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Nigerian oil workers' unions PENGASSAN and NUPENG today held a joint press conference in Lagos to vehemently demand nine oil-service contractors be released unharmed immediately.
&quot;We warn the perpetrators of this criminal act to desist from hostage taking as this&nbsp;is entirely against our domestic and international laws and conventions which Nigeria has ratified,&quot; stated PENGASSAN President Peter Esele and NUPENG President Peter Akpatason.
The joint press conference by the ICEM-affiliated unions also produced sharp criticism at the government. &quot;It is sad to mention that a government, which has a good part of its national budget spent in defense, cannot equip its security operations to protect the lives of innocent workers,&quot; added Esele. The joint statement by the two unions said the government's &quot;lukewarm attitude towards job creation and empowering the youths of the Niger Delta&quot; is a major part of the problem.
<img height="105" alt="" src="" width="100" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <img height="114" alt="" src="" width="110" />
The expatriate employees of US-based Wilbros, a Shell contractor working the Escravos-Lagos pipeline in the Niger Delta, were kidnapped from a barge on 18 February. Renegade militiamen also exploded oil installations in and around the Forcados Oil Terminal platform at the time of the kidnappings.
&nbsp;

Nigerian Unions Cry Out for Peace and Security

Mediated talks will resume today in New Zealand in an effort to end a lockout by regional electric provider Top Energy of 58 members of ICEM affiliate Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU).
The lockout began on 4 February and mediation to end it failed last week when the North Island utility continued to seek work-rule changes that would affect the lives of linemen. Top Energy has met the EPMU&rsquo;s demand of a 5% wage increase, but concessionary proposals put in front of workers through mediation undermines that pay increase.
The EPMU is encouraging trade union activists to write letters seeking a fair contract offer to Top Energy&rsquo;s Trustees&rsquo; chairman, Brian Thorburn. His e-mail address is <a href="mailto:b.thorburn@xtra.co.nz">b.thorburn@xtra.co.nz</a>.

Lockout by New Zealand Power Company Continues

A broad-faceted international labour conference was held in New York City, 9-11 February. Sponsored by US trade unions, including ICEM affiliate United Steelworkers (USW), and the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations, contained at Cornell University, the conference drew 550 global trade union leaders and researchers who networked on a multitude of topics and interest areas.
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One such workshop, stressing the importance of global solidarity, involved ICEM affiliate Russian Chemical Workers Union (RCWU). The union&rsquo;s international secretary, Vladimir Tribunskiy, described how a dispute was averted and a lasting unity programme developed with German union IGBCE when chemicals company Henkel initiated hostile labour relations practices at three Russian plants in 2002. 
RCWU President Alexander Sitnov told of similar links utilizing ICEM and IGBCE when Procter &amp; Gamble sacked full-time Russian staff in favour of workers on short-term work contracts. The pressure forced the American consumer chemicals company to cease using contract workers and instead brought in hiring agencies Manpower and Kelly Services. RCWU is now busy organising workers of those companies.
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The conference paid a special tribute to former USW President George Becker for his leadership and fight in the 1994-95 US strike at five Bridgestone tyre operations. USW Vice President Jim Robinson delivered a moving tribute to Becker. 
USW President Leo Gerard, in a statement on the conference, called attention to ICEM global union networks administered by America&rsquo;s largest industrial union by saying, &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve already formed six global alliances with unions in other countries and we are reinforcing our cross-border networks in dealing with employers.&rdquo;

Global Labour Conference in New York Spotlights Solidarity, Union Networking

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Global unions worldwide condemned the government of Iran&rsquo;s brutal suppression of bus drivers in Tehran and surrounding areas on 15 February. The condemnations came from the Global Union Federations, national unions and the ICFTU, but also were heard strongly from transport and oil unions in Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco and Tunisia. Rail workers and maritime unions in some of those North African and Middle East countries also participated in the Day of Action in support of Iranian bus drivers.
The government&rsquo;s Intelligence Ministry and its security militia, Basij, has deployed brute force since spring 2005 to put down strikes by drivers who have been seeking unpaid wages. And since December, the repression has become more violent with the government using a variety of means to silence drivers&rsquo; protests. 
On 28 January, 30 drivers were seriously injured and up to 1,400 were jailed for demonstrating. A few days later, family members and spouses of the jailed drivers gathered outside Iran&rsquo;s parliament, Majiles, and were met by security forces. The leader of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Co. (Sherkat-e Vahed), Mansour Osanloo, has been held since the government arrested leaders of the union on 22 December.
Because Iranian security teams have used beatings to force drivers out on routes, workers have resorted to a continual &ldquo;lights on&rdquo; protest of buses to draw attention to the violent crack-down of workers&rsquo; rights by Iran&rsquo;s authorities. The ICEM sent a strong letter of protest to the government of Iran on the 15 February Day of Action, which can be found at <a href="/index.php?id=24&amp;doc=1658.&amp;la=EN">/index.php?id=24&amp;doc=1658.&amp;la=EN</a>

Iranian Bus Drivers Given Global Union Support

Nepalese King Gyanendra&rsquo;s statement over the weekend that he has invited political parties for dialogue on democracy will be a hollow promise unless the monarchy frees all trade union and political prisoners. The king yesterday, 19 February, used a new twist to deflect mounting international pressure and growing pro-democracy protests at home, with an offer to the seven-party political coalition &ldquo;to come forth to fully activate, at the earliest, the stalled democratic process.&rdquo;
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The king&rsquo;s first public statement in his now year-long absolute rule that suspended basic rights, came in a state-run newspaper just before 3,000 demonstrators took to the streets in another set of peaceful protests challenging the monarchy. 
Gyanendra&rsquo;s rhetoric is meaningless, the ICEM believes, until all trade union leaders of GEFONT and NTUC are released, as well as other human rights activists who have been imprisoned without cause. Several trade unionists were released last week after weeks of detention, but some leaders of the two labour federations&mdash;plus several leaders of education unions&mdash;remain incarcerated.
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GEFONT, NTUC and another labour federation, DECONT, on 13 February, gave the government a 35-day deadline to act on its and the ILO Actrav&rsquo;s Charter of Demands for both formal and informal work. The Charter calls on the government to strengthen the labour code on wage increments, adopt an integrated social security fund, formalise basic labour rights commitments, and implement non-discrimination practices, particularly regarding women workers.

King’s Rhetoric in Nepal on Democracy Belies Trade Union Arrests

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In Peru, 800 iron ore miners, members of Sindicato de Obreros Mineros, an affiliate of Federaci&oacute;n Nacional de Trabajadores Mineros, Metalurgicos y Siderurgicos del Peru (FNTMMSP) began a strike 19 June against Chinese state-run Shouda Iron and Steel Group (Shougang). 
 
The strike at Peru&rsquo;s only iron ore mine at Marcona, 350 kilometres south of Lima, was caused when managers of Shougang Hierro Peru failed to meet wage demands of miners, who are among the lowest paid in the country&rsquo;s mining industry.
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The mine union, connected with ICEM affiliate FNTMMSP, is seeking wage increases equivalent of US$1.69-a-day, while Shougang offered only the equivalent of US$0.42-a-day. Shougang&rsquo;s miners earn a salary of only US$13-a-day, far below the average Peruvian mining salary of US$33-a-day, according to Peru&rsquo;s National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy. 
 
Union members at the mine last week blocked the entrance, preventing the company from using contract work to continue the work. Meanwhile, Peru&rsquo;s government has declared the strike a legal one, meaning the company must continue negotiating with the union and the Labour Ministry can impose an increase to workers&rsquo; salaries if work is to be re-started. 
 
Shougang declared force majeure on all iron ore exported from Peru, the majority of which is destined for Japan and China. The Chinese state company bought the mine in 1992 from a state-run Peruvian company for US$118 million, and has increased production since 2002 by an average of 20% per annum. 
The increased production has caused numerous safety concerns, which have not been addressed, and Peru&rsquo;s Energy and Mines Ministry says the company has not met investment commitments tied to the sale.

Miners Strike Chinese Iron Ore Operations in Peru

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The European Mine, Chemical, and Energy Workers&rsquo; Federation (EMCEF) held its 7th General Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey, 15-16 June under the banner &ldquo;The Future of European Integration.&rdquo; Attended by 200 delegates, the assembly notably adopted a motion on trade union rights and freedoms in Turkey that included support of the country in its negotiations with the EU for accession. 
 
In a letter to Turkish social policy ministers and to Turkey&rsquo;s chief negotiator with the EU, EMCEF noted the &ldquo;significant progress&rdquo; in accession talks, but &ldquo;that from a trade union perspective a lot remains to be done in terms of collective bargaining and trade union rights and freedoms. Full democratization is the only way towards integration.&rdquo;
<img height="66" alt="" src="" width="100" />&nbsp; 
 

The motion on the subject states that EMCEF &ldquo;supports membership negotiations between Turkey and the EU, (and) should end up with full membership of Turkey with all requirements being fulfilled. Additionally, (EMCEF) calls upon the government of the Republic of Turkey to take radical steps towards securing fundamental rights and freedoms within the framework of trade union rights and freedoms.&rdquo; 
 
The General Assembly also included a panel and plenary session on &ldquo;Perspective of European Integration in Light of Global Challenges.&rdquo; The discussion focussed on the future of EMCEF activities that could strengthen the social dimension of European integration. EMCEF intends to get trade unions at both national and European levels to inject more initiatives on this most important issue.

EMCEF’s General Assembly Addresses Turkey’s Accession, Social Dimensions to Integration

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ICEM Costa Rican affiliate Sindicato de Trabajadores Petroleros, Qu&iacute;micos y Afines (SITRAPEQUIA) has criticised the government of Dr Oscar Arias S&aacute;nchez for continuing rhetoric favouring privatisation of state oil company RECOPE. 
In a 15 June circular, the union points out that the company has operated effectively and efficiently since it was nationalised in 1974, a fact that finds other Central American governments attempting to replicate such management. 
 
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t understand how our government can pretend to imitate the way these Central American governments have operated, meaning handing this important activity into the hands of multinational oil companies,&rdquo; the statement read. 
SITRAPEQUIA&rsquo;s strong rebuke comes as Arias is using political measures to ratify the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) with the US, an agreement which could lead to the sell-off of successful and highly-profitable state companies. The Costa Rican president made such overtures before an ILO audience in Geneva, Switzerland, on 7 June. 
<img height="28" src="" width="250" alt="" />
The union contends RECOPE has fulfilled its role on national development over the past decades, and that the oil company can serve to reduce poverty and as a means toward better redistribution of wealth. It also says that privatisation proposals of basic industries have consistently failed at the legislative level due to legitimate rejection by the public. 
 
SITRAPEQUIA union members massed with other Costa Rican trade unions affiliated to national centre Confederaci&oacute;n de Trabajadores Rerum Novarum (CTRN) in a march and demonstration in the capital city of San Jose. 
The 7 June mass demonstration, numbering 10,000, was over both Arias&rsquo;s intended remarks at the ILO, as well as over a constitutional court ruling that weakens union protections for public sector workers, an adjustment in accordance with CAFTA.

SITRAPEQUIA Out to Protect State-run, Costa Rican Oil Company

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The ICEM&rsquo;s joint project with affiliate General Union of Petroleum, Mining and Chemical Workers of Palestine (GUPMCWP) to develop leadership of women began 10-12 June in Amman, Jordan. Heavily supported by NOPEF, Norway&rsquo;s dominant oil union, the seminar was attended by 23 women from GUPMCWP.
&nbsp;<img height="60" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Workshops dealt with collective bargaining and health issues, and were led by ICEM Women&rsquo;s Officer Carol Bruce and Turid &Oslash;ygard of NOPEF. ICEM&rsquo;s two Jordanian affiliates, General Union of Petrol and Chemical Workers Union, and the General Trade Union of Workers in Mining and Metal Industries, cooperated in developing the workshops. 
 
Union-building work with GUPMCWP, as well as work in support of unions in Iraq, has been identified as a priority by the ICEM&rsquo;s Middle East/North Africa Region, and the initial women&rsquo;s project with ICEM&rsquo;s Palestinian affiliate was agreed to in 2005 by the ICEM&rsquo;s Secretariat and GUPMCWP leadership.
A report of the meeting can be found in <a href="/index.php?id=71&amp;doc=1967&amp;la=AR">Arabic here</a> and in <a href="/index.php?id=71&amp;doc=1967&amp;la=EN">English here</a>.

ICEM’s Palestinian Women’s Project Begins with Training Workshops

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The Thai subsidiary of French-based public relations giant Publicis Groupe has withdrawn its ill-brought libel lawsuit against Junya Lek Timprasert and the Thai Labour Campaign (TLC). Lawyers for the company dropped the suit, which was before Bangkok&rsquo;s Southern Criminal Court, on 20 June. 
 
The TLC, with Lek as coordinator, has received strong support from the ICEM over the years in its efforts to reveal human rights and labour rights violations in Thailand. Their &ldquo;crime&rdquo; in the Publicis Thailand case was to republish an article from CSR Asia Weekly on the TLC website regarding an unfair dismissal case brought forward by five women workers of the public relations subsidiary.
<img height="67" alt="" src="" width="100" />
The company, in 2005, had charged TLC and Lek with &ldquo;defamation by propagation&rdquo; in the Thai court. Lek faced jail time, while TLC might have had to pay monetary damages and seen limitations to its valuable work, had global pressure not been brought against the French public relations company to drop the lawsuit. 
 
&ldquo;It is frustrating that we, who are directly in contact with workers that produce for the world and witness many rights violations, cannot bring situations to the attention of the world without the risk of being sued,&rdquo; said Lek. &ldquo;Furthermore, workers who report to us, of course, face all kinds of pressures and risk being dismissed.&rdquo;

Lawsuit Dropped by French PR Firm Against Thai Labour Campaign

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