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In Nepal, the ICEM has been informed that GEFONT’s offices have been searched by the police on 18 February. At around 10.30 AM, 15 to 20 policemen entered the building during a union meeting. The police officers searched the premises thoroughly, up to the rooftop, intimidating the trade unionists present and forcing them to leave the building. When they apparently didn’t find what they were looking for, the police left, but not without locking up the GEFONT office, taking the key with them. The offices were kept closed for the whole day and the key was only returned in the evening. The ICEM fears that the invasion by the police was in search of particular high-ranking GEFONT leaders, who the ICEM fears are in danger of being arrested. The ICEM wrote to the Nepalese authorities last week, voicing its concern about the labour rights situation in the country after the sudden dismissal of the Nepalese government, and asking for the protection of trade union leaders from arbitrary arrest.

Nepal’s Government Continues Rights Abuses Under Martial Law

The ICEM has written to French-based energy concern Total asking the company to rethink its position concerning investment in Burma. As one of the few remaining large foreign investors in Burma, Total’s business enterprises prop the country’s dictatorial junta behind a constant flow of foreign currency. Burma is a country that spends over 40% of its national budget on military expenditures, while 0.4% of GDP is spent on health and education. The letter anticipates an upcoming high profile NGO campaign against Total because of its links with Burma.

Total Must Disinvest from Burma’s Military Junta

The latest development in the paper strike in Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada is that a two-day blockade by 500 picketers at the mill ended 16 February when the number of picketers was scaled back again to six, as before. The dispute is between Finland’s UPM Kymmene and 770 members of ICEM affiliate Communications, Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) Union, who have been on strike since 16 December 2004. The workers sought to maintain pressure on the company to delay dismantling of an economically viable kraft pulp mill across the Miramichi River from the paper mill. Some 65 managers claim they were trapped inside the mill for over 24 hours, even though CEP local 689 maintains strikers never refused anyone wishing to exit the mill to leave, as long as they did so on foot. A day after the action on 17 February, a company representative stated demolition of the pulp mill would begin early this week.

Strikers Block UPM Kymmene’s Pulp Mill in Canada

US affiliate PACE has re-introduced a website dedicated to tracking the ongoing labour dispute in America with French-based Imerys. The website, www.imerys-solidarity.org, will cover the dispute at the company's Sylacauga calcium carbonate plant in Alabama, as well as upcoming talks between PACE and Imerys at a kaolin operation in Dry Branch, Georgia, USA.

PACE in US Renews Website Dedicated to Imerys’ Abuses

A new ICEM Workers' Network of SAPPI paperworkers will be formed 30-31 March near Hannover, Germany. ICEM affiliate Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers' Union (CEPPWAWU) of South Africa will be the lead union for the network. SAPPI, headquartered in South Africa, has paper mills in Austria, Germany and the US.

South African CEPPWAWU Affiliate to Head ICEM’s SAPPI Network

The GPMU and another ICEM affiliate in the UK, Amicus, officially merged earlier this month following a vote of members at branch levels of the GPMU. The vote tally to merge with the UK’s largest union was 26,709 for and 4,287 against, or 86% to 14%. The two unions will begin joining operations on 1 October with a five-year period expected to fully merge structures. GPMU will become a sector within Amicus.

UK Union GPMU Merges with Amicus

PACE, along with ICEM, has released a testimony of European DuPont workers following a visit to the chemical firm’s US sites last spring. The report contains first-hand experience of the European delegates including DuPont’s inhospitable response to the tour. The report can be accessed at www.dupontcouncil.org.

PACE in US Releases Anti-Worker Testimony at DuPont

The ICEM’s North American Women’s Conference will be held 13 September in Ottawa at the headquarters of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). The statutory conference will coincide with a CLC march to protect Canada’s national Medicare system as political leaders will gather that day to debate the future of the healthcare programme. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Minto Place Suite Hotel.

ICEM’s North American Women’s Conference Set for Ottawa

<p>South Africa’s NUM and Harmony Gold Mining Ltd., along with two other unions, agreed to establish a task force composed of geologists, financial experts and labour and management officials to ward off the company’s announced intent to shutter six mine shafts that could have cut the jobs of 5,000 workers. The compromise centers on the principle of saving jobs and not closing the shafts, and the task force will deliver its assessment on 3 May. “We are pleased that a process to ensure we meet these objectives is in place and acceptable to everyone,” said NUM Gen. Sec. Gwede Mantashe.</p>
<p>But strikes due to retrenchments and pay could occur by the NUM at two other firms in South Africa’s gold and platinum sectors. Goldfields has indicated it intends to reduce its workforce at the Driefontein gold mine, and talks have failed over economics at Modikwa Platinum, a joint venture between AngloPlatinum and African Rainbow Minerals. NUM states it would like Goldfields to follow Harmony’s approach by getting all parties seriously engaged to find a collective means to save jobs.</p>

NUM of South Africa and Harmony Will Evaluate Job Cuts

ICEM affiliates in Colombia are on course to a unified strategy on how best to organize and face the many obstacles of building free and democratic trade unions in the war-torn country. After three weeks of meetings through April, leaders of the affiliates working with ICEM resource people have identified a number of hurdles including contract labour as major threats to organizing.

Colombia Affiliates Dialogue Under ICEM Education Project

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