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Last month, full worker participation in a future, pan-European company became a reality with agreement by chemicals firm BASF that creates a European Works Council, and includes workers' representatives on its supervisory board. 
 
The employee participation agreement was signed by management and a special negotiating body representing BASF workers in Ludwigshafen, Germany. It is a final step in BASF converting from a German company, or Aktiengesselschaft (AG), to a European company, or Societas Europaea (SE). That transformation is expected to occur early in 2008. 
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Following that, BASF's supervisory board will be reduced from 20 to 12 members, with six of those to be workers' representatives. The newly-formed European Works Council will consist of 23 members from 12 European nations, of which eight will be from Germany. 
 
The agreement strengthens the participation of all European employees in the company. BASF said the accord will improve corporate governance. Legally, the new employee participation agreement will govern cross-border information and make sure that the consultation process involves workers. 
 
That social partnership process will convene three times yearly. In addition, the European Mine, Chemical, and Energy Workers' Federation (EMCEF) will hold the right to be present during all European Works Council meetings, as well as at the SE supervisory board meetings. ICEM German affiliate IGBCE called the BASF negotiated pact a yardstick by which to measure other companies seeking to become European entities.

BASF Signs Accord for Pan-European Worker Representation on Company Panels

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On 4 December, 500 European trade unionists from 17 countries gathered in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, for a European Day of Action against consumer products maker Unilever&rsquo;s harsh restructuring course.
The event, sponsored by the European Federation of Food, Agriculture, and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT), the European Mine, Chemical, and Energy Federation (EMCEF), and the European Works Council of Unilever, included a mass meeting, followed by a march to Unilever&rsquo;s Rotterdam headquarters, where a formal declaration was presented to senior executives.
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Globally, trade unions in a number of countries expressed solidarity with the European Action Day. In Mumbai, India, some 150 unionists, organised by the All India Council of Unilever Unions, held a mass rally on that day to protest the cuts. And in South Africa, Unilever workers from two plants conducted plant-gate pickets during the noon hour.
The six-point Rotterdam declaration presented to Unilever includes: clarity and perspectives from Unilever to European workers of the company; a halt to the current restructuring plan; an end to job dismissals and plant closures; respectful treatment to Unilever&rsquo;s No. 1 asset &ndash; its workers; and a call for full social dialogue with workers&rsquo; representatives to find alternative solutions to job cuts. 
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In early August 2007, the Anglo-Dutch company announced a global reorganisation plan that would make redundant one-tenth of its 180,000 employees. Of those 20,000 job cuts, 10,000 to 12,000 were from European operations, with 20 to 25 plants endangered over the next 3 years.

700 March in Rotterdam against Unilever on European Day of Action

The ICEM welcomes the news that Thaneth Jhanluechai, a paperworker at New Zealand-owned SIG Combibloc in the Rayong industrial area of Thailand, was reinstated to his job. Global trade union actions forced the reinstatement, particularly in New Zealand, where Rank Group, an equity house with a portfolio of forest product assets, bought the 420-worker SIG Combibloc paper packaging factory from a Swiss company last spring.
Thaneth Jhanluechai will return to work this week with full backpay and benefits dating to when he was unjustly sacked, 4 May&nbsp;2007. 
 
Jhanluechai is a leader of the SIG branch union of ICEM affiliate Paper and Printing Federation of Thailand (PPFT). He was sacked by SIG Combibloc for encouraging workers to honour the Songkran holiday. He did this while serving as vice president of the PPFT branch union and as a member of the factory&rsquo;s Employment Committee.
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The discharge came as SIG Combibloc was readying the plant for Rank Group&rsquo;s purchase. To do this, it eliminated the 8-hour work day for 12-hour shifts, a change that would reduce workers fixed pay and would cut their shift differential pay. Thaneth&rsquo;s call for workers to stay home on a legal Thai holiday was reason for discharge, said managers, because it damaged the business. 
 
Following Rank Group&rsquo;s purchase of the Rayong paper converting facility in June, ICEM took up Thaneth&rsquo;s case. In a letter to Rank&rsquo;s CEO, Graeme Hart, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda said this &ldquo;matter concerns the employment status of Thaneth Jhanluechai, a conscientious lab technician who was unjustly fired by managers of the Swiss-based company, shortly before the purchase by your company of SIG Combibloc. He is a 10-year employee who has always gone above and beyond the call of duty at this enterprise.&rdquo; 
 
New Zealand labour unions, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) and the National Distribution Union (NDU), both ICEM affiliates, played key roles in this just reversal, as did Union Network International (UNI). 
 
The pressure, including a manifestation at the New Zealand embassy in Bangkok during the recent ICEM Congress, forced Rank Group to send a senior manager to Rayong. A meeting between the branch union committee, PPFT, and Rank Group representatives occurred on 27 November. Managers listened to six major grievances, and heard first-hand how workplace leaders felt over the unfair treatment of Thaneth. 
 
Two separate meetings occurred next, both on 6 December, one to address the sacking, the other to address the issues. The firing was reversed and the issues, including obstruction of union activity, contract labour matters, unfair work rules, discrimination and favouritism, now get full hearing. The ICEM congratulates everyone involved with the result of this 9-month struggle for justice.

Justice Restored with Reinstatement of Thai Paperworker, Thaneth Jhanluechai

Bangkok, 17-18 November 2007 
&ldquo;Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre&rdquo;, Bangkok
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Day 1 
 
9:30&nbsp; Opening
Evgenia Esenina, Chair of ICEM Women&rsquo;s Committee 
Senzeni Zokwana, President of ICEM 
Manfred Warda, General Secretary of ICEM 
 
Greetings from: Elsa Ramos, ILO, Vesna Rodic, FES 
 
THEME ONE: PEACE 
 
Contributions from: 
<ul>
 <li>
 <div>Burma</div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>Sintraelecol, Colombia</div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>General Union of Electricity Workers and Technicians, Iraq</div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>General Union of Petroleum, Mining Chemicals and Similar Substances Workers in Palestine</div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>Zimbabwe Electricity and Energy Workers Union </div>
 </li>
</ul>
11:00 Coffee break 
 
11:30 Conference reconvenes 
 
 
THEME TWO: CONTRACT AND AGENCY LABOUR 
 
Presentations by: Thailand and India 
 
Discussion 
 
13:00 Lunch 
 
14:30 Conference reconvenes 
Two presentations by Government Pharmaceuticals Organisation 
 
 
THEME THREE: HEALTH 
 
Presentations by Brazil and Germany 
 
17:00 Meeting of ICEM women from Central Europe, Northern Europe, Western Europe 
 
18:00 End of Day One 
 
 
Day Two 
 
9:00 Presentation by Japanese Affiliates on work-life balance 
 
9:30 Working Groups on work-life balance 
 
10:30 Report Back from Working Groups 
 
11:00 Coffee break 
 
11:30 Conference reconvenes 
 
13:00 Lunch 
 
14:30 Conference reconvenes 
 
14:30 Working Groups on Motions 
 
16:00 Elections of Chair and Vice-Chair of Women&rsquo;s Committee 
 
17:00 End of Women&rsquo;s Conference

4th ICEM World Congress - Women’s Conference

<a href="#PPT">For a collection of Powerpoint presentations at the meeting, click here</a>
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Draft Agenda 
Chair of the meeting: Sjaiful DP, FSP KEP Indonesia
<ul>
 <li>9.00. Opening by Manfred Warda, ICEM General Secretary 
 </li>
 <li>9.10 Welcome by Vesna Rodic, Resident Director FES Thailand 
 </li>
 <li>9.15. Aranya Pakapath, ICEM Project coordinator, overview of the contract and agency labour situation in Asia 
 
 9.30. Sergio Novais, ICEM Vice-President, overview of the contract and agency labour situation in Latin America 
 
 9.45. Kenny Mogane, ICEM Project coordinator, overview of the contract and agency labour situation in Sub-Saharan Africa 
 
 10.00. J&oslash;rgen Juul Rasmussen, DEF, Denmark, overview of the contract and agency labour situation in Western and Northern Europe 
 
 </li>
 <li>10.15. - 10.45. Break 
 </li>
 <li>10.45. - 12.30. Additional speakers 
 
 Bambang Surjono, FSPKEP, Indonesia, Indonesian case study 
 Mato Lalic, ICEM Project coordinator, on the situation in Central Europe 
 Tony Burke, UNITE, UK, UK case study * 
 Carol Fraser, CEP Canada, on the situation in North America 
 Lev Mironov, ROGWU, Russia, on the situation in Eastern Europe 
 Olucha Umeh, NUPENG, Nigeria, case study 
 Maria Angelica Vera Horma, FENATRAPECH, Chile, Chilean case study * 
 Hassan J&rsquo;Aama, IFOU, Iraq, on the situation in Middle East * 
 
 </li>
 <li>12.30. - 14.00. Break </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
 <li>14.00. ILO representative* 
 
 14.15. Jim Baker, Council of Global Unions Coordinator, on the impact for organising and bargaining 
 
 14.30. Evgenia Esenina, ICEM Vice-President, ROGWU, Russia, on the gender aspect 
 
 </li>
 <li>14.45. Plenary debate 
 </li>
 <li>15.00. Break 
 </li>
 <li>15.30. Brendan Martin, ICEM Project consultant, past and future of the ICEM contract and agency labour campaign 
 
 15.50. Discussion 
 
 </li>
 <li>16.50. Conclusion 
 </li>
 <li>17.00. End of meeting </li>
</ul>
* to be confirmed
Conference facilitator: Jeannette van Dongen, ICEM Project Officer
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&nbsp;<img height="55" alt="" src="" width="61" align="absMiddle" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<img height="44" alt="" src="" width="200" align="absMiddle" /><a name="PPT"></a>
Presentations from the Meeting
&nbsp;

ICEM Contract and Agency labour Conference

<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2485&amp;la=EN">ICEM Congress Closes with Strong Motions on Burma, Iraq</a> 
24 November 2007
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2484&amp;la=EN">ICEM elects Senzeni Zokwana, Manfred Warda to lead 20-Million-Member Global Union Federation</a> 
23 November 2007
&nbsp;<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2481&amp;la=EN">ICEM Congress Opens with Cry of Better Mine Safety, Curbs to Capital Markets</a> 
22 November 2007
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2482&amp;la=EN">4th ICEM World Congress 
Opening Speech by ICEM President Senzeni Zokwana</a> 
22 November 2007
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2483&amp;la=EN">4th ICEM World Congress 
Speech by ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda</a> 
22 November 2007
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2479&amp;la=EN">Contract and Agency Labour - a Global and Negative Phenomenon</a> 
21 November 2007
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2474&amp;la=EN">ICEM Women Elect New Vice President, Adopt 7-Point Programme</a> 
18 November 2007

4th ICEM World Congress - CONGRESS NEWS

The 20-million-member International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM) is lending its support to the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation Local Union (GPOLU), and its allies, in calling for defeat of draft legislation that would, effectively, privatise Thailand&rsquo;s pharmaceutical drug industry. 
The ICEM is in full support of a manifestation on Monday, November 12, at the Ministry of Public Health in Nonthaburi. That rally, beginning at 13h00, is being organised by GPOLU, the Confederation of State Enterprise Unions (SERC), and allied consumer and civil society organisations. The ICEM encourages Thai citizens to attend. 
<img height="255" alt="" src="" width="300" />&nbsp;
Rawai Pupaga, GPOLU President and 
Chairman&nbsp;of the ICEM Thai Labour Committee
&ldquo;We lend the name of the global trade union for all chemical and pharmaceutical workers to defeat this bill,&rdquo; said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;We believe that removing the government as a provider of essential health needs, in any form, is a recipe for higher costs, with a bigger portion of the population going without adequate health care.&rdquo; 
In a letter to be read at the manifestation, the ICEM pledged to stand with the GPOLU as they &ldquo;prevail upon current government ministers and lawmakers &hellip; that government procurement of pharmaceuticals, first and foremost, must benefit Thailand&rsquo;s citizens.&rdquo; 
 
The ICEM, representing 384 trade unions in 118 countries, will be holding its 4th Congress, 22-24 November, at the Queen Sirikit Convention Center in Bangkok. Some 880 trade union leaders from national unions representing workers in the oil, gas, mining, chemicals, pharmaceutical, and processed industries such as pulp, paper, cement, rubber, glass industries will attend the ICEM&rsquo;s quadrennial Congress.

Global Union Federation, ICEM, Calls for Defeat of Thai Public Health Amendments

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An ICEM affiliate in New Zealand, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), has rebuked a report from the New Zealand Institute, which suggests the country ought to follow rather than lead the climate control debate to avoid having businesses leave due to &ldquo;carbon flight.&rdquo; 
 
EPMU challenged that assertion, and said the country can not afford to follow on climate change, saying that a policy response &ldquo;must ensure a just transition for workers in emission-intensive industries.&rdquo;
<img height="50" src="" width="100" alt="" />
EPMU said the report brings forth the debate on just transition. 
 
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to see good, highly skilled jobs going offshore with no thought about how that skilled labour may be redeployed,&rdquo; said the EPMU in a statement. &ldquo;A just transition means encouraging investment in new technologies that demand new skills and therefore investment in training for the future. 
 
&ldquo;However, this should not be used as an excuse to drag our heels on climate change as the New Zealand Institute and other business lobby groups appear to be suggesting. The long term economic consequences of doing nothing are far more costly than emission-reduction actions now.&rdquo; The EPMU represents 50,000 New Zealanders, including workers in coal mining, manufacturing, electricity generation, and oil extraction.

EPMU Says New Zealand Must Lead, Not Follow Climate Change Transition

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In February 2006, 550 trade unionists and academics from around the world gathered in New York City for a conference called &ldquo;Global Companies, Global Unions, Global Research, Global Campaigns.&rdquo; Now, a book called &ldquo;Global Unions: Challenging Transnational Capital Through Cross-Border Campaigns&rdquo; has been published from the conference. 
 
Edited by Kate Bronfenbrenner, the book contains 11 narratives from the best of the papers submitted at the conference. It contains essays on Global Framework Agreements, Transnational Companies and Human Rights Abuse in the Global South, and National or European: Local Trade Union Politics within Transnational Business. 
<img height="169" alt="" src="" width="120" />
George Becker,&nbsp;1928 - 2007
The conference was organised by the New York State Industrial and Labour Relations School of Cornell University, and had strong support from the AFL-CIO and the United Steelworkers (USW). The book is dedicated to former USW President George Becker, who was gravely ill at the time of the conference. A special tribute to him at the conference focused on his steadfast work during the 1994-95 strike at Bridgestone-Firestone in the US, and the international work that influenced that strike. 
 
The 280-page book is available by visiting <a href="http://www.Cornellpress.cornell.edu">www.Cornellpress.cornell.edu</a>, and orders and sales can be made by contacting Nathan Gemignani at <a href="mailto:ndg5@cornell.edu">ndg5@cornell.edu</a>. The book&rsquo;s cost is US$22.50, GB&pound;11.50, or A$39.95.

Book from New York Labour Conference Available from Cornell University Press

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The ICEM was saddened by the news on 20 October 2007 of the death of Shri Kantibhai Mehta, or Kanti Mehta, the great former leader of ICEM affiliate, Indian National Mineworkers&rsquo; Federation (INMF). He was 87. 
 
In a 23 October letter to the INMF, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda wrote, &ldquo;All of us will miss our great friend and most respected leader. Brother Kandi Mehta devoted his whole life to the development of the Indian trade union movement and played a key role in international labour work.&rdquo; 
 
Born in Calcutta, Kanti Mehta worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi, as well with other Indian leaders, including Kakasaheb Kalelkar and Vinoba Bhave. In 1942, he left university to join the Freedom Movement, at the side of Gandhi. He organised port and dock workers, and textile workers, before becoming a leader in the Indian National Trades Union Congress in 1948.
<img height="204" src="" width="150" alt="" />
&nbsp;Kanti Mehta in 1983 
 

A year later he helped found the INMF, and went on to serve as the trade union&rsquo;s General Secretary and President. He was the primary reason that some one million mineworkers&rsquo; united in India between the years 1956 and 1970. In honour, the Mineworkers&rsquo; International Federation (MIF) held its 1975 Congress in New Delhi. 
 
He was known for his selfless work on behalf of India&rsquo;s rural workers, reflected in the fact that so many mineworkers&rsquo; unified behind a collective voice, the INMF&rsquo;s. He served 15 years as a staunch workers&rsquo; representative on the ILO Governing Board. A deputy director general of the ILO called Brother Mehta one of just a few from the workers&rsquo; side &ldquo;who had first hand knowledge of the needs and problems&rdquo; of those in villages, small townships, as well as in urban areas. 
 
He was a strong advocate for worker education, and was founder of the Institute for Miners and Metalworkers Education, which later became known as the Ghandi Labour Foundation (GLF) in Puri, India. He headed the GLF for many years after his 1995 retirement. In 1978, he was recipient of the Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal Award for Industrial Peace. 
<img height="139" alt="" src="" width="300" />
He was an unlikely candidate for articulation of social issues affecting rural workers. He was born into a wealthy family of diamond merchants, and his life&rsquo;s work became diametric opposite to his upbringing. The quiet dignity that he learned at the side of Gandhi in his early 20s shaped his life. 
 
&ldquo;He will always be a role model in MIF unions,&rdquo; stated Warda. &ldquo;He more than anybody was responsible for bringing the first trade union in from Eastern or Central Europe when the Hungarian miners&rsquo; union joined MIF at the 1990 Berlin Presidium. And his final achievement globally was strong support for the MIF-ICEF merger in 1995.&rdquo; 
 
In 2005, a book was published on his life, entitled &ldquo;The Unsung Kohinoor: Kanti Mehta.&rdquo; That book can be found at the GLF website, <a href="http://www.gandhilabourfoundation.org">www.gandhilabourfoundation.org</a>.

ICEM Mourns Death of Indian Mineworkers’ Union Leader, Kanti Mehta

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