PROFILE: Nigerian unions get creative and organize informal workers

PROFILE

Country: Nigeria

Text: Cherisse Fredricks

Union: National Union of Textile, Garment & Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTW)

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the National Union of Textile, Garment & Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTW) has used this trend as an opportunity not only to organize the unorganized, but also to strengthen union membership and increase women’s participation.

A tailored approach to organizing

For the survival of the textile and garment sectors, the NUTGTW thought outside of the box and started organizing tailors. Out of 500,000 workers in tailoring, the NUTGTW has now organized around 35,000.

“In the 1970s and 1990s when the textile and garment industries were vibrant, the tailoring aspect of our work was neglected and that is where the informal sector workers are found. The tailors in Nigeria are mostly self–employed and mostly women,” says Issa Aremu, General Secretary of the NUTGTW.

Some of the tailors were already organized through associations in an unstructured way. The NUTGTW quickly realized it was better to get organizers who are tailoring workers with a better understanding of the issues. The tailors face a great deal of harassment by state authorities that collect multiple taxes making it difficult for them to operate.

“These workers don’t have a voice so we provide one for them. We are rooted in the community and part of IndustriALL. Now that these informal workers know that they are part of this global movement it helps to bring them into the circle,” says Aremu.

To provide the tailors with a platform to discuss their issues, the NUTGTW has made efforts to connect them with government officials at local and state level.

The union also provides equipment like needles, sewing machines, buttons and textiles for the tailors. This partnership makes sense because NUTGTW members also produce textiles so the union can serve as an agent to link them to the industry allowing the tailors to have access to quality fabric at controlled prices.

“The country is being flooded with fabric from China. This damages the textile sector in Nigeria and makes it very difficult for tailors to access quality fabric which really undermines their work. So the union is providing a service to these informal workers, which pushes them to join,” says Aremu.

“The informal sector workers have helped to reinforce the NUTGTW’s campaigns because they are greater in number,” he adds.

Creative solutions to organizing challenges

Establishing a fair system for membership dues is a challenge when dealing with informal sector workers. For a worker from the formal sector the procedure is straightforward because they have a pay slip every month, but for workers in the informal sector with an irregular income, it is less so.

If our union can find ways to provide services that workers in the informal sector find valuable, then they are willing to pay for them,” says Aremu. “We have offered annual educational programs that have been amazing. The fees were reduced to start off, but now we have increased them gradually and the workers are willing to pay because they are eager for an education.

The NUTGTW has revised its curriculum to better suit the specific needs of informal sector workers, such as acquiring loans at cheaper rates to source supplies for their businesses.

“We also participate in national conferences and we want them to partake in these conferences in order to give a voice to their issues. And they are willing to raise the resources necessary to participate,” says Aremu.

Integration into union structures

With pressure to meet 40 per cent women participation in union structures, some unions struggle because of low female membership. By organizing in the informal sector, the NUTGTW have not only managed to build their membership but have also reached a higher proportion of women members.

And the union has amended its Constitution to allow women to participate and to operate at higher-level positions:

Women are now moving up in terms of our leadership structures,

says Aremu.

Optimum Coal closure: a worker’s story

She also had dreams of becoming a team leader one day. But her rosy dreams were thwarted in Janaury 2015 when the company announced its intentions to retrench.

Mahlangu said she was stunned when she heard of Optimum Coal’s intention to retrench over 1,067 permanent workers and 500 contractors.

 I have never worked anywhere else, my entire working life I have spent it at this company. I still hoped they would train me further,

said the single mother of three children.

My biggest worry now is that I don’t know where my children will get their next meal. I don’t know if I should take them out of school because as a single parent I won’t be able to pay for their school fees,

said Mahlangu.

Mahlanhu also said that after her father passed away last year, she has taken the role of bread winner for her family and extended family members.

I have seven extended family members that I must provide for –if the retrenchment goes through those people who look to me for financial support will also be affected,

she said.

According to Mahlangu the planned retrenchment will affect the entire community near the mine and will increase the rate of unemployment and poverty.

We need to find a solution that is suitable to all parties to ensure that jobs are not lost. The government should also intervene to ensure that our jobs are saved,

said Mahlangu.

Mahlangu said since the company announced its intentions to retrench morale among workers is very low. There have been many incidents that can compromise the health and safety of workers.

We have until the end of April 2015 and after that we don’t know what will happen. People are not concentrating; they are stressed about the impending retrenchments – there are a lot of accidents at the plant now,

said Mahlangu.

IndustriALL empowers women workers in Kenya

When discussing women’s role in trade unions, participants identified a number of problems women are facing in Kenya; companies lay women off when they fall pregnant; casual workers sign a contract only for three months and maternity rights are not even an issue; women's health needs more attention as women do not eat properly in an attempt to save money. Participants agreed that unions need to fight for maternity rights.

At the workshop women did a practical task of their workplace mapping, which revealed the job segregation at work. For example only men do ironing, and women cannot work in the boiler areas. However, due to the unions the situation at the workplace is changing, for example workers do not have to stay extra hours at their job until they met their target.

The participants discussed the idea of women's committees, which do not exist in either of their unions. They also looked at the unions' allocation of executive seats to women. Some had reserved seats, some have women's coordinators but no women's structure. More work needs to be done to make sure women take center stage.

During discussion of the tasks of the women's committees, the participants pointed to the necessity for women to participate in collective bargaining or their demands will be dropped.

At the end of the meeting the participants resolved to:

– provide a copy of the Collective bargaining  agreement to every member,

– encourage more women to join the union,

– raise the issue of women rights with the management

– advise women to make use of their rights and practice their abilities,

– make sure that there is enough ventilation to prevent women from fainting

– fight for more contract workers to join the union,

– fight to make contract workers permanent

Ghana must combat precarious work

Problems related to precarious work and outsourcing were visible on the agenda at a meeting between IndustriALL general secretary Jyrki Raina and Ghana’s minister of employment and labour relations Haruna Iddrisu on 14 April 2015 in Accra.

Raina was accompanied by regional secretary Fabian Nkomo and leaders of IndustriALL affiliates Industrial and Commercial Union (ICU), Ghana Mine Workers’ Union (GMWU) and Ghana Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union (GTPCWU).

The minister promised to study carefully a document prepared by the unions on the need to limit outsourcing and casualization. More than 60 percent of Ghana’s workforce is in the informal sector.

In companies, contract workers toil side by side with permanent workers, but they are not covered by collective agreements. Precarious workers earn sometimes only a third of what permanent workers do. They do not get any of the social benefits granted in collective agreements.

Jyrki Raina and minister Iddrisu agreed that Ghana needs to build a strong industrial base with added value products, instead of exporting mineral resources and crude oil. This requires a sustainable industrial policy to boost the creation of good quality permanent jobs, investments in infrastructure, skills and training of workers and access to energy at a reasonable price. Shortage of electricity is a huge problem for industrial companies.

Iddrisu reiterated the government’s commitment to the Decent Work Agenda and promised to continue dialogue with the unions to find solutions to different challenges.

Raina urged again the government to ratify ILO Convention 176 on health and safety in mines. Ghana is an important mining country. The minister tasked his staff to check where the mining ministry was with the ratification process.

During visits to aluminium, steel and textile companies, both management and local union representatives named the shortage of electricity as the biggest challenge on which there was no clear government strategy. Production has to be shut down on several days of the month, which means loss of sales. It also complicates the task of local union leaders to  negotiate better salaries and working conditions.

In all meetings and the press conference, salary disparities between local workers and expatriates doing the same job were described as a wide-spread problem. Raina promised to raise the question of fairness and equal treatment of workers with a number of multinational corporations with which IndustriALL has signed global framework agreements.

IndustriALL affiliates in Ghana told the general secretary about their increasing cooperation towards unity. They share a strong commitment towards a merger of all the three unions to create a single organization with a loud and united voice. The Ghana IndustriALL Country Council is preparing a joint Mayday action against outsourcing and precarious work.

Uganda mattress factory fire claims six

“We have been assured that there will be an intensive investigation into the deaths of these workers,” said Catherine Aneno, General Secretary of Uganda Textile Garments Leather and Allied Workers Union (UTGLAWU).

Despite having signed a recognition agreement with Crest Foam in 2009, the company has refused to negotiate with UTGLAWU, which is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union. In Uganda members only pay dues once a bargaining agreement has been reached with the company.

“We have met with the Minister of Labour and told him how uncooperative the company has been with the union in the past,” reports Aneno, who also expressed concern for the 250 workers at the factory. “Workers have been sent home with no information on what is to happen to their jobs, so we are organizing them; having them sign updated membership forms and calculating what is due to them should the company close.” 

The six workers that have died are burnt beyond recognition. The union will assist their families to seek compensation once DNA tests confirm their identity. Compensation will also be sought for two more workers that have been hospitalized.

 “Investigations are ongoing but it is clear that health and safety legislation is only worthwhile if it is implemented, monitored and enforced, which requires all stakeholders to actively play their part to ensure the safety of workers,” said Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of IndustriALL. “Our deepest sympathy and solidarity goes out to the families of the workers that lost their lives and all those affected by this tragedy.”  

Woman worker raped at South African mine

The man allegedly entered the female changing rooms at the mine holding a screwdriver, then forcefully ordered the woman to undress and threatened to kill her if she resisted.

The attacker, who is not thought to be an employee of the company, also threatened a second female worker.

IndustriALL Global Union’s South African affiliate, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), is demanding an explanation from the mine’s owners, Anglo-American Platinum, on how the suspect gained access to the mine’s premises.

The company has acknowledged that a ‘violent criminal act’ had taken place at the mine.

Frans Baleni, NUM general secretary and IndustriALL vice-president, said:

“As the NUM, we abhor violence and call on the law enforcement agencies to act without fear or favour. It is regrettable that the escalating violence against women, in particular, seeks to reverse the gains the country made in relation to the employment of women in the mines.”

In 2012, female mineworker, Pinky Mosiane, was brutally raped and murdered while working at Anglo-American’s Khomanani Mine, also in Rustenburg.

Most acts of sexual assault and violence against women in South African mines go unreported, as the women workers are afraid of losing their jobs.

The NUM is fighting hard for the women working in a male-dominated and sexist industry. The NUM reports that although large numbers of women are now working underground, nothing has been done to make mines a safer place for women. Sexual abuse and gender-based violence in mines are still pervasive, says the NUM.

“It is very disappointing that women workers while being subjected to the evils of capitalism, face yet another challenge, that of being invaded, raped, sexually abused and killed by co-workers who are supposed to be their protectors and comrades in arms,” said Baleni. 

Australian company does the dirty on Botswana miners

Workers were ordered to stop working during the night shift at about 2.30 am on 27 February and told to move all equipment to the surface halfway. They were then assembled together with all other workers at the mine and told by DML's Chief Executive Officer, Bob Fulker, in the presence of members of the Botswana police force, that management had no authority at the mine any longer and that they must leave the mine premises, including company accommodation, immediately. Workers were not allowed to ask questions, forced onto buses by the police and abandoned in Maun, a town 90 km away. 

Workers had been under threat of dismissal because the company said it was unable to sustain its operation on surface mining alone and needed to develop an underground mine to make exploitation of the copper reserve viable. However, on 9 February the company announced that it had secured an investor for the proposed developments and the necessary finance to end its current troubles.  

Then unexpectedly at the end of February, on the explanation of being unable to negotiate credit extensions, the company opted for voluntary administration and claimed it had no more responsibility for workers at its flagship mine in Botswana.

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the Bostwana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) was not informed of this decision by management prior to the lockout. When BMWU officials arrived at the mine they were initially refused entry onto the premises by police and then denied access to workers by management. Three hours later management reluctantly allowed the officials to speak to the remaining workers about to board the last two buses.

This brief meeting was interrupted by Fulker and the police. BMWU President Jack Tlhagale reports,  “When Mr Fulker ended and left, the Police Commander stepped in accompanied by another officer not in uniform to tell us that he had ‘finished talking’ and would like everybody out of the company premises without further delay.”

“DML Boseto mine operates in Botswana and should be subject to Botswana laws which it has side lined completely,” says Tlhagale. “Currently, the company has violated Botswana laws and based everything on Australian law and the Botswana Police were there to enforce this flagrant disregard and violation of our laws in broad daylight.”

“The behaviour of Australian company DML is unacceptable, leaving workers stranded and BMWU to grapple with how to pursue recourse. Even more shocking is the manipulation of state forces by DML to violate worker and trade union rights,” says Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of IndustriALL. “We have appealed to our Australian affiliates for solidarity support and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has agreed to represent the interests of workers with the administrators. “

NUM marches against Glencore

"We are being severely provoked and undermined by Glencore’s behaviour in South Africa," says NUM National Education Secretary Ecliff Tantsi.

“Glencore claims to respect human rights, community culture, collective bargaining and the right of employees to freely choose their union, but its practice is far from its rhetoric.” 

On 21 February, 2,000 NUM members at the Optimum colliery in the Mpumalanga Province organized a peaceful march to manifest their frustration and anger at Glencore’s CEO, EXCO and Board of Directors in South Africa and abroad.

The NUM has noted with grave concern Glencore’s tendency to buy companies with the aim of closing them and keeping the mining license. 

"Glencore is maximizing profit using vulnerable contractor’s employees. This behaviour is in direct contradiction to the company’s commitment in October 2012; when the merger was approved they promised there would be no retrenchments of any of the 100 lower level employees," says Tantsi.

A new amendment bill in employment equity clearly stipulates that employees should be paid equal salary for the same job. According to the NUM, closing the Optimum Colliery is clear move by Glencore to avoid this bill.

Tantsi says:

"Glencore is not willing to be subjected to the rule of law in our country."

The NUM has given Glencore seven days to respond to its demands:

Glen Mpufane IndustriALL Director of Mining says that global solidarity is key to showing Glencore how to treat its workers:

Glencore is behaving true to its status as a commodity trader rather than a mining company. They are not in mining for the long haul, but for the short term and that short term is profit. Glencore’s experiment in South Africa must be rejected, as must its experiment at Sherwin Alimuna.

Ghana: IndustriALL members locked out at Crown Holdings

On 27 January, workers at Crown Cans Ghana Limited, specializing in the manufacturing of metal packaging for the food industry, staged a protest in front of the company gate. Management had without any preliminary notice closed the gate. The only information given was a piece of paper left at the gate saying “factory shut until further notice” and undersigned in smaller letters “management”.

For three years the ICU has encountered a number of difficulties in organizing the factory and tough resistance from management. When the union finally succeeded to organize workers, the company management in retaliation dismissed all the initial union executives.

Later, Crown Cans refused to negotiate with the ICU and announced the closure of the factory. The union submitted the case to the National Labour Commission (NLC) and as a result Crown Cans was instructed to negotiate with ICU representatives.

Eventually Management informed the union that they were ready to start negotiating but only after removing their machinery and equipment from the factory. Obviously based on previous negative experiences the ICU rejected the proposal from the company.

The NLC requested that the two parties select mediators/arbitrators to enable negotiations. The ICU complied with this proposal, but Crown Cans management refused and instead decided to bring cranes into the factory to remove the machinery and equipment.

In response to the workers resistance, Crown management requested protection from the local police from the workers. The company’s demand was rejected and instead the police advised that the company follow the due process.

In view of current situation the NLC has requested an emergency meeting between Crown Cans management and the ICU aiming to resolve the dispute.

In his letter to Crown Holdings’ CEO, Jyrki Raina, IndustriALL General Secretary exposed the facts about the workers’ rights violations at the factory in Ghana and urged the company to reopen the factory, and to start negotiations with ICU representatives in good faith.

First Quantum Minerals dismiss workers demanding healthcare access

In early January 2015, workers downed tools at Kalumbila mine at the refusal of FQM to transport a deceased worker to a mortuary. The mine is located in a remote area and workers were angered at the lack of compassion. They have demanded that the mine provide transport to a health facility for those that are ill or injured. They also want a reduction in housing rental costs as the lowest rental charged by the company amounts to over 40 per cent of the minimum wage earned by workers at the mine.

As the government has yet to appoint a Minister of Labour, the Minster of Home Affairs was tasked with an intervention to resolve the matter and a delegation visited the mine including the Labour Commissioner and trade unionists. The company assured the Minister that no workers would be disciplined after the strike and that a report would be prepared on the issues raised by workers.

However on 29 January, 14 workers were dismissed for allegedly inciting the strike. MUZ challenged the dismissals in light of the assurance given by the company and was notified on 10 February that the company had reinstated eight of the dismissed workers.

Amongst the six workers that remain dismissed is the branch chairman of MUZ, Precious Masaba. "Masaba’s dismissal is in violation of the recognition agreement we have with FQM," says MUZ General Secretary, Joseph Chewe. "We cannot accept these dismissals as they are unfair, unprocedural and harsh."

Workers have raised legitimate demands, amongst which they seek to address concerns on access to health care and housing. Given the remote location of your operation, it is vital that these concerns are immediately addressed,

said Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of IndustriALL in a letter to FQM.

We will be monitoring your company for violations of trade union rights and are prepared to take action at an international level should issues raised by workers at First Quantum in Zambia remain unresolved.