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The ICEM has responded to a call issued by Industrianst&auml;llda I Nordic (Nordic IN), the new five-nation trade union federation of industries, to protest Estonia&rsquo;s proposed changes to their labour code. The proposed Employees&rsquo; Representatives Act, which would weaken trade union protections, was the main focus in meetings today between Estonia&rsquo;s trade unions and the Ministry of Social Affairs. 
 
The ICEM&rsquo;s disapproval of the proposed changes, in a letter to Estonia Prime Minister Andrus Ansip is at <a href="/index.php?id=23&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=1702">/index.php?id=23&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=1702</a>.

ICEM Responds to Estonia’s Proposed Labour Law Changes

Mr. Andrus Ansip 
Prime Minister 
Republic of Estonia 
Tallinn 
Estonia 
 
Brussels, 20 March 2006 

Dear Prime Minister Ansip, 
 
I write on behalf of the 20-million-member ICEM, the Global Union Federation representing workers in the energy, chemicals, mining and processed industries. Estonian unions, along with Nordic IN, a five-nation trade union federation of workers in basic industries, informed us about your country&rsquo;s proposed Employees&rsquo; Representatives Act, which would replace a labour law which has been in effect since 1993. 
 
The ICEM, and its 389 trade union affiliates in 122 countries, objects to the proposed amended law as an attempt to weaken the role of trade unions in Estonia. We also view the proposal as an erosion of the role and duties that union shop stewards perform. 
 
I specifically refer to the way your government is planning to transpose a European Union directive (2002/14/EC), on informing and consulting employees, into the proposed new Estonian law. Article 1.2 of that Directive, which is also contained in ILO Convention No. 135 on Workers&rsquo; Representatives, states that information and consultation must be developed, taking into account national law and existing practices. The proposed Estonian law would exclude trade union shop stewards from these information and consultation procedures, and shop stewards would lose all their existing rights and guarantees. 
 
Furthermore, even though it is required in ILO Convention Number 98, trade union representatives would no longer have protection from dismissals. On top of that, trade union shop stewards would lose the ability to carry out their legitimate responsibilities on the job because the proposed statute significantly reduces the allowed amount of time for this to occur. 
 
In Estonia&rsquo;s 1993 statute, a well-formulated list exists of issues over which employees must be consulted. This has been changed in the proposed amendment with a short, unclear formulation. 
Additionally, the sanction or penalty for an individual employer representative who neglects the information and consultation section of this proposed law would be less than &euro; 1,000. That is about the same penalty that an employee representative would face for failing to keep confidential information. Article 8.2 of the European Directive stipulates that there should be effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions in the event of infringement. The ICEM feels this is not the case in the proposed Employees&rsquo; Representatives Act of Estonia. 
 
If adopted as the draft now stands, this legislation would be a major step backwards in the development of balanced labour market structures and mechanisms, as specified under the common EU social dialogue agenda.
The appointment of workplace employee representatives in parallel and alongside legitimate trade union shop stewards is directly contrary to this social model. Unfortunately, the proposed Employees&rsquo; Representatives Act would provide this option to employers doing business in Estonia. 
 
I urge you to use your influence to amend the proposed Act in such a way to ensure that the legitimate and universally accepted role of trade unions, and their elected shop stewards, is maintained. The ICEM will closely follow developments on this matter, and we intend to report directly to our affiliated trade unions on whether or not Estonia adopts the principle of a balanced social partnership between democratic and free trade unions, and employers. 
 
 
Sincerely Yours, 
 
 
Fred Higgs 
General Secretary 
ICEM

ICEM letter to Estonian Prime Minister on Employees’ Representatives Act

The FNV labour federation in The Netherlands is engaged today, 9 March, in an emergency meeting with the nation&rsquo;s tripartite Social Economic Council to address the misuse by Dutch employers of workers from Central and Eastern Europe.
<img height="53" alt="" src="" width="80" />
ICEM affiliate FNV Bondgenoten is conducting a protest outside the Council&rsquo;s building as the meeting is in progress.&nbsp;The meeting will also focus on the negative effects of a new health insurance system introduced in the country. 
Workers from Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries have flocked to The Netherlands in search of work. They have often been met by unscrupulous employers who use these workers on a term-limited contract basis, or as self-employed workers, in an effort to undermine collective bargaining agreements. The resulting payment of lower wages has a direct effect on all Dutch citizens. 
<img height="70" src="" width="120" alt="" />
FNV Bondgenoten has been successful in its &ldquo;Equal Pay for Equal Work&rdquo; campaign, which has brought union membership to a significant number of Central and Eastern European workers, particularly Poles. &ldquo;We are not against Polish workers coming to The Netherlands for employment, but we insist they be treated fairly, and so do they,&rdquo; said FNV President Agnes Jongerius.

Dutch Protest Today Points at Exploitation of Central and Eastern European Workers

Meeting in Istanbul on 6 and 7 April, delegates at the ICEM&rsquo;s 3rd World Conference for the Rubber Industries ended two days of discussions and information exchange on Friday with the adoption of a plan for action. 
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Topics at the conference included current world-wide trends in the rubber industries, one of the most oligopolistic industrial sectors, and their effect on workers, as well as the need for multinational companies to guarantee respect for national and international workers&rsquo; rights. The conference was attended by over 100 representatives from 16 ICEM affiliated rubber sector trade unions from 14 countries. 
 
At the conference, two special resolutions were adopted. The first one dealt with the recently announced Goodyear plant closures in the UK and Poland, declaring international solidarity support towards the Goodyear workers in those countries. 
<img height="213" alt="" src="" width="390" />
The second resolution calls on Goodyear, Bridgestone and Pirelli to &ldquo;exert common sense and to bargain in good faith&rdquo; with Turkey&rsquo;s ICEM affiliate Lastik-Iş. These three companies take a very harsh approach to collective bargaining in Turkey. They are not only demanding concessions in working conditions, they have also consistently called on the Turkish government to ban strikes, while simultaneously threatening to leave the country. 
 
The conference adopted an action plan for the next four years, setting out broad guidelines for international trade union action at both national and international level. An important priority in the action plan is the need for continued and improved dialogue with multinational companies in the rubber sector, including through global framework agreements and global trade union networks. Special emphasis also goes to health and safety issues. 
Other priority areas are the difficulties related to the increased use of contract and agency labour and the fight for gender equality. 
 
Leo Gerard, International President of ICEM&rsquo;s US affiliate USW (United Steelworkers), was re-elected as Chair of the ICEM rubber section. 
 
Speaking at the conclusion of the conference, ICEM general secretary Fred Higgs said that &ldquo;The discussions, resolutions and adoption of a forward looking action plan by the conference demonstrates that unions around the world in the rubber sector are determined to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing industry on the basis of mutual support and solidarity&rdquo;. 
 
 

For the resolution on the Goodyear plant closings in the UK and Poland, <a href="/index.php?id=164&amp;doc=1754&amp;la=EN">click here</a>. 
 
For the resolution on collective bargaining in Turkey, <a href="/index.php?id=164&amp;doc=1750&amp;la=EN">click here</a>.&nbsp;
For more information on this conference, including background documents and presentations, <a href="/index.php?id=164&amp;la=EN">click here</a>.

ICEM’s World Rubber Conference Reacts to the Challenges of Globalisation

BAE, Kang-wook 
President 
Korean Chemical and Textile Workers Federation (KCTF) 
Third floor, Woosung Building 
94-14 Yeongdeungpo-dong 7-ga 
Yeongdeungpo 
Seoul 150-037 
SOUTH KOREA 
 
by fax: + 82-2-26.32.47.55 
by&nbsp;e-mail: <a href="mailto:kctfim@hanmail.net">kctfim@hanmail.net</a> 

Dear Sisters and Brothers of KCTF-KCTU in Korea, 
 
We are informed by the ICEM that your union has been, since 2004, the victim of an anti-union repression by GS Caltex, and that you now have decided to launch a boycott campaign against GS Caltex products in Korea. This letter is meant to offer our union&rsquo;s support and encouragement in your courageous fight against the unfair labor practices by GS Caltex. 
 
We understand that some 30 union leaders at GS Caltex have been dismissed in August 2004 and that eight have faced criminal charges for carrying out their legitimate union duties. It is clear that GS Caltex wanted to punish these dedicated trade unionists, as well as the KCFT-KCTU itself, for its trade union actions. This behavior by the company is abhorrent and far from what can and should be expected in developed and civilized nations. GS Caltex needs to start bargaining in good-faith. 
 
It is also deplorable that the South Korean Government has collaborated with the management of GS Caltex by assisting in the suppression of reasonable union demands through dispatching anti-riot police units and arresting union members. 
 
We salute KCFT-KCTU for undertaking this brave struggle in defense of basic trade union rights, particularly the fight for freedom of association. Please know that the members and leaders of our union stand firmly with you in your pursuit of justice and dignity. 
 
Fraternally, 
 
 
(Name) 
(Title) 
(Union)

Model Letter of Support to KCTF

<a href="http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_page.aspx?ar=1582&amp;L2=1&amp;L3=106">OUTSOURCING GROWS UP</a> 
 
Written in early 2005 by two partners of the McKinsey&rsquo;s London office, this article shows that the ICEM views on contract and agency labour are beginning to be accepted by influential Management Consultants. 
 
According to the article, the main objective of the first companies using outsourcing, was purely to reduce costs. That has changed somewhat. It is now generally accepted that companies also use contract and agency labour to improve their operational performance. 
 
The authors&rsquo; research shows that, in spite of this change,&nbsp;few companies changed the way they make their deals. They also say that that &ldquo;up to 50% of outsourcing arrangements fail to deliver the expected value&rdquo;. 
 
Examples are given of companies experiencing severe problems during the operation of the contract, due to the fact that they did not have a clear strategy at the beginning of the process. Towards the end, the article argues to work with all the internal stakeholders that will be affected by the move, including union representatives. 
The article can be found here: 
<a href="http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_page.aspx?ar=1582&amp;L2=1&amp;L3=106">http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/ 
article_page.aspx?ar=1582&amp;L2=1&amp;L3=106</a>

Useful Background Articles on Contract and Agency Labour

The 20-million-member ICEM today condemns King Gyanendra and his autocratic rule in Nepal for the arrests and intimidation of dozens of pro-democracy activists in the days leading up to a four-day general strike beginning tomorrow, 6 April. The ICEM also condemns the absolute monarchy&rsquo;s threat to civil servants and professionals, who have been served notice that participation in the strike could mean dismissals or job transfers to remote areas of the Himalayan country. 
 
Specifically, the ICEM calls attention to the arrest yesterday of General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) official Ramesh Badal. He was seized in New Baneswer as he was speaking to the Professional Alliance on joining the strike. Badal heads GEFONT&rsquo;s Department of Labour Relations. 
<img height="137" alt="" src="" width="131" /> 
 
Ramesh Badal
&ldquo;Arrests of activists before major strikes and demonstrations have become all too common in Nepal,&rdquo; said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs. &ldquo;But this makes them no less appalling. Real rights and freedoms will not exist until Nepal&rsquo;s monarch lifts his absolute rule and allows political parties to function.&rdquo; 
 
The ICEM, a Global Union Federation consisting of 389 affiliates in 122 countries, including four in Nepal, supports the 6-9 April general strike as a means of challenging Gyanendra&rsquo;s autocratic rule, now in place for 14 months. This week&rsquo;s general strike is being called by a wide ranging political coalition called the Seven Parties Alliance. The royal government has countered the strike with prohibition orders banning all assemblies inside the greater Kathmandu area.

ICEM Condemns Arrests, Repression Leading to General Strike

<img height="41" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Exactly one week after the Howard government&rsquo;s WorkChoices legislation in Australia went into effect, labour unions across the country have mounted campaigns to alert workers of the dangers. The unions also are preparing to oust Prime Minister John Howard from office at the time of next elections in 18 months. Several unions have established websites where workers can post and respond to employer abuses. 
The new law went into effect on 27 March and, in short, dismantles collective bargaining in favour of a system of individual contracts and exempts employers with fewer than 100 workers from unfair dismissal claims. 
In the first week alone, Australian unions have noted a rash of abuses. For instance, in South Australia, a hotel has announced a restructuring plan in which it will half its workforce, and place all staff on individual contracts with longer work hours. At another business in New South Wales, a company sacked all 29 of its employees and invited them to apply for 20 jobs based on individual contracts with salaries of A$180 per week less. 
<img height="100" src="" width="100" alt="" />
ICEM affiliate Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has begun a campaign entitled &ldquo;WhatChoice?&rdquo; and the Australian Council of Trade Unions, in conjunction with several states, is bringing legal action to reverse the law.

Australia’s Labour Reform Strips Workers of Protections

<img height="41" src="" width="100" alt="" />
South African affiliate National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has challenged Harmony Gold Mining&rsquo;s sacking of 300 contract workers without consulting the union. Harmony fired contractor DBE Mining at the Kalgold mine in the Northern Cape, and will bring in a new contractor employing other workers. 
NUM, which has filed a complaint over the matter in a South African labour court, is demanding that Harmony, &ldquo;in the current climate of a boom in gold prices,&rdquo; hire the 300 on a permanent basis. 
In a statement, NUM said, &ldquo;Harmony would like to hide behind the myth that the 300 workers are employees of a contractor while in reality they do critical work in a Harmony mine &hellip; subcontracting and outsourcing are new forms of exploitation through which big companies try to exonerate themselves from the stain of careless laying off of employees.&rdquo;

Layoffs of Contract Workers Challenged by NUM

<img height="41" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Trade union members of Amicus, an ICEM affiliate in the UK, staged a second four-hour strike on 30 March at International Paper Co.&rsquo;s Inverurie mill in Scotland. The union and its 231 members at the paper mill will escalate industrial actions this week with two further strikes, tomorrow and Thursday, 4 and 6 April, if the company does not revise a pay offer for 2006 and 2007. 
Management has proposed an unacceptable pay freeze for this year and a minimal one-off payment in 2007. Workers for the past two years have contributed part of their weekly earnings to help fill a gap in the company&rsquo;s pension scheme. The industrial actions have boosted Amicus support inside the printing and writing papers mills, as well as in the nearby community of Aberdeenshire.

Further Strikes at IP Paper Mill in Scotland

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