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Mediated negotiations this week between ICEM affiliate National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Chamber of Mines in South Africa will prove pivotal in determining if gold and coal strikes occur in the coming weeks. The NUM has also declared disputes in the nation&rsquo;s important platinum mining sector, with talks between the union and Anglo Platinum, Impala, and Northam Platinum at a stalemate. 
 
On 7 July, the NUM filed a declaration of dispute with South Africa&rsquo;s Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) over unresolved issues &ndash; including pay awards &ndash; in the coal industry. Talks on 8 July with the Chamber went nowhere, with employers refusing to budge from an offer that is less than the inflation rate. The Chamber represents AngloCoal SA, Exxaro, Xstrata Coal, Delmas Coal, Optimum Coal, and Springlake. 
 
The two sides will meet again this Wednesday, 20 July, under the auspices of the CCMA. There are a combined 250,000 miners covered under the coal and gold talks with the NUM representing 80% of those workers. Gold companies represented by the Chamber include AngloGold Ashanti, Harmony Gold, and Goldfields. 
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If no solution is found this week, the CCMA is likely to issue a certification of non-resolution, which means the union need only give employers a 48-hour notice before striking. In coal, the NUM is seeking a 14% pay hike, while the Chamber of Mines has been steadfast on granting only a 4.5% increase for the lowest mine classifications and 4.2% for others. 
 
A coal strike will severely cripple state-run electricity producer Eskom, which generates 95% of South Africa&rsquo;s power needs and 45% across the whole of Africa. 
 
In gold mining, talks failed on 6 July and again on 13 July, after which the NUM filed for dispute resolution with the CCMA. The union is also seeking 14% from the Chamber in the gold talks, while employers have increased their offer from 4.2% to between 5% and 5.5% in the most recent set of talks. 
 
&ldquo;We have already begun the mobilisation for massive strike action by over 250,000&rdquo; miners, said NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni. &ldquo;A real war has just started, a war over a living wage and this is not reversible.&rdquo; 
 
That war likely will be extended to South Africa&rsquo;s rich platinum mines, as well, where the nation is the world&rsquo;s leading producer. On 12 July, NUM declared a dispute with Northam Platinum at the company&rsquo;s 6,800-worker Zondereinde Division in Limpopo Province, and at two other Northam mines. A day later, a formal dispute was lodged against Impala Platinum, where NUM is seeking 14% for the lower classifications and 13.5% for higher job grades. The union is also polling members at the world&rsquo;s number one producer, AngloPlatinum, where it is seeking a 20% increase. 
 
One mine strike has already commenced. That is at the chrome mine of Chemstof Pty. Ltd. in Boksfontein, North-West Province, where 200 workers downed tools on 11 July over wage differences, living-out allowances and transport stipends. And at diamond producer DeBeers, the two sides are still far apart over a 2011 wage package.

NUM in Formal Disputes with South African Gold, Platinum, Coal Mining Houses

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The two-week strike by 120,000 members of the National Union of Metalworkers&rsquo; of South Africa (NUMSA) ended over the weekend when union members accepted a three-year contract from the Steel and Engineering Federation of South Africa (SEIFSA), the main metal employers&rsquo; federation in South Africa. 
 
NUMSA members will receive a first-year pay rise of 10% effective 1 July 2011. In the second and third years, metalworkers will receive no less than 8% in each year. If the consumer price index (CPI) is less than that percentage, the 8% increases will take hold; if it exceeds 8%, workers will receive 2% above the CPI. 
 
&ldquo;We ran a successful action,&rdquo; NUMSA General Secretary Irvin Jim said of the strike that began 4 July. &ldquo;We applied excellent pressure, workers were firm in their determination, and the timing for settling was good before the country&rsquo;s economy was bruised.&rdquo; 
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NUMSA Manifestation on 12 July
Jim said another fundamental issue resolved concerned labour brokers. Contract language was improved whereby labour brokers are allowed to deploy workers for only a four-month period. If a labour broker is retained for more than that period that broker&rsquo;s workers will win full-time, permanent positions with the primary employer inclusive of all social benefits. Workers will begin returning to jobs today and tomorrow, 19 July. 
 
Meanwhile, talks between the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers&rsquo; Union (CEPPWAWU) and several employers&rsquo; federations resume today. Some 70,000 CEPPWAWU members have been striking since 11 July against scores of employers in the petroleum, pharmaceutical, glass, plastics, industrial chemicals, fast-moving consumer goods, and pulp, paper, and wood products sectors. 
 
By far the biggest impact of those strikes has been in petroleum distribution businesses. The CEPPWAWU strike there has created panic buying and fuel shortages, with the seven members of the South African Petroleum Industry Association unable to move supplies to market from the country&rsquo;s 130 fuel depots. 
<img alt="" src="" width="240" height="160" />
CEPPWAWU Members March in Johannesburg, 11 July
CEPPWAWU&rsquo;s strikes were joined last week across several sectors by 14,000 members of the South African Chemical Workers&rsquo; Union (SACWU) and 10,000 members of the General Industrial Workers&rsquo; Union of South Africa (GIWUSA). 
 
The unions are seeking wage increases ranging from 11% to 13%, while respective industries are offering only 6.5% to 7%. ICEM-affiliated CEPPWAWU seeks a complete ban on labour brokers, a minimum month wage of R6,000 (&euro;615), six months paid maternity leave, and a 40-hour work-week. 
 
The strike, specifically in regard to fuel shortages and transport, is expected to be exacerbated starting today with the start of the third trimester of school in South Africa. Some of the companies affected are petrol giants BP Southern Africa, Chevron SA, Engen Petroleum, PetroSA, Shell SA, and Total SA; pharmaceutical companies Adcock Ingram, Aspen Pharmaceutical, and Pharmacare; consumer companies Revlon and Colgate; the industrial chemicals company Sasol, as well as Nampak Glass and paper companies Sappi and Mondi. 
 
South African strikes were amplified this winter by a PricewaterhouseCoopers&rsquo; report showing that executive pay trends of the 40 top-listed companies on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange saw median pay increases of 23.3%, while executive bonuses rose 56%.

Metal Strike Ends in South Africa with Exemplary 3-Year Contract

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The ICEM-affiliated Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) issued an ultimatum on 15 June to the Petroleum Equalisation Fund Management Board (PEF) over the continuing victimisation of its Branch Chairman and other executive committee members. 
 
The senior staff union warned the PEF management that if victimization of its officials continues, workers would reply through industrial unrest not only in PEF but the entire Nigerian oil industry. 
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PENGASSAN union members hold significant leverage in Nigeria; its members are supervisors at each of the petroleum depots, which transport fuel and diesel throughout the country. The depots are under the control of PEF. 
 
The PEF management has been conducting aggressive interference in union affairs since a recently successful PENGASSAN campaign forced PEF management to promote over 70% of its staff who had stagnated at the same grade for upwards of six years. PEF set up a panel to investigate union member activity in terms of their adherence to union rules, clearly not the jurisdiction of management, and a breach of union independence intended to undermine PENGASSAN. 
 
In a letter to the PEF Executive Secretary, PENGASSAN General Secretary Bayo Olowoshile warned that, &ldquo;the management of PEF is given a 14-day ultimatum with effect from the date of our earlier letter of June 15, 2011 to respect the Association&rsquo;s structure, rules, and extant laws on Trade Unions and labour relations or get prepared to face the consequences of full scale national industrial action in the oil and gas industry&rdquo;.

PENGASSAN Threatens Full-Scale Industrial Action in Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry

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A united grouping of six Belgian trade unions, representing all unionised oil workers, picketed at the gates of the Belgian Refining Corporation (BRC) last Thursday, 30 June, in protest of the sacking of three workers, calling for the company to spend their money on better terms in collective bargaining instead of unnecessary severance pay. 
 
A nationwide action is also planned. 
 
Two of the three sacked workers were union representatives of ICEM-affiliated Centrale Generale &ndash; FGTB, making the company even more liable for unfair dismissal. The three are guilty of no misconduct at all, although management have actively spread lies relating to the intimidation of a security guard and his family. 
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The Swiss management of BRC, under CEO Massenhaurer, has shown itself to be staunchly anti union, but inventing misconduct stories in order to sack union reps is new. 
 
The BRC refinery is located north of the Port of Antwerp at the centre of the ARA region, owned by European refiner Petroplus Holdings. BRC has production capacity of 107,500 barrels per day, and sells primarily inside Benelux. 
 
The ICEM joins calls of the six unions involved, five of which are affiliated, for the immediate reinstatement of all three sacked worker.

Belgium Unions Unite Against Belgian Refining Corp.’s Sackings

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The&nbsp;ICEM today condemned the bad-faith bargaining strategy of BHP Billiton-Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) in coal talks in Australia. At the same time, it pledged full support to Queensland miners, who today commence a second justified set at industrial actions inside BMA&rsquo;s rich coking-coal mines of Queensland&rsquo;s Bowen Basin. 

The Geneva-based ICEM, representing 20 million workers globally, condemns BMA for side-stepping the Single Bargaining Unit (SBU) of 4,000 workers and attempting to justify its regressive workplace demands in the public arena. 

Three unions affiliated with the ICEM &ndash; Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), the Australian Manufacturing Workers&rsquo; Union (AMWU), and the Communications, Electrical, Plumbing Union (CEPU) &ndash; are legitimately enjoined as the SBU, but have seen BMA reject honest dialogue on major issues such as work rights, salaries, and social benefits for subcontract workers, and job security for Australian workers employed by BMA and legitimately represented by the three unions. 

BMA instead has flaunted its unwanted agenda in paid advertisements and shameless pay boasting in central and eastern Queensland. Because of this, the ICEM fully and unequivocally supports the 24 June second round of strike actions at BMA&rsquo;s seven mines and alerts miners and other workers of BMA that they have a firm global ally in the ICEM with their three unions. 

In a 22 June letter to leaders of the three unions, ICEM General Secretary Warda said: &ldquo;As miners and others in Queensland at BMA begin a second round of industrial actions this weekend, please extend to each and every one of them the principled Support and Solidarity of the ICEM and its family of 467 trade unions throughout the world. Let them know that the eyes of the global trade union movement are on their courageous fight to get a just and deserved enterprise labour agreement with BMA.&rdquo; See the <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/63.ICEM.BMA.CFMEU,AMWU,ETU,CEPU.Australia.22June.pdf">full ICEM letter</a> here. 

The ICEM stands solidly behind BMA workers who begin lawful 12-hour rolling strikes tonight at BMA&rsquo;s Blackwater mine, and then Saturday and Sunday nights, 25-26 June, at Saraji, Norwich Park, Gregory Crinum, Peak Downs, and Goonyella Riverside mines. And the ICEM condemns the attack on the strike by BMA, as if it was illegitimate. It is not. 

The ICEM believes BMA&rsquo;s tactics reflect poorly on the joint venture&rsquo;s equal parents &ndash; BHP Billiton and Mitsubishi &ndash; and on BMA&rsquo;s standing in metallurgical coal markets. Following the breakdown of talks on 20-21 June, the ICEM will monitor this dispute and stands ready in the event it escalates.

ICEM Condemns Tactics of BHP Billiton, Mitsubishi in Australia Coal Talks

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Domestic workers are among the most vulnerable in the world. The 100th session of the International Labour Conference, on 16 June, achieved the adoption of the Decent Work for Domestic Workers Convention No. 189, and its accompanying recommendation. 
 
The convention sets out a set of basic protections for domestic workers under law, in countries that ratify. Governments around the world must now be pressured to ratify and implement the provisions. Attention will be on the countries in the Gulf, where an underclass of migrant domestic workers exists. But also countries such as the United States have labour law protections which exclude domestic workers of the &ldquo;informal economy&rdquo;. This must now change. 
 
Domestic work is one of the main locations for slavery and child labour, as well until now very low levels of inspection and regulation, non payment and low payment of wages, and violence, with the work often carried out by migrants, and women. This convention symbolically recognises domestic workers as regular workers, entitled to all the rights enjoyed in other sectors. Domestic workers should be emboldened by this global recognition, into organising collectively across the sector.

ILO Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers

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In a letter to Ukraine&rsquo;s President, Viktor Yanukovych, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda called for the recent escalation of government intimidation and interference into trade union activities to end. 
 
The national centre, Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU) has born the brunt of a brutal attack by the Office of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine, headed by Viktor Pshonka who is said to have &ldquo;declared war&rdquo; on the unions. New teams have been established inside various government ministries charged with combating the FPU, and establishing yellow unions to oppose the FPU. 
<img src="" width="238" height="159" alt="" />
FPU Picket Office of the General Prosecutor
The illegal attack on the FPU has included brazen attempts at manipulating internal union activity. On 23 May the FPU received instructions from the General Prosecutor&rsquo;s office, banning items on the agenda of the union&rsquo;s Presidium meeting the following day. Demands for detailed information of internal union workings are continuing, with FPU leadership being summoned for interrogation to the General Prosecutor&rsquo;s office, including FPU President Vasyl Khara on 3 June. 
 
Also ongoing is a disinformation campaign run through the country&rsquo;s mass media, attempting to discredit the FPU. The lie being disseminated is that the FPU leadership unlawfully sold union assets. Whereas it is a clear fact that no FPU facilities have been sold since November 2008. 
 
The intense interference is in breach of national law, international law, and the constitution of Ukraine. 
 
On 8 June, the FPU conducted a large picket in front of the office of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine, demanding an end to the oppression of trade union rights. 
 
See the full text of <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/62.ICEM.Ukraine%20President.FPU.20June.pdf">Warda&rsquo;s letter</a> to President Yanukovych here.&nbsp;

ICEM Protests Crackdown on Ukrainian Trade Unions

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From&nbsp;International Metalworkers' Federation 
Indonesian unions yesterday criticized their government for not ensuring comprehensive social security for all Indonesian people as mandated in the Global Jobs Pact that was adopted by the International Labour Organization in 2009 and supported by the Indonesian government. 
 
The unions' criticism was in response to an address given by the President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to a special session of the 100th International Labour Conference (ILC) on June 14, 2011 on the effects of the global economic crisis. 
 
In a statement submitted to the ILC by Indonesian trade unions and supported by the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) and the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF), the unions demanded that the Indonesian government comply with the Global Jobs Pact by providing comprehensive social security for all Indonesian people. 
<img alt="" src="" width="220" height="147" />
9 May Indonesian Worker Demonstration
The statement points out that, &quot;the people of Indonesia continue to face problems of low wages which are not comparable with the needs of a decent standard of living, unsafe working conditions with the expansion of contract work and outsourcing and the absence of comprehensive social security for all people.&quot; 
 
&quot;In the context of social welfare, Indonesia is the most backward country in Southeast Asia in terms of delivering comprehensive social security for their people, in contradiction to the second portfolio of the Global Jobs Pact itself to &quot;build a social protection system&quot;,&quot; continues the statement. 
 
The unions argue that the existing Constitution of Indonesia and supporting legislation provides the basis for providing five social insurance programs covering health and accident insurance, pensions, retirement security and life insurance, but require the government to re-orientate the responsible state agencies to function on a not for profit basis. 
 
The statement, signed by nine Indonesian trade union organizations including IMF affiliated Indonesia Federation of Metal Workers' Unions (FSPMI), are members of the Action Committee for Social Security ( KAJS ) which is actively campaigning in Indonesia for improved social security, particularly health insurance for life and a mandatory pension fund for all. 
 
Adequate provision for social security particularly for the ever expanding number of workers in precarious forms of employment is one of the issues that will be discussed at the IMF Central Committee taking place in Jakarta, Indonesia in December 2011.

Indonesian Workers Demand Social Security for all

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From the International Textile, Garment &amp; Leather Workers' Federation
A historic agreement has been signed, 7 June,&nbsp;regarding trade union rights in factories in Indonesia. The pact was signed by Indonesian textile, clothing and footwear unions, major supplier factories and the major sportswear brands, including Adidas, Nike and Puma. A keynote speech was delivered by Mr. Muji Handoyo, General Director of Labour Inspection, who expressed his appreciation of the efforts of the parties to ensure that freedom of association is respected. 
 
Workers in Indonesia and in other countries producing sportswear are frequently prevented from organizing at sportswear supplier factories and from carrying out union activities. Recent research covering 18 factories in Indonesia found that all had taken anti-union measures. 
 
&ldquo;This protocol is important because our law does not cover technical implementation of freedom of association. It also ensures brands take responsibility to ensure respect for union rights&rdquo; states Lilis Mahmudah, Head of Program for SPN. &ldquo;Our members have been waiting for this agreement to be concluded. It will help us in our bargaining efforts&rdquo; adds Emelia Yanti, General Secretary of GSBI. 
 
The agreement has been made possible by the Play Fair campaign, which since 2004 has been campaigning for global sportswear brands to take concrete steps to improve conditions in their supply chains. The campaign was represented at the signing by Oxfam Australia, the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers&rsquo; Federation and the Clean Clothes Campaign. 
 
&ldquo;The signing of this freedom of association protocol is an important first step in improving the situation for the hundreds of thousands of sportswear workers facing low wages and poor conditions&rdquo; says Jeroen Merk of the CCC. &ldquo;The real test, however, will be in its implementation&rdquo; adds Ashling Seely of the ITGLWF. 
 
In the run up to the London 2012 Olympics the Play Fair Campaign will be encouraging other sportswear and garment brands to sign up to the <a href="http://www.play-fair.org/media/wp-content/uploads/FOA-Protocol_English-translation_May-20112.pdf">protocol</a>.

Indonesia:  Historic Pact Strengthens Sportswear Workers&#039; Union Rights

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ICEM affiliates in the chemicals industry in South-East Europe met in a sectoral regional conference from 9-10 June in Belgrade, Serbia. The meeting came within the framework of the joint ICEM, European Mine, Chemical, Energy Federation (EMCEF), International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF), European Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (EMF), International Union of Food and Agriculture Association (IUF), and the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) project, which is supported by the German Friedrich-Ebert Foundation (FES). 
 
The attending unions saw representation from some 30 unionists from KNG of Slovenia, EKN of Croatia, SSHNFBIH of Bosnia/Herzegovina, and SSHNS and GS HNER Nezavisnost of Serbia. 
<img src="" width="170" height="128" alt="" />
Mato Lalic
Chaired by Mato Lalic, coordinator of the joint project, the conference welcomed a representative from Serbia&rsquo;s Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, who spoke on problems arising from company restructurings in the chemicals industry, resulting in job losses and bankruptcies. Comment from participants included the issue of unpaid wages as a result of company liquidations. 
 
ICEM&rsquo;s Director of Industry and Corporate Affairs, Kemal &Ouml;zkan, gave an overview on global trends in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. He spoke on trends in employment, wages, and overall working conditions. 
 
At plenary sessions, particular country reports were delivered by Danijel &Scaron;pičak and Ivan Tomac from Croatia, Tomaž Kumer from Slovenia, Kata Iveljić from Bosnia/Herzegovina, and Zoran Pantelić from Serbia. All reports indicate that recovery is occurring after the global economic crisis, except that employment levels are still low. 
 
The conference also addressed the issue of rising precarious employment through a presentation by Jacim Milunovic, one of the coordinators of the joint project, who guided participants on ways to defend standard forms of employment, and to resist Contract and Agency Labour (CAL). 
 
The participants were given ICEM&rsquo;s CAL Guide amd IUF&rsquo;s manual on outsourcing. One point that was emphasized is that legislative environments in South-East Europe are not favorable for workers, which gives important responsibilities to trade unions. The conference concluded with a a joint committment to keep solidarity alive among the unions of the region in the chemicals and non-metal sectors. 
 
The ICEM&rsquo;s &Ouml;zkan also travelled to Bosnia/Herzergovina at the invitation of Independent Trade Union of Chemistry and Non Metal Workers&rsquo; Union (SSHNFBIH), led by Kata Iveljić. He visited the Canton of Tuzla, since the region is a large industrial zone. SSHNFBIH has large membership in workplaces in the cities of Tuzla and Lukavac, but some industrial relations challenges exist related to social dialogue. 
 
With a purpose to show global support to SSHNFBIH, the ICEM met with Prime Minister Sead Causevic and Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining Zeljko Knezicek, both of the Canton of Tuzla. The group later was welcomed by Dzevad Mujkic, mayor of the Lukavac community. &Ouml;zkan was interviewed by several local and cantonal televisions about purpose and results of the visit. 
 
The ICEM delegation also visited Sisecam Soda, subsidiary of a Turkish multinational company located at Lukavac, and met with General Director Umut Baris S&ouml;nmez together with local union officials. Turkey&rsquo;s Sisecam Group purchased 80% of shares of Soda Factory Lukavac Bosna i Hercegovina following a privatisation bid in 2006. 
<img src="" width="212" height="159" alt="" />
Since then, Sisecam Soda and SSHNFBIH developed a constructive social dialogue and industrial relations&rsquo; system on restructuring the workplace. Since there had been no sector-wide agreement covering workers, an individual company agreement had been signed but due to economic challenges, yearly wage agreements were not signed for 2009 and 2010. ICEM and SSHNFBIH stressed clear expectations that the company re-start dialogue with immediate effect. SSHNFBIH and Sisecam Soda are expected to settle pending issues very soon.

Unions in Chemicals Continue Struggle in South-East Europe

Archive

NUM in Formal Disputes with South African Gold, Platinum, Coal Mining Houses

Metal Strike Ends in South Africa with Exemplary 3-Year Contract

PENGASSAN Threatens Full-Scale Industrial Action in Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry

Belgium Unions Unite Against Belgian Refining Corp.’s Sackings

ICEM Condemns Tactics of BHP Billiton, Mitsubishi in Australia Coal Talks

ILO Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers

ICEM Protests Crackdown on Ukrainian Trade Unions

Indonesian Workers Demand Social Security for all

Indonesia: Historic Pact Strengthens Sportswear Workers' Union Rights

Unions in Chemicals Continue Struggle in South-East Europe

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