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ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda compared the labour repression of the Mexican government to that of the regimes in Burma and Zimbabwe. This follows the recent arrests of two union officials and the seizure of the union&rsquo;s bank assets. 
 
The targeted National Miners&rsquo; and Metalworkers&rsquo; Union of Mexico (SNTMMSRM) is fighting to retain its democratic integrity as a trade union in Mexico. 
 
The recent arrests were clearly carried out on the request of Grupo M&eacute;xico and other employers. The ICEM points to reports that arrests of other trade unionists are imminent. The letter can be found <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/0812.President%20Calderon.pdf">here</a>.
<img height="157" alt="" src="" width="340" />
The two union leaders, Carlos Pavon Campos, SNTMMSRM&rsquo;s secretary of Political Affairs, and Juan Linares Montufar, president of the union&rsquo;s General Council of Oversight and Justice, are accused of stealing funds awarded the union after the privatization of Grupo M&eacute;xico&rsquo;s Cananea copper mine, according to Mexico&rsquo;s top prosecutor. Mexican miners at numerous sites laid down their tools in protest against the arrests, including Fresnillo, Madero, and Sabinas worksites, demanding the immediate release of the two. 
 
The illegal arrest of Juan Linares was carried out at his home on 3 December, with a heavy presence of federal and state forces. The equally arbitrary and illegal arrest of Carlos Campos came the following day, with Campos being taken to the Camarones detention centre. 
 
These repressive actions of the Mexican government continue a worrying trend of the last three years, which has seen SNTMMSRM&rsquo;s General Secretary Napoleon Gomez Urretia twice removed from office, and other union officials charged falsely, with several of those charges dismissed in court rooms.

ICEM Condemns Union Repression by Mexican Government

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On 11 December, ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda met with Argentine affiliates in Buenos Aires. The meeting was held with the support of Friedrich Ebert-Siftung (FES), a German-based labour foundation. It included unions representing paper workers, private-sector energy and gas workers, and others. 
 
Manfred Warda welcomed to the meeting the metal workers&rsquo; union of Argentina, a union seeking affiliation to ICEM on behalf of nuclear energy workers. 

<img height="210" alt="" src="" width="280" />
The meeting focused on recent ICEM initiatives, with attention to what is planned and occurring in the Latin American/Caribbean Region. Issues regarding energy and the different networks that operate with regional involvement in energy and chemicals were of special interest. The participants of the meeting voiced their concerns on contract and agency labour, and sustainable development. Gender and youth issues were other focuses. 
 
Warda expressed gratitude that the Argentine affiliates are prepared to welcome the next ICEM Congress in 2011. The Congress will be a resounding success, not least because of the enthusiasm shown on the part of Argentine affiliates.

ICEM Convenes Meeting of Argentine Affiliates; Agreement on 2011 Congress in Buenos Aires

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On 1-2 December, in Bogot&aacute;, Colombia, union leaders of ICEM affiliate Sintracarb&ograve;n delivered a list of demands to management of Carbones del Cerrej&oacute;n, the world-class coal mining operation owned by BHP Billiton, AngloAmerican, and Xstrata. The workers are seeking solutions regarding serious problems in health, education, low wages, outsourcing of labour, and effects on the local community. 
 
Preliminary discussions were carried out on 3-4 December at company headquarters in the city of Barranquilla, where a course was set forth for the negotiations to continue. The direct settlement stage of discussions began 9 December, where both parties again agreed on the required methodology in approaching negotiation of the union demands. 
 
This massive open-pit mining enterprise in the northern state of Guajira produces highly desirable low-carbon thermal coal. The mine produces 32 million tones annually, with a majority of that shipped to Europe, with exports to North America second in scope.
<img height="252" src="" width="300" alt="" />
Miners of Sintracarb&ograve;n in Colombia&nbsp; 
 

Since January 2007, when the ICEM assisted Sintracarb&ograve;n in achieving its current and now expiring labour contract, the number of health problems of workers has increased dramatically, up to 700, leading to the demand for a better health care system for both workers and their families. Aims to reduce the numbers of outsourced workers at the mine would develop economic stability for miners and their families, as well as efficient unionization of the workforce enabling collective bargaining. 
 
The union represents some 4,500 full-time Carbones del Cerrej&oacute;n workers, with another 4,000 employees working for service providers. Sintracarb&ograve;n is requesting solidarity again from its global affiliation, as well as from national level unions in Colombia as the talks progress in December.

Sintracarbòn Enters Critical Talks with Carbones del Cerrejon in Columbia

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ICEM Director of Industry and Corporate Affairs Joe Drexler reports that progress is being made with Russian and Ukrainian governments by ICEM-affiliated mining affiliates in promoting the ratification of the ILO Convention 176 on Health and Safety in Mines. 
 
Russia experienced a major mining disaster last week when 12 people were killed at an apatite mine near Kirovsk, in the Murmansk region, and Ukraine has the most dangerous coal mines in Europe. Apatite is used in fertilizer production. 
 
In a week-long trip that included stops in Moscow, Russia, and Kiev and Donetsk, Ukraine, Drexler met with union leaders, employers, and government officials including the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Development in Russia and the Minister of Coal in Ukraine. The meetings with the ministers were set up by Ivan Mokhnachuk, President of the Russian Independent Coal Employees&rsquo; Union, and Victor Turmanov, Chairman of the Trade Union of Workers&rsquo; of the Coal Industry of Ukraine. 

<img height="186" alt="" src="" width="278" />
Left, Joe Drexler, ICEM Director for Industry and Corporate Affairs; right, Ivan Mokhnachuk, President of the Russian Independent Coal Employees' Union (Rosugleprof)
In Russia, the Chemical and Allied Industries Workers Union, which represents some 50,000 largely phosphate and potash miners, and the Russian Trade Union of Metal Workers in the Nickel, Cobalt, and Platinum Industries, representing miners at Norlisk Nickel, offered strong support for the ratification of ILO Convention 176. Valery Glaskov, president of the metal mining union, also said he would open direct talks with Norlisk about a Global Framework Agreement. The talks will include the ICEM and trade unions outside of Russia. Norlisk has mining operations in Africa and the US.
It is in Ukraine where the prospect of achieving ratification of ILO Convention 176 in the near-term appears most likely. Victor Turmanov, who is also a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, has been leading the effort along with Mikhail Volynets of the ICEM affiliated Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine, and also a member of Parliament. A meeting was also held with Vasyl Khara, President of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, and yet another member of Parliament. Although much of the research and proposed changes to mining laws and regulations have been prepared, unified political pressure will be required to ensure ratification. 
&ldquo;I think we can say with confidence that Ukraine will become the 23rd nation to ratify ILO 176,&rdquo; said Turmanov after a meeting with Viktor Poltavets, the Minister of Coal, who gave his whole-hearted commitment to push for ratification in 2009. 
 
The ICEM has been lobbying the ILO to step up its own efforts to promote the ratification of the convention. The ILO is setting up workshops about ratification in India and Mongolia, but after several months of discussion, no meeting dates have been set. 
 
Indian unions have grown frustrated over the slow progress by the ILO and are actively engaged in lobbying efforts with government and employers. The Construction, Forestry, Mining, and Energy Union (CFMEU) of Australia has received a commitment from the new Labour government that it will also proceed next year toward ratification. 
 
Ratification of ILO Convention 176 will result in needed improvements in mining regulations and laws in most countries which have not yet ratified. Experience has shown that good mining laws and regulation will make mines safer.

ILO Mine, Safety Convention 176 Moves Closer to Realty in Russia, Ukraine

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A critical meeting was held in Basra at the headquarters of the Federation of Workers&rsquo; Councils and Unions in Iraq (FWCUI) on 29 November. Iraqi union leaders of FWCUI&rsquo;s branches met in a general session with an emphasis on preparing for elections in the oil sector. 
 
The meeting was attended by 36 trade union leaders of the oil sector, including workers&rsquo; representatives from the northern Rumaylah fields, the southern Rumaylah fields, as well as the Birjisiya, Shiayba, and Saltt stations, the pipelines company, the petrochemical company, and the headquarters unit of the Southern Oil Co. 

<img height="200" alt="" src="" width="267" />
The meeting was chaired by Thair Ismaieel, coordinator of FWCUI&rsquo;s preparatory committee, and was attended by Raiad Mahmoud and Haydar Abd Alilah, charged with administrative and financial affairs, for the union, and by Kareem Johi, Secretary of FWCUI&rsquo;s Petro-Chemicals Branch. 
 
The meeting produced a set of recommendations intended to determine responsibilities of the union&rsquo;s supreme committee regarding elections, and a call to respect the instructions issued by this committee. 
 
The recommendations also include mechanisms to empower union members to shape the federation as an independent organization, to encourage women to join unions of the federation, a call to unionists to be willing and able to support workers&rsquo; activities in all sectors, and publishing and distribution of FWCUI&rsquo;s newspaper in all workplaces. 
 
The meeting took up the challenges to the 1987 Saddam-era Decree 150 &ndash; still in force &ndash;which prohibits independent trade unions in the public sector, and also explored ways to expand membership. FWCUI is focused on making its unions power tools in the hands of workers.
<img height="80" alt="" src="" width="120" />
A week after the meeting, on 5 December, FWCUI issued a strong statement against the so-called &ldquo;Security Agreement&rdquo; between the US and the government of Iraq. That statement rejects the agreement and invites other Iraqi parties that reject the agreement &ldquo;to place their opposition in the political arena (in order) to widen the public discourse and to transform the rejection of this agreement to an empowerment of the people.&rdquo; 
 
FWCUI members of the supreme committee for elections includes: Thaier Ismaieel, President; Mustapha Ahmed and Mahdi Bishara, Vice Presidents; Raid Abd Alqader, Secretary; Ghazi Abd Alqader, Secretary Assistant; Dhaher Auda, Administrative and Financial Affairs Officer; Nashwan Faisal, Administrative/Financial Assistant; Kareem Johi, Communications Officer; Mukhlis Faisal, Public Relations Officer; and Saffa Talib and Muayad Hamad, respective assistants in those latter areas.

FWCUI in Iraq Holds Crucial Meeting Leading Up to Elections

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A call for action was made by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on 8 December, following the arrest of KCTU President Lee Suk-haeng three days earlier. 
 
The alleged reason for the arrest was Lee Suk-haeng&rsquo;s role in organizing a general strike on 2 July, deemed as &ldquo;illegal.&rdquo; The Korean labour leader&rsquo;s solidarity action, supporting the E-land contract labour strike in 2007, had drawn the wrath of South Korean authorities then, and resulted in his arrest early this month. 
 
The general strike was called to gain the right to re-negotiate on health and safety, specifically the 2007 Protocol on US beef imports, on food-safety grounds. The KCTU had organized various solidarity actions in support of the strike by the E-land workers, protesting against sudden termination of contracts and illegal subcontracting, which clearly violated the Korean Irregular Workers law of July 2007. 
 
The charge against KTCU President Lee Suk-haeng is &ldquo;obstruction of business,&rdquo; under section 314 of the Penal Code. However, freedom of association and the right to strike under collective bargaining are clearly protected by ILO Core Conventions 87 and 98. 
 
The 8 December KCTU call for pressure on the Korean government, to stop trade union repression, respect health and safety consultation, and to show proof that ILO conventions are being practiced, is important. It is also important in gaining the immediate release of Bro. Lee Suk-haeng. 
 
The call has been answered by the ICEM; the ICEM letter can be found <a href="/index.php?id=7&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=2927">here</a>; the ICEM encourages trade unions to copy or excerpt the letter, and to lodge their own protests with the South Korean government.

ICEM Joins Wide Protest of Korean Trade Union President’s Arrest

Lee Myung Bak 
President 
Republic Of Korea 
December 11, 2008 

The ICEM, representing 20 Million Workers in Chemical, Energy and Mining Industry over 130 countries strongly protests at the arrest of Mr. Lee Suk-haeng, President of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). 

The ICEM has been informed that Bro. Lee Suk-haeng was arrested on 5 December, at 10:40 pm, in connection with his role in organising an &ldquo;illegal&rdquo; general strike on 2 July 2008 and in organising a solidarity action in support of the E-land Retail Precarious workers&rsquo; strike in 2007. 
We understand that Brother Lee Suk-haeng would be mainly charged with &ldquo;obstruction of business&rdquo; (provision in section 314 of the Penal Code) due to his role in these actions. 

The ICEM is appalled that trade union leaders are being arrested and detained merely for exercising fundamental workers' rights, like to the right to strike. The right to strike encompasses both the right for workers to pursue demonstrations concerning social and economic policies affecting its members, as well as solidarity actions. We are very concerned about the severe form and nature of the repression, especially the deprivation of liberty of those involved and the intrusion into the privacy of family members. The targeting of top union leaders is blatant anti-union repression and the ICEM is disappointed that the government has chosen to keep union leaders imprisoned for longer periods in this case. 

The ICEM is urging your government to order the immediate release of Mr. Lee Suk-haeng and all other imprisoned trade unionists and that all charges against them be dropped. It also urges you to ensure that the arrest warrants against all other labour leaders be withdrawn immediately. 

In the meantime, I trust that you will pay prompt attention to this very serious matter. 
Yours sincerely, 
 
Manfred Warda 
General Secretary 
ICEM

ICEM Letter to South Korean Government On Arest of Lee Suk-haeng

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Kadirpur gaz tesislerini &ouml;zelleştirme kararına karşı y&uuml;r&uuml;t&uuml;len g&uuml;&ccedil;l&uuml; protestolar &ccedil;er&ccedil;evesinde, 19 Kasım Perşembe g&uuml;n&uuml;, binlerce petrol ve gaz iş&ccedil;isi g&ouml;steri y&uuml;r&uuml;y&uuml;ş&uuml; yaptı. Oil &amp; Gas Development Company Ltd. şirketin muazzam varlıklarını yabancı yatırımcılara devretmiş olacak. H&uuml;k&uuml;met &ouml;zelleştirme sonucunda 3-4 milyar dolar arasında bir meblağın eline ge&ccedil;mesini bekliyor. Oysa bir&ccedil;ok yorumcu şirket varlıklarının 12 milyar dolardan fazla olduğu kanısında. 
En son g&ouml;steri y&uuml;r&uuml;y&uuml;ş&uuml; OGDCL sendikasının girişimiyle d&uuml;zenlendi. Sendikanın başkanı Chaudry Mohammad Akram &ouml;zelleştirme girişimini ş&ouml;yle değerlendirdi: &ldquo;Kadirpur gaz tesisi her yıl devlete 182 milyon dolar kazandıran k&acirc;rlı bir işletme. İşletmenin &ouml;zelleştirilmesi ulusal &ccedil;ıkarlara zarar verecek.&rdquo; 

<img height="140" alt="" src="" width="140" />
Dhodhak petrol tesislerindeki y&uuml;zlerce iş&ccedil;i bir g&ouml;steri d&uuml;zenleyerek Taunsa Sharif-Dera Ismail Khan caddesini d&ouml;rt saat s&uuml;reyle trafiğe kapattı. &Ouml;te yandan, Kadirpur tesislerinden onlarca OGDCL iş&ccedil;isinin ger&ccedil;ekleştirdiği a&ccedil;lık grevlerinde h&uuml;k&uuml;metin kararını geri alması talep edildi. 
 
Dhodhak petrol ve gaz tesislerinden Badshah Khan Qaiserani adlı bir y&ouml;netici, &ldquo;Başkan Asif Ali Zardari, IMF-D&uuml;nya Bankası ile ABD'nin politikalarını izleyeceğine, Ali Bhutto'nun misyon ve politikalarını hayata ge&ccedil;irmelidir&rdquo; dedi. 
 
Muhalefet partisi JI'nın lideri Liaqat Baloch g&ouml;stericilere siyasal partilerin iş&ccedil;ilerin davasını destekleyeceği teminatını verdi ve ş&ouml;yle dedi: &ldquo;Eğer h&uuml;k&uuml;met &ouml;zelleştirme kararını geri almayacak olursa, &uuml;lke &ccedil;apında yığınsal bir politik hareket başlatacağız.&rdquo; 
 
Pakistan M&uuml;sl&uuml;man Birliği de &ouml;zelleştirme girişimine şiddetle karşı &ccedil;ıkıyor. Haberleşme Bakanı Ahsan Iqbal ise Kadirpur gaz tesislerini &ldquo;Pakistan ekonomisinin belkemiği&rdquo; olarak niteledi ve &ldquo;&Uuml;lke halen bir enerji kriziyle karşı karşıya, bu durumu daha da k&ouml;t&uuml;leştirecektir&rdquo; dedi. 
 
Pakistan'daki WAPDA Hidroelektrik Santralı İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası'na bağlı iş&ccedil;iler de fiyat artışlarını, işsizliği ve hukukdışılığı protesto eden bir g&ouml;steri d&uuml;zenlediler.

Pakistan&#039;da İşçiler Petrol ile Gazın Özelleştirilmesine Karşı Birleşiyor

<img height="39" alt="" src="" width="100" />
G&uuml;ney Afrika'daki Witwatersrand &Uuml;niversitesi'ne bağlı İnsan Bilimleri Araştırma Konseyi'nin ge&ccedil;enlerde yayımladığı bir araştırma, &uuml;lkedeki maden sekt&ouml;r&uuml;n&uuml;n kısa vadeli ge&ccedil;ici iş&ccedil;iliğe ve taşeron iş&ccedil;iliğine giderek daha fazla dayandığını ortaya koyuyor. Araştırmanın bulgularına g&ouml;re, s&ouml;zgelimi, Rustenburg b&ouml;lgesindeki platin madenlerinin y&uuml;zde 60'ından fazlasında, bir kaza halinde sorumluluktan ka&ccedil;mak ve maliyetleri d&uuml;ş&uuml;rmek i&ccedil;in d&uuml;zensiz istihdam y&ouml;ntemleri uygulanıyor. 
G&uuml;ney Afrika'nın b&uuml;t&uuml;n&uuml;nde, b&uuml;t&uuml;n platin madenlerinin y&uuml;zde 36'sında taşeron iş&ccedil;isi istihdam ediliyor. Bu iş&ccedil;ilerin bir&ccedil;oğu Afrika'nın g&uuml;neyindeki diğer &uuml;lkelerden geliyor. 
 
Araştırma bulguları, G&uuml;ney Afrika'da maden sekt&ouml;r&uuml;ndeki taşeron iş&ccedil;ilerinin sayısının 2003'te 90.231'den 2005'te 122.589'a &ccedil;ıktığını ortaya koyuyor. 

<img height="108" alt="" src="" width="180" />
&Ccedil;alışma Bakanlığı'nın isteği &uuml;zerine y&uuml;r&uuml;t&uuml;len araştırma, vurgulanan trendin kaygı verici bir bi&ccedil;imde arttığını g&ouml;steriyor. Araştırma ekibinin s&ouml;zc&uuml;s&uuml; Profes&ouml;r Edward Webster araştırmadan şu sonucun &ccedil;ıkarılabileceğini belirtti: Otuz yıl kadar &ouml;nce kent yoksullarından gelen iş&ccedil;ileri kayıt dışı ekonomide faaliyet g&ouml;steren işletmelere &ccedil;eken s&uuml;recin yerini, giderek daha fazla taşeron iş&ccedil;isi istihdam eden kayıt i&ccedil;i işletmeler almış bulunuyor. 
 
Araştırmanın bulgularına g&ouml;re, işverenlerin b&uuml;y&uuml;k b&ouml;l&uuml;m&uuml; yasal asgari &uuml;creti uygulamıyor. Bu ise iş&ccedil;ilerin aşırı &ouml;l&ccedil;&uuml;de s&ouml;m&uuml;r&uuml;lmesine ve g&uuml;&ccedil;s&uuml;zleşmesine yol a&ccedil;ıyor. Taşeron iş&ccedil;ileri sendikalarda &ouml;rg&uuml;tlenmeye girişecek olurlarsa, işten atılma tehdidiyle karşı karşıya bulunuyorlar. 
 
&Ccedil;alışma Bakanlığı Genel M&uuml;d&uuml;r Vekili Les Kettledas, bir haber ajansına yaptığı a&ccedil;ıklamada, devletin kısa s&uuml;reli taşeron iş&ccedil;ilerinin s&ouml;m&uuml;r&uuml;lmesini &ouml;nleyecek yasa ve politikalara sahip olduğunu, ama bu politikaları ve yasaları uygulayacak stratejilerin yetersiz kaldığını, araştırmanın bu eksikliği gidermeye y&ouml;nelik olduğunu vurguladı. 
 
Kettledas araştırma bulgularının kayıt i&ccedil;i sekt&ouml;rlerdeki ger&ccedil;ekliği yansıttığını belirtti.

Güney Afrika&#039;da Taşeron İşçiliği Maden Sektöründe Kaygı Verici Bir Büyüme Gösteriyor

Find the following statement in Arabic <a href="/index.php?id=24&amp;la=EN&amp;doc=2957">here</a>. 

The 20-million-member International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers&rsquo; Union (ICEM) has added its voice to the calls for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of border crossings between Israel and Palestine to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. 
 
&ldquo;It is with shock and horror that I have seen coverage of the bombardment of Gaza in what is now four days of Israeli air strikes that have targeted both Hamas and purely civilian structures, including a major university, a television station, and mosques, as well as refugee camps, which serve as homes to many of the 1.5 million Palestinians who live in this densely populated Mediterranean coastal area,&rdquo; said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;The loss of innocent Palestinian lives is deplorable and an immediate and fully respected ceasefire by both Israel and Hamas is now clearly the only way forward.&rdquo; 

According to the United Nations, as well as Palestinian officials, more than 370 Palestinians have died in the air strikes, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reporting that about a third of those killed since Sunday, 27 December - about 90 Palestinians - were civilians including more than 60 women and children. Over 1,000 Palestinians are said to have been injured, many critically, and hospitals and doctors are struggling to treat the injured in the face of chronic shortages of basic medical supplies and blood.
<img height="72" alt="" src="" width="120" border="1" />
&nbsp; 
The air strikes have been in response to rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza that have reportedly caused the death of four Israelis and followed the decision of Hamas, which controls Gaza, not to renew a six-month cease fire that had brought a semblance of temporary and relative calm to the area until it expired earlier this month. The action by Hamas is also deplorable and has been strongly criticised by Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas is the Islamist movement which won Palestinian elections three years ago and then violently seized full control of Gaza last year. 

The UN high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, said Israel's use of force was &quot;disproportionate&quot; and Richard Falk, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories, said in a BBC interview: &quot;Israel is committing a shocking series of atrocities by using modern weaponry against a defenceless population - attacking a population that has been enduring a severe blockade for many months.&quot; 

Israel has said it is ready for weeks of action to end the threat posed by rockets, one of which on Tuesday landed in Beersheba, 46 km (28 miles) from the Gaza Strip. An extra 2,500 reservists have been called up by the Israeli army and, on the frontier with Gaza, preparations continue for a possible Israeli ground operation. Israel has declared the border area a &quot;closed military zone,&quot; which prohibits journalists and others from entering. 

There is no entry by sea possible, either. Israeli naval vessels confronted pro-Palestinian activists seeking to break the Gaza blockade by boat about 45 miles (70km) off the Israeli coast in international waters. The activists said one vessel had rammed the Palestinians&rsquo; craft without issuing a warning during the confrontation. The boat put into port in Lebanon with heavy damage on one side.
ICEM President Senzeni Zokwana, also President of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in South Africa called on all parties to address the serious humanitarian needs in Gaza. He said, &ldquo;There must be the immediate opening of border crossings to ensure that the people of Gaza are supplied with food, water, fuel and medical treatment. The Israeli blockade of Gaza must be immediately lifted and full, unimpeded and urgent access for medical teams allowed.&rdquo; 

ICEM has received a message from Shaher Saed, General Secretary of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade unions (PGFTU) where he graphically details the suffering Palestinians face, and how Palestinian people only hope to live normal lives without threats of the weapons of occupation. 
 
Saed stated: &ldquo;It is the human responsibility of the international community to devote all efforts to pressure the Israeli government to stop their aggression and attacks on Palestinian people, who not only face death by the missiles, but also face hunger and death due to the lack of bread, medicine, electricity, and drinking water.&rdquo; 
 
Clearly, the ICEM believes, there is no military solution to the situation in Gaza or the wider search for peace in the Middle East. There must be a seriously increased international effort to ensure that both Israel and Palestine have the land, rights, and security to live in peace. 

ICEM fully endorses the recent statement by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and in particular the statement by ITUC General Secretary, Guy Ryder, that &ldquo;the cycle of attack and reaction must be be replaced with dialogue, to bring a definitive end to the conflict and establish the basis for the co-existence of Israel and Palestine as two democratic states in peace.&quot; 
Ryder added, &quot;The international community must bring real pressure to bear to ensure that Israel and Palestine step back from the cycle of violence and follow the path of dialogue. The UN, its Security Council members and all other countries which could use their influence to bring this about, must do so as a matter of the utmost urgency.&quot; 

South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, a former General Secretary of the NUM trade union, is also commended by ICEM for having urged Israelis and Palestinians to stop the violence and asked the international community to find a solution for peace in the Middle East. 

&quot;Both parties must do everything their power to come to a solution in order to end the violence in the Middle East,&quot; Motlanthe said in a statement. &quot;Violence and counter-violence would not advance the cause of both the Israelis and the Palestinians. Strength and efforts must not be spared by the Palestinians and the Israelis to find an amicable solution to their problem.&quot; 

Motlanthe called for a two-state solution, with an independent Palestinian state co-existing with an Israel state within secure borders as a lasting solution to the ongoing Middle East conflict. 

ICEM fully agrees with this statement and will continue to work for peace in the Middle East. The Geneva-based ICEM is a Global Union Federeation representing 467 trade unions in 141 countries.

ICEM Calls for Immediate Ceasefire to Ease Gaza Hostilities

Archive

ICEM Condemns Union Repression by Mexican Government

ICEM Convenes Meeting of Argentine Affiliates; Agreement on 2011 Congress in Buenos Aires

Sintracarbòn Enters Critical Talks with Carbones del Cerrejon in Columbia

ILO Mine, Safety Convention 176 Moves Closer to Realty in Russia, Ukraine

FWCUI in Iraq Holds Crucial Meeting Leading Up to Elections

ICEM Joins Wide Protest of Korean Trade Union President’s Arrest

ICEM Letter to South Korean Government On Arest of Lee Suk-haeng

Pakistan'da İşçiler Petrol ile Gazın Özelleştirilmesine Karşı Birleşiyor

Güney Afrika'da Taşeron İşçiliği Maden Sektöründe Kaygı Verici Bir Büyüme Gösteriyor

ICEM Calls for Immediate Ceasefire to Ease Gaza Hostilities

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