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7 May, 2009
Some 100 trade union leaders in the rubber sector from 22 countries will converge in Nashville, Tennessee, next week for pivotal discussions on recent developments in that sector. The event is the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine, and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) quadrennial World Conference for the Rubber Industries, which takes place on 12 and 13 May at Nashville’s Sheraton Music City Hotel.
“In this time of global economic crisis, particularly in the automotive industry, it is important that key trade union leaders of the rubber sector gather to share ideas, discuss strategies, and move the issue of workers’ rights to the forefront of any recovery agenda,” said ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda.
The conference, which will be hosted by ICEM’s largest North American trade union affiliate, Pittsburgh-based United Steelworkers of America (USW), will be presided over by USW President Leo Gerard, who is Chairman of the ICEM Rubber Industry Sector.
The conference will feature a presentation by ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Industries Officer Kemal Özkan on “Global Industry Trends and Challenges.” It will also feature five panel discussions: “Effects of Global Crisis on the Industry and Trade Union Challenges,” “Rising Hardships and Distortion in Work Relationships,” “Global Agreements, Global/Regional Company and Sector Networks and Campaigns,” “How to Improve Health and Safety for Workers: What Kind of Industrial Policy for a Greener Environment for Securing Jobs,” and “How to Better Coordinate Global Union Solidarity, Support and Cooperation.”
Other presentations on the agenda will include: “Collective Bargaining in the Rubber Industry,” “Global Trade Union Response Against Challenges,” and “Healthy and Safe Work, Environment and Sustainable Development.” The conference will conclude in the afternoon of 13 May with “Development of an Action Plan” for trade unions of the global rubber sector.
The Geneva, Switzerland-based ICEM is a Global Union Federation numbering 20 million workers, encompassed by 467 trade union affiliates in 132 countries.
For further information, contact: Kemal Özkan, ICEM Chemicals and Rubber Industries Officer, +41 79 734 9044, or [email protected], or Dick Blin, ICEM Information Officer, +41 22 304 1842, [email protected].