16 November, 2009
Newton B. Jones, the President of ICEM North American affiliate, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB), was elected chairman of the Materials Sector at the ICEM’s World Conference for Materials, held 3-4 November in Izmir, Turkey.
The conference was attended ay 118 delegates from 31 countries, and was aptly hosted by ICEM Turkish affiliates Çimse-İş and Kristal-İş. Alan Black of ICEM UK affiliate GMB was elected vice chairman. Jones is leader of the 100,000-member Boilermakers, North America’s leading cement and building materials manufacturing union, with members in other sectors as well. Black replaces Michael Decayeux of Fédéchimie-CGT FO, who retired after a long service career in the French and global trade union movement.
The Materials Conference produced two resolutions, and saw lively discussions come out of a panel debate. That panel, entitled “Industrial Relations and Social Dialogue in the Turkish Materials Industries,” featured employers’ representatives from Turkey’s cement, glass, and ceramics associations.
The panel saw keen perspectives from Metin Bozkurt of Çimse-İş and Münür Dinler of Kristal-İş.
In cement industry, Mürsel Öztürk of the Cement Employers’ Association of Turkey (CEIS), together with the trade union panelists, discussed some positive developments through social dialogue to avert job dismissals during the financial crisis. In ceramics, both the employers’ representative, Bekir Uzun, and the trade unionists expressed the hardships and challenges faced during the crisis.
From left, Kristal-İş President Bilal Çetintaş, ICEM’s Manfred Warda, Tes- İş President and ICEM Executive Committee member Mustafa Kumlu, Materials Sector Chairman Newton B. Jones, and Çimse-İş President Ramazan Şafak
In Turkey’s glass sector, despite problems of union recognition in the past, the importance of mature and institutional labour relations was stressed. Hakan Yilirimoğlu represented the glass employers.
A number of other presentations were made throughout the two-day event, including global sector reviews of cement, glass, and ceramics by Phee Jungsun, ICEM’s Materials Officer, and on the ICEM’s leading role among Global Union Federations regarding sustainable development by Brian Kohler, the Health, Safety, and Sustainability Officer.
A further presentation was given by Warren Fairley of the IBB in the US. He stated how many employers have used the economic crisis as a pretext for facility closures, job cuts, and general cost cutting. He said an important lesson his union learned is to demand accurate financial information from companies seeking relief.
Kristal-İş President Bilal Çetintaş, IBB International President Newton B. Jones, Çimse-İş President Ramazan Şafak
Another presentation was made by Rashid Arin, President of the Malaysian Cement Industry Employees’ Union (CIEU). He spoke on the large number of irregular workers in that sector in his country, and the fact that they are deprived of social benefits and medical care. Hwan-seop Shin of the Korea Chemical and Textile Workers’ Federation (KCTF) stressed that Asian unions need structural changes from company-based and plant-level trade unions to industry-wide unions.
The resolutions included one giving full support to 29 members of Teamsters Local 455 in the US states of New Mexico and Colorado, who were locked off their jobs at an open pit mine on 7 October. The company involved, Harborlite, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Imerys World Minerals, mines perlite, a substance used in building materials, insulation, and filler uses.
The workers refused to agree to company terms to work longer hours at less pay. That resolution can be found here.
A second resolution, found here.
dealt with the global economic crisis, as well as reiterating ICEM’s commitment to its Contract and Agency Labour Campaign, achievement of Global Framework Agreements, and growing trade union bargaining power and strength through organising in the Materials Sector. It serves as the sector’s four-year work plan.
The ICEM highly appreciates the support given by the IBB, which enabled many delegates from across the world to attend the quadrennial World Conference for the Materials Sector in Izmir.