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13 May 2008 
 
Sung-joo Lee 
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea 
Avenue de l&rsquo;Ariana 1, CP 2 
CH-1211 Geneva 20 
Switzerland 
 
Transmitted to Fax Nos. 022 748 0001 and 031 356 2444, and e-mail mission.korea-rep@tie.itu.int 
 
Mr Sung-joo Lee: 
 
The International Chemical, Energy, Mine &amp; General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM), a Global Union Federation numbering 20 million workers, including tens of thousands in the Republic of Korea, writes to file sincere protest with the recent arrests and detentions of Torna Limbu and Abudus Sabur, the President and Vice President of the Migrants&rsquo; Trade Union (MTU) in your country. 
 
I urge you to convey to your government that such arrests and detentions are contrary to social conventions upheld by international organisations, such as the ILO. I also urge you to insist to your government that the Republic of Korea respect all human and trade union rights. 
 
Information received by the Geneva-based ICEM states that Torna Limbu was arrested in front of his office at 08h20 on 2 May 2008, and that one hour later, Abudus Sabur was also rounded up and arrested. We have received further information that the two are being held in Cheongju Detention Centre. 
 
It is very clear to the ICEM, and its 475 affiliates in 173 countries, that the two have been incarcerated because of their trade union activities, a clear violation of accepted international norms and standards. We call on you to insist that Korean authorities release the two and allow them to carry on their valuable trade union services to migrant workers. Migrant workers, like all other workers, deserve the respect and treatment afforded them under freedom of association, as enshrined in ILO Convention 87. 
 
Without further delay, I demand that the Republic of Korea release the President and Vice President of the MTU, and that your government ensures they are able to continue their legitimate work inside Korea on behalf of migrant workers. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
Manfred Warda 
General Secretary

ICEM Letter to Korea Over Detention, Expulsion of Migrant Workers&#039; Leaders

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
&nbsp;The ICEM has filed a stern protest with the Iranian government over its use of harsh and unnecessary force to break up a tyre strike at Kian Tyre, near Chahardangeh just west of Tehran. The police force occurred 12 April when troops smashed factory gates and climbed walls to get at strikers. 
 
Some 100 workers were brutalised with electric batons, and hauled off in police buses to incarceration, reportedly at Ahmad Abaad Mostofi police station. For the first 36 hours of detention, workers&rsquo; families had no news on those who were arrested.
<img height="129" alt="" src="" width="280" />
&nbsp; 
Eventually, most of the 100 were released conditionally, but only after police interrogated them to determine the strike&rsquo;s leaders. Reports say that at least ten are still being held, as are six firefighters who refused to disperse the strikers with hot-water cannons. 
 
Workers at the factory employing 1,200 took strike action on 9 April because of non-payment of wages. They had not been paid since autumn 2007, with the exception of one month&rsquo;s pay plus a US$120 New Year&rsquo;s bonus. 
 
Kian Tyre was established in 1958 as a joint venture with the American company B.F. Goodrich. In 1979, the enterprise became part of state-owned National Iranian Industries, and in 1994 it was sold to private Iranian owners. The plant had previously gone under the name Alborz Tire Mfg. Co.

ICEM Protests Iran’s Brutal Use of Force to Break Up Tyre Strike

<img height="39" src="" width="100" alt="" />
Following a precedent-setting master labour agreement achieved last year between ICEM affiliate United Steelworkers (USW) and International Paper Co. covering workers at 14 US pulp and paper mills, 2,800 USW members at paper converting plants of the US-based firm ratified a similar four-year agreement late in April.
&quot;Never before have we had a single agreement covering so many converter locations,&quot; said USW President Leo Gerard. Added USW Vice President Jon Geenen, who heads the union's paper industry bargaining, &quot;Our members' ratification of this new master agreement is an indicator of the qaulity of the agreement and a sign of progress in our relationship with International Paper.&quot;
<img height="140" src="" width="120" alt="" />
USW President Leo Gerard
The agreement covers workers at 32 paper converting facilities in 18 US states.
Wages will increase 8% over the term, and the pension scheme will see increases throughout the contract's four years. The new agreement contains a successorship clause, a vital contractual measure that ensures that if the company sells any one facility, the new owner must, as part of the sale agreement, retain all workers, recognise the USW as bargaining representative, and honour the collective agreement.
<img height="143" src="" width="140" alt="" />
Also contained in the master pact is a pledge by International Paper that it will not change the medical insurance plan, unless the union agrees to it. Local issues and non-economic bargaining will continue to be handled at local branch level bargaining tables, and local unions will still retain their own contract expiration dates.
Separately, in another matter involving International paper in the US, an explosion at a company pulp and paper mill in the state of Mississippi killed one contract worker, and seriously injured four others. A total of 17 contract workers were injured in the 3 May blast of a recovery boiler at the company's Vicksburg mill. The explostion occurred when a boiler inside the pulp mill was restarted following a maintenance shutdown.
&nbsp;

USW’s Converting Workers at International Paper Ratify Master Contract

<img height="39" src="" width="100" alt="" />
Last week proved to be a deadly for South African mining company Gold Fields Ltd. Fourteen miners were killed, including nine on 1 May at the firm&rsquo;s South Deep Mine near Randfontein, in the northeast province of Gauteng. 
 
Those nine were killed in an inexcusable safety breach that saw a chain attached to an elevator cage snap, causing death when the cage plummeted 60 metres inside a mine shaft. Eight of the nine were contract workers, including one woman. Those eight were employed by the subcontracting firm, Murray and Roberts.
<img height="120" src="" width="120" alt="" />
Two days earlier, on 29 April, three miners were killed and one seriously injured, this time inside another shaft of the South Deep complex. They were killed and injured by a rock fall caused by a seismic event. Also on a same day, a driller&rsquo;s assistant employed by Gold Fields was killed at the Twin Shafts mine from a rock slide. 
 
The week&rsquo;s spate of accidents caused South Africa&rsquo;s second largest gold producer to suspend mining operations in the country, a move mandated by the Department of Energy and Minerals in order to secure a full review of safety procedures. 
 
National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) General Secretary Frans Baleni said branch unions at Gold Fields will observe a full day of mourning over the tragedies. NUM Regional Chairperson Thamsanqa Joko said the company is not doing enough to protect workers. &ldquo;We feel that more should have been done to improve safety conditions,&rdquo; he said in a South African newspaper.
<img height="199" src="" width="140" alt="" />
&nbsp;NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni 
 

And the country&rsquo;s Minister of Minerals and Energy, Buyelwa Sonjica, who met with NUM leaders and management at South Deep following the elevator collapse, was sharp with her criticism of the company. &ldquo;I see it as gross negligence, which can only be due to lack of maintenance.&rdquo; She called it &ldquo;inexcusable&rdquo; and promised those responsible will be held accountable, even if it means prosecution. 
 
Following the near tragedy of 3,200 miners who were trapped at Harmony Gold&rsquo;s Elandsrand Mine last October, the South Africa government ordered a full safety audit of all the country&rsquo;s mines. That audit is expected to be complete by the end of May 2008.

14 Killed in Gold Fields’ South African Mines Last Week

German and French unions are teaming up to block the hostile takeover of German-French pharmaceutical Aventis by French rival Sanofi-Synthelabo. Hubertus Schmoldt, president of German IGBCE and Patrick Pierron, general secretary of the French union FCE-CFDT, oppose the hostile takeover. They fear massive job cuts in both countries will result, and jointly expressed disdain over how the takeover was set up. &ldquo;A hostile takeover such as this is counter-production to the stock market. There are hardly any winners with such actions, but certainly plenty of losers,&rdquo; the two unions said.

French, German Unions Resist Aventis, Sanofi Chemical Merger

The framework accord reached in May between South African affiliate NUM and Harmony Gold Mining Ltd. Was broke last week when the firm refused to budge on its initial stand of sacking 5,000 workers at six mine shafts. &ldquo;Clearly, Harmony is not interested in savings jobs but wishes to wait out the situation by mothballing shafts until the price of gold improves,&rdquo; said NUM Gen. Sec. Gwede Mantashe. &ldquo;Their emphasis is more on cost-cutting and efficiency improvement, going against the framework we developed on jobs.&rdquo; The union has declared a dispute with Harmony through a formal letter to the company and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration

NUM marches over Job Retrenchments in South Africa

The framework accord reached in May between South African affiliate NUM and Harmony Gold Mining Ltd. was broken last week when the firm refused to budge on its initial stand of sacking 5,000 workers at six mine shafts. &ldquo;Clearly, Harmony is not interested in saving jobs but wishes to wait out the situation by mothballing shafts until the price of gold improves,&rdquo; said NUM Gen. Sec. Gwede Mantashe. &ldquo;Their emphasis is more on cost-cutting and efficiency improvement, going against the framework we developed on saving jobs.&rdquo; The union has declared a dispute with Harmony through a formal letter to the company and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

Harmony Gold Breaches Agreement with NUM in South Africa

Also in Nigeria, a day-long &ldquo;warning strike&rdquo; 22 June by NUPENG and PENGASSAN against Shell Petroleum Development Co. was conducted at worksites in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Warri. The action was taken over a document produced by Shell stating that the firm intends to cut between 30-40% of its 5,000-member workforce in Nigeria.

Warning Strike Launched at Shell in Nigeria

Protest actions began today by ICEM&rsquo;s two Nigerian affiliates, NUPENG and PENGASSAN, aimed at forcing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. to upgrade four oil refineries. Following a 24 June joint emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the two unions, a five-point communiqu&eacute; was issued to the government to revitalize the refineries in order that petrol prices in Nigeria be stabilized. The unions gave the government a 21-day ultimatum beginning today; otherwise a national strike of the refineries will be called.

Nigerian Oil Affiliates Seek Upgrades to Refineries

German affiliate IGBCE is calling on both the European Commission and the social partners in Germany to take action to strengthen the industrial policy of European nations. The union is seeking a joint approach including unions, governments and companies working together to achieve such a policy.

German Affiliate IGBCE Seeks Stronger Industrial Plan in Europe

Archive

ICEM Letter to Korea Over Detention, Expulsion of Migrant Workers' Leaders

ICEM Protests Iran’s Brutal Use of Force to Break Up Tyre Strike

USW’s Converting Workers at International Paper Ratify Master Contract

14 Killed in Gold Fields’ South African Mines Last Week

French, German Unions Resist Aventis, Sanofi Chemical Merger

NUM marches over Job Retrenchments in South Africa

Harmony Gold Breaches Agreement with NUM in South Africa

Warning Strike Launched at Shell in Nigeria

Nigerian Oil Affiliates Seek Upgrades to Refineries

German Affiliate IGBCE Seeks Stronger Industrial Plan in Europe

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