Workers at VW Chattanooga ready to vote in union election

This election marks the latest breakthrough in the national movement of non-union autoworkers organizing to join the UAW. The movement was inspired by the record contracts UAW members won during last year’s Stand-Up Strike against the Big Three auto companies.

In a press statement the UAW said that workers are voting yes to have better lives for themselves and their families, to have a voice in their schedules, benefits and pay. This will be a huge win for UAW who has been working hard, for over a decade, to unionize auto workers in the US South, which is probably one of the most anti-union regions in the world.

The UAW has on two occasions tried to organize at this plant, in 2014 and 2019, however they failed to unionize both times.  

IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie says:

“IndustriALL stands firmly with the UAW in this historic organizing campaign at this Volkswagen plant. We are fully aware of the importance of this election taking place at the only VW plant in the world left without union representation. We expect that Volkswagen will adhere to strict neutrality during the election. Equally important is that the state and local politicians refrain from interfering in the election.”

The National Labor Relations Board has scheduled the election and will oversee the secret-ballot vote at the VW Tennessee plant.

Photo: UAW website

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Indonesian women's committee gets safe houses

Indonesian minister of women empowerment and child protection, Gusti Ayu Bintang Darmawati, inaugurated the safe house at PT Evoluzione Tyre (Pirelli group) in West Java, on 19 March 2024.  

The company is unionized by IndustriALL Indonesian affiliate Chemical, Energy and Mines Workers Union (CEMWU).  Both parties signed a zero-tolerance policy on violence and harassment in 2021 as a commitment to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work. 

In the past three years, IndustriALL Indonesia council women committee relentlessly lobbied the ministry to implement the safe house policy in industrial zones and at workplace level.  

Ira Laila, chairperson of IndustriALL Indonesia council women’s committee, thanked the company management, the ministry, the local authority for their support and federation leaders for realizing the safe houses.

The safe house will ensure a secure environment for women workers to voice their issues relating to violence and harassment. It also provides training on violence and harassment at the factory level.  

“We hope that the safe house will create a safe and peaceful environment, so that the company continues to grow and workers benefit from it. This is only the first step. The women’s committee will push for the setting up of more safe houses across Indonesia.”

added Ira Laila. 

IndustriALL director of gender and non-manual workers, Armelle Seby, said:  

“The work of IndustriALL's women's committee in Indonesia is exemplary. After the negotiation of the zero-tolerance policy, which was adopted more than 82 factories, the creation of this space for women to denounce cases of violence and build capacity is a further step forward in the fight against violence against women, and in the application of C190, even if it has not yet been ratified by Indonesia. These actions by the unions will change the lives of thousands of women workers.” 

Trade unions march for debt cancellation in Africa

The march was part of the activities of the ITUC Africa’s 14th New Year School, which had over 200 participants from 31 countries. The demands in the petition, received by Brenda Tambatamba-Zambia’s minister of labour and social security, included calls upon African governments to implement debt management policies that are pro-worker, promote gender equality and are sustainable. The policies should also promote progressive domestic resource mobilization and gender responsive tax policies.

The participants included IndustriALL affiliates from several African countries and the IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa regional office and took place 19-22 March under the theme: advancing Africa’s transformation agenda – mobilizing for tangible trade union collective action.

The school composed of panels, plenary sessions, and commissions. Speakers were from the International Labour Organization’s Bureau for Workers Activities, academics, civil society organizations and trade union organizations.

The New Year School’s dialogue included strengthening inter-union cooperation and organizing, developing strategies against illicit financial flows, promoting social protection, optimizing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)  for African industrialization, local manufacturing, decent job creation, and skills development, campaigning for a Just Transition to renewable energy and green jobs, gender mainstreaming, and union leadership training on sovereign debts and debt cancellation. 

Other discussions were on Africa’s labour market landscape, organizing innovation and collaboration, and insecurity and coup d’etats in Africa as threats to human and workers’ rights and democratic governance.

At US$1.8 trillion, the sovereign debt constitutes close to 23 per cent of the continent’s combined Gross Domestic Product(GDP) and is unsustainable and disconnected from the African development priorities, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

ITUC Africa is part of the stop bleeding campaign to stop illicit financial flows – illicit capital flight, tax avoidance and evasion, trade misinvoicing, corruption, money laundering and other criminal activities. The campaign is being conducted in cooperation with civil society organizations.

According to UNCTAD, illicit financial flows are estimated to be over US$88 billion per annum and deprive African countries of much needed resources to end poverty and promote industrialization.

ITUC Africa and IndustriALL are in cooperation on the African Industrialization campaign and on union engagement with the AfCFTA.

Martha Molema, ITUC Africa president said:

“The burdensome weight of national debt, the deficiencies within the global financial architecture and the looming climate crisis are reasons why debt should be cancelled.” 

Rose Omamo, ITUC Africa deputy president and IndustriALL vice president said:  

“It is necessary for Africa’s debt to be cancelled to stop the bleeding of African economies. With its mineral resources, Africa should be the richest continent. However, with illicit financial flows, Africa is unable to use its mineral resources for development. This explains why trade unions are campaigning for debt cancellation and an end to illicit financial flows.”


 

Health and safety is our right

In a huge win for the world’s workers, in 2022, the International Labour Conference made health and safety a fundamental principle and right at work. That means that all ILO member states commit to respect and promote the fundamental right to a safe and healthy working environment, whether or not they have ratified the relevant ILO Conventions.

While fatal accidents have fallen, the fatal frequency rate — the number of fatalities per million hours worked, is not evenly distributed across sectors and regions, with mining, metals, ship building and ship breaking, textiles, electronics, chemicals, showing disproportionate impacts. Women workers face disproportionate risks of occupational health and safety exposure  due to their reproductive and productive role in society.

“As IndustriALL we support our unions in their quest to stem the tide of deaths in the world of work. We will continue to fight for a better tomorrow with a focus on risk assessments and a rights based human centred approach to occupational health and safety,”

says IndustriALL health and safety director Glen Mpufane.

IndustriALL Global Union is campaigning for and promoting a right- based approach to occupational health and safety that includes:

Australia’s major step towards closing the gender pay gap

The recently passed laws in the Senate mandate the expansion of PPL to 26 weeks by 2026, up from the current 20 weeks. This improvement is a part of the Albanese government's efforts to augment the scheme's accessibility, flexibility, and gender equity. 

 From July 2024, PPL will incrementally increase by two weeks each year, reaching a 26-week provision by 2026. The remarkable aspect of this extended period is that it will be shareable between parents, with a specific allocation of four weeks reserved exclusively for each parent, promoting a more equitable distribution of childcare responsibilities.

This reform is projected to benefit approximately 180,000 families annually, providing them with crucial financial support during the early months of parenthood. Trade unions in Australia have played an important role in the extension of PPL, from advocacy to public campaigns and research, to direct engagement with policymakers, highlighting the economic and social benefits of longer PPL. By forming broad coalitions and mobilizing public support, unions have effectively pushed for policies that support gender equality and benefit working families across the nation.

The trade union national centre ACTU President, Michele O’Neil praised the amendment:

“Increasing the length of time you get financial support and supporting the more equal sharing of caring responsibilities between men and women are long overdue improvements that showcase the Albanese Government's dedication to bridging the gender pay gap.”

She highlighted the detrimental "motherhood effect" on women's earnings, which sees a dramatic decline by 55 per cent in the first five years of parenthood. 

O’Neil underscored the positive correlation between enhanced PPL and women’s workforce participation, emphasizing the need for further improvements to extend the scheme to 52 weeks and to elevate the payment rate from the National Minimum Wage. This, she argues, is essential for a PPL scheme that truly serves the needs of women, families, and the broader economy.

Considering this pivotal development, IndustriALL's assistant general secretary Christina Olivier said:

"Australia's significant expansion of Paid Parental Leave (PPL) is not just a policy improvement; it's a social leap towards genuine gender equality. As we gear up for our Congress in Sydney, this reform presents an inspiring example of how trade union efforts and progressive policies can address longstanding inequalities in the workforce. It's an example of what we can achieve together in advancing the rights and welfare of working families across the globe."

OECD Steel Committee: workers warn of lack of just transition in the industry

At the OECD Steel Committee in Paris on 25-26 March, members of the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) said that this lack of vision will sideline the wellbeing and voices of steel workers in favour of short-term profit maximisation.

TUAC specifically raised issues with some steel companies refusing to sit at the table with union representatives, mentioning the specific case of Tata Steel in the UK, stressing the need for worker involvement from the start to the end of the transition process. Trade unions insist that companies invest in their sites and their workforce including site maintenance, and in turn, occupational health and safety  with reports of worsening of working conditions in steel industries across the globe.

The situation is exacerbated by multinational companies exploiting competition between states over decarbonisation aid. There is a growing concern that workers will bear the cost of essential investments for carbon emission reduction, through mass dismissals rather than upskilling and re-training, even in steel companies that are not under financial pressure.

TUAC partners argue that the current changes in the steel industry do not equal a just transition, instead fearing an unjust transition where only financial goals are pursued over environmental and social priorities. TUAC, IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll Europe urgently call for a re-evaluation of priorities within the steel industry, advocating for a balanced approach with workers at the table.

“This is a call to action for all stakeholders in the steel industry: the just transition is non-negotiable. It's time to replace corporate greed with a new vision that champions the rights, safety, and dignity of every worker,”

says Christina Olivier, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

Steel is one of the most exposed sectors to climate change and global excess capacity. It is only through collective action and shared responsibility that we can safeguard the interest of workers and contribute to global efforts to address climate change. We call on governments to make financial support to steel companies conditional on new investments in green technology, retention of workers and respect of social dialogue.

“While the OECD points to record global steel excess capacity, the risk of a slowdown in the global economy due to tightened monetary and fiscal policies makes the outlook for the steel industry and its workers even more difficult. We need governments to take decisive steps to support economic growth and to ensure that steelworkers are not left behind as the industry transitions to green technology,”

says Veronica Nilsson, TUAC general secretary.

The OECD Steel Committee followed industriAll Europe’s European Steel Action Day which saw steelworkers across Europe unite to demand urgent action to level the global playing field, ensure a successful green transition and for steel companies to respect their workers and the communities that they rely on.

“Our message is clear: all steel stakeholders need to up their efforts to tackle global overcapacity and climate change. Steel workers should not be abused in a race to the bottom on lowest cost production with no regard to the environment or international trading rules. We need action across the globe to ensure that steel is green, produced by workers with good working conditions and decent pay, while ensuring that trade is fair and respects international rules,’’

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

Photo credit: Shutterstock Photo ID: 211763482 PLANAR

Organise more young workers, say south Asia’s young trade unionists

The workshop in Pakistan was held on 6-7 March. Around 23 young unionists participated in the workshop, of which ten were women. The focus of the workshop was on organizing and building strong democratic unions. Participants identified various challenges confronting young workers that prevent them from joining a union or actively participating in union activities. These include employers’ negative approach to workers’ right to organize, fear of losing one’s job in an environment where unemployment is high, and an increase in informalisation of work.

In the workshop conducted in Bangladesh on 9-10 March, young trade unionists shared similar challenges. Participants discussed ways to overcome the above mentioned challenges and ensure successful organizing of young workers. Young leaders drew up an action plan to reach out to more young workers in various factories in the country. They also identified the need to have more young unionists in the leadership roles in the union so that young workers feel more connected and assured that their issues would not be ignored. Participants vowed to actively work towards increasing the union density in Bangladesh which is extremely low at present. 

Ashutosh Bhattacharya, IndustriALL’s south Asia regional secretary, says:

“There is a strong need for young workers to lead unions from the front. We are seeing an increasing informalisation of work in the region and more young workers, including young women, are being hired as contractual workers. Young workers will feel more connected to the union if they see their co-workers in leadership roles.”

On 13-14 March, a similar workshop was organized in India. Around 29 young leaders participated, of which eleven were young women. The first day focused on aspects that makes a union powerful, like a strong membership. Participants underscored the need for more young workers in union spaces, and they also discussed about ways to connect with more young workers. Participants discussed some of the significant developments of last year around three priority areas from IndustriALL’s youth resolution that young leaders had identified in 2022- end to gender-based violence, standard employment contract for all workers, and continuous and in-depth training in areas related to the world of work.

The young leaders also dwelled on the future course of action. They planned to profile youth membership, including young women, within their respective federations. They also decided to reconstitute the India national youth committee where all affiliates would be equally represented and will have an equal gender representation. The committee will be tasked with developing strategies and action plans on the three priority areas that the leaders identified in this meeting- (1) end to gender-based-violence, (2) equal jobs, equal pay and equal rights, (3) mentoring by senior leadership of respective unions.

Sarah Flores, IndustriALL’s youth and project officer, says:

“It is good to see that young unionists in south Asia are the young activists advocating for an inclusive and transformative union agenda and emphasising the importance of organizing young workers.”

Just Transition in Tunisia

Given Tunisia’s oil refineries and strategic position on the Mediterranean shores, the country plays a vital role in providing Europe with natural gas through the Trans-Mediterranean (Transmed) pipeline.

Tunisia has significant potential for renewable energy, particularly wind and solar power. However, the country is still heavily dependent on fossil gas for electricity generation and is currently facing an energy crisis.

Noureddine Taboubi, UGTT secretary-general argued that training and developing the knowledge of trade unionists is crucial since because it would enable them to present scientific alternatives. He stressed that unions should have an active role in the energy transition.”

Participants from the various sectors emphasized the fact that the transition is happening through the energy transition as well as adopting new technologies as this affecting their jobs and working conditions.

Water resources in Tunisia are scarce and irregular. Suffering a drought for four years running, water supplies have been cut off for seven hours per night since March 2023. As well as cutting off overnight water supplies, Tunisia’s agriculture ministry has banned the use of drinking water to wash cars, water green areas and clean streets and public places. Violators face a fine and imprisonment for a period of between six days to six months.  

Ahmed Kamel, IndustriALL regional secretary, said that climate developments are very serious and have implications on working conditions in the region.

“It is important to pay attention to the changes in the world of work that climate changes will impose. The world will continue to depend on new technologies, and it is necessary for trade unionists to well prepare and take a position on those changes.”

Said Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary:

“Unions must do their part to ensure a just transition that is not at the expense of the workers.  Workers and their unions must determine what changes the just transition will bring about and contribute to the ongoing debates in order to ensure that the transition is fair.”

Moroccan mining union established to fight for workers

The new union is the result of a cooperation programme between IndustriALL and UMT on strengthening and establishing sectoral union structures in the industrial sector. Two new sectoral unions in metals and textiles were established in 2022.

The congress elected 51 members to the administrative committee and 24 members to the national union bureau. Daoud Kalla was elected secretary general and Abdelrahman Barzama, Mohamed Aznak and Khalid Mtaqi deputy secretaries general.

The congress called on the government to establish an advanced national model for the mining sector that is inclusive and sustainable, socially and environmentally responsible, and respectful of trade union freedoms and the rights and gains of miners. Participants also called for a collective agreement for miners that guarantees their rights and gains and improves their financial, professional and social conditions.

In his opening speech, Miloudi Mokharik, secretary general of Union Marocaine du travail (UMT), emphasized the crucial role of the mining sector, which contributes more than ten percent to Morocco’s GDP.

He explained the role and sacrifices made by miners in relation to their conditions, and criticized the lack of real development in the social and environmental environment in the mining regions.

Ahmed Kamel, MENA regional secrertay, and  Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary, participated remotly in the opening session.

Said Atle Høie:

"We value the struggle of the mining leaders of UMT and stand firm in our solidarity with you. This is an essential step to strengthen union power in the sector, given the challenges ahead. I congratulate you and the leadership of the UMT on this achievement."