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11 September, 2012
The IndustriALL Electricity Sector World Meeting was held in Ankara, Turkey on 1 November, 2012.
The Electric Power Section World Meeting agreed to promote democratic energy policies, ensuring national decisions on the changing energy mix are based on achieving a balanced energy mix and determined openly and transparently with full involvement of stakeholders, which is considered to vary subject to different economic conditions of respective countries. Delegates also agreed to advocate ‘Clean, Safe and Sustainable Energy’ based upon principles of energy security, emission control and universal application of safety standards (no discrimination between permanent workers and precarious workers).
The session on changes in electricity market structure and technological advances dealt with issues of price-fixing mechanisms, impact of development of smart grid systems on employment, renewable energy and clean coal technology. In order to challenge the power of multinational utility companies, the affiliates and IndustriALL shall continue to work on Global Framework Agreements aimed at both increasing the number of agreements and ensuring that the agreements we have are monitored and implemented more effectively.
With reports from the Asia Pacific Electric Power Union Network, and the Southern Africa Energy Network (SAEN), the need for an increased focus on industrial networks at the regional and sub-regional level was reconfirmed with a newly planned network in South America. Organizing and affiliation of energy unions in Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam is recommended taking into account the fast expanding Mekong Power Grid Project by MNCs in the region.
The session on precarious employment discussed in detail about organizing contract and agency workers and support of the global campaigns of IndustriALL.
Kemal Ozkan, IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary confirmed “IndustriALL is committed to global solidarity campaigns to support unions operating under neo-liberal energy policies and repressive regimes: Mexico, Colombia, Zimbabwe, Fiji and elsewhere. We deplore the dismissal of President Angeline Chitambo, of the Zimbabwe Electricity Workers Union (ZEWU), who is also a member of the IndustriALL Executive Committee, and the sacking of 135 workers by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Company (ZESA) without fair and open hearings in July 2012, and we demand the immediate reinstatement of all victimized ZEWU members.”
Brother Daniel Urai, a member of IndustriALL and Fiji Electricity Workers’ Union (FEWU) and President of Fiji Trade Union Congress (FTUC) has been operating under oppression from the Fijian Military Government, arrested and released upon his return from Australia where he denounced the military dictatorship. He is facing criminal charges and sentencing.
Participants sent a message of solidarity to workers engaged in the recovery operation at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant and pledged to support the policy demand of Denryoku Soren on the matter of deregulation of the electric power industry towards the Government. The meeting conveyed deepest condolences to victims and their families affected by Superstorm Sandy and sent a solidarity message “Our hearts are with electricity workers who are engaged in relief and recovery efforts in North America.”