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A historic agreement was signed today in Beijing, China, aimed at improving the health and safety of that nation&rsquo;s mining industry. After two days of intensive talks, a Memorandum of Understanding was reached between the 20-million-member ICEM&mdash;the leading Global Union Federation in mining&mdash;and seven other parties, including the UN&rsquo;s International Labour Office (ILO), which coordinated the discussions. 
 
ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs first discussed the ICEM-inspired initiative with Chinese officials during a visit by leaders of the Brussels-based labour federation in late 2002. A formal invitation from the Chinese to open dialogue on mine safety and health was extended to the ICEM in June 2003. 
 
Signatory to the agreement with the ICEM and ILO included the Chinese government&rsquo;s State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), the National Energy and Chemical Workers&rsquo; Union of China, the China National Coal Association, the China Enterprise Confederation, and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), a London-based mining trade group representing the major mining companies of the world. 
 
The agreement will pave the way for technical cooperation between ICEM, ICMM and ILO with Chinese mining entities in order to improve safety and health across all mining sectors in China. The parties acknowledged the importance of further improvements to safety and health in Chinese mines, with an initial focus on large and medium-size coal mines. 
 
&ldquo;The ICEM together with its 140 mining affiliates in 78 countries is now poised to assist the Chinese government, mining enterprises across China, as well as our trade union counterparts in China on safety and health,&rdquo; stated Fred Higgs. &ldquo;We feel the collective experience of our trade union affiliates in cooperation with the ILO and ICMM representing the mining houses of the world can and will play a pivotal role in safeguarding the lives of Chinese miners.&rdquo; 
 
Specifically, Chinese coal mining is recognized as being the deadliest job in China. At a national coal mine safety conference last month in Beijing, SAWS reported that China produces 35% of the world&rsquo;s coal, yet has recorded 80% of all workplace fatalities in coal mining worldwide. Since 2001, one death has occurred every 7.4 days and there have been 189 separate tragedies in which at least ten miners perished. 
 
The Chinese government recognizes the problem, and has spent US$480 million since 2000 establishing a monitoring and surveillance system in coal mines in five provinces to detect gas and other safety deficiencies. 
 
The accord signed today calls on the ICEM, ILO and ICMM to provide the Chinese with capacity building in risk assessment and risk management techniques and practices; capacity building on gas and dust management and control in coal and non-coal mines; to develop and implement a safety culture throughout the Chinese mining industry; train workplace safety representatives as designated by the Chinese trade union; and introduce safety equipment and technology. 
 
The cooperation agreement calls for exchange of information and materials, establishment of seminars and workshops, and exchange of relevant experts and officials on mine safety and health. 
 
The ICEM is the leading Global Union Federation in the energy, mining, and processed industries sectors with 425 affiliates in 125 countries. 
<a href="/index.php?id=76&amp;doc=1396&amp;la=EN">Full Text of the Memorandum of Understanding</a>

ICEM Inks Agreement to Assist Mine Safety in China

An initiative by the 20-million-member ICEM to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan African countries took a major step forward 20-21 November when regional train union coordinators from 17 countries met in Benoni, South Africa, to establish an organizational structure. Coordinators convened prior to the Global Union Federation's World Sectoral Conference on Mining to plan an infrastructure for an ambitious ICEM project that would bring HIV/AIDS relief to workers and others most inflicted by the disease. 
<img height="173" src="" width="350" alt="" />
ICEMs African HIV/AIDS Coordinators Meet in Benoni, South Africa. 
Brussels-based ICEM, the leading GUF in energy and mining sectors, has called on major oil and mining multinationals to join with it to establish fully-equipped medical clinics in remote African areas at or near worksites. 
 
The clinics will provide drug treatments from trained medical staff and will be open to workers and family members suffering from HIV/AIDS, as well as to others suffering from HIV/AIDS in nearby communities. 
 
&quot;With national ICEM coordinators in place across Africa who have the knowledge and commitment on this deadly pandemic, we are in a position to step up this initiative to provide HIV/AIDS relief to people who most need it and have been the least likely to receive it,&quot; said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs. 
 
Higgs announced at the forum that the ICEM has received funding to employ an African Regional HIV/AIDS Project Coordinator. 
 
The regional coordinators, in liaison with ICEM African affiliates, will now begin to approach global companies in their respective countries in order to commence negotiations for partnership agreements for the health care clinics. 
 
Higgs said, &quot;Trade unions across Africa already are playing major roles on the pandemic regarding education programmes and awareness-raising and behavioral-change campaigns among their members and the general public. What has been lacking is coordinated international action and a viable public health infrastructure, and we feel we are addressing that with this project.&quot; 
 
The ICEM, with 425 affiliated unions in 121 countries, is strategically positioned for such a direct role in the HIV/AIDS fight because it not only represents chemical workers in the pharmaceutical industry at the major drug-producing firms, but also workers and family members hardest hit by the virus in mining, mineral extraction and energy sectors of the developing world.

ICEM&#039;s African Coordinators Move Forward on HIV/AIDS Project

The 20-million-member ICEM, the global union federation for the energy, mining, chemical and processed industries&rsquo; sectors, has succeeded in bringing a first-ever process of Social Dialogue between Colombian trade unions and multinational companies. In a series of meetings in Colombia this month between unions and employers facilitated by the ICEM, a formalized process was established with eight companies over dialogue on a full range of social issues. 
 
&ldquo;The ICEM is in a unique position. Through our global affiliates, we represent workers across the world at these companies,&rdquo; stated General Secretary Fred Higgs. &ldquo;Our affiliated trade unions in Colombia recognize this initiative as a vehicle for peace and reconciliation, and a meaningful attempt to establish full human and trade union rights.&rdquo; 
 
Higgs added, &ldquo;Trade Unions are among the few democratic structures in Colombia. We see this process of Social Dialogue with employers as a major step to achieving peace and justice in this war-torn country.&rdquo; 
 
The multinational companies that accepted the invitation of the ICEM and Colombia trade unions include: the Spanish energy firm Endesa; Spanish electrical distributor Uni&oacute;n Fenosa; Swiss oil and gas trader Glencore; Australian mining concern BHP Billiton; British-based mining company Anglo-American; German gas, engineering, materials handling and refrigeration firm Linde AG; UK&rsquo;s household products group Reckitt Benckiser; and Irish paper and packaging company Jefferson Smurfit Group. 
 
ICEM&rsquo;s Colombian trade union affiliates involved include: Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Electricidad (SINTRAELECOL), Sindicato Nacional de los Trabajores de la Industria del Carb&oacute;n (SINTRACARBON), Sindicato de la Industria Qu&iacute;mca (SINTRAQUIM), and Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de Cart&oacute;n (SINTRACARCOL). 
 
At the inaugural set of meetings in mid-October, the unions met with Colombian managers of all companies as a group, and then individually to set a working process into the year 2006. Labour and management began the process immediately at the company level by designating contact point persons and introducing procedures to follow within each company. Agreement was made to convene two collective seminars prior to June 2005 on international labour standards and human rights. And then in June another conference of all participants will convene with the ICEM to shape an agenda for 2006. 
 
Colombia&rsquo;s labour-management Social Dialogue process will operate on two levels: at corporate level, in which best practices will be developed regarding the international standards, labour relations, working conditions and physical security of trade union leaders; and at multi-company level, whereby initiatives and experiences will be shared with other companies operating in Colombia. 
 
The ICEM-initiated Social Dialogue process is part of a programme adopted at the GUF&rsquo;s 2003 Congress in Norway to provide resources and awareness to the trade unions of Colombia.

Colombia: 8 Multinationals Commence Social Talks with Unions

The 20-million-member ICEM, the global union federation for the oil, energy, chemical and other sectors, lent its support to Colombian trade unions and civil society organizations at a National Day of Action in defense of labour and human rights. ICEM Gen. Sec. Fred Higgs spoke at a mass rally and demonstration 12 October in Bogota, one of three major protests across Colombia condemning the policies of President Alvaro Uribe Velez. 

<img height="157" alt="" src="" width="350" />
ICEM's Fred Higgs spoke to Colombian workers in Bogota 
(photo by Carlos Bustos) 
&ldquo;These events in Colombia demonstrate the Trade Union Movement&rsquo;s determination to secure social justice for workers and all citizens,&rdquo; said Higgs. &ldquo;Trade unions are one of the few democratic structures in Colombia and the issues today prove the Trade Union Movement can be a force for peace and reconciliation in a country that so badly needs it.&rdquo; 
<img height="180" alt="" src="" width="350" />
Some 20,000 workers filled a square in Bogota on 12 October 
Higgs promised to Colombian workers they would not be alone in their struggle for social justice. &ldquo;Trade unionists across the world are conscious of the deaths, death threats and intimidation and harassment of trade union leaders and others in Colombia,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The ICEM will remain active in Colombia and we will ensure that the struggle for justice and fairness continues to be heard worldwide.&rdquo; 
 
The rallies coincided with a 24-hour protest strike in which public sector workers shut down government administration, plus education, health care and other public sector services.
&nbsp; 
All ICEM-affiliated trade unions in Colombia took part in Day of Action events, as did all national union centers. The Trade Union agenda: 
* Oppose the re-election of Uribe; 
* Oppose legislation that cuts pensions, increases taxes on workers, and reduces money and aid for education and health; 
* Oppose security policies that are causing violent human rights abuses; 
* Oppose the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, other regional free-trade agreements, and bi-lateral trade agreements with the US; 
* Oppose unilateral closure of hospitals, health clinics, and schools; 
* Begin the negotiation process to end armed internal conflict and seek humanitarian assistance. 
 
The ICEM, numbering 400 affiliates in 125 countries, has been engaged in Colombian union building and solidarity efforts for the past eight years. The GUF has now launched a Social Dialogue Process among affiliates in Latin America&rsquo;s most violent nation that has met success coordinating serious dialogue between individual affiliates and global employers.

ICEM Endorses Trade Union Agenda in Colombia

US affiliate USW proved Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. workers, no matter which process is used, will choose unionization every time. On June 14-15, in a secret ballot election conducted by the US government, workers in Asheboro, North Carolina, chose USW representation by a 173- 147 count. It marked the second time a majority of workers at the steel and tyre cord plant chose the USW. 
As part of the September 2003 collective agreement between the union and Goodyear, card check and company neutrality language was established. That means workers can choose union representation through a show of support by signing cards, as is the case in most countries. Regrettably an anti-union organisation given free reign over the Bush administration&rsquo;s labour board challenged that portion of the collective agreement on legal grounds, and the remedy to the challenge was the government-supervised election two weeks ago.

Steelworkers in US Organise Goodyear Tire and Rubber Workers

NUM, meanwhile, welcomed South Africa&rsquo;s first woman to high office. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former minister of Minerals and Energy Affairs, was sworn in last Thursday as deputy president. She replaces the former number two official in South Africa, Jacob Zuma, who was sacked by President Thebo Mbeki in connection with a bribery scandal. Mlambo- Ngcuka, 49, a leader in the anti-apartheid struggle, was elected from the ANC party to Parliament in 1994 in the country&rsquo;s first all-race elections, and served as head of Minerals and Energy beginning in 1999, a post from which she helped draft the Mining Charter giving more black South Africans ownership in mines. 
In welcoming her selection by Mbeki, NUM General Secretary Gwede Mantashe cautioned against the position being caught up in politics. &ldquo;We are concerned that she&rsquo;s been thrown into a lion&rsquo;s den, given the controversies surrounding the office of the deputy president at this juncture. We therefore hope that she is not compromised as a result. We trust that her experience of overcoming challenges in her past portfolio will come to the fore.&rdquo;

Mines, Energy Minister Appointed South Africa&#039;s Deputy President

A vote by two UK unions for industrial action against Imerys has moved the French materials company back to the negotiations table over a contentious pension issue. Union members of ICEM affiliates Transport &amp; General (T&amp;G) and GMB voted to take industrial action at Imerys&rsquo; English China Clay at several southwestern UK worksites. Rather than face an angry 2,500 workers ready to disrupt operations over pensions being chopped, Imerys agreed to negotiate after a meeting between T&amp;G General Secretary Tony Woodley and corporate managers of the company. 
Imerys previously had refused any dialogue over its plan to close the pension scheme to new workers and cut anywhere from 33-40% in pension benefits to existing workers. In the US, Imerys workers in Dry Branch, Georgia, represented by another ICEM affiliate, USW, ratified a three-year agreement with the company, but fellow USW union members in Sylacauga, Alabama, still seek a commitment from management that it cease union-busting.

UK Unions, Imerys Agree to Re-start Pension Talks

<img height="40" src="" width="100" alt="" />
Paperiliitto in Finland rejected a second federal mediator&rsquo;s proposal last week that again falls far short of preserving the continuity of family-sustaining papermaking jobs. 
The paper employers&rsquo; association last week extended a lockout on 25,000 workers that began 18 May to a seventh week, or until 15 July. The mediator&rsquo;s proposal, if it had been accepted, would have given paper companies the unlimited right to outsource work, thus transferring all maintenance, security and cleaning work to non-regular employees. The proposal again rejects Paperiliitto&rsquo;s compromise on for continuous operation of paper mills. In paper converting, companies could schedule 12-hour work-shifts without overtime compensation. 
Global support among workers remains strong for Paperiliitto, with French affiliate FILPAC-CGT issuing a powerful statement of solidarity. In North America, union members of seven unions&mdash;including ICEM affiliates USW in US and CEP in Canada&mdash;demonstrated in support of the Finnish union at mills of Stora Enso and UPM Kymmene, two leading Finnish companies behind the employers&rsquo; association. In the UK, Amicus also voiced strong support at UK paper mills on behalf of Paperiliitto. 
And EMCEF&rsquo;s presidium, meeting in Greece 14 June, issued a communiqu&eacute; fully supportive of Finnish workers in its &ldquo;fight to fend off the harsh concessionary demands put forward by the Finnish Forest Industries. The demands are totally unacceptable and the EMCEF presidium is shocked by the behaviour of the Finnish employers in this conflict.&rdquo;

Finnish Paper Union Again Rejects Mediator&#039;s Proposal

<img height="40" src="" width="100" alt="" />
Both South Korea&rsquo;s national centers are ready for a general strike in early July if the ruling Uri Party pushes through a non-regular workers&rsquo; bill, aimed at undermining workplace rights and union protections. Members of the Democratic Labor Party, backed by trade unions, have staged sit-ins in the Assembly to block the measure, which would give companies in 26 business sectors the right to extend contract or agency labour for up to three years. 
The FKTU is joined by the larger and generally more conservative Korean Federation of Trade Unions in calling for the general strike. &ldquo;The Parliamentary committee on labor and environmental issues is poised to railroad the bill as drafted by government regardless of the argument made during the three-party negotiations. We will not hesitate to launch a general strike,&rdquo; FKTU said in a statement.

South Korea Braces for General Strike over Irregular Workers&#039; Bill

<img height="40" src="" width="100" alt="" />
A branch leader of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) was run over and killed by a cement mixing truck 14 June while striking with ICEM-affiliated FKTU-Chemical Workers Union. Kim Tae-hwan, leader of the Chungju branch of FKTU, was killed when police ordered a replacement driver through a picket line at cement company Sajo Remicon. 
Drivers are seeking to unionise with FKTU-Chemical Workers Union and gain permanent work status, as well as qualify for full rights under Korea&rsquo;s Labor Standards Act. They have been on recognition strikes since 8 June at three cement companies. The drivers are considered selfemployed contract workers, contrary to union beliefs. On 18 June, 6,000 workers together with other activists rallied at the city hall of Chungju demanding accountability for Kim&rsquo;s murder, including accountability of ten police officers that were at the picket line scene on 14 June.

Korean Labour Leader Killed on the Picket Line

Archive

ICEM Inks Agreement to Assist Mine Safety in China

ICEM's African Coordinators Move Forward on HIV/AIDS Project

Colombia: 8 Multinationals Commence Social Talks with Unions

ICEM Endorses Trade Union Agenda in Colombia

Steelworkers in US Organise Goodyear Tire and Rubber Workers

Mines, Energy Minister Appointed South Africa's Deputy President

UK Unions, Imerys Agree to Re-start Pension Talks

Finnish Paper Union Again Rejects Mediator's Proposal

South Korea Braces for General Strike over Irregular Workers' Bill

Korean Labour Leader Killed on the Picket Line

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