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The ICEM will convene its quadrennial World Conference for the Rubber Industries in the US city and state of Nashville, Tennessee, 12-13 May 2009. The conference will be presided over by United Steelworkers (USW) President Leo Gerard, Chairman of the ICEM Rubber Industry Section. Kemal &Ouml;zkan, ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Industries Officer, will give a presentation on &ldquo;Global Industry Trends and Challenges.&rdquo; 
 
The host union is the ICEM North American affiliate, USW. The venue is the Sheraton Music City Hotel, Nashville. 
 
The Conference will be structured around five panel discussions: &ldquo;Effects of Global Crisis on the Industry and Trade Union Challenges,&rdquo; &ldquo;Rising Hardships and Distortion in Work Relationships,&rdquo; &ldquo;Global Agreements, Global/Regional Company &amp; Sector Networks and Campaigns,&rdquo; &ldquo;How to Improve Health and Safety for Workers: What Kind of Industrial Policy for a Greener Environment for Securing Jobs,&rdquo; and &ldquo;How to 
Better Coordinate Global Union Solidarity, Support and Cooperation.&rdquo; 
 
Find the attendance form to the conference <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/EN%20Attendance%20Form%20for%20rubber%20conference.pdf">here</a>. 
 
For more information, contact Kemal &Ouml;zkan at +41 22 304 18 43, or <a href="mailto:kemal.ozkan@icem.org">kemal.ozkan@icem.org</a>.

ICEM World Conference for Rubber Industries: 12-13 May in US

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The ICEM was incensed to learn late last week that Iraqi management of the State Company for Petrochemical Industries (SCPI) has levelled discipline against Kareem Johi Sahan, a trade union leader for the Petrochemical Workers&rsquo; Union of Basra. 
He was given compulsory six-month banishment from the chemicals facility, meaning that his salary has been reduced to the minimum level. Kareem Johi was unjustly punished for his role in organising a peaceful workers&rsquo; protest late in January, a protest brought on by SCPI not meeting its payroll. He had been ruthlessly interrogated in the weeks that followed, so much that he developed heart problems. 
SCPI is 100% owned by Iraq&rsquo;s Ministry of Industry and Minerals. 
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Kareem Johi (centre) handling leaflets
&ldquo;We vehemently insist that discipline was not warranted against Kareem Johi Sahan,&rdquo; ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda said in a letter this week to Iraq&rsquo;s Minister of Industry and Minerals. &ldquo;This is a violation of his basic human rights. He used his internationally-recognised right of free speech and his right to peacefully assemble co-workers in a remuneration claim, and for this his livelihood has been placed in jeopardy. 
&ldquo;We call on you to immediately repeal this order given by your managers of the State Company for Petrochemical Industries.&rdquo; The letter in its entirety can be found <a href="http://The ICEM was incensed to learn late last week that Iraqi management of the State Company for Petrochemical Industries (SCPI) has levelled discipline against Kareem Johi Sahan, a trade union leader for the Petrochemical Workers’ Union of Basra.">here</a>. 
 
The ICEM will continue to press this case until justice is achieved.

ICEM Protests Discipline Given to Iraqi Trade Unionist

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On 6 March, ICEM Dutch affiliate FNV Bondgenoten hosted an international conference on decent work in Utrecht, The Netherlands, attended by 200 activists. 
 
The main topic of the conference was how trade unions globally can work together to respond to and resist the increasing trend of using flexible, contract, and agency workers. The conference featured various speakers from different sectors and regions, discussing union strategies to combat this worrying trend. 
 
As the basis of a now five-year campaign by the ICEM, many corporations throughout the world are increasingly employing workers on temporary contracts, and sometimes use fake employment agencies to avoid labour legislation. The ICEM has documented many instances in which employees remain on rolling, short-term contracts for many years, allowing management to skirt social responsibilities such as health care, welfare benefits, overtime pay, and liveable wages. 
 
The practice of outsourcing allows companies to become extremely flexible in their planning, with improvements in their bottom financial line, while at the same heavily inflicting job security for workers. 

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Manfred Warda
In Utrecht on 6 March, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda chaired the panel discussion on &ldquo;Flexibilisation: What can you do as a union?&rdquo; that included Joseph Toe, ICEM regional coordinator for the Contract and Agency Labour campaign in sub-Saharan Africa. The specific case of Unilever workers in Pakistan was examined, which can be found <a href="/en/77-All-ICEM-News-Releases/3015-Support-Needed-for-Contract-Agency-Workers-Forming-Union-at-Unilever-Tea-Factory-in-Pakistan">here</a>. 
 
Practical examples of trade union approaches to Contract and Agency Labour were exchanged through workshops. Issues of health and safety brought about by the increased trend were discussed, as well as concrete future steps in the continued fight for decent work.

Dutch FNV Bondgenoten Holds Decent Work Conference on Contract, Agency Work

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The UK&rsquo;s Trades Union Congress (TUC) will host a &ldquo;Put People First &ndash; March for Jobs, Justice, Climate&rdquo; on 28 March in London. The Saturday afternoon event will serve as a mobilisation of civil society prior to the convening in London of the G20 Summit on 2 April. 
 
Although a UK event, the TUC and International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) are encouraging union delegations from around the world to attend in order to bring to the attention of G20 leaders the imperative need for effective, adequate, and appropriate action to eliminate the hardships caused by the global recession. 
 
&ldquo;The only sustainable way to rebuild the global economy is to create a fair distribution of wealth that provides decent jobs and public services for all, ends global inequality and builds a low carbon future,&rdquo; stated TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber. 

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Brendan Barber
&ldquo;Recession must not be an excuse for putting off action for global justice or to stop climate chaos,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Creating a just, fair, and sustainable world is the only lasting way out of recession.&rdquo; 
 
The march will assemble at Victoria Embankment at 11h00. (Nearest tube station is Temple.) It will then set off at noon and pass the UK Parliament, wind through central London, before ending up for a rally at Hyde Park. 
 
The TUC is using three separate themes: Decent Jobs and Public Services for All; End Global Poverty and Inequality; and Building a Green Economy. More details on the TUC&rsquo;s London march and rally can be found <a href="http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk">here</a>. 
 
In addition, during the week of 16 March, the ITUC will release a trade union statement with recommendations to the G20 for a fairer, more sustainable economic system. The ITUC is requesting that this &ldquo;Trade Union G20 London Declaration&rdquo; be sent to respective governments by trade unions everywhere on 23 March. 
 
The document will support the necessity for inclusion of trade union representation on the four working groups established by the G20 governments, a promise that was made to global labour by world financial institutions in November 2008, but one which so far has not been met.

London Manifestation Set for 28 March, Prior to G20 Summit

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The ICEM has intervened in efforts to prevent harsh discipline this week against an Iraqi trade unionist, who is being persecuted for leading a protest in order to gain wage arrears for workers at the State Company for Petrochemical Industries (SCPI). (See previous story&nbsp;<a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/3024-Iraqi-State-Petrochemical-Company-Uses-Military-to-Bust-Peaceful-Protest">here</a>.) 
 
The ICEM learned over the weekend that Kareem Johi Sahan, a trade union leader for the Petrochemical Workers&rsquo; Union of Basra, is scheduled to be punished Thursday, 26 February, for his role in leading the 28 January workers&rsquo; protest. Following several weeks of interrogation of Johi and three other union leaders, Johi faces the possibility of immediate discharge, or reductions to his salary. 
 
The ICEM also has learned that the severe interrogations have inflicted Johi with heart problems. 

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Kareem Johi (centre) handling leaflets at an October 2008 demonstration
SCPI is 100% owned by Iraq&rsquo;s Ministry of Industry and Minerals. In a letter dated today to MIM Minister Fawzi al-Hariri, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda urged the ministry to intervene directly with management of the enterprise to prevent any form of discipline this week. (See that letter <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/16%20letter%20to%20Petrochem%20Iraq%20-%2023%20Feb09.pdf">here</a>.) 
 
Kareem Johi, 51, is a recognised trade union leader of the Petrochemical Workers&rsquo; Union of Basra at SCPI, who, since the end of 2006, has used internationally-recognised free speech and assembly to draw attention to remuneration claims, cuts in fuel subsidies to workers, and other regressive policies by SCPI management. 
 
SCPI is Iraq&rsquo;s only petrochemicals complex, employing 5,000 workers, and its six plants produce ethylene, polyethylene, vinyl chloride, and other chemicals.

ICEM Seeks Halt to Discipline of Iraqi Trade Union Leader at Petrochemicals Complex

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In this issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS newsletter, we report on the Boehringer Ingelheim project in India; how HIV/AIDS affects the mining sector in Guinea; on the Swedish Workplace Programme and on the policy speech by the new UNAIDS Executive Director. 
 
The ICEM Calls on its Affiliates to Contribute to this e-bulletin 
 
ICEM affiliates are already engaged in a wide range of HIV/AIDS activities. To spread the information on new agreements, awareness, and prevention campaigns, and educational activities, affiliates and project coordinators are invited to send news and information to <a href="mailto:hiv.aids@icem.org">hiv.aids@icem.org</a>. Any feedback on the format and contents of the e-bulletin is also welcome. 
 
Editor: Hans J Schwass, ICEM HIV/AIDS Consultant 
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Progress in India 
 
The HIV/AIDS workplace project in India, which is sponsored by the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, is making good progress. After the planning workshop in July 2008, master trainers were trained in August with technical assistance and expert input from the ILO/AIDS office in Delhi. 
 
Up to the end of 2008, six peer educators&rsquo; programmes were conducted by the master trainers in different parts of India, covering coal mining as well as the chemical and cement sectors. With 151 peer educators trained, the project is on target to train 500 peer educators in 20 programmes. The fact that management takes an increasing interest in the project is a positive sign and bodes well for a continuation of HIV/AIDS interventions at the workplace after 2009. 
 
A second master trainers&rsquo; course will be organised in Kolkata in early April 2009. In the meantime, peer educators have organised education and campaign activities in their places of work. 
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Extension of the ICEM HIV/AIDS Project to Guinea 
 
Discussions are under way to extend the ICEM HIV/AIDS project to Guinea (Conakry). With an HIV infection rate of 5.2 per cent, the mining sector in Guinea is particularly at risk from the epidemic. Some mining companies have begun setting up their own programmes in view of the lack of HIV/AIDS services from the public health sector. 
 
Guinea has large deposits of bauxite, iron, gold diamonds and other minerals which make it potentially one of the richest countries in West Africa. Yet it is one of the poorest countries of the world; over 53 per cent of its nine million inhabitants live on less than one dollar a day. 
 
Mine workers are generally better paid than those working in other sectors. Internal migration and separation from families leads to a lot of risky behaviour in remote mining areas. 
 
Mining companies and the Guinea Chamber of Mines (CMG) have realised how much HIV is costing the companies and have been working with international partners to set up public-private partnerships which can offer HIV/AIDS services not only to the workers but also to their families and to the wider community. An active involvement of the ICEM affiliated FSPMCICA (national union of mine, quarry and chemical workers) would ideally supplement these activities. 
 
(Source: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks (INRI) as reported in Africa News, 28 November 2008) 
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Namibia: AIDS Funding under Threat 
 
Namibia could run out of money for AIDS programmes funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria after the country was once again refused funding of its projects for the next five years. So far, Namibia only had one grant approved in 2002. Two subsequent applications were not found to be of the required quality by the independent Technical Review Panel of the Global Fund. 
 
Namibia ranks among the top five worst affected countries in the world. Government agencies and NGOs were hoping to address HIV prevalence among commercial sex workers and youth between the ages of 20 to 24. Part of the money was also to be used for strengthening the health system by training more nurses, pharmacists and other medical staff as well as providing more support to orphans and vulnerable children. 
 
(Source: The Namibian, Windhoek, as reported in Africa News, 4 December 2008) 
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Swedish Workplace Programme 
 
Funding has been secured for a further four-year period for the Swedish Workplace HIV and AIDS Programme (SWHAP). The latest SWHAP Newsletter reports on the World AIDS Day event &ldquo;Business Combating HIV and AIDS&rdquo; in Stockholm which brought together over 110 business leaders and trade union representatives as well as NGOs and government agencies. Keynote speaker was the former President of Botswana and Chairperson of the National AIDS Council, Festus Mogae. 
 
SWHAP is a joint venture of the ICEM-affiliated Swedish Industrial and Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IF Metall) and the International Council of Swedish Industry (NIR). Its aim is to support and contribute to the establishment of HIV and AIDS programmes at Swedish-related workplaces in sub-Saharan Africa. If you want to know more about SWHAP and the countries and companies covered go to <a href="http://www.swhap.org">www.swhap.org</a>. 
 
(Source: SWHAP Newsletter December 2008) 

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Optimistic UNAIDS Director Sets Ambitious Goals 
 
The new Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michele Sidibe, outlined his vision for the UN agency at the Ubuntu Clinic in Kayelitsha township in Cape Town. He promised to make universal access a priority. His goal is to avert 2.6 million new infections and save 1.3 million lives by the end of 2010. 
 
He put special emphasis on the testing of women and the support for orphans. &ldquo;We cannot transform this epidemic if we don&rsquo;t make sure that women and children are the centres of our preoccupation&rdquo;, he said. In calling for an investment of USD 25 billion over the next few years, he acknowledged the difficulty of raising funds in the current economic crisis but added that the crisis should not paralyse efforts in fighting the pandemic. 
 
In choosing Kayelitsha for his policy speech, Sidibe recognized the pioneer role the township played as early as 2001 when M&eacute;decins sans Fronti&egrave;res started antiretroviral treatment in the township at a time when the provision of ARVs in the public sector in the South Africa was still banned. 
 
(Source: UNAIDS website and IRIN PlusNews, 10 February) 
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This ICEM HIV-AIDS Newsletter &ndash; How to Subscribe or Translate? 
 
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Unfortunately, the e-bulletin can only be published in English. 
For a free automated (non-ICEM) translation of this HIV-AIDS bulletin into other languages, you may want to try <a href="http://www.google.com/language_tools">http://www.google.com/language_tools</a> and insert the following URL into the window &ldquo;Translate a Web page&ldquo;: 
<a href="/en/72-HIV-AIDS/3036-ICEM-HIV-AIDS-e-bulletin-No.-41-February-2009">/en/72-HIV-AIDS/3036-ICEM-HIV-AIDS-e-bulletin-No.-41-February-2009</a>
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Cette traduction est faite automatiquement par un logiciel internet gratuit. L&rsquo;ICEM n&rsquo;assume aucune responsabilit&eacute; &agrave; cet &eacute;gard. Elle est approximative, mais peut n&eacute;anmoins vous donner une id&eacute;e g&eacute;n&eacute;rale du contenu de l&rsquo;article. 
 
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ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin No. 41 February 2009

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A wage arrears dispute at a&nbsp;Argentina pulp and paper mill was resolved, though only by earnest intervention by Buenos Aires Minister of Work Oscar Cuartango 11 days ago. Some 430 workers now will get back wages in a guaranteed payment plan. 
 
Their salaries have been owed them since December and January when family-run Massuh SA halted its payroll at the Quilmes pulp and paper mill near Buenos Aires. 
<img height="69" alt="" src="" width="150" />
The ICEM cited the dispute last month, and sent a protest letter to the company, with copies to both the federal and state Work ministers. ICEM Argentina affiliate Federation of Workers&rsquo; of Paper, Carton, and Chemical (FOEIPCyQ) Unions championed this grievous breach of fair treatment and received scores of support letters from ICEM affiliates worldwide. Massuh SA is owned by the interconnected Massuh and Petrocchi families of Argentina, which also has major holdings in another Argentina paper enterprise, Fibra Papelera. 
 
Massuh SA, in April 2008, sold a paper converting plant in San Luis to Ledesma, a Blaquier family operation, and earlier had spun a brown paper plant in San Justo off to Fibra Papelera. Because of the recession in finished paper production, Massuh acquired a US$40 million loan in mid-2008, a loan in which the lending institution granted an 18-month grace period before payments are due. 
 
FOEIPCyQ said in a statement to the ICEM: &ldquo;We extend our deep gratefulness to the many unions who heard the ICEM&rsquo;s call for assistance and support for our working companions of the Massuh company. This is now a triumph of the workers because it was their iron will which would not allow their rights to be taken from them.&rdquo;

Argentina Paperworkers at Massuh SA Receive Assurances of Pay

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The ICEM supports the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF) who last week lodged a complaint against the Mexican Government to the ILO in Geneva. 
 
The complaint calls on the ILO to condemn Mexican labour laws, which prevent real freedom of association and contravene ILO Convention 87, the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention. 
 
Under Mexican law, the vast majority of collective agreements are so-called &ldquo;contratos de protecci&oacute;n&rdquo; or protection contracts, which force workers to join unions created by company management rather than ones of workers&rsquo; own choosing. In practice, the law means only unions that have the support of companies and government can operate. 

<img height="83" alt="" src="" width="125" />
IMF General Secretary, Marcello Malentacchi
Mexican law also does not require any democratic structures such as secret ballots related to contract ratifications, which more often than not are created without workers&rsquo; knowledge. Protection contracts are used in many countries to prevent legitimate unions and workers from mobilizing to secure better rights and conditions. 
 
Labour lawyers estimate that some 90-95% of all collective contracts in Mexico are &ldquo;contratos de protecci&oacute;n.&rdquo; Three of the biggest and best known unions, the CTM, CROM and CROC, have been accused of operating almost exclusively with protection contracts. Only in the UNT and FAT labour confederations do member unions have democratic structures and meet recognised standards required of democratically structured labour organizations. 
 
Mexico ratified Convention 87 in 1950, two years after this core labour standard came into existence. However, its present labour law stands in the way in implementing the intent of Convention 87. Although the ILO has no means to sanction governments that do not properly implement ratified conventions, the IMF is hopeful public pressure can be generated by condemnation of Mexico over its regressive labour laws. 
 
&ldquo;The pressure generated from official action by the ILO would send an important message to governments and companies globally that protection contracts must not be used to take away workers&rsquo; rights to freely organise,&rdquo; said IMF General Secretary Marcello Malentacchi.

Metalworkers’ Federation Serves ILO Complaint on Labour Practices in Mexico

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Dutch delegates to the recent two-day Congress of FNV Bondgenoten re-elected Henk van der Kolk as chairman of the largest trade union in The Netherlands. The Congress was held in Rotterdam. 
 
Also re-elected were General Secretary Ellen Dekkers, Federal Secretary Anja Jongbloed, and Treasurer Willem Noordham. The end of the Congress on 30 January thus began third terms for this leadership team. 

<img height="130" alt="" src="" width="166" />
Henk van der Kolk FNV Bondgenoten Chairman
In his speech to open the Congress, van der Kolk called on Dutch social partners to initiate a new employment scheme come 1 March when the Working Hours Reduction plan expires. That plan was initially put in place in November 2008 to address the financial crisis, and was extended in January. It allows distressed companies to reduce the hours of workers, with those workers assured of receiving full pay through state funds. 
 
&ldquo;There must be something new after March 1,&rdquo; van der Kolk said, adding the crisis likely will continue throughout 2009 and into 2010. He said the government must be committed to re-training and job creation. He also warned the Social Affairs and Employment minister not to increase the pension age. 
 
Van der Kolk has headed Bondgenoten since the end of 2002, prior to which he was a director for the national centre, FNV. From 1989 to 1997, he worked for the General Union of Education Staff, the predecessor union to Algemene Onderwijsbond (AOb).

FNV Bondgenoten Congress Re-Elects Henk van der Kolk for 4-Year Term

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A general strike in the French West Indies territories of Guadeloupe and Martinique turned deadly last week when a fifty-year-old union leader, Jacques Bino, was killed as he approached a road block set up by disenfranchised youths in Point-&agrave;-Pitre, the largest city of Guadeloupe. His car was hit three times by 12-gauge shotgun slugs, one of which hit the tax and union official in the chest. 
 
Six policemen were also wounded in Guadeloupe that same evening, 17 February, as widespread rioting took place on the Caribbean island. It is thought that Bino may have been killed after being mistaken for a plainclothes policeman. 
 
The general strike started 20 January by a grouping of 50 trade unions and associations, under the banner &ldquo;Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon&rdquo; (Stand Up Against Exploitation). The strike is over a social caste system that harkens back to the days of slavery on the islands. 
 
On 14 February, thousands of workers marched through the town of Le Moule to the chant, &ldquo;Guadeloupe is ours, it&rsquo;s not theirs.&rdquo; 

<img height="133" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Elie Domota
Elie Domota, spokesperson for the Stand Up Against Exploitation stated, &ldquo;Guadeloupe is a colony, because in a French department they would never have let the situation deteriorate this much before intervening.&rdquo; Demonstrators have targeted the island&rsquo;s &lsquo;b&eacute;k&eacute;s&rsquo;, descendants of white plantation owners who still control much of the island&rsquo;s economy. They account for less than 1% of Guadeloupe&rsquo;s 450,000 population. 
 
Citizens of Guadeloupe are victimised because most food is imported and is far more expensive than in France. However, wages are much lower and unemployment levels reach 20%. The Sarkozy administration in Paris has refused calls to recognise a demanded &euro;200 per month increase in the minimum wage, or to address a demand that price cuts to basic essentials such as food and fuel be lowered by 20%. 
 
It took until the fourth week of the strike, only last week, before Sarkozy did intervene. He spoke of the need for profound changes in the island&rsquo;s economy, but failed to give any concrete proposals. 
 
Similar demonstrations have occurred in neighbouring Martinique, while the strike has threatened to spread to the territories of French Guyana in South America, and the Indian Ocean island of Reunion. Protests could spread to mainland France in the coming days and weeks.

General Strike in Guadeloupe Turns Deadly; Finally Gets French Attention

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