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On June 12, the ILO will focus a day on child labour in the mining sector in celebration of its fourth World Day Against Child Labour. The ICEM and mining employers&rsquo; organisation International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) last week signed an accord calling for an end to child labour in all mining and quarrying activity. 
The ILO&rsquo;s International Programme on Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) has found that most child miners are employed in small-scale enterprises which are unregulated and undocumented. IPEC has undertaken pilot projects on child labour in mining in Mongolia, Tanzania, Niger and the Andean countries of South America. Results show the best way to halt such practices is direct involvement in local mining communities and providing access to quality education with real prospects of meaningful employment when children leave school.

ILO’s Child Labour Focus to be on Mining Sector

Oil workers in France at Total won a major victory to preserve holidays by successfully conducting a five-day strike in mid-May. The job actions at five Total refineries saw the French supermajor back down by agreeing to keep Pentecost as a holiday even though the French government abandoned it as a national holiday this year. That means Total will assume all government payouts, giving workers the extra paid day in 2005. Total also agreed to pay workers during the 16-20 May strike. The unions involved were the CFDT, CGT and Force Ouvriere. The Total refineries that were shut: Gonfreville, in northern France; Feyzin and La Mede plants in the south; Grandpuits near Paris; and Donges in western France.

Strike at Total in France Protects Holidays

Also in Brazil, the Brazilian National BASF Network of ICEM&rsquo;s Latin American BASF Network took place 4-6 May in Sao Paulo. Delegates defined priorities to be proposed for the first national social dialogue, and met with BASF managers regarding problems workers confront in BASF&rsquo;s Brazilian facilities. In attendance were members of the Factory Commission of German-based BASF, IGBCE chemical sector representatives, as well as delegates from the Secretariat and International Relations Department of CUT. The ICEM&rsquo;s Regional Coordination Committee meeting of the BASF Network along with social dialogue talks with the company is occurring over the next several days.

ICEM’s Regional BASF Network Meets in Brazil

Twenty-four tradesmen, members of EPMU in New Zealand, agreed to a two-year deal this week with Bridgestone at a tyre factory in Christchurch, ending a four-week strike. The agreement was termed satisfactory, but not reflective of the intense effort put in by the bargaining unit composed of highly skilled electricians and engineers. 
Contract labour will be a continual issue, and EPMU Southern Operations Director Ged O&rsquo;Connell said, &ldquo;We have a significant problem with contractors and agency temps who are able to work in our plants and are not covered by our Collective Agreements.&rdquo; Although the union prevented contractors from doing bargaining unit work during the strike, salaried staff performed some of that work, and that is an issue with the EPMU. A separate bargaining unit represents about 200 production workers at the tyre factory on the South Island.

Skilled Trades Workers Reach Accord with Bridgestone in NZ

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Strike action by ICEM affiliate Paperiliitto against Finland&rsquo;s paper manufacturers intensified this week with near total shutdowns on 16-17 May of all paper mills following failure of mediated talks over the weekend. Employers now threaten a two-week lockout beginning 18 May in retaliation. 
After pulling out late last year from the national incomes policy agreement, the employers&rsquo; Forest Industries Federation is now seeking rash concessions including eliminating Christmas and mid-summer shutdown days, greater flexibility including 12-hour shifts and sick leave cuts, making the first two days unpaid. 
That proposal, however, was tempered some in recent mediation. Paperiliitto&rsquo;s resistance to the irrational proposals has been boosted by the commitment of ICEM affiliate Svenska Pappers. The union has imposed a ban on overtime in its papermills in Sweden, and will refuse to perform work shifted into Swedish paper mills from mills in Finland. Some six major companies are involved: Stora Enso, UPM Kymmene, M-Real, Mets&auml; Tissue, Ahlstr&ouml;m and Myllykoski.

Finnish Paper Union Strikes Against Harsh Concessions

The ICEM today said Stora Enso must do more to meet its social responsibilities regarding layoffs at two pulp and paper mills in Finland, as well for white-collar workers in the Nordic nation that are also getting the sack. The ICEM supports this week&rsquo;s strike by workers at Stora Enso in Finland. 
 
The Global Union Federation, representing 20 million workers in several industrial sectors, predicted in November that further strikes in the Finnish pulp and paper sector would occur if Stora Enso did not present alternatives to its latest restructuring plan. (That release can be found <a href="/en/?id=19&amp;doc=2442&amp;la=EN">here</a>.)
<img height="143" alt="" src="" width="140" />
On 25 October, the Finnish-Swedish company announced that 1,400 jobs would be cut in Finland, Sweden, and other European nations.&nbsp;Some 1,100 of those jobs were to be lost in Finland. Yesterday&rsquo;s announcement by Stora Enso that mill closures and job cuts totalling 985 is unacceptable, and the ICEM joins with Finnish trade union affiliate Paperiliitto by calling on the company to develop new technologies and new products that will retain workers. 
 
&ldquo;The strikes in Finland are a clear indication that workers themselves are not satisfied with the company&rsquo;s approach,&rdquo; said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;As a sizeable minority shareholder in Stora Enso, the Finnish government has an obligation to do more to preserve these jobs.&rdquo; 
 
The ICEM reiterates its solidarity to the workers at the Kemij&auml;rvi and Summa Mills in Finland, as well as the Norrsundet paperworkers in Sweden, and white-collar workers in the two countries and in other administrative offices in Europe. &ldquo;They have displayed great strength through their respective trade unions, and the ICEM will ensure that this strength becomes a chain of strength for paperworkers throughout the world,&rdquo; said Warda. &ldquo;We call on Stora Enso to implement strategies that grow jobs, not destroy them.&rdquo;

Stora Enso Must Do More to Fulfill Social Responsibilities

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<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801KEMAL-OZKAN-SUNUM.ppt ">Altişveren ve D&uuml;zensiz Istihdam</a> 
Kemal &Ouml;zkan, ICEM
&nbsp;<img height="43" alt="" src="" width="30" />
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801CAN-SAFAK-KRISTAL-IS-SUNUM.ppt ">T&uuml;rkiye'de Cam Fabrikalarinda Altişveren Uygulamalari 
</a>Can Şafak, Kristal-Iş Sendikasi, Turkiye
<img height="43" alt="" src="" width="30" />
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801FIKRET-SAZAK-TURKIYE-MADEN-IS-SUNUM.ppt ">Madencilik Sekt&ouml;r&uuml;nde &Ouml;zelleştirmenin Etkileri ve Altişveren Uygulamaları</a> 
Fikret Sazak, Maden-Iş, Turkiye
<img height="43" alt="" src="" width="30" />
&nbsp;<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801CELIL-COBAN-FNV-BONDGENOTEN-SUNUM.ppt">Altişveren ve D&uuml;zensiz Istihdam</a> 
Celil &Ccedil;OBAN, FNV Bondgenoten, Netherlands
<img height="43" alt="" src="" width="30" />&nbsp;
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801OSMAN-ELMACI-FNV-BONDGENOTEN.ppt ">Altişveren ve D&uuml;zensiz Istihdam 
</a>Osman Elmaci, FNV Bondgenoten, Netherlands 
<img height="43" alt="" src="" width="30" />
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801EMCEF-TR.ppt ">D&uuml;zensiz İstihdam</a> 
&nbsp;Reinhard Reibsch, EMCEF 
(Turkish version)
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801EMCEF-EN.ppt ">Contract and Agency Work</a> 
Reinhard Reibsch, EMCEF 
(English version)
<img height="43" alt="" src="" width="30" />
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801HANS-PALMQVIST-IFMETALL-TR.ppt ">D&uuml;zensiz İstihdam &ndash; İsve&ccedil; Modeli </a> 
Hans Palmqvist, IFMetall, İsve&ccedil; 
(Turkish version)
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801HANS-PALMQVIST-IFMETALL-EN.ppt ">Contract and Agency Labour &ndash; The Swedish Model 
</a>Hans Palmqvist, IFMetall, Sweden 
(English version)
<img height="43" alt="" src="" width="30" />
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801ILO-TR.ppt ">D&uuml;zensiz Istihdam: ILO&rsquo;nun Faaliyetleri</a> 
Vladislav Egorov, ILO 
(Turkish version) 

<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801ILO-EN.ppt">Contract and Agency Labour - ILO Action</a> 
Vladislav Egorov, ILO 
(English version)
<img height="43" alt="" src="" width="30" />
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801MICHAEL-WOLTERS-IGBCE-TR.ppt ">ICEM D&uuml;zensiz İstihdam Konferansı</a> 
Michael Wolters, IG BCE, Almanya 
(Turkish version)
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0801MICHAEL-WOLTERS-IGBCE-EN.ppt ">ICEM Workshop on Contract &amp; Agency Labour</a> 
Michael Wolters, IG BCE, Germany 
(English version)

Contract and agency labour presentations, Turkey, February 2008

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The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF) are calling for another &ldquo;Day of Action&rdquo; on 6 March 2008, demanding the release of two trade unionists locked inside Iran&rsquo;s prisons. The two global federations are calling on trade unions worldwide to lobby their relevant governments, as well as public officials, regarding visits to Iran in order to win the release of the two trade unionists. 
 
The ICEM joins the ITUC and ITF in demanding the release of Mansour Osanloo, the leader of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Workers&rsquo; Union, and the release of Mahmoud Salehi, the founding member of the Saqez Bakery Workers&rsquo; Association. 
<img height="212" src="" width="188" alt="" />
ITUC and ITF chose the date of 6 March because it is just prior to Iran parliamentary elections, as well as the Iranian New Year. 
Osanloo was arrested for the third time on 10 July 2007, following a tour of European labour institutions and labour unions, in which he spoke of the labour abuses and restrictions on freedom of association by Iran&rsquo;s Islamic regime. He was taken from Evin Prison on 24 January to a hospital where he underwent a second surgery for an eye disorder, an injury caused by beatings from government agents. 
Despite doctors recommending that he remain in the hospital for a month, he was returned to the harsh conditions of Evin Prison on 2 February. The ITF&rsquo;s website page on Osanloo can be found here <a href="http://www.freeosanloo.org">www.freeosanloo.org</a>. 
<img height="102" alt="" src="" width="102" />
Mahmoud Salehi, an Iranian Kurd, is also in ill-health, suffering from kidney disease. He also had to be hospitalized in December 2007. He was arrested for union activities in April 2007. 
 
Already last week, the Indonesian Seafarers Union, an ITF affiliate, has written to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, urging him to cancel a planned trip to Iran in protest to the incarcerations, or face harsh political reprisals both at home and abroad. 
 
The ICEM strongly encourages affiliated trade unions to take meaningful action on 6 March.

Action Day in Support of Iranian Trade Unionists Set for 6 March

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Turkish has been added as the eighth language on the ICEM website. By clicking <a href="/tr">/tr</a>, Turkish-speaking and Turkish-reading trade unionists around the world can now follow the topical developments from the world of work, as reported on the ICEM site. 
 
This came about because of the work and assistance of ICEM&rsquo;s Turkish affiliates, particularly Petrol-İş. Many existing web-pages were translated into Turkish over the past several months, as well as the interface, including basic information on the ICEM, pages with information on ICEM activities, such as Contract and Agency Labour, Global Framework Agreements, HIV/AIDS, as well as many recent ICEM industry reports. 
<img height="66" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Through its Turkish homepage, the ICEM aims to continue updating the world&rsquo;s Turkish-speaking audience &ndash; in Turkey and beyond &ndash; on ICEM developments, as well as on relevant and useful news from ICEM&rsquo;s sectors. This new communication channel will also be used for updates on specific issues that are important to ICEM Turkish affiliates. Welcome, Turkish brothers and sisters!

ICEM Introduces Turkish Language News, Content to Its Website

<img height="39" src="" width="100" alt="" />
The ICEM is asking trade unionists to write protest letters to Unilever&rsquo;s vice president for Global External Affairs, drawing attention to trade union rights violations in Pakistan and India. The ICEM is assisting its sister Global Union Federation, the International Union of Food Workers&rsquo; Association (IUF), in protests to the company over its conduct at food and beverage plants. 
 
In November 2007, Unilever management at a factory in Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan, fired all but five of the plant&rsquo;s temporary workers, following a Pakistani union&rsquo;s announcement that it would allow membership to the workers and fight to secure permanent status for them. 
 
The fired workers were replaced by staff from a labour agency. The sacked workers were forced to sign termination letters in front of armed police and Elite Troops forces, who were called into the plant by local management.
<img height="100" src="" width="100" alt="" />
This latest incident coincides with an IUF complaint to the UK contact point over violations of the OECD&rsquo;s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. 
 
Additionally, Unilever managers at a plant in Assam, India, have actively undermined trade union leaders in that factory. Management has sponsored creation of a yellow union there in the course of a long lockout aimed at supplanting the legitimate trade union. 
 
A model letter can be found <a href="/index.php?id=7&amp;doc=2576&amp;la=EN">here</a>, that includes the name, address, and fax number of Unilever&rsquo;s Global External Affairs vice president. Please send a copy of your letter to ICEM&rsquo;s Chemicals Officer, Kemal &Ouml;zkan, at <a href="mailto:kemal.ozkan@icem.org">kemal.ozkan@icem.org</a>.

ICEM Encourages Unilever Protest Letters on Company’s Pakistan, India Conduct

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