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ICEM Brazilian affiliate, Confedera&ccedil;&atilde;o Nacional do Ramo Qu&iacute;mico (CNQ/CUT), at its 6th congress, elected Antenor Eiiji Nakamura, of the Chemical Workers Union of S&atilde;o Paulo, known affectionately as &lsquo;Kazu&rsquo; to the position of National Coordinator. CNQ Congress was held from 28 June to 2 July in Recife. 
 
The unanimity of the vote was important for Kazu who praised the internal unity of the CNQ, even more significant as the 1 July Congress was the organisation&rsquo;s largest in terms of number of participants. 
 
Kazu, elected for the period 2010-2013, identified expansion of the organisation as a key challenge now. 
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CNQ/CUT National Coordinator, Antenor Eiiji Nakamura
Antenor Eiiji Nakamura, Kazu, began political participation in the Ministry of Youth in the East Zone of S&atilde;o Paulo. He participated in the student movement while studying Philosophy at University, and working in the chemical industry. Joining the union in 1988, he moved on to head the Department of Education and International Relations at CNQ-CUT. 
 
In total, the CNQ-CUT leadership is made up of 39 activists; this list was confirmed by Congress, also for the term of 2010-2013. ICEM Vice-President Sergio Novais was elected as treasurer.
<img alt="" src="" width="279" height="186" />
Photos - Dino Santos 
 
The congress debated a host of issues from international trends to the national situation which is marked by the elections scheduled for later in the year. CNQ sectors were analysed in detail together with the production chains. In addition there was an in-depth discussion of the paper, oil and pharmaceuticals industries, which are currently booming in Brazil. Other topics that were debated were trade union structures and organisation, contract and agency labour, reductions in working time, health and safety, profit sharing, corporate social responsibility, gender and race relations and youth. A special publication was presented on women which includes research on the profile of women workers in the chemical industry in five Brazilian states. The publication was sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES). 
CNQ/CUT is the largest industrial trade union federation in Brazil, representing workers in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, rubber, glass, ceramics, and other process manufacturing sectors. 
 
In the framework of these visits to Brazil, ICEM General Secretary made a stopover for talks with BASF management in order to get social dialogue with the workers&rsquo; regional network back on track.

Brazilian CNQ-CUT Elects New Leader

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The ICEM French trade union affiliate, the Federation of Chemical and Energy Workers (FCE-CFDT) Union, elected Jean-Fran&ccedil;ois Renucci to the post of General Secretary, with the 48 year-old succeeding Patrick Pierron, who&nbsp;served seven years as General Secretary. 
 
Jean-Fran&ccedil;ois Renucci was unanimously proposed by the union&rsquo;s Federal Executive and subsequently elected by the Federal Steering Committee. Renucci began in his new role on 1 June, as the federation&rsquo;s third general secretary. 
 
The FCE-CFDT has described their new General Secretary as a dedicated trade unionist, with the necessary determination and experience to lead the trade union action of the federation, during turbulent financial conditions, globalisation, and ever-changing social conditions. 
<img alt="" src="" width="197" height="222" />
Jean-Fran&ccedil;ois Renucci
Jean-Fran&ccedil;ois has identified social dialogue as the key in the effort to improve conditions and rights of workers, individually and collectively. According to the new general secretary, collective bargaining is the only way to ensure fair treatment of employees in small, medium, and large sized companies. Jean-Fran&ccedil;ois has been involved in negotiating collective agreements in all sectors and at all levels, local, national and international, and he has consistently identified mutual respect, trust and confidence as key factors to success of collective bargaining. 
 
Jean-Fran&ccedil;ois has made communication and participatory debate a priority for effective decision making, and the internal democracy of the federation. He hopes that in changing the general secretary, the organisation will not change its line or direction, but will give a renewed impetus to continue to implement decisions agreed collectively. 
 
The ICEM salutes and thanks outgoing Patrick Pierron, and congratulates Jean-Fran&ccedil;ois Renucci.

Jean-François Renucci Becomes FCE-CFDT General Secretary

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The negative impacts of the Thai government&rsquo;s unjust National Verification process continue to hit Burmese migrant workers in the country, as they are deported to Burma and suffer human rights abuses at the hands of Burmese ethnic militia, Thai officials and numerous brokers. 
 
The ICEM supports calls for an independent investigation into the claims, to be headed by the United Nations, especially in light of Thailand holding the Presidency of the UN Human Rights Council currently. The allegations are very grave indeed, with mentions of torture, forced labour and systematic corruption. 
 
Migrant workers from Burma in Thailand make up 5-10% of the Thai labour force. 
 
According to fresh reports, Burmese migrants who are arrested by Thai officials are transported to a checkpoint on the Thai-Burmese border, on the Moei River, known as &ldquo;Gate Zero&rdquo;. The checkpoint is controlled by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), a proxy militia of the Burmese regime. 
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In the weeks since the National Verification order was issued, thousands of migrant workers have been arrested throughout Thailand and sent by police bus to Mae Sot, where their personal details are recorded and they are deported by boat across the river to Gate Zero. 
 
Upon arrival at Gate Zero the DKBA demands 1,200 baht (US$37) for a deported person's release, and offers a return trip to Bangkok for 10,000 baht. 
 
Local labour activists believe the proceeds from these fines are shared between the DKBA, brokers and Thai officials. 
 
The fine is huge for migrant workers, and many are unable to pay. In these cases, the worker&rsquo;s family is informed of the need to pay the release money, with the worker detained and in some cases tortured.

Burmese Migrant Workers in Thailand Suffer Gross Human Rights Abuses at Border

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The 8th General Assembly of the European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers&rsquo; Federation (EMCEF) was held on 30 June-1 July in Paris, France, hosted by the organisation&rsquo;s French affiliates within CFDT, CGT, FO and CFTC, with around 130 participants from various European countries. 
 
According to the statutes of EMCEF, during the period between Congress&rsquo;s, the General Assembly is convened as a forum to discuss important political issues with an authority to implement decisions taken by the Congress and to review EMCEF&rsquo;s policies, without the right to change the statutes. 
 
The General Assembly was attended by two guests, namely Kemal &Ouml;zkan, Chemical and Rubber Industries Officer of ICEM and Peter Scherer, General Secretary of the European Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (EMF). Patrick Itschert, General Secretary of ITGLWF and ETUC:TCL could not be present in the meeting because of other obligations and sent his apologies. 
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EMCEF President Hubertus Schmoldt
In his opening speech, EMCEF President Hubertus Schmoldt pointed to the financial crisis, its effects on social issues and unemployment as well as joint European policies in the crisis environment. He particularly underlined mass youth unemployment in Europe, which is more than 20% on average, even around 40% in some European countries. Referring to the Presidium meeting which took place just before the General Assembly, Schmoldt explained the importance of the creation of a new European Industrial federation in the metal, chemical, energy, mine and textile sectors. 
 
EMCEF General Secretary Reinhard Reibsch submitted his Secretariat report to the General Assembly on the following issues: 
 
a. European Integration 
i. Lisbon Treaty, new EU Council President, new EU Commission, EU integration process (Iceland, Croatia, Turkey) 
ii. Belgium Presidency with an agenda of EU2020 Strategy, Financial Supervision, Social Issues, Energy and Climate Change, Strengthening EU&rsquo;s external action 
iii. Recent Elections in some EU countries, particularly in the UK and Hungary 
iv. Important Changes by the Reform Treaty 
v. Financial Policy 
 
b. Activities of EMCEF Committees: 
i. Industrial policy, health, safety and environment committee &ndash; implementation of REACH and ECHA, nanotechnology, climate change, impact of crisis 
ii. Social dialogue committee &ndash; sectoral social dialogues in chemical, electricity, gas, extractive industries and pulp/paper sectors. 
iii. European Works&rsquo; Councils committee &ndash; formation of new EWCs, renewal of list of country coordinators, joint work with EMF and ETUC:TCL 
 
EMCEF Political Secretary Jorma Rusanen gave a report on the activities of the Collective Bargaining Committee. He highlighted the collective bargaining database developed through the Eurocob@n project, Europe-wide collective negotiations at sectoral and company levels and mandate procedures, discussions on EU&rsquo;s Working Time Directive (WTD) and Posting Directive (PWD). 
 
Delegates from Spain, the UK, France, Poland, Italy and Germany took the floor and raised their concerns on modification of two EU directives which could result in precariousness in employment, climate change, future of Europe&rsquo;s energy sector through valorisation of national raw materials and reinforcing manufacturing jobs through innovation in the industries. The report of the Secretariat was unanimously adopted. 
 
One major agenda item of the General Assembly was the creation of a new European Industrial Trade Union Federation by EMCEF, EMF and ETUF:TCL. President Hubertus Schmoldt explained the situation, by making reference to the resolution of the previous General Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey in 2006 on closer cooperation with other European Industry Federations and the decision of the EMCEF Congress in Prague, Czech Republic in 2008 towards creation of a new European Federation as well as a number of decisions of the Presidium and Executive Committee. 
 
EMF General Secretary Peter Scherer reported that creation of a new organisation is a political project rather than a technical one at a time when all the partners are in good situations in terms of finances and organisational structures which give great opportunity to focus on political aspects commonly affecting the whole manufacturing chain. The EMF was reported to be prepared to continue to work under&nbsp;one united&nbsp;umbrella organisation in Europe in the future which would make industrial unions much more powerful vis-&agrave;-vis employers and politics. 
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A&nbsp;new European Industrial Federation, will provide an opportunity for each European trade union federation to share its strengths, in order to become a common force. In this period of massive crisis for industry, the new federation will aim first to meet the needs of local trade union and company representatives at European level. It is also mentioned that the identity of the 3 founding federations should therefore be reflected in the composition of the leadership of the new federation. The aim is also foreseen to: 
a. create a new industrial federation, and therefore no fusion/absorption; 
b. build around an ambitious, common platform; 
c. optimising strengths and complementarities, through the right balance between &ldquo;pooling certain elements/synergies&rdquo; 
d. while maintaining a strong sectoral identity, especially in view of the fact that EMCEF has the widest sectoral coverage of all 3 federations. 
 
It was also noted that the Presidents and General Secretaries of the three federations, at their meeting on 25 March 2010, came out in favour of setting up a joint working group. This working group will in its composition reflect the regional diversity of the three organisations and be composed of representatives from the affiliates who carry a political responsibility. The three general secretaries will function as the secretariat for this working group. In this way the need for conducting deliberations in a transparent and democratic manner will be ensured. The respective statutory bodies, as well as all affiliated organisations, will be informed and consulted systematically for each step of the works.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
The Presidium&rsquo;s motion on the future European federation was unanimously adopted by the General Assembly. 
 
The General Assembly also adopted the following resolutions: 
a. Mandate Procedures proposed by Presidium and Executive Committee 
b. <a href="http://www.emcef.org/Bodies/GA/2010/Motions/GA2010-DemographicPolicy-EN.doc">Pensions, retirement and lifelong work</a> &ndash; an EMCEF policy on demography proposed by Collective Bargaining Committee 
c. <a href="http://www.emcef.org/Bodies/GA/2010/Motions/GA2010-EWCPolicy-EN.doc">Multinational Company Policy</a> proposed by European Works Councils Committee 
d. <a href="http://www.emcef.org/Bodies/GA/2010/Motions/GA2010-ClimateChangeMotion-EN.doc">Climate Change Policies</a> proposed by Industrial Policy Committee 
e. <a href="http://www.emcef.org/Bodies/GA/2010/Motions/GA2010SDMotion-EN.doc">Instrumentalisation of Social Dialogue on European and national level</a> proposed by Social Dialogue Committee 
f. <a href="http://www.emcef.org/Bodies/GA/2010/Motions/FITEQA-CCOO-FIA-UGT-EmploymentRights-en.doc">Protection and development of the European social model depends on the protection and extension of employment rights worldwide</a> proposed by FITEQA-CC.OO. &amp; FIA-UGT (with some changes by the Motions Committee) 
g. <a href="http://www.emcef.org/Bodies/GA/2010/Motions/Petrolis-motion-en.doc">Dialogue with the Regional Energy Trade Unions Network of South Eastern Europe (RETUNSEE)</a> proposed by Turkish union Petrol-Is (with some modification by Motions Committee) 
h. <a href="http://www.emcef.org/Bodies/GA/2010/Motions/Petrol-Is-EmergencyMotionGaza.doc">Gaza blockade, separation wall and solidarity with Palestinian workers and their unions</a> proposed by Turkish union Petrol-Is (a new text prepared by the Motions Committee was adopted) The General Assembly condemned the &quot;brutal and unacceptable attack by Israeli forces on the peaceful humanitarian flotilla carrying aid to Gaza.&quot; 
i. <a href="http://www.etuc.org/IMG/pdf_04-EN-Supplement-Resolution-Crisis.pdf">The Worsening Crisis &ndash; Europe at Risk</a> &ndash; an ETUC resolution was passed 
 
The General Assembly ended with the closing speech of EMCEF President Hubertus Schmoldt. Defining the General Assembly as an historic one, he announced that on the basis of the mandate given by the General Assembly, the Working Group for the creation of a new European Industrial Federation will be organised on 8 July. EMCEF will be represented by a group to be composed of its President, General Secretary and five other members representing different regions. It was also announced that on 29 September there will be a demonstration organised by ETUC in Brussels where EMCEF affiliates should also be present.

8th General Assembly of EMCEF, 30 June - 1 July, 2010, Paris, France

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Participants of the recent Joint ICEM-IMF World Conference on Sustainability, June 18-19, Toronto, Canada, adopted unanimously a statement regarding the British Petroleum (BP) oil well blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico. 
 
The statement demands an independent and open inquiry into the causes of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, a process to which trade unions should be granted full insight. 
 
In the years prior to the 20 April oil rig explosion that caused the current disaster, BP had repeatedly made assurances that &ldquo;best available technology&rdquo; is in use in all its operations. It has since become clear that this was not true at the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig operation. The Statement demands that &ldquo;blow out prevention (BOP) systems should have remote control capabilities, for instance acoustic signal actuators, in addition to traditional BOP controls&rdquo;.
<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="86" />&nbsp;&nbsp; <img alt="" src="" width="90" height="88" />&nbsp;&nbsp; <img alt="" src="" width="85" height="85" />
The participants at the Toronto Conference included 270 trade union leaders from the industrial and manufacturing sectors of some 50 countries, affiliated to the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine, and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM), and the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF), and the International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITGLWF). In total, the number of workers represented by these organisations and their affiliates exceeds 55 million people and includes the most important unions in the petroleum sector, worldwide. 
 
Local sponsors of the event in Canada included the Communications, Energy, Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP), the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), the Power Workers Union (PWU), the United Steelworkers (USW), and the International Association of Machinists (IAM). 
 
See the full statement <a href="/en/97-Sustainable-Development-Health-and-Safety/3897-Global-Governance-Includes-Better-Governance-of-Oil-Companies">here</a>.

ICEM, IMF, ITGLWF Affiliates Demand Better Governance of Oil Industry

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The ICEM Latin American and Caribbean Regional Committee met on 28 June in Recife in Northeastern Brazil. The meeting was preceded by a one-day meeting on contract and agency labour (CAL). It was likewise followed by the 6th Statutory Congress of CNQ/CUT, the CUT chemical union. 
 
The workshop was attended by ICEM affiliates from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Uruguay. They spoke about how CAL is being used to undermine trade unions, for example in Sintracarb&oacute;n in Colombia where trade union activists are being transferred from permanent positions into what are known as &lsquo;rubbish contracts&rsquo;. Affiliates also spoke about the problems of triangular employment relationships, with CAL workers not being clear on who is ultimately responsible for their working conditions. 
 
Participants exchanged information on the increasing efforts being made to halt the outsourcing of employment and abusive use of short-term contracts. The ICEM is working to create networks to facilitate ongoing exchange of experience and information between affiliates. Affiliates shared how their unions are integrating CAL issues in their policy development, and how they are exploring new ways of organising CAL workers. The Brazilian Petrobras union reported how two-thirds of the company&rsquo;s workforce is employed on short-term contracts or through employment agencies, but how the union had succeeded in getting the company to establish a fund to protect these workers against unemployment. 
<img alt="" src="" width="266" height="180" />
Manfred Warda and the project coordinators from left to right: Sergio Novais, ICEM Regional Vice-President, Ashling Seely, Manfred Warda, ICEM General Secretary, Marilane Oliveira Teixeira, Patricio Sambonino, Rosane Sasse, Elias Soares 
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda closed the meeting, saying that Governments must be made aware that ILO Conventions apply equally to contract and agency workers, and that where there are obstacles to full rights for CAL workers these should be tackled with legal actions. Warda also spoke about the need to work against the practices of the World Bank and the IFC, organisations which are still advising governments that they need to create what they call more &lsquo;flexible&rsquo; labour markets. Warda concluded by calling on participants to inform the ICEM when there are CAL-related problems with companies. 
 
The regional committee meeting evaluated the activities carried out in the region since 2008 on the basis of the strategic plan drawn up in Uruguay. Three new unions were also ratified as new affiliates. The ICEM General Secretary spoke to the meeting about the ongoing effects of the global financial crisis, especially in Europe. He also updated the group on the talks with other GUF&rsquo;s on cooperation and building new international structures.

ICEM Regional Committee, CAL Workshop Meet in Recife, Brazil

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Short strikes by copper miners in Chile have ended and new collective agreements are in place with both the state-owned copper company, Codelco, and with Anglo-Swiss multinational Xstrata. Striking mineworkers at Codelco&rsquo;s Chuquicamata complex have settled, however an agreement still needs to be reached for 280 miners at the state-owned firm&rsquo;s Codelco Norte and for 500 miners at El Teniente. 
 
Meanwhile, mineworkers at Xstrata&rsquo;s Altonorte copper smelter agreed to contract terms, following one week of industrial action that ended on 4 January. 
 
Some 5,600 miners at Chuquicamata, located in Chile&rsquo;s northern region, ended two days of strike action on 5 January after accepting a pay rise of 4% and a bonus totaling US$24,280. Codelco&rsquo;s Chuquicamata workers also won a US$6,000 interest-free loan. Miners voted by 2,610 to 1,203 to accept the deal. 

<img alt="" src="" width="200" height="92" />
The Chuquicamata produces around four percent of the world&rsquo;s total copper supply. The vast complex includes the Chuquicamata and Mina Sur mines, and the short strike boosted global prices to a 16-month high. Union leaders had been seeking a 7.5% salary increase and a US$28,000 bonus, claiming the cost of living in the remote region is higher than anywhere in Chile. 
 
It was the first strike at these Codelco mines since 1996. The new collective agreement will last 38 months and took effect on 1 January. 
 
The settlement at Xstrata&rsquo;s Altonorte smelter, also in Chile&rsquo;s northern Region II, includes a two percent increase to base wages, a bonus of US$5,000, and an annual production bonus of US$1,500. The new collective agreement will be in effect for a three-year period, backdated to 18 December 2009. Miners of Labour Union No. 1 at Altonorte began their strike action on 28 December. 

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="101" />
Altonorte employs 660 workers and treats raw copper and other mining by-products to obtain copper anodes. The site has the capacity to produce 290,000 tonnes per year of copper in anode form. Xstrata is the fourth largest copper producer in the world. 
 
End-of-year negotiations at both Codelco and Xstrata coincided with a big jump in global copper prices, bringing pricing levels to 130 percent of what they were in early 2009. Codelco resumes bargaining with miners at El Teniente in March. 
 
Chile, the world&rsquo;s largest copper producer, reached an output of 5.3 million tonnes in 2008, and it is estimated that the 2009 figure will be similar. This equals roughly one-third of total global production.

Strikes Bring Chilean Miners Significant Advances with Codelco, Xstrata

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In Hobart, Tasmania, the Construction, Forestry, Mining, And Energy Union (CFMEU) and Belgian-based lead and zinc producer Nyrstar NV agreed to a 14-day cooling down period last week following escalated industrial tensions that included the threat of a lock-out under Australian&rsquo;s Fair Act by the company. 
 
Nyrstar operates a 300-worker zinc smelter in Hobart and exports some 250,000 tonnes of zinc cathode annually from Tasmania. The two parties resume negotiations under the supervision of Fair Work Australia, the government&rsquo;s new labour dispute agency. 

<img src="" width="160" height="80" alt="" />
The dispute flared in mid-December when some workers opted to take lawful industrial actions, including work bans and other stoppages. Strikes occurred on December 19 and December 24. Nyrstar immediately responded by issuing letters to strikers stating they would face a 16-day lockout, while another letter to those not striking stated that implementation of partial work bans will be construed as refusal to do any work, thus staff will not be paid at all. 
 
The central issue in the Nyrstar Australian dispute is the company insistence to continue a performance-based pay system, while the CFMEU and another workplace representative is seeking renewal of an enterprise agreement that contains automatic and set pay increases. The current operating enterprise contract expired three years ago, with no accord reached in that time period. 
 
Nyrstar was formerly a joint venture between Belgian metals and chemicals company Umicore and Australian mining and development company Zinifex Ltd. It was spun off into a separate company in late 2007 and wholly owns GM-Metal of France and 25% of Thailand&rsquo;s Padaeng Industry Public Company Ltd. Zinifex remains Nyrstar&rsquo;s primary source for raw zinc, while Umicore is a main buyer of Nyrstar&rsquo;s processed zinc. Globally, Nyrstar also processes some copper, gold, indium, and refined silver.

CFMEU, Zinc Smelter Nyrstar Take ‘Cool Down’ Time in Australia

<img src="" width="100" height="39" alt="" />
Editor&rsquo;s Note: ICEM Health, Safety, and Sustainability Officer Brian Kohler provided daily COP 15 commentary from Copenhagen at the failed UN Climate Change Conference. 
 
12 December: A mass &quot;civil society&quot; demonstration demanding action on greenhouse gases took place today. Tens of thousands of demonstrators took part in mostly peaceful fashion, although there are reports of several hundred arrests, and some police brutality. The Copenhagen negotiations are troubled. The US negotiators in particular are so far reluctant to agree to anything substantive on targets and financing. China is unwilling to accept external verification of its progress, which is a US demand. Developing countries are anxious to defend the principles in the Kyoto Protocol and secure funding for mitigation and adaptation. Targets, and even a baseline year, remain far from agreement. 

<img src="" width="100" height="94" alt="" />
13 December: No formal meetings of the parties were scheduled for today. A limited number of meetings of observers and informal groups occurred. The trade union delegation met in caucus. Union lobbying is making a difference, and many governments seem favourably disposed to accepting some version of &quot;labour's paragraph&quot; in the final text. This may be due, in part, to the economic crisis and the wish of political leaders to be able to say something positive about jobs when spinning the Copenhagen outcome. However, attempts to modify the text or move it from the body of the &quot;Shared Vision&quot; document to the preamble of the final document, may create problems for us. 
As far as the broader progress of the talks is concerned, it is at present difficult to predict the outcome. The outcome may be a bad agreement (neither fair, nor ambitious, nor legally binding) with or without the wording on Jobs and Just Transition that labour wants. 
 
14 December: Today, at what was to be a meeting with the COP15 President, it was instead announced to those present that security issues would trump public participation in the remaining days of the Copenhagen talks. Of some 40,000 registered delegates, only 9,000 &quot;observers&quot; (all NGOs, all labour unions) would be admitted tomorrow and Wednesday; 1,000 &ldquo;observers&rdquo; on Thursday; and 90 &ldquo;observers&rdquo; on Friday. Security issues and problems at the registration desk have created a nightmare for people trying to get into the Bella Center. Fortunately, the next three days feature a number of events at labour's off-site World of Work pavilion, where access will be unaffected by developments at the Bella Center. Events today include: 1.) Trade Unions and Climate Change: the need for Just Transition, presented by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); 2.) Low Carbon Diet: The trade union vision of sustainable food production and the right to food, presented by the International Union for Food and Agricultural Workers (IUF); 3.) Australian Labour/Environment Alliance: Green Jobs and the future, presented by the Australian Congress of Trade Unions (ACTU); 4.) Carbon Capture and Storage: Challenges Ahead for Energy and Industry, UK Trades Union Congress, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), and Construction, Forestry, Mining, and Energy Union (CFMEU), Australia; 
 
5.) Climate Change Challenge: Social Standards and Sustainable Construction as Trade Union Agenda, presented by the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI); 6.) Environment and Social Dialogue in France, presented by the Conf&eacute;deration G&eacute;n&eacute;rale du Travail (CGT) and Conf&eacute;d&eacute;ration Fran&ccedil;aise D&eacute;mocratique du Travail (CFDT), France 7.) Public Services: Key to getting us out of climate crisis, presented by the Public Services International (PSI); and 8.) Building consensus for strong US climate policies through Blue-Green partnerships, presented by the Blue Green Alliance. 

<img src="" width="119" height="152" alt="" />
15 December: Reports continue of delegates trying to register standing in the cold for hours, only to be turned away. Keep in mind that the capacity of the Bella Center is only 15,000 according to fire safety regulations, but the secretariat accepted some 40,000 registrations. Today's World of Work events include: 
1). Low carbon industrial policies, presented by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) with European Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (EMF), European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers&rsquo; Federation (EMCEF), and other European federations; 2.) Visit to Danish Green Workplaces, organized by LO-Denmark; 3.) Climate and Social Justice: creating an economy for people and environment, presented by the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA); 4.) Climate Change and Employment: An alternative model for transport, presented by the International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF); 
 
5.) Sustainable mobility: Comisiones Obreras&rsquo; practical approach, presented by the Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), Spain; 6.) Green Workplaces in the Netherlands, presented by the Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (FNV). 7.) Climate Change and Social Dialogue, presented by the Social democratic parties and trade union councils in the Nordic countries (SAMAK) and Council of Nordic Trade Unions (NFS); 8.) A Green Economy Without Unions? - Analysis of the &lsquo;Green Growth&rsquo; policy of Korean government and strategy for unions and civil society, presented by the Korean Congress of Trade Unions (KCTU), Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), and Korean Energy and Climate Policy Institute 
(ECPI); 
 
9.) Green Jobs in India: the SEWA experience, presented by the Self-Employed Women Association (SEWA); 10.) Economic Recovery and Green Jobs: win-win for development, climate and labour, presented by the ILO; and 11.) Resource Efficiency at the Workplace in Germany, presented by the German Dachorganisation der Gewerkschaften (DGB) and DGB Bildungswerk. 
 
16 December: This morning, an informal meeting of trade unionists affiliated with the ICEM, as well as the IMF, the EMF and EMCEF took place at the headquarters of the Danish union 3F. Thanks must go to Jesper Lund Larsen of 3F for helping ICEM obtain the venue in an over-crowded and chaotic city. 
In the afternoon, the four organisations&rsquo; joint World of Work event, &quot;Cutting Emissions: Transforming Industrial Jobs&quot; took place. It was a huge success, with a standing-room-only crowd, high-profile speakers, and plenty of interest in our message. 
 
Other World of Work events that took place today include: 1.) Japanese Experience on Energy Conversion, presented by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO). 2.) Sustainable Energy Supply, presented by the German Dachorganisation der Gewerkschaften (DGB) &ndash; BMU; 3.) Visit to Danish Green Workplaces, organized by LO-Denmark; 4.) Women Workers and Green Jobs: employment, equity and equality, presented by Sustainlabour, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); 5.) Climate Change Challenge: Social Standards and Sustainable Forestry as Trade Union Agenda, presented by the Building and Woodworkers&rsquo; International (BWI); 6.) Providing real access to energy for all, presented by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), and F&eacute;d&eacute;ration G&eacute;n&eacute;rale du Travail de Belgique (FGTB) and Conf&eacute;deration des Syndicats Chr&eacute;tiens (CSC), both of Belgium; 
 
7.) Climate Solidarity: Trade Union Responses from Greener Workplaces to International Policy, presented by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), UK, LO-Denmark, AFL-CIO of US, and OHSE Bangladesh; 8.) The Sustainable Company &ndash; importance and role for workers interest representation, presented by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI); 9.) Financing Climate Change, presented by Sustainlabour, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Nepal&rsquo;s General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) and the Trade Union Congress (NTUC), Nepal, the ITUC Africa Region, and Trade Union Confederation for the Americas (TUCA). 

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17 December: Admission to the Bella Center is all but impossible. &quot;Observer&quot; delegates admitted to the Bella Center today were supposed to be restricted to 1,000, but before this number was reached all new admissions were completely closed except to official government negotiators. A morning meeting of labour delegates took place at the LO-Denmark building, but a snowfall this morning was the final straw that broke the back of Copenhagen's already overstressed public transport system. I was not able to get there in time. Truly, this conference has become a catastrophe for the city of Copenhagen. Reports from those few still inside the Bella Center provided first indications that the entire negotiating work to date was being trashed in favour of a political agreement negotiated between only a few of the major participants. In this scenario, &quot;labour's paragraph&quot; will disappear, at least temporarily. 
 
18 December: Only 90 &quot;observer&quot; delegates, including only 9 trade unionists, were to be admitted to the Bella Center. It is now hopeless for any others to try to interact directly with any of the negotiators. 
The political leaders of the world, unable to reach a consensus on prepared texts, have crafted a face-saving document. In fact, the document was negotiated primarily between the US, China, and some 20 other countries, short-circuiting the UNFCCC process. Now called the Copenhagen Accord, the document itself meets none of the criteria of labour and civil society groups necessary to the final accord, and it contains no references to sustainable jobs, decent work, or Just Transition. However, it does make reference to political will to keep global warming below 2 centigrade degrees global average, with a scientific review following the release of the IPCC's fifth review. It also has some non-specific references to financing and targets. After two weeks of meetings, and months and years of preparatory work, many would describe this weak result as a disgrace. In the interests of fair reporting, some optimists say that at least it creates a political basis for a potential agreement at a later meeting. The work of the Ad-hoc Working Group on Longterm Cooperative Action, where &quot;labour's paragraph&quot; resides, is mandated to continue and may be incorporated in a subsequent, more detailed agreement. Let us hope that the pessimists are wrong and the optimists are right. In either case, we still have much work to do.

ICEM: COP 15 Second Week Diary and Commentary, 12-18 December

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The ICEM condemns the police violence taken against Trinidad and Tobago trade union leader David Abdullah and others on 18 December. Abdullah was one of the organisers of a peaceful protest outside Parliament. He was detained by riot police and charged with &ldquo;obstruction of free passageway.&rdquo; The protest was part of the campaign against a proposed Property Bill in the Caribbean islands nation. 
 
A number of other demonstrators, including members of ICEM affiliate Oilfields Workers&rsquo; Trade Union (OWTU), suffered injuries during the mid-December demonstration, as police attacked with batons. 
 
The movement opposing the property tax bill, called People&rsquo;s Democracy, is an umbrella group of trade unions, NGOs, and others in civil society. It organised the 18 December protest outside Parliament to coincide with deliberations on the bill inside the Lower House. OWTU President-General Ancel Roget also participated in the organization of the protest. 

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David Abdullah centre (Photo T&amp;T Newsday)
Several international groups have also condemned the unprovoked police attacks and arrest of Abdullah. UK Trades Union Congress General Secretary Brendan Barber, in a letter to the country&rsquo;s authorities, urged that &ldquo;the charges against Mr. Abdullah are dropped and that all citizens are allowed the free exercise of their democratic rights without interference from the State.&rdquo; 
 
Roget told police, who demanded the manifestation stop any noise making, that they were doing nothing illegal. It was then that police became violent, using batons against protestors holding only placards. Abdullah complained about the violence and was thrown into a police vehicle, while government police beat OWTU members who tried to follow. 
 
Following Abdullah&rsquo;s arrest on 18 December, four members of the opposition in Parliament came out and joined the march around the Parliament. 
 
Upon release, Abdullah said, &ldquo;This will further strengthen the resolve of those who are interested in (our country&rsquo;s) future because we saw physical evidence today of the dictatorship in Trinidad and Tobago. The right to peaceful picketing is a right we will never, ever give up. We have not and will not engage in anything illegal. And even the police could not tell us that we were violating any law by communicating our message by singing, chanting, and clapping our hands.&rdquo; 

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Ancel Roget
Roget accused the government of beating citizens into submission. 
 
Court action against David Abdullah will continue on 13 January and People&rsquo;s Democracy members intend to turn out at the court proceedings in support of their leader. The movement picketed the offices of Prime Minister Patrick Manning on Thursday, 7 January. 
 
The campaign against the Property Tax, seen as an ill-advised national policy to offset government shortfalls and wasteful spending, will continue. The campaign can be viewed <a href="http://www.peoplesdemocracytt.org/ ">here</a>.

Trinidad/Tobago Police Use Brutality to Stifle Free Speech, Assembly Rights

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