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13 November, 2013At the IndustriALL Global Union regional Latin America and Caribbean mining industry project planning seminar, delegates from Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic discussed creating trade union networks in the sector. A three-year project to strengthen unity through networks, running from 2014 to 2016, was formulated.
The meeting took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 7-8 November. Héctor Laplace, General Secretary of the Asociación Obrera Minera Argentina (AOMA), an IndustriALL affiliate, and Fernando Lopes, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union welcomed delegates and introduced the seminar. Jorge Almeida, IndustriAll Regional Secretary, presented the meeting agenda and objectives.
Hector Laplace highlighted the presence of representatives of trade unions in the mining sector in Latin America and said it is fundamental “to be able to take action that serves all the mining industry’s workers in the region”.
Fernando Lopes reiterated that the project's main objective is “to help unite trade unions in the mining sector in Latin America to strengthen their capacity for action at the national, regional and international levels”.
Affiliates had already discussed the project in the context of the Strengthening National Trade Union Structures and Regional Networks in the Mining Sector in Latin America project on 21-22 May 2013 in Santiago, Chile, where they decided on national and regional priorities and discussed options for action in the sector.
Delegates conducted a mapping exercise of the main problems in the region. Each union described existing networks and assessed the effects of outsourcing and government investment policies on the mining sector.
The seminar aimed to organise and plan a joint activity in line with common national and regional priorities. Unions will identify the options and organise actions and campaigns in the sector.
Delegates agreed to attend further meetings in May and November next year, in Uruguay and Brazil respectively. Delegates elected country coordinators and a regional coordinator. The Chilean trade union FTC and the Argentinian union AOMA agreed to finish work on the questionnaire that was proposed at the first seminar and to circulate a summary of the agreements made.
The initial priority will be to build trade union networks in the following companies: Grupo Mexico, Vale, BHP Billington, Anglo American, Xstrata-Glencore and Rio Tinto. A mapping exercise of the trade unions present in these multinationals will be conducted. Visits will be made to Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru in order to explore the scope for participation by unions of those countries.