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Find this article in Arabic <a href="/index.php?id=78&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=2994">here</a>.
The first cargo plane full of humanitarian supplies for the people of Gaza landed last week, 8 January, at Al-Areesh, Egypt, courtesy of the International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF). Both the ITF and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) are actively engaged in trade union relief operations to deliver food, water, and medical assistance to Gaza, following nearly three weeks bombing by Israel.
The supplies, collected from transport trade unions and other across the Middle East, were passed to the Red Crescent in Gaza. ITF Representative for the Arab World, Bilal Malkawi, also chief leader of Jordan&rsquo;s General Trade Union of Workers in Air Transport and Tourism, supervised a cargo that included mostly vital medical supplies purchased by the ITF. 

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Bilal Malkawi was aboard the aircraft as it landed in Egypt late last week. The ITF-affiliated union has headed up the collection of essential supplies that were transported on Royal Jordanian planes, donated by the airline for the cause. Further relief flights will follow. 
 
&ldquo;We hope that this will be the first of several mercy flights carrying humanitarian supplies,&rdquo; said ITF General Secretary David Cockroft. &ldquo;Vital though these medical supplies are, they do not lessen in any way the need for an immediate cease fire in Gaza.&rdquo; 

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The ICEM called for an immediate cease fire in a statement issued on 31 December. &ldquo;The loss of innocent Palestinian lives is deplorable, and an immediate and fully respected ceasefire by both Israel and Hamas is now clearly the only way forward,&rdquo; the&nbsp;ICEM statement read.&nbsp; 
 
Labour groups worldwide, particularly in the Middle East, have condemned Israel&rsquo;s disproportionate attacks on Gaza. Late last week, the ICEM-affiliated General Trade Union of Public Utilities of Egypt issued a call for the international community &ldquo;to exercise and exert pressure on Israel to bring an end to Palestinian suffering, and to stop the violent and atrocious aggression on the armless people of Gaza.&rdquo; 

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The ITUC is working in cooperation with national labour centres in Palestine and Jordan (the PGFTU and GFJTU) to bring trade union aid for Gaza&rsquo;s citizens. The ITUC has set up an account called &ldquo;Trade Union Aid for Gaza.&rdquo; Information on bank transfer donations can call +32 2 224 0211 for information. 
 
Union wishing to contribute to the ITF, Jordanian Air Transport Workers Union efforts can do so by contacting Bilal at <a href="mailto:malkaw_bilal@itf.org.uk">malkaw_bilal@itf.org.uk</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Relief Aid Begins Reaching Gaza through ITF and ITUC Efforts

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In this issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS newsletter, we report, among other items, on the new HIV/AIDS project in Ethiopia, a planned programme in Mongolia, and further work on the ILO HIV/AIDS instrument. 
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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 HIV/AIDS Consultant 

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New HIV/AIDS Project in Ethiopia 
 
The LO/FTF Council, the Danish Solidarity Support Organisation, has obtained funding for a three-year HIV/AIDS project in Ethiopia in cooperation with the ICEM-affiliated National Industrial Federation of Energy, Chemical and Mine Trade Unions (NEFECM) of Ethiopia. 
 
The main objectives of the project are to reduce HIV/AIDS stigmatisation and discrimination in the high-risk mining sector and to increase the capacity of NEFECM and its affiliated unions to deal with HIV/AIDS at the workplace, negotiate agreements with employers and thus protect workers, their families and the wider community in remote areas. 
 
The ICEM HIV/AIDS Consultant will work as a consultant to the project during the first year. After a fact-finding mission in December 2008, the first activities in the framework of the project will be organised in Addis Ababa towards the end of March. A more detailed article on the project and the first activities will follow in the April issue of this e-bulletin. 

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HIV/AIDS Programme in Mongolia 
 
Thanks to sponsorship from UI Zensen, Japan, the Taiwan Petroleum Workers&rsquo; Union and the ICEM HIV/AIDS Project, an HIV/AIDS programme in cooperation with the Federation of Energy, Geology, and Mining Workers&rsquo; Union of Mongolia will be organised in August. 
 
As Mongolia is a vast country with natural resources distributed throughout the country, it would not be possible to reach every workplace and union branch to train members and shop stewards. Therefore, 60 peer educators will be trained in two three-day centralised courses, one for the mining sector and another for the energy and geology sector. 
 
Participants will be chosen from union branches all over the country. On completion of the training, their task will be to take a pro-active role at their workplaces in organising awareness campaigns, inform about prevention measures, and advocate voluntary counselling and testing. The union will monitor the activities of peer educators and report back to the sponsors of the programme. 

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South Africa: Xstrata Sacks 106 Workers 
 
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) will contest the sacking of 106 workers at the Rustenberg smelter, operated by Xstrata, the world&rsquo;s largest ferrochrome producer. NUM spokesperson Lesiba Shesoka said that the workers were sacked for not taking part in a compulsory health briefing in which they said they were to be told they would have to take an HIV test. South African legislation says that no worker can be forced to take an HIV test. 
 
The company, however, said that it had no intention to force the workers to take the test. The company stated that the workers were dismissed for taking part in an illegal strike when they had demanded to be paid 50% of their wages and shift allowances during their extended leave in December. Workers were sent on the long leave due to a drop of demand in ferrochrome, requiring cutbacks in output and the closure of furnaces. 
 
(Source: Reuters, 11 March as reported in Mining Weekly) 

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Three Per Cent of US Capital City Living with HIV 
 
At least 3% of residents in Washington, D.C., are living with HIV, according to a report published on 16 March by the District of Colombia&rsquo;s HIV/AIDS Administration. 
 
The Report states that HIV positive people are found in all demographics in Washington: more than 4% of African-Americans, almost 2% of Latinos, and 1.4% of Caucasians are living with HIV. However, African-American men are disproportionately affected, accounting for 76% of people living with HIV. 
 
The United States has one of the largest HIV epidemics in the world, with an estimated 1.2 million people living with HIV in 2007. 
 
(Source: News item on UNAIDS website, 16 March) 
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Contribution from a Reader of the e-bulletin 
 
In a contribution to the February issue of the e-bulletin, Victoria Nanteza Kakooza of Uganda writes on &ldquo;Women and HIV/AIDS &ndash; a Ugandan Perspective&rdquo;: 
 
Cultural practices, norms and values deprive Ugandan women of the chances to decide whether they have sex with their husbands and to decide on the number of children to have. 
 
Women constitute 38% of the workforce and only 18% are employed in permanent jobs with very few in intermediate and senior positions. This makes a large number of women economically dependent on men. Men take advantage by taking a minimum of three wives, which has tremendously increased the number of people with HIV and AIDS. More so, children born with HIV/AIDS are now mature and dating and passing on the virus to others, hence increasing cases in the new generation. 
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News from ILO/AIDS 
 
In the course of its work towards the adoption of a new international instrument on HIV/AIDS and the world of work, the ILO has now issued Report IV (2), presenting the views of the ILO's constituents on the new standard. 
 
The first report, entitled HIV/AIDS and the world of work, Report IV (1), was published and disseminated to all ILO Member States in January 2008, and contained a questionnaire to which the Member States, in consultation with the social partners, were asked to respond by 31 August 2008. 
 
The second report, Report IV (2), summarizes almost 250 responses received from governments, employers and workers to this questionnaire. The vast majority of the constituents recognised the need to increase the attention paid to the issue of HIV/AIDS in the world of work through the adoption of a new international instrument. Moreover, there was a general consensus in the replies that the instrument should incorporate and strengthen the ten key principles contained in the ILO Code of practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work. 
 
On the basis of those responses, the report contains draft conclusions regarding the proposed contents of the new instrument. The first and second reports will now serve as the basis for the discussions to be undertaken at the International Labour Conference in June 2009 on the form and content of the new instrument. 
 
(Source: ILOAIDS website where the two reports can also be accessed) 

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News from the Global Union AIDS Programme 
 
The Steering Committee of the Global Union AIDS Programme, at its meeting in Brussels on 3 March, discussed, among other items, future cooperation between Global Union Federations (GUFs) on HIV and AIDS. India was chosen as a pilot target country as four GUFs, including the ICEM, have already HIV/AIDS projects in that country. 

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This ICEM HIV-AIDS Newsletter &ndash; How to Subscribe or Translate? 
 
To subscribe to the e-bulletin, send an email to <a href="mailto:press@icem.org">press@icem.org</a>. Please put &ldquo;subscribe ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin&rdquo; in the subject line. 
Unfortunately, the e-bulletin can only be published in English. 
For a free automated (non-ICEM) translation of this HIV-AIDS bulletin into other languages, you may want to try http://www.google.com/language_tools and insert the following URL into the window &ldquo;Translate a Web page&ldquo;: 
<a href="/en/72-HIV-AIDS/3036-ICEM-HIV- AIDS-e-bulletin-No.-41-February-2009">/en/72-HIV-AIDS/3036-ICEM-HIV- AIDS-e-bulletin-No.-41-February-2009</a> 
Or click directly on the links below: 
<a href="http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icem.org%2Findex.php%3Fid%3D72%26la%3DEN%26doc%3D3104&amp;sl=en&amp;tl=fr&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8">Cliquez ici pour une traduction automatique en fran&ccedil;ais</a>. 
Cette traduction est faite automatiquement par un logiciel internet gratuit. L&rsquo;ICEM n&rsquo;assume aucune responsabilit&eacute; &agrave; cet &eacute;gard. Elle est approximative, mais peut n&eacute;anmoins vous donner une id&eacute;e g&eacute;n&eacute;rale du contenu de l&rsquo;article. 
<a href="http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icem.org%2Findex.php%3Fid%3D72%26la%3DEN%26doc%3D3104&amp;sl=en&amp;tl=de&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8">Hier Klicken f&uuml;r eine maschinelle &Uuml;bersetzung ins Deutsche</a>. 
Diese &Uuml;bersetzung, f&uuml;r die die ICEM keine Verantwortung &uuml;bernimmt, erfolgt durch eine frei zug&auml;ngliche Internetsoftware. Diese &Uuml;bersetzung ist nicht perfekt, gibt aber eine ann&auml;hernende Idee, wor&uuml;ber der Artikel handelt. 
<a href="http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icem.org%2Findex.php%3Fid%3D72%26la%3DEN%26doc%3D3104&amp;sl=en&amp;tl=ru&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8">Щелкните мышью здесь для получения машинного перевода на Русский</a>. 
Этот перевод выполняется автоматически с помощью бесплатной Интернет-программы, и ICEM не несет за него ответственности. Перевод приблизительный, но все же может дать общее представление о содержании статьи. 
日本語への翻訳について、無料オン� ��イン翻訳サービス利用されたい方<a href="http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icem.org%2Findex.php%3Fid%3D72%26la%3DEN%26doc%3D3104&amp;sl=en&amp;tl=ja&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8">はここをクリ</a>ックしてください。ただし、当該サ� ��ビスを利用した翻訳の質等について 、ICEMは一切責任を負いませんので、� ��了承ください。 
 
<a href="http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icem.org%2Findex.php%3Fid%3D72%26la%3DEN%26doc%3D3104&amp;sl=en&amp;tl=es&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8">Haga clic aqu&iacute; para una traducci&oacute;n autom&aacute;tica en espa&ntilde;ol</a>. 
Esta traducci&oacute;n se hace autom&aacute;ticamente con tecnolog&iacute;a libre del Internet. La ICEM no se responsabiliza de ella. La traducci&oacute;n es aproximada, pero puede proveer una idea general del contenido del art&iacute;culo. 
<a href="http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icem.org%2Findex.php%3Fid%3D72%26la%3DEN%26doc%3D3104&amp;sl=en&amp;tl=sv&amp;hl=en&amp;ie=UTF-8">Klicka h&auml;r f&ouml;r en maskin&ouml;vers&auml;ttning till svenska</a>. 
Denna &ouml;vers&auml;ttning utf&ouml;rs automatiskt med kostnadsfri internetteknik. ICEM tar inget ansvar f&ouml;r den. Den &auml;r inte helt korrekt men ger dig &auml;nd&aring; en allm&auml;n uppfattning om vad artikeln handlar om.

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin No. 42 March 2009

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ICEM'e bağlı T&uuml;mka-İş &uuml;yesi 190 k&acirc;ğıt iş&ccedil;isinin'a karşı 16 g&uuml;nd&uuml;r s&uuml;rd&uuml;rd&uuml;ğ&uuml; grevle ilgili olarak yapılan m&uuml;zakerelerde &ccedil;ok az ilerleme kaydedildi. Greve yol a&ccedil;an &uuml;cret uyuşmazlığı Procter&amp;Gamble'ın Gebze'deki fabrikasında 21 Şubat'ta başladı. Amerikan şirketi fabrikada k&acirc;ıt havlu, k&acirc;ğıt mendil ve &ccedil;ocuk bezi gibi hijyenik &uuml;r&uuml;nler &uuml;retiyor. 
 
Grevcilerin ve onları destekleyenlerin 26 Şubat g&uuml;n&uuml; fabrikanın &ouml;n&uuml;nde yaptığı mitingde, d&uuml;nyanın d&ouml;rt bir yanındaki sendikalardan gelen dayanışma mesajları okundu. Dayanışmayı &ouml;rg&uuml;tleyen ICEM şirketin T&uuml;rkiye'deki y&ouml;netimine bir protesto mektubu g&ouml;nderdi. 
 
Mitingin yapıldığı g&uuml;n, şirket y&ouml;neticileri &uuml;cret tekliflerini yenilediler, ama bu &ouml;nemli bir artış i&ccedil;ermiyordu. 

<img height="132" alt="" src="" width="180" />
Gebze Mitingi, 26 FŞubat
&Ouml;nceki iki yıl s&uuml;reli toplu s&ouml;zleşme 31 Ağustos 2008'de son erdi. 
 
Şirketin &uuml;cret artışı teklifi ilk altı ay i&ccedil;in y&uuml;zde sıfır ile 2 arasında oynuyor. Diğer altı aylık d&ouml;nemler i&ccedil;in &ouml;nerilenler de dahil, toplam artışlar, T&uuml;rkiye'deki enflasyon oranının &uuml;&ccedil;te ikisini ancak karşılıyor. Sendika ise ilk altı ay i&ccedil;in y&uuml;zde 8'lik bir artışın yanı sıra diğer altışar aylık d&ouml;nemler i&ccedil;in &uuml;lkedeki enflasyon oranını karşılayacak artışlar talep ediyor. 
 
T&uuml;mka-İş Genel Başkanı Kemal Yılmaz ve Y&ouml;netim Kurulu &uuml;yesi Erg&uuml;n Tavşanoğlu grevi başından beri destekleyen ICEM'e ve ICEM &uuml;yesi kardeş sendikalara teşekk&uuml;r etti.

Türkiye&#039;de Procter&amp;Gamble&#039;daki Grev İkinci Haftasını Doldurdu

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ICEM d&ouml;rt yılda bir yapılan D&uuml;nya Lastik Konferansı'nı 12-13 Mayıs 2009 g&uuml;nlerinde ABD'nin Tennessee eyaletinin Nashville kentinde d&uuml;zenliyor. Evsahipliğini ICEM'in Kuzey Amerika'daki &uuml;yesi Birleşik &Ccedil;elik İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası'nın (USW) yapacağı konferansı ABD Birleşik &Ccedil;elik İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası Başkanı ve ICEM Lastik Seksiyonu Başkanı Leo Gerard y&ouml;netecek. ICEM Kimya ve Lastik İşkolu Sorumlusu Kemal &Ouml;zkan &ldquo;İşkolunda K&uuml;resel Trendler ve Sorunlar&rdquo; konusunda bir sunum yapacak. 
 
Konferans sırasında d&uuml;zenlenecek beş panel tartışmasının konuları ş&ouml;yle: &ldquo;K&uuml;resel Krizin İşkolu &Uuml;zerindeki Etkileri ve Sendikal Sorunlar&rdquo;, &ldquo;&Ccedil;alışma İlişkilerinde Ortaya &Ccedil;ıkan Zorluklar&rdquo;, &ldquo;K&uuml;resel S&ouml;zleşmeler, K&uuml;resel/B&ouml;lgesel Şirket ve Sekt&ouml;r Ağları ve Kampanyaları&rdquo;, &ldquo;İş&ccedil;i Sağlığı ve G&uuml;venliğinin İyileştirilmesi: İş G&uuml;vencesi İ&ccedil;in Ne T&uuml;r Bir &Ccedil;evre Politikası Gerekiyor?&rdquo; ve &ldquo;K&uuml;resel Sendikal Dayanışma ve İşbirliğinin Koordinasyonu&rdquo;. 
 
Ayrıntılı bilgi i&ccedil;in, irtibat bilgisi: Kemal &Ouml;zkan +41 22 304 18 43 veya <a href="mailto:kemal.ozkan@icem.org">kemal.ozkan@icem.org</a>.

ICEM Dünya Lastik Konferansı 12-13 Mayıs&#039;ta ABD&#039;de

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The ICEM will convene its quadrennial World Conference for the Rubber Industries in the US city and state of Nashville, Tennessee, 12-13 May 2009. The conference will be presided over by United Steelworkers (USW) President Leo Gerard, Chairman of the ICEM Rubber Industry Section. Kemal &Ouml;zkan, ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Industries Officer, will give a presentation on &ldquo;Global Industry Trends and Challenges.&rdquo; 
 
The host union is the ICEM North American affiliate, USW. The venue is the Sheraton Music City Hotel, Nashville. 
 
The Conference will be structured around five panel discussions: &ldquo;Effects of Global Crisis on the Industry and Trade Union Challenges,&rdquo; &ldquo;Rising Hardships and Distortion in Work Relationships,&rdquo; &ldquo;Global Agreements, Global/Regional Company &amp; Sector Networks and Campaigns,&rdquo; &ldquo;How to Improve Health and Safety for Workers: What Kind of Industrial Policy for a Greener Environment for Securing Jobs,&rdquo; and &ldquo;How to 
Better Coordinate Global Union Solidarity, Support and Cooperation.&rdquo; 
 
Find the attendance form to the conference <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/EN%20Attendance%20Form%20for%20rubber%20conference.pdf">here</a>. 
 
For more information, contact Kemal &Ouml;zkan at +41 22 304 18 43, or <a href="mailto:kemal.ozkan@icem.org">kemal.ozkan@icem.org</a>.

ICEM World Conference for Rubber Industries: 12-13 May in US

Changes to Germany's industrial democracy laws took effect this Saturday. 
 
The new measures update the &quot;workplace constitution&quot;, a pillar of Germany's co-determination system (Mitbestimmung). The reforms will strengthen the country's works councils by bringing them more into line with present-day industrial realities. The changes, which had faced stiff opposition from employers at various stages, have been largely welcomed by the unions. 
 
The updated law is &quot;an important step towards more co-determination, even though not all of the unions' wishes were fulfilled,&quot; said Hubertus Schmoldt. He is the President of the German mining, chemical and energy union IG BCE. Co-determination has helped to ensure &quot;social peace and economic success&quot; in Germany, he pointed out. It has thus become &quot;a substantial advantage for the Federal Republic as an industrial location.&quot; 
 
Works councillors, who are elected by all employees of a workplace, are one of two complementary types of worker representative in Germany. The other is the union reps, who are elected by union members only. The trade unions conclude regional collective agreements for each industry and decide on any industrial action. The works councils have strong information and co-determination rights within each enterprise. This means that their agreement is needed for a range of important decisions. They are responsible for supervising the implementation of the unions' collective agreements in the workplace. This can cover various issues, such as the way in which worktime cuts are applied, or the payment of certain bonuses. Unions put up their own lists of candidates for the works councils. In practice, most works councillors have been, or are, union reps. Once elected, they remain in close touch with the union. 
 
The legislation on works councils dates back to 1972. In the meantime, German industry has seen a number of far-reaching changes. New technologies have altered working patterns, and the number of &quot;white-collar&quot; employees now exceeds the &quot;blue-collars&quot;. Mergers, hive-offs and outsourcing have drastically altered the structures of many big German firms. Globalisation and European integration have changed the context in which German industry operates. For all these reasons, workplace-level co-determination was being eroded and the legislation needed an overhaul. In fact, some of the legal changes reflect what was already happening in practice in the better workplaces. 
 
The main changes under the new law are: 
 
- More scope for negotiating the creation of works councils at the level where decisions are actually taken. According to circumstances, works councils can be company-wide, or based on a company subdisiary or product division. 
 
- Provisions to ensure that, when firms merge or demerge, the works councils based on the old company structure can continue to function, for a maximum of six months, until new ones are elected. 
 
- Removal of various bureaucratic hindrances to the creation of works councils. 
 
- Involvement of temporary or subcontracted workers in the election and running of works councils. 
 
- More works councillors. The number of works councillors entitled to paid full-time or part-time leave to carry out their duties depends on the number of employees in the firm. The new law lowers many of the thresholds. For instance, a firm with 500 employees was previously required to have 9 works councillors. Now, it will have 11. 
 
- Improved information and decision-making rights for the works councils on employment protection and skills formation. Works councils will have the right to propose employment promotion measures. 
 
- Tighter obligations on employers to place experts at the works councils' disposal for information purposes. 
 
- Stronger job security for works councillors. To dismiss a works councillor, an employer already needed the permission of the works council. Similar provisions now apply to the transfer of employees who are works councillors. 
 
- Environmental protection at the workplace level is now included in the list of tasks for works councils. This implies wide-ranging rights of information and consultation on a firm's environmental policies. 
 
- Greater sexual equality. From now on, whichever sex is in the minority in the workplace must legally have a proportion of works councillors at least equal to the percentage of workers of that gender within the workforce. This rule is expected to increase the number of women works councillors, and measures are being taken to reduce the out-of-hours work commitments required of works councillors. Works councils have now also been given the right to propose career promotion plans for women and to have these incorporated into companies' personnel policies. 
 
- More involvement of young workers and apprentices in works councils. From now on, works councils can apply for apprentices to be given full employment contracts. 
 
- Combating racism and xenophobia in the workplace is added to works councils' tasks. They receive the right to oppose the hiring or transfer of employees who incite race hatred, and to apply for the removal of employees who engage in such activities. 
 
&quot;Globalisation makes it all the more necessary to strengthen co-determination,&quot; IG BCE President Hubertus Schmoldt pointed out. He is also Vice-President of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). 
 
&quot;The globalisation process offers great opportunities,&quot; Schmoldt said. &quot;But structural disruption has to be cushioned and overcome in a socially acceptable way. For this, co-determination is a vital prerequisite.&quot;

German Works Councils Strengthened

Strikes due to start this evening at three major South African coal producers have been called off after the employers met the union's demands. 
 
This was announced in Johannesburg this morning by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). 
 
Agreement has also been reached with some gold mining houses, the NUM said. But the union is still in deadlock with three big gold producers, who will therefore face strike action from Wednesday onwards. 
 
At the global level, the NUM is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), which has been backing the South African union's campaign. 
 
A meeting between the NUM and the employers' Chamber of Mines on Friday brought agreement with coal producers Ingwe, Eyesizwe and Anglocoal. These had been the last coal companies holding out against the union's demands. The new agreement covers &quot;the outstanding dispute areas: namely, medical incapacity, meal interval and wages,&quot; the NUM reported today. &quot;Their revised offers met the demands of the union.&quot; The strike notice has therefore been lifted. 
 
Agreement was also reached on Friday with two of South Africa's major gold producers, Anglogold and South Deep. &quot;Both companies met the union's demands on the issues of wages and annual leave,&quot; the NUM says. &quot;Therefore, the strike threat on these companies has been lifted.&quot; 
 
Friday's meeting was, however, &quot;unable to resolve the deadlock with the Durban Roodeport Deep (DRD), Goldfields and Harmony.&quot; Consequently, &quot;the union was left with no choice but to declare a strike against these mines. A 48-hour notice will be served on them in order for the strike to begin on Wednesday night.&quot; 
 
But the union added that it remains &quot;open to hearing them should they have reasonable offers to make to us.&quot; 
 
More generally, the NUM says this year's agreements constitute progress towards &quot;our ultimate objective; that is, to transform the image of the mining industry.&quot; 
 
&quot;The living and working conditions of mineworkers should be changed,&quot; the union insists, &quot;so that they too can feel proud as a significant component of the overall workforce in our country. It is the NUM's resolve to work together with the industry in realising this objective. Hence our willingness to continue engaging with the employers, even at the last minute, so as to reach amicable resolution of issues.&quot;

SA Mine Strikes: Coal Bosses Reach Terms, Gold Miners May Strike

As South Africa faces the second day of a nationwide electricity strike, unionised miners have voted massively in favour of industrial action in the country's biggest industries, gold and coal mining. 
 
Announcing the ballot result this afternoon, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) immediately put some employers on notice of strike action. But three coal mining companies have now fallen into line with the union's demands, and national-level talks with the gold producers, in particular, are to continue on Friday. 
 
&quot;We are at a knife's edge,&quot; the mining union warned the employers this afternoon. The threat of a nationwide mining strike remained a very real one, and the NUM hoped that &quot;common sense, ingenuity and humane attitude will prevail.&quot; 
 
The mine and power workers are incensed by pay offers that would push down their already meagre living standards. 
 
Several power cuts were reported across the country yesterday as workers struck against a move by the parastatal electricity utility Eskom to unilaterally impose pay increases of between 7 and 9 percent. The unions are demanding 11 percent for the lowest-paid workers and 9 percent for the highest-paid. 
 
Two major unions involved in the action - the NUM in both mining and electricity, and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) in power - are affiliated at the global level to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). 
 
&quot;This is an industrial campaign in favour of a living wage and decent conditions for many of South Africa's most vital workers,&quot; said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs. &quot;Our South African brothers and sisters have our full solidarity in this crucial struggle.&quot; 
 
 
 
ELECTRICITY 
 
POWER CUTS AND DEMOS 
 
The Eskom strike received full support from the workforce yesterday, the South African unions report. &quot;Demonstrations were held at workstations throughout the country, with thousands of workers taking part in the action.&quot; 
 
NUMSA noted major power cuts in the province of Mpumalanga, with other outages in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Eskom claimed that there had been no interruption of supply, but the national news agency Sapa said it had received numerous phone calls complaining of power cuts. 
 
Industrial action and demonstrations took place in all provinces. 
 
Strikes and demonstrations were continuing today, as the unions took Eskom to court for unilaterally changing the terms and conditions of its employees. This breaches South Africa's Labour Relations Act, the unions point out. 
 
NUMSA called the unilaterally imposed 7 percent hike &quot;miserable&quot; and &quot;measly&quot; and said it would &quot;lead to serious poverty and misery.&quot; 
 
The unions insist that the power strike could have been avoided if Eskom had sent senior managers to the 2001 wage talks. Most of the junior managers involved in the negotiations so far &quot;do not have the vision and capacity to deal with crucial national issues that affect the working conditions of workers,&quot; the unions say. &quot;We are therefore calling for their instant removal from the wage talks.&quot; 
 
Eskom has &quot;continued to disadvantage workers whilst making huge profits,&quot; NUMSA points out. &quot;Last year alone the company made a profit of 3 billion Rand. The whole of the profits went to company executives in a form of huge salaries and bonuses. The majority of the workers did not receive the profits. Their purchasing base has continued to diminish, leaving many of them in dire poverty.&quot; 
 
 
 
MINING 
 
STRIKE NOTICE AS TALKS CONTINUE 
 
In mining, South Africa's biggest industry, negotiations reached deadlock last week between the NUM and the employers' Chamber of Mines - specifically the gold and coal producers. 
 
The union then organised a national strike ballot, while emphasising its openness to a continued dialogue with the Chamber - &quot;in particular where there would be a clear and genuine indication of improved offers aimed at addressing [the union's] demands.&quot; 
 
This Monday, all NUM members in the gold and the coal mines were balloted on strike action. The results received up to this afternoon are: 
 
Total votes cast: 96 723 
Yes: 95 130 
No: 1 078 
Spoiled papers: 515 
 
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Mines had asked for new talks, which were held on 24 July and resulted in some improved offers: 
 
 
Gold producers 
 
All the gold mining houses have now committed themselves to a minimum monthly wage of 2 000 Rand (about 244 US dollars) by the year 2002. However, different companies have proposed different ways of reaching this target. The basic minimum is proposed as an entry point amount for miners joining the industry. At present, their monthly pay ranges from 1 200 to 1 600 Rand (about 146 to 195 US dollars). On the issue of annual leave, only two companies are offering 25 days, with the commitment of reaching 28 days by 2002. The rest only talk about an additional two days over the two-year cycle, thus reaching only 23 days. 
 
The union is presently discussing these new offers, and will report back to the membership before deciding on action in the gold sector. 
 
It will meet with the Chamber of Mines - gold producers specifically - this Friday to &quot;give them feedback on what the union members have to say to their demands.&quot; 
 
But, the NUM warns, &quot;this situation neither implies nor means that the strike threat is lifted off with regards to gold producers. It is now imperative that the Friday meeting should make good and emerge, once and for all, with a settlement package acceptable to both parties.&quot; 
 
 
 
Coal producers 
 
Three companies - Duiker, Afri-Ore and Kangra - presented offers which met all the outstanding demands of the union. The NUM says this &quot;demonstrates the genuine commitment of these mine houses to work together with us towards realising the objective of transforming the mining industry. We applaud the seriousness with which they have gone about this matter, and can only foresee prospects of a better and improved collective action.&quot; There will be no strikes at these three companies. 
 
Three other companies - Ingwe, Eyesizwe and Anglocoal - did not bother to make any offer at all. &quot;Consequently,&quot; the NUM says, &quot;we remain in deadlock with this troika on the three issues of meal interval, medical incapacity and wages.&quot; These companies are &quot;hell bent on refusing to address the genuine demands of the mineworkers,&quot; the NUM points out. &quot;It is this inhumane attitude that makes them blind to even the most basic of human needs; the need for nourishment - that is; a meal interval. Their failure to address the issue of medical incapacity, particularly of those terminally ill mineworkers, speaks volumes of how they perceive the lives of these workers.&quot; The NUM has therefore today given Ingwe, Eyesizwe and Anglocoal notice of strike action &quot;beginning on Sunday, July 29th with the night shift.&quot; 
 
Ingwe is owned by mining multinational Billiton, whose share price fell by 4.19 percent on the Johannesburg stock exchange following this afternoon's NUM announcement. 
 
Anglo American, owner of Anglocoal, fared even worse. By the end of trading today, its share price had plummeted by 8.18 percent.

South African Power Workers Strike; Miners Might Follow

Urged on by Canada's energy workers, global unions are queuing up to &quot;Give Petro-Canada A Kick In The Gas.&quot; 
 
The well-placed boot in question may help to settle a protracted labour dispute in Ontario. 
 
 
<img height="287" alt="" src="" width="377" />
 
This March, Petro-Canada signed a national collective bargaining agreement with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) [Syndicat canadien des communications, de l'&eacute;nergie et du papier (SCEP)]. But unresolved local issues forced Petro-Canada workers at refineries in Edmonton, Alberta and Oakville, Ontario, a lubrication facility in Mississauga, Ontario, and at terminals in Oakville, Ontario and Port Moody, British Columbia, to launch a strike in early April. 
 
 

<img height="82" alt="" src="" width="363" />
 
The Edmonton and Port Moody facilities have since reached agreements and returned to work. Approximately 470 workers remain on strike. To date, the company has maintained its position of job cuts, wage freezes and increased hours of work for those CEP members, and has refused to apply at the Ontario sites the same conditions that settled the disputes elsewhere. 
 
Among those pressing Petro-Canada to resolve the Ontario dispute are the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), to which the CEP is affiliated at the global level, and the Algerian oil and gas union FNTGPC. Algeria is strategically important to the company. Outside Canada, its extraction activities are concentrated in Algeria and neighbouring Tunisia. 
 
<img height="135" alt="" src="" width="136" />
 
The CEP is now seeking an all-out labour boycott of Petro-Canada. As well as extracting oil and gas, Petro-Canada styles itself &quot;Canada's Gas Station&quot;. It is the country's second-biggest retailer of petroleum products, with filling stations across Canada. So a major aim of the &quot;Kick In the Gas&quot; campaign is to hit Petro-Canada's retail trade, and petrol stations in various parts of the country have been picketed. 
 
CEP President Brian Payne says the company's behaviour, including its use of motorcycle gangs to intimidate the strikers, is &quot;outrageous.&quot; 
 
&quot;We will bring the full weight of the labour movement down on Petro-Canada,&quot; Payne insists. &quot;Petro-Canada agreed to ... a settlement that is now in effect for about 10,000 workers across the country - and now it is refusing to apply it to this one Local.&quot; 
 
The company is also using guerrilla tactics to try to intimidate the workers, Payne reports. &quot;Scabs [strikebreakers] are being escorted across the picket line by an infamous motorcycle gang and members are saying they have been issued death threats.&quot; 
 
 

<img height="272" alt="" src="" width="360" />
PICKETING PETRO-CAN 
The company's behaviour is &quot;outrageous,&quot; says the Canadian energy workers' Brian Payne. (photo: CEP) 

&quot;Corporate greed is one thing,&quot; says Payne, noting that Petro-Canada made 897 million Canadian dollars in profits last year and record first-quarter profits again this year. &quot;But this type of petty and mean-spirited discrimination brings a whole different perspective to Petro-Canada's corporate identity. And we plan to make sure consumers are aware of it.&quot; 
 
Awareness of the dispute is also growing outside Canada. 
The 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) is in &quot;total solidarity&quot; with the CEP campaign, ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs wrote to Petro-Canada's President and CEO Ronald Brenneman. 
 
&quot;I cannot understand how Petro-Canada can reach a national agreement with the union and then refuse to apply that agreement to the Ontario operations,&quot; Higgs added. &quot;Reports of company intimidation of strikers are deeply disturbing and are in contravention of Conventions 87 and 98 of the International Labour Organisation.&quot; 
 

<img height="275" alt="" src="" width="357" />
photo: CEP 
Higgs urged Brenneman to &quot;return to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith with the CEP a fair and just agreement that will bring an end to the strike in Ontario.&quot; 
Brenneman has now also received a protest from Mohammed Bedreddine, General Secretary of Algeria's National Federation of Oil, Gas and Chemical Workers (FNTPGC). 
 
Bedreddine, who had been contacted by the ICEM over the Canadian dispute, told Brenneman of his union's support for the Canadian strikers and its outrage over &quot;discriminatory practices directed against workers at the same company.&quot; 
 
Urging a &quot;rapid and equitable resolution&quot; of the dispute, Bedreddine made it clear that Petro-Canada's dealings with the CEP would have an impact on the FNTPGC's approach to company operations in Algeria. &quot;This is our union method, as you will find out in the future . . . in the oilfields of Tamadanet in Algeria that Petro-Canada plans to develop,&quot; Bedreddine wrote to Brenneman. 
 
Praising the support from the Algerians and the ICEM, the CEP's Brian Payne said: &quot;A globalised oil and gas industry requires a globalised labour movement, and we hope Petro-Canada will realise there are consequences, even beyond Canada's borders, for its anti-union actions in Ontario.&quot;

CEP: &#039;Kicking Gas At Petro-Canada&#039;

In a significant display of global industrial action, the Norwegian oil and petrochemical workers' union NOPEF is threatening to black a company over its union-busting in the USA. 
 
Trico Marine Services supplies shipping to the oil industry in both Norway and America. The company respects workers' right to organise in Norway. But in the US, it is actively anti-union. 
 
NOPEF has demanded confirmation, by 16 August, that Trico will &quot;let the employees in Trico Marine Services Inc, USA decide themselves whether they will join a trade union or not, without any interference, harassment, discrimination or threats from the management.&quot; 
 
Trico must also confirm that if workers at Trico Marine Services Inc, USA choose to join a union, the company will recognise it for collective bargaining purposes. 
 
If no such assurances are received by 16 August, then &quot;NOPEF's members in Statoil, Norsk Hydro, Phillips, Amoco, BP, CCB, Aker Base, Tananger, Aker Base Dusavik, Fjordbase, Vestbase, Forsyningsbase Helgeland in Sandnessj&oslash;en, Mongstad Base and Polarbase will be called on not to execute work which has anything to do with Trico Marine Services, its subsidiary and companies where Trico Marine Services, USA has beneficial ownership.&quot; NOPEF will also mount a publicity campaign and will press as many oil companies as possible &quot;not to have any kind of financial dealings&quot; with the firms targeted by the boycott. 
 
The Norwegian union has already persuaded oil company Norsk Hydro to halt negotiations with Trico on the chartering of vessels, and Statoil is also currently examining its options. 
 
At the global level, NOPEF is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). 
 
The ICEM, in cooperation with the International Transport Workers' Federation, has been fully involved in the Trico campaign. ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs has been in contact with senior Statoil management on this issue and has emphasised that Statoil, as a major Trico customer, could use its influence to help resolve the question of trade union recognition in the US. 
 
In 1998, the ICEM, NOPEF and Statoil signed the oil sector's first-ever globally applicable agreement on industrial relations. This covers basic trade union rights, health, safety and the environment, information and training. In March 2001, an updated and further strengthened version of the agreement was concluded. This new agreement takes full account of the UN's Global Compact initiative, under which multinationals commit themselves to promote trade union rights and other human rights.

Norwegian Boycott Threat Over American Union-Busting

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SA Mine Strikes: Coal Bosses Reach Terms, Gold Miners May Strike

South African Power Workers Strike; Miners Might Follow

CEP: 'Kicking Gas At Petro-Canada'

Norwegian Boycott Threat Over American Union-Busting

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