STOP Precarious Work 2013

As precarious employment continues to spread throughout the globe, the Executive Committee of IndustriALL Global Union has endorsed a worldwide campaign to STOP Precarious Work. The global mobilization of affiliates on the World Day for Decent Work is an important component of the campaign, bringing visibility to the issue and strengthening efforts on the ground.

As IndustriALL’s campaign page shows, unions around the world took to the streets for colourful rallies and demonstrations, while others organized seminars and meetings with the authorities.

I enjoyed the flash mob organized by the Mining and Metallurgy union of Kyrgyzstan. In Nigeria, all affiliated unions together, wearing red and black IndustriALL t-shirts, joined forces with civil society allies to protest against casualization of work and anti-union practices.

And in Thailand, IndustriALL affiliates took the occasion to launch a new joint organization, the Confederation of Industrial Labour of Thailand (CILT), while demonstrating in favour of the ratification of ILO conventions 87 and 98 and a labour law reform.

However, IndustriALL’s STOP Precarious Work campaign is not only about an annual action day, it's about a mainstreamed strategic goal. The issue of precarious work continues to be a standing item on the agenda of all IndustriALL meetings to develop common approaches and actions. We need better laws and collective agreements. We need continuous mobilization and pressure.

Several union networks in multinational companies are undertaking mapping of the incidence of precarious work in their companies and formulating joint strategies to reduce it. New improved language is being introduced to global framework agreements with major corporations like Lafarge and Enel. The “Temporary Work Charter for the Volkswagen Group" remains a benchmark. We need more agreements like this.

IndustriALL’s major externally-funded project is supporting a large number of specific activities in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Regional and national activities are focusing on supporting affiliates to make demands on employers through collective bargaining to limit precarious employment, to push for legislative reform that restricts precarious work, and to resist legislation that expands it.

Organizing precarious workers continues to be a priority. In many cases, union structures do not permit it and need to be reformed.

In October 2012, IndustriALL released a publication attacking the massive expansion of employment via agencies, labour brokers, dispatchers and contractors and the wholesale replacement of permanent, direct employment. ‘The Triangular Trap: Unions take action against agency labour’ exposes the lobbying efforts of the global agency industry body Ciett to remove legal restrictions on agency work. It is still a useful tool for raising awareness of the dangerous impact on workers’ rights.

The massive spread of precarious work is a global problem and we must unite to fight against it. Join us in the global campaign to STOP Precarious Work!

Jyrki Raina

General Secretary

Precarious Work in Rio Tinto Operation in Madagascar

No fair settlement has been reached for 300 dismissed workers after the sudden termination, by Rio Tinto in Madagascar, of the contract with a subcontractor last July. As a matter of solidarity for these precarious workers, and following the letter IndustriALL sent to Sam Walsh on this issue on 20 August, IndustriALL Global Union has written another protest letter to Sam Walsh, CEO of Rio Tinto, on the occasion of the World Decent Work Day on 7 October.

IndustriALL expressed serious concerns over the mass dismissal at Rio Tinto operation in Madagascar at QMM and the impact of this action on the workers and the community. 

On behalf of IndustriALL Global Union and its Rio Tinto Global Union Network, I urge you as the Chief Executive Officer to enter into a meaningful and genuine dialogue with the trade unions and government authorities to address the dreadful situation of the dismissed workers, and to comply with both national labour laws and international labour standards. 

said Jyrki Raina, IndustriALL Global Union General Secretary.

In July 2013, QMM ended its contract with the security company OMEGA Risk Solutions. QMM opted instead to hire two cheaper companies, naming cuts in operation costs as the reason for terminating the contract. Rio Tinto’s termination of OMEGA Risk Solutions’ contract resulted in the collective dismissal of 300 workers, terminated with only one month’s notice. IndustriALL Global Union’s affiliate, FISEMA, tried, but with no success, to engage in social dialogue with QMM to deal with the disregard for social planning commitments for the dismissed workers. 

For more on this case see full article here

Mauritius Actions

To mark the World Day for Decent Work, on 7 October, the Government Services Employees Association (GSEA) of Mauritius organized a one-day workshop on the theme “Precarious Work-Our Concern”.

The workshop was held at the GSEA in Beau Bassin and included around 75 participants from the GSEA and of IndustriALL’s affiliates, the Agricultural and General Workers Union (AGWU) and the Electrical and Mechanical Workers Union (EMWU).

The presidents of the 3 unions addressed the meeting and highlighted the various situations of precarious working conditions in their respective sectors, this included workers on short term contract, casual workers, agency workers, enlistment of young graduates on short term contracts, resorting to services of retired employees to temporarily cater for unfilled vacancies and migrant workers.

Participants formed small groups on concrete actions that can be initiated in the short run to address the issue of precarious work in Mauritius and after discussions, the participants came up with the following resolutions:

Nigeria Actions

On 7 October, IndustriALL Global Union marked the World Day for Decent Work. For IndustriALL Global Union, the day of Action provided a critical platform to further strengthen the Stop Precarious Work Campaign and remind employers and Governments to act responsibly on workplace issues for workers and also mobilize and call workers to action against all forms of violations of the rights of workers.

The National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, CANMPSSAN, and National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non Metallic Products Employees, NUCFRLANMPE. Civil society allies under the Joint Action Forum, JAF, Democratic Socialist Movement, DSM, and Campaign for Workers Democratic Rights, CWDR were all part of the protest.

The protesters were led by IndustriALL Global Union, African Region Chairman and General Secretary of NUTGTWN, Comrade Issa Aremu alongside civil society allies in a road show, calling for a stop to all forms of precarious employment in Nigeria.

The protesters marched from Acme Road through Aromire Avenue, Oba Akran, Niwil Close to Allen Avenue in Ikeja. They carried various placards with inscriptions such as "Stop casual and contract work"; "respect workers rights"; "Equal pay for equal work", "Just and humane conditions of work", "Improved health and safety conditions. 'There should be respect for freedom of association", "Respect for collective bargaining", among others.

Addressing the gathering at the Textile Labour House on ACME Road, Ogba Lagos, before the mass rally, Comrade Aremu, reminded the gathering that the struggle for decent work was historical.

He recalled that workers in colonial employment in the mines, railway and colonial public service were not only poorly paid, they were discriminated against and denied the right to unionize. He stressed the sacrifices of the heroes of the trade union movement like Pa Michael Imoudu, H.P Adebola, S.U. Bassey, Wahab Goodluck and others, in negotiating freedom, improved pay and the right to form unions during brutal colonial record.

Zimbabwe Actions

Zimbabwean affiliate, Newu and the recently merged Numaiz commemorated the World Day for Decent Work with a clean-up of a public space in Harare on Saturday the 12th of October 2013.

Members of the National Engineering Workers Union (Newu) and the Nation Union of Metalworkers in Zimbabwe (Numaiz), joined in the event organised by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU). Over the years the commemoration of WDDW has been through community service events in residential areas raising awareness of the decent work agenda with the communities.

An official of the ZCTU, Peter Mutasa, addressed those that took part in the event, many of whom were youth, on the need for social partners to address working conditions of precarious workers and ensure wages that allowed them to live above the poverty datum line. He said that decent work is important for achieveing quitable, inclusive and sustainable development and the eradication of poverty. 

Mutasa also took the opportunity to condemn police brutality on protesting wives of  coal mineworkers in Hwange on 7 October 2013. The women were demanding that their husband’s receive their wages, which have gone unpaid for five months. Police fired tear gas and assaulted the group of about a hundred women and children. 

International Meeting of the Automotive sector

High level representatives from almost all auto companies which have production sites in Mexico participated in this meeting, such as Audi and MAN from Volkswagen Group, Ford, GM, Chrysler, AB Volvo, Honda and Nissan (represented by JAW), Bosch and Mahle.

From the Mexican side, the correspondent unions from the Mexican plants of the companies mentioned above, as well as several independent unions such as STUHM, which is fighting for recognition at Honda, los Mineros involved in organising in auto parts  (PKC) and other unions representing workers from the automotive sector participated in intense debates about the unionisation in this strategic sector for the Mexican economy.

It is worth mentioning that at the same time as our meeting was held, several Industriall affiliates joined the progressive organizations in a huge national rally which included all the democratic and independent unions(los Mineros, SME , CNTE- Teachers , CNT, FAT, Honda etc)  against the neo liberal reforms proposed by the Federal Government, and in commemoration of the infamous students massacre (Tlatelolco) on October 2, 1968.

The aim of the Automotive sector meeting was to inform the international participants about the union situation in Mexico and to continue the work of IndustriALL in Mexico.

On the third day of the meeting, all the international participants visited “their” plant to figure out the concrete situation there. The participants then came back to the meeting on the fourth day to share and discuss their different experiences. Some of the international unionists already had previous contacts with their correspondent union, some others created new contacts and in several plants it became absolutely clear that there was no real union. In these cases, the employer has a contract with a “ghost” union to protect the company from having a real union and the workers normally don´t know that they are compulsory members of a  pseudo “union” and have no idea of the existence of a collective agreement.

At the end of the meeting we made the following decisions and recommendations:

Several important side meetings also took place, as for example between the independent union of Continental workers (SNTGTM), USW and IndustriALL, as well as  between the JAW and Honda union from Japan and STUHM (the Mexican union which is trying to organize workers at Honda Mexico) who discussed the situation at the Honda plant where management dismissed the leadership of STUHM because of their unionizing activities, between JAW and Los Mineros ; a briefing on the situation at PKC, Ciudad Acuña, talks between UAW & Nissan Cuernavaca, and a meeting among the independent and democratic unions  in the sector also took place after the official meeting.

After the meeting the Japanese delegation had also planned a meeting with the Japanese embassy and other institutions as well as a study visit. 

Helmut Lense express IndustriALL’s views in his conclusion speech: 

We should be inclusive and ready to work and respect different political, ideological and cultural beliefs and cultures  but we have two  fundamental principles that should always be followed: first, the workers should decide freely which union they want to join and second, the collective bargaining process should be transparent and driven by the workers” .

Strike over and another averted in South Africa

Numsa members in the motor component sector achieved a 10 per cent wage increase, with 8 per cent in year two and again in year three. The three year agreement brought to an end the four week long strike on 6 October.

The demand put forward by the NUM in the coal sector was for a 60 per cent wage increase for entry level workers and 15 per cent for skilled workers. The offer made by employers in the Chamber of Mines of 7.5 per cent for entry level workers and 7 per cent for skilled workers was rejected by the NUM and a dispute was declared.

Employers in the coal sector then made individual two year wage increase offers ranging from 11 per cent for entry level workers to 8 per cent for skilled workers, including miners and artisans. If workers did not agree with the revised offer tabled, then a strike would have resulted. After a week of consultation with members, the NUM accepted the offers at the end of September and the strike was averted.

Unions mobilize around the world against precarious work

Unions around the world have joined IndustriALL’s global campaign to STOP Precarious Work. As reports, photos and videos of actions come pouring in, IndustriALL has set up a campaign page dedicated to reporting on actions taken all around the world.

From Chile to Croatia and from Finland to Madagascar workers voices are being heard loud and clear.  Workers have taken to the streets in Peru, Colombia, Thailand, Brazil, India, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and many other countries.

In Peru dozens of textile and garment workers, members of IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the National Federation of Textile Workers (FNTTP), marched through Lima city centre on 4 October.

In Thailand more than 3000 workers from the Confederation of Industrial Labour of Thailand (CILT), the State Enterprise Unions Confederation (SERC), Thai Labour Solidarity Committee and the migrant workers network and the informal sector network, marched to the Government House demanding the ratification of ILO Conventions 87 and 98 and labour law reform that adheres to international labour standards.

In Madagascar at Rio Tinto operations at Fort-Dauphin, workers and members of the Fédération des Syndicats des Travailleurs de l’Energie et des Mines (FISEMA),  in the midst of their struggle on the settlement of the mass dismissals in the plant distributed flyers on 7 October to mark the World Day for Decent Work .

Elsewhere, unions raised awareness of the issues with their members, debated union responses to precarious work and sent letters to their governments demanding action.

In Cambodia, IndustriALL Global Union affiliates of the South East Asia Region met to develop their strategies for 2014 to fight Precarious Work.

If your union has taken action around 7 October, but your actions don’t appear on IndustriALL’s STOP Precarious Work campaign page, then send them to: [email protected]. You can also tweet using the hashtag #STOPprecariousWork or share your actions with us on facebook.

Somalia Actions

On 7 October, an affiliate of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU), , and its affiliated trade unions commemorated the World Day for Decent Work 2013 in demanding decent work for all and decent salaries for workers.

In a one-day workshop held in the conference hall of FESTU headquarters in Mogadishu, union leaders and organizers collectively voiced that Somali workers deserve to enjoy fair terms of employment, decent working and living conditions, a safe and secure workplace, social security and health care. 25 union representatives from ten industrial unions demanded that the federal government to pass the minimum wages bill in order for Somali workers to gain their rightful entitlement to decent wages.

The workshop welcomed the announcement by the Prime Minister of Somalia that the decent work country programme for Somalia will be concluded and implemented, but participants stressed the for these words to be turned into concrete actions.

“We want to see work done on workers’ demands regardless of mere words of promises,” said Omar Faruk Osman, FESTU General Secretary. “Somali people need employment to sustain. However, the employment has to be in decent working conditions ensuring worker rights.”

FESTU members collectively demanded the federal government to create employment for unemployed Somalis, particularly youths who are migrating from the country. Unemployment in Somalia is a major source of instability and threat to sound progress in the country.

“Let us join hands with the workers of the entire world in commemorating this Day with fervour and dedication to secure decent work in our nation" said Faruk Osman, FESTU General Secretary.

Powering up the Southern African Energy Network

36 participants representing unions organizing workers in the energy sector constitute the Southern Africa Energy Network (SAEN). The meeting of the group was sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and IndustriALL Global Union.

A central goal of SAEN is to have influence on the regional energy delivery landscape by pushing for the inclusion of labour issues in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) where key discussions take place. SAPP was created in 1995 by SADC countries and is aimed at providing reliable and economical electricity to the consumers of its member states while considering reasonable use of natural resources and the effect on the environment.

At the meeeting the participants agreed that SEAN could influence the inclusion of the labour issues in SAPP agenda only thorugh the coordinated cooperation among energy sector unions in Southern Africa.

SAEN meeting particpants resolved that research was needed to support the work of the network, as well as discussed and agreed upon the concepts of mapping the industrial relations landscape in the energy sector in the region. Labor Research Service (LRS) represented by Michelle Taal has been commissioned to do the mapping and research.

Participants reflected on the achievements of the network in 2012, in particular coming together to give solidarity support to the Zimbabwe Electricity Workers Union (ZEWU) throughout the ordeal of the suspension of 135 workers at the state owned utility ZESA, all of whom have now been reinstated with the exception of the union’s president, Angeline Chitambo. ZEWU continues to fight the dismissal.

Participants also received reports on the work that has been done to strengthen energy unions NESAWU in Zambia and SINTIME in Mozambique. Capacity building is an important area of work for the network and participants recommitted to building self sustainability.

Decisions were taken on campaign areas for 2014, to address precarious work in the sector and call for a living wage.  A campaign would also be carried out aimed at giving workers in the energy sector the right to strike, denied to energy workers in these countries as they are considered to be performing an essential service.