Energy unions demand Just Transition at world conference

More than 200 representatives from 70 trade unions gathered in St Petersburg, Russia, on 25 and 26 July for IndustriALL Global Union’s world conference for the sector, under the theme “Building Union Power in Energy Industries”.

The energy sector is facing rapid changes in national energy policies and structures to meet climate change emission targets and adapt to new technologies that substantially change the skills required of energy workers. This is taking place against the background of a growing demand for energy, privatization and increasing precarious work in the sector.

Just Transition, in the context of sustainable industrial employment, is needed to ensure changes to the energy sector are implemented with fairness and justice to workers and their families and communities.

Alexander Korchagin, president of the host union, the Russian Oil, Gas and Construction Workers’ Union, said that during this very important time for the energy industry, trade unions are the best way of protecting workers’ interests.

Speaking at the conference, IndustriALL general secretary, Valter Sanches, said that energy is a basic right, but as a result of privatization, multinational companies have commercialized energy and created monopolies.

“The most common electricity model is run by private companies with poor public regulation,” said Sanches. “Multinational companies are so powerful and governments are afraid of confronting them.”

Discussions at the conference highlighted the growing problem of precarious work, which affects all countries but is particularly acute in countries like Nigeria, where nearly all operational workers are on indirect contracts. Other countries, such as Ivory Coast, cited the large differences in pay, working conditions and benefits between permanent and non-permanent workers. Unions must increase efforts to organize precarious workers, and include precarious workers in collective bargaining agreements where possible, said participants.

Increasing cooperation in trade union networks was cited as key to building union power through solidarity support and the exchange of information amongst unions across borders. The energy network in Latin America has been particularly successful in helping to set up new trade unions in the sector.

Participants discussed IndustriALL campaigns in the sector, including Shell, which tries to play workers at different locations against each other and refuses to negotiate with IndustriALL on a global level. It also noted the severe trade union violations in Algeria, as well as the ongoing campaign to ensure rights for DNO workers in Yemen.

In a lively discussion on Industry 4.0, lifetime learning, education and training – paid for by the company – was highlighted as vital to workers. Trade unions need to be partners in the decision making process when it comes to the technological transformation of energy production.

Participants approved a new action plan for the sector, identifying strategies to; produce a Just Transition; build union power; stop precarious work; increase women’s participation and representation; improve health and safety; confront global capital and create sustainable industrial policy.

The conference also offered deepest condolences to Greek workers and people affected by deadly forest fires in Greece, as well as communities affected by a lethal dam burst during the construction of a hydroelectric plant in Laos.

The conference also made solidarity statements in support of worker struggles at ExxonMobile in Australia, National Grid in the United States and Total in the UK.

Frode Alfheim from Industri Energi (Norway) and Apsorn Krissanasmit from PTT LU (Thailand) were re-elected as co-chairs of the Energy Section at IndustriALL.  Gwenne Farrell from MOVE-UP (Canada) was elected vice co-chair for the Electricity Section and Valeriy Matov from Atomprofspika (Ukraine) was elected vice co-chair for the Nuclear Section. 

IndustriALL’s general secretary, Valter Sanches, said:

“The energy sector goes through the same problems as other sectors such as violations of rights, union busting and precarious work. What is particular to the sector is energy transition. We must build union power so we can have a seat at the table with governments and companies to create sustainable industry policies at the national level that guarantee Just Transition.”

EDF

The responsibilities include:

More generally, this agreement promotes human rights, diversity, health and safety, skills development and social protection for the company’s employees and subcontractors wherever the Group is based as well as the principle of a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies for all.

This new Group agreement replaces a previous agreement on social and environmental responsibility signed by EDF in 2005 and renewed in 2009. The purpose of this new text is to incorporate new social requirements for employees and support EDF’s international development in keeping with the company’s public service values. It complements the 6 corporate responsibility targets set by EDF in favour of the energy transition and the Group’s Cap 2030 strategy. Implementation of the agreement will be overseen by an international supervisory committee.

Inditex suppliers from India meet to pledge social dialogue

Representatives Inditex, which is the world's biggest fashion retailer, joined the meetings for the sessions on improving social dialogue, industrial relations and sustainability along the the supply chains. The first meeting took place in Bangalore on 11 June and the second meeting was held on 13 June, in Delhi.

Javier Díaz Pena, Inditex Social Sustainability Manager, gave a presentation on the commitment of the global brand by signing the GFA with IndustriALL Global Union and the implementation of the GFA among the suppliers by stating the importance of Freedom of Association, Children Rights, Children Rights, Women Empowerment, Health&Safety Porjects.

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia Regional Secretary, addressed the meeting to talk about textile and garment workers’ conditions and rights in India, the importance of being a union member and being paid living wages; and the benefits of GFAs.  The meeting of the suppliers is intended help to protect and promote workers’ conditions throughout the Inditex’s supply chain. 

Christina Hajagos-Clausen,  IndustriALL director for the textile and garment industry, said:

“We are strengthening industrial relations and social dialogue in the textile and garment industries. Industry-wide GFAs have the capacity to ensure living wages and decent conditions for workers in the industry. The active involvement of suppliers in the process would help us to build stronger social dialogue and powerful industrial relations.”

IndustriALL and PSI sign global responsible employer agreement with EDF

Today, Jean-Bernard Lévy, CEO and Chairman of the EDF Group, along with IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches and Rosa Pavanelli, Public Services International general secretary, signed a new global responsibility agreement covering human and labour rights at the International Labour Organization in Geneva and in the presence of Guy Ryder, ILO Director General. IndustriALL French affiliates CFE-CGC and CFDT were also present.

The global agreement exists thanks to the commitment of all negotiating parties. It is the result of a collaborative negotiation process involving 11 national union federations for companies within the EDF Group and global union federations, IndustriALL Global Union and PSI. The 13 federations are signatories to the agreement which encompasses a number of significant and innovative commitments to social responsibility.

These include:

More generally, this agreement promotes human rights, diversity, health and safety, skills development and social protection for the company’s employees and subcontractors wherever the Group is based as well as the principle of a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies for all.

This new Group agreement replaces a previous agreement on social and environmental responsibility signed by EDF in 2005 and renewed in 2009. The purpose of this new text is to incorporate new social requirements for employees and support EDF’s international development in keeping with the company’s public service values. It complements the 6 corporate responsibility targets set by EDF in favour of the energy transition and the Group’s Cap 2030 strategy. Implementation of the agreement will be overseen by an international supervisory committee.

After signing the agreement, Jean-Bernard Lévy announced:

I am sure that our CSR strategy is a key factor in the EDF Group’s sustainable performance, as demonstrated by this agreement. The Group is reiterating its commitment to the balanced development of its activities around the world. Human rights, diversity, health and safety, skills development and social protection for the company’s employees and subcontractors form the foundations of this commitment.

Valter Sanches, general secretary of IndustriALL Global Union explained:

The negotiation process of the global framework agreement with EDF was done in a frank and transparent manner. The GFA is an achievement where all parties have been involved, resulting in clear commitments on supply chain management, as well as active implementation and monitoring of the global agreement. Now we need to put it into action and ensure that the GFA is beneficial to all parties.

Rosa Pavanelli, general secretary of Public Services International, declared:

With this renewed agreement, EDF Group commits itself to uphold a high standard of human and labour rights wherever it operates. The next step is to effectively implement these commitments to the shop floor and secure local management ownership of the agreement, in cooperation with trade union representatives. This renegotiated text also marks one of the first corporate commitments to country-by-country tax reporting.

This agreement also includes provisions for trade union involvement in the company’s programmes to ensure the protection of whistleblowers. We will closely and relentlessly scrutinize the effective implementation and follow-up of all commitments in this agreement, working with our global membership and allies.

MENA: Textile unions continue to progress in organizing and bargaining

In Jordan, it was reported that a new sector-wide agreement includes improvement in wages and working conditions. In addition, the agreement covers both Jordanian nationals and migrant workers. In close cooperation with IndustriALL, with an objective to strengthening the voice of migrant workers in the sector, the Jordanian affiliate General Trade Union of Workers in Textile Garment & Clothing Industries (JTGCU) is currently building a Migrant Workers’ Union Advisory Committee.

Through negotiations with Employers’ Association and threatening to strike, IndustriALL’s Tunisian affiliate, Fédération Générale du Textile, de l'Habillement, Chaussure et Cuir (FGTHCC-UGTT) achieved a 6 per cent wage increase in 2016 and 2017. FGTHCC-UGTT is now preparing for the annual negotiations on the wages in the sector aiming at an 8 per cent increase.

“Despite the fact that around 300 factories were closed since 2013, we have organized more than 5,000 new members within the framework of our organizing campaign with IndustriALL launched at the end of 2015,” said Habib Hzami, General Secretary of FGTHCC-UGTT.

IndustriALL’s Moroccan textile affiliate, Syndicat National des Travailleurs du Textile et du Cuir (SNTTC-UMT) reported that it had organized three additional Inditex suppliers early in 2018 and is making progress towards setting up a national sectorial textile and garment union, as the preparatory committee has finalized the key tasks and is currently discussing the possible dates for holding the founding congress.

Garment and textile unions from Egypt emphasized their commitment to continue strengthening capacities as a genuine voice for workers at sectorial level.

Although 2017 saw an increase in membership throughout the region, there is still much work to be done in 2018.

For the first time, IndustriALL’s MENA textile meeting welcomed Italian affiliates, FILCTEM-CGIL, UILTEC-UIL and FEMCA-CISL, which lent their expertise and experience working with Italian brands. Participants worked on proposals on how to engage in industrial relations with key Italian brands that source from the MENA region and agreed to carry out a detailed mapping of the Armani and Benetton supply chains. MENA region and Italian affiliates will do a follow up bilateral meetings to follow the mapping results to elaborate action plans, improve exchange of information and strengthen solidarity, especially in the event of disputes with suppliers to Italian brands. MENA unions emphasized the need that the Italian brand’s representatives meet with unions when visiting the suppliers in the region. 

MENA affiliates plan to continue to use the sector’s global framework agreements (GFAs) to reach out to unorganized workers, in particular Inditex, which has a significant production presence in the MENA region.  

“Global framework agreements can be used to ensure that workers’ rights to freedom of association are respected in the brands’ global supply chains. GFAs are a way to put industrial relations back into the supply chain,” noted Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL’s garment and textile sector director. 

Executive Committee calls for greater solidarity

The meeting heard from trade union leaders directly affected by government oppression in Belarus and Algeria. There were also calls to better implement global framework agreements (GFAs) in companies that violate fundamental workers’ rights.

“We must use GFAs to confront companies with what they say in public and how they operate. However, they are not a guarantee, we need to show solidarity at the same time,” said IndustriALL President Jörg Hofmann.

In light of President Trump's recent imposition of high tariffs on steel and aluminum, Jörg Hofmann called for trade policies that benefit the many and not the few:

“Protectionism is not the solution to protect jobs and livelihoods…We want free trade but it should also be fair trade.  We need to define fair trade – and define how to achieve it as well.” 

Low growth rates, an increase in precarious work, and digitalization continue to affect unions. Discussions on Industry 4.0 highlighted the need for national and global strategies to prepare today’s workers for tomorrow’s jobs.

“We need a strong policy for energy transition and a Just Transition especially in the oil and gas and coal mining sectors,” said IndustriALL General Secretary, Valter Sanches.

He also emphasized the need for IndustriALL to adopt a cross-sectorial approach to its work and focus on global supply chains, where sectors are increasingly overlapping, particularly with Industry 4.0.

The meeting passed two resolutions. The first resolution, in support of former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, followed a demonstration by the Executive Committee outside the United Nations, demanding his release from prison. The resolution repudiates his incarceration which is designed to stop him running for the presidency.

During the week of the fifth anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh on 24 April 2013 that killed 1,134 garment workers, the Executive Committee passed a second resolution on occupational health and safety, marking 28 April, International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers.

The resolution calls on IndustriALL to renew and continue its campaigns for healthy and safe workplaces for all workers within all industries – including its campaigns for the ratification of the ILO Convention on Safety in Mines (C176), safe workplaces in Bangladesh, and campaigns against asbestos, sandblasting, and occupational cancer.

The Executive Committee also approved a proposal from South African unions to host IndustriALL’s 2020 Congress.

The Executive Committee meeting heard from Raouf Mellal, President of Algerian energy affiliate SNATEGS, who told of the political persecution of trade unionists in Algeria. Mellal is facing a total of 17 months in prison on a series of trumped up charges.

Gennady Fedynich, chairman of the Belarusian Radio and Electronics Industry Workers’ Union (REP) and IndustriALL Executive Committee member, joined the meeting by video conference as he was denied permission to leave the country. Fedynich said the Belarusian government is trying to disband his union, because it has great respect among blue-collar workers.

IndustriALL recently led a mission to Belarus aimed to stop criminal proceedings against REP leaders and offer solidarity.  “Only through joint efforts shall we succeed in protecting the rights of our members and organizations,” said Fedynich. 

The next Executive Committee meeting will take place in Mexico City on 29 and 30 November 2018.

Bulgaria: GFAs in garment sector promoting rights

Co-sponsored by Spanish-based global retailer, Inditex, the meeting on 30 March 2018 was also attended by other GFA partners Swedish H&M and British ASOS, together with their main suppliers in Bulgaria. IndustriALL Global Union and its Bulgarian affiliates, FOSIL/CITUB and the Federation of Light Industry/Podkrepa, brought a labour view to discussions. 

The objective of the meeting was to underline the importance of freedom of association and workplace cooperation in global supply chains, as well as raise awareness of the benefits of genuine social dialogue and GFA implementation in the garment sector in Bulgaria. The three GFA-partner global brands have sizable sourcing from Bulgaria.

The ILO explained how international legal frameworks regulate rights and responsibilities at the workplace and their application in global supply chains. Freedom of association, collective bargaining and the benefits of sectoral level bargaining were highlighted. The Better Work program of the ILO was presented as a way to promote responsible workplace practices for both workers and companies. 

The three brands, having GFAs with IndustriALL Global Union and being part of the ACT initiative, emphasized that GFAs are an essential part of their core business model.  The brands reiterated their pledge to respect ILO core labour standards and expressed their determination to work with suppliers and unions’ representatives to ensure effective GFA implementation and achieve decent work in the Bulgarian textile and garment sector.    

IndustriALL’s Bulgarian affiliates expressed their desire that their Government develop an effective strategy for the garment sector, promoting investment and employing more workers. According to the Bulgarian unions, in the absence of an employers’ association, collective bargaining, if any takes place at the plant level.

The Bulgarian garment industry is characterized by poor working conditions, very low wages (the legal minimum wage is currently at US$322 a month) and lack of prospects, making the industry unattractive to young people.

At the end of the meeting, IndustriALL Global Union’s two Bulgarian affiliates said:

“The GFAs give us value and leverage with a clear perspective on how to conduct successful dialogue between social partners and how to solve problems together. The only way forward for us here in Bulgaria is effective and meaningful industrial relations with a mechanism where decisions are taken jointly for the benefit of workers and enterprises the textile and garment sector.”

Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL Global Union’s Director for Textile, Garment, Leather and Shoe Industries said:

“The GFAs are important tools that IndustriALL Global Union has been developing for quite a long time. GFAs are playing a key role in different parts of the world, and now in Bulgaria. Our objective is to give our utmost support to our Bulgarian affiliates as part of the strategic goals of our global union.”

Effective implementation of GFAs in the garment industry

The workshops focused on strengthening industrial relations and social dialogue through effective implementation of GFAs in the garment supply chain.

This involved planning and evaluating the GFA implementation process, dispute settlement mechanisms and joint management and trade union workshop for creating awareness on GFAs and training of plant level union representatives towards effective use of various GFA provisions.

The National Monitoring Committee (NMC), implementation arm of the GFA with H&M discussed improvements and challenges in the existing process. Participants discussed setting up new mechanisms for effective use of GFA provisions to resolve workers issues at the shop floor, improve safety, working conditions and defend workers right to freedom of association and collective bargaining in the readymade garment supply chain.

Participants also reviewed ongoing union organizing initiatives and strategies to strengthen union density in garment industry. These workshops provide a unique platform for workers to understand institutional set up and dispute settlement process involved in GFAs and discuss plant level issues with management representatives.

Christina Hajagos-Clausen, IndustriALL garment director, says:

We are strengthening industrial relations and social dialogue in the garment industry and our GFAs are contributing to this process. We are working to tackle challenges and improve institutional mechanisms while creating awareness among workers and management on GFAs. With the active involvement of workers we are advancing towards further improvement in industrial relations and social dialogue.

Representatives from H&M and Inditex brands, the Accord for Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and garment company managements also participated.

IndustriALL, UNI and BWI sign global framework agreement with Stora Enso

In the GFA, Stora Enso commits to working with the three global unions in order to uphold fundamental labour rights throughout its global operation and subsidiaries. The company will strive to implement the principles of the GFA throughout its supply chain.

The GFA specifically focuses on:

IndustriALL Global Union General Secretary, Valter Sanches, stated at the signing:

“I congratulate Stora Enso and welcome our new formal relationship that gives us the means to uphold workers’ rights throughout the company’s global operation. I call upon other pulp and paper manufacturers to follow this example.”

Stora Enso’s CEO, Karl-Henrik Sundström, said: 

“We strive for a working environment where all our employees are treated with respect and in a fair manner. We are continuously working to make sure that all our units comply with the requirements. By signing the Global Framework agreement, we show our commitment and take the next step in this important area."

There is a dispute resolution mechanism established by the GFA. Under the mechanism, issues will be addressed at the local level, but where necessary will be brought to national and global level and ultimately to mediation.

The GFA formalizes an on-going dialogue between the partners and all signatories will meet every two years to assess the implementation of the GFA.

However, the spirit of the global agreement establishes open dialogue through which the partners will work jointly to pre-emptively solve problems as early as possible.

UNI Global Union General Secretary, Philip Jennings said:

“The agreement is an excellent way to begin the year in which we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Stora Enso is taking a significant step in the right direction for workers' right along their supply chain by signing up to this agreement.

“This agreement is further recognition that workers' rights are human rights. The importance of global framework agreements has not only been acknowledged by companies like Stora Enso, but also by the G20 and international organisations around the world." 

BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson, stated:

“In signing this agreement, Stora Enso commits to ensure fundamental labour rights for workers in their global operations and subsidiaries.  We, now look forward to actively working with Stora Enso to effectively implement this agreement on the ground to improve the lives of workers.”

Unions outraged over LafargeHolcim’s sudden u-turn on global commitments

The company gave no reason for its radical reversal from the commitment to sign a global framework agreement, which was announced and approved by the Annual shareholders meeting in 2017. LafargeHolcim simply cites the change of its business strategy with the arrival of a new CEO, who claims its current internal arrangements meet the requirements of the company without any need to make further additions.

The Global Framework Agreement was due to be signed at the International Labour Organization’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on 10 January 2018, presided over by the ILO Director General. In July 2017 LafargeHolcim top-management signed, together with IndustriALL Global Union and Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), a Memorandum of Understanding committing to sign the Agreement.

The company has now decided, on 22 December, not to sign the global agreement, even though it continues to be plagued by the worst health and safety performance in the industry.

IndustriALL Global Union and BWI, together with The European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW), European Works Council (EWC) and national unions, through an emergency meeting in Geneva on 9 January, made a strong statement expressing outrage and anger against LafargeHolcim’s unilateral stepping back from the joint decision to establish a global social dialogue structure in the group.

National, European and Global Unions believe that LafargeHolcim should reconsider their position and:

Valter Sanches, IndustriALL General Secretary, comments on LafargeHolcim latest broken promise:

“This recent decision to break the agreement on building a social dialogue further damages the credibility of the company. We strongly believe that the shareholders, board of directors and all decision makers in LafargeHolcim must think carefully what the future will hold for LafargeHolcim if this destructive approach prevails. This would be a huge obstacle in getting the company back on a good track.”

“LafargeHolcim needs to clean up their act,

says Ambet Yuson, BWI General Secretary.

Cement is a hazardous industry, but prevention of accidents and ill health is seriously undermined by the abuse of outsourcing in the company and its refusal to take responsibility for bad working conditions. Trade unions have the capacity to help the company but it should be ready to change its exploitative employment policies and labour practices.”

Sam Hägglund, EFBWW General Secretary says,

“European trade unions are outraged about LafargeHolcim management’s decision to withdraw from their word. After we signed a strong European Works Council Agreement in spring 2017, we expected that LafargeHolcim would become the benchmark in social dialogue. Now we witness that this approach is under threat. This is a bad sign for the future of all workers and other stakeholders of this group.”