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Peru became the 22nd country to ratify ILO Convention 176, the Safety and Health in Mines Convention, when Resolution No. 29012 passed the nation&rsquo;s Congress. The ratification is a tribute to all Peruvian mining unions, especially ICEM affiliate Confederaci&oacute;n General de Trabajadores del Per&uacute; (FNTMMSP) and national centre CGTP. 
 
With Convention 176 now officially on the books in Peru, miners win unprecedented rights in the country on safety and health matters. Ratification also is expected to bring new technology and techniques to one of the world&rsquo;s largest mining countries.
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&nbsp;&ldquo;The ICEM is proud to have had a small role &ndash; providing information and documentation on 176 &ndash; to Peru&rsquo;s trade unions,&rdquo; stated General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;But the real credit goes to FNTMMSP and all the other trade union organisations. They convinced those that needed convincing that with enactment of this important global standard, Peru is on course to a modern and sustainable mining sector.&rdquo; 
 
For the Peruvian government, they must now put in pace a national policy on mine safety and health. It must create a national agency that will thoroughly and regularly inspect and investigate all mining activity. Safe and reliable emergency procedures must be put in place in the event of accidents. 
 
Miners now can freely and without prejudice notify authorities and management of unsafe conditions. They have the right to call for expedited inspections or investigations, and they will have full access to all information and data concerning mine safety and health. They will also have the right to leave a mining operation in the event of serious risk. And worker representation backing these rights is guaranteed. 
 
For the mining employers, they must seek to eliminate all mining deaths and accidents by controlling and reducing inherent mining risks. They must provide the necessary equipment and communication systems to guarantee full security. And they must preserve the land and the environment, as well as the well-being of the communities and the people who reside in those communities near their mining holdings.
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Early in 2007, Peru&rsquo;s Commission on Work gave approval to national Resolution No. 29012 after strong and determined lobbying by Peru&rsquo;s labour unions. That came a month after a January 2007 visit to Peru by ILO Sec. Gen. Juan Somavia, who encouraged the government to ratify eight ILO Conventions, including the 1995 Safety and Health in Mines Convention No. 176. 
 
Nations that have now signed the Convention: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Botswana, Brazil, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United States, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Peru Ratifies ILO Convention 176, the Mine Safety and Health Standard

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Turkey&rsquo;s only petrochemicals company, Petkim Petrokimya, was auctioned off 5 July by the state&rsquo;s Privatisation Authority in a &euro;1.5 billion transaction that fails simple transparency criteria. The government has failed to provide clear backgrounds on some of the partners comprising the winning bid for a 51% stake in this important Turkish enterprise. 
 
That bid was won by a newly-chartered Kazakh-Russian company, Transcentral Asia Petrochem Holding. It is composed of three partners: JSK Caspi Neft, a Kazk-based oil exploration firm; Investment Production Group Eurasia, reportedly a Kazak-owned and Russian-based real estate investor; and GK Troika Dialogue, a function of Moscow-based Troika Capital Partners that now has its first foreign holding in Petkim Petrokimya.
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&nbsp;The Russian Oil and Gas Report calls it Russia&rsquo;s fourth largest foreign investment ever, and says it is the largest Russian investment acquisition in Turkey. Immediately after the award was made, an international debt-rating agency put a &ldquo;negative watch&rdquo; on the acquisition, a pointed market signal regarding the lack of transparency. 
 
Those facts and many more are not lost on Petrol-İş, ICEM&rsquo;s oilworkers&rsquo; union affiliate in Turkey. Petrol-İş will once again argue in Turkish courts that this buy-out, a majority stake in a profitable enterprise that is key to the Turkish plastics supply chain, will harm the public good. The union has previously proven it can win its arguments in Turkish courts on privatisation matters, and this one contains solid facts that have many unanswered sub-facts. 
 
The Turkish Privatisation Authority opened bidding on Petkim Petrokimya on 16 March 2007. Seven consortiums were invited to submit further bids two months later. They included a partnership between Azerbaijan state oil company SOCAR and the Kazakh national oil/gas company KazMunagGas, and ones comprised of India Oil Co. and Carmel Olefins Ltd., 50% held by Israeli-based Oil Refineries Ltd. 
 
It came down to the SOCAR partnership and Transcentral Asia Petrochemical Holding bidding against each other in the final round. Within Transcentral, JSK Caspi Neft is the only partner with a track record in energy. And that is oil and gas exploration and development in the eastern Caspian. The Russian interests have no energy experience, apparently anywhere. 
 
A majority stake at this particular time is critical. The Turkish government began the sale of this enterprise, composed of two petrochem plants in Aliaga and Yarimka, in 2005, when it sold over the third of the company&rsquo;s stock in a public offering. Some 40% is now traded on the Istanbul Stock Exchange. The stake that Transcentral will win -- if it can get past Petrol-İş and several other legal challenges &ndash; consists of the 44% stake owned now by the Privatisation Authority and a 7% holding by Turkey&rsquo;s public pension monies.
<img height="202" alt="" src="" width="300" />
Petrol-İş&nbsp;demonstrates&nbsp;Against&nbsp;Non-Transparent Bid&nbsp; 
 

Even before Transcentral won the bidding, Petrol-İş and its members took to the streets to protect the 3,700 workers employed at Petkim Petrokimya. Marches and protests will be repeated as this privatisation becomes subject to the union&rsquo;s legal challenges, as well as full Turkish regulatory approval. Petrol-İş President Mustafa Oztaskin called into question the issue of the buyers&rsquo; financial stability in Turkey&rsquo;s press following 5 July&rsquo;s winning bid announcement. 
 
Turkey has seen a number of privatisation sales in recent years in many different sectors, as advised by the International Monetary Fund. Petkim Petrokimya is Turkey&rsquo;s only petrochemical plant, and it creates annual revenues of US$1.6 billion. It supplies most of Turkey with the raw and essential materials for the plastics, textile, and detergents markets. And one-quarter of output from workers at the two plants is then sold on export markets. This is one Turkish privatisation deal that will gain intense scrutiny in the coming months.

Petrochems: Transparency Suspect in Turkey’s Latest Petrol Privatising

A.G.Lukashenko 
President 
Republic of Belarus 
By fax: +375-17-226-06-10 
 
Brussels, 
18 June 2007 
 
Dear Mr. President, 
I am writing to you on behalf of the 20 million workers whom our International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM) represents through its 384 affiliates in 125 countries of the world. 
 
We see the decision of the European Union to withdraw the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) benefits from Belarus, effective from June 21, 2007, solely as a result of your Government&rsquo;s persistent disregard for internationally recognised labour standards and its systematic failure to comply with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry of the International Labour Organisation. 
 
The Belarusian State Administration has had more than adequate time for implementing measures required to convince the international community of the seriousness of its declared intention to ensure freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining for all workers in Belarus. 
In reality, the measures taken by your Government proved to be largely cosmetic; the existing legal framework for trade union activities still allows for suppressive and discriminatory actions by managers and authorities who arbitrarily use it against members of independent trade unions; and the new Draft Law on Trade Unions equally does not guarantee genuine trade union rights and freedoms. 
 
We wholeheartedly support the independent trade unions and workers in Belarus and resent all attempts to lay the blame for the withdrawal of the GSP benefits at their door. The full responsibility for this decision of the European Union is borne by the Belarusian State Administration, and we believe that only expeditious and earnest implementation of the recommendations of the ILO Commission of Inquiry can form a credible basis for any future resolution of this situation. 
 
Sincerely Yours, 
 
Manfred Warda 
ICEM General Secretary 
 
Cc: 
S.S.Sidorskiy, Prime-Minister, Republic of Belarus 
L.P.Kozik, Chairman, Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus 
A.I.Jaroshuk, President, Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions

ICEM letter to Belarus President on GSP withdrawal

<div class="doctitle"><a href="#practical">Click here for general practical information</a></div>
<div class="content">
<img height="113" alt="" src="" width="100" /> 

Provisional Programme for the Fourth ICEM World Congress
Saturday 17 November 2007&nbsp; 
10.00 &ndash; 17.00 <a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2429&amp;la=EN">Women&rsquo;s Conference 
</a> 
Sunday 18 November 2007 
09.30 &ndash; 17.00 <a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2429&amp;la=EN">Women&rsquo;s Conference</a> 
 
Monday 19 November 2007&nbsp; 
09.00 &ndash; 17.30 Presidium 
19:00 Dinner for ICEM Presidium Members and accompanying persons 
 
Tuesday 20 November 2007&nbsp;&nbsp; 
09:00 - 17:00 Executive Committee Meeting 
19.00 Dinner for ICEM Executive Committee Members and accompanying persons 
 
Wednesday 21 November 2007&nbsp;&nbsp; 
09:00 - 17:00 <a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2428&amp;la=EN">Contract and Agency Labour Conference</a> 
10:00 -&nbsp;16:00 <a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2441&amp;la=EN">Meeting of the ICEM Pulp and Paper Section</a> 
17.00+ Meeting of Congress Credentials Committee 
 
Thursday 22 November 2007&nbsp;&nbsp; 
10.00 Opening of Congress 
12:00 WFIW Integration 
17.30 Congress Sessions close 
19.00 Dinner 
 
Friday 23 November 2007&nbsp;&nbsp; 
09:00 Congress Sessions continue 
17:30 Congress Sessions close 
19.00 Dinner 
 
Saturday 24 November 2007&nbsp;&nbsp; 
09:00 Final Congress Sessions 
14:00 Congress Closure 
15:00-17:00 New ICEM Presidium meets 
<img height="29" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" />&nbsp; <a href="/en/?id=184&amp;doc=2430&amp;la=EN">Click here for a more detailed Draft Congress Agenda 
(22-24 November)</a>&nbsp; <img height="29" alt="" src="" width="25" align="absMiddle" /> 
 
Departure of Delegations
 
<img height="113" alt="" src="" width="100" /><a name="practical"></a>
4th ICEM World Congress - 2007 
Practical general information 

</div>


1. Congress Venue 
 
Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre 
60 New Rachadapisek Road, Kongtoey 
Bangkok 10110 
Thailand 
Tel: +66/2229-3000 
Fax: +66/2229-3392 
Website: <a href="http://www.qsncc.com">www.qsncc.com</a> 
2. Timetable 
Congress Registration will be every day, from Monday 19 November until Wednesday 21 November, from 08:00 to 17.00. Last minute Congress Registration will be on Thursday 22 November, from 08:00 to 10:00.
3. Transportation during congress 
 
A skytrain and a metro line are disserving the congress venue from all hotels block booked by the ICEM for the congress. The ICEM will provide tickets for delegates during the 3 days of Congress (22, 23 and 24 November). Those tickets will be available on site upon registration.
4. Social Activities 
 
Thursday 22 November &ndash; a dinner will be organised for congress delegates and accompanying persons. The information on the venue and other arrangements will be distributed at the time of the congress. 
 
Friday 23 November &ndash; a gala dinner will be organised for congress delegates and accompanying persons. The venue for the dinner will be the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. Further information on the arrangements will be distributed at the time of the congress. 
5. Tourism Information 
 
An information desk with tourism info, including&nbsp;on tours will be available on the congress site. 
6. Currency 
 
The Monetary unity of Thailand is the baht (THB). 
Exchange rate in early 2007 is: 1&euro; = +/- 44 THB. 
There is no black market. Changing Euros can be done, without any problems, everywhere, even in traveller&rsquo;s checks. For European countries, it is not necessary to bring dollars. 
7. Climate in Thailand 
Thailand's climate is tropical, high both in temperature and humidity, and dominated by monsoons. From November to the end of February the climate is much less trying with a cooling North East breeze and a reduction in the humidity level. This is also the main tourist season, and the best time to visit Thailand. 
The north and north-east are generally cooler than Bangkok in winter and hotter in summer. In the far north, around Mae Hong Son temperatures can occasionally drop as low as 20C. 
8. Time 
 
The standard time zone for Bangkok is GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) + 7 hours. 
9. Visa for Thailand 
 
Visa on Arrival: 
 
- According to the Interior Ministerial Announcements, passport holders from 20 countries may apply for visas at the immigration checkpoints for the purpose of tourism for the period of not exceeding 15 days. 
 
- The applicant must possess means of living expenses at the amount of 10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family accordingly. 
 
- The applicant must present full paid ticket which is usable within 15 days since the date of entry 
 
- Visa on arrival is provided at 32 designated international checkpoints and applicants should submit the application form duly filled out and to which his/her recent photograph (4 x 6 cm) is attached. The application fee is 1,000 Baht. 
 
- Visitors who enter the Kingdom with Visa on Arrival generally cannot file an application for extension of stay except in special cases such as illness which prevents them from travelling, etc. They can submit an application at the Office of Immigration Bureau, Immigration Division 1, Soi Suan Plu, South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120. Tel. 02 287-3127 or 02 287-3101-10 ext. 2264-5 or at website <a href="http://www.immigration.go.th">http://www.immigration.go.th</a>. 
The list of 20 countries is as follows: 
 
1. Bhutan 
2. China 
3. Cyprus 
4. Czech Republic 
5. Estonia 
6. Hungary 
7. India 
8. Kazakhstan 
9. Latvia 
10. Liechtenstein 
11. Lithuania 
12. Maldives 
13. Mauritius 
14. Sultanate of Oman 
15. Poland 
16. Russia 
17. Saudi Arabia 
18. Slovakia 
19. Slovenia 
20. Ukraine 
 
Further information can be found on the website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kingdom of Thailand: <a href="http://www.mfa.gov.th">www.mfa.gov.th</a>.
Visa not needed for the following countries: 
1. Australia 
2. Austria 
3. Belgium 
4. Brazil 
5. Bahrain 
6. Brunei 
7. Canada 
8. Denmark 
9. Finland 
10. France 
11. Germany 
12. Greece 
13. Hong Kong 
14. Iceland 
15. Indonesia 
16. Ireland 
17. Israel 
18. Italy 
19. Japan 
20. Korea 
21. Kuwait 
22. Luxembourg 
23. Malaysia 
24. Netherlands 
25. New Zealand 
26. Norway 
27. Oman 
28. Peru 
29. Philippines 
30. Portugal 
31. Qatar 
32. Singapore 
33. Spain 
34. South &Aacute;frica 
35. Sweden 
36. Switzerland 
37. Turkey 
38. United Arab Emirates 
39. United Kingdom 
40. USA 
41. Vietnam 
10. Vaccination &ndash; Yellow Fever Certificate 
 
List of countries which are declared YELLOW FEVER INFECTED AREAS: 
 
- The Ministry of Public Health has issued regulations that applicants who have travelled from or through the countries which have been declared Yellow Fever Infected Areas must provide an International Health Certificate proving that they have received a Yellow Fever vaccination. 
 
- The International Health Certificate must be submitted together with the visa application form. The traveller will also have to present the said certificate to the Immigration Officer upon arrival at the port of entry in the Kingdom. As for those nationals of the countries listed below but who have not travelled from/through those countries, such a certificate is not required. However, they should possess concrete evidence showing that their domicile is not in an infected area so as to prevent unnecessary inconvenience. 
 
1. Angola 
2. Benin 
3. Bolivia 
4. Brazil 
5. Burkina Faso 
6. Burundi 
7. Cameroon 
8. Central Africa 
9. Chad 
10. Colombia 
11. Democratic Republic of Congo 
12. Congo 
13. Ivory Coast 
14. Ecuador 
15. Equatorial Guinea 
16. Ethiopia 
17. French-Guiana 
18. Gabon 
19. G&acirc;mbia 
20. Ghana 
21. Guinea-Bissau 
22. Guinea 
23. Guyana 
24. Kenya 
25. Lib&eacute;ria 
26. Mali 
27. Maurit&acirc;nia 
28. Niger 
29. Nigeria 
30. Panam&aacute; 
31. Peru 
32. Rwanda 
33. S&atilde;o Tome &amp; Pr&iacute;ncipe 
34. Senegal 
35. Sierra Leone 
36. Somalia 
37. Sudan 
38. Suriname 
39. Tanzania 
40. Togo 
41. Trinidad and Tobago 
42. Uganda 
43. Venezuela 
 
Further information can be found on the website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kingdom of Thailand: <a href="http://www.mfa.gov.th">www.mfa.gov.th</a>.

4th ICEM World Congress - Agenda and Practical general information

ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN 23

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With private equity funds in 2006 going on unprecedented buying sprees totaling US$725 billion, the International Union of Food and Agricultural Workers (IUF) has published a 36-page booklet entitled &ldquo;Workers&rsquo; Guide to Private Equity.&rdquo; 

The booklet is aimed at trade unions and their members, and highlights the threat of private equity companies when they take over companies. The IUF says the heavy debt loads that companies often carry following such buy-outs means they pay less in taxes, thus creating a more increased tax burden for individuals and small businesses. 
<img height="112" src="" width="110" alt="" />
The IUF also says cost-slashing following takeovers by private equity funds means that research and development budgets of major companies are cut, so new product innovations go by the wayside. The sole corporate investment strategy by such funds is maximum short-term financial returns to shareholders. 
&ldquo;Workers&rsquo; Guide to Private Equity&rdquo; includes chapters on the Impact to Unions and Undercutting the Public Interest. It also contains two &ldquo;Trade Union Action&rdquo; programmes, one on the &ldquo;organising challenge,&rdquo; the other entitled &ldquo;mobilising and intervening for re-registration.&rdquo; The booklet, in its appendix, lists the top 50 private equity buy-out funds. It also contains an IUF Public Equity Buyout Watch. 
A&nbsp;PDF version of the booklet can be viewed <a href="http://www.iufdocuments.org/www/documents/A%20Worker's%20Guide%20to%20Private%20Equity-e.pdf">here</a>.&nbsp; The IUF is selling the booklet for CHF 5 each (plus postage), or for CHF 3 (plus postage) each for bulk copies of ten or more. 
The IUF also has a part of its web-site decidated to the private equity problem: <a href="http://www.iuf.org/buyoutwatch">http://www.iuf.org/buyoutwatch</a>.

IUF Offers ‘Workers’ Guide to Private Equity’

<img height="48" src="" width="120" alt="" />
Bridgestone Corp. responded to toughening tyre talks in South Africa with a lockout. Rubber workers of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) at Port Elizabeth and Brits factories found themselves on the streets a week ago. 
 
NUMSA and three transnational rubbermakers have been locked in a pay dispute in South Africa, one of several ongoing labour dispute in the country. NUMSA and its 6,000 members in the rubber industry insist on not less than a 10% pay adjustment, while bosses are now just beginning to move upward from 7%.
<img height="130" src="" width="130" alt="" />
On 17 July, a shop stewards&rsquo; council decided to begin industrial actions against the three companies because several rounds of bargaining failed to resolve the wage issue. The work stoppages, and now Bridgestone&rsquo;s lockout, are having an adverse effect on production at the six tyre plants, admitted the head of the tyre employers&rsquo; association. 
 
NUMSA is demanding full wage and benefit disclosure between hourly and salaried workers, as well as the pay increases over the past five years for executives, along with their perks. 
 
The union is seeking to limit the use of contractors at the rubber plants in this set of talks. NUMSA also seeks an incremental adjustment for certain employees, and an increase in the allowance for shift work.
<img height="92" src="" width="200" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
The talks between NUMSA and the tyre producers, through employers&rsquo; grouping New Tyre Manufacturing Industry, cover workers at the two Bridgestone plants, at Continental A.G.&rsquo;s plant in Port Elizabeth, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.&rsquo;s plant in Uitenhage, and Dunlop Tyres (Pty.) Ltd., a company owned by the Indian holding company Apollo Tyres Group, which has factories in Durban and Ladysmith, as well as rubber interests in Zimbabwe. 
 
The ICEM supports South African affiliate NUMSA in its fight for a fair and just labour agreement for the 6,000 rubber workers.

Bridgestone Locks Out NUMSA Members in South Africa

<img height="48" src="" width="120" alt="" />
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) again mourns the deaths of miners in South Africa. On 20 July, two miners perished 3,000 metres underground at AngloGold Ashanti&rsquo;s Moab Khotsong mine near Orkney in Free State. 
 
The two miners became trapped when the ground around them caved in. Their bodies were recovered on 22 July. A third miner was rescued in the cave-in and was reported in stable condition in a hospital.
<img height="124" src="" width="120" alt="" />
The two deaths push AngloGold&rsquo;s death rate in South Africa to 11 this, and the total recorded number of recorded deaths in the country&rsquo;s mining sector to 110. AngloGold&rsquo;s sister company, AngloPlatinum, leads all mining concerns in South Africa in recorded deaths with 17.
A day after the bodies at Moab Khotsong mine disaster were found, Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica visited the site. She took the unusual step of ordering the mine closed, pending an investigation. Speaking to reporters, she said that her ministry would begin more rigid inspections and that profits must not come before lives. 
 
Because of the rising death toll in South Africa&rsquo;s mines this year, the NUM has called for an urgent tripartite meeting to rescue South Africa's Mining Health and Safety Summit in order to address the current deficiencies in mine safety.

Two Workers Killed at AngloGold’s Mine in Free State, South Africa

<img height="48" alt="" src="" width="120" />
The national labour centres of South Africa and Zimbabwe are advising that the world better get ready for a humanitarian crisis, since Zimbabwe&rsquo;s economy is on the verge of a meltdown. 
 
In a joint statement, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) said if current mediation efforts in Zimbabwe by the Southern Africa Development Community fail, the country&rsquo;s &ldquo;economy will collapse completely, with dire consequences for the poor of that country and the region.&rdquo;
<img height="124" alt="" src="" width="120" />
The statement came following meetings between COSATU and ZCTU in Johannesburg on 15 July, at which time COSATU committed to begin preparations for a possible humanitarian crisis. 
 
The two national centres agreed that now is the time to mobilize alliance partners and all of civil society for a humanitarian package for suffering Zimbabweans who have fled, and likely will flee in great numbers if Zimbabwe&rsquo;s current economic reality continues. COSATU Sec. Gen. Zwelinzima Vavi said 5,000 Zimbabweans are arrested each week now as they attempt to enter South Africa.

National Labour Centres in South Africa, Zimbabwe Predict Refugee Crisis

<img height="48" src="" width="120" alt="" />
ICEM German affiliate IGBCE is crediting worker actions in rubber company enterprises for producing a new labour accord in the sector. On 18 July, the union announced that a 15-month agreement had been reached for 60,000 rubber workers in Germany. 
 
The agreement, which will run until 31 August 2008, awards each worker a 3.7% increase effective 1 September 2007, with workers receiving monthly additions for June through August, 2007.
<img height="242" src="" width="150" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
 
Additionally, the agreement calls for a two-stage payment of 3.1% effective on 1 September 2007, and 0.6% on 1 June 2008. Rubber employers also agreed to lift pension compensation to offset reductions for those workers choosing to take early retirement. 
 
IGBCE said the economic situation in the rubber industry drove negotiators to a 15-month labour agreement. It also said employers needed a firm reminder that the union&rsquo;s pay demands were serious, and they got just that by numerous job actions inside the enterprises of rubber producers and manufacturers.

IGBCE, Workers’ Activism Nets Solid Gains in German Rubber Industry

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