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<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Swiss trade union UNIA has achieved significant steps in the campaign to save the jobs of 470 workers at Swissmetal, a company on the verge of bankruptcy. The first victory was ensuring all staff received salary payments for the month of July. This was achieved through pressure on Switzerland&rsquo;s Secretary of State for the Economy, and on the cantonal governments of Soleure and Berne.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The federal, cantonal governments and UNIA provided the CHF 2 million to meet July&rsquo;s payroll. Swissmetal no longer has the liquidity to pay wages. UNIA provided the majority of the payment, approximately 70%.</span></p>
<div><span lang="EN-GB">This payment means that the possibility still exists that the two Swiss operations of the company still might be purchased by French-based Le Bronze Industriel SA, a manufacturer of bronze and copper electrodes.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><img alt="" src="" width="240" height="159" /></span></p>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span>UNIA Occupy BNP Paribas Branch</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Another major step UNIA in trying to save Swissmetal jobs came when the Swiss national union succeeded in pressuring bank BNP Paribas &ndash; a creditor of Swissmetal that is owed CHF 20 million &ndash; to release the company&rsquo;s metal inventories, which the bank blocked at the two sites.</span></p>
<div><span lang="EN-GB">On 8 August, UNIA and workers at the main facility in Dornach held a symbolic manifestation at the Basle branch of BNP Paribas, urging the bank to lift the blockade of raw metal stock. Hundreds of workers rallied under the slogan, &ldquo;You occupy our warehouse, we occupy your bank!&rdquo; The occupation of the bank proved successful.</span></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span lang="EN-GB">While work did re-start at the other plant, in Reconvilier, on 8 August, all attention today is on the Dornach site, where production must restart immediately. This depends on Swissmetal agreeing to operate and deal with pending orders before buyers look elsewhere. Reopening of operations in the immediate term would ensure Swissmetal&rsquo;s ability to pay wages for August.</span></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span lang="EN-GB">As sale negotiations continue, redundancies are not necessary at this stage, and will be bitterly opposed.</span></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><span lang="EN-GB">UNIA underlines the vital importance that the cantonal governments of Soleure and Bern have. They have a duty to prevent the massive dismantling of operations and stop closure of the factories.</span></div>

Uncertainty Continues for Swissmetal Workers

<div><br />
<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" /></div>
<p><span lang="EN">Union members of Sindicato No. 1 de Trabajadores de Minera Escondida, a branch of Chile&rsquo;s Federation of Miners (FMC), returned to work on 5 August after a 15-day strike at the world&rsquo;s largest copper mine, majority owned by BHP Billiton. Mineworkers voted by 65.5% to 34.5% on 4 August to end the strike after their leaders negotiating the previous two days with Escondida management. <br />
<br />
Those talks produced a memorandum of agreement providing a remedy to a dispute over a 2010 production bonus. But equally important, the memorandum addressed several grievances and breaches by Escondida management from a 2009 labour agreement. <br />
<br />
Sindicato No. 1, representing Escondida&rsquo;s 2,375 direct-employed miners, said of the memorandum, &ldquo;the company promises to solve a series of labour issues such as establishing a new attendance policy, regularising a certification system based on competency for promotions, and reformulating the criteria for calculating a production bonus.&rdquo; These were just some of the issues in dispute inside a four-year labour agreement that was signed in November 2009. <br />
<br />
In 2010, Escondida &ndash; 57.5% owned by operator BHP Billiton, 30% by Rio Tinto, and 12.5% by Japanese holding companies connected to Mitsubishi &ndash; saw profits of US$4.3 billion, up 35% over that of 2009. Last week&rsquo;s amended bonus to each worker amounts to CHP 2.65 million (pesos), or US$5,800. Miners will receive that on 25 August.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN"><img alt="" src="" width="245" height="161" /><br />
</span><span lang="EN"><br />
<font color="#ff0000">Sindicato No. 1 Files Papers in a Labour Court in Late July</font></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN">Escondida called the strike illegal and said throughout that it would not negotiate with the union. But as the days wore on and production was crippling revenue from the rich mining complex, that changed. In a statement after signing the memorandum of agreement, the company said workers had ended their &ldquo;illegal work stoppage&rdquo; and &ldquo;this action is due to the success of talks between the parties. <br />
<br />
&ldquo;Minera Escondida reiterates that dialogue and respect are the foundation for maintaining a beneficial relationship with its workers.&rdquo; <br />
<br />
Besides the aforementioned issues, that respect includes a more transparent system for the production bonuses; restoration of a housing allocation that lifts restrictions on where miners may use those stipends; safer and higher-quality bus transport service, and compensation for tickets; no retaliation, redundancy, or punishment for union or strike activity; and review on why the company installed surveillance cameras. <br />
<br />
Miners will also be paid their salaries for the 15-day strike. Sindicato No. 1 de Trabajadores de Minera Escondida had filed labour court charges on several of the issues involved in the strike. <br />
<br />
For its part, the union said it hopes to maintain and deepen channels of communication with management, but also will stay vigilant that the issues agreed to in the memorandum will get addressed and resolved. <br />
<br />
Minera Escondida consists of two open-pit copper mines some 170 kilometres southeast of Antofagasta, in Chile&rsquo;s Region II. It also consists of two concentrator plants, Los Colorados and Laguna Seca, which have a combined capacity of 330,000 tonnes per day. The company operates two pipelines and a filter plant on the Pacific Ocean Port of Coloso. <br />
<br />
In 2010, Escondida&rsquo;s production totaled 1.087 million tonnes, consisting of 786,603 tonnes of copper concentrate and 300,098 tonnes of copper cathodes. The Escondida mine complex provides 7% of the world&rsquo;s copper supply.</span></p>

FMC Copper Union at Escondida Wins Dialogue Guarantees

<br />
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<div><img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" /></div>
<br />
The ICEM has joined trade unions of Australia, New Zealand, and the UK in protesting flagrant trade union abuses by the military dictatorship in Fiji. On Saturday, 13 August, just two days after dictator Josaia Voreque Bainimarama tried to assure a high-level ILO delegation, including Deputy General Director Guy Ryder, that trade union rights in Fiji were being upheld, police showed up at the opening of Fiji Trades Union Congress&rsquo;s (FTUC) national council meeting and revoked the national centre&rsquo;s meeting permit.<br />
<br />
That came ten days after Daniel Urai, formerly of the ICEM-affiliated Fiji Electricity Workers&rsquo; Union, who is President of the FTUC, and union activist Dinesh Gounder were arrested under Fiji&rsquo;s new Public Emergency Regulation for meeting with trade unionists without a permit. They were charged with unlawful assembly in meeting with hotel workers over a pending collective agreement. <br />
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><img alt="" src="" width="120" height="120" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img alt="" src="" width="120" height="120" /></div>
<div><span><br />
Daniel Urai, Dinesh Gounder</span></div>
<br />
Both were released on bail on 4 August and are due to appear in the Nadi Magistrates Court on 2 September on those charges. (See <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/98.ICEM.Fiji%20Prime%20Minister.10August.pdf"><font color="#ff0000">ICEM protest letter</font></a> here.)<br />
<br />
The arrests, along with broader trade union repression, specifically against FTUC National Secretary Felix Anthony, are seen as recrimination against Fiji union leaders visiting Australia and New Zealand to speak out against the military dictatorship of Commodore Bainimarama.<br />
<br />
Australian unions, led by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), have begun a number of direct actions against Fiji, which have raised the stakes against Bainimarama&rsquo;s strong-armed tactics. For example, the Australian Transport Workers&rsquo; Union (TWU) has threatened to not load or refuel Qantas air flights headed to Fiji, which would severely impact the Pacific country&rsquo;s tourism trade. The blockade would also include Air Pacific, a Qantas partner and Fiji&rsquo;s flag carrier.<br />
<br />
On 2 September &ndash; the date that Urai and Gounder will be in a Fiji courtroom &ndash; the ACTU will organise two manifestations in front of Fiji consular offices in North Sydney and in Deakin near Canberra.<br />
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><img alt="" src="" width="160" height="160" /><br />
</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Dictator Bainimarama with ILO Representatives Last Week</div>
<br />
On 8 August, UK&rsquo;s Trades Union Congress and ICEM affiliate GMB called on British sugar multinational Tate &amp; Lyle to challenge the Bainimarama regime&rsquo;s abusive tactics. Tate &amp; Lyle purchases 100% of Fiji&rsquo;s sugar exports and the illegitimate Fijian ruler has a controlling stake in sugar production.<br />
<br />
On the same day that Urai and Gounder were arrested, 3 August, a dictum was issued by Bainimarama &ndash; Fiji&rsquo;s self-appointed Prime Minister following a 2006 coup &ndash; called the Essential National Industries Employment Decree. It bans all industrial actions, will ban workers from being covered by collective agreements in 60 days time, and restricts wage and benefit growth.<br />
<br />
Despite this, Bainimarama told the ILO delegation last week he was not trying to ban unions or take away workers&rsquo; rights. Not many in the international community believe this, least of all the government of Australia, which has recalled its envoy from Fiji.<br />
<br />
On 4 August, the day Urai and Gounder were released, Australian Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs Martin Ferguson, issued a statement saying: &ldquo;Since 2006 the Bainimarama regime has abrogated the constitution; detained political leaders; sacked the independent judiciary; censored the media; and restricted meetings of civil society, including church groups.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;Despite commitments to hold elections in 2014, it is not clear the regime intends to make good on its promise.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;The restriction of labour rights is part of a concerted campaign to curtail the human rights of the people of Fiji. The rights of workers in Fiji have been targeted through a series of decrees restricting labour rights, the most recent of which was aimed at essential industries.&rdquo;</div>

Trade Union Repression in Fiji Mounting

<div><br />
<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">Following an opening meeting in October 2010, the Global Safety Panel of ICEM and French chemicals company Rhodia under the Global Framework Agreement (GFA) held its second meeting at a Rhodia operation called Sertow in Serpukhov, Russia, on 19-20 July.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">The safety forum was included in an amendment to the GFA in February 2010. The safety panel has duties to monitor Rhodia&rsquo;s health and safety policies and practices, as well as to continue ongoing dialogue between the company and its workers and make recommendations on improvements.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">The Sertow plant is part of the group&rsquo;s Acetow company and makes cigarette filters for the global tobacco industry. Operated by </span><span>Rhodia since 1994, the plant uses cellulose acetate flakes as a key raw material. The plant does stress the importance to health and safety issues since a fatal accident happened on 12 September 2000. The plant since has gone for over ten years without a lost-time accident.</span></p>
<div><img alt="" src="" width="290" height="161" /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">The ICEM delegation was composed of Juarez Nogueira of Sindquim, Brazil; Scott Harrington of the United Steelworkers (USW), US; Maurice Tritsch of CFDT, France; Jie Dong from China; and Kemal &Ouml;zkan and Brian Kohler from the ICEM headquarters. The delegation first met with </span><span>the elected representatives of the site concerning industrial relations and the health and safety situation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Local level labour relations were set up using the example of the German Works Council system as it exists at Acetow&rsquo;s centre, located in Freiburg, Germany. There is close collaboration between the workforce leaders of both operations, and the Sertow Works Council is actively involved in labour-related matters such as collective agreements, personnel health improvement, support of sporting events, and involvement in renovation of the social room. The Works Council has regular meetings with management as part of social dialogue.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Following presentations about Rhodia, Acetow, and the Sertow plant with key figures presented on economic, social, and personnel-related matters, the meeting received a report on Rhodia Way, the company&rsquo;s integrated management system regarding sustainable development.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The participants also heard a report from Rhodia managers on the five-year plan of personal safety that covered records of 2011, as well as projections for the period of 2011-2015. The report put forward a plan to significantly reduce the number of irreversible and chemical accidents until 2015. The targets cover Rhodia&rsquo;s temporary and sub-contact employees and its own staff.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Having made comments on the report, the ICEM&rsquo;s Kohler presented his health and safety recommendations to plant-level and corporate management. A specific discussion was made on Rhodia&rsquo;s investigatory method named after the &ldquo;Casual Tree&quot; accident. The meeting also received a presentation from the Sertow management on practices and results regarding safety compliance. The participants later toured the facility.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The meeting was finalized with an assessment of the discussions and future activities. It was agreed to deepen co-operation for reflecting the work of the Global Safety Panel to workplace level in all of Rhodia&rsquo;s operations worldwide.</span><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p>

ICEM, Rhodia Global Safety Panel Hold Second Meeting in Russia

<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" /><br />
</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Three days before the annual two-week summer shutdown at a Clariant plant in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, management of the Swiss-based chemicals company fired two Centrale G&eacute;n&eacute;rale-FGTB union representatives. Kamel Bennaceur and Mohamed Loukili were sacked on 27 July for doing the trade union work they were elected to do by co-workers.<br />
<br />
Management of Clariant Benelux SA unilaterally installed two other workers to fill their duties. Managers cited &ldquo;breach of trust&rdquo; as the reason for dismissing the two delegates, who are of Moroccan origin. The ICEM last week in Switzerland registered a <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/99.ICEM.Clariant.Belgium.10August.pdf"><font color="#ff0000">strong protest</font></a> with Clariant Chairman J&uuml;rg Witmer and CEO and Director Hariolf Kottman, and intends to press the breach of international labour standards on the global level unless the two are reinstated. <br />
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><img alt="" src="" width="129" height="161" /><br />
</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Kemal Bennaceur, Mohamed Loukili<br />
</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
ICEM Swiss affiliate UNIA also has written to the Belgian trade unionists expressing its support.<br />
<br />
The FGTB has prioritised the dismissals and will hold a day of action at the plant on Wednesday, 17 August. The action will start at 09h30. It will occur on day three after the re-start of work at Louvain-la-Neuve, a city in Belgium&rsquo;s Wallonia federal region some 40 kilometres southeast of Brussels. The plant is part of Clariant&rsquo;s Masterbatches division and produces colour additives for inks and textiles.<br />
<br />
FGTB says the real reason for the firings is the pair are just too conscientious in the performance of their duties. They conducted work inspections and were in constant communication with the 45 other blue-collar workers employed at Clariant regarding work rules and social legislation. The 45 solidly support the union stalwarts, Bennaceur and Loukili.<br />
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div><img alt="" src="" width="212" height="159" /></div>
<div><span><br />
FGTB Adjunct Regional Secretary Enzo Gramaglia Talks to Clariant Workers</span></div>
<br />
The union held two abbreviated meetings with plant managers &ndash; on 28 July and 10 August &ndash; but bosses refused to discuss the sackings or consider immediate reinstatement. FGTB said that recent and similar firings at <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4558-BRC-Belgium-Conflict-Settled-Sacked-Oil-Workers-Reinstated"><font color="#ff0000">Belgian Refining Corporation (BRC)</font></a> in which shop stewards were also dismissed, but subsequently reinstated, will provide the template for this breach of Belgian work law and international labour standards. <br />
<br />
The ICEM vows to assist its Belgian affiliate in the entire legal process.<br />
</div>

FGTB Delegates Sacked at Clariant Chemicals Plant in Belgium

<p align="center"><img alt="" src="" width="120" height="59" /></p>
<p align="justify">Union members of Sindicato No. 1 de Trabajadores de Minera Escondida, a branch of Chile&rsquo;s Federation of Miners (FMC), returned to work Friday night, 5 August, at the world&rsquo;s largest copper mine, majority owned by BHP Billiton. Some 2,375 miners at the Escondida mine ended a 15-day strike with a 65.5% to 34.5% vote the night before after two days of negotiating with mine management. <br />
<br />
The memorandum of agreement provides a remedy to a dispute over a 2010 production bonus but just as important, addresses several grievances and breaches by Escondida management from a 2009 labour agreement. <br />
<br />
Sindicato No. 1 said of the memorandum, &ldquo;the company promises to solve a series of labour issues such as establishing a new attendance policy, regularising a certification system based on competency for promotions, and reformulating the criteria for calculating a production bonus.&rdquo; These were just some of the issues in dispute inside a four-year labour agreement that was signed in November 2009. <br />
<br />
In 2010, Escondida &ndash; 57.5% owned by operator BHP Billiton, 30% by Rio Tinto, and 12.5% by Japanese holding companies &ndash; saw profits of US$4.3 billion, up 35% over that of 2009. Last week&rsquo;s amended bonus to each worker amounts to CHP 2.65 million (pesos), or US$5,800. Miners will receive that on 25 August.</p>
<p align="center"><img alt="" src="" width="245" height="161" /></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#ff0000">Sindicato No. 1 Files Papers in a Labour Court in late July</font></p>
<p align="justify">Escondida said the strike was illegal and indicated throughout the walkout that it would not negotiate with the union. But as the days wore on and the company was losing US$30 million per day, that changed. In a statement after signing the memorandum of agreement, the company said workers had ended their &ldquo;illegal work stoppage&rdquo; and &ldquo;this action is due to the success of talks between the parties. <br />
<br />
&ldquo;Minera Escondida reiterates that dialogue and respect are the foundation for maintaining a beneficial relationship with its workers.&rdquo; <br />
<br />
Besides the aforementioned labour issues, that respect includes a more transparent system for the production bonuses; restoration of a housing allocation that lifts restrictions on where miners may use the stipends; safer and higher quality buses for transportation to and from worksites, as well as compensation for tickets; no retaliation, redundancy, or punishment for union activity; and review of company-installed surveillance cameras. <br />
<br />
Miners will also be paid their salaries for the 15-day strike. Sindicato No. 1 de Trabajadores de Minera Escondida had filed labour court charges on several of the issues involved in the strike. <br />
<br />
For its part, the union said it hopes to maintain and deepen channels of communication with management, but also will remain vigilant that the issues agreed to in the memorandum will get resolved. <br />
<br />
Minera Escondida consists of two open-pit copper mines some 170 kilometres southeast of Antofagasta, in Chile&rsquo;s Region II. It also consists of two concentrator plants, Los Colorados and Laguna Seca, which have a combined capacity of 330,000 tonnes per day. The company operates two pipelines and a filter plant at the Port of Coloso. <br />
<br />
In 2010, Escondida&rsquo;s production totalled 1.087 million tonnes, consisting of 786,603 tonnes of copper concentrate and 300,098 tonnes of copper cathodes. It provides concentrates to smelters in Japan, China, Korea, India, and Chile, while the cathodes are sold to markets in France, the Netherlands, Italy, China, Korea, Canada, and Mexico. It provides a total of 7% of the world&rsquo;s copper supply.</p>

Chile Copper Workers End Strike at Escondida with 65% Vote

<p align="center"><img alt="" src="" width="120" height="59" /></p>
<p align="justify">The 55-week lockout by US manufacturing and technology company Honeywell Inc. on 228 unionised workers appears to be over. United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7-669 in Metropolis, Illinois, and the US company came to tentative terms for a new three-year contract on 20 July, which likely sets in motion a return to work for USW members beginning on 15 August if union members ratify the tentative accord next week. <br />
<br />
The workers convert yellow-cake uranium into uranium hexafluoride (UF6), which is used in nuclear fuel enrichment. USW Local 7-669 members have been locked off their jobs since 28 June 2010 and in the weeks following, Honeywell inexplicably re-started operations at a worksite utilising dangerous chemicals with inexperienced replacement workers. <br />
<br />
Local 7-669 President Darrell Lillie said the union is currently in the process of sorting out job re-classifications; Honeywell has created 21 new jobs and with the union retaining its seniority provisions in the tentative new agreement, job scheduling and job bidding must take place for returning workers.</p>
<p align="center"><img alt="" src="" width="154" height="169" /></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#ff0000">USW Local 7-669 President Darrell Lillie</font>&nbsp;<br />
</p>
<p align="justify">Lillie said that should be complete today and the union will conduct an explanation meeting of the new contract early next week, with voting on the tentative agreement expected to occur by mid-week. <br />
<br />
&ldquo;Overall, we&rsquo;re not entirely happy with the proposed contract but we are glad that several of the key issues that the company was trying to take from us will remain in place,&rdquo; said Lillie. &ldquo;We preserved most provisions that are at the heart of what trade unionists value.&rdquo; <br />
<br />
Those provisions include the seniority provisions, which allow senior-most workers to accept more favourable jobs when they become open; retention of a defined benefit pension plan for existing workers; retiree medical care under that same pension scheme; and retention of overtime pay for time work after eight and 12 hours per day. Honeywell workers in Metropolis work both eight- and 12-hour work shifts. <br />
<br />
Another important provision kept by workers was time-and-a-half pay on the sixth consecutive day in a week worked, and double-time for the seventh. (See <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4538-Honeywell-Threatens-Safety-by-Extending-Lockout-of-USW-Members-"><font color="#ff0000">ICEM news piece</font></a> from earlier this month.) <br />
<br />
Regarding wages, the proposal contains no increase for the first year of the contract, 1% effective 15 August 2012, and 2% due on 15 August 2013. It should be noted that at the outset of the lockout, Local 7-669 proposed a freeze on wages and continuation of all terms and conditions from a previous three-year contract, but the company was set on gutting many benefits and union-protection provisions. <br />
<br />
In the proposed agreement, new hires will fall into an equity fund scheme rather than the defined-benefit AlliedSignal Pension Benefit Thrift Fund, and workers on leave under the US Family and Medical Leave Act must take vacation time concurrently. A handful of janitorial and laundry jobs will be contracted out, and more worrisome in such a dangerous worksite, a single safety operator job will be outsourced. That position is responsible for maintaining all safety equipment throughout the plant, such as fire extinguishers, emergency breathing devices and other safety equipment. <br />
<br />
Lillie said 150 workers will return to training and re-orientation as mandated by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission on 15 August, 40 workers two weeks later, and the remainder two weeks after that. The unionised workforce will number about 220 workers when the experienced and qualified USW members are&nbsp;fully back to work.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&ldquo;Local 7-669 is highly appreciative of the tremendous support we have received from trade unions, those in the community and others throughout this long lockout,&rdquo; said Lillie. &ldquo;The donations, the international support, and the recognition by many here and abroad on what we were up against will never be forgotten.&rdquo;</p>

USW Union at Honeywell Reaches Tentative Labour Agreement

<p align="center"><img src="" width="100" height="39" alt="" /></p>
<p align="justify">The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, a key ICEM global affiliate in the Materials Sector, held its quadrennial Convention in Las Vegas, US, from 25-28 July, and re-elected their top office-bearers with unanimous voice approval. The nine officers stood as the Proven Leadership Team. <br />
<br />
The convention marked the 32nd Convention of the US-Canadian union that has united boilermakers, cement workers, ship builders, forgers, and blacksmiths for the past 131 years in North America. <br />
<br />
Re-elected President was Newton B. Jones; Secretary-Treasurer, William Creeden; and Vice Presidents: Warren Fairley, US Southeast; James Pressley, Industrial Sector; Lawrence McManamon, US Great Lakes Region; Joseph Maloney, Western Canada; Edward Power, Eastern Canada; J. Tom Baca, Western US States; and David Haggerty, US Northeast. </p>
<p align="center"><img src="" width="358" height="144" alt="" /></p>
<p align="justify">Speaking on the closing day of the Convention, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda sincerely thanked Jones for accepting global responsibilities with the ICEM as a member of the Executive Committee and as Chairman of the ICEM Materials Sector. He also cited the importance of specific sector work, citing ICEM and European trade union influence in blocking Lafarge&rsquo;s attacks on retiree health insurance of IBB Local D-27 members in Sugar Creek, Missouri, in 2008 and 2009. <br />
<br />
&ldquo;I assure you the ICEM will always be prepared to mobilise global support and solidarity whenever you call and tell us of the need,&rdquo; said Warda. <br />
<br />
The ICEM leader also told of trade union repression by governments in Colombia, Iraq, and Mexico, and he reminded IBB delegates of the shameful deeds by US right-wing politicians in camouflaging deficit-reduction measures as direct attacks on trade unions. <br />
<br />
&ldquo;Wisconsin must be stopped before it becomes a virus spreading all around the world,&rdquo; said Warda to standing applause. </p>
<p align="center"><img src="" width="327" height="161" alt="" /></p>
<p align="center"><font color="#ff0000">UMWA President Cecil Roberts</font></p>
<p align="justify">United Mine Workers&rsquo; of America (UMWA) President Cecil Roberts spoke on the convention&rsquo;s opening day and praised the leadership of the IBB. &ldquo;These people are the blood of your blood, the flesh of your flesh, and the soul of your soul,&rdquo; Roberts told delegates. &ldquo;They have shown the way for all of us.&rdquo; </p>

US Boilermakers Hold 32nd Convention

<p align="center"><img src="" width="100" height="39" alt="" /></p>
<p align="justify"><em>from International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation</em><br />
<br />
Miners at Cananea, Sonora, Taxco, Guerrero and Sombrerete, Zacatecas, have now been on strike for four heroic years in defence of their labour and trade union rights. On 30 July and the following days, the miners will hold rallies to reaffirm their continued support for the strikes and the struggle of the Mexican Miners' Union. <br />
<br />
The National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union of Mexico (SNTMMSRM), or Los Mineros, affiliated to the ICEM and the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF) says it is willing &quot;to negotiate legal arrangements necessary to end the strikes, if a solution can be found that will respect the workers, recognize their collective agreements, definitively establish adequate health and safety conditions, and respect the miners' union led by Napole&oacute;n G&oacute;mez Urrutia.&quot; </p>
<p align="center"><img alt="" src="" width="205" height="154" /></p>
<p align="justify">The three strikes continue because there has been no legal ruling to determine a definitive end to the strikes, explained the union. The union added that, throughout this period, the company has stubbornly refused to act peacefully and resolve the strikes in accordance with the law. <br />
<br />
During these years, the workers on strike have been persecuted and some judges have ruled that the strikes were invalid. However, the courts have ruled in the union's favour in response to union requests for legal protection. Workers have been subjected to repression in these four years, for example on 6 June 2010 at the Cananea mine, which was occupied by 4,000 armed men who maintained a climate of terror against the miners. <br />
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In addition to the rallies that will take place on July 30 to commemorate four years on strike, the union will hold meetings to discuss how to strengthen the strikes and to call on the local communities to continue their support for the miners. <br />
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The miners and the local communities are deeply concerned that neither the government nor Grupo M&eacute;xico has taken any steps to resolve the disputes, recognise the collective agreements, and respect the National Miners' Union. </p>

Los Mineros Commemorates Four Years on Strike Against Mexican Mine Companies

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<p align="justify">A two-year campaign by the Building &amp; Wood Workers&rsquo; International (BWI), it&rsquo;s North American affiliate, the International Association of Machinists (IAM), and BWI affiliate GS of Sweden paid off on 27 July when union representation was won at IKEA&rsquo;s only Swedwood manufacturing plant in the US. <br />
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Workers at the three-year-old plant in Danville, Virginia, voted by an astonishing 76% affirmation, 221-69, to have IAM represent them in a US government-supervised election. The vote brings relief to an agonising and frustrating period for BWI, IAM and GS, which sought to make IKEA live up to commitments in a Global Framework Agreement (GFA) that calls for voluntary recognition and good faith-dialogue when workers indicate a desire for a union. <br />
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Swedwood is 100% owned by IKEA and exclusively provides home furnishings to the retailer. The Danville factory provides many of the furnishings to IKEA&rsquo;s 37 US stores. </p>
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<p align="justify">Senior managers at IKEA rebuffed BWI at several junctures in the Global union Federation&rsquo;s efforts to get the company to acknowledge and correct anti-social practices at Swedwood in Danville. That included health and safety deficiencies, mandatory overtime at risk of punishment &ndash; something that is contrary to IKEA&rsquo;s written code of conduct &ndash; and failure to allow shop-flow freedom of association as outlined in the GFA. The only choice left was the government-mandated union certification process through the US National Labor Relations Board. <br />
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Swedwood workers at Danville, to their credit, responded resoundingly last week. <br />
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&ldquo;Despite the &lsquo;persuasive&rsquo; tactics and intervention strategies that the Swedwood management installed throughout the entire union election process, and to be frank, prior to that, the workers at Swedwood have emphatically said yes to the union,&rdquo; stated BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson. </p>
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<p align="center"><font color="#ff0000">BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson</font></p>
<p align="justify">Swedwood must now reach a first collective labour agreement in Danville, one that must come without stalling and through honest negotiating that meets the social needs of workers. <br />
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The Director of IAM&rsquo;s Woodworking Department, Bill Street, said it best: &ldquo;IKEA, you have a choice to make. You can recognise what we&rsquo;ve been saying over the past is in fact true and then begin bargaining with us in good faith, or you can continue this fight.&rdquo; <br />
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The ICEM congratulates BWI, IAM, and GS for actively working with Swedwood workers in America to ensure they have a voice at work. </p>

BWI, Machinists Succeed in Bringing Union to Swedwood’s US Plant

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