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28 April is Workers&rsquo; Memorial Day, or more formally, the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers. It is the day that trade unions across the world mourn the dead, but pledge even harder to wage the fight for safe, healthy, and risk-free workplaces. 
 
The commemoration day is rooted in the Canadian labour movement, whose unions worked for several years before the country&rsquo;s Parliament in 1989 passed Bill C-223, adopting 28 April as the official &ldquo;Day of Mourning.&rdquo; While labour groups in several countries began commemorating the day soon thereafter, it became a global day of health and safety recognition and a vivid reminder of the ever-present risks and hazards inside worksites when the UN lit a Commemorative Candle in 1996 for the victims of the Kader toy factory fire in Thailand three years earlier. 
 
Some 188 mostly young women workers perished in that fire and another 500 were severely injured. Now, 20 countries officially recognize the day, with Croatia being the latest, moving in recent weeks to designate it the National Day of Occupational Safety and Health. 

<img height="86" alt="" src="" width="100" />
(The others: Argentina, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Luxembourg, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Taiwan, Ukraine, and Venezuela.) 
 
The day also is marked by labour unions and workplace health and safety groups in over120 countries. It is more than just a memorial day to remember the estimated two million workers who die each year from workplace accidents, job-related injuries, or occupational illnesses. It is a day of renewal and action for positive change to make worksites safer and risk-free. 
 
ICEM trade union affiliates are encouraged to find an activity next week to take meaningful action. Use the day, for example, to work in your community and within your union to engage your government on ILO Convention 176, the Health and Safety in Mines Convention; or any of the other ILO Conventions which your government has not ratified, such as Convention 155, the Occupational Safety and Health Convention; No. 162, the Asbestos at Work Convention; No. 148, the Work Environment Convention; No. 174, the Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Convention; No. 119, the Guarding of Machinery Convention; and No. 136, the Benzene Convention. Only through direct action will change occur.

28 April, Day of Mourning: History is Recent but Roots are Growing

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The union that won a long battle to represent Firestone Rubber Plantation workers in Liberia has now won a Labor Ministry-supervised vote to represent workers at ArcelorMittal&rsquo;s mining development in Liberia. 
 
On 11 April, ICEM-affiliated Forestry, Logging, and Industrial Workers&rsquo; Union of Liberia (FLIWUL), greatly assisted by the United Steelworkers (USW) of the US, easily beat a yellow union in a representation election that took place in Nimba County on the Liberian-Guinea-C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire border and at Buchanan, a port city on the Atlantic Coast. 
 
ArcelorMittal, the world&rsquo;s largest steel-maker, is undertaking a US$1.5 billion re-development of iron ore mining operations near Yekeba in Nimba County and a 250-kilometre railroad line to Buchanan. 
 
The union vote, however, encountered flagrant interference by a company official and a Liberian legislator, despite both an ICEM letter (found <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/6%20letter%20to%20Bernard%20Fontana%20-%203%20Feb09.pdf">here</a>) and a USW letter warning ArcelorMittal not to interfere in the election. But an ArcelorMittal boss and a national lawmaker showed up in Buchanan several hours after voting began and demanded a halt to balloting. 

<img alt="" src="" width="149" height="112" />
FLIWUL activists in Harbel
On the eve of the vote, the yellow union used a radio broadcast to discourage workers from voting. Election observers also reported that whoever was behind this group had pressed members of the Liberian Parliament to intervene with the Labor Ministry to cancel the vote. 
 
The ArcelorMittal official was Arthur Massaquio, who earlier on 11 April was the company&rsquo;s designated election observer, but left the polling area soon after balloting began. When he returned several hours later, he was with Representative Gabriel Smith. The lawmaker began questioning workers on why they felt the urgency to have a union vote, before ordering workers back to work because he was canceling the election. 
 
Despite this, and the fact that several workers did leave the Buchanan polling area without voting, FLIWUL won the fair, government-supervised election. FLIWUL got 198 votes, the yellow union 19, and the &ldquo;no union&rdquo; option on the ballot received one. In Buchanan, the FLIWUL got 59 votes and the company union 15. The ICEM had an observer present for the vote through a designated representative from the Ghana Mineworkers&rsquo; Union. 
 
FLIWUL Secretary-General David Sackoh told the ICEM following the vote that an investigation into the Buchanan interruption is underway, but that he is confident the vote will stand. 
 
ArcelorMittal is developing Nimba County&rsquo;s one billion cubic-metre iron ore reserves in a 25-year concession that will see the Liberian government receive 30% of the net profits, plus 4.5% in royalty fees. Some 2,000 Liberian workers are expected to be employed in the mining enterprise and the rail link and port hub. This northern Liberia mining area was originally operated by the Liberian American Swedish Chemicals Company (LAMCO), but production ceased in 1989 with the outbreak of civil war.

Despite Interference, FLIWUL Wins Union Rights for ArcelorMittal Workers in Liberia

Some 100 trade union leaders in the rubber sector from 22 countries will converge in Nashville, Tennessee, next week for pivotal discussions on recent developments in that sector. The event is the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine, and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM) quadrennial World Conference for the Rubber Industries, which takes place on 12 and 13 May at Nashville&rsquo;s Sheraton Music City Hotel. 

&ldquo;In this time of global economic crisis, particularly in the automotive industry, it is important that key trade union leaders of the rubber sector gather to share ideas, discuss strategies, and move the issue of workers&rsquo; rights to the forefront of any recovery agenda,&rdquo; said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. 

The conference, which will be hosted by ICEM&rsquo;s largest North American trade union affiliate, Pittsburgh-based United Steelworkers of America (USW), will be presided over by USW President Leo Gerard, who is Chairman of the ICEM Rubber Industry Sector. 

The conference will feature a presentation by ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Industries Officer Kemal &Ouml;zkan on &ldquo;Global Industry Trends and Challenges.&rdquo; It will also feature five panel discussions: &ldquo;Effects of Global Crisis on the Industry and Trade Union Challenges,&rdquo; &ldquo;Rising Hardships and Distortion in Work Relationships,&rdquo; &ldquo;Global Agreements, Global/Regional Company and Sector Networks and Campaigns,&rdquo; &ldquo;How to Improve Health and Safety for Workers: What Kind of Industrial Policy for a Greener Environment for Securing Jobs,&rdquo; and &ldquo;How to Better Coordinate Global Union Solidarity, Support and Cooperation.&rdquo; 

Other presentations on the agenda will include: &ldquo;Collective Bargaining in the Rubber Industry,&rdquo; &ldquo;Global Trade Union Response Against Challenges,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Healthy and Safe Work, Environment and Sustainable Development.&rdquo; The conference will conclude in the afternoon of 13 May with &ldquo;Development of an Action Plan&rdquo; for trade unions of the global rubber sector. 
 
The Geneva, Switzerland-based ICEM is a Global Union Federation numbering 20 million workers, encompassed by 467 trade union affiliates in 132 countries. 

For further information, contact: Kemal &Ouml;zkan, ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Industries Officer, +41&nbsp;79&nbsp;734&nbsp;9044, or kemal.ozkan@icem.org, or Dick Blin, ICEM Information Officer, +41&nbsp;22&nbsp;304&nbsp;1842, dick.blin@icem.org.

Global Trade Unions for the Rubber Sector Gather in Nashville, Tennessee, Next Week

The Global Unions, consisting of the 13 global union federations, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and TUAC of the OECD, knows of the importance in America in passing the Employee Free Choice Act. We know that a strong economy depends on workers given the opportunity to join a trade union and to bargain collectively so that fair wages and social benefits are lifted for all in a society. 
 
This, we believe, is the basic underpinning of the Employee Free Choice Act. Our trade union stands firmly behind the American trade unions in your efforts to get the United States Congress to pass this legislation into law, with the support of President Barack Obama. Please pass to your union membership, as well as to your elected officials, that our union fully supports EFCA, and that we consider it an essential element in a free society that workers be allowed to join a trade union in an unobstructed way. 
 
(Signed &hellip; Name of Trade Union Official) 
(Name of Trade Union) 
(Country)

Urgent Request: EFCA Letter

Global Unions, le conseil syndical mondial, compos&eacute; de 13 f&eacute;d&eacute;rations syndicales mondiales, de la Conf&eacute;d&eacute;ration Syndicale Internationale (CSI), du TUAC, la Commission syndicale consultative aupr&egrave;s de l&rsquo;OCDE, est conscient de l&rsquo;importance que rev&ecirc;t en Am&eacute;rique l&rsquo;adoption de ce projet de loi sur le libre choix des salari&eacute;s. Nous savons qu&rsquo;une &eacute;conomie forte d&eacute;pend de travailleurs ayant la possibilit&eacute; d&rsquo;adh&eacute;rer &agrave; une organisation syndicale et de n&eacute;gocier de mani&egrave;re collective de sorte que des salaires justes soient pay&eacute;s et que les avantages sociaux soient am&eacute;lior&eacute;s pour tous ce qui font partie de la soci&eacute;t&eacute;. 
 
Pour nous, ceci est le fondement m&ecirc;me de cette loi sur le libre choix des salari&eacute;s. Notre organisation appuie r&eacute;solument les organisations syndicales am&eacute;ricaines qui se battent en faveur de l&rsquo;adoption de cette loi b&eacute;n&eacute;ficiant de l&rsquo;appui du Pr&eacute;sident Barack Obama. Faites savoir &agrave; vos militants et &agrave; vos responsables &eacute;lus que notre organisation soutient sans r&eacute;serve cette loi sur le libre choix des salari&eacute;s. Pour nous, elle constitue un &eacute;l&eacute;ment essentiel permettant aux travailleurs dans une soci&eacute;t&eacute; libre de se syndiquer sans rencontrer d&rsquo;obstacles. 
 
(Sign&eacute;&hellip;.. Nom du responsable syndical) 
(D&eacute;nomination de l&rsquo;organisation syndicale) 
(Pays)

demande urgente: EFCA Lettre Français

Nashville, Tennessee, USA 
May 12-13, 2009
A g e n d a

&nbsp;
Monday, May 11, 2009 
 
Arrival of participants 
 
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 
 
08:00 Registration 
 
09:30 Opening of the Conference: 
Stan Johnson, International Secretary-Treasurer/Chairman of the Rubber&amp;Plastics Conference of USW 
 
10:00 General Report on ICEM Activities 
Manfred Warda, ICEM General Secretary 
 
10:30 Presentation: &ldquo;Global Industry Trends and Challenges&rdquo; 
Kemal &Ouml;zkan, ICEM Chemical and Rubber Industries Officer <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/Kemal%20presentation%201.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
 
11:00 Coffee-break 
 
11:30 First panel discussion: &ldquo; Effects Of Global Crisis on the Industry and Trade Union Challenges&rdquo; 
Peter Bakvis, ITUC/Global Unions <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/PETER%20BAKVIS%20PRESENTATION.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
Fabio Lins, CNQ-CUT, Brasil 
Jacques Caltot, FCE-CFDT, France 
Alexander Sitnov, RCWU, Russia 
K.K. Siritharan, NUECMRP, Malaysia 
 
Discussions 
 
13:00 Lunch 
 
14:30 Presentation: &ldquo;Collective Bargaining, Wage Developments and Employment Relationship&rdquo; 
Kemal &Ouml;zkan, ICEM Chemical and Rubber Industries Officer <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/Kemal%20presentation%202.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
 
15:00 Second panel discussion: &quot;Rising Hardships and Distortion in Work Relationships&quot; 
Pedro Wasiejko, SUTNA-CTA, Argentina 
Edwin Cisco, FAWUL, Liberia 
Kevin Johnson, USW, USA <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/rubber%20presentation%20johnson.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
Holger Michel, IG BCE, Germany 
 
16:00 Coffee-break 
 
16:30 Discussions 
 
Summary of panels 
 
17:00 End of first day work 
 
19:00 Conference dinner 
 
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 
 
09:30 Presentation: &ldquo;Global Trade Union Response Against Challenges&rdquo; 
Kemal &Ouml;zkan, ICEM Chemical and Rubber Industries Officer <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/Kemal%20presentation%203.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
 
10:00 Third panel discussion: &ldquo;Global Agreements, Global/Regional Company &amp; Sector Networks and Campaigns&rdquo; 
Cyrille Poughon, FCE-CFDT, France <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/rubber%20poughton.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
Jesus Delgado, FIA-UGT, Spain <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/rubber%20delgado.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
Fabio Lins, CNQ-CUT, Brasil <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/rubber%20futinal.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
Michael Mersmann, IG BCE, Germany 
Melinda Newhouse, USW, USA <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/rubber%20newouse.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
 
11:00 Coffee-break 
 
11:30 Presentation: &ldquo;Healthy and Safe Work and Environment; Sustainable Development&rdquo; 
Brian Kohler, ICEM Health, Safety and Sustainibilty Officer <a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/Health%20&amp;%20Safety%20Rubber%20Conf.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
 
12:00 Fourth panel discussion: &ldquo;How To Improve Health And Safety for Workers; What Kind of Industrial Policy for Greener Environment by Securing Jobs&rdquo; 
Jim Frederick, USW, USA <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/rubber%20usw.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
Jacques Caltot, FCE-CFDT, France <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/rubber%20caltot.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
 
13:00 Lunch 
 
14:30 Presentation: &ldquo;Action Plan For Upcoming Period&rdquo; Kemal &Ouml;zkan, ICEM Chemical and Rubber Industries Officer <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/rubber%20kemal%204.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
 
15:00 Fifth panel discussion: &ldquo;How To Better Coordinate Global Union Solidarity, Support and Cooperation&rdquo; 
Jerry Fernandez, USW, USA <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/rubber%20usw%202.pdf">(click for presentation)</a> 
Phil McNulty, T&amp;G-AMICUS, UK 
Pedro Vasiejko, SUTNA, Argentina 
Austin Natee, FAWUL, Liberia 
 
16:00 Coffee-break 
 
16:30 Discussions 
 
Summary of panels and presentation of action plan 
Manfred Warda, ICEM General Secretary 
 
16:45 Election of Industry Chairman 
 
Closing speech of Chairman 
 
17:00 End of the conference 
 
Thursday, May 14, 2009 
 
Departure of participants

ICEM World Conference for the Rubber Industry

<img src="" width="100" height="39" alt="" />
ICEM'in d&ouml;rt yılda bir d&uuml;zenlenen Lastik İşkolu D&uuml;nya Konferansı 12-13 Mayıs 2009 g&uuml;nlerinde ABD'nin Tennessee Eyaleti&rsquo;nin Nashville kentinde 70'i aşkın katılımcıyla toplanıyor. ABD Birleşik &Ccedil;elik İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası'nın ev sahipliğini yapacağı Konferans&rsquo;ı, aynı zamanda sendikanın genel başkanı olan, ICEM Lastik İşkolu B&ouml;l&uuml;m&uuml; Başkanı Leo Gerard y&ouml;netecek. 

<img alt="" src="" width="120" height="140" />
Leo Gerard, ICEM Lastik İşkolu B&ouml;l&uuml;m&uuml; ve Birleşik &Ccedil;elik İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası Başkanı 
ICEM Kimya ve Lastik İşkolları Sorumlusu Kemal &Ouml;zkan &ldquo;K&uuml;resel Sekt&ouml;rel Trendler ve Sorunlar&rdquo; konusunda bir sunum yapacak. 
 
Konferans şu beş konuda yapılacak &ccedil;alışma toplantılarından oluşacak: &ldquo;K&uuml;resel Krizin Sekt&ouml;r &Uuml;zerindeki Etkileri ve Sendikal Sorunlar&rdquo;, &ldquo;&Ccedil;alışma İlişkilerindeki Zorluklar&rdquo;, &ldquo;K&uuml;resel S&ouml;zleşmeler, K&uuml;resel/B&ouml;lgesel Ağlar ve Kampanyalar&rdquo;, &ldquo;İş&ccedil;i Sağlığı ve G&uuml;venliğinin İyileştirilmesi: &Ccedil;evre Bağlamında İstihdam Politikaları&rdquo; ve &ldquo;K&uuml;resel Sendikal Dayanışmanın, Desteğin ve İşbirliğinin Koordinasyonu&rdquo;. 
 
ICEM İş Sağlığı, G&uuml;venliği ve S&uuml;rd&uuml;r&uuml;lebilirlik B&ouml;l&uuml;m&uuml; Sorumlusu Brian Kohler sekt&ouml;rde iş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliği konusunda bir sunum yapacak.

ICEM&#039;in Dünya Lastik Konferansı ABD&#039;nin Nashville kentinde toplanıyor

The ICEM is using the occasion of April 28, the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers, to announce the renewal of its campaign for the formal ratification of International Labor Organization ILO Convention 176 on Health and Safety in Mines. 
 
The ICEM has been lobbying the ILO to dramatically increase its efforts to promote ratification of the convention to improve health and safety laws in many countries. A recent seminar in Mongolia, the first in a series of proposed seminars, showed a new committment by the ILO to become more actively engaged in a campaign for ratification. (See story on Mongolia seminar in InBrief No. 129 <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/3162-ILO-Mongolia-Seminar-Launches-Asia-Campaign-for-Ratification-of-Mine-Safety-Convention-176">here</a>)

ICEM Campaigns for ILO Convention 176

&nbsp;<img height="40" alt="" src="" width="100" />
The oil industry of Argentina saw two strikes over the past two weeks, as workers protested against current and exorbitant taxation rules. A third strike was postponed to allow labour and management to continue bargaining. 
 
The strikes affected the leading oil and gas producing provinces of Neuquen, Chubut, Santa Cruz, and Rio Negro. 
 
Both ICEM affiliates from Argentina&rsquo;s energy sector, Federaci&oacute;n de Trabajadores de la Energ&iacute;a de la Republica Argentina (FeTERA) and Federaci&oacute;n Argentina Sindical del Petr&oacute;leo y Gas Privados (F.A.S.P.Y.G.P), were involved in the actions. 
<img height="69" alt="" src="" width="120" align="middle" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img height="80" alt="" src="" width="58" align="middle" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Oil and gas production plant workers first went on strike, just under two weeks ago. Their strike ended five days later after an agreement guaranteeing a bonus, ranging from US$30 to US$180 per month, to compensate for high taxes on overtime pay. A bill exempting food and transportation costs from income taxes was hastily put through Congress at the same time.
Early last week, a second strike broke out, this time by the supervisory staff of the oil &amp; gas production plants. Supervisors were seeking the same benefits granted to other workers in the plants. Here, as well, talks between supervisors and their employers, mediated by the Ministry of Labour, resulted in an agreement, on 22 November. In addition to agreeing on tax reductions, supervisory personnel also won the right to have their own collective bargaining agreement. 
<img height="100" alt="" src="" width="100" />
A third strike, by Argentina&rsquo;s 18,000 oil refinery workers, also seeking similar benefits, was postponed, as workers agreed, on 21 November, to abstain from striking to allow for a one-week period of negotiations. That was then extended to 15 days. Oil refineries, as well as upstream operations affected by the strikes and potential strikes include facilities and fields owned by Repsol, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Petrobras. 
 
Full blown strikes of the refineries would have a serious impact on the country&rsquo;s petrol supplies, since any shut down of operations would take weeks to re-open production. 
 
&ldquo;For the moment, there are no refineries on strike,&rdquo; said Alberto Roberti, Organisational Secretary of F.A.S.P.Y.G.P., quoted in the country&rsquo;s press late last week. &ldquo;We will use this window of opportunity to talk, even though, so far, we have not seen any changes from the employer&rsquo;s side.&rdquo;

Strike Actions Hit Argentina’s Oil Sector

<img height="142" alt="" src="" width="380" />
Contents&nbsp;
1. Chile &ndash; Government Publishes 
Gender Equity Guide 
2. France &ndash; Women&rsquo;s Position at EdF and GdF 
Worsens 
3. Germany &ndash; Men and Women 
Experience Stress Differently 
4. Kenya &ndash; Nairobi +21 Conference Held 
5. Korea &ndash; Equality Job Index&nbsp;Increases 
6. New Zealand &ndash; Government Prepares 
for Equal Pay Reviews 
7. Nicaragua &ndash; National Assembly Passes Total Abortion Ban 
8. South Africa &ndash; NUMSA Gender Awareness Quiz 
9. United Kingdom &ndash; Women&rsquo;s Pay Gap Narrows 
10. United States &ndash; Supreme Court&nbsp;To Hear Goodyear Case 
11. From Our Readers 
12. Resources 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
1. Chile &ndash; Government Publishes Gender Equity Guide 
 
SERNAM, the Chilean Women&rsquo;s National Office, published, on 9 November, a guide on gender equity in companies, called Gu&iacute;a para Impulsar la Equidad de G&eacute;nero en las Empresas. The guide contains examples of good practice, as well as tools to put the ideas into practice. 
 
With Chile&rsquo;s president Michelle Bachelet currently promoting corporate social responsibility, SERNAM found that discrimination against women continues to exist: women&rsquo;s average pay is still 30% below men&rsquo;s, with those in higher pay categories even earning 52% less. 
 
87% of all women work in services where they have less access than men to skills and management jobs. Chile ranks 110th out of 125 in terms of gender equity. There is, therefore, plenty of room for improvement. The SERNAM guide will soon be available on the Acci&oacute;n RSE site (in Spanish - <a href="http://www.accionrse.cl/">www.accionrse.cl</a>). 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
2. France &ndash; Women&rsquo;s Position at EdF and GdF Worsens 
 
In spite of the fact that an ambitious equal opportunities agreement was signed one and a half years ago, FCE-CFDT has found women&rsquo;s position worsening, or at best stagnating, at EdF (Electricit&eacute; de France) and GdF (Gaz de France). 
 
In 2005, the average number of hours&rsquo; training that women took advantage of went down, as did the number of women taking vocational training. There were also fewer men taking parental leave than the year before. In addition, new hires are generally found in technical areas, where fewer women are present. 
 
Women make up 23.1% of the workforce in the two companies, whereas they make up 49% of the precarious jobs. The union has also found that stereotypes still prevail &ndash; management still refuses men&rsquo;s requests to look after sick children, for example. 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
3. Germany &ndash; Men and Women Experience Stress Differently 
 
IGBCE has launched a pilot project to investigate stress factors at three companies in Germany. The aim is for employees to cope better with stress so that, for instance, they can go home free of stress in the evening. 
 
Since women and men experience stress differently, preventive and curing measures have to be applied differently according to gender. In general, men have more injuries and accidents, whereas women suffer more from psychological problems. 
Men are more afraid of failure and high performance standards; women suffer more from poor communication and lack of recognition. Strategies to manage stress also differ &ndash; women get rid of stress by doing yoga or relaxation exercises, while men play football. 
 
The Infracor Company has distributed a questionnaire to track stress factors. While still analysing the results, one finding is that work against deadlines, heavy workloads, lack of decision-making power, fear of job loss or the double burden of working and looking after the family are all possible causes of stress. 
 
Stress has physical and psychological effects, which, if not eliminated, often reduce performance and concentration. However, they also lead to allergies and cardiovascular ailments. The IGBCE found that managing stress and health on the job pays for itself. 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
4. Kenya &ndash; Nairobi +21 Conference Held 
 
The Nairobi +21 Conference was held in Nairobi on 27 October 2006 to reflect on what has happened since the first UN International Women&rsquo;s Conference, which was held in 1985. Women evaluated the progress made over the years, by following the development of strategies aimed at fostering the advancement of women. Speakers reminisced about times gone by, when women&rsquo;s issues were treated with disdain. 
 
However, 20 years later, things are different. Kenya now has 18 women parliamentarians, and many women have been appointed to the judiciary and senior public service positions. Many battles have been won, but the war for realizing gender equality is far from over. 
 
Women are still under-represented in policy making. Societal and cultural biases and practices, such as female genital mutilation, still pose a health risk to girls. Insecurity and conflicts continue to expose more women to hunger, poverty and assault, and HIV/AIDS destructs millions of women&rsquo;s lives in sub-Saharan Africa. 
 
One conclusion of the conference was to demand better resource allocation for gender ministries and to push for 50-50 representation in leadership. 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
5. Korea &ndash; Equality Job Index Increases 
 
Two recent findings by the Korea Labor Institute are that the labor status of women in Korea is lower than men&rsquo;s and that the labor status of workers over 50 has been declining. These findings are the result of an analysis of the Employment Equality Index in Korea, which includes factors such as gender, age, labor status and wage levels for the past 10 years. 
 
The Employment Equality Index consists of four sub-categories: the Labor Compensation Index, based on wage levels per hour; the Labor Participation Index, based on the ratio of wage workers; the Labor Status Index, based on the ratio of management level workers; and the Job Security Index, based on the ratio of regular workers. A figure above 100 indicates that the employment equality status is higher than that of men, whereas a figure below 100 indicates that the status is lower. 
 
With the male workers&rsquo; Employment Equality Index set at 100, the female workers&rsquo; index started at 50.1% in 1995, went down to 49.5% during the 1998 crisis, and reached 55.7% last year. 
 
According to the study, the women&rsquo;s Labor Status Index was 8.1%, indicating that the number of female management-level workers is less than one tenth that of men. The women&rsquo;s Labor Compensation Index stood at 69.4%, and the Job Security Index at 61.3%. The study also found that the labor status of older workers was gradually worsening. 
 
The Ministry of Labor hopes that more women will take management jobs after the government&rsquo;s affirmative action programs. The government also hopes to encourage workers over 50 to stay in the labor market. 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
6. New Zealand &ndash; Government Prepares for Equal Pay Reviews 
 
The New Zealand Cabinet has agreed on the terms of reference for the equal pay and employment equity reviews. Although the equal pay law has been in existence since 1972, women&rsquo;s average hourly earnings are still only 86.4% of men&rsquo;s. 
 
The public service, health and education sectors will all be subjected to a review designed to ensure that occupations dominated by women pay women fairly and provide equal employment opportunities. 
 
A template must be completed, which tests each occupation&rsquo;s job size and remuneration against a comparable occupation, before a pay equity or equal employment opportunity claim is lodged. A review will also be carried out before a claim is lodged. 
 
Depending on the review&rsquo;s findings, workers such as teachers, secretaries, librarians, dental therapists and nurses may have their pay boosted. 
 
New Zealand&rsquo;s Council of Trade Unions Vice-President Helen Kelly said that, with pay equity claims resolved, women would look at the state as a preferred employer, boosting the need for the private sector to undertake similar actions. 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
7. Nicaragua &ndash; National Assembly Passes Total Abortion Ban 
 
Nicaragua&rsquo;s national assembly has voted - 52 to 0 - to ban all abortions, even in those cases where the mother&rsquo;s life is at stake. Nicaragua already had restrictive anti-abortion laws, with women and doctors who take part in abortions facing prison sentences of up to six years. 
 
Members of Nicaragua&rsquo;s medical association and United Nations representatives opposed the timing of the vote, which coincided with the presidential elections on 5 November. They claimed the abortion debate had become too politicized. Hundreds of people protested outside the National Assembly in Managua before the vote took place, saying the law would be a death penalty for some. They fear the law will force women to die. 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
8. South Africa &ndash; NUMSA Gender Awareness Quiz 
 
NUMSA, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, has published a gender awareness quiz. Answer the questions and check where you stand on the public and private struggle. 
 
1. Your wife/partner wants to stand as a shop steward in her union. Do you: 
<ul>
 <li>
 <div>a) Say that she cannot stand because you are worried that the children will be neglected and it will interfere with the cooking and the cleaning of the household. </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>b) Support her and say that together as a family you will all discuss how she can be active in the union and how the family will accommodate her. </div>
 </li>
</ul>
2. Your wife/partner is a shop steward and wants to attend NUMSA National Congress for five days. Do you: 
<ul>
 <li>
 <div>a) Say she cannot go because a NUMSA National Congress is not a good place for a woman to be. </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>b) Encourage her to go and together with your family work out how you will all manage. </div>
 </li>
</ul>
3. Your workplace has many women workers. In shop steward elections, workers voted for three new women shop stewards. Do you: 
<ul>
 <li>
 <div>a) Carry on having your shop steward committee meetings after work as you have always done. </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>b) Ask the new women shop stewards if the time is all right for them or if they want to suggest an alternative time. </div>
 </li>
</ul>
4. Your workplace has always had many women workers but no women have ever stood as shop stewards. Shop steward elections will take place in 18 months time. Do you: 
<ul>
 <li>
 <div>a) Assume that it&rsquo;s because women are not committed and that&rsquo;s why they don&rsquo;t stand as shop stewards. </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>b) Speak to workers and set up a gender committee in your factory. Link the gender committee to the shop stewards committee and provide training to the gender committee reps so that they can learn the job of the shop steward. </div>
 </li>
</ul>
5. You are holding a shop steward council in your local. The meeting was meant to start at 9h00 and finish at 12h00. However some of the male office bearers are late and the meeting only started at 10h30. At 12h00 many people start to leave, especially the women comrades. Do you: 
<ul>
 <li>
 <div>a) Complain that those leaving are not committed. </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>b) Apologise to those that are leaving for having started the meeting late and appeal to all those present to respect the times so that next time the meeting can start and finish on time. </div>
 </li>
</ul>
ANSWERS: If you answered mostly (a) then you need to seriously look at your views on gender and your relationship with your wife/partner. If you answered mostly (b) then you have opened the door to challenge patriarchy. Congratulations but don&rsquo;t stop here! 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
9. United Kingdom &ndash; Women&rsquo;s Pay Gap Narrows 
 
Women are closing the pay gap with men, as indicated by recent government figures. The gap between male and female pay is at its lowest since 1938, the year when recording began. 
 
Men&rsquo;s average pay went up by 3.5%, while women&rsquo;s pay rose by 4.2%. Women now earn, on average, 12.6% less than men, compared to 13% last year. A man&rsquo;s weekly average earnings stands at 487 pounds. A typical woman is paid 387 pounds a week. The reason for the large gap is that men work more overtime. 
 
A key reason behind the change is that more women now work in high-earning professions. In the 22-29 age group, women actually earn more than 1.5% more than men. But beyond the age of 29, male earnings greatly outstrip those of women, as women returning to the workplace after childbirth tend to miss out on several years of pay rises. 
 
The Equal Opportunities Commission estimates that the pay gap means that the average women working full time will lose out on about 330,000 pounds over her working life. That means 19 years of down payments on a house, 15 new cars or 10,500 nights out. 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
10. United States &ndash; Supreme Court To Hear Goodyear Case 
 
On 27 November, the US Supreme Court will hear the arguments on a pay discrimination case involving a former Goodyear employee. Ms. Ledbetter charged that she earned 15% less than the next lowest paid manager in her work group. She claimed that she had been underpaid for her management positions since she was first hired. 
 
Goodyear claims her lower salary was based on low performance ratings. Ledbetter, however, claimed her evaluations had been falsified, at least in part because one of those who reviewed her job performance was an immediate supervisor whose sexual advances she had rebuffed. 
 
A jury in the US District Court awarded Ledbetter nearly US$234,000 in back pay, almost US$5,000 for mental anguish and nearly US$3,3 million in punitive damages. In the end, the court was required by statute to limit the verdict to US$360,000. Goodyear is appealing this verdict. 
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
FROM OUR READERS: 
 
Oluchi Okorie from Nupeng, Nigeria, comments about Bulletin 16: 
 
 
&ldquo;It is surprising that Indian women still face these problems of dowry to their husbands. Unlike in our country Nigeria, the reverse is the case. 
 
The bride&rsquo;s family receives the bride price and other gifts from the groom and his family. Some extended family members of the bride also make their demands which, if not met, sometimes will lead to the threat of withdrawing from the marriage contract. 
 
The major problem with this in some cases is that the groom will start maltreating the bride after the marriage must have been contracted with the belief that he bought her expensively. There are other cases where the groom may not have enough resources to take care of the bride after marriage. 
 
In either way, none is perfect because the whole thing falls back on women. We pray there should be a remedy to this in this modern age.&quot;
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
RESOURCES 
 
Falling Through the Floor lets young Chinese women workers tell us in their own words about their arduous experiences of trying to earn a decent living in the boomtowns of the Chinese economic miracle today. See at: <a href="http://www.china-labour.org.hk/public/main">http://www.china-labour.org.hk/public/main</a>.&nbsp; 
 
WOMANKIND Worldwide helps women in developing countries - silenced or isolated by harmful traditions, conflict, violence and intimidation or the sheer exhaustion of surviving in poverty &ndash; to have a distinctive say in what goes on in their family, community and country. See <a href="http://www.womankind.org.uk/">http://www.womankind.org.uk</a>. 
 
Public Services International has done an evaluation of its 2002-2006 Pay Equity Campaign. The evaluation can be obtained from ICEM &ndash; write to <a href="mailto:carol.bruce@icem.org">carol.bruce@icem.org</a>.

ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN N° 17

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ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN N° 17

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