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GLOBAL: On the third day of the IMF World Congress, delegates debated and adopted section 3.4 and section 3.5, thereby adopting the IMF Action Programme 2009-2013 in its entirety unanimously.Speaking in support of section 3.4 Build a counterweight to the power of transnational corporations Bernardo Rangel Sergio (SITIMM, Mexico) said, &quot;We need a global policy to counter the power of TNCs with increased cooperation between unions to ensure greater equity.&quot;Bob King (UAW, USA) pledged his personal commitment and urged others to join him in engaging and involving members in direct action in the fight to build union power.Valter Sanches (CNM-CUT, Brazil) introduced section 3.5 Fight for sustainable trade, development and employment and argued that while countries have the right to protect themselves during this time of crisis, indiscriminate protectionism was not the answer.Wolfgang Rhode (IG Metall, Germany) supported section 3.5 and the work of the IMF on this topic and stated that, &quot;For weaker countries we need exceptions, developing countries need enough room to develop.&quot;Upon adoption of these two sections, the IMF World Congress thereby unanimously adopted an action programme focused on building strong national unions, strengthening collective bargaining, defending workers' rights, building a counterweight to the power of transnational corporations and fighting for sustainable trade, development and employment.As first introduced by Julius Roe (AMWU, Australia), the chair person of the Action Programme Committee, during the Congress on the second day, &quot;the things that unite us are much greater than the things that divide us. This is an action program which can lead to more effective solidarity, better rights for workers, growing union power and a real challenge to neo-liberalism.&quot;

Building strong national unions, strengthening collective bargaining, defending workers' rights, building a counterweight to the power of transnational corporations and fighting for sustainable trade, development and employment will be at the heart of IMF's work over the next four years.

&quot;A real challenge to neo-liberalism&quot;

GLOBAL: Delegates urged real implementation and unity of action during debate of the IMF Action Programme today.Sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 were all unanimously endorsed by the IMF World Congress, but not without strong debate.&quot;Solidarity is not just a word,&quot; said Horacio Fuentes (CONSTRAMET, Chile) speaking on section 3.1, Build Strong National Unions. The need for regional approaches was emphasized by IMF-JC President Koichira Nishihara, and Alexei Etmanov from ITUA in Russia where attacks on unions are an increasing challenge. &quot;Without collective bargaining, there would be no union,&quot; said Antonino Regazzi (FLM, Italy) for section 3.2 Bargain CollectivelyIMF affiliates were called on to share their experience in national collective bargaining by delegate Aparecido Sérgio Nobre from CNM-CUT in Brazil, where workers from different regions are paid radically different wages. USW delegate, Carol Landry emphasized inequality in wages and working conditions for women, who are bearing the brunt of the global economic crisis. Delegates reported that the crisis is worsening trade union rights abuses in Russia, Belarus, Chile, Columbia and elsewhere during debate for section 3.3, Defend and protect workers' rights.John Vinesh Mudaliar (NUFCW, Fiji) summed up debate for section 3.3 and the day: &quot;We come from many parts of the world, but we have one common task, and that is to fight for the workers.&quot;

Affiliates debate IMF Action Programme 2009-2013 in day two of IMF World Congress.

Solidarity is not just a word

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INDIA: More than 1300 workers went on indefinite strike on April 20 after management at Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL), located in Chennai, India, refused to negotiate contract demands with the Hyundai Motor India Employees&#039; Union (HMIEU). The company has taken a firm position that it will not negotiate with HMIEU, the sole registered union at the plant, and instead is pressing to enter into agreement with a company-appointed Works Committee. Workers downed tools after three rounds of mediation by the Deputy Labour Commissioner (DLC), during which HMIL expressed its refusal to negotiate with the union, failed to bring results. Hyundai Motor India, which employees some 3000 precarious workers, has a history of rights abuses in the plant. The company recently terminated the contracts of some 600 workers, some who had worked at the plant for almost 4 years, just prior to them receiving permanent status. Since July 2007, in response to the formation of the HMIEU, trade union leaders, members and supporters have suffered from dismissals, suspensions and transfers and workers have faced management&#039;s widespread use of threats, harassment and intimidation for joining a union. Currently 65 workers have been fired for their union activities and 34 more are in the process of being dismissed. Approximately 1200 permanent workers, out of a total of 1500 permanent employees, and a large number of precarious workers are supporting the strike.Among the charter of demands, workers are calling for:<ul><li>Union recognition and a collective bargaining agreement;</li><li>Equal treatment of all workers; </li><li>Reinstatement of all precarious workers fired as a result of the company&#039;s response to the economic crisis or those fired in an effort to deny them permanent status;</li><li>Reinstatement of union members and officers unfairly fired, transferred or suspended and the withdrawal of all charges pending against them.</li></ul>In March 2009, the International Hyundai-Kia Workers&#039; Network meeting hosted by the International Metalworkers&#039; Federation and the Korean Metal Workers&#039; Union passed a resolution in support of HMIEU efforts and calling for an end to violations of trade union rights at HMIL. To see resolution text, <a href="../main/files/09042709334884/Hyundai%20Kia%20Network%20Resolution%20MARCH%202009.pdf">click here</a>.

Workers at Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) have entered the fourth day of strike action in protest of gross trade union rights violations and the company's refusal to enter collective bargaining with the union.

Hyundai-Kia Network meeting resolution

Indian autoworkers strike Hyundai

Welcome to the IMF, the International Metalworkers&#039; Federation. Our organisation represents the collective interests of 25 million metalworkers in more than 200 unions in 100 countries. The IMF is a federation of national unions - a union of unions - in the metal industry at world level. The IMF head office is in Geneva, Switzerland, where worldwide activities are coordinated with a network of regional offices. &#160;

About The IMF

GLOBAL: IBM Workers made redundant as a result of offshoring can now apply for jobs in the country the work has shifted to - but with the reduced wage and conditions of the low-cost nation. According to online reports, the Project Match program offers laid-off US and Canadian workers the opportunity to move to nations like India, Brazil and China to work on local terms and conditions.Employees who accepted the offer would need to work away from their home country on proportionally much lower wages, and would probably struggle to save enough to come home, according to Alliance@IBM, an organisation of the IMF - US affiliate CWA. &quot;If this trend spread to other sectors or industries it would even further undermine workers&#039; ability to maintain wages and conditions,&quot; said the IMF&#039;s director for the ICT industry, Robert Steiert. &quot;Jobs should always be retained in the nation where they were first located instead of being sacrificed for the sake of company profit.&quot;Project Match and other offshoring issues will be discussed at a joint meeting between the IMF and global union federation UNI later this year.

Reports that IBM will allow laid-off workers to apply for jobs that have been shifted to lower-cost countries are deeply concerning.

Computer giant pushes limits with new offshoring trend

The IMF has affiliates in 100 countries. Click on any country below to learn about affiliated organisations.

IMF Affiliates

In 1957, the IMF opened an office in Tokyo for the Japanese metalworkers' unions. In 1960 the IMF opened its Latin America office, now in Montevideo, Uruguay.In 1966, the first meeting of the World Company Councils for the automobile industry was held in Detroit, USA. Today, Company Council meetings are held as the need arises. In 1969, the first IMF regional office opened in New Delhi, India. In 1982, two white South African affiliates were expelled. The IMF was fully committed to supporting the new independent trade unions in South Africa. This support was strengthened with the opening of a new IMF office in Johannesburg in 1984. In 1991, the IMF Central Committee decided to admit trade unions from Central and Eastern Europe as affiliates. In 1993, a 100-point Action Programme was adopted at the IMF Centenary Congress in Zurich, Switzerland. In 1998 the IMF opened a regional office for Southeast Asia in Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaIn 2001, the 30th IMF Congress was held in Sydney, Australia. A new Action Programme for 2002-2005 was adopted. In 2002, the IMF signed its first International Framework Agreement in the auto industry with Volkswagen. In 2005, the IMF Congress adopted changes to the IMF Rules, increasing the participation of women in IMF structures, and updating the Action Programme. In 2002-2003, the IMF and its affiliates successfully campaigned for the release of imprisoned Korean trade unionists.In 2006, the IMF launched an international solidarity campaign in support of the Mexican miners' union.

Milestones in IMF history

The International Metalworkers&#039; Federation is one of the largest and oldest Global Union Federations. The IMF was created in August 1893 when thirty members from metalworkers unions in eight countries met in a small hotel in Zurich with the aim of creating an International Bureau, thus founding the IMF. These early members laid the foundations for international cooperation between all metalworkers&#039; unions of the world.<h3>Organising workers</h3>Data collected by the Bureau at the time showed that social and economic conditions for metalworkers were extremely difficult. Working hours in Europe ranged from 11.5 to 15 hours a day and wages were very low. Only a small number of metalworkers were organised and the structure of unions at the national level was highly fragmented.From the beginning, solidarity between unions extended further than simply exchanging information and was focused on offering mutual support:<ul><li>Within the first three years, British metalworkers contributed 1,000 marks to the Solingen cutlery-makers out on a protracted strike.  </li><li>Swiss metalworkers contributed 100 Swiss francs to moulders engaged in a harsh struggle in Nuremberg. </li><li>German metalworkers later reciprocated in 1897 when British engineering workers were fighting for the eight-hour day and foundry workers in Denmark demanding higher wages were locked out. </li><li>Everywhere, especially in Germany, funds were raised, establishing a tradition of international solidarity that has significantly strengthened metalworkers&#039; unions to this day.</li></ul><h3>Eight hours work, leisure and sleep</h3>The early 1900&#039;s were characterised by rapid economic growth in international trade and investments. Metalworkers understood the important strategic role that the IMF could play in protecting human and trade union rights. In 1893 the first Congress wrote:<blockquote>&quot;Our endeavour must be to fulfil the slogan of the May Day celebrations: eight hours&#039; work, eight hours&#039; leisure, eight hours&#039; sleep.&quot;</blockquote> In 1904, the different unions, which now included representatives from 11 countries, decided to create the International Metalworkers&#039; Federation (IMF). <h3>The goals of the Federation have always been to:</h3><ul><li>encourage metalworkers&#039; organisations to co-operate on trade union matters; </li><li>support unionisation efforts in countries where trade unions are weak; and </li><li>establish guidelines for effectively implementing solidarity actions during labour disputes.</li></ul>

A tradition of solidarity

The International Metalworkers' Federation boasts more than 200 affiliated unions in 100 countries and represents the interests of 25 million metalworkers worldwide.<h3>Congress</h3>Our key decision-making body is Congress, which meets once every four years and agrees to an <a href="index.cfm?n=673">action programme</a> which sets out the long-term aims and goals of our work. All affiliates have the right to send delegates to Congress.Congress also determines the <a href="../index.cfm?c=20018&amp;ol=2">Rules</a> of the organisation, indicating how the IMF is run.<h3>Committees</h3>The Central Committee meets once every two years and is responsible for all decisions made between Congresses.The Congress elects the President and the General Secretary of the IMF and the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee consists of 25 members, including at least six women, and meets twice a year. All regions in the world are represented in the ExComm.The Finance Committee consists of six members from the Executive Committee, plus the IMF President, Vice President and General Secretary. This Committee makes recommendations about financial planning and examines the IMF annual budget.The Secretariat carries out the decisions made by Congress and the Central Committee. It is managed by the General Secretary. The <a href="index.cfm?n=630">IMF headquarters</a> is located in Geneva, Switzerland, where the activities of the organisation are coordinated through a network of <a href="index.cfm?n=631">regional offices</a>.IMF activities are primarily financed by affiliation fees from its member organisations.

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