24 November, 2009Workers from unions represented by the Gerdau Global Workers' Committee distributed leaflets at Gerdau Group plants, organised meetings and held marches and demonstrations throughout the world on its international day of struggle on November 18.
GLOBAL: Gerdau workers held a day of solidarity to press the company to address the problems affecting its employees in many of the countries where it operates. Workers called for a solution to the strike at Cambridge, Canada; renewal of the collective contract with the SINTRAMETAL union in Tuta and reopening of the Duitama plant in Colombia; and recognition of the Gerdau Global Workers' Committee.
Workers at Gerdau plants in Brazil distributed materials produced by the Global Committee. The São José dos Campos and São Leopoldo Metalworkers' Unions distributed a special bulletin for the day of action at the factory gates of Gerdau plants in their area.
Workers in Colombia organised a series of events for the International Day of Struggle. On November 17, a union delegation visited the Brazilian Embassy in Colombia to present a letter of protest about the company's behaviour in the country. The diplomat responsible for international trade met the delegation and agreed to arrange a meeting with the ambassador during the next few days.
The workers went on to organise a public meeting in front of Gerdau headquarters on November 18. The Gerdau workers' delegation was accompanied by IMF officers from Geneva and Latin America, including Fernando Lopes, IMF Assistant General Secretary and Jorge Almeida, Latin America Regional Officer, and by representatives of UTRAMMICOL and FETRAMECOL and the bank workers' union UNEB. There was also a meeting at the Gerdau plant in Tuta, where workers distributed a leaflet produced by the Global Committee.
The Chilean metalworkers' confederation, CONSTRAMET and Gerdau-Aza unions 1-2 held a demonstration in front of Salomon Sack, owned by Gerdau-Aza. Workers at Salomon Sack went on strike on November 9 after the company refused to consider a decent pay rise during collective bargaining and tried to impose a four year collective agreement against the union's wishes. The company tried to break workers' unity by ignoring the negotiating committee and proposing to reach individual terms with workers. When the workers rejected the company's offer, the company refused to continue negotiations and used strike-breakers to continue operations. Ninety Salomon Sack employees are currently on strike.
In Peru, the two unions at the Gerdau steel plant in Chimbote held a joint march through the town centre. During the march, workers put up posters produced by the Global Committee. The Siderperu employees' union also handed out leaflets to all workers inside the plant, distributed information to the press about the strikes in Canada and Colombia and demanded recognition of the Gerdau Global Workers' Committee.