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In late September, the ICEM continued to carry out reinvigorated activities in its Middle East/North Africa Region (MENA) by organising a workshop for chemicals and petrochemical unions of the region. The two-day set of workshops, sponsored by the Friedrich-Ebert (FES) Foundation of Germany, were held in Beirut, Lebanon, on 28-29 September. 
 
Energy and particularly oil have been one of the major driving forces of the economies of the region, and of ICEM activities in MENA of late. But in addition, the region has increased its overall production capacity in petrochemicals, specifically ethylene and its derivatives such as polyethylene and ethylene glycol. 
 
The joint ICEM-FES workshops were entitled, &ldquo;A Seminar on Reinforcing Trade Union Representation, Industrial Relations, and Social Dialogue in the Petrochemical Industry in MENA.&rdquo; The seminar was chaired by Suleiman Hamdan, President of Chemical Workers Union of Lebanon. 

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It was attended by 30 participants from Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Palestine, Turkey, and France. Following a presentation by ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Officer Kemal &Ouml;zkan, entitled &ldquo;Main Developments and Global Challenges in the Global Chemical &amp; Petrochemical Industry,&rdquo; the seminar received reports from individual countries. 
 
The workshop was called &ldquo;Global Dimension of Industrial Relations: International Mechanisms, Social Dialogue, Global Framework Agreements, and Global/Regional Networks&rdquo;. Another session &ldquo;The Rising New Threat to Working Conditions: Precarious Employment,&rdquo; focused on the ICEM&rsquo;s global campaign on Contract and Agency Labour. 

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At the end of the meeting, the participants decided to create an &quot;ICEM MENA Region Chemical/Petrochemical Sectoral Network,&quot; with a series of suggestions for future follow-up activities. Those include social dialogue and industrial relations; labour legislation and international instruments; multinational companies in the sector; Contract and Agency Labour and precarious employment; and Health, Safety, and Environmental issues. 
 
&ldquo;This is a new area of work for the ICEM in the MENA Region,&rdquo; said &Ouml;zkan. &ldquo;The enthusiasm and readiness which participants displayed at this seminar shows there is great potential for a MENA network of petrochemical unions. Reinforcing activities in areas of industrial production and manufacture will be one of the priorities of ICEM in the region.&rdquo;

Middle East, North African Chemical Unions Form Network

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The Mexican government of President Felipe Calder&oacute;n Hinojosa surprised many nine days ago by sending federal agents and police in to take over the country&rsquo;s second largest electrical power distributor, Luz y Fuerza del Centro (LyFC) or Central Light and Power. Calder&oacute;n used an executive decree to dissolve the debt-ridden utility, but in doing so he also sacked the entire 60,000 LyFC workforce, and disbanded their union, the 95 year old, Mexican Electrical Workers&rsquo; Union (SME). 
 
The action to bust SME disturbed many in the global union movement, as well as activist groups that monitor trade union rights within Mexico, but did not come as a surprise, considering the repressive measures taken by Calder&oacute;n against trade unions. 

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In July, SME members re-elected Secretary-General Mart&iacute;n Esparza, but the government has refused to certify the election, citing voting irregularities. But the real reason for the government&rsquo;s elimination of SME is the union leadership&rsquo;s opposition to Calder&oacute;n&rsquo;s economic policies, specifically regarding privatisation of the utility. Not incidentally, Esparza&rsquo;s opponent in last summer&rsquo;s elections, Alejandro Munoz, has joined with Esparza in condemning the takeover and has pledged to resist the dissolution. 
 
In a joint letter last week to Calder&oacute;n by the ICEM and the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF), General Secretaries Manfred Warda and Jyrki Raina called the action &ldquo;retaliatory because the leadership of the union opposed your anti-worker, anti-societal economic policies.&rdquo; See the letter <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/67%20ICEM%20IMF%20letter%20to%20Mr%20Calderon%20-%20Mexico%20-%2015Oct09.pdf">here</a>. 
 
The non-affiliated SME, which has not taken many strides to join the global trade union movement, deserves the support of unions everywhere because it has now become a victim of the current Mexican government&rsquo;s systematic plan to eliminate any workers&rsquo; group which stands in the way of business interests and unencumbered markets. 

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The SME has vowed to resist through peaceful methods the late-night, 10 October takeover, which was carried out by military police. The government has already offered redundancy packages, with the maximum up to 33 months pay, and said it would recall 10,000 of the electrical workers. But the SME has urged workers to reject the packages, and to participate in peaceful manifestations, the latest of which occurred on 15 October, when 100,000 people marched through Mexico City and gathered in the City&rsquo;s main square the Zocalo. The full day of large scale demonstration passed without incident and was widely supported in the capital, including from the left-wing city government. 
 
The huge manifestation of 15 October coincided with an international trade union forum on the issue of Multinational Corporations and their Protection Collective Agreements, sponsored by the Friedrich-Ebert (FES) Foundation of Germany. The contracts represent an enormous obstacle to free trade unionism in Mexico, and allow companies to sign &lsquo;collective&rsquo; agreements on work conditions and salaries, without including workers in negotiations, and without workers even being aware of the agreement made in their name. Calder&oacute;n&rsquo;s government encourages this practice and continues to block new democratic unions by repeatedly delaying official recognition for years, blacklisting trade unionists, and allowing company managements to act with impunity. The Forum issued a statement of solidarity with the SME. 

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A noteworthy statistic in Mexico is that 95% of companies have a collective agreement, whereas union membership in the country is at 10%, clearly the vast majority of collective agreements are signed with yellow unions. Many union leaders are millionaires, due to mafia-style deals with management. Visit the campaign website <a href="http://www.democraciaylibertadsindical.org.mex">here</a>.&nbsp; 
 
The Calder&oacute;n government has temporarily rolled LyFC&rsquo;s day to day operations into the country&rsquo;s largest utility, the Federal Electricity Commission, from which LyFC buys most of its generated capacity, but the speculation is that LyFC will now be sold to private sources. LyFC serves Mexico City and portions of the surrounding states of Mexico, Hidalgo, Morelos, and Puebla.

Mexican Government Shuts Major Electric Utility, Crushes Trade Union SME

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K&uuml;resel sanayi sendikalarının iklim değişikliğiyle ilgili toplantısındaki katılımcılar, d&uuml;ş&uuml;k karbonlu ekonomiye ge&ccedil;işin istihdamı g&uuml;vence altına alması ve insana yakışır yeni istihdam olanakları a&ccedil;ması gerektiğini s&ouml;ylediler. 
 
14 ve 15 Ekim g&uuml;nlerinde, Uluslararası Metal İş&ccedil;ileri Federasyonu (IMF), Uluslararası Kimya Enerji Maden ve Genel İş&ccedil;i Sendikaları Federasyonu (ICEM), Avrupa Metal İş&ccedil;ileri Federasyonu (EMF), Avrupa Maden Kimya ve Enerji İş&ccedil;ileri Federasyonu (EMCEF) Almanya'nın Bad Orb kentinde &ldquo;Gaz Emisyonunu Kısmak, İstihdamı D&ouml;n&uuml;şt&uuml;rmek&rdquo; konulu bir konferans d&uuml;zenledi. 

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Toplantının amacı, Kopenhag'da yapılacak olan İklim Değişikliği &Uuml;zerine Birleşmiş Milletler &Ccedil;er&ccedil;eve S&ouml;zleşmesi Konferansı'nda sanayi iş&ccedil;ilerinin ortak tutumunun ne olacağı konusunu g&ouml;r&uuml;şmekti. Bilinen adıyla UNFCCC COP-15 konferansının, sera gazı emisyon hedefleriyle ilgili olarak Kyoto Anlaşması'nda &ouml;ng&ouml;r&uuml;len h&uuml;k&uuml;mleri yenileyecek ya da o h&uuml;k&uuml;mlerin yerine ge&ccedil;ecek bir dizi anlaşma ortaya koyması bekleniyor. 
 
Toplantıda konuşan IMF Genel Sekreteri Jyrki Raina ş&ouml;yle dedi: &ldquo;Bizim faaliyet g&ouml;sterdiğimiz sekt&ouml;rler genellikle mevcut &ccedil;evre krizinin yaratıcıları arasında g&ouml;r&uuml;l&uuml;yor. Bununla birlikte, sorunun &ccedil;&ouml;z&uuml;m&uuml; bu sekt&ouml;rlerde yatıyor. İstihdamı artırır ve &ccedil;evreyi korurken emisyonu da azaltmak istiyoruz.&rdquo; 

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Sanayi iş&ccedil;ilerinin sendikaları, ICEM'in kabul ettiği s&uuml;rd&uuml;r&uuml;lebilirlik politikası gibi daha &ouml;nce yapılmış &ccedil;alışmaları dikkate alarak bir tartışma belgesi hazırladı. Toplantı şu beş panel tartışmasından oluşuyordu: &ccedil;evrenin korunması, s&uuml;rd&uuml;r&uuml;lebilir gelişme, sekt&ouml;r sorunları, s&uuml;rd&uuml;r&uuml;lebilir istihdam yaratılması ve adil ge&ccedil;iş. 
 
Canlı ge&ccedil;en tartışma geniş bir alanı kapsıyordu. &Ouml;ne &ccedil;ıkan g&ouml;r&uuml;şlerden bazıları şunlardı: 
 
- &Ccedil;evre krizi de tıpkı yaşadığımız k&uuml;resel ekonomik kriz gibi k&uuml;resel kapitalizmin bir başarısızlığıdır. 
- İnsana yakışır istihdam ve temiz &ccedil;evre el ele gider. Ya ikisini birlikte ger&ccedil;ekleştireceğiz ya da hi&ccedil;birini ger&ccedil;ekleştiremeyeceğiz. 
- Gelişmekte olan &uuml;lkelerin gelişme olanağına sahip olması gerekiyor. Ne var ki bunun gelişmiş &uuml;lkelerin ge&ccedil;miş olduğu ve &ccedil;evre krizine yol a&ccedil;mış olan zahmetli yolları izleyerek ger&ccedil;ekleşmesi gerekmiyor. Uluslararası sermaye ve finans kurumları, dirilen korumacılık ve teknoloji transferi &uuml;zerindeki kısıtlamalar, eğer &ouml;nlemeyecek olursak, yeni bir s&ouml;m&uuml;rgecilik &ccedil;ağı başlatabilir. 
- Sendikalar &ouml;zellikle s&uuml;rd&uuml;r&uuml;lebilirliğin sosyal boyutu konusunda h&uuml;k&uuml;metleri ve işverenleri hesap vermeye zorlamalıdır. 
 
D&ouml;rt &ouml;rg&uuml;t&uuml;n temsilcileri, mevcut &ccedil;evre krizine getirilecek &ccedil;&ouml;z&uuml;m&uuml;n sosyal ve ekonomik sonu&ccedil;larını tartıştılar. Sanayi sekt&ouml;r&uuml;nde faaliyet g&ouml;steren sendikaların Kopenhag'da seslerini duyurmaları ve &ouml;zellikle s&uuml;rd&uuml;r&uuml;lebilir gelişmenin sosyal boyutunu savunmaları gerektiği konusunda genel bir mutabakat vardı. Belli sanayi kollarında ve b&ouml;lgelerde sorunlar olduğu ve bu nedenle g&uuml;&ccedil;l&uuml; Adil Ge&ccedil;iş programlarına ihtiya&ccedil; bulunduğu kesin olmakla birlikte, s&uuml;rd&uuml;r&uuml;lebilir istihdam yaratılmasının da olanakları var. 
<img alt="" src="" width="100" height="97" /><img alt="" src="" width="146" height="46" /><img alt="" src="" width="105" height="94" />
ICEM, IMF, EMF ve EMCEF tartışma belgesini ve a&ccedil;ıklanan g&ouml;r&uuml;şleri &ouml;n&uuml;m&uuml;zdeki haftalarda g&ouml;zden ge&ccedil;irecek. Daha sonra, Kopenhag'daki COP-15 konferansına g&ouml;t&uuml;receğimiz belgelere son bi&ccedil;imini vereceğiz. 
 
Toplantıdan sonra ICEM Genel Sekreteri Manfred Warda ş&ouml;yle dedi: &ldquo;Sanayi iş&ccedil;ileri ve onların sendikaları a&ccedil;ısından d&uuml;ş&uuml;k karbonlu ekonomiye ge&ccedil;işte &ouml;nemli bir sorun, faturayı kimin &ouml;deyeceği ve ge&ccedil;işten kimin yarar sağlayacağıdır. For industrial workers and their unions an important question for changing to a low-carbon economy is who pays for it and who benefits from the transition. Tek gezegenimiz var ve hepimizin &ccedil;ıkarı geleceğimizin korunmasında.&rdquo; 
 
Toplantıyla ilgili b&uuml;t&uuml;n materyal IMF web sitesinde, <a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=21012&amp;l=2">burada</a>. 
 
İklim değişikliği ve sanayi sendikalarının bu konudaki tutumu konusunda başkaca bilgi edinmek isteyenler aşağıdaki web bağlantılarına gidebilirler: 
 
<a href="http://www.imfmetal.org/climatechange">www.imfmetal.org/climatechange</a> 
 
<a href="/en/97-Sustainable-Development-Health-and-Safety">/en/97-Sustainable-Development-Health-and-Safety</a> 
 
<a href="http://www.industrialpolicy.eu/COP15">http://www.industrialpolicy.eu/COP15</a>

Gaz Emisyonunu Kıs, İstihdamı Dönüştür

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In this issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS newsletter, we call again on ICEM affiliates to get involved in activities on World AIDS Day, 1 December. We report on, among other items, on the Sub-Sahara Africa Regional Workshop in Johannesburg, and we take up the debate on whether AIDS is still exceptional. 
 
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. 
 
This is the 50th issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin. There is no reason to celebrate. Much has been done by ICEM affiliates. Readers will have noticed that for more than two years now, news from ICEM affiliates on their HIV/AIDS activities and from the ICEM itself has covered the first pages of this e-bulletin. 
 
Much more needs to be done. We have put the workplace, where our affiliates can make a difference, in the forefront of awareness and prevention efforts. We will continue the fight with our limited means and we hope that more partners will join us. 

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African Regional HIV/AIDS Workshop Reviews Activities, Charts Way Forward 
 
How do traditional healers fit into the prevention, treatment, and support of infected and affected people? What are the latest developments in treatment therapies? How do peer educators respond to still widespread myths on HIV and AIDS? These were among the issues debated by 23 participants, of whom 11 were women, from 14 Sub-Saharan African countries at the Regional HIV/AIDS Workshop, which took place in Johannesburg from 9-11 November. 
 
At the outset of the workshop, participants, all national HIV/AIDS coordinators in their respective countries, reported on their work. New ideas and innovative interventions stirred much debate among participants and contributed to the learning process among them. Successful campaigns were presented by national coordinators Charlotte Nguessan, C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire, and Afolabi Olawala, Nigeria, and inspired participants were encouraged to follow these examples. 

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Campaigning will be a focus for the ICEM HIV/AIDS project in 2010, especially Know-Your-Status campaigns as the low uptake of voluntary counselling and testing still poses one of the biggest barriers on prevention and treatment. 
 
A number of countries also made good use of a special small grant for material production. Unions now have their own basic leaflets to enforce their awareness and prevention efforts. 
 
Working groups on training for awareness and prevention, work organisation, job security and job accommodation, voluntary counselling and testing and confidentiality came up with suggestions and conclusions for union action and collective bargaining. Similarly, the implications of new treatments on negotiations were discussed in working groups. 
 
With half of the participants being women, gender played a prominent role in the workshop. Their roles inside their careers was emphasised. The impact of their multiple roles on job performance and continued employment may discriminate against women. Experience from different countries also shows that women are more interested to know their status and are more active in support networks. 
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World AIDS Day 2009: A Call for ICEM Affiliates to Join the Campaign 
 
As with every year at this time, World AIDS Day will be held on 1 December. In the last issue of this newsletter we urged ICEM affiliates to get involved in the campaigns carried out during World AIDS Day. This is the last call on ICEM affiliates to plan their participation in national activities. 
 
The theme of this year&rsquo;s World AIDS Day is &ldquo;Universal Access and Human Rights.&rdquo; Campaign material is designed with the &ldquo;I AM&rdquo; theme, adopting the key slogans: I am accepted; I am safe; I am getting treatment; I am well and I am living my rights. 
 
Supporting material &ndash; four posters and two postcards &ndash; has been made available by the World AIDS Campaign. These can be downloaded from their website <a href="http://www.worldaidscampaign.org">www.worldaidscampaign.org</a>. 

<img alt="" src="" width="40" height="40" />
Is AIDS Exceptional? 
 
The idea that AIDS is exceptional is no longer going unchallenged. Critics calling for an end to &ldquo;exceptionalism&rdquo; have argued that lowered estimates of HIV infections signal a time to return to a &ldquo;normalised&rdquo; response to the epidemic rather than a response to a global emergency. This would, of course, have far reaching consequences on funding. 
 
The Second Independent Evaluation of UNAIDS underscores that AIDS exceptionalism remains a valid concept. It argues, among others, that the epidemic is exceptional in the magnitude of its impact on development in many countries, especially because of its impact on working adults. It is exceptional in its association with politically sensitive topics, such as sex and drugs, and with stigmatised groups such as sex workers and injecting drug users. In highlighting the continued importance of UNAIDS, the report stresses that addressing HIV and AIDS is not confined to the health sector. 
 
(Source: information provided by Robert E. Lovelace, HIV/AIDS Consultant based in Washington and Advisor to the Global Union AIDS Programme) 

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HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Russia out of Control 
 
Speaking ahead of an international conference on AIDS in Moscow, the head of the International AIDS Society, Robin Gorna, urged Russia to do more to prevent the spread of HIV among an estimated two million drug users. It is estimated that there are now at least one million people infected with HIV in Russia. This represents a dramatic increase over the past decade. 
 
The vast majority are people under the age of 30. Most were infected because they share needles for injecting heroin. To give drug addicts substances such as methadone as an alternative is illegal in Russia, which also does not finance any needle exchange programmes. 
 
(Source: BBC News, 28 October) 

<img alt="" src="" width="40" height="40" />
Patent Pool Could Ease HIV Drug Prices 
 
M&eacute;decins sans Fronti&egrave;res (Doctors without Borders) has launched an email campaign to pressure major pharmaceutical companies to share their patent rights of certain antiretroviral drugs. The organisation is urging the companies to release their patents into a collective pool that will increase access and affordability to treatment in developing countries. This is because companies using the patents can then develop generic versions. 
 
At least five million people living with HIV, and who need life-saving treatment, still do not have access to it. UNITAD, the international drug purchasing agency, will be in the forefront of the project, as it will be in establishing the patent pool for these HIV drugs. 
 
(Source: Inter Press Service, 1 0ctober) 

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Important Changes in Indian CCM 
 
Earlier this year, the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) in India made important changes to its composition. When the terms of office of the old CCM expired, a decision was taken to expand the size of the CCM from 33 to 40 members. 
 
While keeping the number of central and state government seats unchanged, this made it possible to increase the number of seats for civil society from five to eight and for the private sector from two to five. Of these five seats, three are to be taken by corporations. The selection process is to be conducted by the three Indian business coalitions. 
 
Comment: While the editor of this e-bulletin welcomes the inclusion of corporations in the CCM, it is to be regrettable that the opportunity was not used to also include representatives of workers&rsquo; organisations in the CCM. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer, Issue 108, 27 October. GFO is a free service of Aidspan (<a href="http://www.aidspan.org">www.aidspan.org</a>). To receive GFO, send an email to <a href="mailto:receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org">receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org</a>. 

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Obama Lifts Ban on US Entry for HIV-positive People 
 
President Barack Obama lifted a 22-year old ban on allowing people infected with the AIDS virus into the US on 2 November. He made the announcement in signing an extension of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Act, which provides for education, prevention, and treatment programmes for US HIV patients. 
 
&ldquo;We lead the world when it comes to helping stem the AIDS pandemic &ndash; yet we are one of only a dozen countries that bar people with HIV from entering our country,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it,&rdquo; he added. 
 
(Source: Reuters, 30 October) 
<img alt="" src="" width="40" height="40" />
Labour Advocacy Toolkit 
 
The World AIDS Campaign (WAC) secured funding from UNAIDS to produce mobilisation kits for four constituencies including youth, people living with HIV, and faith-based organisations. The fourth kit reaches out to labour. The kit presented the Global Union AIDS Programme with the opportunity to create a publication that serves a number of purposes, including drawing attention to the 2010 goal of achieving universal access. 
 
The kit, with the subtitle, &ldquo;Organising to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support,&rdquo; is a tool for the country-based affiliates of the Global Unions to assess national HIV and AIDS responses with the aim of identifying gaps that labour is uniquely positioned to fill. It puts forward a structured process to plan campaigns to increase the role of labour in national responses and gain access to the required resources to do the work. 
 
The Labour Advocacy Toolkit was written by Robert E Lovelace who is an advisor to the Global Union AIDS Programme. The ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin will advise readers when and where to obtain the toolkit when it becomes available. 
<img alt="" src="" width="40" height="40" />
News from Global Union Federations 
 
In its October Newsletter on Education for All and HIV/AIDS Prevention in Schools (EFAIDS &ndash; <a href="http://www.ei-ie.org/efaids">www.ei-ie.org/efaids</a>), the Education International (EI) reported, among other items, of the extension of the EFAIDS programme to Papua New Guinea and the implementation of the programme in post-conflict West Africa. 
 
The International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF) <a href="http://www.itfglobal.org">www.itfglobal.org</a> reports in its HIV/AIDS Update 74 of 15 October on the prominent role HIV/AIDS played at the Road Transport Section Conference in Uganda, the first international road transport conference held in Africa. The first pilot project on HIV and AIDS was started in Uganda ten years ago. 
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This ICEM HIV-AIDS Newsletter &ndash; How to Subscribe 
 
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.

ICEM Seeks Involvement on World AIDS Day, 1 December

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 50 November 2009

<img alt="" src="" style="width: 40px;height: 40px;cursor: default" width="390" /><div>In this last issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS newsletter, we cover aspects of the ongoing HIV/AIDS project, which comes to an end in December 2012.&nbsp;A new project proposal for sub-Saharan IndustriALL affiliates is being developed. Since 2005, the ICEM HIV/AIDS project has covered much ground. But without question, there is still much work left to be done.<img alt="" src="" style="width: 40px;height: 40px;cursor: default" width="390" />Dear Readers, Friends, ComradesAs announced in the May issue, this is the last issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin. We thank all readers for their interest and hope that we have succeeded in making a contribution to the dissemination of useful information over almost seven years.Next week, the ICEM, the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation (IMF) and the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITGLWF) will hold their dissolution congresses in Copenhagen. Immediately after that the Founding Congress of the new Global Union Federation, IndustriALL, will take place. </div>Editor: Hans J Schwass, ICEM HIV/AIDS Consultant<img alt="" src="" style="width: 40px;height: 40px;cursor: default" width="390" />HIV/AIDS is a Workplace Issue; Unions Have Central Roles to PlayThis has been the leading message of the ongoing HIV/AIDS project, which has been running since 2005. The first phase of the project was sponsored by LO/TCO Biståndsnämnd, Sweden, and FNV Mondiaal, Netherlands, and ran from 2005 to 2008, with an additional project year in 2009. After a thorough internal assessment in 2008, a new project was approved, running from 2010 to 2012, sponsored by SASK of Finland and FNV Mondiaal. ICEM affiliates in these countries gave strong support and contributed financially to the project.Throughout the project periods, national HIV/AIDS coordinators were trained in regional workshops. At national level, activities started off with peer education and awareness and prevention campaigns. Increasingly, however, VCT campaigns were organised and thousands of workers, their families and members of the community queued up to know their status.Some progress has also been made on the adoption of workplace policies and the insertion of HIV/AIDS clauses in collective bargaining agreements. Despite a sometimes adverse relationship over conventional bargaining issues, companies must be seen as partners in the fight against the epidemic since an effective HIV/AIDS policy cannot be implemented without the participation of employers.HIV/AIDS workplace policies should also draw on the resources of companies for skills training, awareness and prevention campaigns and for VCT and ART services. Cost-benefit analyses have shown that even small expenses by companies for HIV/AIDS activities result in reduced costs for medical schemes, higher productivity, and reduced expenditure for training. Unions must continue to convince employers that it makes business sense to invest in the fight against HIV/AIDS.At the heart of the ongoing HIV/AIDS project are annually-approved national HIV/AIDS programmes that run in each of the 11 project countries. These &ldquo;projects-within-a-project&rdquo; are applied for by the national coordinators to the Sub-Saharan HIV/AIDS project coordinator, who discusses, approves and monitors all these individual national plans for action.Women issues in relation to HIV and AIDS also received a boost with two women-only sub-regional workshops in 2010 and 2011. Women&rsquo;s empowerment in taking control of their reproductive rights and dealing with issues such as violence at home and sexual harassment at the workplace were at the heart of these workshops. The use of female condoms was also promoted. The sub-regional workshops in turn led to women activities organised at national level. Several of these were not only relevant with respect to HIV/AIDS, but also strengthened unions by integrating more women in their union work and by recruiting more female members.Fighting HIV and AIDS is a national policy matter. All target countries have national policies to fight the pandemic and a National AIDS Commission, which coordinates the efforts of all stakeholders. It is important that trade union activities fit into this general framework. For this to happen, unions must be recognised as partners in national policy implementation and, subsequently, they have to actively seek contacts with national HIV/AIDS bodies.As part of the fight against the pandemic, trade unions should also seek the participation of NGOs in their activities and build alliances with them. NGOs often have more expertise and experience as they concentrate on one issue. Of utmost importance is the involvement of organisations of People Living with HIV/AIDS to reduce stigma and to demonstrate that HIV and AIDS should be treated like any other condition or disease.From its adoption by the International Labour Conference of the ILO in June 2010, ILO Recommendation 200 concerning HIV and AIDS and the World of Work, was promoted at in regional and national ICEM HIV/AIDS events. This is the first international human rights instrument to focus on HIV and AIDS and the world of work. All workers are protected by the new labour standard, including those in informal economies. As Recommendation 200 becomes more widely known and accepted, it has the potential to develop into a tool for unions to use.The Global Action Plan for the implementation of R200, as adopted by the ILO Governing Body in March 2011, seeks three outcomes for the period 2011 to 2015: reduction of stigma and discrimination, increased access to services, and scaled-up action by world of work actors.In our work, we also made a link to the broader ILO Decent Work Agenda, which is central in efforts to reduce poverty and to make occupational health and safety an integral part of the Decent Work Agenda. Important in this, as far as HIV/AIDS is concerned, is often not so much the job itself, but the conditions around it that can lead to behaviour that puts workers and their dependents at risk of acquiring HIV, such as working and living conditions of workers in remote mining areas, which contribute to an increasing infection rate.At global level, good cooperation was established with ILO/AIDS. Technical cooperation was not only extended by the ILO Head Office in Geneva but also by country offices where activities were organised. Special mention must be made of the cooperation with the ILO Delhi office, which greatly contributed to the success of the HIV/AIDS project in India, and of the collaboration with the ILO Pretoria office, which gave a boost to work on the ILO Decent Work Agenda and Recommendation 200.Work was initiated with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the World Bank (WB AIDS Campaign Team for Africa) and the World Bank&rsquo;s International Finance Corporation (IFC against AIDS) with the objective to promote the concept of public/private partnership and co-investment with the involvement of unions. The dictum has been that the private sector is business and organised labour, i.e. trade unions. When skills training, knowledge transfer and other assistance are extended to management, it should also be offered to unions. No HIV and AIDS interventions at the workplace are effective if workers and their representatives are not included. Unfortunately, these organisations have not been responsive to such legitimate demands.An HIV/AIDS e-bulletin has been published monthly since October 2005. A dedicated HIV/AIDS website provided access to useful materials and links to other websites. Materials have included a leaflet, a manual for collective bargaining on HIV and AIDS issues, and a guide for resources and finance for HIV/AIDS activities. Very important for union work at the national level, a model union policy and a workplace policy on HIV/AIDS were developed.Another element of the work at global level has been the successful acquisition of additional funding to expand the project beyond Africa. Corporate partnership and solidarity contributions from affiliates made it possible to run HIV/AIDS projects in India, Trinidad &amp; Tobago, Mongolia, and Colombia. Supplementary funding was also obtained for Sub-Saharan Africa, mainly earmarked for VCT campaigns in Tanzania and Nigeria. The Danish LO/FTF supported a three-year project (2009-2011) in the mining sector in Ethiopia.While a lot has been achieved in the past years, much more still needs to be done. It was therefore decided to seek a continuation of the HIV/AIDS project and look at developing a new project proposal for sub-Saharan African IndustriALL affiliates for the years 2013-2015. Discussions are ongoing with the donor community on this.

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 81, June 2012

IndustriALL Global Union will be founded on 19 June in Copenhagen, Denmark.&nbsp;Uniting 50 million workers along global supply chains, uniting the history, expertise, and passion of three proud international organisations, IndustriALL will fight for workers everywhere.<div class="rte">Over&nbsp;1,200 trade union delegates from every corner of the globe are meeting in Copenhagen&nbsp;18-20 June, 2012 to form IndustriALL Global Union, representing workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors.&nbsp;&quot;Among the delegates are heroes who have been on the front-line of the fight for democracy and workers&#039; rights,&quot; stated Jyrki Raina, the in-coming general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union.<img alt="" src="" style="width: 280px;height: 292px" width="390" />&quot;Workers and their unions, members of IndustriALL, have been at the forefront of the Arab Spring fight for democracy, the struggle against despots.&quot;In Copenhagen we will form a new union family of heroes, with strong bonds, ready to stick together through thick and thin - a new force in global solidarity taking up the fight for better working conditions and trade union rights around the world.&quot;IndustriALL will challenge the power of multinational companies like Rio Tinto and BHP,&quot; Jyrki Raina said. &quot;We will negotiate on a global level with the global giants.&quot;IndustriALL will fight for a new model of globalization, a new economic and social model that puts people first, based on democracy and social justice.&quot;IndustriALL will be founded in Copenhagen on 19 June 2012. The new organisation will bring together affiliates of the former global union federations: International Metalworkers&#039; Federation (IMF), International Federation of Chemical,&nbsp;Energy, Mine and General Workers&#039; Unions (ICEM) and International Textiles Garment and Leather Workers&#039; Federation (ITGLWF).IndustriALL Global Union will represent workers in a wide range of sectors from extraction of oil and gas, mining, generation and distribution of electric power, to manufacturing of metals and metal products, shipbuilding, automotive, aerospace, mechanical engineering, electronics, chemicals, rubber, pulp and paper, building materials, textiles, garments,&nbsp;leather and footwear and environmental services.The new website, <a href="http://www.industriall-union.org/">http://www.industriall-union.org/</a>, will go live at 14:00 on 19 June 2012.</div>&nbsp;

IndustriALL Global Union to be New Force

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In this issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS newsletter, we report on the ICEM Women&rsquo;s Workshop in West Africa, the selection of the abstract written for ICASA, and the report of the High Level Panel on Global Fund reforms. 
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Women and HIV and AIDS, Sub-regional Workshop in Accra 
 
The West African Sub-regional Women&rsquo;s Workshop, which was held in Accra, Ghana, brought together 17 women from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, and Guinea. 
 
The workshop identified specific challenges facing women at the workplace and in communities with respect to HIV and AIDS. It addressed violence arising from HIV status and women&rsquo;s health and HIV and AIDS and dealt with the issue of the use of female condoms. 
 
The workshop started with a presentation by Akua Asumadu, the ILO HIV/AIDS Focal Point in Accra on &ldquo;Gender in the World of Work and mainstreaming gender in workplace response to HIV and AIDS.&rdquo; 
 
The workshop dealt with the issue of the importance of women structures especially in a male dominated industry such as the mining sector. Participants felt strongly that despite existing challenges, women structures play an important role in uplifting women and suggested that women structures should begin to be relevant to women by addressing specific women health and societal issues in order to improve active participation of women. 
 
Dr. Fred Nana Poku from the Ghana AIDS Commission made a presentation on &ldquo;The existing progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS, gender related issues that hinder access to care and the strategies in place to encourage the use of the female condoms.&rdquo; 
 
His presentation was followed by a presentation on the female condoms as a well as a demonstration on its proper use by Paule France Ndessomin, the ICEM HIV and AIDS coordinator. It became clear that the majority of women had never come across a female condom and were ignorant of its existence. The efforts through the ICEM HIV/AIDS project not only familiarise women with female condoms but also demonstrate the potential of their empowerment. 
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International AIDS Conference in Addis Ababa 
 
The 16th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2011) will be held in Addis Ababa 4-8 December. The theme of the Conference is &ldquo;Own, Scale-up and Sustain.&rdquo; 
 
In the context of the project, sponsored by the Danish LO/FTF and in cooperation with the ICEM affiliate NIFECM, an abstract was written for the Conference proceedings. <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/ICEM%20Abstract-ICASA2011-a.pdf">The abstract</a>, entitled &ldquo;HIV and the Workplace, Awareness and Prevention in the Mining Sector in Ethiopia, Trade Unions Take their Responsibility,&rdquo; was selected for presentation at an oral abstract session at the Conference. 
 
High Level Panel Recommends Major Changes to the Global Fund 
 
A High Level Panel led by former President Mogae of Botswana and former US Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt has recommended in its report, released on 19 September, that the Global Fund make some major changes in its structure and working methods. The Panel was established six months ago by the Board of the Global Fund after widespread media publicity about corruption among some grant implementers. 
 
The Panel was given a broad remit to look into the Global Fund's problems and what should be done about them. Much is riding on the report; several donors have delayed making, or implementing, their funding commitments for 2011 and later until they see how the Panel reports and how the Fund responds. 
 
It would go beyond the scope of this e-bulletin to summarise the 149-page report (which is done in the GFO Issue 158 quoted below). However, some of the major recommendations stand out. 
 
Firstly, the GF Board should specify the maximum available funding for each type of country. It is further recommended that the GF introduces a two-stage grant application process with a relatively brief concept paper first and a full proposal after &ldquo;approval in principle.&rdquo; With respect to staffing, it is recommended that the overall ratio of Country Program Staff (mainly Fund Portfolio Managers) within the Secretariat should increase. 
 
The report was subsequently adopted by the Global Fund Board. 
 
(Source: Global Fund Observer, Issue 158 of 20 September. GFO is a free service of Aidspan <a href="http://www.aidspan.org">www.aidspan.org</a>; to receive GFO send an email to <a href="mailto:receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org">receive-gfo-newsletter@aidspan.org</a>) 
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HIV and the Neglect of Older African Adults 
 
While the focus of HIV and AIDS interventions has always been on the 20-40-year-olds most likely to be infected, African democracy institute Idasa warns that health workers and social planners have neglected to take into account the elderly who have contracted the virus &ndash; and their numbers are growing. 
 
Successful ARV treatment is just one factor that has created a new group of HIV and AIDS patients &ndash; the over 50s who face their own distinctive needs and challenges. A IDASA study, HIV and AIDS and the Older Adult, points out that old age could disguise the symptoms of HIV and AIDS, leaving it undetected and untreated as health workers and social services focus their attention on the younger population. This could have serious consequences as older adults may fall through the treatment net. 
 
Greater awareness of the prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the older cohort is urgent. The study suggests that older people may be more sensitive to antiretroviral drug toxicity and therefore the body&rsquo;s reaction to antiretroviral agents may be different in the older person. The authors also warn that older people may be suffering from age-related conditions and using other non-HIV medications, which could introduce complications in the use of antiretrovirals. 
 
The stigma and discrimination experienced by older people suffering from HIV and AIDS is also greater. Furthermore, many of South Africa&rsquo;s older generation have been left to care for AIDS orphans. They have become the sole breadwinners and sources of income in many households. but a growing numbers of these senior citizens are HIV-positive or suffering from AIDS themselves. 
 
(Source: IDASA press release, 25 August) 
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Swaziland: HIV Prevalence among Factory Workers 50% 
 
A new study has found that more than half of workers in Swaziland&rsquo;s garment industry are living with HIV, and officials are realizing that the once-hailed promise of manufacturing employment has become a financial and medical nightmare for tens of thousands of Swazi women. 
 
About 30,000 Swazis, mostly women, are employed in garment factories financed by Taiwanese investors and operated by managers from mainland China. The survey also found that most factory workers were well informed about HIV/AIDS, and 90 percent of workers interviewed were aware of the female condom and other methods of preventing HIV. 
 
The prevalence rate for textile industry employees is significantly higher than the 26% rate among sexually active adult Swazis, which is already the highest in the world. Although most of the workers knew how to prevent HIV, their circumstances did not allow them to practice this. Wages for part-time workers can be as low as US$56 a month, and rarely top US$223 a month for factory-floor workers. This forces a lot of factory workers into prostitution where unprotected sex is often demanded. 
 
(Source: IRIN/PlusNews, Matsapha, 11 August) 
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Nigeria: Changing Attitudes to Contraception 
 
Traditional leaders&rsquo; support has been vital to reproductive health education efforts. Health workers say an apparent rise in contraceptive use in Nigeria stems largely from a willingness by traditional and religious leaders in some regions to use their influence in promoting reproductive health. 
 
In the predominantly Muslim north, where contraceptive use has historically been far lower than the national average, the support of traditional leaders has helped change attitudes in communities where contraception was long regarded as taboo. 
 
Even in rural areas condoms are being used. People now know the negative consequences of not using condoms - HIV and pregnancy. Culturally relevant performances in villages are used to promote messages about family planning, reproductive health and safe sex. 
 
(Source: IRIN News, 27 July) 
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News from Global Unions 
 
The International Transport Workers&rsquo; Federation (ITF &ndash; <a href="http://www.itfglobal.org">www.itfglobal.org</a>) in its latest HIV/AIDS update 113 of 1 October, reports on its participation in the Inter-Agency Task Team to scale up HIV workplace policies and programmes and to mobilise the private sector. 
 
The September Newsletter of PSUFASA (Public Sector Unions Fighting AIDS in Southern Africa &ndash; <a href="http://www.psufasa.org">www.psufasa.org</a>) gives guidelines for trade union participation in the proposal process for the Global Fund and reports on meetings of PSI affiliates in Zimbabwe to explore the possibilities to include a workplace component in the country proposal. The newsletter also describes the anti-stigma and discrimination programmes which were launched in several southern African countries. 
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Five Years Ago: From the October 2006 (Issue No. 13) 
 
The first issue of the ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin was published in October 2005. In current issues, we refer to an article from the same month five years ago and reflect on developments. 
 
In the HIV/AIDS e-bulletin of October 2006, we reported on the 3rd Regional Workshop for national coordinators. It will be recalled that the first cycle of the ICEM HIV/AIDS project, which ran from 2005 to 2006, included a series of regional training workshops for national coordinators. This third workshop focussed on peer education and laid the foundation for successful national activities in the coming years. The fourth and final workshop in that cycle dealt with accessing resources at national level and the writing of project proposals. Without knowledge of funds which may be available at national level and skills to access them, long-term sustainability cannot be achieved. Only a limited number of affiliates, however, succeeded in mobilising additional resources. 
 
In that issue, we also reported on the difficulties the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria had in financing grants for approved Round 6 proposals. Although only 43% of eligible proposals were approved, a funding gap of US$300 million emerged and project funding had to be postponed until additional pledges were received. 
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This ICEM HIV-AIDS Newsletter &ndash; How to Subscribe 
 
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.

ICEM HIV/AIDS e-bulletin - No. 73, October 2011

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From the International Metalworkers&rsquo; Federation website 
 
Hungarian unions demonstrated on 1 October in front of the Parliament in Budapest, rallying against a proposed new regressive labour code. 
 
The proposed bill includes serious roll-backs in worker's rights. It makes it easier to terminate employees, cuts down on the number of vacation days and allows employers to vary work schedules between 36 and 44 hours per week. 
 
See the <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/116.ICEM.Hungary%20Solidarity.30September.pdf">30 September ICEM letter</a> supporting the action here.&nbsp; 
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Photo: IMF
The government wants the state to withdraw from the regulation of the labor market. Not only state-imposed &quot;bureaucratic&quot; measures, but collective bargaining rights would be removed. IMF affiliate VASAS rejects the proposed legislation, saying it would pose a serious threat to the basic rights of Hungarian workers and their social protection. 
 
Furthermore the proposed amendments would be incompatible with, as well as being below the social standards laid down in the European Social Charter. 
 
At the request of Hungarian and European trade union leaders L&aacute;szl&oacute; Andor, European Commissioner responsible for employment and social affairs met the presidents of six Hungarian trade union confederations and Bernadette S&eacute;gol, secretary general of the European Trade Union Confederation on September 2. The union leaders informed the Commissioner about their objections, stressing that if the Parliament adopts the present proposal, it will seriously threaten the basic rights and social situation of Hungarian workers, and clash with the standards set in the European Social Charter and the democratic practice of European countries. 
 
On 12 September, thousands of union protesters took to the streets around the Hungarian Parliament to express their opposition against the proposed amendment of the Labour Code. 
 
A petition signed by four Hungarian national union confederations has been sent to all Hungarian members of parliament: 
 
&quot;You are pushing the employees into a downgraded, subjugated situation. Should you vote in favour of this bill, it would mean falling salaries, increased working time, that employees will be left unprotected, and that protection of the collective agreements will cease. It will leave the workers to the mercy of the employers, and forced agreements will be brought on.&quot; 
 
The IMF lends its full support to the Hungarian metalworkers in their struggle.

Thousands Demonstrate In Front of Hungarian Parliament against Attack on Trade Union Rights

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Seventeen Chinese miners died last week at the Anping coal mine in southwest Guizhou province, as a new wave of coal mine explosions, cave-ins, and floods hit the country&rsquo;s mining industry. The latest happened at the Anping mine in the Lihua township of Libo county, when an early morning methane gas blast happened on 4 October. 
 
There were 28 miners in pits at the time of the blast. Thirteen died instantly, while rescue efforts pulled 15 from the mine. Four died in a hospital within a day following the explosion. The mine is owned by privately-held Liuzhou Zhengling Group Ltd., a machine tool manufacturer based in the autonomous Guangxi Zhuang region. 
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The mine only started trial production in June and initial conclusions found that safety rules had been breached and inadequate measures were practiced that failed to relieve the build-up of methane gas. 
 
On 25 September, at least five miners died when a shaft collapsed at a mine in Yunnan province owned by the partially stated-owned Yunwei Group of Yunnan Coal Chemical Group Ltd. The cave-in happened at a colliery near the city of Qujing. Twenty-three miners were working at the time of the collapse, with 16 escaping and only two of the seven who were trapped managed to be rescued. 
 
And on 16 September, ten miners died in flooding at a mine in Shanxi province owned by the China National Coal Group. Official Chinese statistics for the first seven months of 2011 reveal 1,083 mine deaths. The Chinese state said there were 2,433 fatalities in 2010 and 2,631 in 2009, although the real number of mine deaths is thought to be many times more because thousands of mine deaths go unreported in China.

Coal Mine Accidents Raise Death Toll in China’s Collieries

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The latest meeting of the ICEM Repsol &ndash; YPF Network took place in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, 26-28 September, 2011. Set up in 2005, the Repsol Network brings together unions organising workers within the Spanish energy multinational Repsol from Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain. In attendance at the latest meeting, together with our Spanish affiliates, FITEQA-CCOO and FITAG-UGT, were trade unions from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru as well as from the host country Bolivia. ICEM Vice-President for the Latin American and Caribbean Region, Sergio Novais, represented ICEM together with Energy Officer Jim Catterson. 
 
The meeting followed a well-established pattern with the first day a union-only gathering to update each other on the latest situation in the respective countries as well as to prepare interventions for the following day where management from both the Madrid Headquarters and the Bolivian operations of the company were in attendance. The final day was again restricted to trade union delegates for discussion on the previous day&rsquo;s business and plans for the future. A protocol agreement signed in November 2008 provides management recognition of the Network. Management of the Madrid-based oil and gas company agreed to recognise the workers&rsquo; network as a collective body to represent the trade unions in the countries where both Repsol and its majority owned subsidiary, YPF, operate. 
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Also on the first day Sergio Novais updated participants on the latest situation regarding the forthcoming ICEM World Congress to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 24-26, 2011 and Jim Catterson gave a presentation on ICEM work priorities in the Oil and Gas Industry, following the 2010 World Energy Conference in Stavanger as well as an update on the industry globally and in Latin America in particular. Both presentations led to lively discussions and comparisions with their own situations. It was agreed that interventions would be made the following day expressing concerns at the company&rsquo;s increasing use of temporary and contract and agency workers, Occupational Safety and Health, and the need to recognise and facilitate trade union organising in all operations. Participants also agreed to request the company to open discussions about reaching a Global Framework Agreement with ICEM. 
 
The second day of discussions opened with detailed presentations by the company representatives covering their global operations, planned expansions and the operations in Bolivia in particular. There were then detailed discussions following question and answer sessions. The discussions focused on many of the issues raised by the unions on the first day and the company representatives gave detailed replies and made commitments to recognise trade unions in their operations. 
 
During the course of the meeting union participants were shocked and appalled to hear of the vicious murder of an activist of USO in Colombia. A strong condemnation of the assassination was agreed and sincere condolences sent to the family of the deceased. 
 
The final day decided that the network needed to prioritise Contract and Agency labour work and participants were interested to hear of the ICEM global campaign on the subject. Occupational Safety and Health continued to be an area of key concern and participants agreed it was important to press for a Global Framework Agreement with the company. It was also important to improve outreach to other trade unions, in particular Trinidad and Cuba where the company had important investments. 
 
Finally it was agreed that the next meeting of the steering committee of the network would take place in Spain, probably Barcelona, in 2012 with a follow up meeting of the full network planned for Ecuador in 2013. 
 
More information on the meeting, including conclusions in Spanish are available <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/Santa%20Cruz%202011%20-%20Borrador%20para%20las%20Conclusiones.doc">here</a>.&nbsp;

Repsol Workers’ Network Meets in Bolivia

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