Workers celebrate agreements with ArcelorMittal in Pittsburgh and Monrovia.

The USW and ArcelorMittal agreement is valid for three years and will cover 14,000 workers at 15 ArcelorMittal U.S. Sites. The USW reports the negotiations were tough, the union had to defend against the company’s attempts to impose a two-tier wage system. USW also had to protect seniority rights and maintain limits on work performed by outside contractors. The agreement provides for a wage increase and improved health care conditions. The specific details of the agreement are not disclosed until the members’ approval voting, which will last several weeks.
 
“After ten long weeks of difficult negotiations that continued past the expiration of our previous contract, the hard work of our committee has resulted in a tentative agreement with ArcelorMittal,” said Leo W. Gerard, USW International President, commenting on the agreement. “Our members’ unwavering solidarity throughout the bargaining process in the face of management’s high-risk scare tactics and demands for major cutbacks has been rewarded,” Gerard added.
 
At the same time the  Liberia where United Workers Union of Liberia (UWUL) has concluded its first collective bargaining agreement with ArcelorMittal.
 
The agreement signed in Monrovia came after years of organizing in the mining sector since Liberia’s civil war forced the shutdown of the iron ore mines in the mid-1990s. Among other conditions the agreement includes a wage increase up to 20 per cent and enhanced benefits for the employees.  The company and the union will also establish a joint health and safety committee.
 
The IndustriALL Global Union puts a special focus on provision of healthy and safe working conditions at ArcelorMittal sites. Back in 2007, the International Metalworkers’ Federation one of the co-founders of IndustriALL, the European Metalworkers' Federation (now IndustriAll European Trade Union) and the United Steelworkers signed an agreement with ArcelorMittal on the creation of a Joint Global Health and Safety Committee (JGHSC). One part of the agreement foresees the creation of joint bodies at ArcelorMittal sites, which are aimed at improving occupational health and safety.
 

Unions are taking action to STOP Precarious Work

In Indonesia IndustriALL’s affiliates together three confederations, KSPI, KSBSI and KSPSI will mount an extensive national strike to stop outsourcing and fight against low wages from 25 September to 15 October, including a major rally on 3 October.

In Mauritius, since the promulgation of two new labour laws in February 2009,  private sector workers have seen their acquired rights put at risk. The CMCTEU, together with its confederation the CTSP, will hold a Mass Demonstration on Sunday 7 October. Workers and their families have been invited to participate.

In Germany, the IG BCE will join the planned actions of the confederation DGB in a one day conference on 7 October in Berlin to raise awareness on issues including fighting precarious work and trade union rights violations.

In South Africa, Colombia, Thailand and the Philippines, more actions are planned in conjunction with other activities and will be reported on the IndustriALL website. Slovak and Hungarian unions are planning to organize a joint meeting on the issue of precarious work around 7 October close to the Hungarian border.

There are no limits on the forms of action that you and your union can take on or around 7 October to support the global fight against precarious work. Actions could include street protests, seminars, membership meetings, press conferences, public meetings, rallies, workplace actions, letter writing campaigns and delegations to governments.

Share your actions with IndustriALL by emailing us at [email protected] or through our STOP Precarious Work Cause page. Follow IndustriALL on twitter and tweet using the #STOPprecariouswork hashtag and IndustriALL will retweet your actions and photos. Posters and leaflets are available in different languages here. 

Wage deal at Lonmin but labour unrest continues in South Africa’s mining sector

A wage deal was struck following a month of tense negotiations and continuing labour strife in the aftermath of police killing 34 striking Lonmin miners on 16 August. Rock drillers, whose demands for a monthly salary of R12,500 were at the centre of the strike, will now receive R11,078 after a 22 per cent increase as well a once off bonus to return to work.

The deal is likely to set a precedent for wage demands and create a new benchmark for wages in the sector and could possibly fuel a ripple effect of labour unrest in the mining sector. Already 15,000 gold miners at KDC West operations of Goldfields are on strike citing demands related to those of workers at Marikana. Anglo Platinum has shut down its Rustenburg operations in anticipation of spreading labour unrest and on 18 September, police fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse protestors outside the mine.  There are also rumblings that workers at Impala Platinum have been inspired by the deal to make similar demands.

Whilst the strike may be over, shock at the violence and the unnecessary force used by police has led to the recognition that changes are needed in the mining sector. From their congress currently in session, the Confederation of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) states “We are extremely concerned that the events of 16 August and the on-going violence, whose main victims remain the exploited masses, has shifted the focus and blame from the platinum bosses who have systematically undermined collective bargaining and promoted division amongst workers, and who have been sitting in the shadows enjoying profits from the very workers whose families have now been robbed of their only breadwinners.” Full Cosatu statement.

There is still much to do to address the working and living conditions of mineworkers that have received much exposure as the root cause of the unrest. Attention has also been drawn to the plight of mining communities and sub contracted workers. To this end, Cosatu has called for a second independent commission of inquiry to investigate the employment and social conditions of workers in the mining industry, historically and at present. This second commission will work parallel to the judicial commission already appointed by the South African President, Jacob Zuma to look into the Lonmin tragedy.  

Whilst plans are underway to establish centralized bargaining for the platinum industry, worker confidence in union representation and the collective bargaining process needs to be rebuilt. Cosatu has expressed its commitment to defend the National Union of Mineworkers (Num).

The NUM has been at the forefront of calling for radical change in the industry. But its efforts have been frustrated by unilateralism on the part of the bosses, by the blind encouragement of splinter unions by the bosses by competition for positions of shop steward, by the resuscitation of tribalism in some areas, and the resistance of our government to ban the practice of labour broking. COSATU condemns, in the strongest terms, the opportunistic political exploitation of the plight of workers and incitement to violence by any groups or individuals for their own selfish ends.

Workers must come first in proposed EADS and BAE merger

IndustriALL Global Union is calling for an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the merger for workers in both companies.

The proposed merger is suggested as good for business but this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s good for the workforce and the countries where they operate. Eliminating the fear of workers will assist in a faster integration of the two companies should the merger proceed.

The new company would have a workforce of over 200,000 and annual sales of over 57 billion GBP. Although both companies have a presence in similar markets there are also areas that are unique to each such as EADS Space Division.

As both companies have a considerable defense portfolio a lot of attention has been focused on the implications and issues of national interest. Although this attention is warranted what’s likely to have an equally important impact is the companies’ industrial strategy post merger.

In order for unions to support the merger management must first eliminate fear among workers and develop a transparent and inclusive process. Unions in both companies have been developing strategies in response to the announcement and IndustriALL has a central role in coordinating these efforts globally.

Rob Johnston, Executive Director of IndustriALL Global Union and responsible for Aerospace argues, “A merger of this nature needs careful consideration. Both companies provide thousands of highly skilled jobs we can’t afford to gamble with these. We need to ensure the checks and balances are in place to protect employment and that a well thought out business plan exists should the merger take place.”

Critical to unions is transparency throughout the merger process and the ability to influence the company’s future plans. Since the announcement of the merger most commentary has focused on the economic case. Little attention has focused on the industrial strategy and the management’s business plan in particular the case for jobs.

Unions in both EADS and BAE Systems have been loudest in raising this question. To date an answer has not been provided and that’s why unions are seeking a greater involvement in the merger process. IndustriALL will coordinate these efforts at the global level engaging unions across the world and developing a common platform among unions.

Making the case for jobs and employment is a vitally important element to the success or failure of the proposed merger. Developing new tools that will up-skill an already highly skilled workforce should form an integral part of any new business model. The result of the merger must not be a weaker but larger company, but a company focused on developing and retaining a highly skilled workforce to secure its success.

Say NO to the hazards of precarious work

Hazards magazine has just released “trashed!” a detailed report on the challenges of the dangerous shift to increasingly precarious work. Hazards editor Rory O’Neill examines the lasting health damage caused to an increasingly disposable workforce. “In a recession-ravaged world, even if you’ve got a permanent job, you feel insecure. If you’ve got a temporary job, you are permanently insecure.”

Union activists have already started preparing actions around 7 October. Last week 695 people joined the online cause to STOP precarious work, bringing the total to currently 1,310 members of which 285 have taken the pledge to take action.  Join the cause and sign the pledge to take action around 7 October and help us reach 1,000 pledges 

There are no limits on the forms of action that you and your union can take on or around 7 October to support the global fight against precarious work. Actions could include street protests, seminars, membership meetings, press conferences, public meetings, rallies, workplace actions, letter writing campaigns and delegations to governments.

Let’s turn facebook and twitter RED on 7 October, change your profile picture and share with your facebook community. Download the STOP precarious work image and upload it to your cover picture. Follow IndustriALL on twitter and tweet using the #STOPprecariouswork hashtag and IndustriALL will retweet your actions and photos.

Labour keeps up pressure for democracy in Swaziland

Swaziland, one of the world’s last absolute monarchies, is a country in crisis. For almost 40 years the Swazi people have been subjected to a state of emergency, which has entrenched a repressive state through all levels of government.

In recent years, a deepening economic crisis has pushed most Swazi people into absolute poverty. The health care system is on the brink of collapse which is especially critical given that 25 per cent of the population is living with HIV. The public sector is in disarray due to lack of funding and government struggles to meet the payroll.

Meanwhile, the Royal family continues to live a lavish lifestyle and king Mswati III is accused by the Swaziland Democracy Campaign of looting the economy. Mswati has maintained control through an oppressive regime, with ever increasing human and trade union rights abuses. Political parties are banned and activists are regularly arrested, imprisoned and tortured.  

Labour has been at the forefront of calling for change and is viewed as a threat by the regime. The recently formed Trade Union Confederation of Swaziland (Tucoswa), uniting organized labour in the country, has come under attack from the government.

According to Churchboy Dlamini, General Secretary of Swaziland Electricity Supply Maintenance and Allied Workers Union, Tucoswa’s deregistration by the government is unfounded as all procedures were followed. “The government, who publically congratulated Tucoswa on its formation is now not recognizing the federation,” says Dlamini. “As Swaziland Trade Unions we agreed to form Tucoswa, we speak Tucoswa, we walk Tucoswa, everything we do is united under Tucoswa and there is nothing that will make us change and we will not go back on this.

Labour sought unsuccessfully to urgently challenge Tucoswa’s deregistration in the labour court so that the global week of action could be organized under the auspices of the federation. Unionist interpret the court’s ruling that the matter should be discussed at the Labour Advisory Board as a delaying tactic, designed to demobilize the planned actions. Subsequently, Tucoswa affiliates attempted to mobilize actions as individual unions but were not granted the necessary permission.

Despite this, some actions were able to get off the ground but participants were subjected to police brutality with beatings and arrests. Other actions were demobilized by police turning back buses and those that managed to assemble were subjected to intimidation including some arrests.

Tension grew throughout the week and organizers cancelled the main protest action planned for Friday, not wanting to put protestors in harms way as security forces made it clear that they were prepared to repress the action.

Organizers were able to successfully hold a People’s Summit despite attempts by police to disrupt the meeting and threatening to arrest leaders.  The summit was attended by more than a thousand people despite heavy rains and sought to chart a way forward for a New Democratic Swaziland.

In the week, IndustriALL sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Swaziland calling for constitutional reform and multiparty democracy in Swaziland and demanding that the people of Swaziland should be able to exercise their legal rights without fear of persecution, harassment, intimidation or violence.

The letter also warns the Prime Minister of international pressure. “IndustriALL Global Union stands with the trade unions and people of Swaziland to demand urgent reforms by your Government,” says Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of IndustriALL. “We have prioritized giving support to their efforts within Swaziland and at a regional and international level, and I can assure you that we will not cease our efforts until such time as human and trade union rights are upheld in your country.”

IndustriALL also sent letters to heads of the Southern African Development Community and the African Union as well as to the South African government, calling for their intervention to ensure democracy and freedom in Swaziland. 

“We appreciate the messages of support from organizations globally and those that have come to be with us, particularly from labour. Says Frank Mcina, General Secretary of Swaziland Amalgamated Trade Union. “Comrades from South Africa in Cosatu, especially Numsa have stood by our side here in Swaziland, working alongside us in our struggle.”

“There is no way we will abandon this,” says Mcina, expressing a commitment shared by most unionists in Swaziland. “We will continue with pressure until the regime recognizes that people have the right to speak and we regain our rights, including the fundamental labour right of freedom of association.”

Unions struggle for democracy in Swaziland

Tension grew throughout the week and organizers cancelled the main protest action planned for Friday, not wanting to put protestors in harms way as security forces made it clear that they were prepared to repress the action.

However, some actions did go ahead in Swaziland but participants were subjected to police brutality with beatings and arrests. Other actions were demobilized by police turning back buses and those that managed to assemble were subjected to intimidation including some arrests.

“There is no way we will abandon this,” said Frank Mcina, General Secretary of Swaziland Amalgamated Trade Union, expressing a commitment to the struggle for democracy and human rights shared by most unionists in Swaziland.

“We will continue with pressure until the regime recognizes that people have the right to speak and we regain our rights, including the fundamental labour right of freedom of association,” added Mcina.

After almost 40 years in a state of emergency, Swaziland, one of the world’s last absolute monarchies, is experiencing a deepening economic crisis that has pushed most Swazi people into absolute poverty.

Meanwhile, the Royal family continues to live a lavish lifestyle and king Mswati III is accused by the Swaziland Democracy Campaign of looting the economy. Mswati has maintained control through an oppressive regime, where political parties are banned and activists are regularly arrested, imprisoned and tortured. 

The recently formed Trade Union Confederation of Swaziland (Tucoswa), uniting organized labour in the country, has come under attack with the government seeking to deregister the union.

IndustriALL Global Union wrote to the Prime Minister of Swaziland calling for constitutional reform and multiparty democracy in Swaziland in support of the Global Week of Action on Swaziland.

“We have prioritized giving support to their efforts within Swaziland and at a regional and international level, and I can assure you that we will not cease our efforts until such time as human and trade union rights are upheld in your country.,” wrote Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of IndustriALL.

See here a more detailed report on the week of action in Swaziland.

Numsa strike continues as Dunlop refuses to budge

The 300 Numsa members at Dunlop in Howick, Kwa Zulu Natal have been on strike since 22 August after their demands for a two year agreement with an increase of 10 per cent in the first year and 9 per cent in the second year were not met. Workers are also demanding two weeks bonus pay and two weeks severance pay for each year that they have worked for the company.

“We strongly believe that these demands by workers are reasonable and legitimate,” says Numsa’s Kwa Zulu Natal Regional Secretary, Mbuso Ngubane, “We refuse to allow members to be subjected to starvation and poverty wages.”

The striking workers are made up of permanent and casual workers. Casual workers employed through labour brokers by Dunlop is increasing, which is of great concern to Numsa. “Employment of a sizeable number of workers through labour broker continues to plunge Dunlop workers to unbecoming conditions,” claims Ngubane, “therefore we commit to fight for their permanent employment.”

Dunlop has responded to the strike by employing scab labour and has refused to return to the negotiation table. The company has also employed heavily armed private security, which Numsa claims is a tactic to intimidate and threaten striking workers.

Since the incident at Lonmin where police shot and killed 34 striking workers, there has been a high deployment of police at the strike, which Numsa has described as an exaggeration and a provocation at a very tense time for labour relations in South Africa.

Ngubane speaks of memories this evokes, “This newly found deployment of police officers is no different from the apartheid past experiences where police were irresponsibly used to protect the interests of the capitalist bosses.” He believes that the reaction of the police is unwarranted as the strike has been characterised by a high level of discipline and maturity by workers.  

Global youth unemployment is on the rise

In developed economies in 2007, before the financial crisis began in the United States and spread to the euro zone, the unemployment rate for young people was only 12.5 per cent as opposed to 17.5 per cent in 2012 and a projected 15.6 per cent in 2017.

“Ironically, only in developed economies are youth unemployment rates expected to fall in the coming years, but this follows the largest increase in youth unemployment among all regions since the start of the crisis,” said Ernst Ekkehard, lead author of the ILO paper on Global Employment.  “This decline is mainly related to the fact that increasingly, young people are dropping out of the labour market as they find it more difficult to find a job [and] they are not counted among the unemployed.”

An ILO paper on the “Global Employment Outlook: Bleak Labour Market Prospects for Youth” shows that the impact of the euro crisis is spreading as far as East Asia and Latin America, making the situation worse for young jobseekers.

At the International Labour Conference (ILC) in June 2012 the ILO adopted a resolution calling for immediate, targeted and renewed action to tackle the youth employment crisis.

Today the ILO is calling on governments and social partners to foster pro-employment growth and decent job creation, promote macroeconomic policies and adopt fiscally sustainable and targeted measures such as labour-intensive infrastructure programmes, wage and training subsidies. 

View an interview with Ernst Ekkehard, author of “Global employment Outlook: Bleak Labour market Prospects for youth”  here: http://youtu.be/_RL6XFUgFyI

Stop precarious work on 7 October

Secure jobs are becoming more and more rare, while agency work, contract work and temporary work are taking over. For young people, there is practically no other option – the only jobs on offer are insecure. 

Unions are pushing against this tide by organizing precarious workers, fighting laws that expand precarious work and mobilizing in support of secure employment with good pay and working conditions.

IndustriALL Global Union invites you to join the action on or around 7 October. Start taking action now and:

There are no limits on the forms of action that you and your union can take this 7 October to support the global fight against precarious work. Actions could include street protests, seminars, membership meetings, press conferences, public meetings, rallies, workplace actions, letter writing campaigns and delegations to governments. 

IndustriALL has produced print-ready artwork of posters and leaflets in several languages available for download on its website here: www.industriall-union.org/issues/social-justice-and-globalization/stop-precarious-work

Don’t forget to send us photos and reports of your action once it has taken place. The address to send your action information is [email protected].