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A last-minute compromise in Norway late in the evening on 31 March averted a strike by 38,000 industry workers. A government-appointed mediator reconciled pay and other issues between ICEM affiliate Fellesforbundet and Norsk Industri, representing some 1,000 industrial firms. 
The union was seeking adequate salary increases for 2006, preservation of an early retirement programme, called avtalefesten pensjon (AFP), and a halt to the practice of paying foreign workers lower pay rates. Government mediation, however, failed to stop a construction strike that began yesterday, 2 April, between 19,000 trade unionists of Fellesforbundet and the National Association for the Building Industry.

Norwegian Industrial Disputes Settled on Eve of Strikes

CEP労組支部 、ストーラエンゾーが新たに提示した協約案を検討 
 
ノヴァスコチア州ポートホウクスベリーにあるストーラエンゾ工場のカナダ通信エネルギー製紙労組 (CEP) 支部組合員はこの週末に会社側が提出した協約案を検討するために集会を開く予定だ。フィンランド/スウェーデン系の同社は、４日間の集中交渉の後、６月１０日、CEP９７２支部に新協約案を提示した。５月３０日、同社は、６月２４日までに協約が妥結しない場合、６００人の製紙労働者が働くこのコーティング紙・新聞用紙工場を閉鎖すると 通告している。ストーラは、カナダ東部の製紙産業パターン方式協約で認められている以上に作業・業務をアウトソーシングし、これまで以上のフレキシビリティーを確保したいと主張し、２００６年１月２６日からロックアウトを開始した。５月初めに再開した団体交渉で、会社側は１４〜１８％の賃金及びその他の手当の削減を含むリストラ案を提示した。今回提示された協約案には１０％の賃金カットが含まれている。 
 
６月１０日に提示された協約案の詳細はCEP９７２支部の組合員が検討するまで公表されなかった。６００人の製紙労働者のロックアウトは現在２１週間目に入った。 
 
 
フランスの労働組合、フランスガスとスエズの合併問題で６月２０日にスト 
 
フランスの３労組は、６月２０日、国営フランスガス社とフランス/ベルギー系の水道及び電力会社スエズの合併問題から政府が手をひくことを求めて、共闘ストを行うことを決めた。CGT、FO及びCFE-CGCのエネルギー部会は、６月２０日、作業停止と大規模なデモと集会を行う予定だ。イタリアのエネルギー会社エネル社が進めているスエズの敵対買収を阻止する目的でドミニック・ヴィルパン首相が提案し、政府が仲介して進められているこの合併案は、フランスガスの経営権は最低限７０％を政府が所有することを規定した２００４年制定の法律に違反することになる。７２０億ユーロ規模のスエズとの合併が実現した場合、政府所有の経営権は３４％となってしまう。 
 
フランスの国務大臣のニコラス・サルコジーが、先週、この合併案は議会及び政府幹部の支持を失いつつある、と述べたため、フランスの労働諸組織は後押しを得た形となった。１日ストとデモはこの合併案を可能にする法案について今週議会で審議される時に合わせて実施される。 
 
 
ストーラエンゾ、ブラジルのアルクルズ．セルローズ、契約労働に依存過多 
 
ICEM加盟組織のフィンランド製紙労組とフィンランド労働組合連帯センター (SASK)が委託した調査研究によると、ストーラエンゾとアルクルズ．セルローズが共同経営しているブラジルのパルプ工場は契約労働への依存度が高すぎることが判った。 
この研究はブラジルのナショナルセンターCUTの外郭研究機関である社会問題研究所が６月７日に発表したもの。同研究所は、このジョイントベンチャーにはあまりにも多くの下請け業者が入っているために適正にモニターすることが出来ないと報告している。 
 
工場はVeracel Florestal Ltdaという会社で、バイア州エウナポリスにある。この工場ではパルプ製造に使うユーカリの収穫に下請け業者を使っており、大規模な環境問題を起こしている。また、工場ではパルプ製造には正規労働者を雇用しているが、その他の部門の作業の大半は問題となっている下請け業者を使っている。その結果、賃金は全般的に低くなり、雇用条件も低下した。上述の研究報告は、この工場では安全衛生にも問題があり、工場の労働者及び地域住民共に化学物質に高いレベルでばくろしている、と指摘している。この工場は2005年に操業を開始し、年間９０万トンのユーカリパルプを生産している。 
 
 
IGBCEとドイツ化学産業経営者団体、家庭を重視した協約議定書を発表 
 
ドイツのICEM加盟組織、 IGBCEと化学産業経営者団体、BAVCは６月１２日、職場において家庭重視の政策を実施しようと共同声明を発表した。この種の合意はドイツでは初めて。 
 
このイニシアチブは仕事と家庭間の適正なバランスの実現に向けたパイオニア的取り組みとなる。「この合意は仕事と家庭の両立に向けた大きな前進だ。」と IGBCEのエデルトラウト・グランザーは言う。彼女は、これからポジションペーパーには化学産業の職場において実施されるべき諸策を挿入する必要がある、と付け加えた。ドイツの家族問題担当長官のウルスラ・ヴォン・デルレイデンは調印式に出席し、「労働組合と使用者団体がこのような家庭重視の労務管理政策について宣言した事実が仕事と家庭のより良いバランスの決定的前提条件となる。」と述べた。 
 
 
トリニダッド・トバゴ石油労組、協約交渉停止に抗議し、スト突入 
 
トリニダッド・ドバゴの加盟組織、石油油田労組(OWTU)は先週、国営石油会社ペトロリンで再度ストを行使した。ストは暗礁に上がっている賃金交渉、安全衛生問題及び２人の従業員のレイオフに抗議して、６月５日と６日の二日間行われた。 
 
５月１１日、１日１６万バレルの稼働能力を持つ石油精製所に働く従業員を除く、陸上及び沖合操業の事業所に働くOWTU組合員は昨年から停止状態にある協約交渉の再開を求めてストを行った。石油精製所に働く労働者たちは３年間協約改定を要求し、この３月に２回ストを実施した。先週の場合は、経営側が協約妥結に向けて誠実に交渉に臨むと誓約したため、組合側はストを停止した。しかし、OWTUは大きな前進が見られない場合、引き続き争議行為を実施すると警告した。OWTUは 2005年&minus;2008年間の協約締結に向けて、意味ある対話が出来るよう、経営側との交渉に臨んでいる。 
 
 
米国のタイヤ労働者２万７千人を適用対象とする協約交渉始まる 
 
USWは今月、ミッシェランの北米子会社のBFグッドリッチと、また、６月１４日からブリヂストン/ファイヤーストーンと交渉を開始する予定だ。これらの３企業はタイヤ産業では最も大規模な会社であり、米国のゴム産業のマスター協約となる。USWはグッドイヤ-で１万７千人、ブリヂストンで６千人、ミッシェランで４千人の労働者を組織している。 
 
USW はこれら３社の中から１社をパターン方式協約交渉のターゲットとし、他社との交渉のモデルとしたいと考えている。現行の３年間協約は７月２２日に発効期限が切れる。 
 
 
米国のデュポン２工場で協約妥結 
 
USWは最近、米国内にあるデュポン社の２つの化学工場で新たに協約を締結した。この別々の協約は長期間の交渉の後妥結し、過去数年間凍結されていた賃金の値上げも含まれている。ケンタッキー州ルイスビルにあるフッ素化合物を生産する工場には９５人のUSW組合員が働いている。同工場の２年間協約は５月３１日に妥結した。この工場の労働者たちは過去４年半の期間協約なしの状態で就労していた。協約では４％の即時賃上げと２００６年９月からさらに３％の賃上げが合意された。 
 
デラウェア州エッジモールにあるニ酸化チタニウム工場の３年協約では４％、３％、３％の賃上げが協約で合意された。この協約の適用対象となっている労働者は１３０人あまり。今回の協約には最低限の要員数が規定された。また、特定の医療保険給付金についての権利放棄の条文が削除された。両工場の交渉ではデュポンは医療保険給付金のカットを一方的に押し付けようとし、USWを公式団体交渉から外そうと試みるライバルの労組も経営側の譲渡を受け入れた。 
 
 
ニューランド労組、９０日の見習い期間法案に反対 
 
ニュージーランドの労働組合は、使用者は採用から９０日間に処罰なしに労働者を解雇できる法案に反対し、６月２日、毎週一回のピケの抗議運動を開始した。この反対運動を主導するのはICEM加盟組織のエンジニア印刷及び製造産業労組 (EPMU)。 
 
６月２日、 EPMUは法案を提出したウェイン・マップのタカプナにある選挙事務所の前でピケを行った。この後、反対運動はオークランドや選抜したターゲット地区で実施される予定だ。また、６月２１日にはウワンゲレイで大規模な集会 が、７月２０日にはオークランドの議会前でデモ行進と集会が予定され、この雇用関係法改正案反対運動を盛り上がっていくことになっている。この法案が成立した場合、採用後９０日間の労働者の苦情申し立て条項はすべて削除される。この法案は、マップが率いる国民党に他の４党が加わり、２００６年３月１５日に議会において賛成６３票反対５８票で最初の審議を通過した。政府と緑の党は労働組合とともにこの法案に反対している。 
 
 
全米鉱山労組、 安全問題でブッシュ政権を追及 
 
全米鉱山労組 (UMWA)は，現在、今年未組織炭坑で起きた労災事故に関連し、裁判闘争と法案改正運動を展開している。UMWAは６月８日、ブッシュ政権の鉱山安全衛生局 (MSHA)を連邦裁判所に告訴した。告訴状の争点はMSHAによる地下炭坑の緊急時に使用される酸素吸入器の抜き取り検査の実施とすること、炭坑労働者を対象にしたこの機器の使用についての訓練の実施の義務化だ。告訴の前日、米国下院は賛成３８１票、反対３７票でこれまでよりも厳しい鉱山安全法を採択した。この法案で２時間分の酸素吸入装置の使用の義務化と３年以内に地下炭坑用の通信装置と追跡装置の設置を 炭坑会社に義務づけている。 
 
また、石炭会社は死亡者が発生する可能性がある事故は発生後１５分以内に報告し、すべての炭坑事業所内に救援隊を設置することが義務付けている。現在、事業所内に救援隊を設置しているのはUMWAが組織している炭坑のみである。この５月、米国の上院は、UMWAの強い支持を受け、この法案を採択した。現在、この法案が法律として成立するためにはブッシュ大統領が署名するだけの状態だ。米国で２００６年に起きた炭鉱事故ですでに３３名が亡くなっている。これらの死亡事故はすべて未組織炭坑で発生した。死亡原因の大半はガス爆発による一酸化中毒である。つまり、酸素吸入器の不具合と地下炭坑での不十分な酸素供給が死亡者を多数出した理由であることは明白だ。 
 
 
トルコ炭坑事故、許せない政府・ビジネス関係者の発言 
 
６月１日、トルコのウルサンベイある民営未組織のセンタス炭坑でメタンガス爆発が起き、坑内のシャフトが崩れ落ち、１７人が死亡し、９人が重傷を負った。炭坑事故は毎日のように世界各地で起こっているが、この事故は特に留意する必要がある。それは、トルコの石炭産業関係者らやエネルギー天然資源大臣が「この種の事故は石炭産業ではよく起こる。」と発言したからだ。 
 
他の諸国と同様、トルコでも炭坑や鉱物鉱山事業所が遠隔地に拡大しており、安全衛生リスクが高くなっている。特に、労働組合が基準の履行をモニターできない場合、危険性が高くなるのが実情だ。今回の事故と担当大臣及び石炭産業経営者団体による冷淡な発言に対して、ICEM加盟組織のトルコ炭坑労組は、トルコには炭坑の安全衛生を規定する法律はあるが、きちんと法規定の基準を履行していないため、多くの労災事故が起きている、と指摘した。「この労働組合がこの事業所内で組織されていたならば、安全基準は守られていた。労働組合がある炭坑では労災事故数が著しく少ない。」と同労組は言う。 ICEMは ６月１日、トルコ炭坑労組に宛てた書簡の中で、同労組のトルコ鉱業における安全衛生の取り組みについて絶対的支持を表明した。

ICEM InBrief  ２００６年６月１２日発行

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On 1 June, 17 coal miners died after a methane gas explosion caused a collapse of shafts at a mine owned by the privately-held Sentas Madencilik mining company in Dursunbey, Turkey. Nine other miners were seriously injured at the unorganised mine in Belıkesir province. 
 
The tragedy, just one in a series of underground mining accidents occurring across the world on almost a daily basis, deserves attention due to the response from business interests inside Turkey, as well as from the minister of Energy and Natural Resources. That response was to explain away the Dursunbey deaths as &ldquo;such things happen in the mining industry.&rdquo;
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But in Turkey, as in many other countries, the expansion of coal and minerals mining into remote areas by more and more operators brings with it higher safety risks, particularly when those mines are operated without the monitoring and compliance that trade unions offer. 
 
Following the Dursunbey tragedy and the cold-hearted remarks by both the government&rsquo;s minister and an employers&rsquo; organisation, ICEM affiliate Maden-Īş Sendikasi said that although mine safety legislation is in place in Turkey, weak enforcement is to blame for many mine disasters. &ldquo;If there were unions at this workplace, safety regulations would be followed,&rdquo; said the union. 
 
&ldquo;Where there are unions&rdquo; in mines, &ldquo;the number of accidents declines noticeably,&rdquo; added a Maden-Īş spokesperson. The ICEM addressed the 1 June Turkish mining catastrophe in a letter to the union by issuing unequivocal support for Maden-Īş&rsquo;s health and safety efforts across the mining industry in Turkey.

Turkish Mine Deaths Illuminated by Callous Official Comments

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The United Steelworkers (USW) achieved new collective agreements at two DuPont chemical plants in recent weeks in the US. The separate contracts are long overdue and contain wage increases for USW members that have been denied to them for the past several years. 
 
At a Louisville, state of Kentucky, fluorochemicals plant where 95 steelworkers are employed, a two-year agreement was put in place on 31 May. Workers there had been without a current agreement for the past four-and-a-half years. The accord calls for an immediate wage increase of 4%, while 3% was won effective in September 2006.
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At a titanium dioxide plant in Edge Moor, state of Delaware, USW members agreed to a three-year contract with DuPont that will provide wage increases of 4%, 3% and 3%. Some 130 workers are covered by this new agreement, which also contains a minimum staffing requirement and removes DuPont&rsquo;s waiver language on certain health care benefits. 
 
At both locations, DuPont has attempted to unilaterally impose cuts to health care benefits, and has supported rival unions in efforts to overthrow USW as the official bargaining representative

Two DuPont Labour Agreements Fall in Place in US

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Bargaining in the US tyre industry began on 9 June when the United Steelworkers (USW) kicked off talks when Goodyear Tire &amp; Rubber Co. and America&rsquo;s largest industrial union exchanged proposals in Cincinnati, Ohio. 
 
USW also begins talks with Michelin&rsquo;s North American subsidiary BF Goodrich this month, and bargaining with Bridgestone/Firestone begins on 14 June. The three companies represent the largest of the tyre firms which comprise the master rubber agreement in the US. The union represents some 17,000 Goodyear employees, 6,000 Bridgestone workers, and 4,000 at Michelin.
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USW is expected to select one of the three as the &ldquo;target&rdquo; company, in which it hopes to achieve a pattern contract that will be taken to the others. Current three-year contracts in the US tyre industry expire on 22 July.

US Tyre Talks Begin for 27,000 Workers

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A study commissioned by ICEM Finnish affiliate Paperiliitto and the Trade Union Solidarity Centre of Finland (SASK) says a greenfield pulp mill in Brazil operated jointly by Stora Enso and Aracruz Celulose is too dependent on contract workers. 
The study, released 7 June by Observatorio Social, the research institute connected with the Brazilian trade union centre CUT, reports that the joint venture has so many contractors that it cannot adequately monitor them.
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The mill, called Veracel Florestal Ltda. and located in Eun&aacute;polis, state of Bahia, utilises contractors in the harvesting of eucalyptus for the mill, which causes immense environmental damage. Also, the mill relies on questionable contractors rather than permanent workers for most tasks at the mill, except for the actual production of pulp. 
 
The result is that overall salaries are driven down and labour contract terms circumvented. The study also reports that health and safety is compromised, and there is too much exposure to chemicals by both workers and those living in Eun&aacute;polis. The pulp mill went on line in 2005 and can produce 900,000 metric tonnes per year of eucalyptus pulp.

Stora Enso, Brazilian Aracruz Celulose Too Dependent on Contractors, Study Says

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Members of Communications, Energy, Paperworkers (CEP) Union of Canada at Stora Enso&rsquo;s Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, paper mill will meet this week and review a contract proposal presented by the company over the weekend. The Finnish-Swedish paper company presented CEP Local 972 with a proposal on 10 June, after four days of intense talks. 
 
On 30 May, Stora Enso issued an ultimatum to the 600 paperworkers to either finalise a new collective agreement by 24 June or face a closure of the coated papers and newsprint mill. The lockout started on 26 January 2006 over Stora&rsquo;s insistence on gaining more flexibility regarding outsourcing mill work than allowed under the pattern agreement for the paper industry in eastern Canada. 
 
In negotiations that resumed in early May, the company put forward a restructuring plan that included proposed wage and other cuts totalling between 14 and 18%. This recovery plan included wage cuts of 10%.
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Details of the 10 June proposal were not released until CEP Local 972 members have had an opportunity to review it. The 650 workers have been locked out now for 21 weeks.

New Stora Enso Offer Will Be Reviewed by CEP Branch at Canadian Paper Mill

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Further strike action against state-owned Petrotrin of Trinidad and Tobago occurred last week by ICEM affiliate Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU). Workers struck the company&rsquo;s Point-a-Pierre refinery on 5-6 June in protest to stalled wage talks, health and safety issues, and the suspension of two employees.
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On 11 May, onshore and offshore OWTU members, with the exception of staff at the 160,000 barrels-per-day refinery, downed tools due to stalled negotiations dating to last year. Workers at the refinery did strike twice in March 2006 in order to hasten a three-year renewal agreement. 
 
Last week&rsquo;s strike action was halted by the union after management pledged earnest talks to reach a new contract, but OWTU warned industrial actions would continue unless major progress did occur. The OWTU has been seeking meaningful dialogue with the company in order to put into effect a new labour agreement covering the period 2005 to 2008.

Trinidad, Tobago Oil Workers Strike Over Stalled Wage Talks

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Mission to Ghana &ndash; Breakthrough in ICEM Pilot Project 
 
Key elements of the ICEM Global HIV/AIDS Project are the pilot projects. In identifying areas where we can make a real contribution, the ICEM has developed the concept of such projects in cooperation with major mining companies. 
These projects target health clinics operated by the companies, which provide functioning medical services to their workers and immediate dependents. The clinics can be used to expand their services to the broader community in the area and provide voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) as well as antiretroviral treatment (ART). 
 
The ICEM concept has now received recognition at the AngloGold Ashanti mine in Obuasi, Ghana. Building on discussions between the ICEM and management in Johannesburg, AngloGold Ashanti is now involved in a public-private partnership with the Ministry of Health. The project is intended to provide HIV clinic services, including voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and antiretroviral treatment (ART) to employees, their dependents and the community of Obuasi. 
In a good example of a co-investment project, the company makes the infrastructure of the hospital and the medical staff available. It provides VCT and ART to its employees and their dependents at its own cost and gets reimbursed for such services provided to the community. 
 
During a joint mission with representatives of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), the ICEM Global HIV/AIDS Coordinator visited the Obuasi mine. Members of the delegation were briefed at the company&rsquo;s Edwin Cade Memorial Hospital on the HIV/AIDS programme. Weekly health briefings at the Obuasi office of the Ghana Mine Workers&rsquo; Union will involve the union in the programme. 
The delegation also visited the Malaria Control Centre which was opened by the President of Ghana on 28 April. The malaria control programme covers the spraying of all houses in Obuasi. 
 
The joint ICEM/GFATM mission was a first for the global union movement. Representatives of the Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service, as principal recipient of the grants, and members of the Country Coordinating Mechanism were briefed on the advantages of public/private sector co-investment projects for the implementation of Global Fund grants. 
In all meetings the point was made that the private sector includes business and unions. The ICEM can take credit that this concept has been recognised by the Global Fund when exploring further co-investment projects in other countries. 
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United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS 
 
Heads of state and government, ministers and more than a thousand representatives of civil society and the private sector gathered in New York for the follow-up to the 2001 UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) and a comprehensive review of the progress made in achieving the targets agreed by member states five years ago when the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS was adopted. 
 
Trade unions attending the event have urged government representatives and HIV/AIDS activists to focus on workplace strategies to address stigma and discrimination attached to HIV/AIDS. 90% of the 40 million people who are HIV infected are found in the working age population. Many of them live in daily fear of losing their jobs. 
The workplace is particularly well-positioned to combat discrimination in society and it holds tremendous potential for awareness-raising, prevention, treatment and counselling. More attention must be directed to the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work, which speaks directly to the need for partnership and social dialogue in the workplace. 
 
Trade union representatives have also approached government delegations to seek support for the creation of a high-level G8 Working Group on HIV/AIDS. This ongoing campaign had already targeted health ministers attending the World Health Assembly of the WHO in Geneva in May. It will continue at the International Labour Conference of the ILO in June. 
 
As reported in the May issue of this e-bulletin, the UN produced two reports prior to the meeting, which can be accessed on the UNAIDS website <a href="http://www.unaids.org">www.unaids.org</a>. On the eve of the High Level Meeting, UNAIDS launched the 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic. This special edition, marking the 10th anniversary of UNAIDS, contains the most in-depth date from countries to date, based on progress reports from 126 countries. 
(The outcome of the Conference and the UNAIDS 2006 Report will be given more detailed attention in the July issue of this e-bulletin). 
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Global Fund Calls for Round 6 Proposals 
 
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has issued its Sixth Call for Proposals. The application form and support documentation are available in six languages at <a href="http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/apply/call6">www.theglobalfund.org/en/apply/call6</a>. Proposals have to reach the Global Fund by 3 August. 
 
The Global Fund does not have offices in any country. The application process is devolved to the national level. All proposals have to go through the Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCM). The composition of the CCMs is supposed to be representative of all stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS, including civil society, the private sector and organisations of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). 
Very few CCMs include trade unionists. This should not prevent trade unions to work through members of the CCM who are sympathetic to their cause and to find cooperating partners who can develop workplace-related project ideas into proposals for the CCM. 
 
The role of the workplace in the fight against HIV/AIDS is recognised. No workplace activities can be efficiently implemented without unions. The role of national unions and their international bodies, the Global Unions Federations, is acknowledged by international organisations such as the ILO, the WHO and UNAIDS. 
 
The Global Fund is keen to build public/private partnerships and to implement co-investment projects. Without the involvement of the private sector, universal access to voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and to anti-retroviral treatment (ART) is not possible or will be further delayed. The private sector is business and trade unions as the workers&rsquo; representatives. 
The ICEM has worked with the Global Fund to establish this principle in public/private co-investment projects. 
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="20" />
FNV Report Acknowledges Contribution of ICEM Projects 
 
In a report entitled &ldquo;Trade union support in the struggle against HIV/AIDS&rdquo;, FNV Mondiaal, the international trade union development organisation of the Dutch national centre FNV, stresses the importance of HIV/AIDS as a trade union issue. 
FNV Mondiaal is currently supporting 12 HIV/AIDS-related projects in cooperation with Global Union Federations and national unions. Fighting the pandemic is one of the priorities of its business plan 2005-2008. 
 
The report cites the ICEM project, which also enjoys the support of the Swedish LO/TCO, as a good example of integrating HIV/AIDS issues in collective bargaining and global framework agreements. 
The report gives credit to the ICEM&rsquo;s efforts to build partnerships, especially in Ghana, to decrease the incidence of HIV/AIDS in mining companies and to upscale VCT and ART. It further acknowledges ICEM&rsquo;s role in working with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and national Country Coordinating Mechanisms to involve unions and generate additional funds. 
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="20" />
Australia and AIDS 
 
Two initiatives have been launched in Australia to try to stop the spread of HIV infections in Asia, from where 40% of the disease&rsquo;s growth is forecast to come over the next few years. 
The first is a partnership between the Australian government and the Bill Clinton Foundation. Australia will provide USD 18 million to work with the Foundation in China, Vietnam and Papua New Guinea to provide test kits and antiretroviral drugs. The government-Clinton coalition will work with a second cooperative effort involving Australian companies that have operations in Asia. 
(Source: The Economist, 1 April 2006) 
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="20" />
South Africa: May Day Focus on HIV/AIDS 
 
Along with a number of trade unions throughout Africa, the Congress of South African Trade Unions focussed its 1 May activities on HIV/AIDS under the theme &ldquo;AIDS &ndash; The New Struggle&rdquo;. It emphasised breaking the silence and building solidarity with the slogan &ldquo;Each one teach one! Test, Treat and Fight for Life&rdquo;. 
Sectoral summits with employers and other stakeholders are planned during 2006 and mining companies will be asked to create a fund to assist with the scaling up of access to care and treatment in Lesotho and Mozambique, where the pandemic has been fuelled by migrant labour to the mines. 
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="20" />
Fighting HIV/AIDS &ndash; Lessons from Brazil 
 
In the history of the response to the HIV pandemic, Brazil is best known for its pioneering decision in 1996 to offer free combination antiretroviral treatment to all citizens. 
The government-funded treatment programme has improved the health and extended the survival of countless Brazilians, has saved the country billions in hospital cost and has inspired similar efforts elsewhere &ndash; including the US President&rsquo;s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the WHO&rsquo;s 3x5 Initiative. 
Between 1996 and 2005, the government spent a total of USD 3.5 billion in response to HIV and AIDS, including USD 2 billion for antiretroviral drugs. All the money for drug treatment has come from internal funds; about 11% of total expenditure has come from World Bank loans, spent chiefly for prevention programmes and to establish a national laboratory network for the clinical monitoring of patients. 
 
Brazil&rsquo;s persistent and aggressive efforts to prevent new HIV infections have probably played an equal if not greater role than treatment in slowing down the spread of the virus and containing the country&rsquo;s epidemic. At the beginning of the 1990s, the epidemics in Brazil and South Africa were at a similar stage, with a prevalence rate of about 1.5% among adults of reproductive age. 
 
However, by 1995, the year before Brazil&rsquo;s treatment programme was established, the epidemic in South Africa began to explode with a prevalence already greater than 10%, whereas the infection rate in Brazil had declined by half. The early success of prevention efforts allowed its national treatment programme to be feasible logistically and financially by limiting the number of people infected. 
In turn, access to free treatment has made Brazilians more willing to be tested and has made it easier to address the types of behaviour associated with transmission. 
 
In Brazil, during the week before Carnival, citizens who ventured to catch a bus, buy a beer or mail a letter were likely to be reminded by their government to use condoms. Postal costumers received condom brochures along with their stamps. Public health officials, contracted with Coca-Cola distributors, delivered condom posters to bars along with the soft drinks. Prevention efforts targeting high-risk parts of the population have achieved impressive success, particularly among injection-drug users and commercial sex workers. 
 
An important factor in making the programme affordable was the expertise of the domestic pharmaceutical industry, which allowed the country to produce generic versions of antiretroviral drugs with patents that had been registered before 1996, predating Brazil&rsquo;s signing of the TRIPS agreement. 
For newly developed drugs, Brazil may still decide to issue compulsory licenses in the future on the basis of the WTO Doha declaration that the TRIPS agreement should be interpreted and implemented by member countries &ldquo;in a manner supportive of WTO members&rsquo; rights to protect public health, and in particular, to promote access to medicines for all&rdquo;. 
 
(Source: The New England Journal of Medicine, No. 19, 11 May 2006) 
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="20" />
News from ILOAIDS 
 
A new brochure &ldquo;The workplace: gateway to universal access&rdquo;, published in April, gives a succinct overview of the role of the ILO in reducing discrimination and increasing access to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. 
 
Published in May, &ldquo;Saving lives, protecting jobs&rdquo; is an interim report of the International HIV/AIDS Workplace Education Programme, also known as Strategic HIV/AIDS Responses by Enterprises (SHARE) and financed by the US Department of Labor. Under the programme, almost 2,800 government officials and key members of workers&rsquo; and employers&rsquo; organisations have received in-depth training on developing policies and implementing programmes on HIV/AIDS. Over 2,000 workers have been trained as peer educators. 
 
Both publications can be accessed at <a href="http://www.ilo.org/aids">www.ilo.org/aids</a>. 
<img height="28" alt="" src="" width="20" />
REMINDER TO ICEM AFFILIATES 
 
This is your newsletter &ndash; contribute to it! 
 
ICEM affiliates are already engaged in a wide range of activities; some have formal agreements with companies; others run education and awareness programmes at the workplace. 
 
To spread the information on new agreements and campaigns and to build on best practices, affiliates and project coordinators are invited to send news and information to hiv.aids@icem.org. Any feedback on the format and contents of the e-bulletin is also welcome.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 9

<img height="130" alt="" src="" width="350" /> 
&nbsp;
&nbsp; Enactment of the unpopular WorkChoices labour reform law in Australia will reverse the course on gender equality in the workplace, said Sharon Burrow, president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
&nbsp;Contents<a name="BackUp"></a>
<a href="#A1">1. WorkChoices Act - Australian Women&rsquo;s Rights Hit Hard</a> 
<a href="#A2">2. Nepal - Equality for Women Goes from Strength to Strength</a> 
<a href="#A3">3. USA - A New Movement for Family-Friendly Policies</a> 
<a href="#A4">4. Canada - C$100 Million Pay Equity Settlement</a> 
<a href="#A5">5. China - Women&rsquo;s Pay Still a Long Way from Equal</a> 
<a href="#A6">6. Colombia - Court Legalises Some Abortions</a> 
<a href="#A7">7. Finland - 100 Years of Women&rsquo;s Suffrage</a> 
<a href="#A8">8. Malaysia - Give Women What is Fair</a> 
<a href="#A9">9. Mexico - Women Allege Sex Abuse by Police</a> 
<a href="#A10">10. Switzerland - Work-Life Balance Means a High Return on Investment</a> 
<a href="#11">11. UK - Iraqi Women Visit Trade Unions</a> 
<a href="#A12">12. Resources</a> 

<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" /><a name="A1"></a><a name="1"></a>
1. <a name="1"></a>Australia &ndash; Women&rsquo;s Rights Hit Hard 
 
The Australian government&rsquo;s industrial relations reforms have set back women&rsquo;s fight for equal rights at work by decades, according to the national labour centre, Australian Council of Trade Unions. 
 
ACTU president Sharan Burrow told a recent women&rsquo;s conference that female equality in the workplace was unachievable under WorkChoices. She said, &ldquo;We were already struggling&hellip;.now with WorkChoices we&rsquo;ve lost the tools to do anything about it.&rdquo; The tools included the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, unfair dismissal laws and equal pay principles. She said the changes had angered many women who had fought hard in the past three decades to try to achieve equality. 
 
But she also predicted the Howard government&rsquo;s reforms will prompt a new generation of women to rally behind the cause for work rights. Burrow is the first woman ever to serve as president of the ICFTU. 
<a href="#BackUp">Back Up</a>
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" /><a name="A2"></a><a name="2"></a>
2.<a name="2"></a> Nepal &ndash; Equality for Women Goes from Strength to Strength 
 
The General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) congratulates all women in Nepal for the new victory in the fight for equality. The House of Representatives made one more landmark declaration guaranteeing the right of women, by providing a 33% requirement in all state bodies. 
 
It will secure women a one-third representation on all security forces, bureaucracy and constitutional bodies, including Parliament. It will be imperative for every political party and mass organisation to follow the same rule. Moreover the declaration put an end to the patriarchal nature of the existing citizenship law and ensured citizenship to all. 
 
Now Nepali citizenship will be awarded on the basis of both mother and father, contrary to the previous practice of citizenship based on the father&rsquo;s only. By this declaration all discriminatory laws and practices against women will be annulled. The demands were the major agenda of Nepali women&rsquo;s movement including working-class women, the trade union movement and gender-friendly organisations. 
 
The ICEM congratulates GEFONT and all women in Nepal on this important achievement in the immediate aftermath of the political capitulation of King Gyanendra.
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<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" /><a name="A3"></a><a name="3"></a>
3.<a name="3"></a> United States &ndash; A New Movement for Family-Friendly Policies 
 
Patti Devlin from LIUNA wrote about the new movement for family-friendly policies because of the family crisis in America. Mothers and families are in trouble. A full quarter of families with children under six live in poverty, at least 9 million children have no health care, and far too many parents cannot afford to stay home with sick children. 
 
Working toward common sense, family-friendly policies, like those covered in The Motherhood Manifesto, will help all families. To support common sense family-friendly policies that protect and invest in mothers, children and families. Please sign the petition at: <a href="http://www.momsrising.org/">www.momsrising.org</a>.
<a href="#BackUp">Back Up</a>
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" /><a name="A4"></a><a name="4"></a>
4.<a name="4"></a> Canada &ndash; C$100 Million Pay Equity Settlement 
 
BCE Inc., Canada&rsquo;s largest telephone company, agreed to pay about C$100 million to workers represented by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers&rsquo; (CEP) Union of Canada. 
 
The union filed suit in 1992 to seek equal pay for Bell&rsquo;s largely female operators, and dining and housing-service employees. About 2,000 people who work or have worked full time as operators would each receive between C$25,000 and C$30,000, plus an adjustment to their pensions. 
 
&ldquo;People have waited a long time for this settlement,&rdquo; said CEP President Bryan Payne. The settlement covers current and former employees who worked for Bell between 1993 and 1999. Most of the people covered by the proposed agreement no longer work for Bell because their jobs were cut in the 1990s.
<a href="#BackUp">Back Up</a>
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" /><a name="A5"></a><a name="5"></a>
5. <a name="5"></a>China &ndash; Women&rsquo;s Pay Still a Long Way from Equal 
 
While more Chinese believe both genders are equal, a recent national survey by the All-China Women&rsquo;s Federation found women were still in a passive and disadvantageous position in the workplace. 
 
According to the survey, the employment rate of women age 18 to 49 has decreased by more than 16 percentage points compared to 1990. More than half of all laid-off workers are women. For working women in cities, their average income is roughly 70% that of men, representing a disparity of about 7% wider than a decade ago. This could be based on the fact that far fewer women want to have a voice in the managerial affairs of their units, even though China has many more women leaders in every aspect of social life than ever before, said survey analysts. 
 
According to the survey, only about 42% of women staff are concerned with the politics of their organisations, in contrast with more than 58% of men. 
 
While most men surveyed said their suggestions had been taken on board, most of the women said their suggestions had only brought &ldquo;negative&rdquo; results. It is this attitude towards the ability of women that freezes almost 65% of women in low-ranking positions, said Deng Li from the federation. &ldquo;While gender equality is widely recognized in China, the social tradition and climate promoting a subordinate female role in relation to the male role persists,&rdquo; Deng said. 
 
Consequently the survey found 20% of the men had promotion opportunities in the past three years, while only a little more than 16% of their female counterparts had the same opportunities. 
 
In addition, fewer women have been protected by proper unemployment and retirement pensions, which Deng said will prompt the federation to suggest that the National People&rsquo;s Congress write &ldquo;safeguarding equality in employment&rdquo; into the Law on the Protection of Women&rsquo;s Rights and Interests. 
 
&ldquo;Discrimination against women has become the most severe problem in the employment market in China, ranging from higher recruitment requirements for women to scarce promotion opportunities and humiliating workplace abuse,&rdquo; Deng said. 
<a href="#BackUp">Back Up</a>
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" /><a name="A6"></a><a name="6"></a>
6. <a name="6"></a>Colombia &ndash; Court Legalises Some Abortions 
 
Colombia&rsquo;s highest court has legalized abortion under limited circumstances. The decision is expected to embolden women&rsquo;s rights groups across Latin America to use courts in their countries to try to roll back some of the world&rsquo;s most stringent abortion laws. 
 
The court overturned Colombia&rsquo;s complete ban on abortion and ruled that the procedure would be permitted when the life of a mother was in danger, or the foetus was expected to die or in cases of rape or incest. 
 
The lawyer in Bogot&aacute; who brought the case fought on the grounds that Colombia was violating its own commitments to international human rights treaties ensuring a woman&rsquo;s right to life and health. The court, explaining its decision, said the life of a foetus could not be put ahead of the life of the mother, and called the complete ban &ldquo;disproportionate&rdquo; and &ldquo;irrational.&rdquo; Advocates of abortion rights say the arguments are applicable to other Latin American countries as well. 
<a href="#BackUp">Back Up</a>
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" /><a name="A7"></a><a name="7"></a>
7. <a name="7"></a>Finland &ndash; 100 Years of Women&rsquo;s Suffrage 
 
Finns are celebrating a century of being the first country to grant women full political rights. On the First of June, 1906, a law was enacted giving all citizens the right to vote and full political rights for women, the first country in the world to do so. A year later, 19 women were elected into the 200-member single chamber. In 1893, New Zealand became the first country permitting women to vote, but it initially did not allow them to compete in elections. 
 
Finland&rsquo;s Foreign Minister, Erkki Tuomioja, said the country was among &ldquo;the most advanced nations in gender equality. We&rsquo;re not perfect, we have a lot to do still, but we are an example for the rest of the world,&rdquo; Tuomioja said in an article distributed by the Associated Press. 
<a href="#BackUp">Back Up</a>
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" /><a name="A8"></a><a name="8"></a>
8. <a name="8"></a>Malaysia &ndash; Give Women What is Fair 
 
Referring to the complaint that salary should not be the basis for maternity pay, companies still treat women indifferently, especially when it comes to maternity leave. Employers could be charged in court if they sack a female employee just because she is pregnant, as provided by the 1955 Employment Act. Many companies give two months&rsquo; paid maternity leave (up to the fifth child), even though their salaries are above RM 1,500. 
 
Efforts are being made to amend the Employment Act for the definition of workers to include those who earn more than RM 1,500. The Malaysian government has not ratified ILO Convention 183 on maternity protection, which sets a requirement for 14 weeks&rsquo; paid maternity leave, parenting leave for the spouse, breastfeeding breaks for nursing mothers and provision of childcare centres. 
<a href="#BackUp">Back Up</a>
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" /><a name="A9"></a><a name="9"></a>
9.<a name="9"></a> Mexico &ndash; Women Allege Sex Abuse by Police 
 
Mexico&rsquo;s human rights agency said on 30 May it has filed complaints with prosecutors after nearly two dozen women claimed they were raped or sexually abused by police following a violent protest. 
 
The allegations are the most serious to arise against police, frequently accused of corruption and violence, during the administration of President Fox, said Guillermo Ibarra, coordinator-general of projects and communication for the Mexican National Human Rights Commission. He said seven women reported that they were raped and 16 others, including three foreign nationals, said they were sexually abused by police who detained them after violent clashes last week in the town of San Salvador Atenco. 
 
Ibarra said his panel has filed criminal complaints with the attorney general&rsquo;s office in the central state of Mexico, where local, state and federal police officers have been accused by the women in the alleged abuses. 
<a href="#BackUp">Back Up</a>
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" /><a name="A10"></a><a name="10"></a>
10. <a name="10"></a>Switzerland &ndash; Work-Life Balance Means a High Return on Investment 
 
The Swiss union UNIA has found that work-life balance is profitable for companies; that it provides an 8% return on investment. 
 
A government study proves this figure for three reasons. Mothers come back to work after their maternity leave, which lowers the rate of fluctuation and reduces costs for new hiring. New hiring costs for bringing low-paid workers (CHF 4,000 to 90,000) on to payrolls is significant, and making better use of part-time workers means that companies use their human resources more efficiently. And finally, work-life balance makes it possible for mothers to have qualified careers in spite of their family responsibilities. Motivation and company image were not taken into account in these figures. 
 
In addition, in the chemical and pharmaceuticals industry in the Basel region, UNIA managed to boost maternity leave from 16 to 18 weeks. 
<a href="#BackUp">Back Up</a>
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" /><a name="11"></a>
11.<a name="11"></a> United Kingdom &ndash; Iraqi Women Visit Trade Unions 
 
Iraqi and Kurdish women trade unionists visited the UK in March with the support of the Trades Union Congress, and unions Unison and Amicus. 
 
The delegation consisted of Nazanin T. Ali, Head of Women&rsquo;s Affairs at the Kurdistan Workers Syndicate, member of the Service Workers Union; Hoda S Rafiq, member of the Kurdistan Journalists&rsquo; Union, who works for the Kurdistan Workers Syndicate newspaper; Hassana Abdulsatar, member of the Mechanics, Metal and Printing Workers Union, and a member of her union&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s committee; and Violet Issa Qalaab, President of the Oil and Gas Workers Union Al Zubair Branch and member of the Iraqi Women&rsquo;s League. 
<a href="#BackUp">Back Up</a>
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" /><a name="A12"></a><a name="12"></a>
12. <a name="12"></a>Resources: 
 
The EU&rsquo;s Responsibility at the WTO: Environment, Gender and Development, written by Women in Development Europe and Friends of the Earth Europe, 2006. 
 
This publication aims to contribute to a constructive dialogue between civil society representatives from the North and the South, and representatives from the EU that could contribute to an EU trade policy consistent with social and gender justice and environmental sustainability. 
The first part reports on the public hearing, entitled &ldquo;The EU&rsquo;s Responsibility at the WTO: Environment, Gender and Development,&rdquo; highlighting issues such as the commoditization of natural resources under the WTO, the importance of people&rsquo;s food sovereignty, the gender dimension of the trade agenda and biosafety. 
The second part consists of an analysis of the outcome of the Hong Kong Ministerial meeting, from a feminist and environmentalist perspective. Available online at: 
<a href="http://www.eurosur.org/wide/Globalisation/WTO06.pdf">http://www.eurosur.org/wide/Globalisation/WTO06.pdf</a>
<a href="#BackUp">Back Up</a>

ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN N° 12

Archive

Norwegian Industrial Disputes Settled on Eve of Strikes

ICEM InBrief ２００６年６月１２日発行

Turkish Mine Deaths Illuminated by Callous Official Comments

Two DuPont Labour Agreements Fall in Place in US

US Tyre Talks Begin for 27,000 Workers

Stora Enso, Brazilian Aracruz Celulose Too Dependent on Contractors, Study Says

New Stora Enso Offer Will Be Reviewed by CEP Branch at Canadian Paper Mill

Trinidad, Tobago Oil Workers Strike Over Stalled Wage Talks

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 9

ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN N° 12

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