provided for by the national collective contracts.

The text of the agreement on institution of the International Works Committee as well as the text of the agreement on transformation of European Committee into International is available on the links.

Garments sector closed for day of mourning in Bangladesh

On 26 November 2012 workers, family members and relatives of the deceased and workers from the Ashulia industrial zone (a suburban area near Dhaka) blocked factories in the area and held demonstrations, in some cases clashes with police occurred.
 
The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, called an emergency meeting of the Cabinet and announced a National Mourning day on 27 November 2012 and RMG sector closed for the full day. The Prime Minister also announced the creation of a special High Level Inquiry Committee, which will investigate the tragedy.
 
The mass demonstrations take place in the industrial areas of Dhaka, Chittagong, Tangi and Gazipur. The IndustriALL affiliated Bangladesh National Council of Textile Garment and Leather Workers (BNC) staged a demonstration in front of Dhaka Press Club and at Chittagong station road demanding in addition to what the Government announced:

In reply to the massive protests the Minister of Labour declared today that the Government would shut down Garment factories which had no, or only one, fire and emergency exit. The High Court has also been instructed to form an independent body to investigate the tragic fire accident.

IndustriALL director receives recognition from United Nations Industrial Development Organization

His presentation aimed to inform a diverse group of participants about the experiences of IndustriALL in the promotion of worker’s rights in the Global South, particularly in the energy and mining sectors. IndustriALL demands that industry and governments to develop decent, safe and sustainable jobs. This will only happen if there is a sustainable industrial policy in place. Global framework agreements and/or global corporate networks are two of the important tools that IndustriALL uses to promote decent work, worldwide.

Trade unions have always striven for labour standards, working conditions and income to be levelled upwards. In addition, trade unions practice triangular cooperation (unions from developed countries supporting Southern-led initiatives) to build capacity for ongoing south-south collaboration.

Sustainable energy is at present only a goal, although it has the potential to create large numbers of decent jobs. However, this will only happen if there are policies in place to make it happen. Additionally, a Just Transition must be ensured so that existing workers benefit from the move towards sustainability and not just hypothetical new workers in greener jobs. The implications of sustainability for education and skills training, human rights, labour rights, and other social values, have not yet been mapped out, but clearly they cannot simply be left to the deregulated free market.

As trade unionists, we have a responsibility to ourselves, our families, and our communities. We must speak for today's workers – and future workers. Sustainable development is the goal. Just Transition is the path. Sustainability must be the basis of a sound industrial policy, to preserve existing jobs and create new jobs that provide decent work in a greener economy. There are no jobs on a dead planet.

Workers strike at Scottish paper bag plant

Workers at Smith Anderson, a paper bag plant in Scotland are taking strike action after being told that they have to work for six months, from July to December, without being allowed to take any statutory holiday.

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate Unite, the UK’s largest union which represents the 140 striking staff at Smith Anderson, said that the first 24-hour day strike, taken on 21 November, was well-supported.

“Our members are not unreasonable and recognize the business needs of the company in this competitive economic environment. Unite believes that management could have sorted this out before it reached this stage.” Said Unite regional officer, Margaret Lawson.

Employees of the plant had two days statutory holiday in October taken away from them without consultation. The workers will now take strike action every Wednesday until the end of January in response to the company’s unreasonable behaviour.

US Nissan workers seek fair union election

Management at Nissan’s plant in Mississippi is running an aggressive and sophisticated anti-union campaign against its employees who are forming a union to achieve a voice in the workplace. Nissan is denying these workers a fair, democratic election, and management has sent a clear message to the workforce that considering a union could cost them their job.

Supported by workers, students, community leaders and human rights activists around the world, the UAW’s LabourStart campaign (http://www.labourstart.org/nissan) calls on Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Toshiyuki Shiga, intervene to make things right in Mississippi.

Speaking at the LabourStart conference, Jeffrey Moore, one of the Mississippi autoworkers said, “Nissan workers are seeking union representation because they want fairness and a chance to be heard.  They are seeking a voice on the job just like their colleagues in Japan and elsewhere.”

For years, Nissan workers in Mississippi have strived for fairness and believe that creating a union is the best, most effective way to work with management to solve problems in the plant. The workers are seeking membership and representation by UAW in discussions with management on:

Canton workers also want to help improve the overall rights and working condition of workers in the state of Mississippi.

“At Canton Mississippi, Nissan management is making propaganda against the UAW and intimidating workers depriving them from a free choice. This is an unacceptable and against freedom of association,” said Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union in support of the workers’ campaign.

“UAW has offered Nissan a positive, collaborative approach, but the US management is refusing partnership despite the fact that most of Nissans operations in countries such as Mexico, Spain, UK, Russia, Japan, Australia, South Africa and Thailand are unionized and enjoy constructive labour and management relations,” said Raina.

IndustriALL demands agreement on fire safety in textiles in Bangladesh

The fire broke out in the evening ripping through the multi-floor garment factory on the outskirts of Dhaka in Bangladesh, burning the factory to the ground. Female workers were cut off as piles of fabric that filled corridors ignited. Early reports indicate that second and third floors were locked forcing many workers to leap to their death from upper floors. The 124 deaths and over 150 injuries are expected to rise.

Profoundly shocked by the incident, IndustriALL Global Union conveys its condolences to the families of the victims and its solidarity to the injured workers. The massive fire disaster did not only kill more than 100 workers but also killed the future of their families, their dreams and their hopes.

Fire disasters, especially in the garment sector, are on the rise in many countries of the Asia Pacific Region. The Bangladeshi government reports that 414 apparel workers died in fires between 2006 and 2009. In 2010, two large fires resulted in the deaths of 50 Bangladeshi workers. More than 300 workers were killed in devastating factory fires at a garment factory in Karachi and a shoe factory in Lahore, Pakistan on 11 September 2012.

The Bangladeshi National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) reports that over 7,000 people, of whom more than 4,000 are garment workers, were seriously affected by a devastating fire at Sattala in the Mohakhali area of Dhaka city on 7 October 2012. Earlier, on 20 September, more than 3,000 garment workers were affected seriously in another fire at Begun Bari slum zone under Tejgaon, another area of Dhaka city.

Given that the factories burnt down to the ashes fully destroying the factories, IndustriALL Global Union stresses that there is not only a lack in unsafe conditions in most apparel factories.

“Basic fire safety is not in place while electricity systems are archaic and a fire hazard for most factories. And this is regardless of the firm owners, or the brands that the factory is working for.  The Bangladesh government must ensure that the competition in the textile sector must not be at the expense of workers and their families,” said Monika Kemperle, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union.

“As everybody knows, such tragic accidents could have been prevented if basic measures on fire and building safety had been taken into account. It is time to make sure that in the future workers can go to their working places without fearing such a horrible death,” added Kemperle.

Together with the unions in the Asia Pacific region, IndustriALL Global Union will put pressure on governments to properly enforce national laws on health and safety issues in general and on fire safety in particular. IndustriALL Global Union demands that:

“There are many organizations and programs fighting for better working conditions in the textile, garment, shoes and leather industries worldwide today, but only strong regional trade unions in collaboration with IndustriALL Global Union will be able to stop the ruinous competition at the cost of fire and building safety and therefore at the cost of workers and their families in the future. Together trade unions will have more power at multiple levels to put pressure on governments, employers and international brand owners,” said Kemperle.

Bangladesh: agreement on fire safety in textiles required

The fire broke out in the evening ripping through the multi-floor garment factory on the outskirts of Dhaka in Bangladesh, burning the factory to the ground. Female workers were cut off as piles of fabric that filled corridors ignited. Early reports indicate that second and third floors were locked forcing many workers to leap to their death from upper floors. The reported 124 deaths and over 150 injuries are expected to rise.

Profoundly shocked by the incident, IndustriALL Global Union conveys its condolences to the families of the victims and its solidarity to the injured workers. The massive fire disaster did not only kill more than 100 workers but also killed the future of their families, their dreams and their hopes.

Fire disasters, especially in the garment sector, are on the rise in many countries of the Asia Pacific Region. The Bangladeshi government reports that 414 apparel workers died in fires between 2006 and 2009. In 2010, two large fires resulted in the deaths of 50 Bangladeshi workers. More than 300 workers were killed in devastating factory fires at a garment factory in Karachi and a shoe factory in Lahore, Pakistan on 11 September 2012. 

Together with the unions in the Asia Pacific region, IndustriALL Global Union will put pressure on governments to properly enforce national laws on health and safety issues in general and on fire safety in particular. IndustriALL Global Union demands that:

“There are many organizations and programs fighting for better working conditions in the textile, garment, shoes and leather industries worldwide today, but only strong regional trade unions in collaboration with IndustriALL Global Union will be able to stop the ruinous competition at the cost of fire and building safety and therefore at the cost of workers and their families. Together trade unions will have more power at multiple levels to put pressure on governments, employers and international brand owners,” said Monika Kemperle, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union.

IndustriALL launches monthly newsletter

The first edition of IndustriALL@Work was distributed on 20 November. As you will see, the monthly newsletter includes reports of some key meetings from the past month, a small selection of the important news, a slot for updates on IndustriALL’s STOP Precarious Work campaign, updates on gender issues, a comment from General Secretary Raina, and a space for any new research papers published during the month.

In this issue, General Secretary Raina outlines the importance of trade union networks and global framework agreements (GFAs) as tools for building power and solidarity in IndustriALL, in line with the Action Plan adopted by the founding congress in Copenhagen.

To underline these ambitious but crucial goals, we gathered 150 participants from all five continents to IndustriALL’s first major activity, a global conference on trade union networks and global framework agreements on 17-18 October 2012 in Frankfurt.

The report publicized in this first edition of the newsletter is the important “Triangular Trap” that takes aim at the massive expansion of agency work around the world and the negative effects on decent work and trade union rights.

To subscribe to receive IndustriALL@Work, enter your contact details in the sign-up form on the IndustriALL homepage.

IndustriALL@Work will be published in English, French and Spanish.