English

Español

Français

Aerospace

Automotive

Base metals

Chemical, pharmaceutical and bio-science

Energy

Glass, cement, ceramic and associated industries

ICT, electrical and electronics

Mechanical Engineering

Mining and DGOJP

Pulp and paper

Rubber

Shipbuilding and shipbreaking

Textile, garment, shoes, leather and textile services

Sectors

Action on textile and garment industry

Clean up shipbreaking

Ratify ILO C176

United for a just future - time to pay up!

Disinvest from Myanmar

Action Plan 2021-2025

Global Framework Agreements

Union building

Women

Youth

White-collar workers

Health & safety

Industry 4.0

Just Transition

Organizing with industriALL

What we do

Affiliates

Statutes

Elected Officials

Executive Committee

Geneva head office

South East Asia

Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus

Latin America and the Caribbean

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

Regional offices

About us

Global worker No1 2022

Global worker No2 2022

Publications

Resources

Press

EUROPE: In a joint submission to the European Commission, the International and European Metalworkers' Federations have called for the establishment of a new independent authority to regulate one of the world's most dangerous industries, ship-breaking.The submission also calls for mandatory legislated standards after the failure of voluntary codes established by the International Labour Organisation, Basel Convention and International Maritime Organisation.At present, ship breaking is concentrated in a few developing countries (mainly in Asia) on account of the low wages and lack of compliance with international standards on safety, health and lack of environmental controls offered in these nations.&quot;It is no longer acceptable that we close our eyes to the daily exploitation of ship breaking workers. Both IMF and EMF demand a safer and greener global system for dismantling ships. Our joint submission aims to give a voice to the affected workers and their concerns&quot; states Jyrki Raina, the newly elected IMF General Secretary.&quot;&quot;By presenting a joint submission we hope that the Commission willrecognise the importance we place on this issue. The EU must not wait for the implementation of a new international instrument in 2015 as this will cost hundreds of lives. The EU must show leadership by creating the conditions for a European ship breaking sector that can set exemplary international standards&quot;, says Peter Scherrer, EMF General Secretary.In their submission to a public consultation on ship breaking, the IMF and EMF call for immediate implementation of new measures to improve working conditions for ship breakers.The submission calls for:<ul><li>Mandatory, legislated workplace, labour right and environmental standards to be applied for ship breaking employers</li><li>All ship breaking processes to include standard inventories of all hazardous materials on board ships slated for dismantling</li><li>A clear role for trade unions in monitoring and regulation</li><li>Mandatory dismantling of all European military and government vessels with in the EU</li><li>The creation of a European ship breaking sector that can set exemplary international standards by being ecologically and socially responsible as well as economically, industrially and socially innovative.</li></ul>A copy of the submission is published on the IMF website.

IMF and EMF call for a new independent authority to govern ship breaking

IMF and EMF response on dismantling of ships

Stop exploitation of shipbreaking workers

GLOBAL:  IMF affiliates were united in their support for the new leadership team elected by Congress yesterday with a mandate until 2013. Following adoption of amendments to the IMF Rules, the Congress held elections for five leadership positions ensuring greater representation of the various regions of the IMF.Berthold Huber, IG Metall President, was elected IMF President. Huber has been a member of IG Metall since 1971 and served as IG Metall Vice President since 2003 and President since 2007.Thomas R. Buffenbarger, International President of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, was elected by Congress delegates as IMF Vice President. Buffenbarger leads over 700,000 active and retired IAM members in Canada and the US.Jyrki Raina, Nordic IN General Secretary, was elected IMF General Secretary. Recognising the unanimous support for his election, Raina said, &quot;Our unity is the base of our force. It is with pride and a great sense of humility that I accept this election.&quot;  Raina began his trade union work in Finland and for the last six years has co-ordinated the Nordic unions' activities in Europe and at the global level.Hiroshi Kamada and Fernando Lopes were elected by the Congress as IMF Assistant General Secretaries. The Congress also elected the members of the Executive Committee and Auditing Committee.

Affiliates united in their support for the new IMF leadership elected by Congress.

Congress elects new leadership

GLOBAL: The IMF Secretariat Report to delegates urged unions worldwide to mobilize workers to seize the opportunity the current economic crisis represents.&quot;More and more employers are using the financial crisis as an excuse to limit or erode fundamental worker rights,&quot; said outgoing IMF General Secretary Marcello Malentacchi.Mr. Malentacchi blamed the failure of global financial institutions to properly control the world's economy for the current crisis. &quot;The market forces that were supposed to improve welfare for all have instead created social unrest and generated more poverty in many countries. &quot;Knowing as we do the causes and impacts of the current crisis, we must now look to how we can transform it.&quot;But, Malentacchi cautioned that unions' ability to organize the unorganized was crucial to their ability to respond to the crisis.&quot;Opportunity is there if we can seize it, but only if we are able to reach out to workers and mobilize them into action.&quot;It is up to unions to ensure that we are able to motivate individuals into solidarity and collective action.&quot;When we work together to exert that power on a local, regional, national and global level, unions can influence and force change on companies, governments and laws.&quot;From there we may create the kinds of change that will bring secure jobs for a secure future.&quot;&#160;

Retiring IMF General Secretary urges affiliates to mobilize workers in the face of the current financial crisis.

Seize the opportunity of the crisis or perish

The IMF Working Group on China delivered its report to the IMF World Congress calling on delegates to revive their commitment to engage with Chinese workers in multinational companies on trade union and human rights.Goran Johnsson, former Svenska Metal President, addressed the Congress urging the IMF to increase engagement with Chinese workers and unions at the local level. &quot;Chinese workers deserve good conditions, Chinese workers deserve democratic trade unions,&quot; Johnsson said, adding  &quot;...if we want to achieve our objectives, we must develop new activities.&quot; Johnsson also called on the IMF and its affiliates to push for China to adopt and ratify all core ILO Conventions.The working group reported that despite the economic downturn throughout the world, China´s economy continues to grow at a steady rate of eight per cent, noting that this figure will increase once world economies recover. In April 2009 the IMF held a seminar in Shanghai, China to discuss issues such as collective bargaining at the national level and trade union responses to the economic crisis. IMF affiliates from five countries participated in the seminar as did local and national union leaders of the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU).

IMF Working Group on China calls on IMF Congress delegates to revive their commitment to engage with Chinese workers in multinational companies.

Working Group calls for more IMF engagement in China

The structural and technological transformation of metal industries has brought about profound changes in the occupational pattern of the workforce. Non-manual workers are growing in number but are poorly organised or not organised at all.  Like those on the shop-floor they are drawn into the race to the bottom in the global economy. The IMF and its affiliates need to engage and mobilise these workers around labour and professional issues to build greater solidarity and bargaining strength.

Non-Manual

Bad working conditions are experienced on a daily basis by workers. Even small improvements in occupational health and safety are well received by the most vulnerable groups of workers. Through education, IMF is assisting affiliates in setting up effective health and safety committees in all workplaces. IMF is working with affiliates in order to achieve an international ban on the production, import, export and use of asbestos, responsible for more than 100,000 deaths yearly.

Health and Safety

Building strong national trade unions is crucial. The strong unions which are in a permanent democratic relationship with workers, are capable of achieving real gains through collective bargaining, by organizing the unorganized, striving for trade union unity at the national level and building unions through training, education and effective exchange of information.To learn more about the IMF union building philosophy please click <a href="../index.cfm?c=21980&amp;l=2">here</a>.

In December 2008, Sinter Metal, a Turkish company that supplies components to major auto manufacturers, fired 350 workers for their union activity. Sinter Metal workers are fighting for their jobs and the fundamental right to join unions and bargain collectively. The International Metalworkers' Federation and European Metalworkers' Federation are calling on Sinter Metal Imalat Sanayi A.Ş to immediately reinstate unjustly dismissed workers, stop violations of rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, and start negotiations with the union, Birlesik Metal-IS, leading to a fair and just resolution.

Tell Sinter Metal to reinstate all unjustly dismissed workers and respect Turkish labour law and basic trade union rights now.

Demand Justice for Sinter Metal Workers in Turkey

Thank you for taking ACTION!Visit the IMF website for regular updates on the Sinter Metal campaign or sign up for IMF Action Alerts to be notified of urgent solidarity requests and campaign developments immediately when they arise.<h3>This page will reload to the protest letter again in 5 seconds</h3>

Visit the IMF website for regular updates on the Sinter Metal campaign.

Thank you for taking ACTION!

Dear Mr. Tanberk,I join with the International Metalworkers&#039; Federation, European Metalworkers&#039; Federation and Birlesik Metal-IS in demanding that Sinter Metal immediately stops and remedies violations of worker and trade union rights at its operations located in the Dudullu Organized Industrial Zone in Turkey. I am increasingly alarmed that such violations continue to undermine workers&#039; rights to form and join a union and to collectively bargain, enshrined in ILO conventions 98 and 87, to which Turkey is a signatory. I demand that Sinter Metal management immediately reinstates the dismissed workers, stops violations of fundamental worker and trade union rights, and in good faith considers the workers&#039; demands and starts negotiations to reach a fair and just settlement with the union.Sincerely,

Archive

About IndustriALL

Follow us

Contact us