We are just working to die, say Shell workers in Nigeria

IndustriALL’s mission to Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in September this year saw Shell workers living in shocking conditions and found that Shell workers were falling ill and dying as a result of inadequate healthcare insurance.

“Our health insurance as it is, we are not doing well. If you are sick and go to the clinic, they don’t treat you well because the money that they pay to the HMOs is a meagre amount of money, so based on that, we don’t get it right at all. We are just working to die,” said one worker.

Workers also said that if they asked for better wages or wanted to join a union, they would be threatened with dismissal. 

IndustriALL is campaigning to make Shell engage with unions on a global level. Unions want Shell to limit precarious work at the company and ensure that the same high-level standards are applied at Shell operations, everywhere, including its suppliers.

Contract workers outnumber permanent workers 2:1 at Shell and do the most dangerous jobs.

While Shell says it wants to #makethefuture, it’s clear Shell contract workers in Nigeria have #gotnofuture, with no job security, poverty wages and zero prospects.

Watch the video. 

South African mineworkers’ union launches campaign against gender-based violence

According to police investigations, the two women were shot seven times each. The accused is in police custody pending a bail application. This and several other cases of the brutal murder of women are the focus of the campaign launched by 50 women from the national NUM women’s structure in Johannesburg on 19 November. 

Participants at the meeting, which was attended by other unions and a representative from the Commission for Gender Equality, lit candles and observed moments of silence for women who had been murdered. They want effective law enforcement that brings justice.

With over 12 women in every 100,000 killed, South Africa is one of the most dangerous countries for women in the world. As an affiliate of IndustriALL Global Union, the NUM is taking part in the campaign to end violence and harassment against women at the workplace and in the union.

The NUM pledge signed at the meeting condemns harassment of and discrimination against women at the workplace, sexual violence against women and children, rape, abuse and murder, domestic violence, and discrimination against people affected and living with HIV and AIDS. The NUM will work with communities and civil society organizations to achieve the campaign aims.

The union aims to campaign for change in social attitudes towards violence, and to act against the perpetrators. The  mineworkers’ union will also provide support to the affected women and children. As violence is often linked to substance abuse, the campaign is calling for healthier and safer communities and workplaces.

Says Lydia Nkopane, the NUM national women structure chairperson:

“What is happening in our workplaces, communities and homes is painful. Women sometimes disguise bruises with make-up to conceal beatings when they report for work. They also face sexual harassment and precarious working conditions at the workplaces. Further, young women and children are being abused and murdered daily.”

Further, she said social labour plans, in which mining rights applicants are required to carry out programmes that benefit mineworkers and communities, must help women living in mining communities as poverty makes them vulnerable to abuse.

South African unions call for a Just Transition to renewable energy

To push for their demands, workers from the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) took to the streets of Pretoria on 17 November and marched to government offices at the Union Buildings where they read out a memorandum of their grievances. However, the government officials who were supposed to receive the memorandum did not show up.

Coal powered stations produce over 90 per cent of the country’s electricity and unions are aware of the high levels of pollution. They also know that South Africa is a signatory to the Paris Agreement adopted at CoP 21, but say a plan should be put in place for an energy mix policy that will extend the life of the coal mines to 2030. They are also asking the government to introduce a socially-owned renewable sector instead of giving the mainly solar and wind renewable energy contracts to businesses but not communities. The unions are irked that they were not consulted when 27 IPPs were given contracts.

Irvin Jim, the general secretary of NUMSA, says:

“We demand a Just Transition, which will ensure that workers at coal-fired power plants who may lose their jobs as a result of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, will be trained and absorbed into the renewable energy sector.”

The unions are also against the privatization of the public power utility Eskom which they say will lead to further job losses. Instead, they are urging the government to facilitate better management of Eskom and to end the corruption that is rife at the state-owned enterprise.

David Sipunzi, the general secretary of the NUM, adds:

“We call on the government to refrain from biting the hand that feeds the state. Scrap the power purchase agreement that favour private capital at the expense of Eskom.”

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary stresses:

“This joint action taken by NUM and NUMSA is an important example on union solidarity and cooperation. IndustriALL Global Union is fully behind the legitimate and reasonable demands of the unions and  will give every possible support until a fair deal is reached.”

The Just Transition deal reached by the unions and the government in Spain is a model for South African unions. The deal included fair early retirement packages, and additional payments for workers with asbestosis. Provisions were also made by the government for waste management, recycling facilities, water treatment plants, cleaning the air and infrastructure development.

Congo mining unions unite at Glencore

This is the resolution of a meeting which took place on 13-14 November, in Kolwezi, Lualaba Province. The resolution commits the unions to an organizing target to be met before the next Glencore global network meeting in 2019.

Eighteen representatives, including general secretaries, from four IndustriALL Global Union affiliates CSC, OTUC, TUMEC and UNTC, organizing in the mining sector, formed the IndustriALL Glencore national network which will include unions from the petroleum sector. A provincial network already exists. The meeting agreed that the unions could negotiate with the global mining multinational better as a unified force and through the networks.

The meeting is part of a series of interventions by IndustriALL in the DRC as part of a global campaign to improve working conditions of mine workers at Glencore operations around the world. A joint mission between Glencore and IndustriALL to the DRC, sanctioned by Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg and set to take place early in 2019, is part of these series of interventions to set the course of industrial relations in the DRC on the right path.

The unions agreed to democratize through workers’ control and promote accountability of the union leadership to their members. It was emphasized that the unions should be active at provincial and local levels to ensure that workplace issues were prioritized. Further, the unions committed to building the capacity of leaders and members through worker education and training, using collective bargaining as an instrument to improve workers’ welfare, and developing better financial systems to make unions sustainable.

The unions agreed to strengthen and coordinate their activities including information sharing. Research will be carried out on how the legal system can be used to improve industrial relations and on how to engage with the new mining code adopted by the government of the DRC, despite protestations by the mining industry. Exchange visits will also be made with other mining affiliates in the Sub Saharan Africa region.

Says Glen Mpufane, IndustriALL director for mining:

“Unions must work hard to build trade union power in the DRC. It is through this power, which comes from having more members in a union, that unions can stand up against multinational corporations. With power, trade unions can carry the dreams of the workers, and with it the potential to transform society.”

Memorial lecture pays tribute to slain woman worker in South Africa

But her union, Industrial Global Union affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), and the family are not giving up on getting justice. NUMSA accuses Eskom of negligence because when Yende was murdered the cameras were not working and there were no security guards at the power station as is the norm.

On 3 November, The Thembisile Lucia Yende Foundation, which was formed in her honour, organized a memorial lecture in KwaThema. The foundation aims to fight injustice and promote a safer society for women. It’s programmes promote gender equality and its formation is a response to the unresolved murders of women whose cases are often struck off the courts for lack of evidence or sloppy investigations by the police in which sometimes where credible evidence is destroyed.

The memorial lecturer was attended by representatives from the South African Police Service (SAPS), the South African Human Rights Commission, the government department of social development, and civil society organizations. There was consensus amongst the speakers that improving women’s safety and security at work and in the community is urgent especially as it comes after 549 women were killed in Gauteng Province last year according to the SAPS.

Says Ruth Ntlokotse, NUMSA’s second deputy president:

“As workers, women are breadwinners that provide for their families. They are also an important part of the community and society. The enormity of the threat to their lives and the physical harm common in gender-based violence is a call for us to take to the streets to stop the murders and rapes. South African women face gender-based violence every day and we must unite to confront the menace.”

A recent meeting by IndustriALL affiliates in Cape Town called upon employers to end gender-based violence at work by improving security at workplaces. On 25 November, the world day for the elimination of violence against women, IndustriALL is calling on its affiliates to sign The Pledge, to take action to stop sexual harassment and gender-based violence at work.

A few weeks ago, the government organized the National Summit against Gender-based Violence and Femicide, where calls were made to improve the safety and security of women.

Unfair dismissal of union officials by Firestone Liberia condemned

The officials, who are a chairperson and a grievance officer from a local branch, are protected by the law on the right to organize and to engage in collective bargaining. The dismissed union officials are leaders in the campaign for better living and working conditions at Firestone Liberia’s rubber plantations. By dismissing the officials, the company is victimizing the leaders to weaken the union.

The officials from the IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, Agricultural, Agro-Processing and Industrial Workers Union of Liberia (AAIWUL), were dismissed clandestinely, and the union wants justice and for the dismissals to be nullified. The United Workers Union of Liberia, another IndustriALL affiliate, also condemns the dismissals in solidarity with AAIWUL.

Says Edwin Cisco, secretary general of AAIWUL:

“We are currently engaged with the national government through the Ministry of Labour, the House Standing Committee on Labour, the Margibi Legislative Caucus and the Liberia Labour Congress to prevail on the management of Firestone Liberia for the reinstatement of the two union executives. AAIWUL, therefore urges management to desist from carrying out any further action that will be tantamount to inflaming the situation.”

The union urges workers not to be distracted by the intimidation and to focus on the “bigger picture of the upcoming collective bargaining agreement which is crucial for the upliftment of the lives of thousands of workers and their families on the plantations.”

Industrial relations between the workers and Firestone Liberia have been turbulent. In August, workers went on strike to have the wages of rubber tappers increased from US $8.36 to US $12.50 per day. The company is yet to meet the workers’ demands.

In October, the company retrenched 76 workers from its rubber wood factory, who are now struggling to look after their families. Firestone has been producing rubber from Liberia since 1926 and has received support from the government. However, the working and living conditions of the workers have remained appalling.

Nigeria: Unions welcome new minimum wage

The announcement on the national minimum wage on 6 November came when the unions were on the brink of going on strike which has since been called off. The old minimum wage of N18,000 ($50) was no longer enough for workers to meet the basics including food, transport, housing, health and education and other necessities. The buying power of the minimum wage set up in 2010 had been eroded by inflation. Further, the unions were concerned by the late payment of the wages, even on the paltry old minimum wage, in 33 of the country’s 36 states.

IndustriALL Global Union’s seven affiliates in Nigeria, organizing in the energy, engineering, oil and gas, and textile and garments, welcome the announcement and are calling on the government to speedily gazette the wages into law so that employers can start paying them. Initially, the unions wanted the minimum wages to be increased to over N65,000 (US$179) and are taking an incremental approach.

Says Issa Aremu, IndustriALL Vice President and general secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria:

“Whilst we welcome the minimum wages, the struggle for living wages continue. Nigerian workers should be paid decent wages to get rid of cases of the working poor – workers who live in poverty yet they are employed. The workers’ living conditions must improve, and higher wages can assist in achieving that goal. Efforts must also be made to end precarious work.”

The unions say the Federal Government of Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and the National Industrial Revolution Plan can boost the struggling economy. They argue that if fully implemented these plans have the potential to revive industries including in the textile and garment sector and to create  sustainable jobs.

Further, the unions are recommending that Nigeria, which gets 80 per cent of its export revenue from crude oil, must move away from exporting raw materials by increasing its manufacturing value addition from the current 5 per cent. The country also needs to develop infrastructure such as roads and improve on the provision of electricity as some of the ways to stimulate industrial development.

Kenyan union takes Hela Intimates to court over workers’ rights violations

Hela Intimates, which makes undergarments, sleep and casual wear, has factories in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, and Sri Lanka, supplies global brands in Europe and the US including Victoria Secrets and PVH, which owns Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and a number of other brands. In Kenya it employs over 2,500 workers at its factory in the Athi River Export Processing Zone in Nairobi.

Rather than assuming responsibility for the collective bargaining agreements signed by Alltex EPZ, the company it acquired, Hela is insisting on signing a new agreement. The company is pays a minimum wage of 12,000 Kenya Shillings (US$116) per month instead of 14,000 (US$136) for machine operators, as per government gazette.

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the Tailors and Textile Workers Union (TTWU), has taken the legal route to deal with the employer’s unlawful and unfair labour practices. These practices intimidate workers and make it difficult for unions to recruit members. Further, union organizers find it hard to access the factories because of the hostility from the employer. Hela Intimates’ behaviour is in violation of Kenyan workers’ rights and freedom of association as protected by the Labour Relations Act.

Says Joel Chebii, general secretary of the TTWU:

“We have gone to the police station on countless occasions to have our members released from custody. Their crime is that they joined a trade union. This is an injustice that we will continue to fight. The employer is doing this to silence demands for better wages.”

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

“Global garment manufacturers should lead by example and not trample on workers’ rights. We call upon Hela Intimates to respect trade union organizational rights, freedom of association, and to pay living wages.”

Kenya’s industrialization policies identify the labour-intensive textile and garment sector as an important driver of economic development and job creation. According to the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, the sector creates more jobs for the youth. For instance, 17 garment manufacturers in the export processing zones employ 52,000 workers while over 40,000 small-scale farmers grow cotton, with thousands other jobs found along the value chain.

Kenyan cabinet secretary Adan Mohamed visited the factory in March

African unions meet in Namibia to plan for Industry 4.0 and sustainability

The Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 is being ushered in by rapid automation caused by smart sensors, machine learning, data management, artificial intelligence and cloud solutions. Initially restricted to a few sectors such as automotive, aerospace, shipping, mechanical engineering and industrial manufacturing, robots will soon be in all sectors, including textile and garments.

IndustriALL Global Union affiliates from 12 countries in Sub Saharan Africa, with support from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, met in Windhoek, Namibia 18 – 19 October to discuss how unions can build strategies to engage on Industry 4.0 including the possibility of setting up a research network. Further, the meeting agreed that unions should be proactive in public policymaking on sustainable industrialization by looking at the economic, environmental and social dimensions.

In a region with high unemployment especially of young people, participants at the meeting agreed that unions must continue to fight for employment creation, job security, life-long learning for workers to get new transportable skills, living wages and better working conditions including for women. The importance of the local and global contexts featured in the discussions, particularly in relation to the Paris Agreement and the United Nations’ Social Development Goals to end poverty, create decent work and green jobs. International solidarity and Global Framework Agreements were cited as important in protecting workers rights.

The meeting discussed the need for Just Transition plans to protect workers’ rights and welfare because Industry 4.0 is linked to climate change. These plans should include creative labour adjustment programmes, social protection, and sustainable industrial policies to deliver job security. Social justice for affected communities should also be included. Further, it was stated that technological advancement, which is uneven on the continent, is hampered by high data costs, limited internet connectivity and expensive electricity.

According to Jens Dyring from the ILO, the Future of Work Initiative recognizes that the world of work is changing and for unions to be ready.

However, despite fears of job losses, there were benefits to workers’ health and safety when robots took over back-breaking work and workers earned more from high skilled jobs.

Brian Kohler, IndustriALL director of health, safety and sustainability, said:

"When technology makes jobs better and takes away the drudgery; workers can benefit. Unions should fight for a Just Transition because it is a bridge to the new, sustainable world of work. Building that bridge means that workers must play a role in making sustainable industrial policies.”

IndustriALL investigation uncovers exploitation of Shell workers in Nigeria

The report documents poverty wages, abuse through contracts, fundamental rights violations, poor healthcare, health and safety hazards and miserable living conditions of Shell’s Nigerian workers.

“We work like an elephant and eat like an ant,” said a worker at the Umuebulu-Etche Flow Station in the outskirts of Port Harcourt. “Our salary at (contractor) Plantgeria is about 95,000 naira (US$257). In Nigeria today, you can’t do anything on that. You can’t pay your children’s school fees. You can’t eat well. You can’t do anything better for yourself.” 

Salaries among the workers ranged from US$137 to US$257 per month, working 12 hours a day, six days a week.  Some workers said that they had not been paid by their contractors for several months. 

Workers said Shell determines what they get paid by contractors, but their appeals to Shell for better wages are ignored:

“If you ask for a pay rise, you will be escorted out by police. And then your job is finished. No more access to the yard until you sign something saying you will not join a union and you will not ask for a pay rise,” said one worker. 

Shell is the biggest foreign multinational oil company in Nigeria, earning an estimated US$4 billion from Africa’s largest oil producing country in 2017. 

At its AGM in May, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said it is not financially viable to give contract workers permanent jobs, as they are not needed all the time. But this belies what workers told IndustriALL:

“They keep on classing us as ad-hoc workers but we have been working continuously for as long as 20 years while being paid less than US$150 a month,” a worker lamented.

Many contract workers complained that their healthcare insurance provider (HMO) was inadequate:

“We are exposed to all the hazards. We work in the field. Even with our HMO we are not doing well. We are just working to die. When we are sick and go to the clinic, they don’t treat you well because the money they (the contractor) give to the HMOs is too meagre.”

Port Harcourt and the Niger Delta have seen increasing levels of violence over the years with kidnapping and armed robbery not unusual. “One of our colleagues, a driver, was recently shot dead in the field. In the end Shell didn’t do anything. The most they will do is one minute’s silence. No one cares about you and your family. If anything was to happen to you today, (Shell) don’t know you, it’s up to the contractor.”

In its code of conduct, Shell states:  “We seek to work with contractors and suppliers who contribute to sustainable development and are economically, environmentally and socially responsible.” 

IndustriALL’s general secretary, Valter Sanches, said: 

“It’s high time that Shell lives up to its own code of conduct and ensures that the thousands of workers toiling at its operations in Nigeria are treated humanely. Shell needs to stop turning a blind eye to the human rights violations of contract workers at its operations in Nigeria. We urge the company to start dialogue with IndustriALL and its trade unions in Nigeria to remedy the situation, which at present is neither responsible nor sustainable.” 

IndustriALL has a global campaign to stop precarious work at Shell, where contract workers outnumber permanent workers by more than 2:1, and do the most dangerous jobs. Unions estimate the ratio is even higher at Shell in Nigeria but the company does not disclose figures for individual countries. 

Last month, Shell announced it had joined forces with other energy companies to create a collaborative approach to human rights supplier assessments in the energy industry. Participating companies say they recognize the importance of working with suppliers that respect human rights including the fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization. However, Shell has refused IndustriALL’s offer to work with the company to investigate the same concerns.