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The ICEM affiliate Mineworkers&rsquo; Union of Namibia (MUN) and management of Skorpion Zinc, owned by AngloAmerican, are expected to conclude negotiations today, ending a paralyzing 11-day strike that has affected global zinc markets. 
 
According to MUN President Andries Eiseb, the two sides exchanged proposals over the weekend, and spent the entire day on Sunday, 18 May, analysing the proposals. Further review is expected today, and the agreement is expected to be submitted to striking miners either late today or tomorrow.
<img height="66" alt="" src="" width="100" />
&ldquo;There is the intent by both parties now to amicably settle the dispute and we expect conclusion today,&rdquo; said Eiseb, who helped present the union&rsquo;s proposal to management at the mine and smelting operation near Rosh Pinah in southwestern Namibia. 
 
Salary agreement came late last week, when the union and management agreed on a 12% wage increase for all 680 miners. The major stumbling block in weekend negotiations was related to the company&rsquo;s desire for continuous operations, and the needed Labour Ministry exemption for that to occur. The issue of continuous operations also included the matter of adequate compensation. 
 
MUN agreed to support application for the exemption, and Skorpion must now compensate workers at time-and-a-half for all overtime, pending outcome of a court case. In a 2004 labour agreement, MUN won double-time for Sunday and public holiday work and that will remain intact. The overtime issue became complicated in negotiations due to the pending court case. 
 
Other issues that were resolved to the benefit of workers include housing allowances and company transport. The housing allowance was increased to N$1,700 per month, while MUN won a guarantee that the company will provide transport to the capital city of Windhoek, some 650 kilometres from the mine. Previously, transport was only granted to Keetmanshoop, a distance of 200 kilometres. 
 
Miners at Skorpion work seven-day on, seven-day off rotations.
<img height="95" alt="" src="" width="100" />
The ICEM affiliate Mineworkers&rsquo; Union of Namibia (MUN) and management of Skorpion Zinc, owned by AngloAmerican, are expected to conclude negotiations today, ending a paralyzing 11-day strike that has affected global zinc markets. 
 
According to MUN President Andries Eiseb, the two sides exchanged proposals over the weekend, and spent the entire day on Sunday, 18 May, analysing the proposals. Further review is expected today, and the agreement is expected to be submitted to striking miners either late today or tomorrow. 
 
&ldquo;There is the intent by both parties now to amicably settle the dispute and we expect conclusion today,&rdquo; said Eiseb, who helped present the union&rsquo;s proposal to management at the mine and smelting operation near Rosh Pinah in southwestern Namibia. 
 
Salary agreement came late last week, when the union and management agreed on a 12% wage increase for all 680 miners. The major stumbling block in weekend negotiations was related to the company&rsquo;s desire for continuous operations, and the needed Labour Ministry exemption for that to occur. The issue of continuous operations also included the matter of adequate compensation. 
 
MUN agreed to support application for the exemption, and Skorpion must now compensate workers at time-and-a-half for all overtime, pending outcome of a court case. In a 2004 labour agreement, MUN won double-time for Sunday and public holiday work and that will remain intact. The overtime issue became complicated in negotiations due to the pending court case. 
 
Other issues that were resolved to the benefit of workers include housing allowances and company transport. The housing allowance was increased to N$1,700 per month, while MUN won a guarantee that the company will provide transport to the capital city of Windhoek, some 650 kilometres from the mine. Previously, transport was only granted to Keetmanshoop, a distance of 200 kilometres. 
 
Miners at Skorpion work seven-day on, seven-day off rotations. 
 
The strike started on 9 May, and immediately drove zinc prices up on the London Metals Exchange. Skorpion, one of the world&rsquo;s leading zinc mining and processing firms, produces 150,000 tonnes of special high-grade zinc annually. Management attempted to leverage its bargaining position last week by bringing in contract workers in efforts to continue production. 
<img height="115" alt="" src="" width="250" />
The Skorpion mining and smelting operation, wholly owned by Irish-based Anglo Base Metals, a subsidiary of AngloAmerican, began operations in Namibia in 2003. It became fully operational in mid-2005, and it produced 56,300 tonnes for the first six months of that year when the price of zinc was at US$660-per-tonne. The MUN strike pushed zinc prices up a full 5%, with it trading at US$2,285-per-tonne late last week. 
The strike started on 9 May, and immediately drove zinc prices up on the London Metals Exchange. Skorpion, one of the world&rsquo;s leading zinc mining and processing firms, produces 150,000 tonnes of special high-grade zinc annually. Management attempted to leverage its bargaining position last week by bringing in contract workers in efforts to continue production. 
 
The Skorpion mining and smelting operation, wholly owned by Irish-based Anglo Base Metals, a subsidiary of AngloAmerican, began operations in Namibia in 2003. It became fully operational in mid-2005, and it produced 56,300 tonnes for the first six months of that year when the price of zinc was at US$660-per-tonne. The MUN strike pushed zinc prices up a full 5%, with it trading at US$2,285-per-tonne late last week.

Skorpion Zinc Strike in Namibia Expected to Conclude Today

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A critical multi-union trade union conference was held in Basra, Iraq, last week, 14 May, under the scope of the Executive Committee of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW). Chaired in part by Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein, president of the ICEM affiliate, General Union of Iraq Electricity Workers and Technicians (GUEWT), the conference produced a unified response to the Iraqi government&rsquo;s call for union elections between June and August of this year.
<img height="225" src="" width="300" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
At left, ICEM&nbsp;Executive Committee Member Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein&nbsp; 

The demand called on the government to abolish 1987&rsquo;s Public Law No. 150, a Saddam-era decree forbidding workers employed in the public sector from forming or joining a union. A statement issued to the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that followed the meeting also called on it to abolish Decree No. 8750, the draconian instrument put in place in 2005 by the occupational forces. That measure effectively confiscated all trade union funds, and prohibited unions from collecting dues or maintaining assets. 
 
In addition, the 15 trade unions present issued a demand for revival of Article 22, Paragraph 3 of the Iraqi Constitution, which would guarantee Iraqi unions the right to form or join free and democratic trade unions. 
 
Early this year, the al-Maliki government decreed that trade unions inside Iraq must conduct several rounds of elections in order to choose leaders. But under Public Law 150 &ndash; and of equal significance, the occupation&rsquo;s Decree No. 8750, which al-Maliki continues to uphold &ndash; most of the unions at last week&rsquo;s GFIW Basra event could not participate in such elections. 
 
The GUEWT, for example, as well as workers in the oil, railway, transport, ports, and health care sectors, are excluded because these sectors all are part of Iraq&rsquo;s public sector. &ldquo;We agree with the format for union elections, but with reservations,&rdquo; said Abdullah Muhsin, GFIW International Representative. &ldquo;Full freedom of association and common recognition of free and democratic trade unions inside Iraq must come first.&rdquo; 
 
In the letter to Prime Minister al-Maliki, that went as well as to Iraq&rsquo;s President and the President of Parliament, the GFIW states: &ldquo;Five years have passed since the fall of the hated regime. Iraqi workers, instead of receiving the support they deserve, must realize their potential and thus employ this potential to help reconstruction of Iraq&rsquo;s devastated economy.
<img height="101" src="" width="220" alt="" />
&ldquo;In the name of Basra workers, our federation, the GFIW in Basra, appeals to your Excellencies to recognize the sacrifices endured by Iraqi workers in their defiance of extremist onslaughts, and allow workers the right to conduct free and open elections across Iraq&rsquo;s public, private, and cooperative industries.&rdquo; 
 
Besides the GUEWT, the letter was signed by the GFIW Basra Head, Hussein Fadel Hassan; the Mechanic Workers&rsquo; Union of Basra; the Transport Workers&rsquo; Union of Basra; the Service Workers&rsquo; Union of Basra; the Construction and Wood Workers&rsquo; Union; the Municipality Workers&rsquo; Union of Basra; the Iraqi All Ports Workers&rsquo; Union, based in Basra; the Railway Workers&rsquo; Union; the Health Workers&rsquo; Union of Basra; the Engineering and Professional Workers&rsquo; Union of Basra; the Agricultural Workers&rsquo; Union; and the Society for Development and Reconstruction.

Iraqi Trade Union Conference Demands Repeal of Draconian Labour Decrees

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The ICEM Global Framework Agreement with French specialty chemicals producer Rhodia took a major forward step with inclusion of specific neutrality language. The two parties formally signed the renewal agreement in Paris on 25 March. 
 
The Global Agreement, originally signed on 31 January 2005, also includes stronger language regarding responsible behaviour by the company&rsquo;s suppliers and subcontractors, as well as integration of the agreement with the &ldquo;Rhodia Way,&rdquo; a set of principles aimed at continuous progress on social and environmental responsibility.
<img height="186" alt="" src="" width="280" />
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda and Rhodia CEO Jean-Pierre Clamadieu at the 25 March signing&nbsp; 
 

The renewal agreement is supported by ICEM French affiliates Fedechemie CGT-FO and Federation Chimie Energie CFDT. It follows a favourable assessment of the terms of the agreement carried out over that past two years that included a joint trip to China last fall to observe work conditions at Rhodia&rsquo;s operations there. 
 
&ldquo;We feel we have taken the agreement with Rhodia to a new level,&rdquo; said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;The commitment for trust and earnest dialogue is genuine.&rdquo; 
 
The agreement did contain, and still does, adherence to ILO Core Labour Conventions 87 and 98 regarding freedom of association, and the right of representation and collective bargaining, but it now goes further. Under a section entitled Labour-Management Dialogue, a clause now states: &ldquo;Rhodia respects the right of employees to be collectively organised and shall remain strictly neutral concerning their choices in this matter.&rdquo; 
 
Further to that section, &ldquo;Rhodia pledges to not practice any discrimination due to unionisation either when hiring or when managing employees&rsquo; careers.&rdquo; 
 
Rhodia also pledges to take a hands-on approach in assuring that suppliers and subcontractors adhere to the framework of the Global Agreement, as well as all laws and human rights standards. 
 
In addition, the renewal agreement sets formal ICEM involvement in tracking &ldquo;Rhodia Way&rdquo; performance; it creates a joint safety issues discussion group; allows the agreement&rsquo;s application to be audited by an outside expert jointly chosen by the two parties; and, following the successful Chinese mission, sets up an annual mission to a country to assess terms of the accord. The next such visit will be to Brazil.
The English and French versions of the agreement can be found <a href="/en/?id=98&amp;la=EN">here</a>.
Rhodia, which generated sales of &euro;5.1 billion in 2007, supplies chemicals for the automotive, tyre, electronics, perfume, and health, beauty, and home care markets. It employs 15,500 workers worldwide.

Renewal Rhodia Global Pact Has Specific Neutrality Language

The ICEM Women&rsquo;s Committee adopted a strong action plan on Zimbabwe 19 June, at its annual Women&rsquo;s Committee meetings, which followed the Global Union Federation&rsquo;s Executive Committee in Geneva, Switzerland. The action plan, prepared by Angeline Chitambo, an ICEM Vice President, who is President of the Zimbabwe Electricity and Energy Workers&rsquo; Union (ZEEWU), presents a six-point plan in which ICEM affiliates can lend assistance to what has become a deteriorating political situation.
<img height="195" alt="" src="" width="260" />
&nbsp;ICEM Women's Leaders and Vice Presidents, Evgenia Esenina and Angeline Chtambo 
 

In a statement presenting the plan, the Women&rsquo;s Committee said: &ldquo;Though the situation has always been bad in Zimbabwe, we have seen the worst after the 29th March 2008 elections &hellip; the violence that was released by the government, mainly in rural areas, affected women mostly, as the bulk of women stay in the rural areas where they work on the land for survival.&rdquo; 
 
The statement says that many women give in to pressure, and become prostitutes in order to make ends meet. The result is the increasing spread of HIV/AIDS. 
 
The statement adds: &ldquo;Those who are affected by HIV/AIDS are more vulnerable. Imagine you are the mother, your child dies of AIDS and after all that you have gone through, you cannot bury your child in time because there is no fuel, or the gravediggers are on strike because the city council cannot pay their salaries.&rdquo; 
 
The statement reports that women in Zimbabwe are prepared to go to the offices of the ruling ZANU PF political offices on 27 June to stand up to their repressive and violent measures, and demand the reconstruction of their country.
<img height="100" alt="" src="" width="80" />
The ICEM Women&rsquo;s Committee is calling on affiliated trade unions to: 
 
Understand what is occurring in Zimbabwe and how it affects workers and the poor; Send a team to get a full understand of the Zimbabwean situation; Mobilise basic food supplies to assist affiliated trade unions inside Zimbabwe; Task neighbouring trade unions in respective countries to assist; Press Zimbabwean embassies in home countries on the situation, and get NGOs and other Global Union Federations to assist; and pressure Zimbabwe&rsquo;s government to make food commodities available and affordable.
The ICEM will issue a Circular related to the Women's Committee action in the enar future.
&nbsp;

ICEM Women’s Committee Adopts Action Plan on Zimbabwe

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Last-ditch efforts today by Finnish National Conciliator Juhani Salonius to avert a strike across the nation&rsquo;s pulp and paper sector succeeded, with ICEM affiliate Toimihenkil&ouml;unioni TU and the Finnish Forest Industries Federation agreeing to a 21-month labour agreement. 

The employers&rsquo; association entered the mediation session this morning at 08h00 claiming inability to offer a pay increase, but by late morning the two sides had agreed on a pay increase of 5.3% over the life of the agreement.
Effective 1 July 2008, salaried staff will receive an increase of not less than 2.7%, or &euro;60-per-month. In addition to that, pay hikes of 1.3% and a one-off bonus of &euro;110 per worker will be paid out on local levels.
<img height="68" alt="" src="" width="120" border="1" />
&nbsp;A 0.4% increase is scheduled for distribution on the local level in March 2009. Also, a national pay increase of 0.9% will take effect in March 2009. 

Both parties retain the right to terminate the agreement in March 2009. 

&ldquo;Our rank and file will get a just compensation for the significant increase of their work load and responsibility,&rdquo; stated TU President Antti Rinne, referring to significant job cuts that have occurred since the year 2000. 

He added that the agreement &ldquo;will close the gap between the pay development of salaried employees and (other) workers&rdquo; within the country&rsquo;s pulp and paper industry. He said it was important for TU that pay decisions on the local level will not be solely made by the companies. 

The agreement also states that the two parties will begin a multi-year programme to develop pay patterns for salaried workers. Other improvements made include family leave, specifically a six-day paid paternity leave. Added compensation for safety representatives was achieved, and a working-hour bank established. 
 
The employers gave up their concessionary proposals on travel time, shift allowance cuts, and their demand to exclusively decide on working hours.
<img height="123" alt="" src="" width="120" />
&ldquo;We credit our Finnish affiliate, and their members&rsquo; decision toward strike action in order to resist the concessions the employers&rsquo; federation has put forward,&rdquo; said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;It is a progressive and forward-looking collective agreement, and most importantly it came without the necessity to conduct industrial actions.&rdquo; 
 
The settlement averts a strike planned at noon today by 1,000 senior employees at ten Stora Enso operations across Finland. Further rolling strikes were scheduled to occur at other major Finnish pulp and paper producers in June. Some 6,500 salaried, technical, and professional workers are covered by the new agreement.

Finnish Pulp/Paper Salaried Staff Dispute Settled in Last Minute Mediation

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
ICEM Regional Vice President Rayford Mbulu chaired the GUF&rsquo;s Sub-Sahara Africa Regional Meeting 9 June in Accra, Ghana. The conference, attended by 35 delegates, adopted a four-point programme aimed at building trade union power in the region. Mbulu is the General Secretary of the Mineworkers&rsquo; Union of Zambia (MUZ). 
 
Delegates attended from Botswana, Cameroon, C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. 
 
The action programme adopted target points in four areas: Collective Bargaining and Campaigns; Socio-Economic Issues; Politics; and Health and Safety. 
<img height="115" src="" width="250" alt="" />
Collective Bargaining and Campaigns: 
 
The regional delegates vowed to support the bargaining process for a living wage by the host union, the Ghana Mine Workers&rsquo; Union (GMWU), and called on all ICEM affiliates in the region not to agree to wage increases that fall under the rate of inflation in their respective countries, in light of escalating food and energy price increases. 
 
Delegates also endorsed and pledged to emphasize the global labour and the International Trade Union Confederation&rsquo;s &ldquo;World Day for Decent Work&rdquo; on 7 October 2008, a day of mobilization to end poverty and inequality, to establish rights at work for working women and men, and to establish Solidarity between trade unions on bilateral and multilateral levels. 
 
The statement also pledged to support a Women&rsquo;s Charter to enhance the role of women within all ICEM affiliates, and within the ICEM itself. And it called upon employers to further facilitate HIV education, testing, and access to anti-retroviral medication. 
 
Socio-Economic Issues: 
 
The conference condemned the xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa. 
 
Politics: 
 
Delegates called upon leaders of countries in the region to ensure free and fair balloting in the run-off elections in Zimbabwe later this month. Regarding Somalia, delegates condemned the eruption of conflict, which has claimed the loss of many lives and has deeply affected the working class of the country. 
 
The regional conference also implored the citizens of the Niger Delta in Nigeria to embrace dialogue, and requested that the Nigerian government link dialogue with the urgency to create a sustainable infrastructure and human resource development for citizens in that region. Delegates also urged multinational companies operating in Nigeria to partner with trade unions and other stakeholders in order to institute a socially viable peace and cooperation in the area. 
 
Health and Safety: 
 
The conference took notice of the 8 June coal mine explosion in the Ukraine, resulting in 12 deaths, and called for immediate improvements toward safe mining practices across the world. Delegates also called for added attention by employers, governments, and trade unions on the dangers faced by uranium miners, and for an increase in work by the ICEM in this area.

ICEM’s Sub-Sahara Africa Conference Adopts Four-Point Work Plan

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
The ICEM joined four other labour union federations at the ILO&rsquo;s 97th International Labour Conference to condemn the Iraqi government&rsquo;s neglect toward global labour standards, and its harassment of trade unions and trade union leaders in the Middle Eastern nation. 
 
The condemnation came at the ILO&rsquo;s Committee on Standards on 11 June, during a session in support of complaints from Iraqi trade unions. The ICEM joined the national center of the UK, the Trades Union Congress (TUC); the American federation, AFL-CIO; and fellow Global Union Federations, Education International (EI) and Public Services International (PSI) in declaring, before world governing bodies, that peace and prosperity in Iraq depends on strong, free, and independent trade unions. 
 
The statement denounces the occupying forces for raiding and ransacking union offices; condemns the government with maintaining laws that restrict trade unions and interferes with their internal and financial affairs; and admonishes &ldquo;so-called insurgents&rdquo; who &ldquo;target and kill trade union leaders and ordinary workers like teachers who are training the next generation in tolerance and human rights.&rdquo;
<img height="72" alt="" src="" width="155" />
The statement, read by ILO Government Board Member and TUC Representative Simon Steyne, also sets forth five major concerns that hinder peace and normal lives for Iraqi citizens. 
 
1.) Saddam&rsquo;s 1987 Decree 150, banning public sector trade unions: &ldquo;The public sector in Iraq &ndash; including oil, energy supply, public service, and health &ndash; accounts for 80% of the workforce. The decree prevents the vast majority of Iraqi workers from exercising their fundamental rights and must be abolished.&rdquo; 

2.) Decree 8750, imposed by the occupation&rsquo;s forces: It &ldquo;empowers the Government to take over trade unions at will, and has been used to freeze all Iraqi union bank accounts. It is odious, contrary to (ILO) Convention(s), and it too should be abolished.&rdquo; 

3.) Labour and Social Security Law: &ldquo;Apparently, an ILO-compliant labour law sits in the Ministry of Labour. Though ready for several years, we are often told it is under review. It should be adopted and implemented as promised. Any review can take place once Iraqis have seen how it works in practice.&rdquo; 

4.) Government interference, through both Decrees 150 and 8750: &ldquo;Earlier this year, the government told the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW) that it would release some of the frozen funds so internal elections could be held. Those elections are needed &ndash; but it should be GFIW&rsquo;s members&rsquo; decision when to hold them &hellip; the Government insists that election candidates must be Iraqi citizens, which is unacceptable to a free trade union movement representing workers wherever they come from. And in flagrant violation of Convention 98, (such nominees for union office) must have the support of their employer. The Government has used Decree 150 to insist that only unions in the private sector will be involved. This would forcibly restructure those unions with members both in and out of the private sector, and prevents the vast majority of GFIW members from having any say in their organisation&rsquo;s leadership.&rdquo;
<img height="80" alt="" src="" width="120" />
5.) Physical Transfer of IFOU Activists: &ldquo;Eight leaders of the ICEM-affiliated Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions (IFOU) are to be moved from their jobs and homes in the southern oil fields to a violent part of Baghdad, in a move calculated to disrupt the union&rsquo;s activities and put them in danger. The same trick, tried previously against the leaders of the GFIW-affiliated port workers union in Um Asr, was prevented by international and Iraqi trade union opposition.&rdquo;
In conclusion, the statement, read, &ldquo;The Government must explain the contradictions between its words and its deeds, must halt anti-union repression and introduce a labour law promoting social dialogue, freedom of association, and collective bargaining.&rdquo; 
 
In a TUC statement, Simon Steyne said, &ldquo;It is strange that a Government too busy fighting violence should spend so much time and effort harassing one of the few institutions which unites workers regardless of tribal, ethnic, or religious boundaries and is committed to women&rsquo;s emancipation and the creation of a peaceful and prosperous Iraq.&rdquo;

ICEM Teams with Labour Groups to Condemn Iraq’s Trade Union Abuses at ILO

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
The Canadian province of Quebec&rsquo;s Labour Relations Board issued a stern reprimand to Petro-Canada over its attempt to circumvent the bargaining committee of the Communications, Energy, &amp; Paperworkers (CEP). In a 4 June ruling, the provincial government ordered the company to cease its intimidation of individual workers, and to begin good-faith bargaining with CEP Local 175 of Montr&eacute;al in earnest efforts to end the company&rsquo;s seven-month lockout of 260 refinery workers there. 
 
Negotiations did re-start on 13 June, but there was no immediate indication that Canada&rsquo;s second largest energy company would meet the CEP&rsquo;s National Chemical and Energy Bargaining agenda. In prior talks this spring, the company placed further and more severe concessions on the table than what was proposed at the time of the 17 November 2007 lockout.
<img height="213" alt="" src="" width="160" />
CEP Local 175 Members Still Standing Strong
Then in early May, just prior to submitting another in a series of &ldquo;final offers&rdquo; to Local 175, managers at the Point-aux-Trembles refinery in Montr&eacute;al&rsquo;s east end contacted individual union members. They threatened closure of the refinery, urged an overthrow of the union&rsquo;s bargaining committee, and intimidated workers in attempting to coax them to accept the company&rsquo;s regressive proposal. 
 
In the 4 June ruling, Labour Relations Board Commissioner Suzanne Moro ordered the company to &ldquo;cease attempts to impede the activities of CEP Local 175, attempts to interfere in the activities&rdquo; of the union and &ldquo;attempts to dominate&rdquo; Local 175. 
 
The writ ordered company representatives to cease efforts &ldquo;to create double negotiations and to negotiate a collective agreement in good faith.&rdquo; Canadian press reports cited the company with denying the charges. But workers taped the conversations, and presented that as evidence to the labour board. 
 
&ldquo;The importance of this decision is it demonstrates what has been ongoing since bargaining began,&rdquo; said CEP Administrative Vice President for Quebec, Joe Gargiso, who also heads the union&rsquo;s Chemicals and Energy Bargaining Programme. &ldquo;Petro-Canada has had no intention of bargaining in good faith, only seeking a strategy of imposing a new collective agreement that our members don&rsquo;t want.&rdquo;
<img height="119" src="" width="200" alt="" />
CEP's Admin. Vice President (Quebec) Joe Gargiso
He added the locked-out workers are withstanding the pressures &ldquo;extremely well,&rdquo; and that they are &ldquo;united and standing solidly behind their bargaining committee.&rdquo; He also said the 260 oil workers are receiving strong financial support from the CEP, and from CEP&rsquo;s energy local unions across Canada. 
 
On 24-25 May, the union&rsquo;s National Chemicals and Energy local unions met in Montr&eacute;al, and adopted a strong statement to the company&rsquo;s president and CEO, Ron Brenneman, saying: 
 
&ldquo;We find it totally unacceptable that in Montr&eacute;al, your Company attempts to break the national Bargaining Settlement made with CEP at (Petro-Canada&rsquo;s) Edmonton refinery in April 2007. This settlement has been followed by Petro-Canada in its other locations, as well as by Imperial Oil, Shell, Husky, Suncor, etc. 
 
&ldquo;And we find it unacceptable and shameful that your Company is attempting to trash the Montr&eacute;al collective agreement by trying to impose a host of rollbacks in a clear design to curtail the union&rsquo;s ability to play its role in the workplace and ensure a safe environment.&rdquo; 
 
Petro-Canada has further breached Quebec&rsquo;s labour law by employing 34 replacement workers during the lockout. The inexperienced workers have teamed with managers, who are working 70-hour work-weeks in order to maintain outflow, and the combination has created obvious safety and environmental hazards to the refinery, which is located in a residential area.

Petro-Canada Breaks Law in Failed Effort to Break Workers’ Resolve

<img width="100" height="39" src="" alt="" />
ICEM&rsquo;s Central European Regional Council was held in Katowice, Poland, on 29 April, and leaders of affiliates from eight Central European countries discussed trends and developments within the ICEM region, as well as global matters. 
 
The problems mentioned by ICEM&rsquo;s trade union leaders of the region often mirrored those from neighbouring countries. Workers in most countries face problems with stagnant wages &ndash; and extremely low minimum wages &ndash; as well as high inflation rates. In Croatia, many workers do not earn more than &euro;8 per day.
<img width="160" height="85" src="" alt="" />
The ICEM Central European Regional meeting was hosted by Polish trade union sentre Solidarnosc
Unions in Croatia are calling for a minimum wage to be set at the level of 50% of the average wage. Unions in other countries are setting that bar at 60%. In several Central European nations, the current minimum wage is often lower &ndash; 40% of the average wage, or even lower.
<img width="120" height="60" src="" alt="" />
Croatia&nbsp;
Progress is slow on that front, but it is being made. In Slovakia, for example, union and employers are now jointly negotiating a new minimum wage through social dialogue. In Romania, the minimum wage was raised last year from &euro;100 to &euro;150 per month. 
 
Standard wages do differ between countries. An average wage in Bosnia stands at around &euro;300, whereas the average salary in Poland, before taxes, is around &euro;800. The wage differences between sectors inside some countries are oftentimes wide. Some Polish workers barely earn &euro;300 per month, while others make &euro;1,700.
<img width="120" height="60" src="" alt="" />
&nbsp;Bosnia-Herzegovina
Overall, unions in Central Europe are generally reporting progress. One such area that is progressing is negotiations with multinational companies. In nearly all countries, privatisation exercises continue and that does cause serious hardship for many trade union members. Unions do report that fair dismissal packages are now being won, a welcome change from previous years. Another positive aspect is that relations with incoming multinational companies are improving. 
 
Engagement in social dialogue is a key priority for most unions, including with several non-European multinational investors. This phenomenon has grown rapidly over the last few years. Multinational companies from Russia, Turkey, India, and South Korea are no longer the exception. Regrettably, industrial relations with some of these firms (for example, Korean Hankook Tire in Hungary) are acrimonious, since some of these newly-arrived companies lack relevant experience with the European social dialogue system. 
 
Nearly all trade union leaders attending the regional meeting also mentioned the positive, and growing, international cooperation between unions in the region. Trade unions and their members are increasingly attending each other&rsquo;s demonstrations, across borders, and are sharing more and more information. 
 
Also reported was the vastly improved trade union cooperation inside countries. This is occurring between unions that often belong to different national confederations. One clear example came from Poland, where a joint ICEM-EMCEF office is being set up, allowing six industrial unions to speak with one voice. 
 
As a result of this increased cooperation, there also appears to be a growing political will to do away with the problem of having too many unions inside one country. Leaders spoke of the need for consolidation and mergers, in order to avoid situations where unions compete with each other. 
 
Unions in Serbia, for example, spoke of improvements in their own operations, as they manage, frequently after changing internal structures, to halt the drop in union membership and boost affiliation fees.
<img width="120" height="71" src="" alt="" />
Serbia
Related to these efforts was an overview by Mato Lalic on the South-East European Education Project for ICEM and IUF affiliates. He reported on a number of successes from this project, which is expected to enter its last two-year cycle this year. For over ten years, Lalic has organised over 300 seminars, workshops, and seminars, with over 6,000 trade unionists attending. And some 30-to- 40% of these participants have been women. 
 
Some problems, however, remain country-specific, such as the after-war issue of the non-payment of pensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Also, austerity measures were cited as a measure to offset the GDP deficit in Hungary. 
 
Other problems appear simultaneously in all countries. Many spoke, for example, of anticipated difficulties &ndash; and possible long and hard struggles &ndash; in relation to the expected increases of the statutory pension age in their respective country. The issue of green jobs, and the need to have an ecological balance, but also the possible difficulties that industries may face as a result of a more stringent emissions rights system, were equally mentioned by many.

Reports from Central Europe Regional Meeting Point to Cautious Optimism

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Rather than negotiate in good faith with print shop members of UK union Unite, a book producer did the unthinkable: it suddenly sacked 287 workers and took the company into liquidation. 
 
Butler and Tanner, a 170-year-old printer in Frome, Somerset, that was bought last year by Media and Print Investments (MPI), had informed UK&rsquo;s Advisory, Conciliation, and Mediation Service (ACAS) that it was prepared for further talks with Unite over the weekend of 25-27 April in order to avert a planned 30 April industrial action.
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Instead, Butler and Tanner&rsquo;s chairman issued a terse letter to all 287 union members, received on 26 April, that the prestigious colour book printer was closing immediately. Unite then learned that the company had deployed labour agency staff to continue operations. 
 
Union members last Tuesday, 29 April, voted to take legal action to recover &pound;12,000 per worker in lost wages and &pound;44,000 in total pension contributions for the workforce. The union also organised a mass rally at the locked plant gates on 2 May. 
 
United National Officer Ann Field called it a &ldquo;despicable act,&rdquo; and said the union will demand full recompense. The union&rsquo;s Assistant General Secretary, Tony Burke, said staff had given their working lives to make Butler and Tanner one of UK&rsquo;s quality book printers, &ldquo;but they decided enough was enough when the goalposts for an agreement were constantly moved.&rdquo; 
 
Print workers had conceded pay cuts and other economic items when private equity company MPI took over in August 2007. The company was currently seeking another &pound;1 million in cost reductions, including radical shift changes, as well as a clause in a proposed new contract that would restrict Unite&rsquo;s ability to negotiate for workers.

Book Printer Suddenly Closes in UK, Leaving 287 Jobless

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