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US affiliates United Steelworkers (USWA) and PACE will conduct concurrent conventions next week in which PACE members will vote on a merger agreement with the USWA. But continuing the unions&rsquo; two-year-old joint strategic pact developed to take up political and strategic social issues, USWA and PACE targeted 60 Weyerhaeuser forest products worksites last week in the US and Canada with the union message. PACE and the USWA are the ranking one, two North American unions representing Weyerhaeuser workers in forestry, solid wood products, pulp, paper and paperboard worksites. &ldquo;We are stronger as workers when we work together, and we are demonstrating that strength to (Weyerhaeuser),&rdquo; said Gerald Johnston, PACE Regional Vice President and Weyerhaeuser Union Council Chairman.

PACE, USWA in US Braced to Merge

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After one strike ultimatum given in March to Nigeria&rsquo;s oil industry was lifted to conduct further talks, affiliates NUPENG and PENGASSAN are prepared now to take three-day strike action beginning 11 April. Talks broke off 30 March between the two unions and several global oil companies and their contractors and mediation is being done by the country&rsquo;s Ministry of Labour and Productivity. 
At issue is the ever increasing number of expatriate workers entering Nigeria&rsquo;s oil sector, a fact that shatters set quota levels. The two unions also list among issues casualisation, deductions in worker salaries to fund pension benefits, and Nigeria&rsquo;s downstream restructuring programme which already has brought 4,700 redundancies. NUPENG and PENGASSAN members are wearing red shirts and other red items in the days leading up to the planned 11 April action.

Strike Threat in Nigerian Oil Industry Over Expat Workers

China recorded further mass deaths in yet another coal mine disaster over the weekend. On 19 March, a gas blast at Xishui colliery near Shuozhou, Shanzi province, killed 60, with another nine miners still missing. The explosion collapsed a wall in the adjacent Kangjiayao mine and several of the dead and trapped miners were working there. The Xishui mine was ordered shut last November for safety reasons, but mine owners&mdash;now being held by police&mdash;restarted production early this year in defiance of authorities. This latest disaster comes a mere two days after another gas explosion killed 19 miners in Chongquing in southwestern Sichuan province. And on 14 March, a gas blast at Qitaihe Coal Field Group killed 18 at the Xinfu mine in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang province.

Three Chinese Mine Accidents Kill 100

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South African chemicals company Sasol had yet another fatality at its Secunda, Mpumalanga, synfuels plant. And again it involved a contract worker. On 15 March, a worker for US contractor Fluor was killed in an accident inside the plant&rsquo;s pipe fabrication shop. 
The fatality is the seventh major incident at Sasol operations since a contract employee at Secunda allegedly caused a blast last September, killing ten and injuring 360. Welilo Nolingo, General Secretary of ICEM affiliate Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers&rsquo; Union, was on site following the death to talk to workers. 
CEPPWAWU said Sasol was refusing to take responsibility for this latest incident. Last month, CEO Pieter Cox said the company was reviewing safety procedures for all contractors after safety related incidents at both Secunda and a refinery in Sasolburg, Free State. A South African radio station reported after this latest death that another contractor performing maintenance work for Sasol was doing that work without the necessary permits.

Contract Worker Victim at Sasol Chemicals in South Africa

A strike by glass workers of several Belgian unions at Glaverbel&rsquo;s AGC Automotive Fleurus ended 15 March in a negotiated settlement over a restructuring plan. The strike, begun in December in the southern Belgian town of Fleurus, included ICEM affiliates CG-FGTB and white-collar SETCa-BBTK. Negotiators managed to soften the impact of those being retrenched by gaining additional severance pay, getting early retirement after age 50, and reducing the cuts from 284 to 247 at the 800- worker factory. Glaverbel is owned by Asahi Glass, the world&rsquo;s second largest glassmaker.

Belgian Unions End Strike at Glass Plant

Members of UK&rsquo;s Transport &amp; General Workers Union at Michelin&rsquo;s Stoke tyre plant in the Midlands are in their 11th day of industrial action following the French company&rsquo;s refusal to consolidate a pay offer with pension, holiday and other benefits. The 400 workers rejected a non-consolidated pay offer 10 March for the second time and are refusing overtime and all cooperative programmes with management. Tying the pay offer of 3% also to pensions and other benefits would cost Michelin less than the revised offer the company made last week that included performance-related payments, said T&amp;G. Workers staged a mass protest outside the factory 15 March, the same day Michelin announced its 2004earnings topped those of 2003 by 60%, &pound; 358 million to 220 million.

Industrial Action at Michelin in the UK

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South Korea&rsquo;s unions are joining to block an anti-worker Contract Labour Bill expected to come before the National Assembly next month. The legislation, put forth by the government and business groups, was delayed in February. 
Among other regressive measures, it would liberalise contract labour by extending terms of service from two to three years. Some 45% of the country&rsquo;s workforce is now comprised of contract workers who, on average, receive half the salaries of full-time workers, but oftentimes work 50% more hours. 
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) said on 18 March it would return to tripartite labour, management, government dialogue to prevent further liberalization on contract labour. KCTU is working with the country&rsquo;s other national center&mdash; the Federation of Korean Trade Unions&mdash;to block the measure. &ldquo;Our top priority is to protect irregular workers,&rdquo; stated KCTU General Secretary Lee Soo-Hu.

Korean Unions to Block Labour Reform Bill over Contract Workers

FCE-CFDT is challenging Electricit&eacute; de France&rsquo;s (EDF) plan to reduce maintenance services in the utility&rsquo;s hydraulic division. EDF wants to cut maintenance activities 20-30% which would include redundancies of 500 jobs in this 3,700-worker area. FCE-CFDT condemns the decision and calls on EDF hydraulic workers to stand and resist the rationalization.

French Unions Seek to Preserve EdF Maintenance Levels

Tomorrow, 22 March, marks a global day of solidarity for Nepal&rsquo;s trade unions. On 1 February, King Gyanendra issued a decree suspending the government and declared martial law. The decree also banned trade union activities. ICEM has issued a Circular to all affiliates containing a sample letter and urges trade unions to register protests to Nepal&rsquo;s embassies. ICEM affiliate Nepal Independent Chemical and Iron Workers&rsquo; Union had received permission from a district administrator to conduct its national conference 1-2 April, but security forces have now cancelled that written permission.

Nepal’s Unions Rallying Global Labour Movement Against King

Frank Hanley, president of US affiliate International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) since 1989, retired effective 1 March. Secretary-Treasurer Vincent Giblin will serve the remainder of Hanley&rsquo;s term to April 2008.

Operating Engineers President In US Retires

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