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SARAJEVO, BOSNIA &amp; HERZEGOVINA: The International Metalworkers' Federation implemented the second phase of its occupational health and safety project for affiliates in the countries of the former Yugoslavia from June 23 to June 26. The project, which is carried out in close cooperation with the IMF Spanish affiliate MCA-UGT and the Spanish Trade Union Institute of Cooperation for Development, was launched in April 2008 in Belgrade and will continue until 2010. It targets the steel and non-ferrous sectors and aims at training health and safety shop-stewards and improving health and safety at the workplace.       Prevention was the main theme of this second seminar. Earlier this year the IMF had conducted a survey on health and safety standards in these sectors that had revealed a high level of accidents often due to lack of proper training and awareness on OHS hazards, and low trade union involvement in prevention planning and evaluation.   Health and safety experts from MCA-UGT and the Spanish steel companies association UNESID participated in the seminar and gave enlightening presentations on risk analysis and prevention techniques, using visual aids such as videos with subtitles in the local language. Strong emphasis was put on the fact that commitment to OHS could only be generated by involving everybody in the process - trade unions as well as management. Participants also discussed organizing prevention campaigns and the cost of non-prevention, and were able to interact during the group work activities arranged as part of the curriculum.     All the material used is being translated and will be made available to the participants and their unions for further use as an information and educational tool. As an outcome of the seminar, the participants committed themselves to start developing OHS programs locally and/or nationally and mainstreaming OHS in trade union work.  The last step of the project will deal with collective bargaining and social dialogue, and OHS as leverage for union building. This project is carried out with the support of the Spanish agency for Development Cooperation.

Promoting a culture of prevention was the theme of a recent IMF occupational heath and safety seminar in the Balkans.

Improving occupational health and safety in the Balkans

<ol><li>The location of the Federation's Headquarters shall be determined by the Congress.</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>The International Metalworkers' Federation can be dissolved only by a two-thirds majority of the Congress.  In such a case, the last Congress shall decide on the use of any remaining funds.</li></ol>

ARTICLE 12 - DISSOLUTION OF THE FEDERATION

<ol><li><div>The Congress alone may amend these Rules by a two-thirds majority.</div></li><li><div>Proposals concerning the revision of the Rules are to be submitted in accordance with IMF procedures outlined in Article 3.2. K., L., M. and N. of this document.</div></li></ol>

<ol><li>The General Secretary shall notify all organisations which are in arrears in their contributions.</li><li>An organisation in arrears in the payment of subscriptions loses speaking and voting rights at all IMF meetings, including the Executive Committee, Central Committee and the Congress.</li><li>Exoneration from the payment of subscriptions must be asked for in writing in the first half of the year for which the exoneration is required.</li><li>Exoneration from the payment of annual subscriptions shall only be granted by the Executive Committee in extraordinary cases such as civil war and repression of workers' rights. </li></ol>

<ol><li>Admission <ol type="A"><li>Admission of a metalworkers' union to the IMF is acted upon based on a written application.</li><li>Such an application must contain the name of the applicant, number and nature of membership seeking application.</li><li>Applicants shall express their willingness to abide by all rules and policies of the Federation.</li><li>If an applicant is from a country where one or more IMF affiliates exist, the General Secretary must inform the affiliates about the application and request for their comments concerning the application.</li><li>Requests for affiliation, together with all relevant accompanying documents must be submitted with a recommendation by the Secretariat to the Executive Committee.</li><li>Admission requires a unanimous decision by the Executive Committee.</li><li>If objections are raised by any Executive Committee member the first time an affiliation is requested, the affiliation will be referred to the IMF Secretariat for response to the specific objection(s).</li><li>The affiliation request concerned will then be reconsidered by the Executive Committee.</li><li>If unanimous decision is not reached by the Executive  Committee at this time, the affiliation request will then be forwarded to the next meeting of the Central Committee, which  in turn will decide by a majority vote.</li><li>Affiliation of a new union is effective when the subscription has been paid in accordance with the Rules.</li></ol></li><li>Suspension and Expulsion <ol type="A"><li>Expulsion from the Federation shall take place on the decision of the Central Committee under the following conditions: <ol type="i"><li>Affiliate acts against the interest of the IMF, and/or</li><li>Affiliate is in arrears with two annual subscriptions, which are not paid after notices have been given.</li></ol></li><li>The Executive Committee is authorised to suspend the affiliation of any union prior to the Central Committee.</li><li>An appeal against the decision of expulsion can be made at the succeeding IMF Congress.</li></ol></li><li>Resignation <ol type="A"><li>An affiliate may resign by giving written notice to the General Secretary six months before the end of the calendar year.</li></ol></li></ol>

ARTICLE 7 - ADMISSION, RESIGNATION AND EXPULSION

<ol><li>Federation's Secretariat <ol type="A"><li>The Secretariat shall be composed of the General Secretary, the Assistant General Secretaries, departmental heads, representatives of regional and project offices, and other staff engaged by the General Secretary.</li><li>The General Secretary, in consultation with the President and the Finance Committee and subject to approval by the Executive Committee, shall establish working conditions through negotiations with the staff.</li></ol></li><li>Industrial and Organisational Departments <ol type="A"><li>In order to promote the interests of workers in specific sectors, those who work for various multinational companies and those for specific groups of workers, the Central Committee shall have the authority to create Industrial and Organisational Departments.</li><li>The Industrial and Organisational Departments develop, coordinate and assist in implementing activities with affiliates related to the mission of the Federation and its Action Programme. The President of each Industrial and Organisational Department, elected by the Central Committee, shall work with the Executive Committee and respective departmental head at the Secretariat to carry out these duties.</li></ol></li><li>Regional Structures <ol type="A"><li>A regional structure can be established where appropriate in order to discuss and act on matters specific to a region and to assist in the implementation of the activities related to the IMF Action Programme decided by the Executive Committee.</li><li>The regional structures function within the policy guidelines decided by the IMF governing bodies.</li></ol></li></ol>

<ol type="A"><li>The Finance Committee shall be composed of six (6) members of the Executive Committee plus the President, the Vice President and the General Secretary.</li><li>The Finance Committee members shall designate in writing to the General Secretary their substitutes within 60 days after the conclusion of the Congress. The substitutes are to be confirmed by the Executive Committee. If a Finance Committee member is unable to attend a meeting, the officially designated substitute shall attend the meeting.</li><li>Two members of the Auditing Committee shall attend the Finance Committee meetings as observers.</li><li>The Finance Committee shall discuss and make recommendations to the Executive Committee on the following: <ol type="i"><li>Long-term financial planning.</li><li>Analysis of IMF income needs.</li><li>Review annual budgets.</li><li>Establish terms of reference for collective bargaining negotiations with staff in Geneva.</li></ol></li><li>The Finance Committee shall meet as often as needed, but at least once a year.</li></ol>

5.     The Finance Committee

GERMANY: On June 12-13, 2007 union representatives from Rheinmetall facilities and union officials from Austria, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland met in Neckarsulm, Germany, to discuss implementation of the Principles of Social Responsibility (International Framework Agreement) agreed between Rheinmetall, the IMF and the European Works Council. 

In spite of the IMF's and IG Metall's endeavours to open a dialogue in good faith with the company on IFA's implementation, management refused to support the IMF and IG Metall in organising this meeting and addressing the participants. 

In an article published by the German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau, Jürgen Peters, President of the IMF and IG Metall criticized this lack of support as "a breach of the agreement concluded". He considered that management had violated democratic rules of the game and showed itself to be "contemptible". A copy of the article (in German) can be seen at this link:
<a href="http://www.fr-online.de/in_und_ausland/wirtschaft/aktuell/?em_cnt=1155542&amp;">http://www.fr-online.de/in_und_ausland/wirtschaft/aktuell/?em_cnt=1155542&amp;</a>

The meeting provided an opportunity for an exchange of information on the current situation at several locations of the corporation and for establishing an international network and a global communication platform for workers and unions within Rheinmetall. The Brazilian representatives reported in particular serious breaches concerning health and safety standards at the Rheinmetall plant in Nova Odessa, São Paulo and urged IMF to intervene with management. It was agreed that the IMF jointly with IG Metall and the EWC would seek to approach management again in an effort to initiate a constructive dialogue on implementation of the Agreement at the company's facilities and its supply chain throughout the world. 

Rheinmetall is a German-based a manufacturer of automotive components, weapons equipment and electronics. The framework agreement was signed in late 2003 and covers about 25,000 employees at more than 20 production facilities around the world. More information on the IFA can been seen here: 
<a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/main/index.cfm?n=47&amp;l=2&amp;c=8837">http://www.imfmetal.org/main/index.cfm?n=47&amp;l=2&amp;c=8837</a>

Rheinmetall management refuses to meet with the International Metalworkers' Federation on the implementation of the international framework agreement.

Rheinmetall IFA stalls

THAILAND: Delegates from trade union organizations affiliated with International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation from ten countries in which Toyota has major production facilities met on June 4-6 in Bangkok to share and exchange information on wages, working conditions and organizing, to identify common challenges and mutually supportive ways to respond. The meeting took place during a period of widespread change and restructuring in the global automotive sector, during which Toyota has achieved significant growth to become among the largest and most profitable transnational companies in the industry. The company&rsquo;s long established path to boost volume and profitability has led to new employment opportunities in communities where the company invests and operates. At the same time, discussions focused on how the use by Toyota and other transnational auto companies of sub-contacting, outsourcing and precarious employment practices increasingly have created irregular forms of work with weaker protections and lower compensation in place of permanent jobs. Demands for higher output and new product development have created added pressures for enhanced productivity of workers at Toyota and its suppliers and union delegates voiced a demand for strong health and safety protections, calling on the company and suppliers to commit resources necessary to prevent occupational injuries such as muscular-skeletal disorders resulting from repetitive stress, and for statutory and collectively negotiated protections that effectively safeguard all workers. Toyota has well established industrial relations with trade unions at many operations around the world, though not all, and delegates voiced unequivocal and basic support for the free exercise by workers of their fundamental rights to form and join unions of their choice and engage in collective bargaining without government or employer interference. Concerns were expressed regarding company conduct and disputes involving unjust dismissals in a number of countries including the Philippines, with a call for fair and prompt resolutions.

Employment practices, working conditions and respect for worker rights are key concerns.

Unions address global challenges at Toyota

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