ICEM’s Nuclear Workers’ Network Meets in Brussels

The revamped ICEM International Nuclear Workers’ Unions Network (INWUN) held its annual meeting on 13-14 June, and some 26 nuclear workers’ union leaders from ten countries attended. The meeting were held at ICEM headquarters in Brussels. The meeting was the first nuclear network meeting since INWUN became an official ICEM network.

David Shier of the Power Workers Union of Canada was elected as chairman of the network, and delegates also adopted an 11-point “Terms of Reference” for the network, which will stand as guidelines for the network.

ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, ICEM Energy Industries Chairman Lars Myhre and David Shier, Chairman of the ICEM INWUN Network

Those include promoting solidarity and cooperation with trade union worldwide, as well as supporting a balanced energy generation policy across all jurisdictions. Objectives also include promotion of effective and thorough national regulatory procedures and practices in the nuclear industry, and seek to ensure that some eight nuclear regulatory agencies and governmental entities are kept informed of the viewpoints of unionised nuclear workers.

Delegates to the 13-14 June meeting heard a presentation from Hans Riotte, head of Radiation Protection and Waste Management of the Nuclear Energy Agency, which is part of the OECD. They also had a lively exchange on nuclear safety programmes within the various countries represented. Work conditions in those countries were also debated.

They also heard a presentation on women in the nuclear industry. ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda and ICEM Energy Industries Chairman Lars Myhre of Norway’s Industri Energi Union addressed the delegates.

Countries from which trade unionists attended included: Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, and the UK.