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17 September, 2001The U.S. 14-member Coordinated Bargaining Committee of GE Unions will assist GE-Chile workers who are entering their third week of strike action.
CHILE/USA: The Sindicato de Trabajadores No. 2, General Electric de Chile -- the union representing workers at the GE lighting plant in Santiago -- began legal strike action on September 4 after seven months of collective bargaining failed. The decision to strike was taken because of the local management's negative attitude toward the union and its refusal to agree to a wage and benefits package similar to that already offered to workers who were not covered by the bargaining unit. Management's final offer included inadequate proposals for general wage increases, holiday, vacation pay and attendance bonuses.
Strong support for the striking workers has now come from the Coordinated Bargaining Committee of GE Unions (CBC) in the U.S., which has not only contributed funds to help the 111 striking members of the Sindicato No. 2 GE-Chile but also written to GE's chairman and CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, at company headquarters in Connecticut, to express its concern about the situation in Chile. In the letter to GE's top executive, the CBC chairman, Ed Fire, reminds him that in GE shareholder meetings and in bargaining in the U.S., the CBC has always "encouraged the company to adopt an international code of labour conduct that would guarantee all GE employees their internationally-recognised labour rights, including the freedom of association and collective bargaining. We believe that the company's current actions in Chile violate these fundamental rights."
The CBC has requested the company instruct local management in Chile to go back to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith and states the CBC will fully support the GE workers in Chile until a fair and equitable settlement has been reached.
Sindicato No. 2 is a member of the IMF-affiliated Consfetema (Federación y Confederación Nacional de Trabajadores Electrometalurgicos, Mineros y Automotrices).
Strong support for the striking workers has now come from the Coordinated Bargaining Committee of GE Unions (CBC) in the U.S., which has not only contributed funds to help the 111 striking members of the Sindicato No. 2 GE-Chile but also written to GE's chairman and CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, at company headquarters in Connecticut, to express its concern about the situation in Chile. In the letter to GE's top executive, the CBC chairman, Ed Fire, reminds him that in GE shareholder meetings and in bargaining in the U.S., the CBC has always "encouraged the company to adopt an international code of labour conduct that would guarantee all GE employees their internationally-recognised labour rights, including the freedom of association and collective bargaining. We believe that the company's current actions in Chile violate these fundamental rights."
The CBC has requested the company instruct local management in Chile to go back to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith and states the CBC will fully support the GE workers in Chile until a fair and equitable settlement has been reached.
Sindicato No. 2 is a member of the IMF-affiliated Consfetema (Federación y Confederación Nacional de Trabajadores Electrometalurgicos, Mineros y Automotrices).