Union reaches wage agreement with ArcelorMittal South Africa

The increase, signed on 25 May, means that housing, retention, compulsory overtime, pension, shift, standby and other allowances will also increase by the same percentage. According to NUMSA, the increases will be backdated by June and workers will also receive ex-gratia once off cash payments of R5000 (US$320) each.

The strike started on 11 May with demands for a seven per cent increase. During the strike NUMSA, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, highlighted that the steel manufacturing company had declared high profits in 2021.

ArcelorMittal, with plants in Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging, Saldanha and New Castle, wanted to stop the strike through the courts, but lost. The union argued in the Labour Court that the workers have a constitutional right to strike, protected by labour laws. The court concurred with NUMSA's arguments that the strike could not be stopped because ArcelorMittal had a pending application for workers in some sections of its steel production to be declared essential services – where workers would be barred from going on strike. The strike continued after the court ruling, while negotiations continued.

Says Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary:

“We signed a one-year agreement effective from April and expiring on 31 March 2023. The employer started by offering zero per cent, and we have moved significantly to achieve this result. This agreement is a victory for all NUMSA members who made the ultimate sacrifice to fight for improved wages and conditions. They did not do this only for themselves, but also, for future generations of workers. To achieve an above-inflation increase during the Covid-19 pandemic is a major achievement and it would not have been possible without them. We also wish to thank NUMSA officials for working extremely hard to secure this deal on behalf of employees.”

“We congratulate NUMSA for this wage settlement which comes at a time when the cost of living is increasing in South Africa. It is commendable that the union remains resolute and militant when fighting for living wages and improved working standards,”

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

Strike continues at ArcelorMittal South Africa after Labour Court ruling

Earlier, ArcelorMittal South Africa had won an urgent temporary interdict which sought to ban workers operating coke batteries, blast furnaces and some sections of steel production from joining the strike arguing that they were part of essential services.

The workers’ cases are before the essential services committee for determination of whether they are essential services or not. Although going on strike is a constitutional right, the Labour Relations Act allows for some strikes to be stopped if there are deemed to part of essential services.

Kabelo Ramokhathali, NUMSA Regional Secretary for Sedibeng says:

“We argued in court that there is a pending investigation on this matter, and that it is well-established that a court will not interdict a strike based on a pending essential services committee investigation. ArcelorMittal SA was being opportunistic, and the goal was simply to undermine the right to strike. We view this as an attempt to divide workers. The right to strike is a sacred constitutional right which should not be tampered with.”

On 24 March, the workers marched to the ArcelorMittal SA plant in Vanderbijlpark and presented a petition of their demands to the management. In the petition NUMSA cites reports that the company made profits nationally of 6.86 billion rand (US$436 million) and performed well globally. This means the company can afford to pay the wage increases of 7 per cent across the board and cash payments of R5000 (US$318) each to the workers. The union says workers only got a 5 per cent increase in 2020 and a paltry 2 per cent in 2021.

On the company’s profits the NUMSA, which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, says in the petition:

“This incredible performance was only possible because workers at ArcelorMittal SA put in the extra effort to ensure that the company makes generous profits. Workers increased production, and it is their sweat and blood that enabled this company, not only to survive during the Covid-19 pandemic but to thrive as well!”

“We are in solidarity with NUMSA in its demands for wage increases at ArcelorMittal SA. Workers must also benefit when multinational corporations make profits. The wage increases that workers are striking for will help to cushion them against high inflation and the increasing cost of living as recently seen in transport and food price hikes,”

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

Organizing Madagascar’s textile and garment industries

The strategies and tactics discussed at the workshop included having an active trade union membership, shop steward training that improves negotiation skills, how to engage effectively in collective bargaining, representing workers’ interests in social dialogue, defending workers’ rights through enterprise committees, fighting gender-based violence and harassment in factories, and electing effective and democratic trade union leadership.

Further, shop stewards were urged to study and understand the labour code and important provisions including on labour inspectors, and international labour standards, and how to leverage on existing global framework agreements. Currently, there are global framework agreements with ASOS and Inditex.

The workshop also discussed the importance of learning about the textile and garment industry global supply chains, and how they were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Knowledge about the supply chains is important to collective bargaining.

On living wages, the workshop agreed to demand living wages of at least 600 000 Malagasy Ariary (US$150). The government’s proposed 260 000 Ariary (US$65) is seen by workers as a poverty wage. The workshop stated that some of the negotiating strategies and tactics that were useful in wage negotiations involved having valid arguments that are backed by statistics and data on wages. This bolstered the living wage demands.

Lovasoa Fetra Harinoro, the women’s chairperson for IndustriALL Madagascar which is made up of IndustriALL affiliates from island and one of the facilitators said:

“One of the goals of this workshop is to build dynamic unions in Madagascar. When unions are dynamic, they can quickly embrace change and are always learning new ways of organizing and developing new union cultures. Being dynamic allows unions to adapt to change and deal with challenges.”

Barson Rakotomanga also from IndustriALL Madagascar was the co-facilitator.

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

“This is a valuable shop stewards’ workshop as it builds on the skills acquired through previous training. These skills are key to unions’ capability to demand improved working conditions and living wages in the textile and garment sector. We commend IndustriALL Madagascar for facilitating this crucial workshop, and for their active participation by the shop stewards and trade union representatives. Unions are living in a changing world and must keep adapting their skills set to meet the needs of the changing factories and the future of work.”

The workshop, which was held with support from the Sub-Saharan Africa regional office and FES Madagascar, was attended by 39 participants from factories in Antananarivo and Antsirabe who are members of IndustriALL affiliates FISEMA-SEMPIZOF and SEKRIMA. Other participants joined the meeting online.

Rescue efforts for miners trapped underground for 33 days in Burkina Faso continue

Hopes that the workers, six Burkinabe, a Tanzanian, and a Zambian, could have made it to the rescue chamber were dashed when the chamber was found empty. A rescue operation is in progress with reports indicating that millions of gallons of water have been pumped out from the mine. But the muddy water has made it difficult for the rescue operations.

Ouindpanga Ouedraogo, Federation des Travailleurs de la Metallurgie, general secretary, says:

“The rescue effort has always been a race against time, and we are devastated that no one was found in the rescue chamber. As unions we are always insisting on accident prevention through elimination of risk to avoid such disasters. We sympathize with the workers families who are anxiously waiting to hear what happened to their loved ones.”

The Burkinabe government has called for a judicial inquiry to investigate the flooding and find out whether the mining company is complying with the national laws on occupational health and safety. The government concurs with the unions that the adoption of safer work practices by mining companies will improve safety in the mining industry in the country.

Trevali, a Canadian base metals mining company with operations in Burkina Faso, Canada, Namibia, and Peru, owns the mine, and says it is working with the government in the rescue efforts. Operations at the mine were suspended after the flooding.

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

“Multinational mining companies have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment for workers, and for conducting risk assessments to prevent accidents. The flooding of the zinc mine at Perkoa could have been prevented through early warning systems and mine safety protocols. There is also a case to be made for Burkina Faso to ratify ILO Convention 176 on safety and health in mines. The convention provides an international framework which specifies that employers should eliminate risks, control them at the source, and adopt safe work systems.”

Seven workers killed as skip falls 240m at gold mine in Zimbabwe

The accident happened at Bucks Mine near Gwanda on 14 May and the bodies of the deceased workers have since been retrieved after recovery efforts by the ministry of mines and mining development and other mine rescue teams. According to reports, by using an 8 mm wire rope to hoist the skip to the surface, the mine owners were dicing with the workers’ lives.

According to a government audit of occupational health and safety in the mines, there is inadequate monitoring of small and medium scale mines resulting in most of the mines not complying with health and safety standards. Mining inspection were also not being carried out.

Further, there were no risk assessment policies and programmes at the mines, and workers were not provided with personal protective equipment. The audit recommended comprehensive training for the mine managers.

Justice Chinhema, general secretary of the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union says:

“We would like to express heartfelt condolences to the families of the seven workers who died in the accident. Our union has repeatedly raised concerns that safety regulations are being ignored in the artisanal and small-scale mines. This accident could have been avoided if safety standards were practiced. The union will assist the deceased workers families to sue the mine owners for compensation as the deaths are due to negligence.”

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining, who is also responsible for health and safety says:

“We are shocked to receive the news of the death of the mine workers due to negligence by the employer. It is the responsibility of mine owners to ensure that they always adhere to mine safety standards. It is appalling for mine owners to use sub-standard and makeshift equipment that put the workers lives at risk. To deal with this violation of workers’ rights to safety, we will continue to advocate for unions to demand better health and safety conditions in the mines and have set up the Sub-Saharan Africa health and safety platform to equip unions on how this can be done.”

Just Transition prominent at mining indaba discussions

Discussions ranged from climate change impacts with a focus on transition minerals – cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, lithium, zinc, to the future of coal mining in the context of climate change, including implications of the war between Russia and Ukraine, and energy security supply risks.

The Mining Indaba had keynote addresses and an official opening from three presidents: Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa, Mokgweetsi Masisi, Botswana and Hakainde Hichilema, Zambia, who emphasized on the potential of the mining industry to stimulate economic development, industrialization, and job creation.

Speaking at the Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) panel, Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL mining director. raised the twin challenges of greenwashing by the mining industry and the disproportionate attention by the industry and governments on emission reduction over the social impacts.

IndustriALL mining director Glen Mpufane

“The lack of transparency and meaningful consultation, dialogue and engagement, contributes to greenwashing. Meaningful engagement for workers and communities find expression in a truly multi-stakeholder, credible and robust standard system which goes to the heart of governance. The requirement for genuine dialogue must reflect at mine site level as well, where workers through their trade unions and community- based organization are brought into the conversation.
"Engagement tools towards that goal must be developed between global unions and individual mining companies and better still mining associations like TSM and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM).”

The Alternative Mining Indaba (AMI), a parallel forum of the corporate-led Mining Indaba made up of mine affected communities, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, and others, was held under the theme: “A just energy transition for sustainable mining communities in a climate crisis era”.

At the AMI, Mpufane reiterated the trade union position that Just Transition should go beyond reducing carbon emissions.

“The link between energy transition and climate change is not linear and neutral, but political. COP26 forged a climate change mother of all social movements that is committed to a transition that is fair, just, and equitable; and that resists false solutions and greenwash from rich governments and corporations, and solutions that perpetuate poverty and inequality.”

IndustriALL affiliates in the mining sector from Lesotho, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with support from the IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) Regional Office and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Trade Union Competence Centre for SSA, participated in the indabas to discuss decent work, including workers and human rights, and the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining in SSA. In a session on the Kimberley Process, there were calls to include workers and human rights violations by state entities especially in the Marange community in Zimbabwe.

Eswatini garment workers continue strike amid intimidation and harassment

The workers determination comes amid attempts to stop the strike through intimidation and harassment by the police and the army. The union says the security forces are going as far as visiting workers homes and demanding that the workers must go back to work or face eviction from their places of residence. According to reports teargas has been fired into some of the residences.

Wander Mkhonza, ATUSWA secretary general says:

“Although we are fatigued – it has been a long five weeks – the strike goes on. We will continue to fight with everything within our power as a union until our demands are met. We are only fighting for living wages for our members, and I would like to emphasize that this is a labour dispute between workers and the employer. However, we are shocked by the threats to our members by security forces who are not part of the wage dispute.”

Contrary to the action by the security forces, the ministry of labour and social security said in its Workers’ Day statement that the government respected the International Labour Organization (ILO) “fundamental principles and rights at work.” Earlier the ministry had said the Amalgamated Trade Union of Swaziland (ATUSWA), affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, should take the grievances to the Textile and Apparel Sector Wages Council which is composed of employers, workers, and the government.

ATUSWA, which is leading the strike, says instead of addressing the wage dispute, the employers are colluding with the Government of Eswatini, which is supposed to be neutral, to intimidate and harass the union and the strikers.

Around 2,000 workers met on 2 May at Nhlangano industrial area – a hub of textile and garment factories – to reaffirm their commitment to the strike action. Some walked for more than 8 km to attend the mass meeting where 30 workers spoke in support of the strike, which they say must continue until their demands for living wages are met.

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

“We support the ATUSWA led strike and the demands for living wages as the cost of living is going up. As per IndustriALL congress resolution we call on the government of Eswatini to respect workers’ rights to strike and to collective bargaining. The government must respect the workers human rights and stop the intimidation and harassment.”

South African metalworkers conference discusses bargaining strategies in a changing world of work

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) held a national bargaining conference on 11-13 April in Boksburg, near Johannesburg, to discuss the metalworkers’ bargaining strategy for the 2022 round of negotiations. The conference focused on living wages, benefits, and conditions of service.

The conference was attended by 288 delegates from the sectors that NUMSA organizes including automotive, motor components, garages, and tyre manufacturing. Other key sectors are the energy sector that covers workers from the power utility Eskom, and the metals and engineering sectors. In-house agreements where the union allowed some companies to negotiate separate house agreements – outside of central bargaining – were also discussed.

Speakers at the conference were drawn from the department of mineral resources and energy, Statistics South Africa, and research institutions that included the Trade and Industrial Policies Strategies (TIPS) and provided the country’s social and economic context and the implications for collective bargaining.

The national bargaining conference made recommendations on the various sectors. For example, on the auto sector, the conference concluded that the transition from the internal combustion engine to electrical vehicles must not lead to job losses but should instead protect workers’ interests as per government policies that included the 2025 automotive masterplan. Further, local procurement of some components remained key for the survival of some industries on the value chain.

On Just Transition, the union says this must be done in a sustainable and affordable way that considered the country’s energy mix of coal, nuclear and renewable energy. Further, coal power stations must not be shut down without guarantees of job security and a Just Transition plan that protected workers and human rights. The conference urged Eskom to stop power outages that have led to huge losses for the economy.

On state-owned enterprises, the conference recommended wage increases that cushioned against inflation of at least 7 per cent at Eskom while wage arrears should be paid to workers at South Africa Airways and Denel. The conference rejected the privatization of state-owned enterprises, arguing that they produced public goods.

In the steel and engineering sector, the union said the steel masterplan must be preserved to promote manufacturing and stop the deindustrialization of the sector which is leading to job losses.

Irvin Jim, NUMSA general secretary said:

“This conference is a platform for us to discuss not only how we must position ourselves organizationally, but also how we envision organizing and mobilizing beyond this round of negotiations to consolidate workers’ bargaining power.
“The national bargaining conference’s task is to continuously reposition NUMSA’s bargaining strategies in relation to the engagement with the Fourth Industrial Revolution which has moved beyond globalization in the restructuring of the workplace. However, the implementation of the latest technologies without careful consideration for the Just Transition and the future of work puts existing jobs under threat.”

“The robust discussions at the national bargaining conference show that NUMSA is embracing the transformation that is taking place in the world of work and ensuring that its shop stewards are well-equipped with negotiation and bargaining skills and can effectively use digital technologies to understand industry trends and other critical information on complex supply chains. This dynamic approach is critical to collective bargaining and ensures that workers retain benefits and living wages,” says Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa.

What would a Just Transition in Nigeria's oil and gas sector look like?

NUPENG, which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, hosted the conference in Asaba, Delta State on 5 April under the theme: “Just energy transition for oil and gas workers, social welfare and security.”

Speaking at the conference which is the highest organ of the union and a democratic platform for delegates which sets the agenda and mandates, Prince William Akporeha, NUPENG president said:

“The conference theme was carefully and appropriately chosen in line with the new realities of climate change. The current major energy sources are the main catalysts for climate change that the world is witnessing. Therefore, there is need to transition to more sustainable energy sources for both industrial and domestic production. Importantly, the global trade union movement is demanding a Just Transition that will take into cognizance the socio-economic impact on the working people.”

The issues discussed at the conference included the union’s 40th anniversary, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the oil and gas sector especially on retrenchments, fighting for workers’ rights through improving industrial relations and collective bargaining, and confronting precarious working conditions. Further, the conference called for national policies that supported the building of new oil refineries and sustainable industrialization that created decent jobs in the sector. The union also called upon the Federal Government of Nigeria to improve security in the country to stop “senseless killings, kidnappings” and conflict in some communities.

On its victories the union mentioned fighting precarious work at Shell and said IndustriALL’s support at Shell was valuable as it led to the signing of a collective bargaining agreement for contract workers with the Shell Petroleum Development Company. At Chevron, 1710 workers were paid their full terminal benefits while valiant energy also paid terminal benefits to 39 workers. To strengthen the union, women’s committees have been set and young workers are represented through a youth council.

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa who attended the meeting said:

“It is important that you are meeting as part of the union’s democratic traditions to set the agenda and renew mandates for the NUPENG leadership. Participatory democracy is important in building union power. We must never forget that the Just Transition is a working class concept that emerged out of the trade union movement to protect and advance workers’ rights and interests. In this sense a just energy transition must support the decent work agenda – promote job creation, guarantee rights at work, extend social protection, and promote social dialogue.”

Women mine workers share traumatic experiences on sexual harassment

Some participants at the gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) workshop, which is part of IndustriALL Global Union’s training to implement Convention 190 on eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work, shared touching stories of attempted rape and sexual harassment in Sub Saharan Africa.

The workshop also heard of cases of sexual exploitation in exchange for monetary benefits, also by supervisors, in the energy sector in Zimbabwe. Further, the groping of women in cages that transport workers to underground mines was raised as an issue of concern that needed immediate attention by unions and mine companies as it continues to occur.

Mosela who works as a machine operator at a South African goldmine narrated her attempted rape ordeal:

“I was five months pregnant at the time, and at work with a male colleague in the control room. I was doing overtime to supplement my wages as pregnant women workers do not work underground according to the law. But there were reductions on my job card as I could only work on the surface. The supervisor asked me to make coffee for him in his office as we had run out of supplies in the control room.
"He then followed me and said he wanted to have sex with me to ‘contribute to the growth of your unborn baby.’ I felt offended and disrespected by his utterances and pretence; and how he talked to me as if we were dating. He advanced towards me to trap me against the office desk, but I pushed him away and ran out of the office. I was traumatized; he was a senior colleague whom I respected and trusted. I had nightmares for months after the attempted rape.”

The workshop heard of another case of attempted rape that happened at a union workshop in Rwanda. For five days Nambi faced sexual harassment from a union leader while attending a workshop. The leader would send her inappropriate messages and photos.

“It was a terrible experience. He insinuated that he wanted to have sex with me and followed me everywhere; even when I took the hotel lift. And I was shocked when I found him naked in my hotel room. The hotel had given him spare keys to my room!”

In Nelly’s case, she faced sexual harassment shortly after getting a job at an open pit coal mine in South Africa.

“I was surprised by the undue attention I got from the assistant supervisor who provided me with transport to work every day. However, I felt overwhelmed and reported to the supervisor who warned the assistant. The assistant then started ignoring my calls and messages when I wanted transport from the pit after work and had to walk to the surface – endangering my life as the pit roads have traffic of heavy mining machinery. Although I reported to the shop stewards; they did not act timely, and I had to find transport from another woman worker."

Following a presentation by Hermien Botes from Anglo-America on how the company is addressing GBVH, the participants appreciated the efforts by the mining company but said they wanted the mining industry to address GBVH and not individual mining companies.

Lisa Sumi from the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) said the IRMA standards make it imperative for mines to take action to prevent and address discrimination, sexual harassment, and violence in the mines. Additionally, there must be worker grievance mechanisms to timely address the complaints and these are the requirements for the IRMA certification processes.

Rose Omamo, IndustriALL co-chair for Sub Saharan Africa says:

“Exhaustive information shared at this workshop points to the need to end GBVH and what we need to do to promote the implementation of Convention 190. Participants shared personal information arising from their work experiences including in trade union organizations. There is need for more such workshops to provide workers with spaces to share their experiences.”

“We strongly support the proposals of the union representatives to create internal policies towards stopping gender-based violence and sexual harassment at work and in the union,”

says Kathrin Meißner Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Trade Union Competence Centre for Sub Saharan Africa (FES-TUCC) director.

The workshop was held with support from the FES-TUCC, and facilitated by gender and labour expert, Bashiratu Kamal from Ghana.