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Golden Misabiko, President of the Association Africaine de d&eacute;fense des Droits de l'Homme in Katanga province (ASADHO/Katanga), has been released from&nbsp;custody in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following his arrest last month. His organization had recently published a report alleging state complicity in illegal uranium mining in the country. 
 
State intelligence services arrested Misabiko on 24 July in the provincial capital of Lubumbashi, in the south east of the country. He was charged with &ldquo;threatening state security&rdquo; and &ldquo;defamation.&rdquo; Bail was initially rejected, following suspicions that the judiciary bowed to political pressure to keep him in custody. Subsequently, he has been released.&nbsp; 

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Golden Misabiko
The charges against Misabiko relate to the report published by his human rights organization on 12 July. The report alleges that the Shinkolobwe uranium mine, which was closed in January 2004 on national and public security grounds, had been the site of illegal mining in which the government was complicit. The mine should have been secured by the government, but instead mining was continued by parties from the military and from civil society. 
 
The report also criticised the national government for its role in the 26 March agreement with French nuclear energy company AREVA. The agreement grants the company the right to prospect and mine for uranium in the resource-rich country, and the agreement was criticized for a lack of transparency. 
 
Peaceful protests against Golden Misabiko&rsquo;s detention have been carried out in Katanga. 
 
ICEM&rsquo;s 12 mining affiliates in the DRC repeatedly come up against police force and arrests during labour disputes.

Leading DRC Human Rights Defender Arrested

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A dispute between South Africa pulp and paper manufacturer Sappi and affiliate Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood, and Allied Workers Union (CEPPWAWU) at the company&rsquo;s Enstra mill there was resolved early in August. 
 
The dispute, which had garnered ICEM attention, was over the company&rsquo;s intent to severely discipline and even discharge 19 shop stewards and 24 other workers for engaging in safety strikes late in April and early May. The issue was covered by the ICEM and an earlier report can be found <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/3285-ICEM-">here</a>.&nbsp; 
 
In a negotiated resolve to the issue, Sappi and CEPPWAWU arrived at a four-page memorandum that was signed on 5 August. There were no dismissals, and the union admitted that its shop-floor leaders had engaged in unprotected strikes. Instead, affected shop stewards and others were given relatively short, unpaid suspensions. And &ldquo;final written warning&rdquo; letters will stay in effect for only one year. 

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The ICEM congratulates both parties for using dialogue to resolve what had been a deeply contentious issue. We believe that the agreement is a sign that healing inside the Enstra pulp and paper might begin, as well as a new era in labour-management relations. As part of the memorandum, CEPPWAWU must write a letter to all Enstra workers condemning the illegal strikes. Sappi waives its claims on asset damages stemming from the unprotected industrial actions. 
 
Twenty-three workers received one-week suspensions and returned to work on 18 August 18. Fourteen shop stewards received a 2-week suspension and will return to their jobs this week. Five other shop stewards, plus one other worker, are suspended for one month and will return on 11 September. 
 
Many ICEM affiliates, health and safety activists worldwide, and scores of others issued protests at Sappi and gave the dispute a global voice over health and safety concerns. These protests, CEPPWAWU feels, played the major role in lessening the penalties for what were a series of three illegal strikes. The South African affiliate, as well as the ICEM, conveys sincere gratitude to those who voiced their concerns from every corner of the world.

CEPPWAWU, Sappi in South Africa Resolve Shop-Steward Disciplinary Measures

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Last week, 33,000 electric power workers in South Africa came to terms with state-owned electric provider Eskom, thus averting a string of strikes and industrial actions. ICEM affiliates National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA) are expected to sign a new labour accord today. 
 
On 19 August, Eskom, which supplies 90% of South Africa&rsquo;s power needs, presented the two unions and a third one with a 10.5% first-year wage increase. That is 2.5% higher than the utility was prepared to pay earlier in August when the dispute went before the country&rsquo;s Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCCM). 
 
The NUM represents 16,000 workers at Eskom, while NUMSA represents 5,000. Eskom employs about 29,000 workers in South Africa. 
<img src="" width="100" height="102" alt="" />&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="" width="100" height="103" alt="" />
A key item in talks up to and through last week&rsquo;s wage offer was over housing allowances. NUM and NUMSA are seeking a 5,000 rand (US$621) per worker housing subsidy. Resolve of this issue will continue in tripartite talks with the CCCM until 1 December 2009, when a process to finalise and implement the housing allowance will be put in place, said NUM chief negotiator Paris Mashego. 
 
Mashego said the NUM polled its members on the wage offer and housing deferral late last week, and 80% consented to take the offer. 
 
Meanwhile, a NUM strike against Impala Platinum that was set to start today was averted when the world&rsquo;s second largest platinum miner returned to the bargaining table Saturday and raised its offer. The company offered a 10% increase. The NUM, which represents 18,000 ImPlats workers, cancelled the strike and is currently weighing the offer.

South Africa’s Mineworkers, Metalworkers Agree to Wage Terms with Eskom

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The strike by Bridgestone workers at an aircraft tyre retreading plant in Frameries, Belgium, has ended after nine weeks of continuous striking. 
 
After the failure of conciliatory negotiations at the national level, a draft agreement at the local level was finally agreed. Workers ratified the agreement by 57% to 42% on 7 August. 
 
The agreement accepts the closure of the plant, but with a number of conditions. Those conditions include payment of compensation to workers in lieu of plant-closing notice, plus compensation based on seniority. Also, placement of each worker into another job in a different company near the worker&rsquo;s home also was a condition. 

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A bonus pay-out with an advance of &euro;500 was agreed to, as well, to compensate for the loss of job security. The bonus also covers early retirement options. The eight temporary workers were given permanent contracts, this qualifying them for the benefits, and Bridgestone has lifted all sanctions or punishment related to the strike. 
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The strike by all 140 workers, led by ICEM Belgian affiliate FGTB Centrale G&eacute;n&eacute;rale, started on 11 June over eight job cuts. 
 
The Centrale G&eacute;n&eacute;rale-FGTB is proud of its victory, standing up to a huge multinational, with courageous rubber workers earning the respect of many. The achievements were not the goals that the union had set out for, but they are notable. 
 
The FGTB issued a message of thanks to all those who expressed their solidarity during the struggle.

Bridgestone Strike at Belgian Airplane Tyre Factory Ends

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ICEM affiliate, Union Sindical Obrera de la Industria del Petroleo (USO), has been negotiating a new collective agreement with state-owned Ecopetrol. The period of negotiation was extended by 20 days and ended on Saturday, 22 August. The negotiators worked continuously for the final 24 hours of the 40 day talks. Agreement was reached on a new collective agreement for the period 2009-2014, and will be backdated from 1 July 2009. The agreement will apply to all Ecopetrol employees, as well as those employed by contractors working on Ecopetrol projects. 
 
Major demands of the union were health care for the families of temporary workers, the reinstatement of workers who had lost their jobs due to trade union activities, opposition to US military bases in the country, an increased wage scale, the recognition of a conventional wage for all activities of industry, employment regulations in Ecopetrol, and issues of trade union and human rights. 

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The agreement satisfies USO&rsquo;s demands on health, education, and housing, as well as on occupational health. Families of temporary workers will receive health care from the company, on the condition that they have been employed for a minimum period of six months. 
 
Considerable wage gains were achieved, with base salaries rising by between 6.87% and 18.74%, depending on the worker&rsquo;s category. All salaries will then rise incrementally, by around 1% per year, for the remaining five years of the agreement. 
 
Another proposed article in the collective agreement sought support from the company for sport and recreation of workers and their families. Funding should be provided by management towards clubs and societies, with 80% of membership fees subsidized by Ecopetrol. 

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The union was eager to seek a collective agreement to solve the conflict, but the message from the USO leadership was clear: &ldquo;If there is no agreement, there will be no production,&rdquo; said Moises Baron Cardenas, President of USO Barrancabermeja. 
 
As reported by the ICEM in InBrief 135, the early days of the negotiation process were marred by violence and intimidation. On Thursday, 17 July, riot police attacked workers at the Barrancabermeja refinery with tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun bombs, seriously injuring three workers. Police arrested two workers. 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. USO President Germ&aacute;n Osman condemned the attack.

Colombian Oil Workers Union, USO, Reach New Agreement with Ecopetrol

Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, today, the Presidium of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine, and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM) gave its full support to a week-old boycott of Petro-Canada products in the North American country. The action by the governing board of the 20-million-member Global Union Federation is in support of 260 oil-refinery workers, members of Local 175 of Communications, Energy, Paperworkers (CEP) Union, who have been locked-out at a Petro-Canada refinery in Montr&eacute;al, Qu&eacute;bec, since 17 November 2007. 
 
In Montr&eacute;al on 28 October, the CEP, the Canadian Labour Congress, and the F&eacute;d&eacute;ration des travailleurs du Qu&eacute;bec, the major labour union federation in that province, announced a national boycott of all petroleum products produced by Petro-Canada. 

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&ldquo;We want people throughout the world to know that this once patriotic and state-owned oil company has turned on workers in its own country,&rdquo; stated ICEM President Senzeni Zokwana, also the President of the National Union of Mineworkers in South Africa. &ldquo;ICEM leaders will now return to their respective countries and tell workforces about this unjust lockout. We will also inform those travelling to Canada on the boycott, and urge them to refrain from purchasing anything with the name Petro-Canada.&rdquo; 
 
The energy company, which was fully privatised in 2004 by the government of Canada, locked out union members at the 130,000 barrels-per-day Montr&eacute;al refinery when they refused to accept work terms and conditions significantly inferior to those contained in the CEP&rsquo;s National Energy and Chemical Bargaining Pattern Agreement. Ironically, that collective bargaining pattern was set by Petro-Canada and CEP at an oil refinery in Edmonton, Alberta, earlier in 2007. 
 
The ICEM resolution endorsing the boycott states that the company has jeopardized the safety and community well-being of residents of Point-aux-Trembles, an east-end Montr&eacute;al residential area, by attempting to operate the refinery at reduced output using managers and outside replacement workers. Petro-Canada has been cited by a provincial labour court for violated Qu&eacute;bec&rsquo;s laws by using such workers. 

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ICEM Presidium members were vocal in their condemnation of Petro-Canada, as well as their support for the workers. 
 
&ldquo;Our union members have been aware of this lockout since November 2007,&rdquo; said Phil McNulty, National Officer for the Energy Sector of Unite the Union. &ldquo;Now we learn of the national boycott in Canada. Unite the Union will assure that all our members in the United Kingdom and Ireland are aware of this boycott, and we will encourage them to spread the message to honour it.&rdquo; 
 
Said ICEM Latin American/Caribbean Vice President Sergio Novais, a trade union leader in Brazil&rsquo;s National Federation of Chemical Workers (CNQ-CUT), added, &ldquo;The message we will deliver at home is that CEP members in Montr&eacute;al are standing strong and united after one year&rsquo;s time. We will communicate to our chemical workers across the country &ndash; and to Petrobras workers &ndash; that all of Canada is behind a boycott of Petro-Canada. We support that and encourage all Canadians to respect this call.&rdquo; 
 
The Geneva-based ICEM consists of 467 trade unions in 132 countries, and is the voice of oil, gas, and energy workers in both the upstream and downstream sectors.

ICEM Endorses North American Boycott of Petro-Canada Products

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ICEM Asya-Pasifik B&ouml;lgesi'nin &Ccedil;alışan Kadınlar Grubu 26 Ekim g&uuml;n&uuml; Endonezya'nın Cakarta kentinde toplanarak analığın korunması konusundaki &ccedil;alışmalarını s&uuml;rd&uuml;rd&uuml;. &Ccedil;alışma 2007 D&uuml;nya Kadın Konferansı'nda saptanan yedi konu &ccedil;er&ccedil;evesinde bir yıldır s&uuml;r&uuml;yor. 
 
Toplantıya Endonezya, Japonya, Hindistan, Tayland, Malezya ve Avustralya'daki ICEM &uuml;yesi &ouml;rg&uuml;tlerden kadınlar katıldı. Kadınlar maden, &ccedil;imento, kimya, cam, ila&ccedil; ve elektrik enerjisi gibi farklı işkollarından geliyorlardı. 
 
Gebe ve yeni anne olan kadınlar d&uuml;nyanın &ccedil;oğu &uuml;lkesinde h&acirc;l&acirc; ayırımcılığa uğruyorlar. K&uuml;resel mali kriz s&ouml;z konusu ayırımcılığı daha da keskinleştiriyor. 
 
Kadınların analığın korunmasına ya da analık haklarına duydukları ihtiya&ccedil; Asya-Pasifik B&ouml;lgesi'nde b&uuml;y&uuml;k farklılıklar g&ouml;steriyor. S&ouml;zgelimi Japonya ve Avustralya'da toplumların yaşlanması ve vasıflı işg&uuml;c&uuml; a&ccedil;ığından &ouml;t&uuml;r&uuml;, karar organlarındaki y&ouml;neticiler, &ccedil;&ouml;z&uuml;m&uuml;n kadınları doğurmaya teşvik etmekten ge&ccedil;tiğinin farkına varıyorlar. Başka &uuml;lkelerde ise kadınların hakları taşeronlaşma nedeniyle tehdit altında. 
B&ouml;lgedeki hi&ccedil;bir &uuml;lkenin onaylamamış olduğu Analığın Korunmasıyla Ilgili 183 nolu ILO S&ouml;zleşmesi'nin onaylanması i&ccedil;in kampanya d&uuml;zenlenmesi kararlaştırıldı. Bununla birlikte, bir&ccedil;ok sendika toplu s&ouml;zleşmeyle analığın korunmasını bir &ouml;l&ccedil;&uuml;de sağlamış bulunuyor. Bu &ccedil;abaların s&uuml;rmesi ve g&uuml;&ccedil;lendirilmesi gerekiyor.

ICEM&#039;in Asya-Pasifik Çalışan Kadın Grubu Analığın Korunması Çalışmalarını Sürdürüyor

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Asya-Pasifik Goodyear Lastik ve Kau&ccedil;uk İş&ccedil;ileri Ağı'nın d&ouml;rd&uuml;nc&uuml; b&ouml;lge toplantısı beş Asya &uuml;lkesinden 20 delegenin katılımıyla 28 Ekim g&uuml;n&uuml; Endonezya'nın Cakarta kentinde yapıldı. Ağın &ouml;nceki toplantıları 2005'te Manila'da (Filipinler), 2002'de Singapur'da ve 2000'de Kuala Lumpur'da (Malezya) yapılmıştı. 
 
Japon sendikasının başkanı Toshiaki Hojo toplantıda yaptığı konuşmada şunları vurguladı: &ldquo;B&ouml;lge ağımızın &ccedil;alışmalarının 2000'den bu yana s&uuml;r&uuml;yor olması, katılan sendikaların uluslararası dayanışma ve işbirliğine bağlılığını g&ouml;steriyor. Bu bizleri gelecek adına umutlandırıyor. &Ccedil;alışmalarımızın ICEM'in Goodyear K&uuml;resel Sendika Ağı'na paralel y&uuml;r&uuml;mesi &ccedil;ok &ouml;nemli.&rdquo; 
Hojo şirketin Asya-Pasifik Ağı'nın iş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliği konularında başarılı bir &ccedil;alışma y&uuml;r&uuml;tt&uuml;ğ&uuml;n&uuml; ekleyerek bu alanda daha fazla şey yapma s&ouml;z&uuml; verdi. 
<img height="257" src="" width="160" alt="" />
Toshiaki Hojo, GOMU-RENGO
Delegeler Goodyear K&uuml;resel ve Asya-Pasifik B&ouml;lge ağlarının ge&ccedil;miş faaliyetlerini değerlendirdiler. Toplantıya 25 &uuml;lkedeki 60 fabrikada 70.000 iş&ccedil;iyi istihdam eden Goodyear'ın mali durumu ve &ccedil;alışma ilişkileri konusunda ayrıntılı bir rapor sunuldu. Delegeler &ccedil;alışma toplantısında işyerlerindeki &uuml;cretler, &ccedil;alışma saatleri ve toplu s&ouml;zleşmelerle ilgili somut sayısal bilgiler verdiler. 
 
İş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliği konusunun ele alındığı oturumda ise ICEM Kimya ve Kau&ccedil;uk Sorumlusu Kemal &Ouml;zkan ge&ccedil;mişten bug&uuml;ne kadar olan gelişmeyi &ouml;zetledi. Daha sonra, iş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliğiyle ilgili somut sorunlar ele alındı ve bilgi alışverişinin &ouml;nemi vurgulandı. ICEM'in &ouml;zellikle sıcaklık limitleri ve g&uuml;venlik g&ouml;zl&uuml;kleriyle ilgili k&uuml;resel standartlar konusunda bilgi vermesi istendi. 
 
ICEM'in 2009 Kau&ccedil;uk İşkolu D&uuml;nya Konferansı ve gelecek yıl yapılacak diğer işkolu konferanslarının g&ouml;r&uuml;ş&uuml;lmesinden sonra, toplantıda kabul edilen eylem planı &ccedil;er&ccedil;evesinde, ortak &ouml;rg&uuml;tlenme &ccedil;alışmalarının artırılması, eğitim programlarına ağırlık verilmesi, elektronik ortamda d&uuml;zenli ve ayrıntılı bilgi alışverişi yapılması kararlaştırıldı. 
B&ouml;lge ağı toplantısında, ayrıca, şirketin haksız olarak işten &ccedil;ıkardığı Taylandlı ve Malezyalı arkadaşlarımızın işe iadesine y&ouml;nelik eylemin s&uuml;rd&uuml;r&uuml;lmesi konusunda &ouml;zel bir &ccedil;ağrı kabul edildi.

Asya-Pasifik Goodyear Kauçuk İşçileri Ağı&#039;nın Cakarta&#039;daki Dördüncü Toplantısı Sonuçlandı

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In this issue, we call on ICEM affiliates to get involved in activities on World AIDS Day which occurs on 1 December. We report on the engagement of women of ICEM German affiliate of the German IGBCE in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the situation of women in Asia, and the fight of women in Nepal for better HIV/AIDS services. 

 
The ICEM Calls on its Affiliates to Contribute to this e-bulletin 
 
ICEM affiliates are already engaged in a wide range of HIV/AIDS activities. To spread the information on new agreements, awareness, and prevention campaigns, and educational activities, affiliates and project coordinators are invited to send news and information to <a href="mailto:hiv.aids@icem.org">hiv.aids@icem.org</a>. Any feedback on the format and contents of the e-bulletin is also welcome. 
 
Editor: Hans J Schwass, ICEM Global HIV/AIDS Coordinator 
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World AIDS Day 2008, 1 December &ndash; Get Ready! 
 
The ICEM calls on its affiliates to take the lead in campaigning on World AIDS Day, 1 December 
 
The first of December marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. There is no time to celebrate. Since 1988, efforts made to respond to the epidemic have produced positive results, however the latest UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic (see e-bulletin 35/36, August/September <a href="/en/72-HIV-AIDS/2745-ICEM-HIV-AIDS-e-bulletin">here</a>) indicates that the epidemic is not yet over in any part of the world. 
 
Together with its partners, the World AIDS Campaign set this year&rsquo;s theme for World AIDS Day as &ldquo;Lead &ndash; Empower &ndash; Deliver,&rdquo; building on last year&rsquo;s theme of &ldquo;Take the Lead.&rdquo; Designating leadership as the overall theme for 2007 &ndash; 2008 provides an opportunity to highlight the political leadership needed to fulfil commitments &ndash; particularly the promise of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support by 2010. 
 
Unions can demonstrate leadership at every level &ndash; in the workplace, in their own governing bodies, in women&rsquo;s committees, in health and safety committees, in negotiations with companies, in the community and at the national policy level. 
 
Any union member, shop steward, union official, committee member, gender representative who takes action on HIV/AIDS is a leader in the fight against the deadly disease. 
 
(Source: UNAIDS press release, 27 October) 
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IGBCE Women&rsquo;s Conference 
 
The Women&rsquo;s Conference of the ICEM affiliate IGBCE (mining, chemicals, and energy) in Germany made a strong commitment to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS. 
 
Meeting in Hanover in early October, funds were collected at the conference for an HIV/AIDS project in Tanzania in partnership with ICEM affiliates TUICO and TAMICO, and the ICEM HIV/AIDS project. In numerous discussions with delegates, ICEM Women&rsquo;s Officer Carol Bruce and HIV/AIDS Coordinator Hans J Schwass explained the project in Tanzania which focuses on women and their stronger involvement in HIV/AIDS work, training as counsellors and advocacy for voluntary counselling and testing. 
 
Delegates will continue the appeal in their regional and local structures to raise the funds necessary to sustain the project in 2009 and 2010. 
 

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Global Fund Launches Round 9 
 
(For more details, see the ICEM HIV/AIDS special e-bulletin in October <a href="-Global-Fund-Calls-for-Round-9-Proposals">here</a>) 
 
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria launched Round 9 on 1 October, just seven months after the launch of Round 8. The proposal form and guidelines for Round 9 are substantially unchanged from Round 8. They are available in six languages at <a href="http://www.theglobalfund.org">www.theglobalfund.org</a>. 
 
Applicants must submit their Round 9 proposals by 21 January 2009. All proposals submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by the Global Fund Secretariat to ensure that they meet the Fund&rsquo;s eligibility criteria. Those that do meet the criteria will then be sent to the Technical Review Panel. The Global Fund Board will decide which proposals to approve at its meeting on 7-8 May 2009. 
 
In light of the fact that the Round 9 application form and procedures have hardly changed since Round 8, Aidspan has not updated its guides for applications which are accessible at <a href="http://www.aidspan.org/guides ">http://www.aidspan.org/guides </a>in English, French and Spanish. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer, GFO, Issue 96, 24 October 2008. The GFO is a free service of Aidspan <a href="http://www.aidspan.org">www.aidspan.org</a>, a Kenya-based NGO that serves as an independent watchdog of the Global Fund. To receive the GFO send an email to <a href="mailto:receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org">receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org</a>)
<img height="57" alt="" src="" width="40" />
Caribbean Needs to Increase Efforts against HIV/AIDS 
 
Increased efforts are needed to bolster HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment and education in the Caribbean, Karen Sealy, head of the UNAIDS Caribbean office, said recently. &ldquo;High-risk groups include commercial sex workers and men who have sex with men. An increase in HIV/AIDS cases is also being recorded among drug users,&rdquo; said Sealy, adding, &quot;We know that the spread of HIV in the Caribbean is in fact being fuelled by serious gaps in gender equality.&quot; 
 
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning said that &quot;one of the true successes&quot; of the country's efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS is the decrease in mother-to-child transmissions because of the no-cost antiretroviral drugs provided to all pregnant women who receive treatment at government clinics. Manning said that many of the people living with HIV/AIDS in Trinidad and Tobago are able to live &quot;a high quality of life&quot; because of the country's health care program but added that more work needs to be done to address the spread of HIV. 
 
The Caribbean has the second highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate worldwide, after sub-Saharan Africa. UNAIDS figures show that an estimated 230,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in the region and that 14,000 AIDS-related deaths were recorded last year. 
 
(Source: Medical News Today, 27 October, reprinted with kind permission from <a href="http://www.kaisernetwork.org">www.kaisernetwork.org</a>) 
 

<img height="57" alt="" src="" width="40" />
Assessment Missions to Botswana and Namibia 
 
In the last year of the project cycle, the ICEM conducts an internal assessment of the impact of the HIV/AIDS project at national level. In September, Project Management Assistant Paule Ndessomin went to Botswana and Namibia and met with national coordinators, peer educators trained by the programme and national NGOs. Visits of mining sites completed the mission. 
 
Overall the project had a very positive impact in both countries. Awareness has increased considerably. In Botswana, most large companies organised by ICEM affiliates such as Botswana Power Corporation, Botswana Copper and Nickel (BCL), and diamond miner Debswana have HIV/AIDS workplace policies. Affiliates have cooperated with BONELA, an NGO that deals with issues of ethics, legislation, and advocacy in the field of HIV/AIDS. 
 
Employment legislation stipulates that every employee who enters into a contract of employment shall be examined by a medical officer. As this section in the Employment Act stands, it may include pre-employment HIV testing. The Public Service Code, however, prohibits such testing. Another inhibiting factor is the fact that living on the proceeds of commercial sex is illegal thus making it difficult for sex workers to have access to medical care. 
 
In Namibia, ICEM&rsquo;s only affiliate, the Mineworkers&rsquo; Union of Namibia (MUN), has been engaged in HIV/AIDS activities for some time. Large mines such as R&ouml;ssing Uranium, which is two-thirds owned by mining giant Rio Tinto, have workplace policies in place and provide treatment and care. More recently, MUN has also been involved with the country&rsquo;s employer group, the Chamber of Mines. The Chamber&rsquo;s Occupational Health Education and Awareness Programme (OHEAP) is currently being evaluated in cooperation with the Labour Resource and Research Institute. 
 

<img height="57" alt="" src="" width="40" />
Women need empowerment in fight against AIDS 
 
Women must be more involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS and men must also be encouraged to respect women more. Nafis Sadik, U.N. special envoy for HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region, told a poverty alleviation conference in Beijing that lack of respect for women was helping drive the spread of the virus. 
 
&quot;Gender-based violence and discrimination on grounds of gender drive the HIV and AIDS epidemic among women. Empowerment of women - equipping them with self-esteem, the knowledge, and the ability to protect themselves &hellip; will be of critical importance in winning the battle,&quot; Sadik said. 
 
&quot;Women suffer doubly. First, from HIV and AIDS itself, and secondly from the stigma associated with the disease. Women are routinely blamed for infecting their husbands, though it is almost always the men who infect their wives,&quot; she said. 
 
In Asia, at least 75 million men regularly buy sex from about ten million female sex workers, she added. &quot;The results of male behaviour can be seen in changing patterns of infection. Today, about one-third of all people living with HIV in China are women, compared with one in ten in 1995,&quot; Sadik said. 
 
(Source: Reuters, 17 October) 
 

<img height="57" alt="" src="" width="40" />
HIV-positive Women in Nepal Call for Greater Assistance 
 
Nepal's HIV/AIDS policies and programs have failed to address the problems of women living with HIV/AIDS in the country, stated HIV-positive women of Shakti Milan Samaj, a social organisation working on behalf of women living with HIV/AIDS. 
 
The women also called on the government to guarantee access to no-cost treatment, care, resettlement, social security and jobs, as well as a special programme to help them maintain a living. They added that the government &quot;should make arrangements for free education to our children and announce legal action against all violence against us regarding it as a crime against the state.&quot; 
 
The women said that although the country has received significant funding for efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, the government still does not address the issues they face. Women in the country are vulnerable to HIV because of cultural and economic factors, as well as domestic violence. 
 
(Source: News Medical Net, 5 October with permission from <a href="http://kaisernetwork.org">kaisernetwork.org</a>) 
 

<img height="57" alt="" src="" width="40" />
How Obama and McCain Differed on HIV/AIDS 
 
With Barack Obama winning the US presidential election, it might be useful to look back to see how he and opponent John McCain compared on HIV/AIDS policy. For starters, they both fully support President Bush&rsquo;s PEPFAR programme, the President&rsquo;s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which was re-authorised with increased funding. 
 
While this is focused on the epidemic overseas, activists have criticised neglect of the US domestic epidemic. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 5% of the people living in Washington, DC, have the infection. That is a rate two-and-a-half times higher than in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world. 
 
Barack Obama calls for a more effective AIDS policy and says that studies have shown that the incidence of HIV and AIDS may have been undercounted. Obama&rsquo;s plan begins with his promise to sign universal health care legislation by the end of his first term as president. He wants to prevent HIV through sex education and by promoting HIV testing. The cornerstone of Obama&rsquo;s plan calls for a national HIV/AIDS strategy involving all federal agencies. 
 
While John McCain also called for a domestic plan, his main prescription to prevent HIV is abstinence programmes. For those with pre-existing conditions such as AIDS, he campaigned on a plan to establish &ldquo;guaranteed access plans&rdquo; for affordable insurance. His prescription for rising drug costs was to create greater competition among drug companies. The centrepiece of a McCain campaign blueprint is a US$2,500 tax credit for individuals to purchase health coverage of their choice. 
 
(Source: CBS News, from 14 October) 
 

<img height="57" alt="" src="" width="40" />
New Vigour in Fighting the Epidemic in South Africa 
 
AIDS organisations and activists welcomed the nomination of Barbara Hogan as new health minister of South Africa. Unlike her predecessor, Hogan has made it clear that the HI-Virus causes AIDS and that the only way to treat it is with anti-retroviral drugs. Hogan announced better access to such drugs and an expansion of the programme to fight mother to child transmission. 
<img height="57" alt="" src="" width="40" />
ICMM Launches Guide on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria 
 
The International Council on Mining and Metal (ICMM) launched its new guide, &ldquo;Good Practice Guidance on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria,&rdquo; in London on 15 October. Among the panellists was ICEM HIV/AIDS Coordinator Hans J Schwass who welcomed the initiative of the ICMM to publish this guide but criticised that very little reference is made to organised labour or workers&rsquo; organisations or unions as potential partners in the fight against the diseases. Schwass said, &ldquo;There is no reason not to collaborate on life and death issues with organisations with which companies are at times in dispute over pay and working conditions, especially when these organisations can add value to HIV/AIDS interventions. Of course, to cooperate with trade unions, means recognising them in the first place.&rdquo; 
 
The guide provides a systematic framework and practical advice on the management of the three diseases that will enable mining and metal operations worldwide to address key challenges, both among workers and neighbouring communities. 
 
The guide can be accessed at the ICMM website <a href="http://www.icmm.com">www.icmm.com</a>. 
<img height="57" alt="" src="" width="40" />
News from the Global Union Programme and Global Unions 
 
The Global Union AIDS Programme is planning a series of coordinating and capacity building workshops in sub-Saharan Africa, and is coordinating the union input in the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (ICASA), as well as the Global Fund Partnership Forum, both in Dakar, Senegal, in December. 
 
In its latest Newsletter on Education for All and HIV &amp; AIDS Prevention at Schools (EFAIDS) of 2 October, Education International reports on the launch of its programme in Nepal. It also addresses World AIDS Day. The EI EFAIDS programme has prepared an activity kit which teachers around the world can use to share knowledge and encourage discussion on HIV/AIDS issues in the campaign for World AIDS Day &ldquo;One Hour on AIDS&rdquo; &ndash; <a href="http://www.ei-ie.org/efaids">www.ei-ie.org/efaids</a>.

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin No. 37 November 2008

Turkish trade unions and Global Trade Federations (GUFs) joined together on 20 October in Istanbul to lend support to workers of subcontract transport companies providing services to Unilever of Turkey. The workers have been denied basic trade union rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining, and were fired when they attempted to exercise those rights. 
 
Unilever subcontracts shipping from its Turkish manufacturing operations throughout the country and the Middle East to two companies, &Ccedil;ipa and Şimşek. In 2007, when warehouse workers of the two companies began organising with the Turkish trade union T&Uuml;MTIS, an affiliate of London-based International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF), they were met with repression and victimization. 
 
Since April 2008, 87 workers &ndash; all of them union members &ndash; have been sacked.
<img height="255" alt="" src="" width="340" />
Unilever Warehouse Picket Line, 20 October
Three Turkish unions, T&Uuml;MTIS, ICEM affiliate PETROL-İş, and TEKGIGA- İş, an affiliate of the International Union of Food and Agricultural Workers (IUF), held a joint meeting on 20 October. That meeting produced a strong commitment to step up pressure against Unilever to get the Anglo-Dutch multinational to intervene and reinstate the workers. 
 
The three Turkish unions and the three GUFs also demand that Unilever order its delivery companies to recognise T&Uuml;MTIS and enter into bargaining with the union. 
 
The discharged workers did not receive redundancy pay when they were sacked. The workers are now are in their fifth month of daily picketing at &Ccedil;ipa and Şimşek. 
 
A local court decision did order reinstatement of the first group of workers who were fired, but the transport companies have refused to recognise the union, and even refused to meet with a joint Turkish trade union delegation to discuss the situation. 
 
To date, Unilever management itself has rejected any responsibility for the gross breaches of trade union rights.
<img height="180" alt="" src="" width="240" />
&nbsp;ICEM's Kemal Ozkan Speaks at Unilever Picket Line 
 

Following adoption of the statement in Istanbul, leaders of the three Turkish unions, together with representatives of the three GUFs, travelled 40 kilometres to a Unilever warehouse, where they joined the sacked workers in picketing the facility. 
 
ICEM, ITF, and IUF have promised to escalate pressure against Unilever so that its contract delivery companies comply with international labour standards.

Turkish Unions, 3 GUFs – ICEM, ITF, IUF – Pressure Unilever Over Contract Haulers’ Conduct

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ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin No. 37 November 2008

Turkish Unions, 3 GUFs – ICEM, ITF, IUF – Pressure Unilever Over Contract Haulers’ Conduct

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