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Following rebel harassment, Unilever Nepal decided on August 17 to close its factory in Basamadi in the Makwanpur district, west of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. The decision to suspend operations indefinitely was taken after threats by the Maoist insurgents in Nepal to &ldquo;close the factory by force.&rdquo; The events come only one month after another multinational, Colgate-Palmolive, was forced to close its toothpaste factory in the same district. Unilever Nepal is one of the country&rsquo;s largest exporters and has been a target for rebel threats before. Bombs already exploded at the factory on several occasions in previous years. The Nepal Independent Chemical and Iron Employees' Union, an ICEM affiliate, made an appeal to the National Human Rights Commission, as well as to other rights organisations that have been known to mediate with the rebels, asking to demand the guerrillas to withdraw their threat.

Unilever&#039;s Colgate-Palmolive Factory in Nepal Closed

ICEM oil union affiliates in Nigeria will again oppose any domestic price increase in the cost of petrol. State-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) and the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) said earlier this month it would try to enforce price increases even over the objections of stakeholders involved in the public entities, including trade unions PENGASSAN and NUPENG.PENGASSAN said it would mount strong opposition until measures are in place to cushion effects of high fuel prices across all of Nigerian society. NUPENG has called on all Nigerian workers in the country to oppose the hike unless it comes with commensurate increases in social benefit packages for all workers in both the private and public sectors. NNPC and PPPRA assert that increases are necessary due to rising prices of imported refined products. But the unions contend Nigeria's only solution to high global prices of petroleum are major upgrades to local refining and capacity.

Nigerian Unions Will Agian resist Petrol Price Hikes

An ongoing lockout by an investment house against chemical workers of US affiliate International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB) has reinforced the ruthlessness capital wreaks on US unions when a manufacturing enterprise changes hands. 
In Meredosia, Illinois, chemicals company Celanese owned by equity trader Blackstone Group locked out workers 6 June, four months after buying the emulsions, adhesives and polymers plant. 
<img height="147" src="" width="125" alt="" />
The crime of the 148 workers: refusal to accept steep concessions to their health care plan, opposing the company's plans to lose 41 jobs to contract labour and dissatisfaction with a three-year wage freeze. When workers again voted down the proposed cuts late in June, Celanese responded by harshly proposing 20-40% pay cuts. The ICEM has issued a Circular to all affiliates, and trade unions across the world are encouraged to respond to IBB Local Branch 484.

Harsh Lockout of Boilermakers Union in US

More Sappi Activity in South Africa 

Sappi: Health &amp; Safety is Sacred &hellip; Respond to this Call 

Sappi management at the Enstra mill in South Africa refuses to accept responsibility for a chain of events that happened at the pulp and paper mill 50 days ago. The matter involves safety, or more specifically, a worker who refused to perform unsafe work. 
 
Because CEPPWAWU shop stewards took up his case, 19 are now suspended and face discipline following spirited safety strikes. Now, Sappi refuses to do what is right and just and fair &hellip; to reinstate the trade unionists. 23 other workers face disciplinary panels. They are still on the job, but with no legitimate, duly-elected union representation. 
 
ICEM is urgently calling for further, decisive action. Write to Sappi and tell the company to drop this ugly dispute and correct the wrongs that have gotten out of hand at Enstra. Write Sappi CEO Ralph J. Bo&euml;ttger at <a href="mailto:Ralph.Boettger@sappi.com">Ralph.Boettger@sappi.com</a> and <a href="mailto:Wikus.van.Zyl@sappi.com">Wikus.van.Zyl@sappi.com</a> and <a href="mailto:Jan.labuschagne@sappi.com">Jan.labuschagne@sappi.com</a> with the message below, or one from your own hand. 
 
The ICEM considers the Sappi/Enstra situation at present a serious violation of basic trade union rights. Consider only part of the chain of events sequence: CEPPWAWU branch union and Sappi get bridge-building tools to forge a new relationship. A worker refuses unsafe work and the dispute escalates. But the issue is still safety. And that is borne out when the manager who ordered the unsafe work, supposedly apologizes inside a joint and subsequent report. The probe was done to get at the causes and effects of the work disruptions. But the report, presumable containing a different set of conclusions than what Sappi is now pursuing, has not been circulated. 
 
 
Take the message below and send it to Sappi executives above, with the simple heading Enstra: 
 
Sappi is displaying malicious, anti-democratic, anti-people conduct at the Enstra Pulp &amp; Paper Mill in South Africa. It is wrong to target union stewards and others because they have taken a stand on safety. It is wrong to deny workers at Enstra &ndash; CEPPWAWU members &ndash; no shop-floor protection because Sappi has suspended all 19 CEPPWAWU shop stewards at Enstra. 
 
First and foremost, safety; Sappi cannot afford this kind of reputation. Drop the disciplinary cases, Sappi, and get on with making paper at Enstra. 
 
(Signed) 
&nbsp;
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<img height="81" alt="" src="" width="300" />
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Poursuite de l&rsquo;action &agrave; Sappi, Afrique du Sud 
 
Sappi : la sant&eacute; et la s&eacute;curit&eacute; sont sacr&eacute;es &hellip; Merci de r&eacute;pondre &agrave; cet appel 
 
La Direction de Sappi r&eacute;cuse sa responsabilit&eacute; dans un encha&icirc;nement d&rsquo;&eacute;v&eacute;nements survenus il y a 50 jours dans la papeterie sud-africaine d&rsquo;Enstra. Cette affaire concerne la s&eacute;curit&eacute;, ou plus pr&eacute;cis&eacute;ment le refus par un ouvrier d&rsquo;effectuer des travaux dangereux. 
 
Pour s&rsquo;&ecirc;tre empar&eacute;s de cette affaire et avoir r&eacute;solument cess&eacute; le travail pour leur s&eacute;curit&eacute;, 19 employ&eacute;s affili&eacute;s au CEPPWAWU (Syndicat des travailleurs de la chimie, de l&rsquo;&eacute;nergie, du papier, de l&rsquo;impression et du bois) ont &eacute;t&eacute; mis &agrave; pied et risquent des mesures disciplinaires. Or Sappi refuse de rendre la plus &eacute;l&eacute;mentaire des justices &agrave; ces syndicalistes, c. &agrave; d. de les r&eacute;embaucher. Et 23 autres travailleurs sont expos&eacute;s &agrave; des proc&eacute;dures disciplinaires. Ils sont encore &agrave; leurs postes, mais sans repr&eacute;sentation syndicale l&eacute;gitime et d&ucirc;ment &eacute;lue. 
 
L&rsquo;ICEM appelle urgemment &agrave; poursuivre des actions r&eacute;solues. &Eacute;crivez &agrave; la soci&eacute;t&eacute; Sappi, exigez qu&rsquo;elle mette un terme &agrave; ce conflit indigne et qu&rsquo;elle redresse les torts qui n&rsquo;ont cess&eacute; de s&rsquo;aggraver &agrave; l&rsquo;usine d&rsquo;Enstra. &Eacute;crivez au PDG de Sappi, Ralph J. Bo&euml;ttger, <a href="mailto:Ralph.Boettger@sappi.com">Ralph.Boettger@sappi.com</a>, &agrave; <a href="mailto:Wikus.van.Zyl@sappi.com">Wikus.van.Zyl@sappi.com</a> et &agrave; <a href="mailto:Jan.labuschagne@sappi.com">Jan.labuschagne@sappi.com</a> en joignant le texte ci-dessous ou un message &eacute;crit de votre propre plume. 
 
L&rsquo;ICEM voit dans l&rsquo;actuelle situation &agrave; Sappi/Enstra une grave violation des droits syndicaux fondamentaux. Il suffit de se rem&eacute;morer quelques &eacute;v&eacute;nements de cette escalade : le syndicat de branche CEPPWAWU et Sappi tentent de se rapprocher et de forger de nouvelles relations. Mais un travailleur refuse d&rsquo;effectuer des travaux dangereux, le conflit s&rsquo;envenime et la s&eacute;curit&eacute; reste le probl&egrave;me. D&rsquo;autant plus que le dirigeant ayant ordonn&eacute; ces travaux dangereux se serait par la suite excus&eacute; dans un compte rendu conjoint. Une enqu&ecirc;te a &eacute;t&eacute; men&eacute;e pour conna&icirc;tre les causes et les effets de ces interruptions du travail. Or ce compte rendu, qui contient vraisemblablement des conclusions diff&eacute;rentes de celles que Sappi avance maintenant, n&rsquo;a pas &eacute;t&eacute; publi&eacute;. 
 
Envoyez aux dirigeants de Sappi le message ci-dessous assorti du simple intitul&eacute; Enstra : 
 
Sappi montre une attitude malveillante, antid&eacute;mocratique et hostile aux gens dans son usine Enstra de p&acirc;te et de papier en Afrique du Sud. Il est injuste de s&rsquo;en prendre aux d&eacute;l&eacute;gu&eacute;s syndicaux et &agrave; d&rsquo;autres sous pr&eacute;texte qu&rsquo;ils ont pris position en mati&egrave;re de s&eacute;curit&eacute;. Il est injuste de contester aux travailleurs d&rsquo;Enstra &ndash; et membres du CEPPWAWU &ndash; toute protection sur le lieu de travail, alors que Sappi a mis &agrave; pied les 19 d&eacute;l&eacute;gu&eacute;s syndicaux du CEPPWAWU &agrave; Enstra. 
 
La s&eacute;curit&eacute; est la premi&egrave;re des priorit&eacute;s ; Sappi ne peut pas se permettre ce genre de r&eacute;putation. Sappi, mettez un terme aux proc&eacute;dures disciplinaires et continuez &agrave; produire du papier &agrave; Enstra. 
 
(Signature) 
 

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<img height="81" alt="" src="" width="300" />
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<hr />
 
 
Se intensifica actividad de Sappi en Sud&aacute;frica 
 
Sappi: la salud y seguridad son sagradas&hellip; es importante que respondan a este llamado 
 
La administraci&oacute;n de Sappi en la planta de Enstra en Sud&aacute;frica se niega a aceptar la responsabilidad por una serie de hechos que se produjeron hace 50 d&iacute;as en la planta de pulpa y papel que se indica. El asunto es una cuesti&oacute;n de seguridad, o, m&aacute;s espec&iacute;ficamente, de un trabajador que se neg&oacute; a realizar trabajo inseguro. 
 
Debido a que los enlaces sindicales de CEPPWAWU defendieron el caso de este trabajador, actualmente se ha suspendido a 19 personas, que enfrentan medidas disciplinarias despu&eacute;s de haber realizado algunos paros de protestas sin claudicar, reclamando soluciones a los problemas de seguridad. Ahora, Sappi se niega a hacer lo que ser&iacute;a justo y equitativo&hellip; la reincorporaci&oacute;n de los sindicalistas. Otros 23 trabajadores enfrentan paneles disciplinarios. Siguen trabajando, pero carecen de representaci&oacute;n sindical leg&iacute;tima y debidamente elegida. 
 
La ICEM est&aacute; iniciando una campa&ntilde;a con un llamado urgente para que se tomen nuevas y decisivas medidas. Rogamos escribir a Sappi, dici&eacute;ndole a la empresa que abandone su peligrosa actitud conflictiva y remedie los excesos cometidos en Enstra. Se debe escribir al Director General de Sappi, Ralph J. Bo&euml;ttger, en <a href="mailto:Ralph.Boettger@sappi.com">Ralph.Boettger@sappi.com</a>, a <a href="mailto:Wikus.van.Zyl@sappi.com">Wikus.van.Zyl@sappi.com</a>, y a <a href="mailto:Jan.labuschagne@sappi.com">Jan.labuschagne@sappi.com</a>, con el mensaje que se se&ntilde;ala m&aacute;s abajo, u otro que redacten Uds. mismos. 
 
La ICEM considera que la situaci&oacute;n actual en Sappi/Enstra constituye una grave violaci&oacute;n de los derechos sindicales fundamentales. Veamos una parte solamente de la secuencia de los hechos ocurridos: el ramo sindical de CEPPWAWU y Sappi obtienen herramientas para &ldquo;construir puentes&rdquo;, con el fin de crear una nueva relaci&oacute;n entre la empresa y los sindicalistas. Un trabajador se niega a realizar trabajos inseguros, y se intensifica el conflicto. El problema sigue siendo la inseguridad, lo cual se comprob&oacute; cuando el gerente que mand&oacute; a realizar el trabajo inseguro aparentemente pidi&oacute; disculpas en un informe conjunto posterior. Se realiz&oacute; una investigaci&oacute;n para averiguar las causas y consecuencias de la interrupci&oacute;n del trabajo. Sin embargo, todav&iacute;a no se ha hecho circular el informe, que presumiblemente contiene conclusiones diferentes de las que Sappi est&aacute; se&ntilde;alando actualmente. 
 
 
Rogamos enviar a los ejecutivos mencionados de Sappi el mensaje que se se&ntilde;ala a continuaci&oacute;n, con un encabezamiento que diga simplemente &ldquo;Enstra&rdquo;: 
 
Sappi demuestra conducta maliciosa, antidemocr&aacute;tica e inhumana en la planta de pulpa y papel de Enstra en Sud&aacute;frica. Est&aacute; mal el aplicar castigos a los enlaces sindicales y otros porque han adoptado una actitud firme, reclamando mayores medidas de seguridad en el trabajo. Est&aacute; mal que a los trabajadores de Enstra, que son miembros de CEPPWAWU, se les niegue protecci&oacute;n en el lugar de trabajo, porque Sappi ha suspendido a los 19 enlaces sindicales que laboran en Enstra. 
 
Antes que nada, est&aacute; la seguridad. A Sappi no le conviene esta mala fama. Deje los casos disciplinarios, Sappi, y ded&iacute;quense a producir papel en Enstra. 
 
(Firmado)
&nbsp;

ICEM pulp &amp; paper/pâte et de papier/pulp y papel : Sappi

<img src="" width="100" height="39" alt="" />
Including Report VI at the ILO&rsquo;s 98th session, International Labour Conference, the ILO Gender Equality Committee finished its work on 10 June with conclusions on the global economic crisis, gender and decent work, export processing zones, occupational safety and health, unequal pay, maternity protection, and social dialogue. In spite of the fact that women are often achieving better results in education than men, the gender pay gap still exists. Women are disproportionately present in low-paying jobs with poor working conditions. Gender-based violence is rampant, and HIV/AIDS affect more women, and the poor in particular. 
 
Men have a role to play in gender equality. In some countries men are taking parental leave. This leads to a change in mentalities and stereotypes. Awareness of paternity as a social value is now taking hold. 
 
Globalization has often created jobs for women that have low pay, little or no access to social security, no access to benefits of collective bargaining, and or to protection of workers&rsquo; rights. Rather, efforts must continue to ensure that gender equality is at the heart of decent work. This is a central tenet at this year&rsquo;s ILO Conference. 

<img src="" width="320" height="119" alt="" />
The current financial crisis should not be used to undermine women&rsquo;s rights and achievements. The Global Employment Agenda has to be monitored to promote gender equality as a core element. 
 
Occupational safety and health once only focused on dangerous jobs done by men, but more work must be done on work-related hazards and how they affect women and men differently. Reproductive health is equally an issue that affects both women and men. 
 
The conclusions at the ILO include wording to eliminate job segregation. That alone will be a large step to equal pay. Women can only fully participate in working life if they are assured of measures to provide for their children. The sharing of parental responsibilities is key to breaking down barriers. 
 
Social dialogue is an essential tool for achieving gender equality at work. But in order for it to effective, more women must be involved in it at all levels.

Gender Equity, Decent Work Linked at Current ILO Session

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The 20th Congress of the Finnish Paperworkers&rsquo; Union, Paperiliitto, was held in Helsinki last week, and leaders of local branches together with national leadership forged a concise agenda in order to gain a wage adjustment in pay talks this October. 
Although the current agreement with Finland&rsquo;s Forest Industries Federation expires at the end of March 2010, a wage reopener occurs in October, and there is little doubt that if accord is not met, the contract will be terminated. 
 
The Congress took up 260 resolutions from local branches, and probed future opportunities for cooperation and joint actions with other Finnish trade unions in the wake of the Finnish Metalworkers&rsquo; Union abandoning the multi-union Finnish merger that was to be called TEAM. 

<img src="" width="230" height="136" alt="" />
Paperiliitto Executive Committee
The over 200 Paperiliitto participants, together with 18 international trade union guests, convened in Helsinki from 10-12 June at a time when all of Finland hopes the worst effects of a period of job redundancies and mill and machine shutdowns in the forest sector are over. 
 
Union President Jouko Ahonen called attention to the questionable risks, mistaken acquisitions, and mis-directed financial investment by pulp and paper companies that has brought social upheaval to Finnish communities. 

<img alt="" src="" width="180" height="151" />
President Jouko Ahonen
He predicted that employers will attempt to demand concessions, reductions to benefits, and erosion of rights in this autumn&rsquo;s negotiations. In assuring delegates that paperworkers of Finland have earned wage increases because of better productivity with fewer staff, Ahonen stated, &ldquo;If there are no pay raises, there will be no agreement.&rdquo; 
 
Paperiliitto delegates discussed the possibility that TEAM, as a single Finnish industrial union, might not occur triggered new opportunities for cohesion and cooperation for 22,000-member Paperiliitto. Three years ago, Paperiliitto declined to take part in the industrial union merger. Although delegates were quick to rule out entering any revised merger plan, they recognize that several industrial unions have upcoming wage talks, and the demand for cooperation and joint actions are evident. 
 
Lauri Lyly, President of SAK, the Finnish Central Labour Organization, stated that traditions and emotions played a key role in stopping the TEAM merger, but that its dissolution might present other openings. He was also critical of the government for having no plan or facility to match the shrinking purchasing power of Finnish citizens with reality. 
 
Finland&rsquo;s Labour Minister, Tarja Cronberg, chronicled the plight of the Finnish forestry sector and said even with recovery, previous levels of jobs and pulp and paper tonnage would not be reached. She called for reform from the inside and said social partners in collective bargaining must come to flexible arrangements and a competitive response. 
 
Also speaking at the Congress at the opening session, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda stated that the global financial collapse is due to a &ldquo;neo-liberal model that has come broken.&rdquo; He pledged that the ICEM &ldquo;will not help to revive what we consider a dying horse.&rdquo; 
 
Warda also addressed the ICEM&rsquo;s ever-increasing work in the global pulp, paper, and packaging sectors, and the progress made in the Global Union Federation&rsquo;s &ldquo;North Meets South&rdquo; work plan. 

<img src="" width="200" height="164" alt="" />
Paperiliitto Congress, forefront Gen. Sec. Petri Vanhala and Financial Manager Seija Minervue 
With six years of hardened experience as President of Paperiliitto, Ahonen was unanimously elected to another four-year term. Elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Union Council were Ilkka Nokelelainen and Jouko Suomalainen, respectively. 
 
Besides Ahonen, those elected to Paperiliitto&rsquo;s Executive Committee were: Timo Virtanen, Branch 5, M&auml;ntt&auml;; Jouko Aitonurmi, Branch 42, Rauma; Pertti Susi, Branch 7, Kauttua; Mirja K&auml;ki, Branch 66, H&auml;meenlinna; Juhani Haapala, Branch 19, Kuusankoski; Ari Kujapa, Branch 17, Kotka; and 
 
Veijo Ruotsalainen, Branch 52, Pietarsaari; Jarmo Kinnunen, Branch 44, Lauritsala; Jorma Paajanen, Branch 77, &Auml;&auml;nekoski; Jari Heikkil&auml;, Branch 4, Tampere, Kai P&auml;rn&auml;nen, Branch 14, Verkaus, Timo Byman, Branch 35, Myllykoski; and Lauri Santaniemi, Branch 43, Oulu. 
 
In accepting another term, Ahonen said he is &ldquo;one and only one&rdquo; member of a unified union team that will shape the better times to come for Finland&rsquo;s pulp, paper, and forestry sector. &ldquo;I do feel optimistic that better times avail for the future,&rdquo; he said, adding the union&rsquo;s newly-named Executive Committee and the Union Council, in concert with Paperiliitto&rsquo;s 34 branch unions, will play a major role in recovery of the Nordic nation&rsquo;s most important industry.

Paperiliitto Elects Leaders, Prepares for Hard Talks in Finnish Pulp, Paper Sector

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Both ICEM affiliate National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) have condemned Harmony Gold for lax security at its Eland Mine in Welkom, Free State province, following the deaths of 82 illegal miners. Reportedly, an underground fire that started on 18 May caused the deaths, with the first bodies brought to the surface on 30 May. 
 
A total of 294 illegal miners who lived and worked inside Harmony&rsquo;s abandoned mine were brought safely to the surface, along with the dead bodies starting two weeks ago. 
<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="150" />
Mines Minister Susan Shabangu
COSATU is supporting NUM&rsquo;s call that a full government investigation must occur. The NUM charged Harmony with failure to properly invest in security systems. South African Mines Minister Susan Shabangu, who spoke at a press conference at the mine site following the removal of 25 bodies on 2 June, said the deaths come at the hands of organized crime.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
At the same press conference with Shabangu, Harmony&rsquo;s CEO Graham Briggs said the &ldquo;criminal miners&rdquo; had requested of Harmony to provide body bags &ldquo;and we have been doing such and they have been bringing the bodies to the shaft stations.&rdquo; 
<img alt="" src="" width="83" height="90" />&nbsp;&nbsp; <img alt="" src="" width="90" height="93" />
The NUM points to a system of corrupt managers and others who lure workers into the shuttered gold mines of South Africa. With major redundancies occurring in many mining sectors in South Africa, coupled with continued high gold prices, profiteering through illegal gold mining is again rampant. Gold prices in South Africa have increased 51% from March 2008 to March 2009. In March of this year, 20 illegal miners died from a fire inside shafts of Pan African Resources&rsquo; New Consort Mine in Mpumalanga province.
The illegal miners are referred to as &ldquo;zama-zamas&rdquo; who live underground and survive by another corrupt practice, individuals delivering them food and supplies in exchange for money. The NUM believes the miners themselves are the victims and calls on the South Africa government to earnestly eradicate illegal mining.

82 Illegal Miners Dead at Harmony Gold in South Africa

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The ICEM, United Steelworkers (USW) of the US, and the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) are coordinating a trade union and parliamentary/ congressional delegation to Mexico in support of the National Miners&rsquo; and Metalworkers&rsquo; Union (SNTMMSRM) and their fight for free and independent unionism in the Latin country. 
 
The delegation, rescheduled due to the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico, will go ahead July 8&ndash;12 and the destination is Mexico City. The delegation will meet with the Congressional Commission on Cananea, with ambassadors of delegation countries, hold an International Solidarity Conference, and a Solidarity visit to Juan Linares, a political prisoner in Reclusorio Norte prison. Delegates will then hold a public meeting to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Los Mineros in L&aacute;zaro C&aacute;rdenas. On 13 July, delegates will visit the Pasta de Conchos mine site in Sabinas, to pay tribute to the victims, widows, and families of the deadly 2006 mine explosion in which 65 miners perished. 

<img alt="" src="" width="140" height="167" />
Participating unions in the solidarity mission will come from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, India, Peru, South Africa, Sweden, UK, and the US, alongside leaders of the ICEM and IMF. 
 
Participating members&rsquo; of parliaments and members of congresses that are expected to join the delegation are from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Peru, South Africa, and UK. 
 
The Mexican government has been largely successful in reaching its goal of destroying trade unionism in Mexico. Los Mineros is one of the very few unions in the country to resist government control and to continue fighting for improved wages and labour laws. Following the union&rsquo;s denouncement of the multinational mining corporation Grupo Mexico, as well as the national government, over the explosion at Pasta de Conchos, the government cooperated with Grupo Mexico in efforts to destroy the union. 
 
Mexican security forces have repeatedly been involved in beatings, death threats, and illegal arrests in the union busting campaign. Last week, a striking worker was killed by police. The courageous strike at major Grupo Mexico locations has been in place for 22 months, even though Grupo Mexico gained a decree halting it.

Solidarity Delegation to Miners’ of Mexico Slated Next Month

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The threats of strikes are now on in mining in South Africa, following the latest rounds of talks in several mining sectors. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) filed for dispute resolution last week with the country&rsquo;s Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) in gold talks with the Chamber of Mines. 
 
In coal talks on Friday, some progress was noted on benefits and working conditions, although the NUM and other unions remain far apart on wages. Employers, through the Chamber, are offering 7.5% for lower-paid colliery workers and 6.5% for others. 
 
The talks in the gold sector, covering 150,000 miners, went to government intervention following the Chamber&rsquo;s refusal to offer more than 7%, a few percentage points less that South Africa&rsquo;s current consumer price index. In 2008, that inflation index hit 11.5%, while the current food index is at 14.9%. The NUM is seeking 15% and the possibility of a strike in the gold sector is likely. 

<img src="" width="100" height="142" alt="" />
NUM General Secretary Frans Beleni
&ldquo;It has always been our intention to bargain in good faith, to try to reach a settlement through negotiations,&rdquo; said NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni. This year, he added, he NUM may have &ldquo;to use a different tool in strike action.&rdquo; The NUM is standing behind a 12th Congress mandate from late May that calls for significant wage increases across the mining sector. 
 
At that Congress, NUM President Senzeni Zokwana said, &ldquo;Let no union leader believe we are going to settle for low wages. We will demand a living wage for mine workers, construction workers, and energy workers.&rdquo; Talks in all NUM sectors are now in critical stages. 
<img src="" width="90" height="105" alt="" />
Senzeni Zokwana
In platinum mining negotiations, Anglo Platinum&rsquo;s wage offer of 6% was rejected by the NUM and further talks are scheduled for 25-26 June. The union is seeking 15% with AngloPlats, while it has a 20% wage proposal tabled before Impala Platinum. It also seeks a moratorium on hiring and promotions of white women at Implats, the world&rsquo;s second larger platinum producer, as well as a pension fund increase from 16.5% to 25%. Talks there are to resume on 17 June. 
In coal talks, progress was made on establishing employee stock ownership plans at companies which offer no such plans, and some progress was noted over language on sub-contracting. Talks in coal will resume on 18 June. 
In all South African mining sector talks, the NUM is pressing for full work rights and guarantees for contract workers, and an end to the use of labour brokers. The union is also seeking a six-month paid maternity leave in several sets of negotiations. 
 
The biannual wage talks are being conducted with the Chamber of Mines on behalf of several mining houses, as well as directly and bi-laterally with some major mining companies, most specifically the platinum producers and Harmony Gold. 
 
In an unrelated matter, the NUM scored a decisive Labour Court victory over diamond miners DeBeers. The court ruled that DeBeers violated the labour Relations Act when it bypassed dialogue with the NUM over severance payments for miners made redundant. The court decision, ordering payment for 1,467 displaced diamond miners, was a victory for the NUM, which argued successfully that due process under Section 189A of the labour statute, was violated.

Wage Talks Stall Across South Africa Mining Sector

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Canada&rsquo;s Paper and Forest Workers&rsquo; Federation (FTPF) of Quebec&rsquo;s Confederation of National Unions in Canada (CSN) held its 58th Congress last week in Quebec City under the banner of &ldquo;More than Ever, We Continue Our Action.&rdquo; ICEM affiliated FTPF-CSN is part of the Quebec-based CSN labour umbrella organisation representing 300,000 workers from 1,700 trade unions in 4,394 workplaces. 
 
Following the opening of the triennial Congress, the President of FTPF-CSN, Sylvain Parent, presented the report of the executive committee before an address by the President of CSN, Claudette Carbonneau. 
 
The ICEM&rsquo;s Kemal &Ouml;zkan delivered a speech at the Congress, which ran from 8-12 June, and presented the Global Union Federation&rsquo;s work plan for the pulp and paper sector, as well as union actions of late. Some 200 delegates attended the Congress. 

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FTPF-CSN, which last year celebrated its 100th anniversary, rallied its members to have a forward-looking vision for the timber, pulp, and paper industries of Quebec. According to the 13,000-member union, since the onset of Canada&rsquo;s forest crisis in 2003, plant closures have taken place &ldquo;at a rate of hell.&rdquo; 
 
Over 15,000 workers, including 3,200 FTPF members, have lost their jobs. It is estimated that out of 250 communities dependent on the forestry sector, 31 were severely strained by the job loss. Several experts spoke on new products derived from forestlands, as well as on environmental issues and an overall global portrait of the sector and in Canada. 
 
On 10 June, the future of Quebec&rsquo;s forestry industry was discussed through different panels. 
 
FTPF has 185 local branch unions, and is structured around three sectors: forestry (sawmills, golf clubs, and transportation), pulp and paper (25 unions), and wood processing (doors, windows, counters, furniture, woodworking, and printing. According to union officials, 3,500 members are in the pulp and paper sector. 
 
Its umbrella federation, the CSN, covers nine national sectors, including commerce, white-collar workers, health and social services, metal, pulp/paper/forestry, communications, education, public services, and construction.

Quebecois Paperworkers Hold 58th Congress in Canada

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