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German ICEM affiliate IGBCE will hold its Congress 9-14 October in Hannover with 391 delegates taking on 150 resolutions under the banner “Strong Enough for New Paths.” The Congress will include some 1,100 guests, and one motion to be considered will be the challenges to trade union cooperation in the greater EU economy and globalisation. IGBCE President Hubertus Schmoldt called recent German elections a mandate against radical reforms to labour law and bargaining regulations, issues brought forth by both the CDU/CSU and neo-liberals. Schmoldt said in a newspaper interview that Germany needs new concepts for it’s energy market, as well as creation of better terms and conditions for employment in high-tech workplaces.

German Affiliate IGBCE to Hold Congress

You can direct all information and requests to the general e-mail address of the ICEM: <a href="mailto:info@icem.org">info@icem.org</a>. Please also use this address in case you have a specific request, but are unsure about whom to contact directly. The ICEM’s general phone number in Geneva is ++41-22-304-1840.
Please also take into account that, in case you try to contact a staff member directly, he or she may not be in the office for a period of time while traveling. In those cases, the staff member concerned may not answer your e-mail as quickly as you would have hoped. 
All ICEM staff can be reached by e-mail as follows: 
<a href="mailto:firstname.lastname@icem.org">firstname.lastname@icem.org</a> 

 Management team
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Manfred Warda PREFERRED.jpg" width="210" height="208"/> 
 
Manfred Warda 
ICEM General Secretary  

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Jimcatterson.jpg" width="100" height="136"/>  
Jim Catterson  
ICEM Director of Organisation 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Kemal Ozkan NEW.jpg" width="110" height="134"/>
Kemal Ozkan 
ICEM Director of Industry and Corporate Affairs
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/marie.france.JPG" width="108" height="156"/>
Marie France Sarfati 
ICEM Finance & Human Resources Officer 
 
<a name="I"></a><a name="industry"></a> 
Industry Officers<a name="Industry"></a>
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/1105.Dick Blin - Staff foto list.JPG" width="100" height="152"/>
Dick Blin 
ICEM Pulp and Paper Section Officer  
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Kemal Ozkan NEW.jpg" width="110" height="134"/>
Kemal Ozkan  
ICEM Chemical / Pharmaceuticals / Rubber Section Officer 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Phee.JPG" width="100" height="150"/>
Phee Jung-sun 
ICEM Materials 
(Cement, Glass, Ceramics) Section Officer 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Jimcatterson.jpg" width="100" height="136"/>
Jim Catterson 
ICEM Energy Section Officer 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Glen Mpufane.jpg" width="152" height="140"/>
Glen Mpufane 
ICEM Mining & DGOJP Section Officer 
Functional Officers<a name="Functional"></a>
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/carolbruce.jpg.JPG" width="100" height="150"/>
Carol Bruce 
ICEM Gender Issues Officer 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/1105.Dick Blin - Staff foto list.JPG" width="100" height="152"/>
Dick Blin 
ICEM Information and Publications, Campaigns Officer 
 <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Fons.JPG" width="100" height="134"/>
Kurt (Fons) Vannieuwenhuyse 
ICEM Projects Officer 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Brian.Kohler.b.JPG" width="104" height="156"/>
Brian Kohler 
ICEM Health, Safety & Sustainability Officer 
 
Regional Contact Persons <a name="Regional"></a>
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Anatoly.JPG" width="100" height="134"/>
Anatoly Surin 
Regional contact person for Central and Eastern Europe
Carol Bruce 
Regional contact person for Latin America/Caribbean 
Brian Kohler 
Regional contact person for North America 
Kurt (Fons) Vannieuwenhuyse 
Regional contact person for Western, Nordic and Central Europe  
Jim Catterson  
Regional contact person for North Africa & Middle East
Phee Jung-sun 
Regional contact person for Asia-Pacific <a href="mailto:phee.jungsun@icem.org"> 
 
</a>Support Staff<a name="Support"></a>
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Fanja100.jpg" width="100" height="115"/>
 Fanja Rasolomanana 
Personal Assistant to the General Secretary 
and Conference Coordinator 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/steeve.latte.b.JPG" width="111" height="166"/>
Steeve Latté 
Finance & Administration Assistant
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/tom.g.JPG" width="101" height="138"/>
Tom Grinter 
Communications & Campaigns Assistant
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/0809MariaPaula100.jpg" width="100" height="120"/>
Maria Paula Davidson 
Travel & General Administrative Assistant 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Maita Wyss.2.jpg" width="97" height="132"/> 
Maita Wyss 
Receptionist & Database Assistant

ICEM Staff

<img height="55" alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/InBrief 1.gif" width="138"/>
Some 1,300 members of United Steel Workers (USW) in Canada are back to work at Teck Cominco Ltd. following ratification 5 October of a new three-year collective agreement. Steelworkers had been on strike at the company’s zinc and lead operations in Trail, British Colombia, since 19 July. 
The strike had been called in order to re-gain wage and pension ground given the company in the 1990s during economic hard times. The new contract has wage increases totaling 10% over the three years, pension gains of 12%, and a C$3,500 cash payment to each worker.

Strike Settled in Canada with Wage, Benefit Gains

<img height="83" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/canadacep.gif" width="100" alt=""/>
History was made in the North American offshore oil industry 30 September. Some 120 members of Communications, Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) of Canada won the continent’s first offshore oil collective agreement at Terra Nova, a platform 350 kilometers off Newfoundland that is a consortium of seven oil companies led by Petro Canada. 
The agreement came through first contract arbitration in accord with labour law in Newfoundland, which prohibits strikes or lockouts in an initial contract period. “It has taken years of patience and solidarity to get to this point,” said CEP President Brian Payne. “We had hoped for a freely bargained collective agreement but this legally imposed arbitrated settlement is an important stepping stone in improving working conditions.” 
The platform workers chose CEP representation by an 84% vote in April 2003, 19 months after workers at another North Atlantic installation called Hibernia voted for CEP, becoming the first NA offshore group to unionise. 
A contract for the 430 workers there is currently before the same arbitration process. Besides Petro Canada, companies with a stake in Terra Nova include ExxonMobil, Norske Hydro, Husky Oil, Murphy Oil, Mosbacher Operating, and Chevron.

First Collective Agreement in NA Offshore Sector

<img height="55" alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/InBrief 1.gif" width="138"/>
In Poland, workers of nine trade unions at KGHM Polska Miedz S.A., a publicly-traded copper and silver mining company in which the state holds 45% stake, won an extra month’s salary in collective negotiations due to the high copper prices. 
The unions demanded the increases for 17,000 workers after the company stated its 2005 profit projections would be doubled. After first offering a half-month’s extra pay, KGHM’s board met the demands of the unions, and the extra paycheck will be awarded prior to 4 November.

Polish Copper Workers Score Pay Gains

<img height="55" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/InBrief 1.gif" width="138" alt=""/>
The first issue of ICEM’s e-bulletin on HIV/AIDS was published in early October and can be found on the GUF’s website, <a href="http://www.icem.org" type="internal">www.icem.org</a>. 
The e-bulletin will be a regular monthly feature to ICEM’s information strategy on the pandemic, and gives useful links to materials and websites for union activists who desire to deepen their knowledge on the fight against HIV/AIDS.

ICEM's HIV/AIDS Project Gets Newsletter

<img height="55" alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/InBrief 1.gif" width="138"/>
Union members at the Esso Union of Petroleum and Chemical Workers Federation of Thailand (PCFT) are in a pay dispute with Esso Thailand Co. Ltd. The 354 union members at a refinery in Sti-racha, Chonburi province, have staged protests at ExxonMobil’s Thai offices since 10 October over Esso’s refusal to meet adequate pay demands. 
Despite record profits and high petroleum prices, the company has stonewalled union demands to match pay increases equal to Thailand’s inflation rate. PCFT has reduced its pay demands in two government-conducted conciliation sessions and arbitration on the pay matter is scheduled for 4 November. 
Under Thai labour law, the Esso Union of ICEM affiliate PCFT is prohibited from striking because of its strategic importance in the energy industry.

Thai Affiliate in Pay Dispute with ExxonMobil

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A strike by Energy and Petroleum Workers’ Union (CGTM) of Mauritania continues against contracting firm El Majabaat El Koubra Tours (MKT). The two sides were before the Labour Inspectorate of Mauritania on 27 October in efforts to settle the 14-day strike, but recommendations put forward by the ministry were rejected by MKT. 
The company, a transport and logistics provider for Australian exploration and development company Woodside Petroleum, sacked 16 workers earlier in October after it signed a protocol agreement with the union that included a first of November date for union elections. Ten of the 16 workers were to stand for union election

Mediation Fails to Resolve Contractor Strike in Mauritania

<img height="55" alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/InBrief1.gif" width="138"/>
The ICEM has issued an urgent Circular to all affiliates for solidarity action on behalf of a branch of the Communications, Energy, Paperworkers (CEP) of Canada concerning a five-month strike at a plant of Invista, a global chemicals company owned by US-based Koch Industries.
The Circular can be found at <a href="/?id=155&doc=1464" type="internal">/?id=155&doc=1464</a> and will be available in all statutory languages by clicking the respective language at the top-left of the homepage. ICEM has provided two model letters, one to the CEP local union as a sign of support, the other a protest letter to management in the US.

Urgent Action Needed in Support of Striking Canadian Union

<img height="55" alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/InBrief 1.gif" width="138"/>
Croatian ICEM affiliate Autonomous Trade Union in Power Industry, Chemistry and Non-Metal Industry (EKN) has a merger agreement in place with another powerful union in the Balkan country. 
On 19 October, EKN’s Main Committee and the committee of the Metalworkers’ Trade Union of Croatia (SMH) signed a declaration of intent to merge to create the Confederation of the Trade Union of Metal and Chemical Industries.
The two unions will hold concurrent congresses in 2006 to formalize the merger, and a two-year process is proposed to coordinate the merger of affiliated unions into the new trade union, which will be independent and free from political party association.

ICEM Affiliate in Croatia to Merge with Metalworkers Union

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