Somalia ratifies C190 and six other ILO conventions

The Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU) says the ratification will benefit workers during the current Covid-19 pandemic and will assist in “resilient social and economic recovery.” IndustriALL affiliate, the Somalia Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (SUPEGW), which also belongs to FESTU, took part in the ratification campaign.

FESTU secretary general Omar Faruk Osman says:

“We championed the ratifications by pursuing  the ILO principles of tripartism, social dialogue, harmonious labour relations and met with the Prime Minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, and the Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry. By ratifying these internationally recognized frameworks that set legal guarantees for workers, the Somali government is now obliged to ensure that the country’s domestic laws and policies are aligned to international standards and practice.”

FESTU says C190 — Violence and Harassment Convention — will promote gender equality at the workplace and help stop sexual and gender-based violence which is adversely affecting women in the world of work. The convention will also assist unions in their campaigns for the introduction of a sexual offences bill in the federal parliament.

Convention 144 on tripartite consultation will promote better industrial relations and improve stakeholder relations with government, employers, and trade unions.

Further, Conventions 187 and C155 on health and safety protect workers’ rights and will help to end unsafe working conditions that have injured many workers and will also improve workers well-being.

According to FESTU, Conventions 97 on migration for employment, C143 on migrant workers and C181 on private employment agencies seek to address the abuse and exploitation faced by Somali migrant workers abroad by providing legal protection. An ILO report states that most Somali migrant workers are employed as casual and domestic workers in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development region made up of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, to which Somalia also belongs, and the Middle East, especially Yemen. The unions say the conventions lay a foundation on which the country can build a national labour migration policy.

The country’s federal parliament endorsed the ratification on 26 December 2020 and documents have since been submitted to the ILO. The unions attribute the success of the campaign to the willingness of social dialogue partners to work together and ensure that the country adheres to international labour standards.

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

“It is commendable that FESTU successfully campaigned for the ratification of multiple conventions which is strategic in that it provides wider instruments to deal with diverse issues affecting workers. We continue to urge unions to vigorously campaign for the ratification of C190 and the adoptions of recommendation 206 as a strategy to end violence against women at work.”

Photo of Somalia's flag from Wikimedia Commons

Alternative Mining Indaba discusses sustainable mining under Covid-19

Participants included trade unions, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, civil society organizations, mining companies, and other stakeholders.

The AMI, which supports a “just and people centred” approach to mining, started as a civil society and community grassroots organizations platform to engage with the business-oriented African Mining Indaba, held annually in Cape Town, South Africa. This year, both events were hosted virtually.

This year’s AMI theme was “Building forward together pivoting the extractives sector for adaptation and resilience against Covid-19” – reinforced previous resolutions on how to transition to sustainable mining. One of the AMI’s declarations stated:

“The Covid-19 health pandemic is a moment of crisis but also presents us with an opportunity to agitate for a broad scale green transition, and this requires an unprecedented level of international cooperation and solidarity. This is the time for mining corporates to change the way they do things particularly with regards to corporate social responsibility, social labour plans and ecological responsibilities, and to forge social cohesion.”

Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining says:

“Trade unions are an important constituency in the AMI because workers and their families are part of the mining communities. As labour, we support the mobilization of mineral resources for community development, and for sustainable industrialization of Africa.”

The AMI said mining companies should promote health and safety and be involved in Covid-19 awareness campaigns, provide personal protective equipment and hand sanitizers to mineworkers and communities.

Issues discussed included accountability on tax justice by mining companies as one of the ways to deal with tax evasion and how to stop illicit financial flows. There were recommendations to use the African Minerals Governance Framework to curb the illicit financial flows. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Africa loses US$88.6 billion in illicit capital flight.

Discussions also focused on demands for the implementation of the African Mining Vision (AMV). Other debates focused on dealing with corruption, campaigning for debt cancellation for African countries to release resources towards Covid-19, and how to make regional and legislative policy frameworks effective. Environmental justice and Just Transition issues were identified as key to community development.

Mining affected communities said they have learnt from past experiences that when mining companies started operations, this came with poverty, inequality, and marginalization. In some instances, they lost their agricultural land through environmental degradation and air, water, and soil pollution. Further, the communities received little or no compensation for this loss of land and livelihoods. The AMI concluded that laws and regulations that existed in most countries should be enforced to protect communities.

However, the AMI heard that the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) has useful tools that can be used by mining affected communities to demand accountability from mining companies. These include the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining and as well as some strategies for working together between large scale mining companies and artisanal and small-scale miners. To protect community interests, South African-based Mine Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) is represented in IRMA while IndustriALL is the labour representative.

Photo from last year's Alternative Mining Indaba

Unions push to ratify ILO Convention 190

Latin American unions continue to work for the ratification of C190. On 17 January, Ecuador voted and approved the ratification of C190.

The Confederation of Free Trade Union Organizations (CEOSL) said that the campaign by its affiliate, the National Union of Domestic Workers and related workers, together with the National Council for Equality, UN Women Ecuador and the Simón Bolívar Andean University played a fundamental role.

On 26 January, Chile voted and approved a draft agreement requesting that steps be taken to ratify C190 and adopt ILO recommendation 206. It is a big step forward, following on CUT’s campaign, #TrabajoSinViolencia, with the participation of the International Trade Union Confederation and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES Chile).

More countries are in line to ratify C190. On 11 January, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged to ratify the convention. Violence in the world of work affects a large part of women workers in the country. A study from 2018 estimated that 30 per cent of women were victims of unwanted sexual advances in their workplaces. IndustriALL affiliates are campaigning for the ratification of C190 and it has been taken up by the President and the parliament.

Data shows that domestic violence has exploded during the pandemic, with reports of a global increase of domestic violence.  Social consequences of the outbreak and related confinements leading to a loss of social interaction may have increased tensions inherent to forced cohabitation and increased the risks of domestic violence.

Trade unions are reporting cases where women have been asked for sexual favours in return for equipment to protect against Covid-19. The past shows that women are at an elevated risk of abuse and quid-pro quo sexual harassment during an economic downturn and when jobs are fewer.

“With the current pandemic and its economic consequences it is even more urgent to fight against violence against women. Trade unions should continue their efforts for ratification of C190 in their countries. In the countries where the convention has been ratified, the unions and their campaigns made a difference,”

says Armelle Seby, IndustriALL gender coordinator.

Unions urge Petro South Africa to reconsider retrenching 500 workers

PetroSA says it does not have enough money to continue operations.

However, IndustriALL Global Union affiliate the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (CEPPWAWU), says there are ways to avoid retrenchments, including accessing funds from the national fuel levy which can be used to transform the company.

Mhlangabezi Melani, CEPPWAWU regional secretary for the Western Cape, says:

“The consultations according to Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act were not done in good faith. It seems that the recommendations we made to save jobs at PetroSA were ignored and the company went ahead to issue the retrenchment letters. But we are convinced that if our proposals are considered there will be no need for the retrenchments.”

CEPPWAWU also supports the merger of PetroSA, the Strategic Fuel Fund and iGas into a single national oil company. According to the union, a diversified oil company has better potential for job creation and preservation. The three companies in the proposed merger are state-owned companies that are subsidiaries of the Central Energy Fund.

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

“We urge PetroSA to engage with the union to avoid job losses. Retrenchments should a last resort and saving jobs should always be prioritized.”

Gender audits in Zambia and Zimbabwe to protect women’s rights at work

The gender audits stressed that although the unions are complying with labour laws on gender more needs to be done to protect the rights of women workers.

ILO Convention 190 provides an opportunity to address gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work. It is argued in the audits that if Convention 190 is ratified and domesticated in Zambia and Zimbabwe, gender relations and equality will improve.

The unions in the two countries are involved in consultations on the ratification processes that are taking place with government ministries and labour federations.

 

The gender audits recommend that union constitutions be gender inclusive. This can be done by having more women in leadership positions and introducing quota systems that elevate women in the union.

Union gender policies should be regularly updated and be implemented and monitored. They should also integrate clauses to address violence and sexual harassment. The gender audits also recommend that unions must develop reporting mechanisms to enable victims of violence to seek recourse.

Capacity development programmes for women and men in unions are needed on topics that include gender mainstreaming.  More women-to-women engagement in union activities should be promoted, and the use of digital networking and social media encouraged to facilitate discussions on gender equality. Collective bargaining agreements should also include gender clauses.

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

“The gender audits point out that we do not only need to be firm but must act to stop sexual harassment and exploitation in the union and the world of work. Our campaigns for the ratification of Convention 190 must make this a priority. Women workers need protection and must not continue to suffer in silence.”

The audits were conducted with support from Union to Union as part of the IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa Union Building Project, drawing on best practices from the women participation and integration work with Swedish unions Unionen and IF Metall.

 

Participating unions from Zambia: Mineworkers Union of Zambia, the National Union of Building, Engineering and General Workers, National Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers.

Participating unions from Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Chemical Plastic and Allied Workers Union, Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union, Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union.

Namibia: CNNC Rössing Uranium mine must reinstate nine dismissed union members

The nine members of the former branch executive committee at the mine are accused of gross negligence, bringing the mine owner, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) Rössing Uranium, into disrepute, and for breaching confidentiality.

The charges came after the nine refused to accept CNNC’s proposals to amend the existing collective bargaining agreement. The union says the dismissed leaders also asked “uncomfortable questions” on the irregular appointment of some senior managers at the mine. The managers, who were recruited from China, had work permits for another company and not for Rössing.

MUN says when CNNC bought Rössing Uranium mine from Rio Tinto in July 2019, guarantees were made that working conditions would remain the same and that existing collective bargaining agreements would be respected.

However, a few months later, CNNC wanted changes in the agreement, including on leave, medical aid, wages, and retrenchment provisions. After facing resistance from the union and being notified of impending strike action, the company instead targeted the union leadership.

“These sound industrial relations, built over many years with Rio Tinto, are not only guaranteed as part of the asset sale to the current owners but are guaranteed in the constitution of Namibia. Unfortunately, the violations reflect a disturbing pattern of abuse by Chinese Investment in Africa which will not be allowed,”

says Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL mining director.

The matter is now before the labour commissioner for arbitration and conciliation.

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL general secretary, says:

“CNCC is intent on busting the union through intimidation and attempting to instil fear in workers to stop them from joining the union. This anti-union approach to labour relations is against the existing collective bargaining agreements and threatens the cordial relations that exist with the workers.

“We urge the employer to respect the existing collective agreements and to not temper with the rights of workers to demand better working conditions.”

Rössing Uranium is an open pit mine whose lifespan is expected to last until 2032.

Photo Credit: Conleth Brady / IAEA

Union settles tough wage negotiations in the garment sector in South Africa

Negotiations were conducted on virtual platforms and concluded after the union had declared a dispute. Several conciliation meetings were held to resolve the stalemate.

Over 70,000 workers will benefit from the collective agreement which will increase wages above inflation and increase bonus payments.

Most of SACTWU’s members are in the garment sector and the union also organizes in textiles, leather, and shoe sectors, as well as other industries in the value chain. According to the government, these sectors contribute about 2.5 per cent of South African manufacturing and employ mostly women.

The union says this year’s negotiations in the National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry were tough because of disruptions caused by the pandemic, including factory and retail shop closures, retrenchments, and reduced working time for some workers. Other employers even wanted to change permanent contracts to temporary ones and to freeze wages – the union fiercely resisted these proposals.

SACTWU has carried out a living wage campaign for many years and the campaign did not stop because of Covid-19. However, because of the Covid-19 restrictions, the campaign continued through social media and online platforms.

In March, SACTWU concluded a ground-breaking national collective agreement in the textile sector to ensure payment of full wages during the lockdown.

Andre Kriel, SACTWU general secretary said:

“Employer wage freeze proposals due to the Covid-19 pandemic is not an option at all. We are determined to always and without fear or favour, pursue our members’ living wage demands. We are pleased that a mutually satisfactory settlement has now been struck in the clothing industry under extremely difficult economic conditions.”

Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL director for the textile and garment industry, said:

“Covid-19 has caused havoc in the garment sector globally and we applaud SACTWU for continuing to fight for living wages under these harsh conditions. We need to continue to stress that the pandemic should not be used as an excuse by employers not to pay living wages.”

The employer associations that signed the agreement are the Apparel & Textile Association of South Africa (ATASA), South African Apparel Association (SAAA) and the Transvaal Clothing Manufacturers Association (TCMA).

Photo: SACTWU members during a nationwide protest in 2017.

South African union campaigns for an end to violence against women

One of the members receiving the support is Pontsho Serumula.
Serumula, who works for a company that manufactures aluminium products, suffered third degree burns in an acid attack on her face and body by her estranged husband at their home in Thokoza outside Johannesburg in 2014. She suspects that the acid was obtained from the factory where she and the husband are both employed.
 
Serumula was admitted to hospital, and it took her two years to recover from the burns. The case is in court where the former husband is facing attempted murder charges. After several postponements, judgment is expected to be delivered in 2021.
 
Recalling the trauma, Serumula says:

“After recovering from the burns, the operations manager said I should not come back to work as I would not cope. The reason he gave was that I will not be able to lift objects. I was surprised by this because my job does not require me to lift objects. It was only after my doctor’s intervention that I resumed work. The employer never apologized for the ill-informed decision to stop me from working. I feel pain when I see my former husband at work, and we continue to carry out our duties as if nothing happened. Although we no longer live together. I am waiting for justice.
 
“My union stood with me during this ordeal. The support I got from NUMSA shows that unions are fighting against gender-based violence. This shows that we are stronger when we stand together. We must also be visible and must stand for other women who are facing gender-based violence.

“There must be no space at home, at work or in the union for gender-based violence and sexism. Women must enjoy the protection of the law and our union leaders must not shy away from supporting women who are facing abuse.”

Pontsho in yellow t-shirt outside the Palm Ridge Court.

Ruth Ntlokotse, NUMSA 2nd deputy president, says:

“Besides the obvious extreme physical pain, comrade Pontsho has experienced intense emotional and psychological pain because of the trauma caused by the attack. Her suffering has been worsened by the fact that the wheels of justice have been terribly slow in her case.”

Armelle Seby, IndustriALL gender coordinator, says:

“We want justice for comrade Pontsho and commend NUMSA for being an agent of change raising awareness, educating, and fighting against gender-based violence. As trade unions we must challenge the unequal power relationships and social norms that promote gender-based violence.”

Photo caption: Pontsho in yellow t-shirt outside the Palm Ridge Court.

Union office building in the Lesotho highlands shows the power of global solidarity

This is a dream come true for the union which has been tirelessly organizing mineworkers but facing difficulties in accessing the very remote diamond mine sites. At a strategic organizing meeting of the IndustriALL Diamond Global Network two years ago in Johannesburg, South Africa, IDUL explained how difficult it is to reach and organize the mineworkers because the mines are located at high altitude in the mountains.

The unions that were present at the network meeting listened to IDUL’s plight and a plan was made to build an office closer to the mines. An organizing team led by Glen Mpufane, the IndustriALL director for mining, diamond, gems, ornaments, jewellery and precious stones, South African unions, and IDUL organizers, visited the site during a recruitment drive at Storm Mountain Diamond mine in 2019. The construction, which was supported by IndustriALL and Belgian union ACV-CSC Transcom, then started.

Mpufane said:

“During the mission we concluded that it is strategic for the union to build the offices as this would reduce the need to commute from union offices in Maseru – about 190km away – to organize meetings with the workers. We also identified the visibility of the union in the mining area as a critical factor in unionizing the mineworkers.”

Now the union can organize and better coordinate its activities among the diamond mineworkers from the recently completed offices at Kao Village, Butha Buthe District.

The office is located next to Storm Mountain Diamond mine and a few kilometres from Letseng and Liqhobong mines. In recent months, the Lesotho mines have dug large stones worth millions of dollars. Letseng mine is considered the highest dollar per carat Kimberlite diamond operation in the world.

With resident organizers, the office will enable the union to recruit and organize more workers as well as provide better services to its members. The office will also be a place for workers to meet and get information about the union, about labour laws especially on workers’ rights and collective bargaining, operational health and safety, HIV and AIDS information as well as materials on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yves Toutenel, general secretary of ACV–CSC Transcom said:

“It is of course essential that in order to help members you need the necessary resources to be at your disposal. We are therefore very pleased that in collaboration with IndustriALL Global Union we have been able to support IDUL through a financial injection so that the union can grow and expand into the future.”

 Valter Sanches, IndustriALL Global Union general secretary said: 

“Even the Covid-19 pandemic has not stopped IDUL’s efforts to organize Lesotho’s mineworkers and has not deterred global workers’ solidarity which remains resilient as seen through initiatives to strengthen trade union power through organizing. We commend the ACV-CSC Transcom for providing support to IDUL so that the union can build power through organizing and shop steward capacity development programmes for the diamond mineworkers.

“We commend also IndustriALL affiliates in South Africa – the National Union of Mineworkers, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and UASA the union – that are training shop stewards from IDUL through political schools and training programmes. This is an exemplary case how union strength on the ground and global solidarity can help workers improve their working conditions.”

African unions united for Africa Industrialization campaign

The webinar voiced that African industrialization should be inclusive of multiple stakeholders, including investors, governments, trade unions, employers, civil society organizations, and communities. The webinar concurred that this inclusion is better coordinated through sustainable industrial policies that explained stakeholders’ roles.

This way, the narrative of Africa as a place of poverty could be changed to one of a developing resource rich continent. Further, the responses to the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic on jobs could be used to grow economies through stimulus packages while the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provided an opportunity to create millions of jobs. Other factors to be included in the policymaking included climate change and Just Transition as well as adoption of technology through the Fourth Industrial Revolution’ automation and artificial intelligence.

The participants included representatives from the African Development Bank, and civil society organizations, such as the Third World Network Africa and the Labour and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe (LEDRIZ) and the Regional Network in Equity and Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET).

On the AfCFTA, there were calls for a shift in thinking towards a more developmental approach that avoided the disputed policies of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The meeting heard that the WTO’s trade liberalization policies did not benefit African economies.

Additionally, African economies were more integrated globally than they traded locally, and for development to take place the raw materials export dependent economic model had to be transformed. There should also be conditions on investments to protect workers’ rights and interests.

The webinar discussed that the role of trade is to integrate production and markets. For example, importing cheap tomatoes from Italy for processing plants in Ghana destroyed the local market. It was recommended that countries should remain vigilant on investment, intellectual property, and e-commerce. For instance, the proposal to the WTO by South Africa and India on Covid-19 vaccines was welcomed.

The webinar put special attention on the African Mining Vision (AMV) as an important action plan for strengthening mining and industrialization linkages along national and regional value chains. Further, mining benefited workers, communities, and broader society. However, there is need for better resource governance and respect for human and workers’ rights. To be effective, the AMV must be implemented, accountability improved, and ownership deficits resolved. Health and safety in the mines remain key and the ratification of Convention 176 on safety and health in the mines important. Recognition and support should also be given to artisanal and small-scale mining.

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL general secretary said:

“As trade unions we must put pressure on governments to use minerals to industrialize. We cannot continue to be producers of agricultural commodities, oil and gas resources, and rare minerals used for making batteries, electric vehicles, and smartphones. We have to manufacture and harness possibilities for recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The automotive sector was cited as having potential to create decent work. According to a research report by IndustriALL and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Trade Union Competence Centre for Sub Saharan Africa the sector can attract sustainable investments.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary said:

“We will continue to engage the African Union, the AfCFTA, AfDB and civil society organizations for policy engagement on African industrialization. In this respect, unions will continue to receive support to build their capacity to engage in sustainable industrial policies. The automotive, energy, mining, and the textile, garment, shoe and leather sectors, are important for industrialization to take off.”

Webinar part one:

Webinar part two: