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The Main Workers&rsquo; Board of EPS Trade Union, representing 48,000 employees of Serbia&rsquo;s state-run Electric Power Industry, re-elected Milan Đorđević on 12 February as President. This is Đorđević&rsquo;s first full term, having succeeded Miroslav Veličković early in 2008. He had been Vice President. 
 
Đorđević is from the town of Barosevac, and worked for EPS as a coal miner at the Kolubara-Lazarevac open-cast coal mine, Serbia&rsquo;s largest colliery. He was a strong activist for miners&rsquo; rights and continues to be an effective advocate for all workers at EPS. 
 
Re-elected Vice President by the Main Board was Branko Tomić, who comes from an electric power distribution company in Kraljevo. 
 
EPS consists of 11 electric power distribution companies, 7 electric generating plants, and three coal production, process, and transport enterprises. The EPS Trade Union was founded in 1992.

EPS Trade Union of Serbia Re-elects Milan Đorđević as President

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ICEM Belgian affiliate FGBT/ABVV stepped up its campaign calling for protection of workers&rsquo; rights in the glass and ceramics sector. 
 
Six hundred workers in the sector have lost their jobs, and over 1,000 contract workers have been sacked as global companies operating in Belgium face the worst economic downturn in decades. 
 
The FGTB/ABVV accused several companies of taking advantage of the crisis by shifting production to countries where wages and social payments are much lower. The Vesuvius group, for instance, is accused of closing a profit-making site in a &ldquo;race to the bottom.&rdquo; 
 
The economic downturn has seen scores of temporary and contract workers in glass and ceramics rendered jobless in Belgium without notice, prospect of job reclassification, or retraining. 
 
The 1,000 short-term contract workers represent between 11-12% of the total workforce in these sectors. 
 
Saint-Gobain, the Paris-based glass producer, announced last year that it would cut 4,000 jobs globally this year, many in Belgium. 
 
The FGTB/ABVV calls attention to the obvious fact that although workers are hardest hit by the crisis, production quotas remain high and dividends to shareholders continue to flow. 
 
Considering the government assistance and programmes available to employers, there should be no need for dismantling these sectors in Belgium. 
 
The union pledges to continue the struggle throughout 2009 to restore workers&rsquo; jobs and rights, as well as to ensure that workers have the necessary purchasing power in Belgium.

Belgian FGTB/ABVV Outlines Steps in Glass, Ceramics to Meet Economic Crisis

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The ICEM expressed concern recently at the actions of Sinotex Lanka, Ltd., a garment producer which is owned by Hong Kong-based Cristal-Martin Group. The company has closed two factories after operating 27 years in Sri Lanka. 
 
Members of the Sri Lanka Free Trade Zone and General Services Employees Union, who recently applied for affiliation to the ICEM, have called for international solidarity for the 2,500 workers that have lost their jobs. The ICEM insists that the company make the correct pay settlements to workers, in line with national legislation. 
 
Reports suggest that Sinotex has already made arrangements for the factories to reopen with new workers, a clear illustration of how a company uses the global economic crisis to destroy a trade union. Most of the Sinotex workers are women, and many are migrants from rural villages far from the factories in the Investment Promotion Zone of Katunayake. 
 
Many of the workers were sacked after up to 20 years employment. 

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The Joint Secretary of the union, Anton Marcus, sent a letter early in February to the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa. That letter urged him to organize &ldquo;dialogue between social partners in order to overcome the challenges posed by the world economic crisis.&rdquo; 
 
The legislation that must be upheld is the Termination of Employment of Workmen (Special Provisions) Act No. 45 of 1978. In order for a different settlement to be agreed outside of the terms of this law, it must be carried out under a Memorandum of Settlement, covered in section 12(1) of the Industrial Disputes Act of Sri Lanka. This must be based on negotiations between the employer and employees before the Commissioner of Labour. 
 
Sinotex Lanka, Ltd. has violated all of these legal provisions, summoning workers one by one, and then terminating their services with a small stipend. Neither the union nor the Commissioner of Labour had been consulted, even though the union had requested a meeting. 
 
The ICEM believes this has set a dangerous precedent for other anti-union companies across Sri Lanka. Members of the union at Wheel Works Private, Ltd. have also been threatened by managers with discharge if they do not resign their membership.

Global Economic Crisis Used to Destroy Union in Sri Lanka

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According to Brazilian health and safety standards, employers in all sectors must promote a yearly &ldquo;Workplace Accident and Disease Prevention Week,&rdquo; or SIPAT. This obligation creates an opportunity for trade unions to discuss the main issues related to health and safety, such as hazardous chemicals, HIV/AIDs, women&rsquo;s health, and emerging issues such as the health effects arising from the increasing use of nanotechnologies. 
 
The collective agreement in Brazil&rsquo;s chemicals sector thus requires chemical companies to include nanotechnologies and environment in workers&rsquo; training programmes. The agreement provides that companies can ask for the assistance of public health services when needed, and some of them do allow a trade union technical adviser. 

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Trade unions in the chemical industries in S&atilde;o Paulo State have been working closely with the Fundacentro&acute;s National Occupational Health and Safety Institute, and a trade union advisory body &ndash; Departamento Intersindical de Estat&iacute;sticas e Estudos S&oacute;cio-Econ&ocirc;micos (DIEESE) &ndash; to frame a strategic approach to the risks. 
 
The collective agreement signed in December 2008 between employers and the CUT-affiliated Chemicals Trade Union Federation of S&atilde;o Paulo State (FETQUIM) &ndash; representing 125,000 workers in the petrochemical, chemical, plastics, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, paints, and other industrial sectors &ndash; also includes recommendations that the companies share their environmental programmes and initiatives with workers during the SIPAT week. 
 
Currently, the main objective of Sindicato dos Qu&iacute;micos of the ABC Region, an affiliate of both FETQUIM-SP/CUT and ICEM, is to promote workers&rsquo; participation in workplace programmes regarding protection of the environment, as well as workers&rsquo; health from the impacts of the unknown risks of nanotechnologies.

Brazil: Collective Agreement in Chemicals Requires Nanotech, Environmental Training

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Last week, on 17 February, US-based International Paper Co. announced closure of its Inverurie mill following a 90-day consultation period with ICEM UK affiliate Unite the Union. The closure of the Aberdeenshire, Scotland, mill will happen at the end of March, and will cost 371 paperworkers their jobs. 
 
However, Unite and local politicians, during the mandatory consultation period, did find potential buyers for Britain&rsquo;s last uncoated freesheet paper mill. But International Paper (IP) refused to even consider selling the mill. 
 
Unite Assistant General Secretary Tony Burke said it was IP&rsquo;s intention all along to close the site and replace British paper production with paper made elsewhere. 

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That also is the position of a former owner of the mill, Thomas Tait, whose family began papermaking in the village of Inverurie in 1852. Tait, who sold the mill to another American paper company in 1987, told an Aberdeen newspaper late last week that IP received an offer from another paper manufacturer that could have saved the jobs, and perhaps even created more job opportunities. 
 
&ldquo;I know they were not willing to sell to another paper-making operation which made an offer,&rdquo; said Tait, who also told the Aberdeen Evening Express he had been involved three times in various plans to re-purchase the mill. &ldquo;It was an absolutely straightforward &lsquo;No,&rsquo; no discussion whatsoever.&rdquo; Tait said the Inverurie example should be used for a change in British legislation, mandating a sale to occur when a buyer intends to produce the same or a similar product. 
 
Meanwhile, IP presented Unite and Scottish paperworkers with an inferior redundancy package, pay and benefits and job retraining that the union would not consider bringing to union members. Talks on that issue between Unite and IP will continue this week. 
 
&ldquo;International Paper is one of the biggest paper-making companies in the world and can afford to pay decent severance terms given the loyalty and dedication of our members,&rdquo; stated Burke.

International Paper Ends Consultation, Announces Closure to Scottish Inverurie Mill

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ICEM'in Latin Amerika/Antiller B&ouml;lgesi ile S&uuml;rd&uuml;r&uuml;lebilir Gelişme İ&ccedil;in Uluslararası &Ccedil;alışma Vakfı (Sustainlabour) ve Amerika Kıtası Sendikalar Konfederasyonu'nun işbirliğiyle (TUCA), 14-16 Nisan g&uuml;nlerinde Brezilya'nın S&atilde;o Paolo kentinde iş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliği konusunda uluslararası bir konferans d&uuml;zenlenecek. 
 
Toplantı, Uluslararası Kimyasal Y&ouml;netimine Stratejik Yaklaşım'ın () uygulanmasını kolaylaştırmaya y&ouml;nelik program &ccedil;er&ccedil;evesinde d&uuml;zenleniyor. SAICM kimyasal maddelerin sağlıklı y&ouml;netimini sağlamak amacıyla Birleşmiş Milletler tarafından geliştirilen bir politikayı i&ccedil;eren bir program. Kimya sekt&ouml;r&uuml;nde &ccedil;alışanların işyerindeki risklerini azaltmayı ama&ccedil;layan program Kasım 2007'de başlatıldı. 

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The tripartite coordination, between ICEM, Sustainlabour ve TUCA arasındaki ortak girişim &ccedil;alışmalarını Kasım 2008 ile Ekim 2010 arasında Brezilya, Şili ve Uruguay'da s&uuml;rd&uuml;recek. Konferans kimya işkolunda iş sağlığı ve g&uuml;venliğini iyileştirmeyi, bu alanda bilgi alışverişini ve devletler arasında işbirliğinin geliştirilmesini hedefliyor.

Kimya Sektöründe İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Konusunda SAICM Konferansı – 14-16 Nisan

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ICEM'e ge&ccedil;en hafta sonu gelen haberlere g&ouml;re, Irak'ta devlete bağlı petrokimya şirketi SCPI'nın y&ouml;netimi Basra Petrokimya İş&ccedil;ileri Sendikası'nın y&ouml;neticilerinden Karim Johi Sahan'a disiplin cezası vermişti. 
Kimya tesislerinden altı ay uzaklaştırma cezası verilen Sahan, ayrıca, bu nedenle en d&uuml;ş&uuml;k &uuml;creti alacak. Ocak ayı sonlarında barış&ccedil;ıl bir protesto eylemi d&uuml;zenlediği i&ccedil;in bu cezaya maruz bırakılan Karim Johi bu eylemi nedeniyle acımasızca sorgulanmış ve bunun sonucunda kalp rahatsızlığı ge&ccedil;irmişti. 
Irak Sanayi ve Maden Bakanlığı SCPI hisselerinin y&uuml;zde 100'&uuml;n&uuml; elinde tutuyor. 
<img height="161" alt="" src="" width="180" /> 
Karim Johi (ortada) bildiri dağıtıyor 
ICEM Genel Sekreteri Manfred Warda Irak Maden ve Sanayi Bakanı'na bu hafta g&ouml;nderdiği mektupta şunları vurguladı: &ldquo;Karim Johi Sahan'a verilen bu disiplin cezası onun temel insan haklarının ihlalidir. Karim Johi uluslararası d&uuml;zeyde kabul g&ouml;ren s&ouml;z &ouml;zg&uuml;rl&uuml;ğ&uuml;n&uuml; ve barış&ccedil;ıl toplantı yapma hakkını kullandı ve bu nedenle yaşamı tehlike altında. Devlet Petrokimya Şirketi'ndeki y&ouml;neticileriniz tarafından verilen bu kararın derhal geri alınmasını talep ediyoruz.&rdquo; 
 
ICEM adalet sağlanana kadar bu konudaki baskısını s&uuml;rd&uuml;recektir.

ICEM Iraklı Sendikacılara Verilen Cezaları Protesto Ediyor

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Collaboration between ICEM&rsquo;s Latin American/ Caribbean Region, the International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development, Sustainlabour, and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), will result in an international conference on health and safety in the Chemicals Sector in S&atilde;o Paolo, Brazil, next month, 14-16. The venue is Fundacentro, or Brazil&rsquo;s National Labour Centre. 
 
The meeting is part of the program to facilitate the implementation of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), a United Nations policy framework that fosters sound management of handling of chemicals. This particular program was initiated in November 2007 with the objective of reducing workplace risks to staff in the chemicals sector. 

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The tripartite coordination, between ICEM, Sustainlabour, and TUCA, will focus activities in Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay between November 2008 and October 2010. This conference will seek to strengthen the alliance between the three groups for the common goal of improving health and safety in the chemical industry. Further objectives of the conference are to share information on health and safety in the industry and to look to developing partnership with governments. 
 
Nilton Freitas of the ICEM affiliate, Sindicato dos Qu&iacute;micos do ABC, is playing a leading role in organizing the conference on behalf of the ICEM and its partners. 
 
Find the registration form and program for the conference at <a href="http://www.fundacentro.gov.br">www.fundacentro.gov.br</a>.

SAICM Conference on Health, Safety in Chemical Sector – 14-16 April

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The Serbian union, EPS Trade Union, has made a stand for some 7,200 displaced Kosovo workers, who lost their jobs from state-run Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) in 1999 due to war. Since then, unemployed workers have received 60% of median wages from the utility. 
 
But beginning in January, a government decree from the Ministry of Energy and Mining ordered that amount reduced to the minimum state-level wage, reneging on an agreement it had with the union in a 2008 EPS business plan. On 19 February, 5,000 of those workers showed up in freezing temperatures and a sleet storm in Gracanica and Priluzje to protest the cuts. EPS Trade Union President Milan Đorđević intervened to block the rollbacks, and the union has pledged to be vigilant in retaining the 60%. 

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Milan Đorđević
Separately, EPS Trade Union has issued a five-day deadline for earnest negotiations to begin with the government over several issues involving the public utility&rsquo;s mines and businesses. One of the chief demands is fulfilment of an agreement signed with the government on 23 October 2008 and another is dialogue on the 2009 business plan. 
 
Other demands include full consultation on several operational issues, as well as possible privatisation plans by EPS. 
 
The union will hold a press conference tomorrow in Belgrade to discuss the government&rsquo;s failure in February to address the demands and will follow that up with a protest on Thursday, 12 March, in front of the Government of Serbia building in Serbia&rsquo;s capital city.

Serbian Union Preserves Wage Payments for Kosovo Electric Workers

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Following a failed mediation session on 4 March, some 65,000 Polish coal miners are poised to strike state run and operated Kompania Weglowa (KW), Europe&rsquo;s largest coal producer. Miners, forcefully united behind the country&rsquo;s three main mining unions &ndash; ICEM affiliate NSZZ Solidarność, Kadra, and the Polish Miners&rsquo; Trade Union &ndash; have been denied a fair wage proposal for 2009. 
 
Mediated talks will resume tomorrow, 10 March, but if no resolve occurs, Kompania Weglowa will face a two-hour warning strike on 12 March. If that doesn&rsquo;t force a change of stance by the company&rsquo;s board, a full strike at all of KW&rsquo;s 16 mines will then commence. 
 
Reportedly, the company&rsquo;s directors are offering a wage hike of 1.5%, while the unions are seeking 6%. In last week&rsquo;s mediated talks, the unions revised their proposal to delay the 6% increase from January to March. Miners are seeking increases in daily subsidies as well. 

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Also locked in wage talks are 40,000 miners at two other state-owned coal servicing and production companies, Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa (JSW) and Katowicki Holding Weglowy. Both companies are seeking to impose a wage freeze on miners this year. 
 
Talks with the same unions at JSW will continue on 11 March. But the unions consider KW the lead company, despite the managing board&rsquo;s reluctance to engage in earnest dialogue. In fact, the dispute has become exasperating because management has issued conflicting economic data. 
 
In January, the KW board boasted of significant profits from 2008, but countered that recently by informing the unions about losses. Meanwhile, KW&rsquo;s board members received a 6.9% salary increase for 2009 as part of a procedure in all Ministry of State Treasury enterprises, further inflaming the dispute. 
 
KW&rsquo;s coal production is 47 million tonnes annually, and it holds a 50% market share inside Poland&rsquo;s healthy coal-driven economy.

Miners’ Strike Looms in Poland at Europe’s Biggest Coal Company

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