3 September, 2013The meeting took place in Bangkok, Thailand, 11 November 2013. Upon invitation of IndustriALL Global Union, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) workers representatives of the groups Saint Gobain and Owens-Illinois (O-I) met in Bangkok to discuss the future work of their global trade union networks. Delegates came from North and South America, Asia and Europe.
The present delegates discussed not only the situation within their own groups, but also in the glass industries (flat glass and container glass) in general and in the other MNC’s. Occupational safety and health is also an important topic in the glass industry as a whole.
The glass industry undergoes restructuring which affects all employees all over the world. In 2014 the European affiliates will take action in order to preserve the workplaces and the sector as a whole also in Europe. Sustainable industrial workplaces in the glass sector are one of the main concerns for the workers’ delegates from four continents.
One delegate stated:
Our products have a future in the world. We will need glass in the future – not only in automotive, but also in construction – thermal insulation - in general and also solar panels and other issues. This goes also for the container glass production. But we need also a perspective for sustainable production and employment in the glass sector.
Jean-Francois Renucci (network coordinator Saint Gobain) and Tim Tuttle (Owens-Illinois) committed to continue with the network labor in order to improve cross border exchange of information and solidarity. But it was also stated that:
We have to go beyond mere exchange of information. We need to organize cross-border support for threatened labor. We want to develop the trade union networks on so that they will be able to take joint action whenever necessary.
With regards to this commitment, the delegates adopted a resolution regarding the long ongoing conflict, taking place at O-I in Colombia. Currently O-I announced the shut down a plant, which would affect 150 workers. This is also the reason which one of the Colombian colleagues could not attend this meeting.
For both networks working plans were unanimously adopted. The attendees committed to not only intensify their networking, but to also extend their efforts. In 2014 there will be a stronger link between the activities in the different continents.