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The ICEM has adopted the&nbsp;issue of Contract and Agency Labour (CAL) as the main theme for activities on the Global Day of Action for Decent Work, 7 October 2008. Several other Global Union Federations have also decided to focus their activities on the issue of precarious work. 
 
As part of its ongoing campaign, the ICEM is asking affiliates around the world to centre activities on organising contract or agency workers in their respective countries. The Geneva-based federation is calling on trade unions to use 7 October as a starting date for union organising campaigns of such workers. 
 
Past, as well as soon to be released ICEM research material shows that precarious workers - including those employed through subcontracting companies, or working on an individual subcontracted basis, or working with a temporary contract, often through a private employment agency - need strong trade unions to protect their interests in an era when the growth of &ldquo;new ways of employment&rdquo; is fast becoming the norm.
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In addition, there is an obvious necessity for trade unions to specifically target such workers as future union members in order to remain representative and strong, and to better defend existing members&rsquo; interests. 
 
Many ICEM affiliates have already undertaken efforts in this regard, often with good results. Examples of this have been gathered and will soon be published in the upcoming &quot;ICEM Guide on Contract and Agency Labour&quot;. The manual was written not only to provide useful examples from various countries, but also to give useful background information on CAL, complete with statistics and strategy suggestions. 
 
The ICEM will also soon launch a new campaign website on the issue. 
 
Materials already available include the newly-published &ldquo;ICEM Short Guide for Negotiators on How to Deal with Contracting Out, Outsourcing and Agency Labour,&rdquo; which serves as a valuable tool for trade unionists at the company level. It provides practical suggestions on what to do when - or even before - a company plans to brings in&nbsp;outside staff on to a jobsite. It can be found on the ICEM website in <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0809ICEMCALNegotiatorsGuideEN.pdf">English</a>, <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0809ICEMCALNegotiatorsGuideFR.pdf">French</a>, <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0809ICEMCALNegotiatorsGuideSP.pdf">Spanish</a>, and <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0809ICEMCALNegotiatorsGuideRU.pdf">Russian</a>. 
 
Whereas the main focus of the ICEM&rsquo;s actions for 7 October is on organising CAL workers, the ICEM also encourages affiliates and their members to participate in the national and/or local trade union activities that are being organised around the world on October 7th. More information on national demonstrations and other activities can be found on the Global Day&rsquo;s web-site <a href="http://www.wddw.org">http://www.wddw.org</a>.

ICEM Links Decent Work Day with Direct Action on Contract and Agency Labour

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The ICEM&rsquo;s World Conference for the Pulp and Paper Sector will be held in Piriapolis, Uruguay, from 8-10 December 2008. On 8 and 9 December, relevant panels and discussion on global trends in the sector will occur, as well as putting in place meaningful methods on developing practical solidarity between trade unions in the forest products industries.
On 10 December, host union Centro Uni&oacute;n Obreros Papeleros y Celulosa (CUOPYC) will sponsor a several gala social events for ICEM delegates. Uruguay President Tabar&eacute; V&aacute;zquez is expected to open the conference on 8 December. Trade unions wishing to send delegates are encouraged to check visa requirements now, and Letters of Invitation and Registration forms, in all languages can be found <a href="/en/?id=192">here</a>.

Uruguay the Destination for ICEM’s Pulp/Paper Conference, 8-10 December 2008

ICEM US affiliate, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB), has gained the support of the Global Union Federation (GUF) in its resistance to retiree health care curtailments at Lafarge&rsquo;s cement manufacturing plant in the state of Missouri. IBB Local D-27 in Sugar Creek, Missouri, has been in contract talks with Lafarge on behalf of 55 staff since spring 2008. Local management is seeking major changes in cement workers&rsquo; health care coverage. 
 
The two sides will return to bargaining on 10 September. A prior four-year labour agreement expired on 30 April. 
 
In a letter to Lafarge&rsquo;s European senior managers, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda expressed the 20-million-member federation&rsquo;s concern &ldquo;that cutting existing benefits without justified economic reason is against recognized international standards.&rdquo; Warda noted that Lafarge&rsquo;s North American cement sales has risen 17% in the first half of 2008 compared to the first half of 2007, while operating income has increased 19% between the same periods in 2007 and 2008. 
 
The ICEM, along with another GUF, the Building and Woodworkers&rsquo; International (BWI), is signatory to a Global Framework Agreement with French-based Lafarge, an agreement signed in September 2005 that holds the company to an international code of labour principles, as well as social responsibility standards. 
 
Lafarge has proposed that new hires be excluded from retiree medical coverage in a new labour accord, while insisting that existing workers be placed in a separate medical insurance plan upon retirement. In that plan, out-of-pocket health care costs would likely double for retirees. At present, all current workers and retirees are in the same plan, one in which participants pay US$254-per-month for family health coverage. 
 
Caray Allen, IBB&rsquo;s Cement, Lime, Gypsum, and Allied Workers&rsquo; Division Director, said Lafarge workers in Sugar Creek have set records for production and safety. &ldquo;This is a strange way to reward your workforce,&rdquo; he stated. 
 
The ICEM, in urging French senior managers to intervene to preserve the current plan, argues that Sugar Creek workers should not be penalized over health coverage, especially because IBB Local D-27 has previously aided the company financially by changing to 12-hour, rotating shifts. 
 
The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine, and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM) is a Geneva-based labour union federation consisting of 467 national trade unions in 132 countries. 
 
For further information, contact: ICEM Materials Sector Officer Phee Jungsun, +41 22 304 1846, +41 79 734 9041 (mobile), or <a href="mailto:phee.jungsun@icem.org">phee.jungsun@icem.org</a>; IBB CLGAW Director Caray Allen, +1 765 720 2000, or <a href="mailto:callen@boilermakers.org">callen@boilermakers.org</a>.

Lafarge’s Proposed Health Coverage Cuts in State of Missouri Brings Global Resistance

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Le Fonds Mondial de la lutte contre le SIDA, la tuberculose et la malaria a publi&eacute; son 9&egrave;me appel &agrave; propositions. Le formulaire d'inscription et la documentation de r&eacute;f&eacute;rence sont disponibles en six langues &agrave; l'adresse <a href="http://www.theglobalfund.org">www.theglobalfund.org/</a>
 
Les propositions doivent parvenir au Fonds mondial d'ici le 21 janvier 2009 
 
Toutes les propositions soumises d'ici l'&eacute;ch&eacute;ance du 21 janvier 2009 seront examin&eacute;es par le secr&eacute;tariat afin de v&eacute;rifier qu'elles r&eacute;pondent aux crit&egrave;res d'&eacute;ligibilit&eacute;. Les propositions recevables seront ensuite transmises au Comit&eacute; technique d'examen des propositions (Technical Review Panel - TRP). Le TRP fera part de ses recommandations au Conseil du Fonds mondial, qui prendra ensuite ses d&eacute;cisions en fonction. 
 
Comment fonctionne le Fonds mondial? 
Le Fonds mondial, lui-m&ecirc;me un partenariat entre secteur public et priv&eacute;, est une instance de financement. Depuis son lancement en janvier 2002 et jusqu&rsquo;en d&eacute;cembre 2007, le Fonds mondial a donn&eacute; son approbation pour des subventions dont la somme totale s&rsquo;&eacute;l&egrave;ve &agrave; 14,5 milliards USD, plus de la moiti&eacute; &eacute;tant destin&eacute;e &agrave; la lutte contre le VIH/SIDA. 
 
Le Fonds mondial est bas&eacute; &agrave; Gen&egrave;ve. Il n&rsquo;est pas repr&eacute;sent&eacute; par pays. Le processus de propositions et l&rsquo;attribution des subsides sont d&eacute;l&eacute;gu&eacute;s au niveau national. Le Fonds Mondial donne le cadre de travail et publie les directives concernant plusieurs aspects de ses op&eacute;rations. Il r&eacute;colte de l&rsquo;argent, le d&eacute;pense et le v&eacute;rifie &ndash; le Fonds mondial fonctionne au m&eacute;rite. 
 
Toutes les propositions doivent passer par les Country Coordinating Mechanisms &ndash; CCM (Instances de coordination nationale &ndash; ICN). La composition des ICN est suppos&eacute;e &ecirc;tre repr&eacute;sentative de tous les acteurs de la lutte contre le VIH/SIDA, y compris la soci&eacute;t&eacute; civile, le secteur priv&eacute; et les organisations de personnes vivant avec le VIH/SIDA (PVVIH). 
 
Comment les syndicats peuvent-ils s'int&eacute;grer? 
Le r&ocirc;le du lieu de travail dans la lutte contre le VIH/SIDA est reconnu. Aucune des activit&eacute;s li&eacute;es au lieu de travail ne peut &ecirc;tre efficacement &eacute;tablie sans les syndicats. Le r&ocirc;le des syndicats nationaux et de leurs pendants internationaux, les f&eacute;d&eacute;rations de syndicats mondiaux (Global Unions), est reconnu par des organisations internationales telles que l&rsquo;OIT, l&rsquo;OMS et ONUSIDA. 
 
Le Fonds mondial est d&eacute;sireux de construire des partenariats entre le secteur priv&eacute; et le secteur public et de r&eacute;aliser des projets de co-investissement. Sans la participation du secteur priv&eacute;, l&rsquo;acc&egrave;s universel aux conseils et tests volontaires (CTV) et au traitement antir&eacute;troviral (ARV) ne serait pas possible ou serait encore plus retard&eacute; qu'il ne l'est d&eacute;j&agrave;. Les repr&eacute;sentants des travailleurs dans le secteur priv&eacute; sont les syndicats. Les directives de la 9&egrave;me S&eacute;rie de propositions mentionnent les syndicats comme organisations &eacute;ligibles du secteur priv&eacute;. 
 
Les capacit&eacute;s des syndicats en termes de main d&rsquo;&oelig;uvre sont limit&eacute;es. Ils ont en outre d'autres pr&eacute;occupations quotidiennes. Les syndicats ne sont pas des ONG qui ne traitent que d'un seul probl&egrave;me. Ils doivent trouver des partenaires et former des alliances avec les entreprises et les ONG. 
 
Tr&egrave;s peu d'ICN comptent des syndicalistes dans leurs rangs. Bien que nous continuions d&rsquo;&oelig;uvrer pour la repr&eacute;sentation des syndicats aux ICN, il vital qu'&agrave; court terme, ces derniers travaillent en collaboration avec les membres des ICN favorables &agrave; leur cause. Il est important pour eux de trouver des partenaires coop&eacute;ratifs qui peuvent d&eacute;velopper leurs id&eacute;es de projets &agrave; travers des propositions pour les ICN. 
 
L&rsquo;Organisation allemande pour la coop&eacute;ration technique (Deutsche Gesellschaft f&uuml;r Technische Zusammenarbeit &ndash; GTZ) g&egrave;re l&rsquo;initiative BACKUP (Building Alliances &ndash; Creating Knowledge &ndash; Updating Partners), sur laquelle vous pouvez vous appuyer. La GTZ est repr&eacute;sent&eacute;e dans plus de 130 pays. De nombreux bureaux d'USAID ont des coordinateurs VIH/SIDA et certaines ambassades, notamment celles des pays scandinaves, des Pays-Bas, du Royaume-Uni et de l&rsquo;Union europ&eacute;enne peuvent pr&ecirc;ter assistance. Les syndicats mondiaux et l&rsquo;OMS sont favorables &agrave; l'utilisation du potentiel des syndicats dans le but d'&eacute;largir et d'acc&eacute;l&eacute;rer l&rsquo;acc&egrave;s aux CTV et aux ARV. L&rsquo;OIT et son programme sur les lieux de travail OITSIDA ont des points de mire sur le VIH/SIDA dans de nombreux bureaux. 
 
Le Fonds mondial recommande aux candidats de nommer un (ou plusieurs) B&eacute;n&eacute;ficiaires principaux (BP) gouvernementaux et un (ou plusieurs) B&eacute;n&eacute;ficiaires secondaires de divers secteurs non gouvernementaux, y compris du secteur priv&eacute; dont les syndicats font partie (financement &agrave; deux voies de cession). 
 
Quelles sont vos prochaines &eacute;tapes? 
&bull; R&eacute;digez vos id&eacute;es d&rsquo;un programme sur le lieu de travail sur une page et pr&eacute;parez une &eacute;bauche de budget. 
&bull; Mettez-vous en relation avec les membres de votre ICN et influencez ceux potentiellement favorables aux causes syndicales afin d&rsquo;inclure des programmes li&eacute;s au lieu de travail dans les propositions de la 9&egrave;me S&eacute;rie. Les informations nationales sp&eacute;cifiques sont disponibles &agrave; l&rsquo;adresse <a href="http://www.theglobalfund.org">www.theglobalfund.org</a>. 
&bull; Contactez les bureaux de la GTZ, d&rsquo;USAID, de l&rsquo;OIT, d&rsquo;ONUSIDA et de l&rsquo;OMS. 
&bull; Tissez des alliances avec les entreprises; rappelez-leur leur responsabilit&eacute; sociale. 
&bull; Collaborez avec les ONG et les organisations de PVVIH. 
&bull; Consultez le site <a href="http://www.aidspan.org/guides">http://www.aidspan.org/guides</a>&nbsp;sur lequel un guide de la 9&egrave;me S&eacute;rie est disponible. 
 
Comment l'ICEM peut-elle vous aider? 
Le Coordinateur mondial de l&rsquo;ICEM a de bonnes relations de travail avec toutes les organisations mentionn&eacute;es. Il peut vous aider gr&acirc;ce &agrave; ses contacts et peut vous donner des liens menant &agrave; de la documentation utile. Envoyez vos id&eacute;es de programmes li&eacute;s au lieu de travail et vos demandes &agrave; <a href="mailto:hiv.aids@icem.org">hiv.aids@icem.org</a>. L&rsquo;ICEM a des accords mondiaux avec une douzaine d&rsquo;entreprises multinationales qui devraient s&rsquo;engager dans la lutte contre la pand&eacute;mie. 
 
Surtout : 
 
&bull; Commencez aujourd&rsquo;hui si vous voulez parvenir &agrave; quelque chose. 
&bull; Rappelez-vous que le secteur priv&eacute; inclut les syndicats au titre de repr&eacute;sentants des travailleurs. 
&bull; Rappelez-vous que vous avez des alli&eacute;s que vous pouvez mobiliser et qui peuvent vous aider. 
&bull; &Eacute;crivez au coordinateur mondial de l&rsquo;ICEM &agrave;&nbsp;<a href="mailto:hiv.aids@icem.org">hiv.aids@icem.org</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;pour plus d&rsquo;informations et d'aide.

ICEM VIH/SIDA bulletin électronique: Appels du Fonds Mondial pour les propositions de la 9ème Série

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Stemming out of a European Commission-funded project, European trade unions representing workers of French cosmetics producer L&rsquo;Oreal conducted a second seminar in Brussels on 1-3 October on social conditions of the company. On the second day, following a general presentation on Global Framework Agreements by ICEM&rsquo;s Chemicals and Rubber Officer Kemal &Ouml;zkan, participants discussed a draft agreement, which had been circulated among them, of a possible global agreement with L&rsquo;Oreal. 
 
French FCE-CFDT Leader Marc Ferrand brought forward the multi-unions&rsquo; global agreement with French electricity producer EDF. Serious discussion then ensued on bringing the draft to senior L&rsquo;Oreal management.
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ICEM French affiliate FCE-CFDT and Belgian affiliate CSC Energy and Chemical Workers&rsquo; Union developed the early October project, aimed at getting the attention of L&rsquo;Oreal&rsquo;s trade union representatives from its European Works Council (EWC). Funded by the European Commission, the project also includes ICEM affiliates from Italy (FEMCA-CISL), Poland (Solidarnosc), and Spain (FIA-UGT). 
 
The objective of the project is to enhance the expertise of trade union representatives over industrial and organisational changes, compensation policies, and new European rules regarding cosmetics. Based on the assessments made during the discussions, the main aim of the project is to re-energise the EWC and to open a dialogue with the company on social responsibility on the global level. 
 
Also included in the project in the early October discussions were IGBCE of Germany, la Centrale G&eacute;n&eacute;rale (FGTB/ABBV) of Belgium, CC.OO of Spain, FILCEM-CGIL of Italy, and CGT and CGT-FO, both of France. 
 
The first seminar inside the project occurred in Paris from 17-18 April 2008. Then, 50 delegates from five European countries took part.

L’Oreal European Unions Discuss Proceeding to Possible Global Framework Agreement with Company

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Established in 2006, the South-East European Energy Union Network held its second general assembly in Istanbul on 18 October, and the ICEM participated. Hosted by ICEM Turkish affiliate Petrol-İş, the weekend meeting was attended by 90 delegates and observers from 16 trade unions in 13 countries. 
 
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, Petrol-İş President Mustafa &Ouml;ztaşkin, and Turkish Tes-İş President Mustafa Kumlu opened the conference, and spoke on common trade union strategies in the region, as well as issues regarding against MNCs in the chemicals, oil, gas, and electric sectors. Tes-İş is the Energy, Water, and Gas Workers&rsquo; Union in Turkey, while Petrol-İş covers the oil, petrochemicals, and chemicals industries.
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&ldquo;In today&rsquo;s globalised world, energy is very crucial and strategic,&rdquo; said Warda. &ldquo;Securing energy supplies and establishing the best social standards for workers in these industries is crucial. 
 
&ldquo;To create international solidarity around the globe, we welcome regional efforts like this one to coordinate and advocate on behalf of workers&rsquo; issues,&rdquo; Warda added. 
 
The regional energy network&rsquo;s general assembly addressed problems arising from the deepening of sector integration, as well as EU energy policies on the South-East European Region. Delegates also confirmed participation at next month&rsquo;s EU social-partner conference in Albania. They pledged to put the issue of privatisation before this conference, as one the major challenges faced by trade unions. 
 
The conference also evaluated campaigns to recruit pipeline workers in the region, with targeting of some energy MNCs that operate in the region. 
 
At the close of the meeting, delegates elected Franc Dolar of Slovenia as acting chair of the network, with Mustafa &Ouml;ztaşkin taking up the vice-chairman position. Nikos Orfanos of Greece serves as general secretary for the network. 
 
Trade unions from Albania, Bosnia-Herzergovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Macedonia, Greece, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Turkey participated in the 18 October conference.

South-East Europe’s Energy Unions Meet in Turkey Over the Weekend

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Following the merger in October 2007 between SIF and HTF to create Unionen, an AICEM affiliate and Sweden&rsquo;s largest private-sector union held its First Congress 6-9 October in &Ouml;rebro, Sweden. The 530,000-member union, made up of salaried, technical, and clerical workers across nearly all of Swedish employers, adopted a vision statement and elected Cecilia Fahlberg as the new President. 
 
The Congress opened by giving Unionen President Mari-Ann Krantz a rousing send-off., who retired. Selected to head the union at the 2007 extraordinary merger congresses, Krantz is retiring. She presided over the initial structural changes in making the merger between the two unions work.
<img height="113" src="" width="200" alt="" />
New Unionen President Cecilia Fahlberg
Fahlberg, 48, has been a Deputy Vice President of Unionen and she comes to union leadership after serving as a Vice President and previously, in the collective bargaining department of HTF, the former Salaried Employees&rsquo; Union. She is an economics major from a business school and is a resident of Sigtuna, Sweden. 
 
&ldquo;A big and strong union is what is needed today,&rdquo; stated Fahlberg, &ldquo;especially with conditions facing the Swedish labour market and a global financial crisis that is shaking all societies.&rdquo; 
 
Also elected at Congress was a 16-member Executive Committee, equally represented by eight men and eight women. The union boasted that the average age of this Executive Committee had been reduced to 45 from the previous board&rsquo;s average age of 53. 
 
Unionen&rsquo;s vision statement is built around democracy, solidarity, and political engagement. Due to the enormous amount of business before this First Congress, not all questions before it got addressed. Thus, Unionen will conduct an extraordinary Congress as soon as possible to finish proceedings. ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda was a guest at the Congress.

Swedish Unionen Holds First Congress in Örebro

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General Secretary Manfred Warda had a productive mission to Serbia 22-23 September where he addressed planned ICEM activities for the Central European Region, as well as hearing the problems and challenges of affiliates from Serbia and Croatia. 
 
Warda also met with Serbian Labour Minister Rasim Ljajic and impressed upon him the necessity of Serbia&rsquo;s government to be more engaged in encouraging Social Dialogue between trade unions and business enterprises. 
 
Warda also received a favourable response from the minister on Serbia moving to ratify ILO Convention 176, the Safety and Health in Mines Convention. And his intervention on behalf of Serbian trade union affiliate Nezavisnost over an ugly paper-packaging factory dispute with Ljajic apparently resolved the dispute in the days that followed the meeting. 
 
The meeting with ICEM&rsquo;s Central European affiliates was facilitated by Freidrich Ebert Siftung (FES), the German labour-oriented foundation. Some 25 trade union delegates took part, and besides leaders from Nezavisnost, the Serbia affiliate, the Autonomous Union of Energy and Petroleum Unions, a former WFIW trade union, participated. From Croatia, leaders of EKN &ndash; the Power, Chemical, and Non-Metal Workers&rsquo; Union &ndash; were present. 

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The ICEM was privileged to have Nezavisnost President Milorad Panovic, Autonomous Energy, Petrochemical President Branislav Nedeljkovic, and EKN President Ivan Tomac leading the forum, as well as ICEM Central European Project Coordinator Mato Lalic. 
 
Major problems discussed included oil and gas restructuring in state-owned companies; trade union exclusion in ongoing Serbian-Russian energy cooperation; and efforts by small and mid-sized companies to reduce wages and social benefits and harassment of workers &ndash; the paper-packaging plant being a prime example. 
 
As well, problems exist within the downstream operations of Russian oil company Lukoil in Serbia. The ICEM pledged to take these concerns to the parent company in the structure of the Global Framework Agreement between ICEM, Lukoil, and the Russian Oil and Gas Workers Union (ROGWU). 
 
There was agreement among participating trade unions on the need for more unity, including withICEM affiliate EPS Trade Union of Serbia, the most representative union in the electric and coal-mining sectors of Serbia, which was not present at the conference.

ICEM Work Explained to Serbian, Croatian Affiliates in Belgrade

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The ICEM-affiliated Coal Mining Industry Workers&rsquo; Union of Ukraine (PRUPA) held its Third Congress in Kiev on 17-18 September, and celebrated passage and enactment of the &ldquo;Law on Enhancing the Prestige of Miners&rsquo; Labour.&rdquo; 
 
The law, years in the making, was passed by Ukraine&rsquo;s Verkhovna Rada without a dissenting vote on 9 September, and became law when President Victor Yuschenko signed it on 11 September. 
 
PRUPA celebrated the passage at its quintennial Congress in Kiev, with ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda addressing the delegates and giving his congratulations on work done to enact the measure. Leaders of Ukraine&rsquo;s largest mining union also re-elected Victor Turmanov as President.
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Turmanov said that while the law, which gives miners unprecedented benefits, is a major accomplishment, it is still different from a first draft. We thus have &ldquo;room for improvement,&rdquo; he said. Miners of both FRUP and ICEM affiliate, the Independent Miners&rsquo; Trade Union of Ukraine, lobbied the Rada hard for passage. 
 
On 3 September, a day after the legislative body opened its current term, the unions declared a Miners&rsquo; Day holiday and thousands flooded Kiev to lobby passage of the bill. Both Turmanov and the Independent Miners&rsquo; Union Chairman Mikhail Volynets are members of the Rada. 
 
The &ldquo;Law on Enhancing the Prestige of Miners&rsquo; Labour&rdquo; grants underground miners an immediate reduction on their state income tax from 15% to 10%; gives them a means to gain additional pay with the mining base rate pegged at 30% higher than the country&rsquo;s minimum wage; mandates that pension benefits cannot be less than 80% of the coal industry&rsquo;s average wage for miners after 15 years of service; and gives miners with three years of service free higher education stipends, as well as granting children of workers with 15 years service in mines free higher education credits.
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Passage of the measure signifies government recognition of the fact that there is significant shortage of manpower in the Ukraine&rsquo;s burgeoning coal industry. The new law is aimed at recruiting young workers into mining. The bill was passed through amendments to the 2008 Ukrainian budget. 
 
The &ldquo;Prestige of Miners&rdquo; law also grants trade union health and safety representatives the right to halt production when major breaches of safety or health concerns occur. The ICEM also is strongly encouraging its mine union affiliates and the Ukrainian government to ratify ILO Convention 176, the Safety and Health in Mines Convention.

Ukraine’s Mineworkers Re-Elect Turmanov, Herald New Rada Law on Compensation

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Meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, last month, leaders of five energy unions &ndash; comprising the ICEM&rsquo;s Caspian Sea Energy Union Network &ndash; drafted and issued the nine-point &ldquo;Declaration on Social Standards for Workers of MNCs Operating in the Caspian Region.&rdquo; 
 
ICEM-affiliated energy unions from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan took part. The meetings also had the active involvement of Germany&rsquo;s Friedrich Ebert Siftung, with Azerbaijan Country Director Rashad Huseynli participating. 
 
The declaration was the natural outgrowth of efforts by the host union, the Oil and Gas Workers&rsquo; Union of Azerbaijan (OGWUA), to bring trade union rights and better social benefits to workers of contracting firms in the Caspian&rsquo;s oil and gas development areas.
<img height="225" src="" width="300" alt="" />
&nbsp;Delegates to the ICEM's Caspian Sea Energy Union Network 

The two-day conference was led by ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda and ICEM Energy Sector Chairman Lars Myhre, the Norwegian Industri Energi trade union leader who played a key role with OGWUA President Jahangir Aliyev in organising the first of the Caspian Sea contract workers through a strike against McDermott International in 2005. 
 
The declaration pledges to defend the civil, social, and economic rights of energy workers in the region. It states, using &ldquo;multilateral and bilateral discussions, our resolve (is) to defend through our consolidated activities&rdquo; the nine civil, social, and economic rights inherent in all work.
<img height="173" src="" width="230" alt="" />
Signing of the Declaration, at left ICEM Gen. Sec. Manfred Warda; right, seated: ROGWU's Lev Mironov
Those nine include: a &ldquo;guaranteed right of workers to organise as the key component of human rights in the sphere of work&rdquo;; decent remuneration and promotion of job opportunities for people in the countries where the MNCs operate; gender, race, and youth equality, with &ldquo;non-acceptance of all manifestations of discrimination at work.&rdquo; 
 
Also, to resist the employment practices of temporary and seasonal work; to promote uniform qualification requirements by MNCs; promote best practice health, safety, and ergonomic policies; adhere to national labour law observances; full compliance with ILO core labour standards, and the OECD Guidelines for MNCs; and to seek Global Framework Agreements with MNCs &ldquo;as a tool to guarantee uniform social and economic standards, and civil rights for workers of the Caspian Region.&rdquo; 
 
Besides the ICEM and OGWUA&rsquo;s Alyiyev signing the Declaration, it was also signed by Tlekkabyl Kabdulov, President, the Oil and Gas Workers&rsquo; Union of Kazakhstan; Lev Mironov, President, the Russian Oil and Gas Workers&rsquo; Union; and Mustafa Oztaskin, General Secretary of Turkey&rsquo;s Petrol-Iş.

ICEM’s Caspian Energy Network Formulates Work Rights Declarations

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