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The ICEM has written to French-based energy concern Total asking the company to rethink its position concerning investment in Burma. As one of the few remaining large foreign investors in Burma, Total&rsquo;s business enterprises prop the country&rsquo;s dictatorial junta behind a constant flow of foreign currency. Burma is a country that spends over 40% of its national budget on military expenditures, while 0.4% of GDP is spent on health and education. The letter anticipates an upcoming high profile NGO campaign against Total because of its links with Burma.

Total Must Disinvest from Burma’s Military Junta

The ICEM's North American Regional Coordinating Committee on 17 February pledged its support to the USWA in these talks. The ICEM will urge the company to negotiate a new contract consistent with the standards already set with other tyre makers, and will take global action to support the USWA in win a fair and just labour agreement. The ICEM NA committee also took action urging German rubber company Continental to back down from its concessionary agenda in mid-term reopening contract talks with the USWA. The ICEM is calling on Continental to also face its contractual obligations on pay and benefits over the company's plant closing of a Mayfield, Kentucky, tyre facility.

North American ICEM Region Takes Action Over Tyre Stalemates

In Nepal, the ICEM has been informed that GEFONT&rsquo;s offices have been searched by the police on 18 February. At around 10.30 AM, 15 to 20 policemen entered the building during a union meeting. The police officers searched the premises thoroughly, up to the rooftop, intimidating the trade unionists present and forcing them to leave the building. When they apparently didn&rsquo;t find what they were looking for, the police left, but not without locking up the GEFONT office, taking the key with them. The offices were kept closed for the whole day and the key was only returned in the evening. The ICEM fears that the invasion by the police was in search of particular high-ranking GEFONT leaders, who the ICEM fears are in danger of being arrested. The ICEM wrote to the Nepalese authorities last week, voicing its concern about the labour rights situation in the country after the sudden dismissal of the Nepalese government, and asking for the protection of trade union leaders from arbitrary arrest.

Nepal’s Government Continues Rights Abuses Under Martial Law

ICEM Japanese affiliate UI Zensen&rsquo;s Central Committee has announced it will launch a Spring Offensive this year aimed at achieving basic wage increases. Japanese workers have faced double trouble in terms of battered family finances after years of wage neglect, and heavier tax and social security burdens placed on working class citizens. UI Zensen&rsquo;s courageous leadership is calling for a unified wage hike of &yen;1,000 or 2.5% as the goal for the offensive.

Japanese Affiliate UI Zensen Aims at Wage Increase

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has put in play an A$8 million advertising campaign against the Howard government&rsquo;s sweeping industrial relations reforms. 
The radio and television campaign began 19 June and runs intensely this week, a National Week of Action in which 30 June&mdash;a day before testy conservatives take hold of the Australian Senate&mdash;is designated a national strike day. On Thursday, hundreds of thousands of workers will strike by massing in major cities, despite threats by the Howard labour ministry that steep fines will be given to those workers that strike illegally. Howard&rsquo;s agenda is to limit collective bargaining by expanding the use of individual contracts with workers, reduce minimum wage levels, and abolish the federal states&rsquo; industrial relations systems. He&rsquo;s needlessly agitated trade unions by making the country&rsquo;s 38-hour workweek now open for discussion. 
Trade unions behind the ACTU now have an important ally on their side, academia. Industrial relations experts at Australian universities have formally banded to disparage Howard&rsquo;s reforms, predicting they will weaken workplace fairness and not have a positive effect on economic productivity or job growth.

Australian Unions Go on Offensive over Labour Reform

The ICEM&rsquo;s HIV/AIDS Project took another step forward in sub-Saharan African countries 7-9 June with training workshops held in Johannesburg. The team of national coordinators for African countries was present and ICEM HIV/AIDS Regional Coordinator Shirley Miller, associated with affiliate Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (CEPPWAWU) of South Africa, was introduced. The team engaged in training on HIV/AIDS bargaining and negotiations, as well as participated in other workshops together with ICEM Global Coordinator Hans Schwass.

ICEM&#039;s HIV/AIDS Project Moves Forward

EPMU and Norwegian-based pulp and paper company Norske Skog signed an innovative agreement with Kewerau College for a maintenance training centre. The programme is the first of its kind in New Zealand and will provide training from apprenticeship up to and through advanced levels of skilled maintenance. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a living example of a union and employer collaborating to fix a glaring gap in our skills and training,&rdquo; stated EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little. Norske Skog operates the 600- worker Tasman paper mill, which produces newsprint and directory paper at Kawerau.

New Zealand&#039;s EPMU, Norske Skog Agree to Training Centre

Coal talks between New Zealand&rsquo;s Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) and Solid Energy broke down last week, and workers began renewed industrial action at three worksites by refusing to load coal trains. State-run Solid Energy responded by suspending workers without pay. By 10 June, EPMU workers were back on jobsites and further bargaining is scheduled for next week between the union, Solid Energy and five of its contractors. EPMU compromised its wage demands from 6% to 5% in line with the union&rsquo;s national &ldquo;Fair Share&mdash;Five in &lsquo;05&rdquo; campaign, but the coal company has only offered 2.8% in bargaining.

Coal Dispute in New Zealand Again Grows Tense

Three deadly mine accidents last week in China left 33 miners dead. On 8 June, an explosion at the Zijiang coal mine in Loudi, province of Hunan, killed 21 and injured 24. On the same day at an iron ore mine in Shahe, Hebei province, another gas blast killed nine and injured eight. On 7 June at the Shilongxiang coal mine near Zhaotong, Yunnan province, a methane explosion killed three. 
In a further Chinese mine safety note, it was revealed through an investigation that the owner of the illegal Xinfu coal mine in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang province, in which 18 miners died in a 14 March explosion was also a top safety official for the provincial mine supervisory bureau. The Xinfu mine was found to lack basic ventilation and gas monitoring equipment.

Three Mine Accidents in China Leave 33 Dead

Canadian offshore oil workers at Hibernia, members of Communications, Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) Union, are voting over the next few weeks on their first collective agreement. CEP organized the 450 workers in 2001, was certified by the Newfoundland provincial labour board in October 2001, but was met by union-blocking legal challenges since by Hibernia&rsquo;s lead company, ExxonMobil. &ldquo;We felt it was time for our members to have a say on what has been settled and tabled in bargaining,&rdquo; said CEP National Energy Sector Coordinator Joe Gargiso. The successful organising of the offshore oil workers by the CEP was the first of its kind in North America.

Canadian Offshore Oil Workers Near Deal at Hibernia

Archive

Total Must Disinvest from Burma’s Military Junta

North American ICEM Region Takes Action Over Tyre Stalemates

Nepal’s Government Continues Rights Abuses Under Martial Law

Japanese Affiliate UI Zensen Aims at Wage Increase

Australian Unions Go on Offensive over Labour Reform

ICEM's HIV/AIDS Project Moves Forward

New Zealand's EPMU, Norske Skog Agree to Training Centre

Coal Dispute in New Zealand Again Grows Tense

Three Mine Accidents in China Leave 33 Dead

Canadian Offshore Oil Workers Near Deal at Hibernia

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