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Following Japan&rsquo;s worst nuclear accident in history on 9 August in which four workers were killed and seven injured seriously, Kansai Electric Power announced it would temporarily close all 11 of its nuclear plants for inspections of pipes for corrosion. The deadly accident occurred at Kansai&rsquo;s Mihama nuclear plant north of Kyoto when a steam pipe ruptured. The pipe reportedly never had been inspected since the plant opened in 1976, and investigators after the accident found the once ten-millimetre-thick pipe had worn away to a thickness of only 1.4 millimetres. Minimum safety requirements mandate such pipes carrying superheated steam be at least 4.7 millimetres thick.

Japan’s Worst Nuclear Accident Occurs at Kansai Power Plant

ICEM New Zealand affiliate Engineering, Printing &amp; Manufacturing Union (EPMU) emerged from its biennial conference in Rotorua 24 July with a priority to achieve employer-funded superannuation schemes. The New Zealand Institute was established to promote policies and aid New Zealand&rsquo;s largest trade union with developing asset ownership funds held by workers. Andrew Little was re-elected EPMU national secretary at the conference for a second four-year term, while Trevor Ruby was elected president, Don Pryde senior vice president and Dennis Robertson junior vice president.

EPMU Leaves Congress with Focused Priorities

CFMEU of Australia won an important court decision late last week that will broaden its organising strength in development-rich Western Australia. A federal court refused to ban the union from a construction site on the Barrup Peninsula where an A$650 million ammonia plant is being built. Contractors last January blocked CFMEU from entering, saying employees already had individual work contracts under the Howard government&rsquo;s Australian Workers&rsquo; Agreements. The decision is expected to have far-reaching effects across Australia for union organizers.

CFMEU Wins Case against Howard Government’s Work Contracts

The deadliest mine disaster in four years in the Ukraine occurred 19 July. Thirty-six coal miners perished when a methane gas explosion rocked the Krasnolymanskaya mine in eastern Donetsk region. &ldquo;Safety rules, especially those of ventilation, were constantly violated in that mine,&rdquo; said Mikhail Volynets, president of the Miners&rsquo; Independent Trade Union of Ukraine. The mine is Ukraine&rsquo;s most profitable, producing 10,000 tonnes per day. On 27 July, the government ordered around-the-clock inspections of air volume, effectiveness of mine degassing, dust content and explosive risks of equipment for a two-week period in all coal mines in the country.

Deadly Coal Mine Explosion Kills 36 in Ukraine

The on-again, off-again bid by NUM in South Africa to save jobs at Harmony Gold Mining Ltd. is on again as the two sides this past weekend signed an agreement preventing closure of six mineshafts targeted by the company. In April, the firm agreed on a process to continue employment for 5,000 miners, but that was broken in late June when Harmony insisted the jobs must go. The latest agreement calls for a plan to integrate both marginal and profitable shafts, thus creating new job opportunities. &ldquo;We are in the process of creating history with this agreement,&rdquo; said NUM Gen. Sec. Gwede Mantashe. &ldquo;The fact that we ensured that the shafts are not closed augurs well for our goal to save jobs.&rdquo;

NUM, Harmony Gold Resume Talks in South Africa

German and French unions are teaming up to block the hostile takeover of German-French pharmaceutical Aventis by French rival Sanofi-Synthelabo. Hubertus Schmoldt, president of German IGBCE and Patrick Pierron, general secretary of the French union FCE-CFDT, oppose the hostile takeover. They fear massive job cuts in both countries will result, and jointly expressed disdain over how the takeover was set up. &ldquo;A hostile takeover such as this is counter-production to the stock market. There are hardly any winners with such actions, but certainly plenty of losers,&rdquo; the two unions said.

French, German Unions Resist Aventis, Sanofi Chemical Merger

<p>The framework accord reached in May between South African affiliate NUM and Harmony Gold Mining Ltd. Was broke last week when the firm refused to budge on its initial stand of sacking 5,000 workers at six mine shafts. &ldquo;Clearly, Harmony is not interested in savings jobs but wishes to wait out the situation by mothballing shafts until the price of gold improves,&rdquo; said NUM Gen. Sec. Gwede Mantashe. &ldquo;Their emphasis is more on cost-cutting and efficiency improvement, going against the framework we developed on jobs.&rdquo; The union has declared a dispute with Harmony through a formal letter to the company and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration</p>

NUM marches over Job Retrenchments in South Africa

The framework accord reached in May between South African affiliate NUM and Harmony Gold Mining Ltd. was broken last week when the firm refused to budge on its initial stand of sacking 5,000 workers at six mine shafts. &ldquo;Clearly, Harmony is not interested in saving jobs but wishes to wait out the situation by mothballing shafts until the price of gold improves,&rdquo; said NUM Gen. Sec. Gwede Mantashe. &ldquo;Their emphasis is more on cost-cutting and efficiency improvement, going against the framework we developed on saving jobs.&rdquo; The union has declared a dispute with Harmony through a formal letter to the company and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

Harmony Gold Breaches Agreement with NUM in South Africa

Also in Nigeria, a day-long &ldquo;warning strike&rdquo; 22 June by NUPENG and PENGASSAN against Shell Petroleum Development Co. was conducted at worksites in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Warri. The action was taken over a document produced by Shell stating that the firm intends to cut between 30-40% of its 5,000-member workforce in Nigeria.

Warning Strike Launched at Shell in Nigeria

Protest actions began today by ICEM&rsquo;s two Nigerian affiliates, NUPENG and PENGASSAN, aimed at forcing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. to upgrade four oil refineries. Following a 24 June joint emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the two unions, a five-point communiqu&eacute; was issued to the government to revitalize the refineries in order that petrol prices in Nigeria be stabilized. The unions gave the government a 21-day ultimatum beginning today; otherwise a national strike of the refineries will be called.

Nigerian Oil Affiliates Seek Upgrades to Refineries

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