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ICEM Belgian affiliate Centrale G&eacute;n&eacute;rale-FGTB and the chemicals company Clariant Benelux made temporary peace nine days ago in a pitched industrial strike by blue-collar workers in Louvain-la-Neuve. Following talks between the union and the Swiss-based company, the blue-collar workforce accepted reinstatement of one of two discharged shop stewards (see previous <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4604-FGTB-Delegates-Sacked-at-Clariant-Chemicals-Plant-in-Belgium">ICEM article</a>) and resumption of social dialogue based on trade union rights and safeguards of freedoms.&nbsp; 
 
Mohamed Loukili and Kemal Bennaceur were sacked by Clariant on 27 July for faithfully carrying out union responsibilities inside the workplace. The recent negotiations came after a spirited strike manifestation and in the talks, FGTB won reinstatement for Loukili, while Bennaceur decided earlier to accept a pay-out package and depart the company. 
<img alt="" src="" width="231" height="164" />
Strikers Surround Mohamed Loukili (top, center) at 17 August Manifestation
The 17 August strike manifestation at Clariant plant gates in Louvain-la-Neuve saw 200 workers and supporters call on Clariant to reverse the anti-social sackings. Three days before the annual summer shut-down, managers announced dismissal of the two union representatives. That caused a strike by the entire 45-worker blue-collar unit, a strike that threatened the safety of some 100 white-collar staff when work resumed two weeks ago. 
 
The ICEM congratulates the FGTB on winning this important union rights test, and takes note that it is the second time in a month that Belgium&rsquo;s Socialist Union has won reinstatement rights for sacked job leaders. It happened at Belgian Refining Corp. (BRC), near the Port of Antwerp, when two union delegates were reinstated through dialogue on 15 July between FGTB-ABVV and BRC managers. (See that <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4558-BRC-Belgium-Conflict-Settled-Sacked-Oil-Workers-Reinstated">ICEM story</a> here.)&nbsp; 
 
Clariant&rsquo;s chemical plant in Louvain-la-Neuve is part of the Swiss company&rsquo;s Masterbatches division and produces colour chemicals for inks and textiles.

Belgium: FGTB Succeeds in Getting Staff Rep’s Job Back at Clariant

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Some 400 train drivers and car examiners at Rio Tinto iron ore operations in the Pilbara of West Australia have voted by 82% for a first collective agreement. The union that won those rights, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), now presents the three-year agreement to Fair Work Australia for approval. 
 
&ldquo;When Rio Tinto gave in principle support for the historic collective agreement back in June (see <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4505-CFMEU-Wins-Bargaining-Rights-for-Rio-Tinto-s-Pilbara-Train-Drivers">ICEM report</a> then), it marked a major milestone in industrial relations in the resources sector,&rdquo; said CFMEU West Australia Mining and Energy Secretary Gary Wood. 
 
We have now &ldquo;moved a little bit closer to greater workplace protection for the hardworking iron ore miners of the Pilbara.&rdquo; 
<img alt="" src="" width="169" height="160" />
Gary Wood
Wood added that the new agreement &ldquo;and the strong support for it open up opportunities for negotiations down the track for further collective agreements at BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.&rdquo; 
 
The agreement is precedent-setting because it blows away a major barrier that for decades has stymied collective negotiations and collective action in the Pilbara. That has been the long-standing use of individual work agreements by mining houses to avoid enterprise agreements and to remain union-free. CFMEU breaks that barrier with this agreement and deserves hearty congratulations for doing so. 
 
Many of the 400 transport workers are fly-in, fly-out staff and move a good share of Australia&rsquo;s resource wealth to global markets. They are also to be commended because their unified vote means that the door has been flung wide open for future collective gains, be them big or small through the CFMEU.

Historic Collective Pact Takes Root for Rio Trainmen in Australia

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A Mexican coal mine explosion inside a Coahuila colliery of Altos Hornos de M&eacute;xico (AHMSA), a subsidiary of the Grupo Acerero del Notre steel and transport conglomerate, killed four miners early on 26 August. The explosion occurred at AHMSA&rsquo;s &ldquo;La Esmeralda,&rdquo; or No. 5 mine in the municipality of San Juan de Sabinas. 
 
Six other miners managed to escape the blast, which occurred during the 25 August night shift. The explosion caused a roof inside the mine to collapse, burying the miners who were operating machines. A total of 132 miners were at work at the No. 5 mine at the time of the blast. Bodies of the four dead miners were recovered late on 26 August. 
 
They are: Miguel Hern&aacute;ndez Mart&iacute;nez, 33; Mario Alberto Flores Mart&iacute;nez, 38; &Aacute;ngel Gonz&aacute;lez Pineda, 32; and Jes&uacute;s Tob&iacute;as Hern&aacute;ndez, 36. 
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The ICEM and Metalworkers&rsquo; affiliate, National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union of Mexico (SNTMMSRM), or Los Mineros, blasted the yellow union set up at La Esmeralda for remaining silent on the mine tragedy, just as it had when a 27 March 2011 tragedy happened at another AHMSA mine that killed two and injured three. That occurred at AHMSA&rsquo;s Monclova No. 7 mine, also in Coahuila state. 
 
Los Mineros leveled blame on the company and the &ldquo;irresponsibility, greed, and arrogance&rdquo; of AHMSA that caused the deaths, comparing it to Grupo M&eacute;xico&rsquo;s negligence in the 2006 Pasta de Conchos mine explosion that killed 65 miners. 
 
AHMSA is Mexico&rsquo;s largest vertically integrated steel producer and third largest overall, and is a company that strives to supply its own coal and iron ore reserves. The company, which was state owned until 1992, also has become a heavyweight in cross-border transport and export of pipe and tube, rolled steel products, carbon steels, and other iron and steel products. Construction of AHMSA&rsquo;s sixth blast furnace recently as part of the F&eacute;nix project, has lifted the firm&rsquo;s annual steel-making capacity to over five million tonnes annually. 
 
The La Esmeralda mine began production in 1999. 
 
Over two dozen mine deaths have occurred so far this year in Coahuila state, including 14 who died after an explosion in an illegal coal mine on 3 May. That <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4413-Mine-Blast-Near-Pasta-de-Conchos-Kills-14-in-Mexico ">Mexican safety travesty</a> can be read here in an ICEM May 2011 account.

Coal Mine Blast at Mexican Steel Company Unit Kills 4

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Australian union members of three trade union organisations are livid with the announcement that BlueScope Steel will lop 1,400 jobs in New South Wales and Victoria. Members of the Australian Manufacturing Workers&rsquo; Union (AMWU), the Australian Workers Union (AWU), and the Electrical Trades Union of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (ETU-CEPU) met in Wollongong on 25 August and sternly moved to resist all restructuring until further labour-management consultations can occur. 
 
Today in Canberra, the unions met with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and urged her Labour Government to launch an inquiry into Australia&rsquo;s manufacturing crisis. 
 
BlueScope, formed in 2002 when BHP Steel was spun off in the BHP and Billiton merger, announced on 22 August that it was shedding nearly half of its Port Kembla Steelworks staff of 3,100 and another 200 jobs at a hot-strip steel mill in Hastings, Victoria. 
<img alt="" src="" width="244" height="160" />
AMWU&rsquo;s Dave Oliver (left), AWU&rsquo;s Paul Howes, ETU National Secretary Peter Tighe (right) at Port Kembla Steelworks, 22 August
Photo: Illawarra Mercury
Last Thursday&rsquo;s heated union meeting came when workers also learned that senior managers of the troubled company are awarding themselves A$3.05 million in bonuses, including A$721,000 for CEO Paul O&rsquo;Malley. The company recently posted an operating loss of A$118 million plus an asset write-down of A$900 million, mainly from a rising Australian dollar, high raw material costs, and depressed order books. 
 
The BlueScope job cuts come at a time when booming Australian resource exports are driving up currency exchange rates to the detriment of Australia goods and product manufacturing. BlueScope is chopping 1,200 full-time and contract labour jobs by idling a blast furnace, coking battery, slab caster, and oxygen-based steelmaking vessel at Port Kembla south of Sydney, and the 200 steel-rolling jobs on Victoria&rsquo;s Mornington Peninsula. 
 
Speaking at Port Kembla the day BlueScope made the announcement, AMWU National Secretary Dave Oliver said, &ldquo;The benefits of the mining boom come with very big downsides and 1,400 families have learnt today the hard way about the downsides. &ldquo;Today is a massive wake-up call for to state and federal governments to take more action on this issue.&rdquo; 
 
In news interview yesterday, 28 August, before today&rsquo;s meeting with Gillard, Oliver said the federal government must take immediate action to bolster manufacturing. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s acceptable that 90% of the gear that goes into a resource project is imported from overseas,&rdquo; he said. 
 
AWU National Secretary Paul Howes called on the federal government and the Reserve Bank Australia (RBA) also to kick into action. Howes said the Labour government must impose &ldquo;robust&rdquo; anti-dumping measures, pressure China to stop currency manipulation of the Yuan, and he called on the RBA to lower interest rates in order to promote Australian manufacturing. 
 
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to face the reality of the manufacturing crisis that&rsquo;s before us,&rdquo; said Howes. &ldquo;We can&rsquo;t accept job losses as the norm and we can&rsquo;t rely on imported goods in our strategic sectors.&rdquo; 
 
The announcement of BlueScope&rsquo;s job losses in Australia last week came a week after steelworkers, members of New Zealand&rsquo;s Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), downed tools for 24 hours in a protest over outsourcing at New Zealand Steel, a wholly owned subsidiary of BlueScope. Over 850 EPMU members engaged in the industrial action on 15 August at a steel roll mill at Glenbrook, south of Auckland, and at company iron mines at Waikato North Head and Taharoa.

BlueScope Steel Sackings Reveal Crisis in Australian Manufacturing

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The ICEM affiliated trade union in Botswana, the Diamond Sorters and Valuators (BDSVU), reacted angrily to the government renewing the diamond industry&rsquo;s classification as an essential service in June that would effectively deny workers and trade unions of the sector their legitimate rights.</div>
The union, under the leadership of General Secretary Jacob Mpasopi, was particularly incensed that they heard of the decision for the first time through local media, and were never consulted. The BDSVU is the main stakeholder of the industry in the southern Africa nation.
<img src="" width="100" height="87" alt="" />
<div>The Minister of Labour and Home Affairs had been advised by parliament to consult relevant stakeholders before making a decision. However the union was never given an opportunity to voice its position.</div>
Mpasopi points to the ILO Committee of Experts&rsquo; definition of essential services as services in which &ldquo;the interruption of which would endanger the life, personal safety or health of the whole or part of the population.&rdquo; Indisputably, this definition cannot be applied to the finished diamond sector of Botswana.
The BDSVU has struggled hard to achieve recognition agreements with several employers in the sector, formalizing negotiation, and dispute resolution procedures. All of these gains are put at risk by the unilateral decision by Peter Siele, the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs.
The ICEM fully supports its affiliate BDSVU in its call for this determination to be reversed.

Botswana Diamond Sorters Balk at Government’s Industry Re-Classification

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In this issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS newsletter, we report on a survey on HIV/AIDS workplace policies and on the call for proposals for Round 11 by the Global Fund. 
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Workplace Policies: Survey Reveals Progress by ICEM Affiliates 
 
Since 2005, the ICEM has implemented a comprehensive HIV and AIDS programme. National coordinators acquired knowledge and skills; hundreds of peer educators were trained; tens of thousands of workers and members of the communities attended awareness meetings and VCT campaigns and queued up for being tested and counselled. At a time when still more than two new infections occur for every additional person receiving antiretroviral treatment, prevention is a priority. 
 
Although no baseline information exists, it can be assumed from anecdotal evidence that, with the exception of South Africa, in 2005 only some HIV/AIDS policies unilaterally drafted by companies existed. While more workplace policies and HIV and AIDS clauses in collective agreements have now been concluded, progress in this respect is still unsatisfactory. The ICEM has made a model workplace policy available for its affiliates. This aspect of the HIV and AIDS work of the ICEM and its affiliates has to be intensified. 
<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="132" />
No doubt, non-discrimination is the key to any strategy to fight HIV and AIDS at the workplace. Workplace policies negotiated and agreed by unions and employers are a first step. The effectiveness of such policies depends on employer commitment and the ability of a union to monitor implementation of the policy. While such policies commit the parties morally, their implementation can still be weak and workplace policies, as a rule, cannot be legally enforced. Therefore, the establishment of clauses in collective agreements provides one of the strongest measures to deal with HIV and AIDS at the workplace. 
 
A preliminary survey conducted during the recent African regional workshop for nine sub-Saharan African countries revealed that affiliates have started to engage employers or sectoral employers&rsquo; bodies, such as Chambers of Mines, in discussions and negotiations to conclude bilaterally acceptable policies and draw up programmes. 
 
To give but a few examples: in Ghana, major mining houses have HIV/AIDS workplace policies. Although some were initially drawn up unilaterally, the Ghana Mine Workers&rsquo; Union (GMWU) is now involved in the implementation. In Mauritius, collective bargaining agreements with ten companies, out of 36 which are bargaining partners of the ICEM affiliate Chemical, Manufacturing, and Connected Trades Employees&rsquo; Union (CMCTEU), contain non-discriminatory clauses. Affiliates Associated Mine Workers&rsquo; of Zimbabwe (AMWZ) and the Zimbabwe Energy Workers&rsquo; Union (ZEWU) have negotiated and concluded industry-wide HIV/AIDS workplace policies for the mining and energy sectors. 
 
It has to be seen how further commitments to include specific HIV and AIDS clauses in collective bargaining agreements will bear results. Employers&rsquo; awareness of the threat of a spread of HIV infections to their operations helps. The existence of a national legislative framework is conducive. And union strength, leadership commitment, and membership support are absolute prerequisites. 
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Global Fund: Call for Proposals for Round 11, Change in Grant Architecture 
 
The call for proposals for grants from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will open on 15 August. Deadline for submitting proposals is 15 December. This is later than expected and poses some problems. As decisions concerning Round 11 funding will only be made by the meeting of the Global Fund Board in 2012, countries which have grants expiring would need special extension funding to avoid interruptions, especially of treatment. 
 
Furthermore, new eligibility criteria apply for Round 11. Under the &ldquo;history of funding&rdquo; criterion, 78 countries, which have a history of recent funding for one or more of the diseases, are ineligible to apply in Round 11 for those components. 
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The Global Fund is also going to implement new grant architecture. It is designed to streamline and improve both the applications process and programme implementation. One of the ways it does so is by consolidating programmes and grants so that there is only one agreement per principal recipient (PR) per disease or health systems strengthening (HSS) programme. 
 
Grant consolidation involves merging two or more existing grants for the same PR and disease into one. Anytime two or more existing grants have been consolidated into one, a single-stream-of-funding (SSF) agreement is signed with the PR. SSF agreements are very similar to the grant agreements that have been used up to now. The most significant differences are (a) the provisions for periodic reviews (replacing Phase 2 reviews); and (b) the fact that the SSF grant agreements will be revised after each periodic review and whenever additional funding for the PR is approved in a future round. Under the new grant architecture, the periodic reviews will be carried out at the same time for all SSF agreements for a given disease/HSS programme, regardless of how many different PRs are involved. 
 
By the time proposals for Round 11 are approved, the Global Fund will be well on its way to implementing the new grant architecture. Grants will be replaced by single-stream-of-funding. All proposals submitted for Round 11 have to be consolidated proposals. For all of the proposals approved in Round 11, single-stream-of-funding agreements will be signed with PRs. In most cases, a single-stream-of-funding agreement will cover not only new initiatives included in the proposal, but also all of the PR&rsquo;s active &ldquo;grants&rdquo; for that disease. By the time the Round 12 single-stream-of-funding agreements have all been signed, the old grant agreements will be an endangered species. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer, Issue 152 of 5 July. 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>) 
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Nepal: Migration Main Factor for HIV Prevalence 
 
HIV prevalence in Achham is estimated at 1.7%, but many residents, who have never left the remote western district, know HIV only as &ldquo;Bombay [Mumbai] disease.&rdquo; Naming HIV after India&rsquo;s bustling commercial city is considered the most logical explanation for what happened to men who were healthy when they migrated for work and returned home years later sick. The district has supplied cheap migrant labour to cities such as Mumbai for years. 
 
Although HIV prevalence in Nepal&rsquo;s general population is a low, 0.5%, the country has been experiencing a concentrated epidemic among high-risk groups such as seasonal migrant workers. The government found that in 2008, 41% of all HIV cases in the country were among labour migrants. 
 
Testing and public awareness for HIV are said to be increasing in Achham, where nearly 70% of households migrate at some stage, according to the ILO. An inclusive maternal care programme at district hospitals, which provide women with US$20 if they give birth on-site, has helped control mother-to-child transmission of HIV; the Achham District Hospital reports only 42 cases of transmission since 2005. 
 
(Source: PlusNews, 27 July) 
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Swaziland Crisis Affects Treatment 
 
Unease is mounting in Swaziland after reports that supplies of antiretrovirals are dangerously low. Resources have never been adequate to tackle the world&rsquo;s highest HIV infection rate in the tiny kingdom, but in recent months, the cash-poor government and dwindling donor funding have led to increasing panic among people living with HIV. One in four Swazis between the ages of 15 and 49 is living with HIV &ndash; at 26.1%, the world's highest prevalence &ndash; in a population of about one million. 
 
More than 64,000 Swazis were receiving ARVs by the end of June, a number expected to climb to about 69,000 by the end of July, according to the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit at the Ministry of Health. However, 200,000 Swazi adults are believed to be HIV-positive. 
 
Swaziland is in the grips of an acute financial crisis. Social services have been cut and public servants are facing looming retrenchments. The government is the country's biggest employer. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture last month reported a 29,000-million-tonne shortfall in the annual maize requirement &ndash; the country&rsquo;s staple food &ndash; of a total of about 114,000 million tonnes. 
 
The Southern African Customs Union (SACU), comprising Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland, applies a common set of tariffs and disproportionately distributes the revenue to member states. It has provided an economic lifeline to Lesotho and Swaziland, in particular, which have small impoverished populations, large numbers of HIV-infected people, and few or no natural resources. SACU revenue accounted for about 66% of the Swazi government&rsquo;s income two years ago. Following a reorganization of customs union receipts, it will only make up 32% of this year&rsquo;s budget. 
 
Government has requested financial assistance from South Africa, which is obliged to consider the loan to avoid a humanitarian crisis on its doorstep and a flood of economic refugees. But Swazi NGOs, led by the Swaziland Coalition of Concerned Civic Organisations, and organizations in South Africa, such as the national trade union centre, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), are calling for political reforms to be linked to any financial aid. Swaziland is also the last absolute monarchy in the world. 
 
(Source: PlusNews, Mbabane 18 July) 
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Debt Swap Agreement Benefits Global Fund 
 
The Global Fund has brokered debt swap agreements before, but not like the latest one between Germany and Egypt. 
 
Under the Global Fund&rsquo;s Debt2Health mechanism, creditors (i.e., countries that are owed money) may agree to write off a portion of the debt owed to them, on the condition that the debtor countries (i.e., the countries that owe money) invest an agreed-upon amount in local programmes approved by the Global Fund. Until recently, four Debt2Health agreements had been concluded &ndash; three involving Germany and, respectively, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire; and one between Australia and Indonesia. 
 
In June 2011, Germany agreed to write off &euro;6.6 million of Egyptian debt. What makes this agreement unique is that Egypt has agreed to contribute half of the &euro;6.6 million to Global Fund programmes to fight malaria in Ethiopia. This is the first time that a debt swap arrangement under the Debt2Health mechanism has involved reinvestment in programmes in a country other than the original debtor. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer, Issue 154 of 25 July. 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 alt="" src="" width="40" height="40" />
New Hope in Fight Against AIDS 
 
Aids drugs designed to treat HIV can also be used to reduce dramatically the risk of infection among heterosexual couples; two studies conducted in Africa have shown for the first time. The findings add to growing evidence that the type of medicines prescribed since the mid-1990s to treat people who are already sick may also hold the key to slowing or even halting the spread of the disease. 
 
The research involved 4,758 &ldquo;discordant&rdquo; couples, i.e. in which one partner was HIV positive and the other negative, in Kenya and Uganda and more than 1,200 sexually active men and women in Botswana. The studies found that daily Aids drugs reduced infection rates by an average of at least 62% when compared with a placebo. 
 
The idea of such &quot;pre-exposure prophylaxis,&quot; known as PrEP, has gained traction in the past year, following results of other research showing a fall in infection rates among gay men taking Aids drugs. 
 
(Source: aljazeera.net, 14 July and Health Day News, 13 July) 
<img alt="" src="" width="40" height="40" />
News from Global Unions 
 
The International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF &ndash; <a href="http://www.itfglobal.org">www.itfglobal.org</a>) in its latest HIV/AIDS Update 110 of 1 and 15 July, reports on a long-term HIV/AIDS workplace education project in cooperation with the National Union of Seafarers of Sri Lanka, which will cover all sectors represented by the union in Colombo Port, as well as four seafarers&rsquo; and maritime schools in Sri Lanka. The programme is funded by UNAIDS and the ILO and the UNFPA will provide technical guidance. 
 
In anticipation of the next call for proposals for funding for Round 11 by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) issued a circular to all its affiliates and to the Global Union Federations. The circular gives details for a step-by-step approach to include workplace-related components in proposals submitted by Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM). As cited above, Round 11 will open on 15 August; the deadline for submitting national proposals is 15 December. 
<img alt="" src="" width="40" height="40" />
Five Years Ago: From the August/September 2006 Issue (No. 11/12) 
 
The first issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin was published in October 2005. In current issues, we refer to an article from the same month five years ago and reflect on developments. 
 
In the August/September 2006, we reported on the 16th International AIDS Conference which was held in Toronto from 14-18 August 2006. Over 20,000 scientists, politicians and activists participated in the event. The labour movement was well represented, highlighting the impact of HIV and AIDS on the workplace and outlining the role of workers in fighting the pandemic. 
 
Prior to the Conference, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) organised a two-day labour forum with the support of the ILO. The forum convened union representatives from all over the world who expressed their support for intensifying the involvement of trade unionists and unions and to build strong coalitions with civil society organisations. On the occasion of the labour forum the CLC released a new report, &ldquo;Labour Fights AIDS,&rdquo; which demonstrates that unions are at the fore in the global fight against AIDS 
 
The ICEM abstract written for the Conference was accepted for a poster exhibition. The ICEM was also invited to speak on &ldquo;The importance of social dialogue and workers&rsquo; participation in public/private partnerships&rdquo; at a Satellite Meeting Session with the theme &ldquo;From the workplace to the community &ndash; Co-investment to access prevention, treatment and care in public/private partnerships.&rdquo; 
 
Several broader trends emerged from the Conference. Although still inadequate, treatment is becoming more available. However, those on antiretrovirals (ARVs) remain infected and require treatment indefinitely. This requires a re-emphasis on prevention. Despite many years of research at huge cost, a vaccine has not yet been found. 
 
Also noted was that prevention techniques away from consent-requiring condom use focus on female protection to empower women to take control. 
 
In that issue, we also reported on the 2nd Global Fund Partnership Forum in Durban in July 2006 and on the renewed commitment made by the G8 meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, to tackle HIV/AIDS and to create a regular monitoring of its work. 
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This ICEM HIV-AIDS Newsletter &ndash; How to Subscribe 
 
To subscribe to the e-bulletin, send an email to <a href="mailto:press@icem.org">press@icem.org</a>. Please put &ldquo;subscribe ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin&rdquo; in the subject line.

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 71/72, August/September 2011

Globalisation is not just about how things are made, bought and sold. It's also about people and their rights. Precarious work is rapidly becoming the biggest obstacle to the respect of workers&rsquo; rights worldwide. Every day, more and more workers find themselves in precarious jobs where they have no right even to join a union, let alone to bargain collectively with their employer. 
 
On 7 October unions across the globe will participate in the World Day for Decent Work (WDDW) and will raise their voices to stop the devastating spread of precarious work, which has been identified as one of the primary focuses for action in 2011 by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). 
 
Materials and details of the campaign are on the campaign site <a href="void(0);/*1316097811111*/">http://www.wddw.org</a>/. In previous years, affiliates of IMF, ICEM, and ITGLWF have mobilised strongly around this date and are urged to contribute to global pressure against precarious work by participating in this year&rsquo;s WDDW. 
 
It is the effective denial of precarious workers&rsquo; rights to join a union and bargain collectively that leaves them most vulnerable to exploitation. Some precarious workers are formally excluded from the coverage of national labour legislation, while others have rights on paper, but no rights in fact because laws are not enforced. And others are too afraid to exercise their rights because they could lose their jobs at any minute. 
 
The result is that millions of workers throughout the world and whole categories of employment are effectively being excluded from the reach of ILO Conventions 87 and 98. IMF, ICEM, and ITGLWF have been pushing for the ILO to do more both to identify exactly how precarious workers are being denied their rights to join a union and bargain collectively and to work with governments to remove those barriers. 
 
Now the Workers&rsquo; Bureau of the ILO (ACTRAV) is inviting unions from around the world to participate in an International Workers&rsquo; Symposium which will take place at the ILO headquarters in Geneva from 4-7 October 2011. The aims of the Symposium are to: 
<ul>
 <li>Examine economic and legal trends and developments in precarious work</li>
 <li>Discuss trade union strategies and responses</li>
 <li>Identify economic and social policies to combat precarious employment</li>
 <li>Identify innovative approaches to close regulatory gaps (through International Labour Standards).</li>
</ul>
 
Unions wishing to attend the Symposium should contact <a href="void(0);/*1316097928721*/">bodemer@ilo.org</a>.

Fighting Precarious Work Globally

On 18-20 June 2012, a new Global Union Federation will see daylight at a Founding Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark. 
 
But what shall the new International be called? Now you have the chance to make a proposal. 
 
The organization will unite 50 million workers in more than 140 countries in mining, energy, metal, chemicals, paper, rubber, materials, textiles, garments, shoe, and leather industries. 
 
It aims to connect workers, fight for labour rights and build global solidarity across entire supply chains. It will be a strong counterweight to multinational companies and promote social justice, democracy and a sustainable future in the whole world. 
 
Such a powerful organization needs a fresh and identifiable name. Your contribution is welcome. Please send your proposal by e-mail to <a href="mailto:imf.icem.itglwf@gmail.com">imf.icem.itglwf@gmail.com</a> at the latest on 31 October 2011. 
 
A joint Executive Committee meeting of the IMF, ICEM, and ITGLWF will decide upon the name at the end of February 2012.

What Name for New Global Trade Union International?

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The 10th Quadrennial Delegates&rsquo; Conference of ICEM affiliate Ghana Mine Workers&rsquo; Union (GMWU) was held in late August in the Brong Ahafo regional capital of Sunyani in late August. GMWU leaders from the West African nation covered a wide range of issues including skills training, mining and sustainability, expatriation, and state investment and regulation in mining. 
 
The Delegates&rsquo; Conference also reiterated its support and continued campaign efforts for ratification and implementation by the government of Ghana of ILO Convention 176, the Safety and Health in Mines Convention. 
 
Meeting under the banner &ldquo;Blending the Interest of Stakeholders in the Mining Industry Towards Operational Excellence,&rdquo; delegates elected Kwarko Mensah Gyakari as National Chairman and Prince William Ankrah, ICEM&rsquo;s Sub-Sahara Africa Regional Vice President, as General Secretary. 
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General Secretary Prince William Ankrah
Also elected were Abdul Moomin Gbana, First Vice Chairman; Philomena Aba Sampson, Second Vice Chairperson; Eric Kwabena Gyimah, Deputy General Secretary; Fred Aniagyei, First National Trustee; James Ackah, Second National Trustee; and William Bart Plange, National Chaplain. 
 
GMWU also elected an 11-member Finance Committee. All office bearers, including Finance Committee members, were sworn in Ghana Trades Union Congress General Secretary Kofi Asamoah. 
 
The GMWU expressed displeasure with the recent shedding by the government of its 10% stake in certain gold mining companies. With gold extraction a major component in the nation&rsquo;s economy, the union pledged to combine with civil society groups to reduce foreign capital in favour of Ghana private of public investment in the major mining conglomerates. 
 
The union sided with Finance Minister Kwabena Duffuor who has protested Ghana&rsquo;s divestiture of 10% stakes in Newmont Gold&rsquo;s Ahafo and Akyem projects, Noble Mineral&rsquo;s Bibiano project, and AngloGold Ashanti development at Obuasi, Iduaprim, and Teberebie. Removal of such state involvement runs contrary to the Mining law of 1986 (PNDC Law 153) and the Minerals and Mining Act 20. 
 
GMWU also made it clear to reporters covering the Conference that with the current high price of gold, now is the time to introduce a windfall tax on the commodity. 
 
General Secretary Prince Ankrah did commend the government for putting in place the Ghana Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (GEITI), but urged the government to adequately fund the body in order to carry out its mission. 
 
A major topic at the Delegates&rsquo; Conference regarded remuneration in mining, and the fact that inequality exists between what is paid expatriates and Ghanaian nationals who are in the same job grades and possess the same skills. 
 
On sustainability, GMWU again expressed displeasure that the major mining houses have allowed a gulf to exist between indigenous communities and their leaders. Ankrah said mining companies in general had failed to honour past commitments regarding infrastructure, and many are non-compliant with environmental standards. 
 
He also criticized mining companies for failing to take into account the input of workers regarding health and safety. 
 
The Delegates&rsquo; Conference pledged that the GMWU would continue to engage with the Ghana Chamber of Mines and its industry captains to ensure that qualified Ghanaians are given opportunities and skills development to take up senior positions in the mining sector.

Ghana Mine Workers Conducts Successful Delegates’ Conference

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Union members of ICEM North American affiliate United Steelworkers (USW) began a strike on 1 September against Anchor Glass Container Corp. at nine US plants. The 140 USW-represented workers are mould makers at Anchor, the US&rsquo;s third largest glass bottle and container manufacturer behind Owens-Illinois and Saint-Gobain Containers. 
 
Workers went on strike immediately after expiration of a prior labour agreement due to regressive and ill-willed contract proposals by the Tampa, Florida-based company. Specifically, Anchor seeks to create a two-tiered health care and pension plan, as well as more excessive out-of-pocket health care costs borne by workers. Wages are also an issue in the dispute. 
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Photo: Mike Perleberg-Eagle 99.3
Privately-held Anchor issued a threatening statement at the outset of the strike saying it would continue glass-bottle mould work without the USW members. The company used high US unemployment and economic uncertainty as a warning against the strike. 
 
Anchor produces glass for the beverage and foods industries. The largest plant that has been hit by the USW industrial action is in Zanesville, Ohio, where 65 workers have struck due to the company&rsquo;s radical rollback proposals. Other Anchor glass plants where work stoppages are in effect include Jacksonville, Florida; Warner Robins, Georgia; Shakopee, Minnesota; Salem, New Jersey, Elmira Heights, New York; Henryetta, Oklahoma; and Lawrenceburg and Winchester, Indiana. 
 
USW negotiators reached a <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/1109.ross%20usw%20agreement.pdf">settlement with Ross International</a> on 31 August, achieving wage gains for each year in a three-year agreement, protecting pensions and preventing a two-tier benefit plan for new hires. Among other improvements achieved was enhanced language on subcontracting at the company.&nbsp;

USW Glass Workers at Anchor Begin Strike Action

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