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<img height="55" alt="" src="" width="138" />
US-based glassmaker Owens Illinois has discriminated against union members by sacking workers inside a Peldar glass plant in Peru. 
Early in October the company made redundant 11 workers from the factory but later that month recalled five of the workers. The six who were not recalled included representatives - two of whom were past general secretaries - of the Sindicato de Trabajadores de Owens Illinois Per&uacute;. 
The ICEM, in lodging a protest with the American company, cited the firm with a clear violation of trade union rights. The trade union discrimination matter has also been taken up by Peruvian national labour centre CGTP, and is before the country&rsquo;s labour courts.

Owens Illinois Discriminating Against Union Officers in Peru

<img height="55" src="" width="138" alt="" />
Members of ICEM affiliate Engineering, Printing &amp; Manufacturing Union (EPMU) of New Zealand staged a two-day strike on 7-8 November at Carter Holt Harvey&rsquo;s (CHH) Kinleith pulp and paper mill. 
The strike by the mill&rsquo;s 270 production workers was over CHH&rsquo;s refusal to meet the country&rsquo;s recognised wage standard this year of 5%, and a demand by the company to cut annual leave time for shift workers. EPMU and CHH were scheduled to resume talks this week. 
CHH is now 70% owned by Graeme Hart&rsquo;s Rank Group Investments, an Auckland-based trader that has a NZ$3.3 billion hostile bid in play for the company. US-based International Paper Co. has divested its 50.3% stake in CHH to Hart.

New Zealand Workers Strike Carter Holt Harvey’s Kinleith Mill

Despite Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declaring the 6 February election victory of his Thai Rak Thai Party a mandate for the privatisation of electric utility EGAT, ICEM affiliate EGAT-LU will continue to resist. The government went through the motions to conduct a survey among EGAT's 27,000 workers that offered 18 restructuring options with most centring on different forms of privatising the utility. EGAT-LU sent a letter to the Energy Ministry demanding a stop to the survey and again asking that a national referendum be held to keep the power sector as part of the public infrastructure.

Opposition to Thai Government’s Electric Privatisation

The 700 striking workers that occupy the Turkish Cellulose and Paper Factories (SEKA) in Izmit, Turkey, also faced a police invasion. At the plant, where ICEM affiliate Sel&uuml;l&ouml;z-Is, with the overwhelming support of the local community, is engaged in a struggle against impending privatisation, police tried to force their way into the factory late last week. A number of people, including family members of the workers, were wounded during the operation which led to a stand off between the union members, together with 5,000 union supporters, on the one hand, and the police on the other.

Turkish Paperworkers Hold Firm on Government’s Plant Shutdown

French unions have promised more actions over the government&rsquo;s plan to partially privatise the country&rsquo;s electric and gas industries. Some 10,000 workers and supporters marched in Paris 29 June, the day the National Assembly passed a bill changing the statutes of the Electricit&eacute; de France and Gaz de France to limited liability companies. The French Senate must still vote on the proposed liberalization and implementation decrees also must be issued. ICEM affiliates FCE-CFDT and F&eacute;d&eacute;chimie CGT FO are leading the resistance.

French Unions March in Paris Over Electric, Gas Privatisation

Trade unions in Thailand&mdash;led by affiliate EGAT-LU&mdash;continue to resist the government&rsquo;s plan to privatise the electric and water services of the country. The ongoing stalemate will likely now be the key issue in government elections set for February 2005. Unions, now in their 119th consecutive day of protest at the headquarters of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, have embarked on a &ldquo;Scattering Bees Strategy&rdquo; in which they will conduct educational forums and brochure drops in all parts of Thailand leading up to those elections.

Thai Government, EGAT-LU Stalemated Over Electric Privatisation

EGAT-LU, the heroic Thai affiliate that is fending off privatisation of the country&rsquo;s electric industry, has declared 24-28 May as &ldquo;International Week of Action&rdquo; against the government&rsquo;s rush to privatise. ICEM is central to accessing global action for the week, and more information will be posted this week through an ICEM Circular, with specific activities announced in an ICEM press release next week.

EGAT-LU Declares Week of Action Against Electric Privatisation

French affiliate FCE-CFDT and other electric power workers&rsquo; unions sent a strong message against privatisation 8 April with strikes in three French cities that shut down electric supplies. The strikes in Toulouse, Marseilles and Lille were response to the government&rsquo;s intent to spin off Electricit&eacute; de France (EDF) and Gas de France into private utilities. In northern France, workers also pulled the plug on power supplies for a brief period in four cities. And in Paris, demonstrators pelted EDF headquarters and France Conseil d&rsquo;Etat with used light bulbs. FCE-CFDT is calling for a full debate in Parliament over energy policy. It is advocating security of power supplies, promotion of renewables and reductions in general consumption.

French Affiliate FCE-CFDT Opposes EDF Privatisation

Application has been made to begin formal dialogue in the chemical sector of Europe. At a conference in Helsinki, Hubertus Schmoldt, president of both ICEM affiliate IGBCE and EMCEF (www.emcef.org), and Hans-Paul Frey, president of the European Chemical Employers&rsquo; Group, announced to trade unionists and employer representatives that dialogue between the social partners would begin this year. The chemical industry is Europe&rsquo;s second biggest industry, employing two million workers.

European Chemical Unions, EMCEF Seek Social Dialogue

The unaffiliated Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEMU) rallied last week and commenced industrial actions against government-run Bahamas Electricity Corporation. Industrial actions officially began on 1 September. About 150 of the union&rsquo;s 900 members rallied on that day outside the utility&rsquo;s headquarters in Nassau. The company has failed to reach compromise on five key issues separating the two sides: safety, a pension scheme, salary disparities, management of work hours, and contract breaches. The union, part of the National Congress of Trade Unions (NCTU) of The Bahamas, is now conducting sit-down actions, go-slow procedures, and action might escalate to power cuts if management remains unwilling to address the concerns of electrical workers

Electric Workers in The Bahamas Start Job Actions

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