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The ICEM&rsquo;s Contract and Agency Labour (CAL) Regional Seminar for Sub-Saharan Africa took place in Accra, Ghana, on 8-9 November. The seminar brought together ICEM affiliates from Senegal, Guinea, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Nigeria, Mauritius, Ghana, and Togo to discuss CAL developments in their countries. 
 
Representatives from SASK, the international arm of the Finnish national labour centre, which supports the Sub-Saharan Africa CAL project, and the ICEM CAL global and African coordinators also participated in the seminar. 
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Joseph Toe, CAL Sub-Saharan Africa Project Coordinator, at the Ghana seminar
Affiliates exchanged information on what steps they had taken in respect to their specific action plans developed during previous workshops. Many participants reported that dealing with the issue of short-term contract work or agency labour was becoming more and more challenging. This was the case expressed by those coming from Nigeria, where management attitudes are increasingly favouring the use of precarious employment. 
 
Although unions in Nigeria have been demanding that remuneration of contract staff should be determined by the industry in which the contract operates, so that workers receive equal pay for equal work, they have not managed to achieve this yet. 
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Matti Koskinen, from the Finnish Union of Salaried Employees, Toimihenkil&ouml;unioni (TU), made a presentation on how CAL is dealt with in Finland, and said that collective agreements mostly regulate the use of short-term labour. Matti also drew attention to the European Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation&rsquo;s second common demand for more secure employment, against precarious work. Joseph Toe, the Sub-Saharan Africa CAL Project Coordinator, presented a paper on membership recruitment, which participants said would prove to be very helpful in their CAL organising campaigns. 
 
Looking to the future, affiliates proposed that they should concentrate more on collecting facts and figures relating to CAL, and that they should prioritise the organising of CAL workers. Affiliates also suggested that dedicated funds should be raised for CAL workers, and that there should be more capacity building for dealing with CAL workers.

Africa Regional CAL Seminar Takes Place in Ghana

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The ICEM held, as part of its ongoing series of national and international events, discussions on Contract and Agency Labour (CAL, known as &ldquo;tercerizaci&oacute;n&rdquo; in Latin America), at an international conference in Montevideo, Uruguay, on 16-17 November 2010. Participants at this CAL campaign event, sponsored by Swedish LO/TCO and LO Norway, came from Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and ICEM headquarters. 
 
Judging by participants&rsquo; accounts, the problem of outsourcing and precarious labour seems to be at least as widespread in Latin America as it is in other parts of the world. It was said, for example, that it is not uncommon for up to 40-50% of the formal workforce in these countries to work for subcontracting companies, with outsourced workers often doing exactly the same work as permanent staff, but for a much lower salary. 
 
That said, in nearly all countries in the region there also were - in addition to a large number of bad practice examples - encouraging stories on how different unions successfully managed to deal with part of the problem. 
 
In the host country Uruguay, for example, some unions now have CAL workers as board members and, in the paper sector at least, most outsourced workers are union members. On the other hand, the country is also known for its omnipresent &ldquo;use&rdquo; of cooperatives, which seems to be a means in Uruguay to avoid unionisation. 
 
These cooperatives, which were said to employ great numbers of workers, very often are small, worker-owned and independent enterprises that cater to other, larger enterprises. As such, they have become part of the subcontracting chain and it is not unusual for an entire department of a company to be turned into an &ldquo;independent cooperative.&rdquo; 
<img alt="" src="" width="113" height="110" />&nbsp;&nbsp; <img alt="" src="" width="101" height="110" /> 
 
ICEM Latin American CAL Project Coordinators Rosane Sasse and Elias Pintado
During the last few years, Uruguay has adopted two new laws on temporary employment. The most recent one, adopted in 2007, introduces the idea of co-responsibility in case something goes wrong when workers are in a triangular relationship (i.e., when working for a &ldquo;third&rdquo; company, which is not the &ldquo;user-enterprise&rdquo;). 
 
This co-responsibility, which was mentioned by trade unionists from various countries as a key item, makes sure that workers can claim their salary, benefits, and/or social security from the user-enterprise in case &ldquo;their real employer&rdquo; fails to pay, or, as is fairly common, simply disappears. 
 
An interesting presentation was made by ICEM Project Coordinator Patricio Sambonino on the contract and agency labour situation in his home nation, Ecuador, a country where the government in 2008 adopted a new law that bans &ldquo;tercerizaci&oacute;n.&rdquo; 
 
According to a 2010 FES-ICEM research effort that looked into the effects of this new law, the success of the recent ban on outsourcing (the key point of the new law, which still allows exceptions for such jobs as catering, cleaning, security) has been mixed. Among the problems found by the FES-ICEM research was that workers that had to be rehired by the user-enterprise started at a lower salary than those that already had or have permanent jobs. Most workers also did not get lost rights, such as seniority or a decent pension. It was further pointed out that some companies have in the meantime found new ways of outsourcing.
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ICEM Project Coordinator Patricio Sambonino 
In the Ecuadorian mining sector, the level of informal work appears to be so high that the new law has not been able to make a difference. The study described the use of cooperatives in mining and in many cases, cooperatives are, in fact, just another form of bogus self-employment. In the oil sector, the new law has not brought the hoped for progress for workers. In the electricity sector in Ecuador, on the other hand, unions are very happy with the new law and the protection it brings, since many more workers now have direct and permanent contracts. 
 
In total, over 200,000 Ecuadorian workers have been made permanent since 2008. This must be qualified by stating that in many cases, the permanent status is only for one year, after which workers were dismissed again. This is the case for many oil workers. Still, a lot of workers were able to join the social security system for the first time and a few thousand &ldquo;subcontracting&rdquo; companies have closed their doors. 
 
Another important point is that, even though it was &ldquo;predicted&rdquo; by those opposed to the law, none of the major investors left the country as a result of the ban. Unions in Ecuador, who were not involved in the drafting of the law at the time, are now looking to dispel the negative consequences of what is, essentially, an excellent improvement for workers. 
 
Also noted is the fact that multinational companies in Ecuador seem to have accepted the new law much easier than most national companies. Reportedly, multinational companies were faster to calculate that the changes would not bring extra costs, and if any, certainly not in comparison to their total turnover.
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Participants at the Montevideo Seminar 
An interesting &ldquo;best practice&rdquo; example was provided by the representatives of Argentinean ICEM affiliate FASPyGP, the Federaci&oacute;n Argentina Sindical del Petr&oacute;leo, Gas y Biocombustibles. 
 
In each of their sectors (oilfields, oil refineries, and gas) good sectoral collective agreements exist. And each of these sectoral agreements also fully covers all outsourced workers. The result is that, even though the outsourcing rate is around 60%, all workers - CAL or not - receive the same salaries and the same benefits for equal work of equal value. 
 
Participants at the meeting in Uruguay were also informed about proposed legislation that is currently being prepared in Brazil by one of the national labour centres, CUT. If and when adopted, this proposal would strengthen earlier laws that deal with Contract and Agency Labour, which now already foresees co-responsibility in triangular work relationships. 
 
The new law would introduce, among other items, a ban on outsourcing core jobs, a strengthening of the co-responsibility, language to make sure that the union at the actual workplace can also represent the CAL workers, equal pay for equal work, and an obligation to inform unions in advance of any outsourcing plans. 
 
Finally, also mentioned at the seminar was a study by the Brazilian ICEM affiliate FUP, which showed that it would - all things considered - actually be cheaper for state-owned oil giant Petrobras to turn all its outsourced workers into direct workers. Knowing that, there still is a long way to go for Petrobras, as the company employs just over 70,000 direct employees, with almost 250,000 outsourced staff working on its assets.

Precarious Work Mounts in Latin America … But So Do Union Actions to Counter It

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The Finnish Parliament, in an interpellation or action to proceed to a motion of confidence over the government, voted on 19 November to challenge the government more vehemently on measures to ensure full-time, permanent work. Lawmakers from all political parties, left to right, voted 105 to 67 to challenge the government&rsquo;s job creation policies in a no confidence ballot aimed at stemming the grey economy. 
 
The vote was highly significant since it did garner cross-party support and was met with little employer opposition. It also sets the stage for better and more worker-friendly amendments next year to the Finnish law on the Contractor&rsquo;s Obligations and Liability when Work is Contracted Out. 
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The interpellation, initiated by Left Alliance Leader Paavo Arhinm&auml;ki, was supported by many parliamentarians of Finland&rsquo;s centre-right ruling government, and very likely will lead to legislation that goes beyond the requirements of the European Union&rsquo;s Directive on Temporary Agency Work. As well, any new legislation in Finland would likely limit the employers&rsquo; use of fixed-term contracts and prohibit employers from repeatedly using temporary workers when their need is a permanent workforce. 
 
One trade union leader in the country said lack of business resistance to the interpellation vote is a clear signal that employers realize productivity is better and Finnish society as a whole benefits when full-time employment is the norm. 
 
Last month&rsquo;s interpellation vote was preceded by the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) publishing a list of 25 proposals that should be contained in legislation to stifle the grey economy. One such proposal would give more power to the country&rsquo;s trade unions to enforce, through courts and other venues, nefarious work practices.

Broad Political Support in Finland to Erase Precarious Worker Abuse

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Ge&ccedil;en hafta İstanbul'da yapılan Kimya Sekt&ouml;r Konferansı'nı a&ccedil;an ICEM Kimya İşkolları Başkanı Tomas Nieber k&uuml;resel kriz nedeniyle d&uuml;zenleyici kuralların ve standartların artırılması &ccedil;ağrısında bulundu. ICEM &uuml;yesi IGBCE'nin Ekonomi B&ouml;l&uuml;m&uuml; başkanı olan ve yeniden ICEM'in kimya ve ila&ccedil; sekt&ouml;r başkanı se&ccedil;ilen Nieber, sekt&ouml;r&uuml;n 2010'da hafif bir toparlanma g&ouml;sterdiğini, politikacıların ve h&uuml;k&uuml;metlerin krize yol a&ccedil;an eski politikalara d&ouml;nmemesi gerektiğini s&ouml;yledi. 
 
27-28 Ekim g&uuml;nlerinde İstanbul'da yapılan ICEM'in kimya konferansına 40 &uuml;lkeden 250 delege katıldı. Konferansın evsahipliğini T&uuml;rkiye'deki petrol, kimya ve lastik iş&ccedil;ilerinin sendikası Petrol-İş yaptı. 
<img alt="" src="" width="218" height="163" />
Petrol-İş Genel Başkanı Mustafa &Ouml;ztaşkın
Nieber k&uuml;resel kriz nedeniyle d&uuml;nya &ouml;l&ccedil;eğinde istihdamda 34 milyon kayıp olduğu s&ouml;yledi ve -akaryakıt fiyatındaki artış ve her iki sekt&ouml;rde s&uuml;rd&uuml;r&uuml;lebilir politikalar uygulama zorunluluğu gibi- sekt&ouml;r&uuml;n karşı karşı bulunduğu zorlukları vurguladı. 
 
Nieber, &ldquo;Sendikalar olarak d&uuml;zenlemelerin artırılmasını talep etmeliyiz&rdquo; dedi. 
 
Petrol-İş Genel Başkanı Mustafa &Ouml;ztaşkın delegelere hoşgeldiniz dedikten sonra, &uuml;lkesinde sendikaları etkisizleştirme politikaları uygulandığını vurguladı. &ldquo;Sendikal hak ve &ouml;zg&uuml;rl&uuml;klerle ilgili uluslararası s&ouml;zleşmeler sistemli olarak ihlal ediliyor&rdquo; diyen &Ouml;ztaşkın ş&ouml;yle devam etti: &ldquo;&Uuml;lkemizde sendikal faaliyeti d&uuml;zenleyen mevzuat baskıcı ve yasak&ccedil;ı &ouml;z&uuml;n&uuml; koruyor.&rdquo; 
<img alt="" src="" width="220" height="135" />
Konferansa Japonya'dan 27 delege katıldı
&Ouml;ztaşkın, referandumla kabul edilen son anayasa değişikliklerinin aslında sendikal hakları bir&ccedil;ok y&ouml;nden geriye g&ouml;t&uuml;rd&uuml;ğ&uuml;n&uuml; belirtti. Petrol-İş başkanı, T&uuml;rkiye'nin kimya &uuml;retiminde d&uuml;nyadaki ilk on &uuml;lke arasında yer almasına rağmen, yıllardır s&uuml;ren &ouml;zelleştirmenin istihdamı y&uuml;zde 60-70 d&uuml;ş&uuml;rd&uuml;ğ&uuml;n&uuml;, sendikasız ve g&uuml;vencesiz işg&uuml;c&uuml;n&uuml;n kural haline geldiğini s&ouml;yledi. Ayrıca, T&uuml;rkiye'de sendikaların sosyal sorumluluk standartları, atık y&ouml;netimi, iş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliği standartları ve temiz teknoloji alanlarında &ouml;nc&uuml;l&uuml;k yapmaya başladığını vurguladı. 
 
Konferansta iki g&uuml;n boyunca altı panel yapıldı. Bunlardan biri &ldquo;&Ccedil;alışma İlişkileri, Sosyal Diyalog ve Sosyal Sorumluluk&rdquo; &uuml;zerineydi. Bu panele şu kişiler katıldı: Uluslararası Kimya İşverenlerinin &Ccedil;alışma İlişkileri Komitesi Genel Sekreteri Lutz Mugl, Rhodia Kimya Başkanı Bernard Chambon, Umicore İnsan Kaynakları ve Gelişme M&uuml;d&uuml;r&uuml; Mark Dolfyn ve ICEM Kimya İşkolu Sorumlusu Kemal &Ouml;zkan ile eski IGBCE Başkanı ve EMCEF Başkanı Hubertus Schmoldt. 
<img alt="" src="" width="215" height="161" />
Rusya Kimya İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası heyetinin başında Başkan Alexander Sitnov, sağda, vardı
Konferans &ouml;n&uuml;m&uuml;zdeki d&ouml;rt yıllık d&ouml;neme ilişkin 11 maddelik bir eylem planının kabul&uuml;yle sona erdi. Eylem/&ccedil;alışma planına <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/Chems%20Conf%20ActionPlan%20TURK%20.pdf">buradan</a> ulaşılabilir. 
<img alt="" src="" width="219" height="164" />
Irak Petrol Sendikaları Federasyonu'ndan (GFIW) Hasan Cuma Avad Sdave &ldquo;K&uuml;resel Sendikal G&uuml;&ccedil; ve Dayanışma&rdquo; konulu panelde konuştu
Kimya Konferansı, ayrıca, kemer sıkma politikalarına ve &ouml;nlemlerine karşı greve giden Fransa, Romanya ve diğer Avrupa &uuml;lkelerindeki sendikaları destekleyen bir kararı onayladı. Bu karar &ouml;nce 26 Ekim'de yine İstanbul'da toplanan ICEM Presidyumu (Başkanlar Kurulu) tarafından kabul edildi.

Rekor katılımlı ICEM Kimya Konferansı sonuçlandı

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The ICEM this month began a search for qualified candidates to assume the duties of Mining/Diamond, Gems, Ornaments, and Jewelry Production Officer. The vacancy was created when Joe Drexler decided to leave the ICEM to resume his duties with the United Steelworkers in North America. 
 
The position will be based in Geneva. The successful candidate must have fluent written and spoken English language skills, as well as IT skills. The Mining/DGOJP position at ICEM offers an excellent salary and level of benefits. 
 
Candidates must send full details of their background in a cover letter in English, along with a CV to General Secretary Manfred Warda and ICEM&rsquo;s Finance and Administration Officer Marie-France Sarfati <a href="mailto:marie-france.sarfati@icem.org">here</a>, (or to fax no. +41 22 304 1841) by 15 February 2011. 
 
The letter of job posting can be found <a href="/index.php?id=5&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=4203">here</a>, and a job description for the position in English can be found <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/Job%20description%20mining%20and%20DGJOP%20Officer.pdf">here</a>.

ICEM Seeks Mining Officer Based in Geneva

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RadioLabour broadcasts a daily round-up of news in the global labour movement. Now the daily broadcast is accessible from the ICEM website. 
 
The Solidarity News shows are five minutes long Monday to Thursday, and the Friday show is ten minutes long and summarizes the news of the week. 
<img src="" width="174" height="24" alt="" />
RadioLabour's news programmes are presented by international labour educator, Marc B&eacute;langer, and broadcaster, Irma Arkus. 
 
RadioLabour is also accessible via its <a href="http://www.radiolabour.net">website</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/radiolabour">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://RL-5.net">mobile phones</a>, <a href="http://www.radiolabour.net/itunes-instructs.html">iTunes</a>, UnionBook and Twitter. 
 
The ICEM is proud to provide access to this important labour communications tool.

Access RadioLabour’s Daily Broadcasts on ICEM’s Homepage

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Unit chapel leaders at some 50 corrugated paper operations in the UK, representing some 2,500 Unite the Union members, recently recommended acceptance of a 2010 pay package. Paperworkers represented by both Unite and GMB will now vote in the coming weeks on a pay accord that was agreed to with Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) in mid-December. 
 
The CPI, representing major corrugated boxboard and packaging employers at plants mostly owned by DS Smith, SmurfitKappa, and SAICA, agreed to raise their wage offer from 2.1% to 2.5% last month in response to the unions moving forward on a ballot for industrial action. 
 
The offer, when accepted by members of the two unions, will be retroactive to 1 September 2010, the date a prior one-year accord expired. 
<img src="" width="140" height="109" alt="" />
Unite National Officer Peter Ellis
Unite and GMB were set to file for an industrial ballot on 10 January. Unite represents the majority of workers in the UK&rsquo;s corrugated paper sector, while GMB represents some 800 workers in the sector. 
 
The 14-member joint union/CPI bargaining body began 2010 negotiations in July, but talks became bogged down in October when CPI offered a pay hike of less than half of the retail price index. Unite National Officer Peter Ellis says now that the tentative settlement falls into the upper level of median pay awards in all industries in the UK this year. 
 
Meanwhile, Unite and Kimberly Clark reached an early accord for 2011 that was agreed to by workers in December. The agreement covers 500 workers at two towel and tissue mills, the Northfleet mill in Kent and the Barrow-in-Furness mill in Cumbria. The 2011 pay award, effective 1 February, will be 1.5%, with Unite also winning a lump sum bonus of &pound;1,450. That lump sum will also be calculated into the pension contribution, thus raising the benefit level.

Corrugated Paper Agreement to be Voted on By Unite, GMB Members

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The ICEM-affiliated National Miners&rsquo; and Metalworkers&rsquo; Union (SNTMMSRM) of Mexico, or Los Mineros, conducted its National Assembly 10-11 January in Mexico City. Delegates representing over 60 sections and fractions of the union, from 22 states, pledged unfaltering support for their General Secretary in exile, Napole&oacute;n G&oacute;mez Urrutia, and for the national executive. 
 
The meeting confirmed the priority challenges facing Los Mineros at present during four ongoing strikes, at Cananea, Zacatecas, Taxco, and El Cubo. The National Assembly also reiterated the union&rsquo;s demand for the immediate release of union officials Juan Linares Mont&uacute;far and Mart&iacute;n Salazar, and for an immediate end to the illegal freezing of union bank accounts by the Calder&oacute;n government. 
<img alt="" src="" width="368" height="87" />
Delegates resolved to continue the fight to bring Napole&oacute;n G&oacute;mez back to Mexico, currently made impossible by sham legal charges from the government. Los Mineros also want their democratically elected leader to be officially recognized by the authorities, which has not yet happened. 
 
Delegates pledged full support to the Global Days of Action for trade union rights in Mexico, 14-19 February, which will mark the fifth anniversary of the deadly mine disaster at Pasta de Conchos. The Days of Action will provide a strong, cross-sector trade union alliance carrying out actions across the globe, intended to pass common demands to the Mexican government through its embassies and consulates around the world. 
 
To get involved in trade union action during the week 14-19 February, email <a href="mailto:tom.grinter@icem.org">tom.grinter@icem.org</a>. See the campaign material&nbsp;<a href="/en/5-Mining-DGOJP">here</a>.&nbsp;

National Assembly of Los Mineros of Mexico Reiterates Trade Union Demands

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A new 10,000-member was born early in the new year when the ICEM affiliate Forestry, Logging, and Industrial Workers&rsquo; Union (FLIWUL) and the National Mine Workers&rsquo; Union of Liberia merged, creating the United Workers&rsquo; Union of Liberia (UWUL). 
 
The merger, after two years of discussion, was formalised by delegates of both unions at a convention in Monrovia on 5 January. The new union has 2,600 members in mining, 1,250 in forestry, as well as 6,000 members employed at the Firestone Rubber Plantation. It also has 550 members working for the National Transit Authority, the public bus system. 
 
The union has five collective agreements and that will increase to eight in the near future. 
<img alt="" src="" width="170" height="78" />
FLIWUL brings ArcelorMittal mine and railroad workers into the merger, workers employed at the state&rsquo;s Forestry Development Authority, as well as the Firestone workers. The National Mine Workers&rsquo; Union represents miners in the country&rsquo;s western cluster of mining activity. The union is closing in on organising iron ore miners of a Chinese company. 
 
The 5 January merger convention elected four leaders from each trade union to guide UWUL, including FLIWUL David Sackoh as Secretary-General. &ldquo;The mission of this merger is to unite Liberian workers to build bargaining power for decent work, mutual respect, and sustainable development at the workplace and in communities through collective action and social dialogue,&rdquo; said Sackoh. 
 
The other union officers include: Aloysius S. Kie, President, who served in that capacity with the Mine Workers and as President of the Liberia Federation of Labour Unions; Oretha Tarnue, Vice President, who led FLIWUL Union No. 1, or the Forestry Development Authority Union; Dave Seneh, Deputy Secretary General for Administration; James D. Sorboh, Deputy Secretary General for Operations; Sakou Sirleaf, Treasurer; Tenneh Y. Nagbe, Chair of the Women&rsquo;s Committee; and Mohammed Guss, Advisor. 
 
Sackoh&rsquo;s tenure as leader of FLIWUL dates back 2003 and before that with the union&rsquo;s predecessor, FLAWUL, where he organised a logging company in the West African nation. Prior to that, he headed the United Seamen&rsquo;s and Port Workers&rsquo; Union of Liberia, where he landed after a career as a marine engineer. 
 
In a statement read at the early January merger convention, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda congratulated the two unions, calling the marriage &ldquo;a great accomplishment and one in which the adage &lsquo;In Unity There is Strength&rsquo; we know will prove true in Liberia.&rdquo;

FLIWUL, Miners’ Union in Liberia Merge to Create United Workers’ Union

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An indefinite strike by a branch of the Peruvian National Miners&rsquo; and Metalworkers&rsquo; Union (FNTMMSP) was averted just hours before a strike deadline on 14 January when managers at the country&rsquo;s third largest copper mine finally addressed and corrected a set of seven grievances. 
 
Some 1,200 miners of the ICEM-affiliated FNTMMSP&rsquo;s Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde union had downed tools twice in late December &ndash; once for 24 hours on 24 December, the other time on 31 December to 1 January for 48 hours &ndash; over violations in a three-year collective agreement that will expire on 30 August 2011. 
 
Branch union Chairman Leoncio Amudio Pe&ntilde;a said miners were preparing for a strike contingency planning meeting on the evening of 13 January when the company called union leaders in and pledged correction of contract breaches. The two sides had been meeting with officials from the Peruvian Labour Ministry throughout last week to resolve the issues. 
<img alt="" src="" width="363" height="153" />
Cerro Verde is 53.56% owned by US-based Freeport-McMoRan, 21% by SMM Cerro Verde Netherlands, a subsidiary of Sumitoma Metal Mining Co. Ltd. of Japan, and 19% by Compa&ntilde;&iacute;a de Minas Buenaventura of Peru. The operation, in the southeastern region of Arequipa, sells 50% of its annual copper concentrate production to Sumitoma Metal in a contract that runs until 2016. 
 
Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde produced 283,750 tonnes of copper in 2010, and it also produces molybdenum concentrates as a by-product. 
 
The grievances centered on shortcomings to family members in private medical coverage, inadequate transportation to and from the open-pit mine, and food rations while at work. The union was also in dispute with the copper producer because many workers were forced to work extra hours without added pay. The normal work-week at Cerro Verde is 45.5 hours. 
 
The FNTMMSP has a number of labour agreements coming due this year in Peru&rsquo;s mining and metals sector. One lapsed contract, with Barrick&rsquo;s Gold of Canada, was resolved two weeks ago, covering workers of Minera Barrick Misquichilca at the Lagunas Norte gold mine in northern Peru and the Pierina mine in the Amcash region. 
 
The three-year contract gives workers a 7% increase retroactive to 1 June 2010; 6.5% effective 19 June 2011; and 6.5% on 19 June 2012. A signing bonus was also agreed to, giving miners with ten or more years of service 27,000 soles (US$9,620); those with five to ten years, 26,000 soles; two to five years, 23,500 soles; and those with one to two years, 21,500 soles. A quarterly productivity bonus also was won. 
 
On the metals side, FNTMMSP met on 14 January with management of Metallurgical Peruana SA (Mepsa), a manufacturer of steel grinding balls and smelted metals used in the mining and agricultural sectors, to resolve a 2010-2011 dispute. Some 400 metalworkers staged a ten-day strike in early December and besides 2010 pay awards, Peru&rsquo;s Labour Ministry is now mediating FNTMMSP&rsquo;s demand to reinstate 14 workers who were sacked in last month&rsquo;s strike.

Grievances Settled, FNTMMSP Calls Off Peruvian Copper Strike at Cerro Verde

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