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<img height="40" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Even though none of the 3,200 miners trapped for up to 38 hours last week at Harmony Gold&rsquo;s Elandsrand mine died, the near catastrophe re-emphasises the need for beefed up safety measures in the world&rsquo;s mining industry. 
 
The miners, members of ICEM affiliate National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), became trapped after a 15-metre piece of steel pipe from a compressed air chamber exploded, and dropped 2.2 kilometres down an elevator shaft. The steel pipe severed electrical cables and shattered steelwork connected to the mine&rsquo;s main elevator.
Rescue commenced through a smaller ventilation shaft that is also used to lift rock and waste from the mine. Rescue teams placed a cage in that shaft and it was able to free 75 miners each half-hour. NUM dispatched shop stewards into the deep shafts in order to calm miners and to bring them bread and water. 
<img height="60" src="" width="100" alt="" />
But the accident again underscores the necessity for better mine safety techniques at a time of climbing prices and rapid extraction practices of natural resources. Harmony purchased the 30-year-old Elandsrand mine and an adjoining gold mine from AngloGold Ashanti in 2001, at a time when production had dropped. Harmony saw the potential to mine even deep into the earth, and planned a new mine under the existing one that the company expects to complete by 2011. 
 
NUM members were trapped some 2,200 metres below the ground. Gold mines in South Africa are particular deep, and gold mining in the country is labour intensive. As higher commodity prices take hold, mining companies forge deeper underground, making the technical challenges greater and the safety costs higher. The deeper the mines go, the greater the likelihood of seismic activity. This puts miners at tremendous risk. 
 
The NUM is convinced that lack of maintenance, coupled with the continuous, 24-hour mining operations now being implemented across South Africa&rsquo;s mining industry, is to blame for this equipment failure at Elandsrand.
&nbsp;<img height="148" alt="" src="" width="120" />
NUM President Senzeni Zokwana&nbsp; 

&ldquo;We suspect negligence. Because of continuous operations there is not time to make adequate checks,&rdquo; said NUM President Senzeni Zokwana, who also is President of the ICEM. &ldquo;Our members are dying, and will continue to die, until we change the culture of mining.&rdquo; 
 
The lesson from last week&rsquo;s Elandsrand mine, Zokwana told an American broadcast network, &ldquo;is that we need to put safety number one in planning, and make sure that at all times people can be saved quickly.&rdquo; Following the early morning accident on 3 October that trapped 3,000 men and 200 women at Elandsrand, Harmony Gold at first predicted rescue efforts would be completed by late that afternoon. It was not until 8 PM on 4 October when the last of the 3,200 came up the emergency shaft. 
 
&ldquo;We are very much concerned,&rdquo; said Zokwana. &ldquo;We believe that this should be a call to the industry that secondary exits underground be mandated.&rdquo; 
<img height="95" alt="" src="" width="100" />
NUM&rsquo;s chairperson of Health and Safety, Peter Bailey, repeated the need for mining houses to changes focus. &ldquo;When it comes to production targets, the companies make no mistakes in meeting them,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But when it comes to safety, we hear rhetoric and philosophy.&rdquo; 
 
In a 5 October Wall Street Journal article on the Elandsrand near disaster, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda said, &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a rush into the investment of mining in general,&rdquo; adding that quick development is difficult to manage, even for companies and countries with good safety records. 
 
In South Africa, the world&rsquo;s biggest producer of precious minerals, mining deaths so far in 2007 far outpace those of preceding years. The current death toll makes a 2003 promise by the industry of achieving zero workplace deaths by 2013 ring hollow. 
 
Only five days before Harmony&rsquo;s accident, four miners of AngloGold were killed due to a rock fall caused by seismic activity in the depths of the Mponeng mine, which is near the Elandsrand mine. And just yesterday, 7 October, the bodies of 23 miners, who were illegally mining a closed Harmony Gold shaft inside the Helena mine in Free State province, were pulled from deep underground. They perished after a fire ignited on 18 September. Harmony had been mining other shafts of the Helena mine. 
 
This past summer, the NUM called for an urgent tripartite meeting to resuscitate South Africa&rsquo;s Mining Health and Safety Summit in order to address the many current deficiencies in mine safety. Then, the NUM said mining houses must begin to &ldquo;walk the talk&rdquo; when it comes to implementing safe practices. In South Africa, following last week&rsquo;s Elandsrand accident near Carletonville along the country&rsquo;s gold belt, the time for action with a new culture, backed by capital improvements to health and safety techniques, has now fully risen to the surface.

Near Disaster at Harmony’s Elandsrand Gold Mine in South Africa Repeats Safety Call

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This is the 25th Issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin. 
 
There is no Time to Celebrate! 
For more than two years we have tried to give practical, timely and accurate information from a number of relevant sources. Too little feedback has reached us from our affiliates. Many of them are engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS. If we do not know about their activities, we cannot report on them and others cannot benefit from new initiatives and ideas. 
 
Again, we make an appeal to send information on new agreements, campaigns and educational activities to <a href="mailto:hiv.aids@icem.org">hiv.aids@icem.org</a>. Any feedback on the format and contents of the e-bulletin is also welcome. 
 
There is certainly no time to celebrate: according to UNAIDS, each day still more than 8,000 people die of AIDS; almost 12,000 get newly infected with the deadly virus, many of them young people, in some regions more than half of them girls and women. Each day, 1,800 children become infected &ndash; the vast majority of them as newborns through mother-to-child transmission. 
<img height="35" alt="" src="" width="25" />
World AIDS Day, 1 December 
 
Leadership is the theme for World AIDS Day 2007. The ongoing campaign slogan of the World AIDS Campaign is &ldquo;Stop AIDS &ndash; Keep the Promise&rdquo;. 
 
Unions can demonstrate leadership at every level &ndash; in the workplace, in their own governing bodies, in women&rsquo;s committees, in health and safety committees, in negotiations with companies, in the community and at the national policy level. 
 
Any union member, shop steward, union official, committee member, gender representative who takes action on HIV/AIDS is a leader in the fight against the deadly disease. 
ICEM calls on its affiliates to take the lead in campaigning on World AIDS Day, 1 December. 
Before the end of October, affiliates will receive campaign material. 
<img height="35" alt="" src="" width="25" />
ICEM Affiliates in C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire and Namibia 
 
The HIV/AIDS Coordinator for the three affiliates in C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire, Charlotte Nguessan, is particularly active. In addition to training workplace representatives, she has coordinated the writing of a proposal on HIV/AIDS workplace interventions, which was submitted to Partners against AIDS in August. 
 
Charlotte was also appointed to the working group for the Round 7 proposal to the Global Fund. 
 
In Namibia, the first two courses (out of three) for the training of VCT counsellors were completed in the Oranjemund region and at Okorusu Flourspar mining. The Mine Workers&rsquo; Union of Namibia makes sure the funds go a long way: instead of the usual 5 to 8 unionists, as in most&nbsp;other countries, it aims to train more than 20. 
<img height="35" alt="" src="" width="25" />
Global Fund: Record Amount in New Grants Recommended for Round 7 
 
Round 7 applicants to the Global Fund submitted fewer, but bigger and better, proposals than applicants in all previous rounds. 
 
The Global Fund's Technical Review Panel (TRP) has reviewed the 150 eligible Round 7 proposals that were submitted to the Fund, and has recommended that the board approve 73 of them. The grants recommended for approval will cost a total of $1,112 million over two years. 
This is a record amount: in the six previous rounds, the two-year value of approved grants ranged from $571 million to $968 million. (The full duration of a grant is five years. After the first two years, a review takes place to decide about the continuation of a grant). 
 
The percentage of proposals recommended for approval was also a record &ndash; 49%, up from an average of 38% over the previous rounds. On the other hand, the number of eligible proposals submitted in R7, at 150, was the lowest ever. 
 
The TRP's recommendations regarding Round 7 will be reviewed and voted on by the Board of the Global Fund at its next meeting on November 12-13. (In previous rounds, the board has always followed the TRP's advice regarding which proposals to approve.) 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer Issue 77, 30 September 2007. GFO is a free service of Aidspan <a href="http://www.aidspan.org">www.aidspan.org</a>. To receive GFO, send an email to <a href="mailto:receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org">receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org</a>) 
<img height="35" alt="" src="" width="25" />
Global Fund: Donor Governments Pledge Record Amounts 
 
Donors are expected to give the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at least $9.7 billion over the next three years, 57% more than they gave over the past three years. The pledges made at the Global Fund Replenishment Meeting in Berlin constituted the largest single financing exercise for a&nbsp;health issue that has ever taken place. 
 
Some highlights of the pledges: 
 
&bull; The three countries that pledged the most for 2008-10 were USA (USD 2,172 million), France (USD 1,274 million) and the UK (USD 729 million). 
&bull; The three countries that pledged the largest percentage of their Gross National Income (GNI) were Norway (0.087%), Ireland (0.076%) and Sweden (0.075%). 
&bull; The country that pledged the largest amount per capita was the Netherlands. 
&bull; The three developed countries that pledged the smallest percentage of their GNI were Japan, Finland and Switzerland (0.004% each). 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer Issue 77, 30 September 2007. GFO is a free service of Aidspan <a href="http://www.aidspan.org">www.aidspan.org</a>. To receive GFO, send an email to <a href="mailto:receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org">receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org</a>) 
<img height="35" alt="" src="" width="25" />
ICAAP Held in Colombo 
 
&ldquo;Waves of Change - Waves of Hope&rdquo; was the theme of the International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 19 to 23 August, 2007. The conference brought together 2,500 delegates from 70 countries including politicians, officials, community workers, medical professionals, academics, journalists, trade union leaders and people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) to share knowledge and devise new strategies to deal with the disease. 
 
The HIV epidemic in Asia and the Pacific remains diverse. A number of countries have taken decisive action to deliver effective and comprehensive AIDS programmes. However, the overall response in the region is still not keeping up with the pace and expanding reach of the epidemic. Leadership at various levels is still not adequately aware of the consequences of an escalating pandemic and its impact, not only on public health, but also on the socio-economic wellbeing of the people of the region. 
 
(Source: adapted from the ITF HIV/AIDS Update 28, 1 September) 
<img height="35" alt="" src="" width="25" />
Cambodia: Prevalence Rate Down 
 
Three international donors have decided to reduce aid for AIDS prevention to Cambodia as the country has reportedly achieved satisfactory progress. 
 
The Global Fund, DFID and USAID will cut funds targeted at reducing the transmission of HIV/AIDS in the country as nationwide infection rates have declined from 3.3% in the 1990s to 0.9% in 2006. 
 
The reduction of aid does not mean the end of prevention activities. It is a recognition of the fact that the Government of Cambodia has enough capacity to carry on the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS. For example, the number of voluntary confidential counselling and testing centres increased from 150 in 2005 to 190 this year. 
 
(Source: xinhuanet, 20 September) 
<img height="35" alt="" src="" width="25" />
India: Case Studies on Corporate Response to HIV/AIDS 
 
A recent World Bank paper discusses the role of business in the fight against HIV/AIDS in India, with particular focus on the private sector. The report highlights interventions by five Indian companies (Reliance Industries Ltd, Transport Corporation of India Ltd, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, DCM Shiram Consolidated Ltd and Hindustan Lever Ltd) ranging from advocacy and education to prevention and treatment. 
 
The report argues that because a large share of the country&rsquo;s HIV-positive population are employed by Indian industry, businesses can gain from early and decisive action to prevent HIV and AIDS. The paper also shows the advantages businesses bring to the fight against the pandemic and how the Indian government supports companies involved in HIV/AIDS interventions. 
 
(Source: Eldis Corporate Responsibility Reporter, 6 September <a href="http://www.eldis.org/csr">www.eldis.org/csr</a>. Eldis is a service of the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex)
<img height="35" alt="" src="" width="25" />
South Africa: Setback for New AIDS Policy 
 
The new AIDS policy in South Africa suffered a severe setback when the Deputy Minister of Health, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge was forced to resign in August. 
During the long sick leave of Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the Deputy Minister had worked for a turn-around in the government&rsquo;s AIDS policy, advocating a massive increase in antiretroviral treatment. This had been delayed for years by the Health Minister who encouraged people living with HIV/AIDS to treat it with garlic, beetroot and olive oil. 
 
(Source: various newspaper reports) 
<img height="35" alt="" src="" width="25" />
News from the Global Union Programme and Global Union Federations 
 
The ICEM is represented on the Steering Committee of the Global Union AIDS Programme. The last meeting took place in Geneva on 3 October. Among other, the meeting discussed a closer engagement of Global Unions with the Global Fund and an initiative to cooperate with the World Bank. A meeting will take place in Washington in December involving the mining, transport, health and education sectors. 
 
In its most recent HIV/AIDS updates (nos. 26, 27, 28 and 29 of 1 and 15 August and 1 and 15 September) the International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF) <a href="http://www.itfglobal.org">www.itfglobal.org</a> reports, among other, on an agreement between the union and the employers on an HIV/AIDS policy for the railway industry in Zimbabwe; how low levels of awareness and prevalent social stigma contribute to the spread of the disease in Pakistan. 
The Nigerian Government has approved a policy providing guidelines that aim to assist in the establishment of workplace HIV/AIDS policies in the formal sectors, as well as in the informal economy.

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin

<img height="113" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Dear Colleagues, 
 
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 4th World Congress of the ICEM. It is with a great deal of pride that we hold this Congress in Thailand, a country in which the ICEM has played a role in a number of labour and social causes. 
 
There has been discussion on why the ICEM would hold a Congress in a country that only a year ago experienced a military coup. We consulted with our Thai affiliates on this matter, and they assured us that our presence would be a symbol of hope and expectation that free and democratic elections will occur soon in Thailand. We take this as proof of both the quality of work that ICEM has done in Thailand, and the work that still must be done in this great nation. 
<img height="125" alt="" src="" width="101" />
Senzeni Zokwana, ICEM President
This Congress marks a historic moment for the ICEM. With forces of globalisation rapidly impacting the lives of workers in today's world, the global trade union movement has come together and made the commitment that it will unite to protect workers' interests. 
The ICEM's 4th World Congress will engage several major issues, including enhancing cooperation with the family of Global Union Federations and other world trade union organisations. 
<img height="125" alt="" src="" width="91" />
Manfred Warda, ICEM General Secretary 

We will begin a process to establish a strong sustainable development policy across all ICEM sectors, and we will reaffirm our commitment to challenge the growing threat of Contract and Agency Labour and the scourge of HIV/AIDS in our workplaces and in workers' lives. 
 
This Congress also marks the full integration into the ICEM of trade unions from the World Federation of Industry Workers. We welcome those unions and we know that your participation and involvement in our structures will make us stronger. 
 
Let us have great success at this Congress, and let us come away fully invigorated with the energy of Unity and Solidarity in order to fulfill the necessary work that we face! 
 
Fraternally,&nbsp;
Senzeni Zokwana and Manfred Warda

Fraternal Greetings to the ICEM&#039;s 4th Statutory Congress!

Preamble 
Umicore has committed itself to a sustainable development strategy, aiming to make its economic, environmental and social objectives coherent. 
 
In this agreement, Umicore intends to bring together the priorities of its global social policy, in order to confirm its principles of sustainable development, as they relate to the social aspects. 
 
Umicore Management states that its employees are a crucial factor for the Group&rsquo;s global success, which involves establishing mutually beneficial relations and dialogue between all the partners contributing to its development. 
 
Umicore recognizes that its commitment to financial success must also take into account the broader economic, environmental and social impact of its operations. Its sustainable development policy therefore notably focuses on the priorities of safe and healthy working conditions, continual improvement of its environmental performance, management and remediation of risks that are the result of historical operations, recycling and disposal of its products and the respect of all ILO core labour standards. 
 
This agreement aims to support the Umicore&rsquo;s internationalisation in social matters, in accordance with The Umicore Way, its Code of Conduct and Human Rights Policy. 
 
In order to strive for a balance between growth, economic profitability and environmental and social wellbeing, Umicore undertakes to implement the procedures and principles defined in this agreement at the various national and local levels within a reasonable timescale. 
 
In order to contribute to the success of this approach, the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM) and their affiliated trade unions will participate constructively with the personnel in seeking and implementing the means to achieve the objectives referred to in this agreement and to respect the agreed commitments, the companies people and assets. 
1. Human rights 
 
1.1. Human rights 
 
In accordance with its Human Rights Policy, Umicore fully supports the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and commits itself to respect all International Labour Organisation (ILO) core labour standards. 
 
1.2. Banning of child labour 
 
Umicore undertakes not to employ children in violation of conventions 138 and 182 of the ILO. In countries where the minimum age of employment would be below the age of 15, Umicore will apply the age of 15 as the minimum age for employment. 
 
Given the hazardous nature of most of Umicore production units, the minimal age for working in production facilities in Umicore is defined at the age of 18, except in the framework of internship- or vocational training programmes, organised in co-operation with schools and training institutes or approved by the competent authority. Special care will be taken that these young people, with a minimum age of 14, are fully protected and have received adequate safety training and instructions. 
 
1.3. Banning of forced labour 
 
In accordance with ILO conventions 29 and 105, Umicore will under no circumstances make use of forced or bonded labour, such as forced labour by persons placed in an institution, or compulsory labour including labour as a means of political coercion or education. 
 
1.4. Right to organise and collective bargaining 
 
In accordance to ILO conventions 87 and 98, Umicore recognises and respects the freedom of its employees to choose whether or not to establish or to associate with any employee organisation of their own choosing (including labour unions) without Umicore&rsquo;s prior authorisation. The employment of a worker is not contingent upon the condition that he/she joins or not joins a union or be forced to relinquish trade union membership. Furthermore, union membership shall not be the cause for the dismissal of - or otherwise prejudice against - a worker. Umicore will not interfere with or finance labour organisations or take other actions with the intent of placing such organisations under its control. 
 
Umicore subscribes the principles of ILO Convention 135 and Recommendation 143 and recognizes the right of its employees to be represented by labour unions and other employee organisations in order to collectively bargain on employment conditions. 
 
Umicore and the respective employee organisations will co-operate constructively in a spirit of good faith. Even in cases of dispute the goal shall always be to maintain viable co-operation in the long term. This implicates, amongst others, the mutual respect of agreed commitments. 
 
All parties acknowledge that all representative positions defined in the scope of the agreement require that position holders have sufficient knowledge and experience and correct behaviour to deal with sensitive issues. 
 
1.5. Equal opportunities / Non-discrimination 
 
In accordance to ILO convention 100 and 111, Umicore is committed to an inclusive work culture and appreciates and recognizes that all people are unique and valuable, and should be respected for their individual abilities. Umicore does not accept any form of harassment or discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, race, national or ethnic origin, cultural background, social group, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, age or political opinion. 
 
Umicore shall provide equal employment opportunity and treat all employees fairly. Umicore employees and business units shall only use merit, qualifications and other professional criteria as basis for employee-related decisions in Umicore, regarding for instance recruitment, training, compensation and promotion. 
 
In countries that apply &ldquo;positive action&rdquo; programmes or quota on certain minority groups Umicore will follow the country legislation. 
2 Working conditions 
 
2.1. Remuneration 
 
It is acknowledged and agreed that all employees are entitled to adequate remuneration (ILO Convention No. 100). Remuneration and all the other benefits are based on the principle of fairness and comply with the individual national legal standards or the standards of the national branches or company collective labour agreements, which ever is higher. 
 
2.2. Working time and paid holidays 
 
Umicore makes sure that the national regulations and agreements on working hours and regular paid holiday are adhered to. 
 
2.3. Health and safety at work 
 
Umicore does not compromise on a safe and healthy working environment for all employees and is committed to offering safe and healthy workplaces in accordance with national legislation. It seeks continuous improvement of its occupational health and safety performance. 
 
2.4. Qualification 
 
The skills and knowledge of the employees are of outstanding importance to Umicore and its striving to safeguard the future. That is why Umicore is committed to promoting measures aimed at the qualification of employees to the extent that the broadening and consolidation of the professional and technical knowledge is relevant for a particular job. In this context, vocational training and employment training are of particular importance and can been seen as a shared responsibility on one hand for the employer to provide the necessary training, and on the other hand for each employee to take up the offered training. 
3 Environment 
 
Umicore integrates sustainable development considerations within the corporate decision making process. 
 
It implements risk management strategies based on valid data and sound science and seeks continual improvement of its environmental performance. 
 
Umicore actively participates in the management and remediation of risks that are the result of historical operations. 
 
It facilitates and encourages responsible design, use, re-use, recycling and disposal of its products. 
 
To achieve the international and individual national environmental standards and to comply with them in practise, Umicore co-operates with the relevant local institutions. 
 
By focussing on recycling, Umicore also strives to make efficient use of natural resources and energy. 
4. Implementation of the agreement 
 
4.1. The Sustainable Development Agreement applies to all companies of the group in which Umicore has operational control. 
 
It obliges senior management and employees at all levels to comply with, accept and promote the agreed objectives. The responsibility lies with the management of the individual operations, the employees and with the workers&rsquo; representatives, insofar as such a body exists. 
 
4.2. In the subsidiaries where Umicore has a significant presence, but does not exercise a dominant influence, Umicore undertakes to use all the resources at its disposal in order to promote the principles stated in this agreement. 
 
4.3. Umicore seeks business partners whose policies regarding ethical, social and environmental issues are consistent with our own Code of Conduct, which is complementary to this agreement. Umicore supports and expressly encourages its business partners (subcontractors and suppliers) to take into account and apply the ILO core labour standards in their own corporate policy. Umicore takes the view that in doing so it lays the basis for promising future business relations 
 
4.4. This Sustainable Development Agreement will be made available in the usual Umicore languages to the management, the workers&rsquo; representatives and employees of all operations throughout the Group within the first 3 months of signing. It is communicated via the intranet and via the Business Group - Business Unit reporting lines. All Units and sites ensure that the employees are properly informed and trained if needed.
5. Monitoring the agreement 
 
5.1. The unit/site management is first responsible for implementing and assuring that the site adheres to this agreement. 
 
5.2. According to Umicore&rsquo;s Code of Conduct, all employees have the right and duty to address issues and problems related to this agreement to their superior or, if they deem this is not to be appropriate, to the heads of the Corporate Legal or Internal Audit Departments. This will not be to their detriment neither will it entail any sanctions. 
 
The concerns or complaints may be reported in the preferred language. 
 
5.3. At Group level, a specific joint committee will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of this agreement. Within this committee, the management will be represented by the Corporate Senior Vice President Human Resources and the Corporate Senior Vice President Environment, Health and Safety who, in the framework of the joint committee&rsquo;s activities, will directly report to the Chief Executive Officer. Regarding the employees&rsquo; representatives, they will be represented by 1 representative of the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF), 1 representative of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM) and the Chairman of the European Works Council. 
 
5.4. The joint monitoring committee will meet once a year. At this annual meeting, the external auditor of the sustainable development report will present his audit report. Major complaints about the implementation of this agreement, addressed to or about local and corporate management or employees&rsquo; representatives, will be reviewed, as well as correction measures taken. 
 
5.5. As part of their monitoring competencies, the employee representatives of the monitoring committee can have every year a meeting with the employee representatives of one Umicore site, where employees are represented by delegates of union organizations affiliated to the IMF or ICEM. 
6. Validity of the agreement 
 
This agreement enters into force as from &hellip;&hellip; for a limited duration of 4 years. 
 
It can be terminated by any of the signatory parties by registered letter, subject to an advance notice of six months. 
 
Unless terminated within the period of validity of 4 years, the agreement is automatically extended for another 4 years. 
 
In the event of differences between the various language versions, the English version will be deemed authentic. 
 
This agreement is governed by Belgian law. Consequently, any disputes will fall within the exclusive competence of the Belgian courts.&nbsp; 
 
 
Signed by&nbsp;Umicore, the International Metalworkers For the International Federation of Federation (IMF) Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM).
Co-signatories: ACV, ABVV, ACLVB

Text of the Global Framework Agreement between Umicore and ICEM/IMF

Umicore, a Belgian metals group specialising in metal technology, chemicals, and catalysts systems, today signed a Global Framework Agreement jointly with the International Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM) and the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF) in Brussels. 
The agreement, initiated by the Belgian union, Centrale Chr&eacute;tienne du M&eacute;tal de Belgique (CCMB), is for a 4-year period and contains language establishing a joint committee to review and monitor the agreement. 
<img height="97" alt="" src="" width="100" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img height="86" alt="" src="" width="100" />
The framework agreement was co-signed by Belgian labour unions/federations Metaal/FGTB-ABVV, CGSLP-ACLVB, and CSC-ACV, the federation which affiliates CCMB. 
 
&ldquo;We are pleased to join with the IMF in establishing global standards with Umicore,&rdquo; said ICEM Gen. Sec. Manfred Warda. &ldquo;Umicore is a company that crosses into a number of sectors, including those both in ICEM and IMF&rsquo;s range.&rdquo; 
 
&ldquo;The significance of the agreement for us is this is our first joint agreement with another global union federation,&rdquo; said IMF Gen. Sec. Marcello Malentacchi. &ldquo;We are confident that both the IMF and ICEM, through our affiliates, will uphold the very best in social practices at Umicore.&rdquo; 
<img height="253" alt="" src="" width="380" />
From left, Kemal Ozkan and Manfred Warda, ICEM; Thomas Leysen and Ursula Saint-L&eacute;ger, Umicore; and Marcello Malentacchi, IMF 
The agreement contains 6 articles: Human Rights, Working Conditions, Environment, Implementation of Agreement, Monitoring, and Validity of Agreement. Under Human Rights, Umicore pledges to adhere to the UN Declaration of Human Rights, as well as adherence to ILO core labour standards. 
The latter specifically includes ILO Conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining, and other Conventions regarding child labour, forced labour, and non-discrimination and equal opportunities practices.
<img height="260" alt="" src="" width="390" />
Under Working Conditions, the company agrees to ILO Convention 100 on fair and adequate remuneration, and pledges not to compromise on safety and health conditions in any workplace, as well as striving to post continuous improvements in all occupational health and safety performance. The Environmental principles include a 6-point plan centred on sustainable development issues. 
 
In initiating the Global Agreement, the Belgian union CCMB steered Umicore into discussions with the ICEM and IMF. Those negotiations started in earnest in January 2007 and were included in June. The agreement marks the ICEM&rsquo;s 13th such framework pact with a transnational company, while IMF has now ratified 17 such agreements. 
 
Brussels-based Umicore employs 14,000 staff in 35 countries. It began in 1906 as a Belgian mining company in the Congo, and in 2001 changed its name from Union Mini&eacute;re to Umicore. With significant divestment in the 1990s, the company since 2000 has focused on 4 businesses: advanced materials, precious metals services, precious metals products and catalysts, and zinc specialities and alloys. 
The text of the agreement can be found <a href="/index.php?id=187&amp;doc=2411&amp;la=EN">here</a>. 
 
For further information, please contact 
Dick Blin, ICEM: +32-474-88.00.54. or <a href="mailto:Dick.blin@icem.org">Dick.blin@icem.org</a> 
Kristyne Peter, IMF: +41-79-205.44.58 or <a href="mailto:kpeter@imfmetal.org">kpeter@imfmetal.org</a>

ICEM, IMF Sign Global Accord with Umicore

The ICEM welcomes the news that Thaneth Jhanluechai, a paperworker at New Zealand-owned SIG Combibloc in the Rayong industrial area of Thailand, was reinstated to his job. Global trade union actions forced the reinstatement, particularly in New Zealand, where Rank Group, an equity house with a portfolio of forest product assets, bought the 420-worker SIG Combibloc paper packaging factory from a Swiss company last spring.
Thaneth Jhanluechai will return to work this week with full backpay and benefits dating to when he was unjustly sacked, 4 May&nbsp;2007. 
 
Jhanluechai is a leader of the SIG branch union of ICEM affiliate Paper and Printing Federation of Thailand (PPFT). He was sacked by SIG Combibloc for encouraging workers to honour the Songkran holiday. He did this while serving as vice president of the PPFT branch union and as a member of the factory&rsquo;s Employment Committee.
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The discharge came as SIG Combibloc was readying the plant for Rank Group&rsquo;s purchase. To do this, it eliminated the 8-hour work day for 12-hour shifts, a change that would reduce workers fixed pay and would cut their shift differential pay. Thaneth&rsquo;s call for workers to stay home on a legal Thai holiday was reason for discharge, said managers, because it damaged the business. 
 
Following Rank Group&rsquo;s purchase of the Rayong paper converting facility in June, ICEM took up Thaneth&rsquo;s case. In a letter to Rank&rsquo;s CEO, Graeme Hart, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda said this &ldquo;matter concerns the employment status of Thaneth Jhanluechai, a conscientious lab technician who was unjustly fired by managers of the Swiss-based company, shortly before the purchase by your company of SIG Combibloc. He is a 10-year employee who has always gone above and beyond the call of duty at this enterprise.&rdquo; 
 
New Zealand labour unions, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) and the National Distribution Union (NDU), both ICEM affiliates, played key roles in this just reversal, as did Union Network International (UNI). 
 
The pressure, including a manifestation at the New Zealand embassy in Bangkok during the recent ICEM Congress, forced Rank Group to send a senior manager to Rayong. A meeting between the branch union committee, PPFT, and Rank Group representatives occurred on 27 November. Managers listened to six major grievances, and heard first-hand how workplace leaders felt over the unfair treatment of Thaneth. 
 
Two separate meetings occurred next, both on 6 December, one to address the sacking, the other to address the issues. The firing was reversed and the issues, including obstruction of union activity, contract labour matters, unfair work rules, discrimination and favouritism, now get full hearing. The ICEM congratulates everyone involved with the result of this 9-month struggle for justice.

Justice Restored with Reinstatement of Thai Paperworker, Thaneth Jhanluechai

Ref: ICEM07/ENGC/124 
 
 
 
 
Tony Burke, 
Assistant General Secretary 
AMICUS 
 
 
Brussels, 13 November 2007 
 
 
Dear Brother Tony, 
 
It is with great sadness that I&rsquo;ve learnt about the death of Christopher Massey at the Kimberly-Clark tissue mill in Cumbria. On behalf of the ICEM members and its staff I ask you to convey our deepest condolences to brother Massey&rsquo;s family and his colleagues. 
 
This fatal accident has yet again shown with terrible clarity the importance of the unions&rsquo; continuous HSE work with the companies as the only way to make sure that such tragedies never happen again; and the ICEM is prepared to assist you in this work in all possible ways. 
 
Fraternal Greetings, 
 
Manfred Warda 
General Secretary 
ICEM

ICEM Letter of Condolences Over Kimberly-Clark, Barrow, UK, Death

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Several Belgian trade unions, as well as NGOs, will be forming a human rights chain at the Brussels Palace of Justice on 10 December, International Human Rights Day. Among the Belgian trade unions that have signed on to the event are ICEM-affiliated La Centrale G&eacute;n&eacute;rale FGBT/ABVV, ACV/CSC, LBC-NVK, and CNE. 
 
Also taking part will be the Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists, the Global Union Federation for journalists and allied workers. 
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Focussing on the dangerous situations for trade unionists around the world, participating organisations will target a number of specific countries where trade unionists are in every-day danger of violence, kidnapping, or even assassination. The 10 December event in Brussels will highlight the cases of Jonas Burgos from the Philippines, Pedro Zamora from Guatemala, and Ana Sylvia Melo de Rodr&iacute;guez from Colombia. 
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All are people who were either murdered or disappeared in 2007. Jonas Burgos, an agriculturist working with peasant groups in the Philippines, disappeared on 28 April. He is the son of free speech advocate and opposition newspaper owner Malaya Jose Burgos. Ana Sylvia Melo, a trade unionist with CGT-SINDIMANUELA in Colombia, was assassinated on 19 May. And Pedro Zamora, the leader of Guatemalan dockworkers&rsquo; union STEPQ, who campaigned to rid corruption in the privatisation of Puerto Quetzal, was murdered on 15 January. 
 
The action starts at 19h30 on Monday, 10 December. For more information in Dutch, click <a href="http://www.wereldsolidariteit.be/dmdocuments/10.12.07_affiche%20+%20pamflet%20ned ">here</a>. For the French version, click <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/affiche%20+%20pamflet%20fra%20def.pdf">here</a>.

Trade Union/Human Rights Chain Happening in Brussels 10 December

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Unions from France and Belgium convened early this month in Montreuil, France, to discuss a complete lack of information to workers over the merger plans of Owens Corning&rsquo;s Reinforcements Business with Saint-Gobain&rsquo;s Reinforcement Composites Businesses, known as Vetrotex. 
 
Under the auspices of the F&eacute;d&eacute;ration Nationale du Verre et de la C&eacute;ramique CGT, the CGT Owens Corning l&rsquo;Ardoise and V&eacute;trotex St Gobain Chamb&eacute;ry met with representatives of the Belgian FGTB et CSC, representing Owens Corning workers in Battice, Belgium. 
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The consultations concluded with the unionists condemning the fact that neither Owens Corning, a US multinational, nor French Saint-Gobain had taken the trouble to answer the questions posed by the unions since the announcement of the merger was made last July. Workers are extremely concerned about the planned merger&rsquo;s impact, including a possible sale of one or more of the two companies&rsquo; entities. 
 
The trade unionists from the French and Belgian unions said that they have not been provided information on either a social or industrial plan, thus creating the fear of the negative consequences that workers could face if the merger becomes reality.

French, Belgian Unions Meet Over Possible Owens Corning, Saint-Gobain Merger

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A court in France last week sided with French energy trade unions, who argued that Gaz de France (GDF) needed to provide more information first to its European Works Council (EWC) before it can merge with Franco-Belgian utility group Suez. The court decision is likely to have serious repercussions on the planned &euro;80 billion merger between GDF and Suez. 
 
The unions filed the complaint after GDF failed to provide EWC members with crucial information, needed to get an informed opinion back to the company. The consultation process between the GDF and its EWC is one of the necessary steps in the merger process. The French judge last week ruled that GDF cannot take any decision on the merger before the EWC has given its opinion on the deal. 
 
Trade unions are requiring from GDF information on the &ldquo;social impact&rdquo; of the planned merger. The unions are particularly concerned over the impact on employment, and seek details on the consequences of possible job losses and/or relocations in countries like France, The Netherlands, Italy and UK. 
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Because of the court decision, it became impossible for the boards of the companies to meet and take decisions last week, making it, in turn, impossible for shareholders to vote on the merger before the end of the year. That means that a vote on the merger will be postponed to some time early next year, possible until March or even later. 
 
With French public opinion strongly in favour of state-controlled utility services, and with the French presidential elections looming early next year, unions representing GDF workers now believe it possible that the entire merger will be abandoned, particularly if the Socialist Party in France wins election. 
 
On a separate issue, French unions at GDF strongly protested the planned decision by the presidents of GDF and Suez to assign only three seats, out of a total of 24, of the Administrative Council of the merged group to union representatives. That number would be the bare legal minimum. At GDF, unions have six seats out of 18. 
 
A joint French trade union front, consisting of CGT, FNEM FO, CFE-CGC, and CFTC, has been resisting the government&rsquo;s forced privatisation of Gaz de France, through the merger with the French-Belgian water and power concern. Another energy union, FCE-CFDT, while also hostile to the privatisation of GDF, suggests a separate solution, advocating a partnership between GDF and Suez. In a press release last week, FCE-CFDT repeated that position, saying it would have solved a lot of the current problems.

Unions Win Important Legal Battle in GDF-Suez Merger Saga

Archive

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Fraternal Greetings to the ICEM's 4th Statutory Congress!

Text of the Global Framework Agreement between Umicore and ICEM/IMF

ICEM, IMF Sign Global Accord with Umicore

Justice Restored with Reinstatement of Thai Paperworker, Thaneth Jhanluechai

ICEM Letter of Condolences Over Kimberly-Clark, Barrow, UK, Death

Trade Union/Human Rights Chain Happening in Brussels 10 December

French, Belgian Unions Meet Over Possible Owens Corning, Saint-Gobain Merger

Unions Win Important Legal Battle in GDF-Suez Merger Saga

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