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Following the release of the English and Arabic versions of the &ldquo;ICEM Guide on Contact and Agency Labour (CAL),&rdquo; the ICEM has now also released French, Spanish, and Russian versions of this important tool to assist unions around the world with their efforts in this growing area of work. 
 
The French version can be found <a href="http://cal.icem.org/images/documents/icem%20manual%20frans%2026032009def.pdf ">here</a>. 
The Spanish version can be found <a href="http://cal.icem.org/images/documents/icem%20manual%20spaans%20070420092.pdf ">here</a>. 
The Russian version can be found <a href="http://cal.icem.org/images/documents/icemmanualrussiandef.pdf ">here</a>. 
 
The English and Arabic versions of the manual, as well as the ICEM&rsquo;s CAL campaign website can be found <a href="http://cal.icem.org">here</a>. 
 
The ICEM CAL Guide describes numerous problems faced by short-term contract workers, and by workers employed through temporary work agencies, containing a number of best - as well as worst - practices from around the world. 
 
The guide also provides an overview of some of the most recent changes in national and international labour laws and standards. It further deals with combating the phenomenon at company level through collective negotiations. Useful and encouraging examples, together with union strategies and ideas to counter the many abuses in this field, are also provided.

ICEM Releases Contract and Agency Manual in French, Spanish, Russian

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In this issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS newsletter, we report, among other items, on the HIV/AIDS activities planned by ICEM affiliates in sub-Saharan African countries and on HIV/AIDS projects sponsored by the British Trades Union Congress.
The ICEM Calls on its Affiliates to Contribute to this e-bulletin 
 
ICEM affiliates are already engaged in a wide range of HIV/AIDS activities. To spread the information on new agreements, awareness, and prevention campaigns, and educational activities, affiliates and project coordinators are invited to send news and information to <a href="mailto:hiv.aids@icem.org">hiv.aids@icem.org</a>. Any feedback on the format and contents of the e-bulletin is also welcome. 
 
Editor: Hans J Schwass, ICEM HIV/AIDS Consultant 

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News from Affiliates 
 
National HIV/AIDS activities by ICEM affiliates in sub-Saharan Africa in 2009 are off to a good start. During the first quarter of the year, national coordinators in participating countries submitted proposals for national activities that are supported with small subsidies from the HIV/AIDS project sponsored by the Swedish LO/TCO Secretariat and the Dutch FNV Mondiaal. Below is a description of national HIV/AIDS activities planned in 2009. 
 
In Nigeria, ICEM affiliates NUPENG and PENGASSAN will continue their successful campaign, which was started more than two years ago, to boost the uptake of voluntary and confidential counselling and testing in major worksites. The project is co-sponsored by the Humanity Fund of the ICEM&rsquo;s Canadian affiliate, Communications, Energy, Paperworkers (CEP) Union. Increased attention will also be paid to women to know their status and to access information. 
 
The 18 ICEM affiliates in the Democratic Republic of Congo cooperate on an HIV/AIDS Committee. Focus this year is on the elaboration of a comprehensive HIV/AIDS proposal for third-party funding. VCT campaigns in specific companies are also planned and as a pilot project, a first campaign will be implemented in a large cement factory. 
 
ICEM affiliate Mineworkers&rsquo; Union of Zambia (MUZ) and the NUCIW in Zambia are building on their earlier training activities to organise workshops and meeting for rank-and-file members, and communities, to encourage access to VCT. A gender training workshop and the development of an HIV/AIDS manual are also on their programme. 
 
In Tanzania, TUICO and TAMICO have started preparations for a major VCT campaign sponsored by funds collected by the Women&rsquo;s Department of the ICEM&rsquo;s German affiliate, IGBCE. Two workshops have already been organised for the unions&rsquo; women committees and shop stewards to prepare for the campaign. In an encouraging development, some of the facilitators were unionists who had been trained as peer educators and VCT counsellors earlier. 
 
UMU of Sierra Leone has made good use of the seed money provided by the ICEM HIV/AIDS project. A large number of shop stewards and local union officials have been trained since UMU was included in the HIV/AIDS project in 2007. As HIV/AIDS does not discriminate between formal and informal workers, the informal workers, so-called grass-diggers, have also been included in the activities. 
 
In Ghana, the Ghana Mineworkers&rsquo; Union (GMWU) is focussing on new mines and mines not previously covered, and where awareness and uptake of VCT is low. It is therefore targeting the sites of Newmont and the Ghana Bauxite Company. A training course for women on the issues and challenges they face with respect to HIV/AIDS is also planned. 
 
Women are the target group for an extensive company-based programme in C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire. The national coordinator who also organises HIV/AIDS activities in a number of Francophone West African countries, plans to work with women in nine companies organised by the three ICEM affiliates in the country. 
 
Affiliates in Botswana and Uganda are also planning training workshops and campaigns with emphasis on awareness about VCT and counselling. 
 
In 2009, Guinea is a new target country for the HIV/AIDS project (see HIV/AIDS e-bulletin 41, February 2009). During a visit earlier this year, the Coordinator for Francophone West Africa, Charlotte Nguessan, met with ICEM affiliates to assess the needs and help affiliates to set up an HIV/AIDS committee to coordinate the work. She also met with the National AIDS Commission, UNAIDS, and the ILO.
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British TUC Launching HIV/AIDS Projects 
 
The UK&rsquo;s Trades Union Congress (TUC) is launching a project designed to build workplace capacity to combat HIV/AIDS in Nigeria in partnership with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). 
 
The project, which is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) at a cost of &pound;500,000 over three years, will contribute to a drop in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, better protection of employment and human rights of workers infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS, and the elimination of discrimination against them in the education and health sectors. 
 
Collective bargaining with employers on effective enforcement of the National Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS will be an integral part of the project. Emphasis will be on prevention and advocacy for voluntary and confidential counselling and testing by unionists trained by project activities. 
 
In Ghana, the TUC cooperates with the Timber and Woodworkers&rsquo; Union in a one-year project funded by the Bill Morris Testimonial Fund for HIV/AIDS in Africa. The project is aimed at the prevention of HIV infections through behaviour change, the improvement of the quality of life of workers affected by, or infected with, HIV and the facilitation of access to testing and counselling to ensure early diagnosis. 
 
(Source: TUC Briefing documents of 28 and 29 April on website <a href="http://www.tuc.org.uk">www.tuc.org.uk</a>)
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Global Fund Approves RCC Proposals 
 
The Global Fund Board has approved six proposals in Wave 5 of the Rolling Continuation Channel (RCC), representing costs of up to US$322 million over three years. Of the six proposals, two were for HIV. 
 
The RCC is a separate channel of funding set up to allow applicants with strong performing grants to apply for continuing funding for up to an additional six years beyond the original proposal term. Applications are by invitation only. The two HIV proposals which were approved were from Armenia and China. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer, Issue 103, 17 April. GFO is a free service of Aidspan &ndash; www.aidspan.org. To receive GFO send an email to <a href="mailto:receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org">receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org</a>.)
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AIDS: Lessons Learned and Myths Dispelled 
 
In an article in the online edition of Lancet (<a href="http://www.thelancet.com">www.thelancet.com</a>), the authors, among them the head of the Global Fund, Michel Kazatchkine, and former head of UNAIDS, Peter Piot, deal with several myths which have emerged recently with respect to HIV and AIDS. 
 
The call alarming the notion, especially worrying during the time of financial crisis, that too much money is spent on AIDS. The fact is that AIDS remains the leading cause of death in Africa and the sixth highest cause of mortality worldwide. The authors also dispel the myth that HIV prevention is not working and point out that in several countries prevention programmes are effective and that global prevention of mother to child transmission has led to a substantial decrease in the number of children born with HIV. 
 
They also dismiss the myth that one solution, or a so-called silver bullet, will comprehensively prevent HIV transmission and the misconception that heterosexual transmission of HIV is uncommon outside Africa. The authors further argue that investments in AIDS are not being made at the expense of health systems which are chronically under funded. The Global Fund and PEPFAR are now among the biggest investors in health system strengthening. 
 
(Source: <a href="http://www.thelancet.com">www.thelancet.com</a> and Global Fund Observer, Issue 102, 25 March)
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World Bank&rsquo;s HIV/AIDS Efforts Failing 
 
World Bank programmes aimed at fighting HIV/AIDS, particularly in Africa, are less effective overall than programmes aimed at addressing other health and development issues, according to a report released by the organisation&rsquo;s Independent Evaluation Group on 30 April. 
 
HIV/AIDS programmes in Africa had a 25% success rate, compared with 80% for all World Bank programmes, the report found. The report cited weak monitoring and infrastructure, poor implementation and overly complex programmes as reasons for the unsatisfactory results. Difficulties in coordinating collaboration with donors, NGOs, and government agencies contributed further to the poor results. 
 
(Source: <a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com">www.medicalnewstoday.com</a> of 4 May)
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HIV/AIDS Funding in Times of Economic Crisis 
 
Life-saving drug treatment for up to 1.7 million people is under threat because of funding pressures triggered by the global financial crisis, according to an analysis released by the World Bank on 24 April. 
 
The report examined the effect of the economic crisis on 69 of the most impoverished countries worldwide and found that 15 are highly exposed to interruption of antiretroviral treatment because of decreases in domestic and foreign funding. As stopping treatment is a death sentence for HIV-positive people, cuts could be made in prevention programmes to be able to continue treatment. This will, however, lead to new surge in infections requiring an ever higher proportion for funding for treatment. 
 
(Source: Financial Times, 25 April)
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News from the Global Union Federations 
 
The fortnightly HIV/AIDS update of the International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF) of 1 April reports, among other items, on an HIV/AIDS comic book called &ldquo;Shore Leave,&rdquo; which was developed for seafarers and on plans by the Cambodian authorities to add questions about HIV/AIDS to the drivers&rsquo; licence exams (<a href="http://www.itfglobal.org">www.itfglobal.org</a>). 

This ICEM HIV-AIDS Newsletter &ndash; How to Subscribe or Translate? 
 
To subscribe to the e-bulletin, send an email to <a href="mailto:press@icem.org">press@icem.org</a>. Please put &ldquo;subscribe ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin&rdquo; in the subject line. 
 
Unfortunately, the e-bulletin can only be published in English. 
 
For a free automated (non-ICEM) translation of this HIV-AIDS bulletin into other languages, you may want to try <a href="http://www.google.com/language_tools">http://www.google.com/language_tools</a> and insert the following URL into the window &quot;Translate a Web page&quot;: /en/72-HIV-AIDS/3222-ICEM-HIV-AIDS-e-bulletin-No.-44-April-2009

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin No. 44 May 2009

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With over 70 confirmed participants, the ICEM&rsquo;s quadrennial World Conference for the Rubber Industries will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, USA next week, on 12-13 May 2009. The conference, to be hosted be the United Steelworkers (USW), will be presided over by USW President Leo Gerard, Chairman of the ICEM Rubber Industry Sector. 

<img height="140" alt="" src="" width="120" />
Leo Gerard, Chairman of ICEM Rubber Industry Section &amp; USW President
The venue is the Sheraton Music City Hotel, Nashville. 
 
Kemal &Ouml;zkan, ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Industries Officer, will make a presentation on &ldquo;Global Industry Trends and Challenges.&rdquo; 
 
The Conference&nbsp;will also feature five panel discussions: &ldquo;Effects of Global Crisis on the Industry and Trade Union Challenges,&rdquo; &ldquo;Rising Hardships and Distortion in Work Relationships,&rdquo; &ldquo;Global Agreements, Global/Regional Company and Sector Networks and Campaigns,&rdquo; &ldquo;How to Improve Health and Safety for Workers: What Kind of Industrial Policy for a Greener Environment for Securing Jobs,&rdquo; and &ldquo;How to Better Coordinate Global Union Solidarity, Support and Cooperation.&rdquo; 

Other presentations on the agenda will include: &ldquo;Collective Bargaining in the Rubber Industry,&rdquo; &ldquo;Global Trade Union Response Against Challenges,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Healthy and Safe Work, Environment and Sustainable Development.&rdquo; The conference will conclude in the afternoon of 13 May with &ldquo;Development of an Action Plan&rdquo; for trade unions of the global rubber sector.&nbsp; 
 
ICEM Health, Safety, and Sustainability Officer Brian Kohler will make&nbsp;the health, safety, and sustainable development presentations. 
 
The Report for the Conference will be up on the ICEM website (<a href="http://www.icem.org">www.icem.org</a>) under ICEM Sectors: Rubber by late this week, as will the agenda and other background documents.

ICEM’s World Rubber Conference Set for Next Week in Nashville USA

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The announced 5.5% wage cut for 15,000 employees of Czech mining company OKD will not occur and instead, through negotiations with mining unions, a compromise has been reached. That compromise, occurring on 30 April, calls for a decrease in the number of agency workers used, and a partial reduction in the number of employees from supplier companies. 
 
The demand for cuts is due to the impact of the world&rsquo;s financial crisis. 

<img height="122" src="" width="120" alt="" />
The company originally proposed an across-the-board decrease in salaries of 5.5%, cancellation of some bonuses, and a reduction in staff of 2,600 regular employees and 900 workers employed by supplier companies. The negotiated compromise preserves all full-time jobs, with job reductions coming from among the 3,000 agency workers that OKD used and from staff of some suppliers. 
 
A mining union spokesman called the compromise the lesser of two evils. 
 
OKD, the Czech Republic&rsquo;s largest hard coal producer, is wholly owned by New World Resources of the Netherlands, an investment company focusing on assets in Central Europe. In 2008, OKD produced 12.7 million tonnes of coal, of which 7.4 million tonnes was coking coal.

Czech Mining Unions Preserve Pay; OKD to Cut Agency Staff, Suppliers’ Staff

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On 15-16 April, the ICEM organised an Asia/Pacific-wide conference on Contract and Agency Labour (CAL) in Singapore. The conference, attended by 50 trade unionists, was held with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) of Germany. 
 
Participants spoke candidly on the ongoing problems of short-term contract and agency work, and other forms of precarious work, and how it affects their daily lives. The experiences expressed made it abundantly clear that the phenomenon is wide-spread, still on the rise, and detrimental to labour relations in Asia-Pacific countries. Such contributions, in addition to those from the ICEM and the FES, came from Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Nepal and Korea, as well as from Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. 
 
An omnipresent problem is that, in almost every Asian country, regular, permanent, and direct-employed workers are being replaced by CAL workers, who are often paid less than permanent workers. They never get the same benefits, nor do they have much of a job future. In Malaysia, for example, it was said that CAL in the past used to be almost uniquely a problem for migrant workers. This is no longer so. In Pakistan, trade unionists note a sharp increase in the use of &ldquo;piece-rate workers.&rdquo; 

<img height="155" src="" width="240" alt="" />
A concurrent issue expressed by all participants is the fear factor. Contract and agency workers are afraid even to discuss union issues, let alone join a union, since this often translates to an end to their fixed-term contracts. It appears to be a simple matter for companies operating in Asia to remove workers from their workforce, or to shift them to less secure jobs. 
 
Among the numerous other problems mentioned was the lack of respect for law where there is some semblance of existing legal protections, such as in the Philippines, India, or Indonesia. Another problem voiced is that oftentimes there are too many unions in some countries, making cooperation difficult. 
 
The positive news is that unions, slowly but surely, are starting to deal with the problem at all three levels that the global ICEM campaign on CAL is aimed at: legislative changes that not only protect workers from abuses, but also leading to more direct and permanent employment (a promising bill is being readied in the Philippines); work at company level, including making the issue key in collective bargaining as well as an organising priority; and evaluating internal union structures to ensure that CAL workers can effectively join trade unions. This has occurred in Thailand, Malaysia, India, Singapore, and Korea. 
 
An important concern on this latter point, as acknowledged by all, is the need to organise more trade union work at industry or sector level, steering away from company-unionism, where it is often easy for employers to &ldquo;divide and conquer&rdquo; the two sets of workers. 
 
Unfortunately, there are currently still many more problems than success stories. One specific example is the continuing problem in stemming the number of CAL workers at Linde in Thailand, an industrial gases company, and granting full-time, permanent employment to such workers. 
 
Adverse examples given of &ldquo;CAL employment techniques&rdquo; in Asia include the use of standard 17-month contracts, in which the collective agreement calls for more rights and benefits for workers after 18 months. Another is supervisors who openly discriminate against CAL workers linked to a union. In the Philippines, companies have used blank resignation letters, asking CAL workers to sign before they even start work. Other workers have been asked to re-enter their current job, but under another name, thus preventing them from gaining increased benefits, or becoming part of the permanent workforce.

ICEM Singapore Conference Illuminates Problems for Contract, Agency Workers in Region

La agrupaci&oacute;n Global Unions, que est&aacute; integrada por 13 federaciones sindicales internacionales, la Confederaci&oacute;n Sindical Internacional (CSI), y el TUAC de la OCDE, sabe cu&aacute;n importante es que en EE.UU. se apruebe el Acta de Libertad de Elecci&oacute;n de los Empleados (EFCA). Sabemos que para tener una econom&iacute;a fuerte, se tiene que dar a los trabajadores la oportunidad de afiliarse a un sindicato y realizar negociaciones colectivas para que se paguen sueldos justos y se eleven las prestaciones sociales de todos los ciudadanos de la sociedad. 
 
Creemos que &eacute;ste es el aspecto fundamental del Acta de Libertad de Elecci&oacute;n de los Empleados. Nuestro sindicato respalda firmemente a los sindicatos norteamericanos en el trabajo que realizan para lograr que el Congreso de Estados Unidos apruebe este proyecto de ley, que cuenta con el apoyo del Presidente Obama. Rogamos informar a los miembros de su sindicato, como tambi&eacute;n a sus funcionarios sindicales elegidos, que nuestro sindicato apoya plenamente el EFCA, y que consideramos que es un elemento esencial de una sociedad libre que permita a los trabajadores afiliarse a un sindicato, sin que les pongan obst&aacute;culos. 
 
(Firmado &hellip; Nombre del funcionario sindical) 
(Nombre del sindicato) 
(Pa&iacute;s)

Llamada Urgente: EFCA Letter ESP

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Arjantin'e giden bir ICEM heyeti k&uuml;resel krizin &uuml;lke &uuml;zerindeki etkilerini inceledi, ayrıca ICEM'in 2011'de Buenos Aires'de yapılacak kongresi i&ccedil;in &ouml;n incelemelerde bulundu. ICEM Genel Sekreteri Manfred Warda federasyonun Arjantin'deki &uuml;yeleri ile 29 Nisan'da bir araya gelerek ekonomik kriz konusunda g&ouml;r&uuml;ş alışverişinde bulundu. Ayrıca, ekonomik kriz konusunda ICEM &uuml;yesi olmayan sendikaların da g&ouml;r&uuml;şlerini aldı ve onlarla ICEM'e &uuml;yelikleri konusunu g&ouml;r&uuml;şt&uuml;. 
 
ICEM'in Cenevre'de 23-24 Haziran g&uuml;nlerinde yapılacak Y&ouml;netim Kurulu'nda Beşinci D&uuml;nya Kongresi'nin yapılacağı yer konusunda karar alınacak. Arjantin sendikaları Kongre'ye evsahipliği yapmak istiyorlar. 

<img alt="" src="" width="264" height="198" />
Warda, ICEM'in Latin Amerika İrtibat Sorumlusu Carol Bruce ile birlikte, Arjantin Kau&ccedil;uk İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası SUTNA, Enerji ve Petrol İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası FeTERA ve &ouml;zel sekt&ouml;rdeki Petrol ve Gaz İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası FASPyGP ile g&ouml;r&uuml;şt&uuml;. ICEM heyeti, n&uuml;kleer enerji iş&ccedil;ilerini temsilen ICEM'e katılmak isteyen Uni&oacute;n Obrero Metal&uacute;rgical (UOM) sendikasının yanı sıra, Arjantin ulusal sendikal merkezine (CTA) bağlı sendikalarla da ICEM'e katılım konusunu g&ouml;r&uuml;şt&uuml;. 
 
Carol Bruce Arjantin'de iki g&ouml;steri y&uuml;r&uuml;y&uuml;ş&uuml;ne katıldı. 22 Nisan'daki g&ouml;steri y&uuml;r&uuml;y&uuml;ş&uuml;n&uuml; d&uuml;zenleyen ulusal sendikal merkez CTA, Arjantin'de işten &ccedil;ıkarmalar konusunda 180 g&uuml;nl&uuml;k bir moratoryum ilanını ve iş&ccedil;ilerin &uuml;cret kayıplarını karşılamak &uuml;zere devletin bir acil durum &ouml;demesi yapmasını talep ediyor. 
 
30 Nisan'da ise, Bruce, &ouml;b&uuml;r b&uuml;y&uuml;k ulusal sendikal merkez CGT'nin, krizin ve işsizliğin sorumlusu neoliberal politikalara karşı d&uuml;zenlediği g&ouml;steri y&uuml;r&uuml;y&uuml;ş&uuml;ne katıldı.

ICEM Heyeti Arjantin&#039;deki Krizi İnceledi

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ICEM, 15-16 Nisan g&uuml;nlerinde Singapur'da, Asya/Pasifik b&ouml;lgesinde taşeron iş&ccedil;iliği &uuml;zerine bir konferans d&uuml;zenledi. Konferansa sendikalardan 50 temsilci katıldı. 
 
Katılımcıların aktardıkları deneyimler taşeron iş&ccedil;iliğinin b&ouml;lgede yaygınlaştığını ve &ccedil;alışma ilişkilerine zarar verdiğini ortaya koydu. ICEM ve Friedrich Ebert Vakfı'nın yanı sıra, Singapur, Tayland, Filipinler, Malezya, Hindistan, Endonezya, Nepal ve Kore sendikaları ile İsve&ccedil;, Danimarka ve Almanya sendikalarının temsilcileri g&ouml;r&uuml;ş ve deneyimlerini sundular. 
 
D&uuml;zenli, s&uuml;rekli ve doğrudan istihdam edilen iş&ccedil;ilerin yerine daha d&uuml;ş&uuml;k &uuml;cretli taşeron iş&ccedil;ilerinin getirilmesi aşağı yukarı her Asya &uuml;lkesinde yaygın bir sorun. 

<img alt="" src="" width="240" height="155" />
B&uuml;t&uuml;n katılımcılar ortak bir sorun olan korku fakt&ouml;r&uuml; &uuml;zerinde durdular. Taşeron iş&ccedil;ileri, işlerini kaybetme kaygısıyla, sendikalaşmak bir yana, sendikal konuları konuşmaktan bile korkuyorlar. 
 
Bu alandaki sorunlardan biri de, &ouml;zellikle Filipinler'de, Hindistan'da ve Endonezya'da olduğu gibi, yasalara uyulmamasıdır. Katılımcıların dile getirdiği bir başka sorun ise bazı &uuml;lkelerde sendika sayısının &ccedil;okluğunun işbirliğini zorlaştırmasıdır. 
 
Bu alandaki olumlu gelişme ise, sendikaların ICEM k&uuml;resel kampanyasının hedeflediği şu &uuml;&ccedil; d&uuml;zeyde ağır ama emin adımlarla ilerlemeye başlamasıdır: yasa değişiklikleri (Filipinler'de bir yasa tasarısı hazırlanıyor); şirket d&uuml;zeyinde &ccedil;alışmalar (sorunu toplu s&ouml;zleşme g&ouml;r&uuml;şmelerinin ve &ouml;rg&uuml;tlenmenin ana ve &ouml;ncelikli konusu haline getirmek); taşeron iş&ccedil;ilerinin sendikalara katılabilmesini sağlayacak sendika i&ccedil;i yapılar oluşturmak. Tayland, Malezya, Hindistan, Singapur ve Kore'de bu ger&ccedil;ekleşti. 
 
Bu bağlamda herkesin kabul ettiği &ouml;nemli bir sorun, sendikal &ccedil;alışmayı şirket d&uuml;zeyiyle sınırlı tutmayıp işkolu ya da sekt&ouml;r d&uuml;zeyinde &ouml;rg&uuml;tleme ihtiyacıdır. &Ccedil;&uuml;nk&uuml; işverenlerin şirket d&uuml;zeyinde iki iş&ccedil;i grubunu (taşeron iş&ccedil;ileri ile s&uuml;rekli iş&ccedil;ileri) &ldquo;b&ouml;l&uuml;p y&ouml;netmesi&rdquo; genellikle daha kolaydır. 
 
Ne var ki şu sıralar başarı hik&acirc;yelerinden ziyade sorunlar ağır basmaktadır. Bunun somut &ouml;rneklerinden biri, Tayland'da bir sanayi gazı şirketi olan Linde'de istihdam edilen taşeron iş&ccedil;ilerinin sayısındaki artışın &ouml;n&uuml;n&uuml;n alınması ve taşeron iş&ccedil;ilerine tamg&uuml;n ve s&uuml;rekli istihdam olanaklarının sağlanmasıdır. 
 
Asya'da &ldquo;taşeron iş&ccedil;ilerinin istihdam teknikleri&rdquo; ile ilgili olumsuz &ouml;rneklerden bazıları şunlardır: 17 aylık standart s&ouml;zleşmelerin bitiminden itibaren, toplu s&ouml;zleşmeler, iş&ccedil;ilerin haklarının artırılmasını &ouml;ng&ouml;rmektedir. Bir diğer &ouml;rnek ise, denet&ccedil;ilerin taşeron iş&ccedil;ilerine sendikal &ouml;rg&uuml;tlenme konusunda a&ccedil;ık&ccedil;a ayırımcılık uygulamasıdır. Filipinlerde, şirketler, işe başlamadan &ouml;nce taşeron iş&ccedil;ilerine istifa mektupları imzalatmaktadır. Bir kısım iş&ccedil;iden ise &ccedil;alıştıkları işe başka bir adla yeniden girmeleri istenmektedir. B&ouml;ylece iş&ccedil;ilerin s&uuml;rekli iş&ccedil;i sayılması &ouml;nlenmektedir.

ICEM&#039;in Singapur Konferansı Bölgedeki Taşeron İşçilerinin Sorunlarını Ele Aldı

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The multinational pharmaceutical company Menarini was put on notice 15 January by Italian unions to improve its social contract with workers, or face a first eight-hour strike on 30 January. In a statement by the tri-union Coordinating Committee of the Menarini Group, FILCEM-CGIL, FEMCA-CISL, and UILCEM-UIL jointly gave warning that pay and profit-sharing increases must be made to Italian workers, and greater participation in corporate strategies must be granted workers. 

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The unions are attempting to secure a four-year social compact with the privately-held, Florence-based company, which specialises in development and manufacture of cardiovascular, respiratory, and other drugs. The three unions are still in search of a satisfactory contract with a term stretching from 2008 to 2011. 
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The statement, issued after a 14 January meeting of the Coordinating Committee in Florence, demands a profit-sharing scheme using a different measure and one weighted more heavily on productivity. The three unions also seek wage quotas that meet the industry medium. 
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In addition, the unions demand working conditions, job classifications, and job re-organisation which will give workers more say in decision-making. Menarini, Europe&rsquo;s 19th largest pharmaceutical company, employs 3,850 of its global workforce of 12,500 in Italy. Besides several other Italian worksites, it operates a large bio-technical centre in Pomezia. 
 
In March 2007, the ICEM intervened on behalf of Turkish affiliate Lastik-İş when Menarini&rsquo;s subsidiary in Istanbul, İbrahim Ethan İla&ccedil;lari A.S., sacked union leaders who were seeking Lastik-İş representation. The company&rsquo;s refusal to abide by a court decree recognising the union caused a plant occupation by workers.

Italian Unions Put Demands on Gruppo Menarini, Plan 30 January Manifestation

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French trade unions will mobilise in Paris on 29 January, the result of failed social talks within the public electric and gas companies. The issues are job retention, re-training, and fair pay, and failure thus far to meet social accord is the fault of the federal government and Medef, the employers&rsquo; council in France, say the unions. 
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Eight unions, including federations CGT, CFDT, FO, CFE-CGC, and CFTC, decided in early January to set the mobilisation date, with resumption of social talks scheduled early in February. The three-page declaration is described as a compromise among workers&rsquo; representatives at several French gas and electric worksites over the pay issue. The declaration calls for urgent measures to prioritise job retention, remunerations, and economic revival, beginning first at the workplace. 
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The declaration also said now is the time to increase low wages, social minimums, and to enhance re-training opportunities, an area of general agreement between the three parties. But the unions forcefully denounce French federal government plans to fire 30,000 people from civil service jobs. 
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The French trade union federations&rsquo; call for mass participation on 29 January is urgent, and it is a legitimate &ldquo;workers&rsquo; awakening&rdquo; in the resistance of the neo-liberal agenda.

French Unions Unite in Gas, Electric Sectors for Jobs, Training, Fair Wages

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ICEM'in Singapur Konferansı Bölgedeki Taşeron İşçilerinin Sorunlarını Ele Aldı

Italian Unions Put Demands on Gruppo Menarini, Plan 30 January Manifestation

French Unions Unite in Gas, Electric Sectors for Jobs, Training, Fair Wages

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