30 September, 2010ICEM affiliates in Sub-Sahara Africa resolve to continue to campaign against Brazilian TNC Vale as the company continues to demand unacceptable concessions from workers at its operations in Voisey's Bay, Canada.
AFRICA/CANADA: The ICEM's Sub-Sahara Africa Regional Organisation (SSARO), at its Executive Committee Meeting in Mauritius, September 27 to 28, adopted a resolution affirming continued commitment to challenge mining multinational Vale in Africa. "SSARO affiliates will oppose all Vale investments in Africa and those of its surrogates until Vale demonstrates a willingness to drop its anti-union behaviour," states the resolution.
The resolution was adopted unanimously by the ICEM African affiliates, building on their commitment of April 6 during the 'Week of Action on Vale' when SSARO's Executive Committee denounced Vale's attacks on workers in Canada and throughout the world, and resolved to oppose the investment of Vale in Africa.
Vale continues hostile demands on workers at Voisey's Bay, Newfoundland, Canada, to accept large concessions and worse terms than those agreed in settling the bitter disputes at Sudbury and Port Colborne. The corporate management of Vale maintains the unacceptable position that they cannot intervene in the dispute, instead settlement must be reached by local management and workers.
The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) and the IMF have been fighting a global campaign against Vale's anti-union practices and efforts to spread their intolerable treatment of workers to Africa and throughout the world.
"The ICEM affiliates of Africa have shown their strength in unity by confronting the second largest mining company in the world, and refusing their anti-worker practices. We salute them for this and pledge our full continued support to the campaign," stated ICEM general secretary Manfred Warda.
The opposition to Vale in Africa includes the 50/50 joint venture between Vale and African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), a South African mining company that acts as a gateway for Vale to Africa's mineral resources.
Vale has begun construction of the Konkola North Project in Zambia, where the Brazilian multinational plans to invest US$400 million in the copper mine. This is strongly opposed by the Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ), who have questioned the legality of the mine's lease.
View the Resolution in its entirety here.