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Lee Myung Bak 
President 
Republic Of Korea 
December 11, 2008 

The ICEM, representing 20 Million Workers in Chemical, Energy and Mining Industry over 130 countries strongly protests at the arrest of Mr. Lee Suk-haeng, President of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). 

The ICEM has been informed that Bro. Lee Suk-haeng was arrested on 5 December, at 10:40 pm, in connection with his role in organising an &ldquo;illegal&rdquo; general strike on 2 July 2008 and in organising a solidarity action in support of the E-land Retail Precarious workers&rsquo; strike in 2007. 
We understand that Brother Lee Suk-haeng would be mainly charged with &ldquo;obstruction of business&rdquo; (provision in section 314 of the Penal Code) due to his role in these actions. 

The ICEM is appalled that trade union leaders are being arrested and detained merely for exercising fundamental workers' rights, like to the right to strike. The right to strike encompasses both the right for workers to pursue demonstrations concerning social and economic policies affecting its members, as well as solidarity actions. We are very concerned about the severe form and nature of the repression, especially the deprivation of liberty of those involved and the intrusion into the privacy of family members. The targeting of top union leaders is blatant anti-union repression and the ICEM is disappointed that the government has chosen to keep union leaders imprisoned for longer periods in this case. 

The ICEM is urging your government to order the immediate release of Mr. Lee Suk-haeng and all other imprisoned trade unionists and that all charges against them be dropped. It also urges you to ensure that the arrest warrants against all other labour leaders be withdrawn immediately. 

In the meantime, I trust that you will pay prompt attention to this very serious matter. 
Yours sincerely, 
 
Manfred Warda 
General Secretary 
ICEM

ICEM Letter to South Korean Government On Arest of Lee Suk-haeng

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Kadirpur gaz tesislerini &ouml;zelleştirme kararına karşı y&uuml;r&uuml;t&uuml;len g&uuml;&ccedil;l&uuml; protestolar &ccedil;er&ccedil;evesinde, 19 Kasım Perşembe g&uuml;n&uuml;, binlerce petrol ve gaz iş&ccedil;isi g&ouml;steri y&uuml;r&uuml;y&uuml;ş&uuml; yaptı. Oil &amp; Gas Development Company Ltd. şirketin muazzam varlıklarını yabancı yatırımcılara devretmiş olacak. H&uuml;k&uuml;met &ouml;zelleştirme sonucunda 3-4 milyar dolar arasında bir meblağın eline ge&ccedil;mesini bekliyor. Oysa bir&ccedil;ok yorumcu şirket varlıklarının 12 milyar dolardan fazla olduğu kanısında. 
En son g&ouml;steri y&uuml;r&uuml;y&uuml;ş&uuml; OGDCL sendikasının girişimiyle d&uuml;zenlendi. Sendikanın başkanı Chaudry Mohammad Akram &ouml;zelleştirme girişimini ş&ouml;yle değerlendirdi: &ldquo;Kadirpur gaz tesisi her yıl devlete 182 milyon dolar kazandıran k&acirc;rlı bir işletme. İşletmenin &ouml;zelleştirilmesi ulusal &ccedil;ıkarlara zarar verecek.&rdquo; 

<img height="140" alt="" src="" width="140" />
Dhodhak petrol tesislerindeki y&uuml;zlerce iş&ccedil;i bir g&ouml;steri d&uuml;zenleyerek Taunsa Sharif-Dera Ismail Khan caddesini d&ouml;rt saat s&uuml;reyle trafiğe kapattı. &Ouml;te yandan, Kadirpur tesislerinden onlarca OGDCL iş&ccedil;isinin ger&ccedil;ekleştirdiği a&ccedil;lık grevlerinde h&uuml;k&uuml;metin kararını geri alması talep edildi. 
 
Dhodhak petrol ve gaz tesislerinden Badshah Khan Qaiserani adlı bir y&ouml;netici, &ldquo;Başkan Asif Ali Zardari, IMF-D&uuml;nya Bankası ile ABD'nin politikalarını izleyeceğine, Ali Bhutto'nun misyon ve politikalarını hayata ge&ccedil;irmelidir&rdquo; dedi. 
 
Muhalefet partisi JI'nın lideri Liaqat Baloch g&ouml;stericilere siyasal partilerin iş&ccedil;ilerin davasını destekleyeceği teminatını verdi ve ş&ouml;yle dedi: &ldquo;Eğer h&uuml;k&uuml;met &ouml;zelleştirme kararını geri almayacak olursa, &uuml;lke &ccedil;apında yığınsal bir politik hareket başlatacağız.&rdquo; 
 
Pakistan M&uuml;sl&uuml;man Birliği de &ouml;zelleştirme girişimine şiddetle karşı &ccedil;ıkıyor. Haberleşme Bakanı Ahsan Iqbal ise Kadirpur gaz tesislerini &ldquo;Pakistan ekonomisinin belkemiği&rdquo; olarak niteledi ve &ldquo;&Uuml;lke halen bir enerji kriziyle karşı karşıya, bu durumu daha da k&ouml;t&uuml;leştirecektir&rdquo; dedi. 
 
Pakistan'daki WAPDA Hidroelektrik Santralı İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası'na bağlı iş&ccedil;iler de fiyat artışlarını, işsizliği ve hukukdışılığı protesto eden bir g&ouml;steri d&uuml;zenlediler.

Pakistan&#039;da İşçiler Petrol ile Gazın Özelleştirilmesine Karşı Birleşiyor

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
G&uuml;ney Afrika'daki Witwatersrand &Uuml;niversitesi'ne bağlı İnsan Bilimleri Araştırma Konseyi'nin ge&ccedil;enlerde yayımladığı bir araştırma, &uuml;lkedeki maden sekt&ouml;r&uuml;n&uuml;n kısa vadeli ge&ccedil;ici iş&ccedil;iliğe ve taşeron iş&ccedil;iliğine giderek daha fazla dayandığını ortaya koyuyor. Araştırmanın bulgularına g&ouml;re, s&ouml;zgelimi, Rustenburg b&ouml;lgesindeki platin madenlerinin y&uuml;zde 60'ından fazlasında, bir kaza halinde sorumluluktan ka&ccedil;mak ve maliyetleri d&uuml;ş&uuml;rmek i&ccedil;in d&uuml;zensiz istihdam y&ouml;ntemleri uygulanıyor. 
G&uuml;ney Afrika'nın b&uuml;t&uuml;n&uuml;nde, b&uuml;t&uuml;n platin madenlerinin y&uuml;zde 36'sında taşeron iş&ccedil;isi istihdam ediliyor. Bu iş&ccedil;ilerin bir&ccedil;oğu Afrika'nın g&uuml;neyindeki diğer &uuml;lkelerden geliyor. 
 
Araştırma bulguları, G&uuml;ney Afrika'da maden sekt&ouml;r&uuml;ndeki taşeron iş&ccedil;ilerinin sayısının 2003'te 90.231'den 2005'te 122.589'a &ccedil;ıktığını ortaya koyuyor. 

<img height="108" alt="" src="" width="180" />
&Ccedil;alışma Bakanlığı'nın isteği &uuml;zerine y&uuml;r&uuml;t&uuml;len araştırma, vurgulanan trendin kaygı verici bir bi&ccedil;imde arttığını g&ouml;steriyor. Araştırma ekibinin s&ouml;zc&uuml;s&uuml; Profes&ouml;r Edward Webster araştırmadan şu sonucun &ccedil;ıkarılabileceğini belirtti: Otuz yıl kadar &ouml;nce kent yoksullarından gelen iş&ccedil;ileri kayıt dışı ekonomide faaliyet g&ouml;steren işletmelere &ccedil;eken s&uuml;recin yerini, giderek daha fazla taşeron iş&ccedil;isi istihdam eden kayıt i&ccedil;i işletmeler almış bulunuyor. 
 
Araştırmanın bulgularına g&ouml;re, işverenlerin b&uuml;y&uuml;k b&ouml;l&uuml;m&uuml; yasal asgari &uuml;creti uygulamıyor. Bu ise iş&ccedil;ilerin aşırı &ouml;l&ccedil;&uuml;de s&ouml;m&uuml;r&uuml;lmesine ve g&uuml;&ccedil;s&uuml;zleşmesine yol a&ccedil;ıyor. Taşeron iş&ccedil;ileri sendikalarda &ouml;rg&uuml;tlenmeye girişecek olurlarsa, işten atılma tehdidiyle karşı karşıya bulunuyorlar. 
 
&Ccedil;alışma Bakanlığı Genel M&uuml;d&uuml;r Vekili Les Kettledas, bir haber ajansına yaptığı a&ccedil;ıklamada, devletin kısa s&uuml;reli taşeron iş&ccedil;ilerinin s&ouml;m&uuml;r&uuml;lmesini &ouml;nleyecek yasa ve politikalara sahip olduğunu, ama bu politikaları ve yasaları uygulayacak stratejilerin yetersiz kaldığını, araştırmanın bu eksikliği gidermeye y&ouml;nelik olduğunu vurguladı. 
 
Kettledas araştırma bulgularının kayıt i&ccedil;i sekt&ouml;rlerdeki ger&ccedil;ekliği yansıttığını belirtti.

Güney Afrika&#039;da Taşeron İşçiliği Maden Sektöründe Kaygı Verici Bir Büyüme Gösteriyor

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ICEM'in Latin Amerika/Antiller B&ouml;lgesi ile S&uuml;rd&uuml;r&uuml;lebilir Gelişme İ&ccedil;in Uluslararası &Ccedil;alışma Vakfı (Sustainlabour) ve Amerika Kıtası Sendikalar Konfederasyonu'nun işbirliğiyle (TUCA), 14-16 Nisan g&uuml;nlerinde Brezilya'nın S&atilde;o Paolo kentinde iş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliği konusunda uluslararası bir konferans d&uuml;zenlenecek. 
 
Toplantı, Uluslararası Kimyasal Y&ouml;netimine Stratejik Yaklaşım'ın () uygulanmasını kolaylaştırmaya y&ouml;nelik program &ccedil;er&ccedil;evesinde d&uuml;zenleniyor. SAICM kimyasal maddelerin sağlıklı y&ouml;netimini sağlamak amacıyla Birleşmiş Milletler tarafından geliştirilen bir politikayı i&ccedil;eren bir program. Kimya sekt&ouml;r&uuml;nde &ccedil;alışanların işyerindeki risklerini azaltmayı ama&ccedil;layan program Kasım 2007'de başlatıldı. 

<img height="90" alt="" src="" width="134" />
The tripartite coordination, between ICEM, Sustainlabour ve TUCA arasındaki ortak girişim &ccedil;alışmalarını Kasım 2008 ile Ekim 2010 arasında Brezilya, Şili ve Uruguay'da s&uuml;rd&uuml;recek. Konferans kimya işkolunda iş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliğini iyileştirmeyi, bu alanda bilgi alışverişini ve devletler arasında işbirliğinin geliştirilmesini hedefliyor.

Kimya Sektöründe İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Konusunda SAICM Konferansı – 14-16 Nisan

<img height="39" src="" width="100" alt="" />
ICEM'e ge&ccedil;en hafta sonu gelen haberlere g&ouml;re, Irak'ta devlete bağlı petrokimya şirketi SCPI'nın y&ouml;netimi Basra Petrokimya İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası'nın y&ouml;neticilerinden Karim Johi Sahan'a disiplin cezası vermişti. 
Kimya tesislerinden altı ay uzaklaştırma cezası verilen Sahan, ayrıca, bu nedenle en d&uuml;ş&uuml;k &uuml;creti alacak. Ocak ayı sonlarında barış&ccedil;ıl bir protesto eylemi d&uuml;zenlediği i&ccedil;in bu cezaya maruz bırakılan Karim Johi bu eylemi nedeniyle acımasızca sorgulanmış ve bunun sonucunda kalp rahatsızlığı ge&ccedil;irmişti. 
Irak Sanayi ve Maden Bakanlığı SCPI hisselerinin y&uuml;zde 100'&uuml;n&uuml; elinde tutuyor. 
<img height="161" alt="" src="" width="180" /> 
Karim Johi (ortada) bildiri dağıtıyor 
ICEM Genel Sekreteri Manfred Warda Irak Maden ve Sanayi Bakanı'na bu hafta g&ouml;nderdiği mektupta şunları vurguladı: &ldquo;Karim Johi Sahan'a verilen bu disiplin cezası onun temel insan haklarının ihlalidir. Karim Johi uluslararası d&uuml;zeyde kabul g&ouml;ren s&ouml;z &ouml;zg&uuml;rl&uuml;ğ&uuml;n&uuml; ve barış&ccedil;ıl toplantı yapma hakkını kullandı ve bu nedenle yaşamı tehlike altında. Devlet Petrokimya Şirketi'ndeki y&ouml;neticileriniz tarafından verilen bu kararın derhal geri alınmasını talep ediyoruz.&rdquo; 
 
ICEM adalet sağlanana kadar bu konudaki baskısını s&uuml;rd&uuml;recektir.

ICEM Iraklı Sendikacılara Verilen Cezaları Protesto Ediyor

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Collaboration between ICEM&rsquo;s Latin American/ Caribbean Region, the International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development, Sustainlabour, and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), will result in an international conference on health and safety in the Chemicals Sector in S&atilde;o Paolo, Brazil, next month, 14-16. The venue is Fundacentro, or Brazil&rsquo;s National Labour Centre. 
 
The meeting is part of the program to facilitate the implementation of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), a United Nations policy framework that fosters sound management of handling of chemicals. This particular program was initiated in November 2007 with the objective of reducing workplace risks to staff in the chemicals sector. 

<img height="90" alt="" src="" width="134" />
The tripartite coordination, between ICEM, Sustainlabour, and TUCA, will focus activities in Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay between November 2008 and October 2010. This conference will seek to strengthen the alliance between the three groups for the common goal of improving health and safety in the chemical industry. Further objectives of the conference are to share information on health and safety in the industry and to look to developing partnership with governments. 
 
Nilton Freitas of the ICEM affiliate, Sindicato dos Qu&iacute;micos do ABC, is playing a leading role in organizing the conference on behalf of the ICEM and its partners. 
 
Find the registration form and program for the conference at <a href="http://www.fundacentro.gov.br">www.fundacentro.gov.br</a>.

SAICM Conference on Health, Safety in Chemical Sector – 14-16 April

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
The Serbian union, EPS Trade Union, has made a stand for some 7,200 displaced Kosovo workers, who lost their jobs from state-run Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) in 1999 due to war. Since then, unemployed workers have received 60% of median wages from the utility. 
 
But beginning in January, a government decree from the Ministry of Energy and Mining ordered that amount reduced to the minimum state-level wage, reneging on an agreement it had with the union in a 2008 EPS business plan. On 19 February, 5,000 of those workers showed up in freezing temperatures and a sleet storm in Gracanica and Priluzje to protest the cuts. EPS Trade Union President Milan Đorđević intervened to block the rollbacks, and the union has pledged to be vigilant in retaining the 60%. 

<img height="142" alt="" src="" width="130" />
Milan Đorđević
Separately, EPS Trade Union has issued a five-day deadline for earnest negotiations to begin with the government over several issues involving the public utility&rsquo;s mines and businesses. One of the chief demands is fulfilment of an agreement signed with the government on 23 October 2008 and another is dialogue on the 2009 business plan. 
 
Other demands include full consultation on several operational issues, as well as possible privatisation plans by EPS. 
 
The union will hold a press conference tomorrow in Belgrade to discuss the government&rsquo;s failure in February to address the demands and will follow that up with a protest on Thursday, 12 March, in front of the Government of Serbia building in Serbia&rsquo;s capital city.

Serbian Union Preserves Wage Payments for Kosovo Electric Workers

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
Following a failed mediation session on 4 March, some 65,000 Polish coal miners are poised to strike state run and operated Kompania Weglowa (KW), Europe&rsquo;s largest coal producer. Miners, forcefully united behind the country&rsquo;s three main mining unions &ndash; ICEM affiliate NSZZ Solidarność, Kadra, and the Polish Miners&rsquo; Trade Union &ndash; have been denied a fair wage proposal for 2009. 
 
Mediated talks will resume tomorrow, 10 March, but if no resolve occurs, Kompania Weglowa will face a two-hour warning strike on 12 March. If that doesn&rsquo;t force a change of stance by the company&rsquo;s board, a full strike at all of KW&rsquo;s 16 mines will then commence. 
 
Reportedly, the company&rsquo;s directors are offering a wage hike of 1.5%, while the unions are seeking 6%. In last week&rsquo;s mediated talks, the unions revised their proposal to delay the 6% increase from January to March. Miners are seeking increases in daily subsidies as well. 

<img height="120" alt="" src="" width="120" />
Also locked in wage talks are 40,000 miners at two other state-owned coal servicing and production companies, Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa (JSW) and Katowicki Holding Weglowy. Both companies are seeking to impose a wage freeze on miners this year. 
 
Talks with the same unions at JSW will continue on 11 March. But the unions consider KW the lead company, despite the managing board&rsquo;s reluctance to engage in earnest dialogue. In fact, the dispute has become exasperating because management has issued conflicting economic data. 
 
In January, the KW board boasted of significant profits from 2008, but countered that recently by informing the unions about losses. Meanwhile, KW&rsquo;s board members received a 6.9% salary increase for 2009 as part of a procedure in all Ministry of State Treasury enterprises, further inflaming the dispute. 
 
KW&rsquo;s coal production is 47 million tonnes annually, and it holds a 50% market share inside Poland&rsquo;s healthy coal-driven economy.

Miners’ Strike Looms in Poland at Europe’s Biggest Coal Company

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
A strike by 190 Turkish paperworkers, members of ICEM affiliate T&uuml;mka-İş, against Procter &amp; Gamble is now 16 days old, with little progress made in recent negotiations. The wage dispute began 21 February at a factory in Gebze, just outside of Istanbul, where the American company manufactures paper towels, tissue, and hygiene products, including nappies. 
 
Strikers and supporters held a rally at plant gates on 26 February, where messages of support were read from a number of trade unions from around the world. The ICEM, which generated the support, also lodged a protest with Turkish management of the company. That letter can be found <a href="/sites/default/files/migration/icem/0903.Turkey.p&amp;g.pdf">here</a>. 
 
On the day of the manifestation, managers revised upward their wage offer, but not significantly. They also told leaders of T&uuml;mka-İş they were content to allow paper products once marketed from the Gebze plant to originate from expanded Procter &amp; Gamble operations in Poland. 

<img height="132" alt="" src="" width="180" />
Gebze Manifestation, 26 February
A prior two-year labour agreement expired on 31 August 2008. 
 
The wage revision proposal 11 days ago saw the company move its offer from no increase to 2% for the first six months, followed by three increases, separated in six-month segments, of two-thirds the rate of Turkish inflation. The union is seeking an 8% increase for the first six months, and revised its proposal for the remaining three periods to match Turkey&rsquo;s inflation rate. 
 
T&uuml;mka-İş General President Kemal Yilmaz and Erg&uuml;n Tavşanoğlu, a union Executive Committee member who is the central T&uuml;mka-İş leader at the Procter &amp; Gamble plant, expressed gratitude to the family of ICEM trade unions in the Paper and Packaging sector who extended their support at the outset of the strike.

Little Progress Made to Resolve Two-Week Procter &amp; Gamble Strike in Turkey

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
French trade unions confirmed in late February that they will issue a call for a day of mobilization on Thursday, 19 March, &ldquo;resulting in strikes and demonstrations throughout the country.&rdquo; The joint statement was made by members of the Inter-Eight group at CFTC headquarters. 
 
The CFDT, FO, CFTC, CFE-CGC, CGT, FSU, Solidaires, and UNSA continue to show their trade union unity, building on the one-day general strike of 19 January 
 
Although the 19 January action did lead to some changes to government legislation, such as establishing a social investment fund, ICEM&rsquo;s French affiliates regard the measures as too fragmentary to change the course of economic policy in these trying times. 
 
French President Nicolas Sarkozy refused to increase the minimum wage, to change his policy on public sector employment, and refused to return taxes on overtime pay. Other factors in organizing the 19 March strike are continued job cuts, further trends toward partial unemployment, and heavy reductions in workers&rsquo; purchasing power, all of which amplify the current economic recession for French workers. 

<img height="136" alt="" src="" width="140" />
Several workers&rsquo; protests began last week. French workers from two Grenoble area factories of US-based Caterpillar protested in the French Alpine city and then marched in Paris over announced plant closure. Rubber workers at a Continental tyre factory north of Paris also protested due to a threatened closure. 
 
And in Lyon on 3 March, 40 workers of auto-parts firm Preciturn began a 30-hour sit-in at the offices of a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Scotland. The highly debt-laden subsidiary, an accounting firm, had abandoned its contract with Preciturn, leaving unpaid bills and an inability to meet salaries. 
 
In extending its joint declaration of 5 January, the eight trade unions listed their targeted goals as: &ldquo;Upholding public and private employment; Fighting against job insecurity and social and economic deregulation; Calling for compensation policies that maintain the purchasing power of wage earners, the unemployed and pensioners; and Defending the collective framework of solidarity and social protection.&rdquo; 
 
The social protests which began last week are expected to gain momentum between now and 19 March, with calls for mobilization among employees in the education sector, doctors and hospital staff, as well as police. According to a 2 March opinion poll, 58% of company executives support the manifestation of 19 March. Workers at Air France have already confirmed that they will take part in the strike. 
 
The group of eight unions will meet again 20 March 2009.

French Unions Call Workers Out on Strike 19 March

Archive

ICEM Letter to South Korean Government On Arest of Lee Suk-haeng

Pakistan'da İşçiler Petrol ile Gazın Özelleştirilmesine Karşı Birleşiyor

Güney Afrika'da Taşeron İşçiliği Maden Sektöründe Kaygı Verici Bir Büyüme Gösteriyor

Kimya Sektöründe İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Konusunda SAICM Konferansı – 14-16 Nisan

ICEM Iraklı Sendikacılara Verilen Cezaları Protesto Ediyor

SAICM Conference on Health, Safety in Chemical Sector – 14-16 April

Serbian Union Preserves Wage Payments for Kosovo Electric Workers

Miners’ Strike Looms in Poland at Europe’s Biggest Coal Company

Little Progress Made to Resolve Two-Week Procter & Gamble Strike in Turkey

French Unions Call Workers Out on Strike 19 March

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