English

Español

Français

Aerospace

Automotive

Base metals

Chemical, pharmaceutical and bio-science

Energy

Glass, cement, ceramic and associated industries

ICT, electrical and electronics

Mechanical Engineering

Mining and DGOJP

Pulp and paper

Rubber

Shipbuilding and shipbreaking

Textile, garment, shoes, leather and textile services

Sectors

Action Plan 2025-2029

Action on textile and garment industry

Clean up shipbreaking

Ratify ILO C176

United for a just future - time to pay up!

Disinvest from Myanmar

Campaigns

Global Framework Agreements

Union building

White-collar workers

Health & safety

Industry 4.0

Women

Youth

LGBTQI+

Gender, equality, diversity and inclusion (GEDI)

Just Transition

Organizing with industriALL

What we do

Affiliates

Statutes

Elected Officials

Executive Committee

Geneva head office

South East Asia

Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus

Latin America and the Caribbean

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Regional offices

About us

Global worker No1 2022

Global worker No2 2022

Publications

Resources

Press

<img alt="" src="" style="width: 100px;height: 39px" width="390" />The Colombian subsidiary of US-based glass company Ross International, Moldes Medellin, is attempting to dismiss the majority of its employees at the Sabaneta and Estrella Antioquia plants, despite social bargaining agreements protecting the workers&rsquo; rights to their jobs.The workers are members of ICEM-affiliated Sintravidricol and the union is leading the campaign against the dismissals. So far 20 employees have been forced out either through unilateral decisions of management or under the pretence of a &ldquo;voluntary agreement&rdquo; which has no other possible alternative than the worker losing their job.The fear now is that Moldes Medellin will cut its workforce by half, condemning 60 workers and their families to unemployment. Management is accused of targeting the unionised workers in the cuts, punishing the exercising of freedom to organise.<img alt="" height="174" src="" width="232" />If the mass dismissal is not stopped, Moldes Medellin will effectively crush the Sintravidricol plant-level unions. Sintravidricol then calls for solidarity and support in this conflict for labour rights and job stability.Write in protest to the company&rsquo;s legal representative Doctor Carlos Daniel Posada DuqueSolicitamos a todos pronunciarse, enviando notas de protesta y exigiendo el respeto por el derecho al trabajo y la estabilidad laboral, al representante legal de la empresa, <a href="mailto:Daniel.posada@moldesmedellin.com.co">Doctor CARLOS DANIEL POSADA DUQUE</a>, and to the Colombian Minister of Labour, <a href="mailto:dtantioquia@mintrabajo.gov.co">Doctor Gustavo Alberto Areiza</a>. Send copies to the union addresses: <a href="mailto:icemcol@hotmail.com">icemcol@hotmail.com</a>, <a href="mailto:sintravidestrella@gmail.com">sintravidestrella@gmail.com</a>, <a href="mailto:sintravidsab@une.net.co">sintravidsab@une.net.co</a>.Sintravidricol organised Ross International subsidiaries through a hard fought victory in December 2007, achieving recognition and a collective agreement following a 23-day strike, and a three-year struggle that garnered international support through the ICEM, with key support from the United Steelworkers (USW). The agreement made all 240 workers at the three plants full-time employees, whereas the majority were previously on fixed-term contracts.Those hard-won advances are now at serious risk.

Support Colombian Glass Workers Facing Mass Dismissal

<img alt="" src="" style="width: 100px;height: 39px" width="390" />

	With an 80% approval vote last week, 105 members of Canadian Auto Workers Local 551 in Camrose, Alberta, ratified a four-year labour agreement, ending a near three-week by Evraz North America, a subsidiary of the multinational steel and mining company, Evraz Group.

	The union won wage and pension increases, and agreed to a modified pension plan for new hires, the main issue in the dispute. (See <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/5020-Evraz-Pipe-Shamefully-Locks-Out-Members-of-Canadian-Auto-Workers">ICEM report</a> from 16 May.) CAW Local 551 preserved a hybrid blend of a defined benefit and defined contribution pension scheme that will be fully paid by the company.

	&ldquo;The overriding factor in agreeing to the settlement wasn&rsquo;t anything to do with money,&rdquo; said CAW National Representative Todd Romanow, &ldquo;but rather the company agreeing to keep the defined pension plan in the agreement for new hires and the company agreeing to limit supervisors and foremen working outside the bargaining agreement to hold their seniority rights for one a one-year time frame, while previously it was open ended.&rdquo;

	&nbsp;<img alt="" src="" style="width: 120px;height: 157px" width="390" />&nbsp;

	Todd Romanow&nbsp;

	The Evraz Camtose facilities include two pipe-making plants, one making up to 16-inch electric-resistance piping and casing for oil drilling and transport of oil and natural gas, the other producing larger tubular piping for transmission lines.

	CAW Local 551 won a 4.5% wage increase over the four years, as well as C$3 in increases on the pension scheme for current workers over the term of the contract. The first year 1.5% wage increase is retroactive to 1 February 2012 &ndash; the date a prior labour agreement expired &ndash; and further 1.5% increases in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Workers also receive a C$1,000 ratification bonus.

	The deciding factor in workers ratifying the agreement, said Romanow was the limitation of one year for supervisors and foremen to return to the bargaining unit with full seniority.&nbsp;

	Evraz North America is based in Chicago, USA, and Luxembourg-based Evraz Group is controlled by holding companies primarily owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, also owner of UK&rsquo;s Chelsea football club of the English Premier League.

CAW Local Branch Fends Off Pension Cuts, Ending Evraz Pipe Lockout in Canada

<img alt="" src="" style="width: 100px;height: 39px" width="390" />

	A third industrial strike by UK dockworkers concluded last night, 29 May, just as members of the Swedish Dockworkers&#039; Union began a sympathy blockade in their support against paper manufacturer Stora Enso. The 45 dockers &ndash; members of Unite the Union &ndash; are resisting unilateral and unfair changes to their work shifts by Enterprise Distribution Centre, a Port of Tilbury employer that exclusively handles parent paper rolls shipped to the UK by Stora Enso.

	On 1 March, Enterprise Distribution abrogated the dockers&rsquo; collective agreement by changing working hours to a &ldquo;follow the ship&rdquo; policy, meaning dockers are only paid from the time ships are ready to unload rather than normal daily shift schedules. The 45 Unite members employed at Stora Enso&rsquo;s portside warehouse stand to lose from &pound;2,500 to &pound;5,000 annually with the change.

	<img alt="" src="" style="width: 265px;height: 160px" width="390" />

	The company, with the consent of Stora Enso, did this without consultation or negotiations with Unite. The ICEM joined the fray yesterday by sending <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/42.ICEM%20UK%20Enterprise%20Distribution.29May.pdf">a letter</a> in support of the dockworkers and sending a circular inviting other trade unionists to lend solidarity. Join that campaign by clicking on the <a href="/en/19-Pulp-Paper/5032-UK-Dockworkers-Handling-Stora-Enso-Parent-Rolls-Need-Immediate-Support">ICEM link</a> here.

	Yesterday&rsquo;s conclusion of a second 48-hour strike at the Essex port &ndash; a 24-hour once was held 8 May &ndash; saw dockworkers&rsquo; in G&ouml;teborg, Sweden, begin the first of two similar 24-hour strikes in support of the Tilbury dockers. Stora Enso operates two ships between G&ouml;teborg and the Port of Tilbury, owning one outright and leasing the other from the Danish shipper DFDS.

	Due to the lawful industrial strikes in May, the first formal negotiations over the shift changes between Enterprise Distribution Centre and Unite will be held today, nearly three months after the company imposed the changes without consultation. A spokesman for the dockworkers said the union will wait to see how those talks go before determining whether or not to serve another seven-day intent to strike notice.

	The Port of Tilbury employs 3,500 workers through several stevedoring and shipping companies.

Support Widens for Dockworkers Victimised by Stora Enso at UK’s Port Tilbury

<img alt="" src="" style="width: 100px;height: 39px" width="390" />

	Under the banner, &ldquo;30 Years of Unbroken Revolutionary Trade Union Struggle,&rdquo; delegates to the 14th Congress of ICEM South African affiliate National Union Mineworkers&rsquo; (NUM), held in Kempton Park near Johannesburg from 23-27 May, gave renewed three-year terms to President Senzeni Zokwana and General Secretary Frans Baleni in contested elections.

	Zokwana, also the ICEM President, topped challenger Joe Montisetse with a 641 to 458 vote count, while Baleni, an ICEM Executive Committee member, bested Deputy General Secretary Oupa Komane 637 to 461.

	A total of 1,200 delegates participated in the 320,000-member NUM&rsquo;s triennial Congress, timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the founding of South Africa&rsquo;s preeminent trade union. Some 80 international delegates took part, including ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda and Director of Industry and Corporate Affairs Kemal &Ouml;zkan, International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation General Secretary Jyrki Raina, and Building and Wood Workers&rsquo; International (BWI) General Secretary Ambet Yuson.

	<img alt="" src="" style="width: 219px;height: 159px" width="390" />

	President Senzeni Zokwana

	In his opening remarks, Zokwana said: &ldquo;Our union will mobilize membership and remain active and vigilant.&rdquo; He said NUM&rsquo;s primary task will continue to recruit and unify new members, to improve condition of services, to develop class consciousness and to defend the rights of the working class at all workplaces.

	The Congress heard keynote speaker Jacob Zuma, President South Africa, praise the historic role that NUM played in liberating the country from the wrath of apartheid. He also urged NUM members not to become &ldquo;paper revolutionaries,&rdquo; a reference to non-involvement in ruling party African National Congress (ANC) deliberations.

	<img alt="" src="" style="width: 212px;height: 159px" width="390" />

	President Zuma

	&ldquo;I feel very strongly that your participation as workers in the ANC is vital,&rdquo; said Zuma. &ldquo;You cannot make the issue of your ANC membership a casual one.&rdquo;

	In his address to the Congress, Warda recounted the contributions made by the NUM in working-class struggles throughout the world. &ldquo;The ICEM is extremely grateful to the NUM for providing great leadership to our Global Union Federation in making us more progressive, more active and more relevant in the world&rsquo;s trade union movement.&rdquo;

	Warda, on behalf of the ICEM, closed his address by announcing the ICEM&rsquo;s contribution to a memorial fund set up by the NUM for the family of Pinky Mosiane.

	<img alt="" src="" style="width: 238px;height: 159px" width="390" />

	Manfred Warda and NUM&rsquo;s Pinky Mosiane Monetary Contribution

	She was brutally raped and murdered by a co-worker or co-workers on 6 February inside a mine owned by American Platinum (Amplats) in Rustenburg, North West Province. The ICEM announcement spurred other unions in attendance, including BWI, United Steelworkers (USW), Mining and Energy Division of Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), to also pledge contributions.

	Baleni presented both an organizational report and an international report, the latter outlining the important role the NUM plays inside global labour, particularly in mining sector trade unionism and within the ICEM spectrum.

	<img alt="" src="" style="width: 261px;height: 160px" width="390" />

	Delegates Displaying Revolutionary Spirit

	Delegates passed resolutions calling for amnesty on black-listing South Africans faced with debts up to R200,000, a call to the nation&rsquo;s mining companies to stop exports to Israel, the decriminalization of sex work, and a ban on labour brokers.

	The Congress also rejected wholesale nationalization of most industries, calling such moves non-strategic and something that would result in nationalizing mining debt and providing bail-outs to mine investors. <a href="http://lolitaoutfits.com/Lolita-Corset_l166">corset tops</a>&nbsp;Following the close of Congress late in the evening of 26 May, the NUM held a report-back rally the next day with rank-and-file miners in nearby Carletonville.

	&nbsp;

	Also elected to NUM leadership positions were: David Macatha, National Treasurer; Tshimane Montoedi, Deputy General Secretary; Piet Matosa, Deputy President; Peter Bailey, National Chair for Health and Safety; Eric Gcilitshana, National Secretary for Health and Safety; Ecliff Tantsi, National Secretary for Education; and Helen Diatile, National Chair for Education.

NUM Re-Elects President Zokwana, General Secretary Baleni at South African Congress

After seven years and over 310 consecutive editions of ICEM InBrief, this is the final issue. A new weekly newsletter will debut upon the founding of IndustriALL in June.

Discontinuation of ICEM InBrief

<img alt="" src="" style="width: 40px;height: 40px;cursor: default" width="390" /><div>In this last issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS newsletter, we cover aspects of the ongoing HIV/AIDS project, which comes to an end in December 2012.&nbsp;A new project proposal for sub-Saharan IndustriALL affiliates is being developed. Since 2005, the ICEM HIV/AIDS project has covered much ground. But without question, there is still much work left to be done.<img alt="" src="" style="width: 40px;height: 40px;cursor: default" width="390" />Dear Readers, Friends, ComradesAs announced in the May issue, this is the last issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin. We thank all readers for their interest and hope that we have succeeded in making a contribution to the dissemination of useful information over almost seven years.Next week, the ICEM, the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF) and the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITGLWF) will hold their dissolution congresses in Copenhagen. Immediately after that the Founding Congress of the new Global Union Federation, IndustriALL, will take place. </div>Editor: Hans J Schwass, ICEM HIV/AIDS Consultant<img alt="" src="" style="width: 40px;height: 40px;cursor: default" width="390" />HIV/AIDS is a Workplace Issue; Unions Have Central Roles to PlayThis has been the leading message of the ongoing HIV/AIDS project, which has been running since 2005. The first phase of the project was sponsored by LO/TCO Biståndsnämnd, Sweden, and FNV Mondiaal, Netherlands, and ran from 2005 to 2008, with an additional project year in 2009. After a thorough internal assessment in 2008, a new project was approved, running from 2010 to 2012, sponsored by SASK of Finland and FNV Mondiaal. ICEM affiliates in these countries gave strong support and contributed financially to the project.Throughout the project periods, national HIV/AIDS coordinators were trained in regional workshops. At national level, activities started off with peer education and awareness and prevention campaigns. Increasingly, however, VCT campaigns were organised and thousands of workers, their families and members of the community queued up to know their status.Some progress has also been made on the adoption of workplace policies and the insertion of HIV/AIDS clauses in collective bargaining agreements. Despite a sometimes adverse relationship over conventional bargaining issues, companies must be seen as partners in the fight against the epidemic since an effective HIV/AIDS policy cannot be implemented without the participation of employers.HIV/AIDS workplace policies should also draw on the resources of companies for skills training, awareness and prevention campaigns and for VCT and ART services. Cost-benefit analyses have shown that even small expenses by companies for HIV/AIDS activities result in reduced costs for medical schemes, higher productivity, and reduced expenditure for training. Unions must continue to convince employers that it makes business sense to invest in the fight against HIV/AIDS.At the heart of the ongoing HIV/AIDS project are annually-approved national HIV/AIDS programmes that run in each of the 11 project countries. These &ldquo;projects-within-a-project&rdquo; are applied for by the national coordinators to the Sub-Saharan HIV/AIDS project coordinator, who discusses, approves and monitors all these individual national plans for action.Women issues in relation to HIV and AIDS also received a boost with two women-only sub-regional workshops in 2010 and 2011. Women&rsquo;s empowerment in taking control of their reproductive rights and dealing with issues such as violence at home and sexual harassment at the workplace were at the heart of these workshops. The use of female condoms was also promoted. The sub-regional workshops in turn led to women activities organised at national level. Several of these were not only relevant with respect to HIV/AIDS, but also strengthened unions by integrating more women in their union work and by recruiting more female members.Fighting HIV and AIDS is a national policy matter. All target countries have national policies to fight the pandemic and a National AIDS Commission, which coordinates the efforts of all stakeholders. It is important that trade union activities fit into this general framework. For this to happen, unions must be recognised as partners in national policy implementation and, subsequently, they have to actively seek contacts with national HIV/AIDS bodies.As part of the fight against the pandemic, trade unions should also seek the participation of NGOs in their activities and build alliances with them. NGOs often have more expertise and experience as they concentrate on one issue. Of utmost importance is the involvement of organisations of People Living with HIV/AIDS to reduce stigma and to demonstrate that HIV and AIDS should be treated like any other condition or disease.From its adoption by the International Labour Conference of the ILO in June 2010, ILO Recommendation 200 concerning HIV and AIDS and the World of Work, was promoted at in regional and national ICEM HIV/AIDS events. This is the first international human rights instrument to focus on HIV and AIDS and the world of work. All workers are protected by the new labour standard, including those in informal economies. As Recommendation 200 becomes more widely known and accepted, it has the potential to develop into a tool for unions to use.The Global Action Plan for the implementation of R200, as adopted by the ILO Governing Body in March 2011, seeks three outcomes for the period 2011 to 2015: reduction of stigma and discrimination, increased access to services, and scaled-up action by world of work actors.In our work, we also made a link to the broader ILO Decent Work Agenda, which is central in efforts to reduce poverty and to make occupational health and safety an integral part of the Decent Work Agenda. Important in this, as far as HIV/AIDS is concerned, is often not so much the job itself, but the conditions around it that can lead to behaviour that puts workers and their dependents at risk of acquiring HIV, such as working and living conditions of workers in remote mining areas, which contribute to an increasing infection rate.At global level, good cooperation was established with ILO/AIDS. Technical cooperation was not only extended by the ILO Head Office in Geneva but also by country offices where activities were organised. Special mention must be made of the cooperation with the ILO Delhi office, which greatly contributed to the success of the HIV/AIDS project in India, and of the collaboration with the ILO Pretoria office, which gave a boost to work on the ILO Decent Work Agenda and Recommendation 200.Work was initiated with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the World Bank (WB AIDS Campaign Team for Africa) and the World Bank&rsquo;s International Finance Corporation (IFC against AIDS) with the objective to promote the concept of public/private partnership and co-investment with the involvement of unions. The dictum has been that the private sector is business and organised labour, i.e. trade unions. When skills training, knowledge transfer and other assistance are extended to management, it should also be offered to unions. No HIV and AIDS interventions at the workplace are effective if workers and their representatives are not included. Unfortunately, these organisations have not been responsive to such legitimate demands.An HIV/AIDS e-bulletin has been published monthly since October 2005. A dedicated HIV/AIDS website provided access to useful materials and links to other websites. Materials have included a leaflet, a manual for collective bargaining on HIV and AIDS issues, and a guide for resources and finance for HIV/AIDS activities. Very important for union work at the national level, a model union policy and a workplace policy on HIV/AIDS were developed.Another element of the work at global level has been the successful acquisition of additional funding to expand the project beyond Africa. Corporate partnership and solidarity contributions from affiliates made it possible to run HIV/AIDS projects in India, Trinidad &amp; Tobago, Mongolia, and Colombia. Supplementary funding was also obtained for Sub-Saharan Africa, mainly earmarked for VCT campaigns in Tanzania and Nigeria. The Danish LO/FTF supported a three-year project (2009-2011) in the mining sector in Ethiopia.While a lot has been achieved in the past years, much more still needs to be done. It was therefore decided to seek a continuation of the HIV/AIDS project and look at developing a new project proposal for sub-Saharan African IndustriALL affiliates for the years 2013-2015. Discussions are ongoing with the donor community on this.

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 81, June 2012

IndustriALL Global Union will be founded on 19 June in Copenhagen, Denmark.&nbsp;Uniting 50 million workers along global supply chains, uniting the history, expertise, and passion of three proud international organisations, IndustriALL will fight for workers everywhere.<div class="rte">Over&nbsp;1,200 trade union delegates from every corner of the globe are meeting in Copenhagen&nbsp;18-20 June, 2012 to form IndustriALL Global Union, representing workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors.&nbsp;&quot;Among the delegates are heroes who have been on the front-line of the fight for democracy and workers&#039; rights,&quot; stated Jyrki Raina, the in-coming general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union.<img alt="" src="" style="width: 280px;height: 292px" width="390" />&quot;Workers and their unions, members of IndustriALL, have been at the forefront of the Arab Spring fight for democracy, the struggle against despots.&quot;In Copenhagen we will form a new union family of heroes, with strong bonds, ready to stick together through thick and thin - a new force in global solidarity taking up the fight for better working conditions and trade union rights around the world.&quot;IndustriALL will challenge the power of multinational companies like Rio Tinto and BHP,&quot; Jyrki Raina said. &quot;We will negotiate on a global level with the global giants.&quot;IndustriALL will fight for a new model of globalization, a new economic and social model that puts people first, based on democracy and social justice.&quot;IndustriALL will be founded in Copenhagen on 19 June 2012. The new organisation will bring together affiliates of the former global union federations: International Metalworkers&#039; Federation (IMF), International Federation of Chemical,&nbsp;Energy, Mine and General Workers&#039; Unions (ICEM) and International Textiles Garment and Leather Workers&#039; Federation (ITGLWF).IndustriALL Global Union will represent workers in a wide range of sectors from extraction of oil and gas, mining, generation and distribution of electric power, to manufacturing of metals and metal products, shipbuilding, automotive, aerospace, mechanical engineering, electronics, chemicals, rubber, pulp and paper, building materials, textiles, garments,&nbsp;leather and footwear and environmental services.The new website, <a href="http://www.industriall-union.org/">http://www.industriall-union.org/</a>, will go live at 14:00 on 19 June 2012.</div>&nbsp;

IndustriALL Global Union to be New Force

<img alt="" src="" width="120" height="59" />
ICEM affiliate Ammattiliitto Pro, the trade union of salaried workers in Finland, and Metalliliitto, the country&rsquo;s Metalworkers&rsquo; Union, began a first wave of strike action this morning across Finland. Some 32,000 workers &ndash; 25,000 metalworkers and 7,000 represented by Ammattiliitto Pro &ndash; are on full work stoppages at 45 targeted companies. 
 
If national conciliation again fails next week and the days that follow, metalworkers and salaried staff at another 35 companies will join the strike on 7 November. Overtime bans are now in effect across Finland&rsquo;s metal and technology sector covering 200,000 workers, including 10,000 members of the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff (YTN). That union of top-level supervisors is expected to join the strike on 1 November if no deal is accomplished. 
 
&ldquo;The strike is running well so far,&rdquo; said Pro Vice President for the Industrial Sector Markku Polokangas, the salaried staff&rsquo;s lead negotiator. &ldquo;The amount of pressure on employers will increase in the coming days, we are certain.&rdquo; Polokangas also said the union is organising support strikes among Pro&rsquo;s membership in other sectors, such as telecommunications and chemicals. 
 
The two unions and the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries, or Teknologiateollisuus, the employers&rsquo; federation, were in marathon mediation sessions with National Conciliation Esa Lonka throughout the week. The latest session broke off last night and Metalliliitto's 38-member Council gave a near-unanimous mandate to begin the strike.
<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="102" />
Ammattiliitto Pro&rsquo;s membership had earlier given leadership of the union a mandate for strike action. 
 
Although the two sides are in general agreement with the 4.3% wage increase over two years that Finnish social partners agreed to on 13 October, major discord in metal and tech negotiations center on how that amount will be split. Finnish employers want discretion on paying some workers far less than the 4.3%, while the unions want the increase given to everyone across the board. 
 
Another difference is over a three-day yearly training and education period. Employers seek the discretionary right to award it, while the unions want it across the board. Tied to that is the manner in which workers age 55 and above will receive the three-day training allocation. 
 
Among just some of the 45 corporations that saw strike action taken against them this morning at 06h00 were ABB, Boliden, Kone elevators and Kone cranes, the mining concern Talvivaara, the Metsa set of engineering companies, iron and steel maker Rautaruukki, Sandvik Mining and Construction, Valmet Automotive, Outotec, Patria aerospace and land companies, and Ruukki Metals and Engineering. 
 
On 7 November, among 35 other companies expected to join the strike will be a large number of workers employed by the Nokia-Siemens joint venture called NS Network.

Strikes Begin in Finnish Metal, Technology Sector

<img alt="" src="" width="160" height="78" />
ICEM affiliate Uni&oacute;n Sindical Obrera (USO), the Oil Workers&rsquo; Union of Colombia, has led contract workers in the eastern Meta region oilfields for job security, fair wages, and the right to join their union throughout the summer. With mass protests and strikes occurring, progress was seemingly being made with the main sub-contractor, Pacific Rubiales, and the state oil company Ecopetrol. 
 
But despite tripartite talks between USO, the Colombian government, and Pacific Rubiales, Canadian-based Pacific Rubiales suddenly pulled out of negotiations and signed an agreement with a yellow union, UTEN, undercutting USO, the legitimate bargaining partner. USO represents over 14,000 workers at the Rubiales and Quifa oilfields; UTEN represents no more than 700 and those are staff employed in the administrative payroll and logistics departments. 
<img alt="" src="" width="227" height="170" />
Recent strike by USO
Rubiales is Colombia&rsquo;s largest producing oil field, and together with Quifa accounts for one quarter of Colombia&rsquo;s overall production. 
 
Pacific Rubiales gave the sack to over 500 contract workers the same day that it signed with UTEN, 21 October. In the days that followed, all existing USO members among the contract employees have been threatened with dismissal if they do not switch allegiance to the company union. Pacific Rubiales, together with its puppet union UTEN, has also simultaneously conducted a vicious propaganda campaign denouncing USO and striking workers as terrorists. 
<img alt="" src="" width="276" height="160" />
Although government officials played a central role in the agreement to stop the most recent strike actions in September and establish a national tripartite bargaining table to reach an accord, the Colombian government has been complicit with Pacific Rubiales&rsquo;s decision to sign with UTEN. In angry protest, USO again called 4,000 workers out on strike, with a full work stoppage that began on Monday, 24 October, and a permanent picket line assembled at the Rubiales and Quifa fields. The deal with UTEN specifically excludes contract workers who are organised by USO. 
 
On 24 October, workers walked through the night to reach the permanent assembly the next day at the camp called &ldquo;El Morichal.&rdquo; 
 
The Colombian military has now been deployed to the oilfields, and has constructed impassable barriers on the public roads that access the fields. ESMAD, the notorious Colombian riot police, are also present with 800 troops on hand to intimidate workers. The USO Central Committee member who informed police of the work stoppage was immediately arrested. 
 
USO Vice-President German Osman, part of the negotiating team, reports that Pacific Rubiales has intentionally prolonged and delayed talks with his union while at the same time drawing up the phony labour accord with UTEN. On resuming the tripartite negotiations between USO, the government, and Pacific Rubiales, all sides agreed to a settlement deadline of 21 October. But company negotiators refused to bargain in good faith, while USO offered considerable reductions in wage demands. 
The ICEM is lodging a protest with the Canadian company and the Colombian government.

Canadian Pacific Rubiales Signs Accord with Yellow Union in Colombia

General Prosecutor of the Republic of Kazakhstan 
 
Dear Sirs Manfred Warda and Jyrki Raina, 
 
General Prosecutor of the Republic of Kazakhstan considered your appeal regarding strikes of oil and gas companies in Mangistau region. 
 
We draw your attention to the fact that from the very beginning and to the end of the strikes to all participating parties guaranteed rights to freedom of expression, realization of peaceful assemblies, protection of their rights and freedoms, including the courts, have been granted by the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan 
 
The strikers' demands for better working conditions and increased wages with raising coefficients, which, in their opinion, were not taken into account, were the subject of proceedings in court and have been carefully, thoroughly, objectively and impartially investigated by a court with the participation of all stakeholders in the review of claim requirements of the employers to recognize strikes illegal. 
 
Court ensured full competition and equality of parties, right of the strikers (respondent) to be protected, independent election and protection of their position, qualified legal counsel, right to present evidence and participate in their study, to apply with requests and to give verbal and written explanations to the court. 
 
Upon review of the case the strikes at JSC &laquo;Ersay Caspian Contractor&raquo; (court decision of 05.18.2011), a joint-stock company &laquo;Karazhanbasmunay&raquo; (court decision of 20.05.2011), a joint-stock company &laquo;Ozenmunaygas&raquo; (court decision of 05.27.2011) and LLP &quot;Zhondeu &raquo; (court decision of 06.01.2011) have been recognized by the court illegal. 
 
Despite this, the government together with the TU representatives of the companies repeatedly, practically every day, before and after the recognition of the strikes illegal by the court, conducted outreach with the strikers on the unreasonableness of their demands. Their attention was drawn to the fact that in 2009, 2010 and 2011 the salary of the workers in these enterprises increased three times. During this period, their average salary has increased by 100 thousand tenge (or 690 U.S. dollars) and became 340 000 tenge (or 2300 U.S. dollars), which is today one of the highest in Kazakhstan. 
 
As a result of the above outreach large number of strikers returned to their jobs. 
 
Please also be advised that having sufficient legal grounds for dismissal, employment remained even for the organizers and active participants in the strike. The dismissal of some of them took place only after all measures on their return to work have been taken. 
 
Currently, the strike at these companies ceased. 
 
As part of the prosecution of A. Sokolova (Article 164, part 3, art. 334, part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan), K. Sisenbaev and A. Aminov (Art. 334, part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan), which were the main organizers of illegal strikes, we state that such persons are granted by the court with all procedural rights provided by law for the protection of the criminal process. 
 
The sentences in respect of such persons entered into force. K. Sisenbaev and A. Aminov fully acknowledged their guilt, and they didn&rsquo;t appeal against sentence in superior court. 
 
In addition, I draw your attention to the fact that the arguments about the frequent beatings and threats against the oil workers and their families were not confirmed. No appeals on such cases to the police of Mangistau region have been reported. 
 
The police of Mangistau region filed a suit on the facts of the murder of J. Turbaev and J. Karabalaeva under Art. 96 of the Criminal Code, under which appointed the judicial examination, interviewed relatives of the victims, residents and employees of nearby objects to the scene. Some other investigative actions aimed at the disclosure are carried out. 
 
The investigation of criminal cases is taken under control of the Prosecutor General&rsquo;s Office. 
 
Deputy Director-General 
Prosecutor of the Republic of Kazakhstan A. Kravchenko

Response to ICEM-IMF letter to Kazakhstan Government on Oilworker Strike

Archive