IndustriALL condemns murder of USO member in Colombia

Jhon Jarry Vargas Sarabia was killed on 9 May in the municipality of Tibú in the department of Norte de Santander, Colombia. He was a young mechanical engineer working for Masa & Stork, a maintenance contractor for Ecopetrol, and a member of USO. He had three children and was well-liked in his community and at work.

USO has said it does not know the motives for his murder. Said USO president, César Loza:

“The colleague murdered was a member of USO but was not a union representative. We do not know the motives for the murder, nor whether it was a politically-motivated crime or a common crime.”

This murder adds to the long list of social and trade union activists who have lost their lives to violence in Colombia. According to a report by the Human Rights and Conflict Observatory of the Colombian Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ), 64 human rights defenders, social leaders and peace agreement signatories have been killed in 2024.

On 12 May, the USO’s National Commission for Human Rights and Peace called for a mobilisation in Tibú to denounce the murder of Jhon Jarry Vargas Sarabia, and called on the whole community, the country, Ecopetrol, Masa & Stork and the social and political forces of Colombia to condemn the killing.

In a statement, the Commission said:

“Under no circumstances can we, the USO, the authorities or the people of Tibú, allow the crime against Jhon Jarry to open a crack through which a wave of violence could burst and break the unity for the recovery of our territory, the reconstruction of the social fabric and the transformations needed to ensure peace with social and environmental justice, which is what brings us together and unites us around a regional agenda and a shared horizon.”

Ecopetrol called for respect for human rights, especially the right to life and freedom of association, and reaffirmed its rejection of any behaviour that violates the law or national and international procedures and standards.

IndustriALL Global Union general secretary, Atle Høie, said:

“IndustriALL calls on the relevant authorities to lead the investigations and judicial actions required to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of this tragic crime. We deplore the murder of Jhon Jarry Vargas Sarabia and demand that the Colombian government provide every guarantee of security for his family, members of the union and the community in general.”

Campaign for a binding UN treaty

Together with the ITUC and other global unions, IndustriALL Global Union supports the ongoing development of a UN Binding Treaty to hold corporations accountable for human rights abuses.

In June 2014, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva adopted a resolution establishing an open-ended intergovernmental working group (IGWG) with a mandate to elaborate on an international legally binding instrument (LBI) on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights. The global unions and the ITUC have been directly involved in IGWG negotiations since 2016.

A decade into this process, it is now time to escalate the joint efforts to close a significant loophole in international human rights law and bring an end to corporate impunity in cases of human rights abuses. The global unions, together with the ITUC, are launching a public campaign in support of the treaty process to secure an international legal instrument that delivers for the millions of workers in global supply chains.

“These negotiations are crucial,”

says IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan.

IndustriALL’s action plan adopted by the 2021 Congress vows to

“continue to fight for binding legal instruments to protect people from human rights abuses by MNCs, including support for a Binding UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights that is supported by effective remedy systems.”

As part of the global union campaign for a binding treaty, please join a virtual information session on 30 May from 13:00 a 17:00 CET, details below. Interpretation will be provided in English, French and Spanish.
 

Argentinian unions bring country to a standstill in defence of labour rights

Argentina’s trade union confederations called for a day of protest with a work stoppage to fight against:

According to the trade union confederations the general strike was observed throughout the country, reporting an “almost total participation in industry, levels that exceeded 90 per cent in commerce and almost 100 per cent in the public sector. Transport, both air and land, also saw a high rate of participation, and in some provinces, rural sectors joined the mobilisation.”

The unions said that the success of the action reflected the level of commitment and the trade union and class consciousness among Argentina’s workers. They also highlighted the unity of action between the three trade union centres, a determining factor in the massive support for the work stoppage.

The strike should be a wake-up call for the Milei government to change its adjustment policies and stop rolling back rights. The strike was also a message to the senators, on whose votes the rejection of the government’s “Foundations and Starting Points Law” depends. Failing that, the unions said they would continue their plan to fight it.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL vice president Lucineide Varjão, IndustriALL Latin America and Caribbean regional secretary Marino Vani, and regional executive committee members met with IndustriALL affiliates in Argentina on 7 May. During the meeting, they approved an action plan to confront the Milei government’s attacks on workers.

IndustriALL’s regional executive committee met on 8 May and approved the action plan. In a statement, the committee rejected the reforms to promote deindustrialization, to deregulate the economy, to reduce the size of the state and its levels of intervention, and to repeal hundreds of laws that affect both individual and collective labor rights.

IndustriALL’s regional secretary, Marino Vani, said:

“The workers of Argentina are again setting an example of resistance and struggle. They have made it clear to the employers and the government that they do not accept and do not agree with the measures and policies being adopted.

We congratulate the workers and the union leadership for their resistance and their message, which was not only in defence of the people of Argentina but of all workers in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Créditos de la foto de portada: CGT

Organizing a top priority for Malaysian unions

The draft memorandum, taking inspiration from Philippine affiliates, proposes that affiliates should stay away from organized establishments where an incumbent union is a co-affiliate, and put a dispute settlement mechanism in place in the event of conflicts.

“Most of the affiliates in Malaysia have agreed in principle and are ready to sign the memorandum in the next meeting after further deliberation of union leadership. Trade unions should focus on the 94 percent of workers that are not organized, rather than raiding establishments that already have unions,”

said Gopal Kishnam Nadesan, IndustriALL Malaysia Council secretary, at the IndustriALL Malaysia unity meeting on 2-3 May in Kuala Lumpur. 30 participants from six affiliates participated in the meeting.
 
Participants highlighted occupational safety and health issues in respective sectors. Electrical and electronics workers concerned about the use of unknown chemicals in factories, some of them suffered slip disc because as operators they are required standing long time at work.
 
Workers in paper and rubber industries said employers must engage trade unions in regular social dialogues to prevent industrial accidents. Trade unions must be actively participating in the safety and health committee required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.
 
Sharing the key features of ILO Convention 155 and 187 via Teams, IndustriALL director of mining and DGOJP, Glen Mpufane said monitoring safety and health issues and documenting evidence are part of a trade unionist’s job. He stressed that it is part of the unions’ struggle to create a decent working condition.

“It is of paramount importance to discuss safety and health issues in conjunction with the International Workers Memorial Day. IndustriALL’s regional office will work closely with Malaysian affiliates to campaign for a safer working environment and the ratification of ILO Convention 155,”

said Ramon Certeza, IndustriALL South East Asia regional secretary.

Bangladeshi affiliates stand united in the fight for workers’ rights


 
Trade unionists discussed various laws and guidelines on human rights due diligence, like the German Act, the EU and the OECD guidelines. Union leaders devised strategies on how to use the laws and guidelines to safeguard workers’ rights along the supply chain. Building union capacity to use the laws is crucial; unions plan to identify and track risks as well as map whether companies have grievance redressal mechanisms for workers or not.

The workshop focused the European Union Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which has five main pillars, freedom of association and collective bargaining, no forced labour, no child labour, occupational health and safety, and equal opportunity at the workplace.

Said Kemal Ozkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary, said:

“Trade unions in Europe have fought hard for the EU law on due and now it is time for us to build our capacitiy and to work shoulder to shoulder to fight the informalization of the workforce in the global supply chain.”

The workshop on human rights due diligence was preceded by a meeting of IndustriALL’s affiliates in Bangladesh on 27 April. In the meeting, union leaders delineated action priorities for 2024, which include joint campaign for the implementation of ILO Roadmap.
 
Affiliates in the shipbreaking industry shared their continued focus on the implementation of the Hong Kong Convention to ensure workplace safety, as well as adherence to environmental regulations. Affiliates in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry emphasised that as the industry is growing, there are also increasing attacks on workers’ rights, particularly their right to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
 
Affiliates in the readymade garment sector highlighted the need for unions’ effective participation in various committees such as RSC and ACT, to ensure that workers’ issues are timely resolved. Meeting participants decided to reconstitute the women and youth committees of the IndustriALL Bangladesh Council. Union leaders also decided to constitute a sub-committee to draft the country-level strategic plan for 2025 in-line with IndustriALL’s action plan.
 
Shahidul Badal, general secretary of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council, said:

“Trade unions must put up a united fight in the face of growing economic uncertainties adversely impacting working people. Last year, we saw during the minimum wage struggle, several of our union members were attacked and some even brutally killed. When it comes to fighting against those in power, our unity is our biggest strength.”

IndustriALL’s south Asia regional secretary, Ashutosh Bhattacharya, shared upcoming actions and meetings and said:

“We look forward to our affiliates in Bangladesh working towards unity, gender, and youth responsive structures, paving the path to building inclusive union frameworks."

Italy: union win for Enel workers

In March workers from Enel went on strike opposing the changes of working hours arrangements, outsourcing of operations on the electricity grid and the refusal to renew an agreement on remote work which will affect Enel’s 30,000 employees.  A huge support for the strikes and a negotiation, which was attended by over 300 delegates from every area of Enel, led to the agreement.

After strong worker mobilization, operations will not be outsourced, and operational centers will be strengthened. An application for half-shift will be suspended and a joint commission will be set up to share the best solutions which will be tested no earlier than October this year, 2,000 new hires will be made where at least 1,600 will be additional hires (1100 by June 2025 and 500 by June 2026).

Regarding corporate welfare, the financing agreement will be stipulated with the aim of increasing and improving service to members. 

Going forward regarding smartworking the trade unions have included in the text of the agreement a declaration confirming that they want to start negotiations with Enel to define a new agreement which takes into account the company's and workers’ needs.

In a statement the unions said that they believe they have achieved great results and have laid solid foundations to resume mutual paths between workers and the company and will revoke all strike actions and give reports to workers on the agreement in the coming weeks.

IndustriALL director for energy, Diana Junquera Curiel, says:

“We congratulate our Italian affiliates on this result. With strike action over and an agreement in place, workers can now focus on moving forward and enjoying the fruits of their struggle. In February this year IndustriALL, jointly with PSI, wrote a letter to Enel condemning their actions and called on them to act responsibly. Their actions were in violation of the Global Framework Agreement (GFA) and the European Works Council Agreement by making decisions regarding the working conditions of Enel workers without their participation in decision making. We are pleased that they have behaved accordingly and found an agreement.” 

Photo: Shutterstock 

Liberian union signs collective agreement

The CBA will benefit about 700 workers out of a workforce of over 1200. According to UWUL some of the gains from the collective bargaining agreement, which will cover the period from January 2024 to December 2026, include a 10 per cent increase that will be paid to the lowest paid workers whose average wages are US$250 per month. There will also be a US$50 payment for all workers in the second and third shifts, educational assistance for three dependants of US$110, standby allowances, relocation allowances, and electricity benefits.

The CBA also awards Independence Day bonuses which are paid on 26 July, when the West African country attained independence from the United States of America in 1847, and annual bonuses. For the first time, the union also negotiated for a five-day paid paternity leave.

An article in the CBA also includes provisions on workplace policies that are derived from International Labour Organization Convention 190 on ending gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work. This is the fifth CBA to be signed by UWUL with the Liberia Electricity Corporation. About 33 per cent of the workforce is made up of women.

Vacus Wilmont Kun, director of education and training said: 

“The workers are pleased with the outcome of the negotiations especially the increase in benefits because these have monetary values. For example, the electricity benefits will give workers electricity coupons for six months during the rainy season and this contributes significantly to living wages.”

He further explained that the CBAs have made incremental gains over the years, and this has improved workers livelihoods and that during the rainy season the country’s hydroelectric power generating capacity was at the peak and workers would benefit from this energy generation.

“With the increasing cost of living, we always celebrate when unions negotiate wage deals that are above inflation and increase benefits as this eases the financial pressure on workers and their families. IndustriALL applauds UWUL for continuing the campaign for living wages in the energy sector in Liberia,”

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

Will Africa’s transition minerals create green jobs?

Experts say that with increasing demand for the critical minerals, there is potential for this demand to spur economic growth and development in SSA. This will be an opportunity for the countries, which are currently facing high levels of poverty, unemployment, and inequality to develop?

The critical minerals include copper, cobalt, lithium, manganese, nickel, platinum group metals, and rare earth elements, and are in high demand for use in the manufacturing of products that are required in the energy transition from electric car vehicles to solar panels and other components.

Researchers Thomas MacNamara and Siziba with support from La Trobe University and the IndustriALL regional office for SSA, went out to find some answers on how unions can influence debates and policy engagement on the Just Transition and on the job creation potential of the transition minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The four countries are major producers of the transition minerals with the DRC producing as much as 70 per cent of global cobalt while Zimbabwe has huge resources of lithium.

The researchers of the baseline report entitled Influencing a Just Transition in the mining sector in Sub-Saharan Africa say the green jobs must be assessed on quality, sustainability and appropriateness.

They argue further that, “Almost all sustainability advocates argue that the transition away from fossil fuels will generate more employment than unemployment. However, investigating their claims more thoroughly encourages that the jobs are quality (well-paid, unionized, and safe), sustainable (long-term employment) and appropriate (in areas where mining jobs are being lost and/or requiring similar qualifications).”

The researchers estimate that most of the jobs will be in the construction phase for instance during the installation of solar panels. They cite a Price Waterhouse Cooper (2021) study, in South Africa, which estimated that while 800 000 jobs were created in the construction phase only 21 000 jobs were retained in the operation and maintenance phase. In Zimbabwe, about 7,000 jobs will be created on lithium mines but more jobs can be created through beneficiation of lithium instead of exporting raw lithium to China.

In the informal mining economy in the DRC, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, especially in artisanal and small-scale mining(ASM) millions of jobs can be created. In the DRC alone, the ASM economy has over two million workers but without formalization ASM activities fall short of the decent work agenda.

The research report, which analyses the diverse definitions of what is meant by a Just Transition, and the complexities of COP processes, gives examples of different models and best practices of the Just Transition in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Canada, India and Indonesia, Italy and other countries from which lessons can be drawn for Sub- Saharan Africa.

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining said:  

“This research report shows that trade unions should be cautiously optimistic about green jobs and continue to demand decent working conditions in the critical minerals sector. Mineworkers’ unions have consistently fought for better working conditions and living wages and should maintain their vigilance in defending workers’ rights and interests.” 

Influencing a Just Transition in the mining sector in Sub-Saharan Africa is published on this link and complements other IndustriALL publications that include A Trade Union Guide of Practice for a Just Transition.


 

Union organizing under attack

The right to organize is a fundamental right which states that employees have a right to work collectively on  issues of common interest, like wages and working conditions. Union discrimination is rife in the southern states of the US, even at companies that normally engage in collective bargaining and social dialogue in the rest of the world.

It took three votes over ten years for workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to succeed in getting a majority vote for a union. Until then, it was the only Volkswagen plant in the world without union representation. One reason why the workers finally won the election with an overwhelming majority was because this time the employer adopted a nearly neutral position and did not engage in union busting.

Next week, workers at the Mercedes Benz plant in Alabama will vote on joining IndustriALL affiliate UAW. It is a vote that is surrounded by attacks on the union, disinformation and intimidation from the employer, trying to scare the workers into voting no to join the union.

While union organizers don’t have access to the workplace ahead of the vote, the employer is going in all guns blazing, hiring expensive and skilled union busters with the sole aim of scaring people into voting no to the union. Workers are required to attend mandatory meetings with managers, directly encouraging them to vote no. This is accompanied by a website, radio commercials and banners on the Mercedes Benz property. 

Workers are bombarded with lies about the union, portraying the UAW as corrupt, having a secret agenda to move jobs from the US to Mexico, arguing that union strikes and benefits often result in permanent layoffs, implying that a vote for union equals a shutting down of the Mercedes Benz plant and people will be out of much needed jobs.

Workers are urged to “think about the consequences” of saying yes to a union. On its website, MBUSI workers’ information committee claims to “educate employees about the radical and self-serving agenda of the UAW”. The message projected is clear: we are one big family for now, but with a vote for the UAW, we won’t be.

And in a blatant show of disrespect for fundamental workers’ rights, governors from Alabama and neighbouring states voiced strong opposition in a public statement, with unfounded arguments that unions could jeopardize job creation and economic growth in the region. 

Says Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary:

“The company wants workers to trust them as their family. The fact is that what they want is to keep as much as possible of the values workers create and distribute it to shareholders and management paychecks. The only family that will fight for workers’ paycheck and working conditions is the union.”

IndustriALL and allies raise red flags to investors ahead of Glencore AGM

Taking the floor were climate experts, trade union and civil society representatives and investors themselves, who discussed concerns arising from how Glencore manages its operations. These included allegations of poor working conditions, refusal to enter into social dialogue with unions, irresponsible exit from mining assets, environmental contamination of local communities and opaque and misleading climate reporting.

As speakers’ accounts made clear, serious gaps exist between what the company says publicly and what happens on the ground. The audience learned that problems are not limited to one or two operations but show patterns of poor management across the company. Another thread emerging from the discussion was the risk associated with the company’s approach to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues: financial, operational, and reputational risks as well as the risk of lawsuits. This raises major questions about governance and oversight and whether the board of directors is competent to manage these challenges.

“We want open and transparent dialogue with Glencore on the closure of mines and on a just transition, which the company refuses to do.”

Claudia Blanco, SINTRACARBON

“You speak, and tomorrow you’re no longer an employee because you’ve been dismissed. This is what the union wants to resolve with the company.”

NUMSA

“How many more studies are needed to accept that the contamination comes from the mine? Glencore must act responsibly, stop denying, stop polluting and remedy the affected people.”

Paul Maquet, CooperAcción (Peru)

Investor speakers urged Glencore shareholders to engage with affected stakeholders such as trade unions and NGOs as part of their own due diligence, and to challenge board directors to do the same. Shareholders were also encouraged to vote against directors to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the company and to collaborate with other investors to increase their leverage.

Says IndustriALL mining director Glen Mpufane:

“The ultimate aim of IndustriALL and its allies is to make Glencore improve its practices and reduce human rights violations and environmental harm associated with its operations. The company’s poor performance in these areas and its repeated failure to respond to its many stakeholders raise red flags that cannot be ignored.”