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Colombian mining union Sintramienergetica are opposing the purchase of one of Colombia&rsquo;s most valuable gold properties, by Canadian company Medoro Resources Ltd. The three Frontino gold mines were left to the workers by the previous owner, with the decision to sell being taken with no consultation of the union. 
 
Frontino miners are currently owed back dates pension payments, and Medoro has offered to make these payments following the purchase of the mines. This would be insignificant for Sintramienergetica, and local people of the region who say they are the rightful owners. 

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&quot;A coalition consisting of the workers, owners, and creditors of Frontino Gold Mines, along with the Segovia City Council and the people of the region, strongly and unanimously reject the attempts by Medoro Resources to take what is rightfully and legally ours, and demand that our voices be heard and that the law be respected,&quot; said Union leader Dairo Alberto Rua. 
 
A court-appointed liquidator in Colombia agreed to sell the properties to Toronto-based Medoro Resources Ltd. for about US$200-million, a fraction of the value of the mines, according to the union. The Colombian government has declared the sale legal and binding. Hernan Martinez Torres, Colombia&rsquo;s Minister of Mining publically supports the sale. 
 
Workers are also furious after the union was described by former Medoro board member Serafino Iacono as a guerilla or paramilitary group. Medoro plans to sell half of Frontino to a company controlled by Mr. Iacono. 
 
Earlier this year, Medoro bought the Mineros Nacionales gold mine located in Zona Baja, in Colombia&rsquo;s Marmato gold district, near Frontino. 
 
The Frontino mines, among Colombia's largest gold producers, are located in the department of Antioquia, around 200kms from department capital Medellin. The mines have been running for over 150 years. 
 
In 2009, Colombia produced 1.57 million ounces of gold with that figure predicted to double over the next year.

Colombian Gold Miners Protest Sale of Mines

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ICEM Presidium member Angeline Chitambo was re-elected President of the Zimbabwe Energy Workers' Union (ZEWU) in a fractious Congress recently in Masvingo, Zimbabwe. After two tied ballots, she bested ZEWU Vice President Joseph Sibanda in a third ballot, 36-30. 
 
Chitambo now begins her second three-year term as leader of ZEWU. She is credited with giving an international profile to the union, as well as bringing financial stability to a union operating inside a troubled country with an unenviable and unfavourable economic environment. 
 
&quot;For the first time in many years, (ZEWU) has managed to acquire assets and this is commendable,&quot; said one of the union's founders, Misheck Kanyarare. 

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Angeline Chitambo, right
Angeline Chitambo was elected as an ICEM Vice President in 2007 as one of two women representatives to the Presidium. 
 
ICEM President Senzeni Zokwana, also President of South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), attended the ZEWU Congress, as did NUM Health and Safety Chairman Peter Bailey. Also in attendance was Rayford Mbulu, ICEM Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Vice President, who leads the Mineworkers' Union of Zambia (MUZ). 
 
ZEWU, one of the strongest trade union affiliates inside the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, has several important bargains ongoing in 2010, including the Zimbabwe Electric Service Authority, other electric power operators, and a petroleum company called Petrozimline.

Angeline Chitambo Wins Contested Election in Zimbabwe

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The latest meeting of the Asia-Pacific Electric Power Industry Network took place in Seoul, South Korea, 5-6 April, 2010. Hosted by President Kim, Joo-young, of the ICEM-affiliated Korean National Energy Workers Union (KNEWU) the meeting brought together over 20 delegates from ICEM affiliated trade unions representing workers in the Electric Power Industry from, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) and Thailand as well as observer delegations from both the People's Republic of China and Vietnam. The Network meeting, which has now become an annual event, was supported by FES. 
 
After an opening session which included welcome speeches from the Director of the local FES office, Dr. Kamppeter and President Kim, the meeting unanimously elected, Seiichi Taneoka, the new President of the Japan Electric Power Confederation (Denryoku-Soren) as Chairperson of the Network. Denryoku-Soren has been an essential supporter of the Network since its foundation. 

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ICEM Energy Officer, Jim Catterson, gave a detailed overview of the industry globally and recent ICEM work, and following presentations on the Korean Labour situation from a representative of the Ministry of Labour, together with an introduction on Electric power in Korea by a representative of the national electric power company, Kepco, delegates shared information on their own national situations with the discussions on the first day focussed on the industry and sustainable development. All delegations made detailed reports which supplemented written reports and the results of a questionnaire which had been circulated in advance of the meeting. 
 
Delegates were particularly interested to hear the reports from Ms. Zhang Mengmeng, the head of the delegation, from the Peoples Republic of China and Vice-Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese Energy and Chemical Workers' Union (ACFTU) and that of Brother. Tran Van Ngoc, President of the National Electricity Union, (VGCL) Vietnam. Both presentations emphasised their organisations wishes to work more closely with ICEM in the future in this globalised industry. 
 
Delegates left the conference room for proceedings on the second day to see the industry and trade union organisation at first hand in Seoul. The day's activities began with a meeting with the President of the KNEWU Seoul branch, Brother Kap-Soo Kang, who after a presentation on the history of the union branch and its present activities showed delegates the control room from which all electric power provision to Central and Southern Seoul was coordinated. After a question and answer session, delegates then visited a nearby centre of the Distribution Automation System (DAS) of KEPCO. DAS utilises recent advances in Information Technology and is an integrated control system operating the entire electric distribution system. It allows the distribution control center to remotely monitor and operate the automated switch on the distribution lines, that detect fault locations, and automatically collect operation data. A training simulator was shown to the delegation and a simulated major fault demonstrated. 
 
A detailed report on the meetings, together with an overview of the conclusions will be prepared and, together with the various national reports, loaded to the ICEM website. Delegates resolved that the 2011 meeting will take place in Thailand, hosted by our affiliate there EGAT-LU. ICEM staff attending the meeting were Jim Catterson, Energy Officer, Phee, Jungsun, Asia Pacific Regional Contact Person and locally based project coordinator, Yoon, Hyowon.

ICEM Asia-Pacific Electric Power Industry Network Meeting

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ICEM was represented by Jim Catterson at the 20th Anniversary Congress of this important affiliated trade union, held in Sibiu Romania 23 March, 2010. The Congress was attended by around 400 delegates. 
 
Following a report on delegates present, voting rights, and total votes available, the Congress opened with an excellent, professionally produced film of the first 20 years of the union, covering its foundation, activities and the role it has played internationally within both ICEM and EMCEF. International guests included a delegation from our Austrian affiliated union, PRO.GE., Romanian petroleum company, Industri Energi of Norway and the MOL trade union in Hungary. 
 
Petrom is now 51% owned by the Austrian headquartered multinational company, OMV. 

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Union President Liviu Luca 4th from the left
The Congress approved unanimously a detailed document on activities, past and proposed, and then accounts and a budget for the immediate future were approved. 
 
Two major issues at the Congress were firstly the fact that privatisation had led to the situation that workplace numbers have been under constant pressure since the OMV investment, with the union losing members as a result. 
 
Secondly Petrom, and other ICEM affiliated trade unions in Romania, are under strong attack by the government in an attempt to reduce both their power and their independence. ICEM is in discussion with our affiliates in the country, including Petrom, as to the best way to support their struggle internationally.

20th Anniversary Congress of Federatia Sindicatelor Libere Independente Petrom

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The ICEM-affiliated Italian Chemical, Energy and Manufacturing Workers&rsquo; Union, FILCEM-CGIL, has merged with the Italian Textile Workers&rsquo; Union, FILTEA-CGIL, to establish the new union FILCTEM-CGIL (Chemical, Textile, Energy and Manufacturing Workers&rsquo; Union). The official creation of the new union occurred at its Founding Congress, held on 7-9 April 2010, in the city of Pesaro. 
 
Representing over 250,000 members, the newly-created FILCTEM has 28 national collective agreements, covering more than 1,300,000 employees, in Italy, in chemicals and pharmaceuticals, textiles and clothing and footwear, rubber, plastics, glass, leather tanning, ceramics and tiles, energy (oil, gas transport, mining) and utilities (electricity, water, gas). 
 
FILCTEM-CGIL is affiliated to the ICEM, PSI and ITGLWF at the global level, as well as to EMCEF, EPSU and ETUF:TCL at the European level. 
 
The Founding Congress, held under the slogan &ldquo;Founded in the Workplace&rdquo;, was attended by around 800 delegates and guests. International participants were ICEM&rsquo;s Kemal &Ouml;zkan, Chemical and Rubber Industries Officer, ITGLWF and ETUF:TCL&rsquo;s Patrick Itschert, General Secretary, EMCEF&rsquo;s Reinhard Reibsch, General Secretary, and EPSU&rsquo;s Jan Willem Goudriaan, Deputy General Secretary. 

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Alberto Morselli
Alberto Morselli, General Secretary of the new organisation, opened the Congress, and outlined priorities for the upcoming period as increasing employee participation, workers&rsquo; rights beyond the crisis, constitutional transparency and legality, government&rsquo;s policies on production and employment, energy efficiency, and renewable resources for the future. General Secretary Morselli emphasised the importance of unity and strength in light of a continued attack on workers&rsquo; rights. He declared that the new FILCTEM will struggle for change. 
 
Other Italian unions, FEMCA-CISL, FLAI-CISL, UILCEM-UIL, and UILTA-UIL participated in the Congress, and will work together with FILCTEM. 
 
The second day of the Congress was marked by a round table discussion entitled &ldquo;Industrial Innovation for Developing Employment and Overcoming the Crisis&rdquo;. Chaired by Alberto Morselli, the round-table was attended by Guglielmo Epifani, General Secretary of CGIL, Giorgio Squinzi, President of Federchimica (chemical employers&rsquo; organisation), Michele Tronconi, President of Sistema Moda Italia (textile employers&rsquo; organisation) and Giuliano Zuccoli, President of Assoelettrica (electricity employers&rsquo; organisation). There were also a number of high level representatives of large companies such ENI and ENEL. 
 
The Congress appointed Valeria Fedeli as Vice-General Secretary. She had been General Secretary of FILTEA-CGIL and continues as President of ETUF:TCL.

Italian Merger Congress Creates New Union FILCTEM-CGIL

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The ICEM&rsquo;s Sub-Sahara Africa Regional Organisation (SSARO), at its Executive Committee Meeting in Dakar, Senegal, 6 April, adopted a resolution of strong solidarity and support for the striking Canadian Vale workers. 
 
The Resolution marked the Vale &lsquo;Week of Action&rsquo; of 5-11 April, called to denounce to denounce Vale Inco&rsquo;s attacks on workers in Canada and throughout the world. Vale, the second biggest mining company in the world, operates in 36 countries. 
 
More than 3,000 Steelworkers in Sudbury, Port Colborne, and Voisey&rsquo;s Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, are into the ninth month of a strike, the longest ever at Inco. While the company persists with its demands on profit-sharing, pensions, job security, outsourcing, and seniority rights. Vale continues to refuse to enter into a binding arbitration, as instructed under Canada&rsquo;s labour laws. 

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The SSARO Resolution comes in light of the 50/50 joint venture between Vale and African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), a South African mining company that will act as a gateway for Vale to Africa&rsquo;s mineral resources. 
 
ICEM SSARO affiliates resolved to lobby their governments, national centres, NGOs, and communities, to condemn and take concrete actions in support of the struggle. 
 
View the Resolution in its entirety <a href="/wp-content/migration/icem/1004.ssaro.resolution.vale.pdf">here</a>. 
 
View the USW Vale strikers&rsquo; campaign website <a href="http://www.fairdealnow.ca/">here</a>.&nbsp;

SSARO Meeting Vale Resolution in Support of Canadian Strikers

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An ash cloud from Iceland's spewing volcano halted air traffic across most of Europe on Thursday 15 March, with air travel still impossible today throughout Northern Europe, and beyond. 
 
The cancelled flights have disrupted ICEM&rsquo;s activities, leaving staff members and affiliates stranded. 
 
ICEM&rsquo;s President Senzeni Zokwana is still unable to fly home to South Africa from London, while General Secretary Manfred Warda was unable to fly to meetings in Germany, Singapore, and Australia over the last few days. 
 
Joe Drexler, Director of Corporate Affairs, is attempting to return to Geneva from North America. 

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ICEM Officers are currently unable to travel, and therefore unable to reach planned activities and meetings. Kemal Ozkan, Rubber and Chemicals Sector Officer, and Brian Kohler, Sustainability Officer, are unable to leave Istanbul. Dick Blin, Information, Pulp and Paper Officer is unable to leave London. Fons Vannieuwenhuyse, ICEM Projects Officer was also unable to fly to Singapore. 
 
Many ICEM affiliates are also stranded, J&oslash;rgen Juul Rasmussen, General Secretary of the Danish Union of Electricians (Dansk El-Forbund), is unable to return home for important union business in Denmark following the ICEM CAL event in Singapore. The Danish Union of Electricians' members will be balloted on a new agreement, if it is voted against a national strike will begin Sunday.&nbsp; 
 
This unforeseen disruption will continue to affect ICEM actions and work over the coming days. We hope affiliates and colleagues will understand.

Special Notice: ICEM Work Disrupted, Iceland’s Volcanic Ash Stops Air Travel

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A subsidiary of Russian multinational RuSAL, the world&rsquo;s largest producer of aluminium and a major mining house in key resources, has terminated a labour agreement for 600 Guyanese workers over a wage dispute. Rusal announced it no longer recognizes the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers&rsquo; Union, something illegal under Guyana&rsquo;s law and deeply condemned by the ICEM. 
 
General Manager of the Guyanese subsidiary, Sergey Kostyuk, sent a letter to Union President Charles Sampson, stating that the collective agreement between the two entities, and through the Labour Ministry, was &ldquo;terminated with immediate effect.&rdquo; 

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Guyana&rsquo;s Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir reacted by ordering mandatory arbitration, citing the importance of the bauxite industry to the economy of the country. The Bauxite and General Workers&rsquo; Union began a lawful strike on 21 November and that strike is on-going, thus hampering production at a processing plant. 
The union called the strike when RuSAL managers failed to give a promised 10% pay raise to workers in Berbice, located in the centre of Guyana. RuSAL also angered workers and their union by sacking 56 for &ldquo;insubordination, refusal to obey instructions and misconduct,&rdquo; a dubious charge considering workers were engaged in a lawful strike action. 

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A Guyanese political party, Working People&rsquo;s Alliance (WPA), has intervened by pressuring the government to protect the workers&rsquo; constitutional rights. WPA stated that the conflict has &ldquo;grave implications for the entire trade union movement in Guyana,&rdquo; if RuSAL Bauxite Company of Guyana (BCGI) is not stopped in its total disregard for trade union rights. 
 
The ICEM condemns RuSAL for its ignorance of essential global labour standards and for the negative influence this conduct brings to Guyanese labour relations. The ICEM is calling on RuSAL to reinstate the discharged workers at its bauxite plant and to immediate adopt better industrial relations practices in Guyana.

RuSAL’s Labor Conduct in Guyana’s Bauxite Industry Strongly Questioned

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Industrial actions by 1,000 coal miners employed by New Zealand state-owned Solid Energy and its contractors ended in early December when members of the Engineering, Printing, and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) accepted two-year wage and benefit terms from mine operators. 
The settlement at four mines on both the North and South Islands ends an eight-month dispute that erupted into industrial actions, full strikes, sympathy strikes, and a lockout, covering a period from late October to the end of November. The accord also sets in place the terms of the Multi-employer Collective Agreement (MECA), contract terms that had been elusive since March 2009. 
Miners will receive a 5% salary increase in 2010 and 2011, with miners from the Huntly East colliery on the North Island accepting an 8.5% increase to compensate for shift rotation changes. In addition, staff receive a one-off NZ$2,000 bonus for their roles in Solid Energy posting record 2008 profit results. 
<img src="" width="120" height="115" alt="" />
A series of industrial actions started with a &ldquo;go-slow&rdquo; job action at the Rotowaro mine on the North Island in late October. That immediately resulted in a lockout by contractor RWE Mining, leading to sympathy strikes at two South Island mines &ndash; Stockton and Spring Creek &ndash; that are operated by Solid Energy and another contractor. After miners quit the strikes to return to bargaining, the employers again submitted the same regressive terms, resulting in walkouts and renewed sympathy strikes in late during the November. 
With Solid losing millions of dollars each week due to the work stoppages, the two sides reconvened talks on 29-30 November. Shortly after, miners at Huntly East, Rotowaro, and Stockton accepted a revised MECA deal, with miners at Spring Creek ratifying the contract on 3 December. 
<img src="" width="120" height="60" alt="" />
Stated EPMU Assistant National Secretary Ged O&rsquo;Connell, &ldquo;Throughout the dispute, Solid tried to set miners from different areas against each other by offering them different deals within the MECA, but our members stood by each other and made sure that the company knew that an injury to one was an injury to all.&rdquo; 
This is &ldquo;a membership,&rdquo; he added, which was &ldquo;united in their strength and determination to get a fair deal.&rdquo;

New Zealand Miners Win New Contract through Solidarity Strikes

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Industrial Union TEAM is the new name, effective on 1 January 2010, of the merged Chemical Workers&rsquo; Union (Kemianliito), an ICEM affiliate, and the Finnish Media Union. The merger of the two is the product of a larger, six-union merger of Finnish industrial unions that failed to materialize in spring 2009. 
 
Kemianliitto and the Media Union, which represents workers in the graphical, print, and print delivery sections, committed to continue union merger talks following the breakdown of the larger merger. By the end of summer holidays, 2009, committees and an organizational structure were in place to complete to merger. 

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On 13 November, an extraordinary Congress of the Media Union approved the merger, while on 26-27 November, the General Council of Kemianliitto gave its consent. Kemianliitto President Timo Vallittu will lead Industrial Union TEAM, and the merged union will have a 20-member governing body. 
 
The merged union numbers 68,000, a figure that includes retirees. Kemianliitto comes in to the merger with some 31,000 active members, while the Media Union brings 14,000. 

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The larger Finnish industrial merger, in talks dating back two years, was proposed between Kemianliitto and the Media Union, as well as including ICEM-affiliated Electrical Workers&rsquo; Union, the Finnish Metalworkers Union, the Wood and Allied Workers&rsquo; Union, and the Finnish Railwaymen&rsquo;s Union. In spring 2009, the Electrical Workers&rsquo; dropped from talks, while a short time later the Metalworkers&rsquo; withdrew from participating by action of its Congress.

Kemianliitto and Media Union Become Finnish TEAM, 1 January

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