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French workers of ExxonMobil are waging strike actions and manifestations against the US energy company’s decision to close worksites, and make redundant thousands of workers. Backed by five unions, including ICEM affiliates belonging to CFDT and CGT-FO, 80% of all French ExxonMobil workers are engaged in stop-work actions from 11- 19 May. Despite record profits with each passing financial quarter, the world’s largest energy company is following its plan to shut multiple French worksites, affecting hundreds of jobs. 
Unionised workers themselves took the initiative for the actions, and a refinery at Fos was shut off 13-14 May, while another refinery at Dunkirk was stopped 12-14 May. Last week prior to a two-day stoppage at the Port Jerome Seine-Maritime centre, all 700 workers of the facility staged a defiant manifestation. Actions are ongoing at nearly all the company’s French operations: Esso, SAF, Mobil, ExxonMobil Chemical and Noroxo.

French Unions Strike to Stop ExxonMobil Retrenchments

A despicable act of exploitation involving contract labour is in progress at a plastics factory in Australia. Ownership of Kemalex Plastics has caused a strike by a migrant workforce of women who are being threatened with firing and then rehired as contract laborers. Represented by ICEM affiliate National Union of Workers, the 55 strikers are resisting a move that would make them all independent contractors, thus stripping them of job security, sick leave and holiday pay. It would also force them pay their own superannuation. 
The employer, a maker of plastic components for the automotive industry, has attempted to intimidate strikers by sending hooded motorcyclists through picket lines. The women are paid just over minimum wage, and are seeking a 15% pay increase and a redundancy package of three weeks pay per year of service. The factory is in Dandenong in the greater Melbourne area.

Contract Labour Exploitation Causes Australian Strike

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Tripartite dialogue to achieve equal pay and rights for contract and agency laborers in South Korea has failed for the moment. The Non- Regular Workers’ Protection Act before the country’s National Assembly has been postponed until a second extraordinary session occurs in June. 
The leaders of the two main national labour centers, KCTU and FKTU, ended their 12-day hunger strikes 3 May, and jointly stated: “We deeply apologize to the non-regular workers who are suffering from various types of discrimination and employment instability, for failing to establish a law to protect them.” The labour unions are seeking a legislated restriction on the usage period of such workers, a guarantee of employment stability after expiration of the term, and equal pay for equal work. It is estimated that some eight million non-regular workers are employed in the different Korean industrial sectors.

Non-regular Workers Bill in Korea Fails to Reach Common Ground

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

ICEM’s Regional BASF Network Meets in Brazil

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In Argentina, affiliate FeTERA won a dispute with energy company Edea S.A. when the company agreed to place 30 contract workers on its core staff at a workplace near Buenos Aires. “This is a very proud labour achievement,” said FeTERA General Secretary José Rigane. “We are making progress on the issue of contract labour. The energy sector of Argentina belongs to all of the people.”

Victory for Contract Workers at Electric Company in Argentina

In Canada, USW held a rally in the province of Ontario 26 May to keep open a copper smelting refinery employing 140 steelworkers. Toronto based Inco Ltd. has threatened to close the Copper Cliff refinery. “This is about keeping jobs in our communities,” said USW Ontario/Atlantic Director Wayne Fraser. “This company has made huge profits for decades using the blood, sweat and tears of our members. Inco owes it to the community to invest in upgrading the Copper Cliff refinery.” The USW represents over 4,000 copper and nickel miners employed by Inco in and around Sudbury in western Ontario, and another 1,500 in the province of Manitoba.

USW Seeks to Keep Inco Mining Operating Open in Canada

A flooded shaft at an illegal coal mine in eastern Jianxi province, China, killed seven miners on 18 June. The incident occurred near the city of Leping and the bodies of the miners were only recovered 23 June. Two other workers were in the illegal mine, but were rescued late on 18 June. China’s State Administration of Production Safety reports 2,187 miners have perished in the first five months of 2005, a 9.7 increase over the same period in 2004. A total of 23 major accidents—defined as claiming ten or more lives—have occurred so far in 2005, a 274% increase over the same period last year.

Deaths in China's Mines a Recurring Nightmare

Police in the Philippines a week ago punched through strike lines of the unaffiliated Lepanto Employees Union at Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corp., the country’s largest copper and gold producer. The union struck 4 June over a pay dispute that has been unresolved since November 2004. On 8 June, the government issued a return to work order, but the vast majority of over 1,700 workers continued the union’s strike. The Department of Labour and Employment then issued dismissal letters to miners refusing to obey the strike’s termination edict. In 2003, a strike at the Mankayan, Benquet province, mine and smelting operations was also broken up by riot police. Two miners died in the process.

Police, Government Break Mine Strike in Philippines

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Power workers in Australia staged a 24-hour strike against Western Power last week over issues that included the job responsibilities of contract workers. 
The unionized workers, 600 power line crew and 100 maintenance men at power stations, are members of ICEM affiliate Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) in West Australia. Workers returned to their jobs at mid-week, but did not rule out further job action if the issues were not resolved.

Electric Workers in Australia Take Industrial Action

Several mining disputes were in progress as the second half of 2005 started. In Peru, 800 miners who are under the umbrella of ICEM affiliate Federacion Nacional de Trabajores Mineros, Metalurgious y Siderurgicos del Peru (FNTMMSP) struck that country’s only iron ore mine on 4 July. 
The strike was settled on 8 July and was against the iron ore mining subsidiary of Chinese state company Shouda Iron and Steel Group, or Shougang. Heightened production levels and speed-ups have left the miners with an accident rate 600% over that of 2002, and the Chinese company had refused to make a fair salary proposal or improvements in working conditions. Sindicato de Obreros Mineros, affiliated to FNTMMSP, was also seeking urgent investment in equipment and machinery in order to reduce the accident toll and seeks to get the Chinese company to make good on promises to start social development projects in the local mining village. 
The strike was settled through intervention by Peru’s Ministry of Labour, and the settlement contained a daily wage increase plus a bonus for each worker.

Peruvian Mining Strike with Chinese Firm Intensifies

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