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Global worker No1 2022

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Following coordinated discussions today between the 20-million-member ICEM, and affiliated trade unions Transport &amp; General Workers Union (TGWU) of the UK and F&eacute;d&eacute;ration Force Ouvri&egrave;re (FO) Mat&eacute;riaux, C&eacute;ramique, and Thermique of France, global strategies have been developed related to the economic devastation planned by Imerys to the Cornwall region of the UK. 
 
Meeting in Brussels, home to the ICEM, representatives of the three labour organisations vowed to organise all unions globally which represent workers of the French-based building products company. They will bring attention to the company&rsquo;s adverse labour relations, as well as to their practice of forced redundancies in the face of massive profits. 
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Imerys is targeting some 610 jobs to be made redundant late next year in Cornwall, Devon, Lee Moor and St Austell in the South West of England, cuts that will effectively end generations of family-sustaining industrial jobs in the region. TGWU delegates at the meeting noted that Imerys not only failed to offer economic alternatives to the lost jobs, but also offers little in the way of redundancy packages. 
 
French trade union leaders, at recent European Works Council (EWC) meetings, voiced deep opposition to the UK job cuts, as well as to company redundancies made earlier this year at plants in Lamotte-Beuvron, France, and at Lixhe, near Vis&egrave; in Belgium. Today, they expressed their commitment for the global strategies against Imerys. 
 
FO&rsquo;s Dominique Guelfucci, Federal Secretary for the Materials and Ceramics section, and FO&rsquo;s Serge Gonzales, secretary of Imerys&rsquo; EWC, are ready to make a visit to the Cornwall area to address union members there. 
 
&ldquo;We will assist the Imerys workers of the UK to assure that what they are fighting for becomes a reality,&rdquo; stated Guelfucci. Added Gonzales, &ldquo;We are prepared to illuminate the anti-social attitudes of Imerys. We see clearly that the company&rsquo;s agenda is not with workers and that solidarity is urgently needed.&rdquo; 
 
One immediate strategy resolved at today&rsquo;s meeting is to form a global network of trade unions representing Imerys&rsquo; workers worldwide. 
 
Said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs, &ldquo;We sincerely hope that Imerys absorbs the ever-increasing expressions of solidarity that will now take hold and moves to negotiate an equitable resolution for the workers and the communities in which they live.&rdquo; 
 
Higgs said it is also paramount that Imerys stops its increasing use of contract workers in the Cornwall region in order that permanent jobs are retained. 
 
Higgs added that the mining operations of Imerys and its predecessor, English China Clay, have literally left deep scars on the landscape. &ldquo;If they hope to capitalise on the sale of land for other, non-industrial purposes, it is perfectly logical that Imerys makes commitments to the workers, who otherwise might be made redundant for jobs, on land reclamation projects.&rdquo; 
 
&ldquo;We welcome the initiatives from the meeting today,&rdquo; stated Jennie Formby, TGWU National Secretary. &ldquo;Imerys has failed to negotiate meaningfully with the unions on redundancies. It also has been extremely callous in its regard for the livelihoods of workers, as well as to the communities of the South West as a whole.&rdquo; 
 
Delegates at the meeting also noted Imerys&rsquo; anti-worker attitudes at a USA plant in the state of Alabama as a reason why a global network of unionised workers is necessary. 
 
The ICEM is a Global Union Federation, representing 379 trade unions in 123 countries.

ICEM, UK, French Unions Draw Up Strategies Against Imerys

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Time to Deliver &ndash; XVI International AIDS Conference 
 
The 16th International AIDS Conference was held in Toronto from 14 to 18 August. Over 20,000 scientists, politicians and activists participated in the event. The labour movement was well represented, highlighting the impact of HIV and AIDS on the workplace and outlining the role of workers in fighting the pandemic. 
 
Prior to the Conference, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) organised a two-day labour forum with the support of the ILO. The forum convened union representatives from all over the world who expressed their support for intensifying the involvement of trade unionists and unions and to build strong coalitions with civil society organisations. On the occasion of the labour forum the CLC released a new report &ldquo;Labour Fights AIDS&rdquo; which demonstrates that unions are at the fore in the global fight against AIDS 
 
Apart from its involvement in satellite meetings, skills-building workshops and other activities, the ILO also set up a workplace action centre for advice and information exchange. The main purpose of the centre was to offer practical help in developing policies and setting up programmes related to the workplace. 
 
The ICEM abstract written for the Conference was accepted for a poster exhibition. The ICEM was also invited to speak on &ldquo;The importance of social dialogue and workers&rsquo; participation in public/private partnerships&rdquo; at a Satellite Meeting Session with the theme &ldquo;From the workplace to the community &ndash; Co-investment to access prevention, treatment and care in public/private partnerships&rdquo;. 
 
Several broader trends emerged from the Conference. Although still inadequate, treatment is becoming more available. However, those on antiretrovirals (ARVs) remain infected and require treatment indefinitely. This requires a re-emphasis on prevention. Despite many years of research at huge cost, a vaccine has not yet been found. 
 
Also noted is that prevention techniques away from consent-requiring condom use focus on female protection to empower women to take control. 
 
(Sources: EI Newsletter on EFA and HIV/AIDS, ILO Press Release, CLC Press Release, The Economist, 19 August 2006) 
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2nd Global Fund Partnership Forum 
 
More than 400 participants from 118 countries attended a lively Global Fund Partnership Forum in Durban, South Africa, 1 - 3 July. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is the major source of assistance in the worldwide fight against these diseases. 
 
The Global Fund Partnership Forum meets every two years and brings together a broad group of stakeholders. While its purpose is to inform stakeholders about progress and challenges, its major aim is to provide those who do not have a direct voice on the Global Fund Board the opportunity to give their opinions. The Forum was preceded by ten skills-building workshops. 
 
While a wide range of organisations attended, unfortunately labour presence was low with only the ICEM sending a representative. Representation of the business sector was also proportionately low. 
 
A wide range of issues were discussed. The hottest debates were centred on the operations of the Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs). Issues raised included the following: 
<ul>
 <li>Need for the independence of the CCM from any specific stakeholder, including government, and possible creation of an independent secretariat for the CCM. </li>
 <li>Constitutions and by-laws developed by stakeholders should guide the operations of the CCM. These should include mechanisms to improve feedback and support constituency consultations. </li>
 <li>The Chairperson of the CCM and principle recipient of funding from the Global Fund should preferably not be from the same constituency. There should be a conflict of interest policy in place to deal with this situation. </li>
 <li>The chair of the CCM should be rotated among the stakeholders. </li>
 <li>Concerns were also raised about the utilisation of Technical Assistance from other countries and regions which could undermine the ownership and leadership of the national stakeholders. </li>
 <li>The Global Fund should explore the potential for the consolidation and harmonisation of CCMs and National AIDS Commissions in each individual country. </li>
 <li>Problems with Local Fund Agents (LFA) were also identified. </li>
 <li>The current LFA model does not accommodate different situations that countries have. </li>
 <li>The LFAs were often seen as spies rather than partners to assist projects. </li>
 <li>Quality of work of LFAs has not been good across the board and sometime their skills were inadequate for the roles they had to play. </li>
</ul>
Overall assessments of the operations were that often proposals were very ambitious, but work plans were weak; recipients lacked capacity to implement the programmes. There are very different levels of human and technical resources available in countries. CCMs were often weak and delays in procurement and suppliers weakened the projects. Overall, the status of the national health system was an integral factor in the success of the projects. 
 
The operations and dimensions of Global Fund grants are potentially huge in national AIDS initiatives. Currently, the voice of the Labour Movement is not being heard in the CCMs, which determine the application for funds and the way in which the funds are used. More information on the Global Fund is available at <a href="http://www.theglobalfund.org">http://www.theglobalfund.org</a>. Reports from the Partnership Meeting will soon be available at <a href="http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/about/forum/2006">http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/about/forum/2006</a>. 
 
(Source: own report) 
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Global Fund Donors Meet 
 
After the Forum, representatives of more than twenty donor countries met in Durban for a mid-term review of the first replenishment period 2006-7. Governments are the major source of funding and constant replenishment is required to finance the grants approved in the different funding rounds. The Fund has, so far, received sufficient pledges to cover the costs of Phase 2 renewals for Rounds 1 to 5, but is short of funding for the cost of Round 6 for which proposals were submitted by 3 August, and for Round 7, which is anticipated to be launched next year. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer Issue 61, 5 July 2006 &ndash; GFO is a free service of Aidspan <a href="http://www.aidspan.org">www.aidspan.org</a>) 
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Top Pharma Companies Fail to Address Industry Best Practices on HIV/AIDS 
 
In the spotlight of the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto, the Interfaith Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) released a comprehensive study evaluating the pharmaceutical industry&rsquo;s efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS and the neglected diseases that often accompany the virus. 
The ICCR report &ldquo;Benchmarking AIDS: Evaluating pharmaceutical company responses to the public health crisis in emerging markets&rdquo; highlights the large disparities between industry best practice and the actions of 15 leading pharmaceutical companies. Two major problems were identified: a failure to develop new medicines that also address neglected diseases and a lack of access for poor patients to the existing medicines. 
(Source: ICCR Press Release, 14 August &ndash; <a href="http://www.iccr.org">www.iccr.org</a>)
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G8 HIV/AIDS Renewing its Commitment to Tackle HIV/AIDS 
 
Trade unions welcomed the renewed commitment made by the G8 meeting in St. Petersburg to tackle HIV/AIDS and to create a regular monitoring of its work. This reflects a call made during a year-long campaign by trade unions for Summit leaders to create a reporting framework to ensure progress on fighting the pandemic. 
Fulfilling existing promises is more important than making new ones because the G8 has, so far, failed to review any progress on its own promise, made in 2005 at Gleneagles, for universal access to treatment by 2010. 
 
According to a report published by the World AIDS Campaign (WAC &ndash; <a href="http://www.worldaidscampaign.org">www.worldaidscampaign.org</a>) ahead of the Summit, only a fraction of the G8&rsquo;s commitments on health have been taken up over the past five years by the leading economies of the world. According to WAC, accountability on past promises must top the agenda. 
(Sources: Global Unions Press Release, 19 July 2006 and WAC Press Release, 14 July 2006) 
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Ghana: Business Joins the Fight Against HIV/AIDS 
 
The Ghana Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS was launched in Accra on 25 July. The private sector in Ghana has been slow in responding to HIV/AIDS. 
 
At the launch in Accra, the country&rsquo;s Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, stated that the price of doing nothing at workplaces can be significantly higher than the cost of addressing the epidemic and managing it through workplace programmes, education, advocacy and peer counselling. The Business Coalition will serve as a coordinating body for the private sector response to the epidemic. 
 
(Source: Accra Mail, 26 July) 
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News from GUFs: HIV/AIDS Workshops during the ITF Congress 
 
The International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF) has intensified its commitment to fight the pandemic, especially among transport workers who, due to their working conditions and mobility, are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. 
 
The ITF&rsquo;s new HIV/AIDS Coordinator, Dr Asif Altaf, runs the international&rsquo;s global programme. During the 41st ITF Congress in Durban, two workshops on HIV/AIDS and transport workers were organised. The high attendance and active participation was a good reflection of the commitment and dedication of ITF affiliates to protect transport workers and their families. Without the active involvement of transport workers, and their unions, it is impossible to develop an effective response to the pandemic. 
At the Congress, the documentary &ldquo;Highway of Hope&rdquo; was launched. It highlights the seriousness of the HIV/AIDS crisis affecting transport workers on the Northern Corridor &ndash; the strategic highway connecting Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. 
(Source: ITF HIV/AIDS update 4, 15 August) 
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Kenya HIV/AIDS Patients to Get New ARV Drug 
 
Kenya is to receive the first shipment of a new HIV/AIDS drug that could help patients whose treatment with first-line ARVs has failed. Abbott Laboratories manufactures the drug, Kaletra, which is available in the US for USD 9,000 per patient per year. The cost in Kenya will be USD 500, following price concessions by Abbott. 
Unlike other ARVs, Kaletra does not require refrigeration, which means it can easily be transported to remote areas. The international humanitarian organisation Medicins sans Fronti&egrave;res is importing the initial shipment.

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 11/12

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ICEM affiliate Federatia Sindicatelor Libere si Independente din Industria Petroliera (FSLI Petrom) informed the ICEM that the situation on the Orizont Oil rig in Iran has gone back to normal. As reported earlier, a dangerous situation had arisen on 22 August 2006, when Iranian gunboats fired at an oil rig and held 26 workers hostage, of which 19 were Romanian nationals, all affiliated to FSLI Petrom. 
 
The attack was connected to a commercial dispute between GPS, the Romanian company that owns the oil rig, and a contracting firm from the United Arab Emirates, which, in turn, had subcontracted work to a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company. More details can be found in the ICEM News release from 23 August 2006: Condemnation Towards Iran on Attacking Romanian Oil Rig. 
<img height="62" src="" width="150" alt="" />
According to FSLI Petrom, the crew shifts are now running normal again and workers on the rig are again free to communicate and move about. The 19 Romanian workers that were briefly held hostage have all been able to return home safely. Their replacements were issued with Iranian visas without any problem. 
 
In their message to the ICEM, FSLI Petrom expresses its thanks for the solidarity by ICEM affiliates. The ICEM issued a circular to all its affiliates at the end of August, calling for solidarity messages. According to the union, the messages of support &ldquo;encouraged and supported the prompt reactions of both the trade union and of the Romanian authorities in order to make this situation to go to normal.&rdquo;

Thank You from Romania

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Following a fire in the first and second generation stations of the El-Missaub electrical heat generation station, the Federation of Works Councils Unions of Iraq (FWCUI) calls for improved safety equipment at the facility. Two workers needed to be taken to a hospital as they suffered from suffocation after trying to extinguish the fire. 
 
The union is asking the administration of the station for increased safety measures, such as supplying the different units with personal fire protection devices, organising training on safety issues and repairing broken down safety equipment. The union also points towards the non-existence of insurance for workers in case they become the victim of an industrial accident.

Fire In Iraq’s el-Missuab Power Generation Station.

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According to information received by the ICEM, last week saw the arrest of Javanmir Poradi, the head of the Electrical and Metal Workers&rsquo; Trade Association, in the western city of Kermanshah in Iran. He was reportedly released again yesterday evening. Given the regular and persistent ill-treatment of labour activists in Iran, Brother Moradi&rsquo;s disappearance was very concerning for his family. No information was available on Monday as to his treatment in detention. 
 
Iranian security forces allegedly told brother Poradi, on 12 September, to report to their offices the next day. Whereas his family was initially told on Wednesday that he was taken to the public prosecutor&rsquo;s house, this office later stated it did not have information as to his whereabouts. He is said to have been arrested for &ldquo;organising a May Day rally&rdquo; this year. 
 
Four other labour activists, from the Shaho and Kurdistan textile factories in the city of Sanandaj, were also arrested earlier last week, in relation to a planned protest against a number of dismissals. The four were badly treated while in detention, before being released.

One More Arrest and Ill-treatment of a Labour Activist in Iran

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A coalition of Hong Kong trade unions and NGOs is organising a series of actions around 13 September shareholder meeting of Hong Kong GP Battery Ltd, taking up the case of several hundred Chinese workers who suffer from serious cadmium-related health problems. 
 
The company in question, Gold Peak Industrial Holding (GP), which employs the workers, operates several battery-producing factories Guangdong province, and sells the batteries, under different brand names world-wide. 
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Back in 2004, workers at the company had to engage in strike action to overcome GP&rsquo;s refusal to carry out health tests. Workers were insistent on being tested after they learned about the dangers of working with cadmium, a toxic chemical, which can cause kidney failures and acute physical pain. Unaware of the dangerous consequences of working with the chemical, workers at the plants had been working with the toxic product with barely any protection. 
 
Official results of the tests indicated that ten workers were suffering from cadmium poisoning and that at least 400 others had abnormally high levels of cadmium. Most of them are women. Victims suffer from severe aches and pains, headaches and hair loss. The ten workers diagnosed with the cadmium poisoning were in a much worse condition. 
 
Three workers at a GP plant in Hong Kong have in the meantime also been diagnosed with cadmium poisoning, with another 21 having excessive cadmium levels. More recent reports mention a GP factory in Hunan province, where a subcontractor produces batteries using substandard health and safety measures. 
 
In spite of all this, workers did not get appropriate treatment, nor were they awarded compensation. Worse still, workers from China, in September 2004, have been threatened for being responsible for &ldquo;criminal responsibilities,&rdquo; should they complain to the central authority in Beijing. Furthermore, many workers have complained about the insulting arrangement under which health tests take place, where women are forced to undress and take showers under surveillance of unidentified people. 
 
A compensation fund, finally established in 2005, so far has only provided assistance to 4% of the 400 workers. The company seems to be much more interested in bringing organisations who talk about the scandal to court, as it currently does in Hong Kong, then to provide the affected workers fair and decent compensation, as is requested by these organisations.

Chinese Gold Peak Workers Suffer from Cadmium Poisoning

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Total said it will, between 2006 and 2012, close down several production lines at two different petrochemical sites in France: the TotalPetroChemicals Carling plant in the Lorraine region and the Gonfreville site in Normandy. This announcement by the company, which will result in the loss of another 300 jobs, comes only three months after the Arkema spin off, which already led to a serious reduction in the number of jobs at Total. 
 
In a press communiqu&eacute;, ICEM affiliated FCE-CFDT called the restructuring exercise &ldquo;purely defensive.&rdquo; The company will take a &euro;300 million charge to end the production of Styrene - a colourless toxic liquid used to make, among other products, polymers and rubber - at Carling, with a partial transfer of production to the Gonfreville site. Another &euro;80 million charge on the company&rsquo;s books will go towards a better exchange of products between the two sites. 
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Not only does the union find it difficult to see the economic logic of the plan, it also warns against the environmental dangers for both workers and general public, as Total will have to start traversing France by train to get extra benzene and styrene from one plant to another. 
 
The union calls for an independent expert to look into the social and environmental risks. It will also approach the industry minister to present an alternative industrial project.

Total Announces It Will Do Away with another 300 Jobs in France

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French ICEM affiliate CGT Verre et C&eacute;ramique calls for a day of action on 9 October, following the withdrawal by MEDEF, the French employers&rsquo; association, from the &lsquo;hazardous jobs&rsquo; dialogue in the glass and ceramics sector. 
 
A 2003 French law calls for negotiations on the recognition of &lsquo;hazardous jobs&rsquo; to be finished by 31 December 2006. Ongoing negotiations between unions and employers so far have not yielded results. Worse still, MEDEF has now decided to leave the bargaining table, stating it will push back the whole effort until after the elections of 2007. According to the CGT, this is clearly an attempt to postpone discussions indefinitely, and therefore unacceptable. 
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The CGT Verre et C&eacute;ramique wants to keep the early retirement age at 55 and considers the recognition of &lsquo;hazardous jobs&rsquo; in the glass and ceramics industries to be one of its priorities. Several studies have indicated a critical reduction in workers&rsquo; life expectancies when operating in hazardous environments. 
 
The CGT calls upon its members to organise, together with the other professional Federations of the CGT, as well as with other unions in France, actions necessary on 9 October, ranging from petitions to strikes.

‘Hazardous Jobs’ Action Day in the French Glass and Ceramics Sector

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Some 7,000 demonstrators marched through Paris on 12 September, with many more demonstrating in other cities throughout France, all responding to a joint call for action by French unions CGT, FO, CGC, and CFTC. 
 
The manifestations, held to protest the government sponsored merger between state-owned Gaz de France (GDF) and privately-held Suez, came a week after the CGT and FO unions held a referendum among workers at GDF. The referendum, at which 60% of all 53,000 GDF workers took part, showed a very clear hostility towards the merger plans, with 94% voting against the privatisation idea. 
<img height="99" src="" width="100" alt="" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; <img height="99" src="" width="100" alt="" />
The State of France currently holds an 80% stake in GdF, with a current law setting a minimum of 70%. The merger would automatically reduce the state&rsquo;s stake in GDF to about 34%. 
 
Whereas CGT, FO, CGC, and CFTC would prefer closer cooperation between Electricit&eacute; de France (EDF) and GDF, the FCE-CFDT union forwarded its own proposal to the government on 13 September. Equally opposed to the privatisation of GDF, FCE-CFDT sees possible advantages in developing partnerships between Suez and GDF. The union&rsquo;s increased cooperation project would, however, keep GDF in the public sector. 
 
The French government finds itself more and more isolated, with an increasing number of individuals and organisations joining the anti-privatisation call. French Labour representatives, currently in opposition, are also fiercely contesting the privatisation plan at the special parliamentary session on the subject.

Protests in France against Gaz de France – Suez Merger

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The Government in Mauritania successfully mediated a three-party dispute that ends a six-month union rights battle at an oil-services contractor, in which the ICEM played a direct role. The dispute began in October 2005 when El Majabaat El Koubra Tours (MKT), a transport and logistics provider for Australian-based Woodside Petroleum, sacked 16 union activists of the Energy and Petroleum Workers&rsquo; Union (CGTM) of Mauritania. 
Woodside should now offer permanent employment to qualified MKT contract workers, and to recognise CGTM as union representative. MKT has agreed to pay severance of four months salary to union delegates, three months to long-term employees and two months to others. The ICEM had lobbied both Woodside and the Mauritanian government over the unjust treatment of contract workers. 
In a speech that covered the matter, Mauritania head of state Col. Ely Ould Mohammed Vall said, &ldquo;I appreciate the position of Woodside who has finally chosen to conform to the legitimate expectations of our people.&rdquo; Woodside has both onshore and offshore oil exploration and development contracts in the West African country.

Dispute in Mauritania’s Oil-Services Sector Ends

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