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6 September, 2010
The ICEM Asia-Pacific Region Oil and Gas Industry Network conducted a meeting on 21-22 August, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The meeting was co-hosted by ICEM, FES, VGCL, and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Union.
Mr Koyanagi, representative of JEC Rengo, ICEM’s largest sector union in the region, was elected as Chairperson for the meeting.
Keynote presentations were given by ICEM and fellow global union federation the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
For ICEM Geneva, Director of Organisation Jim Catterson presented a broad and detailed overview of the state of the sector, touching on current and future/projected industry patterns, emphasizing the ICEM global sectoral meeting scheduled for Stavanger which started today. Catterson highlighted the ICEM/ITF collaboration on and around offshore oilrigs, aiming to achieve unionization “from well to wheel”. Focus was also on the impact of the 2008 Economic Crisis, the importance of the Caspian area, the expected resurgence of Iraqi oil production, the oil industry ICEM Global Framework Agreements, the growing role of China as an investor and user of oil and gas, and the problem of the growing gap between drilling technology and security and safety technology.
For the ITF, Mick Doleman, representing the ITF’s Offshore Taskforce Group, recalled the 2006 alliance between ITF and ICEM on offshore issues, and along the “pit to the port” chain. Mick also emphasized the focus of Australian unions in solidarity work in the sub- region, in Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea in particular, stressing the need for the building of strong and active trade unions.
Delegates received country reports by Japan, India, Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia.
The co-hosting Vietnam Oil and Gas Union presented themselves and the political context in which they operate, detailing union membership at 45,000-51,000 in the industry, at 129 workplaces. Current challenges faced by the union are growing use by employers of contract and agency labour (CAL); and union officials paid by management.
ICEM Asia-Pacific responded by recalling the developing contact with VO&GU since 1993, now moving towards formal affiliation, and commended the detailed and structured report presented.
There was a strong emphasis on the importance of solidarity and support amongst and between affiliates themselves. The value of regular sectoral meetings at the regional level was agreed, but the need for active information exchange and interaction between any such meetings was stressed.
The meeting received motivation for two solidarity resolutions, on Linde Group’s ongoing anti-union practices in Thailand, and in support of Los Mineros in Mexico, as well as one recommendation to the World Energy Conference. The three resolutions were unanimously accepted.