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Joining the European Union means working one-third more and kissing goodbye to the five-day week. 
 
That, at least, is what the Hungarian government is trying to tell the country's workers. 
 
It has tabled amendments to the Hungarian Labour Code that would seriously undermine workers' legal rights. The government argues that the anti-labour proposals are needed to bring Hungarian law into line with EU directives. Hungary aims to be one of the first Central European countries to join the EU. 
 
The draft legislation will be put to the vote before the end of this month. That is why all of Hungary's union confederations are joining together in a demonstration tomorrow (Saturday 24 March) against the proposed changes. 
 
According to the country's Federation of Chemical, Energy and General Workers' Unions (VDSz), the amendments would: 
 
- extend the working week up to 48 hours 
- eliminate the daily work break 
- oblige employees to work six days instead of five days per week 
- increase the maximum amount of overtime from 144 hours to 300 hours per year 
- reduce the weekly rest period by two hours 
- considerably expand the definition of seasonal work. 
 
And even before the parliamentary vote, the proposed changes are having an industrial impact. 
 
&quot;In several workplaces within the chemical industry, the weekly working time is 36 hours,&quot; explains VDSz President Gy&ouml;rgy Pasztern&aacute;k. &quot;The employers, encouraged by the government proposals, decided to increase weekly work times to 48 hours. So in these cases, working hours will increase by more than 30 percent. In the case of other workers, currently on a 40-hour week, it means a 20 percent increase. 
 
&quot;But wages will remain the same,&quot; Pasztern&aacute;k points out. &quot;The government and the employers say this is in line with European principles, which lay down a 48-hour working week.&quot; 
 
The government and employer claims are, of course, nonsense - as Fred Higgs points out in a letter to the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orb&aacute;n. 
 
Higgs is General Secretary of the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), to which the VDSz is affiliated at the global level. 
 
&quot;Mr. Orb&aacute;n,&quot; Higgs writes, &quot;I'm afraid your government's proposal shows a complete misunderstanding of European Union legislation. The whole EU social policy and directives aim to improve labour standards in Member States, not to reduce the protection of workers. In reality, working hours have been cut during the past decade, and in most EU member states, the regular working week is now well under 40 hours. Recent reports in France show that the government's decision to cut the working week to 35 hours has produced tens of thousands of new jobs. This clearly demonstrates that shorter working hours are an efficient policy in the fight against unemployment.&quot; 
 
And Higgs has sent a copy of his letter to Romano Prodi, the President of the European Commission. 
 
Because when it comes to European harmony, Viktor Orb&aacute;n is singing the wrong tune.

Hungarian unions fight longer hours

The Colombian government must act now to halt the continuing wave of assassinations directed against trade unionists. 
 
That was the call today from the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) following a new upsurge of killings in Colombia. 
 
The ICEM condemned the brutal murder this Monday of two mining union activists employed at a coal mine in northern Colombia. The mine is owned by the US-based multinational Drummond. 
 
Valmore Locarno Rodr&iacute;guez and Victor Hugo Orcasita, President and Vice-President of the mine workers' local union at Loma mine, were pulled from a company-chartered bus while on their way to work. They were shot execution-style by gunmen, some of them dressed in military uniforms. The other miners on the bus were forced to witness the killings. 
 
In a protest over the murders, the mine's 1,200 workers struck, halting all production. The miners are members of ICEM affiliate Sintracarbon, the Colombian national mine workers' union. 
 
&quot;We utterly condemn these vile murders,&quot; said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs today, &quot;and we demand that the Colombian government bring the perpetrators to justice without delay. These killings are just the latest in a long series of assassinations directed against trade union activists in Colombia. Last year alone, at least 129 Colombian trade unionists were murdered. Unless and until the authorities make a real effort to investigate these crimes, and bring them to an end, the suspicion must remain that the gunmen are not acting alone.&quot; 
 
Higgs also called for a full investigation into the recent death of Dario Hoyos. 
 
Hoyos was murdered in unexplained circumstances in his home town of Fusagasug&aacute; earlier this month. No further details have emerged about the killing. Dario Hoyos used to be the Colombian coordinator for the Miners' International Federation, a forerunner of the present ICEM. &quot;This was a tragic end to a life devoted to the defence of the Colombian workers,&quot; Higgs said. 
 
Meanwhile, the murder of the Loma mine leaders has also drawn protests from miners in the USA, where the Drummond company is headquartered. Last year, Drummond decided to close most of its US coal mines and begin operating new mines in Colombia. 
 
&quot;We strongly condemn these assassinations of our trade union brothers,&quot; said American union leader Jerry Jones today. Jones is Vice-President of the ICEM-affiliated United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). He is also an ICEM Vice-President. 
 
&quot;When Drummond chose to switch many of its operations to Colombia,&quot; Jones pointed out, &quot;it did so knowing that country's hostile political climate and egregious human rights violations. The UMWA would hope that Monday's assassinations might make Drummond rethink its decision. The UMWA's prayers and condolences go out to the families, friends and co-workers of Brothers Locarno and Orcasita, and we offer our full support and solidarity to the Colombian mine workers' union

Colombian Miners&#039; Leaders Murdered

<img height="78" src="" width="64" alt="" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<img height="70" src="" width="70" alt="" />&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; <img height="61" src="" width="70" alt="" />
Global industrial relations took another step forward in energy multinational Statoil today, when the company signed a new agreement with the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). 
 
The global agreement covers: 
 
- trade union rights and other human rights 
 
- health, safety and environment 
 
- information 
 
- training. 

<img height="308" src="" width="380" alt="" />
GLOBALLY AGREED 
At today's signing (l. to r.): NOPEF's Lars Myhre, who chairs the ICEM energy section; Statoil Vice-President, Labour Relations, Jostein Gaasemyr; ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs. 
(Photo: &Oslash;yvind Hagen/Copyright Statoil) 

It was signed at Statoil headquarters in Stavanger, Norway, this afternoon by the company, the ICEM and the ICEM-affiliated Norwegian oil and petrochemical workers' union NOPEF, which brokered the accord. 
 
The package is an updated and expanded version of an agreement first signed between the ICEM, NOPEF and Statoil in 1998. It builds on their experience of implementing that deal in practice. 
 
Importantly, the new agreement has been designed to accord fully with the Global Compact initiative launched by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The ICEM-Statoil agreement complies with all the principles set out in the Global Compact, which aims to ensure respect for labour rights, other human rights and the environment within a globalised economy. 
 
&quot;I believe that the agreement we have signed today is a major step forward,&quot; said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs in Stavanger. &quot;It should set an example to other multinational companies in our sectors. They should now show their commitment to the Global Compact by signing global agreements with the ICEM.&quot; 
 
 
RIGHTS PROTECTED 
 
Today's agreement commits the parties to uphold basic human rights in the community and the workplace. In particular, it lists basic worker rights enshrined in the Conventions of the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO). 
 
The ICEM-Statoil agreement says that respect for human rights includes: 
 
&quot;- the right of every employee to be represented by a union of his or her own choice and the basic trade union rights as defined by ILO Convention 87 and 98 covering freedom of association and the right to organise, as well as the right to engage in collective bargaining. Statoil therefore agrees not to oppose efforts to unionise its employees 
 
- a commitment not to employ forced or bonded labour as proscribed in the ILO Conventions 29 and 105 or otherwise 
 
- a commitment to employ no child labour as proscribed by ILO Convention 138 
 
- a commitment to exercise equality of opportunity and treatment in employment, including equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value, and the prevention of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation as required by ILO Conventions 100 and 111 respectively 
 
- a commitment to pay fair wages and benefits according to good industry standards in the country concerned 
 
- a commitment to provide a safe and healthy work environment, deploying common 'best practice' standards.&quot; 
 
Statoil will &quot;refrain from dismissing or otherwise discriminating against union delegates, identified as such by the Parties, or employees providing information relevant to the observance and implementation of this Agreement.&quot; The company &quot;will assist union delegates in the performance of their functions by making available relevant information and other agreed facilities.&quot; All union delegates &quot;must agree to respect the commercial confidentiality of information disclosed in the exercise of their duties.&quot; 
 
Statoil &quot;may also facilitate the opportunity for union representatives from Statoil operations to meet as necessary to discuss the application and future development of this agreement.&quot; 
 
 
HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT 
 
The company and the unions emphasise the importance of &quot;protecting safety, health and well-being at work&quot; and commit themselves to &quot;ensure the best possible standards of protection for those employed in our business.&quot; 
 
They will also &quot;cooperate to ensure that Statoil activities are carried out with the fullest possible regard for the environment&quot; - notably by: 
 
&quot;- supporting a precautionary approach to environmental challenges 
 
- undertaking initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility 
 
- encouraging the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.&quot; 
 
 
TRAINING 
 
Training under the agreement will include courses on health, safety and environmental best practice for union delegates and training programmes for management. The programmes will be developed jointly, and the cost of NOPEF/ICEM involvement may be covered by the company, subject to agreement. 
 
 
ANNUAL REVIEW 
 
Statoil and NOPEF/ICEM will meet every year to review the implementation of the agreement. 
 
&quot;In addition to the general industrial issues and health, safety and environment matters, the following topics may be addressed: 
 
- general corporate policy on employment, occupational health, safety and environmental issues affecting those within the company and, as appropriate, between the company and its related companies including suppliers and subcontractors 
 
- the economic and financial position of the company and the development of its business and related activities 
 
- training matters 
 
- issues affecting the exercise of trade union rights 
 
- any other issues mutually agreed upon.&quot; 
 
 
GLOBAL SCOPE 
 
Initially valid for two years, the new agreement covers all activities worldwide where Statoil has direct control. However, the company will also &quot;notify its subcontractors and licensees of this agreement and encourage compliance with the standards.&quot; 
 
Statoil and the unions undertake to &quot;broadly publicise the existence of the agreement&quot; and to explain it both to union members and to management in the company worldwide. The global agreement explicitly does not replace local-level industrial relations. Both the company and the unions &quot;respect the principle that industrial relations issues are best resolved as close as possible to the place of work.&quot; 
 
The ICEM is currently negotiating global agreements with a number of multinational companies and sectors. Implementation of these accords is fully monitorable by the unions. This is the crucial difference between global agreements and the internal codes of conduct adopted by many multinationals. 
 
Statoil operates in 23 countries worldwide, and employs 16,000 people.

New Statoil Agreement Boosts Global Worker Rights

The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) today applauded US President Bill Clinton and the US Senate for ratifying Convention 176 of the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO), concerning safety and health in mines. 
 
The White House today confirmed to the ICEM that President Clinton has signed the document ratifying Convention 176. The US Senate gave its consent to the Convention on September 20, 2000. The President's signature makes this the 14th ILO Convention ratified by the United States government. 
 
The tripartite (union/employer/government) ILO General Conference approved Convention 176 on June 22, 1995, following an international campaign by the ICEM for its approval. The ICEM represents over 20 million workers globally, including more than 2 million mine workers. 
 
&quot;It is outrageous that in the 21st century, mine workers anywhere in the world are still forced to sacrifice their lives and limbs to make a living,&quot; said Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), which is affiliated globally to the ICEM. 
 
&quot;This ILO convention seeks to set minimum health and safety standards for the mining industry globally and that is a very worthy objective that must be enforced,&quot; he said. UMWA and ICEM officials played prominent roles in the ILO workers' group which was instrumental in drafting and securing adoption of this Convention. 
 
&quot;The ICEM applauds President Clinton and the US Senate for ratifying this important ILO Convention,&quot; said Fred Higgs, ICEM General Secretary. &quot;When it comes to health and safety, there must be no double standards in the world's mining industry. 
 
&quot;The US government's ratification sends an important signal to other countries with significant mining industries that mine worker health and safety must be treated seriously,&quot; Higgs added. 
 
The United States is the sixteenth government to ratify ILO Convention 176. Other governments which have signed up are Armenia, Austria, Botswana, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Norway, Philippines, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Zambia. The ICEM is continuing its campaign to convince further governments to similarly ratify the Convention. 
 
Under the Convention, states commit themselves to consult with unions and employers for the introduction of a coherent health and safety policy in mining. This policy is to include proper monitoring and inspection, plus investigations and reports on accidents and occupational diseases. Workers' representatives have the right to be fully involved in the inspections, investigations and reporting. The new standard places on employers the responsibility for risk elimination and reduction, ensuring that workers are evacuated from the mines if a serious danger arises, drawing up emergency action plans for each mine and providing full safety equipment and safety training. 
 
The Convention also calls for workers to be fully informed of the health and safety risks in each mine. Most importantly, they are to have the right to stop work and leave the mine if they have reasonable grounds for believing that they are in serious danger. 
 
More than 30 million people are employed worldwide in the mining industry and approximately 15,000 mine workers are killed per year around the world. There were 85 mine fatalities in the US in 2000. More than 127,000 miners were killed in the United States in the 20th century. 
 
Many mining accidents go unreported. Major known mining disasters in 2000 included: 
 
December 28, 2000. Donestsk Region, Ukraine, a windlass overturned and crushed two crane operators at the Bazhanov coal mine: two killed. 
 
December 19, 2000. Atakumoso, Nigeria, a landslide at an illegal gemstone mine: 15 killed. 
 
December 11, 2000. Baise city, Guangxi province, China, a roof collapse at a gold mine: 15 killed, four injured. 
 
December 3, 2000. Hejin city, Shanxi province, China, an explosion at the Tianlong coal mine: 42 killed, six missing. 
 
November 28, 2000. North West province, South Africa, a rock fall at Anglo American Platinum's Rustenburg platinum mine: two killed. 
 
November 27, 2000. Sichuan province, China, poison gas released at the Red Star Coal Mine: nine killed. 
 
November 25, 2000. Hulun Buir League of Inner Mongolia, China, a coal gas explosion at the Dayan Coal Co. mine: 51 killed, 12 injured. 
 
November 19, 2000. Gokcesu hin Mengen township, western Bolu province, Turkey, a gas explosion: three killed, four others missing. 
 
November 5, 2000. Liaoyuan district, Jilin province, China, a gas explosion at the Xian Coal Mine: 13 killed; 18 others missing. 
 
November 1, 2000. Nanchange, China, a fire in the Pinghu coal mine: 13 killed and one missing. 
 
October 20, 2000. Guangxi, China, an impoundment failure at a copper mine resulted in a landslide: 30 miners killed, 50 injured and another 100 missing. 
 
October 13, 2000. Thabazimbi, South Africa, a rock fall at a Northam Platinum mine: two killed. 
 
October 11, 2000. Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China, a gas explosion at the Zhangergou coal mine: 25 killed. 
 
October 11, 2000. Mianzhu, Sichuan Province, China, a landslide at a phosphate mine: at least 20 killed. 
 
September 28, 2000. Shuicheng, Guizhou province, China, an underground explosion at the Muchonggou coal mine: 161 killed; 43 critically wounded. 
 
September 28, 2000. Driefontein, South Africa, a rockburst at a Gold Fields mine: two killed and ten injured. 
 
September 27, 2000. Carletonville, South Africa, a rock fall at the Gold Fields Kloof gold mine: four killed, four injured. 
 
July 9, 2000. Gansu province, China, a fire at a coal mine: 17 killed. 
 
June 17, 2000. Henan province, China, a gas explosion at a coal mine: seven killed, four injured and another 7 missing. 
 
June 16, 2000. Mianzhu, Sichuan province, China, a coal mine explosion: seven miners and 5 rescuers killed. 
 
May 15, 2000. Welkom, South Africa, an underground explosion at the Gold Fields Ltd Beatrix gold mine: seven killed. 
 
April 15, 2000. Shanxi province, China, a gas explosion in a coal mine: 40 killed and three missing. 
 
April 6, 2000. Welkom, South Africa, a rock fall at the African Rainbow Minerals gold mine: three killed. 
 
January 10, 2000. Orkney, South Africa, a rockburst at an African Rainbow Minerals gold mine: six killed.

US Ratifies ILO Mine Safety Convention

Crown Shareholders for Fair Value and the US trade union federation AFL-CIO have announced their opposition to the second insider takeover bid in less than a year for Crown Central Petroleum. 
 
The second bid, like the first, is from Rosemore, a private company owned by the family of Crown Central CEO Henry Rosenberg. Shareholders not affiliated with Rosemore rejected the first takeover bid by a 10 to 1 margin this August. 
 
In August, Crown Shareholders for Fair Value argued that the Rosemore bid is less than the book value of the company, less than the liquidation value and a fraction of what the stock was worth two years ago. At that time, a study by the investment banking adviser to Crown Shareholders for Fair Value found that precedent transactions suggest Crown's refineries could be worth US$15.60 to $23.70 per share and that Crown's retail gas stations could be worth another $14.79 to $16.48 share. 
 
The second insider takeover bid of $10.50 per share came just two days after Crown Central replaced four long-time outside directors with candidates who have close ties to Rosemore and Crown, according to a statement issued in Washington yesterday by Crown Shareholders for Fair Value and the AFL-CIO. 
 
Crown Central's Board of Directors now has only three outside directors, less than half the Board, the statement points out. &quot;How an insider-dominated Board of Directors can properly evaluate the fairness of the proposed transaction is anybody's guess,&quot; said Richard Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO. 
 
Crown Shareholders for Fair Value is made up of individual shareholders of Crown Central, the AFL-CIO, and PACE International Union. The AFL-CIO's Office of Investment provides research and support for collectively bargained pension funds. PACE is the collective bargaining representative of Crown Central Petroleum refinery employee-shareholders. At the global level, PACE is affiliated to the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). 
 
Crown Shareholders for Fair Value is not soliciting proxies and no proxies will be accepted.

Crown Central Petroleum: Second Insider Takeover Bid Opposed

Unions Welcome Human Rights Principles For Oil, Gas, Mining

The world's chemical industry unions have launched a new drive for a global agreement with employers on the industry's Responsible Care programme. 
 
The move was announced by the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) at its world chemical industry conference, which closed in Bangkok yesterday. 
 
Responsible Care aims to portray the chemical sector as applying uniformly high occupational health and safety and environmental standards wherever the industry operates. It has been the industry's main response to critics of its social and environmental record. Responsible Care programmes has been introduced in many parts of the world, sometimes backed by lavish advertising campaigns. However, the programmes have often lacked public credibility. 
 
In February 1999, all this looked set to change. A meeting of the world's governments, chemical employers and chemical unions decided to establish a formal dialogue between the ICEM and the ICCA - notably in a bid to inject a real international presepctive into Responsible Care. 
 
Detailed negotiations followed between the ICEM and the companies' International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), and the two organisations were close to signing a global agreement on Responsible Care. But the deal was scuppered this April by the ICCA's US member, the American Chemistry Council (ACC). This was, apparently, at the behest of two anti-union American companies, Exxon and Dupont. 
 
&quot;We find this completely incompatible with the ICCA's declared support for the UN Global Compact initiative,&quot; commented ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs. 
 
But the ICEM is still keen to put the responsibility back into Responsible Care, and its Bangkok conference decided to break the logjam. ICEM-affiliated chemical unions will demand that national chemical industry associations sign a global agreement with the ICEM on behalf of their member companies. 
 
&quot;Since the Americans stalled the process, many national employers' organisations have expressed their regrets and their continued interest in the concept of a global agreement,&quot; Higgs explains. &quot;We will therefore proceed on that basis. And we will state very publicly which industry associations are willing to join us in making Responsible Care work, and which are not. 
 
&quot;Associations that sign up with us will be listed on our website,&quot; Higgs says, &quot;So, however, will those that refuse to do so. Credit will be given where credit is due, but those who are neither responsible nor caring will be named and shamed. The future credibility of Responsible Care will be judged by the industry's response.&quot; 
 
 
 
_____________ 
 
 
 
Among other main decisions by the ICEM's chemical industry section at its conference in Bangkok: 
 
- The ICEM will continue its efforts to sign global agreements with leading chemical multinationals, and to network trade unions within each company. The ICEM already has several such agreements and networks in various sectors. 
 
- A network of ICEM unions in the pharmaceutical industry will be set up, and will hold a conference every two years. Its next meeting will be in Japan. 
 
- The ICEM will press all governments to ratify and fully implement the Chemical Safety Conventions of the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO). 
 
- The ICEM will actively support Third World countries' right of access to medicines at affordable prices. 
 
- The ICEM will set up a working group to examine all the implications of new biotechnologies and to make recommendations for ICEM policies on this issue. 
 
- Michael Mersmann, from the German mining, chemical and energy union IG BCE, was re-elected as the chair of the ICEM chemical industries section

Responsible Care: Unions New Offer to Chemical Employers

South African miners will be on the march this afternoon - to demand medicines for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. 
 
The marches show how HIV/AIDS has become a major industrial issue in South Africa, which has the world's highest known infection rates. 
 
At 16.00 local time this afternoon, all members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in the seven Ingwe mines in the Highveld area of Mpumalanga will set off to present memorandums to their respective managements. Ingwe is owned by mining multinational Billiton. 
 
The marchers' main demand is that the company should make HIV/AIDS drugs available to all mine employees.This is line with an agreement on the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, signed in August between the NUM and the employers' Chamber of Mines as part of this year's industry-wide bargaining round. 
 
The need to tackle HIV/AIDS at the workplace level was emphasised by an international trade union conference held in South Africa this February by the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). The conference particularly stressed employers' responsibility in the fight against the pandemic. The NUM, which is Africa's biggest union, is an ICEM affiliate. 
 
So far, implementation of the Chamber's agreement with the NUM has been patchy. 
 
On the positive side, earlier this month the Chamber of Mines agreed to the NUM's long-standing call for a national industry summit on HIV/AIDS. 
 
Scheduled for the end of February 2002, the summit will look at: 
 
- awareness and behavioural change 
- wellness programmes and treatment 
- the socio-economic impact of the disease on the industry and the country at large 
- research into issues related to cure. 
 
A joint NUM/employer team will prepare the summit and will try to develop a common industry perspective on these issues. 
 
But some employers have been dragging their feet. 
 
Mining giant Anglo American recently went back on a pledge to provide anti-retroviral drugs free of charge to all of its South African employees who wanted them. While certainly not a cure for AIDS, anti-retrovirals can reduce the risk of HIV infection and can improve the quality of life of HIV sufferers. 
 
Now, it seems, Anglo will give preferential treatment to &quot;senior employees&quot; - apparently because the company thinks that providing these medicines throughout its workforce would be too expensive. An angry NUM called Anglo's change of heart &quot;inherently racist and discriminatory.&quot; 
 
AIDS is now thought to be South Africa's biggest killer. A recent report from the state-funded Medical Research Council says that, within the next ten years, AIDS will probably be responsible for twice the number of South African deaths due to all other causes put together. This means &quot;5 million to 7 million cumulative AIDS deaths in South Africa by 2010.&quot; 
 
Though disputed by the South African government, the report is widely regarded as authoritative. It estimates that 40 percent of deaths of South Africans between the ages of 15 and 49 are now AIDS-related. 
 
So the worst-hit South Africans are those of working age. And miners are particularly at risk. Most of them are migrants who live in overcrowded company hostels, far away from their families. This February's ICEM conference on AIDS called for a rapid end to this &quot;hostel culture.&quot; 
 
This month, the Amalgamated Bank of South Africa (ABSA) forecast that the country's economically active population will be 23.5 percent smaller (almost 4 million people) by 2015 than would have been the case without AIDS. This could, ABSA says, have a serious impact on South Africa's balance of payments and on its currency.

South African Miners March For Anti-AIDS Drugs

Unions representing the world's diamond, gem, ornament and jewellery production workers have called for a dialogue with employers in their sectors. Talks should cover the full range of issues affecting workers in the industry, the unions said, including health, safety and environment, child labour and employment standards. 
 
The call came at the end of a world conference of unions in the industry, held in Bangkok on 23-25 November by the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). 
 
Global agreements should be signed between the ICEM and major companies in the industry, the conference said - or between the ICEM and employers in the sector as a whole. The ICEM should approach international industry associations on this. 
 
At the same time, global networks of ICEM unions should be established in each company or across the industry. The ICEM already has several global agreements and union networks in other industrial sectors. 
 
The use of child labour in the diamond, gem, ornament and jewellery sectors must be ended, the union leaders emphasised in Bangkok. In particular, ICEM-affiliated unions will press all governments to ratify and implement the relevant Conventions of the UN's International Labour Organisation (Conventions 182 and 138). 
 
Last Friday, the conference unanimously endorsed union/employer/government proposals for tackling the major issues facing the industry - notably the question of child labour. Details in ICEM UPDATE 87/2001. 
 
The conference elected Gijs Honing, of the ICEM-affiliated Dutch union FNV Bondgenoten, as the chair of the ICEM's diamond, gem, ornament and jewellery production section. 
 
An ICEM world conference of chemical industry unions is currently under way, also in Bangkok, and continues until tomorrow.

Gem Unions Seek Global Agreements with Employers

Five oil workers' leaders arrested in Colombia last month have been released from prison, according to information reaching the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM). 
 
However, the union leaders are reportedly under house arrest and could still face trial - apparently in connection with a strike in the Colombian oil industry on 19 October. The detained leaders are active in the Uni&oacute;n Sindical Obrera (USO), a union federation organising mainly in the oil sector. 
 
Ironically, the strike itself was a protest against anti-union terror. 
 
ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs protested to Colombia's President Andres Pastrana over the arrests - and over the continuing wave of anti-union murders in Colombia. 
 
Colombia is the world's most dangerous country for trade unionists. Last year, says the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), no less than 153 of the 209 trade unionists assassinated worldwide were in Colombia. 
 
Almost all the killings in Colombia remain unexplained and unpunished.

Colombian Union Leaders Under House Arrest

Archive

Hungarian unions fight longer hours

Colombian Miners' Leaders Murdered

New Statoil Agreement Boosts Global Worker Rights

US Ratifies ILO Mine Safety Convention

Crown Central Petroleum: Second Insider Takeover Bid Opposed

Unions Welcome Human Rights Principles For Oil, Gas, Mining

Responsible Care: Unions New Offer to Chemical Employers

South African Miners March For Anti-AIDS Drugs

Gem Unions Seek Global Agreements with Employers

Colombian Union Leaders Under House Arrest

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