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A Swiss mega-union was created 16 October with the merger of four unions. The new union, called Unia, includes ICEM affiliate Syndicat Industrie &amp; Batiment (SIB) and now represents over one million workers. Unia covers Swiss workers from engineering to construction industries, and also in retail and catering sectors.

Four Unions Merge in Switzerland to Inform Unia

Affiliate CEP in Canada held its 6th National Convention in Quebec City and pledged to raise C$500,000 for HIV/AIDS relief in Africa. The money will be channelled through CEP&rsquo;s Humanity Fund which union members support by payroll deductions of one cent per hour. CEP also made a firm pledge to keep open the Mirimichi, New Brunswick, kraft pulp mill currently being shut by Finnish UPM Kymenne. By acclamation, Brian Payne was re-elected president of the 150,000-member CEP and Andre Foucault as secretary-treasurer.

CEP’s Congress in Canada Moves on Providing HIV/AIDS Relief

A week-long strike by ICEM affiliate Associated Mineworkers of Zimbabwe (AMWZ) ended 13 October with agreement by the Chamber of Mines to enter arbitration over a wage dispute. Specifically, to enter into wage talks quarterly, as promised by the employers&rsquo; group early this year. AMWZ won a ruling last month that financial incentives granted mine owners by the government and reserve bank must be passed to workers. The Chamber was appealing that ruling, thus the strike by 25,000 workers in coal, platinum, chrome, gold and other minerals. The AMWZ is insistent on quarterly wage bargaining since Zimbabwe&rsquo;s inflation rate runs at near 600%.

Zimbabwe’s Miners Come to Terms’s with Chamber of Mines

The All Pakistan Trade Union Federation held a mass rally and march across several industrial areas of Lahore. The demonstration was against government policies restricting wage hikes and collective bargaining, as well as rampant retrenchments and price hikes. Similar protest meetings were held in several industrial cities across Pakistan. The protests continued with a major march in Rawalpindi on 6 October.

Pakistan Labour Marches Against Government’s Labour Stand

Dutch affiliate FNV Bondgenoten continued its lead in protesting NL government&rsquo;s planned budget cuts last week. Some 200 union protestors barricaded the offices of the Social Affairs Ministry in The Hague 20 October to remind ministers that cuts to social programmes are unacceptable. Six days earlier, transport workers staged a nationwide 24-hour strike and tomorrow metal workers will strike factories and workplaces in protest to the government&rsquo;s widely unpopular austerity measures.

Bondgenoten Blocks Entrances of NL’s Social Affairs Ministry

The president of Colombian mining union Sintraminercol was the target of an assassination attempt 10 October as he was leaving his home in Bogot&aacute; with family members. Francisco Ramirez noticed gunmen on a motorcycle heading directly at him and he immediately took cover with his young girls behind a utility setting. The attempted killing comes at a time when the union is resisting the liquidation of state mining company Minercol, a move by the Uribe government to open the country&rsquo;s natural resources to global enterprises.

Colombia’s Mining Union President Target of Assassination

A 4-day strike paralyzed Nigeria the week of 11 October, and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is gearing for a second, heavier general strike aimed at getting the government to reverse a fuel price hike. A 2-week break in the strike ends this week and NLC leadership and leaders of the federation&rsquo;s 29 affiliates meet tomorrow to schedule another general strike if the government does not rescind September&rsquo;s 25% petrol hike.

Four-Day Nigerian General Strike Over Fuel Prices

Canadian affiliate CEP is challenging the decision by Finnish firm UPM Kymenne to shut a kraft pulp mill in Miramichi, New Brunswick. &ldquo;We have questions about this announcement and we are not getting logical answers,&rdquo; said the CEP&rsquo;s Max Michaud. Citing the union&rsquo;s recent decision to seek mediation in bargaining with the company. CEP also is concerned about wood source policies that hamper the mill and is asking the provincial government to investigate. Some 400 high-paying and family-supporting jobs are at stake in the rural community.

CEP in Canada Seeks to Keep Pulp Mill Open in New Brunswick

US affiliate PACE filed a formal inquiry to the US Contact Point over French-based Imerys&rsquo; labour conduct at a calcium carbonate operation in the state of Alabama. The inquiry hopefully will start an investigation by US and French Contact Points under OECD&rsquo;s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Unlawful complaints issued by the US labour board have been levied against Imerys for interference in union activities and for failure to provide PACE with necessary information to process workers&rsquo; grievances. Imerys management says it will not comply with US labour board investigations of its illegal actions, and PACE is seeking injunctive relief under the labour code in a federal court.

PACE Seeks OECD Investigation on Imerys’ Labour Conduct

FUB-CNQ affiliate in Brazil is conducting meetings this week for 40,000 Petrobras oil workers to gain an affirmative vote for a five-day strike against the state firm beginning 19 October. The issue is an inferior pay proposal for active workers, and an inadequate benefit escalator for retirees. The union conducted surprise, 24-hour strikes in early October over four days protesting the company&rsquo;s unwillingness to pay. The two sides are 5.3% apart over this year&rsquo;s increase.

FUB Brazilian Affiliate May Strike Petrobras

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