Union busting at Turkish auto glass company

After successfully organizing enough workers to reach the legally required majority within the workplace, the workers joined IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, Kristal-İş. Subsequently, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security granted an official certificate verifying that Kristal-İş holds the legal majority in the enterprise, thereby recognizing them as a legitimate party for collective bargaining.

Rather than initiating dialogue with the union, Olimpia Glass management took an aggressive stance against union members, subjecting them to punitive measures—including intimidation, threats, and dismissals—for their affiliation with Kristal-İş. This conduct breaches Turkish labor law, along with fundamental international labor standards, including ILO Convention 87.

In reaction, Kristal-İş appealed to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, urging them to intervene and halt the unlawful actions and exploitation of workers at Olimpia Auto Glass. The union voiced this call to action in its statement:

"By completing the membership procedures in 2024, we reached the majority required by the Law. This is the proof that the Olimpia workers now have an authorized union. In the continuation of this determination, we, with 60 years of experience, believed that we would carry out this process in democratic maturity. However, what happened in the factories shortly after our application caused serious damage to this belief. In the past 1 week, the employer and employers' representatives put systematic pressure on the workers and took action to discourage the workers from union membership”.

Kristal-İş continues to picketing in front of the plants of Olimpia Auto Glass with a solidarity appeal:

“We convey our call for solidarity to sister unions, confederations, international labor unions and federations. Stand in solidarity with Kristal-İş against the lawlessness created at Olimpia Auto Cam. Let's protect the Olympia workers, workers' rights and freedoms with all our organized power”.

IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan calls the situation unacceptable and urges Olimpia Auto Glass to stop the intimidation, reinstate the dismissed union members and enter into dialogue with Kristal-İş.

“We are appalled by this aggressive behaviour; punishing workers for joining a union. Olimpia Auto Glass must take immediate corrective measures, and that, as a result, it will not be necessary for IndustriALL to take further action, particularly with the main customers of Olimpia in automotive, equipment and machinery sectors to conduct due diligence in the company’s operations. We will continue to campaign until justice is served.”

Olimpia manufactures original parts for the automotive industry, as well as equivalent parts for the replacement market with commercial relations with the world’s leading brands in more than 40 countries, throughout 5 continents.

IndustriALL joins forces with the Global Coalition for Social Justice

The Global Coalition for Social Justice is an initiative, uniting diverse stakeholders in the battle against social injustice and for the acceleration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. By bringing together governments, employers' and workers' organizations, financial institutions, and academia, the coalition aims to promote global solidarity, policy coherence, and concerted action to tackle the challenges of social justice deficits.

Atle Høie, general secretary of IndustriALL, expressed enthusiasm about the union's involvement, stating,

"Joining the Global Coalition for Social Justice is a natural extension of IndustriALL's mission to advocate for workers' rights and social justice worldwide. This initiative offers a powerful platform for us to collaborate with other organizations in addressing the urgent social and economic challenges facing our global community."

The creation of the coalition comes at a critical time when overlapping crises and structural economic transformations pose significant obstacles to achieving social justice and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Social justice is essential for reducing poverty, inequality, and social tensions, thereby contributing to shared prosperity and sustainable socio-economic development.

The initiative was developed under the leadership of ILO Director-General Houngbo and has received widespread support from global leaders, including the UN Secretary-General. It aims to leverage the strengths of its members to address social justice challenges effectively and coherently.

Membership in the Global Coalition for Social Justice is voluntary, aiming to reflect a commitment among partners to contribute to advancing social justice and the SDGs on a global, regional, and national level. Through this platform, members are encouraged to develop and share initiatives that significantly advance social justice, drawing on their unique capacities and priorities.

The coalition not only provides a space for partners to join forces in shaping individual and collective actions but also serves as a conduit for global advocacy. By promoting social justice in international, regional, and national debates, the coalition aims to generate increased political commitments and foster concrete actions in support of national priorities.

As a member of the coalition, IndustriALL wants to ensure that the voice of workers is heard:

“Our involvement in the Global Coalition for Social Justice represents a vital opportunity to amplify our efforts in promoting fair labour practices and decent work around the world,"

This partnership has the potential to be transformative and a significant step forward for social justice.”

Høie added.

India: factory fire kills eleven people

The fire was caused by a blast at Om Sons Paint and Chemicals, an illegal paints manufacturing factory. Inflammable materials caused the fire to intensify and spread to houses and shops within a 15 meter radius. The factory was located in a densely populated residential area with a drug rehabilitation centre and around five people at the centre were injured.

According to media reports, the building had a tin roof and only one entry and exit gate that was locked from inside at the time of the fire. Rehabilitation centre staff informed media that the centre had made several complaints regarding the factory storing inflammable chemicals, but the complaints were not investigated.

There is no information available on how many workers were employed at the factory and who the factory was supplying to. These type of establishments also do not have a workers’ union.

In an official statement the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, acknowledged that the factory was operating illegally and police are currently investigating the matter. Media reports indicate that police will now conduct audits of other factories operating in the area.

Delhi chief minister announced that INR1,000,000 (US$10,609) compensation for the families of the deceased workers, INR 200,000 (US$2,122) for those who sustained serious injuries, and INR20,000 (US$212) for those with minor injuries.

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary, says:

“This horrific incident brings the importance of inspection to the fore, and reiterates that the government must take industrial safety seriously.”

A similar fire incident occurred in May 2022, in a router manufacturing unit in Delhi, that killed 27 people. The building lacked clearance from the fire department and was not equipped with fire safety equipment like extinguishers.

Photo: Shutterstock

India: workers’ strike ahead of upcoming general elections

The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions in India, along with sectoral and independent federations, and farmers’ organisations called for a countrywide strike today to intensify the fight against the anti-labour and anti-people policies of the ruling party. Trade union organisations have been continuously campaigning to assert the rights of working people, which are under severe attack in the current regime.

Trade unions in India wrote to the ILO Governing Body in June last year to draw the organization’s attention to the anti-worker provisions in the country's four newly promulgated labour laws which only suit the requirements of corporate groups. The ruling party has also undermined the tripartite structure by not hosting a labour conference since the current government came to power. Government’s decision to not include independent unions from participating in the G20. Designating right-wing union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh as the chair of the L20 meetings is another indication of the suppression of pro-workers’ voices in the country.

Sanjay Vadhavkar, general secretary of Steel, Metal and Engineering workers’ Federation of India, an IndustriALL affiliate, says:

“The current government has failed to fulfil the promises it made ahead of the last elections. The government’s anti-labour policies have damaged decent work, causing immense distress to millions of workers in the country. We are campaigning to save our constitution and fundamental labour rights from the present onslaught of the government and will support the party which promises us that they will honour their commitments to protect present labour laws and the constitution.”

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL’s assistant general secretary, says:

“IndustriALL Global Union stands in solidarity with the Indian trade union movement in its struggle to defend workers’ rights and protect and strengthen democratic institutions and practices. We condemn the Indian government’s constant attacks to undermine the tripartite structure in the country.”

In addition, trade unions are also advocating for their longstanding demands for scrapping fixed-term employment, ending the use of contracts, and making guaranteed employment a fundamental right.

Philippine unions call for thorough investigation of deadly landslide

In the evening of 6 February, a landslide hit a vehicle terminal fetching miners from Masara village to the Maco gold mine, located 500 meters away. The landslide followed two weeks of heavy monsoon rain in the mountain area.

Apex Mining, who operates the mine, claim that the landslide happened outside the mine operations area. According to a press release, the company says that 62 of its mining employees are safe and that they are trying to locate another 45 employees.

“The deaths and injuries are work-related considering that some workers were about to go home when the landslide happened, affecting those involved in the 24-hour operation of the mining site. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) must investigate to prevent future occurrences.
“The government must ensure that mining companies strictly adhere to occupational health and safety standards as the Philippines has ratified ILO Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines,”

says Joel Balaus, chairperson of FFW-Trade Federation 4.

“The recent landslide tragedy underscores the devastating consequences of large-scale open-pit mining to people and environment. It highlights the urgent need for accountability from both the government and Apex Mining, for their failure to ensure the safety and well-being of miners and local communities. MWAP stands in solidarity with environmental defenders in opposing large-scale mining, protecting the environment, and upholding the rights of peasants, workers, and the people.”

Said Julius Carandang, general secretary of Metalworkers Alliance of the Philippines (MWAP).

“From the bottom of our hearts, our condolences to the bereaved of our fellow miners in Davao de Oro. We feel the pain. May we continue to be strong. Associated Labour Union (ALU-TUCP) locals will conduct an aid drive to the affected mining community this month.”

Said Sofronio "Ka Undo" Mataro, regional vice president of ALU Southern Mindanao regional office in coordination with the local affiliates in Southern Mindanao.

“IndustriALL Global Union stands in solidarity with the miners and families affected by the tragic landslide. It was stated by the Mines and Geoscience Board (MGB) that the site had been declared a danger zone. Apex Mining should be responsible for ensuring the safety of the mine workers and the people in the community as they continue to operate in this area.”

Said Ramon Certeza, IndustriALL regional secretary for South East Asia.

In 2023, publicly listed Apex Mining produced 24,664 ounces of gold at the Maco mine site.

Photo: Cassidy K. / ILO

Turkish miners missing after landslide

The landslide happened on 13 February at an open pit gold mine owned by Anagold Mining Company, a joint-venture corporation of SSR Mining and Lidya Madencilik. Rescue operations to find the missing miners are under way, made more complicated by the levels of highly toxic cyanide in the ground. Cyanide is used to extract gold from ore.

According to Turkish media four senior mine officials have been detained as part of the investigation. The mine has come under criticism from civil society for some time over its use of cyanide and its potential impact on the environment and human life. There are fears that cyanide used in the mine may leak into the Euphrates river, an important source of water that extends beyond Turkey.

Says IndustriALL Global Union assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan:

“This is not an accident, but a homicide. This is not a coincidence, but a clear preference.
"The mining industry must be safe, secure and sustainable. This homicide is yet another example of how mineworkers around the world are exposed to very high risks. There have been too many fatalities in Turkish mines over the years but no lessons learned. This has to end; being killed at work is not the destiny of miners. People must be the priority, not profits.”

IndustriALL Global Union calls on Anagold Mining and the Turkish authorities, to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation of what happened in the mine, after the rescue efforts are concluded.

Turkey has a poor record on mine safety. In October 2022, an explosion in a coal mine in Amasra killed 41 miners, and in 2014 more than 300 people were killed in the country’s worst mining disaster in Soma.

Photo credit: Sendika.Org

Garment workers in Sri Lanka attacked by employer

Union members had called a meeting to discuss management’s notice that workers who had received warning letters during the year would not be given a wage increase and that workers who had received two warning letters would not be entitled to a bonus. The union is affiliated to IndustriALL through Free Trade Zone and General Services Employees Union (FTZ&GSEU).

Responding to management’s act of repression, workers who attended the meeting on 9 February decided to go on a strike. Refusing to accept the strike notice, management tried to force workers to resign from the union.

When workers arrived at the factory in the morning on 10 February, management physically assaulted some of them, including the branch union office bearers, severely injuring one woman worker, while forcefully taking them inside the factory to make them sign resignation letters. Union members were forced to file a police complaint.

Anton Marcus, joint secretary of FTZ&GSEU, says:

“The actions of Sumithra management clearly violate workers’ fundamental rights guaranteed in the country’s constitution, as well as ILO Conventions on freedom of association and the right to organise and bargain collectively. We are willing to continue negotiations with the company provided that management stops all acts of violence and repression against our members.”

Says IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie:

“It is completely unacceptable to use violence against workers who are merely exercising their fundamental rights. IndustriALL Global Union is calling on Sumithra Group to immediately address the acts of violence and negotiate with the union in good faith.”

Sumithra Group has a history of violating workers’ rights. In September 2020, management stopped providing basic rights to workers, including providing meals and transportation, under the excuse of Covid-19. In addition, management had forced union members to resign from their membership.

Cost-of-living crisis hurdle for organizing in Ethiopia

The crisis is a result of many factors which include the impact of the civil war in Tigray which displaced millions and killed thousands. Some factories were destroyed whilst others were closed, and thousands of workers were retrenched when economic activities came to a standstill. The US government then suspended the African Growth and Opportunity Act benefits for Ethiopia citing human rights violations during the war and this led to more factory closures with several investors leaving the country.

The unions said basic average minimum wages are as low as 900 Ethiopian Birr (US$16) across sectors while inflation is increasing sharply. Inflation is currently at 28.7 per cent according to the country's central bank, the National Bank of Ethiopia. In the absence of national minimum wages, the country’s low wage economy is making it difficult for workers to afford food and other basics.

The unions stressed that renewed efforts in support of the introduction of national minimum wages could be part of the solutions to address the crisis. For example, the ILO Country Office for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan organized a study tour to learn more about productivity and minimum wages in Vietnam. The study tour in November 2023 was undertaken by an Ethiopian tripartite plus delegation which learnt more about the national minimum wage setting mechanisms in Vietnam and how similar processes can be implemented in Ethiopia.

The unions expressed concern over the late payment of wages, with some workers not being paid for over six months. The crisis also led to workers not paying union dues thus depriving unions of income.

As part of a fact-finding mission to understand the realities on the ground, the unions are planning to visit the Tigray and Amhara regions to meet their members, and to assess how organizing can be revived.

Despite the cost-of-living-crisis, the unions continued their recruitment and organizing drives with support from government agencies and stakeholders that included the ILO. There are also plans to strengthen collective bargaining strategies with employers, improve industrial relations, campaign for gender equality, as well as engage in social dialogue.

The unions are also optimistic.

“We hope that the social and economic situation will improve in the future; and that unions will be able to organize without fears of conflict and insecurity,”

said Alemayehu Debele, president of the Federation of Commerce, Technique and Printing Industry Trade Unions.

“Capacity development for shop stewards remains our main focus,”

added Mengesha Dessie, president of the National Industrial Federation of Energy, Chemical, Petroleum and Mine Trade Union.

Angesom Gebre Yohannes, president of the Industrial Federation of Textile, Leather and Garment Workers Trade Unions said:

“We are engaging employers on saving jobs that still exist in the industrial parks to curb further job losses.”

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa emphasized:

“We will continue to provide support to Ethiopian unions in their organizing and living wage campaigns even in these distressful times.”

Gaza’s journalists face hunger as well as bombing

The first in this series is from Tim Dawson, deputy general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists. He urges all to support the IFJ's Safety Fund.

The horrific death toll among Gaza’s journalists has become a familiar headline. Ten per cent of the enclave’s media workers have been killed since 7 October – a mortality rate significantly in excess of combat soldiers in most wars.

Less well-known are the privations of those of Gaza’s journalists who continue to work, and – since the exclusion of international reporters from the enclave – are the only source of news from Gaza.

“All the journalists have changed where they spend the night at least five times since the start of the war,”

says Nasser Abu Baker, president of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS) and Vice-President of the International Federation of Journalists.

“Most are living under canvas, and shifting from tent to tent as the conflict has engulfed ever more of Gaza. Others sleep in school buildings, with thousands of other displaced people.”

Conditions are grim. Baker describes one school, designed for 500 pupils, in which 30,000 people are living. Pressure on the 30 bathrooms can only be imagined.

Food is in such short supply that PJS now funds supplies of flour to its members, supported with donations from journalists and their unions all over the world.

“In the past weeks we have supplied 7,000 basic food packages,”

says Abu Baker.

“As well as the 1,300 journalists, we are also supporting their families – around 6,000 people in total.”

PJS hopes to provide tents, sleeping provisions, and warm clothes. Severe restrictions on the movement of goods into Gaza make this difficult, but the union is working with UNESCO to try and find a way.

With food, water and fuel in short supply, working conditions for journalists are extremely tough. Tahseen Al-Astall, PJS’ vice president, is based in Gaza.

“Every day we are walking, walking, walking, carrying our equipment on our shoulders,”

he says.

“There is a story in every inch of Gaza and we journalists are determined to tell them all.”

Frequent internet outages – often coinciding with moments of the most ferocious fighting – also make ordinary communications impossible, and hold up the dissemination of news.

The extreme privations faced by its members is only one of the PJS’ challenges. The union has around 2,300 members (approximately 80 per cent of Palestine’s journalists); 1000 of whom attended its most recent congress in May 2022. Its politically plural board includes men and women and those of Muslim and Christian heritage. Headquartered in Ramallah, in the West Bank, the union’s staff also face significant issues undertaking their work.

“Moving outside Ramallah is almost impossible,”

says Rania Khayyat, PJS’ International relations officer.

“Roadblocks are everywhere, and the Israeli army and settlers attack us. Journeys of 10 kilometres can take hours.”

Since October, PJS has logged more than 200 attacks on journalists in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Practical difficulties aside, the mounting death toll casts a heavy shadow over all Palestinian media workers, whose widely-held belief that this is that they are deliberately targeted.

“The IDF phone up journalists in Gaza and tell them that they and their families will be targeted, and then the attacks come – purposefully aimed rockets and missiles deliberately intended to kill us,”

says Al Astall. With a mortality rate among journalists running at around three times that of health workers in Gaza, there is certainly a case to answer.

The International Criminal Court has already committed to investigate the targeting of journalists in Gaza. The initial order by the International Court of Justice in January that Israel must comply with the terms of the Genocide Convention will increase hopes in Gaza that international law might yet serve their interests. The IFJ will support legal action against Israeli politicians and military leaders if they fail to comply with the ICJ’s determination.

The response to the crisis from journalists’ unions worldwide has been impressive. Few are wealthy by the standards of large general unions, but donations have come from all over the world. Individual journalists have also responded to the appeal. With the resulting funds, the IFJ has provided first-aid kits, power banks, food and warm clothes and women hygiene kits, among other things.

How high the death toll will climb, and what conditions Palestine’s journalists will face when the fighting stops, are for the future. For now, international solidarity means they have better access to the basic necessaries of life – and the assurance that their work is appreciated by their professional colleagues the world over.

You can donate to the IFJ's Safety Fund.

Tim Dawson is deputy general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists.

Al Jazeera's bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Al-Dahdouh prays during the funeral of his son Hamza Wael Dahdouh, a journalist with the Al Jazeera television network, who was killed in a reported Israeli air strike in Rafah in the Gaza Strip on January 7, 2024. Credit: AFP.

Photo credit: Al Jazeera's bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Al-Dahdouh prays during the funeral of his son Hamza Wael Dahdouh, a journalist with the Al Jazeera television network, who was killed in a reported Israeli air strike in Rafah in the Gaza Strip on January 7, 2024. Credit: AFP.

Indian garment workers protest delay in wage increase

Under the Minimum Wages Act state governments in India are required to increase the minimum wage every five years. However, for garment workers in Tamil Nadu this hasn’t been the case. The last time the Tamil Nadu state revised the minimum wage was in 2014, a decade late. The increase was never implemented because more than 500 manufacturers took the matter to court, claiming that it would be practically impossible to pay the new wage.

Garment workers in Tamil Nadu currently earn in the range of INR9875 (US$119), for the lowest category to INR10514 (US$127), for the highest category. With the implementation of the new minimum wage, the monthly wage will range between INR15211 (US$183), for the lowest category, and INR16379 (US$197) for the highest category.

In 2016, the court ruled in favour of workers and upheld the wage notification. The court ordered manufacturers to pay the revised wage immediately along with inflation linked allowance and back wages from December 2014. The new wage was yet again not implemented because manufacturers filed several suits at the Supreme Court.

In November last year, when the filed petition was heard, the Supreme Court observed the state government’s inaction to revise the wages of garment industry workers, for the last nine years. The court directed the state to take corrective measures immediately.

On 6 February when the case was brought back to the Supreme Court, through a special application by GAFWU, union members present noted that the judge was appalled to see that the revised wage notification had not yet been issued by the state.

Responding to protesting workers’ demands, the deputy commissioner of labour assured workers that the wage would be determined in accordance with the draft notification of 2014, before the next Supreme Court hearing.

Gautam Mody, convener of Unions United and member of IndustriALL’s executive committee, says:

“Workers at the bottom end of the pyramid are being pushed to the wall while employers walk away with profits and governments just look the other way. We need stronger and more robust mechanisms to deliver a just minimum wage to stop wage arbitrage in the global supply chain.”

V.R Jaganathan, general secretary of the Indian National Textile Workers Federation (INTWF), says:

“Minimum wages in India are low and poorly implemented, which has a negative influence on workers and their ability to lead a decent life. We must prioritize living wages and ensure their effective implementation in all states.”

IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie, says:

“The Indian government must force the new minimum wage on the industry. It is appalling that industry can get away with this obstruction for so many years. IndustriALL calls for immediate action to ensure disbursement of rightful wages of workers which has been denied to them.”