30 November, 2009
Thousands of trade unionists demonstrated at the main square of the Slovenian capital Ljubliana, last Saturday 28 November, to demand higher wages and protest their governments’ plan to increase retirement age.
Just before this big and important demonstration, the ICEM, through its General Secretary Manfred Warda and Chemical and Rubber Industries Officer Kemal Özkan, attended a full day workshop organised by its affiliate KNG, Chemical, Non-Metal and Rubber Workers Union. The meeting was attended 25 participants from the KNG’s local offices.
KNG became a fully autonomous and independent trade union in 1990 and represents more than a third of all employees in the chemical, metal and rubber industries in Slovenia.
KNG President Tomas Kumer
President Tomas Kumer gave a detailed presentation about the effects of the economic crisis in their sectors. Job losses, lowering wages, problems arising from low value-added were principally mentioned, while the social pact does not seem successful in combating the social problems brought by the economic crisis.
The workshop discussed how to use international mechanisms to put pressure on employers to get more trade union influence. Pharmaceutical, rubber and glass sectors were defined areas for future cooperation.
The ICEM also visited production facilities of Sava where KNG represents workers. The President of the Sava Union of KNG, Janez Justin, presented the situation of the factory in the face of global crisis. Justin reported that in 2008, the first indication of global recession came in September. The Union and the employer identified the problem and negotiated on a shorter work calendar, winter collective vacation and agreement on temporary redistribution and uneven distribution of work time through a Flex time Agreement. This allowed the employer high flexibility with the workforce engagement, and the workers the possibility to spend winter holidays with their families while employees managed to secure their jobs with no layoffs. In 2009 market demand reduced by 30% in some segments, for this reason employees are limited to work 306 days. Through intensive social dialogue, carried out on a daily basis, no layoffs occurred; only collective vacation in the summer (14 days) and collective vacation in December were agreed with employers.