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12 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 88/1998
Energy industries are facing a revolution.
Over the past few years, privatisation and technological change have reshaped the gas and electricity sectors in many parts of the world. Political change, notably in Central and Eastern Europe, has opened up vast new supplies of oil, gas and coal.
What are the social and environmental implications? And how should energy workers and their unions react?
That will be the central issue when energy union leaders of all continents gather in Cork, Ireland, on 9-11 November for the biggest-ever world conference of organised labour in this vital sector.
POWERING UP - Union Response to Global Restructuring of the Energy Industries is the title of this unique event, organised by the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM).
Almost 300 energy union leaders have registered so far for the conference. They are from 52 countries: Albania, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Ivory Coast, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Russia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, USA, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yugoslavia.
Workers organised within the ICEM include about 4 million in electric power, 3 million in oil and gas and 2 million in coal in 115 countries.
Other major items on the agenda for POWERING UP include energy multinationals’ human rights role and the prospects for global union-company agreements within the energy industries. This July, the ICEM signed the first-ever such global agreement with Statoil.
Energy multinationals and human rights organisations have been invited to take part in the debates.
Over the past few years, privatisation and technological change have reshaped the gas and electricity sectors in many parts of the world. Political change, notably in Central and Eastern Europe, has opened up vast new supplies of oil, gas and coal.
What are the social and environmental implications? And how should energy workers and their unions react?
That will be the central issue when energy union leaders of all continents gather in Cork, Ireland, on 9-11 November for the biggest-ever world conference of organised labour in this vital sector.
POWERING UP - Union Response to Global Restructuring of the Energy Industries is the title of this unique event, organised by the 20-million-strong International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM).
Almost 300 energy union leaders have registered so far for the conference. They are from 52 countries: Albania, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Ivory Coast, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Russia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, USA, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yugoslavia.
Workers organised within the ICEM include about 4 million in electric power, 3 million in oil and gas and 2 million in coal in 115 countries.
Other major items on the agenda for POWERING UP include energy multinationals’ human rights role and the prospects for global union-company agreements within the energy industries. This July, the ICEM signed the first-ever such global agreement with Statoil.
Energy multinationals and human rights organisations have been invited to take part in the debates.