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26 March, 2007
The ICEM’s Goodyear Global Union Network convened in Akron, Ohio, on 19-20 March, and 50 trade union leaders from 12 countries attended. The Network expanded its steering committee, and pledged greater communication and exchange of data between workers at all of Goodyear’s global operations.
The Goodyear Network is coordinated by the United Steelworkers (USW), based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Trade Unionists at Goodyear
The union Network meetings, held in the US city of Goodyear’s global headquarters, produced a statement, which included a call for management to begin discussions on a global agreement, starting with talks on occupational health, safety, and environmental issues.”
The statement also said: “Given Goodyear’s increasing size and global scope, it is important that unions participating in the Goodyear Global Union Network recommit their efforts to secure and promote the rights for all workers worldwide at Goodyear. As part of those efforts, we pledge to increase the effective functioning of the Network steering committee and to expand and improve Network communications.”
Reports on the recent 86-day strike in North America were heard, and labour situations in which Goodyear has displayed disagreeable human conduct were also reported. Updates were presented on bargaining scheduled to begin in South Africa and Turkey.
Anan Pol-ung and ICEM Project Coordinator Aranya Pakapath of Thailand
Trade unionists also heard longstanding problems that exist in Goodyear’s Bangkok tyre factory. They heard of Thai management’s continuing waste of resources to fight the legitimate rights of contract workers inside Thai courts, and unionists met and heard from Anan Pol-ung, former president of the factory-level union in Bangkok, who was fired last year.
The Network voiced strong support for him, and called on the company to properly restore him to his job at Goodyear in Thailand. Anan first drew the ire of Goodyear’s Thai management over two years ago when he made a stand with over 20 contract workers, many of whom had been working in the warehouse and rubber stock department of Goodyear’s Bangkok factory for up to 10 years under single-year individual contracts.
Goodyear sacked the contract workers when they sought freedom of association rights. They were seeking to join with full-time employees at the 500-worker factory in organising with ICEM affiliate Petroleum and Chemical Workers’ Federation of Thailand.
The expanded Goodyear Network elected Tom Conway, USW Vice President, as chairman. Other trade union leaders elected to join the steering committee include Carlos Antonio de Silva of Brazil and Werner Staniewski of Germany. Besides representatives from unions in Brazil, Germany, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, and US attending, delegates also came from Canada, Chile, France, Peru, Poland, and UK.