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After six weeks of intense demonstrations and strikes, through which millions of workers and students voiced their aversion of a new French law aimed, at least according to the government, at getting more young people working, the French Prime Minister decided on Monday that enough was enough. 
Dominique De Villepin announced that the &ldquo;first job contract law&rdquo; (contrat premi&egrave;re embauche &ndash; CPE) will be replaced, after it had become apparent that earlier attempts by the government to scale it down were just as firmly rejected by the protesters. 
<img height="67" alt="" src="" width="100" />
The French trade unions, who, together with French student organisations, had successfully managed to stage a few of the largest demonstrations the country has seen for decades, said they were pleased with the result. The proposed CPE would have made it possible to dismiss workers under 26 in their first two years of employment without any reason given. 
Several demonstrations were held in a number of major French cities this week after the announcement on Monday, as the organisations want to keep the pressure on the government to make sure the suggested replacement proposition is of a higher quality. 
Yesterday, the French National Assembly (the lower house of parliament) adopted a compromise to replace the CPE. The focal point would now be on providing assistance for young people that face the most difficulties in gaining access to the job market, through measures such as more training, internships and subsidies for hiring youths with lower qualifications.

French Prime Minister Gives in to Trade Unions and Students

This past week has seen the largest demonstrations against the authoritarian rule of King Gyanendra since he dissolved the government and took absolute power in February 2005. What started last Thursday as a four day strike, led by the 7-party opposition coalition, and supported by the Nepalese independent trade unions and many others, has grown into an indefinite strike since, aimed at ending the absolute rule of King Gyanendra. The organisers call for the parliament to be reinstated. 
<img height="94" alt="" src="" width="100" />
According to the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), the regime in Nepal has lost all control and launched brutal and bloody attacks on peaceful demonstrators. In addition to beating and shooting at ordinary trade union members, including at a security guard at the GEFONT headquarters, the regime has also arrested at least 43 GEFONT leaders since the beginning of April. All of them have been handed a detention order ranging from 90 days to indefinite periods. Three were released yesterday. Many other GEFONT leaders find themselves under heavy surveillance. 
Fate is not much different for the other trade union federations in Nepal. According to the Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC), at least ten of their representatives have been arrested since April 6. In total, many hundreds of protesters have been detained in Nepal last week. One source puts the total number of arrested people at 2,300 for Tuesday alone, with at least another 1,300 still held in detention since Monday. 
<img height="93" alt="" src="" width="70" />
The general strike, which is in its eighth day today, is nationwide, with large demonstrations taking place in several cities throughout Nepal. The king has reacted to the strikes, in addition to the many arrests, by declaring a number of curfews. These have, in a few cases, quickly turned into shoot-on-sight curfews. Only this morning, police opened fire on a demonstration of around 500 lawyers, with many of them ending up in hospital. Over the course of the last few days, at least four people were killed and a large number of demonstrators has been injured. 
In spite of the violence, there appears to be more and more public support for the democratic movement by the day. Protests have not only gained the support of professional organisations and of the FNCCI (the body of employers and business), there are also more and more people from all walks of life reported to take part, without or without the curfews. 
In addition to sending a <a href="/?id=7&amp;doc=1758&amp;la=EN">protest letter to the king</a>, the ICEM also sent a <a href="/?id=7&amp;doc=1757&amp;la=EN">letter of support to its Nepalese affiliates</a>.

Strike in Nepal, Aimed at Ending Nepal’s Autocratic rule, Enters its 8th Day.

<img height="40" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Bargaining will occur for the first time on 14-15 April since, on 26 January, a lockout was initiated by paper company Stora Enso against 600 members of ICEM affiliate Communications, Energy, Paperworkers (CEP) Union of Canada. 
CEP Local 972 and management were close to a settlement in mid-January, but the Swedish-Finnish company was insistent on changes in contracting-out rules, changes that would break from the pattern already established on that issue for the paper sector of Eastern Canada. 
<img height="50" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Besides addressing the issue of contract labour, the two sides must also come to terms on local terms and conditions at the newsprint and coated papers mills in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia. The company did call union leaders to a meeting in March, but only to tell them that it needed lower power rates and a reduction in both provincial and municipal taxes in order to continue to operate the mill. 
Political leaders said there would be no discussions on those subjects until a new collective agreement is in place. CEP Local 972 members have not worked inside the mill since 23 December 2005, the date Stora Enso began an indefinite shutdown to reduce paper inventories.

Negotiations Restart in Canada between Stora Enso and CEP

<img height="40" alt="" src="" width="100" />
ICEM affiliate, the Korean Chemical and Textile Workers&rsquo; Federation (KCTF), and its national centre, KCTU, decided to launch a boycott against the products of GS Caltex (formerly LG-Caltex) in Korea. GS Caltex is a joint venture between Chevron and Korean GS Holding, operating mainly on the oil refinery sector. 
The decision to call for a boycott, which was taken earlier this month, comes after years of fruitless negotiations with the company. The origin of the dispute goes back to July 2004, when the GS Caltex union went on strike after negotiations had broken down with the company. Main issues included the union&rsquo;s demand for a five-day, 40-hour work-week and their call for the non-discrimination of contract workers. 
<img height="100" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Union demands were not only met by an unwilling employer, but also by riot police, sent in by the Korean government, which brutally suppressed the striking workers. After a 20-day strike, the company, while still refusing to give in to any of the union&rsquo;s demands, displayed its ruthlessness by retaliating against returning workers by selecting, at the gate and with police assistance, who could enter and who could not. 
The company dismissed nearly all union officials. It also harassed families of workers with warnings of dismissal. In addition, eight trade union representatives were arrested and sentenced to two or three years in prison. In total, 650 workers were disciplined with a three-month work suspension. 
In support of the boycott, Brother Bae, President of KCFT, went on hunger strike for an indefinite period on 1 April.

Korean KCTF Calls for Korean Boycott of GS Caltex

For the urgent attention of His Majesty 
King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev 
Narayanhity Royal Palace 
Durbar Marg 
Kathmandu 
Nepal 
 
By fax: +977 14 413577 and +977 14 228235 

Brussels, 12 April 2006 
 
King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, 
 
I am writing, in name of the 20 million members that the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) represents in 122 countries worldwide, to protest in the strongest possible terms against the violent response by your security forces to this week&rsquo;s many demonstrations in Nepal. I particularly object to the brutal repression against numerous trade union members and leaders in your country. 
 
Over the course of the past week, as your regime&rsquo;s oppression of the Nepalese democratization movement has become more aggressive, we have been informed of the arrests of many hundreds of protesters and democracy supporters, including scores of trade unionists. Most of these took part in protest actions against your government. Others did not even get that far as they were arrested in anticipation to prevent them from doing so. 
 
Estimates are that 2,300 people were arrested yesterday alone, with at least an additional 1,300 still held in detention since Monday. Amongst these detainees are many members and leaders of GEFONT, NTUC and DECONT, as well as of at least one of ICEM&rsquo;s affiliates in Nepal, the Nepal Independent Chemical and Iron Workers&rsquo; Union (NICIWU). 
 
Together with the wider international trade union community and hundreds of other organizations and countries from around the world, I am calling upon you to end the violence by your security forces in Nepal. In addition, all trade union leaders and members that have been arrested over the last few days, weeks and months must be released immediately. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
 
Fred Higgs 
General Secretary 
 
Cc: 
Mr. Ramesh Nath Pandey, Minister of Foreign Affairs 
Mr. Narayan S. Thapa, Ambassador of Nepal to the Benelux and European Countries - By Fax: 02-344.13.61

ICEM protest letter to King Gyanendra in Nepal

Se&ntilde;or Alvaro Uribe V&eacute;lez 
Presidente de la Rep&uacute;blica 
Palacio Nari&ntilde;o 
Carrera 8 No. 7-2 
Bogot&aacute; 
 
By Fax: ++57-1-337.58.90 and ++57-1-566.20.71 
 
 
Mr. President, 
 
I am writing on behalf of the 20 million workers worldwide of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions to express our horror and disgust at the brutal murder of brother Daniel Cortez Cortez, a member of Sintraelecol, ICEM affiliate in Colombia. 
 
Brother Cortez was assassinated at night in Puerto Parra, near Barrancabermeja, on Sunday April 2nd, reportedly by a group of paramilitary members. He was shot in the face and died instantly. Brother Cortez leaves behind a wife and four children. He had been working for 16 years at the Empresa Electrificadora de Santander and had been an active&nbsp;trade union member. 
 
His death is the latest expression of the fact that the seemingly endless series of human and trade union rights violations in Colombia has far from ended. Your country remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for trade unionists to do their work. On top of that, most murders of trade union members go uninvestigated and unpunished. 
 
As to the assassination of Daniel Cortez, a full and open investigation into this murder needs to be started as a matter of urgency. Those responsible for this hideous crime need to be brought to justice without delay. 
 
In addition to that, I repeat that it is up to the Colombian government to guarantee a safe working place for trade unionists. It is high time to deliver on earlier promises and provide effective protection for trade unionists in Colombia. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
Fred Higgs 
 
General Secretary 
ICEM 

CC: 
Francisco Santos, Colombian Vice-President, 
Jorge Alberto Uribe, Colombian Minister of Defence, 
Dr Carlos Franco, Head of the Presidential Human Rights Program 
Colombian Embassy in&nbsp;Brussels

ICEM letter to Colombia on murder of trade union member Daniel Cortez

<img height="287" alt="" src="" width="200" />
ICEM World Conference for the Rubber Industries 
6-7 April 2006 
Istanbul, Turkey 
The day before the opening of the ICEM World Conference for the Rubber Industry in Istanbul, US-based tyre company Goodyear Tire &amp; Rubber announced its intention to close two European plants. Goodyear Dunlop is to end production at its Washington factory in Tyne and Wear, UK, with the loss of 585 jobs. A further 39 jobs could be lost in another company&rsquo;s plant in Wolverhampton, UK, which is a supplier of components to the Washington factory. 
 
Goodyear will also stop the production of bicycle tyres in its Polish factory in Debica with the loss of 320 jobs. 
 
Together with planned savings from other business units, Goodyear expects to cut a total of 1,500 jobs. 
 
The delegates at the ICEM world conference expressed serious concern about this plan. They fully support their sister trade unions in the UK and in Poland in their fight for the workplaces of their members. 
 
For a big multinational company like Goodyear, the use constant use of redundancies to try to cut costs is a very poor sign. A challenging market needs investment and R&amp;D activities, instead of plant closures all over the world. 
 
The ICEM and its affiliated trade unions strongly urge the management of Goodyear to show social responsibility and help the workers in both plants getting the chance to save the future of their families.

ICEM Rubber Conference Resolution - Support for the Workers Struggle in 2 European Goodyear plants

President Roh Moo-hyun 
1 Sejong-no, Jongno-ku, 
Seoul 110-820 
Republic of Korea 
 
By fax: +82-2-770.03.44&nbsp; 
By e-mail <a href="mailto:president@cwd.go.kr">president@cwd.go.kr</a> 
 
 
Dear Mr. President, 
 
I am writing, after having been informed by the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), to protest against the ongoing trade union repression in your country of the members of the Korean Chemical and Textile Workers&rsquo; Federation (KCTF) at GS Caltex. 
 
The anti-union behaviour by GS Caltex started in 2004 when the company, with the help of the Korean police, aggressively retaliated against a strike that was organized by the workers at GS Caltex. The strike was the result of the company&rsquo;s decision to disregard a set of reasonable union demands, which were on issues such as a five-day, 40-hour work-week and the non-discrimination of contract workers. 
 
After the brutal suppression of the strike, GS Caltex continued to hit back at the union&rsquo;s members and leaders by selecting at the gate who could return and who could not. This also happened with the assistance of the police, who remained stationed inside the company for 52 days. GS Caltex also harassed families of workers and ended up dismissing almost all union officials, 30 in number. In addition, eight trade union leaders were arrested and sentenced to periods of two to three years in prison. A total of 650 other workers were disciplined with three-month suspensions from work. 
 
Since then, the company has refused to bargain in good faith with the workers, whose situation and future remains extremely insecure. I am calling upon your government to assist in ending the desperate situation of the KCTF members. GS Caltex needs to come to a fair and honest agreement with its workers and end its unfair labour practices. Also, the dismissed union leaders must be reinstated. 
 
Thanking you in advance for your kind cooperation 
 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
 
(Name) 
(Title) 
(Union)

Model protest letter to Korean government

The ICEM is calling on principals behind Debswana, the diamond mining enterprise of Botswana, to step in and resolve the remaining issues in the bitter dispute between the company and affiliate Botswana Mining Workers' Union (BMWU). 
 
Debswana, encompassing four highly profitable mines, is jointly owned by global diamond concern DeBeers and the government of Botswana, which also controls 15% of DeBeers. 
 
On 23 August, about half of Debswana's 6,000 workers struck the mine sites over a pay and bonus offer that fell far short of what was granted salaried staff. The company responded by issuing termination notices to 444 strikers, as well as eviction notices to many of the strikers who reside in company-subsidized housing near the mine sites. 
 
In late July, Debswana secured an industrial court ruling declaring any strike illegal. The miners who struck, acting without BMWU consent, were angered that the inferior pay and bonus offer was withdrawn from the bargaining table after leadership rejection, as well as the industrial court ruling which they considered one-sided. 
 
Following the strike, Debswana management sought and received contempt of court citations for some 33 officers of the three BMWU branches at the four sites and national BMWU leaders. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for 2 September with the company showing no willingness to soften its stand despite several attempts by BMWU to re-enter dialogue, efforts rejected by Debswana managers. A legal decision against the BMWU and the branch leaders-all of whom work for Debswana-will have the effect of shutting down the union. 
 
&quot;Our information from several sources tells us that neither DeBeers nor the government of Botswana has interceded in efforts to resolve this dispute,&quot; said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs. &quot;In good faith and also to prevent this dispute from escalating to other work sectors in Botswana, we call on Debswana management in coordination with DeBeers and the government to immediately rescind the dismissals and eviction notices.&quot; 
 
Higgs added the BMWU agreed on 27 August to accept the company's pay and bonus proposal. &quot;It is now necessary for Debswana to recall the discharged workers and drop the court action so that both union and management can put this dispute behind, resume full operations and begin more cooperative labour relations.&quot; 
 
Debswana's mines, which produce 30 million carats annually, are responsible for nearly 75% of Botswana's export earnings, 45% of all government revenues and account for one-third of the country's Gross Domestic Product.

Burden on DeBeers, Government to End Botswana Diamond Dispute

Terms of the Global Framework Agreement between Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget (SCA), the ICEM and the Swedish Paper Workers&rsquo; Union were announced this week. The Stockholm-based company along with the unions and SCA&rsquo;s European Works Council signed the Global Agreement on 15 April 2004.
The agreement cites adherence to the Core Conventions of the ILO on workers&rsquo; rights, and states that such standards &ldquo;should guide SCA&rsquo;s activities and its relations to the employees.&rdquo; It also includes language in which the company will inform sub-contractors and licensees of the agreement, and that it will encourage such parties to comply with the same standards. 
 
 
<img height="175" alt="" src="" width="380" />
Signing the SCA Global Agreement, from left, 
Carl Lindqvist, chair of the SCA European Works Council; 
Sune Ekbage, president of the Swedish Paper Workers Union; ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs; 
and Jan Astrom, SCA CEO and Managing Director. 


Other points contained in the agreement: 
 
&bull; As a minimum, SCA will comply with all applicable legislative and regulatory requirements; 
 
&bull; The firm will strive for continuous improvement to workplace health and safety standards, as well as environmentally responsible behaviour; 
 
&bull; SCA will strive toward full non-discriminatory policies including ensuring equal development opportunities exist regardless of gender, race, ethnic background, sexual oreintation, religion, political affiliation or disability; 
 
&bull; The company will provide employees with opportunities to train for job enrichment and increased responsibilities; 
 
&bull; SCA commits to paying fair wages and benefits according to relevant market standards; 
 
&bull; The firm will be guided in its operations by provisions of the UN&rsquo;s Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and 
 
&bull; SCA supports the effective elimination of forced labour and child labour, and it will make these criteria in the choice and management of suppliers and sub-contractors. 
 
The Global Agreement also contains a process on how disputes pertaining to the agreement will be resolved and all parties will meet annually to review the framework agreement. 
 
Sune Ekbage, chair of the Swedish Paper Workers&rsquo; Union, said the agreement is a &ldquo;natural for a Swedish company such as SCA&rdquo; that has &ldquo;a long tradition of favorable relations with trade unions. I am convinced that this will favor SCA and it has come at exactly the right time, in view of discussions concerning ethical guidelines currently underway in Sweden.&rdquo; 
 
ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs stated, &ldquo;SCA has expanded to become a premiere worldwide pulp, paper and packaging company. We are pleased that SCA recognizes the need to uphold workers&rsquo; rights and build cooperative relationships with respective unions in all its global enterprises.&rdquo; 
 
Higgs said the agreement follows an excellent accord reached late last year regarding cooperation between SCA and ICEM US affiliate Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical, Energy (PACE) Workers Union. A part of that overall agreement contains a company pledge to remain neutral in union organizing drives by PACE at SCA&rsquo;s non-union tissue mills in the US. 
 
Higgs said SCA&rsquo;s recent global expansions coincide with where the 20-million-member ICEM has trade union affiliates. In March of this year, the firm bought the tissue assets of New Zealand-based Carter Holt Harvey (CHH), the leading towel and tissue provider for both New Zealand and Australia. Additionally, SCA purchased the 50% share of a joint venture it had with CHH called Sancella that includes feminine hygiene products marketed in the two countries. 
 
The company has expanded into Malaysia with purchase of a baby diaper firm. In Europe, SCA has enlarged both tissue and containerboard capacity in Spain, and purchased a packaging firm called Busto and Tema in Italy. SCA has also taken a controlling interest in a Mexican tissue company called Copamex. 
 
Commented SCA CEO Jan Astrom on the global accord with the unions: &ldquo;The agreement supplements the Code of Conduct adopted by the SCA Board of Directors earlier this year. The agreement is an expression of SCA&rsquo;s willingness to assume social responsibility and act as an exemplary employer.&rdquo;

Global Framework Agreement Announced with Swedish SCA

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