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A last-minute compromise in Norway late in the evening on 31 March averted a strike by 38,000 industry workers. A government-appointed mediator reconciled pay and other issues between ICEM affiliate Fellesforbundet and Norsk Industri, representing some 1,000 industrial firms. 
The union was seeking adequate salary increases for 2006, preservation of an early retirement programme, called avtalefesten pensjon (AFP), and a halt to the practice of paying foreign workers lower pay rates. Government mediation, however, failed to stop a construction strike that began yesterday, 2 April, between 19,000 trade unionists of Fellesforbundet and the National Association for the Building Industry.

Norwegian Industrial Disputes Settled on Eve of Strikes

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The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) announced it will conduct a week-long general strike in South Korea, beginning 6 April, over the non-regular workers&rsquo; legislation that again is before the National Assembly. The legislative body opened an extraordinary session today and the controversial bill, designed to allow employers more flexibility in hiring contract workers, will be the focal point of its agenda. 
KCTU organised a mass rally today in front of the National Assembly to draw attention to the start of Thursday&rsquo;s strike. The legislation, a cluster of three bills adversely affecting the rights and working condition of temporary workers, would grant employers the right to employ hundreds of thousands more contract workers for up to two years before laying them off.

Korean Labour Group to Strike over Non-Regular Workers’ Legislation

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The ICEM&rsquo;s 2006 World Conference for the Rubber Sector will be held later this week, 6-7 April, in Istanbul, Turkey. Co-hosted by Turkish trade union Lastik-Iş, the conference will draw some 106 trade union leaders from 15 countries. 
The quadrennial conference will discuss current developments and challenges facing workers in the global rubber sector, as well as crucial collective bargaining negotiations that will occur in some countries in 2006. Rubber sector trade union leaders from Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, the UK and USA will be in attendance at this week&rsquo;s conference. The ICEM&rsquo;s last Rubber Sector Conference was held in 2002 in S&atilde;o Paulo, Brazil, while the 1998 conference was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

ICEM’s Rubber Sector Conference in Turkey This Week

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Contents
1. Afghanistan - Violence against Women Goes&nbsp;Unpunished 
2. Australia - Women Shrink the Pay Gap 
3. Belgium - Equal Pay Day 
4. Brazil - Women Demonstrate Against Aracruz Celulose&nbsp; 
5.&nbsp;**Carol Fraser on Canada** 
6. Iran - Women Take to the Streets on 8 March 
7. Iraq - Women are Victims of Anarchy 
8. Japan &ndash; RENGO Marches on 8 March 
9. Netherlands &ndash; Booklet on Pregnancy and Maternity 
10. Pakistan &ndash; Working Women Organisation Demonstrates on 8 March 
11. United Kingdom - Women Are More Likely to Join Unions 
12.&nbsp;USA -&nbsp;The Retirement Gap 
13. Inter-Parliamentary Union - More Women Elected to Office 
14. Resources 
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1. Afghanistan - Violence against Women Goes Unpunished 
 
Women in Afghanistan continued to suffer from official neglect and social restrictions in 2005, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) reported. The commission said it has documented 154 cases of self-immolation (setting oneself on fire) by women in the western zone over the course of the year, while as many as 144 forced marriages and 25 money-for-opium marriages were reported in the South. 
 
The Afghanistan government&rsquo;s attempts to curb the cultivation of opium have had unexpected fallout on women. Desperate farmers, with their poppy fields razed by the government, were forced to turn to a traditional practice, in which a family pays off&nbsp;debts by handing over a daughter to a relative of the creditor. Usually, there is a marriage ceremony for the sake of propriety, but the woman is treated as property. 
 
Also, investigations by the authorities into complaints of violent attacks on women are neither routine nor systematic, and few result in prosecutions, stated Amnesty International in its 2005 report. 
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" />
2. Australia - Women Shrink the Pay Gap 
 
In a comparison of gender-pay ratios among developed nations, Australia ranks second. Women make 91 cents to the man&rsquo;s dollar in Australia. The reason lies partly with the high number of Australians whose wages are determined by collective bargaining, or are set by the government. However, major changes to labour laws go into effect soon, which could endanger some of the strides made by working women over recent decades, say rights activists and labour leaders. 
 
Under the current system, government panels set industry-specific wages and benefits for many workers. This baseline pay is generally high in comparison to minimum wages in other developed nations. Some workers then strike still better deals through union negotiations with their employers. 
 
Labour experts contend that the pay gap between men and women has narrowed under this system for a couple of reasons. One is that it has kept many women from having to negotiate their own salaries (research shows women tend not to bargain as hard as men). Another reason is that feminists have been able to mount legal challenges against the traditional undervaluing of predominantly female professions like nursing and teaching. 
 
It needs to be pointed out, though, that the 91-cent figure only applies to non-managerial, full-time workers, excluding overtime pay. Once all earnings and part-time labour is included, the ratio falls to 66 cents to the dollar. 
 
The problem is that the state board will be scrapped under the new system, and that its federal counterpart will have many of its powers placed into a new entity, called the Fair Pay Commission (FPC). The FPC is expected to be more focused on Australia&rsquo;s international competitiveness and on expanding employment &ndash; suggesting it will hold a tougher line on wage increases. The legislation also encourages more individual bargaining for wages. 
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3. Belgium - Equal Pay Day 
 
31 March was Equal Pay Day in Belgium, organised jointly by the Belgian trade union federation FGTB and the country&rsquo;s Socialist Party. 
 
The date of 31 March is significant: women, on average, have to work one year and three months (until 31 March) to earn the same wages as a man in one year. 
 
More information is available on <a href="http://www.equalpayday.be/">www.equalpayday.be</a>.&nbsp;
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4. Brazil - Women Demonstrate Against Aracruz Celulose 
 
Via Campesina, which represents peasant organisations in 56 countries, staged a demonstration on 8 March in Brazil. About 2000 women invaded the Barba Negra eucalyptus-growing estate, owned by Aracruz Celulose, in Barra do Ribeiro, in the Rio Grande do Sul state. Aracruz Celulose was targeted because it is one of the largest paper and cellulose firms in Latin America with huge eucalyptus and pine plantations. 
 
The campaign points were as follows: 
<ul>
 <li>
 <div align="left">Protest against the invasion of the native forest with single-crop plantations; </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">Draw attention to the fact that pollution by cellulose firms is not confined to the headline-grabbing case of Uruguay&rsquo;s projects on its border with Argentina; </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">And highlight the fact that large enterprises, such as these, boosted by public financing, generate only one job per 185 hectares planted, whereas smaller properties generate one per hectare. </div>
 </li>
</ul>
The demonstration was also a solidarity action with the indigenous people in the state of Espiritu Santo, another state where Aracruz Celulosa invaded lands. This January, indigenous families were expelled by the Federal Police there, with police using the company&rsquo;s own vehicles to displace them. 
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5. Carol Fraser, CEP Canada, writes: 
 
Canada: The Battle over National Child Care 
Thank goodness for Canada's women. They won 16 medals in Turin&hellip; 
Now we're counting on women to save our national bacon in the political arena, too. 
In particular, Canadian women -- individually and collectively -- will be the key players in the first major legislative contest facing Stephen Harper's minority government: the battle over national child care. 
<a href="http://www.buildchildcare.ca/">http://www.buildchildcare.ca</a> 
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6. Iran - Women Take to the Streets on 8 March 
 
The total number of arrests, which followed a gathering of hundreds of women&rsquo;s rights defenders in Tehran, remains uncertain, as is the fate of those arrested by the security forces, which reportedly used harsh tactics to disperse the peaceful demonstration. According to Human Rights Watch, police dumped cans of garbage on the heads of women that were sitting down, before charging into the group and beating them with batons to compel them to leave. 
 
Mehri Amiri of the Society for Defence of Women&rsquo;s Rights in Iran reported that three women from her organisation had been released, but that four others remained in the Evin Prison in Tehran. She said that many others are still being held, but that her group cannot get in contact with any of them since the phone lines are being controlled by the government. 
 
On the eve of International Women&rsquo;s Day, the Women Rights Association of Iran had prepared a resolution calling for an end to gender discrimination, demanding social and legal rights for all Iranian women. Many of the women who handed out the resolution were arrested. 
 
Since 1981, over 120,000 political opponents have been executed in Iran. A report compiled by Iranian human rights activists in commemoration of International Women&rsquo;s Day says that four women were executed this year, all under the age of 30. Another 1,372 women have been arrested since the start of 2006, the group says. And, according to Human Rights Watch, security forces have repeatedly resorted to violence to suppress peaceful gatherings. 
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7. Iraq - Women are Victims of Anarchy 
 
The situation in Iraq is going from bad to worse, say NGOs and women&rsquo;s organisations such as MADRE, an international women&rsquo;s rights group, and Women&rsquo;s Will. Most women feel that they will only be better off once the occupation is over. 
 
As the crisis in Iraq intensifies, the group says women and their families need security urgently, as well as a functional government and the provision of basic services within a human rights framework. Rape, abduction and abuse in prisons by prison guards and the killing of women is widespread, say the women. MADRE is calling for the deployment of a UN-led peacekeeping force and an immediate end to the occupation. 
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8. Japan &ndash; RENGO Marches on 8 March 
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On 8 March, Japanese trade union women distributed leaflets on the streets in major Japanese cities and called for &ldquo;Solidarity for Women.&rdquo; In Tokyo, the action was the start of the Women&rsquo;s Conference, attended by 800 union women. The conference was organised to demand the inclusion of provisions to eliminate indirect discrimination into the law of equal employment for men and women. The participants pledged their commitments to pursue the campaign at their workplaces. 
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9. Netherlands &ndash; Booklet on Pregnancy and Maternity 
 
Jeannette Van Dongen of FNV Bondgenoten has sent us a booklet on pregnancy and maternity called &ldquo;Work and Pregnancy: From Month to Month&rdquo;. The brochure explains what pregnancy and maternity means for working women and working new mothers, providing practical advice. To receive a copy of the booklet, please ask <a href="mailto:carol.bruce@icem.org">carol.bruce@icem.org</a>.&nbsp;Thanks to Jeannette and Bondgenoten, Netherlands. 
 
The brochure is also available on the ICEM web-site here: 
<a href="/index.php?id=71&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=1719">http://www.icem.org/index.php?id=71&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=1719</a>&nbsp;
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" />
10. Pakistan &ndash; Working Women Organisation Demonstrates on 8 March 
 
Pakistan&rsquo;s Working Women Organization demonstrated in Lahore, on the occasion of 8 March, with the demand to narrow the gender gap, improve women&rsquo;s status and improve the economy. Women can play an effective role in income generation activities as well as in the sustainable development of countries and societies. However, this will only happen when women are perceived as subjects, not objects of development. 
 
Large numbers of children and trade union activists also participated with great enthusiasm. Women and children were chanting slogans, such as &ldquo;we want peace,&rdquo; &ldquo;stop violence against women and harassment at workplace,&rdquo; &ldquo;no gender discrimination,&rdquo; &ldquo;women want equal rights,&rdquo; and &ldquo;long live international women solidarity.&rdquo; 
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" />
11. United Kingdom - Women Are More Likely to Join Unions 
 
Government figures show that women workers in the UK in 2005 were more likely to belong to a trade union than men. The data show that 29.9 precent&nbsp;of women workers were union members last year, versus 28.2 percent for men. 
 
Members&rsquo; average pay was 11.98 pounds an hour &ndash; 17.6 percent higher than for their non-union colleagues, who averaged 10.19 pounds. 
 
Low paid women are the main winners from the 30 pence minimum wage increase announced by the government. Low paid women benefit from minimum wages more than any other group in the economy, with part-time workers benefiting most of all. 
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" />
12. United States of America: The Retirement Gap 
A lifetime of hard work should bring economic security -- income sufficient to raise a family, and resources to enjoy a retirement earned over many working years. It is troubling that as far off as this goal seems to millions of American men, it is even further off for America's working women, especially in the area of retirement security. 
For more: <a href="http://www.steelworkers-usw.org/usw/program/content/2592.php">http://www.steelworkers-usw.org/usw/program/content/2592.php</a>
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" />
13. Inter-Parliamentary Union - More Women Elected to Office 
 
As reported by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the ratio of women elected to public office increased in 28 of the 39 countries that held parliamentary elections in 2005. By the end of 2005, 16.3 percent of upper and lower house members were women, sustaining the progress made since 1995, when the proportion of women in parliaments was only 11.3 percent. Several African nations now have a third of their parliaments comprised of women &ndash; Rwanda, Mozambique, South Africa, Burundi and Tanzania. 
<img height="25" alt="" src="" width="20" />
14. Resources 

<ul>
 <li>
 <div align="left">For the conclusions of the recent 50th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, see: <a href="http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/50sess.htm">http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/ 
 50sess.htm</a>. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">WICEJ has produced a guide to UN summits and how to use their outcomes. See <a href="http://www.wicej.addr.com/tools.html">http://www.wicej.addr.com/tools.html</a>. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">The Women&rsquo;s Global Network for Reproductive Rights focuses on HIV/AIDS among other things: <a href="http://www.wgnrr.org/">http://www.wgnrr.org</a>. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">The Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defence of Women&rsquo;s Rights - <a href="http://www.cladem.org/">http://www.cladem.org</a>. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">EU Commission Report on Equality between Women and Men &ndash; 2006: 
 <a href="http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/publications/2006/keaj06001_en.pdf">http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/ 
 publications/2006/keaj06001_en.pdf</a>. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">The International Women&rsquo;s Health Coalition works to promote and protect the health and rights of women and girls worldwide: <a href="http://www.iwhc.org/">http://www.iwhc.org</a>. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">The elimination of gender stereotypes at work has been the object of a European project involving UGT Spain, FGTB, Belgium and the UIL, Italy. A booklet on this is available from UGT Spain. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">The Chilean Health and Gender Equity Observatory is an instrument to provide follow-up and evaluation in the framework of cooperation with the Pan American Health Organisation. See <a href="http://www.observatoriogenerosalud.cl/">http://www.observatoriogenerosalud.cl</a>. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">The Clean Clothes Campaign has published a book on improving working conditions in the global garment industry as well as on the movement for women workers&rsquo; rights. To order it, see <a href="http://www.cleanclothes.org/pub.htm">http://www.cleanclothes.org/pub.htm</a>. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">FORWARD is an international NGO dedicated to improving the health and well-being of African women and girls See: 
 <a href="http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/welcome.htm">http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/welcome.htm</a>. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">Two new websites provide gender-sensitive news reporting: <a href="http://www.cimacnoticias.com/index.html">http://www.cimacnoticias.com/index.html</a> and <a href="http://www.artemisanoticias.com.ar/site/default.asp">http://www.artemisanoticias.com.ar/site/ 
 default.asp</a>. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">For a report on the ILO/PSI/Global Unions Discussion Forum on Pay Equity held at the ILO on 16 February 2006, please contact <a href="mailto:carol.bruce@icem.org">carol.bruce@icem.org</a>. 
 </div>
 </li>
 <li>
 <div align="left">The International Labour Organisation has published a new International Labour Review which highlights women&rsquo;s labour force participation. It is the 2005/4 edition and is available from the ILO.</div>
 </li>
</ul>

ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN N° 10

韓国の非正規労働者に関する３法案、阻止される 
KCTUが組織した先週のゼネストと韓国国会内の労働組合系の国会議員の反論の結果、非正規労働者に関する３法案は国会を通過しなかった。２月２８日（火曜日）と３月２日（木曜日) に実施されたゼネストには３０万人の労働者が参加した。（３月１日は韓国の国民休日） 主に進歩的民主労働党議員が３月２日に行われた全体会議で一時的に議事進行を妨げた。 
これら３法案は２月２７日に国会の環境労働員会で承認されたが、労働者の集会やデモ、全体会議の野党側の反駁の結果、３月２日の閉会前に国会を通過させることができなかった。３月２０日の特別国会が開催される際にこの問題はさらに検討されることになるが、さらに大衆の抗議行動が起こることは確実。 
提出法案は短期契約労働者や派遣労働者の雇用条件を改善するという法案ではなく、むしろ使用者側にこれまでより多くの非正規労働者を雇い、正規労働者への地位の変更が規定されている雇用期間２年間に至る前に非正規労働者をレイオフすることができるフレキシビリティを使用者に付与する内容となっている。 
ICEM はストライキの実施と労働者の動員についてKCTUを賞賛した。ICEM書記長のヒッグスはKCTU会長のチョー・ジュン・ホーに宛てた連帯文の中で、「皆さんの闘いは契約労働者及び派遣労働者の基本的権利を擁護することに主眼をおいている。正規社員の代わりに契約労働者が使われたり、正規社員数が抑えられたりする問題は多くの労働者や労働組合の優先課題、そして世界各国のすべての産業部門における重要課題となっている。」 
 
混迷を続けるタイ政局 
混乱するタイ政局とタクシン首相が自分の権威の基盤を固めるために急いで来月総選挙しようとする騒動の結果、民営化の問題、つまり、政府が経営権を持っている国の資産を資本市場に売却するどうかの問題の論議は一旦休止の状態となっている。タクシンのポジションは、彼個人のビジネス取引や政府のタイ発電公社並びに首都圏および地方電力事業部門分割のやり方を見れば明白である。 
タクシンの退陣を要求する野党が主に求めているのは新しい憲法修正案の即時審議と施行である。タクシンは早急に選挙で勝利し、国営/公営企業を投資家に売るための手法を含め憲法上の先例をつくりたいと考えている。タイ発電公社 EGATの株式市場上場は2005年11月に予定されていたが、裁判所の裁定待ちでいまだ上場されていない。 
今年後半に予定されている地域レベルの電力公社民営化について新たな論議が出てきた。先月、タイ財務省は 政府が設定した電力料金では利益率と歳入予想額に問題が出るとし、これらの電力公社の民営化については不確定であるとの見方を示した。さらに、同省関係者は新しい設備投資に関する決定は商業ベースだけではできず社会的ニーズをベースにして決定されなければならないと、より明確な発言をした。「送電線を地下に埋める計画は増益に繋がる施策ではなく、むしろサービスの向上と住民社会の便宜を図るためである。」と同関係者はバンコクポスト紙に語った。タイ総選挙の結果で今後の政治状勢の方向性が明確になるだろう。 
 
フランスガス公社の過半数経営権の民営化案に反対する労働組合 
フランスの関連諸労組は、フランスガス公社（GDF)の７０％の経営権を保持する政府が１８ヶ月前に行った公約を破ったことに抗議し、今日、大規模な抗議集会とストライキを行う。この行動は一週間前に発表され、フランス/ベルギー株式市場に上場されているスエズとGDFが合併する案に関連する。現在、GDFの８０％の経営権を持っているフランス政府がこの合併案の障害となっている。つまり、GDFは実質的に民営化され、フランス政府の持分の経営権は３４％にならないと合併案が成立しない。 
この合併はフランス電力の将来の方向性への決定要因ともなる。スエズとその子会社GDFに電力を供給することになり大幅雇用機会喪失につながるからだ。なぜならば、CFDT系化学エネルギー労組によれば、合併案についての総合的事業計画の分析は提出されておらず、スエズ-GDFの合併に伴う社会的側面に関する研究も適正に実施されていない。今回の合併案はスエズを買収しようとしたイタリアのエネルギー会社Enelの敵対買収行為を阻止するための合併である。
 
もう一つの事例 
欧州鉱山化学エネルギー労連EMCEFは先週ブリュッセルで会議を開き、欧州エネルギー産業のもう一つの合併案について労働組合の視点から状勢分析を行った。この会議にはスペインのFIA-UGT とFM-CC.OO、イタリアのUILCEM 及びドイツのIGBCEが参加し、スペインのエネルギー会社Endesaの買収に関する労働組合としての共通見解を策定した。 
ドイツの E.ON は最近、Endesa買収にスペインのGas Naturalより高値を付けた。E.ON 及びGas Naturalの２社とも、スペインのエネルギー産業と市場のルールに従い、再度秘密入札の機会が与えられる。EMCEFは２月２８日の会議の後、Endesaの企業体制を現状のまま保持すること、事業の分割はしないこと、同社の一部事業を下請けに出さないこと、資産売却による財政建て直しはしないこと、新エネルギー源及び新規発電能力への投資を継続することを要請した。 
Endesa買収がもたらす社会的インパクトに関連し、EMCEF及び加盟組織は解雇/レイオフの禁止、労働協約の継続、労働者の教育訓練に対するさらなる投資と支援、産業政策に関連するすべての問題についての関係労組との労使対話、そして欧州労使関係モデルの一環として既存の国内労使関係を認知することを主張した。EMCEFはその声明の中で労働組合と企業間の労使問題についての共通認識と優れた合意の良い事例としてICEM/Endesaグローバル協約をあげ、今後他の会社でもグローバルレベルで合意されるべき協約であるとコメントした。
 
ベルギー労組、エクソンモービルで労使紛争 
アントワープ市近郊ズワインドレヒトのエクソンモービル労働者全530人が、2006年－2007年度労働協約交渉中に経営側が示した賃金レベルとオートメ化による要員削減案に抗議し、２月２２日－２３日の２日間ストを実施した。全国一般労組ら組合側の指導下実った労働者の団結の結果、経営側は斡旋委員の要請に従いスト後の２週間の冷却期間をおいて再び交渉のテーブルにつくことに合意した。労使交渉は３月１４日に再開。 
 
イラク南部の石油労働者 
イラク南部バスラの石油労組は、イラク石油省が労働条件を無視しバスラ石油輸送会社のインフラ整備を放置している事実に抗議し、２月２１日にストを行った。石油省と政府が意図的にバスラ石油輸送会社の労働者をターゲットにし、労働者の生活水準の改善及び石油省が公約した手当の支払いについての要求を無視したたことが今回のストライキにつながった。 
 
ナイジェリアのシェブロン・テキサコとエルパーエンジニアリングでストか？ 
ナイジェリアのシェブロン・テキサコ及び同社の下請けで米国に本社を置くエルパーエンジニアリングが５年前に締結した労働協約を遵守しない場合、労働者のスト突入に直面する。ICEM加盟のNUPENGは、先週、 未払い賃金と退職金問題をめぐる労働争議の解決にむけて両社経営側と再度協議をこころみたが、経営側はそれをはねつけた。交渉の席で組合側は労使対話で当該争議を解決したいとの考え方を示したが、経営側は断固として妥協を拒否した。組合側は労使対話のなかで争議の解決を図りたいと考えているが、両社が引き続き問題解決を拒否する場合、 NUPENGはストに入ることを宣言した。両社は協約条項を一部の従業員には適用したが、大多数の従業員に適用することを拒んだ。労働争議に関係するのはシェブロン・テキサコのウグボルド、デルタステイトの事業所とバイェルサステートの浅瀬プラットフォームの契約労働者。 
 
メキシコのガス爆発で６５人の鉱山労働者死亡 
２月１９日のメキシコ Industria Mineral Mexicana子会社が起こしたこの事故は、石炭価格が高値で需要が多い現況において、地下鉱山における安全と教育訓練を即刻改善する必要があることを証明した。 北コアフイラ州のフアンデサビナス近郊にあるパスタデモンチョス第８号鉱山の事故で亡くなった２５人はメキシコ鉱山金属労組（IMF加盟）第１３支部の組合員。その他亡くなった多くの労働者は契約労働者である。彼らは全く訓練を受けておらず、雇われたその日に適正な酸素供給機器を持たずに地下深い坑内に入って行った。メキシコ政府と会社側がだした今回の鉱山事故の安全対策と安全装置についての声明の内容は、実際に鉱山労働者に支給されている装置機器など事実と異なっている。 
ＵＳＷ（全米鉄鋼労連）は2005年４月にSNTMMSRMと戦略的同盟関係を結んでいたことから、今回のガズ爆発事故の直後にメキシコの組合に対し資金援助と技術支援を提供した。 IMFは今回の事故は「産業的殺人」でありと主張。調査してそのような実態が明確になった場合は非難を受けるべきだとするメキシコの組合の見解を強調した。同社の株主、取締役及びこの辛辣で抑圧的かつ無神経な犯罪の責任者は罰せられるべきである、と SNTMMSRMとIMFは指摘した。 
 
コンチネンタルとの厳しい交渉 
ハノーバーの工場のダウンサイジングをめぐりドイツ加盟労組のIGBCEはコンチネンタルタイヤと合意に到達した。しかし、他の２労組はコンチネンタルと厳しい交渉を続けている。ＵＳＷ（全米鉄鋼労連）は、ノースカロライナ州シャーロットのタイヤ工場で雇用機会保護対策について各レベルで協議している。コンチネンタル北米は昨年、当該工場に働く1083人の労働者のうち510人を解雇すると発表したが、その後、従業員全員一律15％の賃金カットを含む3200万ドルの経費節減を求める譲歩案を組合に提示した。 
ＵＳＷは、これは焼き畑農業式提案だとして同案を批判した。ＵＳＷ副会長のロン・フーバーは、コンチネンタルの案には今後生産性を保持するための雇用機会安定の条項は全くなく、グッドイヤー、ブリヂストン／ファイヤーストーン及びBFグッドリッチ/ミッシェランによるゴム産業のマスター公約から逸脱をするものであると述べた。1999年に締結されたコンチネンタル・シャーロット工場の協約は2006年4月30日に発効期限が切れる。 
一方、南アフリカ全国金属労組 (NUMSA)は、ポートエリザス工場の労働者の復職を命じた労働裁判所の裁定を遵守しなかったコンチネンタルを非難した。これらの労働者は、コンチネンタルがNUMSAとの協議を経ずに一方的に労働時間を変更した後に解雇された。労働組合は労働裁判所に告訴し、ストライキ、ならびに同労組が加盟するナショナルセンターCOSATUの全構成組織によるコンチネンタル製品のボイコットを警告した。 
 
ネパール独裁王権、議会解散のまま電力事業民営化を推進 
ICEM加盟の NEAEU及び NEAEA、そしてICEMに加盟していないもう一つの電力労組とともに、電力事業民営化に抵抗する闘いを展開している。労働組合は ネパール電力公社の国営維持を求め、一連の抗議集会や短時間ストの争議行動を開始している。「ネパールには議会がないため、政府は王令案でネパール電力公社を分割する新しい電力事業法案を策定中である。」とNEAEUのリマル書記長。そして「私たちNEAEA 及び NEAEWCは この王令案に反対している。」と諸組合が抗議運動を開始した2月15日に述べた。 ネパール電力公社本社前でのピケと、１時間から４時間に延長されたストなどが労働組合の抗議行動だ。 ICEM は民営化に反対する強力な抗議文を送り、ネパール労組の抗議行動に参加した。抗議文は <a href="/index.php?id=7&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=1681">/index.php?id=7&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=1681</a>　を参照のこと。 

 
ブラジルのSINAP-CUT、ジョアオ・サントス社と合意 
ブラジル北部の労働者を組織するICEM加盟組織SINAP-CUTとジョアオ・サントスグループとの交渉が妥結した。ブラジルに本社を置くサントスは、コエルホネト近郊にある製紙会社イタパゲSAと農園会社アグリメックスSAの２つの子会社を閉鎖した。会社側の意図は、これらの企業において契約労働者を使うことにあった。そのため、企業閉鎖の過程で227人の労働者が解雇された。労働者とその家族はサントスのマランハオ州支社前でテントを張ってキャンプした結果、 SINAP-CUTと会社側とカシアス労働裁判所との対話で労働側に有利な条件で合意することが出来た。解雇労働者については協約に準じた賃金の全額支払い、会社負担による総合的再訓練及び再資格、サントスが開設し運営しているコエルホネトの学校の維持、サントスの下請けとなる企業への現地労働者の就職斡旋などの項目が合意された。コエルホネトの労働者と組合指導者による団結と粘り強さでこのような重要な条件を確保することが出来た、とSINAP-CUTは声明を出した。 
 
ニュージーランドのEMNUロックアウト争議解決 
ノースアイランド地域配電会社トップエネルギー社との争議は、１８日間ロックアウトされた58名の架線作業員が2月21日に斡旋案を批准したため終結した。この協約の発効期間は２年間。2005年７月１日に返り咲き５％の賃上げと今年７月にさらに４％の賃上げが行われる。また、労働者が継続を求めてきた主要作業ルールの保持も協約で規定されている。 
 
ジュエリー研磨労働者の珪肺病 
中国のジュエリー労働者２名とインドのジェム研磨労働者2名が、仲間が死亡している職業病、ことに珪肺病について世論の認識を高めるため、今月末にスイスのバアーゼルに赴くことになっている。これらの労働者は3月30日から4月4日にかけて同地で開催されるジュエリーフェアに出席し、職場においてより多くの防止策が実施されるよう ILO等と協議するためである。珪肺は労働者の症状を徐々に悪化させ、長期間苦しまなければならない病気である。アジアの労働者の場合、補助金はなく、大半の労働者は医療費も支払えないというのが実情。中国政府の公式データによると珪肺患者数は４４万人で、その多くは移民労働者である。実際の珪肺患者はその10倍というデータもある。 ICEMは今回の中国とインドの労働者のバーゼル訪問に関連し、声明を出した。当該声明は以下を参照のこと。<a href="/index.php?id=5&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=1671">/index.php?id=5&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=1671</a>.
 
第９７回国際婦人デー 
3月8日はすべての女性のための平等と正義を求めて闘うアクションの日である。 ICFTU の「女性のための組合、組合のための女性」キャンペーンは４年目に突入した。このキャンペーンの目的は、インフォーマルセクターに働く女性労働者、ことに女性の移民労働者、若い女性労働者、輸出加工地区の女性の組織化を大幅に拡大させることである。３月８日、 ICEMは途上国の女性労働者がおかれた悲惨な状況、陽性者の半数以上が女性となっている HIV/AIDSの蔓延、女性に被害やインパクトを与える世界各国の武装勢力の増加に世間の注意を喚起したいと考えている。 ICEM はすべての加盟組織に勤労する女性だけではなく、生活者としての女性のために平等と均等機会と公正な待遇を目指し、具体的な政策やイニシアチブを実施するよう強く要請する。

ICEM InBrief

At the first meeting of the Global Union Network of DuPont Workers, in Brussels, Belgium, on 22 and 23 March 2006, Michael Wolters, the ICEM&rsquo;s Chemical and Rubber Industry Officer, made a presentation on DuPont from an international trade union perspective. 
<a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0603DuPont.ppt">Click here</a> for a summary of that presentation, which discussed some of the major recent developments in the world&rsquo;s chemical sector. It also included a short overview of DuPont&rsquo;s economic situation and provided an indication of what the&nbsp;main problems are that Dupont&rsquo;s workers representatives are faced with.

ICEM Powerpoint Presentation on DuPont

Trade unionists from 8 countries, gathering today in Brussels, Belgium, established the ICEM Global Union Network of DuPont workers. 
 
Linking workers employed by DuPont anywhere in the world, this new global trade union network aims to establish efficient co-operation and practical international solidarity between the different trade unions that represent DuPont&rsquo;s workforce in their respective countries. Its main ambitions are the exchange of information and company strategies, useful for collective bargaining, as well as the planning of joint action where necessary. 
The unions at this inaugural meeting represent workers from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States. 
<img height="233" alt="" src="" width="350" />
Set up under the auspices of the ICEM, the network will be administered by the United Steel Workers (USW), ICEM's largest affiliate in North America. The network is the ICEM&rsquo;s ninth global company network. ICEM Global Company Networks link, on a worldwide basis, workers and their representatives working for the same multinational company. 
<img height="82" alt="" src="" width="150" />
DuPont, a key player in the global chemistry industry, employs around 60.000 people world-wide, the majority of which are in the United States. The company is based in Wilmington, state of Delaware, and operates in over 70 countries. DuPont has a long standing history of industrial problems in the United States, where it continues to bitterly fight against trade union representation. 
 
The first meeting of the Global Union Network of DuPont workers adopted a resolution to guide its work. You can find the resolution here: <a href="/index.php?id=4&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=1722">/index.php?id=4&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=1722</a>.&nbsp; 
 
In the resolution, a number of key problems are mentioned. These include: 
<ul>
 <li>the out-sourcing of DuPont&rsquo;s human resource functions </li>
 <li>the growing concern about worker and community exposure to PFOA (C8) from Teflon-related chemicals </li>
 <li>the lack of full company reporting of accidents </li>
 <li>company support of union-busting in the United States </li>
 <li>the lack of a business strategy in Europe regarding DuPont&rsquo;s performance coating business </li>
</ul>
&ldquo;After this successful start of the network, we trust that we will be able to reach the vast majority of all DuPont&rsquo;s workers world-wide through the participation from trade unions in all parts of the world&rdquo;, said Michael Wolters, ICEM Chemical and Rubber Industry Officer. &ldquo;It is only by working together globally that we can match the worldwide operations of multinational companies.&rdquo;

Global DuPont Trade Union Network Launched

<img height="98" alt="" src="" width="200" />&nbsp;
The selective strike by ICEM Norwegian oil workers&rsquo; union NOPEF ended late on 24 July following a mediated session by the government. The 34-day strike against oil service companies operating on Norway&rsquo;s Continental Shelf proved highly effective, and produced a new two-year agreement that fulfils NOPEF&rsquo;s demands toward normalising the national oil services agreement with other collective agreements in the country&rsquo;s energy sector. 
 
The accord also matches the other agreements in the sector with the first-year wage increase, and provides an even better salary pay-out for 2007. Effective 1 July 2006, oil service workers in Norway, numbering some 2,650, receive a 5.9% wage increase. In 2007, a lump sum bonus of NOK 17,000 (US$2,800) was won. 
 
But more significantly, the 2006-2006 agreement sets forth a protocol that will begin moving oil service companies to the standard rotation schedule of two-weeks on, four-weeks off. Local discussions toward that work schedule will now occur, with NOPEF and the employers&rsquo; federation, Oil Industry Association (OLF), meeting in February 2007 to review the progress. 
 
NOPEF also achieved an increase in night work, added pay for holidays, and increases in food and travel pay and arrangements. The union did not achieve pay for waiting time, but that issue will be prioritised for talks in future renewal contracts. Workers will now vote on the new contract, with the vote to be completed by 1 September. 
 
NOPEF&rsquo;s strike against oil service contractors began on 21 June. The union called but 87 workers out on strike against just a handful of employers, knowing that such a strategy would place pressure on the oil majors in their drilling and development projects. The main employers targeted were Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, Weatherford and Oceaneering. 
 
The ICEM salutes NOPEF for carrying out a tactical and effective strike in achieving a national oil services agreement that has proven to be the most difficult in the Norwegian energy sector. The will and discipline from a set of highly-skilled workers and trade unionists has now brought major employers providing oil services closer to the work rules and terms of other companies operating inside Norway&rsquo;s oil patch.

NOPEF Wins Oil Services Strike in Norway

Probes into deadly coal mine disasters in the Americas earlier this year are now coming into focus. And at two of the worst &ndash; the Sago mine blast in the US state of West Virginia on 2 January and the 19 February explosion at Grupo Mexico&rsquo;s Pasta de Conchos No. 8 mine in Mexico&rsquo;s Coahuila state &ndash; inadequate government safety monitoring and a reckless company safety culture are just part of the causes.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<img height="61" alt="" src="" width="100" />
<img height="53" alt="" src="" width="100" />
&nbsp; 
In Mexico, a report issued last week by the government&rsquo;s National Human Rights Commission said, in 2004, safety officials of Mexico&rsquo;s Labour Department identified 48 major problems in Grupo Mexico&rsquo;s Minera Mexicana mine. The report added, however, that nothing was done to correct the deficiencies until just 12 days before the explosion. Sixty-five miners were killed in the February 2006 mine blast, the majority of them contract workers who were given no training and inadequate oxygen supply devices. Some 25 of the miners killed were members of Mexico&rsquo;s Miners &amp; Metalworkers Union (SNTMMSRM). 
 
The Human Rights Commission stated that Labour Department officials tolerated carelessness and neglect on behalf of company safety representatives, and that they &ldquo;had full knowledge of the working conditions of the mine where the catastrophe occurred (that) infringed on security standards,&rdquo; said a statement from the agency. The government knew of problems with lighting and underground signal systems, as well as gas and oil leaks and a faulty smoke-release system. 
 
In the US, a joint state and federal investigation into the Sago disaster that killed 12 miners has found that company officials had workers falsify documents. Testimony saw workers admitting they had signed documentation brought to them by bosses that they had attended safety classes and training, when, if fact, they had not. Sago is owned by the Wolf Run Mining Co., one of many coal mines in the eastern United States bought in bankruptcy proceedings by US-based investment house International Coal Group (IGC).
<img height="131" alt="" src="" width="120" />
&nbsp;An in-depth investigation done by a Pennsylvania newspaper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also found that seals inside the non-union Sago mine&rsquo;s safety chambers were poorly constructed, using materials unable to withstand the force of a methane explosion. 
 
IGC attempted to bar safety officials from ICEM affiliate United Mineworkers of America (UMWA) from playing a role in the Sago disaster&rsquo;s investigation, even though miners and family members of victims sought such help. Under mine safety regulations in the US, such union assistance in non-union worksites is permissible if so requested. IGC had private security forces physically stop UMWA safety officials from entering the mine property following the explosion, and the US government had to sue the company in order that the mine safety law was honoured. A US District Court ruled in favour of UMWA involvement late in January, but IGC appealed that ruling to a higher court. Last month, the US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the district court&rsquo;s verdict.

Mine Safety Probes in the Americas Progress

In Chile, negotiations resumed 22 July between Escondida Workers&rsquo; Union No. 1 and Minera Escondida Ltd., owner of the world&rsquo;s largest copper-producing mines. The union and company, primarily held by BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, have been locked in a pay dispute since bargaining began on 21 June.
<img height="79" src="" width="120" alt="" />
A current contract expires 2 August. The unaffiliated union, representing 2,052 workers, or 96% of Escondida&rsquo;s workforce, issued a statement on 21 July that workers would vote on management&rsquo;s latest salary offer on 28 July. Miners have already given authorisation for a strike if their pay demands are not met by then. 
 
In early July, a company pay offer of 1.5% above Chile&rsquo;s inflation rate enraged workers, resulting in work-to-rule actions in which strict adherence to all safety rules forced a 10% production reduction. The union is seeking a 13% pay adjustment, in addition to a one-off bonus for high copper prices coupled with an end-of-dispute bonus.
<img height="100" src="" width="100" alt="" />
&nbsp; 
Record high copper prices and the fact that production from Escondida&rsquo;s two massive open-pit mines in Chile&rsquo;s northern Region II has risen nearly 15% increase over last year has given credence to the union&rsquo;s demands. The union has argued that because of the mining boom, the cost-of-living in such places as Antofagasta near Escondida is 10% higher than anywhere else in Chile. 
 
Minera Escondida Ltda. produced 1.27 million tonnes of copper and copper cathode last year, some 8% of the world&rsquo;s total. The mine also produced 182,472 ounces of gold. BHP Billiton holds 57.5% of the company&rsquo;s stock; Rio Tinto, 30%; a Japanese consortium led by Mitsubishi, 10%; and the World Bank&rsquo;s International Finance Corp., 2.5%.

Chile’s Escondida Copper Miners Poised to Strike

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