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Less than a month after the US-based Ross International company agreed to joint talks with ICEM Colombian affiliate Sintravidricol at three factories, the company reversed course and said it would not recognise the union at two of those plants, or at two others in Colombia. The company manufactures metal moulding for the glass industry, and is a specific supplier to glassmaker Peldar, the Owens-Illinois subsidiary in South America. 
 
This labour relations shift is another attempt by owner Larry Ross to avert unionisation by both direct workers and contract workers at four of five of his Colombian factories. Sintravidricol has a collective agreement at Moldes Medellin, Ross&rsquo;s plant in Sabaneta, and it was in late October that the company agreed to hold joint, three-plant talks with Sintravidricol at Moldes Medellin, as well as at two other Ross businesses: Andes Tooling and Andes Cast Metals. 
<img height="248" alt="" src="" width="330" />
For over a year, the ICEM and its US affiliate, the United Steelworkers (USW), have campaigned, together with Sintravidricol, to pressure Ross, which established four other Colombian factories staffed with contract workers to weaken the union at Moldes Medellin. 
 
But in spite of the October guarantee by the company, Ross is not willing to recognise Sintravidricol at the other four plants. Colombian management recently informed the union that Larry Ross is not willing to sign any agreement that recognises trade union rights for workers in the other plants. 
 
Sintravidricol began a strike at the three factories on 27 November. In a letter to the company, the ICEM again reiterated its demand to Ross International that Sintravidricol workers are engaged in a basic &ldquo;struggle for trade union freedom.&rdquo; 
 
Among items Sintravidricol was hoping to resolve at the joint bargaining table are redress to low salaries, and a check on the widespread use of contract and agency labour. 
<img height="115" alt="" src="" width="250" />
In the US as well, the USW has again picked up the campaign against the privately-held, Pennsylvania-based company. The union has nominated Larry Ross as &ldquo;Grinch of the Year&rdquo; within the US-based labour and community organisation, &ldquo;Jobs with Justice.&rdquo; The union has submitted Ross&rsquo;s name as an example of a company &ldquo;engaging in a global race to the bottom, in search of low wages and the ability to violate workers' rights.&rdquo; 
 
The USW is allied with &ldquo;Jobs with Justice,&rdquo; an activist grouping that holds an annual election to get the grinch which has done most to harm working families. To cast your vote for Larry Ross, please go here: <a href="http://www.jwj.org/grinchnominate.html">http://www.jwj.org/grinchnominate.html</a>.

US Ross Company Breaks Colombian Pledge, Glass Workers Strike

Mr. Seung Hwa Suh 
CEO Hankook Tire Co., Ltd. 
647-15 Yoksam-dong, Kangnam-gu 
Seoul, 135-723 
South Korea 
 
By Fax: +82-2-2222-1100 
 
 
Dear Mr. Suh, 
 
The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), which represents 20 million workers from 118 countries, held its 4th World Congress in Bangkok last week, from 22 to 24 November. Present at the meeting were over 800 trade unionists, from 176 national trade unions in 75 countries, many of which are operating in the chemical and rubber sectors within their countries. 
 
After having heard about the ongoing dispute between the management of your company in Hungary and the local Hankook workers in Dunaujvaros, represented by ICEM Affiliate VDSZ (Federation of Trade Unions of the Chemical, Energy and General Workers in Hungary), the ICEM World Congress unanimously adopted a solidarity statement in response to the ongoing violation of workers&rsquo; rights by Hankook Tire Hungary Ltd. 
 
The statement reads: &ldquo;We protest, on behalf of 20 million workers, against this employer&rsquo;s behaviour, as it has been shown by Hankook Tire in South Korea and Hungary. It is unacceptable that the employer does not acknowledge an organisation set up by the workers voluntarily and rejects every request for bargaining. 
 
It is furthermore unacceptable that a multinational company keeps hurting the laws of countries and does not accept the rules relating to workers&rsquo; rights. 
 
ICEM cannot accept this behaviour and insists on the start of negotiations. Today, social partners all over the world promote bargaining, Hankook should not be an exception. Workers - who increase the value of the company through their work - want to bargain with the management of the company on the working conditions and the collective agreement. 
 
The behaviour by the owners and the leaders of the company against the workers is not acceptable. We support all the workers whose rights have been violated by Hankook Tire.&rdquo; 
 
The ICEM, who agrees with VDSZ that refusing negotiations from your side is against the content of the Labor Code, therefore strongly insists for your company to enter into meaningful negotiations with the Hungarian Hankook workers, represented by VDSZ. 
 
Pending a fair and swift solution to the problem, we will use our offices to make sure that this trade union violation is known to all, and act, together with our affiliates, towards an end of this violation of workers&rsquo; rights. 
 
 
Manfred Warda 
ICEM General Secretary 
 
 
Cc: VDSZ, Hungary 
Mr. Lee Eung Young, 2459 R&aacute;calm&aacute;s, Hankook t&eacute;r 1., Hungary 
FKCU - Federation of Korean Chemical Workers' Union 
KCTF - Korea Chemical &amp; Textile Workers' Federation

ICEM letter to Hankook Tyre Ltd.

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Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. of South Korea received sizeable development and training subsidies in 2006 from the Hungarian government when it built an auto and light truck tyre plant in Dunaujv&aacute;ros, south of Budapest. A year later and several months following the start of production, the pay-back has been broken labour laws and blatant discrimination of trade unionists. 
 
The world&rsquo;s seventh largest tyre producer, 10% owned by Michelin, has paid fines for labour code violations, has seen large portions of its subsidies suspended by the Hungarian government, and has sacked one leader of the VDSZ Tire Manufacturing Workers&rsquo; Union, while refusing to negotiate with the ICEM affiliate, the Federation of Chemical, Energy, and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (VDSZ).
<img height="100" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Since production start-up early this year, the company has circumvented EU labour standards, and has violated ILO Conventions at its 28,500-unit-per-day tyre factory, now employing 800 blue-collar workers. Hankook Tire Magyarorszag Kft. has been found guilty or charged with non-payment of overtime pay, unsanitary work conditions, forcing a six-day work-week before a two-day leave, making work mandatory on public holidays, interrogating workers on their lawful right to join a union, and illegal dismissing workers. 
 
Besides using Hungarian subsidies to get the plant up and running this year, Hankook has used aid totalling nearly &euro;100 million from the European Commission. The company has reciprocated by paying fines for illegally employing 32 Korean workers and missing deadlines on registering employees to social security programmes. 
<img height="115" alt="" src="" width="250" />
Hankook&rsquo;s anti-social behaviour in Dunaujv&aacute;ros was a major talking point in mid-September discussions between South Korean Prime Minister Han Duk Soo and Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcs&aacute;ny. 
 
VDSZ is adamant that Hankook respect EU, ILO, and Hungarian standards and regulations. The ICEM supports VDSZ in its struggle with Hankook. In a further letter to Hankook&rsquo;s managing director on 23 November, VDSZ President Gy&ouml;rgy Pasztern&aacute;k stressed that a Hungarian court has certified the union&rsquo;s Tire Manufacturing Workers&rsquo; Union as bargaining representative, and that the company must negotiate terms and conditions with the union, as well as deal with the VDSZ branch on matters related to EU Works Council elections.
At its 4th World Congress in Bangkok, from 22 to 24 November, the ICEM adopted unanimously adopted a solidarity statement in response to the ongoing violation of workers&rsquo; rights by Hankook Tire Hungary Ltd. The statement was conveyed by the ICEM in a <a href="/index.php?id=20&amp;doc=2495&amp;la=EN">letter to the company</a>.

Korea’s Hankook Tire Company Setting Bad Precedents in Hungary

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Tuesday, 4 December, is Unilever Day of Action in Europe, and beyond. European trade unions will manifest in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Unilever workers throughout the world are expected to take action. The Anglo-Dutch consumer products conglomerate is inflicting job cuts on 20,000 workers worldwide. 
 
Half those numbers are occurring in Europe. Already, Unilever&rsquo;s reorganisation has cost hundreds of jobs in The Netherlands, UK, and Italy. 
<img height="150" alt="" src="" width="150" />
The Rotterdam agenda tomorrow includes a 13h00 forum at De Doelen conference centre, Kruisplein 40, that will highlight adverse Unilever case studies of job abuse from six countries. European labour leaders will also speak. At 15h00, a march to Unileverhouse in central Rotterdam will happen. 
 
The ICEM has joined with the International Union of Food Workers&rsquo; Association (IUF) to call attention to this Action Day against Unilever in workplaces and at union meetings globally. Unilever initially avoided proper social dialogue in its recent European reorganisation, and the company has violated workers&rsquo; rights in India, Pakistan, Chile, Colombia, and South Africa. IUF has brought abuses in India and Pakistan before the UK National Contact Point for OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. 
 
ICEM and IUF encourages Unilever workers throughout the world to distribute the joint statement that can be found <a href="/index.php?id=154&amp;doc=2488&amp;la=EN">here</a>. 
Take action against Unilever on European Day of Action, 4 December!

Day of Action on Unilever Rings Tomorrow in Europe

Bangkok, 17-18 November 2007 
&ldquo;Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre&rdquo;, Bangkok
<img height="38" alt="" src="" width="30" />
Day 1 
 
9:30&nbsp; Opening
Evgenia Esenina, Chair of ICEM Women&rsquo;s Committee 
Senzeni Zokwana, President of ICEM 
Manfred Warda, General Secretary of ICEM 
 
Greetings from: Elsa Ramos, ILO, Vesna Rodic, FES 
 
THEME ONE: PEACE 
 
Contributions from: 
<ul>
 <li>
 <div>Burma</div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>Sintraelecol, Colombia</div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>General Union of Electricity Workers and Technicians, Iraq</div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>General Union of Petroleum, Mining Chemicals and Similar Substances Workers in Palestine</div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>Zimbabwe Electricity and Energy Workers Union </div>
 </li>
</ul>
11:00 Coffee break 
 
11:30 Conference reconvenes 
 
 
THEME TWO: CONTRACT AND AGENCY LABOUR 
 
Presentations by: Thailand and India 
 
Discussion 
 
13:00 Lunch 
 
14:30 Conference reconvenes 
Two presentations by Government Pharmaceuticals Organisation 
 
 
THEME THREE: HEALTH 
 
Presentations by Brazil and Germany 
 
17:00 Meeting of ICEM women from Central Europe, Northern Europe, Western Europe 
 
18:00 End of Day One 
 
 
Day Two 
 
9:00 Presentation by Japanese Affiliates on work-life balance 
 
9:30 Working Groups on work-life balance 
 
10:30 Report Back from Working Groups 
 
11:00 Coffee break 
 
11:30 Conference reconvenes 
 
13:00 Lunch 
 
14:30 Conference reconvenes 
 
14:30 Working Groups on Motions 
 
16:00 Elections of Chair and Vice-Chair of Women&rsquo;s Committee 
 
17:00 End of Women&rsquo;s Conference

4th ICEM World Congress - Women’s Conference

<a href="#PPT">For a collection of Powerpoint presentations at the meeting, click here</a>
<img height="113" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Draft Agenda 
Chair of the meeting: Sjaiful DP, FSP KEP Indonesia
<ul>
 <li>9.00. Opening by Manfred Warda, ICEM General Secretary 
 </li>
 <li>9.10 Welcome by Vesna Rodic, Resident Director FES Thailand 
 </li>
 <li>9.15. Aranya Pakapath, ICEM Project coordinator, overview of the contract and agency labour situation in Asia 
 
 9.30. Sergio Novais, ICEM Vice-President, overview of the contract and agency labour situation in Latin America 
 
 9.45. Kenny Mogane, ICEM Project coordinator, overview of the contract and agency labour situation in Sub-Saharan Africa 
 
 10.00. J&oslash;rgen Juul Rasmussen, DEF, Denmark, overview of the contract and agency labour situation in Western and Northern Europe 
 
 </li>
 <li>10.15. - 10.45. Break 
 </li>
 <li>10.45. - 12.30. Additional speakers 
 
 Bambang Surjono, FSPKEP, Indonesia, Indonesian case study 
 Mato Lalic, ICEM Project coordinator, on the situation in Central Europe 
 Tony Burke, UNITE, UK, UK case study * 
 Carol Fraser, CEP Canada, on the situation in North America 
 Lev Mironov, ROGWU, Russia, on the situation in Eastern Europe 
 Olucha Umeh, NUPENG, Nigeria, case study 
 Maria Angelica Vera Horma, FENATRAPECH, Chile, Chilean case study * 
 Hassan J&rsquo;Aama, IFOU, Iraq, on the situation in Middle East * 
 
 </li>
 <li>12.30. - 14.00. Break </li>
</ul>
<img height="202" alt="" src="" width="142" />
<ul>
 <li>14.00. ILO representative* 
 
 14.15. Jim Baker, Council of Global Unions Coordinator, on the impact for organising and bargaining 
 
 14.30. Evgenia Esenina, ICEM Vice-President, ROGWU, Russia, on the gender aspect 
 
 </li>
 <li>14.45. Plenary debate 
 </li>
 <li>15.00. Break 
 </li>
 <li>15.30. Brendan Martin, ICEM Project consultant, past and future of the ICEM contract and agency labour campaign 
 
 15.50. Discussion 
 
 </li>
 <li>16.50. Conclusion 
 </li>
 <li>17.00. End of meeting </li>
</ul>
* to be confirmed
Conference facilitator: Jeannette van Dongen, ICEM Project Officer
<a name="PPT"></a><img height="60" alt="" src="" width="70" align="absMiddle" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img height="60" alt="" src="" width="121" align="absMiddle" />
&nbsp;<img height="55" alt="" src="" width="61" align="absMiddle" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<img height="44" alt="" src="" width="200" align="absMiddle" /><a name="PPT"></a>
Presentations from the Meeting
&nbsp;

ICEM Contract and Agency labour Conference

<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2485&amp;la=EN">ICEM Congress Closes with Strong Motions on Burma, Iraq</a> 
24 November 2007
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2484&amp;la=EN">ICEM elects Senzeni Zokwana, Manfred Warda to lead 20-Million-Member Global Union Federation</a> 
23 November 2007
&nbsp;<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2481&amp;la=EN">ICEM Congress Opens with Cry of Better Mine Safety, Curbs to Capital Markets</a> 
22 November 2007
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2482&amp;la=EN">4th ICEM World Congress 
Opening Speech by ICEM President Senzeni Zokwana</a> 
22 November 2007
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2483&amp;la=EN">4th ICEM World Congress 
Speech by ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda</a> 
22 November 2007
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2479&amp;la=EN">Contract and Agency Labour - a Global and Negative Phenomenon</a> 
21 November 2007
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />
<a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2474&amp;la=EN">ICEM Women Elect New Vice President, Adopt 7-Point Programme</a> 
18 November 2007

4th ICEM World Congress - CONGRESS NEWS

<img height="40" src="" width="100" alt="" />
ICEM affiliate Engineering, Printing, and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) in New Zealand has voiced its sentiments concerning mine safety on two fronts: at home and in China. The country&rsquo;s largest labour union, which represents nearly all of New Zealand&rsquo;s coal miners, issued a statement calling on mandatory mine check inspectors to be included in any new mining regulations. 
 
The EPMU&rsquo;s call follows news in New Zealand that the surviving spouse of a miner killed inside a shaft in 2006 plans to campaign for changes to New Zealand&rsquo;s mining regulations. 
<img height="115" src="" width="250" alt="" />
EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little said dedicated mine check inspectors would be a major improvement in mine safety. &ldquo;Having someone on-site whose express purpose is to check worksite safety, equipment standards, and make sure that the right procedures are followed, and who has the confidence of miners, would make mining that much safer,&rdquo; said Little. 
 
&ldquo;Mining remains one of the most dangerous jobs, and it is about teamwork and trust,&rdquo; he added. 
<img height="200" src="" width="132" alt="" />
EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little 
The EPMU also struck out at New Zealand&rsquo;s National Party for its cynical attack on Kiwi efforts to bring better safety techniques to China&rsquo;s mines. Leaders of the political party were sharply critical of a government-funded initiative to assist the Chinese. The initiative had the involvement of the EPMU, New Zealand&rsquo;s Council of Trade Unions, and state-run Solid Energy. 
 
&ldquo;The EPMU helps Chinese miners because we value human life,&rdquo; said Little in a statement. &ldquo;National&rsquo;s criticism of this (programme) is astonishingly short-sighted and petty, and makes clear where their party stands on decent labour standards &ndash; they don&rsquo;t care.&rdquo;

EPMU Strikes Hard on Mine Safety at Home, and in China

The ICEM Women&rsquo;s Committee concluded its two-day conference yesterday, 18 November, in Bangkok, Thailand, shaping a seven-point work plan for future activities. The 180 women present also elected a new vice president to the ICEM&rsquo;s Presidium. 
 
Angeline Chitambo, a leader in Zimbabwe&rsquo;s Energy and Electricity Workers&rsquo; Union (ZEEWU), was elected to one of two statutory positions for women on ICEM&rsquo;s Presidium. She replaces Binda Pandy of Nepal, who did not seek re-election due to her increased role in the national labour centre GEFONT in her home country. Evgenia Esenina, chair of the Women&rsquo;s Committee from the Russian Oil and Gas Workers&rsquo; Union (ROGWU), was unanimously endorsed to continue serving in the other Women&rsquo;s seat. 
<img height="285" alt="" src="" width="380" />
Chair Evgenia Esenina and Vice-chair Angeline Chitambo
The forward work plan includes: Engaging in more research on best practices regarding maternity protection; active exchange of information through ICEM&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s newsletter on country by country activities concerning women and work; a continuation of work on the work-life balance, specifically maternity and paternity leave; and the strengthening of work toward and training of workers in informal sectors, including casual workers, migrant workers, and women workers in agency labour or on short-term labour contracts. 
 
The other three points include: Building alliances with NGOs and other civil society organisations, and changing men&rsquo;s mentality to expand gender equality; continuation of women&rsquo;s leadership training and expanding women&rsquo;s representation; and continuing work specifically in Burma, Colombia, Iraq, Nepal, Palestine, Zimbabwe, and other countries in which the fight for trade union and human rights must be engaged. 
<img height="241" alt="" src="" width="380" />
On the left, GUEWT President Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein
A special feature of the Women&rsquo;s Committee meeting, which leads into this week&rsquo;s 4th ICEM World Congress, was a presentation by Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein, president of the General Union of Iraq Electricity Workers and Technicians (GUEWT). The union became ICEM&rsquo;s first affiliate earlier this year from war-torn Iraq. She told the assembled about the difficulties fledging trade unions face in Iraq, as well as the struggle to shape a secular society in which women play major roles. 
 
Other reports came from pro-democracy groups in Burma, the continuing fight to form a just society in Nepal, and work being done by women in Thailand to bring full rights and permanent jobs to contract workers. The conference also included two break-out sessions; one on work-life balance and maternity protection, the other on resolutions submitted to this week&rsquo;s ICEM Congress, which runs 22-24 November at the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre in Bangkok.

ICEM Women Elect New Vice President, Adopt 7-Point Programme

<img height="40" alt="" src="" width="100" />
The ICEM mourns the passing of Heribert Maier. He died suddenly in Graz, Austria, on 6 November, from a cerebral haemorrhage. He was 75. 
 
Heribert Maier was one of the champions in the achievement of workers&rsquo; rights on the global level in the 1970s and 1980s, and beyond. &ldquo;We have much to be thankful for because of his work on the ILO&rsquo;s Freedom of Association Committee,&rdquo; said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;The recognition of basic ILO Conventions is a tribute to Heribert Maier.&rdquo; 
 
Warda also lauded Maier for giving strong support to the Mineworkers&rsquo; International Federation (MIF) in getting the Health and Safety in Mines Convention 176 through the ILO. 
<img height="235" alt="" src="" width="150" />
He joined OGB, the Austrian national labour centre, in 1955, and rose from there to prominent careers at the ICFTU and the ILO. He also served as General Secretary of FIET, which merged with two other global unions to become UNI in 2000, from 1973-1979. He was a pioneer then, among global trade union leaders, to work extensively and successfully in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. 
 
He held several distinguished positions at the ILO, including Governing Body member, Vice President of Conference, ACTRAV spokesman in the Freedom of Association Committee, and a co-drafter of the 1977 ILO Tripartite Declaration on Multinationals. 
 
The ICEM extends its deepest condolences to Heribert Maier&rsquo;s immediate family, his wife Ren&eacute;e, daughter Christina, and to affiliated unions of UNI on the sad occurrence of his death.

ICEM Mourns Death of Heribert Maier, Ex-FIET General Secretary

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