30 April, 2010Trade unionists from around the world agreed to strengthen their cooperation and create a trade union network at Caterpillar, the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment.
FRANCE: Over 70 trade union delegates representing workers at Caterpillar facilities in seven countries - Germany, Belgium, Italy, France, Japan, the USA and the United Kingdom - met on April 28-29, 2010 in Grenoble, France, under the aegis of the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF).
During the meeting, the union representatives first discussed the situation on the construction market and the Caterpillar Group in the world: policies, and economic and industrial issues before, during and after the crisis. They also talked about Caterpillar social policy and human resource management worldwide. The reports from the national and plant level representatives have helped to gather first-hand information on employment and working conditions in various facilities of the Group and get an insight into the problems confronting Caterpillar workers in a globalized economy.
Restructuring, social plans, work intensification, precarious employment in all its forms, new work organization, pitting workers against each other, lack of dialogue with management and its anti-union policy are some of the issues that were raised by the delegates. Beyond the specificities and cultures of each country, the existence of common problems and objectives has shown the need for unions to consolidate their links and join forces to advance fundamental workers' rights at Caterpillar and improve employment and working conditions.
As an outcome of this first meeting in France, the participants agreed to reinforce their cooperation at international level and establish a Caterpillar trade union network. The objective is to deepen the exchange of information on the situation in the various countries, work together to promote workers' rights at Caterpillar, its suppliers and sub-contractors throughout the world, and develop joint initiatives and action. The delegates also agreed to establish links and build solidarity with Caterpillar workers in other countries that were not represented in the meeting and have set up a drafting group composed of representatives from the various regions to develop a work plan for the network.
The participants deplored the fact that Caterpillar local management rejected the request made by the French unions to tour the plant. They demand that a constructive and open dialogue be initiated at world level between Caterpillar management and the IMF Caterpillar trade union network.
This meeting is part of a larger strategy of trade union networks developed by the IMF, which aims at building a counterweight to transnational corporations.