Nissan rejects US government offer to mediate dispute with UAW

The UAW and IndustriALL accepted the NCP’s offer of mediation and joined a preliminary information session in November with mediators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to learn about the mediation procedures.

“It is clear Nissan behaves one way in some parts of the world but is grossly exploiting workers in the United States. The fact that the company continues to ignore the severity of the situation and its refusal to end these abuses or engage in dialogue that could result in a positive step forward for both workers and the company is absolutely unreasonable.” said UAW President Dennis Williams.

Jyrki Raina, head of IndustriALL, which represents 50 million workers globally including 150,000 Nissan workers and a majority of Renault autoworkers worldwide, expressed grave disappointment at the news. “UAW and IndustriALL affiliates have repeatedly made attempts to meet with Nissan North America to resolve this issue. Nissan’s unwillingness to engage in the OECD process sends a very worrisome message to its partners at Renault and Daimler as well as the global investment community.” Raina said adding, “We have known Nissan for its respect of workers’ rights elsewhere in the world, but in the US we have heard evidence of intimidation and exploitation of its workers and their communities. This is a troubling step backwards for Nissan.”

The U.S. NCP also noted that it had shared information on the case with the NCPs of Japan, France, and the Netherlands and that “those NCPs remain available to offer assistance to the parties.” Nissan is a Japanese corporation, but France-based Renault owns 43.4 percent of Nissan and the Renault-Nissan Alliance is incorporated in the Netherlands. Following the U.S. NCP’s Final Statement, the UAW and IndustriALL are now considering moves to those forums in an effort to resolve the dispute.

The U.S. government is recommending that Nissan should “conduct a corporate-wide labour rights review” of its adherence to the OECD Guidelines and that Nissan should consider other forms of mediation to resolve the issues raised in the OECD case.

Link to the Final Statement: http://www.state.gov/e/eb/oecd/usncp/links/rls/236972.htm

IndustriALL signs global union agreement with Total

As part of the agreement with IndustriALL, Total, which employs 100,000 workers in more than 130 countries, pledges to:

Furthermore, Total agrees to promote the agreement among the many suppliers and contractors in its supply chain, even going so far as to terminate contracts with those who do not comply.

Jyrki Raina stated:

“We applaud Total for its commitment to better rights and conditions for workers. IndustriALL’s agreement with Total makes it clear that trade union rights and freedoms must be upheld across the company’s operations and throughout its global supply chain. Total promises to act in strict neutrality in its relations with unions and is prepared to terminate contracts with suppliers if they breach the agreement. It sends a strong message to Total’s suppliers and provides new levels of protection for workers.

A committee including representatives from Total, IndustriALL and its trade union affiliates will meet annually to ensure the agreement is implemented.

“I am pleased to sign this first agreement with IndustriALL Global Union, which is designed to extend the Group's tradition of corporate social responsibility to all of our operations around the world through quality social dialogue and insurance coverage for employees,” said Total’s Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Pouyanné.  

The agreement also abides by the guiding principles on Business and Human Rights approved by the United Nations Human Rights Council, as well as key ILO Conventions on freedom of association, equal pay, discrimination and child labour.

ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, praised the agreement between IndustriALL and Total:

“I am pleased to witness the signature of this agreement between Total and IndustriALL Global Union, an organization that represents millions of workers around the world and that contributes extensively to the fight for better working conditions and for the respect of labour union rights. Companies such as Total have a major role to play in promoting decent working conditions in their host countries and in ensuring that their employees benefit from tangible measures to improve their work life.”

Contact: Leonie Guguen, Communications and Media Officer, IndustriALL Global Union. Tel: +41 (0)22 308 50 24 Mobile: +41 (0) 79 137 54 36. Email: [email protected]

www.industriall-union.org

What is a global framework agreement?

Multinational companies operate in many locations with many fully or part-owned subsidiaries, and often rely on hundreds or even thousands of suppliers.

Global framework agreements are negotiated between IndustriALL and multinational companies to protect the rights and working conditions of people at all stages of a multinational company’s global supply chain, including people working for suppliers and contractors.

High time for Holcim and Lafarge to respect workers’ rights

On 23 December 2014 both companies issued press releases about the leading bodies in the formation and announced a new CEO and a chair of the board of directors for the merged company. But so far the agenda of this merger is driven only by higher profits for the shareholders. There is no discussion in either company on the consequences for the workers on whose shoulders the wealth of both companies has been built.

Both companies talk of sustainability as a corner stone of their policy. This is only relevant when employees are not treated as disposable material. In the absence of an open dialogue the announced merger has created uncertainty and despair among the employees. Dismissals and divestments are going on today; and workers and their representatives are not properly involved.

IndustriALL Global Union, Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) and European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) have addressed a letter to both companies. The union federations are asking to be acknowledged and involved in discussions concerning consequences for labour rights and working conditions at the earliest stage possible. They are also requesting a meeting to discuss workers’ concerns, as well as a new Global Framework Agreement (GFA) for the new company. The Lafarge group is currently signatory to a GFA with IndustriALL and BWI.

Although neither company in principle declined the invitation, answers given fell far short from the union expectations. The unions will continue to insist on proper discussions.

Workers at Holcim and Lafarge demand the leadership of both companies to:

No merger without workers’ rights!

Lima climate talks a bitter disappointment

The Lima COP was never expected to be a deal-maker; but it was expected to generate the outlines of a deal to be finalized in Paris, a year from now, at COP21. What the world got is only a very weak framework with many blanks to be filled in if anything meaningful is to be signed in Paris next year.

The biggest divide remains between developed nations and developing nations. Some non-EU developed countries, led by the USA, are trying to trash a previously agreed-upon principle known as "common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities" which recognizes that developed countries should take the lead, since they have a historical responsibility for most of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and have the greatest capacity to act. On finance, developed countries want to dictate what projects are supported by the Green Climate Fund rather than allow developing countries to decide their priorities. Also, there is a general backing away from the aim of a binding agreement towards "Intended Nationally Determined Contributions" – basically voluntary, non-binding national commitments that will be non-transparent and impossible to audit.

In the midst of these complicated talks, the trade union delegates attempted to maintain at least some focus on the social dimension of sustainability, but a pattern has developed over the last several COP meetings. At each COP, with intense effort, trade unions have generally succeeded in getting a paragraph or two on decent work, greener jobs, and Just Transition in the text. Then, when the next Conference of the Parties arrives, our text has been deleted and we must fight for it to be re-inserted. Leaving aside the complex reasons for this, the Lima talks have been no exception to this pattern.

As the talks close, we have mention of our social demands in only one place, a document called Response Measures. This is better than nothing, but a small victory indeed. That is because there is some opposition to the entire Response Measures text and there is no guarantee that it will survive the run-up to Paris and COP-21. We need social standards, decent work and Just Transition recognized in the main negotiating text to have a little confidence that they will not simply be tossed aside.

COP-21 in Paris near the end of 2015 will be a crucial moment for the world. Although the warnings of dangerous global warming have been sounded since at least the late 1980s, the world has done very little and now time has effectively run out. Absent a meaningful deal in 2015, preventing catastrophic climate change will not realistically be possible with existing technologies. The fate of our world will then depend on technologies that do not exist yet, or are unproven.

As IndustriALL Global Union’s general secretary, Jyrki Raina has stated, climate change threatens everything the labour movement stands for. There are two possible disaster scenarios, not one. 

The first, most often discussed, is that catastrophic climate change wreaks havoc with the world's species and spaces, and renders large areas of the planet uninhabitable.

The second, less discussed, is that in a last-minute panic to avert the first scenario we are forced to accept draconian measures that bulldoze human rights, workers' rights, and indeed basic human dignity. In this scenario we may save the ecosystem but end up enslaved to the few trillionaires that have devised safe havens for their wealth.

The only way to avoid either of these becoming our future reality is to build a Just Transition – a bridge to a sustainable future that respects and protects today’s workers, creates opportunities for tomorrow's, and insists on human rights, social standards, and human dignity. It will not be given to us. We will have to fight for it – fight against powerful entrenched forces and ideologies.

2015 will be a year of struggle to win a decent future for today's and tomorrow's citizens of planet earth. 

Holcim-Lafarge: No merger without workers’ rights!

The decision was made by 75 trade union leaders from 22 countries representing workers at Lafarge and Holcim at a meeting held on 25-26 November in Houffalize, Belgium. The meeting was organized by CSC bâtiment – industrie & énergie (CSC BIE) of Belgium, the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW), the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) and IndustriALL Global Union.

At the meeting both IndustriALL and BWI committed to working together with affiliates in the campaign to support the workers’ demands.

The merger would result in a company with 130,000 workers and a turnover of € 35 billion, making it the biggest cement company in the world. Both companies want to cut costs and reorganize their work through the merger, which they aim to complete in the first half of 2015.

Unions have little faith that this merger is driven by a well-reasoned industrial policy, but that is rather a product of corporate greed pursuing only big profits at any price with dramatic effects on working rights and conditions.

Workers and their unions at Holcim and Lafarge spoke loud and clear: they demand workers’ rights, respect, and recognition as a social partner during and after the merger process. IndustriALL stands in full support of the workers’ demands,”

said Kemal Özkan, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union.

This is a global merger by shareholders for shareholders,”

stated Ambet Yuson General Secretary of BWI.

The rights and interests of the workers who are responsible for the shareholders profits have been lost in the numerous meetings discussing the impact of the two cement giants. It is important we as trade unions representing workers in the cement industry mobilize to develop a concrete, coordinated strategy that puts the workers issues at the center of the merger.”

As the biggest player on the market after the merger, Lafarge and Holcim must set a good example for others. That is only possible if they recognize and consult workers as equal interlocutors while providing real information about the future company’s structure and core activities.

Other demands concern good working conditions and decent wages while observing the principle of “equal pay for equal work” for permanent staff and subcontractors. Outsourcing, extensively used by both companies and especially Holcim, resulting in badly paid precarious and insecure jobs must be restricted.

Unions insist on a fair social solution for the workers of the companies that will be sold during and after the merger. The future company does not only need to take over the existing global framework agreement with Lafarge, but also must adjust it to the new situation. A world works council with regional consultative bodies for each continent should be created urgently in order to establish a good social dialogue.

At the conference, Pierre Cuppens (CSC BIE, vice president BWI) was very clear,

We promise to follow this merger process very closely, we will not drop the workers. The offer price is not the only important element, there must be job security and respect for the existing collective labour agreements.”

Capacity building in Egypt

Following industrial actions in the workplace, the last few years have seen an increase in the number of independent unions in Egypt. 

During the first half of August, IndustriALL Global Union organized four capacity building seminars for industrial unions in Egypt. The 80 representatives from affiliates and potential affiliates in metal, petrochemicals, textile, oil and gas unions, were introduced to strategic organizing skills.   

Egypt has among the highest numbers of multinational companies (MNCs) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It is also one of the top four MENA countries hosting MNCs signatories to global framework agreements (GFA).

IndustriALL's program focused on introducing international tools on organizing and defending workers' rights in MNCs and their supply chain. The sessions discussed strategies on the implementation of GFAs and the application of OECD Guidelines for MNCs, as well as company level networking.

Experts shared their input on international labor standards and ILO conventions with relation to the current draft Labour Law presented by the Egyptian government. Participants emphasized that the absence of union freedoms law is a key challenge for the development and growth of the independent union movement and workplace democracy in Egypt. They called on the government and Egyptian authorities to urgently adopt the draft discussed and introduced by unions.

Intense discussions and insights at industry and national levels enabled representatives to identify common objectives and develop strategies for the respective industries. Union growth, adopting fair labour and trade union laws, organizing and industry level coordination are the main objectives for joint work in the future.

Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL Global Union Assistant General Secretary says:

Despite the serious challenges faced by our Egyptian colleagues in the independent unions, strong will and enthusiasm still constitute the major drive of workers struggle for better future. IndustriALL is happy with the progress of cooperation and will continue the efforts to include more our Egyptian colleagues in our global family.

Mega merger in cement sector alarms workers

Coming together in Brussels on 22 July, workers’ representatives voiced their concerns regarding a number of decisions made by the management. Jobs are under threat and the process of information and consultation is deemed insufficient.

Matthias Hartwich, IndustriALL Global Union Director of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Industries states:

The way the decisions have been made is a sad example of cherry picking and a clear violation of both groups’ CSR declarations.

"Not taking workers’ interests and needs into account, not informing and consulting trade unions in a proper way is absolutely inacceptable, especially considering that we have a global framework agreement (GFA) with Lafarge and both groups have promised a fair social dialogue."

IndustriALL, the EFBWW, and the EWC restricted committees are convinced that the merging companies are seeking tax and wage advantages wherever possible. The first decisions made in Europe are seen as a clear indicator.

But the consequences go beyond Europe; workers in plants and facilities in the USA, Canada, Mexico, India and Russia are also affected.

Matthias Hartwich says:

"We will fight to ensure that workers all over the world will be heard during the merger process, as well as afterwards. We will create a global trade union network for the workers of this Holcim-Lafarge group in order to ensure a fair participation of workers in both Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe."

Inditex

The ground-breaking agreement between IndustriALL Global Union and Inditex, which was renewed in 2014, is the first of its kind to cover a retail supply chain.  

It underlines that freedom of association and the right to bargain collectively play a central role in a sustainable supply chain because they provide workers with the mechanisms to monitor and enforce their rights at work. 

Under the GFA, which was originally signed with IndustriALL's predecessor the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers' Federation in 2007, Inditex recognizes IndustriALL as its global trade union counterpart. Both parties undertake to collaborate to ensure the sustainable and long-term observance of all international labour standards across Inditex's operations, including its suppliers. 

Inditex’s Code of Conduct for External Manufacturers and Suppliers underpins the agreement which outlaws forced labour, child labour, discrimination and harsh and inhumane treatment throughout the Inditex supply chain. It provides for the payment of a living wage for a standard workweek, limitations on working hours, healthy and safe workplaces, regular employment and environmental awareness. The terms of the agreement apply equally to direct suppliers, contractors and sub-contractors including homeworkers. No subcontracting is allowed without the prior written consent of Inditex and suppliers allowed to subcontract will be responsible for subcontractor compliance.

Recognizing the role of organized labour and collective bargaining, Inditex and IndustriALL will keep constantly under review developments in this area in the Inditex supply chain and will co-operate in finding solutions where problems are detected, including collaborating on training programmes for management and workers.

To facilitate this ongoing review Inditex will provide IndustriALL with relevant information on its supply chain and both Inditex and IndustriALL will jointly develop training policies and programmes to drive compliance.

The application of the agreement will be reviewed annually by a six person group drawn jointly from Inditex and IndustriALL. 

IndustriALL renews agreement with world’s largest fashion retailer

In a ceremony with Gilbert Houngbo, Deputy Director-General for Field Operations & Partnerships at the International Labour Organization (ILO), IndustriALL’s general secretary Jyrki Raina met with Pablo Isla, Chairman and CEO of Inditex, to sign the renewed Agreement at the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

A GFA serves to protect the interests of workers across the global operations of multinational companies, even those not directly working for the company, setting the best standards for trade union rights, health and safety, and environmental practices.

The GFA with Spanish-based Inditex covers its entire supply chain, involving a million garment workers in around 6,000 supplier factories making clothes for the company’s eight different brands, including Zara, Pull&Bear and Massimo Dutti.

Jyrki Raina stated:

“The GFA with Inditex is a model of mature industrial relations with a multinational corporation. In promoting trade union values, the GFA empowers workers and improves lives, allowing even the most vulnerable people at the bottom of Inditex’s supply chain to be heard and protected. Essentially, with the GFA, Inditex underlines that unions are good for business and necessary partners in creating a fair and sustainable supply chain. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship with Inditex well into the future.”

Pablo Isla stated:

“The collaboration between Inditex and IndustriALL has proven one of the most effective working tools in terms of identifying and prioritizing lines of initiative that deliver continual improvements in the supply chain. Moreover, signature of this agreement under the auspices of the ILO foreshadows a future of tireless dedication to enhancing living and working conditions in our sector.”

Gilbert Houngbo said:

"The ILO welcomes the renewal of the Global Framework Agreement between IndustriALL Global Union and Inditex. This is a positive step towards improving workers' rights and working conditions in the garment industry. It is also a good example of how the strong commitment of workers and employers working together can be turned into action.”

Over the past seven years, the GFA with Inditex has operated as a direct line of communication between the workers and the company, helping to resolve disputes rapidly as well as promote freedom of association, unionization, and raise salaries.

As a direct result of the GFA, the concept of a living wage was introduced into Inditex’s Code of Conduct*.

The initial GFA with Inditex was the first to be signed by a global retailer and was made with IndustriALL’s predecessor the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation in 2007 before it merged with other federations to become IndustriALL Global Union.

Also present at the ILO ceremony were Isidor Boix Lluch, IndustriALL’s Coordinator of the GFA; and trade unionists Agustín Martín Martínez, General Secretary, CC.OO. de Industria, Spain; Antonio Deusa Pedrazo, General Secretary, FITAG-UGT, Spain; and Victor Garrido Sotomayor, from CC.OO de Industria, Spain.

Ends

*The GFA reads: “Wages should always be enough to meet at least the basic needs of workers and their families and any other which might be considered as reasonable additional needs.”

Facts:

For more information, please contact:

Leonie Guguen, Communications Officer, IndustriALL Global Union

[email protected] 

Tel: 00 41 (0) 22 308 50 23

Global unions sign Health and Safety Agreement with GDF Suez

Gérard Mestrallet, CEO of GDF SUEZ, signed the Global Agreement on Health and Safety with IndustriALL Global Union, Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) and Public Services International (PSI) on May 13 in Chile.

The pact, which is an extension of IndustriALL’s Global Framework Agreement with GDF Suez, sets out to eradicate fatal accidents that have a causal link to the company’s operations.

The agreement also sets out to continuously reduce the number of accidents at work; and to improve health by phasing out products containing substitutable toxic substances, particularly chemicals classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction.

Brian Kohler, IndustriALL’s Director of Health, Safety and Sustainability said:

“GDF Suez joins a small group of companies willing to work with their unions to globalize best practices in health and safety. We aim to protect workers throughout all of its multinational operations, as well as workers sub-contracted to it.”

Particular attention is paid to sub-contractors in the construction phase of industrial and infrastructural projects, with GDF Suez undertaking to carry out a risk assessment of each phase of a project to ensure that best practices are followed. Final approval of projects will include criteria for project acceptance and inspection for health and safety issues.  

The agreement will be subject to annual review in a five-year action plan from 2015-2020.