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An oil industry contractor in Nigeria sacking 170 workers because they exercised their right to trade union representation could provoke a strike early next week. ICEM affiliate NUPENG gave a 14-day ultimatum to Outsourcing Services Ltd. and ChevronTexaco to re-hire the workers and correct their miserable terms of employment. The South African firm is doing work for the US supermajor at Escravos, near Warri, and at offshore oil installations. 
The contract workers are paid extremely low wages and &ldquo;used as expendable mules in Nigeria,&rdquo; NUPENG said in a statement. &ldquo;It is repugnant to good justice, fair play, equity and human dignity,&rdquo; the statement added. Both NUPENG and Nigerian white-collar affiliate PENGASSAN have renewed a strike threat in the Port Harcourt area over the conduct of another contractor, Malaysian-based Wasco. 
The unions want two expatriate Wasco bosses expelled from Nigeria, as well as written apologies issued after the bosses made insulting and derogatory comments during wage and benefit bargaining. That strike could occur tomorrow if company and government actions are not taken.

Contractor’s Unfair Sackings May Provoke Nigerian Strike

The ICEM has challenged Norwegian chemical producer Jotun&rsquo;s record of facts in a Turkish dispute at a paint factory where workers are represented by ICEM affiliate Petrol-Is. Jotun is violating global social standards by hiring more supervisors to avoid majority representation. The company is also misdirected with a public statement that strikers at the factory in Cerkezn&ouml;y, Turkey, are responsible for equipment sabotage. The ICEM and Petrol-Is assert outside contractors inexperienced with Jotun&rsquo;s equipment were inside doing the strikers&rsquo; work.

ICEM Questions Norwegian Chemical Firm’s Facts in Turkey

The ICEM expressed its relief to the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) on learning of the 1 February release of Talib Khadim Tayee, president of the Iraqi Mechanics, Metalworkers and Printworkers Union. Talib Khadim was abducted 27 January when armed gunmen burst into a paper factory in Baghdad where he was conducting union business. He was beaten repeatedly by the gun butts of his assailants before being dragged off. This criminal act was done in front of workers, and occurred just 23 days after the senseless assassination of Hadi Saleh, IFTU International Secretary.

Kidnapped Iraqi Trade Union Leader Free

All communication was cut off to and from Nepal late last week and the ICEM was unable to ascertain the safety and whereabouts of leaders of its affiliated unions, including ICEM Vice President Binda Pandey of the Independent Chemical and Iron Workers&rsquo; Union and GEFONT. King Gyanendra of Nepal on 1 February dissolved his handpicked government and declared a state of emergency. At the weekend army forces were going after Maoist rebels. GEFONT leadership and ICEM leaders and contacts inside Nepal are not connected with the insurgency. ILO Director- General Juan Somavia reminded Nepal&rsquo;s king on 4 February that emergency decrees &ldquo;aimed at anti-social disruptive elements should not be applied against workers for exercising their legitimate trade union rights, including the right to organize public meetings.&rdquo;

Emergency Law in Nepal Suspends All Human, Labour Rights

ICEM affiliate Indian National Cement Workers&rsquo; Federation&rsquo;s annual Congress was held in mid-December and G. Sanjeeva Reddy was elected as President. Re-elected as General Secretary was N. Nanjappan. C.L. Dudhia chaired the union&rsquo;s general meeting, held at Mumbai.

India’s Cement Workers’ Conduct Congress

Three months after European chemical unions and employers jointly applied for Social Dialogue with the European Commission, the EC granted it last month. New Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Vladimir Spidla, welcomed the formal establishment of the Dialogue Committee on 14 December. EMCEF, lead organization for the unions, and the European Chemical Employers Group intend to use the formalized dialogue in the interests of both workers and the industry to create initiatives and enhance competitiveness of the European chemical industry.

European Social Dialogue Will Begin in Chemicals Sector

ICEM affiliate General Workers&rsquo; Union of Malta is protesting that government&rsquo;s introduction of legislation aimed at eliminating all public holidays that fall on weekends. This means workers&mdash;if the bill is passed as an amendment to Legislation on Public Holidays&mdash;will not get an additional leave day for holidays occurring on weekend days, as mandated in Malta&rsquo;s Industrial and Employments Relations Act. In 2005, if passed, workers will lose three holidays, including the 1 May holiday and Christmas Day.

Maltese Union Protests Government’s Public Holiday Elimination

While the legal proceedings for over 400 sacked miners at Debswana diamond operations in Botswana continue on hold, the fate of their children&rsquo;s education hit a sad, cruel end. Debswana, jointly owned by DeBeers and the government of Botswana, has dismissed from company sponsored schools the children of those who participated in a strike last August. The company does allow children of others from the mining areas to attend on a private-school fee basis. &ldquo;Management has now turned to the cruellest form of torture methods in hitting where it hurts most, children,&rdquo; stated Chimbidzani Chimidza, national chairman of the Botswana Mining Workers&rsquo; Union.

Debswana Delivers Cruel Fate to Children of Botswana’s Miners

The Executive Boards of ICEM North American affiliates USWA and PACE voted to merge in January, creating the continent&rsquo;s largest industrial union with 850,000 members. The merger is scheduled to be consummated in April when the two unions will hold concurrent conventions.

PACE, USWA Unions in US Lay Preliminary Work for Merger

In December, ICEM reported on death threats and extortion attempts to Sintracarb&oacute;n bargaining team members and their families. In fact, those threats were made to national officers of Sintracarbon&mdash;including a bargaining team member&mdash;as well as to leaders of the San Juan Del Cesar branch of Sintracarb&oacute;n. 

&nbsp;

Death Threats in Colombia Aimed at Sintracarbon Leaders

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