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14 January, 2008
A three-day Coal Conference for global trade unions was held in Calcutta, India, 14-16 December 2007, hosted by India’s trade unions, including ICEM affiliate Indian National Mineworkers’ Federation (INMF). The conference had the full involvement of the ICEM, the International Energy and Mines Organisation (IEMO), the ILO, as well as several national mining unions.
The conference focused on mine safety, specifically around a work plan to get more countries to ratify ILO Convention 176, the Safety and Health in Mines Convention. Martin Hahn, from the ILO’s Sectoral Activities Department, who facilitates the Committee of Experts for Mine Health and Safety, gave an excellent presentation on effective measures for organising toward ratification of Convention 176.
Presentations were made by MK Pandhe of the All India Coal Workers’ Federation, who spoke on an IEMO paper entitled “Globalisation, Privatisation, Outsourcing, and the Trade Union Response.” Other topics addressed included the trade union position on carbon emissions. The conference also explored new technologies in coal mining, privatisation, and provided an overview of the current, unprecedented growth rates in coal consumption and production.
The conference produced an 11-point declaration, focusing on the fact that mining is one of the world’s highest safety-risk occupations. That declaration called on nations to “not only take the necessary steps to ratify ILO Convention 176, but that they also take urgent action to ensure that the commitments” contained in the Convention “are put into practice.”
The declaration also rejected the privatisation of state mining assets, and it took note of the inequality in blame placed on coal mining and coal burning regarding climate change. The declaration, in addition, condemned the growing trend by mining employers “to engage contract and casual labour in preference to permanent employees.” The declaration in its entirety can be found here.
Over 100 trade union leaders from 14 coal-producing countries attended last month’s Coal Conference. Representing national trade unions included delegates from the Construction, Forestry, Mining, and Energy Union (CFMEU), Australia; National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), South Africa; the Miners’ Independent Trade Union of Russia; National Union of Mineworkers of the UK; Mines and Energy Union (CGT), France; the Federation of Energy, Geology and Mining Workers’ Trade Unions (MEGM), Mongolia; Sintracarbón, Colombia; as well as trade unions representing coal miners in Canada, New Zealand, Poland, and the Ukraine.
The ICEM, the international organiser for the event, thanks the ILO and the trade unions of India, including the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), for their efficient hosting of the conference.