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Calling for trade union rights in Mexico, the international trade union movement began a week of action by meeting with the Mexican Ambassador to the United Nations and holding a rally in Geneva, Switzerland today. 
 
Similar actions are scheduled to take place in at least 30 countries around the world until February 19, which coincides with the fifth anniversary of the deaths of 65 miners at the Pasta de Conchos mine disaster in Mexico on February 19, 2006. 
 
Since this time the Mexican Miners&rsquo; Union, the union that called for justice following the disaster, has faced systematic, frequently violent and escalating violations of worker and trade union rights by employers and the Mexican government. 
 
Other independent trade unions in Mexico seeking to improve the rights of working people have also increasingly come under attack in recent years through the tolerance, complicity and, on many occasions, the direct action of the Mexican state. 
 
A delegation of international trade union leaders, accompanied by a representative of the Swiss union UNIA, met with the Mexican Ambassador in Geneva this afternoon and demanded the Mexican government stop violating fundamental trade union rights and start complying with its own laws and international standards on human and trade union rights. 
 
&ldquo;It is now five years since 65 miners were killed in the February 19, 2006 explosion at the Grupo M&eacute;xico Pasta de Conchos coal mine. To this day, bereaved families have not received proper compensation, the miners&rsquo; bodies remain buried and violent and illegal attacks perpetrated by the Government and employers against the Mexican Miners&rsquo; Union continue,&rdquo; explained Fernando Lopes, Assistant General Secretary of the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation, a member of the delegation to the embassy in Geneva today. 
 
&ldquo;The political persecution of the Mexican Miners&rsquo; Unions and others like it must stop,&rdquo; demanded Lopes. 
 
Independent unions including the Mexican Miners' Union (SNTMMSRM), the Mexican Electrical Workers' Union (SME), the UNTyPP union representing workers in Mexico's state-owned petroleum company PEMEX, the National Union of General Tyre Workers of Mexico (SNTGTM) and the Union of the Autonomous University of Mexico's Workers (SUTUACM), as well as the Mexican Telephone Workers' Union (STRM), Authentic Workers' Front (FAT) and up to thirty other unions affiliated to the National Union of Workers (UNT) have all faced violent attacks, intimidation and repression of trade union rights. 
 
Supporting the campaign, Joe de Bruyn, President of the UNI Global Union explains, &quot;For decades the Mexican government has facilitated low wages and suppressed worker voices through a pervasive web of employer-controlled protection contracts. We want to change the rules of the game in Mexico and ensure all workers can join the free and independent trade union movement.&rdquo; 
 
&ldquo;Calderon must begin to understand that trade union freedoms in Mexico will not disappear, no matter how hard he tries to ignore it,&rdquo; said ICEM President Senzeni Zokwana, also supporting the week of action. &ldquo;Global trade unions in fact are now keenly united on Mexico as a target for vast improvements on social labour rights. Momentum and pressure now become our tools.&rdquo; 
 
David Cockroft, ITF General Secretary, added, &quot;We have witnessed at first hand the deep running desire of Mexicans for representation and just and safe workplaces. The will and the need are there; it is actions like these ones that now take this struggle forward.&quot; 
 
&ldquo;Mexico must fulfill its international obligations to respect fundamental workers&rsquo; rights. The treatment of the Mexican Miners&rsquo; Union is a symptom of a much broader problem of violation of ILO standards in Mexico, and the fact that proper compensation still has not been paid is simply unacceptable,&rdquo; said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow. 
 
Trade unions in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Korea, Kosovo, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the U.S. are calling on the Mexican government to respect trade union rights in a series of actions from 14 to 19 February 2011. 
 
In Mexico itself, the independent trade union movement will be holding various actions across the country throughout the week to highlight the systematic abuse of trade union rights by the Mexican government. 
 
Together the trade unions are holding rallies, meeting with Mexican government representatives, and sending letters and thousands of emails all calling on the Mexican government to: 
1. Hold employer and government officials accountable for the Pasta de Conchos mine explosion that killed 65 miners on February 19, 2006. 
2. Abolish systemic violations of workers&rsquo; freedom of association, including employer-dominated &ldquo;protection contracts&rdquo; and interference in union elections. 
3. End the use of force&mdash;by the state or private parties&mdash;to repress workers&rsquo; legitimate demands for democratic unions, better wages and working conditions, and good health and safety conditions. 
4. End the campaign of political persecution against the Mexican Miners&rsquo; Union and the Mexican Electrical Workers&rsquo; Union. 
The action to support the democratic and independent unions in Mexico is being taken by trade unions around the world affiliated to the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF), the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), UNI Global Union and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). 
 
NOTES TO EDITORS: 
 
1. For additional information about trade union rights violations in Mexico please see: 
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/Fact%20sheet_en.pdf">/wp-content/migration/icem/Fact%20sheet_en.pdf</a> &nbsp; 
 
2. For addition information about the actions taking place around the world this week, go to: 
&bull; IMF website at: <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/mexico2011">www.imfmetal.org/mexico2011</a> &nbsp; 
&bull; ICEM website at: <a href="/en/5-Mining-DGOJP">www.icem.org/en/5-Mining-DGOJP</a> &nbsp; 
&bull; UNI Global Union website at: <a href="http://www.uniglobalunion.org/MexicoAction">www.uniglobalunion.org/MexicoAction</a> &nbsp; 
&bull; Twitter hashtag #mexicoaction 
 
3. The International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF) is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and represents the interests of 25 million metalworkers in over 100 countries around the world. <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org">www.imfmetal.org</a> &nbsp; 
 
4. The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) also based in Geneva, represents 20 million workers worldwide. <a href="http://www.icem.org">www.icem.org</a> &nbsp; 
 
5. The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) represents 4.6 million transport workers in 781 unions in 155 countries. <a href="http://www.itfglobal.org">www.itfglobal.org</a> &nbsp; 
 
6. UNI Global Union represents 20 million workers belonging to 900 skills and services trade unions worldwide. <a href="http://www.uniglobalunion.org">www.uniglobalunion.org</a> &nbsp; 
 
7. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) represents the interests of working people worldwide. It has 301 affiliated member organizations in 151 countries and territories, with a total membership of 176 million workers. <a href="http://www.ituc-csi.org">www.ituc-csi.org</a> &nbsp; 
 
________________________________ 
For further information on the actions being taken, please contact:&nbsp;Tom Grinter, ICEM, +41 22 304 1853. <a href="mailto:tom.grinter@icem.org">tom.grinter@icem.org</a>, Anita Gardner, IMF, +41 22 308 5032. <a href="mailto:agardner@imfmetal.org">agardner@imfmetal.org</a>,&nbsp;Olga Vinogradova, UNI Global Union, +4179 4462703. <a href="mailto:olga.vinogradova@uniglobalunion.org">olga.vinogradova@uniglobalunion.org</a>,&nbsp;Sam Dawson, ITF. Tel: +44 (0)20 7940 9260. <a href="mailto:dawson_sam@itf.org.uk">dawson_sam@itf.org.uk</a>

Global Days of Action On Workers’ Rights in Mexico

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The ICEM applauds the unity and successful coordination of Colombian trade unions, in the launch of a new daily radio programme for workers, called &quot;Contacto Social.&quot; Included in the grouping of 12 unions were ICEM affiliates Sintraelecol and USO. The process was supported locally by ICEM&rsquo;s country coordinator Carlos Bustos. 
 
The daily programme has now been broadcasting since 1 February, Monday to Friday, in the areas around Bogot&aacute;, Cundinamarca, Boyac&aacute;, Meta, and Tolima, and is also available globally online. The organizers of the project plan to expand its reach in the future and become a major media tool in Colombia, communicating views to workers, and supplying an outlet to those whose voices cannot otherwise be heard. 
<img alt="" src="" width="150" height="99" />
Trade unionists and supporters are encouraged to call and join the on-air debate at +57 4176970 
 
One story that was&nbsp;reported today on &quot;Contacto Social&quot; is the Colombian national Labour center&nbsp;CUT organising a workers' picket at&nbsp;the office of the Vice President, ahead of a high-level meeting with the ILO. 
Unions in the South American country&nbsp;demand that Colombia be re-added to the list of countries evaluated by the ILO's Committee of Experts. CUT President Tarsicio Mora decried the continuing dangers facing trade unionists in Colombia, where&nbsp;46 were murdered in 2010 and three so far this year. There are currently over 40 labour disputes ongoing, many caused by the erosion of labour&nbsp;rights and working conditions by employers. 
 
Listen to the <a href="http://www.icemcolombia.com/index2.php?option=com_radio">daily radio programme</a> of Colombian workers here.&nbsp; 
See more on the <a href="http://www.icemcolombia.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=frontpage&amp;Itemid=1">ICEM Colombia website</a>.

Trade Unions Coordinate Launch of Daily Radio in Colombia

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Over 400 delegates and guests attended the 5th Congress of the ICEM-affiliated Russian Oil, Gas, and Construction Workers&rsquo; Union (ROGWU) 22-23 December 2010, at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow. 
 
The Congress re-elected Lev Mironov as President in a closely fought three-way election. ROGWU also elected two Vice Presidents, Vladimir Kosovich and Nadezhda Zvyagintseva. 
 
The Congress also marked 20 years of the union in its present form, having been established in December 1990 with the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the Russian Federation as an independent state, making it necessary to restructure trade union work. However, the origins of the Oil, Gas, and Construction Workers&rsquo; Union dates back to 1906 and the first organisation of workers at the oil plants in the Caspian Sea city of Baku, now Azerbaijan. 
<img alt="" src="" width="259" height="182" />
Today the union represents around 1.4 million members. Functioning in 63 subjects of the Russian Federation are some 2,700 primary union organizations, 28 territorial elective bodies, and six inter-regional trade union organizations of the companies Lukoil, Gazprom, Sibur-Holding, Tatneft, Novatech, and Sodrujestvo. 
The Congress approved the basic directions of activity for ROGWU for 2011-2015 and adopted amendments to the Charter of Oil, Gas, and Russia, as well as a resolution on the institutional strengthening of trade unions, a resolution dealing with the urgent issues of social protection, labour rights, and economic interests of workers, union policies on youth, on information and analytical work regarding gender equality, as well as an appeal to employers organizations of the oil and gas industry. 
 
Jim Catterson and Anatoly Surin represented the ICEM Secretariat at the Congress, with a number of important oil industry affiliated unions, including Norway&rsquo;s IndustriEnergi (IE) also present. 
 
ROGWU has posted material about the Congress <a href="http://rogwu-center.ru/en/news/detail.php?ID=9584 ">here</a>.

ROGWU Re-Elects Lev Mironov at Fifth Congress in Moscow

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Members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9346 went on strike at 20h on&nbsp;Sunday, 30 January, following a break down in contract negotiations with management at the Elkview metallurgical coal mine in&nbsp;south-eastern British Columbia, Canada. The mine is operated by Teck Coal Ltd., a subsidiary of Canada's largest diversified mining company, Teck. 
 
Workers have been without a contract since the previous agreement expired on 31 October 2010. Talks, on-going since last September, broke off on 30 January after management delivered an unacceptable offer to Local 9346&rsquo;s bargaining committee. The committee could not recommend members to accept the package since it failed to address key demands of the union. The main issues for the union that were not included in the company&rsquo;s offer relate to an increase in employer contributions to its employee-registered pension plan and the extension of medical benefits to retirees.
<img src="" width="243" height="179" alt="" />
Of 620 union members voting, 609 voted in favour of a strike, sending a strong message to Teck Coal that they must seriously address these issues. The total workforce at the Elkview mine is 850. Local 9346, led by President Chris Nand, represents heavy equipment operators, maintenance workers, and labourers. 
 
There are no talks scheduled,&nbsp;although Local 9346's&nbsp; Nand has made it clear to Teck that the bargaining committee stands ready to negotiate with management. 
<img src="" width="288" height="170" alt="" />
Other outstanding issues for the union that the company refuses to&nbsp;address in their offer are: Christmas Shutdown, a sunset clause on certain contractual language, stat pay for 10- and 12-hour shifts, dental plan improvements, retroactive pay starting from 1 November&nbsp;2010,&nbsp;and improvements to vacation time. 
 
During the strike, the union is paying the members&rsquo; medical insurance, as well as strike pay. 
 
Teck reported last week a profit of US$361 million for the quarter ending 31 December. The Elkview mine has an annual capacity of 5.6 million tonnes of coal production, second to Teck&rsquo;s Fording River mine, 100 kilometres&nbsp;north of Elkview, which has an annual output&nbsp;of 8 million tonnes. The collective agreement at Fording River expires 30 April.

Steelworkers Strike at Teck Coal in Western Canada Continues

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" />
The ICEM held its North America Regional meeting in San Francisco, US, on 26-27 January, and General Secretary Manfred Warda expressed thanks to Joe Drexler for the excellent work he has done, and introduced Brian Kohler as the new ICEM Contact Person for North America.
&quot;Joe brought a strong work ethic to the ICEM and he made dynamic and progressive contributions,&quot; said Warda. &quot;These traits&nbsp;we will strive&nbsp;to replicate at&nbsp;the ICEM.&quot;&nbsp;(See <a href="/index.php?id=5&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=4259">Drexler's farewell letter</a>.)&nbsp; 
 
The meeting also saw Warda report on trade union rights violations in Mexico, Colombia, Iraq, Nigeria, and other countries, such as Zambia. He said ICEM Sub-Sahara Africa Regional Vice-President Rayford Mbulu has been ordered by the Zambian government to step down from his union position and leave the country. 
 
Warda also reported on the meeting he and ICEM President Senzeni Zokwana had with the then minister of Labour and Social Welfare. The Santiago meeting proved the government is a nowhere to ratifying ILO 176, the Safety and Health in Mines Convention, despite the promise of to Chilean President Sebasti&aacute;n Pi&ntilde;ero late last year in the wake of the San Jos&eacute; mine rescue. Warda said the ICEM and others, including affiliates, will continue to press Pi&ntilde;ero. He urged North American unions to join this campaign. 
<img alt="" src="" width="336" height="157" />
The host union for the meeting, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) reported on efforts to organize a Bayer pharmaceutical plant in northern California. North American ICEM affiliates agreed to form a committee to study a multi-site union recruitment initiative at Bayer&rsquo;s American plants. 
 
Drexler, the former ICEM Director of Industry and Corporate Affairs and Mining Officer who returned early this year to employment at the United Steelworkers (USW), reported on Mexican Days of Action, from 14-19 February, in support of free trade unions in Mexico. There will be simultaneous protests in many countries at the five-year anniversary of the Pasta de Conchos mine disaster in Mexico, 19 February, he said. 
<img alt="" src="" width="200" height="150" />
Joe Drexler
The National Union of General Tire/Continental Workers&rsquo; Union (SNTGTM), the union representing Continental Tire workers in Mexico, made a presentation on their union and their current situation with the German multinational, as well as with the Mexican government. Following their presentation, union delegates moved to accept SNTGTM into the North America regional meetings of ICEM. 
 
Affiliates in attendance made reports on their sectors, including energy, chemicals, paper, cement and materials, mining, and rubber. Many sectors are being affected by the economic crisis, globalization, technological change, and contracting out. In the case of electric, gas, and water utility workers, privatization is also an ongoing threat. 
<img alt="" src="" width="140" height="93" />
IMF General Secretary, Jyrki Raina
On day two of the meeting, International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF) General Secretary Jyrki Raina joined by teleconferencing, and he and Warda reviewed ongoing discussions on building a new industrial Global Union Federation (GUF). Warda reported that the ICEM is fiscally very healthy and well-prepared to meet the issues for creation of a new global union structure, to include ICEM, IMF, and the International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITGLWF). 
 
Both Warda and Raina said there are many examples of cooperation between the three GUFs, and hopefully there will be significant progress to report at the time of ICEM&rsquo;s Fifth Statutory World Congress, to be held 24-26 November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 
 
The North America affiliates expressed strong support for continuation of ICEM's sectoral work. Regionally in a new global industrial trade union federation, the North American region should be able to adapt easily to an increase in the number of affiliated unions. 
 
The issue of Mexico, with strong economic ties to North America and equally strong linguistic and cultural ties to Latin America, was also discussed on day two. Both Warda and Raina said the wishes of Mexican unions should be respected, but that one possibility could be to consider them member-affiliates of both regions. 
<img alt="" src="" width="99" height="150" />&nbsp;&nbsp; <img alt="" src="" width="114" height="150" />
ICEM North American Region Chairs Ken Neumann and Dave Coles
The ICEM&rsquo;s North American Region is co-chaired by USW Canadian National Director Ken Neumann and Dave Coles, President of the Communications, Energy, Paperworkers (CEP) Union of Canada, both ICEM Vice Presidents. 
 
The next ICEM North America Regional meeting will be 13 June, at the national office of the CEP in Ottawa, Canada.

ICEM North American Regional Meeting Held in San Francisco, US

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In historic levels of unity among members of ICEM-affiliated IGBCE in Germany, the union's chemical workers announced on&nbsp;Friday, 11 February,&nbsp;they will seek a 7% pay increase in contract talks beginning this week on 16 February. The wage round covers 550,000 workers in 1,900 companies of the chemicals sector for a period of 12 months. 
 
Negotiations will be held on a regional basis, with the North-Rhine region to begin first, followed shortly after by other regions. 
 
Peter Hausmann, IGBCE Governing Board member, who heads the union&rsquo;s Collective Bargaining Department, said the figure of 7% had been agreed following production growth in the sector for 2010&nbsp;of 11%, and companies realising an average 17.5% increase in revenues. The industry is on its way to returning to levels before the global recession, as Europe's largest economy&nbsp;recorded its best figures last year since the reunification of Germany. 
<img alt="" src="" width="110" height="177" />
Hausmann explained that intensive plant-level talks had been on-going since December, in all nine regions. The unanimity of the position of all districts is significant, and rare in recent years. 
 
Last year&rsquo;s agreement saw IGBCE agree to a concessionary wage freeze in view of the financial&nbsp;crisis.&nbsp;IGBCE President Michael Vassiliadis stating at the time, &ldquo;It is fair considering the varying conditions in the industry and it helps build a bridge between the economic crisis and recovery.&rdquo; 
 
Similar pay compensation will be sought by Verdi and IG Metall, and in the clothing and insurance sectors.

IGBCE Aims for 7% Increase in German Chemicals Sector

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" />
EMCEF, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), European Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (EMF), and the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) &ndash;representing trade unions in electricity and gas across the European Union inclusively &ndash; warned that decisions to be made now by the European Commission will have serious impact later regarding energy use and energy supply. 
 
With a heavy Commission agenda on energy this spring, the four trade unions issued the alert on 3 February, a day prior to a special energy summit over development of a strategy document for the future. 
 
The unions said any strategy must include emission cuts and dedicated resources for a &ldquo;smart grid&rdquo; system that saves energy and thrives on innovation, training, and quality jobs. 
<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="72" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img alt="" src="" width="90" height="80" />
&ldquo;Our members, whether workers or consumers, understand the importance for the economy of safe, reliable, sustainable and accessible energy for businesses and communities alike,&rdquo; read the statement. &ldquo;Our jobs and our communities depend on clear policies that guarantee that energy is viewed as a service of general interest.&rdquo; 
 
Sustainable development, the unions said, is &ldquo;the development of quality employment and the development of training to ensure genuine transitions.&rdquo; European trade unions also call for strict regulations, a financial framework for technical development, and market integrity and transparency to ensure no abuse inside energy markets. 
 
EMCEF, ETUC, EMF, and EPSU call for a sustainable energy mix in which supply is guaranteed and affordability is ensured. With Hungary currently presiding at the European Council, debate on a roadmap forward will occur at an Energy Council meeting on 28 February, a ministers&rsquo; meeting on 2-3 May, and again at a second Energy Council meeting, 10 June.

European Union Federations Warn Commission on Errant Energy Agenda

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Over the last six months, public opposition has been growing in the eastern Indian State of Bihar over plans for a factory to manufacture asbestos products. Local residents took to the streets en-masse on 10 February in the state capital Patna in a rally coinciding with the group &quot;Citizens Forum Against Asbestos&quot; submitting a memorandum seeking the cancellation of the industrial license given to the proposed factory. 
 
The campaign against the new factory is now pressuring the federal Indian government to offically impose&nbsp;a nationwide ban on the&nbsp;large-scale import of asbestos. Bihar state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar shifted blame from his administration to the national government. &quot;This factory has received the environmental clearance from the government of India. There should be a uniform policy, and asbestos factories stopped all over the country,&quot; he stated. 
<img alt="" src="" width="180" height="128" />
Construction at the Balmukund Cement and Roofings Ltd. (BCRL) factory has now been suspended. 
 
While India&rsquo;s national government has banned the mining of asbestos, it allows trade, manufacture, and use of the mineral, despite&nbsp;proven dangers of inhaling asbestos fibre. World Health Organisation (WHO)&nbsp;estimates that&nbsp;90,000 people die of asbestos-related illnesses every year. The White Asbestos Bill is currently pending&nbsp;in the Indian Parliament and awaits further debate. The legislation would ban the use and import of the deadly mineral. Almost half of the imported asbestos into India is mined in Canada. 
 
Inhaling asbestos fibre or dust can result in the&nbsp;painful and&nbsp;eventually fatal condition called mesothelioma, a form of&nbsp;lung cancer. Most patients are poor workers without access to medical care. Asbestos is banned in the European Union, Australia, and Japan.
A much-criticised memorandum of understanding was signed on 31 December 2010 between the Board of Trade of Montreal, Canada, and the Indian Chamber of Commerce for the &quot;safe&quot; use of asbestos. The agreement is seen as a clear disregard for the health of Indian workers, as profit-motive is the priority for&nbsp;both groups. The inclusion of a representative of Balcorp Ltd., a major asbestos miner and exporter, in the trade mission to India led by Quebec&rsquo;s Economic Development Minister earlier this month, has caused much concern for Indian activists.

Mass Popular Protests against Proposed Asbestos Factory in Bihar, India

<img src="" width="100" height="39" alt="" />
In Namibia recently, a collective agreement signed between ICEM affiliate Mine Workers&rsquo; Union of Namibia (MUN) and Namdeb Diamond Corp., the DeBeers, Namibian state joint mining venture, had the rubber stamp of a High Court order. That unusual attribute came because a month-long strike/lockout of 1,600 miners developed into a highly charged and fractious split between labour and management that had Namibia&rsquo;s top political leaders nervous. 
 
The agreement ending the strike, which began 16 August, and the lockout, beginning 20 August, came 11 days ago and was overseen by the country&rsquo;s Minister of Presidential Affairs. The next day, High Court Judge Dave Smuts made the agreement a court order. 
 
The agreement calls for the two sides to &ldquo;dedicate themselves in good faith to rebuild relationships.&rdquo; It calls for empowering a tripartite commission to investigate and resolve the many issues that surfaced in the hostile dispute, and the accord signed at government house in Windhoek also positively resolves the central issue behind the dispute: housing pay when a mine&rsquo;s resources are spent and workers are transferred. 
<img src="" width="160" height="106" alt="" />
The dispute started when Namdeb mothballed the remote Bogenfels mine and denied workers their housing and utility allowances in transferring them to new sites. That occurred earlier this year for a small number of the 1,600 union miners, about 125, and the dispute festered with both sides hardening until industrial action started in August. 
 
When MUN decided to conduct a strike vote, Namdeb yelled foul, saying the vote should not be open to all 1,600. That angered MUN which saw it as an overt intervention into the union&rsquo;s affairs. Then during talks to resolve the strike/lockout, the company angered miners with a counter-offer granting the housing and utility allowances, but then demanded that miners pay rent in their new locales 
 
The recent peace agreement restores to the 125 transferred workers their housing and utility entitlements, and they will not have to pay rent at their new worksites. The accord guarantees no regressions to a 2009 Work Conditions Agreement. The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, which worked staunchly over the past six weeks to resolve the dispute, will coordinate the reconciliation commission. 
 
MUN called attention during to the strike the inequity in opportunities between Namibian citizens and expatriates. The union also singled out a top boss for unfairly denying Namibians jobs because he insists on using polygraph tests on applicants. And MUN has accused this same boss of safety neglect in implementing cost curtailments. Namdeb&rsquo;s largest operation at Oranjemund has seen two years this year. 
 
Diamond output by Namdeb fell off by 30,000 carats of gems during the dispute. Diamond production accounts for almost 10% of Namibia&rsquo;s GDP and 40% of foreign exchange funds. 
 
Meanwhile, a MUN branch took strike action 23 September against R&ouml;ssing Uranium Ltd., 69% owned by Rio Tinto. The 950 uranium miners of the Arandis branch passed a strike authorisation vote 19 September and this is the second strike in three months against R&ouml;ssing over inequitable bonus pay-outs between managers and workers. With Rio Tinto the lead company, the remainder of R&ouml;ssing is owned by the Namibian government and South Africa&rsquo;s Development Corp.

Namibia’s Mineworkers’ Union, Namdeb Reach for Olive Branch

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The second phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry&rsquo;s investigation into the deadly Pike River mine disaster in New Zealand in November 2010 concluded in Greymouth on Friday, 23 September. It produced important revelations regarding inept police supervision after the tragedy, lax emergency response and planning by Pike River Coal, and misguided decisions that still have prevented the recovery of bodies of 29 dead miners. 
 
The Pike River Coal Ltd. explosion of 19 November &ndash; and five subsequent blasts in the days following &ndash; is New Zealand&rsquo;s worst mining disaster in 100 years and Royal Commission hearings are succeeding in illuminating serious malpractices that have no place in modern mining. This second set of three-week hearings that began on 5 September will be followed by a third phase in November. 
 
The three-member commission heard testimony on time and information lapses in rescue and recovery between local and national police supervision. And they heard the frustration of an Australian Construction, Forestry, Mine and Energy Union (CFMEU) expert from the Queensland Mines Rescue team, whose team arrived at Pike River in the immediate days after the blast, only to be sidelined and kept out of the monitoring loop. 
<img alt="" src="" width="183" height="159" />
Timothy Whyte, a chief safety inspector of the CFMEU, told how he witnessed, on 30 November, contractors ignore a warning and place flammable polyurethane around a GAG machine used to extract deadly gases from the mine. The material did catch fire. It took only an hour to extinguish, White said, because the fire retardant apparatus was nearby, but it cost the recovery team valuable time in sealing the mine. 
 
In other testimony, the panel heard from the New Zealand Mines Rescue general manager who said that off-site control by national police in Wellington resulted in &ldquo;operational paralysis.&rdquo; One of the commission members, Stewart Bell, a state Mine Safety commissioner from Australia, asked a senior police commissioner, &ldquo;How much time was wasted, training police officers, in mining matters when you could have had someone there from the word go that understood the word terminology from the word go?&rdquo; 
 
NZ Mines Rescue also was sidelined in the aftermath. The general manager said he advised the police and Labour Department on 21 November to immediately seal the mine to prevent intake of air. They rejected the idea and within days five more explosions occurred. Sealing would have made it possible to recover the bodies sooner. 
 
Whyte testified earlier that he was flabbergasted to witness a large ventilation fan positioned at a portal pumping fresh air into the shaft in the early stages of rescue and recovery. 
 
Eleven of the 29 dead were members of ICEM affiliate Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU). The union&rsquo;s attorney questioned witnesses on safety practices of Pike River Coal Ltd. He heard testimony that the company failed to provide enough drift-runners to mechanically evacuate miners in event of an emergency. A control room operator, who lost his brother in the disaster and was manning internal and external telephone lines at the time of the blast, testified that telephones into the mine sometimes worked and sometimes didn&rsquo;t. 
 
A safety and training manager of Pike River Coal Ltd., who lost a son in the blast, admitted that he was always concerned that a long ventilation shaft served as the mine&rsquo;s prerequisite second escape route. It was revealed climbing the laddered shaft could take up to 45 minutes and Pike River provided self-rescuers with only 30 minutes of fresh oxygen. 
 
In the final week of the Inquiry, last week, panel members heard from seven family members of the deceased who spoke on ineffective communication and outreach by authorities. November&rsquo;s third stage of the Royal Commission of Inquiry will deal with the cause of the disaster.

Pike River’s Royal Inquiry Sees Troubling Safety Issues Inside NZ Mine Disaster

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