24 February, 2010IMF commits to strategic engagement at global level to counter power of TNCs seeking to undermine workers' rights and conditions worldwide.
USA: The International Metalworkers' Federation joined leaders of mining and maritime unions representing workers in Canada, United States, Australia and South Africa on February 16 and 17 to examine ways to strengthen efforts and coordination to take on transnational corporations attacking fundamental workers' rights globally.
The strategic alliance, organized by the Mining and Maritime Initiative, committed to working together to counter massive violations of workers' rights at mining giants Grupo Mexico, Vale and Rio Tinto where all three global union federations, the IMF, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), have affiliates.
Grupo Mexico's violent war on workers is a long-standing one. The Mexican government has allied itself with Grupo Mexico in a more than four-year campaign of repression and abuses of power to eliminate the National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union of Mexico (SNTMMSRM). The SNTMMSRM, which is that country's strongest independent union, is an IMF and ICEM affiliate and its leader, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia sits on the IMF Executive Committee. See more here.
In September, IMF and ICEM with the help of ITF launched a global effort to highlight rights abuses at Brazilian-owned Vale worldwide, and show solidarity for 3,500 members of the United Steelworkers (USW) in Canada who have been on strike since July 13 after workers refused to agree to a drastic reduction in conditions and increased job insecurity. See more here.
The meeting took place in Palmdale, California, near a Rio Tinto borax mine and plant where some 600 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) have been locked out by the company in an attempt to force workers to accept an extremely concessionary contract that includes:
- The conversion of full-time jobs to part-time jobs when deemed necessary by management
- Authority to reduce employee pay, when company deems necessary, regardless of contract wage rates and without any right of the worker to file a grievance
- If Rio Tinto violates any state or federal labour laws, workers would be required to pay for the company's legal penalties, fines, damages and attorney fees
Meeting delegates marched with locked-out Rio Tinto workers to the plant gates demanding that the company "Let us Work!" and vowing global solidarity until justice and fair treatment is won for all Rio Tinto workers worldwide.
See Mining and Maritime statement here.