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<img height="216" alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/0912.greetings card.jpg" width="360"/>
For all in the global ICEM family 2009 became a painful year due to the global crisis. But again union action and solidarity beyond borders proved to be the essential asset to defend and advance the interest of workers. Let us continue to build unity, let us strengthen global solidarity, let us together make sure there is a way forward and success for the workers that we represent. ICEM wishes you, your members and your families the best of luck and success in 2010. HAPPY NEW YEAR. 
Manfred Warda
ICEM General Secretary

Happy Holidays from the ICEM

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ICEM Turkish affiliate ÇIMSE-İş, the Cement, Ceramics, Soil, Pottery, and Glass Workers’ Union, held its 18th Congress in Ankara on 6 and 7 February, with the 207 delegates present electing a new President and expanding the union’s executive committee from four to five. Zekeriye Nazlim, the former ÇIMSE-İş regional president of the Ankara Branch, was elected President of the national union. 
 
Prior President Ramazan Safak stepped down from that position at this Congress. He was credited for enacting efficiencies within the union that doubled ÇIMSE-İş cash reserves in the midst of a financial crisis. The union represents 18,000 Turkish workers, down a full 25% due to effects of the global financial collapse. 

<img src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/1002.ZEKERIYE NAZLIM.CIMSE-IS.TURKEY.png" width="256" height="170" alt=""/>
Zekeriye Nazlim of ÇIMSE-İş
The hardest hit among ÇIMSE-İş industrial sectors were those in ceramics, tiles, and pottery. Safak was responsible for keeping the Türk-İş affiliated union on solid financial footing through the retrenchment of workers and loss of membership, and also was credited with limiting the effects of the crisis through constructive social dialogue with employers. 
The Congress was chaired by Türk-İş Confederation President and ICEM Executive Member Mustafa Kumlu. He outlined the recent industrial actions undertaken by 12,000 workers of the once state-owned tobacco and alcohol company Tekel, workers who have been denied their rights as victims of privatization. 

<img src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/People/0812TesIsMustafa%20Kumlu.jpg" width="110" height="177" alt=""/>
Türk-İş President Mustafa Kumlu
ICEM Rubber and Chemicals Officer Kemal Özkan reported on the overall global effects of the economic crisis, as well as on ICEM’s campaign on Contract and Agency Labour (CAL) and ongoing efforts to create a new global trade union structure for industrial and manufacturing sectors. Özkan also thanked ÇIMSE-İş for co-hosting last October’s ICEM World Conference for the Materials Sector in Izmir, Turkey. 
 
The Congress passed resolutions on decent work; against precarious employment; for fair taxation; reform to Turkish labour statutes, particularly regarding unionization; a better health insurance system; better management of unemployment funds; and a halt to privatization efforts. 
 
Re-elected General Secretary of ÇIMSE-İş was Yusuf Çirak; re-elected as treasurer, Cemil Kaya; and Erkan Atar was elected Secretary of Education, while Cengiz Gözüküçük was elected Secretary of Organising.

ÇIMSE-İş Holds Congress in Ankara; Elects New President

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ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda met with the Trade Union of Workers of the Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS-TU) and affiliate Nezavisnost in Belgrade, as well as toured the successful national pharmaceutical, Galenika, on a recent visit to the country. 
 
At EPS-TU, Warda met with Milan Dordevic, National President of EPS-TU, Miodrag Rancovic, the President of the union at Kolivara inside EPS-TU, and Milan Kovasevic, the former President of the regional energy network Retunsee. 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/1002.galenika.2.jpg" width="260" height="162"/>
Both parties pledged renewed high levels of coordination in the ICEM South East European Energy Network. The ICEM is also becoming more relevant to the EPS company in regard to foreseeable strategic partnering between the union and global energy companies setting up in Serbia. The ICEM will be invited to oversee a dialogue between EPS and other Serbian unions, where relations have recently been poor. 
 
Warda then met with another ICEM Serbia affiliate, Nezavisnost, and President Milorad Panovic and Dragan Vesic at the union’s head office in Belgrade. A dividing issue within Serbia’s trade union movement has been privatisation. The ICEM is intent to see Nezavisnost and EPS-TU sit down to commence dialogue on this important issue. There is agreement between Nezavisnost and another ICEM affiliate, the Autonomous Union of Employees in Science and Research of Serbia (SSS), based on a study that both unions underwent some time ago. Nezavisnost would like to see the study serve as a base for all unions to develop a joint strategy. 

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/1002.serbia.galenika.jpg" width="300" height="225"/>
Warda went on to visit the national pharmaceutical company Galenika, which employs some 2,500 workers. Workers at the company are represented by Nezavisnost and SSS. Both trade union representatives and management at the company described labour relations as a best case example in Serbia, with a good contract and social programme in place. The company is currently seeking strategic partnerships with foreign companies.

ICEM Visits Serbian Trade Unions, Model Pharmaceutical Plant in Balkans Mission

Dear President Abdullah Gül, 
 
The [enter union name] presents its compliments to President Abdullah Gül and would like to communicate our grave concern with the situation facing TEKEL workers in Turkey. 
 
We are writing on this occasion in respect of 26 February 2010, the Global Day of Action in Solidarity with Turkish Workers. We stand in solidarity with our Turkish colleagues throughout Turkey, as trade union rights were violated too often in 2009. However at the forefront of our focus on this Global Day of Action is the situation currently facing the workers of TEKEL, the former state tobacco company, which was recently privatised. 
 
We understand that the government decided to close down all the warehouses owned by TEKEL, causing the loss of 12,000 jobs. Workers, their family members and supporters have been demonstrating in near freezing temperatures in protest against this decision since December last year. 
 
The protest began in front of the headquarters of the AKP, but the police cleared the area on 16 December and forced the demonstrators to a nearby park. The following day, police put up barricades around the park and then used water hoses and tear gas against the demonstrators. Police violence escalated and clubs were used against the demonstrators, many of whom had to be hospitalised. Mustafa Türkel, president of Tekgida-Is, which represents these workers and is affiliated to ITUC-affiliated national union centre Türk-Is, as well as the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco & Allied Workers' Association (IUF), and general secretary of Türk-Is, was arrested, but then released later that evening. 
 
The police violence caused an outcry in the Turkish Parliament, but the government continues to refuse to accede to the workers' demand that they be given alternative employment with their full employee benefits, as the law on privatisation provides. The workers have been continuing their actions to date, in front of the Türk-Is offices, for more than 70 days now. 
 
After meetings, on 11 February 2010, between the Chairman of The Turkish Grand National Assembly, Mr. Mehmet Sahin, and The Presidents of national union centres TÜRK-IS, DISK, KAMU-SEN and KESK on the one hand, and between Prime Minister Erdogan and Türk-Is President Mustafa Kumlu on the other, the unions denounced the authorities' intransigence towards the workers' demands, and called on them to try to reach a negotiated solution to the problem. To date, their appeal has not been honoured; on the contrary, Prime Minister Erdogan announced that his government will not tolerate further actions after the end of February. 
 
Last year has been a very bad year for trade union rights in general in Turkey. The Brussels based International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has written or co-signed protest letters to the government on no less than nine occasions, without ever receiving a reply. The violations of trade union rights which gave rise to these letters ranged from a plea to the authorities to refrain from violent repression of peaceful May Day demonstrations, over the massive arrests of trade union members and leaders, of which dozens were made to stand trial on charges of supporting terrorist organisations, and the attempted murder of Süleyman Celebi, President of the ITUC affiliated national union center Devrimci Isçi Sendikalari Konfederasyonu (DISK), to the ill treatment of and lack of medical care for detained trade unionists. Furthermore, the ITUC, together with over a dozen representatives from trade unions and Global Union Federations from eight different European countries, a Human Rights officer of the delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, and representatives of Lawyers Without Frontiers and Protection International, joined an international observers' delegation which attended the trial which was held in Izmir in November last year against 31 members and leaders of national public sector union KESK, which is also an ITUC affiliate. 
 
After this trial, the ITUC denounced that "2009 showed an intensified crackdown on the unions by the government. After the KESK arrests in May, there was the arrest and subsequent ill treatment of Murad Akincilar, a Turkish national working for the Swiss union UNIA, and the assassination attempt on DISK President Süleyman Celebi. Tüm-Bel Sen representative Metin Findik is still in prison after more than five months, without being informed of any charges against him. On 7 December, 13 leaders of one of DISK's most important affiliates, Nakliyat-Is, were arrested (in the KESK case, most important affiliate Egitim Sen is being targeted). There is a true pattern in all of these cases: upon being arrested, all unionists are being treated in a rough manner, or even mistreated; the authorities invoke some legal clause in order to keep the cases "under secrecy", meaning that the defense lawyers can initially not look into their clients' files – even for more than a month, as in the KESK case. And the accusations are all related to some form of "terrorist activity". 
 
In its most recent Progress Report in the framework of the Turkish EU accession negotiations, dated 14 October 2009, the European Commission stated that "Full trade union rights have not yet been established in Turkey. The current legal framework is not in line with EU standards and ILO Conventions, in particular as regards the right to organise, the right to strike and the right to bargain collectively, for both the private and public sectors. The ILO Committee of experts called upon Turkey to adopt these reforms and suggested the organisation of a high-level bipartite mission to assist the government." As you will know, this mission is early next month. 
 
The deterioration of trade union rights in Turkey is a cause of serious concern for the international trade union movement. International trade union objectives are clear and remain the same. We are calling for full democratic rights for all Turkish citizens, including freedom of association; a halt to all violent repression; the release of all imprisoned trade unionists; and respect for core labour standards and workers' rights, including the TEKEL workers'. 
 
Yours sincerely,

Global Solidarity Action Day with Turkish Workers

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/InBrief100.jpg" width="100" height="39"/>
Today in Brazil, the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT) will begin a 100-kilometre, 10-day march from Campinas in São Paulo state to the city of São Paulo itself in honour of International Women’s Day. The march, celebrating 100 years of the announcement of International Women’s Day and under the banner “We’ll Keep Marching Until Every Woman is Free,” will highlight the continuing fight for common rights and public services, peace and demilitarization, economy autonomy, and an end to violence against women. 
 
A main objective of the pilgrimage will be CUT’s drive for total wage equality between men and women. Even though Brazil has ratified ILO Convention 100, the 1951 Equal Remuneration Convention, the South American country has a long ways to go in order to achieve wage parity. 

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/1003.cut.women.2.jpg" width="226" height="233"/>
CUT Secretary of Working Women, Rosane Silva, said that every nation that has ratified ILO Convention 100 must speed up laws and practices to ensure that the articles of the convention are met. In Brazil, as a means to enhance subsidies to meet that goal, CUT has done a national study on wage disparities. Throughout 2010, the national labour centre will present those figures before governing bodies and employers to get them to comply with Convention 100. 
 
Also today in São Paulo, Sindicato Nacional dos Papeleiros (SINAP), the ICEM pulp and paper affiliate that is part of CNQ/CUT, will conduct a manifestation demanding equal rights for women in front of the Suzano paper mill.

CUT-Brazil to Conduct 100-kilometre, 10-Day Women’s March

<img src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/InBrief100.jpg" width="100" height="39" alt=""/>
The negotiations towards a new national collective agreement for the manufacturing industry in Denmark had been deadlocked, see ICEM report <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/3634-Danish-Contract-Negotiations-Deadlocked-on-National-Level" type="internal">here</a>, but the renewal of the agreement was signed on Monday 22 February by the ICEM-affiliated general union, Central Organization of Industrial Employees in Denmark (CO-industri) and the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI). However the HK private trade union rejected the agreement. 
 
Gains for workers across the sector include two additional weeks for parental leave, improved redundancy pay, improved monitoring of health and safety for night-shift workers, improved working conditions for shift workers, and newly created authority on equal pay. 
 
The collective bargaining round directly affects 240,000 workers in the manufacturing industry. But it also indirectly affects an additional 350,000 workers in the private sector. As previously reported by ICEM, historically, the manufacturing agreement is used as a blueprint for other negotiations. 

<img src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/DenmarkFLAG.gif" width="160" height="121" alt=""/>
Both Hans Christensen, the negotiator for DI business, and Co-industri President Thorkild E. Jensen, were content with the renewed agreement, after negotiators worked through the night to beat a deadline which would have moved negotiations to a tribunal. Jensen described the agreement as “balanced and guaranteed our members’ jobs”. The agreement is valid for the period 1 March 2010 to 1 March 2012. 
 
Night workers were a priority for trade union negotiators in the talks, with free health exams provided every two years and for those employees who are advised against night work, their employer must find them another job. Night workers will also be eligible for up to ten extra days off annually. Changes to the rules on pension contributions will discourage employers from moving to precarious contracts. Apprentices see a 4.5% pay increase over the two years. 
 
The deal has been described as a “crisis agreement” and sees trade unions agreeing to only a small pay increase and for the first time since 1991, no increase in pension contributions.

Danish Manufacturing Collective Agreement in Place

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ICEM’s three Italian affiliates, FILCEM–CGIL, FEMCA–CISL, UILCEM–UIL, are campaigning together against a recent decision by British multinational Glaxo Smith Kline to close its research centre in Verona, and put 550 employees out of work. 
 
A joint trade union delegation met four government ministers from the Ministries of Economic Development, and of Welfare and Health. The trade union leaders argued that the plant is profitable and also contributes to the profitability and growth of the company worldwide. Government Ministers were in agreement with the trade union arguments, and rejected the explanation of the company that the closure is part of the overall restructuring of the company. 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Italy.FEMCA.CISL.jpg" width="120" height="102"/>  <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/ITALYFILCEM.jpg" width="95" height="116"/>  <img style="WIDTH: 126px; HEIGHT: 95px" alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/ITALYUILCEM.gif" width="126" height="71"/>
The Italian Government Ministers Scaiola, Sacconi, Fazio, and Martini, have announced the establishing of an arbitration committee, which will seek to analyse in detail the reasons for Glaxo’s decision to close its Verona facility, and hope to find a solution that will reverse their decision. The arbitration committee will be formed next month. 
 
The Verona employees of Glaxo who are set to lose their jobs have taken to the street in protest of the decision. See a slideshow of photos of the demonstrations <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cgilnazionale/sets/72157623383165437/show/">here</a>.

Italian Pharmaceutical Workers Protest Plant Closure, 550 Jobs Lost

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/InBrief100.jpg" width="100" height="39"/>
The mining and maritime unions, under the umbrella of the Mining and Maritime Initiative, met in Los Angeles, California 16-17 February, to discuss ongoing global campaigns in the sector. The ICEM plays a central role in the initiative, with seven ICEM affiliates in attendance: CFMEU (Australia), ILWU, USW (USA), NUM, NUMSA, CEPPWAWU (South Africa), and Maden (Turkey). The International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) also attended. 
 
Meeting delegates discussed the struggles at <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/3607-Rio-Tinto-Engaged-in-Savage-Union-Busting-at-California-Borates-Mine" type="internal">Rio Tinto in Boron California</a>, <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/3608-Cananea-Miners-Reject-Grupo-México-Severance;-Strike-Continues " type="internal">Grupo Mexico</a>, and <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/3589-Talks-Prove-Futile-in-Ending-Vale’s-Eastern-Canada-Mine-Strike " type="internal">Vale Inco</a>, and the global campaigns around these disputes, led in part by the ICEM, as each conflict involves ICEM affiliates. 

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/1003.m.m.2.JPG" width="274" height="167"/>
The meeting issued a statement on the violations of worker rights in Boron California by Rio Tinto and by Grupo Mexico and the Mexican Government. View the statement here. Many of the unions involved in Mining and Maritime have had conflicts with Rio Tinto in the past, and stand in strong solidarity with the members of ILWU 30, who have been locked out by the company, as they refuse an extremely concessionary contract. The unions present pledged to “escalate the campaigns in defence of workers at Rio Tinto and Grupo Mexico immediately, dramatically and strategically to make them global battles”. 
 
A Campaign Committee was created, which includes ICEM Director of Industry and Corporate Affairs Joe Drexler. 

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/1003.mining.maritime.logo.png" width="360" height="73"/>
Meeting delegates then attended a large march and rally in support of the Rio Tinto miners in Boron. The participation of Maden, the main mining union in Turkey, was of special significance, since Rio Tinto uses the state-owned Turkish mining company as a supplier to its customers. Maden is a strong supporter of the Boron strikers.

Mining, Maritime Unions Meet 

<img src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Mexico.UNTYPP.jpg" width="93" height="139" alt=""/>
The 30,000 technical and professional employees of PEMEX, Mexico’s large state-owned petroleum company, finally won the right to unionize upon their third attempt. The new union, “Unión Nacional de Técnicos y Profesionistas Petroleros” (UNTyPP), received its registration on 16 December, and its leadership was officially recognized for the period beginning 18 March, 2008 through 17 March, 2012. The first two attempts at unionization (ONTCIP and UNTCIP) were denied registration by the government and the leaders fired. 
 
Following the successful court battle, culminating in registration from the Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare’s office for the Registration of Associations (STPS), members of the new union were informed by company management that in order to retain their jobs they were required to sign two documents, one calling for the cancellation of the registration and the other a resignation from the union. 
 
Those who refused, along with organisers of the UNTyPP, were fired and violently removed from their workstations by paramilitaries, including the entire National Executive Committee of the union1. These workers must be immediately reinstated, and their rights respected under both Mexican and International law. PEMEX is also being urged by the international labour movement to accept union calls to come to the bargaining table and establish a working relationship with them. 
 
UNTyPP organisers have faced continued intimidation and threats throughout their campaign for registration. 
 
PEMEX is the 10th largest oil company in the world, and is the sole supplier of all commercial petrol and diesel stations in Mexico. Annual company revenue is US$78 billion. 
 
Visit the Labourstart site to write to President Calderón and the PEMEX management, condemn the violations of labour and human rights of members and officers of the new UNTyPP trade union.

Mexican PEMEX Workers Win Registration for New Union, Face Continued Repression

<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/InBrief100.jpg" width="100" height="39"/>
In Bandung, Indonesia in mid-July, the ICEM contributed to a two-day ILO Sectoral Conference on Chemicals. The ICEM presentation was on “Benefits of Social Dialogue and the Roles of Unions,” and the overall conference served as an effective regional follow-up to an ILO meeting entitled “Instruments, Knowledge, Advocacy, Technical Cooperation, and International Collaboration on Hazardous Substances.” 
 
Other subjects presented included the ILO’s chemicals convention, the convention on Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents, the ILO’s health and safety framework, and various green jobs initiatives. Safety and health issues common inside Indonesia also were discussed. 
<img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/ilo%20chemicals.png" width="170" height="237"/>
The workshops endorsed improved social dialogue techniques, better information gathering and sharing, and heightened promotional activities on safety and health, and sustainability. The forum provided a valuable set of learning tools to ICEM’s Indonesian affiliates. 
 
The ICEM presentation in Bandung was made by Brian Kohler, Health, Safety, Sustainability Officer.

ICEM Participates in ILO Indonesian Forum

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