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22 February, 2010
The Third Ordinary Congress of UILCEM took place in Iglesias, Sardegna Island, on 2-4 February under the motto, "Our History, Our Future.” The Congress was attended by the General Secretary of UIL Confederation Luigi Angeletti, General Secretary of FEMCA-CISL Sergio Gigli together with Dario Ilossi, National Secretaries of FILCEM-CGIL and FLAEI-CISL (Electricity Workers' Union), a number of representatives of employers’ federations and individual companies.
Also in attendance were Kemal Özkan, Chemicals and Rubber Industries Officer of the ICEM, and Jean-François Renucci, General Secretary-elect of the French union FCE-CFDT.
As one of the three ICEM Italian affiliated trade unions, UILCEM (Chemical, Energy and Manufacturing Workers' Union) is part of the UIL (Italian Workers' Union) national centre. It brings together workers of the chemical, pharmaceutical, mining, energy, oil, engineering, manufacturing, rubber and plastics, glass, lamps, ceramics, tiles, electricity, water, and gas sectors.
Augusto Pascucci, General Secretary of UILCEM
Augusto Pascucci, General Secretary of UILCEM and a Vice President of the ICEM, reported on the effects of the global economic crisis in Italy. Pascucci explained the significance of the Congress being held in Iglesias, near a mine under threat of closure due to the financial downturn. The mine supports the livelihoods of 2,000 workers in the area. Pascucci called for a government reform package that would see Italy intervene in moments of crisis.
The General Secretary of UIL underlined the current trade union agenda items in Italy and gave particular attention to job creation, the securing of industrial production, and an increase in the minimum wage. ICEM's Özkan, in his speech, covered globalisation, the economic crisis, changes in the employment relationship toward more precarious work, sustainable development, and climate change.
The final declaration of the Congress laid out the union’s objectives for the upcoming period. That agenda includes: More trade union training; a new "architecture" of the financial system; elimination of discrimination against women, creation of an open society for everyone, and specific financing for women’s activities; and an escalation of support and solidarity with international and European federations
The Congress unanimously re-elected Augusto Pascucci as General Secretary of UILCEM.
Another ICEM Italian affiliate, FILCEM, will merge with FILTEA, the Textile Workers’ Union. The name of the new union is FILCTEM, and will represent 250,000 members, with 27 national-level collective agreements in the relevant sectors. FILCTEM will hold its First Congress soon.