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The ICEM reviewed and extended its Global Framework Agreement (GFA) with French-based chemical multinational Rhodia covering 15,000 workers in March 2008 with a series of new initiatives. One of those includes a joint initiative on workers&rsquo; health and safety through a global safety partnership committee. 
 
ICEM and Rhodia agreed to have an addendum to the agreement that clarifies terms and conditions of the global committee. This is expected to be finalised this autumn following ICEM consultations with its affiliated unions that represent Rhodia workers. 
 
While the discussions are ongoing, a first-ever joint activity regarding health and safety was held at Rhodia&rsquo;s subsidiary in Freiburg, Germany, on 19 June. 

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The ICEM was represented by Chemicals and Rubber Officers Kemal &Ouml;zkan and Health, Safety, and Sustainable Development Officer Brian Kohler, and representatives from German affiliated union IGBCE, which represents workers at the plant, attended. The IGBCE&rsquo;s Michael Wolters from union headquarters in Hannover was present, as was IGBCE regional representative Wilfried Pernshorn, and Works Council members Cornelia Kainz and Hans Peter Rich. 
 
Rhodia was represented by Yolene Coppin, Jacques Kheliff, and Jean Paul Perez, all from the company&rsquo;s Paris headquarters, and by Raimund Hinsen, Uwe M&auml;nnel, and Hans-Ulrich Lutz, managers at the Freiburg plant. 
 
That facility, called Rhodia Acetow, produces chemicals such as filters, flakes, and anhydrides. The joint mission heard presentations on the plant&rsquo;s economic and employment situation, and on health, safety, and environmental indicators. After touring the various sections of the plant, the group made an evaluation on the current situation of Rhodia Acetow and discussed a future action plan. 
 
&ldquo;This is an important step forward in the GFA with Rhodia,&rdquo; said the ICEM&rsquo;s &Ouml;zkan. &ldquo;Dealing with health and safety at the global scale, using the substantial contributions offered on a plant by plant basis, will keep standards high and serve to harmonise the standards across all company plants throughout the world.&rdquo;

ICEM, Rhodia Take Health, Safety Agenda to Shop Floor in Freiburg, Germany

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Following the ICEM&rsquo;s Executive Committee Meetings late in June in Geneva, and the two-day International Nuclear Workers&rsquo; Union Network (INWUN) conference, the ICEM held a wider Electric Power Workers&rsquo; Conference on 27 June. 
 
Under the chairmanship of Lars Myhre, ICEM Energy Industries Section Chairman, the conference saw participation of trade unions involved in the production and distribution of electric power, regardless of the method of generation used. 
 
A number of presently unaffiliated trade unions from the North America electric industry had been invited and a union representing power workers of British Colombia, Canada, Local 38 of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees&rsquo; Union, was in attendance. 
 
After an opening session where speeches of welcome preceded a detailed presentation of the global industry and recent ICEM work, made by Energy Officer Jim Catterson, a presentation on ICEM&rsquo;s Sustainable Development policy was made by Health, Safety, Sustainability Officer Brian Kohler. 

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Michael Langford, Lars Mhyre, Manfred Warda
The conference focused on key priorities of ICEM including Global Framework Agreements, networks, and campaigns. On global agreements, an overview by ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda was followed by a detailed presentation on the EDF agreement by Marc Ferron of French affiliate FCE-CFDT. 
 
Ferron is the secretary of the coordinating committee established within the EDF agreement, and his presentation generated much interest and discussion. A second session focused on network building with presentations on the previous two days of INWUN meetings, done by INWUN Chairman David Shier of the Canadian Power Workers&rsquo; Union, and on the Asia-Pacific Electric Power Workers&rsquo; Network, a presentation made by a colleague from Japan. 
 
A third focus of the conference was on campaigning and following an overview of recent ICEM campaigns in the industry by ICEM Information and Campaigns Officer Dick Blin, the meeting heard a report of the ongoing campaign for a first collective agreement at Covanta in the US state of Massachusetts by Michael Langford, President of the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA). This presentation focussed on the international aspects of the struggle for justice, and also generated considerable interest and discussion. 
 
The electric conference then drew together the discussions under a general theme of building and strengthening trade unions throughout the industry. Iraq was clearly focused on as an immediate priority following a moving presentation of the situation there by Hashmeyia Saadawi, the President of ICEM-affiliated General Union of Electricity Workers and Technicians (GFIW) and a member of the ICEM Executive. She gave a detailed report on the daily dangers involved in trade union work in Iraq and her presentation centered on the lack of regular electric power supply service there, and on safety and health problems, which has led to an appalling rate of accidents and deaths record in the industry. 
 
Participants also congratulated Hashmeyia Saadawi on her recent award of the prestigious Febe Elisabeth Velasquez Trade Union Award presented by FNV, a Dutch national labour centre, which is given to a trade union leader who has worked under difficult circumstances, taken enormous personal risks, but has defended trade union rights in countries where such rights are routinely violated. 
 
The conference marked the first time ICEM has held a meeting devoted purely to Electric Power, and all participants considered it a very worthwhile exercise in building and organising solidarity. Delegates resolved to build a sector-wide communication network to build solidarity to conflicts and to communicate good practice and union success stories quickly and easily.

ICEM Hold First Electric Power Conference

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Just prior to US President Barack Obama&rsquo;s state visit late last week to Ghana, the country&rsquo;s Federation of Labour (GFL) teamed with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) to hold a two-day conference on labour rights in America. 
 
The conclusion, as recited by the GFL&rsquo;s Executive Board, is that even though the US preaches democracy and human rights, and makes such principles conditional in the granting of aid to developing countries, workers in the US themselves lack fundamental human and labour rights to association, join a union, or to participate in collective bargaining. 

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A statement from the conference said, &ldquo;Violations of trade union rights occurring in Africa are influenced by the anti-union practices, especially in the USA, where workers are deprived their fundamental rights to organise and bargaining collectively. 
 
&ldquo;Strangely, the USA has not yet ratified ILO Conventions 87 and 98 concerning freedom of association and the right of workers to bargaining collectively. This is an indictment on the image of the USA as a founding member of the ILO.&rdquo; 
 
The 7-8 July conference specifically examined the hurdles US workers and trade unions are facing currently in trying to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. The EFCA is a proposed law that would give American workers the same opportunities to organise and bargain that workers in nearly all other developed countries have. Through decades of US labour law precedents, employers have coerced, intimidated, and threatened their staff from joining trade unions, and current US labour laws have allowed them to do so with impunity.

Ghana Labour Federation Lashes Out at Lack of US Work Rights

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The ICEM calls on its members to sign the petition against nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Go to <a href="http://www.ituc-csi.org/peace">www.ituc-csi.org/peace</a>, and pledge your support. The millions of signatures that will be collected will be presented to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the next Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference in May 2010. 
 
The ICEM believes that the enormous levels of funds spent on these weapons, must be redirected to the social sphere, especially during this period of global economic depression. 

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The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) provides a document for the collection of names of the petition on the link above. All paper signatures must be sent to the ITUC before February 2010. The campaign has a page on Facebook, which can be found by searching &ldquo;No to Nuclear Weapons.&rdquo; 
 
The ICEM's worldwide membership includes workers in the civilian nuclear industry, who consistently denounce nuclear weaponry.

ICEM Supports ITUC Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons

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Mexico City &ndash; Trade union and parliamentary leaders from 14 countries are visiting Mexico this week to support the National Union of Mine and Metal Workers, which has been under attack by the Mexican government and the Grupo Mexico mining company. 
 
Yesterday, 28 members of the U.S. Congress wrote to Calder&oacute;n asking him to meet with the delegation. &ldquo;Continued efforts by the Mexican government and Grupo Mexico to repress this democratic union in Mexico have raised serious questions about labor practices in your country,&rdquo; the letter stated.&nbsp; See the letter <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/LTR.US.Congress.Mexico.pdf">here</a>. 
 
The delegation, organized by the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF), <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org">www.imfmetal.org</a>, the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM), <a href="http://www.icem.org">www.icem.org</a>, and the United Steelworkers (USW), <a href="http://www.usw.org">www.usw.org</a>, is seeking a meeting with President Felipe Calder&oacute;n to discuss his government&rsquo;s handling of the Mineworkers conflict, which has been criticized by the international trade union movement. 
 
&ldquo;Workers around the world are outraged at Mexico&rsquo;s attacks on the Mineworkers union,&rdquo; said USW President Leo W. Gerard. 
 
The Mineworkers are one of the few unions in Mexico that continues to strike for higher wages. The union has won a series of strikes this year with wage increases above 8 percent, well above the 4.5 percent limit imposed by the government. The union has also criticized the government&rsquo;s labor law reform proposals and the lack of health and safety protections for workers. 
 
In response, the government has twice removed the leader of the union, Napole&oacute;n G&oacute;mez Urrutia, from office. The Committee on Freedom of Association of the International Labor Organization (ILO), ruling in a complaint brought by the IMF, found that &ldquo;the labour authorities engaged in conduct that is incompatible with Article 3 of Convention No. 87, which establishes the right of workers to elect their representatives in full freedom.&rdquo; 
 
The government has repeatedly filed criminal charges against the union leadership, although these have been thrown out by the courts. The government has also tried repeatedly to declare illegal a strike at three Grupo Mexico mines which has run for nearly two years, but the courts have rebuffed these efforts. The government has also supported Grupo Mexico in establishing company-dominated unions at eight other facilities. 
 
Four union members have been killed in the conflict. The government has not investigated or prosecuted these cases. 
 
&ldquo;We are concerned that the Calder&oacute;n government, which claims to be fighting for rule of law, practices impunity when it comes to the rights of the mineworkers&rdquo; said IMF General Secretary Jyrki Raina. 
 
In Mexico City, the delegation will meet with Congressional and union leaders and will visit Mineworkers&rsquo; official Juan Linares Montufar who has been jailed by the government. 
 
The delegation will attend the Mineworkers&rsquo; 75th anniversary in L&aacute;zaro C&aacute;rdenas, Michoac&aacute;n and will visit the Pasta de Conchos mine where 65 workers were killed in an explosion in 2006. An ILO report this year concluded that &ldquo; the Government of Mexico did not do all that was reasonably expected of it to avoid or minimize the effects of the accident which had such devastating effects with the loss of life of as many as 65 miners.&rdquo; 
 
The delegation is headed by Jack Layton, leader of Canada&rsquo;s New Democratic Party (NDP) and includes parliamentarians from Australia and Peru. The delegation includes trade union leaders from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Peru, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. 
 
&ldquo;We intend to let our governments and employers know what is going on in Mexico, and to discourage them from further investments until it is clear that workers&rsquo; rights are being respected&rdquo; said Manfred Warda, General Secretary of the ICEM.

PARLIAMENTARY, UNION LEADERS VISIT MEXICO TO SUPPORT MINEWORKERS UNION

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ICEM affiliate Petrol-Is, Turkey&rsquo;s Oil, Chemical and Rubber Workers Union, has started an organising campaign using unconventional methods. The campaign has received special commendation from ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. Choosing to target the city of Duzce, near Istanbul, the city was covered in campaign materials, with every billboard showing posters from the union. Banners, brochures, flyers, stickers, TV and radio adverts, newspaper ads, t-shirts, and a campaign website, were all produced, so that the campaign would be impossible to miss. Progressive cinema celebrities also produced films connected to the campaign. 

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The special website and blog for the campaign can be found <a href="http://www.sendikaliol.org">here</a>. The project&rsquo;s slogan &ldquo;Sendikalı Ol&rdquo; or &ldquo;Be unionised&rdquo; is accompanied by &ldquo;Umutlu Ol&rdquo; (Be hopeful), &ldquo;G&uuml;&ccedil;l&uuml; Ol&rdquo; (Be Strong), &ldquo;G&uuml;venli Ol&rdquo; (Be Secure), &ldquo;Mutlu Ol&rdquo; (Be Happy), &ldquo;Birlik Ol&rdquo; (Be United) and &ldquo;Etkili Ol&rdquo; (Be Effective). The blog has specific sections designed for potential new members, &ldquo;What is the Union?&rdquo;, &ldquo;Why Unionise?&rdquo;, &ldquo;What is Petrol-Is?&rdquo; 
 
The impressive project is the result of long-term research and planning by the union. Following a dramatic decline in membership in early 1990s, organizing became an urgent priority on the Petrol-Is agenda. This extremely visible campaigning technique was chosen, to break the pattern of previous trade union recruitment campaigns. Many companies in Turkey do not recognise workers&rsquo; right to organise as a legitimate right. Previous union organising campaigns had come up against repressive union-busting measures from the employers, such as threats dismissals, blacklists, redundancies. Unions had therefore been forced to be conduct campaigns in secrecy. 

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Petrol-Is President Mustafa &Ouml;ztaşkın
The Duzce campaign was a chance to break a mindset that identifies &ldquo;union organizing&rdquo; with &ldquo;anarchy&rdquo;. The union&rsquo;s message was conveyed, not only to unorganized workers at their worksites, but also to their families and local communities. The campaign created an atmosphere full of energy, hope and self-confidence, especially for young workers. 
 
Next steps for the campaign will be a comprehensive recruitment drive in the coming months, similar publicity campaigns in other Turkish cities and at the national level.

Turkey’s Petrol-Is Launch Creative Organising Campaign

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The United Steelworkers (USW) is on strike in Canada against global mining giant Vale, as reported in <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/3315-Miners-of-USW-Strike-Vale’s-Nickel-Riches-in-Canada">InBrief 135</a>. The ICEM is coordinating global union solidarity among its affiliates for these striking miners and is asking its mining affiliates around the world to demonstrate solidarity. A letter was sent this morning from ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, urging &ldquo;We have an historic opportunity in an expanding campaign to confront a global corporation with global trade union power&rdquo;. 
 
More than 3,000 Steelworkers in Greater Sudbury and Port Colborne took industrial action on 13 July; strikers are now digging in as the strike enters its third week. 
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The local/branch of the USW has established a website in which the major issues in the strike can be viewed -- <a href="http://www.fairdealnow.ca">http://www.fairdealnow.ca</a>. 
Vale is the second largest mining company in the world. In the last five years, Vale has made enormous profits, with $13.2 billion (USD) net profit in 2008 alone. According to the company&rsquo;s own figures, each Vale employee produced $221,223 of 2008 net profits. Unfortunately, Vale has shared little of that profit with its miners. In contrast, it has paid six top executives $33 million in compensation in 2008 alone and had their pay increased more than 120% from 2006 to 2008. 

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Local 6500 President John Fera
ICEM affiliates in Africa are supporting the USW struggle, and in doing so, are increasing the pressure on Vale leadership to halt their mistreatment of their mineworkers in Canada. This is because Vale plans large expansion in the African continent and their reputation there will necessary for this. Creating a two-tiered pension plan, slashing the nickel bonus and seriously damaging seniority rights, is not acceptable behaviour from the Vale management. 
 
CUT Brazil and the United Steelworkers signed what they call a &quot;strategic partnership&quot;, last week, to support workers in their negotiations with the Brazilian multinational Vale, in both Canada and Brazil. &quot;The Brazilian workers organized in the Vale Union Network, part of nearly 150,000 Vale employees in 35 countries on five continents, are extremely concerned about the fate of the negotiations in Canada, since the outcome could have an immediate impact in the renewal of the collective agreement in Brazil,&quot; the CUT statement said. 
 
As Vale Inco spokesman Cory McPhee blamed the current economic downturn for the extensive concessions for workers, including heavy cuts to pensions, and to production bonuses, Local 6500 vice-president Rick Bertrand pointed out that Vale Inco has made $4.2 billion in Sudbury since it purchased Inco, late 2006. The ICEM campaign will continue protesting against mining companies, who attempt to take unfair advantage of the current economic crisis. Workers should not pay for the crisis they did not create.

ICEM Affiliates Demonstrate Solidarity for USW Striking Miners in Canada

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ICEM mining affiliate Sintracarb&oacute;n in Colombia is calling for international solidarity for the outsourced workers of transport contractor SOTRANS. Those workers are being subjected to a fierce campaign, in response to their attempts to exercise their right to organise and bargain collectively. The new trade union SINTRANS, faces a difficult challenge, as all SOTRANS workers are contracted on a fixed term, six-month basis. Colombia has ratified ILO Conventions 87 and 98. 
 
The fact that all SOTRANS workers are limited to six month contracts, enabled the contractor to end the employment of union leaders Vicente Pomarico and Jorge Diaz, ignoring their protections as founders and leaders of the workers&rsquo; organisation and members of the bargaining committee. The company have since continued their strategy of persecution and harassment of the union, making 33 more workers, involved in the union, unemployed. Eighty per cent of the SOTRANS workers are still reported to be organised. The management of Cerrej&oacute;n and the Ministry of Social Protection have voiced no objection at all to this blatant violation to the right to organise. 

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SINTRANS is the first union of subcontractors at Cerrej&oacute;n. Sintracarb&oacute;n, with full ICEM support, seeks to set a precedent of SINTRANS at the site, an example for workers at other subcontracting firms there. There are around 300 contractor companies at the site in La Guajira, conducting much of the operation&rsquo;s work. The union continues to organise meetings and demonstrations at the world&rsquo;s richest coal reserve. There is no sign of the union backing down. 
 
As reported in <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/3290-Sintracarbón-Seeks-Unionisation-for-Subcontractor-at-Cerrejón-in-Colombia">InBrief</a>, SINTRANS are pushing for two priorities, firstly full-time permanent employment contracts, and secondly wages and social benefits that are, at least, in line with the national minimum standards. They are currently paid US$250 a month. Subcontractors at Carbones del Cerrej&oacute;n, the world&rsquo;s largest open-pit coal mines, are often described as working in &ldquo;slave labour&rdquo; conditions. It is the responsibility of Carbones del Cerrej&oacute;n management to block SOTRANS&rsquo; campaign of harassment and union-busting at their site. 

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Carlos Gaviria
Colombian politician Carlos Gaviria D&iacute;az, president of the Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA), has stepped in on the side of subcontractors, &ldquo;the realization of these rights is an indicator of the vitality of a democracy and the rule of law&quot;. Gaviria does not accept the claims from Carbones del Cerrej&oacute;n, that these rights violations are not their responsibility due to the &ldquo;independence&rdquo; of contractor firms. &quot;Outsourcing can not be a dodge to evade responsibilities and violate workers' rights,&quot; he added. 
 
Senator Jorge Robledo has also weighed in supporting the victimised SINTRANS workers, demanding the immediate reinstatement of the 33 union members sacked by the contractor. Robledo has also denounced the complicity of the Cerrej&oacute;n management. 
 
In unrelated news in Colombia, new ICEM affiliate Union Sindical Obrera (USO) are facing intimidation during their collective negotiations with petroleum company Ecopetrol. Thursday 17 July saw riot police attack workers at the Barrancabermeja refinery with tear gas, rubber bullets and stun bombs. Workers flocked to listen to union leaders at the refinery front door, but were attacked by the security forces, leaving 3 injured workers and arresting 2 more. The attack occurred two days after the start of the negotiations; USO suspended the meeting to focus on treating the injured and securing the release of detainees. 

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USO President Germ&aacute;n Osman condemned the attack. Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia.

Temporary Workers in Colombia Attacked for Attempting to Organise

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Three days of international action around decent work for casual workers, yesterday, today and tomorrow, are marking the 26 year commemoration of the 1983 disaster at the construction of South America&rsquo;s largest hydroelectric dam. On 28 July of that year, two rockslides buried and killed 200 labourers constructing the Guavio dam. Almost all of those killed were temporary labourers. 
 
The first of the two mudslides came 70 minutes apart, the second killing all those who had come to rescue the victims of the first. Those rescue efforts were being carried out in the dark, after all lights had been taken out by the first barrage of mud and rocks. 
 
In all 3,500 people were employed in the $1.4billion construction of the dam. Many of the temporary workers killed in the accident were teenagers. 

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Carlos Bustos, ICEM&rsquo;s Colombia Coordinator, in Bogot&aacute;, reports that yesterday saw many, from civil society and trade unions as well as victims&rsquo; relatives, make the journey to the Guavio dam, 87 miles east of the capital, in Ubal&aacute; Cundinamarca province. The commemoration ceremony was carried out there from 2.30pm. 
 
Today and tomorrow, at the Hotel del parque Superior, carrera 5, Bogot&aacute;, events will continue around the anniversary. Those marking the anniversary of the tragedy, choose to respect those who died by mobilising the campaign for full labour rights for contract workers, including on safety and health issues. Current day struggles of temporary labourers in Colombia, and throughout the region, will be discussed, along with the action of the unions. Sintravidricol, Sintraquim, and Sotrans, will share their experiences. Tomorrow&rsquo;s part of the national conference on outsourcing will conduct a round table discussion, bringing together the Ministry of Social Protection, the ILO, ICEM, and the national command unit, which comprises the CUT, CTC, and CGT. The session will be moderated by ICEM&rsquo;s Christian Rivas. 
 
ICEM&rsquo;s affiliate Sintraelecol, along with the three national centres CUT, CGT, and CTC, and NGOs who attended, deserve much credit for marking the occasion effectively and continuing the struggle for decent work for contract and agency workers in the region.

28 July Commemoration of Colombian Dam Disaster, 3 Days of Action on Contract and Agency Labour

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ICEM affiliate the Indian National Mineworkers&rsquo; Federation (INMF) led a joint protest of all coal worker unions in India, against the proposal of the Indian Government to disinvest shares of Coal India Ltd., a state owned body. All coal mines in the country were nationalised by former President Indira Gandhi, because of malpractice throughout the industry, and the inadequate rate of progress in the development of the industry. The unions jointly submitted a strong statement condemning the decision to amend the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act and calling on the government to desist. 
 
The statement is signed by INMF President, Shri Rajendra Prasad Singh and INMF Secretary General, Shri S.Q. Zama, along with the leaders of the other coal mining unions of India. The statement argues that Coal India is competent as is, and a more effective way of improving its operations would be for the government to provide adequate facilities, and also for the coal industry to be given &ldquo;infrastructure status&rdquo;. All the trade unions in the Indian coal industry pledge, in the statement, to work together to faster develop the industry and achieve the goal of producing enough coal to satisfy domestic need, and avoid importing it. 

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Coal India Ltd. made a profit in 2008 of US$1.8 billion. Raw coal production during 2008-09 went up by 7.90 per cent to 493.20 million tonnes. Coal India Ltd. is one of 40 publically owned companies targeted for privatisation in India. 
 
The Board of Coal India Ltd. has recommended that 5 to 10 per cent government equity can be disinvested. Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal accepts the recommendation and will now approach Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Jaiswal plans for the shares to be offered first to employees, secondly to those whose land was transferred to CIL, and then remaining shares will be open to all buyers. 
 
The unions oppose the allocation of virgin coal blocks to private companies, as well as the transfer of areas currently controlled by Coal India Ltd. (CIL). The statement points to the private sector&rsquo;s record of exploitation of mineworkers, and the extremely low wages paid by private companies currently operating in the industry. &ldquo;We demand that all the blocks should be handed over to Coal India for further production of coal.&rdquo; 
 
Further demands made in the joint statement are for an industry-wide wage to be enforced by the National Coal Wage Board, and for the prevention of outsourcing coal industry jobs to private agencies. &ldquo;We demand that the contract workers should not be allowed to be engaged in permanent and perennial nature of jobs and in other coal sectors they should be paid minimum of the scale in coal industry.&rdquo; 
 
The ICEM supports the campaign to oppose disinvestments and privatisation of the Coal Industry in India.

Indian Mining Unions Oppose Privatisation

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