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FYROM: The IMF-affiliated SMER -- Trade Union of Metal &amp; Energy Workers and Miners -- of the Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia has said that it will step up pressure on the government over difficulties metalworkers are facing there. Some 5,000 metalworkers are expected to lose their jobs by the end of this year due to the expected closure of at least three metalworking factories. 
As a result of the upheaval in Kosovo this spring, and the fact that most of the country's metalworking industry deals in one way or other with factories in Yugoslavia, many companies have been forced to drastically reduce or stop production altogether this year. In addition, on-going demands by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund with regard to industrial restructuring are also adding to increased plant closures. 
As communications with the government are practically non-existent, the union has begun protest actions to wage its demands. If the factories are indeed shut down, the union is demanding that debts be settled before closure. Social insurance has not been paid in many cases for between 1 to 5 years, salaries have not been paid for 6-9 months, and SMER is insisting that social security and pension payments be guaranteed.

Expected plant closures may result in thousands of metalworkers losing their livelihood.

Macedonian union organises&lt;br&gt;protest actions

TURKEY: Birlesik Metal-Is (BMI) has sent the IMF an update of the plight of their membership since the August 17 earthquake. The tremor, which hit in particular the region of Marmara, the industrial heartland of northwestern Turkey, is now said to have caused almost 40,000 fatalities and enormous destruction of property. 
Within the BMI alone, the union has so far listed 14 deaths among their members, 236 have lost immediate relatives, and many of their homes were either destroyed or rendered uninhabitable so serious was the damage. 
In order to meet immediate needs, the union has started a support campaign for affected members and their relatives, including education for their children and provision of temporary shelters for those who are still homeless. In this framework, all their members are donating one day's pay from their monthly wages. 
As the IMF already requested shortly after the disaster struck, it would urge its affiliates to do their maximum in supporting humanitarian aid organisations for relief help.

IMF affiliates hard-hit by this summer's terrible earthquake.

Relief aid for Turkey

USA: With the tentative agreement reached this past weekend at Ford Motor Co., the United Auto Workers will have concluded its contract negotiations with the "Big Three" U.S. automakers. The settlement thus averts a costly strike with Ford's 101,000 UAW workers. 
Though details of the tentative new four-year agreement are being withheld until ratification meetings have taken place, it is thought that the settlement carries most of the major items of the contracts negotiated earlier with the other two major automakers, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler. Amongst these are: 3% annual wage rises, a one-time signing bonus of US$1,350, cost-of-living payment with adjustment for inflation, and improved pension benefits. 
A sticking point with the Ford negotiations was over the possible spin-off by the company of its parts unit Visteon Automotive Systems, which employs 23,500 UAW workers. It is believed that the new pact includes UAW backing for the potential spin-off in exchange for job and benefits guarantees. Current UAW employees at Visteon would remain Ford employees for life, with the option to return to a Ford plant, and new Visteon employees would have a contract patterned on Ford's.

The UAW and Ford agree on pact and compromise on Visteon spin-off.

Big Three auto talks&lt;br&gt;wrapped up

GENEVA: In Europe, most of the governments are left-wing and supposedly trade-union-friendly. In the USA, the Democrats have been in power for the last seven years, very much thanks to the support they received from trade unions when Americans cast their votes.
So the power is there, writes Marcello Malentacchi. 
"We have the power. At least we think we have it. Are we making any use of it? In my opinion, no. At least not in the best manner for the people we represent." 
Read the entire column under Debate on this page. And make your own contribution.

Has power made left-wing parties conservative? Read IMF General Secretary Marcello Malentacchi's column under Debate on this website.

We have the power but are not using it

Traditionally we are used to saying that trade unions and labour parties are two branches of the same tree. Indeed, we have the same roots and both are born in the same place, e.g. among the poorest and the have-nots. The objectives were the same. We wanted the power to change society for the best of everybody. 
The political party was the instrument to achieve power in order to attain our common goals. 
Where are we now? 
In Europe, most governments are left-wing and supposedly trade union-friendly; in the USA, the Democrats have been in power for the last seven years, very much thanks to the support they received from trade unions when Americans cast their votes. 
So the power is there. We have it. At least we think we have it. 
Are we making any use of it? In my opinion, no. At least not in the best manner for the people we represent. Our policies differ more and more. 
We, the unions, want to eliminate unemployment, and governments say they can only do it by reducing taxes for the rich and giving more benefits to the companies. 
We say that the market economy can only function if there are rules and norms that guarantee a certain number of basic, fundamental rights for everybody everywhere in the world. Governments say the market economy will bring good money and freedom to everybody if there are no restrictions. 
We say that the welfare state is an achievement which we have to defend to make sure that all citizens, regardless of their income, can be covered whenever needed - during retirement or illness or unemployment. 
Governments would leave to companies and so-called market forces to determine everything. We want reduction of working time and better pensions, but the answer we get is more austerity in state budgets. 
Ministers of so-called friendly governments accuse the trade unions of being the bottleneck of modern society. More flexibility, say the companies, supported strongly by economists and party bureaucrats. 
We say modern and better and stronger labour legislation which guarantees an efficient collective bargaining system. All this requires a much better relationship between the two branches. 
How is it possible that two branches develop so differently? It is not just the fault of one, of course. Maybe we have allowed parties to look too much at power as a goal in itself, rather than as an important instrument in our struggle for a better society. 
Has power made the left conservative? 
There is no doubt that when the left is in government we defend ourselves and never put the finger right on the problems, as we used to do when we were in opposition. 
The injustices of modern society are still quite present and affect our members and their families just as much now as in the past. We think we have already solved the problems just because workers are better off now than 50 or 100 years ago. But we should not fool ourselves. 
Those unemployed, those in need of social assistance, those living in the poor suburbs of mega-cities, those interrupting their schooling too early, those not covered by social insurance, etc. etc. - these are our sons and daughters coming from the working class. 
For them, we need to continue to fight together. We cannot afford to continue growing from the same roots to different heights.

The supposedly trade union-friendly governments are not using power in the best manner for the people they represent.



Has power made the left conservative?

GERMANY: One of the highlights of the metalworkers' congress, in Hamburg, was the keynote speech given by Klaus Zwickel. With a strong mandate of 87% of the votes, the newly re-elected president of IG Metall made an analysis of the state of the union and set its major goals for the four-year period up to the next congress. A chief priority, which has already put him on a collision course with the SPD government, was the need to lower the retirement age to 60 as a means to fight youth unemployment. This and all forms of shortening working time would allow possibly 3 million workers to leave the workforce, opening up job possibilities for the young. Their collective bargaining system had to be reformed as well as the organisation of the union, in order to make it a more effective pressure group. Another vital need for IG Metall was to increase its international activities and cooperation, in Europe and worldwide, so that the trade union movement would strengthen its role as a major player in globalisation. 
After warmly receiving German President Johannes Rau earlier in the week, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, on arrival at the Hamburg congress hall, was greeted with boos and whistles by the delegates due to the open conflict between union and government over the severe austerity programme and the question of lowering the retirement age. Schröder stressed there was no alternative and he needed continued support by the union for his "Alliance for Jobs" tripartite forum. With the enormous debt inherited from the previous Kohl government, radical savings had to be made, and he pointed out that numerous trade union demands had been realised in the year since he came to power. Schröder appealed to IG Metall, on the basis of values common to both the SPD and union, for their critical solidarity with government policy. Even though Schröder did receive a firm round of applause after his 40-minute speech, the majority of IG Metall delegates insisted on a tough union position. 
Among many policy decisions, one of the most significant at the congress concerned equal rights for women in the organisation. With a two-thirds majority, a paragraph has been introduced into IG Metall Rules obliging all bodies of the union to have women members in a number corresponding to their share of the membership. 
The congress, which opened on October 3, ends on October 9.

Delegates are addressed by the leaders of their union and by the leaders of the German state.

IG Metall congress&lt;br&gt;in full swing

GERMANY: The opening of the IG Metall Congress, taking place in Hamburg this week, was totally devoted to an international theme, with a huge poster dominating the stage which said, in English, "We are the world." 
Throughout the ceremony, the mood was very upbeat, emphasising brotherhood, solidarity and peace. A continuous projection showed scenes of terror, hunger, protest marches against images of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Yitzhak Rabin shaking hands with Yasser Arafat. 
Thus the mood was set for the Congress' main theme of human and trade union rights. Jürgen Peters, IG Metall vice-president, made a long and important reference to the Social Clause and the necessity to build up strong international unions. 
Seven speakers, each from a different country and with different experiences, spoke on solidarity. Mun Sung-hyun, the Korean Metal Workers' Union president, who was only released from prison this past August 15, made a strong presentation and appeal to continue support for the trade unions in South Korea. 
Martha Ojada, representing the Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras, described her experiences with the Mexican authorities and the official trade unions, which are doing their utmost to destroy the emergence of independent, democratic unions. 
From India, Kailash Sathyarthi, representing the SACCS, a coalition against child labour, made an excellent presentation of the work they are doing. Together with him was a 13-year-old boy who has been working and exploited since the age of 3. This was so moving that the three thousand people in the hall were in tears, including an experienced journalist who was animating the programme. 
Guests heard Milan Nicolic, the president of the new metalworkers' union in Serbia, Nezavisnost, who spoke of the necessity of bringing down Milosevic and his regime. He was followed by Hassan Abazi, president of the Kosovo metalworkers' union SPMK. Apart from what both said of the difficulties being encountered to rebuild the whole country, they also asked for assistance to rebuild their unions. 
John Gomomo, an MP in South Africa and former president of the Volkswagen shopstewards in Uitenhagen and president of COSATU, talked about the work the IMF carried out in his country during apartheid and that the final victory was only possible because of their united efforts.

IG Metall Congress gets off to a vibrant start.

&quot;We are the world&quot;

USA: The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration Metalworking Fluid Standards Advisory Committee has recommended that the previously accepted limit for exposure to metalworking fluids (MWF) be reduced to one-tenth of its current level, or 0.5 mg/M³. This reflects the growing concern over the increased incidence of asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, other respiratory disorders and dermatitis resulting from what used to be considered relatively low levels of exposure to MWF. 
The Committee also recognised that "there are other health conditions, including cancer, related to metalworking fluid exposure for which the evidence is still evolving." 
For further information on MWF, access the website of the United Autoworkers-UAW (see associated link), or the websites of the following: 
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on www.cdc.gov/niosh/98-102.html 
- Organisation Resource Counsellors on www.aware-services.com/entry.htm

OSHA will cut standard for metalworking fluid exposure by 90%.

Growing concern&lt;br&gt;over health effects

PAKISTAN: Amid ever-growing threats of a mass movement by opposition parties in Pakistan, the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has passed an ordinance which declares as "terrorist acts" the creation of any "internal disturbance" - or civil commotion - through commencement or continuation of "illegal" strikes, go-slows, or lockouts. 
The Anti-Terrorist (Second Amendment) Ordinance, which was recently promulgated by Pakistan's president, warned that such acts would be tried in a special anti-terrorist court. 
Late in 1998, another decree was passed by the government, suspending trade union rights for the 130,000 employees of the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), even though the ordinance contravened Pakistan's Constitution and ILO Conventions Nos. 87 and 98 - both of which have been ratified by Pakistan. Thus, the 130,000 employees of the state-owned utility, now being run by the country's armed forces, are being denied their right to organise and to bargain collectively. The WAPDA trade union is a major affiliate of the All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions, an IMF member. 
These various measures will obviously have a serious impact on the Pakistani trade union movement.

Pakistan's government steps up pressure to ward off opposition.

Strikes declared &quot;terrorist acts&quot;

CHINA, REP: Following the devastating earthquake which hit Taiwan on September 21, the International Metalworkers' Federation and the Japan Council of Metalworkers' Unions -- IMF-JC wrote to the IMF Republic of China Committee to express everyone's deep concern and sympathy with the people of Taiwan. 
IMF General Secretary Marcello Malentacchi, speaking on behalf of 22 million metalworkers worldwide, asked that his message be conveyed in particular to the members of the IMF-ROCC and their families, saying that "we wish the people affected by the earthquake every strength and courage to face the worst disaster in 100 years." 
Though it seems, so far, that the damage has been fairly limited with regard to the IMF-ROCC's membership, there is a fear that this will increase as overall damage is ascertained. The IMF-ROCC has referred in particular to the collapse of a factory at the Zeng Hsing Industrial Company, Ltd, in Taiping City, Taichung hsien. 
The initial earthquake measured 7.6 on the Richter scale, and three of the thousands of aftershocks were measured at 6.8. More than 2,000 people were killed, some 8,570 injured, hundreds are missing and approximately 100,000 left homeless. Most of the earthquake damage occurred in the central provinces of the country. 
Analysts expect little long-term impact on the island's economy as most of the country's industrial base remains undamaged.

The IMF-Republic of China Committee has written to thank all for their concern.

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