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14 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 40/2004
Union members of ICEM affiliate Sindicato Unico de Trabajadores del Neumático Argentina (SUTNA) took direct action to win a festering labour dispute with global rubber manufacturer Bridgestone/Firestone. The union and management, with the aid of both the national and provincial labour ministers of Argentina and Buenos Aires, put an 11-month dispute behind them by agreeing to terms 13 September over the illegal firings of 58 workers.
The Japanese company also agreed to begin new talks toward a collective agreement, something managers had refused to do since expiration of a prior contract in 2001.
The dispute began in October 2003 when the company unilaterally implemented a rationalization plan by imposing a new shift schedule at its Llavallol, Pcia, Buenos Aires tyre factory where 700 workers are employed. The work-rule changes circumvented Argentina’s labour code since managers failed to negotiate with SUTNA. Both the provincial ministry and national labour ministry issued rulings last winter against Bridgestone and ordered the company to reinstate the fired workers with backpay.
Despite global union pressure applied by ICEM and the United Steelworkers of America, Bridgestone failed to adhere to the government’s directives until SUTNA union members imposed an eight-day blockade in late June and early July on suppliers delivering materials to the plant. That produced talks mediated by the Buenos Aires labour minister in which the firm agreed to recall nine workers, and a promise of further dialogue.
But with no further progress, SUTNA struck the facility again last week.
The subsequent discussions held inside the national labour ministry produced an agreement by Bridgestone to recall a total of 12 workers and grant all discharged workers full backpay dating to last October plus a level of social benefits exceeding those mandated by law. In addition, the firm will pay a fixed amount to each displaced worker for a period of 20 months and made a commitment to employ these workers on a sub-contracting basis as the need arises.
In the presence of both the provincial and national labour ministers, Bridgestone managers Ariel Dipascuale and Daniel Benvenutti agreed to respect the independence of SUTNA at the Llavallol factory and to begin fresh dialogue toward a new collective agreement.
“We commend the leaders and members of SUTNA,” said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs. “Their resolve and perseverance in the face of longstanding employer attacks is a lesson to us all.”
The Japanese company also agreed to begin new talks toward a collective agreement, something managers had refused to do since expiration of a prior contract in 2001.
The dispute began in October 2003 when the company unilaterally implemented a rationalization plan by imposing a new shift schedule at its Llavallol, Pcia, Buenos Aires tyre factory where 700 workers are employed. The work-rule changes circumvented Argentina’s labour code since managers failed to negotiate with SUTNA. Both the provincial ministry and national labour ministry issued rulings last winter against Bridgestone and ordered the company to reinstate the fired workers with backpay.
Despite global union pressure applied by ICEM and the United Steelworkers of America, Bridgestone failed to adhere to the government’s directives until SUTNA union members imposed an eight-day blockade in late June and early July on suppliers delivering materials to the plant. That produced talks mediated by the Buenos Aires labour minister in which the firm agreed to recall nine workers, and a promise of further dialogue.
But with no further progress, SUTNA struck the facility again last week.
The subsequent discussions held inside the national labour ministry produced an agreement by Bridgestone to recall a total of 12 workers and grant all discharged workers full backpay dating to last October plus a level of social benefits exceeding those mandated by law. In addition, the firm will pay a fixed amount to each displaced worker for a period of 20 months and made a commitment to employ these workers on a sub-contracting basis as the need arises.
In the presence of both the provincial and national labour ministers, Bridgestone managers Ariel Dipascuale and Daniel Benvenutti agreed to respect the independence of SUTNA at the Llavallol factory and to begin fresh dialogue toward a new collective agreement.
“We commend the leaders and members of SUTNA,” said ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs. “Their resolve and perseverance in the face of longstanding employer attacks is a lesson to us all.”