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A satisfactory result came from recent negotiations in Brazil by ICEM rubber affiliate inside Frente Unica da Borracha (FUB). Employers in tyre manufacturing agreed to meet Brazils&rsquo;s inflation rate of 6.93% and workers in those business enterprises won 7%. Profit-sharing increased from R$2,750 to R$3,250. In the rubber materials sector, an 8% pay increase was attained and several improvements were made in that collective agreement as well.

Rubber Accord Reached in Brazil

Police in the Philippines a week ago punched through strike lines of the unaffiliated Lepanto Employees Union at Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corp., the country&rsquo;s largest copper and gold producer. The union struck 4 June over a pay dispute that has been unresolved since November 2004. On 8 June, the government issued a return to work order, but the vast majority of over 1,700 workers continued the union&rsquo;s strike. The Department of Labour and Employment then issued dismissal letters to miners refusing to obey the strike&rsquo;s termination edict. In 2003, a strike at the Mankayan, Benquet province, mine and smelting operations was also broken up by riot police. Two miners died in the process.

Police, Government Break Mine Strike in Philippines

A flooded shaft at an illegal coal mine in eastern Jianxi province, China, killed seven miners on 18 June. The incident occurred near the city of Leping and the bodies of the miners were only recovered 23 June. Two other workers were in the illegal mine, but were rescued late on 18 June. China&rsquo;s State Administration of Production Safety reports 2,187 miners have perished in the first five months of 2005, a 9.7 increase over the same period in 2004. A total of 23 major accidents&mdash;defined as claiming ten or more lives&mdash;have occurred so far in 2005, a 274% increase over the same period last year.

Deaths in China&#039;s Mines a Recurring Nightmare

ICEM affiliates in South Africa today have taken their members out on strike, joining labour centre COSATU&rsquo;s call for protest against soaring job loss and unemployment levels now reaching 40%. Over 200,000 workers are expected to strike. ICEM affiliates National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) are also using the day-long strike to call attention to the lack of progress in wage talks. NUM is negotiating with the Chamber of Mines in gold sectors talks, and is also bargaining for workers in the precious mineral. NUMSA has been stalemated in pay talks in the metal, automotive and engineering sectors.

South African ICEM Affiliates Lead Mass Strike

IGBCE, ICEM&rsquo;s Germany affiliate, achieved mutually-accepted labour terms for the chemicals sector 16 June for workers in western Germany. The agreement with chemical employers&rsquo; association BAVC meets IGBCE&rsquo;s pay goals as a result of recent productivity increases and exceeds German inflation of 1.6%. A general wage increase of 2.7% was won, plus a single payout of 1.2% of a month&rsquo;s salary multiplied by 19. IGBCE bargains for 550,000 workers in chemicals.
IGBCE achieved an increase in the number of trainee or apprenticeship positions in both 2006 and 2007, and the fixed weekly work-time regulation was held at 37.5 hours. Ongoing discussions will occur on making special improvements for trade union members, and talks covering eastern German chemical workers also are in progress.

IGBCE, Chemical Employers Agree to Terms in Germany

ICEM&rsquo;s Global Framework Agreement with Statoil was renewed last week for a further two years. The agreement was reviewed by representatives from ICEM, Norwegian oil and gas union NOPEF, and management of Statoil in Stavanger, Norway. 
The agreement now includes a specific commitment by Statoil to provide a clear and supportive policy on HIV/AIDS, and also includes an enhanced commitment on equality of opportunity and treatment of workers. Lars Myhre, chairman of ICEM&rsquo;s Energy Sector, hailed the renewed agreement as a further positive step in labour relations between ICEM, NOPEF, and Statoil.

ICEM&#039;s Global Agreement with Statoil Renewed

<img height="40" src="" width="100" alt="" />
ICEM Nigerian affiliate PENGASSAN is adamant about improving laws and regulations concerning the use of casual workers. At a four-day workshop in mid-June in Owerri, Imo State, leaders of the white-collar petroleum union issued a communiqu&eacute; aimed at both the Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources and contractors: PENGASSAN members &ldquo;frown at the increasing level of casualisation and contract staffing in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry because of its dehumanizing and exploitative nature but cautions that the proposed Recruiters License should be given to consultants who will respect Labour Laws.&rdquo; 
PENGASSAN also stated such licenses &ldquo;be renewed annually to check abuse while the Association should be made to certify that the vacancies to be filled are temporary in nature. Also, the workshop reaffirms the stand of the Association on unionizing contract workers and urges Companies that are yet to enter into Collective Agreements with this category of workers do so immediately.&rdquo; 
The union is also seeking an amendment to the Petroleum Act of 1969 in that private enterprises awarded licenses to build new refineries are given two-to-three years maximum to construct such refineries, or risk losing permits and licenses. PENGASSAN insists that at least 40% of all crude oil drilled in Nigeria be refined in the country in order to create jobs for Nigerians.

Nigerian Unions Seek Controls on Casual Labour Use

In a new self-help move by some of the world's poorest workers, the National Union of Working Women (NUWW) last Friday launched a health protection scheme for its more than 300,000 informal sector workers in Chennai, India. The announcement came as the Asia-Pacific Women's Committee of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) was meeting there. The NUWW is an ICEM affiliate. 
 
Like most newly industrialising and developing countries, India has many &quot;informal sector&quot; workers who earn a pittance from unrecognised jobs on the fringes of the formal economy. The informal sector does not have access to social security or other public services. Nor is it covered by labour legislation. Overall, less than 10 percent of the Indian population have access to social security. 
 
Among the informal workforce are NUWW members working on the bottom rung of society. They do such jobs as making incense sticks, matchsticks and fireworks. Although they are making a contribution to society, they are still neglected. 
 
NUWW members pay 24 Rupees per year in subscriptions to their union. 
 
In 1981, a life insurance scheme was started. But it was discovered that, in fact, medical expenses are the biggest burden for the worst-off women workers in the informal sector. After childbirth, for example, they are heavily indebted. So the NUWW members decided to launch health programmes. They negotiated with an insurance company an annual premium of 70 Rupees, which provides coverage for up to 15,000 Rupees of medical expenses a year. It also provides them with good-quality health services and hospitalisation. 1,000 NUWW members have already registered for the scheme.

Indian Informal Workers Launch Health Scheme

some 30,000 chemical workers in Eastern Germany and East Berlin are to receive a pay rise of 5.6 percent over two years, under an agreement signed by their union IG BCE on Saturday. Wages will go up by 2.8 percent on 1 July this year and a further 2.8 percent on 1 July 2001. 
 
Another agreement last week secured a two-stage 6.2 percent rise over two years for around 5,000 East German paper workers. 
 
West German workers in the same sectors will be receiving a two-stage 4.2 percent rise over roughly the same period under agreements signed earlier last month. 
 
When Germany reunified, wages in the East were much lower than in the West. Under separate bargaining arrangements, the gap is gradually being narrowed. 
 
The East German agreements extend the scope for part-time work by older employees, and guarantee them take-home pay equal to at least 85 percent of their last net full-time wage. There is also provision for expanding the number of apprenticeships available in the East German chemical and paper industries. The aim of both measures is to help reduce unemployment in Eastern Germany. 
 
At the global level, IG BCE is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM).

Pay Gains Achieved in East German Paper, Chemical Sectors

Imerys, the ceramics, minerals and construction materials multinational, must recognise the trade union rights of its American workers without further delay. 
 
That was the message from Fred Higgs when he addressed cheering Imerys workers at a rally in Sylacauga, Alabama, on Saturday. 
 
Higgs is General Secretary of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), which has been campaigning against the anti-union stance adopted by Imerys at its US sites. The US Imerys workers' union, PACE, is an ICEM affiliate. 
 
PACE and the ICEM will &quot;make it so hot for Imerys that they will be looking for a solution,&quot; Higgs promised more than 250 workers attending the rally. They responded by taunting Imerys with chants of &quot;ICEM&quot; and &quot;PACE Will Be In Your Face&quot;. 
 
The restructuring that led to the formation of Imerys last year included the merger of unionised and non-unionised production plants in the USA. PACE now wants the chance to represent workers throughout the newly merged Imerys operation there, but the company has hired professional &quot;union-busters&quot; to discourage union organising and is blocking all attempts to let its workers decide if they want to be represented by the union. 
 
Imerys is based in France, where unions are backing the American workers' campaign. Support is also coming from unions in England, where Imerys has major production sites and Belgium, where financiers the Frere family hold a substantial interest in Imerys. 
 
In Europe, Imerys recognises trade unions and has taken a &quot;social partnership&quot; approach to industrial relations. Higgs has dubbed Imerys a &quot;chameleon corporation,&quot; accusing it of trying in America what it would not dare to attempt in Europe. 
 
Company tactics in the US so far have included compulsory meetings at which workers are shown videos that equate trade unions with the mafia. At Saturday's rally, Higgs told the American workers that Imerys was using in the States industrial relations methods that would be illegal in Europe. 
 
Higgs also noted the abrupt departure last week of Dennis Rediker. Prior to the sale of English China Clays to Imerys forerunner Imetal, ECC was run by Rediker, who was its chief executive officer and major shareholder. After Imetal acquired ECC, Rediker was made a Vice-President of Imerys-owned Georgia Marble and was put in charge of its Pigment Division. 
 
Rediker has a long history of anti-unionism and PACE believes that he was the main reason why Imerys' attitude to trade unions in America has clashed so markedly with its policies in Europe. 

Little is known about the circumstances of Rediker's sudden departure, but he is understood to have been replaced by Imerys executives from France. 
 
&quot;The fact that Rediker has moved on just now is not coincidental,&quot; Higgs said. &quot;It is symptomatic of the ideological rift between the US management and the centre.&quot; 
 
Speakers at Saturday's rally included Don Langham, PACE Vice-President and ICEM Executive member; Stuart Burkhalter, President of the Alabama State branch of the US labour federation AFL-CIO; Jimmy Colston, the PACE officer who organised the Georgia Marble plant 29 years ago (the Sylacauga plant at which Imerys has withdrawn recognition of the union); and ICEM North American Regional Coordinator Ken Zinn. 
 
All emphasised the need to rid Imerys' American operations of anti-unionism. 
 
A strange little incident shows just how urgent that task has become. 
 
Prior to Saturday's event, management told a number of union members that if they brought in food from the rally, they would be fired. 
 
So Imerys American management is even frightened of union-bought snacks. 
 
Food for thought in Paris.

Higgs Vows at US Rally: &#039;We&#039;ll Make it Hot for Imerys!&#039;

Archive

Rubber Accord Reached in Brazil

Police, Government Break Mine Strike in Philippines

Deaths in China's Mines a Recurring Nightmare

South African ICEM Affiliates Lead Mass Strike

IGBCE, Chemical Employers Agree to Terms in Germany

ICEM's Global Agreement with Statoil Renewed

Nigerian Unions Seek Controls on Casual Labour Use

Indian Informal Workers Launch Health Scheme

Pay Gains Achieved in East German Paper, Chemical Sectors

Higgs Vows at US Rally: 'We'll Make it Hot for Imerys!'

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