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The ICEM has received a request for affiliation by the National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union of Mexico (SNTMMSRM), a progressive trade union of 250,000 members. Although formal acceptance of the affiliation is subject to approval by the regional committee and the ICEM Executive Committee, it is anticipated that approval will be unanimous. 
 
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, in a letter to SNTMMSRM Secretary General Napoleon G&oacute;mez Urrutia and the union&rsquo;s executive board, welcomed the application for affiliation: &ldquo;We view your affiliation as an historic step to not only align with mining unions throughout the world but also to further integrate the struggle for free and democratic trade unionism in Mexico with both the North America and Latin America regions of the ICEM.&rdquo; 
 
The ICEM has joined a global campaign, initiated by the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF), to bring more public attention and pressure on the Mexican government to stop efforts to destroy the union. Numerous ICEM affiliates have sent letters to Mexican President Felipe Calder&oacute;ne, protesting the collaboration of the government with Grupo M&eacute;xico to crush one of the few examples of democratic trade unionism in the country. The ICEM encourages additional letters, please refer to <a href="/index.php?id=155&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=2797">here</a>. 
 
Napoleon G&oacute;mez and his family, fearing assassination or incarceration on trumped up charges by the Mexican government, have been in exile in Canada under the sponsorship of the United Steelworkers. In May 2008, he was unanimously was re-elected as general secretary while in exile. 
 
In February 2006, a coal mine explosion killed 65 miners and only two bodies were ever recovered. The government has refused to investigate the cause of the accident. The government has also refused to investigate Grupo Mexico&rsquo;s involvement in the murder of Reynaldo Hern&aacute;ndez Gonz&aacute;lez, a miner who was applying for reinstatement, and the detention and torture of union members in Nacozari, Sonora. 
 
In April 2006, the government of Mexico sent 1,000 armed officers in an unsuccessful attempt to crush a strike in the State of Michoacan which resulted in two workers being killed and more than 100 persons injured. Strikes, prompted partly by health and safety concerns, continue at Grupo M&eacute;xico mines.

ICEM Welcomes Affiliation Request from Mexico’s National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union

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A methane gas explosion killed 13 miners and wounded 14 others at the Petrila site of the National Coal Co. in the Jiu valley, Romania. The tragedy occurred 15 November. 
 
Among the dead were four emergency workers who were killed by a second explosion four hours later. They were attempting to rescue survivors, and recover bodies. All rescue activities were put on hold for 48 hours following the second blast. The final miner died of cardiac arrest early last week at a Bucharest hospital. 
 
The mine was shut down for two weeks, and reopened on 27 November. Workers held a memorial service on 18 November. The company paid the wages and seniority bonuses for the mine&rsquo;s 1,490 workers during the two-week shutdown. 

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Romania&rsquo;s worst mining disaster in 28 years, the two Petrila explosions on 15 November had attracted serious attention by the country&rsquo;s President. Both called for tougher scrutiny of safety at Romanian mining sites. &ldquo;This is too big a tragedy not to wonder about the causes,&rdquo; stated President Traian Basescu. &ldquo;The inquiry will determine if all protective measures were taken when the first miners went down the shafts and if the rescuers&rsquo; intervention was done according to the rules,&rdquo; said Varujan Vosganian, Romania&rsquo;s Minister of Economy and Commerce. 
 
Rumours were backed up by relatives that miners had been forced to continue working despite high readings of methane levels six days before the disaster. Smaller gas explosions had occurred in the mine. 
 
Ovidiu Jurca, Vice President of a national trade union bloc, BNS, said, &ldquo;Its criminal negligence to let these people work when the accepted methane gas level has been topped.&rdquo;

Thirteen Dead in Romania Mine Blast

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Continental AG, the German tyre manufacturer, wasted little time in slamming shut the negotiation process by announcing the closure of a union-represented plant in the US. Despite an offer by the United Steelworkers (USW) on 28 April to cut labour costs by US$16 million in order to keep an auto and light-truck tyre plant in Charlotte, North Carolina, operating, the company said the cuts were not enough. 
 
Managers then stormed out of talks and issued a formal letter stating negotiations had reached impasse. On 1 May, a day after expiration of a collective agreement for 800 rubber workers, Continental implemented its basket-load of cuts, totalling US$32 million, and announced tyre production in Charlotte would cease altogether by the end of September. 
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USW / IGBCE Press conference in Hannover
&ldquo;We consider this action unlawful and will take every step to see that the company&rsquo;s action is reversed,&rdquo; said USW Exec. Vice President Ron Hoover. The union has filed a US labour law charge against the impasse declaration and the unilateral implementation of pay and benefit cuts amounting to 35%. 
 
On 5 May, USW took its fight for job retention and fairness in Charlotte to the company&rsquo;s AGM in Hannover, Germany. The US Steelworkers, led by former Rubber Sector Chairman John Sellers, were joined by rubber manufacturing representatives of IGBCE in planning and implementing a protest and setting up a press conference denouncing Conti&rsquo;s harsh and abrupt actions.
The company, which sacked 140 Charlotte workers in March, says it will fire another 170 workers this month, with 480 slated to go in mid-September. Continental said only 200 workers will remain after September, performing mixing, calendaring and warehousing duties, while tyre production will shift to a non-union plant in the US and to plants in3 Mexico and Brazil. Continental realized record profits in 2005, as well as seeing share gains topping 25%.

Continental Gives No Ground in US Tyre Talks

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ICEM&rsquo;s paperworkers&rsquo; union affiliate in Finland, Paperiliitto, began a 48-hour strike today at some 64 paper mills owned by companies affiliated with the Finnish employers&rsquo; organisation, Forest Industries Federation. The strike by 20,000 Finnish workers is in protest to the harsh social measures through which the industry has chosen to improve profitability. 
 
The strikes, begun at 6h00 today and are set to run until 6h00 on 17 May, affecting all major paper firms including Stora Enso and UPM Kymmene. Other mills and paper converters owned by M-real, Mets&auml; Tissue, Myllykoski, and other, smaller companies are also affected. Paperiliitto&rsquo;s Executive Committee decided to allow Stora Enso&rsquo;s mill at Panakoski and UPM Kymmene&rsquo;s mill at Voikkaa mill to operate. Stora has the Panakoski mill up for sale, while UPM intends to shut down the Voikkaa mill by year end, even though it is a viable operation that could be sold. 
On 17 May, office workers across the Finnish paper sector, represented by the Union of Salaried Workers Trade Union, will strike for 24 hours in similar protest. 
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Stora and UPM, the largest Nordic paper companies, announced broad restructuring plans of late. In order to cut production capacity to maintain high prices, Stora Enso announced in the last quarter of 2005 that it would slash 2,000 jobs and close 10 mills worldwide. UPM Kymmene said it would cut 2,560 jobs, and that three mills in Finland would be shuttered. The other companies have also cut jobs in Finland, although at smaller numbers. 
 
Paperiliitto President Jouko Ahonen, chairman of ICEM&rsquo;s Pulp and Paper Sector, said the cuts to jobs and workers&rsquo; livelihoods reflect a disturbing trend as to social awareness by the paper manufacturers. &ldquo;Finland has moved to a management culture where shareholders are now the priority,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Paperworkers feel deeply insulted at the way they have been treated by employers.&rdquo;

Paperiliitto Launches 48-Hour Strike in Finnish Paper Sector

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On 3 May, Nigerian Labour &amp; Productivity Minister Dr Muhammed Hassan Lawal prevailed upon ICEM affiliate PENGASSAN and ExxonMobil&rsquo;s Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc. to come to terms over a company breach on a procedural agreement with the white-collar union. Specifically, ExxonMobil agreed to pay 50% of unpaid housing allowances owed to some 300 workers by the end of May. 
 
Several other matters were discussed, and the three parties agreed in a joint statement that industrial action would be suspended, with lingering issues taken up in further dialogue between the union and Mobil Oil management. 
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However, PENGASSAN&rsquo;s National Executive Council has now issued an ultimatum to the company over its reluctance to curb the use of contract labour. The union&rsquo;s Executive said that if this all-important matter is not immediately resolved in compliance with the laws and policies currently in place on expatriate quotas and local content, industrial action is imminent. PENGASSAN cites several companies within the country&rsquo;s oil and gas industry for violations, but specifically targets Mobil Oil for industrial actions unless the grievances are rectified. 
 
PENGASSAN noted &ldquo;with grave concern the disturbing trend in the recruitment, releases and compensation of well skilled and qualified Nigerians that are being employed as contract workers with no hope of security of employment.&rdquo; 
 
On 2 May, local community members protested at a Mobil Oil export terminal at Qua Iboe over the company&rsquo;s failure to pay compensation and adequately clean up an oil spill. Some 70 workers &mdash; many of them PENGASSAN members &mdash; had been detained by the protestors, but were later released. Production at the 420,000 barrel-per-day terminal was interrupted, but was later restored through efforts of members of PENGASSAN and NUPENG, Nigeria&rsquo;s blue-collar oil workers&rsquo; union.

PENGASSAN in New Dispute with ExxonMobil in Nigeria

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ICEM&rsquo;s rubber and chemical workers&rsquo; affiliate in Turkey, Lastik-Īş, announced late in April that it would strike the four Turkish plants of three major tyre producers if the companies did not take a different track in negotiations. But that announcement was pre-empted by one of the companies, Goodyear Lastikleri AS, which locked out 1,300 workers at its two Turkish factories. 
 
Lastik-Īş has been negotiating with Goodyear, Pirelli Lastikleri, and Brisa Bridgestone Sabanci since mid-December over a renewal agreement covering 3,500 workers. Demands by employers for concessions on health care provisions, lower rates of pay for new workers, reductions in paid holidays, and flexibility regarding the use of contract workers caused the union&rsquo;s Executive Board to call strikes at the plants starting on 22 May. 
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In a statement issued by Lastik-Īş, the union said: &ldquo;The main reason why the conflict has continued so far is not the demands of our union, but the attitudes of employers who insist on dismantling our gained rights.&rdquo; 
 
Goodyear Lastikleri AS, 74.6% owned of Goodyear Tire and Rubber of the US, sacked a total of 109 workers at its tyre plants in Izmit and Adapazari in November 2005, as part of a restructuring move. Brisa Bridgestone Sabanci, in which Bridgestone of Japan controls a 40% stake, employs 1,000 workers at a plant in Izmit, while Italian Pirelli employs another 1,100 workers at a facility, also in Izmit.

Goodyear Jumps Gun; Locks Out Turkish Tyre Workers

ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN N° 11

ネパール専制支配抗議のゼネスト、8日目に入る 
ネパールのギャネンドラ国王が政府を解散させ、自身が絶対権力を支配した2005年2月以降で最大の抗議デモが先週1週間で展開された。7野党連合が主導し、ネパールの独立労組などの支援を受けて4月6日にスタートした4日間のゼネストは、その後ギャネンドラ国王の絶対支配を終わらせるための無期限ストに変わった。ゼネストで要求しているのは国会の復活である。 
ネパール労組GEFONTによれば、政権側は制御がきかなくなり、平和的抗議者に対し残忍な攻撃を開始し流血の事態に陥っている。
GEFONT本部警備員を含む一般労働組合員に対する殴打や発砲に加え、4月以降合計43人のGEFONT幹部が逮捕されている。逮捕者には90日間から無期に及ぶ拘留命令が下された。昨日3人釈放されたが、他の多くのGEFONT幹部が厳しい監視下に置かれている。 
ネパールの他の労働組合もあまり変わらない運命をたどっている。ネパール労働組合会議(NTUC)によれば、4月6日以降少なくとも10名の役員が逮捕されている。先週ネパールでは数百人単位のデモ参加者が拘留された。4月11日（火）だけでも2,300人の逮捕者が出たと報じるところもある。4月10日（月）以降、いまだ1300人が拘束されている。 
全国規模で展開されているゼネストは今日で8日目、ネパールの至る所で大規模なデモンストレーションが実施されている。国王はこれに対し、多くの外出禁止令を発令した。今朝（4月17日）、警察は500人の弁護士によるデモ隊にむけて発砲し、その結果多くが病院に運ばれることになった。この数日間で少なくとも4人が死亡。また、大勢のデモ参加者が負傷した。 
このような暴力行為を受けているにもかかわらず、民主化運動に対する民衆による支援は日を追うごとにますます広がっているように見える。抗議運動は専門組織やFNCCI(使用者・業界団体)の支援を獲得したばかりではなく、すべての社会的階級の国民が外出禁止令をものともせず参加している。 
ICEMは、国王に対しては抗議文を、そしてネパール加盟労組に対しては激励文を送った。 
 
仏首相が労働組合と学生に屈服 
何百万人もの労働者と学生が嫌悪をむき出しにしたフランス新法･･･少なくとも政府によればより多くの若者を職に就かせることを意図したものであったが･･･に対する6週間にわたる熱烈なデモンストレーションとストライキの結果、フランス首相は4月17日、もうたくさんとばかりに同法案の撤回を決めた。 
政府修正案さえも抗議者により激しく拒絶されることが明白になった後、ドビルパン首相は「初期雇用契約」(CPE)の撤回を発表した。 
学生団体と合同で過去数十年のうち最大規模のデモンストレーションを成功裡に実施したフランス労組は、その結果に満足していると語った。初期雇用契約法案は、採用から2年間は26歳未満の労働者を雇用者は理由を示さずに解雇することを可能にするものだった。 
4月17日（月）の撤回発表以降も主要都市で一部デモが継続された。修正案の内容に対する政府への圧力を維持するのがその目的。 
4月12日（水）、フランス国民議会（下院)は初期雇用契約の代替法案を可決した。学歴が低く職業資格が不十分な若者を雇用するためのより多くの訓練、インターン制度および補助金のような措置により、就職困難な若者を支援することが今後の焦点となるだろう。
 
製紙大手インターナショナル・ペーパー（ＩＰ）社スコットランド工場で交渉に成功 
4月9日（火）、インベルーリー（スコットランド）のＩＰ工場で起きている争議を解決するため、英国Amicus労組代表とスコットランド経営側が話し合いを行った。 
話し合いには英国ACAS（助言･調停･仲裁サービス）が関与。長い議論の末、2年間協約の基礎を成す取引に到達した。Amicus労組支部書記次長のウィリー・ウォレスによれば、次にこの協約を組合員に提示し、受け入れを推薦することになる。ただし、この手続きには若干の時間を要する。これにより、すべてのストライキは保留された。 
それまで同労組は連続的な4時間時限ストなど会社に圧力をかけ続けた。数週間にわたるこのような争議行動の末に、経営側との話し合いがもたれることになった。争議の発端は、会社側による2006年度賃金凍結の提案であった。 
 
トルコのセメント工場４３か所でストライキ宣言 
トルコのICEM加盟労組Cimse-Is (セメント・セラミックス・陶磁器・ガラス工業労組)は、トルコの43箇所のセメント工場で一連のストライキを開始する計画を今週発表した。 
3月17日に始まった使用者団体との交渉が失敗に終わったことで、同労組執行委員会はこの決定を下した。組合側の様々な努力の甲斐なく、両者は意見の一致をはかることができなかった。5月1日のメーデーにまず23箇所の工場がストライキを始め、5月8日にはさらに20箇所の工場で同様のアクションを実施する計画。 
 
コンチネンタルタイヤとの交渉がストライキに発展する可能性大（アメリカ合衆国） 
米ＵＳＷ労組は、コンチネンタルタイヤ社シャーロット工場(ノースカロライナ州)でのストライキの可能性を開いた。必要と認めた場合、ストライキを認可する決定を組合が下すのは米国労組の一般的な行為。ひいては、現在に至るまでコンチネンタルとの協約成立に失敗していることによる論理的な結果である。 
協約の交渉は半年以上続いているが、経営側の厳しい要求が原因で依然として行き詰っている。USW側は、現行の協約期限が切れる4月30日までに新しい協約を望むことを主張。一方、2006年9月時点でシャーロット工場でのタイヤの生産を無期限で停止することを示唆しているコンチネンタルタイヤ側は、同工場の経費を3200万USドル削減したい考え。特に、従業員全員の15%賃金カットを提案している。 
昨年、すでに会社側は2006年に全従業員1,083人のうちの510人を整理解雇すると発表。3月には140人の労働者が解雇された。さらに170人が今年5月に同じ運命をたどることになっている。 
以降、ＵＳＷは若干の、より現実的な逆提案を提示している。職務保障規定および将来的生産性の保証もその提案の一部に含まれている。しかし、現在までそれは功を奏していない。USWがさらに強く抗議しているのは、保険協定が終了すると同時に退職者の給付を変更するかもしれないという会社側の脅しである。保険協定の期限が切れるのは、現行の労働協約の有効期限日の90日後。 
 
医薬品福利厚生管理業者が米国でUSW組合員をロックアウト 
4月5日、ＵＳＷ労組の組合員である医薬品労働者はメドコ・ヘルス・ソルーションズから締め出された。ラスベガス（ネバダ州）のメドコ社医薬品通販事業に携わる約500人の薬剤師が、違法かつ一方的な医療費給付の削減に直面している。 
医療費給付の削減に抗議し連帯行動に加わった薬剤師への報復を行った同社に対し、３月３１日、米国全国労働関係委員会（ＮＬＲＢ）が不当労働行為の訴えを認めた。このことにより、同社のロックアウトは違法であると考えられるようになった。 
同社の処方箋管理事業の約25%は、組合がスポンサーである健康管理計画（ヘルスケアプラン）によって行われており、メドコ自身も米国の600万人の組合労働者が同社の処方計画の対象となっていることを認めている。USWは、メドコ社CEOに直接抗議するべく、それらの処方計画に関連のある労働組合の間でキャンペーンを開始した。 
 
製紙大手ストラエンソとカナダＣＥＰ労組の交渉再開 
ストラエンソによるＣＥＰ労組組合員600人のロックアウトが実施されてから初めての交渉が4月14－15日に実施されることになった。 
1月中旬頃、CEPローカル972支部と経営側は和解間近にあった。しかし、スウェーデン・フィンランドを本拠地とする同社は外部委託規定の変更に固執した。変更すれば東カナダの製紙産業界ですでに確立されたパターン協約から逸脱することになる。 
外部委託の問題提起に加え、両者はさらにポート・ホークスベリー（ノバスコシア州）における同新聞･印刷用紙製造工場の労働条件についても合意に達する必要があった。確かに会社側は組合指導者を3月時点で話し合いに招いたが、しかしそれは単に工場の稼動を続けるには地方税と電気料金の削減が必要であることを伝えるためだけであった。
政府指導者は、新しい団体協約が締結されるまでこの問題を議論の遡上に載せることはないとした。CEPローカル972支部の組合員は、ストラエンソが在庫削減を目的に無期限の事業所閉鎖を開始した2005年12月23日以降工場内部で働いていない。 
 
南アフリカNUM組合員がデビアスのコフィーフォンテン鉱山でデモ 
南アフリカ全国鉱山労組(NUM)の組合員が、4月4日、デビアスによるコフィーフォンテン鉱山（南部自由州）の閉山計画に対し抗議デモを実施した。 
鉱山経営陣に覚書を渡し、労働者に対し回答がなされる約束を得た。NUM議長のJoseph Botileは、閉山すればコフィーフォンテンはゴーストタウンになってしまうと言う。この界隈においてデビアスは事実上唯一の事業者であり、約600人の労働者とその家族の収入源となっている。鉱山がなくなればNUM組合員は家族を養うことができなくなるだろう。 
 
韓国KCTF、GSカルテックスのボイコットを展開 
韓国ICEM加盟労組の化学繊維労連KCTFおよびその上部団体であるナショナルセンター民主労総KCTUは、GSカルテックス精油(旧称LGカルテックス精油)のボイコットを韓国で開始することを決定した。GSカルテックスはシェブロンと韓国GSホールディングスとの合弁事業。 
これまでの数年間、会社側とは成果のない交渉が続けられ、その結果として今月はじめに今回のボイコット実施が決定された。争議の発端は2004年7月に遡る。当時、GSカルテックス労組は交渉が決裂した後にストライキを決行した。争点は、週休2日と週40時間の所定労働時間の要求、および契約労働者の差別禁止であった。 
組合側の要求を受け入れなかったのは経営側だけではなかった。ストライキ参加者は韓国政府が派遣した機動隊により暴力的にストを抑止された。20日間のストライキの後、組合側のいずれの要求にも屈服する気のなかった経営側は、職場に復帰できる労働者とできない労働者を会社正門前で、しかも警察の協力により選別するという報復を行うことでその非情を示した。 
会社は労働組合役員ほぼ全員を解雇。労働者の家族に対しても解雇を警告するなどして嫌がらせを加えた。さらには、組合幹部8人が逮捕され、2年から3年の禁固刑を宣告された。そして計650人の労働者が3か月の停職処分を受けた。 
民主労総会長はボイコットを支持し、4月1日に無期限のハンスト闘争にはいった。 
 
カナダ企業がビルマの鉱山を一時閉山 
カナダの鉱山会社アイバンホーマインズ（Ivanhoe Mines）はビルマに投資する大手企業のひとつであるが、先月、ビルマの銅山での操業を数週間停止することを余儀なくされた。同社が取引する銀行と保険会社が同鉱山での契約を解約するとしたことが原因であるが、これは米国政府がビルマに対して実施している経済制裁に関係がある。アイバンホーによれば、規模は小さいとはいえ鉱山の操業は再開されている。 
アメリカ合衆国の制裁によりビルマでの経済活動がますます困難になってきていると同社関係者は認めたと伝えられている。また、ビルマ政府との間で輸入許可など若干のテクニカルな問題が生じていることも同社は認めた。一時閉山したモンユア（Monywa）銅山プロジェクトは、アイバンホーと政府の合弁事業として実施されている。ビルマ政府はビルマ国内で活動するすべての外国企業に合弁事業を強制することで、軍事政権への安定的収入のフローを確保しようとしている。
 
チェルノブイリから20年 
今年の4月26日で、世界がかつて経験したなかで最も大きな原子力事故が起きてからちょうど20年になる。1986年のこの日、現在は独立国家となったウクライナのチェルノブイリ原子力発電所第4号炉内部で致命的な爆発が起こり、放射性雲がソ連の大部分を覆った。ヨーロッパの多くの国々も影響を受けたが、その程度はソ連に比べればかなり少なかった。20年経過した今日にいたっても、放射性降下物による正確なダメージを測定することは困難である。
事故の直後、ソビエト連邦は国際社会の援助を受けてこの大災害の直接的被害を最小限にとどめるためのインフラ整備、主として損傷した炉を封じ込めるために巨額の資金をつぎ込んだ。 
しかしながら、歳月が経過するにつれて、インフラ事業のための資金はあるにもかかわらず、当時の発電所労働者や被災地に入って現場処理活動を行った人々に対する支援は徐々に縮小されていることが明らかになった。そのような労働者のほとんどがウクライナ原子力労組（Atomprofspylka）の組合員であったが、彼らは災害と闘うことに命を捧げたか、あるいは数か月後または数年後に死亡した。そして生き残った人々にとって、現在の状況は非常に厳しい。彼らに雇用保障はないに等しい。また、こうした状況に政府はほとんど目を向けていないのが現状だ。 
チェルノブイリ原子力事故記念日は、世界中の労働組合が職場の事故で生命をおとした労働者を悼む4月28日の国際労災被災者追悼デーの2日前。

2006年4月3日　53号

28 April &ndash; International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers 
Workers throughout the world participated in activities to commemorate the millions of workers who died, were injured or became ill due to unsafe, unhealthy or unsustainable workplaces. Focus of the activities this year was the call of the international trade union movement for a total ban of asbestos and the fight against HIV/AIDS. 
 
In a massive campaign international and national union bodies called on G8 governments to establish a permanent high-level G8 Working Group on HIV/AIDS at their forthcoming summit in St. Petersburg, Russia. Such a working group will help G8 countries achieve commitments made at the 2005 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, for universal access to treatment by 2010 and to the development of a vaccine to prevent HIV infection. (<a href="/?id=72&amp;doc=1729&amp;la=EN">See also e-bulletin No. 7, April 2006</a>). 
 
Global Unions have updated their workbook, which reports on ICD activities. It can be accessed at <a href="http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/"></a><a href="http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpT_4c.EN.pdf">http://www.global-unions.org/pdf/ohsewpT_4c.EN.pdf</a>. 
 
The ILO, as the current chair of the Committee of Co-sponsoring Organisations of UNAIDS, put the spotlight on HIV/AIDS as a workplace issue and produced a report, &ldquo;Decent Work &ndash; Safe Work &ndash; HIV/AIDS.&rdquo; 
 
Global Unions Advisory Committee 
 
The Advisory Committee of the Global Unions Programme on HIV/AIDS met in Geneva from 4 to 6 April. The committee, which brings together representatives of all Global Unions, funding organisations and the ILO and UNAIDS, developed a strategic work plan for 2006 and 2007 and a joint action plan for interventions at major events. The overall objectives of the GU Programme are: 
<ul>
 <li>Make HIV and AIDS a priority issue for trade unions </li>
 <li>Strengthen capacity of trade unions&nbsp; </li>
 <li>Develop partnerships to position trade unions within the AIDS response&nbsp; </li>
 <li>Mobilise resources, especially at country level. </li>
</ul>
Go to <a href="http://www.global-unions.org/hiv-aids">www.global-unions.org/hiv-aids</a>&nbsp;for more information on the programme. 
 
 
High Level Meeting on AIDS 
 
The United Nations General Assembly will undertake a comprehensive review of the progress made in achieving the targets agreed by member states at the 2001 General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS), which adopted the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. The review will take place during a high-level meeting at the UN Head Office in New York City from 31 May to 2 June. 
 
The UN produced two reports, which can be accessed on the UNAIDS website www.unaids.org: a report on progress made until the end of 2005, entitled &ldquo;Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS: Five Years Later&rdquo; and &ldquo;Towards Universal Access: Assessment by UNAIDS on Scaling Up HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support.&rdquo; 
In his foreword to the progress report, the UN Secretary General warned, &ldquo;Failure to urgently strengthen the AIDS response will mean that the world will achieve neither the 2010 targets of the Declaration of Commitment nor Millennium Goal 6.&rdquo; 
(Note: the wording &ldquo;universal access to treatment by 2010&rdquo; has mutated in some official documents to &ldquo;coming as close as possible to universal access to treatment by 2010.&rdquo;) 
 
Civil society organisations and trade unions will be represented at this important event. The South African government objected to the participation of the Treatment Action Campaign and two other NGOs and refused their accreditation. 
 
 
Bangladesh 
 
The ICEM-affiliated Bangladesh Chemical, Energy and Allied Workers&rsquo; Federation is getting involved in the fight against the pandemic. In a wide-ranging report to the ICEM, the Federation pinpoints the dangers which high-risk behaviours pose. 
Although the overall prevalence rate in Bangladesh is still very low, a large commercial sex industry, low levels of condom use and needle sharing among drug users contribute to a slow but steady increase in the infection rate. The Union is getting involved in awareness raising campaigns and the promotion of prevention. 
 
 
World Bank Suspends US$60 million AIDS project in Ukraine 
 
The World Bank has suspended a US$60 million project on combating HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis because of the government&rsquo;s failure to implement the project. Only 2% of the funds earmarked in January 2004 have been spent. This is a major tragedy for the people who need treatment in this country, which has one of the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in Europe. 
(Comment: While a series of political crises&rsquo; may have contributed to this development, the World Bank may also have failed to include capacity building into such a large project). 
 
(Source: Kyiv Post, 12 April 2006) 
 
 
Life Expectancy in Zimbabwe &ndash; World Health Report 2006 
 
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published the 2006 World Health Report in advance of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, 22-26 May. 
 
Outstanding from the mass of data are the statistics for the life expectancy in Zimbabwe, which at an average of 36 years is lower than anywhere else in the world. The high mortality rate of people at a young age is largely due to death caused by AIDS. 
Ten years ago, life expectancy was still 56 years. Zimbabwe is the only country in the world where women have a lower life expectancy (34 years) than men (37 years). Behaviour change may have contributed to a falling HIV infection rate in the country in recent years but more tragically a lower rate at this stage of the pandemic is probably due to the high death rate. People who have died of AIDS are no longer included in the statistics of people living with HIV/AIDS. 
 
By the end of 2005, only 20,000 people in Zimbabwe were receiving antiretroviral treatment. The target was 145,000 people, around half of the total of 295,000 believed to require the drugs. 
 
 
Global Fund Phase 2 Renewals 
 
Only 23% of the 124 Global Fund grants that have reached the end of their second year have met or exceeded the performance targets that were set by the applicants when they submitted their original proposals. This constitutes an A rating. 
(Note: Global Fund grants are approved for five years but are reviewed and rated after two years. The Fund can then decide whether a grant receives funding for Phase 2, i.e. years 3 to 5).
The rest of the grants received a B1 or B2 rating with a conditional or revised go-ahead. Only two grants received a C rating, which means that no funding is approved for Phase 2 (Senegal and South Africa). 
(Source: Global Fund Observer, Issue 56 of 17 April 2006) 
 
Theoretically, the Fund has the right to terminate grants at any stage, not only after a Phase 1 review. The Global Fund Board meeting on 27-28 April applied this exceptional procedure to two HIV grants worth some US$81 million to Nigeria on the grounds of inadequate performance. One of the grants was supposed to have 14,000 people on ARV treatment by the end of the first year, but the actual number was zero. 
 
On continuation of services, the Board agreed that in cases where people have started treatment on ARVs or for TB, financial support for such treatment would not automatically stop when a grant is terminated. 
(Source: Global Fund Observer, Issue 57 of 1 May 2006) 
 
Note: The Global Fund Observer is an independent source of news, analysis and commentary about the GFATM. To receive it, you can send an email to <a href="mailto:receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org">receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org</a>. The subject line and text can be left blank. 
 
 
News from ILOAIDS 
 
The ILOAIDS website <a href="http://www.ilo.org/aids">www.ilo.org/aids</a>&nbsp;now features country profiles with information on HIV/AIDS and the world of work. They are also linked to new pages providing details of project activities. The 15 countries, which are so far included, can be found on the roll-down menu on the left side of the screen. 
 
ILOAIDS has made available, on its website, a tool kit for the workplace on Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) jointly published with Family Health International. The tool kit provides a step-by-step approach, emphasising prevention through education, gender awareness and practical support for behaviour change. 
 
 
Resource Pack on Gender and HIV/AIDS 
 
The UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team on Gender and HIV/AIDS developed a resource pack. It aims to strengthen the impact of national HIV/AIDS programmes by tackling a key underlying factor that fuels the epidemic: gender inequality. 
The resources pack contains an Operational Guide on a rights-based approach, a Review Paper on Integrating Gender into HIV/AIDS Programmes and 17 Fact Sheets with concise information on gender-related aspects of HIV/AIDS. The resource pack can be accessed at <a href="http://www.unfpa.org">www.unfpa.org</a>. 
 
 
This ICEM HIV-AIDS Newsletter &ndash; How to Subscribe or Translate? 
 
To subscribe to the e-bulletin, send an email to <a href="mailto:press@icem.org">press@icem.org</a>. Please put &ldquo;subscribe ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin&rdquo; in the subject line. 
 
Unfortunately, the e-bulletin can only be published in English. For a free automated (non-ICEM) translation of this HIV-AIDS bulletin into other languages, you may want to try <a href="http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr">http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr</a> or <a href="http://www.google.com/language_tools">http://www.google.com/language_tools</a> and insert the following URL into the window &ldquo;Translate a Web page&ldquo;: 
<a href="/index.php?id=72&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=1790">/index.php?id=72&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=1790</a>.

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 8

<img height="40" alt="" src="" width="100" />
In Belgium on 1 May, trade unionist Paul Lootens and historians Marie-Louise De Roeck and Julie Urbain will unveil their new book, Tutti Cadaveri: The Trial of the Catastrophe at the Bois du Cazier in Marcinelle. The book depicts the aftermath of Belgium&rsquo;s worst mining tragedy in history, a fire that raged inside a coal mine near the Wallonian town of Marcinelle, killing 262 miners. 
 
The tragedy occurred on 8 August 1956 and the book marks the 50th anniversary of the devastating loss of so many lives. The book&rsquo;s title, Tutti Cadaveri, comes from an Italian rescuer who, after surfacing from the mine, said, &ldquo;All corpses.&rdquo; 
<img height="127" src="" width="120" alt="" />
The book is available from Aden Publishers for &euro;22 and can be ordered from Aden by contacting editionsaden@skynet.be, or calling +32 2534 46 61. The ICEM will bring further attention to the 50th Anniversary events as the August date draws closer.

May Day Launch of Book on Marcinelle Coal Mine Tragedy

Archive

ICEM Welcomes Affiliation Request from Mexico’s National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union

Thirteen Dead in Romania Mine Blast

Continental Gives No Ground in US Tyre Talks

Paperiliitto Launches 48-Hour Strike in Finnish Paper Sector

PENGASSAN in New Dispute with ExxonMobil in Nigeria

Goodyear Jumps Gun; Locks Out Turkish Tyre Workers

ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN N° 11

2006年4月3日　53号

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 8

May Day Launch of Book on Marcinelle Coal Mine Tragedy

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ICEM Welcomes Affiliation Request from Mexico’s National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union

Thirteen Dead in Romania Mine Blast

Continental Gives No Ground in US Tyre Talks

Paperiliitto Launches 48-Hour Strike in Finnish Paper Sector

PENGASSAN in New Dispute with ExxonMobil in Nigeria

Goodyear Jumps Gun; Locks Out Turkish Tyre Workers

ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN N° 11

2006年4月3日 53号

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 8

May Day Launch of Book on Marcinelle Coal Mine Tragedy

2006年4月3日　53号