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IndustriALL ICT, Electrical & Electronics steering committee

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20 April, 2013Electronics unions fighting for sustainable future

Organizing members, fighting precarious work and developing a sustainable industrial policy make up a ten-point action plan formulated by unions in the ICT, Electrical & Electronics sector in April 2013.

The 1st IndustriALL Global Union Steering Committee Meeting on ICT, Electrical & Electronics took place on 24 April in Singapore and included 36 participants from Australia, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.  The meeting discussed:

  • the current situation and global trends in the sector
  • organizing and the fight against precarious work
  • promoting a sustainable industry and workplace
  • priorities and strategy for 2013-2016

Workers in the ICT, Electrical and Electronics sector have faced a severe transitional period over the last decade, with shifts in the industry creating more precarious working conditions. Today, workplaces in 8 out of 10 of the world’s largest IT companies (by revenue) has very low or no union density and workers are employed by an agency or contractor and have little of no chance to bargain collectively on their terms and conditions of employment.

Shoji Arino, chairperson for the sector, pointed out the negative influences of rapid globalization such as the expansion of precarious work, disparities in standards of living and a crisis in sustainability. Arino stated, “It is obvious that governments and MNCs of this sector are conducting many tactics to obstruct trade union activities especially in Asian developing countries. We, as unions in this sector, must actively take action in a variety of ways.”

Participants presented and discussed their shared understanding of the common issues in the sector including the increase in precarious workers such as the increase in agency workers, involuntary part-time and temporary employment at the expense of permanent work. In response the unions committed to actively participate in the STOP Precarious Work campaign in 2013.

The Steering Committee also discussed the forthcoming discussion paper Towards Sustainable Industrial Policy and confirmed their willingness to influence governments, global institutions and MNCs on these issues as one of the priorities of the sector. The sector will also seek to develop cooperation with other unions and networks such as Industriall European Trade Union, particularly given the wide range of MNCs and supply chains present.

The participants confirmed that the next Steering Committee will be held in conjunction with 7th Asian Metalworkers’ Liaison Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in mid-April 2014.

On 25 April, the participants of the Steering Committee visited a plant of Japanese-German based company, PT Epcos located in Batam Island, 45 minutes by ferry from Singapore, a well known manufacturing district. The participants learned about industrial relation and the plant’s production of temperature and pressure sensors as well as other sensors for use in household appliances, automobiles, industrial installations and medical equipment. The participants also visited FSPMI Batam office and learnt about their union structure and their activities.