NUMSA secures permanent jobs for 100 workers at Bell Equipment

Under the labour brokers, who provide temporary employment services, the workers were employed under precarious working conditions that included earning 50 per cent of what permanent workers earned, insecure monthly contracts, and being excluded from benefits like pensions, medical aid, home loans, and vehicle financing. 

“This agreement is an important achievement for the union and means that the workers will receive medical aid and an improved provident fund. This will fundamentally improve the workers’ quality of life. They now have job security and will be able to raise their families with dignity.

When workers are united, they are a powerful unstoppable force which can transform society for the better. We thank NUMSA officials and shop stewards for their tireless efforts in resolving this labour crisis and will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that workers get what has been promised to them,”

says Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary. 

However, negotiations are still ongoing the outstanding demands that include a housing allowance of R2000 ($107), transport allowance of R1000 ($54), profit share of R2000 ($107) which the union says should be untaxed.

Further, the metalworkers insist that more temporary contracts should be converted to permanent. The conciliation is still ongoing at Bell Equipment under the Metals and Engineering Bargaining Council and NUMSA says should these negotiations fail, going on strike remains an option. 

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

“We applaud NUMSA in its relentless fight against labour broking at Bell Equipment and other employers. Labour broking does not promote decent work as brokers give short contracts, low wages, and no benefits. It is also a threat to unionization as active union members’ contracts are sometimes not renewed instilling fear into workers and making them reluctant to join unions.”  

In 2018, NUMSA won a landmark Constitutional Court case in which it was ruled that labour brokers cannot give contracts that are over three months, and should that happen the contracts become permanent. For example, if workers are hired for three months under the labour broker, the broker is the employer. But if it is longer than three months, the employer is the company where they are working. 

NUMSA, which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, organizes workers in engineering, metals, mining, and other manufacturing sectors. 


 

Up skilling youth in Ghanaian trade unions

The meeting was organized by Ghanaian unions with support from IndustriALL Global Union, Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) and Industri Energi.

From August 2022 to now, the project which aims to build sustainable and resilient unions, explored new ways of organizing using digital technologies for recruitment and mobilization of young workers.

The project organized training for 57 young workers in digital organizing, and occupational health and safety at enterprise level. A youth activist school was also held as part of project activities and the agenda included improved representation of youth in the unions. 

The meeting heard report of how unions in Ghana were early adopters of online organizing tools that included databases and social media platforms. Databases provided membership profiles and information that was useful in making strategic interventions and providing better services to young workers. The meeting also discussed project activities for 2024 that will include campaigns for the ratification of ILO Convention 190 on ending violence and harassment in the world of work. 

Ole-Kristian Paulsen, International advisor at Industri Energi, Norway, said:  

“The unions are making progress recruiting new members, while the databases are running well. The occupational health and safety activities are also showing progress. This contributes to the  focus by unions on Just Transition and climate change.” 

Garikanai Shoko, BWI, Assistant Representation of Africa and Middle East, added:  

“In efforts to sustain organizing, education, and advocacy, BWI and IndustriALL affiliates with support from Industri Energi, have over the past year done extremely well by producing databases. Unions should maintain this momentum as digitalization is an anchor to the future of work.” 

“The solidarity support from Industri Energi to our Ghanaian affiliates goes a long way in contributing to building their sustainability as trade unions. This is important given the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the need for unions to transform the way they work which is pivotal for effective protection of rights at work,”  

said Tendai Makanza, IndustriALL regional officer from the Sub-Saharan Africa office. 

The IndustriALL affiliates that participated in the project are the Public Utilities Workers Union, General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union, Ghana Mine Workers Union, and Industrial and Commercial Workers Union. The BWI affiliate that is part of the project is the Timber and Woodworkers Union. 

South African workers march against socio-economic crisis

Workers from all over the country participated in a protected strike organized by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). IndustriALL affiliates, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) were present at the marches. The unions are also affiliated to COSATU. 
 
A section 77 strike certificate was issued by the National Economic Development and Labour Council NEDLAC. This certificate guarantees that all workers can join the strike without facing dismissals. 
  
Different parts of the country had streets filled with workers demanding an end to the social, economic, and political crisis which has worsened poverty and inequality. 
  
In Cape Town workers marched to parliament to hand over a memorandum demanding that government and the private sector stop the attack on collective bargaining, prevent corruption and crime, reduce high interest rates, stop job losses and privatization.
 
André Kriel, SACTWU general secretary, addressed workers outside parliament:  
 

“We are facing a dire unemployment crisis and we call on the government to formulate policies to address this. Gender-based violence is on the rise, our government has ratified ILO Convention 190, but ratification is not enough, government must take active steps to implement this ratification and end gender-based violence in the workplace.”

In Johannesburg, workers marched to the offices of the department of employment and labour, the South African Local Government Authority, South Africa Human Rights Council, and the Provincial Premier with similar demands. 
 
The workers want better crime prevention and anti-corruption measures, improved service delivery by municipalities to end the water crisis, and an energy strategy to stop the ongoing electricity cuts. According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), most murders occur during robberies in people’s homes, and most crimes that include robbery and assault are increasing. Additionally, corruption continues to hamper economic growth and development.  
 
Decent jobs were under threat after 21 000 jobs were lost from January to March 2023 bringing unemployment figures to over 10 million, according to Statistics South Africa. Workers at the marches said most jobs were becoming precarious, and the increasing cost of living left them in worse off positions as the value of their wages declined. 

Duncan Luvuno, NUM health and safety national chairperson said:  

“Workers are beginning to see that they have the power to change the narrative by going back to the streets to fight for their demands and are not only relying on boardroom negotiations. Through the streets workers are realizing that they are their own liberators as some of their campaigns including for the national health insurance are becoming a reality.”

Despite many laws and policies including the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, and the Domestic Violence Amendment Act, and the ratification of Convention 190, gender-based violence and harassment continues to make the country one of most unsafe places for working women. Crime statistics state that 10 512 women were raped from January to March this year. Further, women face sexual harassment, and some have been killed at work. Homes are not safe either with domestic violence common. 

Presenting the COSATU petition to the Department of Employment and Labour, Susan Khumalo, IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa regional co-chair and SACTWU 1st deputy president said:  

“Gender-based violence continues to be an atrocity against women. But as unions, we would like the government and the police to play their part in ending the scourge through prosecution and imprisonment of perpetrators. Employers should also make workplaces safer environments for women workers.”

South African union wins wage increases for leather workers

According to Statistics South Africa, the country's annual consumer inflation rate has slowed to 6.8% in April this year, from 7.1% in March. This is the lowest since May 2022, when the rate was 6.5%.
 
During the course of last week, SACTWU signed two wage agreements under the umbrella of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of South Africa (NBCLI).
 
SACTWU members in the general goods and handbags leather sector will receive a 7 per cent wage increase. This increase came into effect on 1 July. The agreement was concluded after a wage dispute, with employers who are represented by the Association of South African Manufacturers of Luggage, Handbags and General Goods.

In addition to the current paid family responsibility leave (FRL) provisions, an additional day of unpaid FRL will be granted to those workers in this sector who wish to take up such an option.
 
SACTWU members in the footwear sector will also receive a 7 per cent wage increase.  This settlement was concluded after two rounds of wage negotiations with footwear employers represented by the Southern African Footwear & Leather Industries Association (SAFLIA).
 
SACTWU, an IndustriALL affiliate, will now submit the new wage agreements to the South African Department of Employment and Labour for gazettal and extension to all workplaces in these two sectors. South African labour laws allow for collective agreements which meet certain requirements to be so extended. It means that once it is signed and gazetted by the country's employment and labour minister, these agreements become legally binding on all employers and all workers in both these sectors, nationally.
 
André Kriel, SACTWU general secretary says:

“The signed collective agreements for the general goods and handbags and footwear leather sectors will now be submitted to our minister with a request for gazetting and extending to non-party employers. Once done, this will provide a further impetus for our union's Living Wage Campaign.”

“The strategic ways in which SACTWU’s collective bargaining teams approach negotiations allow for the maintenance of living wages and better working conditions in the textile, garment, shoe, and leather sectors. It shows the clear advantages of centralised bargaining. Extending the agreements allow non-union members to benefit as well, thus strengthening solidarity and building union power,”

says Atle Høie IndustriALL general secretary. 

Mid-Term Policy Conference lays down strategic goals for a just future

"If we want defend human and trade union rights, oppose global capital and want a humane economy with an ecological, social and fair transformation, then we have to expand our trade union power resources – especially through organizing. All topics that we work on, all activities that we carry out must lead to strengthening our organizational power. There's no way around it,"

said IndustriALL president Jörg Hoffman in his opening remarks.

IndustriALL president Jörg Hoffman

Sweden’s former prime minister and former IF Metall president and IndustriALL Exco member, Stefan Löfvén, said in his address:

“There are no empty spaces in democracy. We need Ubuntu, respect, sharing, trust, community. I am because we are. What matters is the change you have made to the lives of others.”

Stefan Löfvén

Breaking into four break-out sessions, participants had the opportunity to hear and strategize on addressing growing inequalities in the world, building union power through organizing, strategize and develop plans towards companies and brands and lastly shaping our future through Just Transition.

Break-out session one centered around addressing the growing inequality in the world.  This session discussed streamlining strategies, mapping multinational corporations and their supply chains, leveraging digital technology, and fighting for a global living wage. Participants agreed that the right to organizing and collective bargaining are essential to address inequality and participants said that the global north should demonstrate global solidarity to ensure the fair distribution of wealth.

 

Building union power through organizing, was the main goal for break-out session two. Subcontracting, precarious work and the ever-expanding supply chain is the common threat to organizing. Organizing young workers and women workers was top of the agenda during this session. Affiliates said that there would be more constructive collaborations between unions, especially support from north to south. Delegates decided that strong legislation, international tools and IndustriALL’s role was a strong foundation for organizing.

 

Holding multinational corporations accountable was the theme of break-out session three. Multinationals often resort to numerous tactics to avoid accountability, they do union busting, renaming the companies, relocation, and tax evasion. They have all these maneuverers which harm workers every day. The group said a clear strategic campaign to defend freedom of association, human rights’ due diligence laws and health and safety accords, for all brands and countries must be developed.

 

Shaping our future through Just Transition sparked inspiring ideas from affiliates in break-out session four. Delegates decided that social dialogue and collective bargaining were central to Just Transition. Affiliates were adamant that unions must lead the Just Transition conversation and pressurize governments for support. The session demanded collaborations between north and south for stronger union networks. Another key outcome from this session was decent work opportunities for all, especially women workers.

 

 
IndustriALL general secretary Atle Høie said:

“This Mid-Term Policy Conference gives us a good idea of the status of our affiliates. There have been many thought-provoking discussions, which will take us forward both politically and organizationally. We need to work together to implement our decided plans and better the lives of workers.”

Atle Høie

Going forward a working group will develop a conclusions document, and this will be submitted to the next executive committee meeting, which will be held in November.

Union to fight Anglo American attempts to avoid health and safety laws

In 2022, Anglo American started a migration process in which it sought to exclude some of its operations from falling under the stringent Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA). Water Val Smelter, Anglo Converter Plant, Precious Refinery, Rustenburg Base Metal Refinery and Mortimer Smelter would then be moved from the MHSA to be regulated by the Occupational Health Safety Act (OHSA) which applies to mostly manufacturing industries except mining.

Anglo American justified this decision by stating that it had sold the mining rights but remained with the process operations and surface rights. However, the NUM argues that the selling of mining rights does not remove refineries and smelters from being mining operations as defined in the MHSA.
 
The NUM says that the MHSA is a better law for the mining industry than the OHSA, and by moving workers to fall under the latter they will lose their hard-fought rights.” The union has taken Anglo American to the High Court to interdict the process. The NUM says if the multinational implements its proposal many workers rights will be affected. These include workers’ duties for health and safety, and the right of workers to refuse unsafe work and withdraw from dangerous work. Inspectors’ powers to deal with dangerous conditions and to recommend a fine will also be curtailed.

Other rights that will be affected are on initiating investigations for serious injuries and fatalities, right to participate in inquiries, and the joint conducting of inquiries and inquests in the event of death. These rights are in the MHSA but not in the OHSA. The NUM wants the national parliament to merge the two laws into one. This is supported by federations that are represented in the country’s social dialogue platform, the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC). 
 
NUM deputy general secretary Mpho Phakedi said,

“we have declared a dispute and launched an application in the High Court. We strongly condemn the unlawful migration from MHSA to OHSA. This so-called migration process is a self-created concept which does not exist in law.”

The union is expecting to receive support on its court application from the departments of mineral resources and energy, and employment and labour.
 

“The MHSA became law after consultations with unions and considering the health and safety concerns of the mine workers in South Africa. The law has been effective in reducing accidents in the mines. This means that Anglo American has a responsibility to act in the best interests of the workers by retaining the stricter law that is relevant to the mining industry. The company must protect workers’ interests according to the memorandum it signed with IndustriALL as well as per its own health and safety policies,”

said Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary. 

Shipbreaking industry set for transformation with Hong Kong Convention

IndustriALL and its affiliates have been campaigning for years to clean up shipbreaking which is the world's most dangerous job. A key part of the campaign has been to push for the ratification of the International Maritime Organization’s Hong Kong Convention.

IndustriALL campaign

“Reporting on deaths linked to the shipbreaking industry has become all too common for us. Finally, shipbreaking workers and unions have the international convention in their hands, which sets out minimum standards and a first step towards creating a level playing field for a safe and sustainable future. This is a tangible victory for workers as a result of international solidarity,”

said Kan Matsuzaki, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

“The continued efforts by IndustriALL through the campaign to clean up shipbreaking in various countries, especially in South Asia has yielded in a great success. Shipbreaking unions are ready to develop social dialogue with the government and employers to implement the convention on the ground,”

said Vidyadhar Rane, general secretary of ASSRGWA who is also a vice chairperson of IndustriALL Shipbuilding-Shipbreaking sector and part of IndustriALL Indian affiliate SMEFI.

Overall, the Hong Kong Convention plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable and responsible ship recycling practices. By addressing occupational health, safety and environmental concerns, it aims to safeguard workers' well-being, protect the marine environment, and establish a global standard for the ship recycling industry.

For the Hong Kong Convention to enter into force, it required ratification by at least 15 States, representing 40 per cent of the world’s merchant shipping by gross tonnage and a combined maximum annual ship recycling volume of no less than 3 per cent of their combined tonnage. One of the largest flag states, Liberia, and one of the largest ship recycling states, Bangladesh, allowed for the goal to be reached.

Now that these conditions are met, the convention will enter into force for the ratifying states within 24 months, and they will be bound by its provisions.

“All maritime states have responsibilities to provide, and workers have a right to expect safe, healthy, clean and sutainable jobs. While this is a huge victory our work is not done yet, we must continue the campaign for more countries to ratify. And trade unions will play a significant role in promoting and enforcing the provisions of the Hong Kong Convention,”

said Atle Høie, IndustriALL general secretary.

Global youth conference calls for inclusive union structures

Forty young unionists from Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Middle East met in Cape Town on 19 June to emphasize that youth structures are needed at all levels; youth need to be part of decision-making bodies and should be integrated in all IndustriALL committees.

Youth is committed to build stronger unions through organizing, and to include everyone regardless of employment status, sexual orientation or gender identity. No one should be discriminated on the grounds of gender, race and social status.

Young workers must be involved in climate justice actions and advocacy for just transition. Young workers will be severely impacted as their generation will meet more extreme weather such as drought, floods, hurricane that may lead to social conflicts over basic living needs. Young leaders want unions to advocate for sustainable industrial policies and to create quality jobs for youth.

In the light of challenges faced by young workers, delegates adopted recommendations for transforming unions which they conveyed to IndustriALL’s executive committee meeting at the same time in Cape Town.

A draft youth policy to be adopted by IndustriALL was debabted. It contains four priority areas:

The conference set up a working group to develop a proposal for regional and global youth structures and to further work on the draft youth policy. The working group will consist of two youth representatives, one woman and one men, from each region.

“We need to be fully incorporated in IndustriALL’s structures and participate in decision-making processes. An appropriate budget is needed to implement activities in each region and resolve young workers’ issues,”

said Geoffrey Akedi, IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa youth committee chair.

“The structural change will take a long time; now it’s important to seek the support of the regional executive committees who should be given a mandate to bring up the matter in the global executive committee,"

said Christine Olivier, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.
 

Unionist nine-month jail ordeal expose workers’ rights violations in Madagascar

The rights are protected by Convention 87 on freedom of association and protection of the right to organize, and the national labour code. Madagascar’s violations of Convention 87 will be discussed at the ILC on 9 June.

The unions are bringing to the ILC the case of the unjust imprisonment of Sento, a trade union representative at the Alsico subsidiary, E-Toile SA in Antananarivo. Sento served the sentence from 29 August 2022 and was released on 30 May 2023 after a presidential pardon.

Sento was arrested and imprisoned for posting on social media the outcome of discussions with E-Toile management to improve working conditions at the garment factory where he worked as a machinist. Unions say the charges against Sento were trumped up: ranging from breaches of confidentiality, data protection, and violation of state property. The trial was unfair and concluded in a record 48-hours under a hostile judge who colluded with the E-Toile lawyer.

An appeal against the judgment was never heard and the judge ignored the fact that that the duties of the trade union representative were protected in the Madagascar labour code. For justice to prevail, the unions say they want a judicial review of the sentence and are arguing that the trial and sentencing offended sections of the law. They also want Sento to be reinstated at E-Toile SA.

During the period of the imprisonment, the unions took to the streets to protest the injustice and were supported by IndustriALL and ITUC Africa which wrote protest letters to E-Toile SA and Alsico management.

Rafenoarimanana Leontine Mbolanomena, the general secretary of USAM, which is in alliance with SVS as Randrana Sendikally said:

“On behalf of the alliance, Sento Chang and his family, we are deeply grateful to IndustriALL, ITUC Africa and other stakeholders, for the unfailing support they gave during the period of his imprisonment. However, despite his release from prison, our fight will continue until the Malagasy state acknowledges the violations it has committed and remedies them by making Sento's criminal record clean, and by taking steps to ensure that he gets his job back. So, during the ILC, particularly when the case of Madagascar's violation of Conventions 87 and 98 is raised, we ask for your continued support.”

Says Kemal Özkan , IndustriALL assistant general secretary:

“We support SVS on its unwavering commitment to workers and trade union rights in Madagascar as seen in this campaign for the release of Sento Chang and for the justice system to protect rather than be used to bash trade unions. Being a trade union representative is not a crime, and we strongly support calls for the expunging of the conviction and sentence.”

Unions demand sincere dialogue with Glencore ahead of AGM

Over the last ten years, Glencore has collected a long list of atrocities, including corruption, workers’ rights violations, harm to indigenous communities, undermining just transition and silencing critics.  

Today’s pre-AGM, aimed at the investor community, heard accounts of how Glencore operates on the ground. 

IndustriALL mining director Glen Mpufane, said:

“Glencore paints a beautiful self-portrait, speaking of how they source responsibly, operates ethically and contributes to local development, of how they support global decarbonization engaging their stakeholders and creating value for their investors. This is pure spin and greenwashing, because today you will experience something completely different. What Glencore says and does is real fact versus fiction.”

Juan Carlos Solano from IndustriALL Colombian affiliate SINTRACARBON described poor working conditions at Cerrejon mine.

“Workers suffer harassment and are becoming ill. There are salary inequalities, and it is disgusting how they manage interns. We ask Glencore to respect us and engage with us but they only care about profits.”

Hilda Arrieta representing the Women’s Network of El Paso, in Colombia, expressed how Glencore has turned her community into a ghost town. 

“They closed the Prodeco coal mine in 2021 without a proper social plan in place. We are the mothers of children who have turned to drugs and prostitution because there are no opportunities for them. We cannot just sit back and watch this happening to our children and our community.”

The meeting heard how Glencore denies contract workers the freedom to join unions, collective bargaining and health and safety rights.

Itumeleng Motsusi from the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), an IndustriALL affiliate, in South Africa, said

“Glencore arbitrarily imposes shift roster changes and threatens retrenchments when the union questions them about it.”

Stakeholders at today’s meeting asked for a sincere dialogue with the company. 

“We need a frequent dialogue with the highest level of management at Glencore. Glencore needs to respect all stakeholders and not just the shareholders. Their damaging ways of operating affect our workers, our environment, and our communities,” 

said Dominic Lemieux, co-chair of the mining and DGOJP sector.

“Glencore’s investors are increasingly listening to voices other than that of the company, and they’re becoming aware that there’s a big gap between corporate rhetoric and the reality on the ground. In the pre-AGM today, shareholders had an important opportunity to hear about how Glencore’s operations have caused lasting harm to the lives of people in multiple countries. Hearing such direct testimony will help investors in their crucial work of holding Glencore accountable for its impacts,”

said Liz Umlas, senior adviser on capital strategies, IndustriALL.

Union and community representatives will attend tomorrow’s AGM and voice their issues and fight for a seat at the table.