Unions raise concerns over migrant workers in Israel

In light of the ongoing bombing of the occupied Palestinian territories of Gaza and West Bank, Israel‘s government has prohibited Palestinian workers from entering its territory. Over one million Palestinian workers have been engaged in various precarious jobs in Israel before their work permits were cancelled. In an attempt to address the labour shortage, Israel is planning to bring in migrant workers from Asia.

In India, recruitment drives are ongoing sending precarious workers to Israel. Sri Lanka’s government has also been encouraging its workers to apply for work in Israel. There were already many workers from Nepal employed in Israel, some of who have lost their lives during the war.

Trade unions in both India and Sri Lanka have criticised their governments for encouraging workers to find jobs in a war zone. According to a bilateral agreement, which  India’s government signed with Israel in May last year, around 42,000 Indian workers would be sent to work in Israel. However, in the present situation it is estimated that over one hundred thousand Indian workers will be sent to Israel.

The joint platform of central trade unions in India issued a statement in November last year, opposing the Indian government’s decision to export Indian workers to Israel to replace workers from Palestine. In the statement unions said that “the decision would make India an accomplice in Israel’s ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians.”

Sanjay Vadhavkar, general secretary of the Steel, Metal and Engineering Workers Federation of India, an IndustriALL affiliate in India, says:

“It is a very wrong decision by the Indian government to send its workers to work in such dangerous working conditions. There are serious safety concerns for workers in Israel right now.”

Anton Marcus, secretary general of the Free Trade Zone and General Services Employees’ Union, an IndustriALL affiliate in Sri Lanka, says:

“It is very unfortunate that the Sri Lankan government is failing to provide job security and social protection to workers in the country and is instead encouraging them to look for work elsewhere, that too in a war zone.”

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL’s South Asia regional secretary, says:

“It is appalling that the governments in South Asia are facilitating workers to go and work in Israel and occupied Palestinian territories instead of working to end the war.”
 

Photograph: ILO Flickr

Deliver the social agreement: for a Just Transition for the Polish coalfield now!

Almost three years after the signature the Polish government has failed to notify the European Commission to date about the state aid that the plan implies. This leaves 83,000 workers and their communities in limbo about their transition strategy.

The Social Plan, signed in May 2021, sets out how the phase out of hard coal mining by 2049 will be achieved through a gradual transfer of workers (from closing mines to those still operating). It is a landmark agreement in the Polish context and was conceived to ensure that there are no collective redundancies caused by the closure of mines. Poland has the largest workforce in the hard coal sector in Europe with currently 83 000 workers employed and hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs linked to the coal mining industry in these regions.

Whereas most EU Member States committed to a phase out of coal by 2030, the scale of the transition in Poland is incomparable with major challenges of managing the transition to a decarbonised energy system while keeping coal workers and their communities intact. Anticipating and managing the change of the workers and coalfield communities is key. Our Polish affiliated trade unions therefore signed the Social Plan which marks a historic shift for the country’s energy sector and workforce.

In the current context of rising socio-economic tensions, it is paramount to create certainty that both the Polish government and the European Commission, remain dedicated to establishing a socially responsible phase out process together with the trade unions.

The ITUC, IndustriALL Global Union, ETUC and industriAll Europe therefore call upon:

The ITUC, IndustriALL Global Union, ETUC and industriAll Europe insist that the European Commission and Polish government engage with the trade unions in good faith and with the objective to implement the Social Plan to deliver a Just Transition for the Polish mining workforce and their communities while phasing out coal.

We stand in solidarity with our Polish affiliates.

Photo credit: Flickr, Mariusz Cieszewski

Argentina’s unions strike against Milei's economic reforms

Trade unions, including union federations CTA-A, CGT, CTA-T and UTEP, along with other civil society organizations, came together for the first general strike in Argentina since 2019. According to Argentina’s union federations, more than 700,000 people marched on the National Congress in Buenos Aires and 1.5 million took part in campaigns held across the country in support of people’s rights, the separation of powers, democracy and the constitution.

Carrying signs with slogans such as "you don’t sell out your country, you defend it" and "workers united", demonstrators protested against the reforms proposed by the ultra-liberal Milei government. The reforms seek to deregulate the economy, reduce the size and intervention of the state and get rid of hundreds of laws that protect both individual and collective rights.

The reform package includes a “necessity and urgency” decree and a bill entitled “bases and starting points for the freedom of the people of Argentina” (known as the omnibus bill). In their speeches, union leaders condemned the necessity and urgency decree, which they say includes measures that violate people’s fundamental rights and directly affect union work, and called on the National Labour Court to rule it unconstitutional.

Union leaders also condemn the omnibus bill, which seeks to give the Milei government legislative power until December 2025 and to privatize public companies, the railways, the post office and the state media. Calling the bill a direct attack on sovereignty, they said the strike had already had a major impact, since the ruling party had planned to pass the omnibus bill on Thursday, 25 January but had postponed the session until the following week.

Under pressure from the opposition, the government has already been forced to remove one article stipulating that any public gathering of three or more people would be deemed an illegal demonstration leading to possible imprisonment. The unions have used the general strike, the huge nationwide campaign and their actions at Argentinean embassies in various countries to demand respect for the democratic functioning of the country and its constitution, and the withdrawal of reforms that violate countless fundamental rights.

Says IndustriALL regional secretary Marino Vani:

“We congratulate the union federations, our affiliates and the workers of Argentina for their excellent campaign and for protesting against the legislation imposed by the Milei government. IndustriALL will continue to work with our affiliates to encourage workers to speak out against injustice.”   

Créditos foto portada: CTAA

Kazakhstan must respect workers’ right to strike

Workers at West Oil Software (WOS) in Zhetybai, in the Mangistau region, launched a strike on 11 December last year after an eleven-month labour dispute with the employer. WOS is a a subcontractor to the subsidiary of state-owned oil and gas company KazMunaiGas (KMG), providing transport services.

The Industry trade union of fuel and energy complex workers say that the strikers are demanding updated vehicles and to be hired by a subsidiary of KMG, as they believe this would ensure higher wages.

On the same day as it broke out, a court declared the strike illegal. The decision was taken without due procedure, behind closed doors, without union representatives or the possibility to provide relevant information.

After an appeal was filed against the court decision, a higher court hearing was held on 24 January. 80 striking workers waited in front of the court building to be allowed in, however, not a single striker, nor their attorneys were admitted. The court again declared the strike illegal.

As the strike continues, the situation is deteriorating.

Management of West Oil Software announced the termination of employment contracts of the striking workers, and so far at least 18 workers have received notification of dismissal.

Workers have been summoned for police questioning and threatened with criminal charges. On 13 January, seven of the fired workers were interrogated by the police. Strikers’ relatives, employed by state-owned companies, have been threatened with dismissals.

Kazakhstan has a tainted record of extended labour conflicts given the tragedy in Zhanaozen in 2011. The current conflict is worrying as it may lead to unwanted social tension. Recent reports show that this peaceful workers’ protest is starting to accumulate irritation and destructive forces are joining risking it tuning into  a socio-political explosion.

IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie says:

“We consider the court’s decision to declare the strike illegal as a violation of Kazakhstan’s international obligations in accordance with the ILO Convention 87, ratified by Kazakhstan and call on to revoke the court decision. Kazakhstan must respect fundamental workers’ right to strike.

“IndustriALL again calls for an end to the prosecution and punishment of striking workers; all workers dismissed for their participation in the strike must be reinstated. This labour conflict must be resolved through social dialogue in in a peaceful manner as soon as possible to avoid a repeat of Zhanaozen in 2011.”

Photo credit: KazTAG 

Deplorable working conditions at textile and garment factories in South Africa

These conditions included 12 long working hours with only 30 minutes lunch break. Occupational health and safety violations are common, with workers facing restrictions when going to the toilets and having lunch in areas with unsanitary conditions. Some chemicals used in the factories were unlabelled and handled without personal protective equipment and in some instances placed in front of fire equipment. Some fire escapes were blocked creating hazardous environments in case of fire.

Further, the factories paid wages that were below the minimum wages for the garment and textile industries. Some of the employers were paying R10 per hour (US$0.53) instead of the industry’s minimum wages as agreed upon in the National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry, made up of unions and employers. The rates in the collective bargaining agreement were above the national minimum wage which is R25.42 per hour (US$1.40).

IndustriALL's affiliate the Southern African Textile and Workers’ Union (SACTWU), said some of the non-complying factories were operating as unregistered cooperatives to evade national labour laws and collective bargaining agreements. For example, the factories were paying below the minimum wage that was agreed upon in collective agreements and instead paid paltry wages based on piece rates.

By using unregistered cooperatives, the factories were also violating the cooperatives’ laws and undermining union strategies to leverage wages on collective agreements. SACTWU has used the extension of collective agreements to non-parties – those factories not represented in bargaining councils – as a strategy to ensure that workers received living wages.

SACTWU’s provincial organizer for KwaZulu Natal, Patrick Mthembu, said: 

“The union is recruiting and organizing the workers as one of the strategies to enable the declaration of labour disputes with some of the offending factories. It is difficult to declare a dispute if the workers are not members of the union as this is part of the legal requirements to take up issues for conciliation, mediation, and arbitration.”

SACTWU is organizing workers at the factories who include migrant workers.

“Factory owners must respect and allow workers to enjoy the rights at work in the textile and garment factories. South African trade unions, including SACTWU, have fought hard for the enactment of the national labour laws and for the ratification of international labour conventions on workers’ rights and collective bargaining and these gains must be protected through compliance,”

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

According to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, inspections are carried out to investigate complaints and to ensure compliance on working hours, leave, contracts of employment and wages, prohibition of forced and child labour, variation of employment according to collective bargaining agreements and sectoral determinations and other working conditions. Further, the inspections are carried out to promote international labour standards and fundamental rights at work.

Union leaders in Cambodia must be reinstated

Cambodian labour law allows employers to hire workers under FDC for two years, with a possible extension of another two years. Workers employed under FDC lack job security and are vulnerable to exploitation.

In July and August last year, management at Shun Xin Luggage discontinued the FDCs of the local union leaders, refusing to renew their contracts, saying there was no violation of workers’ rights.

IndustriALL has urged Shun Xin Luggage to stop union busting and reinstate all union leaders. Shun Xin Luggage produces for Lacoste who assisted with setting up a meeting between the union and company management in December last year. However, the company refuses to reinstate the workers, claiming that their vacant positions have already been filled.

CUMW president Pav Sina says:

“We demand that management at Shun Xin Luggage reinstates all union leaders and local union activists with backpay. All forms of union busting must end immediately, and fundamental workers’ rights must be respected; let the workers organize.”

IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie says:

“Shun Xin Luggage is engaging in anti-union discrimination and is in violation of Cambodia’s trade union law. Shun Xin should resume negotiations with CUMW and act in full accordance with national and international labour standards. We call on Shun Xin to immediately reinstate the members to their original positions.” 

IndustriALL supports Argentine unions in the face of attacks by far-right president Milei

In a meeting between IndustriALL and Argentinean affiliates on 17 January, leaders outlined their plan to combat the measures and discussed the actions IndustriALL Global Union can take to promote international solidarity.

Javier Milei took office in December and his radical neoliberal reforms were not long in coming.  The National Emergency Decree (DNU according to its Spanish acronym) and the Omnibus Bill recently introduced in Congress include the repeal of hundreds of laws.

These measures attempt to dismantle the Argentine state and impose in one fell swoop a labour and constitutional reform that would result in the suppression of the right to strike, the criminalisation of social protest and the denial of other fundamental rights. 

Although the Argentinean courts recently suspended the labour reform included in the DNU as a result of an injunction filed by the three national centres, the unions remain gravely concerned. 

"We have to take to the streets in massive numbers to put a stop to these abuses," they said, referring to the strike called for 24 January. 

Regional Secretary Marino Vani expressed IndustriALL's unconditional support:

"We know that Argentinean unions are very strong. They are a bastion of resistance against the current government's agenda – an agenda of privatization, abolition of labour and constitutional rights, surrender of resources and sovereignty, deindustrialization, unemployment and poverty. An agenda in which the main winner is big capital". 

"In this battle, unity of action and solidarity are more important than ever. IndustriALL will be with you every step of the way,"

he emphasized. 

The meeting took place at AOMA headquarters with the participation of leaders from AOMA, CNTI, FATIQyP, FATLYF, FETIA, SMATA, STIGAN and UOM.
 

Three workers killed in Pakistan’s deadly mines

The miners were working deep in a coal mine when methane gas accumulated and due to a lack of proper safety mechanisms at the mine, workers could not be warned about the gas build-up. News reports state that the hazardous conditions inside the mine caused delays in the rescue effort, and it took several hours to recover the bodies. 

This is not an isolated case. Pakistan’s mines are fraught with unsafe working conditions. On 14 January, another coal miner lost his life due to a landslide in the mine. Last year over one hundred mine workers were killed in workplace incidents. The high number of fatalities at mining sites is a reflection of the poor implementation of safety measures.

IndustriALL’s affiliates in Pakistan, who organise mine workers, report that workers who are employed at unregistered mines are not given adequate job training and safety protocols are not followed at these mining sites. Additionally, no record is maintained of workers who are sent to work in underground mines making the rescue operations more challenging, as it becomes impossible to estimate the number of workers trapped inside.

IndustriALL has been consistently advocating for safe mines in Pakistan. Last year, IndustriALL organized job trainings for mine workers to ensure that they know safe mining practices. IndustriALL has also been actively campaigning for the ratification of ILO Convention C176, the safety in mines Convention.

IndustriALL’s South Asia regional secretary, Apoorva Kaiwar, says:

“IndustriALL strongly condemns the killings of mine workers due to lack of workplace safety. Both the Pakistan and Balochistan provincial government, along with employers, must take responsibility for ensuring safe working environments at mining sites. We also urge the Pakistani government to ratify ILO C176 immediately.”

Photo: Shutterstock

Pakistan’s unsafe shipbreaking yard claims lives of two workers

Over the years, many preventable deaths have occurred due to unsafe working conditions in Pakistan’s shipbreaking yards. This time, while dismantling the 26-year-old bulk carrier ship, Catherine Bright registered in Panama, workers named Qasim and Mustafa at yard no. 60 fell prey to hazardous working conditions.  

IndustriALL’s affiliate, the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), which organises shipbreaking workers in Pakistan, reported that workers at yards are compelled to work without safety gear, reflecting the serious lapses in workplace safety in the country. The union stated that the deceased workers’ bodies were hurriedly buried in the middle of the night. There was no post-mortem or criminal investigation done.

Nasir Mansoor, president of NTUF, says:

“Gadani shipbreaking yards are operating as zones devoid of law. There is no implementation of safety protocols and we often witness collusions between yard owners, police and government authorities in order to conceal the real causes behind these incidents and prevent the real culprits from being punished. We demand a proper investigation of the incident at yard no.60.”

Pakistan recently ratified the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) which will come into force in June 2025. To comply with the HKC standards, countries need to upgrade the infrastructure, healthcare facilities, as well as waste disposal mechanisms at shipbreaking yards. 

IndustriALL general secretary, Atle Høie, says:

“It’s appalling that two workers’ lives were lost due to lack of safety measures at a workplace. The Pakistan government must take workplace safety at shipbreaking yards seriously, especially in the light of the ratification of the HKC.” 

Global unions launch toolkit to support LGBTQI+ workers under ILO C190

This initiative aligns with the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190, targeting violence and harassment in the workplace, which came into force on 25 June, 2021.

Facilitator guide Participant workbook
 

Convention 190, the first international treaty to recognize the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence, has been a focal point for the campaign to ratify Convention 190. Alongside Recommendation 206, it forms a framework for creating safer, more respectful work environments globally.

Understanding the unique challenges faced by LGBTQI+ individuals, the new toolkit specifically addresses violence and harassment against this community. It includes two key resources: the LGBTQI+ Facilitator Guide and the LGBTQI+ Participant Workbook.

The LGBTQI+ Facilitator Guide is a tool for educators and facilitators. It has three modules with various activities designed to enhance understanding of violence and harassment against LGBTQI+ workers. The guide aims not only to raise awareness but also to foster meaningful discussions and proactive measures in both unions and workplaces. It is structured to cater to different knowledge levels, making it accessible and effective for a wide audience.

Complementing the facilitator guide, the LGBTQI+ Participant Workbook is a resource for trade union members, LGBTQI+ workers, and activists. This workbook breaks down into three main modules: raising awareness, taking action in the workplace, and union-based actions. Each module is packed with activities focusing on understanding the unique vulnerabilities of LGBTQI+ individuals, the impact of violence and harassment, and practical strategies to combat these issues. The workbook underscores the importance of implementing ILO's C190 and fosters the creation of inclusive, respectful work environments.

“IndustriALL is committed to promoting ILO Convention 190. We recognize the crucial role unions play in ensuring the ratification and implementation of C190 into national legislation. The train the trainers toolkit: for LGBTQ+ workers and the toolkit on Violence and harassment in the world of work released in 2022 is part of this broader effort, developed in collaboration with other global unions to raise awareness and facilitate action around the convention.”

Said Christine Olivier, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

Through these resources, GUFs aim to empower unions and their members worldwide to advocate for the rights of LGBQTI+ workers, ensuring that the principles of Convention 190 are not only recognized but actively integrated into workplace cultures. The toolkit is one of many important steps towards a world where all workers, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or ethnicity, can work free from fear and discrimination.