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Global worker No1 2022

Global worker No2 2022

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CHINA: Lakshmi Mittal, owner of the steel giant ArcelorMittal, used the annual conference of the World Steel Association held on October 12 in Beijing, to praise trade unions for the part they had played in helping the company adapt to the recent global economic crisis.  Mr Mittal took the opportunity to thank steel employees, customers, shareholders and governments for the &quot;flexibility and patience they have shown in enabling us to find solutions to surmount the crisis&quot;. Adding, &quot;In particular the unions: who have realized the importance of flexibility to help chart a way through these difficult waters.&quot;&quot;This difficult year has served to demonstrate that the steel industry is now able to absorb some very large shocks. The situation would no doubt have been considerably worse had the industry not significantly restructured over the past decade,&quot; Mr Mittal said.IMF general secretary Jyrki Raina met with Mr Mittal and General Management Board members of the company in September to discuss areas of strategic concern for steelworkers, such as climate change, trade policy and sustainability.  Raina commented that, &quot;It does not surprise me that the unions have been recognised in this way, the same could be said by many companies it's just that Mr Mittal is bold enough to say it, that's what sets this company apart.&quot; In June 2008, IMF and ArcelorMittal signed a global agreement to improve health and standards throughout the company. Since then a joint company and union global committee on health and safety meets regularly to find ways for improvement at all sites around the world. The IMF is also continuing to negotiate with the company to look at expanding the agreement into an international framework agreement.

Lakshmi Mittal, owner of ArcelorMittal, praises flexible role of unions in responding to the global financial crisis.

ArcelorMittal: Unions praised by industrialist

I Serbien kommer det IMF-anslutna Metallarbetareförbundet Nezavisnost att genomföra flera verksamheter, som de följande:•·        Tillsammans med kolleger i Makedonien kommer vi att anordna ett gemensamt seminarium om otryggt arbete. Det skall äga rum i Ohrid i Makedonien.•·        Den 3-10 oktober kommer det att anordnas temasessioner i våra regionkontor i hela Serbien. Ämnet är &quot;Otryggt arbete och stress på grund av det&quot;.•·        Distribution av material om arbetstagare i företag som sysselsätter tillsvidareanställda, och om ungdomskooperativen.

SERBIEN

&#160;In der Ukraine planen die IMB-Mitgliedsorganisationen die Verteilung von Broschüren. Zudem werden sie die Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer über die Bedrohung durch prekäre Beschäftigung informieren.

UKRAINE

&#160;I Ukraina planerar IMF-förbund flygbladsutdelningar och information till arbetstagare om det hot som otryggt arbete innebär.

UKRAINA

Representatives of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine, and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), the International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF), and the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) reported to the Labour Minister that contract and agency labour and precarious forms of employment have been exploding around the world, bringing with it two categories of workers: one with good secure jobs and another category of workers faced with short term jobs, low wages, no social protection and a loss of rights. At a press conference in Istanbul today, Manfred Warda, ICEM General Secretary, said,  &quot;Globally, the massive shift away from regular employment into temporary work or jobs through agencies and labour brokers is having a deep impact on all workers, their families, and on society. Erosion of the employee-employer relationship, often the basis of labour law, is leading directly to a growing number of violations of workers' rights.&quot;&quot;There is a connection between international 'policy changes', those inspired by the international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which have encouraged work flexibility and brought with it a lowering of work conditions at national levels,&quot; added Warda. &quot;Such changes reflect clear employer strategies to weaken collective bargaining through part-time and agency work, and the ICEM will resist this in every way possible.&quot;Guy Ryder, ITUC General Secretary, reiterated today a message delivered by the global unions to the G-20 Summit last week, stating &quot;The expansion of precarious forms of work and deregulation of the labour market are not the answer to the employment crisis - in fact, the insecurity of working people over recent decades was a significant contributor to the recession. It is no coincidence that precarious work and fragile financial markets have both been developing in recent decades.&quot;&quot;The  way forward must be based on sustainable, not precarious development - a sustainable economy where the financial sector is at the service of the real economy. We need social justice and environmental sustainability to reverse the damage done to our planet in a way that provides good, steady and secure jobs,&quot; added Ryder.Neil Kearney, ITGLWF General Secreatry said, &quot;Agency hires and temporary contracts destroy job security and undermine all other rights and promote gross exploitation of both the temporary worker and the permanent employee working alongside them.&quot;&quot;In Turkey, ITGLWF affiliate Teksif is locked in battle with Edirne Giyim where workers employed on an agency type arrangement with inferior wages and conditions are being used to reduce and eventually eliminate a permanent workforce of long standing. Union resistance to the worsening conditions has resulted in mass firings of union members,&quot; Kearney added.&quot;Elsewhere in Turkey, ITGLWF affiliates are in daily conflict with textile, clothing and leather industry employers using every means, including sub-contracting, undeclared labour and short-term contracts to prevent unionisation and the protection of workers' rights. Government action is urgently needed to restore worker protection against this onslaught,&quot; demanded Kearney.Jyrki Raina, IMF General Secretary, said &quot;Permanent jobs are being eroded by an increasing reliance by employers on labour hire via employment agencies. In some plants we are now finding that more than fifty per cent of the workforce are agency workers.&quot;&quot;The financial crisis has delivered a further blow to precarious workers. Hundreds of thousands of them have been the first to lose their jobs, because dismissing workers with no rights to severance pay or notice periods is a cheap and easy way for employers to reduce their workforces.  The crisis has had significant and far reaching impacts on employment,&quot; he added.&quot;Here in Turkey, IMF affiliate Birlesik Metal Is has been supporting 350 workers who were dismissed last year by Sinter Metal for exercising their right to join a trade union.  The company alleges that the dismissals were a necessary response to the financial crisis, but the evidence shows that this is no more than a weak excuse to dismiss union members and prevent workers from protecting their jobs,&quot; he said.Over the next week, metal worker unions around the world will be mobilizing against precarious work and will be joining with other national and sector unions around the globe in a World Day for Decent Work on Wednesday 7 October.The ICEM will focus World Day for Decent Work activities on its Contract and Agency Labour campaign in Thailand and Turkey.&quot;A sustainable recovery will not be built on precarious and substandard jobs. That's why around the world today, unions and their members are united in their demand for secure jobs and equal rights for all workers, &quot; said Jyrki Raina.The ITUC represents 170 million workers in 157 countries and territories and has 312 national affiliates; the ICEM represents 467 trade unions in 132 countries; . the ITGLWF is the global voice for 217 trade unions in 110 countries; and the IMF covers over 200 trade unions in 100 countries.More information about the World Day for Decent Work can be found here: <a href="http://www.wddw.org/">http://www.wddw.org/</a>More information on the IMF campaign against precarious work can be found here: <a href="../index.cfm?n=696&amp;l=2">http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?n=696&amp;l=2</a>More information on the ICEM contract and agency labour campaign can be found here: <a href="http://cal.icem.org/">http://cal.icem.org/</a> More information on the dispute at Sinter Metal can be found here: <a href="../index.cfm?n=692&amp;l=2">http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?n=692&amp;l=2</a>

Four days before the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund officials meet with the Turkish Government, Global Unions met with Turkey's Minister for Labour, and lent their support to President Abdullah Gül's veto of a bill giving "Private Labour Offices" broad rights to place temporary workers in enterprises and warned of the dangers that precarious employment poses for society.

Say no to more rights for &quot;Private Labour Offices&quot; in Turkey

KAZAKHSTAN:  Late in the evening of September 22, Ainur Kurmanov, a well known workers' rights activist and organizer,  was viciously attacked by unknown thugs at the entrance to his home in the capital city, Almaty. He is in a hospital now, suffering from concussion and head wounds. He is badly bruised from head to toe and has a broken finger.Judging from the nature of Ainur's wounds, a heavy instrument was used against him, possibly a metal bar. He was attacked from behind, without warning, and although left with little chance of defending himself, he still managed to resist the attack and return to his flat before receiving urgently needed medical treatment.Ainur is in a hospital now. His wounds have been bandaged and stitched and he has received medical treatment.Recently, Ainur has conducted important campaigning work in defence of workers at the Almatinskii Wagon Factory and also at the Almatinskii Heavy Engineering Plant (AZTM). With Ainur's active assistance, workers at these plants went on strike and participated in protest meetings and other activities. As a result, hundreds of jobs were saved at the wagon factory and the plant was rescued from bankruptcy and collapse.Factory bosses are attempting to prevent similar worker actions from being repeated at the AZTM plant, where the struggle to save jobs has just begun.The International Metalworkers' Federation is calling on trade unions and social organizations to protest these assaults against workers' rights activists and demand the immediate arrest of those guilty for this attack and for the perpetrators of the assault to be exposed. Addresses for protest letters:General Prosecutor of Kazakhstan Kairat Mami 010000, Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana, Seifullina str., 37 t/f +7172 71 25 79  email: gp-rk@prosecutor.kzProsecutor of Almaty Amirkhan Estaev 050059, Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, Zheltoksan str., 189 t/f +7327 250 4225, 250 4242  email: ekr-76@mail.ruAdministration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev Head of the Administration of the President Musin Aslan Espulaevich &quot;Akorda&quot; building, Left bank of the Ishim River, Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan t/f +77 17 74 41 68, +77 17 24 33 08, +77 17 74 40 86, +77 17 74 56 31Address solidarity letters to:   <a href="mailto:socialism.rk@gmail.com">socialism.rk@gmail.com</a>Please send copies to the IMF at: <a href="mailto:info@imfmetal.org">info@imfmetal.org</a>

Ainur Kurmanov, a prominent workers' rights activist, was viciously attacked and hospitalized.

Go to LabourStart campaign now

Prominent workers&#039; rights activist attacked in Kazakhstan

&#160;Il  7 ottobre si terranno una riunione a livello aziendale e diversi picchettaggi in luoghi pubblici. Grazie all'iniziativa delle affiliate della FISM, la FNPR (la più grossa centrale nazionale russa) ha aggiunto slogan Contro il Lavoro Precario agli slogan già elaborati per la Campagna globale a favore del lavoro dignitoso. I media saranno invitati a ritrasmettere sul convegno sindacale russo. L'Ufficio regionale della FISM, insieme a FSI, VKT, Scuola di democrazia partecipativa e Centro dei Diritti sociali e del lavoro, ha istituito un comitato incaricato di organizzare una Conferenza CSI sul lavoro precario e sui modi di contrastarlo, alla fine di novembre.

RUSSIA

&#160;Den 7 oktober kommer det att anordnas möten på företagen och plakatdemonstrationer på allmänna platser. Tack vare IMF-förbundens initiativ har Rysslands största fackliga huvudorganisation FNPR lagt till paroller om otryggt arbete i uppsättningen som används i den globala kampanjen för anständigt arbete. Massmedia kommer att bjudas in till och uppmanas att sända från den ryska fackliga manifestationen. IMFs regionkontor har tillsammans med IUL, den ryska huvudorganisationen VKT, Skolan för arbetardemokrati och Centret för sociala rättigheter och arbetarrättigheter bildat en kommitté som skall organisera en konferens för OSS-länderna om otryggt arbete och om erfarenheter av att bekämpa det. Den skall äga rum i slutet av november.

RYSSLAND

&#160;Nell'ambito delle attività allestite per la Giornata mondiale sul lavoro dignitoso, il CNM/CUT, parteciperà, assieme ad altri sindacati e centrali sindacali, alla Marcia dei lavoratori a Brasilia il 7 ottobre.Le rivendicazioni della Marcia dei lavoratori saranno:•·   Riduzione dell'orario di lavoro senza riduzione delle remunerazioni;•·   Salario minimo;•·   Convenzioni OIL 151 e 158;•·   Approvazione della PEC 438 contro il lavoro forzato;•·   Abolizione immediata del PL 4302/98 e PL 4330/04 sul subappalto.

BRASILE

THAILAND: International trade union federations lend their support to the Thai labour movement's campaign to protect precarious workers and their demands for the ratification of fundamental International Labour Oraganisation (ILO) conventions numbers 87 and 98, on Freedom of Association and the Right to Organise and the Right to Collective Bargaining. Thousands of workers will gather outside the United Nations Building on Ratchadamnoen Road from 10:00am to attend the big open air seminar on ILO Conventions 87 and 98 in front of the UN Building where the ILO office is also located.The workers then will march to Government House in Bangkok at noon on October 7 demanding the abolition of temporary, casual contract and other form of non-regular employment and calling for the ratification of the core ILO conventions to protect workers' rights in Thailand.Representatives of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine, and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) and the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) attended the rally in support of the Thai unions' action, which coincides with the World Day for Decent Work and a week of global mobilisation against precarious work.  Fernando Lopes, Assistant General Secretary of the IMF, will speak at the rally. Lopes states, &quot;across Thailand and around the world regular employment is systematically being replaced by precarious employment and this situation not only affects workers but also trade union membership. With low wages, lack of social security and tenure of employment these workers are the most exploited.&quot;&quot;Around the world today, unions are taking the fight to governments, calling on them to ensure equal rights for precarious workers and to strengthen legislation to prevent employers from using precarious employment in place of permanent and direct employment,&quot; added Lopes.&quot;The economic crisis has made this demand all the more urgent, not only because precarious jobs have been the first to be lost, but because there is a real risk that employers will use the crisis as a justification to replace permanent jobs with precarious jobs. We support our affiliate the Confederation of Thai Electrical Appliances, Electronic Automobile &amp; Metalworkers (TEAM) in their demands on government to protect workers and ensure that employers can't treat them as a disposable commodity,&quot; he argued.For the ICEM, ICEM Thai Union Affiliates' Committee Chairman Rawai Pupaga, the President of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation Labour Union (GPOLU), said, &quot;For decades, the labour movement has urged the Thai government to ratify these Conventions, but prior governments have neglected the labour demands.&quot;&quot;Non-ratification of these important Conventions has resulted in barriers and obstructions to workers who want to form trade unions and pursue collective bargaining. Now is the time for the Thai government to prove that we have a democratic country, because Conventions 87 and 98 give basic and democratic rights inside the workplace.&quot;Added ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, &quot;It is important that the Thai government lead by starting the process toward ratification of these ILO core labour standards. It is also important that the government create and maintain a healthy, sustainable economy by promoting temporary and agency work into permanent, full-time employment opportunities.&quot;Besides GPOLU, Warda commended other Thai labour federations affiliated to the ICEM that are taking action in Bangkok tomorrow on World Day for Decent Work. They include the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand Labour Union (EGATLU); the Petroleum and Chemical Workers' Federation (PCFT); the Paper and Printing Workers' Federation (PPFT); and the Chemical Workers' Union Alliance (CWUA).In addition to ICEM and IMF, the rally is supported by the International Textile, Garment, and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF), the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF), Public Services International (PSI), International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), the Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI), State Enterprise Relations Confederation (SERC), Thai Labour Solidarity Committee (TLSC), and all the national trade union congresses in Thailand.The action is being organized by TEAM, ICEM Thai Committee, Thai Labour Solidarity Committee and the State Enterprise Relations Confederation.

Global Union Federations support Thai workers in their demands for permanent jobs first and raitfication of ILO Conventions 87 and 98.

Global unions supporting Thai workers&#039; October 7 actions

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