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ICEM&rsquo;s largest affiliate in Africa, South Africa&rsquo;s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), last week welcomed the release of the Presidential Safety Audit by the Department of Minerals and Energy. As reported by the ICEM (click <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/2871-South-African-Parliament-Passes-Mine-Safety-Reform;-Year-long-Safety-Audit-Still-Held-up ">here</a>) there had been a significant delay in the publication of the report. 
 
The NUM criticized the industry for using the report to misrepresent conditions as acceptable. A shocking figure to emerge from the report was that 100 cases against mine bosses have been allowed to collect in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), with no progress. This alarming evidence of justice being blocked for those responsible for deaths of miners has angered the NUM. 

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NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni
&ldquo;This is very worrying that the NPA can allow criminality to take place without any proper action,&rdquo; said NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni. &ldquo;It is worrying that in cases where action has taken place, companies have been fined between R2,500 (US$260) to R5,000 (US$520) for negligently claiming the life of mineworkers.&rdquo; 
 
The audits were conducted in 355 mines across the country, under 12 categories. Gold and coal mines were the safest at 70%, followed by platinum and diamond mines at 67% and 66%, respectively. 
 
The long-awaited report describes worrying trends, including poor hazard identification and risk assessment processes, slow reporting of accidents, failure to submit occupational hygiene returns and others. 

<img height="105" alt="" src="" width="90" />
NUM &amp; ICEM President, Senzeni Zokwana
The audits were ordered by former President Thabo Mbeki after 3,200 workers were trapped deep underground at gold producer Harmony Gold's Elandsrand mine in October 2007, when a falling pipe damaged mine shaft infrastructure. Miraculously, all 3,200 miners were rescued after some 38 hours. 
 
Senzeni Zokwana, NUM President and also President of the ICEM, said the union has zero tolerance for mine fatalities. &quot;No condition should justify why a worker should lose a life.&quot;

Safety Audit Release in South Africa Gives Cause for Concern

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The ICEM has learned from one its Iraqi affiliates, the Petrochemical Workers&rsquo; Union of Basra, that union members were targeted by Iraq&rsquo;s military for leading a peaceful demonstration on 28 January in Basra. The protest was held in demand of wage arrears from a petrochemical facility, one of the state-operated petroleum operations in the south. 
 
In a communication to the ICEM from the union, management of the company requested that the army break up the demonstration &ldquo;in a step reminiscent of former fascist policies.&rdquo; The army did intervene and brought protesters to a military holding camp for interrogation. 
 
On 2 February, management of the company began its own inquiry into the peaceful right of assembly, and targeted four workers with leading the protest: Kifaah Hassan Ibraheem, Qasim Abbas Muhsin, Kareem Johi Sahan, and Waleed Salih. The union is filing complaints with the government over the company&rsquo;s handling of this dispute. 
 
The ICEM condemns the Iraqi state company&rsquo;s interference of workers&rsquo; right to assemble, and subsequent infringement and suppression of other rights. The Geneva-based ICEM will continue to monitor events in this one particular enterprise, as well as human and labour rights abuses that occur at any Iraqi workplace.

Iraqi State Petrochemical Company Uses Military to Bust Peaceful Protest

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The United Steelworkers (USW) reached tentative wage and benefit terms across the US oil and petrochemical industries last week for 24,000 workers, effectively setting a three-year pattern for refineries, pipelines, transportation, and other downstream services. But the union emerged from talks deeply disappointed that the industry did not take seriously the need for more stringent safety procedures. 
 
USW President Leo Gerard said: &ldquo;Our main focus in this round of National Oil Bargaining was health and safety, but the industry refused to allow us to be equal partners with them in resolving the health and safety problems that persistently are not being addressed across the whole industry. The oil companies were not willing to work with us to improve process safety.&rdquo; 
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USW President, Leo Gerard
The tentative contract now will be offered at branch union tables across the US, with the USW pledging it will not give up on improving health and safety. &ldquo;Let it be clear,&rdquo; said USW Vice President and head of Oil Bargaining Gary Beevers, &ldquo;we are not finished with our struggles for meaningful change in the health and safety arena.&rdquo; 
 
The tentative contract was reached with lead company Royal Dutch Shell and its joint-venture operations in Austin, Texas, on 3 February, two days after expirations of 70 local collective agreements. The USW and the oil industry agreed to rolling, 24-hour contract extensions on 31 January to avert mass strikes. The tentative accord means there will not be any major petroleum walkouts for the next three years, although disputes can now arise on local levels. 
 
Besides the 24,000 US oil workers with collective agreements expiring 1 February, another 6,000 USW members have contracts expiring in the coming months, and last week&rsquo;s accord sets the pattern for them as well. 

<img height="144" alt="" src="" width="100" />
USW Vice President and head of Oil Bargaining,&nbsp; 
Gary Beevers
In a statement, the USW said, &ldquo;Rather than launch a national strike over health and safety that would have hurt the American people at a time of economic crisis, the USW withdrew its health and safety proposal and focused on the economic package.&rdquo; 
 
That economic package contains 3% salary increases on 1 February in 2009, 2010, and 2011. It also includes a US$1,000 ratification bonus and a US$500-per-year payment to each worker to offset out-of-pocket health care costs. The USW succeeded in granting no retrogression of past contract terms, including company-paid health care at an 80% level. As well, the USW retained job security and successorship principles, the latter meaning collective agreements are assured and maintained in the event of a sale or takeover. 
 
The pattern agreement now goes to some 86 oil and petrochemical worksites operated by such companies as Shell and its operating partners, ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, ConocoPhillips, BP, PDVSA, Valero, Tosco, Tesoro, Sun, Sunoco, LyondellBasell, Marathon, INEOS, Holly, and several other companies.

US Oil Workers Reach Wage Terms; Criticise Industry’s Overall Safety Neglect

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Uzun bir &ouml;rg&uuml;tlenme ve m&uuml;zakere s&uuml;recinin sonucunda, ICEM &uuml;yesi Kolombiya sendikası Sintravidricol, Caldas Cam Şirketi'ndeki iş&ccedil;ilerle birlikte taşeron iş&ccedil;iliğine karşı &ouml;nemli bir zafer kazandı. Sendikal &ouml;rg&uuml;tlenme hakkı kazanıldı ve ilk toplu s&ouml;zleşme imzalandı. 
 
Daha &ouml;nce de Zipaquira'da (Kolombiya) Peldar Cam ile kısmi s&uuml;reli &ccedil;alışan iş&ccedil;ileri kapsayan benzer bir toplu s&ouml;zleşme bağıtlanmıştı. Orada, ICEM'in Kolombiya Projesi, federasyonun k&uuml;resel Taşeron İş&ccedil;iliği programı ile Kolombiya'da faaliyet g&ouml;steren &ccedil;okuluslulara &ouml;zg&uuml; Sosyal Diyalog projesini başarıyla birleştiriyordu. B&ouml;ylece Peldar'daki ge&ccedil;ici iş&ccedil;ilerin bir&ccedil;oğu tam zamanlı stat&uuml;ye ge&ccedil;miş oluyordu. 
 
Son 20 yılda, &ouml;zellikle Risaralda-CUT başta olmak &uuml;zere &ccedil;eşitli sendikalar, Caldas Cam'da &ccedil;alışan iş&ccedil;ileri sendikalaştırmak &uuml;zere &ccedil;eşitli girişimlerde bulunmuşlardı. 
Caldas Cam Fabrikası'ndaki iş&ccedil;iler sadece ellerini ve ciğerlerini kullanarak &ccedil;eşitli cam &uuml;r&uuml;nleri &uuml;retiyorlar. Fabrikadaki iş&ccedil;ilerin en az y&uuml;zde 80'i ge&ccedil;ici iş s&ouml;zleşmeleriyle istihdam ediliyor. S&ouml;zleşmeler bir yıldan kısa s&uuml;reli. 

<img height="132" alt="" src="" width="200" />
İşyerindeki 15, 20, 30 yıllık iş&ccedil;iler bile bir yıllık s&ouml;zleşmelerle istihdam ediliyor. &Uuml;cret ve sosyal haklarını genellikle ge&ccedil; alıyorlar. İş&ccedil;iler sonunda &ouml;rg&uuml;tlenme kararı aldılar. 
 
&Ouml;rg&uuml;tlenen iş&ccedil;ilerin şu &uuml;&ccedil; ana talebi var: Dayatılan birern yıllık s&ouml;zleşmelerle iş&ccedil;ilerin &ccedil;alışma s&uuml;relerini hi&ccedil;e sayan sisteme son verilmesi; Caldas'ın sendikayı tanıması; iş&ccedil;i istihdamında istikrar g&ouml;zetilmesi. 
 
Şirket y&ouml;netimiyle y&uuml;r&uuml;t&uuml;len m&uuml;zakerelerin seyri, her &uuml;&ccedil; talebin de hayata ge&ccedil;irilebileceğini g&ouml;steriyor. Caldas, ayrıca, iş&ccedil;ilerin sorunlarını g&ouml;r&uuml;ş&uuml;p değerlendirmek i&ccedil;in kurulacak bir komitede Sintravidricol ile bir araya gelecek. Sendika şirketin başkanıyla da d&uuml;zenli toplantılar yapıyor. 
&Ouml;te yandan, m&uuml;zakerenin daha ilk oturumlarında, b&uuml;t&uuml;n &ccedil;alışanların &ccedil;ocuklarına otuz biner pesoluk (2.200 dolar) burs, verimlilik ikramiyesi ve &uuml;cret artışı sağlandı. 
 
ICEM Sintravidricol'un bu &ccedil;ok &ouml;nemli başarısını kutluyor.

Kolombiya Sendikalarının Zorlu Zaferi

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In this issue, we report on World AIDS Day, the sub-regional HIV/AIDS workshop in Windhoek and the Global Fund grant approvals for Round 8. 
 
This e-bulletin is also available on the ICEM Website&nbsp;<a href="/index.php?id=72&amp;doc=2912">here</a>. 
 
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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1 December 2008 is the 20th Anniversary of World AIDS Day. To mark the day, the ICEM issued a campaign leaflet which was distributed to all affiliates. The role of trade unions is critical in the struggle against the pandemic. Unions demonstrate leadership by advocating testing and prevention methods at the workplace, in homes and communities. 
 
&ldquo;The fight to eliminate the scourge of the pandemic is far from finished and more must be done&rdquo;, said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;We are proud to recognise the 20th Anniversary of 1 December, but even prouder to mark this day with commitment to wage this fight until the disease is gone.&rdquo; 
 
Germany&rsquo;s ICEM affiliate IG BCE held information meetings and raised additional funds for an HIV and AIDS project in Tanzania in cooperation with the mining and industry affiliates there. 
 
On the occasion of World AIDS Day, the Global Union AIDS Programme issued a press statement appealing to governments, the international community and other actors to make Universal Access for HIV/AIDS services an urgent priority for the next two years, to reach the 2010 target. 
 
The International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation ITF continued its efforts and published Campaign Guidelines for the planning and implementation of World AIDS Day activities by its affiliates. At the ILO, the Sector department and ILOAIDS together with the ITF and the employers&rsquo; organisation IRU were holding a training course for managers and workers in the transport sector based on a new toolkit. Education International has targeted teachers in its &ldquo;One Hour on AIDS&rdquo; campaign at schools. 
 
The World AIDS Campaign supports, strengthens and connects campaigns that hold leaders accountable for their promises on HIV and AIDS. &ldquo;Stop AIDS &ndash; Keep the Promise&rdquo; is the slogan for the campaign to 2010. &ldquo;Lead &ndash; Empower &ndash; Deliver&rdquo; is the theme for 2008. 
 
UNAIDS, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS, published a new report, AIDS Outlook 2009, which calls on countries to realign HIV prevention programmes through understanding how the most recent HIV infections were transmitted. Even though the number of new infections has fallen in several countries, there are five new HIV infections for every two people put on treatment. An estimated 33 million people are living with HIV worldwide; 2.7 million people were newly infected and 2 million died of AIDS in 2007. The report can be downloaded at <a href="http://www.unaids.org">www.unaids.org</a>. 
 

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ICEM Sub-regional HIV/AIDS Review Workshop in Windhoek 
 
Unionists from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia came together in Windhoek, Namibia from 24 to 26 November, for a sub-regional workshop to review progress in their HIV/AIDS work. Working groups dealt with constraints in their HIV/AIDS work and possible solutions; considered new proposals; discussed the role of women and young workers and argued in favour of mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in all union activities; and explored the idea of making HIV/AIDS an organising tool for unions. 
 
Above all, participants discussed future sustainability in view of the expiry of the ICEM HIV/AIDS project. While funding from employers and national and international organisations, and cooperation with NGOs and faith-based organisations are all important, commitment by union leadership is crucial in the fight against the pandemic. Unions should also develop technical competence in proposal writing and project management. 
 
Presentations on HIV/AIDS workplace policies, the ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work, and collective bargaining for HIV/AIDS were made by representatives of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia, the ILO/GTZ project and NUM of South African. The AIDS Law Clinic in Windhoek dealt with special challenges facing women and youth. 
 

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Women in Namibia Call for Efforts to Improve Sexual Rights 
 
A group of women in Namibia recently called for efforts to improve their sexual rights in an attempt to curb the spread of HIV in the country. A workshop, organised by the group Sister Namibia, examined sexual rights, culture and HIV/AIDS. 
 
&ldquo;Everyone talks about the need to change behaviour to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, but there is hardly any discussion on the need to change harmful sexual cultural practices that are often the drivers of the disease&rdquo;, said Sister Namibia Director Liz Frank. Women are not able to make choices about sex. They do not have the power to negotiate condom use. 
 
(Source: Medical News Today, 7 October from <a href="http://www.kaisernetwork.org">www.kaisernetwork.org</a>) 
 

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Global Fund Approves Round 8 Grants 
 
The Global Fund Board approved 94 Round 8 grants that will cost up to USD 2.753 billion over the first two years and USD 5.840 billion over five years &ndash; a record amount. The decision was made at the Fund&rsquo;s 18th Board Meeting, held in Delhi, India. 
 
The Board decision was rendered particularly difficult because the unusually large average size of the proposals meant that there was not enough money to pay the full cost of the proposals recommended for approval by the Technical Review Panel (TRP). After extensive negotiation, the Board handled this by calling for various budget cuts, and by delaying by six months the date at which Round 9 grants will be approved. 
 
Some of the highlights of Round 8 approvals were as follows: 
 
Ninety-four Round 8 proposals were approved, with a total two-year requested amount of USD 3.1 billion, up from USD 1.1 billion in Round 7, the previous largest round. The average Round 8 approved proposal has a two-year requested amount of USD 33 million, up from USD 15 million in Round 7. 
54% of eligible proposals submitted in Round 8 were approved, up from 49% in Round 7, the previous highest percentage. Malaria proposals in Round 8 were particularly successful. 68% of them were approved. Although HIV/AIDS proposals in Round 8 were less successful than were malaria proposals, they were still significantly more successful than they had been in any previous round. The percentage of HIV/AIDS proposals that were approved in Rounds 5, 6, 7 and 8 respectively was 38%, 39%, 41% and 49%. 
 
Regarding Round 9, the Board decided to extend the date by which applications must be submitted from 21 January 2009 to 31 May 2009, and to make final grant approvals for these proposals at the November 2009 board meeting rather than the May 2009 board meeting. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer, GFO, Issue 98, 9 November 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 receive-gfo-<a href="mailto:newsletter@aidspan.org">newsletter@aidspan.org</a>) 
 

<img height="71" alt="" src="" width="50" />
Global Fund Adopts New Gender Equality Strategy 
 
At its meeting last month, the Global Fund Board adopted a new Gender Equality Strategy, the full title of which is &ldquo;The Global Fund&rsquo;s Strategy for Ensuring Gender Equality in the Response to HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.&rdquo; The strategy is available under &ldquo;Addendum to Report of PSC: The Gender Equality Strategy&rdquo; <a href="http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/board/meetings/eighteenth/documents">here</a>. 
 
The strategy says that the Global Fund will champion and fund proposals that: scale up services and interventions that reduce gender-related risks and vulnerabilities to infection; decrease the burden of disease for those most at risk; mitigate the impact of the three diseases and address structural inequalities and discrimination. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer, GFO, Issue 100, 3 December 2008). 
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South Africa: Miners Face Huge HIV/Aids Challenge 
 
By virtue of the physical nature of their jobs, South African miners receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS are vulnerable to discrimination when they are not at peak performance, because of the drugs' side effects. 
This is one of the challenges that workers in the mining sector have to deal with, as HIV/AIDS rips through the industry. It is estimated that about 16%-30% of mineworkers are infected with HIV/AIDS. Experts also say stigmatisation and discrimination are common in many mines. 
It is difficult at the moment to determine the exact HIV/AIDS prevalence figures because the majority of the workers were resistant to participating in HIV voluntary testing programmes. Among those who have tested HIV positive, there is a low uptake of antiretroviral treatment (ART) as most workers are afraid of being subjected to discrimination by managers and supervisors. 
Mineworkers were most vulnerable because of the apartheid-inherited migration labour system through which workers spend many months away from their families. They remained the most affected group. The single-sex hostel systems still exist in many mining companies. These hostels mean that miners cannot be with their partners. 
Eric Gcilitshana, National Union of Mineworkers health and safety secretary, says 60% of mineworkers are still living in same-sex hostels. &quot;We are saying the hostel system must be abolished and be replaced by family units, where workers will live with their families,&quot; he said. The union is engaging with mining companies on the victimisation of infected workers and treatment available to them. These remained some of the biggest challenges towards the ultimate emancipation of mineworkers. 
 
(Source: Business Day, South Africa, 11 November) 
 

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India Loses out on 100m Euros Funding to Combat Diseases 
 
India's fight against the world's three most devastating diseases - AIDS, TB and malaria - has received a serious setback, with the country losing out funding worth over USD 100 million for two years from the Global Fund for its programmes to combat these deadly scourges. 
 
The bad news for India came in the middle of the annual board meeting of the Fund, held in Delhi. The Board rejected Indian proposal for its anti-malaria programmes, the proposals on TB and on HIV/AIDS. The rejection means India has lost out on funds worth USD 255 million for the next five years. The country can, however, re-submit the proposals again next year for Round 9. At the moment, India is the largest recipient of Global Fund grants in Asia with grants worth USD 490 million and based on performance of existing grants will get another USD 250 million to total USD 740 million. 
 
In India, one million people are receiving antiretroviral treatment, 400,000 people have got anti-malaria treatment and 375,000 have got DOTs treatment for TB with Global Fund money. The ongoing programmes will not be affected by the setback India got at this year's funding meeting. 
 
(Source: Times of India, 10 November) 
 

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Botswana: HIV Practice Code Released 
 
The Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs has released a National Code of Good Practice with emphasis on HIV/AIDS in the workplace. The Code&rsquo;s primary objective with respect to HIV/AIDS is to provide guidelines for employers and trade unions on how to manage HIV/AIDS in the workplace. 
 
The Code includes the following principles: creating a safe working environment, developing procedures to manage occupational incidents and claims for compensation, introducing measures to prevent the spread of HIV, developing strategies to assess and reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS and supporting those individuals who are infected or affected. 
 
(Source: Mmegi/The Reporter, Gaborone, 16 October) 
 

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Infections Going up in Switzerland 
 
Although small in comparison to other countries, new HIV infections have been going up in Switzerland since 2005 to reach an estimated 800 in 2008. The increase affects to a great majority men, heterosexual as well as homosexual. Whereas a few years ago new infections among men and women were almost equal, in 2008 73% of the newly infected were men. 
 
In another development, the national NGO Aids-Hilfe Schweiz condemned new criteria of the Swiss army which declare HIV-positive soldiers who undergo ARV treatment unfit for active service. It called on the Department of Defence to revise these rules. 
 
(Source: Neue Z&uuml;rcher Zeitung, 28 October and 12 November) 
 

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This ICEM HIV-AIDS Newsletter &ndash; How to Subscribe or Translate? 
 
To subscribe to the e-bulletin, send an email to <a href="mailto:press@icem.org">press@icem.org</a>. Please put &ldquo;subscribe ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin&rdquo; in the subject line. 
 
Unfortunately, the e-bulletin can only be published in English. 
For a free automated (non-ICEM) translation of this HIV-AIDS bulletin into other languages, you may want to try <a href="http://www.google.com/language_tools">http://www.google.com/language_tools</a> and insert the following URL into the window &ldquo;Translate a Web page&ldquo;: 
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Cette traduction est faite automatiquement par un logiciel internet gratuit. L&rsquo;ICEM n&rsquo;assume aucune responsabilit&eacute; &agrave; cet &eacute;gard. Elle est approximative, mais peut n&eacute;anmoins vous donner une id&eacute;e g&eacute;n&eacute;rale du contenu de l&rsquo;article. 
 
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ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin No. 39 December 2008

La principal federaci&oacute;n sindical que cubre los intereses sociales de los trabajadores del sector de la Pulpa y el Papel de todo el mundo, convoca a una conferencia mundial del sector, que se realizar&aacute; en las afueras de Montevideo, Uruguay, del 8 al 10 de diciembre. Esta conferencia contar&aacute; con la presencia de 120 dirigentes sindicales, provenientes de aproximadamente 35 pa&iacute;ses donde operan los m&aacute;s importantes productores de pulpa y papel del mundo. 
 
Esta conferencia, patrocinada por la Federaci&oacute;n Internacional de Sindicatos de Trabajadores de la Qu&iacute;mica, Energ&iacute;a, Minas e Industrias Diversas (ICEM), con sede en Ginebra, se ha identificado con su lema de acci&oacute;n: &quot;El norte se re&uacute;ne con el sur, Unidad global, fuerza global&rdquo;. Esta conferencia sectorial contar&aacute; con participantes provenientes de Finlandia, Suecia, Noruega, Reino Unido, Austria, Alemania, Pa&iacute;ses Bajos, Francia, Rumania, Turqu&iacute;a, Espa&ntilde;a, Canad&aacute;, Estados Unidos, Jap&oacute;n, Indonesia, Malasia, Tailandia, Australia, y Nueva Zelandia, adem&aacute;s de dirigentes sindicales del sector del papel de Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, y de otros pa&iacute;ses de Am&eacute;rica Latina. 
 
La sede de esta conferencia internacional ser&aacute; el Hotel Argentino, en Peri&aacute;polis, Uruguay. El sindicato anfitri&oacute;n es CUOPYC, organizaci&oacute;n uruguaya afiliada a la ICEM. 
 
&quot;Creemos que tendremos una buena conferencia, con un fruct&iacute;fero intercambio de ideas&quot;, dijo Jouko Ahonen, Director del sector de la Pulpa y el Papel de la ICEM , quien es tambi&eacute;n Presidente del sindicato Paperiliitto, de Finlandia. &quot;Con el colapso financiero, si hay alg&uacute;n sector industrial que ha visto las tormentas y las oscilaciones econ&oacute;micas actuales, &eacute;se es nuestro sector. Es en este sector industrial donde deben surgir nuevas y frescas ideas para el futuro.&quot; 
 
Los Ministros de Finanzas y del Trabajo y Seguridad Social de Uruguay tendr&aacute;n a cargo la apertura de esta Conferencia, y, a continuaci&oacute;n, el programa proseguir&aacute; con la intervenci&oacute;n de dos ejecutivos de la industria papelera, Ilkka &Aacute;mala, Presidente y Director General de Mets&auml;-Botnia Oy, y Jeronimo Ruiz, Director de BRACELPA en el estado de S&atilde;o Paulo. Har&aacute;n uso de la palabra, responder&aacute;n a preguntas, y el lunes, 8 de diciembre, escuchar&aacute;n el debate de los trabajadores del sector. El d&iacute;a dos incluir&aacute; un panel sindical, que se referir&aacute; al potencial de las redes y a asuntos relacionados con la negociaci&oacute;n colectiva. Ese debate desarrollar&aacute; un plan de trabajo, que incluir&aacute; un importante proyecto para optimizar el funcionamiento de las redes Norte-Sur. Se espera que en el transcurso del segundo d&iacute;a, 9 de diciembre, el Presidente de Uruguay, Tabar&eacute; V&aacute;zquez, intervenga con un discurso dirigido a los sindicalistas. 
 
El tercer d&iacute;a de la Conferencia se dedicar&aacute; a actividades para celebrar el 60o aniversario de la Declaraci&oacute;n Universal de los Derechos Humanos, que se aprob&oacute; el 10 de diciembre de 1948. 
 
La ICEM es una federaci&oacute;n sindical internacional que representa a 20 millones de trabajadores de los sectores del Petr&oacute;leo, Gas, Energ&iacute;a, Qu&iacute;mica, Caucho, Pulpa/Papel, Minas, Cemento y otros sectores fabriles. Cuenta con 467 organizaciones sindicales nacionales afiliadas, provenientes de 132 pa&iacute;ses. 
 
Para mayor informaci&oacute;n, contactar a: Dick Blin, Encargado del Sector de Pulpa y Papel de la ICEM, +41 22 304 1840, o +41 79 734 8994 (m&oacute;vil), o <a href="mailto:dick.blin@icem.org">dick.blin@icem.org</a>.

Se reúnen en Uruguay sindicalistas globales del sector de pulpa y papel

North Meets South 
Global Unity, Global Strength 
 
 
December 8: 
 
9h30: Welcome and Introductions, Jouko Ahonen, Chairman, Finland 
9h40: Welcome by Walter Silva, President of CUOPYC, Host Union, Uruguay 
9h50: Welcome by Sergio Novais, ICEM South American/Caribbean Region, Brazil 
10h00: Address Uruguay Minister, Tourism, Dr. Hector Lescano 
10h15: Address Uruguay Minister, Industry, |Daniel Martinez 
10h50: Address by Uruguay Minister, Labour and Social Secruity, Eduardo Bonomi 
 
11h15: Tea/Coffee Break 
 
11h40: Report from ICEM Secretariat, General Secretary Manfred Warda 
12h10: Report on Industry, Importance of ICEM Work Plan, Jouko Ahonen, Chairman 
12h40: Addendum/Additions, ICEM Written Secretariat Report, Dick Blin, ICEM Pulp and Paper Officer 
 
13h00: Lunch 
 
14h15: Introduction of Industry Panel, Jouko Ahonen, Chairman 
Ikka H&auml;m&auml;l&auml;, Chairman and CEO, Mets&auml;-Botnia OY, Finland 
Jeronimo Ruiz, Director of Pulp and Paper Industry, S&atilde;o Paulo State, CEO, BRACELPA (Brazil Pulp/Paper Assn.) 
 
 
 
16h00: Tea/Coffee Break 
 
16h20: Discussion and Questions of Industry Panel 
 
17h30: Break for the Day 
 
 
 
December 9: 
 
Note: A session likely will be interrupted with arrival and address by Uruguay President Tabar&eacute; V&aacute;squez 
 
9h30: Introduction of Trade Union Panel, Work Plan Goals, Jouko Ahonen, Chairman 
Blas Juan Alari, FOEIPCyQ, Argentina 
Jan-Henrik Sandberg, Svenska Pappers, Sweden 
Fred Wilson, Communications, Energy, Paperworkers, Canada 
Fernando Barassain, Coordinadora, Mercosur, Uruguay 
Daniela Sampaio, Instituto Observat&oacute;rio Social, Brazil 
Dick Blin, ICEM Pulp and Paper Officer, Geneva 
 
11h15: Tea/Coffee Break 
 
11h40: Discussion and Questions of Trade Union Panel 
 
13h00: Lunch 
 
14h15: Pulp/Paper Collective Bargaining in 2009; Work Plan Development 
Jouko Ahonen, Chairman; and Dick Blin, Pulp and Paper Officer 
 
14h50: Discussion of Work Plan and Collective Bargaining Agenda 
 
15h30: Tea/Coffee Break 
 
15h50: Resume Discussion, Finalise Work Plan, Elect Chairman 
 
17h15: Concluding Remarks 
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, Chairman Jouko Ahonen 
 
15h40: Close 
 
 
 
December 10: 
 
Day Long Social Events Commemorating Signing of the Universal Declaration of 
Human Rights on December 10, 1948 &ndash; Sponsored by Host Union, CUOPYC 
 
 
 
Supplemental Agenda Items: 
 
December 6-7: Building and Woodworkers&rsquo; International Conference on Forest 
Certification Programmes for Latin America (Spanish language only) 
 
December 7, 18h00: ICEM Meeting with Pulp and Paper Trade Unionists from 
Mercosur countries regarding Finland SASK possible 3-year Project on 
Union Building and Solidarity Activities in Latin American Sector

Piriápolis, Uruguay
December 8-10, 2008


ICEM World Conference for the Pulp &amp; Paper Industries

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After four years of existence, the Global Union Research Network (GURN), a joint ILO and global unions research forum, unveiled a more user-friendly and attractive web site. Users will find it much easier to navigate and search for documents and information on the many topics covered by the institute. 
 
A new addition to the site is the topic on Public-Private Partnership, which allows GURN to provide information on eleven important research topics: Corporate Governance; Economic Alternatives and Poverty Eradication; Global Trade Union Strategies (Union Renewal); Health Politics and Trade Unions; Migration; OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) &amp; International Financial Institutions (IFIs); Public-Private Partnerships; Sustainable Development; Trade; and Wages and Collective Bargaining 
 
The new Public-Private Partnership (PPP) page is created to shed light on the issues and concerns related to PPPs in different countries. 
 
GURN is a platform for trade unionists and researchers dealing with the challenges of globalization from a labour perspective. Partners to it include the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) of the OECD, the Global Union Federations, the ILO&rsquo;s Bureau for Workers&rsquo; Activities (ACTRAV), and the ILO&rsquo;s Institute for Labour Studies. 
 
The new site can be found <a href="http://www.gurn.info/en/">here</a>.

GURN Launches New Website

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The ICEM has received a request for affiliation by the National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union of Mexico (SNTMMSRM), a progressive trade union of 250,000 members. Although formal acceptance of the affiliation is subject to approval by the regional committee and the ICEM Executive Committee, it is anticipated that approval will be unanimous. 
 
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, in a letter to SNTMMSRM Secretary General Napoleon G&oacute;mez Urrutia and the union&rsquo;s executive board, welcomed the application for affiliation: &ldquo;We view your affiliation as an historic step to not only align with mining unions throughout the world but also to further integrate the struggle for free and democratic trade unionism in Mexico with both the North America and Latin America regions of the ICEM.&rdquo; 
 
The ICEM has joined a global campaign, initiated by the International Metalworkers Federation (IMF), to bring more public attention and pressure on the Mexican government to stop efforts to destroy the union. Numerous ICEM affiliates have sent letters to Mexican President Felipe Calder&oacute;ne, protesting the collaboration of the government with Grupo M&eacute;xico to crush one of the few examples of democratic trade unionism in the country. The ICEM encourages additional letters, please refer to <a href="/index.php?id=155&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=2797">here</a>. 
 
Napoleon G&oacute;mez and his family, fearing assassination or incarceration on trumped up charges by the Mexican government, have been in exile in Canada under the sponsorship of the United Steelworkers. In May 2008, he was unanimously was re-elected as general secretary while in exile. 
 
In February 2006, a coal mine explosion killed 65 miners and only two bodies were ever recovered. The government has refused to investigate the cause of the accident. The government has also refused to investigate Grupo Mexico&rsquo;s involvement in the murder of Reynaldo Hern&aacute;ndez Gonz&aacute;lez, a miner who was applying for reinstatement, and the detention and torture of union members in Nacozari, Sonora. 
 
In April 2006, the government of Mexico sent 1,000 armed officers in an unsuccessful attempt to crush a strike in the State of Michoacan which resulted in two workers being killed and more than 100 persons injured. Strikes, prompted partly by health and safety concerns, continue at Grupo M&eacute;xico mines.

ICEM Welcomes Affiliation Request from Mexico’s National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union

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A methane gas explosion killed 13 miners and wounded 14 others at the Petrila site of the National Coal Co. in the Jiu valley, Romania. The tragedy occurred 15 November. 
 
Among the dead were four emergency workers who were killed by a second explosion four hours later. They were attempting to rescue survivors, and recover bodies. All rescue activities were put on hold for 48 hours following the second blast. The final miner died of cardiac arrest early last week at a Bucharest hospital. 
 
The mine was shut down for two weeks, and reopened on 27 November. Workers held a memorial service on 18 November. The company paid the wages and seniority bonuses for the mine&rsquo;s 1,490 workers during the two-week shutdown. 

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Romania&rsquo;s worst mining disaster in 28 years, the two Petrila explosions on 15 November had attracted serious attention by the country&rsquo;s President. Both called for tougher scrutiny of safety at Romanian mining sites. &ldquo;This is too big a tragedy not to wonder about the causes,&rdquo; stated President Traian Basescu. &ldquo;The inquiry will determine if all protective measures were taken when the first miners went down the shafts and if the rescuers&rsquo; intervention was done according to the rules,&rdquo; said Varujan Vosganian, Romania&rsquo;s Minister of Economy and Commerce. 
 
Rumours were backed up by relatives that miners had been forced to continue working despite high readings of methane levels six days before the disaster. Smaller gas explosions had occurred in the mine. 
 
Ovidiu Jurca, Vice President of a national trade union bloc, BNS, said, &ldquo;Its criminal negligence to let these people work when the accepted methane gas level has been topped.&rdquo;

Thirteen Dead in Romania Mine Blast

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ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin No. 39 December 2008

Se reúnen en Uruguay sindicalistas globales del sector de pulpa y papel

ICEM World Conference for the Pulp & Paper Industries

GURN Launches New Website

ICEM Welcomes Affiliation Request from Mexico’s National Miners’ and Metalworkers’ Union

Thirteen Dead in Romania Mine Blast

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