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Eighty years ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned of its dangers. In the 1960s, EU member states regulated or banned it. In 2009, it was outlawed in Turkey. Yet in today&rsquo;s global fashion industry, sandblasting remains the method of choice for giving jeans a trendy faded look. 
 
The process of sandblasting releases silicia dust which, when inhaled, causes infection and scarring in the lungs. Continued exposure can causes silicosis, an incurable disease that worsens over time even after exposure stops. 
 
As a result of long working hours in cramped unventilated areas with little or no protection, workers in the denim industry contract silicosis much more quickly than workers in other sectors, often after four or five years of exposure, and in some cases after as little as twelve months. 
 
Around five billion pairs of jeans are produced every year and a growing and very profitable segment of the market is for faded or &ldquo;distressed&rdquo; jeans. In Turkey, the world&rsquo;s third largest exporter of jeans and the only country so far where the effects of sandblasting have come under scrutiny, 550 former sandblasting workers have been diagnosed with silicosis since 2005 and 46 have so far died of the disease. These officially-documented cases are just the tip of the iceberg both in Turkey and globally. 
 
In April 2009, following a campaign led by workers, their unions, doctors and civil organisations, sandblasting was banned in Turkey. Following the ban, however, sandblasting was relocated to other countries. 
 
The ITGLWF is calling on its affiliates to take the lead in investigating the use of sandblasting in their respective countries. Where it exists, they should campaign to eliminate the practice and exert pressure to ensure that past and present workers are tested and that those affected receive adequate medical care as well as compensation. Workers should be made aware of the dangers and of the need for strong union organization, as well as meaningful worker participation in factory safety programmes to protect them from such abuses. 
 
Governments in producing countries should outlaw the process or enforce existing bans and those in consuming countries should ban the import of sandblasted jeans. And the ILO and the WTO should be called upon to intervene to help impose a global ban. 
 
However, in the absence of effective government regulation brands and retailers urgently need to take voluntary action. Even if brands and retailers adopt rigorous standards regarding sandblasting, there will always be suppliers that do not enforce those standards, thus putting unsuspecting workers at risk. Therefore the best policy is to ban sandblasting altogether in the garment industry. 
 
In January, the ITGLWF convened a meeting of jeans&rsquo; brands and retailers to raise awareness of the need to eliminate the use of sandblasting. 
 
Says ITGLWF General Secretary Patrick Itschert: &ldquo;The initial meeting was very positive. It was clear that participating companies were committed to moving forward. Joint efforts are now underway to draft a protocol on the elimination of sandblasting to be tabled at a follow-up meeting within the next couple of months, as well as to invite more brands to become involved in the process. 
 
&ldquo;Sandblasting is an issue that puts the morality of the fashion world to the test and unions must not rest until the process has been effectively eliminated,&rdquo; he concluded.

Sandblasting: the Human Cost of Fashion

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For a country in which 49% of all export revenue is derived from mining, Chile&rsquo;s mining safety is in the dark ages. A dichotomy was in full view last fall: while the government of Sebasti&aacute;n Pi&ntilde;era marshalled the very best global technical and engineering expertise to rescue 33 miners from the San Jos&eacute; copper mine under the world&rsquo;s spotlight, Chile continues to wallow in safety practices that are cumbersome, unmanageable, and deadly. 
 
Despite an October 18 Pi&ntilde;era promise heard throughout the world &ndash; five days after the rescue &ndash; that Chile would reform a disjointed national safety structure and adopt global standards, nothing has happened. In fact, in early 2011 ICEM met with senior government officials and was told there is nothing on the agenda to reform internal safety standards or to adopt global standards. 
 
The ICEM reminded the leaders that just as Pi&ntilde;era lifted Chile&rsquo;s world status during the rescue, the country&rsquo;s significance is because it is a rich exporter of basic metals and minerals. If it is to be world-class in any way, it must implement world-class safe mining practices for the workers who dig those riches. 
 
Thus, the ICEM, together with the IMF, began a campaign to press the Pi&ntilde;era government for change. That campaign was joined by other Global Union Federations, national unions, and trade union activists to demand that Chile ratify ILO Convention 176, the Safety and Health in Mines Convention. (See <a href="/en/209-ILO ">ICEM&rsquo;s global Convention 176 campaign</a>.) 
 
The campaign was joined simultaneously by unions affiliated with Chile&rsquo;s two main mine union federations, representing workers at both state-run copper company Codelco and at the major mining houses that own large-scale operations. 
 
Government cynicism might best be found in the commission Pi&ntilde;era set up to investigate San Jos&eacute;. No trade union representatives were invited to sit on the commission, even though 130 miners were represented by a union. ILO Convention 176 states that workers and their trade unions shall participate in mine inspections and accident investigations. 
 
At San Jos&eacute;, Union No. 2 of Campa&ntilde;ia Minera San Esteban repeatedly warned of safety hazards and once even presented a legal challenge to close the mine. But the common refrain from both government and industry when unions warn on safety and health conditions is that the union&rsquo;s duty is to negotiate economics, not to take part in safety or health matters. 
 
After a miner was killed in 2007, San Jos&eacute; was shut for a brief period by SERNAGEOMIN, the National Service of Geology and Mining. But it quickly reopened on orders from another government official who failed to read the closure report, and relied on the owner&rsquo;s pledge that deficiencies would be corrected. 
 
One such pledge was to install a ladder through a ventilation shaft as a second exit, a standard in Convention 176. That was not done, there were no follow-up inspections, and the lack of a second exit, in fact, led to the 69-day entrapment of the 33 miners. 
 
SERNAGEOMIN is not a health and safety inspectorate. It plays that role, but so do bureaus inside six Chilean ministries. Chile has overlapping safety agencies inside the six that cover all sectors of work. None of them have judicial powers to enforce the few regulations there are in mining and all are without the technical capabilities to inspect and prevent accidents before they happen. 
 
In short, all prerequisites of Convention 176 are missing in Chile: regular inspections, set procedures to report and investigate dangerous occurrences and accidents, trade union consultation, regulatory bodies with the authority to shut dangerous mines, the right to refuse unsafe work, workers&rsquo; ability to select their own safety representatives, and employer obligations to provide training. Convention 176 places responsibility on employers to not only remove workplace hazards, but to remove the causes of those hazards. 
 
That is why the ICEM has targeted Chile for reforming not only its own mine safety laws, but to ratify, implement, and fully adhere to the standards of ILO Convention 176.

Global Unions to Hold Chile Accountable on Mine Safety

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In a powerful display of international solidarity, trade unions in over 40 countries on five continents took action demanding trade union rights in Mexico from February 14-19, 2011. Unions from around the globe came together holding actions, writing letters and taking meetings with Mexican ambassadors and political figures to highlight massive labour rights violations in Mexico. Everywhere the message to the Mexican government was the same: 
&bull; Hold employer and government officials accountable for the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion that killed 65 miners on February 19, 2006. 
&bull; Abolish systemic violations of workers' freedom of association, including employer-dominated &quot;protection contracts&quot; and interference in union elections. 
&bull; End the use of force-by the state or private parties-to repress workers' legitimate demands for democratic unions, better wages and working conditions, and good health and safety conditions. 
&bull; End the campaign of political persecution against the Mexican Miners' Union (Los Mineros) and the Mexican Electrical Workers' Union (SME). 
<img alt="" src="" width="334" height="188" />
Mexico City
In <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25486&amp;l=2">Mexico</a> itself each day of action was marked with the independent labour movement conducting over 27 actions throughout the country, including visits to embassies of 23 countries, a march and demonstration in Mexico City, seminars and a protest rally at the Monument of the Revolution. The leaders of Los Mineros and SME signed a pact of national unity. 
 
In <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25465&amp;l=2">Canada</a>, high-level trade union delegations met with Mexican ambassadors and consuls in four cities, while pickets continued outside. In six cities across the US, rallies, meetings with ambassadors and consuls, and pickets, sent the clear message to the Mexican Calder&oacute;n government that pressure is building inside the country&rsquo;s largest trading partner that labour rights abuses must end. 
<img alt="" src="" width="285" height="187" />
Washington DC
Elsewhere more than 50 meetings with embassy representatives or policymakers took place, shining a light on Mexico's refusal to honour its international commitments to respect Freedom of Association. In <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4238-Mexico-Days-of-Action-Begin">Switzerland</a>, the office of the Ambassador to the United Nations was targeted by a rally and other significant actions took place in <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25463&amp;l=2">Australia</a>, <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25469&amp;l=2">Belgium</a>, <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25476&amp;l=2">Brazil</a>, <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25528&amp;l=2">France</a>, <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25548&amp;l=2">India</a>, <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25552&amp;l=2">Indonesia</a>, <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25713&amp;l=2">Italy</a>, <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25590&amp;l=2">Japan</a>, <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25544&amp;l=2">New Zealand</a>, <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25513&amp;l=2">Russia</a>, <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25608&amp;l=2">South Africa</a>, and <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=25492&amp;l=2">Spain</a>. 
 
These actions were key as the Committee on Freedom of Association met in the first week of March at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to discuss three significant complaints filed against Mexico, two regarding union autonomy and the other regarding &quot;protection contracts&quot;. 
<img alt="" src="" width="285" height="189" />
Moscow
You can still join the <a href="http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=863">campaign through LabourStart</a> by sending a message to Calder&oacute;n. More than 3,500 messages were sent via the campaign in the first week, and the numbers are growing every day. 
 
The action in support of the democratic and independent trade unions in Mexico was initiated by unions from around the world affiliated to the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), UNI Global Union, and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). 
 
In addition, the International Textile, Garment, &amp; Leather Workers Federation (ITGLWF) called for <a href="http://www.itglwf.org/lang/en/ITGLWFCallsforFundamentalRightsintheMexicanGarmentSector.html ">fundamental rights in the Mexican garment sector</a>, where &ldquo;protection contracts&rdquo; deny workers of their basic labour rights, as is the case throughout Mexico. 
 
<a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/mexico2011 ">Click here for more information</a>.

Unions Join Forces to Demand Trade Union Rights in Mexico

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Welcome to this first issue of a quarterly newsletter in 2011 of IMF, ICEM and ITGLWF aimed at providing information on the creation of a new International uniting industrial workers. 
 
Trade unions around the world affiliated to the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), and the International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers Federation (ITGLWF) have a common interest in becoming a stronger voice for industrial workers. 
 
A joint IMF-ICEM-ITGLWF task force met in Japan in February to continue its examination of how to unify the world's industrial workers into one global union federation. 
 
Task force members of the three Global Union Federations (GUFs) from five continents confirmed the rationale of creating a united voice of the industrial workers of the world, and a strong counter-power to major transnational corporations. Unions want to underline the role of manufacturing industry as the locomotive of national economies and as a creator of good quality jobs with decent working conditions and trade union rights. 
 
The task force heard the reports from the working groups on statutes and finances, and discussed in detail the decision-making, regional and sectoral structures of a possible new GUF. The task force decided to meet again on May 5 in Frankfurt, Germany, to finalize a proposal to the Executive Committees of the three organizations at the end of May. 
 
Already the three GUFs work together on a number of joint areas and through joint initiatives in trade union rights and campaigns, precarious work, climate change, sustainable trade and development, networking and union building, and have demonstrated the advantages of greater unity. 
 
By creating a new International and combining our strengths we believe we can do more to mobilize workers, defend trade union rights, and organize unorganized workers throughout supply chains into strong and self-reliant unions. Together we can create a powerful counterpart to transnational corporations and fight more forcefully for good quality industrial jobs and against precarious forms of employment. 
 
By combining resources we can achieve greater visibility and impact, better service to affiliates, and find synergies through a reduction of overlapping activities. 
 
In this and future issues of our joint newsletter in 2011, we hope to show just how industrial workers around the world are Stronger Together! 
 
Jyrki Raina 
Manfred Warda 
Patrick Itschert

IMF, ICEM, ITGLWF Move Towards Creating a New International

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The ICEM Secretariat was stricken with grief on 4 April upon learning of the death of Liv Undheim, former Vice President of Norwegian trade union affiliate IndustriEnergi (IE). Liv Undheim died at 07h00 that morning in an Oslo hospital after a period of illness. She was 61. 
 
She was an ICEM Vice President, representing the Nordic region, and had served on ICEM statutory bodies for the past 20 years, dating to her tenure as an officer of Norsk Kjemisk Forbund, the Norwegian Chemical Workers&rsquo; Association. She was the driving force inside ICEM in the development of gender equality and women&rsquo;s activities. 
 
In a letter to IE President Leif Sande, General Secretary Manfred Warda said her advocacy in this regard made the ICEM a leading Global Union Federation on gender issues. 
 
She began working in an industrial setting in the late 1960s at Figgjo AS, a ceramics and pottery manufacturer near Stavanger. She then became a federal secretary of the Chemical Workers&rsquo; Association and served in that capacity for nine years before being elected organisation secretary of the Norwegian Federation of Trade Unions (LO). In that capacity in 1997, she also became deputy minister with responsibility for energy issues. 
 
In 2001, she became Vice President of the Chemical Workers&rsquo; Association and in 2006, upon the merger of that union with the Norwegian Oil and Petrochemicals Workers&rsquo; Federation (NOPEF), she was elected Vice President of IE. She retired in October 2010 but retained the exemplary role she always performed as IE&rsquo;s head of international affairs.
<img alt="" src="" width="112" height="150" />
She also had served on a number of boards and public bodies, including the research institute FAFO, Norway&rsquo;s Labour Directorate, the Labour Inspection Authority, and many others. 
 
She was diagnosed with cancer several months ago and in February 2011 was stricken and hospitalised with pneumonia, which prevented cancer treatment. The ICEM&rsquo;s Warda said she always delivered a great deal of energy and passion to global trade union work, and &ldquo;we held hope that this same energy and passion would allow her to overcome this illness.&rdquo; 
 
He added: &ldquo;Her passing at the age of 61 is a sad moment for us here. The extraordinary work she performed for the ICEM &ndash; and for all trade unions &ndash; will carry on in her honour. We pledge to re-dedicate the many workers&rsquo; issues that she championed in her memory.&rdquo; 
 
In a statement this week from Oslo, IE President Sande said, &ldquo;Following her long and devoted service to the labour union movement we all felt with all our hearts that Liv had deserved a long and pleasant retirement together with her dear Elisabeth. The holiday to Thailand was booked and she was looking forward to spending her time reading, travelling and generally enjoying life. Instead she was struck down with cancer, having to spend her last days in a hospital. It seems so unfair. She will be deeply missed.&rdquo;
Liv Undheim's funeral will be 14 April in Oslo. Following, a memorial and commemoration of her life will be held at&nbsp;IE's offices&nbsp;there.&nbsp;

ICEM Mourns Death of Presidium Member Liv Undheim

<img src="" width="120" height="59" alt="" />
The ICEM expressed satisfaction today that the Kumho Tyre subsidiary of Kumho Asiana Group lifted its eight-day lockout on 3,400 rubber workers, members of the Korean Metal Workers&rsquo; Union (KMWU). Korea&rsquo;s second biggest tyre maker locked out workers on 25 March at factories in Gwungju and Gokseong following a one-day warning strike. 
 
The lockout ended at 14h30 today. The company rescinded its demand that workers sign individual work agreements promising not to engage in further work stoppages. In return for lifting the lockout, the Kumho Tyre Workers&rsquo; Union said it would end its industrial actions in front of the two plants. 
 
The union executed the warning strike on 25 March because Kumho refused to engage in dialogue over relevant issues in the middle of a two-year labour agreement. Those issues included giving workplace union leaders the right to maintain their union representation duties while on the job, revisions to severance packages, and health factors inside the factories. (See <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4347-Warning-Strike-Leads-to-Lockout-at-Kumho-Tyre-Factories-in-Korea">ICEM report</a> from 28 March.) 
 
In lifting the lockout, the Kumho Tyre Workers&rsquo; Union recognised the company&rsquo;s fragile financial and market situation. The ICEM is encouraged that the two sides engaged in meaningful dialogue to end the mid-term dispute.

Kumho Tyre Lifts Lockout on Metal Workers Union in Korea

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" />
The ICEM was deeply saddened early last week to learn of the sudden passing of Gabriel Miranda, a leader in France of the CGT glass and ceramics section. Comrade Miranda, long active in the ICEM&rsquo;s Materials Sector, died of an aneurysm late in the evening of 21 March. He was 59. 
 
In a statement of sympathy to CGT General Secretary Bernard Thibault, the ICEM said: &ldquo;Many ICEM affiliates across the globe are indebted to Comrade Miranda for his selfless and devoted works of solidarity not only in France, but throughout the world. ICEM recognised Gaby as always the first person to respond to a call for solidarity and he never hesitated to extend support to the struggle of glass workers from Thailand to Korea to Australia and in many other countries.&rdquo; 
<img alt="" src="" width="150" height="153" />
Gabriel Miranda
Miranda served as secretary of CGT&rsquo;s glass sector from 1987 to 2005. He was mayor of his village of Saint-Beno&icirc;t de Carmaux, in province Tarn near Toulouse, beginning in 2009. He served on the town council there since 1983. On the evening of his death, he was leading a meeting of his communist compatriots regarding an agenda on community affairs for upcoming local elections. 
 
He was a working man who stayed true to his political convictions of liberty, freedom, and justice for the common person throughout his life. He fought for retaining post offices in small villages, public-sponsored day-care centers, and public health clinics. 
 
Miranda began as a glass fitter at a factory in Albi and also worked for Saint-Gobain in Tarn province. He had been secretary of the French Saint-Gobain Works Council. He is survived by his wife Brigitte and four children. A celebration of his life and work was held in the Saint-Beno&icirc;t town hall on 25 March.

ICEM Mourns Death of French Glass Sector Leader, Gaby Miranda

Chile: Help on ILO Convention 176
Dear Pulp/Paper Sector Activists: 
 
The ICEM is making a major push, together with the IMF, to get Chile to ratify ILO Convention 176, the Safety and Health in Mines Convention. 
 
We are asking for your participation. The details are in the <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/11.ICEM.IMF.Chile176.1March.pdf">Joint ICEM/IMF Letter</a> that can be found at this link. 
 
The <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/ENGLISH%20ChileModLet%20(2).doc">Letter to Chile&rsquo;s Government</a> can be found here. In this letter are the e-mail addresses, fax numbers and mail address that we are asking unions to send. Please attach this model letter to your union&rsquo;s letterhead, or your personal letterhead, and send. 
 
We are very grateful for your help on this. And please do not forget to send a copy of your letter to the ICEM, at <a href="mailto:tom.grinter@icem.org">tom.grinter@icem.org</a>. 
 
Again, thank you for your help. 
 
In Unity, 
Dick Blin
<hr />
Chili: Pour la ratification de la Convention 176 de l'OIT
Chers Militants du secteur papier poulpe 
 
L&rsquo;ICEM a &eacute;largi ses forces avec le FIOM dans la lutte pour la ratification de la Convention 176, la s&eacute;curit&eacute; et la sante en Chili. 
 
A ce sujet, nous demandons votre active participation. Les d&eacute;tails concernant la ratification se trouvent dans <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/2.ICEM.IMF.Chile176.1MarchFR.pdf">la d&eacute;claration jointe de l'ICEM et du FIOM</a>. 
Vous les trouverez dans le lien suivant. 
 
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/FR%20ChileModLet.doc">La Lettre au gouvernement du Chili</a> se trouve ici. Dans cette lettre, vous avez les adresses e-mail, num&eacute;ros de fax et la direction postale des syndicats auxquels il faudra envoyer la documentation jointe. Veuillez SVP, joindre et envoyer la lettre mod&egrave;le en ajoutant le logo de votre syndicat, ou votre logo personnel. 
 
Nous vous remercions en avance du support et soutien solidaire a ce sujet. Une copie de votre lettre &agrave; l'ICEM, &agrave; <a href="mailto:tom.grinter@icem.org">tom.grinter@icem.org</a> serait fortement appr&eacute;ci&eacute;e. 
 
Votre soutien ainsi que vos actions sont fraternellement remercies. 
 
Dans l'unit&eacute;, 
 
Dick Blin 
ICEM Responsable Information et Communication 
Secteur Poulpe et Papier
<hr />
Chile, por la ratificaci&oacute;n al Convenio OIT 176 
 
Estimados l&iacute;deres del sector papel y pulpa 
 
ICEM ha unido fuerzas junto al FITIM para luchar por la ratificaci&oacute;n del Convenio OIT 176 en seguridad y salud en las minas. 
 
Estamos solicitando su apoyo y participaci&oacute;n. Por favor, revise los detalles <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/5.ICEM.IMF.Chile176.1March.pdf">en la declaraci&oacute;n conjunta ICEM-FITIM</a> que podr&aacute; encontrar en este enlace. 
 
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/SpanishChileModLet.doc">La Carta al Gobierno de Chile</a> se puede encontrar aqu&iacute;. En dicho escrito, encontrara las direcciones de correo electr&oacute;nico, n&uacute;meros de fax y direcci&oacute;n postal de los sindicatos para ser enviadas. Por favor, adjunte y env&iacute;e esta carta modelo con el membrete de su sindicato, o su membrete personal. 
 
Agradecemos de antemano su participaci&oacute;n y apoyo solidario en esta iniciativa. M&aacute;ndenos una copia de su carta a ICEM, atte. <a href="mailto:Tom.grinter@icem.org">Tom.grinter@icem.org</a> . 
 
Su acci&oacute;n y soporte son fraternalmente reconocidos. 
 
En la Unidad, 
 
Dick Blin 
ICEM Pulpa y Papel Oficial

Chile: ILO Convention 176/Chili: de la Convention 176 de l&#039;OIT/Chile, Convenio OIT 176

Estimados L&iacute;deres de la Uni&oacute;n del Trabajo de Chile! 
 
ICEM, Federaci&oacute;n Sindical Global de Sindicatos Mineros, junto con nuestra organizaci&oacute;n hermana, la Federaci&oacute;n Internacional de Trabajadores de las Industrias Metal&uacute;rgicas (FITIM), ha puesto en marcha una campa&ntilde;a para la ratificaci&oacute;n del Convenio 176 sobre seguridad y salud en las minas por parte del Gobierno de Chile. 
 
Les pedimos su participaci&oacute;n y apoyo para impulsar esta iniciativa en Chile. Esta campana se ha lanzado tan solo esta semana y la acogida ha sido tan exitosa que hemos recibido 25 cartas en solidaridad y apoyo. No hay duda, el apoyo ha sido incondicional. 
 
Los detalles al respecto est&aacute;n <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/5.ICEM.IMF.Chile176.1March.pdf">en la declaraci&oacute;n conjunta ICEM-FITIM</a> que pueden encontrar en este enlace. 
 
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/SpanishChileModLet.doc">La Carta al Gobierno de Chile</a> se puede encontrar aqu&iacute;. En dicho escrito, encontraran las direcciones de correo electr&oacute;nico, n&uacute;meros de fax y direcci&oacute;n postal que les pedimos env&iacute;en a los sindicatos. Por favor, adjunte y env&iacute;e esta carta modelo con el membrete de su sindicato, o su membrete personal. 
 
Agradecemos de antemano su solidario apoyo y su acci&oacute;n en esta iniciativa. Por favor, mande una copia de su carta a ICEM, atte. <a href="mailto:tom.grinter@icem.org">tom.grinter@icem.org</a> . 
 
Muchas Gracias! 

Fraternalmente, 
 
Manfred Warda 
Secretario General ICEM

ICEM necesita su ayuda! Ratificación de  la Convención OIT 176 en Chile!

Today, 15 March, the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine, and General Workers&rsquo; Union (ICEM), the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF) and their Norwegian affiliated trade unions, Fellesforbundet and IndustriEnergi (IE) signed a Global Framework Agreement (GFA) with Norsk Hydro ASA in Oslo. 
 
The agreement covers provisions of freedom of association and collective bargaining rights, discrimination, forced labour, child labour, health and safety, wages, working conditions, employment conditions, skills training, HIV/AIDS, and environmental conditions, referencing the standards established by the core labour conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). 
<img alt="" src="" width="293" height="164" />
From left to right: Arve Bakke, Fellesforbundet President, Jyrki Raina, IMF General Secretary, Wenche Agerup, Norsk Hydro Executive Vice-President, Corporate Staff, Manfred Warda, ICEM General Secretary, Leif Sande, IndustriEnergi President
Norske Hydro was established more than 100 years ago and today is a leading global supplier of aluminum products and energy solutions. The Hydro companies have a total of 23,000 workers in more than 40 countries worldwide. The production facilities are mainly located in Europe, North America, Australia, and Qatar. 
 
In addition to the agreement, the parties agreed to establish a working group on the US legislation and US practices related to freedom of association and collective bargaining rights. The conclusions of this group&rsquo;s work will provide a basis for revision of the GFA in 2012. 
<img alt="" src="" width="246" height="188" />
Arve Bakke, Jyrki Raina,&nbsp;Wenche Agerup,&nbsp;Manfred Warda,&nbsp;Leif Sande
The parties also committed to work together to build an open channel of network which ensures implementation of the GFA in all Hydro workplaces. 
 
A copy of the agreement in English can be found <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/1103.%20Norsk%20Hydro%20GFA.%20with%20signatures.3.pdf">here</a>. 
 
For further information, contact ICEM Information Officer Dick Blin (<a href="mailto:dick.blin@icem.org">dick.blin@icem.org</a>), +41 22 304 1842, +41 79 734 8994 (mobile); or IMF Communications Director Anita Gardner (<a href="mailto:agardner@imfmetal.org">agardner@imfmetal.org</a>), +41 22 308 5032.

ICEM, IMF, Norwegian Unions Sign Global Social Accord with Norsk Hydro

Archive

Sandblasting: the Human Cost of Fashion

Global Unions to Hold Chile Accountable on Mine Safety

Unions Join Forces to Demand Trade Union Rights in Mexico

IMF, ICEM, ITGLWF Move Towards Creating a New International

ICEM Mourns Death of Presidium Member Liv Undheim

Kumho Tyre Lifts Lockout on Metal Workers Union in Korea

ICEM Mourns Death of French Glass Sector Leader, Gaby Miranda

Chile: ILO Convention 176/Chili: de la Convention 176 de l'OIT/Chile, Convenio OIT 176

ICEM necesita su ayuda! Ratificación de la Convención OIT 176 en Chile!

ICEM, IMF, Norwegian Unions Sign Global Social Accord with Norsk Hydro

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