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The ICEM is in strong support of oilworkers&rsquo; trade unions in Iraq over the most recent denial of their rights. Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein Sharistani, through his legal adviser Laith abd al Hussein Shahir, issued a formal directive to the country&rsquo;s oil companies, ordering them not to deal with trade unions and to exclude trade unionists from work committees. 
 
The directive, in effect, is meant to silence Iraq&rsquo;s oil unions from having an effect on the proposed Hydrocarbon Law. That law, which allows outside companies to exploit Iraq&rsquo;s wealth, has been approved by the Iraqi government and now is before the country&rsquo;s parliament. Iraq&rsquo;s oil workers and their unions have become the most outspoken opponents to the measure, arguing that it would ignite already dangerous regional rivalries and enrich global oil companies at the expense of ordinary Iraqis.
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Sharistani&rsquo;s directive, which states that &ldquo;unions do not enjoy any legal status to work inside the government sector,&rdquo; is a repeat of the Coalition Provisional Authority&rsquo;s Decree 8750, issued by the occupational forces in 2003 to prevent public-sector oil workers from forming trade unions. It is also a replay of Saddam&rsquo;s Decree 150, which banned all public-sector unions. 
 
&ldquo;The promotion and development of free and democratic trade unions, and the necessary social dialogue attached to that is essential for the reconstruction and reconciliation in Iraq,&rdquo; stated ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;We stand with our Iraqi brothers and sisters, and ask that this draconian directive be rescinded.&rdquo; 
 
Iraq&rsquo;s constitution, passed in 2005 with great hoopla praise from the occupational forces, enshrines the right of forming and joining professional associations and unions, and states this will be set in law. Sharistani&rsquo;s directive of 18 July 2007 is directly contradictory to Iraq&rsquo;s constitution. Iraq has also ratified ILO Convention 98 on Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, and thus has international obligations to promote voluntary unionism and collective bargaining rights.
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Hassan Jumaa Awad, president of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Workers, representing 26,000 workers in the Southern Oil Companies, said his members would not recognise the directive since &ldquo;we are working for Iraq.&rdquo; He had called the oil law a &ldquo;planned theft of Iraqi oil disguised as &lsquo;The Hydrocarbon Law.&rsquo;&rdquo; 
 
The General Union of Oil Workers and Technicians (GUOWT), part of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW), sent a delegation on 6 August to meet with the oil minister. Sharistani refused to meet, but sent the Information director of the ministry to tell the trade unionists that the oil minister &ldquo;will not meet with people that represent unions in the oil sector&rdquo; because there are no workers in this sector, only &ldquo;state employees.&rdquo; 
 
The GFIW delegation did deliver a letter, which demanded that Sharistani withdraw the directive.

Reckless and Repressive Union-Busting by Iraqi Oil Minister

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Turkish affiliates of the ICEM, some 13 in total, have come together to form a committee with a view to working efficiently and being actively involved in the activities of the ICEM. 
 
The first meeting of the ICEM Turkish Coordination Committee was held in Ankara on 2 August 2007. Chaired by Mustafa Kumlu, President of Turkish Electricity, Water and Gas Workers&rsquo; Union (Tes-İş), which hosted the historic gathering, the meeting was attended by 30 representatives from the affiliates. 
 
At his opening speech, Mustafa Kumlu, an ICEM Executive Committee member, said, &ldquo;Turkey is situated in a unique part of the world. On the one hand we have Europe and the Balkans, and on the other Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East and Mediterranean basin.
<img height="260" alt="" src="" width="390" />
&nbsp;From left, ICEM&rsquo;s &Ouml;zkan and Warda; Mustafa Kumlu, President of Tes-İş; and Mustafa &Ouml;ztaskin, president of Turkish ICEM affiliate Petrol-İş 
&ldquo;This gives us very important, but very difficult tasks,&rdquo; he added. Kumla said part of the difficulty lies with the fact that the Turkish trade union movement is facing an era of privatisation, rampant subcontracting, trade union rights violations, and redundancies that are steadily growing. &ldquo;We expect the ICEM to support us in promoting trade union rights and freedoms, as well as to provide solidarity in time of conflicts, especially during organising drives,&rdquo; Kumla said. 
 
Turkish unions, he stressed, want to make their own inputs into the activities of the ICEM, as well as support and solidarity worldwide. &ldquo;One of the important pillars of our trade union work is to reinforce international solidarity and transnational cooperation,&rdquo; Kumla said. 
 
But there can be no denying that Turkish labour legislation is wilfully lacking in meeting international standards, particularly ILO conventions. Turkey&rsquo;s trade union leaders are well aware that the ILO&rsquo;s Committee on Applications of Standards has placed the country and employers operating in the country on the agenda at its meetings this year. 
 
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda presented the federation&rsquo;s activities, and spoke of the developments in connection with ICEM&rsquo;s 4th World Congress in November in Bangkok, Thailand. He also spoke on the different projects of the ICEM, including HIV/AIDS and Contract and Agency Labour. He also addressed regional-based projects, and said that it was essential that affiliates use the ICEM&rsquo;s Global Framework Agreements to organise inside multinational companies. 
 
Warda took up potential cooperation areas and joint initiatives in which Turkish unions are welcome and invited to participate. Specifically, he mentioned the ICEM&rsquo;s role in bringing free and democratic trade unions in Iraq and other countries in the Middle East, as well as further involvement in the highly successful energy project in the Caspian Region.
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&nbsp; 
The ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Industry Officer, Kemal &Ouml;zkan, informed participants about ICEM&rsquo;s specific services for affiliates, such as efforts to create a Turkish language version on the ICEM website. &Ouml;zkan, a trade unionist who spent many years in the Turkish labour movement, also cited specific projects for the country in the coming months, including a workshop on Contract and Agency Labour in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES). 
 
Commenting on the reports given, the participants expressed their appreciation to the ICEM as it actively continues to back ongoing industrial actions and strikes in different industries inside Turkey.

ICEM’s Turkish Affiliates’ Coordinating Committee Meets in Ankara

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The ICEM has taken issue with a global building contractor following the dismissal of a union leader in Argentina. 
 
Management of Swedish-based Skanska AB&rsquo;s Argentine subsidiary fired the leader of ICEM affiliate Federaci&oacute;n Argentina Sindicol del Petr&oacute;leo y Gas Privados (FASPyGP), Marcelo Turchetti, while he was engaged in legitimate union activities for the Austral Basin branch of the union in Santa Cruz Province.
The sacking occurred in June, and FASPyGP began a boycott of Skanska&rsquo;s contracting services at all of Argentina&rsquo;s energy worksites. The company operates as a contractor for ExxonMobil, Petrobras, Repsol, Royal Dutch Shell, and Chevron operations in Argentina. Skanska employs 1,000 construction workers in Argentina. 
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&ldquo;We have implemented a boycott campaign and we have taken all the necessary legal steps under our country&rsquo;s laws to get him reinstated,&rdquo; said FASPyGP Secretary General Alberto Roberti. 
 
The ICEM alerted the Building and Wood Workers&rsquo; International (BWI) prior to lodging the complaint. The BWI and Skanska are signatories to a Global Framework Agreement (GFA), agreed to in 2001. 
 
In the ICEM letter, General Secretary Manfred Warda states that &ldquo;Turchetti was discharged in the performance of his legitimate union duties &hellip; this is counter to Core Labour Conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and is counter to the principles contained in the (GFA) that your company has signed with ICEM&rsquo;s fellow GUF, the Building and Wood Workers&rsquo; International (BWI).&rdquo; 
 
The ICEM is seeking for the branch leader&rsquo;s immediate reinstatement with full back wages. The ICEM&rsquo;s letter to Skanska can be found <a href="http://herecem.org/index.php?id=21&amp;doc=2353.&amp;la=EN">here</a>.

Swedish Builder Skanska Charged with Union-Busting in Argentina

Mr. Stuart E. Graham 
President, CEO and Managing Director 
Skanska AB 
Rasundavagen, 2 
169 83 Solna 
SWEDEN 
 
Mr. Graham: 
 
I write on behalf of the over 400 trade unions in 125 countries that are affiliated to the ICEM, the Global Union Federation (GUF) for the Energy, Oil, Gas, and Mining and other industrial sectors worldwide. 
 
I write on behalf of our trade union affiliate in Argentina, Federaci&oacute;n Argentina Sindicol del Petr&oacute;leo y Gas Privados (FASPyGP), who has informed us of the unfair dismissal of union leader Marcelo Nevil Turchetti, the general secretary of the Austral Basin branch of that union in Santa Cruz Province. 
 
He was fired from his job by Skanska&rsquo;s Argentine management on 6 June 2007. Following an investigation by the ICEM, we have found that Turchetti was discharged in the performance of his legitimate union duties. We have determined that this is counter to Core Labour Conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and is counter to the principles contained in the framework labour agreement that your company has signed with ICEM&rsquo;s fellow GUF, the Building and Wood Workers&rsquo; International (BWI). 
 
Senior leadership at FASPyGP has informed us they have filed the necessary appeals under the Argentine labour code, as well as an appeal to the Ministry of Work over this matter. They also inform us they have started a boycott of the company. Skanska as a contracting agent for a number of petroleum and gas facilities in Argentina. 
 
As you know doubt know, Skanska&rsquo;s business in the South American country is vast, employing 1,000 workers, with work at the facilities of ExxonMobil, Petrobras, Repsol, Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron. FASPyGP has asked ICEM to assist them in this effort, as well as to inform our affiliates worldwide of Skanska&rsquo;s conduct toward legitimate trade union activities in Argentina. 

I write to urgently call on you to intervene. I respectfully request that you intervene to reinstate Mr. Turchetti to his rightful position, and that he be made whole for lost earnings and benefits. I also urge you to inform your subsidiary in Argentina of the respect for trade union rights inherent in your company. I am confident that by you taking these actions, the legal matter that is pending on behalf of Mr. Turchetti can be dropped, saving both sides time and expense. 
 
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
Manfred Warda 
General Secretary 
 
CC Alberto Roberti, Secretary General, FASPyGP 
Anita Normark, Gneral Secretary, BWI

ICEM&#039;s Letter to Skanska AB Over Labour Abuses in Argentina

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Calling the work-lives of temporary and agency workers in the UK the &ldquo;dark underbelly&rdquo; of British society, Trades Union Congress (TUC) General Secretary Brendan Barber gave the issue of contract and agency labour prominence on the opening day of the TUC Congress, 9 September, in Brighton. 
 
Setting out specific instances of temporary or contract worker abuse in the UK, Barber called for new labour rights to be given to such workers in Britain. And in his keynote address to Congress, just prior to Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaking, Barber called on his government to quit the stalling, and endorse the EU Directive on Temporary and Agency Workers. 
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TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber
&ldquo;Since we launched the commission on vulnerable employment,&rdquo; Barber said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve met so many victims of unfair, systematic exploitation. 
 
&ldquo;There are so many issues to tackle in this dark underbelly of British life,&rdquo; stated Barber. &ldquo;I urge the government to deliver the promised European directive to give agency workers justice and dignity,&rdquo; he said. 
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In 2004, the Warwick agreement was made in the UK, which was aimed at providing equal employment rights for temporary and agency workers, and to support the EU Directive. Even though the Blair government pledged to do so, it never did. The TUC has now called on the Brown government to not only support the directive, but also to pass UK laws giving temporary and agency workers full employment rights.

UK’s TUC Congress Calls on Government to Adopt EU Directive

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One year ago, New Zealand&rsquo;s labour unions, led by its national centre, the Council of Trade Union (NZCTU), successfully prevented a regressive bill from becoming law. The so-called Probationary Employment Amendment Bill would have made it easy for employers to hire and then sack temporary workers during their first 90 days of employment. 
 
The unions did it with mass demonstrations and outreach to many groupings that effectively generated mass support among New Zealanders. 
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Now labour unions and the CTU are pushing for passage of legislation that would aid contract workers. The Minimum Wage and Remuneration Amendment Bill is now before the Parliament, and the measure has a good change of passing. The proposed law would assure that people doing work under individual contracts are at least paid New Zealand&rsquo;s minimum wage. 
 
Currently, many of the people that are economically dependent on the sale of their labour are not defined by the law as employees, thus not afforded protections under the country&rsquo;s minimum wage law. 
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&ldquo;Most contractors in New Zealand are remunerated well above the minimum wage,&rdquo; stated CTU Secretary Carol Beaumont. &ldquo;But this bill would help certain groups of workers who are being unfairly disadvantaged by contracting relationships, and are being paid below the minimum wage.&rdquo; 
 
Added Beaumont, &ldquo;The minimum wage marks a minimum standard in New Zealand that is considered acceptable for anyone being paid for their efforts. That standard deserves to be extended to everyone.&rdquo; 
 
The bill was introduced in July and received its first reading late in August. It could pass NZ&rsquo;s Parliament next month.

New Zealand Labour Pushing Law to Protect Contract Workers

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A Youth Action Day by German affiliate IGBCE, on 19 September, produced a commitment by the federal state of North-Rhine Westphalia to create 205 training positions, funded at &euro;10,000 each, to offset lost employment opportunities from the recent agreement in the coal industry. 
 
The commitment came after youth leaders of the IGBCE met with North-Rhine/Westphalia Employment Minister Karl Josef Laumann. 
 
Some 2,000 students and young workers of IGBCE&rsquo;s Youth Network protested in D&uuml;sseldorf on that day. They came from youth committees from several German companies, including BASF and Evonik Industries. Evonik is the new publicly-traded company created from state coal company RAG. It comprises RAG&rsquo;s power stations, chemicals, and real estate businesses, and was formed in discussions on the future of Germany&rsquo;s coal industry. 
&nbsp;<img height="133" src="" width="100" alt="" />
IGBCE's Michael Vassiliadis
&ldquo;The actions of the young workers of our union have made this a success,&rdquo; said Michael Vassiliadis, head of IGBCE&rsquo;s Youth Activities. &ldquo;Now we will undertake all efforts so that the 205 young persons will be afforded the opportunity to start their work lives with the necessary training.&rdquo; 
 
The IGBCE stressed that the &euro;10,000-per-job commitment from the state will fund only part of the training. Funds have been set aside for this purpose from the hard-coal agreement, and the union said social partners from the employer side must step forward to provide additional training funds.

IGBCE Youth Action Network Wins Training Positions

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ICEM affiliate Chemical, Non-Metallic, and Rubber Workers&rsquo; Union (KNG) of Slovenia and the Sava management of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. at Kranj came to wage terms at a tyre factory this summer, but the new contract still needs attention. At issue is how management is &ndash; or rather, is not &ndash; implementing language recently inserted into the collective agreement. 
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In addition to winning a &euro;90-per-month increase, the 900 workers also agreed to a plan to reduce sick leave in exchange for a sizeable bonus scheme. Management has failed to adequately implement this plan, as well neglecting other aspects of the new agreement. Shop-floor leaders at the Kranj tyre and engineered products plants, Goodyear&rsquo;s prize operations in Eastern and Central Europe, together with and KNG&rsquo;s Andrej Zorko, are eager for managers to put the new collective agreement into effect. 
Goodyear produces auto, truck, and bus tyres in Kranj. It makes Sava tyre brands there, as well as its trademarked Avant A3 steer-axle tyre and the Orjak 03 drive-axle tyre. In 2006, Goodyear exceeded all business targets at the Kranj plants. It also made its one millionth tyre there. Goodyear is one of Slovenia&rsquo;s largest exporters. 
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The company entered into a majority-stake joint venture with the Sava Group in 1998, which gave it 60% of the tyre-making plant and 75% of the engineered products operation. Goodyear paid US$120 million for those stakes. Previously, Continental AG of Germany held a 28% share of Sava.In 2002, Goodyear bought another 20% stake in of operations for US$38.5 million, and, two years later, the company bought up the remaining shares to give it full ownership. 
 
Besides being affiliated to the ICEM, KNG Trade Union is a proud affiliate of the Association of Free Trade Unions (ZSSS) of Slovenia, which is currently leading an effort in the country to offset inflation with increases in salaries for all workers.

Contract Settled, But Problems Persist at Goodyear’s Slovenia Tyre Plant

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A Network of Brazilian trade unions that organises nine workplaces of the Belgian-based Solvay Group came together on 12-14 September in S&atilde;o Paolo to create enhanced communication and union solidarity. 
This initiative is a part of the Brazilian confederation CUT&rsquo;s multinational project, and has support and involvement from the ICEM and the National Confederation of Chemical Workers of Brazil, CNQ-CUT. 
 
The meeting&rsquo;s agenda contained reports on ILO global standards, an open exchange on experiences of building and construction trade unions regarding formation of national networks, and boundaries to social dialogue as a tool in negotiations. 
<img height="73" alt="" src="" width="73" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<img height="77" alt="" src="" width="54" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img height="79" alt="" src="" width="77" />
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The eight plants of Group Solvay in Brazil are: Dacarto Benvic/Osasco, Dacarto Benvic/Bahia, Solvay Farma/S&atilde;o Paolo, Solvay Indupa, Solvay Solexis (Santo Andre), Energy Automotive Systems, Peroxides, and Chemicals Solvay/Paran&aacute;. 
 
The meetings reached consensus to call the organisation would be called the &ldquo;Network of Workers in Solvay Group in Brazil.&rdquo; The next meeting will occur in March 2008. The Network will publish a bulletin that will be distributed to workers in all plants. The Network also will adopt a document of principles, in which roles for the ICEM and CUT will be spelled out. 
<img height="233" alt="" src="" width="350" />
The initial meeting also explored problems in labour relations between the unions and Solvay. A company reorganization has seen the dismissal of workers, and acquisitions, mergers, and business moves that have created a rash of subcontracting. Shop-floor leaders at Solvay in Brazil also discussed environmental effects, safety and heath concerns, and they exchanged information on collective agreements and plant-by-plant negotiations. 
 
The initial meeting also resolved to send a letter to human resource managers at each plant, informing them of the Network, and offering meaningful social dialogue with the company. The Network also resolved to expand the March 2008 meeting to Solvay unions in the whole of Latin America.

Brazilian Workers of Belgian Chemicals Company Solvay Unite

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An important new law was enacted in the US state of Illinois on 6 August 2007, when the state&rsquo;s governor, Rod Blagojevich, signed into force a bar on construction companies falsely classifying workers as &ldquo;independent contractors.&rdquo; The new law in the midwestern state is seen as a harbinger for what could occur across the US nationally, considering the coming political ballots, and George Bush&rsquo;s mandatory departure. 
 
&ldquo;Misclassification of employees as independent contractors is one of the devices that greedy employers use to cheat workers out of their benefits,&rdquo; said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, who joined Blagojevich and other proponents of the regulation at the 6 August signing ceremony. 
<img height="120" src="" width="120" alt="" />
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney
The measure, passed by the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives early in the year, had broad support, including labour and scores of legitimate construction companies. These firms, relying on skilled, generally unionised workers, have been left at a competitive disadvantage by unscrupulous employers, who deliberately mis-classify workers as contractors in order to reduce their operating costs. In Illinois, estimates say that such nefarious enterprises save an average of 24% in submitting bids on projects. 
The law in Illinois, introduced as the Employee Classification Act, presumes all workers are regular employees unless certain conditions exist, such as being a partner or sole proprietor, a specific business or profession, or providing a service outside of the usual course of business. The law, the fifth such statute among the US&rsquo;s 50 state laws, includes US$2,500 penalties on companies that deliberately misclassify construction workers. Repeat offenders can face felony charges. 
<img height="202" alt="" src="" width="142" />
A university study found Illinois losing an average of US$125.7 million annually in tax revenue over a five-year period in the early 2000s. Cut-rate employers avoid paying Social Security, workers&rsquo; compensation benefits, jobless relief, state and federal taxes, and other social costs. Sweeney stated that such tax revenue losses deprive governments of immediate funds that could address &ldquo;so many vital programs.&rdquo; 
 
The US Congress, in the House of Representatives, took up the independent contractor issue in hearings last March, but has yet to act on legislation that could update US labour code on this crucial workplace issue.

US Building Workers Win Ban on Contract Labour in Illinois State

Archive

Reckless and Repressive Union-Busting by Iraqi Oil Minister

ICEM’s Turkish Affiliates’ Coordinating Committee Meets in Ankara

Swedish Builder Skanska Charged with Union-Busting in Argentina

ICEM's Letter to Skanska AB Over Labour Abuses in Argentina

UK’s TUC Congress Calls on Government to Adopt EU Directive

New Zealand Labour Pushing Law to Protect Contract Workers

IGBCE Youth Action Network Wins Training Positions

Contract Settled, But Problems Persist at Goodyear’s Slovenia Tyre Plant

Brazilian Workers of Belgian Chemicals Company Solvay Unite

US Building Workers Win Ban on Contract Labour in Illinois State

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