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GENEVA: Job-related anxiety, stress, burnout and depression are affecting as many as one out of ten workers worldwide. According to a report of the International Labour Organisation, released on October 10, 2000, the incidence of mental health problems, which sometimes lead to unemployment and hospitalisation, is on the increase, as are the costs. 
The ILO study estimates that "anywhere from 3%-4% of GNP is spent on mental health problems in the European Union. In the US, the national spending associated with treatment of depression ranges between US$30 to US$44 billion. In many countries, early retirement due to mental health difficulties is increasing to the point where they are becoming the most common reason for allocating disability pensions." 
Workers are being forced to confront endless new technologies and methods of work organisation due to constantly rising productivity requirements. The impact of information technology has accelerated competition and, says the report, "it is therefore not surprising that more and more cases of disability are related to developing chronic conditions such as depression and work-induced stress." 
For additional information concerning this study, entitled Mental Health in the Workplace: Introduction (ISBN 92-2-112223-9),
access the ILO website on the associated link, or write to the ILO, 4 route des Morillons, 1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland.

Mental health policies and programmes affecting the workforce in Finland, Germany, Poland, the UK and US are examined by the ILO.

Workplace stress is rising

BELARUS: On October 3, the IMF appealed for solidarity with the trade unions of Belarus, where the government of Alexander Lukashenko continues its intimidation of the country's free trade union movement. The State is attempting to bring all trade union activities under its own control and limit the rights and freedoms of the trade unions as well as the right of working people to freedom of association. 
In a letter of protest to President Lukashenko, the IMF general secretary, Marcello Malentacchi, stated that, as Belarus has ratified all ILO core conventions, including the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, "you and your government have a legal and moral obligation to ensure all Belarussian citizens are able to exercise these rights." 
Among other protest letters sent to the Belarus president is one from the IMF-affiliated Miners' and Metallurgical Workers' Union of Russia (MMWU). The Central Council of the MMWU writes that "on behalf of 1.2 million members we condemn government activities... to split the trade union movement. We declare our strong protest in connection with the violation of trade union rights and freedom in Belarussia and request you, Mr. President, being the guarantor of law, to take respective measures to put a stop to lawless acts in respect of workers' organisations." 
Events to watch very closely are: 
- October 10-11: Congress of the Belarus Federation of Trade Unions, in Minsk. The government has been trying to establish its own control over the election process in order to replace the independent trade union leaders. 
- October 18-20: International Labour Organisation mission to Belarus, headed by Kari Tapiola, ILO executive director. The mission will consider an official complaint submitted to the ILO by the Belarus trade unions. 
- October 19: Massive trade union protest action throughout the country. 
Please consult the IMF's news item of October 3, under the associated link, for information on where to write protest letters to the government and solidarity messages to the unions.

The free trade union movement of Belarus needs your support!

Belarus Update

SERBIA: Yes, finally, Europe is free. The Serbian people have gotten rid of its dictator, Slobodan Milosevic. It is time now for reconstruction, to rebuild the economy and the political system, and Serbia will need help. 
In his opinion column of today, October 6, the IMF general secretary speaks about the pre-conditions necessary to get Serbia on the road to recovery. Much is expected of the new president, Vojislav Kostunica, and he will need time. 
To ensure that workers and their families benefit from the changes to come, says Malentacchi, the trade unions, all of them, will have to maintain their independence and autonomy. Otherwise, they will lose their credibility as a democratic and progressive force. 
Read the opinion on the associated link.

The International Metalworkers' Federation greets with joy the victory of the Serbian people, and the IMF general secretary, Marcello Malentacchi, gives his opinion on what must follow.

Europe is free, at last!

SPAIN: Manuel Garnacho, the president of the Spanish MCA-UGT (Metal, Construcción y Afines de UGT), an affiliate of the International Metalworkers' Federation, passed away last Friday, September 29, at the age of 62. 
Manuel was the president of the Construction Workers' Union in Spain before the union merged with the Metalworkers in 1998, and was then elected the first president of the new union. 
During the fascist dictatorship of Franco, Manuel was active as president of the Young Socialists and as a member of the National Committee of the Spanish Socialist Party -- the PSOE. Because of the then fascist repression, he lived many years in clandestinity. 
For 12 years he was also a member of the Management Committee of the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers. 
Upon hearing of the death of Manuel Garnacho, IMF general secretary Marcello Malentacchi said that "the fight for freedom and democracy for the Spanish people and the Spanish workers, which Manuel together with other comrades led, will forever remain engraved in our minds." 
"Thank you, Manolo."

A dedicated fighter for freedom and democracy in Spain is no more.

Manuel Garnacho dies

GERMANY: The German metalworkers' union, IG Metall, is preparing a three-year-long debate on the future. It starts in November this year, and a first round will be ready by April 2001. Thereafter, a second round of discussion on a future programme will take place. A "Congress on the Future" is planned for the first half of 2002. 
"IG Metall must keep in top form for the future," says its president, Klaus Zwickel. "Our debate must be socially and politically influential, but it must also be aimed at changing ourselves." 
The background is the ongoing transformation of society into a service society, worldwide globalisation and increasing individualisation. Trade unions have to review their policy and structure in a self-critical way. 
Zwickel says there will be no taboos in the debate. On the contrary, all questions and demands from IG Metall's members, as well as non members, will be discussed. Scientists and organisations outside the trade union movement will also be invited to take part in the debate. One of the objectives is to make IG Metall more attractive to new groups of workers, and workers who are not organised today. 
IG Metall has 2.8 million members.

IG Metall gives green light for debate on the future.

A debate without taboos

GENEVA/BANGLADESH: Since the adoption of Convention No. 182 on Worst Forms of Child Labour by the 87th session of the ILO General Conference, in June 1999, 15 countries have, to date, proceeded to its ratification: Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Finland, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Malawi, San Marino, Seychelles, Slovakia, Tunisia, United Kingdom and the United States. 
Now a nationwide trade union campaign has been launched in Bangladesh by the national trade union center - the Bangladesh Free Trade Union Congress (BFTUC) - pressing the government to add its name to this list of countries which have resolved to prohibit and eliminate the worst forms of child labour. 
Officially, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics reports that there is a total of 6.3 million children in the country between the ages of 5 and 14 who work for pay, and are not enrolled in school. This represents about 12 per cent of a total workforce of over 51 million. Approximately 1.9 million are below 10 years of age. Bangladesh, with an overall population of over 87 million, is one of the world's poorest countries, and the reason so many children work is due to this poverty. 
Making the situation even more shocking is the fact that 70 per cent of these youngsters labour in hazardous conditions and abuse of child workers is common. 
The trade unions as well as government and non-governmental organisations are implementing programmes to combat the problem of child labour. At the same time, the BFTUC is organising campaigns, demonstrations, press conferences, discussion groups and information distribution to the public to get their support for ratification of ILO Convention No. 182. 
ILO Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age, dating back to 1973, has also not been ratified by Bangladesh.

Trade unions are pressing the government to ratify ILO Convention No. 182 on worst forms of child labour.

Bangladesh unions oppose child labour

This might sound crazy to most readers. But I think it is time to help the employers get organised internationally. They need it, and so do we. 
Why? Simply because it is necessary to have social dialogue at international level aimed at bringing some order to one of the most crucial issues which will dominate working life for the next few decades, and that is workers' rights. 
If we have a representative and strong counterpart, it would be much easier to discuss and to come to agreement on fundamental issues. 
Let me tell you what happened last week at the ILO, to illustrate what I mean. 
There was a tripartite meeting for one of the most industrialised sectors -- Manufacture of Transport Equipment. These sectoral activities organised by the ILO are very important for us, as this is the only place where workers and employers can confront one another and argue at international level. 
The purpose of these meetings is to discuss a document, normally prepared by experts, and then to draw conclusions and make recommendations to the Governing Body of the ILO. There are also possibilities to submit special resolutions for consideration. All this takes place under a normal negotiating procedure that is familiar to all trade unionists and employers. 
Last week's meeting was no exception. Thanks to very good preparation by the ILO as well as capable and experienced negotiators on all sides, the meeting ended with two very important documents which were accepted and will be submitted to the ILO Governing Body. 
However, on a couple of points in the discussion there remains some doubt, and we need to talk this over with a representative organisation for employers in the metal industry. 
The first of these points is the question of social dialogue. The employers adamantly refused to make any reference to good experiences resulting from the European Works Councils. I think the employers should just ask the more than 300 companies which have already negotiated agreements on EWCs so they can know that experience so far has been positive in most cases. 
No one believes that EWCs will solve all problems, but they can definitely contribute to the development of social dialogue at enterprise level. This should encourage the employers to extend the dialogue to international level as well. 
The second point, where the employers' reaction was even more in contradiction with policy adopted by many companies, is their refusal to allow any reference to promotion of health and safety standards and to the protection of women. Here, we need also mention that the spokesperson for the employers at the meeting openly said that the company she works for was already implementing ILO labour standards with no restrictions! 
Now, the conclusions, the resolution proposed by the IMF delegation, along with a special report on the discussion will be submitted to the Governing Body in November 2000. Then it will be up to the three partners to implement them. 
We all share a responsibility vis-à-vis all people employed in this sector as well as to those depending on it. And this would be much easier to fulfil if we could continue the discussion with a valid, strong and representative counterpart. 
Employers, get together and get organised!!!

Employers, unite!!!!

FINLAND: The 18th Congress of the Finnish Metalworkers' Union, which opened Sunday, May 14, in Tampere, the industrial heartland of Finland, has elected Erkki Vuorenmaa to replace retiring president Per-Erik Lundh. Vuorenmaa has worked for the union 24 years, the last eight of which he headed the Organising Department. Lundh currently still represents the Nordic countries in the IMF Executive Committee. 
In his opening speech, Lundh emphasised the union's promotion of the long-term interests of its members through tri-partite cooperation, but he warned the Finnish government not to tear up a compromise agreement on a proposal for a new labour law. In the fight against unemployment, vocational training remained essential, and solidarity must continue to be the underlying principle in all union activities. Only a globalised trade union movement could balance globalised capital, he declared, and core labour standards had to be incorporated into international trade agreements, which the Finnish Metalworkers were actively promoting in the IMF and EMF. 
The Finnish prime minister, Paavo Lipponen, commended the union for its contribution to the renewal of Finland's metal industry. The union, he said, has been shouldering responsibility far beyond the metalworkers, to workers in general and the society as a whole, earning respect within the country and internationally. 
The IMF's general secretary, Marcello Malentacchi, stated that free markets cannot solve the problems of our times. "We must globalise the social dimension," he insisted. To achieve this, trade unions have a role to play alongside governments and employers. Malentacchi called for a reform in the Bretton Woods institutions and the WTO, so that social dialogue should be extended to all levels. "The IMF Congress in 2001 will discuss globalisation and what kind of union structures we need... We must link our trade union work inside companies to our international work," he continued. Malentacchi expressed his gratitude to Finnish Metal for its exemplary support for IMF organising and education projects, as well as to Per-Erik Lundh who had admirably represented Nordic countries in the IMF, and looked forward to continuing cooperation with the union's new leadership.

Erkki Vuorenmaa is taking over the helm from Per-Erik Lundh.

Finnish metalworkers elect new president

MACEDONIA, Former Yugoslav Republic of: Two days of constructive talks took place in Skopje on April 27-28 during the Balkan Conference on the Stability Pact. Thirty-one metal unions from West, Central and Southeast Europe participated in the meeting, which was jointly organised by the International Metalworkers' Federation and the European Metalworkers' Federation. 
The focal point of the discussions was the stability pact and the role of the trade unions. The philosophy of the pact, backed by the European Union, World Bank, other donor organisations and international institutions, is very clear: "We help people who are prepared to work with one another in concrete projects." So cross-border, cross-ethnic cooperation is the essential principle for this pact, and it implies overcoming divisions created by the various wars which have occurred in the former Yugoslavia, rejecting and fighting against all nationalistic policies and avoiding any sort of propaganda which may create biases against the 'other'. 
The conference emphasised the limitations and opportunities of the stability pact. 
With regard to its limitations, not enough place is given to the importance of jobs and the role of the trade unions in the reconstruction process. The issue of work is 'confined' to the domain of civil society. 
As for opportunities, the stability pact has a clear political dimension and gives guidelines for action in different areas including: reconstruction, infrastructure, democratisation, refugees, human rights and vocational training. 
The conference evaluated very positively the decision of the European Trade Union Confederation to establish a working group on the stability pact with the task of drawing up a Social Charter. All IMF affiliates and metal unions in the region are urged to work together with this group in order to offer suggestions which may add to their information and offer useful input. Information about the activities of the pact will be periodically sent out by the IMF. A final conference document will be published taking into consideration the input of participants.

Skopje was the venue for an IMF/EMF Balkan conference to discuss the stability pact and the role of the trade unions.

Stability pact is focus of Balkan meeting

NORWAY: Early this morning, May 9, three hours before the strike in the private sector was to be expanded, the LO national trade union center and the employers' organisation accepted a bid from the state mediator for a new collective contract. 
The deal, tentative until balloted by union members on May 24, runs for two years and gives the workers an hourly rise of 1.50 Norwegian kroner ($0.18). It is double as much as in the previous agreement, which was rejected by the workers in a ballot. The lower-wage earners are getting an hourly rise of 3.50 Norwegian kroner, which also is double that of the rejected agreement. The additional four days of vacation (making it five weeks altogether) will be introduced more rapidly, with two days already in 2001 and two days in 2002. The employers have also accepted union demands for funding for further education. 
For background information, see previous IMF news items.

Today, 84,600 private sector workers are going back to work.

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