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15 July, 2005ICEM News release No. 2/2000
Imerys, the ceramics and construction materials multinational, has just given itself a new name and a new image. But it already risks seeing them tarnished by an international dispute over its anti-union stance in the USA.
In Brussels today, the American Imerys workers' union joined with Belgian unions and a global trade union federation in launching a world campaign to win full trade union rights throughout Imerys' operations.
Belgian financiers the Frere family are major investors in Imerys, and the unions insisted that the Frere group must intervene to ensure that Imerys' American plants immediately cease anti-union practices that would not be tolerated in Europe.
Known until recently as Imetal, the company claims to be the world leader in refractory raw materials, paper pigments, white pigments and high-purity graphite.
The US Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers union (PACE) is fighting anti-union campaigns by Imerys at its plants in Georgia and Alabama. The restructuring that led to the formation of Imerys last year included the merger of unionised and non-unionised production plants in the USA. PACE now wants the chance to represent workers throughout the newly merged Imerys operation there, but the company has hired professional "union-busters" to discourage union organising and is blocking all attempts to plebiscite its workers on whether they wish to be represented by the union.
At the global level, PACE is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
ICEM Belgian affiliate the Centrale Générale-FGTB/Algemene Centrale-ABVV has also declared its full support for the American trade unionists.
At the Centrale Générale headquarters in Brussels today, the following statement was issued by Michel Nollet, President, Belgian General Labour Federation (FGTB/ABVV); Paul Lootens, General Secretary of the Centrale Générale; Fred Higgs, ICEM General Secretary; and Joe Drexler, Special Projects Director of PACE:
The FGTB, Centrale Générale, ICEM and PACE condemn the continued refusal of the American management of Imerys to permit a free and fair determination of its US employees' wishes concerning trade union representation.
We note that PACE has charged Imerys with seven serious violations of US labour law. The US National Labor Relations Board is currently investigating the accusations, which could lead to prosecutions. In particular, PACE charges that the employer has threatened and harassed pro-union employees because of their activities, and that the company has financed and otherwise supported an anti-union campaign group known as the "A-team."
We also note that Imerys has hired professional "union-busters" to advise it on methods of pressurising its employees to reject trade union representation. Methods employed by the company so far include meetings which employees are obliged to attend and at which anti-union videos are screened. Among other things, these videos equate trade unionism with the mafia. Employees are not permitted to ask questions at these meetings.
23 percent of the shares in Imerys are in the hands of the Frere group's financial holding company. It is wholly unacceptable that Belgian shareholders should support a company involved in anti-union practices.
We call upon Imerys to agree, without further delay, to a "card-check" procedure in order to determine whether the majority of its US workforce wishes to be represented by PACE. If a majority does wish to be so represented, we call upon Imerys to recognise PACE for collective bargaining purposes immediately. We insist that Imerys management should maintain an attitude of neutrality throughout this procedure and during any subsequent union elections, and should not seek in any way to pressurise or intimidate its employees concerning this matter.
We further call upon the Frere family and their financial holding company to ensure that Imerys, in which they are major investors, fully respects human rights, including trade union rights, throughout its worldwide operations.
Imerys is headquartered in France. Trade unions there have pledged full support for the campaign, as have unions in Britain, where Imerys has major manufacturing operations.
In Brussels today, the American Imerys workers' union joined with Belgian unions and a global trade union federation in launching a world campaign to win full trade union rights throughout Imerys' operations.
Belgian financiers the Frere family are major investors in Imerys, and the unions insisted that the Frere group must intervene to ensure that Imerys' American plants immediately cease anti-union practices that would not be tolerated in Europe.
Known until recently as Imetal, the company claims to be the world leader in refractory raw materials, paper pigments, white pigments and high-purity graphite.
The US Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers union (PACE) is fighting anti-union campaigns by Imerys at its plants in Georgia and Alabama. The restructuring that led to the formation of Imerys last year included the merger of unionised and non-unionised production plants in the USA. PACE now wants the chance to represent workers throughout the newly merged Imerys operation there, but the company has hired professional "union-busters" to discourage union organising and is blocking all attempts to plebiscite its workers on whether they wish to be represented by the union.
At the global level, PACE is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).
ICEM Belgian affiliate the Centrale Générale-FGTB/Algemene Centrale-ABVV has also declared its full support for the American trade unionists.
At the Centrale Générale headquarters in Brussels today, the following statement was issued by Michel Nollet, President, Belgian General Labour Federation (FGTB/ABVV); Paul Lootens, General Secretary of the Centrale Générale; Fred Higgs, ICEM General Secretary; and Joe Drexler, Special Projects Director of PACE:
The FGTB, Centrale Générale, ICEM and PACE condemn the continued refusal of the American management of Imerys to permit a free and fair determination of its US employees' wishes concerning trade union representation.
We note that PACE has charged Imerys with seven serious violations of US labour law. The US National Labor Relations Board is currently investigating the accusations, which could lead to prosecutions. In particular, PACE charges that the employer has threatened and harassed pro-union employees because of their activities, and that the company has financed and otherwise supported an anti-union campaign group known as the "A-team."
We also note that Imerys has hired professional "union-busters" to advise it on methods of pressurising its employees to reject trade union representation. Methods employed by the company so far include meetings which employees are obliged to attend and at which anti-union videos are screened. Among other things, these videos equate trade unionism with the mafia. Employees are not permitted to ask questions at these meetings.
23 percent of the shares in Imerys are in the hands of the Frere group's financial holding company. It is wholly unacceptable that Belgian shareholders should support a company involved in anti-union practices.
We call upon Imerys to agree, without further delay, to a "card-check" procedure in order to determine whether the majority of its US workforce wishes to be represented by PACE. If a majority does wish to be so represented, we call upon Imerys to recognise PACE for collective bargaining purposes immediately. We insist that Imerys management should maintain an attitude of neutrality throughout this procedure and during any subsequent union elections, and should not seek in any way to pressurise or intimidate its employees concerning this matter.
We further call upon the Frere family and their financial holding company to ensure that Imerys, in which they are major investors, fully respects human rights, including trade union rights, throughout its worldwide operations.
Imerys is headquartered in France. Trade unions there have pledged full support for the campaign, as have unions in Britain, where Imerys has major manufacturing operations.