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<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/InBrief100.jpg" width="100" height="39"/>
With the end of a 42-day strike on 22 November by miners at BHP Billiton’s Spence copper mine, labour peace appears at hand in the copper mines of Chile, the world’s largest supplier of the red metal. Leading up to the close of November, future labour agreements are in place for most copper producers now, including at one of the three sets of mines owned by the Chilean state-run government, Codelco. 
 
The Spence strike will go down in this round of Chilean copper talks as the most contentious. With an expiration of 30 September, it was the second set of negotiations between BHP Billiton and the union at the open cast mine in the Atacama Dessert of Region II of northern Chile. 
 
On 13 October, the 560 miners at the three-year-old facility downed tools. The strike was resolved eight days ago when workers accepted a 4% wage increase, a bonus of US$14,000 per miner, and a loan guarantee from the company of US$4,060. The agreement runs for 41 months. 

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/ICEMminingsector4.jpg" width="100" height="95"/>
Two days earlier, on 20 November, in less acrimonious bargaining, BHP Billiton workers at the smaller Cerro Colorado copper mine ratified a separate 41-month deal with BHP, the world’s biggest mining house. That deal, to take effect 1 February, gives miners a 4.8% pay increase and a US$15,000 bonus. 
 
Also settling early were miners at the globe’s largest copper mine, Escondida, which is 57.5% owned by BHP Billiton, 30% by Rio Tinto, and supplies five percent of the world’s copper. That settlement came even before the official start date of negotiations. In mid-October, mine management and the union representing 3,400 miners agreed to a pay deal of 5%, with a US$28,000 bonus. 
 
Talks continue, but appear headed to a peaceful resolve between Xstrata and the mining union representing workers at its Altonorte mine and smelter in the Tarapacá region near the city of Antofagasta. An agreement there expires 18 December. 

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/ICEMminingsector5.jpg" width="100" height="101"/>
At Xstrata’s nearby Lomas Bayas mine, where copper ore is processed at the Altonorte smelter, miners walked off jobs last May for a week to ensure a fair pay package. Xstrata also has a 44% stake in the Collahuasi mine, Chile’s third largest copper mining operation. 
 
Talks are also underway at the copper and gold Candelaria mine, operated by US-based Freeport-McMoRan. 
 
The agreement at state-run Codelco’s Andina mining complex in central Chile came on 21 November, nine days before contract expiration. The wage package was not immediately made known. Three unions are bargaining jointly at Codelco’s Chuguicamata mine, part of Codelco Norte, which has a 31 December expiry. 
 
It is expected that the government, similarly as it has done at the Andean division mines, will extend fair wage offers to other workers of Codelco, which the supplies the world with 11% of its copper.

Copper Contracts Being Settled in Chile’s Mining Industry

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Since late 1997, dating from the merger between BP and Mobil the ICEM affiliated trade union in Greece, the Pan Hellenic Federation of Employees in Petroleum Products, refineries and Chemical Industry has faced a series of challenges from the company regarding increased outsourcing. 
 
Over the last ten years the outsourcing and transferring of the Accounting and Technical departments has taken place with numerous changes in the contracted company. In the initial instances the social plans offered to the workers were identical to those applied by BP Greece SA Oil Trading and Mobil Oil Hellas. 

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/CAL_en.jpg" width="146" height="66"/>
The latest conflict concerning the outsourcing of the Accounting and Technical departments and the intention to terminate the contract by BP Hellas is however different. This time it is clear that BP Hellas intends to end the contracts and new people will be employed on inferior terms and conditions of employment to circumvent the original conditions and to deny the workers their rights. Obviously this is completely unacceptable to our Greek affiliate. 
The union has the full support of our sister organization, EMCEF at European level in their claim that the proposed changes would be contrary to various European directives that give protection to the workers in question. EMCEF has already raised the issue with the relevant European Union structures. 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/EMCEF.gif" width="146" height="46"/>
ICEM is also fully behind our affiliate’s claim and add our voice to their demand that there must be complete application of the directives to ensure that any structural changes in the business that impact on labour relation continue to benefit from the protection given by European Social Law. 
 
BP would be clearly violating both legal and ethical obligations, should it continue with its present proposals. It is essential that the company changes track and safeguards the legitimate rights of the relevant employees.

Outsourcing struggle at BP in Greece

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The ICEM fully supports the ‘Justice for Colombia’ campaign against the signing of an EU-Colombia free trade agreement (FTA). The trade agreement is currently being negotiated, despite strong opposition when it first appeared on the agenda, five months ago. 
 
Justice for Colombia is a coalition of trade unions in Europe, especially the UK, and is backed by the TUC. The coalition supports the Colombian trade union movement and Colombian people, in their struggle for social justice, decent work, and respect for trade union rights. EMCEF (European Mine, Chemical and Energy workers' Federation) has also expressed strong support for the campaign, the ICEM and EMCEF call upon affiliates and supporters to take action in support of this campaign. Visit the campaign website <a href="http://www.justiceforcolombia.org/?link=3_0_3">here</a>.  

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The human rights concerns in Colombia are extreme. The murder of trade unionists is becoming more and more common, with the country’s security forces consistently involved in the crimes. Those security forces act with the support of the government, who often publically label trade unionists as terrorists and never chase convictions for those responsible for the murders. These concerns have moved the US and Canada to delay their FTAs with Colombia, and the EU should also refuse to reward the Colombian government, until the human rights situation improves.

ICEM Backs Trade Union Campaign against EU-Colombia Free Trade Agreement

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ICEM’s Spanish affiliate FITEQA-CC.OO., 1st May Foundation, Trade Union Study Center of CC.OO and Observatory of Trade Unionism in Globalisation jointly organised a seminar on new trade union internationalism, in Barcelona on 26 November 2009. 
 
The ICEM was represented at the seminar through its Chemical and Rubber Industries Officer Kemal Özkan along with other speakers Philippe Pochet, Director of the European Trade Union Institute, Tomas Nieber, Industrial policy officer of the IGBCE of Germany and Chairman of the ICEM’s Chemical Industries Division, Javier Doz, International Secretary, CCOO (Comisiones Obreras) and Isidor Boix, Director, Observatory on “Trade Unionism in Globalisation”, 1st May Foundation, CCOO; Secretary for International Trade Union Action of FITEQA-CCOO. The seminar was moderated by Rodolfo Benito, Chairman of the 1st May Foundation, and Confederation Research Secretary, CCOO. 

<img src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/0911.spain.fiteqa.jpg" width="288" height="191" alt=""/>
Opened by Joan Carles Gallego, Secretary General, CONC, discussions took place around some basic questions such as “Internationalism as opposed to nationalism? Does this involve any aspects that are specific to trade unionism?”, “Does ‘globalisation’ offer anything new in line with trade union interests? “New trade union internationalism and the rules of world trade. Protectionism?”, “Multinationals as a possible specific framework for these concepts – codes of conduct, international framework agreements, trade union networks, EWC, worldwide committees”. 
 
“Under the circumstances of a globalised economy using outsourcing, privatisation, capital mobility and destruction of the welfare state resulting in mass unemployment and income insecurity, we, trade unions, are not passing through easy times. We need to be able to wage efforts to reshape our organisations and policies, to overcome the challenges arising from changing circumstances” stated ICEM’s Kemal Özkan. International level industrial relations through Global/regional framework agreeements, union networking at different level and campaigning, particularly against companies that insist not to respect trade union rights and freedoms, were all important tactics for the international labour movement, concluded the seminar. 
 
Discussions will be published soon at <a href="http://www.1mayo.ccoo.es">www.1mayo.ccoo.es</a>

Spanish Trade Unions Discuss Trade Union Internationalism

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ICEM participated in the 4th Congress of the Industrial Workers Union of Albania (FSPISH) on 14 November. The Congress took place in the Museum of History of Albania. The ICEM affiliate represents 22,000 members in the mining, oil, communication, metallurgy, and energy industries. It was the first time the ICEM had been involved with a Congress of the union. 

<img src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Albania.png" width="250" height="115" alt=""/>
The ICEM affiliate used the Congress to illustrate its increased focus on international work and solidarity. The FSPISH President, Br. Taf Koleci, outlined the current challenges and activities of the union and explained the main priorities of the union, moving forward. These include: increased priority given to relationship-building with other trade unions in Europe; increased cooperation especially with Mediterranean and Balkan trade unions through higher contributions to regional trade union bodies in energy, mining, chemicals, gas and petro-chemicals; continued solidarity work with foreign unions where cooperation already exists, through bipartite relationships and through the union’s membership in ICEM, EMCEF, PSI, EPSU, ETUC, and RETUNSEE; FSPISH will ‘fight’ for further development of its relationship with the ILO, seeking to build the foundations for strong tripartite social dialogue in Albania.

Albania’s FSPISH Congress Places Emphasis on International Solidarity

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As part of the monitoring of implementation of their global framework agreement, ICEM and central management of French-based chemicals multinational Rhodia carried out a joint mission in the USA from 6-11 December. A similar joint mission occurred first in China in 2007 and in Brasil last year. The principal objective was to ensure that the global agreement is properly implemented at specific workplaces. 
ICEM was represented by its General Secretary Manfred Warda and Chemicals and Rubber Officer Kemal Özkan, while Group Vice-President, Human Resources, Yolene Coppin and Vice President, Sustainable Development, Jacques Kheliff from Rhodia were present. 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/0912.rhodia.jpg" width="248" height="164"/>
ICEM delegation with plant management
At the first day of the meeting at the headquarters of the North American zone, headed by Jim Harton, Rhodia’s North American business was introduced to the mission. Following ICEM’s presentation on its general activities and particular efforts on global agreements, there was a special discussion on the US economic and legal situation. Employing around 1600 workers in 18 manufacturing units, the North American section of Rhodia has four categories of operations which are Novacare, Eco Services, Silcea and Polyamide. The majority of the production workers of Rhodia in North America are organised by ICEM-affiliated trade unions, USW, IBT and LIUNA. 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/0912.rhodia.2.jpg" width="236" height="152"/>
ICEM delegation with plant union reps
The mission visited the headquarters of the USW at Pittsburgh and met International President Leo Gerard and his Assistant Jerry Fernandez. President Gerard introduced USW and its activities, particularly the drives to secure manufacturing and industrial employment in the US. The mission later travelled to Houston where Rhodia has a plant of Eco Services, organised by the USW. After the meeting with the factory union committee and local officers of the USW, the local management team briefed the group on the plant’s activities and labour relations, followed by a site tour. The Rhodia North American team also informed the ICEM about the company’s policies and programmes on human resources, employee benefits, and community relations. 
“Between 2007 and 2009, in the framework of our global agreement, we have realised various missions in all the zones where Rhodia has business. This clearly demonstrates our engagement with a multinational company at a global scale, and it works very well,” commented ICEM General Secretary Warda. “We believe that that global agreements can and should play a meaningful and constructive role in labour relations, and our recent visit has shown this.”

ICEM and Rhodia in joint mission of monitoring in the USA 

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The joint publication of the Global Union Federations (GUFs) on climate change and other issues addressed at COP15, Copenhagen, is now available via the Council of Global Unions website <a href="http://www.global-unions.org/spip.php?article306">here</a>.  Print copies are being distributed to the trade union delegation to the climate conference 

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/0912.cgu.magazine.jpg" width="258" height="183"/>
The joint publication, entitled “Getting the World to Work: Green Growth for Jobs and Social Justice,” includes sectoral perspectives from each GUF, with a joint article published from ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda and International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) General Secretary Jyrki Raina. The publication also includes explanation of union consensus positions on climate debate issues from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). 
 
The publication follows the success of a similar Council of Global Unions’ publication called “Getting the World to WORK: Global Union Strategies for Recovery,” in which global trade union federations, together with the ITUC and TUAC of the OECD, came together to present strategies in response to the global economic crisis.

GUFs’ Magazine on Climate Change Available Through Council of Global Unions

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The Mexican government of President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa surprised many nine days ago by sending federal agents and police in to take over the country’s second largest electrical power distributor, Luz y Fuerza del Centro (LyFC) or Central Light and Power. Calderón used an executive decree to dissolve the debt-ridden utility, but in doing so he also sacked the entire 60,000 LyFC workforce, and disbanded their union, the 95 year old, Mexican Electrical Workers’ Union (SME). 
 
The action to bust SME disturbed many in the global union movement, as well as activist groups that monitor trade union rights within Mexico, but did not come as a surprise, considering the repressive measures taken by Calderón against trade unions. 

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/0910.mexico.SME.2.JPG" width="329" height="210"/>
In July, SME members re-elected Secretary-General Martín Esparza, but the government has refused to certify the election, citing voting irregularities. But the real reason for the government’s elimination of SME is the union leadership’s opposition to Calderón’s economic policies, specifically regarding privatisation of the utility. Not incidentally, Esparza’s opponent in last summer’s elections, Alejandro Munoz, has joined with Esparza in condemning the takeover and has pledged to resist the dissolution. 
 
In a joint letter last week to Calderón by the ICEM and the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF), General Secretaries Manfred Warda and Jyrki Raina called the action “retaliatory because the leadership of the union opposed your anti-worker, anti-societal economic policies.” See the letter <a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/67%20ICEM%20IMF%20letter%20to%20Mr%20Calderon%20-%20Mexico%20-%2015Oct09.pdf" type="internal">here</a>. 
 
The non-affiliated SME, which has not taken many strides to join the global trade union movement, deserves the support of unions everywhere because it has now become a victim of the current Mexican government’s systematic plan to eliminate any workers’ group which stands in the way of business interests and unencumbered markets. 

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/0910.mexico.SME.JPG" width="310" height="212"/>
The SME has vowed to resist through peaceful methods the late-night, 10 October takeover, which was carried out by military police. The government has already offered redundancy packages, with the maximum up to 33 months pay, and said it would recall 10,000 of the electrical workers. But the SME has urged workers to reject the packages, and to participate in peaceful manifestations, the latest of which occurred on 15 October, when 100,000 people marched through Mexico City and gathered in the City’s main square the Zocalo. The full day of large scale demonstration passed without incident and was widely supported in the capital, including from the left-wing city government. 
 
The huge manifestation of 15 October coincided with an international trade union forum on the issue of Multinational Corporations and their Protection Collective Agreements, sponsored by the Friedrich-Ebert (FES) Foundation of Germany. The contracts represent an enormous obstacle to free trade unionism in Mexico, and allow companies to sign ‘collective’ agreements on work conditions and salaries, without including workers in negotiations, and without workers even being aware of the agreement made in their name. Calderón’s government encourages this practice and continues to block new democratic unions by repeatedly delaying official recognition for years, blacklisting trade unionists, and allowing company managements to act with impunity. The Forum issued a statement of solidarity with the SME. 

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/0910.mexico.fes.JPG" width="324" height="180"/>
A noteworthy statistic in Mexico is that 95% of companies have a collective agreement, whereas union membership in the country is at 10%, clearly the vast majority of collective agreements are signed with yellow unions. Many union leaders are millionaires, due to mafia-style deals with management. Visit the campaign website <a href="http://www.democraciaylibertadsindical.org.mex">here</a>.  
 
The Calderón government has temporarily rolled LyFC’s day to day operations into the country’s largest utility, the Federal Electricity Commission, from which LyFC buys most of its generated capacity, but the speculation is that LyFC will now be sold to private sources. LyFC serves Mexico City and portions of the surrounding states of Mexico, Hidalgo, Morelos, and Puebla.

Mexican Government Shuts Major Electric Utility, Crushes Trade Union SME

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In late September, the ICEM continued to carry out reinvigorated activities in its Middle East/North Africa Region (MENA) by organising a workshop for chemicals and petrochemical unions of the region. The two-day set of workshops, sponsored by the Friedrich-Ebert (FES) Foundation of Germany, were held in Beirut, Lebanon, on 28-29 September. 
 
Energy and particularly oil have been one of the major driving forces of the economies of the region, and of ICEM activities in MENA of late. But in addition, the region has increased its overall production capacity in petrochemicals, specifically ethylene and its derivatives such as polyethylene and ethylene glycol. 
 
The joint ICEM-FES workshops were entitled, “A Seminar on Reinforcing Trade Union Representation, Industrial Relations, and Social Dialogue in the Petrochemical Industry in MENA.” The seminar was chaired by Suleiman Hamdan, President of Chemical Workers Union of Lebanon. 

<img style="WIDTH: 364px; HEIGHT: 121px" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/0910.MENA.JPG" width="332" height="89" alt=""/>
It was attended by 30 participants from Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Palestine, Turkey, and France. Following a presentation by ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Officer Kemal Özkan, entitled “Main Developments and Global Challenges in the Global Chemical & Petrochemical Industry,” the seminar received reports from individual countries. 
 
The workshop was called “Global Dimension of Industrial Relations: International Mechanisms, Social Dialogue, Global Framework Agreements, and Global/Regional Networks”. Another session “The Rising New Threat to Working Conditions: Precarious Employment,” focused on the ICEM’s global campaign on Contract and Agency Labour. 

<img src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/CAL_en.jpg" width="146" height="66" alt=""/>
At the end of the meeting, the participants decided to create an "ICEM MENA Region Chemical/Petrochemical Sectoral Network," with a series of suggestions for future follow-up activities. Those include social dialogue and industrial relations; labour legislation and international instruments; multinational companies in the sector; Contract and Agency Labour and precarious employment; and Health, Safety, and Environmental issues. 
 
“This is a new area of work for the ICEM in the MENA Region,” said Özkan. “The enthusiasm and readiness which participants displayed at this seminar shows there is great potential for a MENA network of petrochemical unions. Reinforcing activities in areas of industrial production and manufacture will be one of the priorities of ICEM in the region.”

Middle East, North African Chemical Unions Form Network

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The Workers Activities Branch of the International Labour Office (ILO ACTRAV) organised a major International Symposium on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, from 12 -15 October 2009 in Geneva. 

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The symposium brought together over 60 participants from trade union national centres, national unions, Global Union Federations and the ITUC, as well as labour academics and ILO officials. ICEM was represented by Jim Catterson and Phee Jungsun of the secretariat. Discussions centred on the fact that the right to organize and to bargain collectively has faced recent challenges stemming from falling trade union membership, increasing individualization of labour relations and the difficult quest for greater competitiveness and flexibility in the context of globalization. Trade unions need to be strengthened in order to face these challenges and enhance the right to organize and collective bargaining and other fundamental rights and principles such as the global platform rules governing the increasing globalization of the economy and the promotion of decent work for all. 

<img src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/0910.ilo.2.JPG" width="328" height="194" alt=""/>
Aims of the symposium: 
- To examine recent trends and developments in collective bargaining and the protection of the right to organize. 
- To discuss the relationship between collective bargaining and the social and economic objectives of Decent Work. 
- To identify policies and strategies that would strengthen the capacity of trade unions to organize and to bargain collectively. 
- To identify ways and means of achieving the universal application of the right to organize and to bargain collectively. 
 
One session of the meeting was devoted to Global Framework Agreements. Here after a general introduction by Dr. Michael Fichter of the Otto-Suhr-Institut of the Free University of Berlin, presentations were made of the ICEM GFA with Rhodia by Jacques Khéliff of Rhodia and Jim Catterson of ICEM. The presentations generated a detailed and wide-ranging debate on the issue. 
 
See further information on the symposium <a href="http://www.ilo.org/actrav/what/events/lang--en/docName--WCMS_112409/index.htm">here</a>.

Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of ILO Convention No. 98

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