Read this article in:
29 June, 2009
ICEM’s Bridgestone Global Union Network held its 9th Steering Committee meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on 26-27 June, and is was hosted successfully by the ICEM’s Japanese affiliate, Rubber Workers’ Unions Confederation (GOMU-RENGO) and its member organisation, the Bridgestone Workers’ Union.
GOMU RENGO President Toshiaki Hojo chaired the meeting with the assistance of Akihiro Nagasawa and Gen Tashiro, President and Vice President, respectively, of the Bridgestone Workers’ Union. (Gen Tashiro also serves as secretary of the Network.)
Following the general report by ICEM’s Chemicals and Rubber Officer Kemal Özkan on developments and challenges in the tyre and rubber industry at global level, delegates to the meeting gave country and regional reports. They came from Japan, Spain, Brazil, and South Africa.
As the central focus to the Network, delegates deliberated on industrial accidents within Bridgestone across the world. Delegates were informed of the circumstances around serious recent accidents in Japan and Brazil. A lengthy discussion then ensued on measures to improve occupational health and safety at the Japan-based company.
The meeting also saw an extensive report by ICEM’s Özkan on the ongoing strike at a Bridgestone plant located in Frameries, Belgium, as well as problems in obtaining trade union recognition and health and safety concerns at a factory in Tatabanya, Hungary.
The Japanese host union promised to put these problems before executives at Bridgestone headquarters in Japan. The delegates from Spain, Brazil, and South Africa extended solidarity both to ICEM affiliate FGTB Centrale Générale in Belgium and VDSz, the affiliated Chemical and Energy Workers’ Federation in Hungary.
Along with Hojo, Nagasawa, Tashiro, and Özkan, delegates attending included Daniel Demetrio and Batista Goncalves, Rubber Workers’ Union of Brazil (FUB); Jesus Delgado, Secretary of the European Works Council of Bridgestone and Eduardo Alonso, shop steward at Burgos, Spain, both members of the Federation of Related Industries of Spain (FIA-UGT); Nicholas Masilo from National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA); and Yoshio Sato, General Secretary of ICEM’s Japanese Affiliates Federation (ICEM-JAF).
The next meeting of the Steering Committee is scheduled to take place during the last week of June 2010 in Spain.