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On the weekend prior to the ICEM, the ILO and a mining employers&rsquo; trade group signing a historic pact on mine safety and health 1 December with the Chinese State Administration of Work Safety, a Chinese labour union, and other Chinese industrial groups, the worst coal mine disaster in over four years occurred in China killing 166 miners. A gas explosion at the state-owned Chenjiashan mine in Shaanxi Province caused the 28 November catastrophe.

Worst Coal Mine Disaster in Four Years Occurs in China

ICEM&rsquo;s North American Regional Coordinating Committee, chaired by PACE Vice President Don Langham, elected one trade unionist to the GUF&rsquo;s Presidium and another to the Executive at a meeting in the US 10 November. Ken Neumann, National Canadian Director of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA), replaces the retiring Lawrence McBrearty of the USWA on the Presidium while Terence O&rsquo;Sullivan, General President of the Laborers&rsquo; International Union of North America (LIUNA), takes a seat on the Executive Committee.

ICEM’s North American Region Elects New Presidium Member

China&rsquo;s coal mines have come under global scrutiny due to weekly disasters that claim the lives of thousands of miners each year. But yet another mine disaster this past weekend has gained headlines. On 20 November, a mass fire spreading across five iron ore mines in Shahe city, Hebei province, claimed the lives of 57 miners with another three still missing. The fire in the privately-run mine was caused by an electric cable that ignited and then spread when flames engulfed wood pillars.

Chinese Iron Ore Operations Latest to Face Safety Deaths

Swedish affiliate Sif held its Congress in G&ouml;teberg on 15-18 November and used a novel working method to discuss issues that replaced lengthy plenary sessions common to many congresses. The 180 delegates attending participated in 11 detailed consultative sessions that were aided by networked computers. The system, first introduced at the 2000 Congress but further refined at last week&rsquo;s event, facilitated much greater delegate participation in producing consultative documents and summaries of spontaneous discussions. These were then put to a final plenary for approval. Delegates also re-elected President Mari-Ann Krantz and elected two new Vice Presidents, Peter Hellberg and Stefan Carlsson.

Sif of Sweden Holds Congress

ICEM Belgian affiliate la Centrale G&eacute;n&eacute;rale FGTB held its Congress in Blankenberge 17-20 November with a theme entitled &ldquo;Delegates Without Borders for More Social Justice.&rdquo; The theme was a call to union activists to go beyond the &ldquo;borders&rdquo; of enterprises and conduct union work on international and European levels. The Congress debated global and European issues with emphasis on creating trade union networks. The Congress also marked the retirement of five members of FGTB&rsquo;s Federal Secretariat with Alain Clauwaert elected new President and Jacques Michiels as General Secretary. Other members of the Secretariat include Werner Van Heetvelde, Paul Lootens, Rik Desmet, Bruno Bachely, Herman Baele and Eric Neuprez.

Belgian Affiliate la Centrale Generale FGTB Holds Congress

ICEM sectoral conferences on Mining and on Diamonds, Gems, Ornaments &amp; Jewellery production are being held this week in Benoni, South Africa. The Diamonds/Gems conference is being held today with 130 global trade unionists attending. A joint session of the two sectors will be held tomorrow with the Mining Conference and its 190 registrants meeting on 24-25 November. The conference will develop a four-year ICEM work plan on Mining.

ICEM’s Mining, Diamonds and Gems Sectors to Merge

ICEM affiliate Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) won a round against global paper and packaging firm Visy Industries when the firm backed off forcing single-site labour agreements at 13 of its corrugated packaging plants in Australia. Visy had offered workers A$1,000 cash payment to accept the stand-alone labour agreements, but AMWU unity and resistance defeated the measure. The two sides agreed on a three-year, 14.25% wage hike covering some 600 paper-converting workers that preserves a system-wide agreement.

AMWU Wins Master Contract for Paperworkers in Australia

US affiliate United Steelworkers of America (USWA) and Bridgestone/Firestone will return to negotiations 16-17 November in St. Louis, Missouri, after a yearlong recess. The union halted talks in November 2003 and instead reached agreements with other global tyremakers in the US and Canada. USWA represents 5,000 rubber workers at seven Bridgestone/Firestone factories in the US.

Bridgestone and USWA Return to Bargaining Table in US

Brazilian affiliate FUB-CNQ will conclude voting on a new collective agreement with state-run Petrobras tomorrow, thus preventing unions from striking operations of the oil and gas major by 40,000 workers. Workers stand ready to approve a 12.1% pay hike plus additional benefits for retired workers. Petrobras will also create a special body to study workers&rsquo; retirement plans.

Oil Union in Brazil Gains Deal with Petrobras

Workers at Chernobyl, and Ukraine's four other nuclear power stations, will go on strike unless a dispute over unpaid wages is resolved by tomorrow (6 March). Nationally and globally, unions are warning that the crisis could have implications for safety. 
 
Over the past few weeks, the nuclear workers have gradually been escalating their protests over the wage backlog, which now amounts to more than US$15 million. They have repeatedly warned that serious underfunding of the sector poses a threat to nuclear safety. 
 
Their union, the Atom Trade Union (ATU), issued the strike alert after the government and the nuclear energy utility Energoatom had persistently failed to tackle the wage debt crisis. The union has particularly criticised the government's foot-dragging over a decree that would open new credit lines for the cash-starved Ukrainian nuclear industry. 
 
ATU President Alexander Jurkin is now in negotiations with the Deputy Prime Minister in a last attempt to avert a full strike. 
 
At the global level, the ATU is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). 
 
&quot;Our Ukrainian brothers and sisters can count on the full support of their colleagues worldwide,&quot; ICEM General Secretary Vic Thorpe. &quot;The Ukrainian nuclear workers must be paid what they are owed, and the ICEM stands ready to back their campaign. 
 
&quot;Non-payment of any group of workers is wholly unacceptable,&quot; Thorpe said. &quot;In the case of nuclear workers, it also poses a threat to the wider national and global community. 
 
&quot;Workers are a key factor in nuclear safety. They have to remain fully alert throughout their shifts. Nuclear workers who have serious financial worries, and who may have to take second jobs out of hours in order to make ends meet, could experience difficulty in concentrating. 
 
&quot;The Ukrainian authorities must ensure full payment of the nuclear workers' wages without further delay,&quot; Thorpe insisted, &quot;and they must provide the nuclear industry with the financial resources needed for safe operation. 
 
&quot;The global community must also shoulder its responsibilities,&quot; Thorpe said. &quot;Part of the international funding devoted to nuclear safety in Ukraine must be earmarked for the full, immediate payment of the nuclear industry's wage backlog. And the world's governments must insist that, from now on, wages be paid in full and on time to the workers on whom the world's safety depends.&quot;

Chernobyl Workers To Strike?

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