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The ICEM has signed a Star Alliance Conventions Plus, enabling delegations to obtain reduced prices for air travel to the ICEM World Congress in Thailand.

 
Get up to 20% discount with the Star Alliance network
The Star Alliance&trade; member airlines are pleased to be appointed as the Official Airline Network for the 4th ICEM World Congress. 
 
Simply call the reservation office of any participating Star Alliance member airline and quote the event code TG004S7. Registered participants plus one accompanying person travelling to the event are automatically granted a discount of up to 20%, depending on the class of travel. 
 
Participating airlines for this event are: Thai Airways International, Air Canada, ANA, Asian Airlines, Austrian Airlines, LOT Airlines, Lufthansa, South African Airways, SAS, Swiss, Tap Portugal and&nbsp;United. 
 
Booking office information can be found at: <a href="http://www.staralliance.com/conventionsplus">www.staralliance.com/conventionsplus</a>. &nbsp; 
 
Discounts are offered on published business and economy class fares, excluding website/internet fares, senior and youth fares, group fares and Round the World fares. 
 
Please note: For travel from Japan and New Zealand, special fares or discounts are offered by the participating airlines on their own network.&nbsp;

Star Alliance special discount on airfare for delegates to the ICEM World Congress

&nbsp;<img height="264" alt="" src="" width="200" />
&nbsp;1. Finland &ndash; Study on Working Conditions Reveals Gaps in Male and Female Employment 
2. ITUC: Message on 8th of March 
3. Japan &ndash; Number of Part-time Workers Declines 
4. Malta &ndash; Malta has one of the Lowest Gender Pay Gaps 
5. Mexico &ndash; New Law Passed on Violence against Women 
6. Nepal &ndash; GEFONT Organises Domestic Workers 
7. Spain &ndash; CCOO and UGT Issue Joint Statement on International Women&rsquo;s Day 
8. Thailand &ndash; Thailand Women&rsquo;s Forum Held 
9. Turkey &ndash; Petrol-Iş Sponsors Women Writers 
10. United Kingdom &ndash; Single Women Do less Housework 
11. United States &ndash; 3-Day &lsquo;Sisters on the Frontline&rsquo; Seminar in NYC in late March 
12. Resources
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
1. Finland &ndash; Study on Working Conditions Reveals Gaps in Male and Female Employment 
A recent study on employment in Europe indicates the differences in employment between women and men. Sweden and Finland are the countries with the lowest gaps. In Finland, the low gap is due to the fact that the rate of female employment is very high and the rate of male employment is low. 
Working conditions in Europe have remained relatively stable over the past few years in spite of the increases in part-time and temporary work and the greater number of women working. 
 
The following figures indicate the levels of male and female employment in 31 countries in Europe and refer to 2004:
<img height="740" alt="" src="" width="379" />
For more information, see: Fourth European Working Conditions Surveys 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
2. ITUC: Message on 8th of March 
This year, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is launching a campaign on maternity protection for 8 March. The aim is to promote governments ratifying ILO Convention 183. The ITUC has resources and tools available for this purpose, including a new video on the informal economy. To find out more, see: <a href="http://www.ituc-csi.org/">www.ituc-csi.org</a>. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
3. Japan &ndash; Number of Part-time Workers Declines 
In the midst of an economic recovery in Japan, employers are hiring more full-time workers, after the number of part-timers reached a record high in 2005. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare presented figures to the government, which indicate that the level has reached a five-year low. 
Part-timers are defined as those who work less than 35 hours a week. They make up 22.5% of total employment, which is a 1.5% decline. Over 8.6 million women work part-time, as opposed to 3.4 million men. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
4. Malta &ndash; Malta has one of the Lowest Gender Pay Gaps
A new report from the European Commission details the gender-related differences in pay earned by women and men. These 2007 conclusions are very similar to those presented over the past few years. The biggest differences in pay, between 20 to 25%, are in Cyprus, Slovakia, Estonia, Germany, and the UK, while the lowest differences, under 5%, can be found in Malta and Portugal. 
 
Some countries have been forcing companies to provide detailed arguments for their pay discrepancies, and this pressure has contributed to some improvement. Public sector pay gaps are generally less striking than in the private sector, where the typical pay gap is 25%. 
 
The EU Commission argues for more and better childcare facilities to enable women to pursue careers, because women often have no choice but to work part-time in order to continue looking after their families. All over Europe, 32.9% of women work part-time as opposed to 7.7% of men. The highest number of part-timers is in the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, UK, and Germany. However, very few women work part-time in the new member states. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
5. Mexico &ndash; New Law Passed on Violence against Women
A new law was passed in February in Mexico to provide tools for fighting violence against women. The law ensures involvement by the police at all levels, the courts, media and schools. 
 
By law, the Ministry of the Interior can call an emergency due to an outbreak of gender violence to enable the response to be coordinated by the federal and local police and the courts. Measures to protect women must be taken, such as removing the aggressor from home. 
 
A national education campaign is now running, and a national data base is being created to document cases of violence against women. Studies are being done to diagnose the extent of the violence, and more women&rsquo;s shelters are being promoted. 
 
The law orders gender training for police, prosecutors and other relevant officials. The government has been sponsoring ads on radio and television to warn perpetrators of violence that they will be punished. 
 
It is hoped that the law will improve the situation in a country where the murder rate of women due to violence is high. Seventy-five percent of these women are murdered by their husbands. Impunity has perpetuated these crimes, and means that the many murders in Ciudad Juarez, on the border with the US, have gone unpunished up to now. But now the law will hopefully provide some justice. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
6. Nepal &ndash; GEFONT Organises Domestic Workers 
GEFONT organised a meeting of domestic workers on 2 February which culminated in the formation of the Nepal Independent Domestic Workers&rsquo; Union with a 13-member coordinating committee. The union will be registered as a national federation. This year, a national convention will be held. More than 200 domestic workers from the Katmandu Valley participated in the event. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
7. Spain &ndash; CCOO and UGT Issue Joint Statement on International Women&rsquo;s Day 
The 8 March Manifesto, issued by the two Spanish confederations, CCOO and UGT, passes in review the highs and lows of the past year. One of the highs was the new Spanish equal opportunities law, which provides for the negotiation of equality plans in companies with more than 250 employees, 13 days of paternity leave, and more flexible requirements for maternity pay and subsidies. 
 
Not all has been rosy, however, especially outside of Spain &ndash; where hundreds of women are murdered in Mexico and Guatemala, connivance by the police in rapes in Nigeria, and women stoned to death in Iran. CCOO and UGT have been involved in the fight to achieve the millennium development goals. 
 
Spanish women still lag behind other women in Europe. While the average rate of women&rsquo;s employment in the rest of Europe is 57.4%, in Spain it is only 54.1%. Women&rsquo;s rate of unemployment in countries outside of Spain is 9%, whereas in Spain it is 12.2%. However, agreements have been reached in the framework of social dialogue which will hopefully improve this situation. 
 
Collective bargaining has also contributed to positive developments, with 52% of collective agreements containing clauses on non-discrimination or gender equality. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
From our readers: 
Carol Fraser of the Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers (CEP) union of Canada sends greetings on International Women&rsquo;s Day, as well as links to two sites in Canada to celebrate the day: <a href="http://www.cfc-swc.gc.ca/dates/iwd/index_e.html">www.cfc-swc.gc.ca/dates/iwd/index_e.html</a>&nbsp;where it is a question of taking real action against violence against women and <a href="http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/womensday/index.asp">www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/womensday/index.asp</a> which indicates activities that can be done in schools.
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
8. Thailand &ndash; Thailand Women&rsquo;s Forum Held
The Thailand Women&rsquo;s Forum was held in Bangkok on 3 and 4 March to celebrate Women&rsquo;s Day. The forum was intended to provide space for exchange and sharing between women, men, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, people living with HIV and civil organisations who work for democracy, protest unfair trade, protect their communities and fight for women&rsquo;s rights. 
 
Discussions focused on neo-liberalism and free trade agreements, health, gender roles, sexual relationships, oppression from customs and religion and building alternatives. The forum was organised by Thai Labour Campaign, among other sponsors. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
9. Turkey &ndash; Petrol-Iş Sponsors Women Writers 
In this month of March 2007, Petrol-Iş has launched a contest for women to write stories. All women home workers, factory workers, public workers, temporary workers, non-unionised, sub-contracted workers, women at home or outside the home are possible themes for the contest. 
 
The stories must not have been published before. Professional or non-professional writers are eligible to participate. Anyone can send in stories of between 3 and 10 pages, and the deadline is 25 March. A women&rsquo;s jury will be judging the entries, and First, Second, and Third Place given. 
 
Petrol-Iş will publish all stories. The results will be declared on 2 May and prizes awarded at Petrol-Iş headquarters. 
Please see also ICEM&rsquo;s InBrief of 26 February, or the ICEM Circular on the ICEM&rsquo;s home page for information on the Petrol-Iş strike against Fresenius. A remarkable group of women are on strike at this medical facility in Turkey, and they deserve whatever support we can generate. 
 
All are invited to take action on 8 March through <a href="/">www.icem.org</a>, where a model letter of support is available in different languages. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
10. United Kingdom &ndash; Single Women Do less Housework 
Single women do an average of ten hours of housework a week, while it increases to 15 hours when they live as a couple. Men, on the other hand, spend seven hours on housework when they are single, with it reduces to five when they live in a couple. 
 
The conclusion is that gender inequalities at home have a major influence on gender inequalities at work, and vice versa. 
 
What is needed is for women to gain equal employment opportunities and to start doing the same jobs as men and achieve pay parity. Nevertheless it will still take time for people to change cultures. 
 
The Print, Paper, Publishing and Media Section of ICEM affiliate Amicus has published a very interesting newsletter for Women&rsquo;s International Day. This timely and informative <a href="http://www.amicustheunion.org/pdf/AmicusWomen_final_lowres2.pdf">newsletter</a> promises to assure all women in this sector that they will be made aware of opportunities within UK&rsquo;s largest union to participate and be involved in the wider union and its democratic structures. 
 
The Equalities Department of Amicus also has an International Women&rsquo;s Day page, which encourages trade unionists to send messages of support to women across the world through the union&rsquo;s global trade union links. Throughout March, the Amicus page will be updated with information throughout the world. The page can be found at <a href="http://www.amicustheunion.org/Default.aspx?page=5797">http://www.amicustheunion.org/Default.aspx?page=5797</a>. 
 
In London on 8 March, a unique panel discussion and viewing of the short film &ldquo;In the Name of Honor&rdquo; by Reza Moradi, an Iranian free-speech advocate. The seminar, entitled &ldquo;Women&rsquo;s Rights, the Veil and Islamic and Religious Laws, is sponsored by the International Campaign in Defense of Women&rsquo;s Rights in Iran, the UK and National Secular Society, and the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association. 
 
It will take place from 6 PM until 10 PM on 8 March, in Room 3D of the University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY. (The nearest Underground stops are Russell Street or Goodge Street.) 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
11. United States &ndash; 3-Day &lsquo;Sisters on the Frontline&rsquo; Seminar in NYC in late March 
Cornell University&rsquo;s Institute for Women and Work, the university&rsquo;s Labor Program, the New York State AFL-CIO, and City University of New York&rsquo;s (CUNY) Murphy Center for Labor, Community and Policy Studies will conduct a series of workshops on 30-31 March, and 1 April. 
 
Called &ldquo;Sisters on the Frontline: Organising Women and Building Power,&rdquo; the sponsors are billing it as the first women organisers&rsquo; conference in the US that will bring together women organisers, scholars, officials, and leaders of labour organisations. 
 
The conference&rsquo;s aims are to generate ideas and methodology to overcome the challenges for women in labour unions and community-based organisations; and to identify the challenges to recruit and retain women in such organisations. One session in the three-day set of workshops and panel discussions is called &ldquo;How to Rock the Boat without Getting Thrown Off.&rdquo; 
 
The conference will take place at CUNY&rsquo;s Murphy Center, 25 W. 43rd Street in Manhattan, and the conference&rsquo;s programme and agenda is at 
<a href="http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/iww/events/sistersFrontline.html">http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/iww/events/ 
sistersFrontline.html</a>. 
 
Registration fee is US$50.00, and scholarships are available. Contact Francine Moccio of Cornell at fam5@cornell.edu for further information. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
12. Resources 
<a href="http://www.cimacnoticias.com/site">http://www.cimacnoticias.com/site</a> is a Mexican site with news from a gender perspective (in Spanish). 
 
<a href="http://www.unfpa.org/publications/detail.cfm?ID=322">http://www.unfpa.org/publications/detail.cfm?ID=322</a> 
includes a publication called Programming to Address Violence Against Women: Ten Case Studies.

ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN 20

8 March 2007 
 
Brother Mustafa Oztaskin 
President 
Petrol-Is Union 
Altunizade Mah. 
Kusbakisi Sok. No. 25 
81180 Altunizade Uskadar 
Turkey 
 
Via e-mail <a href="mailto:merkez@petrol-is.org.tr">merkez@petrol-is.org.tr</a> 
or Fax Number +90 216 4749870 
 
Dear Brother Oztaskin, 
We understand through our mutual affiliation with the ICEM that workers in the Antalya Free Trade Zone at Novamed GmbH, a subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care, have been on strike since late September 2006. 
 
We also know from the ICEM that of 84 workers on strike, 82% of them are women. They are rightfully seeking dignity on the job, and their full trade union rights to collective bargaining. We applaud them in their very heroic efforts to defend these rights and their very basic fight for dignity. 
 
On this day, 8 March, International Women&rsquo;s Day, our Union commends Petrol-Is for standing strong with these women workers. We also ask you to pass our Solidarity and Unity to them in this most important fight against Fresenius Medical Care. Please convey to them that our Union stands firmly with them. 
 
Fraternally,&nbsp;

Model letter for International Women’s Day on Turkey

<img height="285" alt="" src="" width="380" />
FETIESC Women march at Itapema on 25 March for equality and dignity
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
1. Australia &ndash; Professional Women Are Remaining Childless 
2. Brazil &ndash; Sao Paulo Electricity Workers Commemorate Women&rsquo;s Day 
3. Peru &ndash; Adoption of Equal Opportunities Law 
4. Russia &ndash; ILO/FNPR Seminar Held on Gender Audits in Russian Unions 
5. Senegal &ndash; Parliament Passes Bill on Gender Balance in the Legislature 
6. Spain &ndash; Guidelines are Proposed for Company Equality Plans 
7. Venezuela &ndash; New Law Defends Women&rsquo;s Rights 
8. Resources
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
1. Australia &ndash; Professional Women Are Remaining Childless
A recent study by the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists, and Managers of Australia found that many working women are not having children because it would be detrimental to their careers. 
 
A full 34% of women with children had not taken any maternity leave, and 26% more would not be paid for time they might take off. And more than half claimed that by taking time off, it would be detrimental to their careers. 
 
In addition, women are leaving their careers faster than men. Women cite the difficulty of balancing work and life, workplace culture and lack of senior job roles for them as being the most common obstacles they face in their career paths. 
 
In spite of the fact that there is a skills shortage in many areas, women are not able to fill the gap because of work-life difficulties. Moreover, women are still earning about 40% less than men for the same work. The OECD ranks Australia 45th out of 115 countries in terms of wage equality. 
 
This research shows that many women are still being forced to choose between children and a career. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
2. Brazil &ndash; Sao Paulo Electricity Workers Commemorate Women&rsquo;s Day 
On 7 March, the Sao Paulo Electricity Workers celebrated International Women&rsquo;s Day with the slogan, &ldquo;Women and Agenda 21, a Commitment to a Better World.&rdquo; Agenda 21 was the commitment signed by 170 countries in the UN framework to promote sustainable development. 
 
The event stressed the importance of guaranteeing youth representation, both women and men, in labour and environmental fora, and youth representatives from the union in international bodies were present. 
 
Questions that concerned the conservation of the Amazon were also discussed at the meeting. It was said that women have a historic role to play in conservation and preservation of forests, biological diversity, and maintaining ecosystems. 
 
At the meeting, the Sao Paulo Electricity Workers endorsed the Manifest for the Protection of the Amazon, an initiative also promoted by many Brazilian artists. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
3. Peru &ndash; Adoption of Equal Opportunities Law 
On 8 March, the Congress of Peru adopted the law on equal opportunities between women and men, after a number of debates in various areas. The law establishes public policies to guarantee the right to gender equality. 
 
It also guarantees the respect of the pluricultural and multilingual character of the Peruvian nation. The Executive is also called upon to carry out programmes to eliminate poverty and extreme marginalization. 
 
On 8 March, women in the three trade union national labour centres participated in a rally in Lima to demand effective policies to guarantee the real implementation of their rights. Article 7 of the law contains work-related guarantees such as the following: 
<ul>
 <li>
 <div>Guarantee of the right to productive work exercised in freedom, equity, security and human dignity; measures to avoid all kinds of work-related discrimination between women and men in access to employment, training, promotion, working conditions and the same pay for work of equal value. These guarantees also include protection against sexual harassment and the promotion of compatibility between family and work-related responsibilities. </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>Guarantee of the protection of men and women workers in the informal economy, in urban and rural areas, in order to promote the formalization of the economy, as well as the protection of those who are in an unprotected and excluded situation. </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>Guarantee of non-discriminatory treatment for men and women domestic workers. </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>Recognition of reproductive work done at home and in the community to generate the conditions to improve the situation of those doing the work and to promote shared family responsibilities. </div>
 </li>
</ul>
Now the trade union centres are starting their work to ensure that the law is applied. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
4. Russia &ndash; ILO/FNPR Seminar Held on Gender Audits in Russian Unions 
<img height="172" alt="" src="" width="230" /> 
 
ICEM women&rsquo;s chair Genia Esenina, front row, at left 
From 26-28 March FNPR, the Russian trade union central organisation, held a workshop together with the ILO on gender audits in Russian trade unions. A total of 23 participants and members of the gender equality commission were trained in the theory and methodology of gender audits in this first seminar, which served as the pilot project covering gender audits. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
5. Senegal &ndash; Parliament Passes Bill on Gender Balance in the Legislature
On 27 March, the Senegalese Parliament adopted a bill that introduced gender parity on election lists that political parties present for elections on the basis of proportional representation. 
 
The passing of the bill will mean that more women will be elected to parliament in Senegal in the future. 
 
Religious leaders, however, were concerned that this bill was out of step with a Muslim country. 
 
The Minister of the Interior defended the legislation with the argument that women, as the majority in the country, should be adequately represented in Parliament. At present, 23 women old seats in Parliament out of a total of 120, and new women members are certain to be added at the next election because of this legislation. 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
6. Spain &ndash; Guidelines are Proposed for Company Equality Plans 
Ramon Parra from FITEQA CCOO has drafted the following guidelines for company equality plans in the wake of new legislation in Spain that requires companies to draw up such plans: 
 
1. Create a commission for real equality between women and men. 
 
2. The commission should be made up of the company and the signatory trade unions. 
 
3. This commission will do a diagnosis of the situation on the basis of all data that a company provides, which will always be broken down by sex: 
<blockquote dir="ltr">
&bull; Work site, fixed employees, casuals, type of contract; 
&bull; Departments; 
&bull; Work groups, seniority; 
&bull; Wages and salaries; 
&bull; Schedules, shifts (night), working time; 
&bull; Reductions in working time, flexibility; 
&bull; Leave time; 
&bull; Training, continuous, how much training per year; 
&bull; Content of risk assessment; 
&bull; Is the mutual society elected in consent with trade union consent?; 
&bull; Are there agreements with the mutual society for more benefits?; 
&bull; Are examinations extended with specific proof?; 
&bull; Are there suitable jobs for pregnant women? 
 
and also
</blockquote>
<ul>
 <li>
 <div align="justify">Composition of the Works Council; </div>
 </li>
 <li>Composition of the Health and Safety Committee; 
 Composition of the Environmental Protection Committee; </li>
 <li>Composition of the Equality Committee. 
 </li>
 <li>What sector does the company belong to? </li>
 <li>What agreement is applied? </li>
 <li>How many sites does it have? </li>
 <li>If it is a multinational, in what countries is it present? </li>
 <li>Does it have a committee to coordinate the different sites and how is it made up? </li>
 <li>Do trade unions participate? </li>
 <li>Do they meet regularly? </li>
 <li>Is there some plan or equality project? </li>
</ul>
A company must provide this data to the commission, and once it has studied it, the commission will define a work plan for each site to follow. Then, as a result, the objectives must be fixed to eliminate inequalities. 
 
For that purpose, deadlines, measures, and resources must be identified, both human and financial resources. 
 
On the basis of this diagnosis, the commission can decide what steps it needs to take and what advice it requires in order to establish measures, such as establishing a code of good practice, which, among other criteria, will explain the kinds of conduct and abuse that would be punishable, or even lead to dismissal in case of sexual harassment or sex discrimination. 
 
These are the two types of discrimination that violate the integrity of the person. The commission will ensure that these situations do not happen, and if they do, that they are punishable. 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
7. Venezuela &ndash; New Law Defends Women&rsquo;s Rights 
A recent law passed in Venezuela calls for jail terms from 6 to 18 months for those who offend, humiliate, or threaten women. The law, called the Law on Women&rsquo;s Right to a Life Free of Violence, punishes all those who attack women&rsquo;s emotional and psychological stability. 
 
The law also condemns to prison terms for 20 months those who harass, threaten, insult women, and establishes more severe punishments for lascivious acts, such as forced prostitution, sex slavery, and work-related violence. 
 
Thus, the protection of the dignity, physical, psychological, sexual integrity, property, and legal rights of women is established in public and private. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
8. Resources
A toolkit has been published by EMCEF and EPSU on equal opportunities in the electricity sector in Europe, and is available at 
<a href="http://www.eurelectric.org/equalitydiversity">http://www.eurelectric.org/equalitydiversity</a>
The ILO has compiled links to ILO publications and sources for statistics and standards. It and can be found at 
<a href="http://www.ilo.org/public/spanish/support/lib/resource/subject/gender.htm">http://www.ilo.org/public/spanish/support/lib/ 
resource/subject/gender.htm</a> (in Spanish) 
 
The ILO has published trends in women&rsquo;s employment in 2007, and can be found at 
<a href="http://www.ilo.org/public/french/employment/strat/download/getw07.pdf">http://www.ilo.org/public/french/employment/ 
strat/download/getw07.pdf</a> (in French) 
 
The WHO has published a document on the relationship between gender and health and safety problems, which can be found at 
<a href="http://www.who.int/occupational_health/publications/genderwork/en/index.html">http://www.who.int/occupational_health/ 
publications/genderwork/en/index.html</a> 
 
The Social Watch Gender Equity Index has been published, and can be found at 
<a href="http://www.socialwatch.org/en/avancesyRetrocesos/IEG/index.htm">http://www.socialwatch.org/en/avancesyRetrocesos/ 
IEG/index.htm</a>
The European Union has published a report on Equality and non-discrimination in the framework of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. 
<a href="http://web20.s112.typo3server.com/fileadmin/pdfs/Reports/Annual_Reports_2006/annualrep06_en.pdf">http://web20.s112.typo3server.com/fileadmin/pdfs/ 
Reports/Annual_Reports_2006/annualrep06_en.pdf</a>
On 13 March, the European Parliament adopted a roadmap on equality between women and men, which can be found at 
<a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?Type=TA&amp;Reference=P6-TA-2007-0063&amp;language=EN">http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?Type=TA&amp;Reference=P6-TA-2007-0063&amp;language=EN</a>
IRIN has launched a new book on sexual violence against women and girls in conflict. 
<a href="http://www.irinnews.org/pdf/sow/IRIN-TheShameofWar-fullreport-Mar07.pdf">http://www.irinnews.org/pdf/sow/IRIN-TheShameofWar-fullreport-Mar07.pdf</a>&nbsp; 
 
CLADEM has published a report on the killings of women in Central American and Mexico. 
<a href="http://www.cladem.org/espanol/regionales/Violenciadegenero/Docs/Estudio%20Feminicidio%20en%20centroamerica%20y%20méxico.asp">http://www.cladem.org/espanol/regionales/ 
Violenciadegenero/Docs/Estudio%20Feminicidio%20en%20centroamerica%20y%20m&eacute;xico.asp</a> (in Spanish) 
 
CLADEM has another study on sexual violence and armed conflict in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru. 
<a href="http://www.cladem.org/espanol/regionales/Violenciadegenero/Docs/CLADEM%20Estudio%20Conflicto%20Armado.asp">http://www.cladem.org/espanol/regionales/ 
Violenciadegenero/Docs/CLADEM%20Estudio%20Conflicto%20Armado.asp</a>
The Inter-Parliamentary Union has done a survey on women in parliament worldwide. 
<a href="http://www.ipu.org/pdf/publications/wmn06-e.pdf">http://www.ipu.org/pdf/publications/wmn06-e.pdf</a>&nbsp; 
 
The Belgian Union FGTB organised a meeting on work-life balance on 8-9 March, the results of which can be found at 
<a href="http://www.fgtb.be/code/fr/c18_0000.htm">http://www.fgtb.be/code/fr/c18_0000.htm</a> (in French and Dutch)

ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN 21

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ICEM Turkish affiliate CIMSE-Iş, the Cement, Ceramic, Soil, and Glass Workers&rsquo; Union, signed a successful collective agreement on 29 March for 6,000 ceramics workers at 11 factories. The agreement was signed with the employers&rsquo; association for ceramics. 
 
Retroactive to 1 January, workers will receive monthly salary increases of 5%, plus a bonus of new TRL55, effective also on 1 January 2007. 
 
Regarding social benefits, a press release issued by CIMSE-Iş on 3 April reports that, on average, a 25% increase was won for all union members.

CIMSE-Iş in Turkey Wins 5% Pay Gains, Benefit Increases for 6,000 Ceramics Workers

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ICEM affiliate United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers (UE) Union won a decision by an ILO committee in favour of public-sector bargaining rights in the US state of North Carolina. The Freedom of Association case is now passed on to the ILO&rsquo;s Governing Body with a recommendation that it monitor progress. 
 
State statutes in North Carolina, as well as in some other US states, prohibit public employees from having collective bargaining rights. The UE, on behalf of municipal and state workers in North Carolina, filed the ILO complaint, and the committee requested that certain sections of the state statute be repealed. It also asked that the government promote the establishment of a collective bargaining framework.
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The committee noted that ILO Conventions 87, 98 and 151 are being violated. &ldquo;Although these Conventions have not been ratified by the United States, the complainants rely on the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in support of the argument that the government is obligated to respect, promote and realize the principles embodied in these Conventions regardless of ratification.&rdquo; 
 
The committee&rsquo;s conclusions cited, &ldquo;&hellip; the failure to assure compliance with freedom of association principles in North Carolina has resulted in grievous working conditions for many public sector workers who report health and safety violations in their workplace, unconscionable wages, unreasonable and unsafe hours of work, extreme under-staffing, unreasonable forced overtime, favouritism, and disrespectful treatment from supervisors, as well as inconsistent grievance procedures devoid of any notion of due process.&rdquo; 
 
The UE took the international action on behalf of members of its Local 150 in North Carolina. That branch union is comprised of low-wage, public-sector workers such as janitors, garbage haulers, housekeepers, groundskeepers, medical helpers, and bus drivers.

US Union Gets Affirmation that Public Sector Bargaining Applies in North Carolina

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Workers, members of three of Peru&rsquo;s mining and metals unions, struck the copper and lead smelting operations of Doe Run Company last week for three days. The strike and blockade of smelting operations in the city of La Oroya caused nearly a 70% production decline, which affected markets. 
 
The 2,000 miners and metal workers took the job action to protest the company&rsquo;s 2006 dividend pay awards. The workers took struck action from 2-4 April and completely blocked the central motorway near La Oroyo from Lima on 1 April. La Oroyo is 175 kilometres away west of Lima. 
 
A branch union of ICEM affiliate FNTMMSP is one of the three unions involved in the pay dispute. The strike was called off after workers&rsquo; representatives and managers met on the afternoon of 4 April.
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Doe Run is a privately-held US company that began operating in Peru in 1997. It mines, mills, and smelts some 59,000-tons-per-yar of copper, 129,000 of lead, 40,000 of zinc, and minor amount of gold and silver. In the US, Doe Run operates in the states of Arizona, Missouri, and Washington in lead recycling and lead smelting. 
 
Last month, public health and environmental groups filed a petition against Peru before the human rights division of the Organisation of American States over contamination from Doe Run&rsquo;s La Oroya operations. The complaint charges the Peruvian government with failing to put in place pollution controls, thus trampling &ldquo;the human rights of the town&rsquo;s citizens.&rdquo;

Strike Crimps Production at US-based Firm’s Peruvian Mining, Smelting Operations

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Oil workers in Chad, two weeks ago, ended a three-day strike in the rich Doba oil fields, but warned further walkouts could occur. Some 500 workers are angry about job safety and security, as well as delays in meeting pay demands. US-based ExxonMobil operates the vast number of production sites in the Doba fields, as well as a controversial 1,063 kilometre pipeline to Kribi, the Atlantic port of neighbouring Cameroon. 
 
The oil workers, led by Chad&rsquo;s national labour centre UST, took three-day strike actions twice last July over pay disparities. The workers were then paid barely a third of what oil workers&rsquo; in Cameroon earn. Although the 2006 strikes did narrow that gap some, there is still a huge pay differential between oil workers in the two countries. 

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ExxonMobil operates the Chad-Cameroon pipeline with Patronas of Malaysia and Chevron of the US as partners. The rich Doba fields of southern Chad are now producing 150,000-barrels-per-day, and are expected to yield 200,000 in the near future. Doba has reserves estimated at 900 billion barrels over the next 25 years. 
 
Development of the Doba oil fields, together with the three-year-old pipeline to Kribi, has been mired in World Bank controversy. That included a year-long suspension of Bank funds for the project. Construction of the pipeline was also plagued by labour and human rights violations. Many contract workers for Chad-Cameroon Constructors, the building consortium put together by the oil companies, were not paid their wages. As well, an HIV/AIDS rate along the pipeline is three times the national averages of Chad and Cameroon, figures that reflect poorly on the partnering companies&rsquo; social responsibility.

Esso-Tchad Workers Strike for Higher Pay

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A string of three-day lockouts by management of Bridgestone Australia at a tyre plant near Salisbury has only toughened the resolve of members of three unions to gain fair wage increases. Managers locked out workers for three-day periods over the weekends of 23-25 March and again on 30 March to 1 April, and also from 27-29 March. 
 
The 500 workers and their unions have been locked in a pay dispute for nearly a year with the Japanese-based rubber company. Production workers, numbering about 450, are represented by ICEM affiliate Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU), while maintenance workers at the auto and truck tyre plant are represented by the Australian Manufacturing Workers&rsquo; Union (AMWU) and the Communications, Electrical, and Plumbing Union (CEPU), both also ICEM affiliates.
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&nbsp;Bridgestone is offering a mere 2% wage increase for each year of a proposed three-year contract, while workers and their unions are seeking 4% per year. The cost-of-living in Australia is 3.3%. 
 
A LHMU spokesman said rubber workers have struggled over the past several years to win pay increases that keep pace with inflation. Prior to 2006, annual raises totalled just 3% and now Bridgestone seeks to pay even less.
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&nbsp;The lockouts have been described by union representatives as aggressive and irresponsible, and come as Bridgestone Australia is asking staff to make improved productivity changes, while earning less money. 
 
Beginning in early March, workers began job actions, which included four-hour strikes and overtime bans. The company has admitted that the job actions have significantly disrupted production during the month of March, but it remains unwilling to reopen talks with the union. Instead, Bridgestone re-issued its insufficient salary adjustments in letters to individual workers that included the lockout notices.

Lockouts Strengthen Resolve of Bridgestone Rubber Workers in Australia

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Labour relations in Trinidad and Tobago tilt pointedly toward turbulent unrest, as witnessed by mounted riot police and barricades that met 200 labour protestors on 29 March at Whitehall, the prime minister&rsquo;s offices in Port-of-Spain. The 200 peaceful marchers were forced by the barricades and mounted patrols away from the site of their strategic protest, and into an adjacent park.
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Workers employed at national and global companies &ndash; firms that have either stalled collective negotiations, or refused to engage in them &ndash; marched on Whitehall during a cabinet meeting with PM Patrick Manning in protest of high food prices and nagging inflation. This economic hit on workers comes at a time when bosses are delaying salary increases. 
 
ICEM affiliate Oilfields Workers&rsquo; Trade Union (OWTU) organised the demonstration, together with its national ally, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions and Non-Government Organisations (FITUN). 
 
The 29 March demonstration comes amidst a wave of job actions on the Caribbean island nation, including a strike two weeks ago by OWTU members at state-owned oil company Petrotrin. Job actions also included a dockworkers&rsquo; strike last week. 
 
At the Whitehall standoff, workers from Petrotrin, Trinmar, PowerGen, Hilton Hotels, Telecommunications Service (TSTT), and University of West Indies (UWI) marched to the beat of a rhythm section right up to the barricades. TSTT and UWI workers demand that their employers negotiate with their chosen trade unions, while Hilton protested their management&rsquo;s refusal to negotiate a pension plan.
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Errol McLeod, OWTU President
Errol McLeod of OWTU said workers&rsquo; patience is grows thin due to the slow pace of wage negotiations at several private and public companies. Dockworkers, in fact, represented by Seamen and Waterfront Workers&rsquo; Trade Union (SWWTU), struck port facilities in Port-of-Spain because wage talks continue now for two years. 
 
McLeod said government officials and companies must realize that by settling wage demands will result in the desired effect of economic growth. The absence of that, he added, either by government, or on the part of management in the public or private sector, will bring only further unrest. 
 
&ldquo;If employers were to meet the just demands of unions, then there would be no need to protest,&rdquo; FITUN President David Abdullah said in a news report. FITUN has been heavily engaged with the Communications Workers&rsquo; Union (CWU) is its fight to get TSTT managers into meaningful collective bargaining. 
 
From 26-30 March, some 400 OWTU took job actions at oil-well facilities of Petrotrin, and protested in front of the company&rsquo;s Santa Flora production headquarters. The OWTU is protesting improper safety practices, brought on mainly through under-staffing. OWTU members also protested Petrotrin&rsquo;s failure to upgrade temporary workers &ndash; some who have worked for as long as 25 years &ndash; to permanent and full-time jobs.

Workers in Trinidad/Tobago Fight High Food Costs, Delays to Wage Increases

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