English

Español

Français

Русский

Aerospace

Automotive

Base metals

Chemical, pharmaceutical and bio-science

Energy

Glass, cement, ceramic and associated industries

ICT, electrical and electronics

Mechanical Engineering

Mining and DGOJP

Pulp and paper

Rubber

Shipbuilding and shipbreaking

Textile, garment, shoes, leather and textile services

Sectors

Action on textile and garment industry

Clean up shipbreaking

Ratify ILO C176

United for a just future - time to pay up!

Disinvest from Myanmar

Action Plan 2021-2025

Global Framework Agreements

Union building

Women

Youth

White-collar workers

Health & safety

Industry 4.0

Just Transition

Organizing with industriALL

What we do

Affiliates

Statutes

Elected Officials

Executive Committee

Geneva head office

South East Asia

Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus

Latin America and the Caribbean

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

Regional offices

About us

Global worker No1 2022

Global worker No2 2022

Publications

Resources

Press

<img height="40" src="" width="100" alt="" />
After 18 months of negotiations and consultations, workers UK&rsquo;s ICEM affiliate Unite &ndash; the merged union of Amicus and Transport and General Workers Union &ndash; ratified a national agreement on behalf of 3,000 workers in the paper manufacturing industry. 
 
The new accord comes under a framework &ldquo;Partnership Agreement&rdquo; put in place earlier this year between the two unions and UK&rsquo;s GMB trade union, and the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI), an employers&rsquo; association of pulp, paper, and converting companies. 
 
&ldquo;I believe this new agreement raises the employment standards for workers in the paper manufacturing industry,&rdquo; said Unite (Amicus section) National Officer Peter Ellis. &ldquo;It reaffirms the commitment of Unite members and those conforming companies of the CPI Paper Sector to a modern and sustainable approach to good industrial relations, so necessary for the security of our members&rsquo; jobs in a stable business environment.&rdquo; 
<img height="203" src="" width="200" alt="" />
The agreement includes significant language regarding temporary and agency work, model information and consultation language, extra personal time, an expanded industry sick pay benefit, up to ten days&rsquo; pay for paternity leave, and up to five days&rsquo; bereavement leave pay. 
 
Unite, the CPI, and the UK&rsquo;s Department of Trade and Industry will formally launch the agreement in the days ahead as part of the new &ldquo;Partnership Agreement,&rdquo; which has as its motto, &ldquo;Work Together, Grow Together, Stay Together.&rdquo;

Paperworkers of UK’s Unite Ratify Partnership Accord with Industry Association

<img height="40" alt="" src="" width="100" />
The revamped ICEM International Nuclear Workers&rsquo; Unions Network (INWUN) held its annual meeting on 13-14 June, and some 26 nuclear workers&rsquo; union leaders from ten countries attended. The meeting were held at ICEM headquarters in Brussels. The meeting was the first nuclear network meeting since INWUN became an official ICEM network. 
 
David Shier of the Power Workers Union of Canada was elected as chairman of the network, and delegates also adopted an 11-point &ldquo;Terms of Reference&rdquo; for the network, which will stand as guidelines for the network. 
<img height="211" alt="" src="" width="380" />
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, ICEM Energy Industries Chairman Lars Myhre and David Shier, Chairman of the ICEM INWUN Network
Those include promoting solidarity and cooperation with trade union worldwide, as well as supporting a balanced energy generation policy across all jurisdictions. Objectives also include promotion of effective and thorough national regulatory procedures and practices in the nuclear industry, and seek to ensure that some eight nuclear regulatory agencies and governmental entities are kept informed of the viewpoints of unionised nuclear workers. 
Delegates to the 13-14 June meeting heard a presentation from Hans Riotte, head of Radiation Protection and Waste Management of the Nuclear Energy Agency, which is part of the OECD. They also had a lively exchange on nuclear safety programmes within the various countries represented. Work conditions in those countries were also debated. 
<img height="185" alt="" src="" width="380" />
They also heard a presentation on women in the nuclear industry. ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda and ICEM Energy Industries Chairman Lars Myhre of Norway&rsquo;s Industri Energi Union addressed the delegates. 
 
Countries from which trade unionists attended included: Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, and the UK.

ICEM’s Nuclear Workers’ Network Meets in Brussels

Today, 12 June, is the World Day Against Child Labour, as designated by the ILO. This year focus is the elimination of child labour in agriculture, and the ILO marks the occasion with an event at its International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. 
 
The ICEM, the Global Union Federation representing trade unions in the mining, energy, and process industry sectors, calls for the elimination of all child labour in all sectors. The ICEM calls attention to the great number of children who work in mining in many parts of the developing world. 
<img height="91" alt="" src="" width="100" />
It also cites a coal mine explosion in early February in G&aacute;meza, Boyac&aacute; state, Colombia, in which eight people were killed. One of the eight was a 13-year-old boy. 
 
The ICEM demands that all enterprises respect ILO Conventions 138 and 182 regarding child labour. The World Day Against Child Labour is observed throughout the world each year on 12 June. It serves as a catalyst to halt the growing demand for use of child labourers in all facets of work.

ICEM Calls for End to Child Labour

<img height="48" src="" width="120" alt="" />
ICEM&rsquo;s Chemical Workers&rsquo; Union affiliate in Finland, Kemianliitto, has taken exception to the recent sale by the Finnish government of its stake in Kemira GrowHow to a Norwegian concern. 
 
In a statement issued immediately following Finland&rsquo;s 24 May sale of its 30.05% stake in the phosphates and fertiliser company to Oslo-based Yara International ASA, Kemianliitto President Timo Vallittu said the sale sends the wrong kind of investment message concerning Finnish industry.
<img height="177" src="" width="180" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;With this decision to sell, it is very reasonable to ask why anybody would go on investing in Finnish industry when even the State abandons a holding of its own,&rdquo; said Valliuto. 
 
The union was not critical of the sale price, or of the buyer, and vowed to hold both the State and Yara to commitments made in the 24 May announcement that jobs in Finland would be retained and production enhanced. 
 
Yara paid &euro;12.12-per-share for the government&rsquo;s stake in Kemira GrowHow, or &euro;672 million. A Kemira stock market filing said Yara, which was spun off from Norsk Hydro in 2004, will continue business operations in Finland as usual and there would be no effects on personnel. The company would continue phosphate rock mining, phosphoric acid, and other production at Siilinjarvi and Uusikaupunki in Finland, and Yara would seriously consider opening phosphate production at the Sokli mine in Finnish Lapland. 
 
Yara is the world&rsquo;s largest producer of nitrogen-based fertilisers, while Kemira GrowHow is a leader in feed phosphates with production facilities in eight countries. Under Finland&rsquo;s Securities Market Act, Yara is now obligated to place tender offers for the remainder of Kemira GrowHow&rsquo;s shares at &euro;12.12-per-share, a 30% premium over the Finnish&rsquo;s firm&rsquo;s 23 May trading price. The merged company will control about 7% of the world&rsquo;s fertiliser market.

Finnish Union Kemianliitto Displeased with State’s Sale of Kemira GrowHow

<img height="48" src="" width="120" alt="" />
The ICEM, together with its Norwegian paperworkers&rsquo; union affiliate, Fellesforbundet, conducted its annual Norske Skog Global Framework Agreement review in Oslo on 21 May. The parties have been signatory to a Global Framework Agreement since June 2002, and the agreement was extended on 21 May for another two-year period. 
 
Chief among items discussed were proposals by the ICEM and Fellesforbundet for the agreement to incorporate the ILO&rsquo;s Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS, and to initiate a consultation process between the company and its trade unions prior to management at particular worksites engaging contract labourers or agency labour providers.
<img height="103" src="" width="120" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
Another request put before senior managers of Norske Skog by the unions was to drop a lawsuit brought by managers at the Tasman paper mill in New Zealand against ICEM affiliate Manufacturing and Construction Workers&rsquo; Union. Members of the union did stop-work actions after managers failed to fully consult with the union over cost-cutting measures concerning the elimination of back-up shifts. Such elimination presents serious safety concerns for workers. 
 
Norske Skog is reviewing that situation. The company has pledged to fulfil a section of the Global Agreement which states that employment in the company &ldquo;shall, as a main rule, be based on permanent employment. Temporary and part-time employees should as a main rule receive the same relative terms and conditions as full-time permanent employees.&rdquo;

ICEM Conducts Global Agreement Review Meeting with Norske Skog

<img height="48" src="" width="120" alt="" />
Arrests and injuries from police gun-fire haunt Democratic of Congo&rsquo;s (DRC) trade unions, as activists struggle to exert their rights in the war-torn but resource-rich African country. 
 
On 22 May, General Secretary Jean-Benoit Ntando of the ICEM affiliated mining and energy trade union, Organisation des Travailleurs Unis du Congo (OTUC), was arrested near Kinshasa. He was leading a demonstration of Foire Internationale de Kinshasa (FIKIN) workers and along with two other union leaders, was detained at a police detention centre in Limete, Kinshasa. 
 
The three were released two days later.
<img height="130" src="" width="280" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
 
The main reason for industrial action by the FIKIN workers&rsquo; was non-payment of salaries and other benefits, a persistent problem in the DRC. In spite of the many promises by the company, workers, as well as middle managers, suffer from non-payment of wages for up to 17 months. Trade unionists also were protesting against the abusive dismissal of co-workers, and the employer&rsquo;s failure to consult with the union on important decisions, as required by the company&rsquo;s statutes. 
 
In a memorandum addressed to the DRC&rsquo;s Minister of Portfolio, Jeannine Mabunda, on 22 May, the FIKIN trade union delegation called for the removal of the company&rsquo;s top-level management. 
 
The situation for the workers at the state-run diamond mine called Soci&eacute;t&eacute; Mini&egrave;re de Bakwanga (MIBA) near Mbuji-Mayi, in south-central Kasai-Oriental Province, also remains precarious. 
 
A strike there by some eight ICEM-affiliated mining unions over non-payment of wages began on 23 April, but was suspended four weeks later after a new interim management team was installed. Although the company did pay one month&rsquo;s back wages, the dispute regressed when MIBA used police force against workers. 
 
Ngandu Ntumba, a union leader of the ICEM-affiliated SYTRAME-CDT, disappeared for 48 hours into the hands of DRC&rsquo;s security forces, while another SYTRAME trade unionist named Tshimpaka was shot in the leg by police, and then was trampled by police forces as they rushed other protesters. This occurred in mid-May. 
 
The victim remains in a hospital in Bonzola in eastern DRC, after doctors removed a bullet from his left leg. But he is still without proper medical necessities. The ICEM is cooperating with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in order to get the necessary care and medicines to him.
<img height="105" src="" width="80" alt="" />
&nbsp;L&eacute;on Ngoy Bululu 

Also in the DRC, Vice President L&eacute;on Ngoy Bululu of the Solidarit&eacute; Syndicale des Travailleurs et Cadres du Congo, an affiliate of the International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF) was released from Makala prison in Kinshasa on 15 May. Bululu was arrested on 20 April following an appearance on local television, where he criticised the state-owned transport agency ONATRA. 
 
A hearing on 11 May had already acquitted him of all charges. Both ITF and ICEM had demanded his release.

Dangerous Times for Mining Union Activists in Congo

<img height="38" src="" width="30" alt="" />
Contents
1. Indonesia &ndash; ICEM A/P Women&rsquo;s Committee Meets 
2. South Africa &ndash; African Regional Women&rsquo;s Conference Meets in Johannesburg 
3. Egypt &ndash; Egypt Bans Female Circumcision 
4. Finland &ndash; The Gender Pay Gap Has Narrowed in Industry 
5. SEWA in India Pursues Solar Alternatives 
6. Kuwait &ndash; Women Are Not Allowed to Work at Night 
7. Sierra Leone &ndash; Domestic Violence Is Outlawed 
8. Thailand &ndash; New Anti-Rape Law Passed 
9. Uganda &ndash; Law Curbs Effects of Polygamy 
10. Uruguay &ndash; National Equal Opportunities Plan Is Launched 
 
11. Resources 
<img height="38" src="" width="30" alt="" />
1. Indonesia &ndash; ICEM A/P Women&rsquo;s Committee Meets 
 
The ICEM&rsquo;s Asia-Pacific Women&rsquo;s Committee met on 17 June in Jakarta, Indonesia, with the generous support of ICEM-JAF. ICEM welcomed three new affiliates from Indonesia, FARKES, KEP and KSBSI, and the many women that they organise. Most of the women at the meeting were from unions that organise the pharmaceuticals industries, reinforcing the trend that we have observed in the past. 
 
The Japanese delegation from UI Zensen, Karoken, Denryokusoren, Osaka Gas, and ICEM-JAF made a presentation on work-life balance. The Tokyo Electric Power Company, the company that generates 30% of electric power in Japan, set up diversity programme in 2006 in order to make the most of the diverse human resources in the company. The aim was to improve the working conditions and working environment in collaboration with management. on Gender Issues, ageing issues, handicapped issues, which should not keep people from working. This programme has meant that more women are retained. 
 
Women are entitled to six weeks before and eight weeks after childbirth at 100% pay. Childcare leave is possible, until the child turns 3. Pregnant women can have reduction of work time or workload, if they produce a doctor&rsquo;s certificate. 
 
More and more women are technicians and engineers, which involves work on top of power lines; working in radiation areas; or work underground, as well as supervising night work. With more women in these jobs, their needs are do get listened to. Currently, companies are cutting the workforce to cut costs, which often leads to longer work time for the workers who remain. Working long hours is not only a problem for work-life balance but also for heart disease and depression. Reducing working time is one major demand. 
 
In the Meiji Seika food and pharmaceuticals company, men also get full salary when they take childcare leave. Whatever is not paid by the government, is paid by the company. Men are also protected, so that both partners may have work-life balance. Not everyone is aware, however, of exactly what is provided. A lunchtime working group meets to advise those who may want to take advantage of the system. 
 
The three problem areas presented were getting agreement from the boss, getting back to work after leave, and getting agreement from colleagues. A guidebook has been published and distributed. Management organized a seminar for managers to acquaint them with the system, and then a joint committee was created. 
 
Karoken has produced case studies on maternity protection. Takeda Pharmaceuticals has four nursing rooms in four large Takeda sites. These are used for those women who are unable to take childcare leave because of their own work. 
 
Women must be included in committees involving working conditions, to help determine their own standards. There is a system for reducing work time (it can be reduced by one hour until the child starts primary school) but the salary is cut proportionately. Morning sickness leave is possible with 100% wage guarantee. 
 
Currently Takeda is recruiting more women. Flexibility in the system will likely lead to more men taking advantage of leave more often. 
 
Osaka Gas has set up a joint union-management committee on work-life balance made up of women and men. A booklet has been published to support work-life balance, especially regarding childcare. There is a support system for women returning from maternity leave. 
 
There must be contact between the worker and the employer during the leave, and women can be out on leave for three years. The father is also entitled to certain things. People on leave can have a PC loaned to them by the company with pertinent information so that they can work at home. 
 
In Japan, the Law to Support the Next Generation was passed to combat the ageing society and to encourage childbirth. The Welfare Labour Ministry provides certifications for action programmes, which cover children from the age of three until the start of primary school. The reduction of workload is also included. Working hours can be reduced until the child reaches third grade. The certification is granted to companies which reduce overtime, promote workers&rsquo; ability to take leave, and generally improve working conditions. 
 
In Japan, there is the problem in the reduction of permanent women&rsquo;s jobs. Young, male workers are also losing permanent jobs. Maternity issues &ndash; pregnancy, child delivery and childcare &ndash; are an obstacle to women working full time. If the company has a union, mothers can more easily continue to work after childbirth; small companies have a problem. Only 30% of mothers continue to work after childbirth in Japan. 
 
In conclusion, it was reaffirmed that maternity is a social function and must be seen as such. Maternity leave must be paid by social security. Women must get involved in politics and get politicians to improve laws, starting with ratifying ILO Convention 183 on Maternity Protection. 
 
Preparations continued for the Women&rsquo;s World Conference scheduled for 17-18 November 2007 in Bangkok, just prior to the ICEM Congress. The theme of the conference is Women &ndash; Work &ndash; 21st century. Burmese refugees and the Deputy Executive Director of the Thailand Government Pharmaceuticals Organisation (GPO) will speak to the conference. The first block will have peace as the theme and will contemplate Colombia, Nepal, Palestine, Iraq and Burma. Otherwise the conference will concern itself with employment issues, proposals for Congress and elections. Please Register for the Conference at your earliest convenience. 
 
The A/P women&rsquo;s committee proposed some amendments to the Congress motions on HIV/AIDS, contract and agency labour, and social dialogue. The Thai group proposed promoting a campaign on compulsory licensing. The reason is that housewives are the main focus of new HIV infections due to contamination from their husbands. But since they have less income than their husbands, they are less able to afford expensive drugs. Migrant workers, many of whom are women, also need more protection against HIV/AIDS. 
 
A Congress motion on women should indicate that ICEM strives for gender balance in all bodies. 
 
The committee elected, and the regional conference endorsed, the election of a woman from Thailand and a substitute from Japan to join the ICEM Executive Committee after the November 2007 Congress. 
<img height="38" src="" width="30" alt="" />
2. South Africa &ndash; African Regional Women&rsquo;s Conference Meets in Johannesburg 
 
The ICEM African Regional Women&rsquo;s Conference was held on 2 July in Johannesburg to prepare women&rsquo;s positions for the regional conference to be held the next day in Botswana, which followed by a few days. ICEM received sponsorship from a number of companies for the conference. 
 
In 2003, the women&rsquo;s conference set the main task of establishing the ICEM African women&rsquo;s committee. The goal was met. From now on, it will be a question of organizing activities to make real progress for African women in ICEM. 
 
ICEM has been running the shop steward development programme for some years now in Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania. This programme has a women&rsquo;s component. The women&rsquo;s programme creates awareness of women&rsquo;s issues to make sure that leadership is developed. Since women are not always in the leadership structure, their issues are not always addressed. Women&rsquo;s health issues are one area that is often neglected. 
 
Employers tendency is to think of workers as male. Pregnant women have particular issues, but all women&rsquo;s issues are also very diverse than just maternity issues; health issues also encompass menstruation and menopause. Unions should negotiate for rest areas at work so that women can rest on the job instead of staying home. Employers expect women to adapt to the workplace instead of the other way around. 
 
Women in mining is a major topic in Africa. Some legislation denies women the right to work underground, but mining is a well-paid job. Still women need protections. Women need to learn to challenge things, not only at the workplace but at all levels. Women must be able to participate actively. They should not take positions at all costs if they are not prepared; they have to be able to deliver. Ultimately women must come into the mainstream to make the union strong. Role models are important, since those starting out should be able to look up to women who do have experience. 
 
ICEM affiliate National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) presented a resolution on the gender dynamics in HIV/AIDS. Women need to be empowered to take control in terms of condom use. Women in marriage negotiate on condoms without success. We must explore how best women can take control. 
 
The meeting decided to focus on the following topics in the coming years: HIV/AIDS and women workers; health and safety; leadership skills; expansion of projects to other countries; accountability; and reporting/information sharing. The next step will be for the women&rsquo;s committee to draft a charter for working women in Africa. This work will entail examining national legislations, constitutions, terms and conditions at work, collective agreements and ILO conventions. 
 
The conference elected Baru Gaithoboge from the Botswana Diamond Sorters and Valuators&rsquo; Union to chair the women&rsquo;s committee, and Oluchi Okorie from NUPENG, Nigeria, as vice-chair. They will be the ICEM Executive Committee member and substitute, respectively.
<img height="38" src="" width="30" alt="" />
3. Egypt &ndash; Egypt Bans Female Circumcision 
 
In June, a ban on female circumcision was announced to outlaw the practice, also known as genital mutilation, in Egypt, a country where some 90% of Egyptian women are subjected to the practice. The decree says no professionals will be allowed to perform this operation any more, and violators will be punished. 
 
Female circumcision is a flagrant example of physical and psychological violence against girl children. Muslim and Christian authorities have stated that the practice has no basis either in the Koran or the Koran. Circumcision is seen by conservatives as a way to protect women&rsquo;s chastity. The practice is still common in many African countries.
<img height="38" src="" width="30" alt="" />
4. Finland &ndash; The Gender Pay Gap Has Narrowed in Industry 
 
 
In the fourth quarter of 2006, the average wages of women in Finnish industry were 85% than those of men. In the second quarter 2002, the corresponding figure was 80%.
<img height="38" src="" width="30" alt="" />
&nbsp;5. SEWA in India Pursues Solar Alternatives 

The SEWA Bank and the SEWA Academy, part of the Self-Employed Women&rsquo;s Association in India, promoted an energy park for women to make the most of solar energy and biogas. Solar power and bio gas are of tremendous use to the self-employed. Women street vendors can use solar powered lamps to continue selling into the night and boost their revenues. Midwives can use specially designed lamps to deliver in homes without electricity. Solar lamps in homes can help children study and achieve better in school. Garment workers use solar energy to run sewing machines. Women have installed smokeless stoves. In addition to helping the women earn better livelihoods, there is no pollution with solar energy. SEWA hopes women will adopt solar energy on a large scale.
<img height="38" src="" width="30" alt="" />
&nbsp;6. Kuwait &ndash; Women Are Not Allowed to Work at Night 
 
Gulf News reported that the Kuwaiti Parliament has banned women from working at night. The new law prohibits women from working between 8 pm and 7 am outside the medical profession. Nor are women allowed to work in jobs that &ldquo;break public morals and in all-men service places at any time.&rdquo;
<img height="38" src="" width="30" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
7. Sierra Leone &ndash; Domestic Violence Is Outlawed 
 
The parliament in Sierra Leone passed a law to ban all domestic violence, and to guarantee women&rsquo;s inheritance rights and the right to register customary marriages. The law greatly improves women&rsquo;s status, especially in rural areas. 
 
The police may now either mediate disputes or support women who decide to take action. The registration of customary marriages enables women to own property, and the inheritance law guarantees them access to the property they are entitled to when their husbands die, without interference from extended families. 
 
Women must be aware of their rights, and the rights must be enforced.
<img height="38" src="" width="30" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
8. Thailand &ndash; New Anti-Rape Law Passed 
 
Thailand&rsquo;s National Assembly passed a new law at the end of June which criminalizes marital rape. The new law carries a monetary penalty, and also possible imprisonment of up to 20 years. The definition of &ldquo;victim&rdquo; has also been expanded so that men can also file charges against women or other men. 
 
Gay rights activists applaud the law because they now see protection for gays, lesbians and cross-dressers who are often targeted violently. Nevertheless it will take time for rape victims to speak out freely. The justice system is still a barrier, and people will still be afraid for a long time of continued violence at the hands of their aggressors.
<img height="38" src="" width="30" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
9. Uganda &ndash; Law Curbs Effects of Polygamy 
 
A new law in Uganda has decriminalized adultery for women and men. In Uganda, polygamy for men is legal in &ldquo;customary&rdquo; marriages, and thus men&rsquo;s adultery is tolerated. Women&rsquo;s adultery is stigmatized. 
 
The new law has implications for divorce, which is heavily stigmatized. Divorces should be easier to obtain. Now women will be able to divorce husbands who bring the HIV/AIDS virus home. The law also contains provisions regarding inheritance and rights to a widow&rsquo;s children. Women rights are slowly gaining protections in the law.
<img height="38" src="" width="30" alt="" />
10. Uruguay &ndash; National Equal Opportunities Plan Is Launched 
 
In June, the government presented the plan to end gender discrimination in Uruguay where inequality persists between men and women in access to power and work. 
 
The plan aims to reverse inequality and combat discrimination by facilitating women&rsquo;s access to the labour market, reviewing legislation to eliminate discrimination, providing equal access to housing and the social security system. Research into unpaid work will be promoted &ndash; women spend 67% of their time on unpaid work and 33% on paid work, while with men it is just the opposite. 
 
The Vice-President of Uruguay admitted that in macho societies, women are still constrained in roles that have no place in today&rsquo;s world.
<img height="38" src="" width="30" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
11. Resources:
&nbsp; 
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions focuses on equal opportunities in the April issue of FOCUS available at: 
<a href="http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef0731.htm">http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef0731.htm</a> 
 
The British TUC reports on work-life balance news at <a href="http://www.tuc.org.uk/work_life/tuc-13468-f0.cfm ">http://www.tuc.org.uk/work_life/tuc-13468-f0.cfm </a> 
 
The second issue of the newsletter of the International Women and Mining Network is available at <a href="http://www.tuc.org.uk/work_life/tuc-13468-f0.cfm ">http://www.tuc.org.uk/work_life/tuc-13468-f0.cfm </a>e at&nbsp; 
 
The NEWSLETTER of the European Parliament Committee on women's rights and gender equality is available at: <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/comparl/femm/news/2007/20070620_newsletter_en.pdf ">http://www.europarl.europa.eu/comparl/femm/news/2007/20070620_newsletter_en.pdf 
</a> 
BRIDGE supports gender advocacy and mainstreaming effort by bridging the gaps between theory, policy and practice with accessible and diverse gender information in print and online. See <a href="http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk ">http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk </a> 
 
Information on Equality in Spanish at AmecoPress <a href="http://www.amecopress.net ">http://www.amecopress.net </a>

ICEM WOMEN&quot;S BULLETIN 24

<img height="55" alt="" src="" width="138" />
Justice was slow, but it finally came on 29 June when the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), multinational drug company Bayer AG, and the National Contact Point for Germany came to agreement on a longstanding case from the Philippines. 
 
With assistance from ICEM affiliate IGBCE and the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the agreement grants a trade union leader who was summarily fired in the year 2000 a hefty backpay package, with additional compensation. It also resolves a union dues issue for a chemical workers&rsquo; union that represents workers at Bayer&rsquo;s 600-worker factory in the Canlubang Industrial Estate, Calamba, Philippines.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<img height="88" alt="" src="" width="70" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<img height="52" alt="" src="" width="108" />&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Juanito Facundo, now 58 and once president of the plant-level union, and the union&rsquo;s treasurer were called into an office in 2000 and fired without notice. Facundo was an electrical engineer and a loyal employee for 30 years. Bayer Philippines said it was merely a matter of redundancy and restructuring, but the victims claimed it was for testifying against managers in an unfair labor practice case and for leading a lawful 1997 strike. 
 
The cases went before the National Labor Relations Commission but after several legal proceedings, the government dropped the complaints. In 2003, DGB picked up the matter and made it a labour rights case under the OECD&rsquo;s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
<img height="111" alt="" src="" width="180" />
&nbsp; 
After tireless work by DGB, Chairman Thomas de Win of the Bayer Works Council in Germany, TUAC, IGBCE, and the Manila office of the Friedrich Ebert Siftung (FES) Foundation, the German company, after visiting the Philippines to conduct its own investigation, came to written terms in late ending the long ordeal.

DGB Successfully Delivers OECD Justice in Bayer Case from the Philippines

<img height="55" src="" width="138" alt="" />
ICEM Argentine affiliate Sindicato Unico Trabajores del Neum&aacute;tico Argentina (SUTNA) wrapped up major tyre talks in the South American nation, but it didn&rsquo;t come easy.
While global tyre producers Pirelli and Bridgestone-Firestone came to terms early and conflict-free at their factories, FATE, a home-owned company which employs 1,200 workers at a factory near Buenos Aires, attempted to impose terms that undercut the gains made by SUTNA at the Italian and Japanese-based companies. 
 
Workers did not take industrial action, but they firmly and repeatedly rejected the inferior FATE contract offers. Finally, in late June, FATE presented SUTNA with terms that equal the Pirelli and Bridgestone-Firestone deals.
<img height="133" src="" width="200" alt="" />
SUTNA members at FATE&rsquo;s San Fernando factory won wage increases totalling 23.2% over the next year. With bonuses, including two front-end ratification payments, the package equals &ndash; and surpasses, in some areas &ndash; contracts for the 1,400 rubber workers at the bigger companies. 
 
SUTNA General Secretary Pedro Wasiejko pledged prior to last spring&rsquo;s national negotiations that no worker would earn less than 2,741 pesos, or &euro;600 per month. 
 
We have attained our goals, Wasiejko said, &ldquo;through transparent and democratic negotiations.&rdquo; He commended the unrelenting worker resolve at the tyre factory, and said holding the line against FATE was made possible by workers &ldquo;gathering in assemblies to freely and openly discuss&rdquo; the company&rsquo;s bargaining stands. He also said FATE workers conducted several democratic votes on many of the issues put forward by the company, votes that fostered unity.
<img height="180" src="" width="180" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
SUTNA&rsquo;s FATE workers won a 12% increase that is retroactive to April; they will get 6% in October 2007, 4% in February 2008, and another 1.23% in June 2008. SUTNA also won job advancements for 82 of the 1,200 workers, a major accomplishment. 
 
At Pirelli and Bridgestone-Firestone, SUTNA negotiated 10% increases in April, with 6.5% coming due in October 2007, 3.5% in March 2008, 2% in April 2008, and 1.23% in June 2008. 
 
The agreement was signed on 28 June, more two months after Pirelli and Bridgestone-Firestone came to terms.

SUTNA in Argentina Meets Goals in Talks with Last Major Rubber Company

<img height="55" src="" width="138" alt="" />
Some 2,400 oil refinery workers at Suncor Energy in Fort McMurray, Alberta, ratified a new three-year labour agreement on 4 July that preserves the National Energy and Chemicals Bargaining Pattern of the Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers (CEP) of Canada. 
 
The contract, achieved through hard talks, is considered key because Suncor operates the second largest oil-sands project in the booming energy industry of northern Alberta, a Canadian province in the west of the country. The agreement preserves the pattern established on 13 May when 300 CEP members of Local 501A ratified a pact at a Petro-Canada refinery near Edmonton, Alberta. Like nearly all Canadian oil refineries in the west, that 135,000 barrel-per-day facility is expanding to meet the need for increased processing capacity brought by the oil-sands crude.
<img height="90" src="" width="180" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
The labour agreement ratified by CEP Local 707 at Suncor&rsquo;s Fort McMurray refinery contains an increase retroactive to 1 February of 5%. It also includes the same retroactivity in a special 2% &ldquo;oil-sands supplement&rdquo; which brings the increase to 7%. Local 707&rsquo;s 2,400 members won a 6% increase for 2008, which includes a 1.5% supplement, and will see the same 6% tacked on to salaries in 2009. 
 
CEP Western Region Vice President Don MacNeil said the contract also includes local wage incentives and other adjustments. The CEP and Suncor will continue to negotiate over a delicate overtime issue; due to the oil-sands boom, refinery workers are forced to work excessive amounts of overtime due to a skilled labour shortage in the region. 
 
CEP Local 707 President Dave Drummond said the overtime issue is a major concern to the union, because it is having a detrimental effect on family life. He called the Suncor contract &ldquo;a fair deal&rdquo; that involved &ldquo;very tough bargaining,&rdquo; and said 73% of the local union&rsquo;s members voted to accept the agreement.
<img height="223" src="" width="220" alt="" />
In another oil refinery bargain that met the national pattern, CEP members at Federated Cooperative&rsquo;s Consumers&rsquo; Cooperative Refineries LTD in the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan voted on 10 July to accept the wage increases contained in the national energy pattern. The 500 CEP members did authorise a strike during the week of 2 July, but management then increased its offer. Consumers&rsquo; is a 100,000 barrel-per-day refinery that is undergoing a C$1 billion expansion. 
 
The CEP continues to negotiate the pattern established at Petro-Canada in Edmonton for some 7,000 other oil and chemical workers across Canada.

CEP Maintains National Energy Pattern in Canada with Sizeable Gains at Suncor Refinery

Archive

Paperworkers of UK’s Unite Ratify Partnership Accord with Industry Association

ICEM’s Nuclear Workers’ Network Meets in Brussels

ICEM Calls for End to Child Labour

Finnish Union Kemianliitto Displeased with State’s Sale of Kemira GrowHow

ICEM Conducts Global Agreement Review Meeting with Norske Skog

Dangerous Times for Mining Union Activists in Congo

ICEM WOMEN"S BULLETIN 24

DGB Successfully Delivers OECD Justice in Bayer Case from the Philippines

SUTNA in Argentina Meets Goals in Talks with Last Major Rubber Company

CEP Maintains National Energy Pattern in Canada with Sizeable Gains at Suncor Refinery

About IndustriALL

Follow us

Contact us