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The ICEM Global Framework Agreement with French specialty chemicals producer Rhodia took a major forward step with inclusion of specific neutrality language. The two parties formally signed the renewal agreement in Paris on 25 March. 
 
The Global Agreement, originally signed on 31 January 2005, also includes stronger language regarding responsible behaviour by the company&rsquo;s suppliers and subcontractors, as well as integration of the agreement with the &ldquo;Rhodia Way,&rdquo; a set of principles aimed at continuous progress on social and environmental responsibility.
<img height="186" alt="" src="" width="280" />
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda and Rhodia CEO Jean-Pierre Clamadieu at the 25 March signing&nbsp; 
 

The renewal agreement is supported by ICEM French affiliates Fedechemie CGT-FO and Federation Chimie Energie CFDT. It follows a favourable assessment of the terms of the agreement carried out over that past two years that included a joint trip to China last fall to observe work conditions at Rhodia&rsquo;s operations there. 
 
&ldquo;We feel we have taken the agreement with Rhodia to a new level,&rdquo; said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;The commitment for trust and earnest dialogue is genuine.&rdquo; 
 
The agreement did contain, and still does, adherence to ILO Core Labour Conventions 87 and 98 regarding freedom of association, and the right of representation and collective bargaining, but it now goes further. Under a section entitled Labour-Management Dialogue, a clause now states: &ldquo;Rhodia respects the right of employees to be collectively organised and shall remain strictly neutral concerning their choices in this matter.&rdquo; 
 
Further to that section, &ldquo;Rhodia pledges to not practice any discrimination due to unionisation either when hiring or when managing employees&rsquo; careers.&rdquo; 
 
Rhodia also pledges to take a hands-on approach in assuring that suppliers and subcontractors adhere to the framework of the Global Agreement, as well as all laws and human rights standards. 
 
In addition, the renewal agreement sets formal ICEM involvement in tracking &ldquo;Rhodia Way&rdquo; performance; it creates a joint safety issues discussion group; allows the agreement&rsquo;s application to be audited by an outside expert jointly chosen by the two parties; and, following the successful Chinese mission, sets up an annual mission to a country to assess terms of the accord. The next such visit will be to Brazil.
The English and French versions of the agreement can be found <a href="/en/?id=98&amp;la=EN">here</a>.
Rhodia, which generated sales of &euro;5.1 billion in 2007, supplies chemicals for the automotive, tyre, electronics, perfume, and health, beauty, and home care markets. It employs 15,500 workers worldwide.

Renewal Rhodia Global Pact Has Specific Neutrality Language

Global Fund Calls for Round 8 Proposals 

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has issued its Eighth Call for Proposals. The application form and support documentation are available in six languages at <a href="http://www.theglobalfund.org">www.theglobalfund.org</a>. 
 
Proposals have to reach the Global Fund by 1 July 2008. 
 
All proposals submitted by the closing date of 1 July 2008 will be reviewed by the Secretariat to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria. Eligible proposals will then be forwarded to the Technical Review Panel (TRP) for consideration. The TRP will make recommendations on the basis of which the Global Fund Board will decide.
<img height="35" src="" width="25" alt="" />
How does the Global Fund work? 
The Global Fund, itself a public/private partnership, is a funding mechanism. Since it was registered in January 2002, and up to December 2007, the Global Fund has approved grants with a total commitment of US$14.5 billion, more than half of it targeted for HIV/AIDS projects. 
 
The Global Fund is based in Geneva. It does not have any country representation. The proposal process and the implementation of grants are devolved to the national level. The Global Fund gives the policy framework and issues guidelines on various aspects of its operations. It raises money, spends it, and proves it &ndash; the Global Fund is performance based. 
 
All proposals have to go through the Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCM). The composition of the CCMs is supposed to be representative of all stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS, including civil society, the private sector, and organisations of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).
<img height="35" src="" width="25" alt="" />
How can unions get involved? 
The role of the workplace in the fight against HIV/AIDS is recognised. The workplace is an important entry point for HIV/AIDS services and no workplace activities can be efficiently implemented without unions. The role of national unions and their international bodies, the Global Unions, is acknowledged by international organisations such as the ILO, the WHO, and UNAIDS. 
 
The Global Fund is supportive of public/private partnerships, or co-investment arrangements. Without the involvement of the private sector universal access to voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), and to anti-retroviral treatment (ART), it is not possible to qualify, or projects will be further delayed. The private sector is business and trade unions, as the workers&rsquo; representatives. For the first time, the Guidelines for Round 8 proposals mention unions under eligible organisations of the private sector. 
 
The manpower capacities of unions are limited. Unions must tend to other day-to-day business. Unions are not single-issue NGOs. They have to look for partners and build alliances with companies and NGOs. 
 
Very few CCMs include unionists. While we continue to call for union representation on CCMs, in the short term, it is vital that unions work through members of the CCMs who are sympathetic to their cause. It is important that unions find cooperating partners who can develop their project ideas into proposals for the CCM. 
 
The German Organisation for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) operates the BACKUP Initiative (Building Alliances &ndash; Creating Knowledge &ndash; Updating Partners), which provides support. GTZ is represented in more than 130 countries. A lot of USAID offices have HIV/AIDS Coordinators and certain embassies, notably of Nordic countries, The Netherlands, the UK, and the European Union may be able to give assistance. Global Unions and the WHO have agreed to use the potential of unions in up-scaling and accelerating access to VCT and ART. The ILO and its workplace programme, ILOAIDS, has focal points on HIV/AIDS in a number of offices. 
 
The most significant new feature in Round 8 is that the Global Fund is recommending that applicants specify one (or more) Principal Recipients (PRs) from the government sector and one (or more) from the various non-government sectors, including the private sector which includes unions (dual-track financing).
<img height="35" src="" width="25" alt="" />
What are your next steps? 
&bull; Put down your ideas about a workplace programme on one page and prepare a draft budget. 
&bull; Get to know the members of your country&rsquo;s CCM and lobby those potentially sympathetic to union causes for the inclusion of workplace programmes in Round 8 proposals. Country-specific information is accessible at <a href="http://www.theglobalfund.org">www.theglobalfund.org</a>. 
&bull; Contact GTZ, USAID, the ILO, UNAIDS, and WHO offices in your country. 
&bull; Build alliances with companies; remind them of their social responsibility. 
&bull; Cooperate with NGOs and organisations of PLWHA. 
&bull; Access the website <a href="http://www.aidspan.org/guides">www.aidspan.org/guides</a> on which a guide to Round 8 applications is available.
<img height="35" src="" width="25" alt="" />
How can the ICEM help? 
The ICEM Global Coordinator has good working relations with all the organisations mentioned. He can help you with contacts and links to materials. Send your ideas about a workplace programme and inquiries to <a href="mailto:hiv.aids@icem.org">hiv.aids@icem.org</a>. The ICEM has Global Agreements with 13 multinational companies. These companies should be engaged in the fight against the pandemic.
Above all 
<ul>
 <li>
 <div>Start today if you want to do something.&nbsp;</div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>Remember that the private sector includes business and unions as the workers&rsquo; representatives.&nbsp;</div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>Remember that you have allies who can be mobilized and who can give assistance.&nbsp;</div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div>Write to the ICEM Global HIV/AIDS Coordinator at <a href="mailto:hiv.aids@icem.org">hiv.aids@icem.org</a> for further information and help. </div>
 </li>
</ul>

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin: Special Issue, 20 March 2008

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The ICEM mourns the death of German trade unionist Egon Sch&auml;fer, a former auditor of the ICEM who served with distinction on behalf of his trade union, IGBCE. He died on 14 February 2008 after a long illness. He was 69. 
 
He began his trade union service in 1962 for IGBCE&rsquo;s predecessor, IG Chemie, Papier, Keramik, in the union&rsquo;s Kassel office. He worked as head of collective bargaining and social issues for IG Chemie&rsquo;s white-collar membership, and was elected a regional chairman in 1973.
<img height="204" src="" width="140" alt="" />
&nbsp;Egon Sch&auml;fer 

He was elected to the union&rsquo;s central executive committee in1978 and rose to Deputy Chairman of the union, after which he took the major role on social policy matters. He also served on the supervisory board of German chemicals company Hoechst AG. He retired from union service in 1997. ICEM General Secretary said he had &ldquo;long and dedicated service&rdquo; in his voluntary role as ICEF and ICEM auditor. 
 
IGBCE President Hubertus Schmoldt called Egon Sch&auml;fer an &ldquo;outstanding social representative and a good friend,&rdquo; and said he was an ideological thinker who stood strongly behind his beliefs.

ICEM Mourns Death of Former Auditor, IGBCE Leader Egon Schäfer

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
A near labour dispute by 2,100 Dutch workers at two of Europe&rsquo;s biggest oil refineries was averted last week when ICEM affiliates FNV Bondgenoten and CNV Bedrijvenbond came to terms with Royal Dutch Shell. The accord, reached on 4 March, will now be brought before the workforces for approval. 
 
The two-year agreement, which would become retroactive to 1 March at Shell&rsquo;s Pernis oil refinery, as well as at the company&rsquo;s Moerdijk refinery and chemicals operations, would give workers a 3.5% wage increase this year, and another 3.5% hike on 1 March 2009. It also grants one-half percent bonuses to workers each year of the agreement.
<img height="67" src="" width="100" border="1" alt="" />
The major stumbling block in negotiations throughout February was Shell&rsquo;s demand to buy back four ADV days. Those days were compensation for a cut in the work-week from 40 to 36 hours several years ago. Shell wanted the leave days back due to a shortage of personnel at the two refineries. 
 
The unions had sought to allow workers to keep the leave days, or, seek a higher compensation for these days. A compromise on this difficult matter was mutually accepted. 
 
The two unions engaged in joint membership consultations throughout in order to forge the agreement.

Settlement Expected for 2,100 Oil, Chemical Workers of Royal Dutch Shell in NL

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French utilities, construction and telecommunications company Bouygues is taking revenge on ICEM Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire affiliate SYNASEG, the country&rsquo;s electric and gas trade union. 
Prior to a 15-year Bouygues contract for management of water and electric supplies that expired earlier this year, the government announced plans to repatriate the utilities as national entities. SYNASEG publicly supported such a move. But then the government reversed itself and granted Bouygues another 15-year contract.
The company has now retaliated against SYNASEG by refusing to honour check off procedures over union dues. In September, Bouygues neglected to deduct dues from workers&rsquo; pay checks and, in October and November, it did make the deductions but refused to forward the funds to SYNASEG.

French-based Bouygues Creating Union Problems in Cote d’Ivoire

As the world commemorates International Human Rights Day tomorrow on the 57th Anniversary of signing the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 20-million-member ICEM, the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions, cautions that the vision and promise of the Declaration is clouded in today's world of violence and social inequality. 
<img height="86" alt="" src="" width="100" />
&quot;We must stop to reflect on the language and the meaning of the 1948 Declaration,&quot; said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs. &quot;We must strive to rid the world of sinister forces intent on domination and hear the voices of those not free from want, and of those facing insecurity brought by global strife.&quot; 
 
Higgs reminds ICEM affiliated trade unions, as well as the global community, that the UN proclaimed a World Program for Human Rights Education last year. &quot;Education, together with meaningful employment opportunities, is the key to remove poverty and intolerance that exists in many parts of the world today,&quot; said Higgs. 
 
On the 10 December observance of International Human Rights Day, the ICEM points to both rich and poor nations, many of which have repressive governmental regimes, for holding back the fulfilment of standards enshrined in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 
 
Upholding human rights applies as well to trade union rights, which are violated by a large number of countries. The UN Universal Declaration includes, in Article 23, that &quot;everyone has the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests&quot;. 
 
The ICEM points to continued restrictions on political liberties and democratic rights in Nepal as one example. Early this year, King Gyanendra placed the Himalayan country in a state of emergency and suspended free speech and assembly in efforts to stamp our political dissent. 
 
The Global Union Federation also directs attention on the military leaders of Burma and to the multinational companies doing business with the country, where slave labour continues to be used at a large scale. Specifically, ICEM questions the recent and sudden shift by the military junta of administrative governmental services from Rangoon to a remote area in which thousands of civil servants were forced to relocate without adequate living and other conditions. 
 
The ICEM also calls for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. &quot;A solution must be found, giving the Palestinians a viable state and economic justice&quot; stated Higgs. 
 
&quot;The ICEM will continue to defend human rights across the world wherever we find abuses and injustices,&quot; added Higgs. 
 
On 10 December 1948, Member States of the UN proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights &quot;a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.&quot; The UN's charter itself set &quot;universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.&quot; Fifty-seven years later, we must ask ourselves how far we have come on that legacy.

ICEM Calls for a Real Focus on Human Rights

Year 2005 has been an important year for the expansion of ICEM&rsquo;s activities in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Global Union Federation&rsquo;s commitment has manifested itself in an up scaling of innovative projects and activities. Many of ICEM&rsquo;s 389 trade union affiliates in 122 countries have joined the fight to reverse the pandemic. 
<img height="122" alt="" src="" width="86" />
From the beginning of Year 2005, a Global HIV/AIDS Coordinator based in Geneva has been in place and a regional coordinator manages the African project from Johannesburg. Two training workshops were held in June and November for national coordinators from twelve sub-Saharan African countries. A manual on collective bargaining is being finalised. 
 
HIV/AIDS has been mainstreamed in ICEM global and regional meetings. A seminar for the Asian and Pacific region in Tokyo in October sponsored by ICEM-JAF laid the foundation for the expansion of ICEM work in that region. 
 
ICEM&rsquo;s global information policy has been carried forward. The new ICEM website includes <a href="/?id=72">web pages on HIV/AIDS</a> with links to important HIV/AIDS sites and materials of intergovernmental organisations, NGOs and other Global Union Federations, as well as the Global Unions Programme against HIV/AIDS in which the ICEM takes an active part. Power Point Presentations have been developed and posted on the web for the use by affiliates. An e-bulletin is being published monthly. The latest version, also released on December 1, can be read <a href="/index.php?id=72&amp;doc=1539">here</a>.
The leaflet &ldquo;ICEM Responds to HIV/AIDS&rdquo; is launched on World AIDS Day, and can be <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0511AIDSleaflet.pdf">downloaded here</a>. 
 
A central part of ICEM strategy is the expansion of services of existing health clinics of major mining companies to the wider community. It is the logical progression of the valuable workplace education and awareness programmes, which have been in place. And it is here where the ICEM will have a real impact. Agreement in principle has been reached with two multinational mining companies to up scale voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and the provision of antiretroviral treatment (ART). Substantial amounts of funding with a long-term perspective are required from sources not previously accessed by trade unions. The ICEM calls on the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) to support more co-financed workplace projects to provide VCT and ART in partnership with unions and companies. 
 
&ldquo;The ICEM is strategically positioned for such a direct role in the fight against HIV/AIDS,&rdquo; says General Secretary Fred Higgs. &ldquo;We represent workers in the mining industry, a sector disproportionately stricken by the virus due to living and working conditions. We also represent chemical workers in the major drug-producing companies of the world.&rdquo; The ICEM will continue to be engaged with pharmaceutical companies to provide affordable drugs to those living with HIV/AIDS in the least developed countries. 
 
The ICEM continues its advocacy for genuine poverty eradication policies and for an increased financial commitment to fight the pandemic, especially through the Global Fund. The establishment of a permanent G8 working group is central to this. The newly established partnership between the WHO and the Global Unions must result in concrete assistance for workplace VCT and ART programmes. 
 
The ICEM calls on all affiliates to use World AIDS Day to intensive their campaigns to reverse the pandemic.

ICEM reiterates strong commitment to combat HIV/AIDS

<img height="259" alt="" src="" width="200" />
25 November 2005 
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 
 
Contents 
 
1. Belgium - Amnesty International 
2. Brazil 
3. Canada 
4. Costa Rica 
5. Guatemala 
6. Mexico 
7. Philippines 
8. Spain 
9. China - Worker Dies After 24-hour Shift 
10. European Union - Social Partners Agree Joint Text on Gender Equality 
11. Finland - Pay for women in Finnish industry is now 85 cents 
12. France - Equal Opportunities at TOTAL 
13. International Partnership for Microbicides 
14. ORIT - Women at the Summit of the Americas 
15. South Africa - ICEM Women&rsquo;s Strategy Meeting 
16. Switzerland - New Weapon to Combat Salary Discrimination 
17. United Kingdom - &ldquo;Women are less happy with their pay&rdquo; 
 
1. Belgium - Amnesty International 
 
&ldquo;If you beat your wife, you&rsquo;re not a man,&rdquo; is the theme of Amnesty International Belgium&rsquo;s year-end campaign which runs from 25 November to 10 December 2005, which is International Human Rights Day. 
The campaign is geared primarily to men and young people. At least one woman out of five is a victim of domestic violence in Belgium, and apparently it is men who are responsible for such abhorrent behavior that drives too many women to the hospital&hellip;or the morgue. 
 
According to the World Bank, one woman or adolescent out of five (hence many millions of women) worldwide have been battered, or are victims of sexual violence at least once in their lives. Violence against women at home knows no social, ethnic, geographical or economic bounds. Unfortunately, this violence seems to be more and more a trait of all societies. 
 
Likewise UNIFEM, which has launched its 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence to last until 10 December, is also symbolically linked against gender violence and the abusive onslaught against human rights, which such violence brings. 
 
2. Brazil 
 
On 25 November, the 36 local unions affiliated to the FETIESC Federation in Santa Catarina commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by launching a campaign entitled &ldquo;What Example Are you Giving? What Future Are you Providing?&quot; 
In Brazil, approximately 15,000 rapes and other acts of sexual violence occur each year, but women in most cases do not denounce their aggressors for fear of future insecurity. Most are cases of aggression committed at home by husbands and partners, in many cases in the presence of children. 
In Latin America and the Caribbean, domestic violence costs nearly 15% of GNP; in Brazil it is 10.5%. FETIESC has created a group called Men for the End of Violence against Women. 
 
3. Canada 
 
Vigils start on 25 November and go to 10 December, because in Canada 6 December marks the anniversary of 14 women who were murdered at a polytechnic school in Montreal. On that day in 1989, the students were gunned down by a man motivated solely by his hatred of women. 
Maria Shupenia from affiliate CEP Women&rsquo;s Committee writes, &ldquo;Since this massacre, and every year since, we remember these women, and gather to denounce all acts of violence against women in Canada.&rdquo; 
4. Costa Rica 
 
SITRAPEQUIA&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s Section had a debate on the draft legislation on the penalization of domestic violence together with the National Women&rsquo;s Institute, including a film and panelists. 
All SITRAPEQUIA members received a flyer against economic and job-related violence which affects women workers in the Americas. Their conclusion is that there is no such thing as a democratic society with violence on the job. 
Elena Guti&eacute;rrez from SITRAPEQUIA writes, &ldquo;The RECOPE refinery has many men and few women, there will always be more men&hellip;they were very impressed by the topic of the law to penalize violence against women. It is a draft that has been in discussion for three years. The women in the National Assembly are fighting for it.&rdquo; 
 
5. Guatemala 
 
A group of women from Guatemala traveled to Spain and then to Brussels from 22 to 26 November together with Comisiones Obreras and the Spanish Women&rsquo;s Institute to denounce the situation of extreme injustice of murders of women in Guatemala. 
This barbarism was influenced by armed conflict that went on for 36 years, during which rapes and sexual violence were part of the strategy of counterinsurgency. 
No one to date has been held accountable for these atrocious acts. Rather, since Guatemala is a patriarchal and macho society, women are penalized and no one recognizes their rights. They find themselves alone in fighting against the gangs of delinquents roaming the towns. The murders are not judged or condemned, which implies connivance on the part of the state. 
According to the Inter-American Human Rights Commission, 1,188 women were murdered between 2001 and August 2004 in Guatemala. 
 
6. Mexico 
 
Ciudad Juarez, Mexico&rsquo;s fourth largest city, is known as the capital of murdered women. At least 75 women, most of them factory workers, have been raped and murdered there since 1993. Scores more are missing. The city&rsquo;s law-enforcement authorities have been exposed as incompetent or corrupt. 
More than a dozen women&rsquo;s groups have arisen in the city, and these groups are composed of mothers and grandmothers and friends of the murdered and missing. The groups demand that more attention be paid to violence against women in a city where young women&rsquo;s lives do not count for much. 
Women work late into the night without security. Billboards and bus advertisements warn women to be careful and watch for their lives. Women&rsquo;s groups believe that the murders are the work of copycats who have discovered that they can rape and kill with impunity. 
In El Paso, Texas, just across the border, local lawmakers, trade unionists and students recently launched a Coalition on Violence Against Women and Families on the Border. Because of NAFTA, both countries must take the responsibility for the violence. 
 
7. Philippines 
 
The United Nations has adopted a Philippines-led resolution calling for global action against violence against migrant workers who are women. Among the key features of the resolution, nations are called upon to incorporate a gender perspective in all policies on international migration, including protection of women migrant workers from violence, discrimination, exploitation and abuse. 
The resolution also calls on criminalizing violence against women migrant workers, and protecting rights of women migrant workers, regardless of their immigration status. The Philippines has been forefront in advancing the safety of women migrant workers. 
 
8. Spain 
 
Comisiones Obreras condemned once again violence against women which is manifested at work by sexual harassment and bullying. In Spain, 60 women have died in 2005 of gender-related violence. 
This is a structural and globalized phenomenon due to unequal power relations between men and women. It is an expression of existing discrimination which is passed on by means of models and cultural patterns that see violence as acceptable. That is why education is necessary to raise awareness on prevention, detection and eradication of violence. 
Action is necessary to protect the most vulnerable such as the disabled, young girls, the elderly or migrant women who, because of their irregular situation, have little or no protection. What is even worse is the vulnerability of women and girls who are victims of trafficking and networks of sexual exploitation. 
Likewise, Comisiones Obreras denounces violence against women trade unionists, women and girls who are the victims of belligerent conflicts or fundamentalism and religious fanaticism. 
 
9. China - Worker Dies After 24-hour Shift 
 
A woman died of exhaustion after working a 24-hour shift at a Chinese handicraft factory, following weeks of 15-hour days, the Chinese state media reported on 3 November. 
The 30-year-old migrant worker, He Chunmei, fell into a coma and died after working for 24 hours at the Guangzhou Huaxin Handicraft Factory in southern Guangdong province. A co-worker said factory employees had been ordered to work 15 hours a day since 24 October to complete orders ahead of a planned move to a new location. 
 
10. European Union - Social Partners Agree on Text of Gender Equality 
 
The EU-level social partners agreed a new text to improve gender equality at the workplace in March 2005. The joint text is called &ldquo;Framework of Actions on Gender Equality,&rdquo; and was concluded by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the employers&rsquo; side.
Both parties state that integrated strategies are needed to promote gender equality and tackle the remaining inequalities of the labor market. These strategies include actions to desegregate labour markets and to address gender roles in society. The parties do note that difficulties still persist such as the difficulty to reconcile work and family life, the reproduction of gender stereotypes in employment, gender segregation in the labour market, and the gender pay gap. 
Four priorities were set to tackle the problems in the years ahead. They are meant to address gender roles, to promote women in decision making, to support work-life balance, and to tackle the gender pay gap. 
 
11. Finland - Pay Deficit for Finnish women is now 85 cents to the Euro 
 
In second quarter 2005, women's pay for regular working hours in the Finnish industrial sector was, on average, &euro;11.42 per hour, with men earning &euro;13.46. This means that for every Euro paid to a man, a woman earns the equivalent of &euro;0.848 cents. 
In second quarter 2005, nominal wages for men were, on average, 1.4% above the second quarter 2004 level. In the same period, women's nominal wages rose by 2%. On average, real growth was 0.5%. The higher percentage for women reflects the lockout of the male-dominated paper industry in May and June. 
 
The biggest growth, 6.1%, took place in the rubber industry. 
 
12. France - Equal Opportunities at TOTAL 
 
The European Federation of Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers&rsquo; Unions (EMCEF), signed a European agreement on 21 November with TOTAL on equal opportunities. 
The agreement is based, on one hand, on a report on diversity and equal opportunities drawn up by the TOTAL European Works Council, and on the other the equal opportunities framework adopted by the ETUC and European employers in March 2005. 
An annual report will be presented which will enable the European Works Council to follow relevant developments. The report will be based on data on recruitment, career development, mobility, work-life balance, equal pay and training. The agreement lays down goals and objectives which will be negotiated together with the employer. 
 
13. International Partnership for Microbicides 
 
Women in developing countries will have easier access to future microbicides that will offer some protection against the HIV/AIDS virus. 
Two pharmaceuticals companies, Merck &amp; Co and Bristol-Myers Squibb, have agreed to donate the rights to develop, manufacture and distribute vaginal gels and creams that include experimental compounds to help prevent HIV infection. T
he nonprofit International Partnership for Microbicides will be permitted to develop the products without paying royalties. 
&ldquo;The search for an effective microbicide is crucial to providing women with more options to protect themselves against HIV infection,&rdquo; said Dr Peter Piot, executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. 
 
14. ORIT - Women at the Summit of the Americas 
 
Women trade unionists from the Americas met on 1 November in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in the framework of the Peoples&rsquo; Forum. The theme was to create work to overcome poverty. 
Unity and integration of the working class were also stressed as representatives from ICFTU/ORIT joined together with the trade union federation CLAT from the WCL. 
Decent work is the key to creating more democratic societies. Civil society needs space to participate, including activities promoted by the Organization of American States. 
 
15. South Africa - ICEM Women&rsquo;s Strategy Meeting 
 
The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) sponsored a meeting of ICEM&rsquo;s African Women&rsquo;s Committee to develop strategy. 
The shop-steward development project also has women&rsquo;s facilitators who are building up women&rsquo;s leadership on the shop floor. This work can be linked to the broader work of the women&rsquo;s committee. The group worked on equal pay criteria and decided to investigate the pay situation in 14 different jobs done by women and men. 
In addition, Shirley Miller, ICEM&rsquo;s African HIV/AIDS coordinator, presented ICEM&rsquo;s fight against HIV/AIDS programme with an emphasis on gender-related challenges to the fight against HIV/AIDS. The women attending discovered how they can become more actively involved in ICEM&rsquo;s project on HIV/AIDS. 
 
16. Switzerland - New Weapon to Combat Salary Discrimination 
 
Swiss trade unions say a new method of calculating salary differences between the sexes shows women are paid up to one-fifth less for performing the same work. Despite equal pay for equal work being enshrined in the Swiss Constitution, the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions said there had been little progress over the past 25 years. 
As part of a new campaign for higher pay for women, the unions unveiled an on-line pay calculator. The tool takes into account qualifications, including work experience and level of education to evaluate salaries between men and women doing the same job. The unions said making the calculation tool available on the internet promotes transparency and empowers women to demand equal pay. 
See <a href="http://www.lohngleichheit.ch">www.lohngleichheit.ch</a>&nbsp;(available in German, French and Italian). 
 
17. United Kingdom - &ldquo;Women are less happy with their pay&rdquo; 
 
Women are less likely to be satisfied with their take-home pay than men, a survey in the UK has revealed. Over one in four female employees said they are unhappy with their pay, compared to one in five male workers. 
However, in spite of this, women were found to be less likely to complain about pay. Only 39% of female respondents said that they had discussed their pay with their manager. Workers can check their salary against that of people doing similar jobs across the UK on the following website: <a href="http://www.paywizard.co.uk">www.paywizard.co.uk</a>.
<hr />

 
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ICEM Women’s bulletin No. 7 – December 2005

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US-based Halliburton, the giant construction and oil services company so closely linked to the Bush government, is intent on supplanting a national union at its Indonesian operations in oil-rich Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. 
The company is challenging the certification of Chemical Energy, Mines, Oil &amp; Gas and General Workers&rsquo; Union (FSP KEP) at a regional labour agency, claiming a plant union is in place. FSP KEP has been the registered union at Halliburton&rsquo;s energy services base in Balikpapan since 2001. 
Even prior to last month&rsquo;s challenge favouring a company union, Halliburton systematically has attempted to weaken FSP KEP&rsquo;s representation status by refusing to recognise the union&rsquo;s shop-floor leaders, and then threatening to discharge FSP KEP leaders who step forward in the course of their union responsibilities. 
Halliburton got a foothold in Indonesia&rsquo;s oil and energy industries some 30 years ago under the Suharto regime.

Halliburton Out to Break Energy Union in Indonesia

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Works Councils in Europe of chemical/foods conglomerate Unilever will handbill company plants in Germany and The Netherlands on the first of December. 
The actions, along with press attention and mass meetings, are in protest to Unilever&rsquo;s decision to outsource 2,500 finance and shared services jobs to outside companies. 
The December date was chosen because it is then that the company will announce to workers outsourcing of human resource and shared services jobs to employment agency Accenture, and finance jobs to IBM. 
Unilever sites most heavily affected will be Rotterdam and Hamburg.

Workers at Unilever in Europe Take Protest Actions

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