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Global worker No1 2022

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Two days after 70 members of ICEM affiliate Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) voted to take another strike action, managers at Bridgestone&rsquo;s Salisbury tyre plant near Adelaide, South Australia, locked them out. In a wage dispute turning more and more bitter, managers locked maintenance workers off their weekend shifts on 23 March. 
 
AMWU members staged a one-day strike on 20 March, and voted the next day for another 24-hour strike, this time to occur on 27 March. Workers represented by both AMWU and fellow ICEM affiliate Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) turned out at a shareholders meeting on 20 March to voice their displeasure over Bridgestone Australia&rsquo;s bargaining posture.
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Management enraged the AMWU and intensified the dispute by hiring contract workers during last week&rsquo;s industrial action. An AMWU spokesman said this action was like &ldquo;putting fuel in the fire,&rdquo; adding the mood of workers&rsquo; has gone &ldquo;from frustration to anger.&rdquo; 
 
Both LHMU, representing 500 production workers at the Salisbury plant, and AMWU have been locked in pay talks with Bridgestone for over a year. LHMU took a series of industrial actions earlier in March, and currently is banning all overtime work by members. Local managers have retaliated against the LHMU, as well, by issuing temporary suspensions to some production workers.
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Bridgestone currently is offering 6% over three years, while the unions are seeking a 12% increase over the same period. Management is also trying to put in place a voluntary retirement plan at the 42-year-old auto and truck tyre plant. 
 
At last week&rsquo;s shareholders meeting of Bridgestone Australia Ltd., a A$50 million share buy-back plan was approved, which effectively makes the Australian company privately-held and wholly-owned by Bridgestone of Japan.

Bridgestone Locks Out Maintenance Workers at Australian Tyre Plant

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ICEM affiliate United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) issued a detailed safety report on the gas explosion at International Coal Group&rsquo;s (ICG) Sago mine in the state of West Virginia. The report states unequivocally that the tragedy that killed 12 on 2 January 2006 at ICG&rsquo;s non-union mine was preventable, and never should have occurred. 
 
The 68-page report, which also contained 20 appendices, was released at a Washington, D.C., press conference in the US Capitol Building on 15 March. The press conference was attended by the two US senators from West Virginia, as well as a US congressman from the coal-producing state. 
 
&ldquo;Twelve men are dead who should not be,&rdquo; stated UMWA President Cecil Roberts. &ldquo;Their deaths came as the result of a series of bad decisions made by the company and the federal mine safety regulatory agency.
&nbsp;&ldquo;Had the government done its job and (IGC&rsquo;s) Sago mining done their job, all of these miners would be alive.&rdquo;
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UMWA President Cecil Roberts
The tragedy was the worst US mining disaster in years, and captured the attention of the American public in the early days of 2006. IGC&rsquo;s management first reported that all the trapped miners were safe, bringing joyous relief to family members gathered at the mine site. Only hours later, the company admitted that the news was premature. It then took 41 hours to reach the miners. Only one miner was found alive, and he had suffered brain damage due to high levels of carbon monoxide. 
 
Stated the daughter of one Sago miner at the UMWA&rsquo;s press conference, &ldquo;It breaks my heart to have to think that those men barricaded, wondering and waiting when they were going to be rescued, knowing now that they did not have to die. It&rsquo;s not fair.&rdquo;
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The UMWA report cited several conditions that led to the deaths. It said the company&rsquo;s substandard mine seals, the mine&rsquo;s ventilation system, the lack of adequate oxygen devices inside mine shafts, no safety chambers, no two-way communications, no tracking devices, and no onsite, experienced mine rescue teams all played roles in the tragedy. 
 
The union alleged the US Mine Safety and Health Administration allowed Sago&rsquo;s owners to build coal mine seals using lightweight Oemga Blocks, rather than sturdier and explosion-proof mine seals, as specified under the US&rsquo;s Mine Safety Act. The report also provides dozens of recommendations for tougher standards aimed at preventing such needless mine deaths in the future.
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UMWA Sec.-Treas. Dan Kane
&ldquo;We cannot afford to wait,&rdquo; said UMWA Sec.-Treas. Dan Kane at the press conference. &ldquo;The sooner we implement these recommendations, either as law or regulations, the more secure miners will be in the knowledge that their jobs are as safe as possible. As this report indicates, we&rsquo;ve got a long way to go before we reach that point.&rdquo; 
 
Six days after the UMWA was released, ICG temporarily closed the Sago mine doe to a downturn in coal prices. IGC, owned by New York-based investor Wilbur L. Ross, is a seven-year-old coal company that has specialised in buying abandoned coal operations from bankruptcy proceedings, and then mining them. The company now operates 11 coal mines in the eastern US, all of them using non-union miners.

UMWA Says Sago Mine Tragedy in US Could Have Been Prevented

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On the eve of critical Nigerian national and state elections, the country&rsquo;s two national labour centers elected the two presidents of both ICEM&rsquo;s oil workers&rsquo; unions to key positions. 
 
Comrade Peter Esele, president of white-collar PENGASSAN Union, was elected President-General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria on 3 March in Lagos. The TUC is a newly-formed association of 22 unions, representing some 2.5 million senior staff in varying services and industries. 
 
Two weeks earlier, Peter Akpatason, president of blue-collar NUPENG, was elected Trustee of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). 
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For the first time since 1999, the 38 affiliates of the NLC have new leadership. Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was given a rousing send-off as a dynamic trade union leader. Abdul Waheed Omar, president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, won election as President of NLC on 17 February. Oshiomhole has left his trade union post to seek election as governor of Edo State from a multi-party alliance that includes the Labor Party and the Action Congress Party. 
 
In a message to the NLC&rsquo;s 9th National Delegates&rsquo; Conference at Abuja, Oshiomhole commended the role the four-million-member NLC has played in the enhancement of the welfare of workers, the consolidation of democracy inside Nigeria, and the war against corruption. 
 
He said that democracy with all its imperfections was better than the most benign dictatorship. Oshiomhole added that the NLC has become a democratic, independent, socially responsible, and effective organisation that commanded the confidence of workers, trusted by the public, and respected by the government and employers. 
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The national and state elections in April will be held at a time when security for oil and other workers in Nigeria is seriously threatened, and when corruption among public officials is rampant. Lack of development and job opportunities for local people in the oil-rich Niger Delta has spawned scores of ransom kidnappings, while theft, or bunkering, of petrol from pipelines has jeopardized public security.
Last week, for instance, a communiqu&eacute; issued by NUPENG typifies what workers face in Nigeria. The union issued a 21-day ultimatum to police in the Port Harcourt zone to halt the &ldquo;illegal extortion of money from tanker drivers by the police.&rdquo; The statement added that on most occasions, tanker drivers are &ldquo;unnecessarily delayed to the point of breaking their resistance, to offer money as ransom before they are eventually released to continue with their journey.&rdquo; 
 
NUPENG contends that such extortion by police occurs under the guise of law enforcement fighting pipeline vandalism, when, in fact, NUPENG&rsquo;s Port Harcourt zonal branch has evidence of police complicity in pipeline vandalism. 
 
The two oil workers&rsquo; unions, NUPENG and PENGASSAN, have also warned against election rigging as the coming presidential and state governorships balloting draws near.

Nigerian Oil Workers’ Leaders Elected to Posts in National Union Centres

The 20-million-member ICEM, the Global Trade Union Federation representing workers in the mining industry, today commended its Colombian affiliate, Sintracarb&oacute;n, and coal producer Carbones del Cerrej&oacute;n for achieving a new collective agreement over the weekend. After the union&rsquo;s National Assembly of Delegates issued a strike mandate on 25 January, Sintracarb&oacute;n&rsquo;s six-member bargaining committee met with the management of Colombia&rsquo;s biggest coal enterprise throughout the weekend to achieve the new two-year agreement. 
 
&ldquo;The ICEM applauds the fact that both sides saw the rationale to continue discussions even after it appeared a strike was inevitable,&rdquo; stated General Secretary Manfred Warda. &ldquo;This is a testament to the commitment that Sintracarb&oacute;n and the company has for the Social Dialogue process.&rdquo; 
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Carbones del Cerrej&oacute;n, with its three multinational stakeholders, AngloAmerican, BHP Billiton, and Xstrata, are partners with the ICEM and Sintracarb&oacute;n in a unique Social Dialogue arrangement adopted in 2004 in Colombia. The agreement, which also covers other multinational companies and several other ICEM-affiliated trade unions in Colombia, established a formal process for meaningful labour-management discussions between parties. 
 
Warda said it was essential that the three parent companies asserted themselves in talks over the weekend. 
 
The agreement, covering some 4,000 miners, awards a pay increase of 7.7% in the first year of the agreement, with a second year increase of either 1.5% above Colombia&rsquo;s consumer price index for 2007, or 6%, whichever is higher. 
 
The ICEM congratulates Sintracarb&oacute;n and its membership for standing steadfast in these negotiations in order to meet their other contractual demands. Those include sizeable payouts in both years of the agreement for university educations for children of miners; a series of bonuses for Cerrej&oacute;n&rsquo;s workers, which includes a ratification bonus and a set production bonus that will increase when the company&rsquo;s coal price exceeds US$48-per-tonne; additional employer contributions to a pension fund in each year of the agreement; and extra monthly medical stipends for family members. 
 
The ICEM is specifically proud of the achievements Sintracarb&oacute;n made for contract workers employed at Carbones del Cerrej&oacute;n in Guajira state. That includes bringing 80 temporary workers to full-time, permanent status; and enlarging the level of benefits for contract labourers once six months of employment is complete. One more requirement is for the company to conduct interviews with contract employers to ensure they are complying with Colombian law, and that this process is shared with the union. 
 
For further details: <a href="/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/2105-Sintracarbón’s-Miners-Poised-to-Strike-at-Carbones-del-Cerrejón-in-Colombia">/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/2105-Sintracarb&oacute;n&rsquo;s-Miners-Poised-to-Strike-at-Carbones-del-Cerrej&oacute;n-in-Colombia</a>.

ICEM Applauds Coal Agreement Reached in Colombia

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ICEM North American affiliated United Steelworkers (USW) and Stora Enso applauded an innovative labour agreement at four paper mills located in the state of Wisconsin, following union membership ratification on 17 January. 
 
The labour accord, covering some 1,400 USW members, is a five-year contract that will now backdate to 30 April 2005. It expires in 2010. It contains wage increases of 9% over the term of the agreement, and a US$3,000 ratification bonus also was negotiated. 
 
The agreement provides job security for all union members against contract labour, and gives USW local unions a strong voice in workplace redesign and restructuring at the paper mills in central Wisconsin. Workers also will be awarded quarterly bonuses for the redesign. The collective agreement contains language pledging Stora Enso to be neutral in union organising efforts, and contains a successorship clause in the event any facility is sold. It also brings all the mills under the same collective bargaining expiration date. 
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&ldquo;These negotiations are a model for improving the competitiveness of the US paper industry in the world market,&rdquo; said USW President Leo Gerard. &ldquo;Stora Enso recognizes that high productivity is tied to high road employee relations.&rdquo; 
 
Added USW Paper Sector Vice President Dick LaCosse, &ldquo;The willingness of Stora Enso and the USW to forge a new path in collective bargaining will make the company and union stronger.&rdquo; 
 
&ldquo;Simply put,&rdquo; said USW District 2 Director Jon Geenen, &ldquo;companies that rely on confrontation with the union lose a competitive advantage. Those that focus on working with the union to find innovative solutions benefit from it.&rdquo;

USW Achieves Innovative Collective Agreement with Stora Enso in US

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The Communications, Energy, Paperworkers (CEP) Union of Canada used 22 January as a National Day of Action in Canada to expose a government devoid of effective policies on halting job losses in the pulp, paper, and the forestry sector. Together with local branches, the CEP waged a massive e-mail campaign aimed at MPs and Premier Stephen Harper, and conducted a symposium in Ottawa on the jobs crisis. 
 
CEP also aired radio advertisements across Canada, demanding urgent action from Parliament on the issue. 
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&ldquo;The industry is facing unprecedented hardship impacting on more that 300,000 Canadians who depend on it for their livelihoods,&rdquo; said CEP President Dave Coles. &ldquo;There are solutions to this crisis, solutions based on the fair treatment of workers and their families, sustainable forest practices, value-added productivity, and more. But the first step is to break the silence and open discussions with all parties affected.&rdquo; 
 
The CEP symposium on Parliament Hill heard from labour leaders, elected officials from affected areas, representatives from the Forest Products Association of Canada, and members of Parliament. Coles said, &ldquo;The survival of dozens of communities are threatened, and yet we have had very little response from the federal government.&rdquo; 
 
The CEP reported at an ICEM statutory meeting last year that, in the preceding two years in the paper sector alone, 34 full, partial, or permanent mill closures had occurred, costing 7,000 jobs.

CEP Draws Attention to Massive Job Losses in Canadian Forestry Sector

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A three-week strike by ICEM Belgian affiliate&nbsp;La Centrale G&eacute;n&eacute;rale FGTB against ArjoWiggins is expected to end today at two paper mills. Union members over the weekend voted, by a 62% margin, to approve an amended company proposal that calls for a restructuring of the two Wallonian mills. 
 
Union members had twice before rejected the company&rsquo;s proposed social plan, once on 15 January, and again on 23 January. French-based ArjoWiggins is closing a paper mill and converting operation in Nivelles, and will transfer the paper converting portion there to the company&rsquo;s paper mill in Virginal-Samme. 
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The restructuring was to make 147 workers redundant, as well as 80 temporary employees. The company manufactures carbonless writing and printing papers at both locations. ArjoWiggins future plans for Nivelles are to use the mill merely for warehousing and logistics. 
 
The company and workers&rsquo; representatives, led by FGTB, came to a satisfactory agreement on 26 January, after pressure was brought on the company by both federal and provincial employment ministries. Belgium&rsquo;s federal labour ministry will conduct a final conciliation hearing on the dispute tomorrow, 30 January. 
 
ArjoWiggins is owned by the French holding company Sequana Capital, formerly called Worms &amp; Cie. Sequana is primarily owned by the Agnelli family of Italy.

Belgian Paper Strike at ArjoWiggins Ends

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The Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) on 22 January issued a call to enhance the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, in order for the Guidelines to become more transparent and more thoroughly implemented. The proposals from the DGB come at the outset of Germany&rsquo;s G8 Presidency term. 
 
The national labour centre&rsquo;s plan includes creating an inter-ministerial structure for National Contact Points (NCP) that will provide more efficient and pro-active case work. DGB also proposes to expand transparency among NCP offices through better public dissemination of cases, as well as insisting that the NCP&rsquo;s annual report to the OECD Investment Committee also includes those cases that the NCP decides not to move forward. The reasons for such decisions must be explained in a public declaration, DGB states. 
<img height="45" src="" width="81" alt="" />
A third proposal is to have the Guidelines codified in EU legislation, as well as established as the international benchmark for corporate social responsibility. In this, DGB calls on Germany and other countries to provide greater financial commitment to the OECD. This proposal also includes making the complaints procedure easier, and giving only MNCs who pledge, in writing, to comply with the Guidelines access to foreign trade instruments. 
 
&ldquo;The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises have proven to be the strongest international instrument to date for promoting corporate social responsibility,&rdquo; states the DGB. &ldquo;In practice, however, their implementation encounters limits. 
 
&ldquo;The DGB takes the view that the OECD Guidelines hold the potential to promote corporate social and environmental responsibility worldwide and to make an effective contribution to sustainable development and to the social dimension of globalisation.&rdquo;

DGB Trade Union Confederation Calls for Strengthening OECD Guidelines

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German ICEM affiliate IGBCE has called recent statements by Economic Affairs Minister Michael Glos &ldquo;irresponsible,&rdquo; referring to the federal minister&rsquo;s remarks that the stock market listing of German coal and industrial company RAG as a publicly-traded company must be tied with the removal of coal subsidies. 
 
IGBCE President Hubertus Schmoldt challenged the comments on the eve of a summit on Germany&rsquo;s hard-coal industry, which began yesterday in Berlin. &ldquo;The economic minister endangers the coal discussions and creates an unnecessary uncertainty for 100,000 people,&rdquo; said Schmoldt. RAG employs some 100,000 German workers in coal mines, power stations, chemical enterprises, and in real estate. 
<img height="83" alt="" src="" width="66" />
Glos has sided with provincial authorities in the provinces of North Rhine-Westphalia and in Saarland, who have called for the end of German subsidies to the coal industry. He has proposed that the capital raised from RAG&rsquo;s listing could be used as a replacement for coal subsidies. 
 
Schmoldt termed the plan &ldquo;adventurism,&rdquo; and called on the federal government to take more responsibility to assure a future for the 100,000 workers. &ldquo;This is no way to run politics,&rdquo; said Schmoldt, adding that the workers of RAG expect to be treated fairly inside a publicly-traded company. He said the listing of RAG is an opportunity for the German federal government to create long-term employment. 
 
RAG is expected to be floated on the Berlin stock market in the second quarter of this year.

IGBCE Blasts Plan to Link RAG’s Public Listing with Removal of Coal Subsidies

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The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in South Africa gave Impala Platinum a seven-day ultimatum to respond to demands to improve health care services at the Impala Mine Hospital near Rustenberg, North West State. 
 
The ultimatum was given when miners staged a 23 January march on the hospital. NUM is protesting unfair and inferior treatment of union members at the facility. The union also accuses mine management, doctors, and hospital administrators of denying antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for treatment of HIV-AIDS. 
<img height="103" src="" width="100" alt="" />
&ldquo;We &hellip; condemn the collusion by both the management of Impala Mine and Impala Hospital that seeks to marginalize those not falling with a particular medical aid,&rdquo; NUM said in a statement last week. 
 
The collusion includes charges that managers and medical facilitators make gravely ill staff continue working underground, failing which, they are terminated with insufficient severance money. 
 
The NUM&rsquo;s demands include dismissal of doctors who are denying ARV treatments. The union also cites a host of incidents in which inferior health care was given. NUM said that if the demands were not addressed by 30 January, rolling industrial action would begin. 
 
Impala Platinum employs some 26,000 workers in South Africa. 
<img height="115" src="" width="250" alt="" />
At another platinum mine in the country, NUM union members began a strike on 26 January. Over 2,000 miners downed tools at Modikwa Platinum in Limpopo, Northern State, demanding an end to racism. 
 
The NUM branch there states that both pay and working conditions for white workers is better than that of black workers. The branch union also charges that recruitment and hiring procedures are not evenly applied. 
 
The strike began at 06h00 last Friday, and branch leaders were expecting to meet with Modikwa&rsquo;s management later that day.

NUM Members in South Africa March Against Impala Platinum’s Hospital Care

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