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A strike by Ukraine&rsquo;s two main coal mining unions last week at a state-owned company accomplished its goal: dismissal of the acting general manager. Some 9,000 coal miners of the Coal Mining Industry Workers&rsquo; Union of Ukraine and the Miners&rsquo; Independent Trade Union of Ukraine struck four major coal mines of the Krasnoarmeiskugol Company on 4 September, over mis-managed production and salaries. 
 
The strikes started at the Centralnaya, Stakhanov, Dimitrov, and Rodinskaya mines near the eastern city of Donetsk in the Donbass coal basin. The first demand of the strike was met when the government dismissed the company&rsquo;s general manager, Volodymyr Tymchenko. 
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After negotiations with two deputies in the Coal Ministry, Vladimir Fichev and Anatoly Bolotov, who were quickly dispatched to talk with striking miners, the decision was made to sack Tymchenko. At that, the two mine unions &ndash; both ICEM affiliates &ndash; decided to suspend the strike. 
 
Tensions, however, remain high because of the salary issue. The country&rsquo;s Coal Ministry wants to transfer 50% of workers&rsquo; hourly pay into norm-based remuneration. The mining unions are opposed. The mining unions also seek better production means. The strike comes as Ukraine desperately tries to attract investors to tap new seems of coal, namely in the Dnipr basin. 
 
The strike, which could re-start by month&rsquo;s end if the salary scheme isn&rsquo;t resolved, came amidst Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko publicly stating that success in the coal sector cannot come without an increase to workers&rsquo; social status. He said wages and pensions are too low, saying that the current levels are unfair and less than what miners&rsquo; deserve. He also said technical equipment in mines is poor, and Ukraine averages a death rate of one miner for every one million tonnes of coal produced, twice the rate of that in other countries.

Coal Miners in Ukraine Strike; Tensions Still High

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ICEM-affiliated papermaking union leaders concluded a highly successful set of talks last week in Helsinki and Stockholm. The top leaders, coming from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the US, as well as Norway, Denmark, and the UK, met through invitation of the Nordic Paper Workers&rsquo; Union network, and in coordination with the ICEM. The meetings took place 4-7 September. 
 
A definitive plan to form a work group and expedite global paper union issues through the ICEM was agreed to. The work group will include representatives from the Communications, Energy, Paperworkers (CEP) Union of Canada, the US&rsquo;s United Steelworkers (USW), and the Nordic paper unions. 
 
The US and Canadian labour leaders met with senior managers of both UPM (Kymmene) and Stora Enso, and visited the two company&rsquo;s Finnish mills in Anjalankoski (Stora) and Kymi Mill in Kuusankoski (UPM). A similar visit took place at Stora&rsquo;s Kvarnsveden mill in Borl&auml;nge, Sweden. 
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From left to right: Jan-Henrik Sandberg, Pappers; Jouko Ahonen, Paperiliitto; Dave Coles, CEP; Jon Geenen, USW; and Marrku Palokangas, Toimihenkil&ouml;unioni.
The conference and series of meetings was initiated by ICEM affiliates Paperiliitto in Finland and Svenska Pappers in Sweden. Paperiliitto President Jouko Ahonen and Pappers President Jan-Henrik Sandberg hosted the strategic meetings. The work group will come together in the next few months to undertake an immediate plan of action together with the ICEM. 
 
From Canada, CEP President Dave Coles, Sec.-Treas. Gaetan Menard, and CEP Assistant Fred Wilson attended the meetings. From the US, the meetings included USW Director Jon Geenen, Staff Representative Michael Bolton, and local branch leader and Stora worker Mike Peplinski, who serves as USW&rsquo;s delegate to Stora Enso&rsquo;s European Works Council (EWC). 
 
From Finland, ICEM Paper Sector Chairman Ahonen led a Paperiliiito contingent consisting of Petri Vanhala, Esa M&auml;isti, Sauli Jovanen, Juhani Siira, and Aila Sepp&auml;l&auml;. Finnish delegates also included Markku Palokangas and Jukka H&auml;m&auml;l&auml;inen, from ICEM affiliate Toimihenkil&ouml;unioni, the Trade Union of Salaried Employees. 
In Finland, the Nordic and North American paper union leaders met also with senior leaders of Kemianliitto, affiliate Chemical Workers&rsquo; Trade Union, and heard thorough reports from Paperiliitto on health and safety in the paper sector, the union&rsquo;s unemployment fund, and capital investment in the industry, in which Finnish shop stewards, safety delegates, and EWC representatives from all companies participated. 
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From Sweden, Bengt Sj&ouml;holm, Christer Larsson, and Mikael Jansson of Pappers participated, while SIF&rsquo;s Lis-Marie Fondberg also took part. Other Nordic representatives at the network meetings included ones from CO-Industri in Denmark and Fellesforbundet in Norway. The Amicus Section of UK affiliate Unite was also strategically included. 
 
The success of last week&rsquo;s Nordic tour was expressed in the words of the North Americans. 
 
These meetings, said CEP&rsquo;s Dave Coles, &ldquo;exceed our expectations. We have put a work plan forward and there is absolute consensus on moving forward and fast. This is a critical time for paperworkers in many countries.&rdquo; 
 
USW Director Jon Geenen said economic reports coming from the visit confirm the global pulp and paper sector has no limits when it comes to national or geographic boundaries. &ldquo;Emerging markets in developing nations are attracting capital for obvious reasons, while short-term, Wall Street mentality punishes corporations that invest badly-needed capital in other nations,&rdquo; stated Geenen.

Nordic, North American Paper Union Leaders Come Together to Shape Strategic Vision

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At an ICEM Latin American meeting, several South American unions involved in labour-energy strategies, met in Montevideo, Uruguay, on 29-30 August. 
 
The ICEM invited two other Global Union Federations (GUFs), Public Services International (PSI), and Union Network International (UNI), as well to participate. Unions from the oil, gas, and electricity sectors attended, as did Uruguay&rsquo;s paperworkers&rsquo; union. The major theme across the two days of discussions was discerning differences between a solely Latin-focused social plan and union network, and a more far-reaching, global network of energy and manufacturing unions. 
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From left to right: Fernando Berasain, coordinadora Mercosur unions, Achim Wachendorfer, FES Mercosur Office, and Manfred Warda, ICEM General Secretary
The ICEM stressed the number of multinationals operating in the region, including ones from Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and Russia. &ldquo;With the high number of progressive changes coming politically in many Latin countries,&rdquo; said ICEM Gen. Sec. Manfred Warda, &ldquo;we can expect multinationals to be more open about entering dialogue toward global agreements.&rdquo; The ICEM already is partner with companies in countries above in global framework agreements. 
 
Warda invited all Latin American trade unions to join the ICEM, or one or another of the GUFs, in order to support the current trend of cooperation among global trade unions and federations. &ldquo;The ICEM calls on all unions in the region to build a strong movement, not just in Latin America but in energy sectors across the world,&rdquo; said Warda. &ldquo;The ICEM asks Latin trade unions not to formally establish a separate organisation, but give support to the existing organisations and strong influence on the global issues that matter, especially energy.&rdquo; 
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Trade unions from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela attended the meeting, including representatives from national centres from several countries. 
 
For the ICEM, the conference served to advance a recently started project in Brazil on social dialogue with several multinationals, a project similar to the ICEM project launched in Colombia in 2004. The ICEM also opened the debate on Contract and Agency Labour (CAL). Contributions on this topic came from nearly all participants, and many had positive examples that shed new light on the issue. The union delegates discussed the ICEM&rsquo;s CAL Project, and agreed that a priority must be on organising contract workers. They also pledged to write letters to respective energy ministers on the dangers of sub-contracting. 
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And also from the ICEM, Vice President Sergio Novais, Latin America/Caribbean Region chairman of the ICEM, presented a training and leadership programme, which would start with 30 trade union leaders doing a residential course. In between, the 30 would be engaged in an intense, 200-hour training in distance and e-learning, with the union leaders expected to each train 20 other union members. 
 
The formal meeting adopted two resolutions, one on the continuing threats and deaths of Colombian trade unionists. The other one extended support to workers in Peru, who experienced death and destruction from the recent earthquake in the country. The <a href="/en/26-Latin-America-Caribbean/2384-ICEM-resolution-on-Colombia-ICEM-Latin-America-energy-meeting-in-Montevideo-Uruguay ">Colombian resolution can be found here</a>. The <a href="/en/26-Latin-America-Caribbean/2383-ICEM-Resolution-on-Peruvian-earthquakes-ICEM-Latin-America-energy-meeting-in-Montevideo-Uruguay">Peruvian one is here</a>. 
 
The meeting was aided by help from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES).

Latin American Energy Conference in Uruguay Gets Sound Footings

Trade unions from ten Arabic-speaking Middle Eastern and North African countries gathered in Amman, Jordan, on 2-3 September, and the result was a loud cry for global union solidarity from the unions of the politically troubled region. The event was an ICEM regional conference, and the Global Union Federation has now received 11 requests for affiliation from unions that attended. 
 
Jordanian Labour Ministry official Majeed-el Hbachena opened the conference, and said it is important that states offer constitutional and legal rights to trade unions so that they may fulfil their obligations. He also said governments must engage trade unions in developing education and training strategies for workers. 
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Key items in discussions over the two days included efforts by Iraqi unions to defeat the proposed oil law in that country, and winning respect and fair treatment for Palestinian workers from Israel and the global community. The 35 trade union leaders that attended stood united behind the position that Iraq&rsquo;s natural resources belong to all Iraqi people! 
 
Trade unions from Kuwait, Yemen, Algeria, Egypt, and Iraq seek affiliation with the ICEM. &ldquo;We have an important role to play in the region,&rdquo; said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;It is oil and gas, but electrical power, mining, and chemicals are also of major importance. Faced with increased levels of privatisation and contract and agency labour, unions in MENA face the same attacks as unions everywhere,&rdquo; said Warda. 
 
The region also elected its nominees for ICEM statutory positions, posts that will be endorsed at ICEM&rsquo;s November Congress. Some positions were designated on a yearly rotation system in order to bring more Middle East and North African (MENA) unions to the global front. Selected as the ICEM Vice President and Presidium member, in a rotating role, was Mohamed el-Sayed Morsi of Egypt&rsquo;s Public Syndicate of Public Utilities. Current Executive Committee member Abdeslam Mansour of UMT, Morocco, was confirmed to retain that seat, and the substitute post will rotate between a delegate from Jordan&rsquo;s General Union of Petrol and Chemicals Workers&rsquo; Union, and the General Union of Petroleum, Mining, and Chemicals Workers in Palestine (GUPMCWP). 
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Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein, president of Iraq&rsquo;s General Union of Electricity Workers and Technicians (GUEWT), a member union of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW) and ICEM&rsquo;s first affiliate from the occupied country, was nominated as the future Women&rsquo;s representative on the Executive Committee. 
 
ICEM&rsquo;s work in the region was strongly supported in Amman by the presence and voices of ICEM President Senzeni Zokwana, the president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in South Africa, and Welile Nolingo, the general secretary of South Africa&rsquo;s Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers&rsquo; Union (CEPPWAWU), who also is an ICEM Presidium Member. 
 
The conference had the support and expertise of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES). FES&rsquo;s Britta K&auml;hler, from the Jordan office, played a major role in developing and carrying out the conference. It also benefited through involvement from the US Solidarity Center.

ICEM’s Middle East-North Africa Region Surges with New Growth

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Bridgestone Corp. responded to toughening tyre talks in South Africa with a lockout. Rubber workers of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) at Port Elizabeth and Brits factories found themselves on the streets a week ago. 
 
NUMSA and three transnational rubbermakers have been locked in a pay dispute in South Africa, one of several ongoing labour dispute in the country. NUMSA and its 6,000 members in the rubber industry insist on not less than a 10% pay adjustment, while bosses are now just beginning to move upward from 7%.
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On 17 July, a shop stewards&rsquo; council decided to begin industrial actions against the three companies because several rounds of bargaining failed to resolve the wage issue. The work stoppages, and now Bridgestone&rsquo;s lockout, are having an adverse effect on production at the six tyre plants, admitted the head of the tyre employers&rsquo; association. 
 
NUMSA is demanding full wage and benefit disclosure between hourly and salaried workers, as well as the pay increases over the past five years for executives, along with their perks. 
 
The union is seeking to limit the use of contractors at the rubber plants in this set of talks. NUMSA also seeks an incremental adjustment for certain employees, and an increase in the allowance for shift work.
<img height="92" src="" width="200" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
The talks between NUMSA and the tyre producers, through employers&rsquo; grouping New Tyre Manufacturing Industry, cover workers at the two Bridgestone plants, at Continental A.G.&rsquo;s plant in Port Elizabeth, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.&rsquo;s plant in Uitenhage, and Dunlop Tyres (Pty.) Ltd., a company owned by the Indian holding company Apollo Tyres Group, which has factories in Durban and Ladysmith, as well as rubber interests in Zimbabwe. 
 
The ICEM supports South African affiliate NUMSA in its fight for a fair and just labour agreement for the 6,000 rubber workers.

Bridgestone Locks Out NUMSA Members in South Africa

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The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) again mourns the deaths of miners in South Africa. On 20 July, two miners perished 3,000 metres underground at AngloGold Ashanti&rsquo;s Moab Khotsong mine near Orkney in Free State. 
 
The two miners became trapped when the ground around them caved in. Their bodies were recovered on 22 July. A third miner was rescued in the cave-in and was reported in stable condition in a hospital.
<img height="124" src="" width="120" alt="" />
The two deaths push AngloGold&rsquo;s death rate in South Africa to 11 this, and the total recorded number of recorded deaths in the country&rsquo;s mining sector to 110. AngloGold&rsquo;s sister company, AngloPlatinum, leads all mining concerns in South Africa in recorded deaths with 17.
A day after the bodies at Moab Khotsong mine disaster were found, Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica visited the site. She took the unusual step of ordering the mine closed, pending an investigation. Speaking to reporters, she said that her ministry would begin more rigid inspections and that profits must not come before lives. 
 
Because of the rising death toll in South Africa&rsquo;s mines this year, the NUM has called for an urgent tripartite meeting to rescue South Africa's Mining Health and Safety Summit in order to address the current deficiencies in mine safety.

Two Workers Killed at AngloGold’s Mine in Free State, South Africa

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The national labour centres of South Africa and Zimbabwe are advising that the world better get ready for a humanitarian crisis, since Zimbabwe&rsquo;s economy is on the verge of a meltdown. 
 
In a joint statement, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) said if current mediation efforts in Zimbabwe by the Southern Africa Development Community fail, the country&rsquo;s &ldquo;economy will collapse completely, with dire consequences for the poor of that country and the region.&rdquo;
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The statement came following meetings between COSATU and ZCTU in Johannesburg on 15 July, at which time COSATU committed to begin preparations for a possible humanitarian crisis. 
 
The two national centres agreed that now is the time to mobilize alliance partners and all of civil society for a humanitarian package for suffering Zimbabweans who have fled, and likely will flee in great numbers if Zimbabwe&rsquo;s current economic reality continues. COSATU Sec. Gen. Zwelinzima Vavi said 5,000 Zimbabweans are arrested each week now as they attempt to enter South Africa.

National Labour Centres in South Africa, Zimbabwe Predict Refugee Crisis

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A central labour court in Thailand on 31 October ruled that Goodyear Thailand&rsquo;s termination of contract worker Chalom Kongnok was illegal, and ordered the company to reinstate him and award him backpay and full collective bargaining benefits for the past ten years. 
 
This case is one of 16 cases that ICEM affiliate Petroleum and Chemical Workers&rsquo; Federation (PCFT) now is pursuing on behalf of long-term contract workers employed in the warehouse and rubber stock department of Goodyear&rsquo;s Bangkok tyre factory. They were fired in October 2005 for attempting to exert their legitimate right to collective bargaining. 
<img height="100" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Several, such as Kongnok, had been working for Goodyear for up to ten years under one-year contracts. The labour court&rsquo;s ruling on 15 other sacked contract workers is expected on 30 November. 
 
The 16 had won a previous Industrial Court Commission ruling last spring that called for reinstatement. But when they turned up at the factory for work on 3 May 2006, management refused entry. 
 
Seven months before, Goodyear&rsquo;s Thai management acted hastily in sacking the workers when they demanded collective bargaining benefits and protections. They had been deducting dues from the contract workers for, in some cases, up to four years. In an effort to avoid unionisation in this area of the plant, Goodyear later in 2005 halted direct employment of the contract workers and brought in a labour agency as employer. 
 
The ICEM will continue to stand with the PCFT and its plant-level affiliate, the Tyre Makers&rsquo; Union, in its rightful quest for full rights and permanent employment for all contract workers at Goodyear Thailand Ltd.

Goodyear Ordered to Take Back Thai Contract Worker with Ten Years’ Backpay

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North America&rsquo;s bitter industrial strike in the rubber sector between the United Steelworkers (USW) and Goodyear Tire and Rubber will see the antagonists come face to face tomorrow, 14 November, when the parties commence bargaining. It will be the first set of talks since the strike by 15,000 US and Canadian rubber workers began on 5 October. 
 
USW President Leo Gerard said: &ldquo;We look forward to productive discussions whereby our members can return to making quality products and sincerely hope that this is a good faith attempt by Goodyear to solve problems and not place further obstructions in the path to reaching a fair and equitable agreement.&rdquo; 
 
Good faith is something Goodyear is a stranger to in this 40-day strike. The US-based rubber-maker announced during the strike it was closing a plant in Tyler, Texas, potentially sacking 1,100 workers, even though the issue of job security and closures was still open on the bargaining table. 
 
Goodyear CEO Robert Keegan breached ethical social conduct by stating to investment analysts that the company would bypass the union in order to force Goodyear&rsquo;s agenda of jobs cuts, work reorganisation resulting in lower pay, and devastating attacks on pensioners&rsquo; benefits. 
 
The company has been relentless in its messages to strikers to abandon the walkout. The most recent example is a letter that company coverage of health care would only be guaranteed if staff returned to work by 3 January 2007.
<img height="50" alt="" src="" width="100" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; <img height="51" src="" width="96" alt="" />
The ICEM-affiliated USW has made it clear that it is returning to the bargaining table tomorrow with expectations that management is ready for serious dialogue. The union maintains that Goodyear has not negotiated, but rather dictated the terms it seeks to impose on workers. &ldquo;We stand ready to bargain a fair labour agreement,&rdquo; said USW International Vice President Tom Conway, &ldquo;and assume (by Goodyear&rsquo;s return to bargaining) that the company has abandoned its destructive position on closing plants and slashing health care.&rdquo;
The USW will continue its campaign to protect jobs and livelihoods of North American rubber workers. On Saturday, 18 November, USW members will again distribute thousands of handbills to both customers and auto dealership managers over the possible safety risk Goodyear is creating by pushing for certain levels of production during the strike. The union has also taken that message to rubber sector and auto-parts trade shows that are attended by thousands of corporate representatives involved in sales and marketing. 
 
The Goodyear strike is one of the largest North American industrial strikes in this decade, affecting 12 plants in the US and four in Canada. Besides production from two non-union operations, Goodyear is attempting to maintain its customer base with limited production from plants that are on strike, using management personnel and temporary workers.

Steelworkers, Goodyear Return to Bargaining in Six-week Tyre Strike

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The Mineworkers&rsquo; Union of Namibia (MUN) ended a 13-day strike last Friday, 10 November, by 360 miners at the Kumba Resources&rsquo; Rosh Pinah zinc and lead mine in the south of the country. 
 
Miners won salary increases of 10% for workers in lower pay grades and 9% for those in higher grades. MUN General Secretary Joseph Hengari said miners also won a benefit of one month&rsquo;s salary when they resign or are retrenched. The collective agreement is for one year.
&ldquo;At first, the company refused to move from its salary position,&rdquo; said Hengari. &ldquo;So the final settlement is an improvement over what the company originally offered.&rdquo; South African-based Kumba had offered miners wage increases of 8% and 9%, while workers were seeking an across-the-board increase of 13%. 
<img height="66" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Besides a pay increase reflecting the high prices and demand for Rosh Pinah&rsquo;s major export, zinc concentrates, strikers were seeking better housing subsidies and relocation allowances. They were also seeking to bridge the parity gap that exists between Kumba&rsquo;s workers in South Africa and Namibia. 
 
Kumba is a Black Empowerment Enterprise of South Africa that was spun off from the global mining house, Anglo American. The company is currently undergoing a further split, separating some of its iron ore operations from base metal and coal operations. The latter, which will be called Exxaro Resources, will be the company that the Rosh Pinah operations will be part of. Anglo American will still control 19% of Exxaro. 
 
Rosh Pinah produces 70,000 tonnes of zinc concentrates annually, the majority of which is exported to South Africa for processing. It also produces 28,000 tonnes of lead. Kumba announced during the strike last week that a special &ldquo;unbundling dividend&rdquo; of the company will occur shortly, based on surplus cash after costs. 
 
The MUN also negotiated salary adjustments recently for some 100 uranium miners who had engaged in a two-day work stoppage at Roessing Uranium in late October. Roessing Uranium accounts for 7% of the world&rsquo;s uranium supply.

Kumba’s Namibian Mining Strike Ends in One-Year Agreement

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