13 October, 2009On September 25, VW works council together with IG Metall held a seminar for the unions at Kaluga plant in Russia and signed an Agreement on Cooperation.
RUSSIA: On September 25, IMF Russian affiliates AFW and ITUA participated in a seminar organized by Volkswagen works council and IMF German affiliate IG Metall. Both Russian unions represent workers at VW plant in Kaluga.
The meeting ended with an Agreement on Cooperation signed by both unions and the Volkswagen-Kaluga management.
In accordance with the Agreement the company undertakes to negotiate in good faith with the unions and provide them with all the necessary information. A joint representative body (works' committee) will be created at the plant as well as a number of employer-employee committees on personnel matters, organization of production and occupational health and safety. Union representatives, foremen and shift supervisors will be taught Volkswagen "production culture". The agreement allows the unions to organize seminars for their members. Participation in such events will be paid as working time.
The agreement requires the company to provide both AFW and ITUA with offices for daily work as well as to setup information union stands in the workplace. Both unions will participate together in regular meetings with VW management.
A general meeting enabling workers to communicate with the management directly will be held four times a year.
Also the parties agreed that another meeting similar to that of September 25 will be conducted in six months time in order to evaluate the results of joint initiatives.
Volkswagen plant in Kaluga was opened in November 2007. In 2008 62,000 cars were assembled. The management plans to keep the production rate at the same level in 2009. The plant currently employs 1,700 workers.