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Global worker No1 2022

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<p>An International Metalworkers' Federation analysis, shown in the chart over the page, provides a summary of the types of government measures proposed, adopted or implemented for the motor industry in 19 countries, as well as the EU. It is clear that more effective support from governments and commitments by employers are needed to ensure protection of workers and a broad based recovery of the industry. For EU countries, some policies are subject to review by the European Commission. In this regard, the European Metalworkers' Federation has stressed the vital importance of European-level initiatives, and that national-level measures should be consistent with a coherent industrial policy strategy for the sector and thus avoid possibilities for cross-border social dumping.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><em><strong>Table: Government policies for the automotive sector <br />(proposed, adopted and/or implemented as of June 2009)</strong></em></p><p><img src="" alt="" width="600" height="276" /> <br />Source: press articles</p><p>Government measures generally are addressing <br />the following objectives:</p><ul><li>Stimulating motor vehicle demand including incentives to promote the purchase of cleaner new ones in exchange for older less efficient vehicles (shorter to medium-term) </li><li>Protecting employment, income support and skills development (immediate to long-term) </li><li>Addressing company solvency and restoring credit (shorter to medium-term)</li><li>Making progress on cleaner vehicles and fuels (shorter to long-term)</li></ul><p><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" align="center"><tbody><tr><td><font face="verdana" size="1"><strong><a href="../index.cfm?c=20067&amp;mwId=20047&amp;l=2">&lt;&lt; back</a></strong></font></td><td> </td><td><font face="verdana" size="1"><strong><a href="../index.cfm?c=20060&amp;mwId=20047&amp;l=2">beginning</a></strong></font></td><td> </td><td align="center" valign="middle"><font face="verdana" size="1"><strong><a href="../index.cfm?c=20069&amp;mwId=20047&amp;l=2">forward &gt;&gt;</a></strong></font></td></tr></tbody></table></p>

The global crisis and restructuring in automotive and metalworking industries

Previously existing
restructuring pressures

Global downturn hits

Worldwide vehicle 
demand plummets

Effects transfer down 
the supply chain

Repercussions across metalworking

Widespread job loss and 
working hour reductions

Consolidations and mergers

Industrial policies and 
government measures

Download the pdf file of the special report with illustrations >>

Industrial policies and government measures

<p>Congress adopted changes to the IMF Rules to create two new elected positions. Previously filled by appointment, the IMF Vice President and Assistant General Secretary roles will now be elected every four years, along with the General Secretary and President positions. </p><p>Incumbents Tom Buffenbarger, Fernando Lopes and Hiroshi Kamada were elected Vice President and Assistant General Secretaries respectively on the first official day of Congress. </p><p>The elections of President and General Secretary however brought two new leaders to the head of the IMF. IG Metall President Berthold Huber, a former toolmaker, was elected President of the IMF, taking over from outgoing President Jürgen Peters. </p><p>Nordic IN General Secretary Jyrki Raina was elected General Secretary, replacing Marcello Malentacchi, who retired after 20 years as IMF General Secretary. Raina pledged to make the Action Programme the central policy of the IMF.</p><p>Raina identified the issue of precarious work as a key priority for the IMF, noting that in developing countries typically 50 to 80 per cent of employment is informal and elsewhere atypical work is exploding. Raina warned of the risk that during economic recovery good jobs that have been lost will be replaced by precarious jobs. </p><p><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" align="center"><tbody><tr><td><font face="verdana" size="1"><strong><a href="../index.cfm?c=20057&amp;mwId=20047&amp;l=2">&lt;&lt; back</a></strong></font></td><td> </td><td><font face="verdana" size="1"><strong><a href="../index.cfm?c=20056&amp;mwId=20047&amp;l=2">beginning</a></strong></font></td><td> </td><td align="center" valign="middle"><font face="verdana" size="1"><strong><a href="../index.cfm?c=20059&amp;mwId=20047&amp;l=2">forward &gt;&gt;</a></strong></font></td></tr></tbody></table></p>

Feature: <br>Download pdf file with illustrations >>

New leadership team

<p>At Congress, metalworkers overwhelmingly endorsed a four year action programme that seeks to lead to more effective solidarity, better rights for workers, growing union power and a real challenge to neo-liberalism.</p><p>The IMF Action Programme 2009 - 2013, adopted in its entirety by Congress, puts greater emphasis on action and what IMF affiliates can accomplish together through global solidarity. </p><p>Although there had been vigorous debate among Action Programme Committee representatives in the months leading towards Congress, all sections of the Action Programme were adopted unanimously.  </p><p>Each section of the Action Programme debate was introduced by a different Committee member and in some cases a short video illustrating IMF's work in the related area, reflecting the diversity of experience and background of IMF affiliates.</p><p>Specific issues of concern for metalworkers were also picked up in the 12 Resolutions adopted by Congress. Resolutions were on topics ranging from improving workers' health and safety, preserving permanent jobs, tackling climate change and xenophobia, and removing barriers to organising in the U.S. Solidarity with Mexican miners, workers in Belarus and Toshiba workers in Indonesia were also the subjects of the Congress Resolutions.</p><p><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" align="center"><tbody><tr><td><font face="verdana" size="1"><strong><a href="../index.cfm?c=20056&amp;mwId=20047&amp;l=2">&lt;&lt; back</a></strong></font></td><td> </td><td align="center" valign="middle"><font face="verdana" size="1"><strong><a href="../index.cfm?c=20058&amp;mwId=20047&amp;l=2">forward &gt;&gt;</a></strong></font></td></tr></tbody></table></p>

IMF Action Programme

<p>Given the enormous challenges working people face in today's globalised economy, organising remains a basic task for all trade unions and organising drives should be carried out by IMF affiliates themselves.</p><p>The shift from secure to insecure forms of employment, the attacks on trade union rights and the fragmentation of collective bargaining systems has seriously eroded our capacity to organise and effectively represent the interests of workers.  In addition to that the structural change in employment, in particular in the developed countries has resulted in a decline in the proportion of blue-collar workers who are traditionally well organized and an increase in the proportion of highly educated and non-manual workers.  The trade unions have found it more difficult to organise these workers.</p><p>To win and defend metalworkers' rights, we need strong, national unions in all countries. Therefore, one of the key objectives of the IMF is to encourage workers to build independent, democratic and representative national unions that are autonomous from employers, political parties and governments. This includes overcoming weaknesses in existing unions and, where required, building new unions capable of tackling the challenges of today.</p><p>However, it is not only a question of what unions do. In some countries, such as Belarus, Colombia, Thailand and the Philippines, governments and companies actively work to eliminate trade union structures, murder and intimidate activists or alternatively to fragment union structures and encourage enterprise level unionism, which seriously undermines the possibility for trade union strength.  All workers, regardless of their status, must have the right to organize.  The IMF and its affiliates must fight for legislation that allows workers to make their own decisions regarding their representative structures, and will pressure companies to always respect workers' decisions instead of hiding behind national laws when these do not conform to internationally recognized labour rights.</p><p><strong>IMF affiliates will:</strong></p><ul><li>Prioritise organising as a key means of building union strength at the national level;</li><li>Utilise organising strategies at the sectoral level and in key TNCs;</li><li>Provide practical solidarity support to unions attempting to organise workers anywhere, particularly along the supply chain of TNCs, and including in the affiliate's home country; </li><li>Fight to remove legal barriers which prevent precarious workers from joining national unions;</li><li>Step-up organising of non-manual workers, who account for a growing part of the workforce, to build greater solidarity and bargaining strength; and </li><li>Push for the elimination of legal restrictions on the right to organise for non-manual workers. </li></ul><p><strong>To assist affiliates in organising, the IMF will:</strong></p><ul><li>Support unions in developing their own organising campaigns and strategies, particularly for organising women, migrants, youth, and workers in precarious employment;</li><li>Strengthen its efforts to raise awareness about organising non-manual workers' in all regions, promote the exchange of information and experiences on organising tools and policies, and address topics of special relevance to non-manual workers; </li><li>Identify and develop union organising opportunities with affiliates, especially where TNC investments create new or growing concentrations of workers. The IMF Executive Committee, informed by the Regions, will prioritise the countries which should be the focus of this work. This will include countries such as China where the IMF currently has no affiliates;</li><li>Utilise IFAs or other means to develop cross-border organising campaigns;</li><li>Co-ordinate organising activities:</li><li>throughout supply chains by targetting contractors and workers in different forms of precarious employment;</li><li>in EPZs, where workers' rights are ignored and exploited; and</li><li>wherever multi-company, or multi-plant organising campaigns could be co-ordinated;</li><li>Provide forums for the exchange of information and experiences;</li><li>Provide training on issues relevant for organising and keeping members; and</li><li>Support national efforts to bring about changes in legislation to protect the right to organise and bargaining collectively by working together with other GUFs, the ITUC, the TUAC, and the ILO.</li></ul><p><strong>IMF will provide assistance to trade unions that:</strong></p><ul><li>are committed to activities leading to self-reliance;</li><li>have established their own priorities and identified their needs;</li><li>are working in accordance with the IMF Action Programme;</li><li>are building union structures that respond to workers' needs locally and internationally and that include women at all levels;</li><li>are able to organise activities or are prepared to closely co-operate with the appropriate IMF regional office;</li><li>are building union structures that are democratic, and independent of political parties and employers;</li><li>are ready to co-operate with other IMF affiliates at local, national and international level; and</li><li>are confronting and fighting repressive governments.</li></ul>

Preface

3. GLOBAL SOLIDARITY IN ACTION

3.3 Defend and protect workers rights

1. OUR MISSION

2. THE WORLD TODAY

2.1 Profits over people

2.2 Unemployment and job insecurity

2.3 Unions under attack

2.4 Fundamental workers´ rights denied

2.5 Spreading influence of Transnational Corporations

2.6 World trade system in disarray

2.7 An unsustainable future

2.8 Alliances, resistance and opportunities

3.1 Build strong national trade unions

3.1.1 Organise the unorganised

3.1.2 Strive for trade union unity at the national level

3.1.3 Build unions through education, training and effective exchange of information

3.2 Strengthening collective bargaining

3.3.1 Fight for trade union rights

3.3.2 Fight for Equal Rights

3.3.3 Fight for safe workplaces

3.4 Build a counterweight to the power of transnational corporations

3.4.1 Strengthening union solidarity and cooperation across sectors and TNCs

3.4.2 Advance fundamental rights through International Framework Agreements

<p>The IMF will only be as strong as its affiliates and will only have the power its affiliates give to it. Therefore, our priority is building strong national trade unions that, in a permanent democratic relationship with workers, are capable of achieving real gains through collective bargaining, by organising the unorganised, striving for trade union unity at the national level and building unions through training, education and effective exchange of information.</p>

<p>The ILO estimates that the present financial crisis is likely to lead to the loss of some 20 million jobs worldwide and conservatively estimates that the number of working poor living on less than a dollar a day could rise by some 40 million, with those at two dollars a day rising by more than 100 million. Even now, before the full effect of this crisis is known, over one-third of the world's workforce is jobless or underemployed. </p><p>The so-called modernisation of labour laws that governments and business interests are seeking to introduce is also part and parcel of the neo-liberal agenda and a direct attack on workers. Not only is there a rise in unemployment worldwide, but also employment creation increasingly comes at the expense of quality jobs.  More and more workers are finding the search for full-time, permanent employment a fruitless quest.  Precarious work is becoming the norm, spreading in all sectors of the economy including in professional groups.  Others find their jobs are outsourced, misclassified, and lack protection from existing labour laws. </p><p>In many developing countries, workers have been squeezed out of regular employment into the so-called informal economy due to severe economic crises, widespread privatisation programmes, and the job destruction resulting from economic restructuring. The unregulated economy is expanding and a growing number of people struggle to survive on poverty level wages. Unemployment and poor living conditions spur migration within countries and across national boundaries, creating a multitude of tensions in many parts of the world.  </p><p>Precariously employed workers face job insecurity and an uncertain future, low wages, limited or no access to social benefits, such as health or pension schemes, and increased health and safety risks at work. Precarious workers are also frequently denied rights at work, such as the right to join a union or bargain collectively. The rise of precarious employment is creating a two-tier workforce, which is undermining social cohesion and weakening trade unions.  This is part of a larger union-busting strategy used by employers in their well orchestrated anti-union campaigns.</p>

<ol type="A"><li><div>The highest authority of the Federation is the Congress.</div></li><li><div>The Congress takes place as often as seems advisable, but at least every four years, and is convened by the General Secretary on the decision of the Central Committee.</div></li><li><div>The place, date, and agenda are determined by the Central Committee.</div></li><li><div>Notification of the convening of Congress must be given to affiliates at least four months beforehand.</div></li><li><div>The Congress is composed of representatives of the national organisations affiliated with the Federation.</div></li><li><div>Each affiliated organisation shall determine the number of representatives at the Congress and shall bear their expenses. Affiliated organisations requiring financial assistance to secure participation should make arrangements with the General Secretary well in advance of Congress.</div></li><li><div>A delegate may also represent several of the organisations of his or her country. </div></li><li><div>Such authority shall be in writing to the General Secretary signed by the Principal Officer of the affiliate delegating the representation.</div></li><li><div>Each affiliated organisation, which has fulfilled its financial obligations to the IMF, has the right to vote at the Congress.</div></li><li><div>For the first 200,000 members, affiliates have voting rights according to their membership.  For membership above 200,000, voting rights are in proportion with the subscriptions ratio paid under Article 7.</div></li><li><div>The Congress shall review reports, motions and resolutions offered by affiliates and the Executive Committee.</div></li><li><div>All reports and motions for the Congress must be received by the General Secretary three months before the opening of Congress<em>.</em></div></li><li><div>The General Secretary must notify all affiliated organisations of the Federation of the motions, allowing enough time for them to be brought to the notice of their members before the Congress meets.</div></li><li><div>Reports, motions and resolutions of the Congress are to be adopted by a simple majority of the eligible votes, while alterations of the Rules must require a two-thirds majority of the eligible votes.</div></li><li><div>Each regular Congress shall elect by simple majority of eligible votes<em> </em>the President of the Federation who holds an elected position within his or her organisation.</div></li><li><div>Each regular Congress shall also elect by simple majority of eligible votes the General Secretary of the Federation.</div></li><li><div>Each regular Congress shall also elect by simple majority of eligible votes the Vice President of the Federation who holds an elected position within his or her organisation.</div></li><li><div>Each regular Congress shall also elect with simple majority of eligible votes one or more Assistant General Secretaries of the Federation.</div></li><li><div>Each regular Congress shall also elect by simple majority of eligible votes<em> </em>the Executive Committee members.</div></li><li><div>Each regular Congress shall also elect by simple majority of eligible votes<em> </em>the Auditing Committee members.</div></li><li><div>The Congress determines its own standing orders.</div></li></ol>

2.     The Congress

<ol><li><strong>Overall Structure<br /><br /></strong>The official structure of the International Metalworkers' Federation consists of: <ol type="A"><li><a href="../index.cfm?c=20022&amp;l=2">the Congress</a></li><li><a href="../index.cfm?c=20023&amp;l=2">the Central Committee</a>,</li><li><a href="../index.cfm?c=20024&amp;l=2">the Executive Committee</a>,</li><li><a href="../index.cfm?c=20025&amp;l=2">the Finance Committee</a>,</li><li><a href="../index.cfm?c=20026&amp;l=2">the Auditing Committee</a>. </li></ol></li></ol>

ARTICLE 1 - PURPOSE OF THE FEDERATION

ARTICLE 2 - MISSION OF THE FEDERATION

ARTICLE 3 - STRUCTURE OF THE FEDERATION

ARTICLE 4 -- EXECUTING BODIES OF THE FEDERATION

ARTICLE 5 - DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT

ARTICLE 6 - NATIONAL SECTIONS AND COMMITTEES

ARTICLE 7 - ADMISSION

ARTICLE 8 - FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

ARTICLE 9 - SUBSCRIPTIONS IN ARREARS AND EXONERATIONS

ARTICLE 10 - REVISION OF RULES

ARTICLE 11 - IMF HEADQUARTERS

<ol><li>In order to achieve these objectives, the IMF works to build a strong international trade union movement capable of effectively representing and promoting workers' interests, in the face of an ever-expanding global economy -- a global economy that has yet to embrace, let alone recognise, adopt and enforce workers' rights.</li><li>The IMF affirms<em> </em>that only through trade unions and the practice of collective bargaining the goals of attaining social security and constant progress for workers can be achieved. The IMF therefore fights for all workers in their desire for freedom of association to form their own trade unions, the right to collective bargaining, the right to enter into collective agreements and the right to strike to achieve their demands.</li><li>The IMF also supports all its affiliated unions, particularly in developing countries, in their efforts to achieve higher living standards for workers and to promote democratic, economic and social development.</li><li>The IMF also fights for all other related internationally recognised labour standards, such as the right to a livable wage, safe and healthy working conditions, prohibitions against discrimination, and prohibitions against child labour or compulsory forced labour.</li><li>The IMF stands ready to make common cause with other independent, autonomous, and democratic trade union organisations, notably the International Trade Union Confederation and other Global Union Federations in pursuing international trade union objectives. It seeks to work with non-governmental organisations which share a commitment to promote trade union and other human rights.</li><li>Specific IMF activities which support these objectives include: <ol type="A"><li>Supporting the organisational efforts of metalworkers everywhere, particularly in developing countries and in all countries where freedom of association and the existence of free trade unions are threatened.</li><li>Actively voicing metalworkers' positions on potential international trade union, political, social, and economic issues concerning metalworkers throughout the world. Such participation includes appearances and submissions with respect to relevant international forums such as the World Trade Organisation, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Trade Union Confederations, etc.</li><li>Serving as a catalyst, depository and exchange of information and material for affiliates needed in accomplishing these objectives.</li><li>Providing moral and practical support and leading in the development of creative and innovative strategies to assist in economic, political and social conflicts.</li></ol></li></ol>

<ol><li>The International Metalworkers' Federation (hereafter called IMF or Federation) is an international association of metalworkers' trade unions fighting to promote respect for trade union and other basic human freedoms, democracy, and social justice throughout the world.</li><li>The IMF provides means for trade unions of men and women in all facets of the metals and related industries - hereafter called metalworkers - to cooperate in pursuing common economic, social, labour and political objectives internationally.</li><li>The IMF works to achieve the recognition and effective enforcement of all international labour standards as specified by the International Labour Organisation's Conventions and Recommendations.  These standards include safe and healthy working conditions, elimination of all forms of discrimination, freedom of association, freedom to engage in collective bargaining, and prohibitions on child labour and forced labour.  In addition, the IMF works to improve job security.</li><li>The IMF also works for peace, freedom and self-determination for all people in the struggle for social progress of workers throughout the world, including the elimination of the social and economic differences between industrialised and developing countries, as well as all types of exploitation perpetrated<em> </em>by various nations and transnational corporations. </li><li>The trade unions affiliated to the IMF - while retaining their autonomy - accept its basic purposes and work for the practical achievement through a diversity of structures and means which contribute to the richness and strength of the Federation.</li></ol>

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