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The ICEM French trade union affiliate, the Federation of Chemical and Energy Workers (FCE-CFDT) Union, will conduct a day of action this week, 19 November, against the country&rsquo;s plastics manufacturers over a long simmering wage dispute. Some 150,000 workers in plastics, employed by 3,700 big and small plastics companies, have not seen any wage increase since 2006. 
 
Early in 2008, the employers&rsquo; federation abrogated a 2004 labour agreement which automatically gave liveable wage increases that at least matched French inflation. In the more than three years since the last pay hike, three pay grids in French plastics have fallen below the nation&rsquo;s minimum wage levels. 
 
Despite ongoing negotiations since May 2008, the employers&rsquo; grouping and French unions have been unable to reach acceptable wage standards, or a threshold on maximum seniority pay.
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The manifestation will occur at 10h30 on Thursday, 19 November, in front of the F&eacute;d&eacute;ration de la Plasturgie, at 65 rue de Prony in Paris. A joint union-management commission charged with resolving the longstanding impasse will again meet that day. 
 
FCE-CFDT said in a statement that many companies in the sector have profited handsomely from the three-year wage freeze, adding that thousands of workers are expected to take advantage of sick leave provisions on 19 November in plant-level protests. The union will hold a press conference on the foot-dragging by employers on Wednesday, 18 November. 
 
Since spring 2008, several manifestations have occurred across France over the lack of a current wage accord in this sector. 

&nbsp;

French Plastics Workers to Do Another Manifestation This Week

Unions representing Vale workers in Brazil, Canada, and Indonesia met in Soroako, South Sulawesi November 10-12, 2009. 
 
We are concerned with the actions and policies of Vale toward workers in our countries. We see corporate policies from head office in Brazil that attack workers and do not respect the national situations in each country. 
 
We strongly reject the Vale policy of increasing the number of contractor workers and reducing the permanent workforce. All Vale workers deserve fair compensation and job security. Contract employment should not be a way for companies to avoid paying good wages and benefits and avoid legal obligations to employees. 
 
We are opposed to Vale&rsquo;s demand to reduce worker rights and benefits in each of our countries. 
 
Under international labour conventions, as well as national laws, union leaders must be free to work in the best interests of their members without the possibility of reprisals and discipline by management. We call on Vale to respect the rights of union leaders and ensure protections are implemented. 
 
We want to especially mention the USW strike in Canada. The CUT unions in Brazil, and the SP-KEP strongly support the USW in this strike as a part of union solidarity in fighting for sustainable welfare for workers. When Vale brings unnecessary and unjust demands to the bargaining table in any one country, there will be a reaction in all divisions in the company. We call on Vale to return to the bargaining table and negotiate a fair collective agreement. 
 
As unions we will continue to work together and to build a union network of actions and communication so that we can ensure worker and communities benefit from mining development. 
 
Sjaiful D.P. 
President 
FSP-KEP 
 
Andi Karman 
President 
SP-KEP Soroako 
 
Sergio Guerra 
Sindimetal-ES, CNM-CUT Brasil 
 
Tim Kiley, Nick Larochelle, Doug Olthuis United Steelworkers, Canada 
 
Joseph Drexler 
ICEM

Joint Statement of Vale Unions from Soroako

&ldquo;The stronger the union, the safer the mine!&rdquo; 
 
 
 
We, representing miners&rsquo; trade unions from different federations and traditions, meeting in New Delhi from 28-30th October 2009, have examined the status of occupational safety and health in mines in India. We benefited from the presence of the representatives of ICEM, ILO, CIL, DGMS and CII. 
 
 
 
We declare that safety and health of miners is not an issue that divides us. We say: &ldquo;the stronger the union, the safer the mine!&rdquo; 
 
 
 
We are firmly of the view that ratification of ILO Convention 176 on safety and health in mines would provide real benefits for miners&rsquo; safety and health. The convention is a distillation of global good practice. It is a modern, relevant and achievable standard. 
 
 
 
India has been a member of the ILO since 1919, and is a leading member now. As the second most important mining country in the world, India should set an example by ratifying the convention 176. India was present at the debates in Geneva when the convention was drawn up, and participated in its development and the Indian delegation voted in favour of its adoption. 
 
 
 
The convention has been ratified by 23 countries, which represents more than 10% of the ILO&rsquo;s membership. 
 
 
 
Since 1995, when the convention was adopted at the International Labour Conference, the Government of India has repeated on several occasions that it is &ldquo;considering&rdquo; the convention. We believe that now is the time for action. Fourteen years is long enough. 
 
 
 
We repeat our request to the government of India to ratify the convention forthwith, or engage in a genuine and meaningful tripartite dialogue to identify those articles in the convention that appear to stand in the way of ratifying the convention and seek the advice of the ILO in overcoming them. 
 
 
 
In the absence of any meaningful dialogue, miners&rsquo; trade unions will launch a campaign in favour of ratification, and we will seek to negotiate the realization of the standards contained in the convention through collective bargaining with individual mining companies. 
 
 
 
&ldquo;The stronger the union, the safer the mine!&rdquo;

Declaration by miners’ trade unions on ILO Convention 176

Organization 
 
 
 
Miners&rsquo; national federations will review their own structures and develop national, company, area and pit safety committees. 
 
 
 
As safety and health is not an issue that divides us, these committees should seek to work together at all levels. 
 
 
 
Such &ldquo;union safety organization&rdquo; can work to empower and revive the existing safety structures, including Workmens&rsquo; Inspectors, Pit Safety Committees and company safety committees, as appropriate, in the coal and non-coal mines. 
 
 
 
They can also work to mobilize support amongst miners and the masses for ratification of the convention through education, pit meetings, colony meetings (including meetings aimed at the families of miners), posters, stickers, handbills, wall painting, etc. 
 
 
 
A joint national campaign 
 
 
 
At national level, the federations could come together to agree for joint movement in mining industry to pressurize the Government of India to ratify C. 176 
 
 
 
The federations could hold joint company level conventions to popularize the demand for ratification of C 176. 
 
 
 
A joint delegation of the five federations should visit the Minister of labour to demand ratification of C 176. 
 
 
 
The federations should demand the convening of the next national Conference on Safety in Mines, to discuss the issue of ratification of C 176. 
 
 
 
Signatures of 15 lakh mine workers and their families should be collected on a petition to demand ratification of C 176. 
 
 
 
The federations can also hold a demonstration before Parliament to submit the petition and meet the Lok Sabha speaker. 
 
 
 
Support 
 
 
 
The Federation shall seek assistance and help from National and Global trade unions and also from the ILO to organize campaign for the ratification of the ILO Convention 176.

Programme of action: “the stronger the union, the safer the mine!”

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The 5th congress of the Slovak Chemical Workers was held in Svit, Eastern Slovakia, 25-26 November. It was followed by a merger congress with the energy workers which elected Juraj Blahak as President of the new union. Attempts to get the glass workers and construction workers also interested in the merger had failed before. 

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Juraj Blahak
Congress heard reports on economic development, very similar to those heard by the Hungarian Chemicals Workers, reported above (InBrief 146). Especially the automobile industry and with it the tyre industry is catching up, but there are still many uncertainties. Different speakers (also from the side of employers and employer associations who were invited) emphasized the relevance of social dialogue in addressing the effects of the global crisis. Employers criticized the government for prioritizing the attracting of investment from foreign companies, while neglecting to do enough for domestic companies.

5th Congress of Slovak Chemical Workers

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The joint publication of the Global Union Federations (GUFs) on climate change and other issues addressed at COP15, Copenhagen, is now available via the Council of Global Unions website <a href="http://www.global-unions.org/spip.php?article306">here</a>.&nbsp; Print copies are being distributed to the trade union delegation to the climate conference 

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The joint publication, entitled &ldquo;Getting the World to Work: Green Growth for Jobs and Social Justice,&rdquo; includes sectoral perspectives from each GUF, with a joint article published from ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda and International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF) General Secretary Jyrki Raina. The publication also includes explanation of union consensus positions on climate debate issues from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). 
 
The publication follows the success of a similar Council of Global Unions&rsquo; publication called &ldquo;Getting the World to WORK: Global Union Strategies for Recovery,&rdquo; in which global trade union federations, together with the ITUC and TUAC of the OECD, came together to present strategies in response to the global economic crisis.

GUFs’ Magazine on Climate Change Available Through Council of Global Unions

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The ICEM has expressed condolences to the families of victims of a horrible methane gas explosion in Turkey. The blast killed 19 miners and occurred late in the evening, 10 December, at a privately owned mine near Mustafakemalpasa, Bursa province. 
 
The explosion happened some 200 metres underground and caused a cave-in to several narrow mine shafts. Seven miners were rescued and hospitalized with gas poisoning. All of the dead miners&rsquo; bodies have now been recovered. 

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The Turkish Trade Union of Miners issued a statement following the blast, stating that mines in the country are plagued by lack of proper safety regulations and inadequate inspections. Turkey&rsquo;s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Omer Dincer, was at the site of the tragedy and said the mine had undergone numerous inspections. 
 
The ICEM has targeted Turkey as a country that must ratify ILO Convention 176, the Safety and Health in Mines Convention. Stated ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, &ldquo;The ICEM calls upon the Turkish government and employers to support the ICEM campaign for ratification of ILO Convention 176.

Explosion Kills 19 Inside Coal Mine in Western Turkey

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With a negotiated settlement between ICEM-affiliated Ghana Mine Workers&rsquo; Union (GMWU) and AngloGold Ashanti occurring early this month, negotiations in the gold mining sector of Ghana came to a successful conclusion. 
 
Earlier, the country&rsquo;s labour commission issued a mediated settlement between GMWU and 2,100 miners of Goldfields, while Ghana&rsquo;s third major gold producer, US-based Newmont Mining, reached satisfactory terms with the union in October. 
 
Three-year collective agreements for some 10,000 miners, retroactive to 1 July 2009, are now in place in Ghana, ending the threat of more strikes and labour discord that marked labour relations in the country&rsquo;s gold sector in third quarter 2009. (See InBrief No. 140 <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/3398-Ghana-Miners’-Escalate-Pay-Dispute-with-Gold-Producers">here</a>.) 
At AngloGold where 5,000 staff are employed at three mines, GMWU agreed to a 12% increase in 2009, and 10% salary adjustments in both 2010 and 2011. The union also won improvements in rent allowances pertaining to on-site housing, and won guarantees to review the union-management Provident Fund scheme and to align it more closely with the National Pension scheme. 

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The GMWU has worked to enhance efficiencies and lower operating costs at AngloGold&rsquo;s Obuasi and Iduapriem mines, and that work will continue under terms of the new agreement. The Johannesburg-based mining house, the world&rsquo;s third largest gold producer, said the cost of gold production at Obuasi has decreased by US$150 per once to US$671 per once in third quarter 2009, and that cost is expected to be go even lower in the next three years with cooperation from GMWU. 
 
GMWU General Secretary Prince William Ankrah called the new accord &ldquo;historic,&rdquo; stating it &ldquo;places the human equation at the centre of corporate thinking.&rdquo; 
 
Ankrah also said the issue of pay disparity between expatriate workers and Ghana miners will continue to be a point of discussion with AngloGold Ashanti. 
 
At Goldfields, a government arbitration panel determined that a 13.5% increase be granted to miners. The agreement with Newmont was reached with less discord, primarily because the company did not attempt to link the shrinking US dollar to salary adjustments. Pay talks for miners at Newmont will be again be addresses in the first half of 2010. 
 
With 2009 salary negotiations now complete with the major mining houses, GMWU will now turn attention to signing new accords with smaller companies and mining contractors.

2009 Gold Mining Talks Finally Conclude in Ghana

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A sequence of labour-management stand-offs at paper company Sappi&rsquo;s Nimjegen, Netherlands, mill on 2-3 December was what it took to bring labour peace, following three months of rancorous dispute. The defining stand-off that ended this dispute was a mill-wide, non-paid lockout by local managers, an anomaly to Holland&rsquo;s to social bargaining practices. 
 
That lockout, announced during the final hours of a legal 38-hour industrial action by four Dutch unions, including ICEM affiliates FNV Bondgenoten and CNV Bedrijvenbond at Nimjegen, set off high emotions inside the mill and forced fast intervention by Sappi&rsquo;s European management. 

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The result was a one-year rollover of the existing social agreement for 800 workers at the Nijmegen and Maastricht paper mills. The compromise, moreover, preserves &ldquo;seniorendaggen,&rdquo; or loyalty days away from the job for long-serving workers. This key issue was resolved with both labour and management agreeing that this social Dutch benefit would be retained until at least 1 July 2014. Accrual of senior days for new workers hired after 1 January 2010 will be eliminated. 
 
Following no response by Sappi to a workers&rsquo; proposal to end the dispute on 26 November, 24-hour industrial actions began at both Nijmegen and Maastricht. By 1 December, when Sappi still had failed to respond to a modest union proposal that could have ended the dispute, Nijmegen staff announced a 38-hour strike, while Maastricht workers would down tools for 24 hours starting early on 3 December. 

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The dispute&rsquo;s turning point then came late on Wednesday, 2 December, at the Nijmegen mill. With tempers short and rumours rife that the shutdown might last longer, mill managers escorted the few staff working off the job, and announced a non-paid lockout. 
 
Sappi also sent a letter to the unions requesting bargaining. Over the next 24 hours, through European corporate involvement, a compromise was hammered out. 
 
One fact that proved helpful for the Dutch unions is that on 15 October they staged a manifestation at Sappi European headquarters in Brussels, presenting senior executives with a petition signed by 800 angry workers. That manifestation was joined by written protests from global pulp and paper unions. 
 
Sappi did rearrange its contract terms in the days following the Brussels manifestation, but still wanted to be rid of having to grant senior days. The four unions decided to put Sappi&rsquo;s offer to joint vote, but Dutch paperworkers rejected it by 99%. 

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The industrial actions a fortnight ago, leading to the Nijmegen lockout, brought the dispute to a head. The compromise reached keeps the 2008 social agreement from Maastricht in place at both locations until 1 October 2010, and grants a one-year salary increase of 1.2%, backdated to 1 July 2009. 
 
The workers&rsquo; strikes at Nijmegen were the first such industrial stoppages in the history of the mill, while the walkouts in Maastricht were in first in over 30 years. 
 
&ldquo;We are grateful for the messages of support from trade unionists all over the world,&rdquo; said Ans van den Akker of FNV Bondgenoten. &ldquo;A special thanks goes to our Belgian colleagues who made sure that no struck work was brought to them at the Lanaken mill.&rdquo; 
 
The ICEM commends the courage and collective power displayed by workers of all four unions at Nijmegen and Maastricht. It was through their common resolve that they retained the rights most important to them, while earning the respect of Sappi management in doing so.

Dutch Lockout by Sappi Spurs One-Year Labour Accord

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The Building and Wood Workers&rsquo; International (BWI) held its 2nd World Congress at the Grand Palais in Lille, France, last week, under the theme &ldquo;Global Solidarity for a Sustainable Future.&rdquo; The vision of the Congress read, &ldquo;A world with strong independent and democratic trade unions in the building and timber trades, where all workers have equitable access to stable jobs, fair wages and safe and healthy working and living conditions.&quot; 
 
Just fewer than 700 delegates, representing construction, and wood and forestry workers throughout the world, debated the most important issues in these sectors, as well as adopting the Global Union Federation&rsquo;s (GUF) strategy for the next four years. The plan sets out how to improve working and living conditions in the building and wood sectors and promote sustainable industrial development. 

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Outgoing BWI General Secretary Anita Normark
A host of meetings were held around the Congress, including the BWI International Women&rsquo;s Conference on 5 December, a Global Youth Conference and International Women&rsquo;s Committee on 6 December, regional committee meetings on 7 December, BWI&rsquo;s World Board and World Council on 8 December, with the main Congress taking place on 9-10 December. 
 
The Congress took up the General Secretary&rsquo;s report which prioritized the following areas of work: global migration, climate change, Chinese multinationals, the need for vocational training for affiliates worldwide, and the need to pursue the GUF&rsquo;s membership growth. 
 
The BWI said farewell to outgoing General Secretary Anita Normark. with BWI President Klaus Wieseh&uuml;gel, who was re-elected to another term, stating she would be badly missed by all. &quot;She has never forgotten the needs of trade union members and affiliates,&rdquo; said Wieseh&uuml;ge. 
<img alt="" src="" width="101" height="101" />
Newly elected General Secretary Ambet Yuson 
Newly elected General Secretary Ambet Yuson also paid tribute to Normark: &ldquo;Anita, you have been a great leader for this organization. To be your successor will not be easy.&rdquo; The new general secretary laid out his vision to create &quot;One International, One Movement and One Vision working together.&rdquo; 
 
Ambet, of the Philippines, worked for 20 years in his country&rsquo;s pro-democracy movement, which brought down the dictator Marcos. He has served as BWI&rsquo;s regional representative for the Asia-Pacific Region from mid -2007 to the present, and also worked for over 12 years with BWI affiliates as project coordinator and then globally as education secretary.

BWI Says Fond Farewell to Anita Normark; Elects Ambet Yuson New GS

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