Linde Asia Network meeting

Around forty union leaders from six Asian countiries organizing workers at Geman-based industrial gases company Linde met in Bangkok, Thailand on November 11 for the second meeting of the Asia Pacific Regional Network. The delegates defined a concrete work programme.

Following the first regional network meeting in December 2010 in Singapore, the second meeting, which was also attended by the home country union IG BCE of Germany, discussed developments in the region. The delegates underlined substantial decline in union density at Linde operations across Asia Pacific. In South Korea, for example, only three union members at Linde sites remain while same figure is just two in New Zealand. At the same time, unions at Linde plants in Taiwan and Hong Kong were already dissolved.

The regional network underlined its critical role in unifying all Linde unions against challenges in Asia Pacific, and defined the following objectives: Promoting workers organising at Linde worksites;  Developing union activity and education of existing unions; Learning practices at Linde operations worldwide; and Strengthening union solidarity across Asia Pacific.

The meeting exchanged information and experiences over policies and issues which need to be informed and consulted with union; work rules and union participation; international labour standards’ implementation; role of worker representatives in dealing with issues concerning workers and right to represent the workers in meetings with supervisors; access to worksites to meet with workers by union representatives; contract and agency labour/precarious work; freedom of association and collective bargaining; right to be consulted prior to company initiating plans which will affect workers.

The participants discussed how to improve union strategies on organizing, collective bargaining and social dialogue through regional network through work groups. Following intensive discussions, it was agreed on action plan over four pillars: Major subjects for exchange of information  and experiences; expectations from the regional network; strategies and tools for effective communication among the network members and concrete actions in the period to come.

“IndustriALL Global Union is happy and honor that our Linde Asia Pacific Network has reached to such mature shape” said Kemal Özkan, Assistant General Secretary. “Through enthusiasm and energy of the network members and strong support from IG BCE, I believe the network will make difference in day-to-day work of our Linde unions”.