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GLOBAL: Metalworkers around the world are participating in the World Day for Decent Work today calling for an end to precarious employment and joining the International Trade Union Confederation in its call for getting the world to work.In the continuing fallout from the global financial crisis, millions of workers in precarious employment have lost their jobs. For employers, cutting temporary and agency jobs has proven to be a cheap and easy way of reducing their workforce. But for workers it has resulted in hardship, uncertainty and a complete lack of control over their working lives.As economies begin to recover, there is a real risk that companies will increase their dependence on temporary jobs, replacing jobs that were once permanent with precarious jobs. The importance of employment in the recovery is the subject of a new ITUC report released on this World Day for Decent Work. <a href="http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Finacial_crisis_EN-final.pdf" target="_blank">Jobs - The Path to Recovery, How employment is central to ending the global crisis</a> describes how in response to the global economic crisis, the worst since the Great Depression with tens of millions of jobs disappearing, the economy must be built on social justice and environmental sustainability, respect for internationally-recognised workers' rights, effective financial regulation and global governance which puts people first.Global unions, including the International Metalworkers' Federation, have been calling on governments to focus on jobs in response to the crisis. At the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh last month global unions warned that the full ripple effect of the year-old crisis is only now being felt as tens of millions of jobs are cut, with a forecast of more job losses to occur in 2010 and 2011.The G20 Leaders' Statement, available on the IMF website <a href="../index.cfm?c=20830&amp;l=2" target="_blank">here</a>, offers some positive prospects for workers, but regrettably begins with the self-congratulatory assumption that the worst is over and recovery is in sight. The ITUC/TUAC evaluation of the 3rd G20 Summit indicates that the results of the Summit &quot;represented some advance on the outcome of the April Summit in London but also demonstrated a degree of complacency and progress was slow in some crucial areas&quot;. A full copy of the evaluation is published on the IMF website <a href="../files/09100714222566/G20evaluation-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.&quot;The IMF joins the ITUC and the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD in expressing deep concern for what seems to continue being a dangerous underestimation of the employment issue, in terms of both job losses and deterioration of the employment conditions everywhere in the world,&quot; said IMF general Secretary Jyrki Raina.&quot;Around the world, the IMF, metal unions and their members are mobilizing, organizing and bargaining for secure jobs and equal rights for all workers&quot; he said.To read the full ITUC report  Jobs - The Path to Recovery, How employment is central to ending the global crisis:  <a href="http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Finacial_crisis_EN-final.pdf">http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Finacial_crisis_EN-final.pdf</a><a href="http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Financial_crisis_DE.pdf">http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Financial_crisis_DE.pdf</a><a href="http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Financial_crisis_FR.pdf">http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Financial_crisis_FR.pdf</a><a href="http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Financial_crisis_ES.pdf">http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Financial_crisis_ES.pdf</a>To read the ITUC/TUAC evaluation of the 3rd G20 Summit:<a href="../files/09100714222566/G20evaluation-FINAL.pdf"></a><a href="../files/09100714222566/G20evaluation-FINAL.pdf">English</a><a href="../files/09100714222566/G20evaluation-FINAL.pdf"></a><a href="../files/09101415552379/EVALUACION_G20_CSI_TUAC_ES.pdf">Spanish</a>

International Metalworkers' Federation joins global unions in call for secure employment as the essential response to the global economic crisis on this World Day for Decent Work.

Secure jobs are the answer to crisis

FIM-CISLFIM-CISL deltar som följer i IMFs andra globala mobilisering mot otryggt arbete, den 3-10 oktober 2009 i samband med IFS' internationella dag för anständigt arbete, som också de andra globala fackliga organisationerna och Europeiska Metallfederationen deltar i:  &#160;1. Den 5-9 oktober anordnar FIM-CISLs, FIOM-CGILs och UILM-UILs gemensamma lokala representanter i Brembokoncernen i Bergamo (RSU Brembo) möten i alla anläggningar för att tala om kollektivavtalsförhandlingarna i Brembo, om den kamp som förs av Brembo- och Boschanställda i Pune, Indien, och om solidaritetsaktioner. 2. FIM-CISLDen 10 oktober deltar FIMs medlemsförbund i den nationella marschen i Rom som anordnas av huvudorganisationen CISL, som uppmanar regeringen och företagen att sörja för lika rättigheter för immigranter och arbetstagare med otrygga anställningar: &quot;Det sker ingen integration utan rättigheter, plikter, anständigt arbete och trygghet&quot;.

ITALIEN

In Serbia, l'affiliata alla FISM, il sindacato metalmeccanico Nezavisnost, porterà avanti diverse attività:•·        Insieme ai colleghi della Repubblica della Macedonia organizzeremo un seminario congiunto su &quot;Il lavoro precario&quot;, che si svolgerà a Ohrid, Macedonia.•·        Dal 3 al 10 ottobre si svolgeranno riunioni tematiche nei nostri uffici regionali in tutta la Serbia, imperniate sulla tematica &quot;Il lavoro precario e lo stress che ne consegue&quot;.•·        Distribuzione di materiale promozionale relativo ai dipendenti di aziende che impiegano personale con un contratto a durata indeterminata o sulle cooperative giovanili.

SERBIA

&#160;In Ucraina, le organizzazioni affiliate alla FISM prevedono di distribuire volantini ed informare i lavoratori sulla minaccia rappresentata dal lavoro precario.

UCRAINA

&#160;Am 7. Oktober wird es in den Unternehmen Zusammenkünfte und an öffentlichen Plätzen Mahnwachen geben. Dank der Initiative der IMB-Mitgliedsorganisationen wird die FNPR (Russlands größte nationale Zentrale) zusätzlich zu den Slogans der Globalen Kampagne für menschenwürdige Arbeit auch Slogans gegen prekäre Beschäftigung einsetzen. Die Massenmedien sind dazu eingeladen, über die Kundgebung der russischen Gewerkschaften zu berichten.Das IMB-Regionalbüro hat zusammen mit der IUF, der VKT, der School of Workers' Democracy und dem Center of Social and Labour Rights einen Ausschuss eingerichtet, um  Ende November eine GUS-Konferenz über prekäre Arbeit und Erfahrungen bei deren Bekämpfung durchzuführen.

RUSSLAND

CNM/CUT<a href="http://www.cnmcut.org.br/verCont.asp?id=19529" title="http://www.cnmcut.org.br/verCont.asp?id=19529">http://www.cnmcut.org.br/verCont.asp?id=19529</a>  Die CNM/CUT wird im Rahmen der Aktivitäten zum Welttag für menschenwürdige Arbeit zusammen mit anderen Gewerkschaften und nationalen Zentralen am 7. Oktober am Arbeitermarsch in Brasilia teilnehmen.Auf dem Arbeitermarsch werden wir folgendes fordern:•·   Arbeitszeitverkürzung bei vollem Lohnausgleich;•·   Mindestlohn;•·   IAO-Übereinkommen 151 &amp; 158;•·   Billigung des PEC 438 gegen Sklavenarbeit;•·   Sofortige Rücknahme der Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsregelungen PL 4302/98 und PL 4330/04.

BRASILIEN

I samband med verksamheterna kring den globala aktionsdagen om anständigt arbete kommer CNM/CUT att tillsammans med andra fackförbund och huvudorganisationer delta i arbetarklassens marsch i huvudstaden Brasilia den 7 oktober.Några krav under marschen är de följande:•·   Kortare arbetstid, utan lönesänkningar•·   Minimilön•·   ILO-konventionerna 151 och 158•·   Ett godkännande av lagförslag PEC 438 mot slavarbete•·   Omedelbart upphävande av lag PL4302/98 och PL 4330/04 om utkontraktering

in resisting apartheid in South Africa or stayed out of party politics in post colonial Kenya, resisted incorporation into the organs of state in Francophone Africa or stayed out of elections in Zimbabwe?   Common sense tells us there are probably as many answers to these kinds of questions as there are different political situations and economic contexts in which the question is asked. So in order to begin to develop a broader response that may apply across different national situations we need to try and figure out some principles to apply to different situations. The first question we may ask is what we mean by political? There is the narrow view that sees political as being limited to party political issues and therefore elections. This tends to be a liberal view that attempts to artificially  separate economics from politics. This view often argues that unions have no political role and usually goes further to argue that whilst unions have a right to exists they are negative institutions that prevent the free market from operating ...well, freely. If we think about it though this makes no sense at all. How can politics be separate from economics? It's like saying that ice and water are two completely different and unrelated things because one is solid and the other liquid and conveniently assuming away the effect of temperature. You see the connection between politics and economics every time you watch the news or read a newspaper. A politician says this or that and it affects the value of the currency. Labour legislation is changed to attract investors and workers suffer as a consequence.    Unions are clearly not political parties but they most definitely are organisations of economic interest and by their very reason for existence must intervene in the economic arena to further the interests of the people that create and build union organisation, the working class. If the union does not have this as a purpose it simply can not be called a union. If we accept that politics and economics are linked then as unionists we have to accept that political engagement is unavoidable. But does this mean simply throwing our support to one political party or another? To answer this let us look at the other argument that sees politics and economics as inseparable. Here, to continue our ice and water analogy, temperature would be the mode of production in the society and it is not assumed away at all. If the society is based on the political economic system of capitalism the system it self dictates that the state must represent the interests of one class over the other for unless there is growth through the exploitation of labour the system itself can not continue to work. The simple understanding of this view would therefore see any political party that does not want to change the economic system and is trying to become the ruling party, as much the same as all the others. This view can make sense. Consider America, where people often say it makes no difference whether you vote for the Republican or Democratic party, there is only one party the Capitalist party. Can this mean there no space to win benefits for the working class and therefore political engagement is pointless? As power collides in society there is space to win concessions that are in the interests of the working class. Another possibility is where rulers come to see the whole system as being for their own purposes or benefit, We have seen this before in Africa, where sytems can come to resemble feudalism or even worse slavery, where the ruling party start to take on the image of royalty and the leader is king. In such a situation the capitalist class and working people may even find themselves in a strange alliance. History shows us many points where workers have been able to take advantage of divisions in power to further our interests. The working week has been shortened, unions have won rights, at times bargaining has delivered improved living conditions and so on. So if as  labour leaders, we avoid these opportunities then we fail to represent the fundamental mandate of workers. There is no denying that the labour movement can play an influential political role in a country. But how should we decide to step into the political arena? Maybe a candidate used to be part of the trade unions, or maybe the party is offering some support for the union federation's building project, or maybe and so the reasons continue...These kinds of reasons have all been seen before but have also been shown as false reasons emerging because union leaders alone and not working class organizations as a whole has taken decisions to support a candidate. We need clear reasons (a strategy), clear undertakings from a political parties (a manifesto that supports a working class agenda), vigilance to ensure that promises are kept (accountability from unions and parties), education that builds worker's understanding and ownership of decisions (practiced democracy) and the process of deciding support and carrying it out must build working class unity. Beyond representing workers who have been dismissed or bargaining for wages the historic mission of the trade union movement has always been to unite the working class around their common interest.   Should any of these elements be absent then the political engagement of a trade union is likely to go against the interests of workers. Too often in the past the blood of workers has been shed in the interests of bourgeoisie politics and the politics of division and personal enrichment. It is the absolute responsibility of workers and union leaders to ensure this does not happen.

Trrroublemaker... Elections in Africa: What Is The Political Role of Trade Unions?

Gomomo started working at Volkswagen in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape in the 1960s. At that time it was illegal for African workers to join trade unions. Racism was rife and divisions in the workplace on access to benefits and skills mirrored that of the apartheid state. Yet Daniel Dube, Numsa's first president elected in 1987, remembers that. "The success of Gomomo was in bringing together different racial groups with different politics -- some supported Matanzima and the homelands policy, many coloureds supported the apartheid government's tri- cameral policy. He made them focus on the power that they have got inside the factory irrespective of their different skin colours. By focusing on the improvement of their basic working conditions inside the factory,  these improved conditions would spill over to their social set-up." This unity could be seen when Gomomo and other shop stewards called meetings of all workers at  KwaNobuhle (African township in Uitenhage). "They would gather at Jabavu Stadium and you would see everyone - Africans, coloureds and a few whites. ." says Dube. Because VW was a multinational with its headquarters in Germany, Gomomo started to play a strong leadership role and linked with the VW works council in Gothenburg, where the main VW factory was, as well as other cities in Germany. As international links were strengthened he learned first hand the importance of strong worker to worker contact across continents and countries. "Gomomo was the public face of South African workers at German metal union, IG Metall and of course Volkswagen in particular," says researcher Chris Bolsmann. "His relationship with German activists, unionists, officials and Works Council members was crucial in ensuring the Uitenhage plant and apartheid more generally remained an important focus in German circles." But Gomomo was not a 'clock card' shop steward. His concerns for his members stretched beyond the factory floor.  "Gomomo was one of the prominent leaders in the community in guiding and advising," says Dube. He helped to ensure that organised workers took up community complaints and used workplace pressure on workers' companies to put pressure on local government to resolve the problems. And in communities he, with others, encouraged the formation of street and area committees to strengthen democracy within the community. For all these efforts he suffered personally. His house was petrol bombed and he narrowly escaped injury. Such was fellow VW workers' concern and respect for their leader that "they took it upon themselves to protect Gomomo -- they would sleep inside his yard night after night," remembers Dube. And when the security police tried to detain him, they came up against the might of VW workers. If Gomomo was detained early in the morning "by 9am the whole of VW had stopped work and were marching to security police offices in Uitenhage," says Dube. Workers would threaten VW management that they would only resume work once he was released. "And now VW was under pressure because the German head office would not allow the factory to stand still because of anti-apartheid pressure on German companies!" So by 12 midday he would be released. "No other leader in Uitenhage ever enjoyed that kind of support!" As vice president of Naawu he played a leading role in the unity talks that resulted in the formation of Cosatu in 1985 and later when 7 metalworkers combined to form Numsa in 1987. His commitment to worker control and democracy was to be tested during the mid-1990s when Cosatu became part of the tri-partite alliance and had to deal with new government policies like its new economic policy GEAR that promised growth and employment. As Cosatu president, Gomomo famously responded that for workers GEAR meant putting the economy into 'reverse GEAR!' Even when he was elected to parliament on an ANC ticket in 1999, "he used to take on the ANC caucus," says one time Numsa vice president, and now ANC MP Danny Oliphant. "He would take on the ANC leadership from the president right down to the ministers when issues weren't addressed properly. He was not happy with the implementation of the labour laws." At the time of his death in January 2008 he was chairperson of the Portfolio on Public Service and Administration in parliament. Adapted from an article  in Numsa News No 1 March 2008  Photo: William Matlala

A Tribute To A Metalworker And A Servant Of The People- Phumzile John Gomomo

SEWUN IMF affiliates from Nigeria since 2005, is a product of a merger of 5 small unions since 2000, the union has not yet been able to concretely integrate the staff members and to consolidate the union structures. Presently, there are 45 staff members servicing 28 000 members. This ratio imbalance is problematic for the union in terms of the needs of workers. Some of the causes of the union's problems include weak union structures, lack of coherent union strategy, lack of trained leadership and staff, unable to deal with new challenges and resistance by the old leadership to adapt to new realities. The effects of these problems are shown in low union membership, unsustainable union strategy, lack of resources to service members, lack of influence on the industry in the labour movement and  lack of perspective and action plan to build up the union. The Nigerian government has recently passed laws that encourage the establishment of other national centres and unions. In June 2007, a strategic planning meeting was held in Lagos, Nigeria for SEWUN [Steel and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria]. Key outcomes were the need for strong leadership and for SEWUN to organise and build strong structures to service members, or else the union might lose members to small and right wing unions. Other outcomes included the set up of a Constitutional Review Committee to look into the development and contribution of each sector within the union. In October 2007 an evaluation meeting was arranged with NUMSA, IMF, Finnish Metall and SASK to assess how far SEWUN has progressed in terms of a project that had been established to assist SEWUN. However, representatives found SEWUN in crisis. Division amongst the leadership into two factions and the lack of trust, accountability and transparency lay at the core of the issue.   IMF and NUMSA tried to assist the factions  to resolve the problems that had resulted in the division of the union and it was also necessary for the Registrar of Trade Unions to become involved.   After much discussions an agreement emerged that provided space for the unanimous resolution of the crisis in  SEWUN with the following provisions: 1) The leadership that has been dismissed through the crisis should be re-instated. 2) All posts created during the crisis should be dissolved 3) There is agreement that there is only ONE Metal Sector within SEWUN 4) All resolutions reached by both parties in the wake of the crisis stand dissolved 5) All parties should work together, in true cooperation, for the improved growth of the union and to provide effective services for members Some of the recommendations from NUMSA and the IMF that emerged from the meeting are as follows: a) The unions should have weekly meetings because meetings are important to keep abreast of new developments within the union and even though not everybody will be available for weekly meetings, the meetings should be recorded [notes taken] so that people can have access to the proceedings. b) The outcomes of these meetings must be conveyed to the IMF for progress purposes c) Correspondence to the regional office must be done on a monthly basis d) Communication between leadership needs to be improved e) The Constitutional Review Committee process needs to be speeded up with resource, external experienced person  required to assist within this process by the IMF f) All parties should be committed to the agreement and the resolutions need to be adopted with immediate effect There was agreement between NUMSA, Finnish Metall, SASK and the IMF that the problems within SEWUN can, with hard work and commitment,  be solved and that the unity that the agreement provides for, is one that can be achieved. Such factions in leadership does not serve the best interest of workers that can only benefit from strong united representation. it is hoped that this will be a lasting resolution that will serve to strengthen SEWUN for metalworkers in Nigeria

Crisis In SEWUN Resolved With The Assistance Of IMF And NUMSA

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