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The sad reminder that the safety of trade union leaders is still not secure in South Africa was brought home when National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Branch Chairperson Elias Malaudzi was assassinated after leaving work on 3 July. 
 
Malaudzi, 46, was the NUM chairperson of Goldfields&rsquo; Driefontein gold mine in Carletonville, a worksite which has seen two previous union leaders killed by violent acts. Comrade Malaudzi has been credited by the NUM with playing a pivotal role in making his branch &ldquo;one of the most united structures, and the biggest branch in the Carletonville region.&rdquo; The husband and father was stopped by an armed man, who shot him in the head, and then once in the chest as he fell. 
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A 26-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal, who does not work at the mine, was apprehended soon after the murder. Comrade Malaudzi was a community leader in Carletonville area, serving as a town councillor. 
 
&ldquo;It is important that all of our members, and workers in general, at the mine remain calm in this face of tragedy,&rdquo; said NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni. &ldquo;Serious concerns were raised about the fact that another union leader from the same mine was once more killed by an unknown Zulu-speaking person. 
 
&ldquo;The union is concerned that these sentiments could invoke tribal and factional emotions that may be deep-seated in the area,&rdquo; added Baleni. &ldquo;We hope that the Goldfields management will play their part in this regard, too.&rdquo; 
 
The ICEM backed Baleni&rsquo;s call for calmness in a letter sent to the NUM, further expressing condolences to the union and to the family of Comrade Malaudzi.

NUM Leader Gunned Down in Senseless South African Act

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The ICEM teamed with NOPEF, Norway&rsquo;s dominant oil workers&rsquo; union, to bring a set of highly successful workshops to women of Palestine&rsquo;s General Union of Petroleum, Mining and Chemicals Workers' Union. The Palestinian workshops occurred last month, 10-12 June,&nbsp;in&nbsp;neighboring Jordan.
Contents
&nbsp;<a href="#pal">1. Palestine &ndash; ICEM and NOPEF Hold Women&rsquo;s Training Session</a> 
<a href="#2">2. Botswana &ndash; ICEM African Women&rsquo;s Committee Meeting</a> 
<a href="#coun">3. Council of Europe &ndash; Inequality Has a Price</a>&nbsp; 
<a href="#3">4. Jordan &ndash; Women Workers are Discriminated Against</a>&nbsp; 
<a href="#4">5. Kuwait &ndash; Women Vote for the First Time</a> 
<a href="#5">6. Nepal &ndash; Third National Women&rsquo;s Conference Demands More Women&rsquo;s Representation</a> 
<a href="#6">7. Pakistan &ndash; Working Women Organization Protests Against 18th Century Laws in the 21st Century</a> 
<a href="#res">From our Readers</a> 
<a href="#8">8. Switzerland &ndash; Women Demand Equal Pay for Equal Work</a> 
<a href="#9">9. United Kingdom &ndash; Black Women are in Low Paid and Low-status Jobs</a> 
<a href="#10">10. United States &ndash; Goodyear Discriminates Against Women</a> 
<a href="#11">11. ILO: New Forms of Violence at Work Are on the Rise Worldwide</a> 
<a href="#12">12. Resources</a>
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1. Palestine &ndash; ICEM and NOPEF Hold Women&rsquo;s Training Session&nbsp; 
 
From 10-12 June 2006, the ICEM organised training for women women workers who are members of the General Union of Petroleum, Mining and Chemicals Workers' Union of Palestine in Amman, Jordan.
The course provided training on women&rsquo;s health as well as collective bargaining. The aim is to develop women&rsquo;s leadership in the union. The point was mostly to understand how gender affects men and women differently in all areas of life, from privatization to health issues. 
 
Turid &Oslash;ygard from NOPEF made a presentation on women in Norway and their roles in unions and working life. She also led group work on democracy in trade unions. 
 
The women concluded that they needed more self-confidence and self-esteem. The intifada has influenced women. But women are able to fight and should be accepted as fighters. As a next step, the women seek to create more awareness among men on the role they are capable of fulfilling. 
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<a href="#back">Back Up</a> 
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2. Botswana &ndash; ICEM African Women&rsquo;s Committee Meeting 
The highlights of the meeting included the election of Baru Gaithoboge as vice-chair of the ICEM&rsquo;s African Regional Women&rsquo;s Committee. Baru&rsquo;s election will boost the representation of African women at ICEM events. Congratulations to Baru. 
The women reported that the general secretaries in Namibia and Zimbabwe were still resistant to forming joint ICEM women&rsquo;s structures. 
In Nigeria, the affiliated unions held a women&rsquo;s meeting in 2005 and are planning to hold another one in 2006. Ghana has embarked upon community development by training mineworkers&rsquo; wives. 
Fabian Nkomo, project coordinator for the shop steward development programme in Africa, reported on the project in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Tanzania. He said the project was supposed to increase the level of activity targeted toward women. Thus women would be enlisted to strengthen unions, not least of all in connection with dues payments. 
Thanks to Oluchi Okorie from NUPENG in Nigeria for providing this report! 
<a href="#back">Back Up</a>
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3. Council of Europe &ndash; Inequality Has a Price <a name="coun"></a>
The Sixth European Ministerial Conference on Equality between Women and Men was held in Stockholm on 8-9 June 2006. The conference focused on the economic advantages that equality entails. 
According to the Swedish equality minister, economies in the most equal societies have higher growth rates. The highest cost to society is generated by domestic violence. 
Spanish figures show that violence toward women costs Spain &euro;2.4 billion a year, which entails hospital costs, psychological assistance, legal costs and work absenteeism. 
In Finland, inequality is estimated to cost &euro;17.4 per person. In the UK, inequality is estimated to cost each person up to &euro;555 per year in terms of health costs and social costs. UK authorities have calculated that if women participated in the labour market there to the same extent as men, the government would take in between &euro;22 billion and &euro;34.5 billion euros more per year. 
In Sweden, the argument is that women continue working after the birth of their children, which in turn yields more tax income to the government. This allows further investment in childcare, thus allowing more Swedish women to enter the workforce. In Sweden, 40% of women, however, work part-time, and that brings a dramatic effect to their pensions. With women on average living longer than men, they have less money available to them in retirement. 
For more information, see <a href="http://www.coe.int/equality-conference">www.coe.int/equality-conference</a>. 
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4. Jordan &ndash; Women Workers are Discriminated Against
In Jordan, women workers are discriminated against and are often paid below the legal minimum wage, even with the recent increase in the minimum wage. 
The government increased the monthly minimum wage to US$142 in May to help defray higher costs of living due to higher fuel prices. Some women were earning only US$60 before the wage increase for working 10 to 12 hour days, and may continue to not be paid the full legal wage. 
This is due to the fact that women are &ldquo;reluctant to file lawsuits against employers for fear of retaliation,&rdquo; and also because of inadequate implementation of labour laws, according to the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions. 
Over 200,000 Jordanians in the workforce are women, the majority of whom come from impoverished families. Unemployment is almost 15%, and one-fifth of the 5.5 million people living in Jordan live below the poverty line.
<a href="#back">Back Up</a>
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5. Kuwait &ndash; Women Vote for the First Time 
Kuwait&rsquo;s first parliamentary elections in which women could vote were a victory for political reformists but a disappointment for female candidates, none of whom won a seat to the governing body. In total, 27 women ran in the recent elections. Women had won the right to vote and run for office last year. 
Female votes accounted for 57% of the electorate. Women turned out in large numbers to vote for the first time. Before women won the right to vote, members of Parliament had resisted granting them suffrage with the argument that it contradicted Islam. This year&rsquo;s elections were seen to be crucial, as they affected reforms and economic development programmes. 
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6. Nepal &ndash; Third National Women&rsquo;s Conference Demands More Women&rsquo;s Representation 
Nepal&rsquo;s Parliament adopted a declaration setting the minimum for women&rsquo;s participation at 33% at all levels. Now the question is to implement this standard. 
At the Third National Women&rsquo;s Conference, the representative of the All Nepal Women&rsquo;s Association presented a road map for women&rsquo;s participation. The other thematic issues had to do with the changes in laws to prevent discrimination. 
GEFONT Deputy General Secretary and ICEM Vice President Binda Pandey presented a comparative analysis on programmes, achievements and challenges between the Second and Third National Women Workers&rsquo; Conferences. Altogether, 616 women from the rank and file attended this most recent conference. The conference outcomes will be used to develop policy. 
 
Women in Nepal earn NPR 80, while men earn NPR 100-150 (NPR 100 = US$ 1.36). The rates have been frozen for ten years. Men are said to be stronger, work harder and produce more, which is why it is possible to pay women less. 
<a href="#back">Back Up</a>
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7. Pakistan &ndash; Working Women Organization Protests Against 18th Century Laws in the 21st Century 
On 23 June, thousands of workers took to the streets all over Pakistan to protest against the amendments in labour laws that set minimum working time of 12 hour per day, and exclude piece rate workers from overtime payment. 
The Working Women Organization staged agitation and expressed their anger about workers&rsquo; poor conditions, shameful amendments to the laws and the violation of ILO standards. The changes in labour law will enable employers to exploit workers even more, and especially women workers who already have irregular work, long working hours, dangerous working conditions, very low wages and no right of organization. 
<a href="#back">Back Up</a>
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From our Readers: 
 
Jumana Jodi Dreraghmi from the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions writes that she is now using the methods she learned in the course. She divides people up into groups and everyone gives their views. She is preparing a meeting on 7 July to share what she learned from the Amman workshops with other Palestinian women. 
<a href="#back">Back Up</a>
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8. Switzerland &ndash; Women Demand Equal Pay for Equal Work 
 
Women in Switzerland called for the wage gap to be closed between women and men ten years after the equal opportunities law first came into force. The nationwide campaign is distributing cards shaped like 50-franc notes, which are depicted as being worth only CHF39, thus representing the reality of the workplace. 
Unia, an ICEM affiliate and the country&rsquo;s largest trade union, marked the campaign by calling on those in the retail sector to pay their female employees more. According to a study, women receive 12.7% less than their male colleagues, amounting annually to CHF1 billion. 
Unia reports that discrimination is also rampant in businesses that employ more than 2,500 employees. In 2004, women earned on average CHF4,781 gross per month, whereas the figure for men was CHF5,953, amounting to a difference of 19.7%. In 2002, that difference was 20.7%. 
<a href="#back">Back Up</a>
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9. United Kingdom &ndash; Black Women are in Low Paid and Low-status Jobs 
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) of the UK released a report entitled Black Women and Employment, which was originally presented at the Black Workers&rsquo; Conference in 2006. The report looks at the barriers black women face to gaining employment and then progressing in their jobs. 
The government, according to the report, must take initiatives to combat race and sex discrimination in employment. Facts reveal that black and minority ethnic women are more likely to be unemployed or economically inactive than any other group in the labour market. 
Black and minority ethnic women suffer from cultural stereotyping by employers that result in them having to take jobs at lower skills levels than match their qualifications. Also, black and minority ethnic women are disproportionately likely to be working in temporary jobs. 
The TUC believes that there is a need for concerted and coordinated action by government and trade unions through collective bargaining to eliminate race and sex discrimination in the labour market and in society, through legislative and community-based initiatives. 
The organisation and recruitment of black women is vital if future progress is to be made in addressing the problems that black women face in the workplace, and in encouraging increased participation in the trade union movement. 
<a href="#back">Back Up</a>
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10. United States &ndash; Goodyear Discriminates Against Women 
The US Labor Department has sued Goodyear Tire &amp; Rubber Co., alleging hiring discrimination against hundreds of women who sought jobs in the late 1990s. The lawsuit seeks to force Goodyear to hire, pay back wages, and provide retroactive seniority and other benefits to the women who were denied employment. 
In 1998 and 1999, Goodyear followed a &ldquo;hiring process and selection procedures that discriminated against hundreds of female applicants for entry-level positions on the basis of gender,&rdquo; said the Labor Department in a statement. A spokesperson for Goodyear denied the charges and claims that Goodyear is working to resolve the matter. 
<a href="#back">Back Up</a>
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11. ILO: New Forms of Violence at Work Are on the Rise Worldwide 
Violence at work, ranging from bullying and mobbing, to threats to psychologically unstable co-workers, sexual harassment and homicide, is increasing worldwide and has reached epidemic levels in some countries. This is according to the ILO study, Violence at Work, Third Edition. 
The global cost of workplace violence is enormous and costs untold millions of dollars in losses due to absenteeism and sick leave, among other causes. It also notes that professions that used to be sheltered from workplace violence such as teaching, social services, library services and health care are being exposed to increasing acts of violence in both developed and developing countries. 
Bullying, harassment, mobbing and similar behaviour can be just as damaging as outright physical violence, according to the report. 
Today, the instability of many types of jobs places huge pressures on workplaces, leading to more such violence. In developing countries, the most vulnerable workers include women, migrants and children, according to the report. 
In Malaysia, 11,851 rape and molestation cases at workplaces were reported between 1997 and mid-2001. Widespread sexual harassment and abuse were major concerns in South Africa, Ukraine, Kuwait and Hong Kong, states the report. 
<a href="#back">Back Up</a>
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12. Resources: 
See <a href="http://www.payscale.com/">www.payscale.com</a> to compare your salary. 
 
ILO study on &ldquo;Decent Working Time: New Trends, New Issues,&rdquo; available at 
<a href="http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2006/28.htm">www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/ 
2006/28.htm</a> 
 
ILO study on &ldquo;Changing Patterns in the World of Work,&rdquo; available&nbsp;at 
<a href="http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc95/reports.htm">www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ 
ilc95/reports.htm</a>
<a href="#back">Back Up</a>

ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN N° 13

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In New Zealand, the National Party&rsquo;s assault on workers&rsquo; rights in the form of the proposed 90-Day Probation Act has been met by a new website, <a href="http://www.workrights.org.nz">www.workrights.org.nz</a>. A campaign led by ICEM affiliate Engineering, Printing &amp; Manufacturing Union (EPMU) is in full swing aimed at stopping the legislation. 
 
The website will allow the public to e-mail members of a select committee of members of Parliament who are overseeing the bill, as well as MPs who currently support the anti-worker legislation. &ldquo;This bill is not about probationary periods, it&rsquo;s all about taking rights from all Kiwi workers,&rdquo; said EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little.
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The EPMU is leading weekly pickets and information handbilling against the proposed legislation, which would allow employers to fire workers with impunity during their first 90 days of work. The ICEM encourages trade unionists to visit the website to express to New Zealanders their opinion on the proposed bill.

New Website in New Zealand Opposes Proposed 90-Day Probation Bill

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The Australian labour movement will conduct protests against the Howard government&rsquo;s WorkChoices law on Wednesday, 28 June, in state capitals across Australia. The demonstrations are part of a week-long effort organised by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) in protest to the centre-right government&rsquo;s draconian labour law reform.
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The protests are countered by several major employers who say that staff will be penalised if they take leave from work to attend. The ACTU condemned such intimidation and bullying, saying workers have a democratic right to take part in public protests. 
 
Trade unions and many of the state governments in Australia have filed legal challenges to Prime Minister John Howard&rsquo;s reform, which went into effect on 27 March. Workers at some enterprises have also engaged in strikes, challenging the new work laws. Among other things, the broad-ranging gutting of workers&rsquo; rights has dismantled Australia&rsquo;s enterprise bargaining system in favour of individual contracts, and exempts employers with fewer than 100 workers from unfair dismissal cases.

Australian Unions Set for 28 June Protests Against the Howard Government’s Draconian Labour Laws

Jawad al-Maliki 
Prime Minister of Iraq 
Brussels, 5 March 2007 
 
Dear Prime Minister, 
 
On behalf of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers Unions, the Global Union Federation, representing 20 million workers in the Mine, Energy, Chemical and related Process Industries I wish to express to you my strong condemnation of the recent attacks on the head office of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW) and I call on you to intervene as a matter of urgency in what is obviously an illegal and grossly irresponsible act. 
 
The ICEM has been informed by the GFIW Executive that on 23 February, American and Iraqi forces raided the head office of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW) and arrested one of the Union security staff. 
 
This unprovoked attack resulted in the destruction of furniture, the confiscation of a computer and fax machine and the arrest of an employee who we understand was released unharmed later same day. 
 
The same force repeated this unprovoked attack on 25 February and caused further extensive damage. 
 
ICEM adds its voice to the demands of the GFIW which condemn this unprovoked attack and also calls on the occupation forces to issue a written apology, to return all the GFIW property and compensate for the damages they caused to the unions office. 
 
These attacks are a clear violation of fundamental human and trade union rights. They are also a cynical attempt to not only harass the trade union movement of your country but to limit their ability to communicate with both their members and their international contacts. This is appalling, particularly at the present time. Genuine and democratic trade unions are a cornerstone of democracy and at the same time are a force for reconciliation, peace and stability in a society. 
 
It is essential that your government upholds internationally recognised rights, including full respect for the fundamental human rights of workers. We urge you to order a thorough investigation into these attacks on the GFIW. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
Manfred Warda 
General Secretary

ICEM letter to Prime Minister of Iraq on raids on trade union office

The ICEM, the Global Union Federation for oil workers, is calling for &ldquo;strong condemnation&rdquo; of the two recent US and Iraqi military raids on union offices in Baghdad. The raids, during which one worker was arrested, and computers and fax machines at the central office of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW) confiscated, occurred on 23 and 25 February. 
 
The ICEM, with affiliates in 125 countries, is calling on trade unions worldwide to directly protest this unprovoked attack on a trade union federation that stands for nation building and bettering the living conditions inside Iraq. 
 
ICEM is calling on trade unions and others to write to Iraqi embassies in their home countries, as well as to send messages of solidarity to GFIW leaders that their efforts to build strong trade unions in Iraq will succeed and with it, fair and just reconstruction for all Iraqi people. 
 
Trade unions are asked to register a protest with the Iraqi embassy or consulate in their country by visiting: <a href="http://www.mofa.gov.iq/index.aspx">http://www.mofa.gov.iq/index.aspx</a>. They are also being strongly urged to write GFIW leaders in Baghdad to tell them they protest these forceful and menacing acts.
Messages can be sent to these principal addresses: 
<a href="mailto:abdullahmuhsin@iraqitradeunions.org">abdullahmuhsin@iraqitradeunions.org</a> 
<a href="mailto:adnalsaffar@yahoo.com">adnalsaffar@yahoo.com</a> 
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The ICEM notes that the pair of raids on the GFIW offices represents disturbing and counter-productive acts inside Iraq. On 19 February, a raid also occurred at the offices of the Iraq Syndicate of Journalists, and American troops confiscated computers and membership records. 
 
&ldquo;These attacks are a clear violation of fundamental human and trade union rights,&rdquo; wrote ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda to Iraq&rsquo;s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. &ldquo;They are also a cynical attempt to not only harass the trade union movement of your country, but to limit their ability to communicate with both their members and their international contacts. 
 
&ldquo;This is appalling, particularly at the present time. Genuine and democratic trade unions are a cornerstone of democracy and at the same time are a force for reconciliation, peace and stability in a society,&rdquo; said Warda. 
To read the ICEM letter to the Iraqi Prime Minister, <a href="/index.php?id=24&amp;doc=2160&amp;la=EN">click here</a>.

Military Raids, Arrest at Iraqi Union Office Demands Action

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UK unions, particularly Amicus, are supporting Action Mesothelioma Day tomorrow, 27 February, to draw attention to the tens of thousands of workers and family members suffering from asbestos-related cancer. The campaign is headed by the British Lung Foundation.
Amicus, which has already distributed thousands of posters to convenors and shop stewards, is urging members to stage a one-minute period of silence at their worksites tomorrow. One Amicus action in particular has drawn attention: the convenor at the union&rsquo;s Crewe branch, home to workers employed at Bombardier Transport, has led a drive to erect a park bench in the municipal square of Crewe to commemorate Amicus members who have died or are suffering from mesotheliama. 
<img height="94" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body&rsquo;s internal organs. The resulting cancer can develop long after exposure to asbestos. 
 
Most people who develop the disease have worked in jobs where they have inhaled asbestos particles. Family members have also been known to develop it through contact with working parents in high-risk jobs, or merely by washing the work clothes of such workers. 
 
In the UK, about 2,000 people per year die from mesothelioma. It is estimated that by 2050, 95,000 people will have died from the disease. 
 
&ldquo;Mesothelioma can develop up to 60 years after exposure to asbestos and because of this long delay, it has been calculated that the number of UK cases will continue to rise until 2015,&rdquo; said Amicus Health and Safety Officer Rob Miquel. 
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&ldquo;People have died needlessly from this most painful horrific disease,&rdquo; stated Amicus Gen. Sec. Derek Simpson. &ldquo;We will continue to fight for better working conditions, so that our children will not suffer the same fate.&rdquo; 
 
The British Lung Foundation&rsquo;s campaign began on 26 February 2006, when it presented the &ldquo;Mesothelioma Charter&rdquo; with 14,000 signatures to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. The charter calls for better protection for employees from asbestos, better care and treatment for those inflicted with asbestos-related diseases, and more funding for research. Further information on the day and on the drive to stop this deadly disease can be found at the campaigning pages of the foundation&rsquo;s website, <a href="http://www.lunguk.org/getting-involved.asp">http://www.lunguk.org/getting-involved.asp</a>.

‘Action Mesothelioma Day’ Set in UK for 27 February

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Effective 1 March, German workers in the fine ceramics industry will see wage increases of 3.5%. This was announced in a statement on 16 February by ICEM German affiliate IGBCE, which negotiated the increase. 
 
The IGBCE&rsquo;s wage negotiating committee for the ceramics industry unanimously approved the negotiated settlement, calling it a good result and one corresponding to the current position that the industry is in. 
 
The agreement will run for 16 months and, in addition, workers will receive a bonus payment of &euro;100, while trainees in the industry will receive &euro;30. Further elements to the agreement include no changes in work time, and the preservation and enhancement by employers of education opportunities.

IGBCE Negotiates 3.5% Wage Gains for Germany’s Ceramics Workers

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ICEM affiliate IGBCE reminded Germany&rsquo;s coalition government last week that the recent energy summit agreement promised that brown coal will remain the most important product in the country&rsquo;s power generation for the foreseeable future. That promise, however, is threatened by the procedural process inside Germany of Phase II of the European Union&rsquo;s allocation plan for carbon emissions trading. 
 
In order to preserve the future coal mining industry in Germany without state subsidies, stated IGBCE President Hubertus Schmoldt, the union is advocating more efficient and economical power generation facilities in order to reduce carbon emissions, and to provide safe and reliable energy sources to customers.
<img height="136" src="" width="100" alt="" />
IGBCE President Hubertus Schmoldt
The prerequisite for that, stated Schmoldt, &ldquo;is sufficient planning and investment now that will ensure coal-driven power stations for the next generation are efficient and economical.&rdquo; 
 
He added that this is now threatened by the revised plans of the Ministry of Environment to meet the EU&rsquo;s carbon emissions plan for the years 2008-2012. The ministry is proposing even stricter regulations that will not only endanger the brown coal industry, but power generation stations themselves. 
 
&ldquo;Irrespective of the ongoing political disputes on the energy policy, what is at stake now is maintaining Germany as an energy producing country,&rdquo; stated Schmoldt.

German Implementation of EU’s Carbon Emissions Plan Could Threaten Energy Summit Accord

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On 19 February, ICEM French affiliate FCE-CFDT successfully concluded wage negotiations in the pharmaceutical industry, achieving a minimum salary increase of 2% for 2007. That is expected to be 0.2% above the French inflation rate for 2007.
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&nbsp;The wage increase is retroactive to 1 January, and the union and employers agreed to meet later in the year to review minimum salary levels, with emphasis particularly on the lowest levels of the scale. 
 
After consulting with pharmaceutical workers, FCE-CFDT and the workers called the wage agreement a result of productive social dialogue between the parties. It does show concrete results for the workers in a period when growth in the French pharmaceutical industry is flat.

French Affiliate, FCE-CFDT, Negotiates Minimum Salary Increases in Pharmaceutical Sector

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