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&nbsp;<img height="264" alt="" src="" width="200" />
&nbsp;1. Finland &ndash; Study on Working Conditions Reveals Gaps in Male and Female Employment 
2. ITUC: Message on 8th of March 
3. Japan &ndash; Number of Part-time Workers Declines 
4. Malta &ndash; Malta has one of the Lowest Gender Pay Gaps 
5. Mexico &ndash; New Law Passed on Violence against Women 
6. Nepal &ndash; GEFONT Organises Domestic Workers 
7. Spain &ndash; CCOO and UGT Issue Joint Statement on International Women&rsquo;s Day 
8. Thailand &ndash; Thailand Women&rsquo;s Forum Held 
9. Turkey &ndash; Petrol-Iş Sponsors Women Writers 
10. United Kingdom &ndash; Single Women Do less Housework 
11. United States &ndash; 3-Day &lsquo;Sisters on the Frontline&rsquo; Seminar in NYC in late March 
12. Resources
<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
1. Finland &ndash; Study on Working Conditions Reveals Gaps in Male and Female Employment 
A recent study on employment in Europe indicates the differences in employment between women and men. Sweden and Finland are the countries with the lowest gaps. In Finland, the low gap is due to the fact that the rate of female employment is very high and the rate of male employment is low. 
Working conditions in Europe have remained relatively stable over the past few years in spite of the increases in part-time and temporary work and the greater number of women working. 
 
The following figures indicate the levels of male and female employment in 31 countries in Europe and refer to 2004:
<img height="740" alt="" src="" width="379" />
For more information, see: Fourth European Working Conditions Surveys 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
2. ITUC: Message on 8th of March 
This year, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is launching a campaign on maternity protection for 8 March. The aim is to promote governments ratifying ILO Convention 183. The ITUC has resources and tools available for this purpose, including a new video on the informal economy. To find out more, see: <a href="http://www.ituc-csi.org/">www.ituc-csi.org</a>. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
3. Japan &ndash; Number of Part-time Workers Declines 
In the midst of an economic recovery in Japan, employers are hiring more full-time workers, after the number of part-timers reached a record high in 2005. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare presented figures to the government, which indicate that the level has reached a five-year low. 
Part-timers are defined as those who work less than 35 hours a week. They make up 22.5% of total employment, which is a 1.5% decline. Over 8.6 million women work part-time, as opposed to 3.4 million men. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
4. Malta &ndash; Malta has one of the Lowest Gender Pay Gaps
A new report from the European Commission details the gender-related differences in pay earned by women and men. These 2007 conclusions are very similar to those presented over the past few years. The biggest differences in pay, between 20 to 25%, are in Cyprus, Slovakia, Estonia, Germany, and the UK, while the lowest differences, under 5%, can be found in Malta and Portugal. 
 
Some countries have been forcing companies to provide detailed arguments for their pay discrepancies, and this pressure has contributed to some improvement. Public sector pay gaps are generally less striking than in the private sector, where the typical pay gap is 25%. 
 
The EU Commission argues for more and better childcare facilities to enable women to pursue careers, because women often have no choice but to work part-time in order to continue looking after their families. All over Europe, 32.9% of women work part-time as opposed to 7.7% of men. The highest number of part-timers is in the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, UK, and Germany. However, very few women work part-time in the new member states. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
5. Mexico &ndash; New Law Passed on Violence against Women
A new law was passed in February in Mexico to provide tools for fighting violence against women. The law ensures involvement by the police at all levels, the courts, media and schools. 
 
By law, the Ministry of the Interior can call an emergency due to an outbreak of gender violence to enable the response to be coordinated by the federal and local police and the courts. Measures to protect women must be taken, such as removing the aggressor from home. 
 
A national education campaign is now running, and a national data base is being created to document cases of violence against women. Studies are being done to diagnose the extent of the violence, and more women&rsquo;s shelters are being promoted. 
 
The law orders gender training for police, prosecutors and other relevant officials. The government has been sponsoring ads on radio and television to warn perpetrators of violence that they will be punished. 
 
It is hoped that the law will improve the situation in a country where the murder rate of women due to violence is high. Seventy-five percent of these women are murdered by their husbands. Impunity has perpetuated these crimes, and means that the many murders in Ciudad Juarez, on the border with the US, have gone unpunished up to now. But now the law will hopefully provide some justice. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
6. Nepal &ndash; GEFONT Organises Domestic Workers 
GEFONT organised a meeting of domestic workers on 2 February which culminated in the formation of the Nepal Independent Domestic Workers&rsquo; Union with a 13-member coordinating committee. The union will be registered as a national federation. This year, a national convention will be held. More than 200 domestic workers from the Katmandu Valley participated in the event. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
7. Spain &ndash; CCOO and UGT Issue Joint Statement on International Women&rsquo;s Day 
The 8 March Manifesto, issued by the two Spanish confederations, CCOO and UGT, passes in review the highs and lows of the past year. One of the highs was the new Spanish equal opportunities law, which provides for the negotiation of equality plans in companies with more than 250 employees, 13 days of paternity leave, and more flexible requirements for maternity pay and subsidies. 
 
Not all has been rosy, however, especially outside of Spain &ndash; where hundreds of women are murdered in Mexico and Guatemala, connivance by the police in rapes in Nigeria, and women stoned to death in Iran. CCOO and UGT have been involved in the fight to achieve the millennium development goals. 
 
Spanish women still lag behind other women in Europe. While the average rate of women&rsquo;s employment in the rest of Europe is 57.4%, in Spain it is only 54.1%. Women&rsquo;s rate of unemployment in countries outside of Spain is 9%, whereas in Spain it is 12.2%. However, agreements have been reached in the framework of social dialogue which will hopefully improve this situation. 
 
Collective bargaining has also contributed to positive developments, with 52% of collective agreements containing clauses on non-discrimination or gender equality. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
From our readers: 
Carol Fraser of the Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers (CEP) union of Canada sends greetings on International Women&rsquo;s Day, as well as links to two sites in Canada to celebrate the day: <a href="http://www.cfc-swc.gc.ca/dates/iwd/index_e.html">www.cfc-swc.gc.ca/dates/iwd/index_e.html</a>&nbsp;where it is a question of taking real action against violence against women and <a href="http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/womensday/index.asp">www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/womensday/index.asp</a> which indicates activities that can be done in schools.
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
8. Thailand &ndash; Thailand Women&rsquo;s Forum Held
The Thailand Women&rsquo;s Forum was held in Bangkok on 3 and 4 March to celebrate Women&rsquo;s Day. The forum was intended to provide space for exchange and sharing between women, men, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, people living with HIV and civil organisations who work for democracy, protest unfair trade, protect their communities and fight for women&rsquo;s rights. 
 
Discussions focused on neo-liberalism and free trade agreements, health, gender roles, sexual relationships, oppression from customs and religion and building alternatives. The forum was organised by Thai Labour Campaign, among other sponsors. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
9. Turkey &ndash; Petrol-Iş Sponsors Women Writers 
In this month of March 2007, Petrol-Iş has launched a contest for women to write stories. All women home workers, factory workers, public workers, temporary workers, non-unionised, sub-contracted workers, women at home or outside the home are possible themes for the contest. 
 
The stories must not have been published before. Professional or non-professional writers are eligible to participate. Anyone can send in stories of between 3 and 10 pages, and the deadline is 25 March. A women&rsquo;s jury will be judging the entries, and First, Second, and Third Place given. 
 
Petrol-Iş will publish all stories. The results will be declared on 2 May and prizes awarded at Petrol-Iş headquarters. 
Please see also ICEM&rsquo;s InBrief of 26 February, or the ICEM Circular on the ICEM&rsquo;s home page for information on the Petrol-Iş strike against Fresenius. A remarkable group of women are on strike at this medical facility in Turkey, and they deserve whatever support we can generate. 
 
All are invited to take action on 8 March through <a href="/">www.icem.org</a>, where a model letter of support is available in different languages. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
10. United Kingdom &ndash; Single Women Do less Housework 
Single women do an average of ten hours of housework a week, while it increases to 15 hours when they live as a couple. Men, on the other hand, spend seven hours on housework when they are single, with it reduces to five when they live in a couple. 
 
The conclusion is that gender inequalities at home have a major influence on gender inequalities at work, and vice versa. 
 
What is needed is for women to gain equal employment opportunities and to start doing the same jobs as men and achieve pay parity. Nevertheless it will still take time for people to change cultures. 
 
The Print, Paper, Publishing and Media Section of ICEM affiliate Amicus has published a very interesting newsletter for Women&rsquo;s International Day. This timely and informative <a href="http://www.amicustheunion.org/pdf/AmicusWomen_final_lowres2.pdf">newsletter</a> promises to assure all women in this sector that they will be made aware of opportunities within UK&rsquo;s largest union to participate and be involved in the wider union and its democratic structures. 
 
The Equalities Department of Amicus also has an International Women&rsquo;s Day page, which encourages trade unionists to send messages of support to women across the world through the union&rsquo;s global trade union links. Throughout March, the Amicus page will be updated with information throughout the world. The page can be found at <a href="http://www.amicustheunion.org/Default.aspx?page=5797">http://www.amicustheunion.org/Default.aspx?page=5797</a>. 
 
In London on 8 March, a unique panel discussion and viewing of the short film &ldquo;In the Name of Honor&rdquo; by Reza Moradi, an Iranian free-speech advocate. The seminar, entitled &ldquo;Women&rsquo;s Rights, the Veil and Islamic and Religious Laws, is sponsored by the International Campaign in Defense of Women&rsquo;s Rights in Iran, the UK and National Secular Society, and the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association. 
 
It will take place from 6 PM until 10 PM on 8 March, in Room 3D of the University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY. (The nearest Underground stops are Russell Street or Goodge Street.) 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
11. United States &ndash; 3-Day &lsquo;Sisters on the Frontline&rsquo; Seminar in NYC in late March 
Cornell University&rsquo;s Institute for Women and Work, the university&rsquo;s Labor Program, the New York State AFL-CIO, and City University of New York&rsquo;s (CUNY) Murphy Center for Labor, Community and Policy Studies will conduct a series of workshops on 30-31 March, and 1 April. 
 
Called &ldquo;Sisters on the Frontline: Organising Women and Building Power,&rdquo; the sponsors are billing it as the first women organisers&rsquo; conference in the US that will bring together women organisers, scholars, officials, and leaders of labour organisations. 
 
The conference&rsquo;s aims are to generate ideas and methodology to overcome the challenges for women in labour unions and community-based organisations; and to identify the challenges to recruit and retain women in such organisations. One session in the three-day set of workshops and panel discussions is called &ldquo;How to Rock the Boat without Getting Thrown Off.&rdquo; 
 
The conference will take place at CUNY&rsquo;s Murphy Center, 25 W. 43rd Street in Manhattan, and the conference&rsquo;s programme and agenda is at 
<a href="http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/iww/events/sistersFrontline.html">http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/iww/events/ 
sistersFrontline.html</a>. 
 
Registration fee is US$50.00, and scholarships are available. Contact Francine Moccio of Cornell at fam5@cornell.edu for further information. 
&nbsp;<img height="31" alt="" src="" width="25" />
12. Resources 
<a href="http://www.cimacnoticias.com/site">http://www.cimacnoticias.com/site</a> is a Mexican site with news from a gender perspective (in Spanish). 
 
<a href="http://www.unfpa.org/publications/detail.cfm?ID=322">http://www.unfpa.org/publications/detail.cfm?ID=322</a> 
includes a publication called Programming to Address Violence Against Women: Ten Case Studies.

ICEM WOMEN’S BULLETIN 20

8 March 2007 
 
Brother Mustafa Oztaskin 
President 
Petrol-Is Union 
Altunizade Mah. 
Kusbakisi Sok. No. 25 
81180 Altunizade Uskadar 
Turkey 
 
Via e-mail <a href="mailto:merkez@petrol-is.org.tr">merkez@petrol-is.org.tr</a> 
or Fax Number +90 216 4749870 
 
Dear Brother Oztaskin, 
We understand through our mutual affiliation with the ICEM that workers in the Antalya Free Trade Zone at Novamed GmbH, a subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care, have been on strike since late September 2006. 
 
We also know from the ICEM that of 84 workers on strike, 82% of them are women. They are rightfully seeking dignity on the job, and their full trade union rights to collective bargaining. We applaud them in their very heroic efforts to defend these rights and their very basic fight for dignity. 
 
On this day, 8 March, International Women&rsquo;s Day, our Union commends Petrol-Is for standing strong with these women workers. We also ask you to pass our Solidarity and Unity to them in this most important fight against Fresenius Medical Care. Please convey to them that our Union stands firmly with them. 
 
Fraternally,&nbsp;

Model letter for International Women’s Day on Turkey

Dear Colleagues, 
 
International Women&rsquo;s Day is marked on 8 March every year and is a day of global celebration for women&rsquo;s economic, political and social achievements. Among other relevant historic events, it commemorates the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City in 1911 where 140 women lost their lives. 
 
On International Women&rsquo;s Day this year, some 84 workers in Turkey are making a stand. Eighty-two of them are women. They have been on strike against Fresenius Medical Care in the Antalya Free Trade Zone since 26 September 2006. They are fighting for basic dignity and justice on and off the job. 
 
On 8 March 2007, the ICEM is asking all to stand with them by <a href="/index.php?id=71&amp;doc=2162&amp;la=EN">sending a letter of support</a> to them through their trade union, ICEM affiliate Petrol-Iş, the Petroleum, Chemical and Rubber Workers&rsquo; Union. 
 
A <a href="/index.php?id=71&amp;doc=2163&amp;la=EN">short fact sheet</a> on this dispute is provided here, as well as <a href="/index.php?id=71&amp;doc=2162&amp;la=EN">a model letter</a> that can be used. 
 
The ICEM will stand with our Turkish sisters and brothers on 8 March, and we will stand with them every day thereafter until they win their rights. Please let these courageous workers and Petrol-Iş know,&nbsp;on International Women&rsquo;s Day,&nbsp;this Thursday 8 March, that you are&nbsp;also standing with them. 
 
Thank you for taking part in this most important action. 
 
Fraternally, 
 
Manfred Warda 
General Secretary

Urgent Action on 8 March (International Women’s Day) for Women Strikers of Petrol-Is in Turkey

Jawad al-Maliki 
Prime Minister of Iraq 
Brussels, 5 March 2007 
 
Dear Prime Minister, 
 
On behalf of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers Unions, the Global Union Federation, representing 20 million workers in the Mine, Energy, Chemical and related Process Industries I wish to express to you my strong condemnation of the recent attacks on the head office of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW) and I call on you to intervene as a matter of urgency in what is obviously an illegal and grossly irresponsible act. 
 
The ICEM has been informed by the GFIW Executive that on 23 February, American and Iraqi forces raided the head office of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW) and arrested one of the Union security staff. 
 
This unprovoked attack resulted in the destruction of furniture, the confiscation of a computer and fax machine and the arrest of an employee who we understand was released unharmed later same day. 
 
The same force repeated this unprovoked attack on 25 February and caused further extensive damage. 
 
ICEM adds its voice to the demands of the GFIW which condemn this unprovoked attack and also calls on the occupation forces to issue a written apology, to return all the GFIW property and compensate for the damages they caused to the unions office. 
 
These attacks are a clear violation of fundamental human and trade union rights. They are also a cynical attempt to not only harass the trade union movement of your country but to limit their ability to communicate with both their members and their international contacts. This is appalling, particularly at the present time. Genuine and democratic trade unions are a cornerstone of democracy and at the same time are a force for reconciliation, peace and stability in a society. 
 
It is essential that your government upholds internationally recognised rights, including full respect for the fundamental human rights of workers. We urge you to order a thorough investigation into these attacks on the GFIW. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
Manfred Warda 
General Secretary

ICEM letter to Prime Minister of Iraq on raids on trade union office

The ICEM, the Global Union Federation for oil workers, is calling for &ldquo;strong condemnation&rdquo; of the two recent US and Iraqi military raids on union offices in Baghdad. The raids, during which one worker was arrested, and computers and fax machines at the central office of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW) confiscated, occurred on 23 and 25 February. 
 
The ICEM, with affiliates in 125 countries, is calling on trade unions worldwide to directly protest this unprovoked attack on a trade union federation that stands for nation building and bettering the living conditions inside Iraq. 
 
ICEM is calling on trade unions and others to write to Iraqi embassies in their home countries, as well as to send messages of solidarity to GFIW leaders that their efforts to build strong trade unions in Iraq will succeed and with it, fair and just reconstruction for all Iraqi people. 
 
Trade unions are asked to register a protest with the Iraqi embassy or consulate in their country by visiting: <a href="http://www.mofa.gov.iq/index.aspx">http://www.mofa.gov.iq/index.aspx</a>. They are also being strongly urged to write GFIW leaders in Baghdad to tell them they protest these forceful and menacing acts.
Messages can be sent to these principal addresses: 
<a href="mailto:abdullahmuhsin@iraqitradeunions.org">abdullahmuhsin@iraqitradeunions.org</a> 
<a href="mailto:adnalsaffar@yahoo.com">adnalsaffar@yahoo.com</a> 
<img height="115" alt="" src="" width="250" />
The ICEM notes that the pair of raids on the GFIW offices represents disturbing and counter-productive acts inside Iraq. On 19 February, a raid also occurred at the offices of the Iraq Syndicate of Journalists, and American troops confiscated computers and membership records. 
 
&ldquo;These attacks are a clear violation of fundamental human and trade union rights,&rdquo; wrote ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda to Iraq&rsquo;s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. &ldquo;They are also a cynical attempt to not only harass the trade union movement of your country, but to limit their ability to communicate with both their members and their international contacts. 
 
&ldquo;This is appalling, particularly at the present time. Genuine and democratic trade unions are a cornerstone of democracy and at the same time are a force for reconciliation, peace and stability in a society,&rdquo; said Warda. 
To read the ICEM letter to the Iraqi Prime Minister, <a href="/index.php?id=24&amp;doc=2160&amp;la=EN">click here</a>.

Military Raids, Arrest at Iraqi Union Office Demands Action

<img height="40" alt="" src="" width="100" />
UK unions, particularly Amicus, are supporting Action Mesothelioma Day tomorrow, 27 February, to draw attention to the tens of thousands of workers and family members suffering from asbestos-related cancer. The campaign is headed by the British Lung Foundation.
Amicus, which has already distributed thousands of posters to convenors and shop stewards, is urging members to stage a one-minute period of silence at their worksites tomorrow. One Amicus action in particular has drawn attention: the convenor at the union&rsquo;s Crewe branch, home to workers employed at Bombardier Transport, has led a drive to erect a park bench in the municipal square of Crewe to commemorate Amicus members who have died or are suffering from mesotheliama. 
<img height="94" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body&rsquo;s internal organs. The resulting cancer can develop long after exposure to asbestos. 
 
Most people who develop the disease have worked in jobs where they have inhaled asbestos particles. Family members have also been known to develop it through contact with working parents in high-risk jobs, or merely by washing the work clothes of such workers. 
 
In the UK, about 2,000 people per year die from mesothelioma. It is estimated that by 2050, 95,000 people will have died from the disease. 
 
&ldquo;Mesothelioma can develop up to 60 years after exposure to asbestos and because of this long delay, it has been calculated that the number of UK cases will continue to rise until 2015,&rdquo; said Amicus Health and Safety Officer Rob Miquel. 
<img height="50" alt="" src="" width="100" />
&ldquo;People have died needlessly from this most painful horrific disease,&rdquo; stated Amicus Gen. Sec. Derek Simpson. &ldquo;We will continue to fight for better working conditions, so that our children will not suffer the same fate.&rdquo; 
 
The British Lung Foundation&rsquo;s campaign began on 26 February 2006, when it presented the &ldquo;Mesothelioma Charter&rdquo; with 14,000 signatures to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. The charter calls for better protection for employees from asbestos, better care and treatment for those inflicted with asbestos-related diseases, and more funding for research. Further information on the day and on the drive to stop this deadly disease can be found at the campaigning pages of the foundation&rsquo;s website, <a href="http://www.lunguk.org/getting-involved.asp">http://www.lunguk.org/getting-involved.asp</a>.

‘Action Mesothelioma Day’ Set in UK for 27 February

<img height="40" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Effective 1 March, German workers in the fine ceramics industry will see wage increases of 3.5%. This was announced in a statement on 16 February by ICEM German affiliate IGBCE, which negotiated the increase. 
 
The IGBCE&rsquo;s wage negotiating committee for the ceramics industry unanimously approved the negotiated settlement, calling it a good result and one corresponding to the current position that the industry is in. 
 
The agreement will run for 16 months and, in addition, workers will receive a bonus payment of &euro;100, while trainees in the industry will receive &euro;30. Further elements to the agreement include no changes in work time, and the preservation and enhancement by employers of education opportunities.

IGBCE Negotiates 3.5% Wage Gains for Germany’s Ceramics Workers

<img height="40" src="" width="100" alt="" />
ICEM affiliate IGBCE reminded Germany&rsquo;s coalition government last week that the recent energy summit agreement promised that brown coal will remain the most important product in the country&rsquo;s power generation for the foreseeable future. That promise, however, is threatened by the procedural process inside Germany of Phase II of the European Union&rsquo;s allocation plan for carbon emissions trading. 
 
In order to preserve the future coal mining industry in Germany without state subsidies, stated IGBCE President Hubertus Schmoldt, the union is advocating more efficient and economical power generation facilities in order to reduce carbon emissions, and to provide safe and reliable energy sources to customers.
<img height="136" src="" width="100" alt="" />
IGBCE President Hubertus Schmoldt
The prerequisite for that, stated Schmoldt, &ldquo;is sufficient planning and investment now that will ensure coal-driven power stations for the next generation are efficient and economical.&rdquo; 
 
He added that this is now threatened by the revised plans of the Ministry of Environment to meet the EU&rsquo;s carbon emissions plan for the years 2008-2012. The ministry is proposing even stricter regulations that will not only endanger the brown coal industry, but power generation stations themselves. 
 
&ldquo;Irrespective of the ongoing political disputes on the energy policy, what is at stake now is maintaining Germany as an energy producing country,&rdquo; stated Schmoldt.

German Implementation of EU’s Carbon Emissions Plan Could Threaten Energy Summit Accord

<img height="40" src="" width="100" alt="" />
On 19 February, ICEM French affiliate FCE-CFDT successfully concluded wage negotiations in the pharmaceutical industry, achieving a minimum salary increase of 2% for 2007. That is expected to be 0.2% above the French inflation rate for 2007.
<img height="157" src="" width="120" alt="" />
&nbsp;The wage increase is retroactive to 1 January, and the union and employers agreed to meet later in the year to review minimum salary levels, with emphasis particularly on the lowest levels of the scale. 
 
After consulting with pharmaceutical workers, FCE-CFDT and the workers called the wage agreement a result of productive social dialogue between the parties. It does show concrete results for the workers in a period when growth in the French pharmaceutical industry is flat.

French Affiliate, FCE-CFDT, Negotiates Minimum Salary Increases in Pharmaceutical Sector

Se&ntilde;or Alvaro Uribe V&eacute;lez 
Presidente de la Rep&uacute;blica 
Palacio Nari&ntilde;o 
Carrera 8 No. 7-26 
Bogot&aacute; 
 
By Fax: ++57-1-337.58.90 and ++57-1-566.20.71 
 
Brussels, 15 February 2007 
 
 
Mr. President, 
We are writing to you in the aftermath of two recent coal mine disasters in Colombia which saw, in total, the death of almost 40 people. 
 
As you know, the first catastrophe, the worst of its kind in Colombia in 30 years, took place on 3 February, in the San Roque and La Preciosa Mines in Sardinata, Norte de Santander department. Thirty-two miners lost their lives in this tragedy. You visited the mine site after the explosion. 
 
Although you stated a full investigation would occur, you said nothing publicly about the underlying safety and other problems plaguing Colombia&rsquo;s mining industry. 
 
A short two days after your visit, another tragedy struck a mine in G&aacute;meza, Boyac&aacute; department. There, 8 people lost their lives, including a 13-year-old boy who was working inside a shaft mining coal. The mine in G&aacute;meza was operating illegally. 
 
At a time of high demand for coal, with the market situation pushing prices to near record highs, the 20-million-member International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) and the 168-million-member International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) are deeply concerned about the inadequate or non-existent safety measures that were behind these accidents. 
 
In this context, we condemn your government&rsquo;s policy to weaken the role of the state in the monitoring and verifying process of working conditions in the mines. Through our affiliates, we have been informed of a resulting decline in both the quantity and the quality of labour inspections. This is especially worrisome given that Colombia has ratified ILO Convention No. 81 on Labour Inspections. 
 
We further understand that, with the exception of the major mining companies of the world, which operate vast mineral export businesses in your country, the level of technical and other modern safety devices is totally inadequate in most Colombian underground mines, including in the many illegal ones. 
 
We believe that your government bears much responsibility for this, since safety failures in the mining industry are a result of structural problems that need governmental attention. 
 
We urge your government to assume its direct decision-making role in this regard. We note that Colombia has ratified International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 174, the Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Convention. But we also note that Colombia has ratified neither ILO Convention No. 176, the Safety and Health in Mines Convention, nor Convention No. 155, the Occupational Safety and Health Convention. 
 
We therefore call on the government of Colombia to start the process toward ratification of Convention Nos. 155 and 176 at once. And we urge you, as leader of the growing industrial economy that Colombia has become, to spearhead this effort. 
 
In closing, we state that the right to a safe and secure working environment is an inherent right for all workers. It is the responsibility of governments to assure that right. We look forward to your comments on this important issue. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
 
Manfred Warda 
ICEM General Secretary 
Guy Ryder 
ITUC General Secretary 

Cc: Embassy of Colombia in Brussels 
International Labour Organisation 
International Council on Mining &amp; Metals

Joint ICEM-ITUC letter to Colombian President on mining disasters

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