Sappi trade union network keeps momentum

South African pulp and paper company Sappi has production in three regions, Europe, USA, and Southern Africa. Almost all Sappi facilities are unionized, and over two-thirds of the 12,800 workers are covered by collective bargaining agreements.

The two most serious common problems reported by shop stewards from the mills are understaffing and training. As is the case across much of the pulp and paper industries, companies are increasing production but reducing employment levels.

The expectation of considerable overtime combined with insufficient training is resulting in an aging workforce as new young workers look for jobs elsewhere.

IndustriALL Global Union Assistant General Secretary Kemal Özkan urged the network’s unions to support each other in bargaining:

“We will monitor the various contract expirations throughout Sappi and demand that the company addresses the concerns of our sisters and brothers in bargaining.”

The three Sappi mills in the US, Cloquet, Somerset and Westbrook, are all organized by the USW, covering 2,060 workers. Sappi’s seven mills in Europe employ 5,131 workers and were represented in this meeting of the network by a IG BCE in Germany, ACV and ABVV in Belgium, and the Austrian head of the European Works Council. In South Africa, there are 5,126 Sappi workers in seven mills and 492,000 hectares of forest.

Some job losses were reported from the last six months by the South African union CEPPWAWU. The Sappi Enstra Mill has been sold to Corruseal leading to 12 job losses. The Cape Kraft mill was sold to Golden Era who agreed not to cut staff. However since the purchases both sets of new management have attempted to make cutbacks. CEPPWAWU is taking action to maintain conditions and has criticized both Sappi and the purchasing companies.

Chair of the trade union network at Sappi, Peter Schuld of IG BCE Germany said:

“This network continues its important work on information exchange and building the coordination between Sappi workers. As we continue to learn from each other we will all be stronger. We will continue to work towards a contractual relationship with the company at the international level through a Global Framework Agreement.”

SAPPI trade union network builds worker power

Responding to a common trend throughout SAPPI’s international operations of cuts to employment conditions and attacks on trade union rights, the SAPPI trade unions created the first IndustriALL company network in the paper sector a year ago, in June 2013.

The 3-4 September meeting was conducted in Brussels and hosted by IndustriALL’s Belgian affiliates representing SAPPI workers at the two confederations ACV/BIE and ABVV/FGTB. Twenty-two participants from USA, Germany, Belgium and IndustriALL participated.

The network builds power and solidarity between SAPPI unions through important information exchange and comparisons of company tactics in the respective plants in different countries.

Common concerns of SAPPI workers regardless of the country include increased outsourcing, retrenchment without reduced workload, increased outsourcing and precarious working contracts, health and safety concerns, and workers being played off against each other by management. An example of a common anti worker tactic is SAPPI’s two-tier contracts that make it increasingly difficult for unions to organise new and young workers.

The network agreed its plan of action going forward continuing its exercise of mapping union strength throughout the company, and continue to build its unity going forward.

The network elected Peter Schuld of IG BCE as its new president for the coming two years.

IndustriALL Global Union general secretary Jyrki Raina stated:

The SAPPI trade union network now stands as an example to others for building power and unity amongst workers inside a multinational. We will continue to build the foundations and establish a strong counterweight to this company.

Sappi has approximately 13,500 employees in over 20 countries in Africa, North America and Europe. Sappi’s paper production capacity is 5.6 million tons a year, paper pulp production is 3.5 million tons a year, and is the world's largest manufacturer of dissolving wood pulp with production capacity of 1.3 million tons a year.

Sappi’s paper products are used for countless paper products, from magazine covers to confectionary wrapping, from cigarette packets to jam jar labels.

Sappi union network launched

The two-day meeting of unions from Great Britain, USA, Belgium and South Africa was full of discussions, debates, comparisons and unanimity. Each country representative spoke about the relationship between local unions and Sappi management.

Differences in the attitude towards the trade unions in South Africa, the decline of production in Europe as a whole, the company's exit from the markets of the UK, consistently difficult relationship with U.S. trade unions – these are the main points of discussions during the meeting. As a result of the discussions a comparative table was set up reflecting the main points of the situation of workers of the company in four countries.

On the second day, participants had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the management of Sappi. An open exchange of views took place. Representatives of South African trade unions accused the company's administration of secrecy and reluctance to engage in direct and open dialogue with the unions. They suggested that the company should pay more attention to the experience of European practices of relationship between unions and company administration.

On the third day, participants visited one of the company's installations in Johannesburg and met its senior management.

Based on results of the three-day discussions all participants unanimously approved the proposal to create the union network of Sappi company. Among other proposals the delegates suggested to continue exchange of views of the network via internet based tools, to conduct video conferences and to have annual meetings in the countries where Sappi operates. Simon Mofokeng – General Secretary of Chemical Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (CEPPWAWU) was elected as a Chairman of the network until the next meeting.

The participants decided to inform about the results of the meeting their colleagues from Germany, Austria, Holland and Finland who couldn’t attend the meeting, as well as to invite them to next sessions.

Founded in 1936 the global pulp and paper company group Sappi is one of the leaders in production of coated fine paper and chemical cellulose. The company employs 15,100 employees worldwide.