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A massive methane gas explosion in a coal mine in the West Sumatra province of Indonesia, 560 miles northwest of capital Jakarta, killed 31 mineworkers earlier in June. Shafts inside the mine, in Suwahlunto district, collapsed on Tuesday 16 June, following the explosion. 
 
The mine, owned by a local company without union representation, was unregulated by either the central Jakarta government or provincial authorities. 
 
The Sarana Arang Sejati mine has had a history of safety problems. A similar explosion happened in 2007, killing three workers and leading to public calls for the mine to be closed. Instead, the PT Dasrat mine was given a license to mine in December 2008, and then the local enterprise outsourced mining work to the same operator who had previously operated the pit. 

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Miners were left unprotected with the absence of modern safety measures, and were using traditional methods to mine the coal, including explosives. The ICEM contacted both its mining union affiliates in the country, and urged them to push for ratification of ILO Convention 176, the Safety and Health in Mines Convention. 
 
The ICEM also called on the ILO to convene a tripartite meeting in Indonesia as soon as possible on the Convention. 
 
Indonesia is the Asia-Pacific&rsquo;s second largest coal exporter behind Australia, with a projected output this year of 230 million tones. It is the region&rsquo;s largest exporter of thermal. It is estimated that there are some 77,000 illegal mines in Indonesia, employing 465,000 workers. The informal mining sector exploits ten times the number of miners than that of the formal sector.

Colliery Deaths in Indonesia Reinforces Call for Ratification of ILO 176

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ICEM&rsquo;s 14 Turkish affiliates have launched into an organising campaign called &ldquo;Organising and Social Dialogue,&rdquo; which is being undertaken as a project with support from Dutch national labour centre FNV and its international solidarity arm, FNV Mondiaal. ICEM and its affiliate on The Netherlands, FNV Bondgenoten, are coordinating the effort. 
 
Approved by the ICEM Turkish Coordinating Committee in November 2008, the project started with an initial conference on 15-16 June in Ankara. Attended by more than 100 union officials, representatives, and experts, the conference examined different tools and instruments with a view to facilitate recruitment drives within unions. The conference also heard the experiences in other countries regarding organising and social dialogue. 

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FNV Bondgenoten President Henk Van der Kolk
At the opening session Henk Van der Kolk, President of FNV Bondgenoten, gave special attention to the importance of international cooperation for trade union success. &ldquo;Trade unions all over the world are losing their strength,&rdquo; he said. 
 
&ldquo;It is no longer a natural thing to join a trade union when you start work. A social Europe, a social world, cannot exist without respect for fundamental human and workers&rsquo; rights, as stated in ILO conventions,&rdquo; added Van der Kolk. &ldquo;The right to freedom of association and the right to bargain collectively on job conditions are basic. The right to a living wage, safe work, and social protections are also basic.&rdquo; 
 
Thanking FNV and Dutch trade unions with active involvement of the Turkish unions, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda underlined the significance of international work in new member recruitment. &ldquo;There are several examples, and one only needs to look within Turkey,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The case of Novamed and the global support received by the courageous women of this company in the Antalya free trade zone is an excellent example. We need to build on such cases, and grow the labour movement both in Turkey and globally,&rdquo; Warda said. 
 
The mechanisms of the ILO, tools provided under the Guidelines of Multinational Companies of the OECD and the UN&rsquo;s Global Compact, and performance standards of the World Bank&rsquo;s International Finance Corporation were discussed. Also, the notion of trade union networks among multinational companies and Global Framework Agreements were also discussed. 
 
The conference also saw active participation from trade union delegates from the Asia/Pacific Region, and from Germany, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Denmark, and the US. All shared their experiences on organising and social dialogue with leaders from the Turkish unions. 
 
At the final session on 16 June, a panel composed of Turkish union representatives made an evaluation on the Turkish situation that was in line with the presentations and discussions during the two-day conference. 
 
Following this initial conference in Turkey&rsquo;s capital city of Ankara, the FNV Mondiaal project will continue with regional seminars with local union officers and shop-floor representatives. A first seminar will occur in the city of Izmit on 8-9 October, while a second one is scheduled for Izmir on 5-6 November. 
For the programme and presentations, please click <a href="/index.php?id=22&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=3292">here</a>.

Dutch FNV Supporting Organising, Social Dialogue Project with ICEM in Turkey

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One of the ICEM&rsquo;s long-standing mining union affiliates, T&uuml;rkiye Maden-İş, lost its president last week, and the entire family of ICEM mourns his passing. Ekrem Fedai had been valiantly fighting lung cancer for some time, but the disease claimed his life on 26 June. He was 58. 

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Ekrem Fedai
Brother Fedai was a substitute member of the ICEM Executive Committee. He started his trade union career in the state-owned lignite company in the city of Tavşanli, and in 1986 was first elected as regional secretary-treasurer of the union in that city. He won election as regional chairman in 1996, and then was elected to the post of Secretary of Collective Bargaining and Legal Affairs for Maden-İş at union headquarters in Ankara. At an extraordinary congress in 2008, he was unanimously elected President of Maden-İş. 
 
In a letter to Maden-İş Vice President Murat Bekem today, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, &ldquo;We know his many contributions to your union and his many achievements across Turkey on behalf of miners.&rdquo; The ICEM extends its condolences to Ekrem Fedai&rsquo;s family and to all the union members of T&uuml;rkiye Maden-İş.

ICEM Mourns Death of Turkish Mines Leader, Maden-İş President Ekrem Fedai

The ICEM calls serious attention to activities on Friday, 26 June, as Day of Action against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the repressive and tyrannical means it uses to suppress the people of Iran. Specifically, ICEM stands with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Global Union Federations (GUFs), and Amnesty International in denouncing the illegal arrests of trade union leaders and others in Iran. 
 
As witnessed by the regime&rsquo;s conduct before and after the sham 12 June elections, global pressure must be steadfast against Iran&rsquo;s ruling zealots who commit untold human rights violations. The ICEM stands with the International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF), the International Union of Food and Agricultural Workers (IUF), and Education International (EI), as they call for this Day of Action together with the ITUC and Amnesty International. 
 
These GUFs have worked tirelessly to end trade union rights abuses in specific cases in Iran. More details on 26 June Day of Action, and on specific cases can be found at <a href="http://www.justiceforiranianworkers.org">www.justiceforiranianworkers.org</a>.
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In brief, the ITF champions the cases of Mansour Osanloo and Ebrahim Madadi, leaders of the Syndicate of Workers&rsquo; of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, who are serving unjust jail terms. The IUF has sharply criticised the one-year jail terms of five union leaders and forced dissolution of their union, Haft Tapeh Sugar Workers&rsquo; Union, and EI has taken up the case of Farzad Kamangar, who was handed a death sentence last year. 
 
He is a leader of the banned Iranian Teachers&rsquo; Trade Association, an affiliate of EI, and has been convicted of &ldquo;endangering national security&rdquo; for his advocacy of teachers&rsquo; unions. The 26 June Day of Action also is aimed at freeing four activists who remain locked up from a 1 May manifestation at Laleh Park in Tehran. There, secret police violently attacked peaceful workers celebrating May Day, arresting between 100 and 150. 
 
Demonstrations tomorrow (26 June) will occur at Iranian embassies and missions include Belgium, France, Netherlands, Switzerland Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Nigeria, the UK, and in several other countries. The ICEM encourages trade unionists and others to take part. 
 
&ldquo;ICEM is in full support and will assist in every effort to free trade unionists and others who have been locked up because they dared to exercise free speech or free association in Iran,&rdquo; said General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;This brutal regime cannot be allowed immunity in its continuing escalation of human rights violations.&rdquo;

26 June: Day of Action Against Iran

ICEM Women’s Bulletin No. 33

Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, today, the Presidium of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine, and General Workers&rsquo; Unions (ICEM) gave its full support to a week-old boycott of Petro-Canada products in the North American country. The action by the governing board of the 20-million-member Global Union Federation is in support of 260 oil-refinery workers, members of Local 175 of Communications, Energy, Paperworkers (CEP) Union, who have been locked-out at a Petro-Canada refinery in Montr&eacute;al, Qu&eacute;bec, since 17 November 2007. 
 
In Montr&eacute;al on 28 October, the CEP, the Canadian Labour Congress, and the F&eacute;d&eacute;ration des travailleurs du Qu&eacute;bec, the major labour union federation in that province, announced a national boycott of all petroleum products produced by Petro-Canada. 

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&ldquo;We want people throughout the world to know that this once patriotic and state-owned oil company has turned on workers in its own country,&rdquo; stated ICEM President Senzeni Zokwana, also the President of the National Union of Mineworkers in South Africa. &ldquo;ICEM leaders will now return to their respective countries and tell workforces about this unjust lockout. We will also inform those travelling to Canada on the boycott, and urge them to refrain from purchasing anything with the name Petro-Canada.&rdquo; 
 
The energy company, which was fully privatised in 2004 by the government of Canada, locked out union members at the 130,000 barrels-per-day Montr&eacute;al refinery when they refused to accept work terms and conditions significantly inferior to those contained in the CEP&rsquo;s National Energy and Chemical Bargaining Pattern Agreement. Ironically, that collective bargaining pattern was set by Petro-Canada and CEP at an oil refinery in Edmonton, Alberta, earlier in 2007. 
 
The ICEM resolution endorsing the boycott states that the company has jeopardized the safety and community well-being of residents of Point-aux-Trembles, an east-end Montr&eacute;al residential area, by attempting to operate the refinery at reduced output using managers and outside replacement workers. Petro-Canada has been cited by a provincial labour court for violated Qu&eacute;bec&rsquo;s laws by using such workers. 

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ICEM Presidium members were vocal in their condemnation of Petro-Canada, as well as their support for the workers. 
 
&ldquo;Our union members have been aware of this lockout since November 2007,&rdquo; said Phil McNulty, National Officer for the Energy Sector of Unite the Union. &ldquo;Now we learn of the national boycott in Canada. Unite the Union will assure that all our members in the United Kingdom and Ireland are aware of this boycott, and we will encourage them to spread the message to honour it.&rdquo; 
 
Said ICEM Latin American/Caribbean Vice President Sergio Novais, a trade union leader in Brazil&rsquo;s National Federation of Chemical Workers (CNQ-CUT), added, &ldquo;The message we will deliver at home is that CEP members in Montr&eacute;al are standing strong and united after one year&rsquo;s time. We will communicate to our chemical workers across the country &ndash; and to Petrobras workers &ndash; that all of Canada is behind a boycott of Petro-Canada. We support that and encourage all Canadians to respect this call.&rdquo; 
 
The Geneva-based ICEM consists of 467 trade unions in 132 countries, and is the voice of oil, gas, and energy workers in both the upstream and downstream sectors.

ICEM Endorses North American Boycott of Petro-Canada Products

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ICEM Asya-Pasifik B&ouml;lgesi'nin &Ccedil;alışan Kadınlar Grubu 26 Ekim g&uuml;n&uuml; Endonezya'nın Cakarta kentinde toplanarak analığın korunması konusundaki &ccedil;alışmalarını s&uuml;rd&uuml;rd&uuml;. &Ccedil;alışma 2007 D&uuml;nya Kadın Konferansı'nda saptanan yedi konu &ccedil;er&ccedil;evesinde bir yıldır s&uuml;r&uuml;yor. 
 
Toplantıya Endonezya, Japonya, Hindistan, Tayland, Malezya ve Avustralya'daki ICEM &uuml;yesi &ouml;rg&uuml;tlerden kadınlar katıldı. Kadınlar maden, &ccedil;imento, kimya, cam, ila&ccedil; ve elektrik enerjisi gibi farklı işkollarından geliyorlardı. 
 
Gebe ve yeni anne olan kadınlar d&uuml;nyanın &ccedil;oğu &uuml;lkesinde h&acirc;l&acirc; ayırımcılığa uğruyorlar. K&uuml;resel mali kriz s&ouml;z konusu ayırımcılığı daha da keskinleştiriyor. 
 
Kadınların analığın korunmasına ya da analık haklarına duydukları ihtiya&ccedil; Asya-Pasifik B&ouml;lgesi'nde b&uuml;y&uuml;k farklılıklar g&ouml;steriyor. S&ouml;zgelimi Japonya ve Avustralya'da toplumların yaşlanması ve vasıflı işg&uuml;c&uuml; a&ccedil;ığından &ouml;t&uuml;r&uuml;, karar organlarındaki y&ouml;neticiler, &ccedil;&ouml;z&uuml;m&uuml;n kadınları doğurmaya teşvik etmekten ge&ccedil;tiğinin farkına varıyorlar. Başka &uuml;lkelerde ise kadınların hakları taşeronlaşma nedeniyle tehdit altında. 
B&ouml;lgedeki hi&ccedil;bir &uuml;lkenin onaylamamış olduğu Analığın Korunmasıyla Ilgili 183 nolu ILO S&ouml;zleşmesi'nin onaylanması i&ccedil;in kampanya d&uuml;zenlenmesi kararlaştırıldı. Bununla birlikte, bir&ccedil;ok sendika toplu s&ouml;zleşmeyle analığın korunmasını bir &ouml;l&ccedil;&uuml;de sağlamış bulunuyor. Bu &ccedil;abaların s&uuml;rmesi ve g&uuml;&ccedil;lendirilmesi gerekiyor.

ICEM&#039;in Asya-Pasifik Çalışan Kadın Grubu Analığın Korunması Çalışmalarını Sürdürüyor

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Asya-Pasifik Goodyear Lastik ve Kau&ccedil;uk İş&ccedil;ileri Ağı'nın d&ouml;rd&uuml;nc&uuml; b&ouml;lge toplantısı beş Asya &uuml;lkesinden 20 delegenin katılımıyla 28 Ekim g&uuml;n&uuml; Endonezya'nın Cakarta kentinde yapıldı. Ağın &ouml;nceki toplantıları 2005'te Manila'da (Filipinler), 2002'de Singapur'da ve 2000'de Kuala Lumpur'da (Malezya) yapılmıştı. 
 
Japon sendikasının başkanı Toshiaki Hojo toplantıda yaptığı konuşmada şunları vurguladı: &ldquo;B&ouml;lge ağımızın &ccedil;alışmalarının 2000'den bu yana s&uuml;r&uuml;yor olması, katılan sendikaların uluslararası dayanışma ve işbirliğine bağlılığını g&ouml;steriyor. Bu bizleri gelecek adına umutlandırıyor. &Ccedil;alışmalarımızın ICEM'in Goodyear K&uuml;resel Sendika Ağı'na paralel y&uuml;r&uuml;mesi &ccedil;ok &ouml;nemli.&rdquo; 
Hojo şirketin Asya-Pasifik Ağı'nın iş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliği konularında başarılı bir &ccedil;alışma y&uuml;r&uuml;tt&uuml;ğ&uuml;n&uuml; ekleyerek bu alanda daha fazla şey yapma s&ouml;z&uuml; verdi. 
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Toshiaki Hojo, GOMU-RENGO
Delegeler Goodyear K&uuml;resel ve Asya-Pasifik B&ouml;lge ağlarının ge&ccedil;miş faaliyetlerini değerlendirdiler. Toplantıya 25 &uuml;lkedeki 60 fabrikada 70.000 iş&ccedil;iyi istihdam eden Goodyear'ın mali durumu ve &ccedil;alışma ilişkileri konusunda ayrıntılı bir rapor sunuldu. Delegeler &ccedil;alışma toplantısında işyerlerindeki &uuml;cretler, &ccedil;alışma saatleri ve toplu s&ouml;zleşmelerle ilgili somut sayısal bilgiler verdiler. 
 
İş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliği konusunun ele alındığı oturumda ise ICEM Kimya ve Kau&ccedil;uk Sorumlusu Kemal &Ouml;zkan ge&ccedil;mişten bug&uuml;ne kadar olan gelişmeyi &ouml;zetledi. Daha sonra, iş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliğiyle ilgili somut sorunlar ele alındı ve bilgi alışverişinin &ouml;nemi vurgulandı. ICEM'in &ouml;zellikle sıcaklık limitleri ve g&uuml;venlik g&ouml;zl&uuml;kleriyle ilgili k&uuml;resel standartlar konusunda bilgi vermesi istendi. 
 
ICEM'in 2009 Kau&ccedil;uk İşkolu D&uuml;nya Konferansı ve gelecek yıl yapılacak diğer işkolu konferanslarının g&ouml;r&uuml;ş&uuml;lmesinden sonra, toplantıda kabul edilen eylem planı &ccedil;er&ccedil;evesinde, ortak &ouml;rg&uuml;tlenme &ccedil;alışmalarının artırılması, eğitim programlarına ağırlık verilmesi, elektronik ortamda d&uuml;zenli ve ayrıntılı bilgi alışverişi yapılması kararlaştırıldı. 
B&ouml;lge ağı toplantısında, ayrıca, şirketin haksız olarak işten &ccedil;ıkardığı Taylandlı ve Malezyalı arkadaşlarımızın işe iadesine y&ouml;nelik eylemin s&uuml;rd&uuml;r&uuml;lmesi konusunda &ouml;zel bir &ccedil;ağrı kabul edildi.

Asya-Pasifik Goodyear Kauçuk İşçileri Ağı&#039;nın Cakarta&#039;daki Dördüncü Toplantısı Sonuçlandı

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In this issue, we call on ICEM affiliates to get involved in activities on World AIDS Day which occurs on 1 December. We report on the engagement of women of ICEM German affiliate of the German IGBCE in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the situation of women in Asia, and the fight of women in Nepal for better HIV/AIDS services. 

 
The ICEM Calls on its Affiliates to Contribute to this e-bulletin 
 
ICEM affiliates are already engaged in a wide range of HIV/AIDS activities. To spread the information on new agreements, awareness, and prevention campaigns, and educational activities, affiliates and project coordinators are invited to send news and information to <a href="mailto:hiv.aids@icem.org">hiv.aids@icem.org</a>. Any feedback on the format and contents of the e-bulletin is also welcome. 
 
Editor: Hans J Schwass, ICEM Global HIV/AIDS Coordinator 
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World AIDS Day 2008, 1 December &ndash; Get Ready! 
 
The ICEM calls on its affiliates to take the lead in campaigning on World AIDS Day, 1 December 
 
The first of December marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. There is no time to celebrate. Since 1988, efforts made to respond to the epidemic have produced positive results, however the latest UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic (see e-bulletin 35/36, August/September <a href="/en/72-HIV-AIDS/2745-ICEM-HIV-AIDS-e-bulletin">here</a>) indicates that the epidemic is not yet over in any part of the world. 
 
Together with its partners, the World AIDS Campaign set this year&rsquo;s theme for World AIDS Day as &ldquo;Lead &ndash; Empower &ndash; Deliver,&rdquo; building on last year&rsquo;s theme of &ldquo;Take the Lead.&rdquo; Designating leadership as the overall theme for 2007 &ndash; 2008 provides an opportunity to highlight the political leadership needed to fulfil commitments &ndash; particularly the promise of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support by 2010. 
 
Unions can demonstrate leadership at every level &ndash; in the workplace, in their own governing bodies, in women&rsquo;s committees, in health and safety committees, in negotiations with companies, in the community and at the national policy level. 
 
Any union member, shop steward, union official, committee member, gender representative who takes action on HIV/AIDS is a leader in the fight against the deadly disease. 
 
(Source: UNAIDS press release, 27 October) 
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IGBCE Women&rsquo;s Conference 
 
The Women&rsquo;s Conference of the ICEM affiliate IGBCE (mining, chemicals, and energy) in Germany made a strong commitment to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS. 
 
Meeting in Hanover in early October, funds were collected at the conference for an HIV/AIDS project in Tanzania in partnership with ICEM affiliates TUICO and TAMICO, and the ICEM HIV/AIDS project. In numerous discussions with delegates, ICEM Women&rsquo;s Officer Carol Bruce and HIV/AIDS Coordinator Hans J Schwass explained the project in Tanzania which focuses on women and their stronger involvement in HIV/AIDS work, training as counsellors and advocacy for voluntary counselling and testing. 
 
Delegates will continue the appeal in their regional and local structures to raise the funds necessary to sustain the project in 2009 and 2010. 
 

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Global Fund Launches Round 9 
 
(For more details, see the ICEM HIV/AIDS special e-bulletin in October <a href="-Global-Fund-Calls-for-Round-9-Proposals">here</a>) 
 
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria launched Round 9 on 1 October, just seven months after the launch of Round 8. The proposal form and guidelines for Round 9 are substantially unchanged from Round 8. They are available in six languages at <a href="http://www.theglobalfund.org">www.theglobalfund.org</a>. 
 
Applicants must submit their Round 9 proposals by 21 January 2009. All proposals submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by the Global Fund Secretariat to ensure that they meet the Fund&rsquo;s eligibility criteria. Those that do meet the criteria will then be sent to the Technical Review Panel. The Global Fund Board will decide which proposals to approve at its meeting on 7-8 May 2009. 
 
In light of the fact that the Round 9 application form and procedures have hardly changed since Round 8, Aidspan has not updated its guides for applications which are accessible at <a href="http://www.aidspan.org/guides ">http://www.aidspan.org/guides </a>in English, French and Spanish. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer, GFO, Issue 96, 24 October 2008. The GFO is a free service of Aidspan <a href="http://www.aidspan.org">www.aidspan.org</a>, a Kenya-based NGO that serves as an independent watchdog of the Global Fund. To receive the GFO send an email to <a href="mailto:receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org">receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org</a>)
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Caribbean Needs to Increase Efforts against HIV/AIDS 
 
Increased efforts are needed to bolster HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment and education in the Caribbean, Karen Sealy, head of the UNAIDS Caribbean office, said recently. &ldquo;High-risk groups include commercial sex workers and men who have sex with men. An increase in HIV/AIDS cases is also being recorded among drug users,&rdquo; said Sealy, adding, &quot;We know that the spread of HIV in the Caribbean is in fact being fuelled by serious gaps in gender equality.&quot; 
 
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning said that &quot;one of the true successes&quot; of the country's efforts to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS is the decrease in mother-to-child transmissions because of the no-cost antiretroviral drugs provided to all pregnant women who receive treatment at government clinics. Manning said that many of the people living with HIV/AIDS in Trinidad and Tobago are able to live &quot;a high quality of life&quot; because of the country's health care program but added that more work needs to be done to address the spread of HIV. 
 
The Caribbean has the second highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate worldwide, after sub-Saharan Africa. UNAIDS figures show that an estimated 230,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in the region and that 14,000 AIDS-related deaths were recorded last year. 
 
(Source: Medical News Today, 27 October, reprinted with kind permission from <a href="http://www.kaisernetwork.org">www.kaisernetwork.org</a>) 
 

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Assessment Missions to Botswana and Namibia 
 
In the last year of the project cycle, the ICEM conducts an internal assessment of the impact of the HIV/AIDS project at national level. In September, Project Management Assistant Paule Ndessomin went to Botswana and Namibia and met with national coordinators, peer educators trained by the programme and national NGOs. Visits of mining sites completed the mission. 
 
Overall the project had a very positive impact in both countries. Awareness has increased considerably. In Botswana, most large companies organised by ICEM affiliates such as Botswana Power Corporation, Botswana Copper and Nickel (BCL), and diamond miner Debswana have HIV/AIDS workplace policies. Affiliates have cooperated with BONELA, an NGO that deals with issues of ethics, legislation, and advocacy in the field of HIV/AIDS. 
 
Employment legislation stipulates that every employee who enters into a contract of employment shall be examined by a medical officer. As this section in the Employment Act stands, it may include pre-employment HIV testing. The Public Service Code, however, prohibits such testing. Another inhibiting factor is the fact that living on the proceeds of commercial sex is illegal thus making it difficult for sex workers to have access to medical care. 
 
In Namibia, ICEM&rsquo;s only affiliate, the Mineworkers&rsquo; Union of Namibia (MUN), has been engaged in HIV/AIDS activities for some time. Large mines such as R&ouml;ssing Uranium, which is two-thirds owned by mining giant Rio Tinto, have workplace policies in place and provide treatment and care. More recently, MUN has also been involved with the country&rsquo;s employer group, the Chamber of Mines. The Chamber&rsquo;s Occupational Health Education and Awareness Programme (OHEAP) is currently being evaluated in cooperation with the Labour Resource and Research Institute. 
 

<img height="57" alt="" src="" width="40" />
Women need empowerment in fight against AIDS 
 
Women must be more involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS and men must also be encouraged to respect women more. Nafis Sadik, U.N. special envoy for HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region, told a poverty alleviation conference in Beijing that lack of respect for women was helping drive the spread of the virus. 
 
&quot;Gender-based violence and discrimination on grounds of gender drive the HIV and AIDS epidemic among women. Empowerment of women - equipping them with self-esteem, the knowledge, and the ability to protect themselves &hellip; will be of critical importance in winning the battle,&quot; Sadik said. 
 
&quot;Women suffer doubly. First, from HIV and AIDS itself, and secondly from the stigma associated with the disease. Women are routinely blamed for infecting their husbands, though it is almost always the men who infect their wives,&quot; she said. 
 
In Asia, at least 75 million men regularly buy sex from about ten million female sex workers, she added. &quot;The results of male behaviour can be seen in changing patterns of infection. Today, about one-third of all people living with HIV in China are women, compared with one in ten in 1995,&quot; Sadik said. 
 
(Source: Reuters, 17 October) 
 

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HIV-positive Women in Nepal Call for Greater Assistance 
 
Nepal's HIV/AIDS policies and programs have failed to address the problems of women living with HIV/AIDS in the country, stated HIV-positive women of Shakti Milan Samaj, a social organisation working on behalf of women living with HIV/AIDS. 
 
The women also called on the government to guarantee access to no-cost treatment, care, resettlement, social security and jobs, as well as a special programme to help them maintain a living. They added that the government &quot;should make arrangements for free education to our children and announce legal action against all violence against us regarding it as a crime against the state.&quot; 
 
The women said that although the country has received significant funding for efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, the government still does not address the issues they face. Women in the country are vulnerable to HIV because of cultural and economic factors, as well as domestic violence. 
 
(Source: News Medical Net, 5 October with permission from <a href="http://kaisernetwork.org">kaisernetwork.org</a>) 
 

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How Obama and McCain Differed on HIV/AIDS 
 
With Barack Obama winning the US presidential election, it might be useful to look back to see how he and opponent John McCain compared on HIV/AIDS policy. For starters, they both fully support President Bush&rsquo;s PEPFAR programme, the President&rsquo;s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which was re-authorised with increased funding. 
 
While this is focused on the epidemic overseas, activists have criticised neglect of the US domestic epidemic. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 5% of the people living in Washington, DC, have the infection. That is a rate two-and-a-half times higher than in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world. 
 
Barack Obama calls for a more effective AIDS policy and says that studies have shown that the incidence of HIV and AIDS may have been undercounted. Obama&rsquo;s plan begins with his promise to sign universal health care legislation by the end of his first term as president. He wants to prevent HIV through sex education and by promoting HIV testing. The cornerstone of Obama&rsquo;s plan calls for a national HIV/AIDS strategy involving all federal agencies. 
 
While John McCain also called for a domestic plan, his main prescription to prevent HIV is abstinence programmes. For those with pre-existing conditions such as AIDS, he campaigned on a plan to establish &ldquo;guaranteed access plans&rdquo; for affordable insurance. His prescription for rising drug costs was to create greater competition among drug companies. The centrepiece of a McCain campaign blueprint is a US$2,500 tax credit for individuals to purchase health coverage of their choice. 
 
(Source: CBS News, from 14 October) 
 

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New Vigour in Fighting the Epidemic in South Africa 
 
AIDS organisations and activists welcomed the nomination of Barbara Hogan as new health minister of South Africa. Unlike her predecessor, Hogan has made it clear that the HI-Virus causes AIDS and that the only way to treat it is with anti-retroviral drugs. Hogan announced better access to such drugs and an expansion of the programme to fight mother to child transmission. 
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ICMM Launches Guide on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria 
 
The International Council on Mining and Metal (ICMM) launched its new guide, &ldquo;Good Practice Guidance on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria,&rdquo; in London on 15 October. Among the panellists was ICEM HIV/AIDS Coordinator Hans J Schwass who welcomed the initiative of the ICMM to publish this guide but criticised that very little reference is made to organised labour or workers&rsquo; organisations or unions as potential partners in the fight against the diseases. Schwass said, &ldquo;There is no reason not to collaborate on life and death issues with organisations with which companies are at times in dispute over pay and working conditions, especially when these organisations can add value to HIV/AIDS interventions. Of course, to cooperate with trade unions, means recognising them in the first place.&rdquo; 
 
The guide provides a systematic framework and practical advice on the management of the three diseases that will enable mining and metal operations worldwide to address key challenges, both among workers and neighbouring communities. 
 
The guide can be accessed at the ICMM website <a href="http://www.icmm.com">www.icmm.com</a>. 
<img height="57" alt="" src="" width="40" />
News from the Global Union Programme and Global Unions 
 
The Global Union AIDS Programme is planning a series of coordinating and capacity building workshops in sub-Saharan Africa, and is coordinating the union input in the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (ICASA), as well as the Global Fund Partnership Forum, both in Dakar, Senegal, in December. 
 
In its latest Newsletter on Education for All and HIV &amp; AIDS Prevention at Schools (EFAIDS) of 2 October, Education International reports on the launch of its programme in Nepal. It also addresses World AIDS Day. The EI EFAIDS programme has prepared an activity kit which teachers around the world can use to share knowledge and encourage discussion on HIV/AIDS issues in the campaign for World AIDS Day &ldquo;One Hour on AIDS&rdquo; &ndash; <a href="http://www.ei-ie.org/efaids">www.ei-ie.org/efaids</a>.

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin No. 37 November 2008

1. ICEM Women&rsquo;s Committee Holds Meeting in Geneva 
 
ICEM Women&rsquo;s Committee met on 19 June 2008, in Geneva, and appealed to the federation&rsquo;s leadership to return to the usual practice of holding the committee meetings prior to Presidium and Executive Committee meetings. Since it was the first meeting of the Congress period, the women introduced themselves at length. Some of the highlights from the introductions were the following: given that there are not many women leaders in Japanese trade unions, there is a desire to train women leaders there. In Thailand, unions have been mobilizing in recent months against the high food prices. Four men were present at the meeting. 
 
Sister Hashmeya Muhssin, President of the Iraqi General Union of Electricity Workers&rsquo; and Technicians, reported on the situation in Iraq. Iraq not only suffers from the occupation of foreign forces, but also from intervention from neighboring countries. Things are getting worse. Many armaments are entering the country. Most services are blocked &ndash; there is no electricity, no drains, and no petrol, mainly due to the lack of security. Women have been killed. 
 
The police claim that they are killed because they are not dressed properly. Women have crimes committee against them. Women sit home, unemployed, because of the dangerous security situation. The situation for women has regressed. They must shake themselves and rise up. Women in unions are trying to develop a women&rsquo;s role, often together with NGOs. Despite the difficulties, some women are active. Nevertheless, the lack of security and isolation means that not all women can be reached. The women in the dockworkers&rsquo; union and the oil workers&rsquo; unions need support. 
 
Women once played a key role in the economy. When men went off to war, the women managed the economy. At one point, 75% of the workforce was women. Women make up 65% of the population in Iraq. Bur unemployment among women is about 60%. There are many women workers, but few women are in trade unions. Unions are prohibited from existing in the public sector. 
 
Trade unions are starting out new, so people have no experience. Young people are working as volunteers. People make mistakes but they are willing to learn. Three women organized a conference, which was covered by the press, to fight against Decree 150, the Saddam-era decree prohibiting unions in the public sector. The Iraqi government implements laws that are imposed by other countries. 
 
Angeline Chitambo, President of Zimbabwe Electricity Workers&rsquo; Union and a Vice President of the ICEM, reported on the crisis in Zimbabwe. Women make up 52% of the population. Women are especially faced with food shortages. Most of the people in rural areas are women, because that is where food sources are supposed to be. But violence has been unleashed in the rural areas, and women have been tortured. Food supplies are now scarce. Farms do not produce enough. 
 
There is a shortage of transport; transport to hospitals, due to the fuel shortage, is non-existent. HIV/AIDS drugs are unavailable. Women resort to prostitution to make ends meet. There is no sanitary protection available to women in general, and only those with money have access to it. 
 
The government uses thugs, and everything functions on the basis of bribes. Women used to support the government, but now they want change. Women&rsquo;s organizations and coalitions are organizing to mobilise women to vote. Recommendations were made to ICEM for practical support. ICEM published an Action Alert on the Zimbabwe situation on 20 June, and the points contained were sent out in an ICEM Circular. 
 
A brief report was given on the situation of women in Colombia on the basis of the visit to Colombia by ICEM leadership in March 2008. A peace march was attended on 6 March. On 8 March, ICEM Colombia held a seminar to commemorate International Women&rsquo;s Day. Colombian women examined their history and reflected on how their lives were different from their mothers&rsquo; and grandmothers&rsquo; lives. An NGO of women was visited and the issue of armed conflict was discussed. Special consideration must be given to women in indigenous communities and how they are affected by the oil industry. El Cerrej&oacute;n mine provides treatment for HIV/AIDS to indigenous communities near the mine in a model project. 
 
Special thought has to be given to the issue of women, and the effect that armed conflict has on women, both as victims and perpetrators, women as guerrillas or ex-guerrillas. Terrorism means a new challenge. 
 
In connection with the discussion on the seven points from the 19 June ICEM Women&rsquo;s Conference, Baru Khumo, General Secretary of the Botswana Diamond Sorters and Valuators&rsquo; Union, reported on the ICEM Sub-Saharan Africa Region&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s Committee meeting, held in Accra, Ghana, in early June 2008. The meeting covered the seven points adopted by the ICEM Women&rsquo;s Conference of 2007. The three axes of the meeting were Decent Work, gender justice, and HIV/AIDS. 
 
In France, the CFDT has been talking about equality for decades, but inequality persists. A new law determines that equal pay has to exist by 1 January 2010. Negotiations are required. The chemical industry had a recent agreement. There is a legal requirement to have delegations made up of women and men in negotiations to reflect women&rsquo;s real representation in the sector. This would mean 35 to 40% women in delegations. One proposal is to include clauses in Global Framework Agreements to respect equality between women and men. 
 
In Denmark, there is a slight move away from pure equal pay and toward evaluating and appreciating job categories. 
 
A brief report was provided on EMCEF, where the main challenge is to find out why women do not attend meetings. 
 
As far as the point on peace is concerned, in the Asia-Pacific Region, an environment must be created for women to work in peaceful conditions, particularly in Myanmar and Nepal. 
 
In Costa Rica, a women&rsquo;s trade union agenda was drafted with the support of FES. The six axes coincide to a great extent with ICEM&rsquo;s points. Serious problems exist at a refinery due to a crisis situation, which means that gender work has stalled. Nevertheless women are now participating in spaces that before were open only to men. 
 
In Spain, work is proceeding on implementing the equality law. Agreements exist with Michelin and Bridgestone as well as St Gobain and BASF. The law is valid for companies with more than 250 employees. A project to combat violence is soon to be launched together with the Nordic and Baltic countries. 
 
The ICEM&rsquo;s seven points should form part of the Worldwide Day on Decent Work on 7 October. 
 
One further point for debate was gender and sustainable development. The paper provided by ICEM should be amended to form part of a larger study. Gender equality is part and parcel of sustainable development. 
 
Items such as women as consumers and users of energy in the home, the food crisis, biofuels, escalating oil prices, and living wage must be added. Women need to be empowered in order to achieve sustainable development. 
 
Work will continue on Decent Work, sustainable development and the seven points. ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda suggested that the seven points and their implementation should be on the agenda of the ICEM Executive Committee in 2009.
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2. ICEM Sub-Sahara Africa Regional&nbsp;Women Meet 
 
The ICEM&rsquo;s Sub-Sahara Africa Region Women&rsquo;s Committee met from 5 to 7 June in Accra, Ghana, to draft a women&rsquo;s charter for Africa. Women from Ghana, Botswana, Nigeria, Zambia, Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, South Africa, Tanzania, DRC, Zimbabwe, and Guinea attended the meeting. After a brainstorming session, in which women identified all of their objectives, three focuses were identified: Decent Work, gender justice, and HIV/AIDS. These were seen to cover all of the needs that had been expressed. The objectives were matched with target groups and time frames. 
 
Decent Work covers equal pay for equal work, discrimination in recruitment, and maternity protection, as well as women in the informal economy among other things. Gender justice refers to women&rsquo;s structures, work-life balance, gender-sensitive policies, sexual harassment, and violence. Particular points that were discussed related to HIV/AIDS were the cultural values such as polygamy and female genital mutilation which present particular challenges for the spread of HIV. 
 
The solution to all of the above-mentioned issues is women&rsquo;s empowerment. If gender equality is more of a focus in the labour movement, then women&rsquo;s interests will be promoted. One other solution is integrating gender into the mainstream. Gender and cultural dynamics must be scrutinized. 
 
The women&rsquo;s structure will monitor and evaluate the achievements and weaknesses.
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3. ICEM Nepal Works on Women&rsquo;s Health and Maternity Care 
 
A session on women&rsquo;s health and maternity care was organized by ICEM Nepal on 20 to 22 May, in Kathmandu. Dr Sarita Pandey started the program with the question, &ldquo;What is women&rsquo;s health?&rdquo; The distinction was made between health and reproductive health. Adolescent health was one focus with the effects detailed of psychological and physical changes. Apshara Pandey explained the different methods of family planning with the benefits and drawbacks of each. Information was given on pregnancy and abortion as well as laws regarding abortion. The use of different types of contraceptives was explained. 
 
Pemba Lama presented maternity health and maternity care. Prenatal and postnatal care was the focus. The pros and cons of the different types of contraceptives were explained such as norplant, condoms, and copper T. Beli Maya Ghale presented the symptoms and consequences of uterus prolapse as well as the methods to control it. In addition, Janak Chaudhary presented the laws the government has passed for women. All sessions were very interactive.
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4. UN Calls for Greater Efforts to End Sexual Violence in Conflict 
 
On 19 June 2008, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon led a session calling for an end to the scourge of violence against women in conflict areas. A task force will be set up in an effort called the UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict. It will involve various issues, including peacekeeping, HIV/AIDS, and human rights to help stop rape and other sexual crimes in conflict-ridden countries. He also called for more involvement of women in conflict prevention, peace negotiations and recovery efforts. 
 
In addition, women&rsquo;s representatives from different organizations in Africa also met from 16 to 18 June in Nairobi at the FAO Africa conference, where they made a statement on the food crisis. It was felt that improved women&rsquo;s access, control and ownership of land and natural and productive resources would help eradicate hunger and poverty.
<img height="50" alt="" src="" width="40" />
5. United Kingdom: &nbsp;Government Hosts Conference for Trade Union Equality Representatives 
 
The UK Government organized a conference on trade union equality representatives on 24 June. Equality reps are supposed to inform people of their rights at work and, hence, achieve fairness on the job. 
 
Up to now, the government has been funding projects to promote equality reps. Equality reps can assist people facing discrimination and support them in many issues, such as flexible work for parents and those caring for the elderly, disability, age, equal pay, and harassment. They can also negotiate with the employer to assure a fair deal at work and support disabled people to keep them on the job. 
 
Equality reps can raise awareness about rights and keep people at work who otherwise would tend to stop work to care for older or disabled relatives. Child poverty can be combated by negotiating deals for single parents to keep them at work as well. 
 
Equality reps can do the following: promote equality and diversity issues, help employers engage with employees, help carry out equal pay audits, be involved in devising a full range of equality policies, help create a more equitable work-life balance to help workers combine their domestic and work responsibilities, ensure that part-time and other atypical workers receive fair treatment, help employers develop positive action schemes, and help perform access assessments for disabled persons.
<img height="50" alt="" src="" width="40" />
6. United States/Mexico: Women of Steel Express their Solidarity with Mexican Workers 
 
A delegation of 14 women from the United Steelworkers went to the Cananea mine in Sonora, Mexico, to express their solidarity with miners and their families. They have been on strike since 31 July 2007. Most of the women in the delegation were of Hispanic origin. They came from the Southwest of the United States and from California. Their aim was to get the employer and the government to stop the repression against the mineworkers&rsquo; union. They got to know the history of the strike, and saw first hand the conditions that miners&rsquo; families live in.
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7. Western Sahara: National Union of Sahrawi Women Appeals for Support 
 
The Sahrawi women&rsquo;s union was created in 1974 to support the fight for independence and self-determination. The women suffer from the hard desert life, a lack of the minimum needs for subsistence, isolation, the absence of men so that they have to assume family burdens, a low level of education, lack of knowledge of how to care for those suffering from war. 
 
The women try to create awareness at national level about women&rsquo;s position and their role in national independence. They try to make women realize the importance of participating. The women would like to contribute to education on the basis of equality for girls and boys at school. Preventive health care is one more area in which women develop consciousness. 
 
The organisation has close relations with women&rsquo;s organisations in Africa and the Arab world, as well as organizations that work for peace. The women appeal for moral and political support for the Sahrawi people in its fight for self-determination and independence.

ICEM Women&#039;s Bulletin: June 2008

Archive

Colliery Deaths in Indonesia Reinforces Call for Ratification of ILO 176

Dutch FNV Supporting Organising, Social Dialogue Project with ICEM in Turkey

ICEM Mourns Death of Turkish Mines Leader, Maden-İş President Ekrem Fedai

26 June: Day of Action Against Iran

ICEM Women’s Bulletin No. 33

ICEM Endorses North American Boycott of Petro-Canada Products

ICEM'in Asya-Pasifik Çalışan Kadın Grubu Analığın Korunması Çalışmalarını Sürdürüyor

Asya-Pasifik Goodyear Kauçuk İşçileri Ağı'nın Cakarta'daki Dördüncü Toplantısı Sonuçlandı

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin No. 37 November 2008

ICEM Women's Bulletin: June 2008

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