Read this article in:
10 April, 2006
Meeting in Istanbul on 6 and 7 April, delegates at the ICEM’s 3rd World Conference for the Rubber Industries ended two days of discussions and information exchange on Friday with the adoption of a plan for action.
Topics at the conference included current world-wide trends in the rubber industries, one of the most oligopolistic industrial sectors, and their effect on workers, as well as the need for multinational companies to guarantee respect for national and international workers’ rights. The conference was attended by over 100 representatives from 16 ICEM affiliated rubber sector trade unions from 14 countries.
At the conference, two special resolutions were adopted. The first one dealt with the recently announced Goodyear plant closures in the UK and Poland, declaring international solidarity support towards the Goodyear workers in those countries.
The second resolution calls on Goodyear, Bridgestone and Pirelli to “exert common sense and to bargain in good faith” with Turkey’s ICEM affiliate Lastik-Iş. These three companies take a very harsh approach to collective bargaining in Turkey. They are not only demanding concessions in working conditions, they have also consistently called on the Turkish government to ban strikes, while simultaneously threatening to leave the country.
The conference adopted an action plan for the next four years, setting out broad guidelines for international trade union action at both national and international level. An important priority in the action plan is the need for continued and improved dialogue with multinational companies in the rubber sector, including through global framework agreements and global trade union networks. Special emphasis also goes to health and safety issues.
Other priority areas are the difficulties related to the increased use of contract and agency labour and the fight for gender equality.
Leo Gerard, International President of ICEM’s US affiliate USW (United Steelworkers), was re-elected as Chair of the ICEM rubber section.
Speaking at the conclusion of the conference, ICEM general secretary Fred Higgs said that “The discussions, resolutions and adoption of a forward looking action plan by the conference demonstrates that unions around the world in the rubber sector are determined to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing industry on the basis of mutual support and solidarity”.
For the resolution on the Goodyear plant closings in the UK and Poland, click here.
For the resolution on collective bargaining in Turkey, click here.
For more information on this conference, including background documents and presentations, click here.