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&nbsp; English: <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0606ICEMHIVAIDSManualEN.pdf">/files/PDF/Key_issues_pdfs/ AIDS/0606ICEMHIVAIDSManualEN.pdf</a>French: <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0606ICEMHIVAIDSManualFR.pdf">/files/PDF/Key_issues_pdfs/ AIDS/0606ICEMHIVAIDSManualFR.pdf</a>Spanish: <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0606ICEMHIVAIDSManualSP.pdf">/files/PDF/Key_issues_pdfs/ AIDS/0606ICEMHIVAIDSManualSP.pdf</a>

Training Manual on HIV/AIDS Bargaining

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The 2008 Olympics are still a full two years away, but ICEM Finnish chemicals union affiliate Kemianliitto-Kemifacket has already made an event out of a resolution it proposed &ndash; and passed &ndash; at the recent Congress of SASK, the Trade Union Solidarity Centre of Finland. 
<img height="233" alt="" src="" width="350" /> 
 
SAK's Lauri Ihalainen takes aim, while Kemianliitto President Timo Valliitu points the way
The resolution is coupled with an example of what &ldquo;Fair Play&rdquo; means when it comes to clothing, shoes and sporting equipment for the Beijing Games. Kemianliitto-Kemifacket showcased such ethically made apparel by sponsoring a Youth-10 girls football team whose players are outfitted with clothing made in Finland, and play only with balls certified by the Fair Trade Association. 
 
The 50,000-member trade union calls its campaign a public awareness effort to draw Nordic attention to the lack of bargaining rights and worker protections in many of the countries where big-name sporting companies produce their goods.

Finnish Chemical Workers’ Union Begins “Fair Play” Drive Toward Olympics

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Some 200 workers at a paper mill and converter owned by Smurfit Kappa Packaging in Argentina are on strike over the company&rsquo;s failure to pay a scheduled wage increase. The strike is at the company&rsquo;s mill and converting operations in Bernal and Espora. 
 
The workers, represented by a union affiliated to ICEM affiliate Federaci&oacute;n de Obreros y Empleados de la Industria del Papel, Cart&oacute;n y Qu&iacute;micos, struck because a 12% pay increase that was won in a long struggle after numerous social dialogue sessions with Smurfit has never been paid. 
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The company now is hiding behind the national work agreement in Argentina for the paper sector, and refuses to honour past commitments. Blas Juan Alari, Secretary General for Federaci&oacute;n del Papel, told the ICEM that the early promises made to workers are an acquired right, and that workers are refusing to bend to the pressure by the company.

Argentine Paperworkers Strike Smurfit Kappa over Non-Payment of Salary Agreement

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The steering committee of ICEM&rsquo;s Bridgestone Network met in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26-27 June, and resolved to prepare a comprehensive health and safety declaration at local plants, with support and cooperation from managers, for presentation at next year&rsquo;s conference. 
 
ICEM trade union affiliates from Brazil, Japan, South Africa and the US are represented on the steering committee, and Gomurengo, the Japanese Rubber Workers&rsquo; Union Confederation, chairs the network. 
This sixth meeting of the steering committee heard about the economic situations in each country, received reports on tyre sector activity, and reviewed industrial policies of the Japanese company within the different plants. 
<img height="144" alt="" src="" width="100" />. 
ICEM's Michael Wolters
ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Sector Officer Michael Wolters presented the main report on current developments inside the rubber industry, as well as on major technical innovations in tyre manufacture. Wolters also presented, and the steering committee, discussed a recent UN report stemming from an investigation on working and living conditions at a Firestone rubber plantation in Liberia.

ICEM’s Bridgestone Network Meets

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The Peruvian government has stipulated a wage and bonus, thus ending a strike by a union of FNTMMSP, ICEM&rsquo;s mining and metals affiliate in Peru. The nine-day shut down of the country&rsquo;s only iron ore operation forced the government to impose terms on Shougang Hierro Peru SA, which is wholly-owned by the Chinese government through its Shoulda Iron and Steel Group. 
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The government ordered a pay increase of more than half of what the union was seeking, and also imposed a one-time bonus. Shoungang&rsquo;s 800 miners had earned about US$13-per-day, while the average mining wage in Peru is $33-per-day. The imposed settlement for this year amounts to an 8% salary increase, and a bonus payment that exceeds US$300. 
 
The Chinese state-run company argued during talks that free water and electricity provided to iron ore miners offset the difference in pay schemes with other mining companies operating in Peru. Under Peru&rsquo;s labour law, the regional labour agency can intervene once a work stoppage has been declared legal. The strike lasted from 19-28 June.

Peru’s Government Imposes Wage Deal to Settle Iron Ore Strike

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Japonya, Endonezya, Hindistan, Malezya, Tayland ve Vietnam'dan kau&ccedil;uk iş&ccedil;ilerini &ouml;rg&uuml;tleyen yirmi beş sendikanın temsilcileri 27 Ekim g&uuml;n&uuml; Endonezya'nın Cakarta kentinde bir araya geldiler ve ICEM Asya-Pasifik Kau&ccedil;uk Sendikaları Ağı'nı kurdular. Friedrich Ebert Vakfı'nın desteklediği ve ICEM &uuml;yesi Kimya Maden ve Enerji İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası'nın (FSP KEP) evsahipliğini yaptığı toplantıya Japonya'dan ICEM-JAF sendikası ve ICEM Sekretarya kadrosu da katıldı. 
 
FSP KEP Başkanı D. Pataobong Sjaiful a&ccedil;ış konuşmasında ş&ouml;yle dedi: &ldquo;D&uuml;nyada s&uuml;r&uuml;p giden ekonomik kriz koşullarında ve Asya-Pasifik B&ouml;lgesi'ne &ouml;zg&uuml; zorluklar karşısında, ICEM'in kau&ccedil;uk işkolundaki sendikaları bir ağ &ccedil;er&ccedil;evesinde bir araya getirme girişimi son derece &ouml;nemli. Ağır koşullarda &ccedil;alışan &uuml;yelerimizin haklarını daha iyi korumaya y&ouml;nelik bu birlikteliğe ihtiyacımız var.&rdquo; 
 
Toplantıda ICEM Kimya ve Kau&ccedil;uk B&ouml;l&uuml;m&uuml; Sorumlusu Kemal &Ouml;zkan k&uuml;resel kau&ccedil;uk sekt&ouml;r&uuml;ndeki &ouml;nemli gelişmeler ve zorluklar konusunda bir sunum yaptı. Toplantıdan &ouml;nce dağıtılan soru formları sayesinde, verilen &uuml;lke raporlarının ve sendikaların durumuyla ilgili tartışmanın sağlam verilere dayanması sağlanmış oldu. 
Toplantıda ICEM'in k&uuml;resel ve b&ouml;lgesel şirket ağları ve k&uuml;resel &ccedil;er&ccedil;eve s&ouml;zleşmeler &uuml;zerinde de duruldu. K&uuml;resel s&ouml;zleşmelerin &ouml;rg&uuml;tlenmede ara&ccedil; olarak kullanılması enine boyuna tartışıldı. Şirket ağlarının ise dayanışma &ouml;rg&uuml;tlemede ve bilgi alışverişinde hayati ara&ccedil;lar olduğu vurgulandı. 
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Şirket ağları konusu toplu pazarlık, iş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliği, istihdam ve genel &ccedil;alışma koşulları bağlamında da ele alındı. 
 
Yeni kurulan Asya-Pasifik Kau&ccedil;uk İş&ccedil;ileri Ağı'nın başkanlığına Japon Kau&ccedil;uk İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası (GOMU-RENGO) Başkanı Toshiaki Hojo se&ccedil;ildi. Toplantıda, ayrıca, izleme &ccedil;alışmalarıyla ilgili bir eylem planı da kabul edildi. Eylem planı d&uuml;zenli bilgi dolaşımını &ouml;ng&ouml;r&uuml;yor ve Kore merkezli Hankook ve Kumho ile Hindistan'dan Apollo gibi &ccedil;okuluslu şirketleri hedefliyor. 
 
Asya'da kau&ccedil;uk işkolunda hızla yaygınlaşan taşeron iş&ccedil;iliği de toplantının g&uuml;ndeminde yer alıyordu. İş&ccedil;ilerin k&uuml;resel &ouml;l&ccedil;ekte karşı karşıya bulunduğu bu soruna ilişkin &ccedil;alışmanın geliştirilmesine karar verildi.

Asya-Pasifik Kauçuk İşçilerinin Sendikaları Bölge Ağı Kurdu

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The ICEM&rsquo;s Global Framework Agreement with the Freudenberg Group, a German-based rubber, auto accessories, nonwovens, and engineering company, was improved recently to include neutrality on union organising. Together with Michael Mersmann, International Director of the German union, IGBCE, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda and ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Officer Kemal &Ouml;zkan met with Lorent Freudenberg, Human Resources Director, and Dr. Dirk Mahler, counsel of Freudenberg, to review and update the agreement with Freudenberg. 
 

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Meeting in Pittsburgh. UE's Bob Kingsley and John Hovis, USW's Leo Gerard and Gerald Fernandez 

Regarding proposals put forth to the privately-held company by the ICEM, it was agreed to continue discussions on most of those issues. But the company did accept a clause in the agreement on neutrality with immediate effect. 
It reads: 
 
&ldquo;The Freudenberg Group respects the right of its employees to freely decide whether or not to establish or to associate with any legitimate trade union of their choice. The Freudenberg Group shall remain strictly neutral concerning its employees&rsquo; choice in the matter.&rdquo; 
 
The agreement also contains a provision, stating, &ldquo;ICEM and IGBCE agree to use their best efforts to promote constructive approaches in local organising drives in the spirit of social dialogue and to achieve positive labour relations as expressed in this Agreement.&rdquo; 

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From left, CEP's Alan Tate, UE's Robin Alexander, ICEM Gen. Sec. Manfred Warda, and Lorent Freudenberg and Dirk Mahler of Freudenberg Group.
To establish the mutual trust and constructive approach in labour relations, the ICEM helped to arrange a US meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 1 October that brought managers of Freudenberg together with some of ICEM&rsquo;s North American affiliates, including the United Steelworkers (USW), United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), and the Communications, Energy, Paperworkers (CEP) Union of Canada. 
 
The meeting was headed by USW President Leo Gerard and UE President John Hovis and following discussions that both labour and management termed honest and constructive, it was agreed that a model case would be implemented and executed regarding social dialogue procedures based on neutrality. 
 
The agreement between ICEM and Freudenberg was signed in June 2000, and was the ICEM&rsquo;s second such Global Framework Agreement at that time.

ICEM’s Freudenberg Global Accord Improved to Include Organising Neutrality

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On 26 October, ICEM Asia-Pacific Region&rsquo;s Working Women&rsquo;s group met in Jakarta, Indonesia, to continue its work on maternity protection. This work has been ongoing for at least a year, and was reflected from the seven points that arose out of the 2007 Women&rsquo;s World Conference. 
 
The meeting was attended by women from ICEM affiliates in Indonesia, Japan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia. The women came from different industries &ndash; mining, cement, chemicals, glass, pharmaceuticals, and electric power. 
 
Pregnant women and new mothers continue to face discrimination in most countries of the world. The global financial crisis just makes this discrimination more acute. 
 
Women&rsquo;s needs for maternity protection, or parents&rsquo; rights, differ greatly in the Asia-Pacific Region. Due to the ageing societies and skills shortages in Japan and Australia, for instance, it is dawning on decision-makers that providing women with incentives to bear children may provide the solution. In other countries, women&rsquo;s rights are under threat due to outsourcing. 
 
It was decided to campaign for the ratification of ILO Convention 183, the Maternity Protection Convention, since no country in the region has ratified it. Nevertheless, many unions have successfully achieved some level of maternity protection through collective bargaining, and these efforts must be continued and strengthened.

Maternity Protection Theme of ICEM’s Asia-Pacific Working Women’s Group

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With the announcement the week before last by US-based International Paper Co. that its Inverurie printing and writing papers mills is &ldquo;unprofitable and not financially viable,&rdquo; ICEM UK affiliate Unite the Union said it will do everything possible to save the mill and the jobs. 
 
The company says the 255,000-tonne-per-year could shut next year. At stake are 371 well-paying jobs in recession-bitten Scotland. A mandatory three-month consultation period between International Paper (IP) and Unite representatives and shop stewards must now commence before any final is taken. 
 
&ldquo;Our first concern is for our members and their families at the mill,&rdquo; said Unite Assistant General Secretary Tony Burke. &ldquo;This is another body-blow to the papermaking industry in Scotland and to manufacturing throughout the UK.&rdquo; 
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An MP in the area near Aberdeen met with both the union and local mill management on 23 October. Alex Salmond told the Herald of Glasgow newspaper that two things are clear following the meeting: &ldquo;One, and it is agreed by everyone, is that the plant continues throughout the consultation period and that means well into next year. Secondly, the management has confirmed that all options are on the table for consideration.&rdquo; 
 
IP&rsquo;s Inverurie mill is some 40 kilometres inland from Aberdeen. It has two paper machines, with the No. 4 machine having been rebuilt in 1996. IP&rsquo;s tentative plans are to cease papermaking and develop the site into other uses. 
 
The mill has been a mainstay in the area since papermaking began near Inverurie in 1852. The American company, Federal Paper Board, bought the family-owned Tait paper mill in 1989. In 1996, IP acquired the mill when it took over Federal Paper Board and its three paper mills, several wood operations, and some 700,000 acres of forestlands, mainly in the US southeast.

Unite the Union in UK Will Fight to Save International Paper Mill in Scotland

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The fourth regional meeting of the Asia-Pacific Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. Workers&rsquo; Network was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 28 October, with 20 delegates from five Asian nations attending. Previous Goodyear Asia-Pacific network meetings were held in Manila, Philippines, in 2005; Singapore in 2002; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2000. 
 
&ldquo;The continuity of our regional network activity since 2000 shows the commitment of participating unions for international solidarity and cooperation, which gives us high hopes for the future,&rdquo; stated Toshiaki Hojo, President of the Japanese Rubber Workers&rsquo; Union Confederation (GOMU-RENGO). &ldquo;It is very important to carry out our activities in parallel with ICEM&rsquo;s Goodyear Global Union Network.&rdquo; 
<img height="225" alt="" src="" width="140" />
Toshiaki Hojo, President, GOMU-RENGO
Hojo added that the Asia-Pacific Workers&rsquo; Network of the American company has worked successfully on health and safety issues, and pledged to do more on this issue. 
 
Delegates evaluated past activities of the Goodyear Global and Asia-Pacific Region networks, and the meeting received a detailed report on Goodyear&rsquo;s financial situation and the labour relations of a company that employs 70,000 workers in 60 factories, operating in 25 countries. Delegates on 28 October identified specific situations in their plants by giving current figures on salaries, working hours, and collective bargaining developments. 
 
Health and safety was handled in a separate session, in which past histories were summarized by ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Officer Kemal &Ouml;zkan. Following, specific health and safety problems were put forward, and the importance of information exchange was highlighted. The ICEM was requested to provide some information on global standards, specifically on heat limits and safety glasses. 
 
After discussing the ICEM&rsquo;s 2009 World Conference for the Rubber Industries and other industry conferences to occur next year, the meeting decided &ndash; through an action plan &ndash; to escalate targeting of joint organising efforts, to focus on training and education programmes, as well as to engage in regular and detailed information exchange through electronic means. 
 
The 2008 regional network meeting also adopted a special announcement toward further action for reinstatement of Thai and Malaysian colleagues, workers who have been unjustly fired by the company.

Fourth Asia-Pacific Goodyear Rubber Workers’ Network Meets in Jakarta, Indonesia

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