21 July, 2015Two unions affiliated to the FNTMMSRP (National Miners’ Federation of Peru), which is in turn affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, face a decisive week in Peru. SUTRACOMASA (Union of Antamina Workers) will begin talks with Antamina on 21 July and SITRAMINA will meet representatives of Antapaccay S.A on 24 July to discuss the company’s anti-trade union practices. Both companies are partly owned by Glencore.
SUTRACOMASA will hold talks with the company (a joint venture between Glencore, BHP, Teck and Mitsubishi) about its list of demands after complaining to the authorities about the situation at the mine.
Meanwhile, on 24 July, SITRAMINA, which represents professional workers at the Glencore subsidiary Antapaccay, will hold talks with the company after the Ministry of Labour convened a hearing to address allegations of unfair labour practices.
SITRAMINA want to discuss the situation of trade union leaders who were unfairly dismissed in December 2013. The leaders were reinstated one year later, but their jobs remain insecure. The company is still trying to get rid of them and has brought court cases against them, alleging corruption and nepotism.
The global network of Glencore trade unions is mobilizing in solidarity with their colleagues at Altamina and Atapaccay.
IndustriALL Global Union extends its total support and solidarity to members of SUTRACOMASA and SITRAMINA. Jyrki Raina, IndustriALL General Secretary, has written to both companies and to Glencore’s CEO, Ivan Glasenberg, requesting talks in good faith with Altamina and a negotiated solution to issues at Antapaccay S.A.
“I would be grateful if you could follow up with these two companies as appropriate to ensure the establishment of sound industrial relations, respect for the right to organize and the promotion of good faith collective bargaining”, wrote Jyrki Raina, IndustriALL General Secretary.