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Last week, 33,000 electric power workers in South Africa came to terms with state-owned electric provider Eskom, thus averting a string of strikes and industrial actions. ICEM affiliates National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA) are expected to sign a new labour accord today. 
 
On 19 August, Eskom, which supplies 90% of South Africa&rsquo;s power needs, presented the two unions and a third one with a 10.5% first-year wage increase. That is 2.5% higher than the utility was prepared to pay earlier in August when the dispute went before the country&rsquo;s Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCCM). 
 
The NUM represents 16,000 workers at Eskom, while NUMSA represents 5,000. Eskom employs about 29,000 workers in South Africa. 
<img src="" width="100" height="102" alt="" />&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="" width="100" height="103" alt="" />
A key item in talks up to and through last week&rsquo;s wage offer was over housing allowances. NUM and NUMSA are seeking a 5,000 rand (US$621) per worker housing subsidy. Resolve of this issue will continue in tripartite talks with the CCCM until 1 December 2009, when a process to finalise and implement the housing allowance will be put in place, said NUM chief negotiator Paris Mashego. 
 
Mashego said the NUM polled its members on the wage offer and housing deferral late last week, and 80% consented to take the offer. 
 
Meanwhile, a NUM strike against Impala Platinum that was set to start today was averted when the world&rsquo;s second largest platinum miner returned to the bargaining table Saturday and raised its offer. The company offered a 10% increase. The NUM, which represents 18,000 ImPlats workers, cancelled the strike and is currently weighing the offer.

South Africa’s Mineworkers, Metalworkers Agree to Wage Terms with Eskom

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The strike by Bridgestone workers at an aircraft tyre retreading plant in Frameries, Belgium, has ended after nine weeks of continuous striking. 
 
After the failure of conciliatory negotiations at the national level, a draft agreement at the local level was finally agreed. Workers ratified the agreement by 57% to 42% on 7 August. 
 
The agreement accepts the closure of the plant, but with a number of conditions. Those conditions include payment of compensation to workers in lieu of plant-closing notice, plus compensation based on seniority. Also, placement of each worker into another job in a different company near the worker&rsquo;s home also was a condition. 

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A bonus pay-out with an advance of &euro;500 was agreed to, as well, to compensate for the loss of job security. The bonus also covers early retirement options. The eight temporary workers were given permanent contracts, this qualifying them for the benefits, and Bridgestone has lifted all sanctions or punishment related to the strike. 
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The strike by all 140 workers, led by ICEM Belgian affiliate FGTB Centrale G&eacute;n&eacute;rale, started on 11 June over eight job cuts. 
 
The Centrale G&eacute;n&eacute;rale-FGTB is proud of its victory, standing up to a huge multinational, with courageous rubber workers earning the respect of many. The achievements were not the goals that the union had set out for, but they are notable. 
 
The FGTB issued a message of thanks to all those who expressed their solidarity during the struggle.

Bridgestone Strike at Belgian Airplane Tyre Factory Ends

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ICEM affiliate, Union Sindical Obrera de la Industria del Petroleo (USO), has been negotiating a new collective agreement with state-owned Ecopetrol. The period of negotiation was extended by 20 days and ended on Saturday, 22 August. The negotiators worked continuously for the final 24 hours of the 40 day talks. Agreement was reached on a new collective agreement for the period 2009-2014, and will be backdated from 1 July 2009. The agreement will apply to all Ecopetrol employees, as well as those employed by contractors working on Ecopetrol projects. 
 
Major demands of the union were health care for the families of temporary workers, the reinstatement of workers who had lost their jobs due to trade union activities, opposition to US military bases in the country, an increased wage scale, the recognition of a conventional wage for all activities of industry, employment regulations in Ecopetrol, and issues of trade union and human rights. 

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The agreement satisfies USO&rsquo;s demands on health, education, and housing, as well as on occupational health. Families of temporary workers will receive health care from the company, on the condition that they have been employed for a minimum period of six months. 
 
Considerable wage gains were achieved, with base salaries rising by between 6.87% and 18.74%, depending on the worker&rsquo;s category. All salaries will then rise incrementally, by around 1% per year, for the remaining five years of the agreement. 
 
Another proposed article in the collective agreement sought support from the company for sport and recreation of workers and their families. Funding should be provided by management towards clubs and societies, with 80% of membership fees subsidized by Ecopetrol. 

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The union was eager to seek a collective agreement to solve the conflict, but the message from the USO leadership was clear: &ldquo;If there is no agreement, there will be no production,&rdquo; said Moises Baron Cardenas, President of USO Barrancabermeja. 
 
As reported by the ICEM in InBrief 135, the early days of the negotiation process were marred by violence and intimidation. On Thursday, 17 July, riot police attacked workers at the Barrancabermeja refinery with tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun bombs, seriously injuring three workers. Police arrested two workers. The attack occurred two days after the start of the negotiations; USO suspended the meeting to focus on treating the injured and securing the release of detainees. USO President Germ&aacute;n Osman condemned the attack.

Colombian Oil Workers Union, USO, Reach New Agreement with Ecopetrol

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Bir hafta kadar sonra b&uuml;t&uuml;n d&uuml;nyada sendikalar 1 Mayıs'ı kutlayacak. Ama T&uuml;rkiye'de ge&ccedil;en yıl 1 Mayıs'ta h&uuml;k&uuml;metin baskısına polis zorbalığı eşlik etti. 
 
T&uuml;rkiye'de sendikalar, 1980 askeri darbesinden &ouml;nce olduğu gibi, h&uuml;k&uuml;metin 1 Mayıs'ı resmi tatil g&uuml;n&uuml; olarak kabul etmesini istiyorlar. 1 Mayıs kutlamaları 1980 askeri darbesinden 1990'ların başlarına kadar yasaklandı, bu tarihten sonra da ancak belli sınırlar i&ccedil;inde kutlanmasına izin verildi. 
 
T&uuml;rkiye'de sendikaların 1 Mayıs'la ilgili herhangi bir kutlama eylemine girişmesi başının derde girmesi anlamına geliyor. Ge&ccedil;en yılki kutlamalarda, g&uuml;venlik g&uuml;&ccedil;leri sendikaların taksim Meydanı'na girmesini &ouml;nlemek i&ccedil;in şiddete başvurdular; g&ouml;z yaşartıcı gaz kullandılar, g&ouml;stericilere basın&ccedil;lı su sıktılar, insanları &ouml;zel sopalarla d&ouml;vd&uuml;ler. 
 

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Ge&ccedil;en yılın 1 Mayıs'ında sabah saatlerinde polis DİSK genel merkezine g&ouml;z yaşartıcı gaz sıkıyor 
Son olarak, h&uuml;k&uuml;met 1 Mayıs'ın resmi tatil olmasını &ouml;ng&ouml;ren bir yasa tasarısını Meclis'e sundu. Meclis İ&ccedil;işleri Komisyonu'nun hi&ccedil;bir itirazda bulunmadığı tasarı 22 Nisan'da Meclis'te g&ouml;r&uuml;ş&uuml;lecekti. 
 
T&uuml;rk-İş, DİSK ve KESK 1 Mayıs 2009'u tarihi Taksim Meydanı'nda kutlamaya kararlı olduklarını a&ccedil;ıkladılar. Taksim Meydanı T&uuml;rkiye'deki sendikalar i&ccedil;in b&uuml;y&uuml;k anlam taşıyor. &Ccedil;&uuml;nk&uuml; 1 Mayıs 1977'de 36 insan o meydanda &ouml;ld&uuml;r&uuml;ld&uuml;. 
 
H&uuml;k&uuml;met 1 Mayıs'ın Taksim'de kutlanmasını yasaklarken bu gerek&ccedil;eyi kullanıyor. 
 
1977'deki Kanlı 1 Mayıs'ın 30. yıld&ouml;n&uuml;m&uuml;nde, 2007'de, T&uuml;rkiye'deki sendikalar bu konuda bir girişim başlattılar. 2007 ve 2008 yıllarında binlerce g&ouml;sterici 1 Mayıs'ı Taksim'de kutlamaya giriştiği i&ccedil;in g&ouml;zaltına alındı. 
 
T&uuml;rkiye'de sendikalar sekiz saatlik işg&uuml;n&uuml;, insana yakışır &uuml;cret ve &ccedil;alışma koşullarının iyileştirilmesi m&uuml;cadelesinde Taksim Meydanı'nı bir sembol olarak g&ouml;r&uuml;yorlar. Ama İstanbul Valiliği kutlamalara Taksim Meydanı dışında her meydanın a&ccedil;ık olduğunu a&ccedil;ıkladı. 
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ICEM Genel Sekreteri Manfred Warda 
ICEM Genel Sekreteri Manfred Warda T&uuml;rkiye'de 1 Mayıs'la ilgili olarak şu a&ccedil;ıklamayı yaptı: &ldquo;H&uuml;k&uuml;metin 1 Mayıs'ın resmi tatil yapılması yolunda Meclis'e sunduğu teklifi ileriye atılmış bir adım olarak g&ouml;r&uuml;yoruz. Bunun T&uuml;rkiye'de demokrasinin ve sendikal hakların gelişmesi a&ccedil;ısından &ouml;nemli olduğu kanısındayım. 
 
&ldquo;Ne var ki bu yargının ge&ccedil;erli olması ancak Taksim Meydanı'nın 1 Mayıs'ta barış&ccedil;ıl g&ouml;sterilere a&ccedil;ılmasıyla m&uuml;mk&uuml;n olacaktır. Taksim Meydanı demokrasi ve sendikal haklar m&uuml;cadelesinin sembol&uuml;d&uuml;r. ICEM bu yıl 1 Mayıs kutlamalarını izlemek &uuml;zere T&uuml;rkiye'de olacaktır. &Ouml;n&uuml;m&uuml;zdeki Haziran'da toplanacak ILO Konferansı'nın iş yasalarını değiştirmesi gereken T&uuml;rk h&uuml;k&uuml;metini incelemeye alacağını biliyoruz. T&uuml;rkiye'nin &ouml;rg&uuml;tlenme &ouml;zg&uuml;rl&uuml;ğ&uuml;, toplu pazarlık ve grev hakkı konusunda ciddi değişiklikler yapması gerekiyor. Bu değişikliklerin temel ILO s&ouml;zleşmelerine ve T&uuml;rkiye'nin onayladığı standartlara uygun olması gerekiyor. Gelişmeleri izleyeceğiz ve bu m&uuml;cadelede T&uuml;rkiye'deki &uuml;yelerimizle dayanışmaya devam edeceğiz.&rdquo;

ICEM ile Üye Sendikaları, Türkiye’de 1 Mayıs’ın Tatil Olmasını ve Taksim’de Kutlanmasını İstiyor

Women’s Newsletter Announces ICEM Set of Meetings, Activities

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The ICEM and affiliated unions United Steelworkers of America (USW) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) of South Africa will host a seminar on worker exposure to radiation in underground mines. The seminar, a non-technical introductory workshop aimed at union leaders and worker representatives, will be held on 27 May at Gallagher Estate near Johannesburg, South Africa. 

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The workshop will occur on the concluding day of the 12th Congress of the NUM, the Geneva-based ICEM&rsquo;s largest African trade union affiliate with 300,000 members. It will focus on the presence of radioactive gases, or radon, which is common in the world&rsquo;s uranium mining industry, as well as in other mineral extractions. 
 
The day-long workshop will feature Dr. Fergal Nolan, President of the Independent Radiation Safety Institute of Canada. He will discuss the necessary measures needed for protection from radiation exposure, as well as the importance of incorporating radiation safety into a mine&rsquo;s design. 
 
The seminar will also cover effective government regulatory procedures, changing management culture on radiation safety, and building trade union training and awareness on the issue. 
 
&ldquo;The effects of radiation exposure, even low levels over many years, will often occur after a miner has retired,&rdquo; said Joe Drexler, ICEM&rsquo;s Director of Industry and Corporate Industry Affairs. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re hopeful this workshop will be the first step in more extensive radiation training for trade union safety representatives in Africa&rsquo;s mining industry.&rdquo;

ICEM, Affiliates Team to Present Mine Safety Workshop on Radiation, 27 May in Johannesburg

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The first of four regional tripartite seminars to promote the formal ratification of ILO Convention 176, the Health and Safety in Mines Convention, was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 16-17 April. The seminar was attended by trade unions, employers, and governments from Indonesia, Philippines, India, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Mongolia. 
 
The seminars, organized and funded by the ILO, were proposed by the ICEM in March 2008, and will occur in 2010 and 2011 in Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America. 
 
The ICEM has been lobbying the ILO to dramatically increase its efforts to promote ratification of the convention to improve health and safety laws in many countries. The seminars are an essential part of an expanding ICEM campaign on Convention 176. 

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According to Joe Drexler, ICEM Director of Industry and Corporate Affairs, the seminar in Mongolia was the first regional meeting held by the ILO to promote ratification in over a decade and demonstrates the ILO&rsquo;s commitment to become more actively engaged in a campaign. The ILO held a separate all-day meeting the day before the regional seminar that focused solely on pursuing ratification in Mongolia. Mining is the chief driver of the export economy in the country. 
 
Tugsjargal Gandhi, Minister for Social Welfare and Labour of Mongolia, opened the seminar and said that Mongolia would work toward ratification. The employers&rsquo; representative reported that Mongolian employers were in favor of ratification. 
 
Ganbold Sukhbaatar, President of the Mongolian Energy, Geology, and Mining Trade Union, emphasized that ratification of the convention would receive the highest priority by the union. This support was also echoed by S Ganbaatar, President of the Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions. 

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The participation of China was especially important and included Xu Enyi, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese Energy and Chemical Workers&rsquo; Union, who committed to working toward ratification. 
 
N.C. Jena of the Indian National Mineworkers' Federation (INMF) reported that mining trade unions in India had already completed a comprehensive review of existing legislation to determine where improvements are needed to comply with the ILO convention. Originally, the first regional seminar was to be held in India, but was scuttled due to reported opposition by some employers. No government or employer representatives from India attended last week&rsquo;s meeting. The ICEM is now working with the ILO to hold a separate seminar solely for India. 

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Rolando Librojo who represented the National Mine and Allied Workers&rsquo; Union of the Philippines reported on how trade unions in his country led the fight in 1997 to secure ratification of ILO 176. &ldquo;Mining trade unions everywhere are in support of ILO 176,&rdquo; said Librojo, &ldquo;but the ILO needs to make stronger and more persuasive arguments as to why governments and employers should support it.&rdquo; The Philippines is the only country in Asia which has ratified the convention. 
 
Both mining trade unions from Indonesia also participated and were represented by Bambang Surjono, General Secretary of the Mining, Chemical, Energy and Gas Union (FSP KEP) and Saut Pangaribuan, Vice President of Mining and Energy Federation (SBSI). 
 
The Miners International Federation, the predecessor organization to the ICEM, played the key role in the construction and adoption of the convention. An ICEM campaign that began in 1996 was a major factor that led to the formal adoption of the convention by 23 countries. The ICEM hopes to add significantly to this number with a new campaign. 
 
A resolution, unanimously endorsed by all employer, government, and trade union representatives at the meeting, &ldquo;Calls on member states to seriously consider ratification and implementation of the Safety and Health in Mines Convention &hellip; and calls upon the ILO to continue to promote ratification.&rdquo;

ILO Mongolia Seminar Launches Asia Campaign for Ratification of Mine Safety Convention 176

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Canada was the first nation to officially observe 28 April, the Day of Mourning, as it is called there. On the 20th anniversary of the North American country adopting the date, an irony of ironies has occurred. The Canadian government has been forced to release a report that proves something that it has denied for years: asbestos is hazardous to one&rsquo;s health. 
 
Several recent articles published by CanWest newspapers point to a March 2008 report on Canadian asbestos commissioned by Health Canada. But that report had been kept secret and out of public view until very recently. Under Access Information law requests, contents of the report are now being made public by the Canada's CanWest News Service. 
 
The report is unequivocal on the link between Canadian chrysotile asbestos and lung cancer. A seven-member panel of international experts did the report for Health Canada. Chairman Trevor Ogden states that the relationship between chrysotile asbestos exposure and lung cancer is &quot;strong.&quot; 
 
Mesothelioma is a rarer, but particularly devastating form of cancer that is only known to be caused in humans by asbestos. The panel, as reported by CanWest, found the relationship between chrysotile asbestos and mesothelioma &quot;much less certain.&quot; 
 
However, panelist Leslie Stayner says that while the panel agreed that chrysotile might be less strongly linked to mesothelioma than amphibole (another form of asbestos), they did not agree on how great the difference, in effect, might be. Stayner states that the important thing is what isn&rsquo;t said: that exposure to chrysotile asbestos is safe. All forms of asbestos cause both mesothelioma and lung cancer. 

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The seven-member panel of international experts included Ogden and Stayner, as well as David Bernstein, Graham Gibbs, Kenneth Crump, Bice Fubini, and Nicholas de Klerk. All panelists signed the consensus statement, but two experts attached reservations highlighting a few concerns, including the &quot;likelihood that risk may not be detectable at modern Canadian exposure levels.&quot; 
 
Most uses of asbestos have been banned in Canada for many years. Yet hypocritically, Canada exports over C$100 million of chrysotile asbestos every year to countries such as India, Indonesia, and Thailand on the basis that it can be used safely. 
 
Many health advocates have pointed out that it is ridiculous to suggest that developing nations will avoid the epidemic of asbestos diseases that the mineral has caused in wealthier countries. This is especially true since the Canadian government has worked hard for the last several years to undermine the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent, which would have required Canada to inform countries receiving Canadian asbestos on its hazards before selling it to them. If asbestos is safe to use, why would Canada not want to inform its customers? 
 
Health Canada received the report from its commissioned experts in March 2008, but it took the agency ten months to process the CanWest Access to Information request. Why? Because asbestos is a political issue in Canada's province of Quebec, where the last few hundred asbestos miners work. Money spent propping up this sunset industry and its lobbyists would be much better used creating a &quot;Just Transition&quot; programme for the remaining workers, their families, and their communities. 
 
A ban on asbestos is called for by the World Health Organization (WHO), the ILO, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Canadian Cancer Society, and the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, to name just a few organisations. 
 
The respected International Agency for Research on Cancer states that all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile asbestos, cause cancer. It is time for Canada to stop disseminating misinformation and come clean with the real facts on asbestos.

Asbestos Redux: The Canadian Government’s Shameful Hypocrisy

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Nanotechnology refers to a range of technologies that depend on the properties of extremely small particles. In fact, nanotechnologies manipulate matter at the atomic and molecular level. 
 
By precisely controlling chemistry and structure at that scale, it is possible to develop new materials, drugs, medicines, cosmetics, chemical catalysts, and processes, energy technologies, electronics, or micro-devices of unprecedented power and efficiency. 
 
On the other hand, the very reason that scientists, engineers, and businessmen find nanomaterials interesting - that particle size and structure can radically affect the properties and behaviour of a substance &ndash; lead to areas of concern. Because of their respirable size, respiratory diseases and cancers are an obvious, but far from the only, potential area of concern. 
 
Little is known about how nanomaterials will behave in, or on, the human body. Even less is known about how they will behave once released into the environment. Their human or environmental toxicity cannot be fully predicted from knowledge of their chemical composition. We do not even know whether commonly available protective - clothing, gloves, or respirators - are effective protection against nanoparticles. 
 
It is a historical fact that with the introduction of any new technology, there has been a tendency for the potential benefits to be exaggerated and the possible harm to be dismissed. 
 
In 2004, Britain's Royal Society (the oldest scientific society in the world) recommended that nanoparticles be treated as new chemicals; that there be a full safety assessment of all products that contain nanoparticles prior to market release; that factories and research laboratories treat nanoparticles as if they were hazardous; and that there be mandatory labeling of nano-ingredients. 
 
In some cases, existing regulations to control new chemicals and chemical technologies can be adapted by adding criteria such as particle size and structure, and anticipated properties - and removing criteria such as total amount in use. New toxicological and environmental testing should be part of the regulatory package for nanotechnologies, and the precautionary principle should apply. 
 
To date, few of these recommendations have been implemented anywhere in the world. Nanotechnology remains a largely unregulated field.

What is Nanotechnology, and How Does Nanomaterials Effect Health and the Environment?

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On 1 April, five activists of the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB) were arrested in their homes in Rangoon, Burma, after attending the first National Congress of the FTUB as delegates. Without explanation and without being formally charged, the five were then released on 11 April following strong protests from the International Trade Union Federation (ITUC) and several other unions. 
 
In a statement, the ITUC said it understands that the ILO was involved in the release. 
 
The five included: Zaw Myint Aung, a teacher from South Okkalapa, Rangoon; Soe Oo, a textile factory worker from Shwe Pyi Thar, Rangoon; Maung Tun Nyein, another textile factory worker from Hlaing Thayar, Rangoon; Khine Lin Myat, a female worker at the UMH Textile factory; and Shwe Yi Nyunt, a nurse&rsquo;s aide and law student, who is a member of FTUB&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s Committee. 

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FTUB General Secretary Maung Maung
The ITUC&rsquo;s appeal to global labour expressed the concern that the five may have been tortured while being detained. In its letter to Burmese military junta leader, General Than Shwe, the ITUC called FTUB a legitimate labour organization and said, &ldquo;This latest act demonstrates once again the determination of the junta to block any form of democratic activity and to clamp down on any form type of dissent from its iron rule.&rdquo; 
 
FTUB General Secretary Maung Maung said: &ldquo;The fact that our members were arrested just after returning from participating in the 1st National Congress of the FTUB&rdquo; speaks for itself. The historic three-day FTUB Congress was held in a border area inside Burma, and the fact that courageous Burmese trade unionists conducted democratic proceedings inside highly repressive Burma is exemplary, the ICEM believes.

Burmese FTUB Delegates Freed after six days concern over conditions of detainment

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