English

Español

Français

Aerospace

Automotive

Base metals

Chemical, pharmaceutical and bio-science

Energy

Glass, cement, ceramic and associated industries

ICT, electrical and electronics

Mechanical Engineering

Mining and DGOJP

Pulp and paper

Rubber

Shipbuilding and shipbreaking

Textile, garment, shoes, leather and textile services

Sectors

Action on textile and garment industry

Clean up shipbreaking

Ratify ILO C176

United for a just future - time to pay up!

Disinvest from Myanmar

Action Plan 2021-2025

Global Framework Agreements

Union building

Women

Youth

White-collar workers

Health & safety

Industry 4.0

Just Transition

Organizing with industriALL

What we do

Affiliates

Statutes

Elected Officials

Executive Committee

Geneva head office

South East Asia

Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus

Latin America and the Caribbean

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

Regional offices

About us

Global worker No1 2022

Global worker No2 2022

Publications

Resources

Press

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" />
A dramatic month-long occupation of an M-real paper mill in Alizay, France, ended on 18 November after trade unions CGT-Filpac and CFE-CGC signed an agreement with the Finnish company to end the blockade and release stockpiled printing papers. The strike began on 19 October after M-real dropped plans to sell the mill to one of two remaining buyers, and announced redundancies for 330 French paperworkers. (See <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4726-French-Paperworkers-Continue-Protest-Today-to-Keep-M-real-Mill-Operating">ICEM report</a> of 24 October.) 
 
The workers voted in front of plant gates at the Haute-Normandie mill by 95% on 15 November to stop the occupation and leaders of the two unions signed an agreement with M-real on 17 November that provides a temporary reprieve to the plant closure, plus financial and other considerations. 
 
Workers receive a &euro;3,000 bonus for ending the occupation, &euro;1,500 immediately and the remainder in January. M-real commits to running the 230,000-tonne-per-year mill until 7 March 2012 and pledges not to remove equipment or machinery prior. In addition, workers will be paid their salaries during the 30-day strike. 
<img alt="" src="" width="140" height="136" />
The negotiated agreement and ending of the occupation came just before French police were to move in and force opening of warehoused paper. The plant closing standoff reached the highest levels of French government, after the unions petitioned the state to expropriate the paper mill assets, and spilled into European Parliament meetings in Strasbourg, France, last week, when French political leaders met with Finnish parliamentarians to complain of intransigence by M-real and its 40% owner, Mets&auml;liitto, a forest products company based in Finland. 
 
&ldquo;No one should believe that we capitulated,&rdquo; stated CGT-Filpac plant delegate Thierry Philippot. &ldquo;We will continue to make sure that this company pays for the moral and physical suffering of workers.&rdquo; Workers filed harassment complaints with French authorities over the psychological effects of M-real changing its plans. 
 
M-real announced on 4 May a major restructuring to exit office and printing paper manufacturing and focus instead on paperboard used for packaging. It meant putting two fine paper mills up for sale, the Alizay mill near Pont-de-l&rsquo;Arche and the Gohrsm&uuml;hle mill in Germany, as well as discontinuing carbon paper production at the Reflex mill in Germany. 
 
After paring a potential 65 bidders for Alizay down to two, M-real last month stopped negotiations with a Thai paper company and a French-based equity company and said it would shutter the mill. 
 
That set off the anger of French paperworkers of CGT-Filpac and CFE-CGC and the occupation began, which included placement of large vehicles in front of plant gates that were locked with heavy chains. The unions also brought the case into a French district court in Evreux over failure by M-real to provide the necessary documents on a possible sale. Statutory consultations over the plant closure did start on 8 November but were quickly suspended due to high tensions, and those talks must begin again separate of last week&rsquo;s protocol agreement to end the occupation.

French Paperworkers End Mill Occupation in Deal with M-real

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" />
The prelude to ICEM&rsquo;s Fifth Statutory Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this week will be a day-long conference on the successes and best practices achieved in the longstanding Contract and Agency Labour (CAL) campaign. The event will take place at the Congress venue, the Hilton Hotel Buenos Aires, on Wednesday, 23 November, the day before Congress opens. 
 
With activities now in over 25 countries, the six-year-old ICEM campaign is now operating on all cylinders and has reached a level of maturity not only seen in tangible results, but has produced ICEM project coordinators who possess the skills and have honed the tools to make a difference for irregular workers the world over. 
<img alt="" src="" width="184" height="140" />
Several of those coordinators will highlight CAL campaign successes at the conference this week. For example, CAL Asian Coordinator Aranya Pakapath will tell how 1,500 contract workers in Chhattisgarh state, India, formed a cement workers&rsquo; union. She will describe how Indonesian outsource workers did the same in that country&rsquo;s paper industry, as well as struggles cement workers in the Philippines face in building unions. 
 
Joseph Toe, CAL Coordinator in Sub-Saharan Africa, will address ICEM campaigns in Guinea, Nigeria, Namibia, Sierra Leone and other countries where major shifts and successful organising have taken place regarding casual employment. Seyni Mbaye Ndiaye, General Secretary of ICEM affiliate SUTIDS in Senegal, will speak on how his union and the ICEM Sub-Saharan CAL project brought about a Presidential Decree in the west African nation for protection of rights of short-term contract workers. 
 
A report will be given by Igor D&iacute;az of ICEM affiliate Sintracarb&oacute;n in Colombia on the hurdles that union encounters in organising and bringing collective agreements to workers of sub-contractors at the world&rsquo;s biggest coal mine. 
<img alt="" src="" width="214" height="140" />&nbsp; <img alt="" src="" width="214" height="160" />
FNV Bondgenoten Message at Eemshaven, Netherlands, CAL Asian Coordinator Aranya Pakapath&nbsp;&nbsp;
And Sascha Meijer of FNV Bondgenoten in the Netherlands will show the tools used by that union in bringing dignity and wage justice to migrant workers from Europe&rsquo;s east at energy plants in the Dutch port city of Eemshaven. 
 
J&oslash;rgen Juul Rasmussen of Dansk El F&ouml;rbund of Denmark will give an overview on the temporary and fixed-term employment situation in Europe, as well as progress on implementing the European Union directive on temporary work. 
 
Sponsored by the German Freidrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), the conference promises to be a wellspring of strategies and best case studies aimed at combating the rampant growth of temporary and short-term employment that affects us all. 
 
The day will conclude with a panel moderated by Council of Global Unions Coordinator Jim Baker that will include General Secretaries from the ICEM (Manfred Warda), the International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers&rsquo; Federation (Klaus Priegnitz), and the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (Jyrki Raina) that will look at future strategies of the campaign within the framework of integrating the three Global Union Federations. 
 
ICEM Latin America/Caribbean Regional Vice President Sergio Novais will chair the day-long session.&nbsp;

ICEM Congress: Contract, Agency Labour Forum to Showcase Achievements

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" />
The ICEM&rsquo;s Fifth and perhaps last ordinary Congress opens in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this week, with some 800 delegates and guests expected to attend. The quadrennial Congress runs from 24-26 November, with the ICEM Presidium to be held today, 21 November, and an Executive Committee meeting to be held on 22 November. 
 
General Secretary Manfred Warda said Argentina was chosen as the venue for this Congress because of eight strong affiliates in the South American nation, including those affiliated to both national labour centres &ndash; the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) and the Argentine Workers&rsquo; Central Union (CTA). 
 
&ldquo;With industrial trade union unity taking shape on the global level, we felt it appropriate that our union affiliates from both confederations connect and continue pushing forward on the positive social agenda that has taken root in Argentina,&rdquo; said Warda. 
<img alt="" src="" width="160" height="106" />
The government of President Cristina Fern&aacute;ndez de Kirchner has followed the social plan of her late husband N&eacute;stor Kirchner by building a &ldquo;people first&rdquo; agenda in which public spending and consumer power serve as the fuel for economic growth and prosperity for all. That is reflected in the government enacting a 25% increase in the country&rsquo;s minimum wage this past summer, while at the same time expanding export markets by providing incentives to manufacturers. 
 
Warda said this contrasts with governments in other developed nations which now resort to &ldquo;anti-people, anti-social&rdquo; austerity measures to counter sovereign debt crises. 
 
The Congress quite likely will hear from President Fern&aacute;ndez on the opening day, as well as from the Argentina Minister of Labour and Social Security, Dr. Carlos Tomado. 
<img alt="" src="" width="70" height="60" />
The Congress will also consider a number of motions, including a forward-looking Action Plan that aims to continue the activist culture of the ICEM in future work and several specific motions on current and relevant world topics. Day two of the Congress will feature a panel discussion on Social Dialogue initiatives in Latin America, moderated by ICEM Latin American/Caribbean Regional Vice President Sergio Novais. 
 
On the final day of the Congress, 26 November, discussion will take place over the final integration steps in creating a new Global Union Federation (GUF) together with the International Textile, Garment, Leather Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITGLWF) and the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF). That is scheduled to happen in June 2012 in Copenhagen, making the next ICEM Congress a dissolution congress to occur at the same time. 
 
The ICEM union affiliates in Argentina cover nearly all the GUF&rsquo;s industrial sectors, including petroleum (FASPyGP), rubber (SUTNA), pulp and paper (FOEIPCyQ and SOEP), natural gas (STIGAN), nuclear (UOM), electricity (LYF-PAT) and mining (OSMA). The ICEM is grateful for their assistance in arrangements what will prove a memorable and successful Congress.

ICEM Congress Opens This Week in Buenos Aires, Argentina

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="45" />
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has launched a nation-wide campaign urging the government to repeal amendments to the Employment Act, which would legalize labour contractors. 
 
The MTUC has been lobbying against these amendments since the bill was originally submitted to Parliament in July 2010. At that time, due to opposition from other political parties and trade unions, the government withdrew the bill. The amendments were re-introduced, with minor changes, in June 2011. Since then, the MTUC has been outspoken against the bill but, despite a picket at the Parliament on 3 October, the bill was passed by the majority Members of Parliament of the Ruling Party on 6 October. 
 
The proposed amendments would introduce &ldquo;contractors for labour&rdquo; into Malaysian legislation and create triangular employment relationships in which workers would be employed and paid by a contractor, rather than by the company in which they work. The amendments would also open the way for unequal treatment of workers with respect to wages and benefits. 
 
The MTUC further opposes deferred payment of overtime which, as laid out in the bill, would mean that contract workers would not receive remuneration for overtime until one month later, so that the principal employer time to pay the contractor for labour that in turn pays the contract workers. 
 
The MTUC is committed to pursuing &ldquo;all avenues available&rdquo; until the amendments to the Employment Act are withdrawn.

Malaysian Nation Labor Centre Decries Legislation Opening Door for Contract Labour

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="45" />
The Irish union, Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU), is fighting attempts by the government of Ireland to dilute the provisions of the European Union Temporary Agency Workers&rsquo; Directive, which comes into force across Europe on 5 December. 
 
The Directive, which was passed in 2008, states that &ldquo;The basic working and employment conditions of temporary agency workers shall be, for the duration of their assignment at a user undertaking, at least those that would apply if they had been recruited directly by that undertaking to occupy the same job.&rdquo; 
 
The Directive applies from day one of an assignment, and further states that temporary agency workers have the right to be informed about permanent employment opportunities in the user enterprise and must have improved access to training and childcare facilities in periods between assignments, in order to enhance employability. 
 
Under the Directive derogation from the principle of equal treatment is permitted provided an agreement can be reached between a state&rsquo;s social partners. In an eleventh hour attempt, Irish Minister for Enterprise and Jobs Richard Bruton has called for a derogation which would mean that an agency worker would only be entitled to equal treatment after six months, rather than from the first day of employment. 
 
In a letter to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), Bruton said, &ldquo;Without the benefit of some leeway in transposing the directive in the shape of a framework agreement, Ireland will be in a position of significant competitive disadvantage, vis-a-vis our European trading partners,&rdquo; adding, &ldquo;In the current climate and with the significant challenges that face us on the road to economic recovery, we must avail of the flexibilities afforded by the directive.&rdquo; 
<img alt="" src="" width="108" height="140" />
Patricia King
Patricia King, Vice President of SIPTU, has made clear that the union is opposed to any attempt by the government to seek a derogation. King said, &ldquo;We do not see any reason for a derogation to be applied. Why would we? If someone is entitled to equality of treatment, they are entitled to it and there is no reasonable argument being put forward, that I can see, for us to agree to the derogation.&rdquo; 
 
&ldquo;If somebody is employed to do a job, which commands a certain skill, background knowledge and experience, and they put themselves forward for that job and are capable of producing the goods, why would they not get the rate of pay on an equal basis as somebody who was doing the job already and who is going to work alongside them?&rdquo; 
 
Commenting on Bruton&rsquo;s claims that implementing the Directive would have a negative impact on jobs and economic growth, King said, &ldquo;All that is a code for not paying the rate and keeping people in low pay&rdquo;.

SIPTU Fights Attempts to Dilute EU Agency Workers Directive

<img src="" width="100" height="39" alt="" />
The Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) cited mining giant Vale with union interference in blocking the Vice President of United Steelworkers Local 6500 from entering work zones for representation purposes. The positive OLRB ruling came 16 months after a bitter, year-long strike between Brazil-based Vale and the USW at Sudbury and other Canadian locations. 
 
Patrick Veinot was one of nine Local 6500 members who were fired by Vale for strike activity and when he was elected following the end of the strike in July 2010, Vale refused to allow him on company property. Veinot is chairman of the Local 6500 grievance committee and his duties include meeting with shop stewards and grievants to resolve workplace differences. 
<img src="" width="172" height="160" alt="" />
Patrick Veinot
&ldquo;I think the message Vale Inco has sought to communicate is cold and hard and I conclude there has been a substantial interference both in the administration of the Union and its representation of employees,&rdquo; stated OLRB Chairman Bernard Fishbein. 
 
Veinot and the eight others were charged with criminal harassment but were acquitted of those charges by a jury trial in early 2011. But they remain sacked by Vale pending a separate proceeding lodged by the USW before the OLRB to win their jobs back. 
 
&ldquo;The Board made it quite clear,&rdquo; said USW District Director Wayne Fraser. &ldquo;Vale&rsquo;s post strike assault on the continuing determination and solidarity of our members will not be tolerated.&rdquo; 
 
Added USW Canadian National Director and ICEM Vice President Ken Neumann, &ldquo;Patrick has become a living symbol of the union&rsquo;s strength and like all discharged strikers, Patrick and his family have suffered at the hands of this autocratic employer hell bent on achieving its goals without regard to the interests of its employees.&rdquo;

Ontario Labour Board Rules Discharged USW Sudbury Leader has Worksite Access

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" />
A mass rally is scheduled for Saturday, 21 January, in London, Ontario, to support locked out members of a bargaining unit of Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) Local 27. Sponsored by the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), the Day of Action against Caterpillar Inc. will begin at 11h in the southwestern Ontario city of 40,000. 
 
CAW Local 27 members were locked out late in the evening on New Year&rsquo;s Eve by Caterpillar&rsquo;s Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) in a callous display of corporate might. The 650 CAW members voted by 98% on 30 December for strike action and 24 hours later &ndash; just as they were returning to jobs following a holiday shutdown &ndash; they were locked out. 
 
&ldquo;We see this fight as being central to the entire labour movement and we are going to dig in our heels and fight Caterpillar with everything we&rsquo;ve got,&rdquo; said OFL President Sid Ryan. 
 
Caterpillar&rsquo;s EMD &ndash; run as part of the company&rsquo;s Progress Rail Services Corp. &ndash; lockout followed workers&rsquo; total rejection of unreasonable wage and benefit concessions sought by the US-based company. There is little doubt that the company is trying to knock back wage and benefit levels of Canadian workers as a ploy to shift production of electric-powered diesel engines and associated railroad components to a start-up and lower wage plant in Muncie, Indiana, in the US. 
 
EMD began operations in Muncie in October 2011. Until the New Year&rsquo;s Eve lockout, CAW and EMD had bargained under a seven-month contract extension. However, EMD never once wavered from an initial, hostile and family-wrecking proposal that demanded wage cuts from C$35-per hour to C$16.50, health benefits cut in half, and elimination of a pension scheme. 
<img alt="" src="" width="107" height="155" />
CAW President Ken Lewenza
At the same time, EMD was advertising for a Human Resources manager in Muncie with the stipulation that he/she have &ldquo;experience with providing union-free culture and union avoidance.&rdquo; 
 
EMD is paying average salaries between US$12-16-per hour in Muncie. Caterpillar and its wholly-owned Progress Rail Services is seeking to dislodge General Electric&rsquo;s (GE) Transportation Division as the US&rsquo;s premiere supplier of train locomotives at a time when government stimulus funds are available for infrastructure and transport needs. GE operates three major rail division plants that are unionised and it pays average salaries of US$30-per hour or more. 
 
EMD&rsquo;s London, Ontario, plant was purchased by Caterpillar in August 2010 for US$820 million from Greenbriar Equity Group and Berkshire Partners. The two capital companies in turn bought the manufacturing plant in 2005 for a quarter of that amount from General Motors when GM was shedding its non-auto making businesses. 
 
Then, Caterpillar was interested in buying the southwestern Ontario plant but CAW opposed the deal because of Caterpillar&rsquo;s horrid labour relations record in the US. Now, with Caterpillar in control and the company displaying obvious whipsawing of CAW members against non-union Muncie workers that will swell to 650 this year, Unit 2 of CAW Local 27 is forced to blockade the London plant to prevent equipment from leaving for the Indiana city 350 miles to the south. 
 
CAW President Ken Lewenza called the lockout &ldquo;a serious attack on working people, their families and the greater community of London. 
 
&ldquo;If (Caterpillar) is not going to do business in Canada, this wage cut is designed as a mechanism to blame workers,&rdquo; said Lewenza, referring to production flight and a possible plant closing. In mid-December, the CAW lodged a formal complaint with the government over Caterpillar&rsquo;s violation of the Investment Canada Act. 
 
The company has benefitted by tax breaks given the predecessor equity firms in 2008. In fact, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper used the plant as a backdrop in March 2008 to tout the federal government&rsquo;s corporate tax breaks. The enterprise&rsquo;s buyers received a C$5 million tax break then and a wider C$1 billion tax break on industrial capital investment. 
 
EMD has other railroad manufacturing facilities in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, and Sahag&uacute;n, Hidalgo state, Mexico, a facility it operates jointly with Bombardier. It also operates a unionised facility in LaGrange, US state of Illinois. EMD sells locomotives, replacement parts, and diesel powered engines for marine propulsion, oil drilling and power generation in 130 countries, and currently has major contracts with companies providing equipment for state railways in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. 
 
Caterpillar&rsquo;s deep contract concession proposals, the lockout, matched with lucrative incentives from Indiana&rsquo;s anti-union state government for the Muncie start-up are a cause of great concern, particularly for two countries that each lack worker-friendly industrial policies in the wake of a financial crisis.

Rally Set for Locked Out Caterpillar Workers in Canada on 21 January

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" />
Around 35 trade union representatives from various rubber companies, namely Goodyear, MRF, JK Tyres, Birla Tyres, Apollo Tyres, and Ajanta Rubber formed the Indian Rubber Unions National Network in a workshop entitled &ldquo;ILO/ICEM Workshop on International Labour Standards and Social Dialogue in Indian Rubber Industry.&rdquo; The forum was held on 14-15 December 2011 in Mumbai with the support of the ILO. 
 
India is becoming one of the world's fastest-growing rubber producing countries due to the emerging automotive industry, as well as availability and closeness of raw materials such as natural rubber. The tyre market attracts global manufacturers due to high growth figures, while India itself has its own multinational companies that also invest elsewhere. 
 
&ldquo;This is the first time that Indian rubber unions have come together, which is promising for the future,&rdquo; said Ravindra Ghoshalkar, General Secretary of ICEM-affiliated Chemical Mazdoor Federation (CMFI), the union that inaugurated the ILO/ICEM Workshop in Mumbai. Opening speakers included Pradeep Kokas, Education Secretary of the ICEM affiliate Indian National Mineworkers&rsquo; Federation (INMF) and Sayeed Ahmed, Secretary of the Maharashtra State of the Indian national labour federation, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). 
<img alt="" src="" width="276" height="160" />
The workshop received detailed presentations from keynote speakers. Kemal &Ouml;zkan, ICEM&rsquo;s Director of Industry and Corporate Affairs, briefed the participants on the global situation of the rubber industry with economic, employment, and trade union angles. 
 
An ILO Industrialist Specialist, Yasuhiko Kamakura, presented core labour standards of the organization as well as instruments of occupational health and safety worldwide. ICEM&rsquo;s Asia Multinational Companies&rsquo; and Social Dialogue Project Coordinator Yoon Hyowon informed the participants about international labour standards, such as the OECD Guidelines and the UN Global Compact, while Ashutosh Bhattacharya, ICEM&rsquo;s Multinational Indian Project Coordinator, presented the issue of the Right to Information Act and Workers Participation in India. 
 
The workshop participants were divided into various groups to discuss matters affecting the Indian rubber industry, working conditions, and health and safety situations at various workplaces. Following ICEM&rsquo;s input on union networking in the rubber industry at global and regional levels, Indian rubber workers&rsquo; representatives discussed how to improve cooperation, solidarity, and networking inside the country. 
 
In final discussions, the workshop produced concrete actions for the future. This included regular information and experience exchanges between rubber unions, as well as contant solidarity during collective bargaining negotiations or any other dispute. While forming the India National Rubber Industry Network, the workshop also aimed at developing close relations among the unions of the same company. 
 
Indian union represetatives strongly underlined the improtance of international solidarity. In this sense, it was agreed to establish close relations with union representatives outside of the country that represent workers at Indian-based rubber companies such as Apollo and JK Tyres. It was also decided to organize the next network meeting within a year with the participation of more unions.

Indian Rubber Unions Form National Network

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" />
Negotiations concluded in December between five Swedish unions, representing 540,000 industrial workers, and employers&rsquo; associations. The 14-month national agreements contain general 3% wage rises and run from next month, on 1 February, to 31 March 2013. 
 
The sector-wide pacts cover industrial workers in paper, chemicals, wood, graphics, iron, steel, engineering, food, and other manufacturing workers. In coming months, talks in the Swedish federal and local governmental sectors, retail, retail food, commercial, construction, and transportation sectors will get underway. 
 
The unions involved in late 2011 industrial talks include Pappers, IF Metall, Unionen, GS, the wood and graphics union, and the Swedish Food Workers&rsquo; Union (LIVS). 
<img alt="" src="" width="140" height="142" />
In general, the 3%, 14-month agreements represent fairness factoring in Sweden&rsquo;s jump in GDP last year, and the fact that technology exports grew by 21%. Many of the agreements contain work groups and funds to establish further staff training and development. 
 
IF Metall, representing some 170,000 workers in several sectors, approved agreements on 15 December, and Pappers did the same two days later. Unionen, representing 120,000 workers in many sectors, negotiated 0.2% on top of the 3% for professional development. The union represents white-collar, technical, engineering, administration, and other staff. 
 
Pappers took a major step closer to a June deadline in finalizing industry-wide language banning all social dumping concerning agency and precarious work. The other unions also made strides in limiting and regulating temporary and short-term work. 
 
Pappers also gained flexibility to allot 50% of the wage increase to the local level, with a set of criteria guiding local social dialogue in disbursing the funds, including promotions. The union and paper companies also agreed to press government over insufficient state aid for early intervention of occupational health risks, a force driving long-term illnesses. 
 
IF Metall and employer groups agreed in principle to begin work on contract language halting termination of workers during an economic downturn and rather providing re-training opportunities within the enterprise. 
 
IF Metall President Stefan L&ouml;fven said the agreements in his union&rsquo;s sectors &ldquo;provide opportunities for real wage increases in 2012 as well as maintaining the competiveness of Swedish industry.&rdquo; 
<img alt="" src="" width="249" height="140" />
Unionen President Cecilia Fahlberg
Unionen President Cecilia Fahlberg said, &ldquo;Each member is guaranteed a salary increase that allows for increased purchasing power.&rdquo;

Sweden’s Industrial Unions Negotiate 3% Pay Hikes for 540,000 Workers

<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="39" />
The president of the Colombian Oil Workers&rsquo; Trade Union (USO) was dismissed from his employment at 95% nationally-owned Ecopetrol on 13 December, in an attempt to remove the democratically elected leader of the union and weaken the organisation. The move was based on national legislation blocking individuals holding public office becoming involved in politics, following Vecino&rsquo;s participation at a speaking event involving a political candidate of the left wing Polo Democr&aacute;tico, the event was held to commemorate the death of Jorge Ortega, Vice President of the CUT. The law should only apply to individuals holding managerial responsibilities inside a company which president Rodolfo Vecino Acevedo does not. It is absurd to attempt to use this legislation against a union leader, who necessarily seeks to affect the politics of a company as well as of the country, in the interest of the workers s/he represents. The vast majority of USO members are supporters of the Polo Democr&aacute;tico. 
<img alt="" src="" width="163" height="159" />
USO President Rodolfo Vecino
The blatant attack on union freedom and autonomy follows a long historical trend of intimidation and harassment of ICEM&rsquo;s militant affiliate USO. In 2011 USO conducted a strong campaign for improved pay and conditions for its members at foreign multinational corporations (MNCs), especially Canadian-based Pacific Rubiales. Many see the Colombian government and authorities repeatedly prioritising the interests of foreign MNCs far above those of Colombian workers. A further pernicious reason for the arbitrary sacking of president Vecino could be the strong opposition from USO to the government attempts at privatising Ecopetrol. It is a core value of USO that oil industry operations in Colombia must be publically owned, instead of foreign companies exporting profits from their oil wealth. 
 
The ruling also blocks president Vecino from holding office for a period of 10 years. 
 
The investigation against Vecino was carried out by Ecopetrol&rsquo;s Office of Disciplinary Inspection, which is conducting a wide ranging systematic attack on the union, with the clear intention to destroy USO all together. Three other USO officials targeted by the office are General Secretary Edgardo Lozano, Jaime Rodriguez, Head of the pipeline subcommittee, and Joaqu&iacute;n Padilla in Cartegena province. There are over 1,000 investigations by the office on USO activists. 
 
During the Pacific Rubiales campaign at the end of 2011 threats from alleged paramilitaries increased, with USO leaders receiving verbal and written threats of kidnap, torture and death for their role in the strike in the eastern department of Meta. Pacific Rubiales publically condemned the threats. In his 27 years as a trade union activist, president Vecino has suffered the attempted kidnapping of his children, two attacks, and multiple threats. View a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=x0W9F-REMNk">video of Vecino</a> describing this here. 
 
The ICEM Congress in Buenos Aires, last November, resolved to support Colombian workers, under vicious attack by employers and many aspects of the state. Write to <a href="mailto:presidencia@ecopetrol.com.co">Ecopetrol President Javier Gutierrez Pemberthy</a> here. See the Belgian <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/1201%20fgtb%20letter%20to%20ecopetrol.pdf">Centrale Generale FGTB&rsquo;s</a> letter to Pemberthy here. 
 
4,500 trade unionists have been assassinated in Colombia in the last 25 years. The trend of violence has not been stopped by new national president Juan Manuel Santos.

ICEM Affiliates Called on to Support Sacked Colombian USO President Rodolfo Vecino

Archive